New-York tribune., 1876-04-25
yoL.XxXVI..~. Ne 1882
WASHINGTON.
,,D,,1vc OFT OF OFFICE.

-, oc.NDAI-MRs BOGGS, WIFE OF ihN
nDrerDENT's FORMER BUSINESS rANiNi-'
,,nrs i. PENSION AGENCY FOR MAJOR CLEMENS
,-r p,vs HER 800 MoNTH-THE payments
,xrppRuPTED BY THE BELKNAP EXPOSURE
Icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON, April 24.-Ihe spec'u .on ,ho
.,,,ee anpoined early in the session 10 the
I,str,ct Real Estate Pool secured rev NooAo 70
ao of a resolution authorizing it TO inquire ~ ;t
od 70 any other subject that might DC ,ittoe
ottentiou Acting under this authority ."-, 10 the
aort,,, ev vauined several witnesses III reb - a.,
ortnent Of Major Clements, Pension Ae' ~ ,bo
~i,horo Missouri District, and the s'ois' - ." a.. tho
,os+;monv il a very Interesting on0' ,,oss ,,ort
- the president then Capt Grant, was 30 ,Irs
nor in Ct Louis Of Harry BoggS' "a 49, tr1iss was
- Tho intimacy between the TWO i"i"" Voc
'rah'' nv ~, has continued until the present uIne'
Ner! $50 h,,no on several occasions during tno war;
o 10 testified rendered important services " ."e
ct family especially in times Oh eloAnes', ~"
- ,,o Mr. Boggs died. and his "le WAS ie1V VII" ="
- and daughter dependent upon her Ior support
- ot the time acquainted with Mr. Ebert VINO was
yansion Agent at Macon, Missouri, ana wrote 10 nm
ating for clerkshp in his Office Mr. Ebert pafuaiy
a her a stuation but she never received 1t, not
,,a;no the fact that she forwarded to him letter
3,en nv the President, intimatng that ner appoint
meut would be very pleasing TO MN.
resnondence in regard to this appointment thus
h,r was continued by Mr. Ebert long after Mrs BOsSs
sod 70 renlv to his letters; and in instance when
h commission was about to expire he offered TO uVde
s olarv with her provided she would secure his reap
,,,ent and cause the names of 500 or 1000 pen
% N, transferred from the ST. Louis district to his
wn This proposition she showed to Col. Eastoh'
pension Agent at Louis, and acting upon MS auNce
sused 10 have anything to do with Mt Eoerts propoS
ton Mr. Ebert was not reappointed nut MAYOR Ceneh's
-, tven the position on the recommendation OF MIS-
To
c1o,ts xrote TO Mrs BOggs saying that II she WOuld
S, him, 70 ret the place he would give her an appoint
msnt in the Office at a salary Of 800 mohins OF Hs
eouiyalent The following is an extract from MIS-
Boggs's testimony upon this point;
o MID Won write TO the Presdentf A. Yes; ana toId
him I Thought that Major Cemehtss hpppi"1 , II ies e
nid no am advantage to me In my letter Whcn saw
Major Clements, said Major Clehenss hb hs uiH h.
nSton ON business, the accomplishment Oh 9I Ws M III 80 m "a
nj great advantage me- hope you VIII oe Aoe " i
his appncatlcn' ,,. n.
After Major Clements appointed he pald 10 MIs
Hoggs who still continued to reside in ST. LOUIS ana TO
teach in private school there, 500 per month"; hei
testimony on this point as follows;
n What conpepsaton has he given yOul A. He mas
given me at the rate that he promised until ast Deem
her. be has not paid anything since last OecehnSr
O What does he say about that A. He had paid me
Tie time has not arrived yet for the next payment
hsst9 A. The time has passed, but on account OF Inc
Reknap affair it Thought that great deal nsht DC
made OF this little matter aud it Is tacltY understood De
tween us that it might be suspended, or that 1t ght De
altogether done away with.
% How much has he paid you altogether a. lie mas
maid me altogether 81 100 at various times
since the appointment Of Major Clements the FORMER
agent Mr. Ebert has written letters 10 MIS- boSgs
some Of the late being OF very threatening eharac
ter He informed her that he had ascertaned the terms OF
the agreement between her and Major Clements and in
nated that there was something criminal about it, and
that il II was publicly known II would cause great
trouble to her and the President One OF these threaten
ing letters she sent the President and on being ques
TONED in regard to it, testified as follows
think in my letter 70 the Presdenr! said Here is
me on acc OF Major Clements holding this office II
his holding it s harmful or II there IS anything my i Sha'
O. Was that letter written before or ater your con
versaton WITH Mr. Clements upon MS & TgtFn n rom rom ms w.,
O. Had YOU seen the Beknap exposure in the papers al
O. Did you ever inform the President that Mr. Clements
was complying with his agreement A. res, Pr
never got any answer back don't know whether he re
By Mr.. New-How did you inform him-by letter. A
O The letter was mailed. itl A. Yes it was just
little note mentioning the fact in another letter
BY MT. Pratt-What time was that letter senti A.
Some time during last Summer.
letterf A. II added to little note IL not writ
ten expressly for that purpose it was mere line added
Q. You may state whether or not the President has
known since the appointment OF Clements that you have
been teaching IN 81 Louis. A Yes slr he kne" u at
BY Mr. Pratt-YOu called tie Presidents attention 10
all these thngs did yOui A. did; well cannot say
that called his attention particularly In detail to all
these matters but Of course he knew as well as could
tell mm.
From these extracts 1t viii De that this is only
snoher Of the farming ont Of Office for the bene-
IT. particular friend Of the President. When Gen.
Grant 70 his brother Ory the contract Of post and
Indian rsterships TO enable him TO make living, Oryil
sSears that the President knew nothing OF the terms
which he made with his partners those upon whom he
levied taxes. In this Mrs Boggs s positive that the
President did know Of the terms which She had made
with Gajor Clements, and since the Belknap exposure
has removed Major Clements at Mrs. Boggss suggestion
Ms Boggss testimony was cOrroborated by that OF
the other witnesses except Major Clements, who at
tempted to give slightly different explanation TO his
pSr III the natter Mrs. Boggs showed strong desire
70 shield the President from blame, and said that the ap
pai she made 70 him one that knd-heaTted man
sod resist and That she never suspected that there was
anything wrong In the transaction until since the nycs
ugauOns began in Washington ThemOncy she received,
she urged not collected from pensioners, 1t
PAD by the United States, but from the salary o. the
agent She was III great distress q ON fear that the
President should suffer account Of his kindness to her