Statement of some of the questions and answers in the Affidavit made by JH Fairchild to Inspector Pollock January 12th 1881 Ques Do all the purchases made by Agent   Wilbur appear on Abst A? Ans Articles purchased from Indians and paid  from Annuity funds, and perhaps some other  articles do not appear Explanation Such purchases are really only an  exchange, and except some school  books purchased in 4th Qr 1879, and  sugar  amp; coffee  amp;c in 1880, I do not know  of any thing else but what is taken  up on Abst C with a note of Exp-  lanation Oscar Marks Buggy will be  taken up on 4th Qr 1880 Ques Does Abstract C correctly represent all  property fabricated or raised? Ans I think enough calves, are not taken up to  cover loss by death   (You will know how  (to answer this   I think it of little force) Ques Has not Agent Wilbur taken credit on his  cash and property accounts, for money and  goods which were not paid to the parties  receipting for the same? Ans    Yes       Explanation This cannot be denied   In the acct  of Elijah and others, they signed the   
        pay roll for the full amount of their Salary in cash, while in fact they were paid in part by goods, and did not in fact, in some quarters work more than half the time   You recollect you told me that Col Watkins said that in such cases where others will were employed in their places, such a course was permissable     This explanation will apply to all cases of alleged false credits for work  amp;c    Regarding the voucher to Abst D. the amounts issued to Indians are correct,    the exact names may not be, and in fact cannot be correct. He will also bring up the horses and cattle sold to Indians   You have  always placed them on pretty much the same footing as goods, and sometimes required the Indians to perform service to something near the value, and some- times issued them out and out    He was told that Oscar Mark let you have a buggy for  20 and that you paid for it by issue of cows  amp; calves    that is a lie, and I showed him so   Oscar   s account shows that he is credited with the buggy, but no charge is made for the cattle issued     
        Ques    In the 1st Qr 1880 you made affidavit        that one horse the property of the US        and borne on Agent Wilburs Property        Returns for said Qr had died, while        in fact said horse had never been on        the papers   how do you explain this        affidavit   ?    Ans  I had heard the horse spoken of as  a Government horse and supposed  he was on the papers though I had  not examined    Explanation   My answer here is true, and I   also swore that I had no doubt  but you believed the horse had  been taken up   that I knew you  regarded him and spoke of him as a Government horse Ques    I find a voucher here in your hand writing     certified to by Agt Wilbur, saying that     the Morgan horse was bought to replace     one that died, while in fact the Morgan    horse was bought some time before the    other horse died,   can you explain    this?    Ans My recollection is this   The Morgan horse was taken for a ranch bill   So many horses were borne on his papers that the Agent was doubtful if permission would be given him to    
        purchase another, and he neglected   to ask permission till the death of the  other horse    Explanation    You can accept or modify this  statement according to the facts     You had taken one or two other horses  on trial, and probably had not made  up your mind to take this one from  Morgan till you tried him Ques    You have made me a statement from     your office records showing that     Agent Wilbur paid out in the     1st 2d  amp; 3d Qrs 1880  1572.75 in     cash for Indian labor more than he     reported to the Department   Could     he not with equal facility have     converted it to his own use?    Ans    Agent Wilbur   s accounts show that  the Department have been informed  of his method of disposing of  Annuity goods   Were he so dis-  posed there can be no question but  it affords opportunity for embezzle- ment Explanation    There can be no other answer to  this qustion   If you desired to steal  of course you could do so, and I made  the answer that I think you would have  made yourself  
        Ques    How long and to what extent has Agent     Wilbur kept goods for sale to Indians on     his privaate account?    Ans I never heard of such a thing, till Joe  Stwire mentioned it the other day in  Council Ques    Did not the Agent have saddles for sale     to the Indians, and have you not sold     them yourself, and accounted to the     Agent for them?    Ans There were two saddles here I believe  when I came, that I understood belonged  to the Agent   One of them I sold to an  Indian Explanation    I had forgotten the saddles when  I answered the first question   Some  have said that the saddles wqere made on  the Reservation   Did not Col Watkins tell  you, you could buy such articles for the  Indians?   He will try and make a   terrible bugbear of this   Joe Stwire, to   show how you had tried to help the  Indians, said that you kept a number  of articles   calico, clothing  amp;c for one or two  years, after the trader   s store had been  suspended    The above comprise the principal points I can now think of in my affidavit     We got through so late that I had not time   
        to copy the Affidavit as I intended    All the charges for false credit can be explained on the, information given by Col Watkins, that where others were actually paid with the money for  services of the same character, there was no impropriety in taking credit for the whole amount in one or two vouchers   He has a statement made by me showing that in the 3d Qr 1880 we reported to the Dept  1066. for Indian labor, while we actually paid in  that time some  4380.00 (about that) also that since Dec. 1, 1879 we had paid in cash for labor  1570.75 which was not reported to the Department while the receipts from Annuity goods were  1572.26   these are about the figures    I think your defense must be that you have honestly reported your action and your system to the Department   that  they have not disapproved it, though it has long been known   that you have been enabled to support 500 Piutes here without cost to the Government       I answered all questions truly, and as I do not doubt you would have done if you had been here   I made a  
        great many statements for him, but my testimony was principally as to the taking credit on the Official accounts for money not actually paid to the parties receipting for the same   Every such case will be covered by the statement of Col Watkins above noted   I told him  that every dollar taken in for my purpose, had been honestly expended for the service of the Department  Of course, where we report Elijah or Lee Winnemucca employed, and in our receipt roll take credit for cast paid them for their whole service, while in fact they were only half paid in goods, we make a false voucher so far as they are concerned   But where the money not paid them is paid to somebody else for services of like character, the  voucher is substantially correct as per Col Watkins statement to you   This has in every instance been the case here, and to it since I have been in the  office, I have sworn  I am convinced that the result will in no sense be injurious to you Except for the overstatements in the  statistics which cannot be denied     
        These must be set down as an error in judgement   I believe I have given you all the permits that will probably be brought against you   Of course with the system of disposal of Annuity goods as it has prevailed here   with the knowledge and approval of the Department,   it would not be possible to make a single set of papers and have them technically correct   But that they are substantially correct we know  Yours Truly  JW Fairchild