Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-01-31
The Credit Mobilier Investigation.

I
transferred stock. He did not think any
was held in trust for Congressmen. He
produced the receipt of J. B. Alley for 200
shares, at 100.
Mr.. Brooks testified to the effect, that
when he accepted the position OF Govern
Railroad, he felt compelled to renounce a
right to purchase, at par, from T. C..Durant,
200 shares of Credit Mobilier, right belong
ing to him in 1866, or early in
1867, before he was member of Con-
gress, and which did not become valuable
until December, 1867. He had transferred
his right to purchase the shares to his SON.
law, c. II. Nelson. He did not then re-
ceive, and has never since. received, one cent
of profit from the transaction in his own or
in any other names, He did not give Neil
son the money to purchase. the stock, but
a loan, and held .. Nelson RESPONSE
BILE for, paying it back as soon
as he could. Mr.. Brooks did not. wish
apologetically to convey the idea. that he de-
clined ownership in the Credit -Mobilier
stock because he was member of Congress,
for if he had never been named a. Govern
ment Director, he should probably have
been owner of large amount of stock to
this day. He had as much right to own
paper stock as live stock, or sheep,
or spindles, or lead or iron mine,
or barley, or timber, or steam engines,
or foundries, with two or three thous-
and fairfield articles, largely indorsed by Con-
gressional legislation. He had never been
asked to give, nor had he given, vote in
| Congress that was unjust to the Govern
ment, Or for the profit of the Union Pacific
Road, nor had he, as charged by McComb,
asked Democratic members OF Congress to
| vote for the road, and he did not remember
ever to have spoken to any Democratic
member upon any legislation relating to the
| road.
Senator Patterson again voluntarily ap-
peared before the committee, and insisted
that what he had heretofore stated was cor
| rect which was that he gave Ames money
for investment in Union Pacific Railroad
stock and bonds, and was not aware that the
latter had applied it to the purchase of
Credit Mobilier stock. ss.s,.a :.
Oaks Ames testified before the Committee,
on the 22d, that he agreed to give Mr.. Col
fax twenty shares of Credit-Mobilier stock
in December, 1867 Witness received divi-
dends upon it of so per cent. in Union Pa
cifc bonds, and accounted to Colfax for the
| bonds sold Dy witness. In March. 1868,
Colfax gave witness check for $534.72. He
didn't remember delivering stock to Colfax.
The check and proceeds of the Union Pacific
stock paid for the Credit -Mobilier stock. In
the June following he gave Colfax check
for $1,000, dividends on Credit-Mobilier
| Colfax had never called upon the witness
for Credit Mobilier stock, and it is ready to
deliver to him whenever he wants it. He
supposed that Colfax understood the ST. 200
was dividend upon the stock. Witness
had 10 recollection that Colfax paid him
| 81 200. It don't belong to witness. Mr.. Col
| fax, who was present, said that he reasserted
what he said before in regard to the 81 200.
| He now gave notice to Ames that he would
prove the negative, and asked that the
| Sergeant alarms be summoned with his ac-
| counts. Ames declared Senators Conkling,
| Fowler, Bayard, and Wilson, of Massachu-
setts, and Representative Blaine free from
| any connection with the Credit-Mobilfer:
Dawes and Allison. bought and paid for
stock, but afterwards returned it. Garfield
took stock, which more than paid for itself
by dividends; the balance Ames paid him
| by check for $500. This, he said, was what
Garfield called loan. Kelly, Scofeld and
Bingham were each owners OF stock The
statements of Mr.. Wilson, of Iowa, he cor
roborated. y.
Allison testified that Ames must have nm
derstood that the stock. accepted by him
(Allison) was given back to Ames, as there
have been frequent dividends upon it, but
the witness had never received any OF them
with one exception.
N. G. Ordway, Sergeant -at-Arms of the
House of Representatives, was sworn and
examined by Colfax. He had examined the
account Of Colfax for 1868, but saw no entry
of deposit of 81 200 there; had not
examined the accounts OF Ames; he
QlQ deposit some money LII 1OOC,
not remember if the check given to Allison
was indorsed; saw check with the. letters.
49, c." or bearer, for 81, 200; witness does
| not pay out or receive money. The paying
teller in 1868 was Thomas B. Chene. Other
| checks were payable to initials. No lndorse-
ment was required from members OF Con-
gress generally when they drew moneythem-
selves: The check payable to IS. c." was
| signed by Oakes Ames.
Representative William D. Kelley cross
examined Oakes Ames on the. Oath. The
witness reiterated his testimony that he
| held, as the property of Mr.. Kelley ten shares
of Credit -Mobilier stock. They became
them. The dividends the witness also held
for Kelley. He also held .for him 10
shares of Union Pacific stock, which
came into his hands early lin 1868.
Altogether the witness held 40 or
SO shares of Union PACIFIC stock and
some income bonds which belonged TO kel-
ley. the course of the cross examination
Kelley asked Ames to hand over to the
Chairman the ten shares of Credit-Mobiller
stock and the dividends alleged to belong TO
him (Kelley). Witness produced the certlf!-
Gates and said Kelley could have the dlvl-
dividends Kelley would be Ames' debtor to /
the amount of $3.50. Ames asserted, and
Kelley denied, that the former had handed
the latter check marked 'sW. d. K" Kel-
ley did not deny having received the S329 In
money, which he regarded as a. loan.e ,sga
N. G. Ordway, Sergeant at Arms of the
House, produced the books, and under date
of January "a, 1868, pointed out an entry Of
1929 paid on check marked Nv. u. H.
and signed saOakes Ames." He also pro-
duced the check, and testified he believed 1T
was in the handwriting OF Ames
Moses Dillon and Thomas B. Preney, clerks
in the office of the Sergeant Arms OF the
,oI fot thn oh
entries. The former, who is Cashier OF sne
office, testified that he would have paid
check marked sW. D. K."f or IS.
c." to Ames, if he had handed it
in. Ames made a. draft OF SlO,Ooo
to his private account in. June, 1868. There
was in the books check for S532 charged to
Colfax, but nothing to the credit OF ms
| account, except mileage and salary. W.T.
ness saw no credit to the account OF Colfax
of 81 200 check.
l. LII. Cro1nse, correspondent OF the New
| York 7ipaes, testified that he had quite
| number of conversations with Ames on the
subject of this Investigation, at least i've or
six times; had a conversation with him about
the 7th day of January; thought it was after
/ Colfax made his statement before the Com
mittee. Witness recollection was that
Ames had said ColfaX was probably correct
in his statement; nothing was said about
81 200. IL G@Af@
Ames denied that he had said Colfax's
statements were probably correct"
Mr.. Colfaxi cross, questioned Mr.. Ames,
and the latter reiterated his stat ement that
he had given the former acheekfor-S1,2 200
payable to IS. G. or order" Mr.. CofaX
alphabetically asserted again that he had
never received a dollar ON any account from
| the Credit Mobilier; never saw, the chs ck,
and aidi't know whether it was signed Q.
Ames or Oakes Ames, and couldn't imagine
why the check was made payable to s's, G,