Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-10-07
THE COLE INVESTIGATION.

son, chairman, Chas. Aldrich, X.
w. Humphrey, G. Wulweber and
c. H. Toll, together with Hon. G. c.
Cole, nominee for Supreme Judge
on the Republican ticket, met at Du-
buque on Saturday last, for consult
alton and investigation with refer
ence to charges brought against the
latter by certain Republican news
papers in this section of the State.
Mr.. /. L. Ayers, editor of the Della
ware County Union, which paper
was the first which bolted Coles
nomination and has been specific in
its accusations against him, was al
so invited to meet with the commit
tee, and accordingly was present.
Some discussion was had as to
the jurisdiction of the committee,
and its right to make an official re-
port, either in exculpation or con-
viction of Judge Cole. The matter
was finally settled by the resolution
of the committee to proceed in an
informal manner to hear whatever
Mr.. Ayers might have to offer in
the nature of charges, and also any
statement or explanation which
Judge Cole should submit in reply.
Mr.. Ayers said that his presence
before the committee was not so
much to make charges as to give
the reasons in justification of his
course in boiling Judge Coles nom
ination. The particular matter to
which he referred was certain trans
actions in which the Grand Lodge
of Masons of Iowa was one party,
and Judge Cole the other in the ca
pacity of attorney. He then pro-
ceeded to read from the annual adj
dress of the Grand Master for 1866,
in which that functionary makes
certain statements respecting the
sale of a piece of real estate belong
ing to the order in which Cole was
the attorney for the Grand Lodge.
The gist of these statements is that
in July, 1864, Cole sold this proper
ty, receiving a portion of the pro-
ceeds in cash and the balance in
notes, and that for two years there
after he failed to make report of the
same or hand over the money or
notes; the officers of the Grand
Lodge only hearing Of the sale in
1865, when a letter was
received by them from one Grams
ton, of Rhode Island, stating that he
had purchased the property OF Judge
Cole; that the title was defective,
and that he desired it made good.
The Grand Master further says, that
up to the time of the annual meeting
of the Grand Lodge, in June, 1866,
he had failed to receive any report
from Judge Cole Of the matter sat
isfactory or otherwise, although re-
peatedly demanding it. Judge Cole
subsequently made report and paid
paid over the money to the Grand
Treasurer.
Mr.. Ayres declared that this was
he ground upon which he refused
o support Judge Cole. This was
he only evidence which came be-
ore the committee ut this meeting
With regard to any charges made or
In answer Judge Cole submitted
. hasty prepared statement regard
NC the matter under investigation,
'eferring also to charges respecting
lis connection with the Iowa Sol
liers' Orphans Home, and other ac
,usations rather limited than plainly
1t is not necessary even
f we had the space to give Judge
Coles statement in full, but as spc-
;ial prominence has been given to
he Masonic matter, we extract that
portion of his defence. He says:
AS to the charge in regard to a
claim of the Masons placed in my
hands for collection, | deny that
charge, in it's spirit and substance,
N each and every form | have seen
it or heard of its being made. I
nave not any papers, letters or data
before me except as before namely
and cannot, therefore, be positive as
to dates or amounts, but they are
l received in 1868, I
think, claim for collection as at
torney, being then at the bar, from
the Grand Master Of the Grand
Lodge of Masons, of Iowa. The
claim was upon one Smith, a pre-
vious Treasurer of the Grand Lodge,
for money he had received and not
paid over. Smith and his partner
had formerly been bankers, but had
failed, and he was at the time I'M
derstood to be bankrupt. ! applied
to him for payment, but he could
not pay in money. In the course of
a few months | received from him
conveyance of what title he had to
a piece of land-about five acres
in Des MONIES. There being other
adverse titles and membranes up
on the property, | spent much time
and effort, and was aided therein by
MIR. Smith, to clear up the incum-
brances and remove the adverse IT,
ties, some of which were by tax
deeds. 1t would require money to
relieve the property Of some of the
membranes, and in order to avoid
the necessity for advancing money
by the Grand Lodge, | negotiated
for the sale of the property for APP
proximately enough Gas l now re-
member) to pay the amount due
from Smith to the Grand Lodge.
The agreement between myself as