The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-04
GheGtrtelLiqeneer.
THE GREAT FREMONT CASE.

FFemont'g EXtTRdIItOnssGTaVe Ans
ternationaI Complications.
tWaShlngtou Cor. N. 7. 1raphic,I
The keen public interest which has fol-
lowed Fremont's condemnation by q
French court Of justice, for alleged swind'
ling transactions In connection with the
bogus Memphis & El Paso railway. has
induced me TO make inquiries In certain
well.inlormed quarters In regard to this
whole affair, and am now able 10 fur
nlsh you with the first authentic history
ol the enterprise.
The charter for the construction OF the
"Memphis, El Paso s. Pacific railroad
was originally granted 10 company In
Texas, Of which Ii. B. Epperson was the
principal and most active member. The
road Qn theory was to run upon the Sec
Ond parallel, from Jefferson, In Texas, to
San Diego, in California, q distance oil
about 800 or 1000 miles. Thomas G. Nc
dOwell and others had the original con-
ttacL for the construction Of the road, and
became owners Of the entire franchise
and property.
No commencement, however, was at
tempted; and finally these gentlemen, be-
lleving that General Fremonts influence
would be of great value, and assist them
in obtaining means Ton the building Of
the road, transferred to him portion OF
their interest In the concern. General
Fremont Immediately assumed control Of
the affairs of the Company, and recon
structed 1t US follows: President, e.. B.
Eppcrson, OF Jefferson; Vice President,
John G. Fremont; Treasurer VIM.
Schmoele, Of Philadelphia; and W. ID.
Senthen, Secretary. Under the original
Texan charter, tho company was to re-
ceive q grant Of certain quantity OF
land for every mile OF road constructed.
Accordingly, FremOnrs first move was
to issue scrip to large extent on these
hypothetical lands, Ol which the CON-
psny did not, as yet, fairly own an acre.
lie thus, it Is averred, increased the cap
ital TO forty millions.
Here follows a fac-simile OF q bond
issued by "The Southern Trans'COntinen'
tai Railroad" payable to John G. Free
mont, and which had been endorsed by
him ....'
1t will be seen that the road is hero
called the "Southern Trans. Continental"
General Fremont has repeatedly declar-
ed that he never signed his name to any
scrip for q Trans-COntincntal Road; but
there can be no doubt as TO the genuine
ness oi the signature on the back OF the
sbOve bond. Having raised large sums
Oi money by these means, Fremont, with
Epperson and Schmoele, went to Wash
ingtOn in 1869 with tremendous scheme
in their heads. They prepared a bill by
which the United States was 10 bind it.
self to give aid to the Memphis Il El PaSo
Road IN bonds and land 10 the extent Of
S25,O0O000. On their arrival in Wash.
ington they hired magnificent rooms at
the Arlington, and then began las their
opponents say TO lobby with all the per.
tinacity which q scheme SO splendid
would be sure to excite among a lot Of
adventures. Magnificent champagne
dinners were given by them TO Congress
men, Senators, and leading officers. Mon
ey, say my inlOrmRuts, was spent ike
water in bribery; and everything wore a
ID q very promising look, when, towards the
close OF the year, all their hopes were
completely dashed by the refusal of the
Committee on Railroads to report taVora-
bIy Oh the bill. It seemed that the con-
cern must now go Into hopeless bankrupt
Cy, when another scheme occurred TO Ere.
mont. Finding that no money was to be had
here from either Government or capitalists
in the United States, he, It's said, turned
his eye to France as very likely coun:
try for the development ofgrand financial
schemes. The French Consul. General at
this port, Baron Gauldree.Boilleau, was
brot6er.in.law OF Fremont, having mar.
rIed one OF Colonel BentOn's daughters;
and nv intormants aver that they, with
two other persons named ProbSt and
Aufferman, contracted new plan for the
issue OF bonds ior the El Paso road In the
French capital. These bonds professed
10 guarantee 10 every person taking them
any acres OF land on tho line Of the road
or one thousand dollars, The French
peasantry, 10 whom the idea OF land pro-
prIetorship on 30 comparatively large a
scale as tittY acres was dazzling pros
pect, were greatly taken with the escheme.
Fremont, say his aCcusers, with his &C
customed ostentatiOn, opened q splendid
suite Of apartments in Paris. Lackeys In
rich liVeTiGs were obsequious In their at
tendance upon the visitors, By means OF
some secret influence operating among
high personageS, Fremont was able to get
his fictitious bonds upon the Bourse, and
everything seemed leading again to
the full flood o! prosperity. An
immense number ol the bonds
were sold In the agricultural dis
tIicts, and by tho end Of six month the
company, We arc told, had nettCd five
millions Of dollars in gold, In the near
time a show of commencing the roaC
was made, about eight miles Of track was
laid from Jefferson, two locomotives were
purchased in France and forwarded tc
New Orleans, and two other locomotives
were purchased In New York, and sent to
Tue same city. But only one OF the iouI
arrived at It's destination In Texas. Tht
two French locomotives were sold in tho
Custom House at New Orleans, and one
OF the American locomotives was seized
and sold under an execution. Altogether
my iniormants state that Fremont and his
associates spent $4,000 out OF the money
they raised In France. At the end OF the
six months, when money began to come
in much more slowly, and q severer scru-
tiny Of the perSonna and means Of tho
company began TO be made, Fremon,
closed his offices In Paris, discharged his
lackeys, and the company quietly with
drew from French soil, betook themselves
10 the United States, and were soon snug
ly ensconced again In their splendid Of
hces on Broadway.
II the question be asked; What be-
came Of the Ave millions ofdollars? ther'
can 10 but one answer. His opponents
say that General Fremont undoubtedly
divided 1t with EpPerson, schmocle, ant
Anethem. There Is certainly no evidence
that has been adduCed to show they eYeI
did anything else with IL The bit 0
road running out OF Jefferson, and tht