Nebraska advertiser., 1873-06-26
1rBE FURNAs-MILLER SUIT.
The Agony over.

rank LuGlce docs lpt tSlitfc4 t'lS
Fjury the verdict must be in favor Of
/ Fdrnas. Not single witness traces
/ the bribe money to Furnas. On the
contrary, the custodian OF the cor
rilplinn fund, 2nd the man whom
( Miller aveTred paid Furuas s.. 900 in
gold in consideration for his vote,
swears thag SurHas did not receive "a
dollar OF said fund. We will have
more TO say on this subject next week
and viii then analyze the testimony.
Meantime We publish Rankin's testi-
inony in full, as upon that the truth
or falsi;y of Miller's charge of bribery
hinges. Even after this testimony
was taken Miller had the effrontery
20 publish that it vindicated the Her
aids charges and fastened the charge
of corruption upon Furnas. Now we
challenge any man, other than Mil
Ter, to read the testimony and on it
convict the Governor:
Reside in San Jose, Cal. t; IN 1867
was living in Sarpy county during
! the winter of the same year, and es-
pecially during the session OF the leg
! islature, was in Omaha, the capital
of the territory Of Nebraska I am ac-
guainted with the parties to this suit
and the subject matter of the same.
! To state in detail the facts as they
/ took place Is hard for me TO give, as it
7 l. III. Z
! have passed through so many exciting
scenes in different localities, further
/ tha; had not thought of the subject
/ Till the newspapers of Nebraska
! brought il up, during the political
/ campaign. but | have refreshed my
mind as l could and will give to the
| best of my ability the facts as | re-
member them. The plaintiff and my
self were intimate personal friends.
and when the bills for the removal of
/ the capital and for the division Of
/ Douglas county came up in the legis-
/ iatuTe, of which plaintiff was MEM
/ Der, | talked with the plaintiff con-
/ ceTning these measures i can now
| recall but one OF perhaps numerous
conversations which we had upon the
I subject. This one occurred in the
I basement room of what was known
rs the bank building OF the Western
Exchange Bank, on Faruham street,
! in the city of Omaha do not remem-
/ Der whether this conversation occur
red before or after the bills had been
voted upon in any OF their stages. but
/ il WAS deemed essential 10 the saliva
/ tion o. Omaha that the plaintiff should
! oppose the bile, and as ! was more
intimate with plaintiff than was any
one else who was working Tor Omaha
| was expected and requested TO look
particularly after plaintiffs vote upon
these bills; [ do not remember all
that was said during the conversation;
I am sure, however, that / never Of
fered him any money to change his
vote OK to vote in any particular direc-
ton, upon the question or even men
toned liz any way any money cOuSid-
grafton for his vote except as follows:
fAIy recollection now is that plaintiff
had been elected territorial printer,
and that We then talked Of the prOba-
bility Of the printing being taken
from him 10y the majority, IL he should
oppose the bills, that / then told him
that ia such an event there should be
sufficient made ID t.-im. ! do not
remember i'm what way the compen- /
satiOn was 10 be made, but we were
both satisfied and expressed ourselves |
that the bills were meant 10 kill Oma- /
ha and enrich certain schemers, who +.
thought more OF making money out I
OF those measures than OF the interest 4
of the territory. | remember that 4
argued 10 the plaintiff, that the meas (
ures were wrong in themselves, an ! .
that the people of Nemaha county, /
which he represented, would approve
0fhis course in opposing the bill, after
the temporary excitement hst died /
away. l repeat that | made no Otfts /
or promises OfmOney or valuable thing /
excepting the contingency above sta !
ted, and in that event the promise !
was general, merely that he should |
lose nothing by MS vote against those !
measures. / never promised TO pay
and never did pay plaintiff, or any
one for him, either before or after his /
vote, upon these measures, aIy money
or other thing of value for his vote, (
upon these or other measures, while /
he was member of the legislature | /
repeat | made no promise or stipula- /
ton other than | have above stated, /
TO the best of my knowledge. / have !
examined and carefully read the de- |
position Of other persons which were !,
published in the Omaha Herald some /
time during hast year. have not she /
slightest recollection of he con versa /
ton or arrangement 10 which Mr. |
Jackson a!ludes. | do not remember |
ever to have spoken with Jackson in |
the presence OF Moffat, Furnas and /
others, or alone, concerning the capt. /
tai or division of Douglas county, al /
though | may have done so. As to |
the statements contained in the de-
position of Poppleton, Moffat and 9TH
ers, / am also at loss to recall any
thing concerning them. / often talk
ed with these gentlemen upon ques-
tions affecting the interests of Omaha
and The territory, and doubtless
talked with them concerning the bill
for the removal of the Capital, as they
for the time being were the absorbing !
topics of conversation with every one /
who took any interest in public affairs;
do not remember any conversation,
but L may have told, and probably
did tell, Poppleton and Others that / |
had paid, or was to pay, r. w. Furn-
as money III consideration OF his vote; /
[ have no recollection of receiving
from Moffatt a package of money TO
be paid to Robt w. Furnas fur his
vote on the capital question or any
other question Oflegislation.
Cross examined / do not remem-
Der exactly, but suppose was at the
legislature most of the session | was
a politician, and supposed was lob
bying know took an active inter
est and tried to influence legislation
on the bills referred to in my direct
testimony l was opposed to both
measures icapital removing and coun-
~ diviSion} and did all could TO de-
feat them took very active part
in defeating them took very ac-
tive part in defeating them | re-
member of talking with r. w. Furn-
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