Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-12-03

the estimated proportions of prior, attach
ment resting zon the property. On the even
ing Of May TO- 1864, the day On which the
sale under cur attachments was advertised 10
take place: at Mr. Beach's office, we executed
assignments Of our judgments to John s. - Al
ley, Cakes Ames, Samuel Hooper, and " IN:
a Ouncan =; The sale did not
take place until about , o'clock p. m. we
went from the Office of Dir, Beach to the MAR VI
ket House where the sale was made. IRE
yious to the sale Mr.. Alley intlnlated that we
should not bid against him. L only recollect
the following named persons being present at
the SALE viz Mr. Dane, Mr.. Robinson, MIR.
Harrington, myself, Mr.. Beach, Mr.. Alley,
NJ Duncan, Walter Penn, the Sheriff, and
two or three others, whom | dld not Know
The The property was mostly bid in by Mr.. Alley.
I made some bids at his suggestion and he
would bid over me. think Mr.. Duncan
made one or two bids Mr.. Alley managed
the bidding: in the settlement Of one sale to
Mr.. Alley and others, We received MIR. Ames
note for 81, 900 at sixty days. Mr. Alley
draft on bis house in Boston for the balance
of the sum due less Mr.. Duncan s payment to
him Of S1,5l5 O0--which Mr.. Alley paid over
70 MS. T overheard Mr. Alley and MIR. Dun
can agree to proportionaly share the risk OF a
note to be given by Judge Underwood tor his
proportion of the purchase; In the conyersa-
tion with Mr. Alley in which he insisted that
we should not bid against him, his language
was we having purchased your judgments
YOU cannot Tor will nct) bid against us. This
is as near as can recollect. And further de-
| ponent sayeth not. ="
Mr.. John p. Robinson, aged Sc, merchant
and shoe manufacture OF Boston, now OF the
firm Of Robinson & Langley, deposes subStan
italy to the same effect as Mr.. Balderson. VI
the interview with Judge Underwood, men
| toned by the previous witness, he says:
"On the 9Th Of April, 1864, | went to Alex:
andria, with Messrs. Dane & Bolderson had
and interview with Judge Underwood, OF the
| u. S. District Court, by whose decree the
pronerty was conGscatcd, and urged post
poner1ent of the sale, which he refused. lie
said, however, that if the property was sold
| under the decree of contscation, be would like
| buy. or have bis wife Luy-he having no
money Of bis own to purchase with--one Of the
houses Tor bis own USE and he thought the
nayties buying underline conhscatlon act would
nav us something for our judgments, to obtain
more perfect tide, and make it more secure,
! il the sale under the confiscatiUn act should be
set aside. Hc said he should be willing in his
| own case, and should advise other parties 10
pay Us fifty per cent On the amount OF our
claims and perhaps we might get more than
that out OF parties who might purchase, II
the property did not sell very high. -
He gives the following statement IS to Hon.
John B. Alleys proceedings.
Mr. Alley stated TO me repeatedly that he
| would do anything in his power to assist Us in
getting our debt. and before we left Washing
| ten. he told us, five needed his assistance to
telegraph to him at the Capitol, and he would
| come down az once. "
After the sale we were informed that the
wharf property had been purchased Tor Mr..
| Alley and Mr.. Amss; thereupon we had an
interview with Alley. We stated to him the
promise which he and Ames had given Us that
they would not pcrchase the property, Or IN
| terfere with cur arrangements to collect our
| debts" thereuron tho deponent says an inter-
view vas arranged to take place at the Wash
in2t0f. House. and there an awangcm cnt was
effected by which the attaching creditors were
TO have Two third, and Amcs, Alley 4 Co.,
a one third interest on the property purchased.
'Mr. Alley" continues Mr. Robinson, made
memorandum OF this agreement which was to
be written out more fully, and the memorandum
which Mr.. Alley wrote, was signed by Amcs.
Dane and myself and Daderson.' Then be
returned to Boston, but OF coming to Wash
ingtcn subsequently, he was Informed he says,
that Mr. Alley and Mr. Dane, had refused
to carry out tie memorandum agreed upon,
without any good cause, stating that the mcmo-
raodum they had given would not stand IN law;
and although Mr.. Alley wrote it, Mr.. Ames
said that Mr.. Alley found fault with him for
signing it,
Mr.. Robinson describes the proceedings at
the sale in the Market House, by the Sheriff,
on terms similar to the first witness. ''Thc
property was sold by the Sheriff under the
direction of Sir, Alley chiefly. There was ap
Darenty no competition. < x = Mr.. Alley
said to me they might wish to have some piece
Of the property struck off to me, and when
one OF the parcels was struck of by the auc
tioneer in reply 10 his inquiry, who is the
purchaser? Mr.. Alley gave my name but L
made 70 bid, and had nothing further to Go
with il.
Mr.. Francis Dane, merchant of the frm of
| Dane & Co., Boston, follows in substance the
statement of the proceeding witness. On ar
irving at Alexandria in April 1864, he says
I'VE had al interview with hlr. Beach, our
Attorney He wished Us to go with him to
Judge Underwood, to try and get the sale
postponed, the Judge being absent at " ash
iDgton. Mr.. Beach asked us to come down
the next morning and meet hin, altogether,
advising US, il We could not get the sale post
poncd not to buy the property unless we could
get 1t for sum equivalent to The rents Of the
same while the war should last; the he could
have no question:, that the decision Of the
Court upon the confscation, could not be sus-
tanned We had the interview with Judge
Underwood, all Of us together on the following
day The Judge told us that this was the
first case in which property had been con6scat-
cd in fee simple and that Mr.. Whiting solic
tor of the War Department, had complimented
him in that decison.' According to this wit
ness Mr. Alley advised the parties to buy the
property if they could get it for low sum,
saying that if they let other parties buyit, they
would have litigation about it. that anything
he could do to assist them he would do. Mr..
Robinson in particular saying 'how we have
told you our plans. to which Mr.. Alley replied
that be should net. But the next day they
60 to Alexandria, and find that Mir. Alley like