Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-01-09
credie 1Tobiltcr investigation.

Cakes AmCs. after stating his cOnneC-
/ ton with the Union Pacific and Credit
| MObilier company, said u began by so
| Letting my intimate friends and men in
| Congress possessed of means, and capt.
talists in large cities. | failed to per
! suade Senator Grimes. John ID. Alley
and Samuel Hooper were willing to GO
in and subscribed very largely, and in
| these cases offered to guarantee them
against loss. Our capital soon proved
| inadequate, and was increased with diff
| ticulty. 1t was again inadequate and
again increased. and this last time was
obtained only by the aid of an immense
bonus. Until late in 1867 there were
neither dividends nor profits. | was
constantly ut work and held out every
inducement and made every represent
alton that | believed was iustifiable.
! Precisely to whom | spoke or who for
mallv agreed to take shares, but decided
TO postpone payment, it is impossible for
me to recall. When the stock was OBJ
tanned in 1868, there was no difficulty.
and the number OF shares that remained
and with which alone | could fulfill
many agreements had made was very
small. | then applied and got the shares.
The agreement says two hundred and
eight, but my recollection says two hun
dred and fifty, whicn is confirmed by
the share list, which shows two hundred
and fifty allotted to me. Our prospects
were then flattering, and | was COM
PEELED in the distribution of the shares
to disappOint many, though | strove to
use them in a way to spread our intlu-
ence everywhere. | will now speak of
transactions with the individuals named
in the letters produced by McComb and
his testimony. COlfaX is mentioned. /
cannot say which of us first mentioned
him, but | knew he wanted to get some
stock. | am pretty confident he has
paid fOrit though it never was trans
ferred to him, nor can l remember ever
having paid over to him any dividends.
At the next session he said something
about the thing being off. Henry vii
son is another. There was a fund given
to Mrs Wilson on the twenty-tifth ami
yersary of her wedding, and | was con-
suited about investing it. recommend
ed twenty shares of the stock for $4,000.
and the money was paid to me. Some
months afterwards she objected to the
Investment, ana felt bound, from what
had occurred, to take IL off her hands
and return the money which I d1o AR
Ames then went on to state that Messrs
Bingham, Dawes and Patterson of New
York took stock temporarily.
In his testimony before the Credit Mo
bilier committee, McCOmb testified that
he heard Congressman Brooks pressed
Mr.. Alley to let him have fifty shares,
and he (Brooks) would take care of the |
democratic side of the House. Mr.. AL !
ley finally had fifty shares given to Mr.. |
Brooks or transferred to Charles NJ. Mel |
son, his son-in-law. Mr.. Brooks had all |
the advantages of these fifty shares |
without paying anything for them. On |
being cross-examined by John B. Alley, |
Mr. McComb stated that he (McComb) |
was denied access to the books by Mr.. |
Alley. Also that he saw Mr.. Durant |
pay Brooks $4,000 in dividends at one
time, and $4,000 at anouher time
j. Is. Alley testified that he never had |
any conversation with Mr.. Brooks rela- |
tive to shares never gave or sold a share
Of stock of Credit Mobilier to Mr. |
Brooks, or to any member of Congress
does not know Mr. Nelson, never saw |
him, and the statement of McComb is a
fabrication from beginning to end. Mr.
Alley then went into a heightened his
tory of the first starting of the subscrip-
ton of the road and for the Credit Mo |
O11lCi, anu ShdtCCt bIdJ 1t was only uDOn |
the snOst earnest solicitations of Cakes |
Ames that he (Alley) was prevailed to
take stock at the start, and invest $780,
300 in it. hIr. Ames, appealing to his
patriotism and feeling, and assured him
hat all investments in time would be
profitable. Mr.. Alley continued, saving
hat Mr.. Ames also persuaded Senator
Irimes and Congressman Hooper to
AXE stock, at the same time, and there
vas not the least suspicion then that
here was any corruption in it. Mr..
ames himself in one million dollars.
After the election of directors of the
Credit Mobiler company, they found six
hundred and fifty shares standing in the
James of Thomas G. Durant, not paid
Tor, and upon inquiry Mr. Durant gave
IN eYasive answer and he was told that
hey must be paid for or sold for the
benefit of the company. Trouble ensued
With Durant and he was turned out of
'tfice, and Mr.. Alley and his friends OBJ