Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-07-16
Thai as. c. Check,

Capt. John /. Drew wei A"O"
,bis state, furnishes a new chapter ID
Cd, Mobilicr history by letter to
Ios,e Poland. We welcome with JOY
any facts tending to show that Mr.. Colia1
b,.b eeu truthful in his statements about
nj. connection with the affair, and regret
,sa, this evidence could not have been
r,oced before the committee at the inves'
tis,,ion. Here is the letter;
BunlrsoTos. VI, June 2S, 1873
Han. LIKE p. Poland N. c.
My DIAN Sra: You viii remember my
heiuo in Washington during the spring
anil summer of SOS IN charge Of the cot
,om Claim of l.. Merchant 4 Go. While
- ENGAGED called. by advice OF yourself,
senator Morrill,, Senator Sumner anu
49, ---- --------. ---''--l Mars q, "''
Iiarly strong points in that case and TO
show how il differed from most cotton
claims On the Goth and 2ad Of June,
1868. as my diary for that year shows,
called upon Hon. Cakes Ames, OF Massa'
cbusetts. The first call was with note
of introduction from either Hon. W, u
Washburn or Hon. f. L. Woodbridge, !
do not remember which. The second
,ime | met Mr.. Ames | had letter from
Mpier General Veatch, of Indiana, which
/ read to him. met Mr.. Ames near the
door of the Speakers room, on the rlgh'
rs YOU face il. lie was talking with a
gentleman on New Orleans matters. l
s,ood near him to claim his attention next,
and without paying any attention to the
conversation, could not help understand
ing something of its purport Mr.: Ames
remarked to me be would be out directly
and went into the house aud soon came
hack with check in his hand and saying
TO me, "Now, them" walked along to tie
Serpeant.at. Arms desk | walked by his
side and was stating my case. Some one
was drawing money at the desk OF The
Seraeant.at.Arms at the time, or getting
some changed, and We stood in the room
and I read the letter of Gen. Veatch
which so strongly vouchcd for the loyalty
of my clients. While we were talking
after the reading, l noticed the check IL
Mr.. Ame's hands, because he was all the
time looking at ii, seemingly, over the
top Of his glasses. | remember very dis
tinctly that it was drawn to IS. g., Oh
bearer" and was 1920. | know
thought to myself, "Who the dickens Is
sc. or bearer ?" This check was thel
and there cashed at the desk Of the Ser
aeant.at-Arms, and l well rcnemembe
one $500 bill and several 500 bills
Walking back-to the gentleman he ha'
first been talking to, Mr.. Ames handel
him this money and received some kind o
written document in return: | neys
frauds. The first information I had o
the IS. G. or bearer 81, 200" was at tn
American Legation at Paris. | rcmcm
bered then this circumstance Of the check
and told Mr.. Washburne, our Mniste
at that time, that | knew Colfax neve
got the money, and that | thought kney
who did. | also informed Mr.. FredricI
Blossom, of New York, who was for som
time my travelling companion. He sug
gcsted had better telegraph you or Col
fax, but the dislike | felt to becoming il
any way mixed up in the Credit Mobilize
scandal, together with the need of spend
ing my time in the investigations into win
importation frauds, which investigation
l was making in the interest of our Gov
eminent, induced me to keep silent, think
ing should be home before Congress ad
journed.
On my return to Washington, Congress
had adjourned. conferred with Mr.
Ii. C.'Bliss, my law partner, Mr. A. H
Byiugton of Connecticut, and few 9th
cr friends, asking them to keep the mat
ter secret until | had time to see if
could not trace out the man to whom
saw Amcs pay the proceeds of the rs. G
or bearer" check.
As | had charge Of the Rob Roy iudg
ment against A.. s. Mansfield, Cakes Ame
et a., | had occasion to call on Nr. Ame
In April last, and related to him thu
circumstances of the check, aud asked hin
the circumstances of the check, and askcC
him who the man was to whom he thcl
paid the money. His reply was in SUD
stance that it was none of my business
and | asscnted to the correctness Of hi
views. Previous to the death of Mr.
Amcs, and since. Mr.. Colfax, to whom
Mr.. Byington, against my request, hs'
impaired this information, has urged m,
10 make full statement of the case 70
the press.
After thinking over the matter for som
time, have concluded to send to you. tn
Chairman of the Committee of Investiga
ton, this statement Of facts, that you ma
use 1t as you may deem most just to Nj
Colfax, whom it alone affects.
| am, dear Sir, very respectfully, you
obedient servant,
JOHN T. DREW, Counsellor at Law,
No. 1872 + street, Washington, d. c
RERsoNAL.-Cha3. w. Hassler, of tn,
firm of Hassler & Co.. bankers. No