Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-06-10
Vermont Daily Transcript,
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1868.
JjOOicU E.rDioiUs.

MT. w OOlcN, WHO HIS ubcll anu SUN
is, 80 far as we know, "prisoner of
hope i'm the hands of the Investigating
Committee, and who has for some time
remained contumacious, although i'm
prisoncd in luxury, has ut length made
an explanation of his mysterious COM
munications with various parties during
the impeachment trial. Those who have
read the antiquarian researches OF the
immortal Pickwick will remember the
singular stone which he found one day,
ornamented with mysterious characters.
In the hands of Mr.. Butler, Woolcy has
been n discovery of equal Importance.
The solution of the stone riddle and the
Wooley riddle amount to about the
same thing, which is, nothing. Mr..
Wooley is lawyer, and was doing
business for clients. He was confined
at Buffers request, because he refused
to answer certain questions about the
disposition Of certain money. He has
petitioned the House to be liberated,
and makes confession as follows:
He states that Sheridan, Shook, his
client had appeared before the Com
mittee on impeachment on Saturday
last, and testified that he had retained
the petitioner to prosecute certain meas
ures before Congress, and obtain such
action, without detriment to the pub
lie good, as would be conducive to his
interest, and tt at with the understand
ing that he should make to the petit
Toner such reasonable and proper adj
vanccs as might be in his power and as
the petitioner might desire essential 10
the conduct of such business, and that
the kilograms had reference to said
business, and being advised by counsel
that Shook having by such testimony
waived the privilege of confidential
communication between Il client and
his attorney, he can now without vio-
lating any rule of law or professional
honor, answer the questions propounded
by the committee.
He submits in answer thereto to the
first question, that he did send the des-
patch of the Sth of May requesting
Shook to place to his credit the sum of
SO, 600, to be used in such lawful man.
ner as the petitioner might deem proper
| in obtaining Il modification of that pro-
vision of the revenue law, whereby the
amount paid the informer upon seizures
is graduated up to 5000, but is not al
| lowed to exceed that amount, and that
the modification contemplated was an
amendment providing that in all eases,
and to the entire extent Of the value, Il
moiety should be paid to the intormcr
and moiety to the Government, and
the language in said despatch, " My
business is accomplished, referred to
the progress of the business, and the
fact that your petitioner had ascertained
the sentiment of the committee, and
that the committee was then ready to
| renOrt tho hin ho,,~l, >, c .;u GuvStiDn 1t
nau reference to an undertaking to OBJ
tain reduction of the tax on whskey.
And to the reference to the use of ticti-
tious names, &C., such precautions are
absolutely necessary to insure secrecy,
but that said Shook did not act upon the
the money called for, and that the said
kilograms were not in reference to i'm
parchment.
WoOley then proceeds to set forth that
he has been unjustly treated by the COM
mittee, and reviews the report of the
committee in his case, and explains the
alleged discrepancies in his evidence at
different examinations, that the large
amount which he testified had been
handed Sheridan Shook had been so
disposed of, but he subsequently ascer-
tanned that it had been taken by Ran
som Van Valkenburg of New York and
was still in his possession. The petit
Toner was very much surprised and de-
and requested Van Vall<enburg to re-
tain it until after his examination.
The petitioner files herewith, as part
of his petition, the affidavits of said
Ransom Van Valkenburg, Robert
Strong, Cornelius Wendell and Charles
III. Smelling one of the prOpretors of
the Metropolitan Hotel, Washington. in
which the circumstances concerning the
disposal of said money, are fully set
forth and explained, which said affida
Wits are marked Exhibits A, b, c. and
d." and prayed that they be taken as
part of the petition. He then proceeded
to set forth at length his grievances at
the hands of the committee, and the ex-
and the necessity of his making the
foregoing statement to vindicate his
character and reputation against the at
tempt to make it appear that he is a
criminal.
The petitioner concludes with pray-
er that he may be brought to the bar of
the House and be Intercepted in regard
to the matter as in the Judgment of the
House shall be deemed Just and proper
in the premises.
The petition is signed by Wooley and
by X. f. Brent and r. Il. Merrick as
counsel.
CONGRESS. is making but
little progress on the tax bill, and it is
quite possible that the bill will be re-
committed to the Committee of WAYS
ana Means. Many of the members who
have had their families in the city
through the winter, have taken advan-