Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-03-10
The one-half of Which I hay


receive letters from the Secretary of |
War acknowledging the rec ,ipts of
the sums forwarded to him in the |
manner you have stated, Or did he &C
knowledge the receipts of the same in |
anv way
Answer. Usually when [ sent money |
by express [ would send him the re
ceipt of the company, which he would |
either return marked 30. K ;" or |
otherwise acknowledge the receipt of |
the same. Sometimes paid it to him |
in person in New York, when no re-
ceipt was necessary. I have not pre-
served any receipts or letters. When |
sent by express [ always deposited the
money personally, and took a receipt
from them.
Question by the chairman. Have
you at any time had any conversations
with the Secretary of War regarding
the post trad, rship at Fort Sill, or
have you corresponded with him re-
earding the same?
Answer. Oh, frequently. [ have
forwarded requests to the Secretary
made to me by Evans, wishing priv
liquors, sc. 7 don't remember what
WAS tdh0A lucy
were not returned to me. AS far as |
know Evaus correspondent regarding
affairs at Fort Sill through me with
the Secretary of War. L never heard
of any other way.
Question by the chairman. Was the
contract between you and Evans ever
the cubiect of conversation between
YOU and the Secretary of War
/ rpman-
Der, save in one instance, but am not
positive; yet it seems to me when the
articles in the newspapers regarding
affairs at Fort Sill, probably in 1872,
about the time the reduction was made
in payments from $4,000 to $4,000
appeared. The next time L saw the
Secretary of War he asked me if had
Il contract with Evans. [ told him L
had. I never showed it to him or any
one else till produced it here.
Question by the chairman. A ter
receiving the Geographic subpoena
from the ergeant-at-arms to appear
before the committee, which was on
Monday, the 21st of this month, did
you come to Washington, and if SO,
had you an interview with the Secre-
tary of War, and when, and where?
Answer l came to Washington
on Wednesday, the 23d of this month.
[ went to the house Of the Secretary Of
| War. staid Wednesday night and re
turned on Thur sday morning. I
showed him the telegrapIlic subpoena,
and asked him what it meant. He
said he suppose it was TO state before
! the COMMITTEES what [ knew about our
transactions together. | said [ did nos
like to appear because I thought my
testimony would be damaging to OF
would impiicate him or give aim trou-
BILE. He said he thought not, aud All
yised me to stay and meet the commit
tee. During that evening ny CONVEX.
sation was chiefly with his wife, he
being present part of the time aud I'M,
Outstanding the gen raj tenor of ON
conversation. She suggested that
could make a statement which would
satisfy tho committee and sxcu' pate
| the Secretary She wanted me to &C
before the committee, aud represent
that shy and had had transactions to
gether for many years. and that al
this money | had sent the Secretary
was money that she had from time tC
time deposited with me as kind o.
banker, aad that she had instruct &C
| me to send it TO the Secretary for her
dIned there AMI spent the evening
and stayed all night, retiring about l.
O'Clock. The ev ming was devoted t,
. discussing the matter; [ told her tha
! the statemar: would not hold water be
fore the committee and even if it w0uit
I could not make it. At the stme time
WAS wrought up, had such an anxiety
she pressing AMI pressing me- about it
and having slept little Stree the raceip
of the subpoena, aud svmpathisinE
with their condition, did not Civ,
them a positive answer that night
went to bed at II O'Clock, and do no
suppose [ slept a wink. They sald
they would breakfast about 9 O'Clock
/ came down about and met the Sec
rotary alone. I told him [ thought
had better leave and get ont of tht
country, for l would not periurt
myself for any one; that [ could afford
t. have my throat cut, but not to per
| iure myself He did not wish me tc
| do that; that we could fix it up som
other way I said. I think I hnd bet
ter leave the country. The Secretary
said would ruin him if left. I said
if go before he committee L will
surely ruin you, for 1 will tell the
truth. He was greatly excited. When
| CtIIlc OtiH II W lpiltNCG
me, and asked ne into the parlor, and
said. [ want to make ,ast appeal to
stay longer. He said if I went he
would be ruined. I said [ would ruin
! him if went before the committee,
and [ left and took the limited express
| for New York. On reaching home /
consulted my attorney, asking him If
the committee could reach me by sub
peua if left the country. I stated
| the case to my attorney, Mr.. Bart EFT,
No. 129 Broadway, Equitable Build
| ing He asked if l was subpe 1aed. |
told him had a telegraphic dispatch
calling me to Washington. He said that
if subpoen IA had been duly served they
could give me considerable trouble.
but that on a telegraphic message they
could not reach me if was out of the
| country. [ asked him how long l
| would have to stay. He said if the
committee had leave to sit during the
recess could not come back until the
present Congress expired. I then went
home, and found there dispatch
from DIR. VIM. Tomiinson, the brother
in-law of the Secretary. It's purport
was not to leave; that he had good
news; that he was coming over. [ de-
termined not to be governed by it;
that I was going; that they only
wished to fix up some new story, but
that would not be party to it. My
trunk was being packed to leave. At
about midnight Thursday, February
"a, DR.. Tomlinson arrived at my house.
He said he had seen Joe Black burn
Che is a cousin of mine), who said ne
+ thought I would write a letter some
thing like one which he (rOmlinson)
would suggest; that there would be no
further Investigation, and if there was
they would ask no questions that would
be difficult for me to answer, and that
Mr.. Blackburn said he thought that if
the committee still wanted to examine
ME they would appoint a SUP
committee and come over to New
York to do So He came to nv bed
room and told him to go into the sit
ting room and draw the sketch of the
proposed letter and~that when dressed
[ would join him and [ would write
such a letter as he wanted if 1 could.