Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-04-19
The Champion Liar.


WE have already alluded to the misera-
Bile failure of Dana, of the Sun, to prove
any of his charges against Secretary
Robson. The testimony of Dana, taken
by a shorthand reporter, is now published
in full, and is so astounding that it de-
mands further attention.
1t will be remembered that Danas
charges against Secretary Robson were
maintained with malignant persis ence
unapproached in the history of vicious
journalism. Dana repeatedly, again and
again, declared that these charges were
made on personal knowledge, on the au-
thority of numerous producible witnesses
The charges alleged that the Secretary
was "the greatest robber in America !"
that the aggregate of his stealings was a
million and half of dollars. The items
upon which this monstrous robbery was
accomplished were specifically given I;
they were in the purchase of coal, the
purchase of iron, the purchase of the
Chester iron-works near Philadelphia,
the payment of fraudulent claim, the
purchase of bricks. 1t was alleged that
all the supplies for the navy were pur.
UllasOd by OattolI of phiiadelphia. that
! Cattell did not buy by advertising for
bids but by private contract, that he
| bought at one figure and charged double
and treble that amount to the navy, he
and Secretary Robson dividing the pro
| fits that bricks were purchased In Phila-
! delphia, sent to New York, and shipped
| thence around Cape Horn to California.
Dana charged that the Secretary made
| 100000 on a single iron contract that
| 81, zoe, 600 was stolen on coal contract ;
that the Secretary pocketed $400, 600 on
the repairs to the Tennessee; that his eX-
| penses6f living were enormous that the
| Secretary paid the Corliss claim, an alleged
dishonest one, amounting, In Danas
figures to $257 CSC
When under oath Dana swore that, des-
pite his blatant repetition of personal
knowledge" he had no personal knowl-
edge whatever upon any matter, on any
statement, on any charge, or supposition,
or interference made in his paper con
cerning the Secretary. He swore in the
matter of the 100000 iron fraud that he
did not know anything about it; that
somebody whose name he would not give
told him so, but he asked for no proofs;
and that this person told him that better
iron could have been bought for less
Concerning the fraud in coal, he sworC
that the figures were blunders, that he
now knew the Navy Department did not
use any such quantity, and that he him
self did not know anything, and did moi
recall anybody who did, concerning the
price paid. He swore that he inferred
Mr. Robeson's purchase of the Chester
iron-works from the intimacy between
Mr.. Roach, the proprietor, and Mr.. Robe
son With regard to the Secretary
making payment of $4,000 in violation
of law, he swore that it was merely ,
matter of inference, that nobody told hin
the Secretary drew the money, and avow
ed that although his estimate of the Sec
retary's robberies had been 81 300, 900, ht
had stated it in another place to be $500,
600 He swore that he did not remembe
any article concerning the illegal ship
ping of bricks, and that his charge of tn,
Secretary's connection with the brick bus
iness was only supposition He swor'
that his statement of the alleged frauC
in the matter of the Tennessee
was an exaggeration; and that although
he printed certain figures in his paper HI
could not tell the arithmetical process b,
which he reached them. He swore tina
he knew nothing about the Secretary
expenses, and that nobody that he coul,
remember ever told him anything abou
them, and that he never took any pain
to ascertain. Relative to the payment o
the dishonest Corliss claim, he swor
that he did not write the article himself
and knew nothing about it, although tn
article mentioned the exact sum said t
have been paid. A. w. Gibson, tn
, writer of some of the meanest articles i
Dana's paper, concerning the Secretary
swore that he had no personal knowledg
!. of the statements that he made, and tbs
Dana printed them without investigS
ton. When asked to give the names c
, some of his informants in the matter G
his charges, he swore that, "in truth h
could not recollect theml"
Whether there is greater liar living
the United States than Dana, probably NJ
: body will take the trouble to question
And this is the man and his the papt
!. from which the New York correspondel
of the Chicago Times telegraphs daily co
umn after column of vile and atrocior
: falsehood, and from these statements Il
Z Chicago Tribune fills its editorial pag
Now let either publish the shorthand r
7 port of Dana's examination. - Chicd.
! Post