New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-01-13
yoh. XXXlI.....N 9,9l5.
THE CREDIT MOBILIER.
MORE EXPOSURES.

IMPORTANT TESTIMONY OF PRESIDENT DURANT
-RUMoRs OF WHAT 1T is TO BE-TFE
TRUTH NOT HALF ToLD--MR. GARFIELDs
INTENDED DENIAL.
lRY TELEGRAPH TO THR TRIBuNEl
WASHINGTON, Jan. l2-The most important WIT
ness vet to be examined by the original Credit Mo-
hitler Committee is Thomas c. Durant of New-York,
who was yioe-President Of the Union Pacific Rail
road and President of the Credit Mobiler Company
when the Cakes Ames contract for building the road
Was made and about the time when the scheme for
securing friepds in Congress by selling stock at
onethird of its value conceived and carried out
When Mr. Ames procured the $50 shares to distribute
among his friends Mr. Durant took C50more TO fulfill
his ENGAGEMENTS the nature Of which becomes now
an interesting subject of inquiry. There is some
croundfor the belief that a large number OF these
shares were placed in about the same way
that Mr. Ames disposed of a portion of
bis $50 and that if Mr.. DuTanti tells the whole
truth astonishing developments viii be made and
number of persons implicated who have heretofore
escaped suspicion. Current runor explains the man
ner IN which Mr. Durant used his stock III this way
While Mr. Ames looked after the Republicans in
Congress. Mr. Durant took care Of the Democratic
side and of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Democratic
and made sure that there would be no unt1endly
action towards the company from Government
officials out of Congress The impression gains
ground daily that the Investigating Committee has
scarcely got below the surface and has learned very
little thus far except what the Credit MObier con-
Sprators have chosen to tell them. The crossexam-
ination of the witnesses previous to the open
ing of the doors of the Committee was
siucuary weak and inefficient and elected almost no
involuntary admissions. Since the reporters have
kept a sharp watch the proceedings there has
been a marked improvement in this respect, but
there is room for still further Improvement If the
Committee ever gets at the whole truth 1t VIII not
be by treating Messrs. Ames and Alley with deteTen-
tial consideration, if they were willing witnesses,
anxious 10 tell all they knew. They must proceed
on the suppOSltiOn, which is undoubtedly the cor
rect one that these gentlemen are all the time try
ing c throw dust in the Committees eyes. that they
viii tell just as little they can, and VIII put that
little in such shape as to mslead the Committee if
possible. and that the only way TO draw all the
facts from them is to subject, them to
the sharpest cress-examinatiOn. They must he
handled without gloves just as good lawyer would
handle a witness in court whose interest he knew
would make him as economical of the truth as pos
sible Mr. Garfield viii probably make statement
10 the Committee tomorrow. IT he had been
as astuto as Speaker Blaine and like him, had made
his statement at the beginning of the investigation
And appealed to Mr.. Ames to eOrTobOTate it, he would
no doubt have been spared the annoyance that has
arisen from Mr. Ames's bad memory and his equivo-
cal statements concerning him. Mr. Garfield Will tell
the Committee that he never had any Credit Mo
bilier stock OF dividends and that the only money
transaction he ever had with Mr.. Ames was to Dor
row $500 from him in 1865 shortly after his return
from Europe and that Mr.. Ames had entirely for
forgotten this loan until he reminded him Of II re-
Gently.