New-York tribune., 1873-01-23
THE CONGRESS SCANDAL.
STARTLING DEVELOPMENTS YESTERDAY

Try TELEGRAPH TO THk
w.surseToS Jan. 22-H 0akes Ames toiu .'o
truth to-day there is no escape nom 'no -
that number of Congressman have hberiiy .ue,
ohont their connection with Credlt
uohil;sr either from sense of wrong uoins' v
g., = oo1var1lv fear of public opinion Inc PoSi
go of these Congressmen is deplorabie' Ihey can
hardly hope to make the public Dene'e 'n"' M,
lmes,s story is false, that his memorSnua arc 'A-
fabricated. and that the checks ne dre" upon 'io
Ser0eant-at-Arms of the House, to pay uVloenus
nnon their stock as he alleges, were part OF
ounningly devised scheme to entangle theih'
Mr.. Ames deposited $4,000 with the sergeant
alarms in the long session of 1865 for the express
purpose, as ne declares of drawing cheeks upon IL
70 nav the dividends of the Credit Moblher shales
which he held for Congressman de states the
amount he drew for each, and the checks and DOCKS
In the Sergeant-at-Armss Office corroborate DIS
abatement. In some cases the initial of the payee
was inserted; in others the check was payable TO
bearer. without any name. There was one lame
roint IN his evidence. He did not produce his org
inal memoranda, but exhibited statements Of ac-
oopnts drawn from them, in which the transactions
with the members were set down on half sheets OF
paDer under the heads Of debit and credit Perhaps
the original memorandum-book would show some
things which Mr.. Ames would not like to have
dvulged
Mr.. Arnes began his statement, to-day, with an
account of his dealings with Mr.. Colfax. In Janu-
ary 1868 be said Mr. Cofax agreed to take 20 shares
of Credit Mobilier stock. He paid cash. In Feb
rnary Mr. Ames received the so per cent dividend In
first mortgage Union Pacific bonds, sold them, and
credited Mr. Colfax with the proceeds. On March .,
Nh. Colfax paid him the balance due for the pur-
chase money for the shares, in check on the Ser
geant-at-Arms for $5S4 AZ. In the following June,
Mr.. Ames paid him cash dividend of $1,2OO by
check ON the Sergeant-at-Arms payable 10 ). T., OF
bearer. He never handed him the stock dividends
declared. but still held them waiting the result of
the McComb suit He considered them and the 20
shares of Credit Mobiher stock to be still Mr. Col
faxs property. Mr.. COlfax had never paid back the
$500.
MI Colfax cross-examined Mr. Ames at some
length, but only verified the old adage that, " He
who is his own lawyer has fool for client.' BE
tried hard to get Mr.. Ames to admit that he Ames)
might have got the money himself on the 81
check, but Mr.. Ames was positive that he gave Mr.
Colfax the check. To all questions about his
reasons for not stating all the facts when he first
testified, Mr.. Ames gave such answers as these " l
was willing TO believe it was you said had not
my memoranda; you told me it was so and pre-
sumed it was, or you wouldn't have said So" Mr.
Colfax in conclusion positively asserted his oath
that he had never received the 1920 dividend.
The Hon. Henry Wilson's case was next:referred
10. and Mr.. Ames confirmed Mr.. Wilson's statement
of the transaction. Senator PattersoDs case having
been disposed of yesterday, nothing was said regard
ingi SenatOr-elect Allison, according to Mr. Ames,
agreed TO buy 10 shares of the stock IN January
1865 and in April paid S271 as the difference between
the proceeds of the sale of the bond dividend and
the cost of the bond with interest. This was also
paid by check on the Sergeant t-atArms. Mr..
Allison got the other dividends some time in the
Fall of 1868. Mr.. Allison got alarmed by the law
suit, and gave Mr.. Ames receipt stating he held
the stock as Ames's property To make show of
buying them back, Mr.. Ames paid him five
cents Some time ago he got an envelope
mailed at Dubuque, containing 10 shares of Credit
Mobiier and 10 Union Pacific shares. He supposed
they were Allsons; he thought be got the envelope
in October last, but he observed by the pOst-mark
that it was mailed in March, 1872. Mr.. Allison came
into the committee-room soon after Mr. Ames had
finished all of his evidence that related to him. He
made statement which did not materially differ
from Mr.. Amess. He said that he had told Mr..
Ames that he did not want to keep the stock as long
ago 1868, not on account of the lawsuit but be-
cause he had been assailed for owning stock in the
Sioux City Railroad. Finding the stock among his
papers he returned it. Mr. Allison said he had sent
Ames said the check was TO settle another account.
I'VE will now 90 to the other wing of the Capt.
tol said Mr.. Poland, when Mr. Ames had finished
his account of his business with Allison. what
about Mr. Blainef I" Mr.. Ames replied that Mr..
Blaine never held any stock or got any advantage
from the Credit MObilier, except abuse on its ac-
count. Mr.. Dawes, he said, bought ten shares and
paid for them OF the first bond dividend Mr., Ames
paid him about 800, the balance being retained TO
settle another transaction. He also got the second
dividend. In December, 1865 Mr.. Ames settled with
him, and believed that in the whole transaction the
latter only got his money back with 10 per cent in
terest Mr.. Garfield agreed to take 10 shares of the
stock and the first two dividends paid for the shares
and left balance of $3.50, which Mr.. Ames said he
paid him in June 1858. That ended the transaction,
and there were no more payments and NO converse
ton about the affair till this Winter, when Mr. Gar
held told him that he thought it was
loan and not a dividend he got Mr..
Ames's recollection was positive it was dividend,
and supposed Mr. Garfield so understood it when he
took the check for the money. Mr.. Garfield had
never taken it back.
Mr.. Kelley's case, Mr.. Ames went on to say was
identical with Mr.. Garfeld's The same number of
shares were bargained for, and there was the same
payment OF $S29 in June, 1868. In October, Mr..
Kelley borrowed $3.50 from him. and Mr.lAmes sup
posed he got this confused with the dividend, when
he testified to having borrowed $1,000. The money
had not been returned, and Mr.. Ames still held the
Credit MObilier shares and the Union Pacific stock
dividends on them subject to Mr. Keley,s order. Mr..
Seofeld took 10 shares too, but paid the cash for
them. He got frightened at the same time Mr.
Dawes did, and Mr.. Ames settled with him. and took
the stock off his hands. Mr.. Bingbams statement to
the Committee Mr.. Ames coToborated, but said he
paid him $500 more than Mr.. Bingham stated Mr..
j. f. Wilson's statement was correct Mr. Boutwell,
talked Of taking the stock but did not Mr.. Fowler
of Tennessee and Mr.. Bayard of Delaware did not
take it, Mr. Painter the correspondent of The Pale
H,I.l.n tooL IN ahares and maid fer than