Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-01-25


know. Is that the character of your d
patches?
Crounze.-My dispatches to the Tin
have been very fair. .faE.7ra
Ames.-Yes, generally, but that one ye
terday was very unfair and very untruthfI
Judge Black.-Where was this convers
ton with Ames?
Answer.--I think it was at his seat
the House. Witness inferred FROM wh
Ames said he had kept no record Of q
transactions between himself and Colfax.
Question Now what is your recolle
ton as to the precise words Ames used ?
Answer My recollection is that he use
the words 'probably correct"
Ames-Well this is no proof in the ca.
as far as l can see either for or against.
Judge Poland to Ames-If you desire
make statement In reference to the COZ
versation between yourself and Crounz'
you can do so now.
Ames-OhG had no conversation wit
him. 1t was mere casual conversatio
with him, and did not say five words.
don't remember of saying anything to hiI
about Celfax.
Judge Poland-You knew he was
newspaper reporter? ss-.
| Answer-Yes, sir.
A Squeak from Kelley.
Kelley, to Ames-Do the ten shares Q
Credit Mobilier stock, placed in the hand
of the Chairman of the Committee, subjec
to my order, bear any portion of the divi
dends under the Oakes Ames contract?
Ames-Yes, sir, they are entitled to al
the dividends.
Kelley-I desire to say, Mr.. Chairman
that you will please hold them to NV or
der.
Ames and CoIfax-DiamOnd Cat Dia
mond.
Colfax inquired of Ames why he did no
cross examine him about that check wher
he gave his testimony. -rr
Ames-I did not want to bring it o at.
wanted to let you off as easy as could.
was in hopes it would not come out. Die
you receive the 81 200?
Colfax-I did not.
Colfax then requested Ames to produce
his private memorandum book.
Ames replied that he did not have it with
him, but he had refreshed his memory dur
ing the recess, and brought with him such
extracts from it as he thought necessary
Ames then read therefrom entries, showing
the amounts paid to the varions members
which were put in evidence on Wednesday.
Mr.. Colfax-In the conversation at
Wormley's did 1 not tell you l had ne yer
received any dividends.
Answer don't recoIlect.
Mr.. Niblack suggested that the investiga-
ton was involving the characters of a num-
Der Of gentlemen, and if all this question
ing was to continue he hoped the gentle
men accused would be allowed counsel.
Judge Polanf-Well if we have lawyers
here we will have to go all over the matter
again.
Mr.. Colfax-Mr. Ames, in your private
memorandum book, which hops the COM
mittee will have brought here, have you the
names of the members of Congress whom
you let have stock.
Answer-Yes sir.
Question-Will you tell me why you
made that check, which you say you paid to
me, pay able to s. c., when you made one,
you say, 10 Allison psyab to W.B. B.Aallison?
Answer-I can't say; for some of the div,
idends Gid not put in any names.
Question-Did give you any receipt for
this check?
Answer-No sir. 1t never belonged to
me.
Question-Have you ever told me during
the past four years that l was an owner of
this stock?
Answer-I don't know whether l did or
not. don't know if anybody has told me
in the last four years that own my own hat.
Qaughter.) I don't understand your YER
sion Of the affair at sll. l gave you the
check and he:e is proof of it by the books.
What is the use Of trying to get around it
or OVERT?
Colfax-Where was when you gave me
the check-in the Chair or on the floor?
Ames-Oh, l don't know, cannot re-
member that.
CoIfax to Committee repeat exactly
as L stated before, that l never received q
dollar on any account from the Credit Mo-
bilier. never saw this check and don't
know whether it was signed by 0. Amss
or Oakes Ames. Why he made this check
payable to S. c., cannot imagine. l
could not have added to my income $1,000
without remembering something about it.
During the whole of this four years he has
never proposed to pay me anything and
never told me was an owner of the stock.
1 told Ames would not buy into q law
suit, and that ended the matter between Us.
Ames--The check for $532. "a completed
your payment for the stock.
Judge Poland to Colfax-Do you admit
that you gave him check for $532.74?
Colfax-I suppose so. thought at the
time was paying him $500 and interest,
but did not understand that this completed
the transaction. ! understood that divi-
1a hod md
ed and would go to make up the balance
due from me, but did not understand that
they completed the purchase. He did not
of Ames saying anything about
selling the bonds when the $500 were paid
by witness. Said he had an i'm mrressiOn that
the proceeds from these bonds s'when sold
would go to complete the purchase. He
supposed be did pay Ames the 1882 by a
check on the Sergeant-at- Arms
but was confident that be
never received any check for $1,000 frn..-
Ames, either payable to s, O. ., -
COlfax, or for anv amount whateTer' IT. Wgn"y He
"., -, ysed the check marked S. G. was some
memorandum of Ames, by which he set
tied tie matter after he (Colfax) told him
he would have nothing to do with the
stock, and would not buy into a lawsuit
He had never received certificate of stock
and no proceeds from it. He had endeav-
ored, since he had been Speaker of the
House and Vice President of the United
States, to make his salary and private in
come pay his bills, and had been in
the habit of making every month or two a
statement of his financial condition, but had
never preserved these statements. If the
committee would examined the checks in
the First National Bank, where he kept his
account, they would see that he always
wrote bis name on the back of check,
without being asked whether payable to or
der or bearer. The singularity about this
matter was that Ames stated this check
was payable TO S. c., and others received
checks payable in their names.
Mr.. Ames-Mr. Colfax, did not render
you statement of the sale of the bonds
received as dividends, and you gave me that
$532 check for the balance due?
Mr. Colfax-No sir. There might have
been slip of paper, q memorandum of
S532 due.
Mr.. Ames--I ask you if l did not give
you statement showing a credit derived
from the sale of bonds?
Colfax Il denyit.
Ames--I am sorry to hear you.
Colfax-You told me some dividends
had been earned, but were unadjusted.
Ames-Ifhe denies it and says he did not,
| don't want to ask him any more questions,