The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-08-10
THE ILaEs COURT nssrr.r,
Col. iiEes' Testimony Explaining How ae
U~ed the Pay Accounts

Our readers will recollect that Colonel
Guido Ilees, valorous and honorsd soldier
greatly esteemed on the frontier, was recent
iy placed under arrest on the charge Of hav-
ing duplicated bis pay accounts. His trial
by court martial At st. Paul was concluded
few days ago and the proceedings and find
ings have been transmitted through the reg.
ular channel 10 the Secretary of War and the
President. Pending their approval or disap-
proyal the verdict is not presumed 10 lie
known. In the meantime Col. upes is or
dered back to Fort Assn aboins in arrest.
The evidence was fully presented against
Col Ilges. The defense only called Dele
gate Maginnis who testified thai at the 1882
session of Congress bill passed authorizing
| the payment Of SOME $1,000 TO Col Ilees aud
twenty three co claimants, officers and sol.
ders of the U. S. Army, and so far as wit
ness knew this money had been held in the
Treasury.
Col. Ilges then asked to be sworn and ties
tilted as follows:
/ desire to put on record under oath
that the sum of S2,091, due me by the
Nashville u Chattanooga Railway Company,
for damage sustained by the burning of a
train at Murfreesboro, Tenn, in 1860, has
been withheld from me and kept on deposit
in the United States Treasury since the
early part of the year 1870. The money was
deducted from the amount due the company
for army transnnrS snJ -. a.k.---
ed from bringing suit for damages by order
OF the Secretary of War, who assumed the
collection of the claim. After eleven years
of labor and expense of many hundreds Of
dollars on my part, the national Congress in
session during the summer of 1882 passed a
bill, which became a law. authorizing the
payment of the amount of the claim, S2,O91,
and the claims Of my co claimants.
Through q disagreement between nv
attorney in Washington and myself in regard
to the excessive amount Offices demanded by
the former, he claiming $500, this amount of
money (S2 09l), still remains in the United
States Treasury, subject to my DRAFT, when
ever satisfy the department that the fee
ofmy attorney has been protected.
! state under oath that / have not executed
any power or powers Of attorney or other
authority, to any one to draw this money
from the United States Treasury.
This account still remaining in the United
States Treasury, which had every reason to
think avilable since Septem Der, is the very
money which was to nav Mr. Scbpffe- fo,
the loans of money granted me. SO ex
pressly stipulated In my various Letters to
that gentleman. At no time did I ask or
authorize Mr.. Scheffer to accep. my August
and September and December, 1882 pay &C
counts for COLLECTION. These pay accounts
on the contrary were left with him by me
as personal security for Mr.. Scheffer, as
their redemption at some future day was full
fy insured by Mr.. SchefTer's entire belief in
my honor and Intention Of fair dealing.
here state that il never was nv Intention
to pay Mr.. Scheiier with the proceeds ofthese
accounts. |
looked upon these accounts the same IS | |
would upon due bill, to be redeemed.
have so redeemed them, capital and In |
terest, as originally agreed upon by Mr.. |
Schetler aud myself, although the money. is |
derived from a different source than the |
treasury deposit.
l have never intended to defraud or deceive
Mr.. schetier, or the Bank Of Minnesota
which he represents. = B