New-York tribune., 1879-12-25
THE ARIZONA SCANDAL.

STATEMENT OF GENERAL CLINTON B. FISK.
| THE EVIDENCE AGAINST AGENT HART AND IN
sPrCToR HAMMOND FLUcTUATrNG BOUNDARY
LINEs-oUEsTIoNs PRoPoUNDED TO CoMMIs-
sIoNER HAYT.
General q considerable part of the information
relative to the alleged irregularities at the Fan
Carlos Indian Agency in Arizona was derived from
you. You have seen Commissioner Hayps letter
| in reply, printed in THE TRIBUNE this morning.
| What are you willing to say concerning itT
General Clinton b. Fisk. one of the Board Of In
dian Commissioners, in answer to this inquiry by
reporter of The TRIBUNE, said yesterday
that as he was one Of the Board which
woud soon be engaged in investigating
the transactions of Commissioner Hayt. he did not
wish TO seem like volunteering information. but had
no objection to stating what he knew of the matter
under discussion. He then SAID:
"In October last visited the San Carlos Agency.
and was called on by a number OF persons VINO
complained of Irregularities Among others was
Edgar ID. Willis, clerk of the Agency lie
said that he had been a merchant at
Mcmillan, near the Agency, and had sold
certain goods Henry l.. Hart, the agent OF the San
Carlos Reservation Hart was at that time work
ing the Washington Mine in that neghborhood. A
few months prior to this time General >. ii. Ham
mond, an Inspector of Iudian Agencies, had
informed the miners who working the CONT
MENTAL Hannibal, Washington and Gleason Mines
that these miners were on the Indian reservation,
and that the miners were trespassers In mining or
shipping ores thcreirom. Willis added that this
information as might be expected, disconnected
and discouraged the miners. Tho Washington
Mine at that time owned by Mr. Hart, the
agent, and Mr. Fuller
General Hammond went TO Washington, and soon
returned to San Carlos, accompanied by Edward
Knapp of New Jersey. who represented himself as
the agent of Charles ID. Deshler. of New
Brunswick. N. J. General Hammond and Mr..
Knapp purchased the Washington Mine from
Mr. Hart for $4,000 and $4,000 adj
ditional for the personal property connected with
it, Knapp gave in payment sight drafts on William
Hogcncamp, president of the Second National Bank
of Jersey City. Hart at that time owed hlm tWil-
| lsl $685. and gave him one of the drafts in pay
| ment. The draft forwarded for col
| lection through the house of Lord q Williams,
| at Tucson, Arizona and was returned in due time
| protested. Willis then placed his claim in the
| bands of J. W. Van Slyck, attorney at PhGnix.
| Arizona, to have the mine attached, and this was
! DONE Other drafts made by Knapp and given
| to Harts creditors were also returned pro-
tested. These men joined with Willis in attaching
| the NINE The claims were finally paid. however
| The general impression was that the transaction
was in the interest of Commissioner Hayt.
"Ths, in brief, was the story told me by Mr.
Willis Several other persons came to me and made
declarations similar to those of Willis. Major
ChaIee, of the 9Th Cavalry, temporarily i'll charge
! at the San Carlos Agency, said that General
| Hammond told him that he possessed the
| authority so TO adjust the boundary lines of the
reservation as to leave the Washington Mine off or
| OH it, Major Chaiee also informed me that Agent
| Hart showed him letter from General Hammond
30 himself HART stating that after full nvesti-
gation Of his case he had reached the conclu-
sion that he entirely innocent of all the
charges preferred against him. Major Chafee
asked Hart how it was possible to obtain such n
letter from General Hammond after all the
| allegations that had been made with
reference TO his alleged irregularities. and
Hart replied that he had Hammond where he
would write anything in his behalf. The letter from
General Hammond was dated from Evanston. ILL.,.
aud in answer inquiry from Major Chaffee, Hart
said that Evanston was General HammonPs home,
aud lie wanted it to appear that the letter was
written after calm dclberation, and at place remote
from the Agency. Among the most common causes
of plant made to me, was OF the assumption by
General Hammond that the boundary lines
of the reservation could be shifted arbi-
and presented petition that l would In
terfere to prevent this. They said that If their
mines could be placed on the reservation one day
and taken off the next, by Of changing the
! boundary lines Ii would be impossible for them to
DISPOSE of their property. The whole thing looks
badly.
QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER HAYT.
THE main part of Commissioner Hayfs reply is
| devoted to defending Inspector Hammond. The
| defence of General Hammond might better be
| left to himself. Commissioner Hayt cannot
know that General Hammond has not held
back information from the 1ndian Office,
| Hart. 1t was not charged that any resurvey of
| the San Carlos Reservation had been made or Or
| dered, but it was charged that Hammond announced
that he was authorized to resurvey the lines OF the
| reservation. II is for Hammond to say whether or
not lie so announced. The questions for Commits
| sioner Iiayt to answer are theses:
"What has been said or done, II ANYTHING. respect
Ing the boundary lines of the San Carlos Rescrva.
Iion since General Hammond FIRST went to Arizona
with Mr.. Dcsbler, Mr.. Knapp, or Sir. Hogen-
| camp for the purchase OF the silver mine
referred TOT Was he in any way instrumental in
the acquaintance of either of these three persons
iIas he any knowledge. as TO why the
| title to the mine was taken IN the name of
Charles ID. Deshler. or what led Mr.. Knapp to go
| TO Arizonai Has he any knowledge as to who in
| troduced General Hammond TO Messrs. Knapp and
| DeSnlerl Does he KNOW WHO nist inloliheu Nr:
| Desher that piece of property in Arizona had
I been purchased in his name' When did he first
| know who was the real owner OF the mine
Does lie know with whom Mr.. Deshler had an qn-
derstanding that he was not to be made responsible
| for any money liability Does he know any rea-
| son for Mr.. Deshlers impression that the
| agent on the ground did not know IN whose
name to vest the property Has he any
knowledge whatever concerning the transfer y the
| mine from Deshler to Hogencampf Had he any
| knowledge whatever, and II so. when did he first
know, that ore had been submitted to an
expert in minerals and that because OF
| his favorable report the mine under discus
sion was purchased In short. was Commissioner