Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-03-15
The War Department Investigation.
The PendIefon II. X. Claim.
Testimony of General H. v. BOyntOn.

| the house Committee on Exper ditures In the
| War department closed yesterday, Senator
| stevenson, of Kentucky, testifie1 that he
was one of the stockholders of the Kentucky
Central railroad; had been a director sine
| let3; and also the general counsellor of The
| company; Mr.. Pendleton was employed TO
| tase charge of the collection of the claim of
The company, for which he was TO receive 50
per cent; the Senator was present when the
| agreement was msde and when the account
was settled, but he bad no KNOWLEDGE of the
mode and manner OF the settlement; as one
/ OF The managers OF the road he endorsed the
settlement as just and fair, and was glad TO
| get the money; the Bowler es ate Owned f,ur-
| hfths of the en- tire stock; the Senator was the
| poorest man in the company; Mrs Bowler
| endorsed the settlement for herself and her
infant chiItren, for whom she is guardian
| Mrs kief. who is the next largest st0ckhol-
der, was delighted at the settlement. Every
| body interested in the road was pleased, as
| they considered IL Just so much money made
| Mr.. Bowler, in his lifetime, said he would
| sell bis Interest for five cents on the dollar
| The Senator thought It was as just a claim
as was ever presented. Bridges had been
! burnt and trains damaged, the rebels Selling
| the road and working IL for 80 days The
! Senator had regarded it as a good claim, but
hard to get; but heard that Stanton and
Meigs decided adversely TO the claim. He
! was gratified and a little Surprised when 1t
| went through, ii having been hanging SO
! long.
GENERAL BoYNToN
| thCn presented himself and was sworn. He
| wished IL To be understood that he appes rel
| here voluntarily, and not by a subpoena The
chairman alluded 10 dispatch in the New
| loIk Herald of the Sth, and also on The 9th
! of March, The foundation of which has been
! furnished 10 Mr.. NOrdhOfT, the cores pondent-
in chief of the Herald, by General BoyntOn,
| and published on the latter's authority. The
| witness said he had 10 personal know ledge
| OF the truth of the statements, but held him
self res Ionsible for what Mr.. Nordhoff printed
| In the Herald, so far as ii conformed TO the
| manifold copy which he gave that gentle
man. The next day the statement was reas-
terteo on the witness responsibility. The
witness having been asked by the Chairman
10 give the name OF his informant, esponded
that he would like first To tell how he came
to publish the information. THE chairman
SAID he wanted the name OF his Informant
hrst. The witness replied he did not obtain
the statement from tie man who would
Mr.. Blackburn said that they were entitled
TO categorical answer. After short col
loquy the witness was permitted 10 state
that he obtained
THE FIRST INITIATION
from Hon. jeremiah NJ. Wilson, who re-
feTred him to the Hon. Mr.. Shellabarger also
an eX. member of Congress, and Wilson's
law partner and Shellabarger referred The
witness 10 Colonel b. +. Grafton. The last
named gave him the information referred 10
IN the Herald dispatches, on condition he
would not use his name, and Colonel Graf
ton gave as his authority General KiddOo,
OF the United States army, with whom the
chairman OF the committee travelled, and
with whom the chairman conversed on the
subject of this inquiry. The witness said me
met Mr. Wilson in the Treasury DEPART
Tnent week ago Friday, and Mr.. Wilson re-
marked That he had heard of a matter that
ought to be looked up, and reIerIed him TO
Mr.. Shellabarger. SheHabarger said to the
witness while sitting in the Court OF Claims,
ooIohel GRAFTON said TO him, "There is a
gentleman who knows all about sum of
$4,000 or S25 coo being paid to Mrs. Bower,
afterward Mrs. Belknap, out of the Ken
lucky Central Railroad case" The witness
asked Mr.. SheiiaDarger whether he would
authorize him to go TO Colonel Grafton and
talk about it. MIR. Shellabarser responded,
Certainly" The witness accordin sIy
called on Colonel Grafton the next morning
Colonel Grafton introduced him to General
KiddOo, who soon went out. Colonel Graf
ton said the gentleman who just went out of
the room knows all about IL. The amount
of The statement was this, that General Kid
do was one OF party with Mr.. and Mrs.
Marsh, George Ii, Pendleton. Mrs. Bower, AZ
WHO made some parts OF
THE TOUR OF EUROPE
together. The witness obtained the impress
sion that they all Travelled together at the
same time.
Mr.. CIymer. interrupting, remarked that
he was .lOt III Europe at that time.
Tie witness replied that he regretted il he
made any mistake in the proper division of
this party OF distinguished travellers, but
that he was responsible for whatever error
might be in the statement. The witness
learned from Col. Grafton that when Mr..
and Mrs. Marsh reached Washington, the
night before Marsh testified, there was a
Mrs. Marsh, Mrs Belknap and several other
persons were present, all of them being ac-
quaintances, and most of them knO owing the
facts which Mr.. Clymer's mmittee were
instructed to inquire into that at the meet
ing Mrs. Marsh, in talking OF various trans
actions of which she had know ledge, alluded
10 statements In circulation in regard to the
so-called Pendleton railroad claim relating
TO the Kentucky Central railroad; that Mrs.
Belknap said the stories were gross eXaggera-
tioEs; that while 1t had been believed among
Some fripnHG 6 ranfr
thousand dollars from that claim. she had
IN fact obtained only about half that amount;
that the friends OF Mrs. Marsh asserted that
II she was ever brought before the committee
the would undoubtedly testify 10 the main
facts given above; and Colonel Grafton
further Informed the witness that General
Kiddoo had gone to Mr.. Clymer aud
said, There is case against Pendelton of
character similar To- that of Marsh and he
was reminded that If he had determined 10
bring Belknap down, he could not Justly de-
cline 10 bring Pendleton down too, and that
MIR. Clymer asserted that he had not suffi-
Gent data TO reach Pendleton; and further
jOinder that Mrs. Marsh would testify 10 {,
and that the records OF the department wou Id
throw some light on the case. Now the only
way was 10 summon Mrs. Marsh and she
would tell all about the interview. The wit
NJ SIS understood a subpoena was obtained for
Mis-. Marsh, but before IL could be served she
went To sCanada. The witnessstook The re-
spOrsioillty OF publishing the story in conse-
quence of It's Importance, for, IL true, il placed
tue I'll dWhWaTu condition. He
took the responsibility of writing IL up aud
giving manifold copies 10 the CORES pondents
OF the New York Herald, Boston Herald and
To Major Poore, of The Boston Journal and to
the Chicago Tribune. Alter the story came
back in printed form Mr.. Clymer made mis-
personal explanation. The witness suisse
queDtly met Colonel Grafton, who informed
him that the points could be sustained. Toe
witness said he never had any conmunica.
ton with Gen. KiddCo personally.
GEN. BoYNToN "CKoSS -FXAMINED."
The Chairman suggested whether, IN COM
mon fairness, IL would not have been better
To ask the chairman whether he had taken
proper steps in the matter before venturing
ON The charges against him.
MI blackburn Intercepted the witness as
10 mis- authorized statement that the facts in
the case were calculated to bring disgrace on
the managers of the committee, whatever
the result as TO Pendletol might be, and he
asked whether the witness knew, when he
| prepared his article, the statement t. be
facts. The witness replied he believed them
| TO be facts just as he stated, and TO that aud
no other extent On being reminded that
that " as not an answer TO the question, the
witness said be did not propose TO answer in
| any other way. After further spirited colo
| quv, Me-. Robbins said he understood the wit