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Domestic News
April 1, 1871
Washington Standard
Olympia, Thurston County, Washington
What is this article about?
The War Department's 1870 contingent expenses totaled about half a million dollars, including payments for handcuffs, leg irons, gallows, executions, and detective services related to the Civil War, as reported in the New York World.
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A Few "Contingent" Expenses.
[From the New York World.]
A statement of the expenditures of the war department for contingent expenses during the year 1870, shows that about half a million of dollars were expended in paying some of the grisliest bills of the late glorious war—bills that for common decency's sake should long ere this have been pigeon-holed in some obscure nook of the war office. A few items, taken as we find them, are: "For handcuffs and leg irons;" "for expenses incurred in developing evidence;" "for 2 dozen handcuffs and 4 lanterns;" for furnishing 1 gallows complete, $100;" "for 112 pairs hand shackles and 26 leg shackles;" "post chaplain, for expenses incurred by direction of Major General Butler in paying organists, sextons, and choirs for services rendered upon funeral occasions and Sundays in Christ church and St. Paul's church, New Orleans;" "for 900 sets Adams' patented handcuffs, and 41 balls and chains;" "for expenses incurred in conveying one prisoner --, charged with winning funds from a United States disbursing officer;" "for 2 anklets and 4 chains;" "for erecting gallows and completing all necessary arrangements for the execution of -- ;" "for 12 pairs handcuffs;" "for 20 pairs;" "for 25 pairs;" "for 27 pairs;" "for superintending the erection of gallows for an execution of , $54 59;" "for one, $54 75;" "for special train to convey Governor O. P. Morton and staff;" "for 30 pairs handcuffs and 33 pounds chain;" and so on, for handcuffs and shackles and rope and gallows, not forgetting thousands upon thousands to those lice of despotism, the detectives, until the war expenditures of 1870 aggregate half a dollar per head for every man, woman and child in the largest city in the United States. No wonder the money goes when half a million slips through on a Chorpenning claim, and another half million is required five years after the war ends to pay the year's bills for handcuffs and hangmen. These being the "contingent" expenses, what must be the regular, were the truth known?
[From the New York World.]
A statement of the expenditures of the war department for contingent expenses during the year 1870, shows that about half a million of dollars were expended in paying some of the grisliest bills of the late glorious war—bills that for common decency's sake should long ere this have been pigeon-holed in some obscure nook of the war office. A few items, taken as we find them, are: "For handcuffs and leg irons;" "for expenses incurred in developing evidence;" "for 2 dozen handcuffs and 4 lanterns;" for furnishing 1 gallows complete, $100;" "for 112 pairs hand shackles and 26 leg shackles;" "post chaplain, for expenses incurred by direction of Major General Butler in paying organists, sextons, and choirs for services rendered upon funeral occasions and Sundays in Christ church and St. Paul's church, New Orleans;" "for 900 sets Adams' patented handcuffs, and 41 balls and chains;" "for expenses incurred in conveying one prisoner --, charged with winning funds from a United States disbursing officer;" "for 2 anklets and 4 chains;" "for erecting gallows and completing all necessary arrangements for the execution of -- ;" "for 12 pairs handcuffs;" "for 20 pairs;" "for 25 pairs;" "for 27 pairs;" "for superintending the erection of gallows for an execution of , $54 59;" "for one, $54 75;" "for special train to convey Governor O. P. Morton and staff;" "for 30 pairs handcuffs and 33 pounds chain;" and so on, for handcuffs and shackles and rope and gallows, not forgetting thousands upon thousands to those lice of despotism, the detectives, until the war expenditures of 1870 aggregate half a dollar per head for every man, woman and child in the largest city in the United States. No wonder the money goes when half a million slips through on a Chorpenning claim, and another half million is required five years after the war ends to pay the year's bills for handcuffs and hangmen. These being the "contingent" expenses, what must be the regular, were the truth known?
What sub-type of article is it?
Economic
Military
What keywords are associated?
War Department Expenses
Contingent Costs
Handcuffs
Gallows
Executions
Civil War Bills
Detectives
What entities or persons were involved?
Major General Butler
Governor O. P. Morton
Domestic News Details
Event Date
1870
Key Persons
Major General Butler
Governor O. P. Morton
Event Details
Statement of War Department expenditures for contingent expenses in 1870, totaling about half a million dollars on items including handcuffs, leg irons, gallows, executions, prisoner transport, church services in New Orleans, and detective payments related to the Civil War.