Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-02-20

the slightest connection with the sub
ject Of investigation before this com.
mittce. Of tho deposit bills for 500
/ am positive fthey were paid me BY
my stepfather, Mathews, on account oil
debt he owed me. In Dec. 1867,
paid 3455 for piano bought for his
daughter, the check for which is in the
bank, and l agreed to wait for tire
most OF It until the summer, when he
expected to be better able to pay me.
After my nomination in May, 1868,
had numberless appeals for contribu-
tions for political expenses, in various
localities, for professions, bands, char
fly, religious aid, ETC., and l had prom
lscd to contribute as promptly and
largely as possible to liquidate the ex-
penses of the canvass in my sharply
contested State OF Indiana. there
fore asked Mr.. Mathews to pay the
Indebtedness as soon as possible, so as
to assist me in meeting the demands
incident to my new position. During
the month of June, 1863, and as nearly
as can fix the time about middle OF
the month, he paid 500 in bills on ac-
count, and early next month he paid
me another installment, completing
payments before Congress adjourned,
late in July. am very confident that
this 5000 formed part ofthis $1,200 de-
post, being part or my cash receipts
between June I and %. About the
time of this payment, and a. near as I
can Ak the date, about the middle Of
June, and very soon after the payment
X. NrnaL~.A ~.~a.nS.,~ - - -a~tNn..
mail at the breakfast table, in accord
ance with my usual custom, and found
an envelope within another envelope,
postmarked New York. On opening
the inner envelope found It contained
q letter written by Geo. w. Nesbitt,
congratula.ing me most cordially and
warmly on my nomination for the
Vice Presidency, and saying that the
writer desired me to accept cOnfiden.
TALLY, the remittance enclosed to aid
me in the heavy expenses Of the can
vass, but wished IL kept quiet, AZ
neither his family nor any one would
ever know, unless / told them. In
closed In this was q greenback or .
national bank note for $1,000. It was
as gratifying as 1t was liberal, and,
holding up the letter and the bill,
asked the attention Of all my family
to it. l then read them the letter.
Tho fact Of sending so large bill by
mail was commented upon and my
gratitude of the eift was discussed,
when Mr.. Mathews remarked that it
came in good time, referring to the
appeal OF the Chairman OF the Indiana
Renublican COMMITTEES for money to
aid in the arragements for the canvass.
already in active nrouress. The bill
was passed around from hand to hand.
and examined. | am sure / deposited
it with the $500 I had received from
Mr.. Mathews, and draft for the exact
amount OF this remittance, and in ex-
act accordance with the donors wish,
and exactly as discussed at my table
at the time, was sent at once to the
Chairman of the Republican Commit
tee at Indianapolis. Fortunately this
does not rest on my own testimony.
Living witnesses Will tell the commit
tee that they remember the receipt OF
this bill and the contents OF the letter
in which 1t was inclosed, and that 1t
was at once discussed how It could be
used to carry out Nesbitts desire, and
the draft presented ana sworn 10 Dy
the cashier OF the bank, proves the
very day deposited the xi,NO IN bills
pon8ht ana remit.en Out OF my de-
post uraiI for ~ 70 the chairman
VI tne inaiana ctate Committee tnaI
arai' 9 lnc'osea , was iouna ~ sne oana aa
mere ana iald DeIore your eommII.ee
.ne next uay rIter, ! ,cs.lneu P1oInis-
ing 70 connect ~ witn my eviocnce.-
NY fanny AZ the tme consistea OF
mother, SINCE deceased, my s!ep-Ia,ner'
NJ, MathcWs, ana u mari sisIer, Mrs
noiiisler, whose residence ISM = .eWn
beyond tne ROCKY Mouhtaihs'
l said it was fortunate there were
living witnesses to this besides my
self, for by another thorough cxami-
nation of the accounts and papers OF
Nesbit, made by his executor at my
request (Nesbit having died the next
year,) no trace is there found. He had
carried out exactly what he wrote
that it was intended to be confidential,
unknown even to his family--and If it
was revealed it would have to be by
me. He evidently sent in a bill the
more surely to accomplish the object.
During the last eight or ten years the
accumulation of my letters has been SO
extraordinary that it has been my reg
ular habit to destroy fully nine-tenths
of them; those that are not destroyed
are not filed but kept in their envelopes
until they crowd my drawers and Ia
bles and then tied up, but not chroD-
icled to be slowed away wherever
room for them can be found; indeed.
Mr.. Channcy, of the House, employed
after had left that wing of the Capt..
tol, for the Senate wing in 1869, hap
pened to find box full of old letters
thus tied up, the loss of " hich had en-.
tirely overlooked; have gone three
times over all the letters l have pre-
served, and have not found this letter
nor my political letters for June tht
acknowledgement Of this draft foI
$l 900 sent TO Indiana, cannot be found
though fortunately the bank was ablt
to find the draft itself; the letter &C.
companying the three checks deposit,
ed June ed, has also been destroyed
SO that I am unable to produce eithel
of the five letters relating to transac.
tions of that day. remember dis
tlnctly that after my nomination my
mails increased enormously, amount
: a rx z 4 Al IA