New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-20
TIE GEORGIA STATE RAILROAD ROB



The eighth commandment was never more
systematically and universally disregarded
than in the management of the Georgia State
Railroad under the administration of Rufus Ii.
Bullock. Truth is stranger than fiction, but
the evidence taken by the Legislative Com
mittee furnishes catalogue of crimes and
criminals which taxes human credulity. There
is nothing in the annals of Erie to compare
with the record made by Bullock, the two
Kimballs, and the two Blodgetts, the most
prominent of this long list of scoundrels. For
a campaign document to show the villainy OF
Carpet-bag government, nothing could be more
effective than the 261 pages of sworn testi-
mony taken by the Committee of the Georgia
Legislature. We should be glad to see this
document thoroughly circulated in the North
ern States.
The Western and Atlantic Railroad, which
IL owned and was formerly operated by the
State of Georgia. runs from Atlanta to
Chattanooga, distance of 1873 miles. The road
is now leased to the Pennsylvania Company
for $685. per month. For the sixteen and
half months Immediately preceding the APP
pointment of Foster Blodgett as Super
intendent the gross receipts were S1,7l6,2O6,
and S345,OOO was paid into the State treasury,
being the net earnings. During most of this
time the road was used to some extent as
political machine, and during the last SIX
months Foster BlOdgett acted az treasurer
On the 1st of January, 1870, Blodgett was APP
pointed Superintendent, Bullock, as Governor,
being er ODicio President This administration
was ended by the lease December q of the same
year. In the first three months $4,000 was
paid into the State treasury, but no more after
that, and at the end of the twelve months a
debt of over 100000 had been accumulated,
the precise amount of which has not yet been
ascertained. The expenditures of 1869, swollen
as they were by the continual interference of
Bullock, were 1885,, 1884, and in 1870, S2,043,294
or more than double those of any year in the
previous history of the road. AS the result of
the Committees labors, no less than twenty
one indictments have been found against
various persons for felony, embezzlement,
cheating, swinding, larceny, &C., upon some
of which convictions have been obtained. The
chief criminals, however have fled from the
State and from the United States.
Edward F. Blodgett, son of the Superin-
tendent was appointed purchasing agent. In
his department the frauds were systematic
and of enormous amount. Blodgett was as
sisted in his robberies by his clerk, Joseph
Fry, and the auditor, n. p. Hotchkiss, and at
times by the persons from whom purchases
were made Bills were altered, increased, and
forged at will. The Committee do not think
they have detected all the fraudulent trans
actions of Blodgett, but the aggregate ascer-
tanned by them is Sl75,SS9 for less than twelve
months in this single department. Henry o.
Hoyt, receiver and inspector of wood and
cross-tes, managed to defraud the road of
$l06O08, though under previous admnistra-
tions of the road $4,000 year had furnished
all the ties and wood required for con-
sumption. On the 4th of April, 1870, Bull
lock as Governor, Blodgett as Superintend-
ent, and L. N. Kimball as President,
of a mythical concern called the Tennessee
Car Company, made a contract for the delivery
by the latter of fifty freight cars at $3.50 each.
The money was paid, but not single car, or
part of car, was ever received! This was
clear enlightenment of S4s,5O0 AT another
time S0,J5O was paid Kimball for imaginary
cars, which money was used in the purchase OF
The Nep Era newspaper then published by
Samuel Bard the object being to have the
paper run more III harmony with tho views