New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-20


before the Corruption Investigating Committee,
which has been represented BY many Of our cosem-
poraIies as involving serious charge against the
personal character and conduct Of Mr.. HORACE
GREELEY. We have deferred all notice Of the sub
ject until We could have it before US in positive
and ineligible form. We now give q precise
statement Of the evidence Of Mr.. John Stryker, Of
the Des Mones improvement Company, the only
witness who referred TO Mr.. Greeley, taken aim 1st
word for word from the records Of the Committee:
Extract Of tie 7estimony b.tore the Investigating
COMMITTEE, of Mr.. Stryker, Of the Des MONIES River
Im1roremsEt Company, Iord.
"Mr STRIKER testified tina. be came 10 Washington In
June 1856 to aid in getting bill through Congress,
explanatory OF grant made to the Company IN loi9
this explanatory act it considered, would give
them ~ 900 acres OF land He says his efforts were
confined to talking with members and explaining what
the Company desired he did not pay anybody or
propose to pay anybody in Congress or inm ste Sucn
thing, but made what arrangements be deemed neces'
aMr. Stryker-Do you ask what arrangements
made?
"Mr On-I do.
"Mr Stryker-All that | did was this: made q draft
in favor OF Horace Greeley for thousand dollars,
which | RENTED in a letter addressed to him [he
afterward sods that he wss stopping at the National
Hotel, where Mr.. Greeley wa. also staying, stain
that if the report of the Committee should be made
and it should be necessary to obtain any further aid
for the passage of the bll through the House he
TO use II bad converted with Mr. Greeley upon
the subject mytelf, but he intimately acquainted
with some of stockholders, and as understood it.
had taken strong interest in the passage OF this res
olution.
"Mr Orr-What was the 81, 900 for
"Wiiness-It was a retainer for counsel and advice
TO aid in procuring the passage Of the bill.
"Mr DRIVES il merely rs counsel fees !!
M | IL
be used entirely at his discretion it was to be used to
aid in the passage of this BILL if the bill passed the
Hsuse we were willing to pay this 81 ,OOO
"Mr On-TO whom
"Witpeas-To Mr.. Greeley; if the bill passed the
House We considered it as good a. passed by Con-
gress; II cessary to have somebody TO attend to
II; could stay here longer, and left /. entirely
with him TO make ouch arrangements as he thought
"Mr. Kelsey-Then this 81 900 you sent him was to
employ persons to come here to attend to the passage
Of the 'bil7
"Witness-No, Sir, not to come here left it en-
trey in his discretion to be used he thought best;
/ supposed that he was connected with Mr.. Hdnt,
our Treasurer, and with members of our Company,
that be YVES safe man to leave the money with.
The money was not to be used unless the bill passed
the House, and had very little expectation OF having
TO pay any thing whatever.
"Mr. Orr-Dd you give any instructions how to dis
pore of this 81 900?
Witness-No, Sir; only gave instructions not to
through the House.
"Mr. Wsrner-At whose request did you draw the
draft in favor Of Mr.. Greeley
Witnsss-At the request Of no one.
"Mr. Ritchie-Do you know whether this 81 900 was
Witness-Yes, Sir, it was.
Mr.. Rtchie-Do you know what disposition WA
made Of it
Wiin,ss-I did not know it had been used ill four
months sfterwaId; do not know what became ofiti
| only have my suspicious.
Mr. Or-Did MIR. Greeley ever exhibit any voucb-
ers make any return for the expenditure Of this
'Wtnees-No, Sir; went West and never heard
word from Mr.. Greeley In relation to the matter at all
met Mr.. Greeley some three weeks ago in New York;
told he had received the money, but that he had
no personal interest III it he did not volunteer to tell
me where the money had gone; did not like to ask
him because l could ascertain in some other way
Mr. Greedy stated that he had carried the draft for
some time expecting TO zee the parties to deliver il up
that il went TO MI Hunt the Treasurer of our Comp
for paymehtl The Treasurer told me he
had paid the draft that Mr.. Greeley had asked him if
was 10 be paid, and that he told him it would be-
"Mr Stryker was further examined on this subject,
but his testimony was little more than repetition OF
what is here recorded
We shall not object to this evidence that it is
purely eu parte and cannot for that reason be re-
earded as establishing any case whatever. That is
very true, no doubt; but we prefer to dispose of it
in manner more conclusive. The reader will 6rst
observe that Mr.. Stryk ers story is very misty
and curious one. He goes to Washington as a
lobby agent Of the Des Moines Improvement Com
pany to engineer through Congress grant of lands.
He talks the subject over with various members,
virtuously relying on the justice of his ca
alone. But, before the Act he desires has passed
the House of Representatives, he is compelled to
leave Washington. In this emergency he casts
about for some person to take his place as lobby
agent. His exploring eye falls upon Mr.. HORACE
GREELEY, who happens to be there. He deer
mines that Mr.. Greeley shall succeed him as lobby
agent. Having formed such determination, an
ordinary man Of business would have made some in
quries Of Mr. Greeley in order to ascertain whether
he would accept the honors and responsible
ties of such post. Not so MIR. Slryker He
boldly strikes out into an original course. He
knew. however, that Mr. Greeley was intimately &C.
quanted with some of the stockholders of the Com
psny. and he understood" he had taken a strong
interest in the passage of the resolution-a tosa
and very absurd Misunderstanding, webeg to assure
Mr.. Striker. But the fact that man is on speak
ing terms with stakeholder in company seems
to be enough for Mr. STRIKER, when in search of q
lobby agent He seizes upon him at once. "At
"the request of no one and having never con-
"veIs ed with Mr. Greeley upon the subject he
setds that gentleman check for thousand dol
lars as retainer for counsel and advice, to aid
"in procuring the passage Of the blu" Thus, ac-
cording to Mr. Sttyker, Dir. Greeley became the
lobby agent of the Des Moines Company, 10 spite Of
himself and receiyed a thousard dollars IN that