Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1873-03-20

md especially the one Of 81, 400, marked ''To s. G.
u bearer. then thought he was himself drawing
the "lions share'' of his own deposit. 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 mo- |
nent saw them recollected all these thoughts |
Of over four years before vividly though they
had occurred the daybefore and as soon as MrAmes
had retired 1 remarked to Mr.. Ordway, the Ser |
geant- Arms, that had paid that 81 200 IS: G."
namely: in two $500 and two $10o notes. 1 was
with, however, and urged not to
testify under oath to such belief, as it was i'm
probable that should recollect transactions of
such character four years. Being unfamiliar with
the laws of evidence, l very naturally did not
to facts only. At my second examination, how
ever, freely stated these strong Impressions and
II had had the self-possession of one accustomed
to courts would have stated the foundation OF
these decided impressions. This strong impress
sion that had paid this IS. c." check to Ames
was confirmed by himself in answer TO question
/ put to him only the day before my second exam
nation. asked him: "Did not pay that check
to you, Mr. Amess'' And he replied: II think it Is
very likely" Indeed, the more 1 have thought of
the whole matter the more firmly 1 am convinced
that Mr.. Ames drew the money for the 81 200 ''S.
G." check himself. If he had, when writing it,
intended 1t for you, why did he not, he did with
several others who have acknowledged the receipt
of the money, write the name in full. All the
members who are charged with the initial checks
titled at my second examination, that my very
strong impression is that / paid all the initial
checks to Mr.. Ames himself. rendering my CON
graduation on what regard as your triumphant
vindcation from the well arranged plot to injure
you In the estimation Of the people, am, very re-
spectfully and truly, Moses DILLON, Cashier.
Mr.. Colfsx continued:
! will also read you the following ab-
solutely conclusive letter from w. Scott
Smith:
OFFICE OF EVENING PRESS ASSOCIATION,
WASHINGTON, March 5, 1873.
On the next evening Of the day alluded to (the
day Mr.. Colfax was first before the Committee),
Mr.. Ames came into the room of a friend upon
whom was calling at the Arlington House, and
after talk to some extent on various matters, he
said with much earnestness that he was surprised
to see that you had stated before the Poland Com
mittee that he (Ames) still owed you the sum you
stock OF the Credit -Mobilier. aCoifax astonished
me, " said Mr.. Ames, land have been looking up
the matter to see if he Is correct. l remember
well his paying me $500, and his coming to me
afterward and saying he had concluded to back
out of the transaction; but my memory is clear,
and, in fact, l know that I paid him back his
money at that time, and the matter was then closed
up without his taking the stock or my paying over
tohm any dividends" I was much impressed
with what Mr.. Ames said, and believed as he stat
ed, that you had never taken the stock received
any OF the dividends, and l confess that, be-
tween the public statement made after his CONVEX
sation with me- in which he maintained that you
took the stock and received the dividends and his
private statement, felt that must accept the
latter, believing that Mr. Ames, in his former
statement was influenced by some unexplained mo-
tive. In the six years have represented leading
papers East and West at the Capital, among the
few men in Congressional life whose integrity I
never heard impeached called in question, you
are one. The recent Credit-Mobilier Investigation
has not shaken my Judgment, and feel that when
the public excitement subsidies and the facts can
be looked at dispassionately, the people will con-
tnue to trust you, as they ever have in the past.
sincerely yours, W. SCOTT SMITH.
CONCLUSION OF MR.. CoLFAX's EXPLANATION.
an hn fns tip1n INV
of Mr.. Matthews, on page 4o4 of the report,
in regard to the time when he abandoned
this stock, and which testimony on this
point he stated the papers had not printed.
1t was contirmatOry of his own statement,
Mr.. Matthews telling him in the winter or
early in the spring of 1868 that he thought
the Credit-Mobilier ins tuition where
the big fish ate up the little ones, and that
in couple of months aftcrward Mr.. Colfax
told him his investment in it had gone up,
that there was prospect of lawsuit, and
as he 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
Mr.. Colfax's mother expressed great sympa-
thy for Mrs. Ames. Mr.. Colfax replied that
Ames owed him $500 but he would never ask
him for it until he got able to pay it. He
also read from Ames' testimony of January
%, page 2S6, that even after Colfax's conver.
satlon about never minding the $500 he
| supposed he had to pay the $500, which was
entirely inconsistent with Ames having pre-
viously paid him 81 200, which would have
been $70O more than the amount Colfax had
| paid Ames on account of the stock.
Mr.. ColfaK then proceeded as follows
When my bank account was brought before
| the committee and it was shown that had
| deposited 81, 200 in currency Monday, June
%, 1868, two days after the date of Ames'
check, was required to explain where
| obtained it. My counsel, the very next day,
laid before the committee draft for 81 ,000
purchased by me that very 22d of June with
check out of this 81 200 deposited and in.
dorsed over to the Chairman of the Indians
State Republican Committee, to whom, as
the Cancelled draft shows, it was paid. My
counsel promised to connect this with the
subsequent testimony of Mr.. Matthews, a;
he has the certificate to substantiate. My
sister telegraphed me from Utah that she
remembered the Nesbitt letter of the middle
of June containing the 81, 900 bill. l would
not present this testimony behind my aceu
| ser's back, he having gone home to Massa
| chusetts. My sister, meanwhile, ha(
made 8, 600 mile winter journey, alone, tC
| testify as to what all my family so well re
membered. Mr.. Matthews, Mrs. Holliste
and |, all testified to the receipt of the
81, 200 bill at the breakfast table, with a con
gratulatory letter. Upon examination, Mr.
| Matthews fixed the dates as within two o.
three days after his payment to me of 500
in bills on the piano debt, which payment O.
his was on June 16 or II, 1865. This testi
| mony was confirmed by the statement o
another sister, in Iowa, who remembered
! that my mother wrote to her in June, 1868
| of my having received 81 900 bill, to whicl
she had referred especially. 1t was furthe
confirmed by the testimony of Mr.. Matthew
that in the same conversation it was under
| stood and stated that / would sent
this Nesbitt remittance to Indiana, and tn
| bank books with the so called draft prove,
that did so send it that very day, the %
of June, out of the 81 200 deposit. This re
| mittance of so large an amount from
stranger was ridiculed by many as impossi
BILE, and the fact that he was dead and coul
not testify as to his own confidential dons
tiOn was cruelty commented on. The con
mittee, however, after having closed tn
public Testimony commanded examinin
privately my bank account during othe
months than the one in issue. Learnin
this, 1 notified them at once that
had received other remittances at that SCI
sion from this generous donor, partly fO
personal use and partly for political, wit
the distinct understanding that receivin
| them should create no obligation on m
part, that his family did not desire his letter
published unless absolutely necessary, an
that by advice of my counsel l had not r,
; ferred to them in the explanation reaueste
, of me as to the precise source of the Gu
, rency deposit of June %. I placed then
however, ct the disposal of the COMMITTEES
|
They show that in April, 1868, he sent N
? 81, 1000 for personal uses as free gift, an
l that in July, in a letter which did not reft
to my nomination at all as the lost letter
: June did, he sent another 81 900 for politics
, uses, making in all at that session, in b
: April, June and July remittances, 81 200 pc
r sonally and 81, 900 politically. showed ais
by another draft tof 81 900, indorsed by m
July Is, to the Chairman of the Indiana 4
publican Committee and returned to II
bank paid and cancelled, tn It l had sent h
, 81 900 remittance of July to Indiana, as
I had the one in June, and thus the two draf
substantially prove both remittances al
their dates.
: Mr.. Colfax here exhibited both of the ca
celcd drafts of June and July, 1868.
He then continued: stated to the commi
tee that had used still more money in Ind
) ana and elsewhere, for legitimate campaig
purposes in that canvass, contributed /
: friends, and offered to show them all had e
r pended politically, personally and for hous
hold expenses. l did this because did n,
) know how far these investigations were
extend, judging from the researches made q