The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-08
TR1AL:OF COLONEL 1LGE3

loGe; 81 600.
TRIAL. OF COLONEL ILGE3
In the trial of Colonel Ilges, now
going on at st. Paul, Major Ma
ginnis was placed upon the witness
stand. He testified that he was Il
membse of the last nationol congress,
the session of which expired in 1882.
During that session he became cog
infant of the fact that q bill passed
both houses and became = law
authorizing the payment of certain
sums Of money by the United States
treasury to Col. Ilges and some twen-
ty-three co-claimants, officers and
soldiers of the United States army.
He took an active interest in the
matter and sought to have the bill
passed without delay, believing Col.
Ilges to be the proper custodian Of
the money. The belief was that the
money was recovered from q rail-
road company by suit instituted by
Col. Ilges,, but the money was COL
lectsd by the secretary of war and
placed in the treasury. The treas
urer having no right to honor Col.
Ilges order, it became necessary
to pass a bill authorizing the
payment of the sum. This
money, the amount of which he did
not now remember, but thinks it be.
tween So, 100 and s., 500, had been lay
ing in the treasury tor number of
years, and, in his opinion, should
have been transferred to its rightful
owner. He had lived in Montana
since 1865 and had known Col. Ilges
twelve years. He regarded him as
gentleman and a soldier; his reputa-
tion in Montana was excellent, and
the people not only recognized his
value as an officer and their protector
from Indians on several occasions,
but feel that he is entitled to even
more at their hands. A deputation
of the citizens of Montana placed a
memorial in his hands when he went
to the last session of congress, asking
for a proper adjustment of Col. Ilges'
claims.
Col. Ilges was then sworn and
made the following statement: II
desire to put on record under oath.
that the SUM of $2.O91 due me by the
Nashville & Chattanooga railway
company, for damages sustained by
the burning of a train at Murfrssboro,
Tennessee, in 1869, 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 de-
Quoted from the amount due tho
company for army transportation,
and I was debarred from bringing
suit for damages by order of the Sec
retary of war, who assumed the COL
lection 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 becamea law, authorizing the
payment of the amount of my claim,
$2,O91, and the claims of my CO.
claimants. Through disagreement
between my attorney in Washington
and myself in regard to the excessive
amount Of fees demanded by the
former, he claiming $500, this amount
of money ($2,O91) still remains in the
United States treasury. subject to my
draft, whenever I satisfy the depart
ment that the fee of the attorney has
been protected. 1 state under oath
that I have not executed any power
or powers of attorney, or other au-
thority, to any one to draw this
money from the United States treas
ury. This amount still remaining
in the United States treasury. which
I had every reason to think available
since September, is the very money
which was to pay Mr.. Scheffer TO:
the loans of money granted me. so
expressly stipulated in my various
letters to that gentleman. At no
time did I ask or authorize Mr.. Schct-
fer to accept my August, November
and December, 1882, pay accounts at
their face value, and at no time have
I asked or authorized him to present
these pay accounts for collection.
These pay accounts to the contrary
were left with him by me as q per-
sonal security for Mr.. Scheffer, as
their redemption at some future day
was fully insured by Mr.. Scheffer's
entire belief in my honorable inten-
ton of fair dealing. I here state that
it never was my intention to pay Mr..
Scheffer with the proceeds Of these
accounts. I looked upon these ac-
counts the same as 1 would upon q
due bill, to be redeemed. I have so
redeemed them, capital and inter-.
est, as originally agreed on by Mr..
Scheffer and myself, although the
money il derived from q different
source than the treasury deposit.
have never intended to defraud or de-
ceive Mr.. Scheffer or the Bank of
Minnesota, which he represents.
Chas, II. Elting was the object of