The times., 1899-03-17
PLAIN CIVILIANS
made PAYMASTERS
II. R. Belknap, B. D. Slaugh-
ter. and Charles NewbOld.
The War Departments Attempt to
Suppress the News.
The Three Gentlemen Selected to
Succeed 81 Like Number Who
Are in the Army.

Hugh R. Belknap. former member OF
Congress from Chicago; Brandon d.
Slaughter, of Nebraska, and Charles New
bold. OF this city. have been appointed ad-
ditional paymasters in the army. with the
rank of major. Under the Army Reorgan-
izaiion law provision was made for the
appointment OF thirty additional paymas-
ters.
The appointment OF the three gentlemen
above named means that under the new
law after July l, 1901, they will be made
regular paymasters OF the army. There
are twenty-seven more additional paymas-
ters to be named in compliance with that
law. The three persons appointed will take
the place of three persons who have been
in the service since the beginning of the
Spanish war, and it is not improbable that
the ether twenty seven Will be selected
from persons in civil life, and they will
also supersede an equal number now in
the service.
The War Department for some reason,
was desirous of keeping the appointments a
secret. but last night the fact that they
had been made became known to a few
persons. At a late hour the appointments
were confirmed by the department As
the gentlemen selected were appointed
from civil life and have no connection with
the army whatever. and are to take the
places of men who have been in the sery-
ice. this may have been the reason why
the department wanted the news of the
appointments kept secret
Mr.. Belknap has served two terms in
Congress. He was elected first 10 the
Fifty fourth Congress in 1891 and re-
elected 10 the Fifty-fifth Congress in 1895.
Mr.. Belknap is the son of the late Gen.
w W. Belknap. who was Secretary of War
in President Grants Cabinet from March
;. 1873 until March, 1876. Mr.. Belknap was
born at keokuk, Iowa, September /. 1850.
He was educated at Quincy and Andoyer,
Mass. At the age of eighteen he entered
the service of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company and remained with that
corporation for twelve years. The last
position he filed was that OF chief clerk
for the general manager. In 1892 he be-
came superintendent of the South Side
Rapid Transit Railroad of Chicago. the first
elevated railroad in that city. About if
teen months ago Mr.. Belknap married Miss
Steele. daughter of Representative Steele,
OF Indiana
Mr. Slaughter is a prominent politician
in Nebraska. In the campaign of 1896 he
was Secretary of the State Central Com
mittee He has been for number of
years great friend of General Corbin. 1t
is not known that Mr.. Slaughter has ever
been in the army at any time or in any
capacity.
Mr. Newbold. of this city. is well known
in business circles. He has been a resi-
dent of Washington for number of years.
He was born in Philadelphia and when a
young man entered the army during the
Civil War as lieutenant. He was advanced
and received recognition for bravery dis
played upon the field of battle. After the
close of the war he moved to California.
where he resided until he came TO this
city. He is between fifty-ive and sixty
years of age. He is the father-in-law OF
Mr.. Frank B. Noyes. the business manager
OF the Evening Star"