New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-18
Nssp:llork Dailp Gribt.,te
THE ILLINOIS FRAUD.
FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE GREAT
FRAUD-THE APPORTIONMENT BILL.
Cnrr.annndeurs of The Chcaao PIess and Tribune.

Correspondence Of The Chicago Press and Tribune.
SPRINGFIELD, Feb Is, 1859.
The Investigation Committee met Friday even
ing upon short notice, to hear the testimony OF Gen.
Hart l.. Stewart of Chicago.
Mr.. Stewart was employed by Gov. French shortly
after the latter inte Office, TO collect and fnnd
the floating Canal indebtedness; was engaged IN the
business for some time and In pursuit OF IT, went to
New YoIk; in all hs inquiries and purchases had
lever seen but two three Of these "9O-day CAnal
checks" was confident that none of them were In
circulation; had none except those purchased
since 1870 or lSi2
On Saturday evening the Committee met again.
Present--Fuller of TazegeD, Chairman, and Bryan o.
Marion, Buckmsster of Madison, knykeDdaI OF
johnson, Cook Of La Sale; Marshall of Coles, and
Arlington OF Oge, with the attorneys employed re.
sp. ciiyey by Gov. Matteson and by the officers OF
the State. The meeting held in the Senate Cnan-
beT and large crOGd by the presence atested ther
interest in the proceedings.
Josi.h hcRoberts, late State Trustee-When he
cane into Office, found at the Office in Chicago two
boxes, when be understood contained Canal indebted
which had been taken up thought they were the
boxes which came from the bank; Of them was
still sealeGhsd not been opened the top OF the oiher
was ioose; appeared 10 0ave been opened had seen
Gov. Matteson 10 Chicago AMI had spoken TO nm
abe ut seldDg them 10 springfield; Wells, his pred9'
CessOT, advised it ALSO took a black trunk III the
Office AID shOe box procured Tor mm by hence, The
Office porter and packed the indcbe iness for trans
potaton the sealed box too large to go into the
black trunk shoe-oox; could not tell which, did not
break the Packages packed the contents o. the O'hef
box and number OF packages which were lying IN the
SAFE understood 10 be Canal scrip also; tae trunk nc
thinks not full flied it up ~th old pa oersi could
not cay whether It was the truDk or tine box which
was untitled bat or the otheri IN repackl0g con-
tents vi the open box found some packagea Whlch
seemed to be diminished IL size-hVe or TX
packages examined them, and their contents did
moi correspond with the amount SPECIFIED IN Their
several envelopes; taking them altogether, he
thought there four five tlousaot dollars short
these packages were all Cancelled Ca1ai lLdeOted-
ness but of what particular kind he codli Lot ssy
after the trunk thus packed, the box was nale
up and marked with brush and paint, Joel A. Mat
tesoB, Spin gfell' box and trunk were sealed;
label was pm the trunk with address same as Wa
on the box had them t1en taken 10 the Rock Island
Railroad depot Keboe took them, ana waited unti'
McRobelts came; he MGR had the N put On the ears
ana with them as for MS la Sale there he DEW
cred the trunk and box ihto Gov. MatesoG posses
sion; has never either of them slnoe; the vas IN
March, ISJ3 few days after he took possession OF
tie office recognized the trunk before hm IS one k
that which be packed at Chicago; exGov. Wells he'd
told him that tuere package OF worthless indebt
edness, amounting 10 g 600, which had been ao-
stracted from the office; neither he nor Wells had
taken any measures to recover Ii thought The theit
cOpld DO 10 harm.
Ger. w +. Thornton, recalled ard questioned in
relation to the package Of checks untitled with nams
of payee found III the bundle funded; recognizes the
signatures genuine; Gays they were never issued by
tie COmnissOners were signed in blank to be filed
and paid 20 par,s they NIGH: be wanted, Oy tue
Treasurer his clerk, whose duty II was 70 enter
| them upon the book whenever ESNtoi ihibhs sltu
checks would not he negotiable and would not be re-
ceived by business men; cbecks shoyn these checks
are clean ne when ius r,m the press 90 not seem 20
have been folded appear never to have been carried
| in the pocket; they untrlmmed at the ends.
Joel Manning examined the untitled checks; recog-
nizcs the signatures genuine; soys they we're never
Issued AT the Caual office; these checks were kept IN
! had keys or had access 70 the sa e.
| Gen. Jacob FIy-Examned same cheeks sigma
lures genuine; the checks were never issued by the
Canal Board; il the habi, OF tie officers to sign
checks whenever they bad leisure; sgniag was done
| in his adjoining office.
Gen Isasc Il. CurIan-Was in tie habit of visit.
ing Gov. Mates rooms at the ST. Nleholas Hotter
Oten-amost Gaily-duIiDg the Winter OF iS1o-' has
frequently many siN seven tunes, seen gentle
men there selling the Governor State lode bedness;
/ did ret know the nsmes OF the persons m6klng any
transactions of the sort sometimes introduced TO
them by Gov. Matteson; al other times was not has
seen the Governor purchase all amounts OF this in.
! debtedress-from two three pieces 10 an amount
equal TO - GOO at time which paid for on the
spot, generally in currency sometimes CHECKS were
given thinks the amount purch lsed il his presence,
IN ALL might amount to S COZ SiO OOO; az one tins
took pscksge OF indebtedness II his hand the Top
/ piece OF which, he thinks was an SlO0 canal cheek
& "g0-day check similar 10 those shown nm docs
| not know by whom any were signed, to whom pay
able or by whom Endorsed, or whether the yignette
was ar eagle or a canal boat; does not know the date
| of these checks by him; never saw any OF tue
men by him in Gov. Mattesons room and gagged
in selling this hind of psper does not reconect any
/ names: has never seen she since; thinks the
price paid was - 10 s. cents does not know whether
| that included interest or not. 80
| H. Moore Superintendent of the ST. Louis, Alton
| and Chicago Kailroad-Was in the habit of visiting
Gov Maitesons rooms early in the Winter of 1861
thinks that In December 1886 saw Gov Matteson pur-
chasing State Indebtedness there; saw this nve or SIX
tmcs; iid DO. know the persons selling; never saw
then before; has never seen them since thinks th'
Indebtedness which he saw sold was OF the denomlns-
uon of SO and SlC0; reconects that The appearance
was shout the same as tina. of the "yU-day checks
now shown him; did not know the date; dd not kaoW
| by whom sigued or by whom enforced; cannot say
what amount he saw purchased; thinks It was con
SIDERABLE the Governor generally PAD Tor oaecAs ~
curIency thinks the price paid was 81 ~ 10 the COZ
| lar, including the interest.
William L. Smith, of the firm Of Smith Goodel,
bankers, Joiet-Was President o. the Farmers ana
TIsjtrs Bank in 1893; exhibited paper showing tue
smount Of money yetiaied BE- Gos Mattsson At BIS
| bank, duirg the Winter Of 1901 the amount was
| about see, OO0; this money was raised on the Sc
! ceptances Of Hamilton Spencer and Thomas Dyer;
understood iba, tins money raised for the purpose
! Of buyire safe indebtecIess; had been 81 told by
/ Gov. Matte son; money MAS cent to he Governor
some ties by express and sometimes BY pryate en-
vey snce.
An affidavit Of Robert Anderson, par Der ir the
bonse OF JOHN j. Anderson \ Co., bankers 81 Inns,
was here shown. /: st ioltt that N The Winter OF
1867, they negotiated fcT GJv hi::esea paper -