Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-03-14

Mr.. VII. or by Mr.. &C." or any one
else. Never having seen any check
of his in my life till 1 saw this one
in the committee room, asked him
if my name was endorsed on it, and
he answered "No;" asking him if
he remembered where | was when
he handed it to me, he answered
"No;" asking him if he remembered
what he said when he paid it to me,
he answered "No;' asking him if
he could not remember what | said
when SO large a check was handed
me, he again answered "No;" ask
ing him if he had any receipt for it,
he answered "No;" asking him if he
ever gave me a certificate for the
stock which he insisted l still own
ed, he answered "No." Astounded
at this attempt Oh Il check payable
to initials and not to my name, not
Endorsed by me, and for which no
receipt could be produced, to de-
stroy my testimony, | Immediately
had the Sergeant-at-Arms, on whom
1T was drawn, summoned, with his
cashier and bookkceper, to testify
as to whether they had ever paid me
the money for any such check, and
they all answered that they had no
recollection of having done SO. But
subsequently Mr.. Dillon, the cashier
OF the Sergeant-at-Arms, testified
that, while he could not swear with
positive certainty after the lapse of
years, yet his very strong impress
sion was that he had paid this very
IS. c." check to Ames himself (see
page All vt the report,) and that
when he had asked Ames only thir-
ty hours before if he had not done
it, Ames had replied that it was very
likely (see page 4sl Of the report. }
In regard to one portion Of the
| checks from Ames drawn for this
June dividend there is no contro-
vcrsy. -Four Of them had the names
in full Of Logan and Allison (both
of whom returned their dividends
to him), Patterson and James Will
son. Four Of them, however, tor
this very same June dividend, were
made out payable to initials, name
ly: as. c." for $1,000; another "S.
c." for 5000; which he says was
intended for Scotield; "W. d. X, !"
1929, claimed by HIM to be for Kel-
ley; one 80. A." 1929, said by him
to be for Garfield; but Kelley, Gar
field and | have declared that nei-
Their of us ever saw these initial
checks. Scofeld says he may have
received The money and settled it
atterward, but he does not remem-
Der any such dividend. Kelley and
Garfield are positive they never saw
the checks, but that Ames leaned
each Of them $500 about that time,
and l repeat that | never saw the
check and never received a dollar
of money from him in my life. 1t
is 4 very significant fact that there
are no Endorsements on either of
these initial checks and that no re-
ceipt 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, with the entries in the memo
randum book about them, related to
the controversy between Ames and
McComb in the McComb suit, and
that Mr.. Ames did state "the exact
facts" in his earliest testimony con-
firmatory Of mine, rather than in his
latest testimony after they had pro-
duccd these checks. He claimed to
be acting as trustee. These memo
randa, if made at the time, may have
been memoranda of trust.
will now read to you the frank
letter Of Mr.. Dillon, the cashier Of
the Sergeant-at-Arms, gentleman
whose integrity is beyond all ques-
ton, which letter / think explains
the whole matter conclusively:
OFFICE SERGEANTAT-ARMs,)
House OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
WASHINGTON, Mar. I, '73
bEAh iSlh. w It'll AluCS UluuC tuC
deposit Of $4,000 in June, 1868. in this
office, my mind was naturally excited rs
to the purpose he had in view, and was
all ut sea till the checks were presented.
Then surmised that Mr.. Ames was the
acting chairman of some investigating
committee, and that as the contingent
fund of the House was exhausted, he WAS
paying the expenses of the committee
himself till an appropriation should he
made. l am very confident that the
checks to initials or bearer were all paid
to Mr. Ames himself, and especially the
one of $1,000 marked "To S. c. or bear
en-" then thought he was himself draw
ing the ''lion.s 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 moment |
saw them recollected all these thoughts
of over four years before as wildly as
though they had occurred the day before,
and as soon as Mr.. Ames had retired,
remarked to Mr.. Ordway, the Sergeant
Mt farms. that had paid that 81, 200 rs.
c." check to Mr. Ames himself, and how
had paid it, namely: in two $500 and
two 800 notes Twas demonstrated WITH
however, and urged not to testify under
oath to such belief, as it was improbable
that should recollect transactions of
such a character four years. Being I'M
familiar with the laws of evidence, very
naturally did not at first state my strong
impressions, but testified to facts only
At my second examination, however, |
freely stated these strong impressions,
and if l had had the selfpossession of
one accustomed to courts | would have
stated the foundation of these decided
impressions. This strong impression that
l had paid this as. c." check to Ames
was confirmed by himself in answer to a
question put to him only the day before
my second examination | asked him:
did not pay that check to you, Mr..
Ames?" A,d he replied: Il think 1t is
very likely y Indeed, the more I have
thought Of the whole matter, the more
firmly | am convinced that Mr.. Ames
drew the money for the $1,000 rs. c."
check himself If he had, when writing
it, intended it tor you, why did he not,
rs he did with several others who have
acknowledged tie receipt Of the money,
write the name in fullg All the members
who are charged with the initial checks
deny ever having seen them, and repeat,
ms ] testified at my second examination,
that my very strong impression is that
paid all the initial checks to Mr. Ames