New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-03
Senator SfCniaEs.

We have recently, on more than one occa-
sion, used very plain language concerning
the personal and political character Of Rcu-
Den l.. Fenton. In our campaign edition,
our readers will find some authentic docu-
mcmt, relating to few passages in the lie
OF This person. They show that he COM
neuced life a. a dishonest man, and has con
tiuucd il t. the present time a. Il bIibe-takcT
and agent of corruption. Years ayO, when
+ AprVsS Companies were unknown, and con
venicncu for transmitting money from Coun-
Try H. city were limited, il was The custom Cf
country merchants to avail themselves Of any
opportunity that offered to forward money to
pay their debts to mechants in New York
and Albany. 1t happened that i'll 1888,
Reuben +. FentOn was iutrusteA with vari-
Gus sumsof money TO take to Albany, to he
delivered 10 persons doing business there and
| al Troy. On his arrival, he reported that
the money had been stolen from his trunk.
| The story at first imposed upon the parties
interested, but member of the firm Of
Erastus Corning n Co., had his doubts ex-
cited, and as a result Fcnton's trunk and room
were searched, and The money was found con-
cpaled i'll the mattrass of his bed. lie was
at once arrested, and then confessed his
crime, but through the influence of friends he
WAS allowed TO escape without other punish
ment than couple Of days III Jail
/ This is the brief and simple story Of o,rc
Of Mr.. Fenton's early exploits. That is j.
correct is abundantly shown by the docu.
ments which we publish. We give first the
affidavit OF James Homer, who was at the
/ time j member OF the firm Of Erastus Corn
! ing & Co., and has continued such down to q
recent period, when he removed u this city.
| His character as witness cannot be i'm
! peached. lie depCses that Fent0n declared
! he had been robbed OF the money intrustcd
| to him; that it was aftcrward found hidden
! III tenIon's bed, and that upon the finding
of said money, said Fenton confessed his
crime, and pleaded earnestly with dcponent
to be forgiven, and that deponent would not
! prosecute him.
| Besides Mr.. Hofner's explicit statement,
We publish copy of Il letter written at the
time by Corning X Co., to one of the persons
who forwarded the money. They refer to it
as received - from a Young man who calls
his name Fenton, from Jamestown He al
tempted to rob himself Of the package from
yOn 10 us and three other packages, which lie
says were handed to him at Buffalo by Mr.
/ Yelverton to deliver, and which disappeared
after his arrival here in SO mysterious 4 man
ner, that the police took it in hand, and ar
rested Fenton, and found the four packages
IN his bed FentOn
| is in prison, and will bc retained till he can
| explain" We also give a copy of the record
of the police court before which Fenton was
brought.
| The authenticity and truth Of these PAPERS
will not he denied. The Magistrate. John
| o. Cole, still survives after a career Of :,
third Of century as 4 respected criminal
/ JUDGE. One 81 least Of the officers who ar
rested Fenton is still living at Albany, and
| we possess the statement OF a citizen who saw
and talked with Ferton while he was under
! n whom, hn ofltr ? taIh
We have not space to-day to refer, except
briefly, to the other passages which we give
from the life Of Reuben Z. Fcuton. One Of
them shows that shortly before his election
to Congress he pretended that hi, store had
been broken into and ten thousand dollars
stolen, and used this fact as d means of set
ting ms debts at forty cents on the dollar
though it was soon discovered that it was only
another case Of robbing himself. Another
transaction referred to shows how. as late as
1868, when member Of the House of Repre-
sentatiVeS at Washington, and Chairman Of
the Committee on Claims, he got through
Congress swndling claim bill for a large
sum OF money, and received a cash payment
OF -, COG for his services which was certainly
very little for fenton. The swindling nature
Of the claim is proved BY conclusive ofiicia.
documents, while the allegation of the bribcrF
rests upon the authority OF a member of Fen
toms stal, who was himself the intermediary
through whom tie money was paid. We also
show how Fenton, when Governor, employed
the notorious Mat. Bemus to get from The
Central Railroad large sums OF money on a
promise to sign 4 bill increasing the fare
Having got the money he broke his promise,
and made some cheap popularity by pretend
ing to show himself superior to pecuniary IL
duccments. Fenton was also a plant tool
in the hands Of the old Erie Ring. He is in
every way corrupt ana dishonest mainland
yet he is Eow leading Greeley's Reform
cause" IN this state, aud is TO be comfortably
provide for in case Of Greeley's election =
n. y. T1,ass.