Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-03-09

a very significant fact that there are no
endorsements on either of these initial
checks, and that no receipt has been
presented for either Of them, as there has
| been for some of the other
checks, all of which confirms me In the
conviction that they, together with the
entries In the memorandum book about
them, related 10 the controversy be-
! tvaeen Ames aud McComb in the Me-
4 Comb suit, and that MIR. Ames did state
! the exact facts In his earliest testimony
confirmRtOTy Of mine, rather than in his
latest testimony. After he had pro-
duced these checks he claimed to be
acting as trustee. These memoranda,
II made at that time, may have been the
memoranda of his trust. | will now
read to you the frank letter to me
of Afr. Dillon, the cashier of the ser
geant-at-arms, a gentleman whose in
tegrity is beyond all question, which
letter l think explains the whole matter
conclusively:
OFFICE SERG RGEANr-AT.ABNs,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
DEAR SIR-When Mr.. Ames made
the deposit of ten thousand dollars in
June, 1868, in this office, my mind was
naturally excited as to the purpose he
had in view, and was all at sea until
checks began to be presented. Then
l surmised that Mr.. Ames was
acting as chairman of some in
vestigating committee, and that
as the contingent fund of the house was
exhausted he was paying the expenses
of the committee himself till an appro-
priation should be made. / am very
confident that the checks to the initials
or bearer were all paid to Mr.. Ames
himself; especially the one of twelve
hundred dollars marked to Schuyler
Colfax or bearer. l then thought ne
was drawing the lions share of bis de-
posit. These thoughts had passed out of
my mind till Mr.. Ames came into the
office this session and demanded
that his checks should be
shown him. The moment l
saw them | reeollected all these thoughts
of over four years before as vividly as
though they had occurred the day be-
fore, and as soon as Mr.. Ames had re-
tired l remarked to Mr.. Ordway, the
sergeant-at-arms, that / had paid that
twelve hundred dollar S G. check to
Mr.. Ames himself, and how had paid
it, viz: in two five hundred dollar, and
two one hundred dollar notes. | was
demonstrated with, however, and urged
not to testify under oath to such belief,
as it was improbable that should recol-
lect transactions of such a character.
Being unfamiliar with the laws of evil
dence, very naturally did not at first
state my strong impressions, but testified
as to the facts only. AT my second ex-
animation, however, l freely stated
these strong impressions, and if l
had had the self-possession Of
one accustomed to courts, would have
stated the foundation of these decided
impressions-ihis strong impression that
| lad paid this rs. c." check to Ames,
was conducted by himself in answer to
question put to him only the day be-
fore my second examination. / asked
him, "Did not pay that check to you,
Mr.. Ames?n and he replied, 81 think it
very likely indeed" The more l have
thought of the whole matter
the more firmly l am convinced that
Ames drew money for the twelve hun
dred dollar as. C.n check himself. If
he had, when writing it, intended it for
you, why did he not, as he did with
several others who have acknowledged
the receipt of the money, write the
name in full? All the members charged
with the initial checks deny ever hav-
ing seen them, and / repeat as testified
at my second examination, that my
very strong impression is that he paid
all the initial checks to Mr.. Ames him
self rendering my congratulations on
what l regard as your triumphant vim
dication from the well-arranged plot to
iniure YOU in the estimation of the peo-
pie, am very respectfully and truly,
(Signedl MOSES DILLON.
[ will also read you from the follow
ing absolutely conclusive letter from
w. Scott Smith:
OFFICE EVENING PRESS ASSOCIATION,
WAsHISGToS, ID. C., March ), 1873.
On the evening of the day alluded to
Mr.. Ames came into the room of a
friend upon whom was calling at the,
Arlington house, and after talking to
some extent on various matters,
be said with much earnestness that he
was surprised to see that you had stated
before the Poland committee that he
(Ames) still owed you the sum you had
originally paid him as subscription to
the stock of the credit mobilier. Colfax
astonished me, said Mr.. Ames, and L
have been looking up the matter to see
if he is correct. j remember well of his
paying me five hundred dollars,
and of his coming to me after
ward and saying that he had con-
cIuded to back ont Of the transaction.
But my memory is clear, and in fact
know that paid him back his money
at the time, and that the matter was
then closed up without his taking the
stock, or my passing over 10 him any
dividends. / was much impressed with
what Mr.. Ames said, and believed, as he
stated, that you had never taken the
stock or received any of the dividends,
and l confess that between the public
statement made after his conversation
with me, in which he maintained that
YOU took stock and received the divi-
ment. l felt that must accept
the latter, believing that Mr.. Ames in
his former statement was influenced by
some unexplained motive. In the six
wears that / have represented leading
papers of the east and west at the cap
| ital, among the very few men in con-
gressional life whose integrity I have
never heard impeached or called in
question, you are one. The recent credit
mobiIier Investigation has not shaken
my Judgment. l feel that when the
public excitement subsidies, and the facts
can Re looked at dispassionately, the
people will continue to trust you as they
ever have in the past. Sincerely yours,
W. SCOTT SMITH.
Mr.. Colfax then read from the testi-
mony Of Mr.. Matthews, on page 494 OF
the report, in regard to the time when
he abandoned this stock, and which tes-
timony on this point, he stated, the
papers had not printed. 1t was con-
| firmatory of his own statement. Mr..
Matthews told him in the winter or ear
| IL in the spring of 1868 that he thought
the credit mobilier an institution where
the big fish ate up the little ones; and
| that in a couple of months afterward
COlfax told him of his investment in il
had gone up; that there was a prospect
of big lawsuit, and as be had
never been in one, he had backed
out, and did not have any interest
in it; and further that he (Mr. Ames)
| failed, and Colfax's mother expressed
great sympathy for Mrs. Ames. Colfax
replied that Ames owed him five hun
dred dollars, but he would never ask
him for it until he got able to pay it
He also read from Ames's testimony
January 22d, page 2S6, that even after
| Colfax's conversation about never mind.
ing the Eve hundred dollars, he supposed
he had to pay the five hundred dollars
which was Inconsistent, Ames having
previously paid him twelve hundred
dollars, which would have been seven
hundred dollars more than the amount
Colfax had paid Ames on account
of the stock. Mr.. Colfax ther
proceeded as follows: "When my banl
account was brought before the commits
sion, and it was shown that had de
posted that twelve hundred dollars il
currency on Monday, June 22d, 1868
two days after the date of Ames' check
/ was required to explain where / oh
tanned my currency. The very mex
day laid before the commission draf