Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-01-09
CREDIT MOBILIER.
Farther Testimony by the Chief or the
WhiteWashing Brigade.
What Alley Knows About Brooks and
Others as Shareholders.
His Anxiety to Keep the Company out
Of the Clutches Of Jim Fisk
and Judge Barnard.

WASHINGTON, January S.-~The Cred
it Mobilier Investigating Committee
met this morning-all members present
excepting Banks. The cross-eXamina-
ton Of John b. Alley was resumed.
He said that up to December, 1867, Cred
it MObilier shares had no market value.
He knew that two shares were sold at
50, and the same were offered at IS; but
late in December, 1867, after Ames
agreed upon basis of stock receipts in
value, bringing 100, and in January 200,
and later 225. The Chairman having
asked a question relative to the one hum
dred shares standing in the name OF
Nelson, brOther-in-law of Brooks.
witness said he had no personal knOwl-
edge as to who was the original owner
of them, or who paid for them. 1t ap-
peared on the books that Nelson was
the owner, and was entitled to fifty
shares more. There was no cOnversa-
ton between witness and Brooks in re-
lation to these fifty shares of Nelson's.
He presumed Nelson paid for the
shares.
Senator McCreary asked witness
whether he knew how many shares of
Credit Mobiller were disposed Of to
Answer-Ames's subscription, be-
lieve, was on the books, and HOOper's,
Grimes's and my own. Senator Wilson
agreed to take twenty shares, and Dawes
ten shares. 1 took five hundred shares,
but they were not all for myself. After
January l, 1868, / do not know that any
were sold to any member of Congress at
par. l did not know that the success or
failure of the road would depend on
friendly or unfriendly legislation. 1T
did not occur to me that any further
legislation would be required, and none
as to the pecuniary matters of the COM
pany. If the fullest investigation could
be made into this subject the public
would have been better satisfied, especi-
ally after the McComb suit, which
gave rise to so much misapprehension.
The removal of the office of the Union
Pacific railroad to Boston was matter
of life and death to the company-to
keep it out of the clutches Of Judge
Barnard and Fisk. Fisk wanted wit
ness to settle with him for one hundred
thousand dollars, but the witness said
he would never be willing for the COM
pany to pay him a single cent, saying to
Fisk, all your interest is only two hum
dred and forty dollars. Fisk replied, it
was matter of dollars, and that if the
company would not give him one hun
dred thousand dollars he would damage
il to the extent of a million, and Fisk
did damage it to the amount Of several
millions by his raids.
Witness was asked whether he did
not get and have under his control one
hundred thousand dollars to cause an
annulment of the ruling of the Secretary
of the Treasury as to the interest on the
Union Pacific government bonds, to
which witness answered that so far as
he was concerned he challenged inyes-
tigation. He never had any money
not a dollar-to use directly or indirectly
for such purpose, nor did he believe
Ames had the slightest idea of influence
ing the legislation of Congress by allow
ing his friends to have stock. Witness
said he sold his stock at two hundred, in
January, 1858.
His impression was it included all divi-
dends, as he himself never got any divi-
dends of the stock thus sold. He sold
this stock to Peter Butler, of Boston,
who, he understood, bought it for Bard
well of that city.
Question-Do you know how much
money Oakes Ames put into the Credit
Mobilier stock?
Answer-I do not. The books show
do not know of my personal knowl-
edge. He paid one hundred dollars q
share for every share of stock issued to
him.
Question-Did you not say yesterday
he put in five OrsiX million dollars onlyi
Answer-No, sir. did say his indi-
vidual interest in the forty million
dollars contract was between five and
six million dollars, and my own individ-
ual interest was less than half a million.
Adjourned till tomorrow.
Mr.. Ames yesterday corrected that
portion of his testimony relating to
Mr.. Scofield, OF Pennsylvania. 1t seems
that Scofield gave Ames a thousand dol
lars to buy some of the Credit MobilieI
sock, and took a receipt therefor; but
on examination he decided not to take
the risk; and not having received the
stock or any dividend, the money was
returned him by Mr.. Ames, and ne gave
up the receipt.
The President to-day sent the follow
ing nominations TO the Senate: Post
masters, B. Dowd, Rockville, Indiana
NJ. 0. Frost, Marshall, Illinois.