The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1859-07-27
A Stray Leaf from the Report oI
the Investigating Committee.
WHO had an Early knowledge OF
the Beginning OF the Treasury
DefaieauOn!

the Beginning OF me treasury
DefaieatIon!
Tsstimony Of I'm. Dernison. Jr., IF Oolprahl,
Ohio, token befors the Co'nmisHoH, q, Cpigulbg
june Is, 1855.
Wm. Dennison, Jr., after being duly sworn
deposeth and says:
Mr.. William 3. Sulliyant. Of Columbus, wa,
one Of the sureties OF Mr.. Bliss, as Treasurer
Som time in June, 1852, ! met Mr.. Sulliyant
on the street in Columbus, when he mentioned
that 4 rumor was prevailing that Mr.. Bliss was
in default, or was suspected TO be in default, il
his accounts as Treasurer. lie asked me what
no and his cosmetics had better DO nr their
protection. advised him to see Mr.. Bliss i'm.
mediateiy, IL say to him that such a rum6r was
prevailing, and that, whether welior i'll founded.
Mr.. Bliss ought without delay, to indemnify hI+
suretiss against any loss, and suggested that
The most prompt and effective mode OF securing
such result, you'd be by conveying his prop
erty in trust to some other party. In a short
time after, probably the same dsy, Mr.. Sulli.
want called on me, and said ne had had an in
tefsiew with Mr.. Bliss, who expressed his
willingness 10 convey his property In trust, as
'snegesfed, for the benefit Of his ~sureties, and
desired me 20 act a. his trustee. I according
aiycalled On Mr.. Bliss, and had an interview
with HIM. which resulted in his executing to
met deed Of certsin real estate, and a transfer
to me OF certain certificates of stock in various
corporations, and probably some notes. nv re-
collection is, that the deed was absolute mon
its face but was accompanied BE- = declaration
OF trust IN q separate instrument, which set
0fth the terms and uses ofthe trust, as we'll as
for the realty, IS the personality. conyeyel to
me Is aforesaid. The property I retained as
trustee. I think, until December, 1852, when,
&C the instance and request Of Mr.. Bliss, and
with the consent Of the cestui qui trust, and in
chs presence Of sill or q part Of them, those pre-.
ssnt being authorized, as / understood, to act for
this others, / re- conveyed and transferred, by
proper Instruments, all Of the property then in
my hands a. trustee. which according to my re-
collection, embraced all transferred or conveyed
70 me-.
One or more interviews took place between
Mr.. Bliss and myself with the ~sureties, except
ii may be Mr. Atwood, who, I understood, con-
cured with his colleagues in reference to the
management Of the property conveyed to me-,
previous to the re. conveyance and transfer; du-
ring which interviews I indicated what might be
my course in reference to selling the property,
IL / continued to act as trustee, the expediency
of which did not seem to be favored by Mr..
Bliss, and by some, ard it may be BY all the
~sureties present. The result of which was,
that l asked to be relieved from acting further
as the trustee, and to return the property,
which ! did as aforesaid; which request on my
part was concurred in by all present. My me-
thod was to sell the property at once, or more
rapidly than was thought advisable by the 9TH
er parties. The sureties present at these inter
views, or one, or more of them, were WIN. s.
Sullivant, Michael L. Sullivant, Demas Adams,
r Tl--un MI. IL y n IEr.i.a- A. -
torney OF the administrator of Joel Buttles.-
No State officer was ever present at these inter.
views.
After the execution Of the trust to me, for
the protection Of ~sureties as aforesaid, but whe-
ther previous or after the surrender Of the trust
cannot tell, the ~sureties, in whole or part, eX.
ecuted to MIR. Bliss or Mr. Breslin, which !
cannot say, their checks on one or more Banks,
for SIS, 600 in denominations Of 5000 each,
to the best of my recollection, each and all Of
which was PAYABLE on demand, I think, to make
up the alleged deficit OF Mr.. Bliss.
After the surrender of the trust, and previ-
ous to the expiration Of the last official term of
Mr.. Breslin, he casually mentioned to me that
o portion OF the money called for by these
checks was unpaid, and that he would like for
me to urge the ~sureties. or it may be, VIM. S
Bullivant, as one Of the s~ureties, to make up,
in whole or in part, this unpaid balance; but as
to which. having no connection with the mat
ter, I did not take any further action in regard
TO II.
A short time previous TO Mr.. Breslin's going
out of Office, say in the latter part Of 1855.
when l was acting as president ofthe Exchange
Bank Of Columbus, Mr.. Breslin called upon me
at the Bank, and enquired whether certain par
ties who were of Bliss sureties as aforesaid,
had funds deposited in that Bank to meet one
or more OF the checks of said parties, which he
then claimed to hold, and which, | inferred
from what he said, formed a part Of the origi-
nal checks executed by the sureties afol esaid.
] replied to him that there were no funds in de-
post to meet any checks of the drawers refer
red to. Whereupon, Mr.. Breslin said that ne
would protest the checks for non-payment, but
whether he did so or not, I cannot say.
Mr.. Sullivant was probably induced to speak
TO me upon the subject of Mr.. Bliss difficulties
because Of my being his consulting attorney,
% wen as on account Of our personal relations.
w. DENY1soE, Jr.
The said Deunison, on further examination,
says, that at the time he surrendered the trust,
and he conveyed to said Bliss the property re-
ceived from him rs aforesaid, all Of which was
done at the instance and request Of said Bliss,
and with the consent OF said %sureties, he was
oAA-hOt{ AC AAibNtC v man "
said Bliss and Breslin, that the said Bliss had
settled by means of the said $4,000 checks,
all his accounts as Treasurer, 10 the satisfaction
of the State; and except as the $4,000 checks,
his ~sureties were not and could not be liable to
the State in any way, or for any amount what
ever.
Copies Of the papers relating to said trust,
are hereuuto annexed, and made q part Of this
deposition. w. DEESIsoN, JR.
December 10, 1e59.-Wm. Dennison, Jr., be
ing recalled, says:
I have no recollection of drawing the receipt
given by John G.. Breslin to A. a.. Bliss, dated
October 20, 1852, nor any other receipt, nor
any final settlement papers between these two
gentlemen; ner have | had any connection be-
tween these two gentlemen; nor have had any
connection with Mr.. Bliss as Treasurer, except
as his trustee. between him and his s~ureties,
and as explained in the foregoing deposition
Ny recollection is, that | filed up the checks OF
drafts for $4,000. given by the ~sureties, as the
assumed balance due from Mr.. Bliss, at their
request; and knew nothing of the checks there
after, except as already stated.
! have no recollection OF being present at an
interview at VIM. Sulligant's house, with the
l~sursties Of Mr.. Bliss, and that gentleman and
Mr. Breslin, and I do not think | could have
been present at such an interview without re-
~smembeIing il.
have no recollection OF having any connec-
ton with Mr.. Breslin, IN his matters with Mr..
HIaa axsank me- hara;pbafor ctofad