Year: 1876

Responsibility of President


Grant and Gen. Hurlbuf---Bcll


n ScOundrel and His Testimony


False.


WASHINGTON, April 5.-Secretary Chandler
appeared to-day before the Committee on Ex-
penditures of the War Department. The let
letter of appointment of Charles S. Bell, dated
January 10, 1876, was shown, and Mr..
Chandler identified it as regular official doc
ument. Mr.. Chandler said that Bells name
was first mentioned by the President. He
(the Secretary had experienced considerable
difficulty in securing chief of the Secret
Service. He had discharged the one he had,
and asked members OF the Cabinet to help him
get good chief. A few days after the Presi
dent had mentioned Bell as a spy in the SER
vice of the army during the war, Bell called
at the Interior Department with card from
the President. The latter had said that he
would make good man on the force, but not
as chief. The card simply announced that
Bell was the man the President had told him
about. Witness told Bell he was not pre-
pared then to make changes, but to come
again. He called several times in several
weeks, and witness said he believed he had
met Bell twice during that time


One day Gen. Hurlbut was sitting in wit
ness office at the Interior Department, when
Bells card came in. Witness threw it care
lessly upon the table, and told the messenger
to say to Bell he was engaged. Gen. Hurlbut
says, "Bell, why know that man; he was
spy for me; enlisted in the rebel army as
private; staid in the service seven months,
during which time he was promoted to be a
sergeant" Witness said, ''f he could stay
in the rebel army seven months as spy and
keep his neck out of the halter he must be
smart fellow, and ought to make a good de-
tective." Witness appointed him more on
what Gen. Hurlbut said than upon the re-
commendation of the President Witness was
under the impression that Bell handed him a
card, but failed to find it since, and may have
been mistaken.


Witness had never spoken to Gen. Babcock
or Col. Luckey about it. Bell was discharged
February Is, 1876, after one months service.
Witness said it came about in this way: He
went to Cabinet meeting one day earlier than
the other members, and found the President
sitting there with Bells card on the table.
The President asked him if he had such man
in his employ, and the answer was yes. The
President then said Bell was a scoundrel, and
01luh tO ho
him as soon as he got back to the office, be-
cause he believed him to be a scoundrel The
President told him that Bell had applied to
some one to certify that he was in govern
ment employ to furnish information for or
against Babcock, he did not care which.


Mr.. Chandler said he never saw the publi-
cation of the cipher printed in the New York
Herald until after this investigation began.
Witness said he was not aware that Bell had
performed any service for the Pension Bu-
reau. LIE Barnes, of the Pension Bureau,
came to witness at the end of the first month
and said Bell wanted his account passed for
expenses LIE Barnes said he did not know of
any service performed by Bell, that when he
was first taken on Bell said he had some pri-
vate matters to attend to that would, perhaps,
require weeks absence, and that he STAYED
away month. Witness told LIE Barnes not
to audit the account until Bell proved that he
had rendered service. Witness said Bell since
deceived Assistant Secretary Cowen into en-
dorsing the following on card to LIE Barnes


''Bell has been legtimately employed under
, orders, and is entitled to his allowance per
diem. VIII Col. LIE Barnes please adjust the
, account" Witness impression was that the
voucher for the payment of Bell came in a
batch of vouchers, though it may have been
brought in specially. He is not in the habit
OF reading vouchers, because there are so
many that it takes two hours day, some
times, just to sign them. He does not believe
/ the Rel case was ever mentioned specially
and distinctly, though it possibly might have
been. He said it did not seem probable, for
if witness had noticed Bells voucher he would
not have paid it. Witness was not told by Bell
that he had gone to New York on the Bah
! cock matter. If he had not done any other
J service then he ought not have been paid
There was no evidence except his word that
he had rendered any service.
J On February 10 the Commissioner of In


dian Affairs sent a number of cases to LIE


Barnes for investigation. On February 1S


LeBarnes turned them over to Bell, with in


structions to work them up. On February 10


Bell was directed by LeBarnes to retain all
! papers turned over from the Commissioner Of