Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-01-15
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Credit Mobilier Invest CATION.
Mr.. DAWES TESTIMONY.

have been ready at all times, whenever Il
should be desired by the committee, to make
full statement of whatever connection I
have with the credit moblier, and regret that
l have not had an earlier opportunity. was
never the owner of any of the stock of that
corporation. Yet l did agree to take ten
shares of that stock; but the agreement was
rescinded before the stock was transferred to
me and it never was transferred.
At the commencement of the session in
December, 1867, had due me at the Ser
geant- alarms office $1,000 of my salary,
that had then no occasion then to use. I
asked colleague of mine, Mr.. Washburn,
with whom was rooming at the time, what
could best do with it, and he advised me 10
purchase with it a bond of the Cedar Rapids
| railrord of Mr.. Cakes Ames, saying that he
had been purchasing of him large quantities
OF those bonds for ninety cents on the dollar
for his bank, and he thought it an excellent
investment. 1 accordingly went to see Mr..
Ames, and asked him to sell ME such bond
as he had been selling Gov. Washburn. He
replied that he had not got any of those bonds
then, for he had sold them all, but that he had
something else as good, and he thought bet.
ter. He would let me have for my 81 900
ten shares Of credit mibilier stock. | said TO
him that did cot know anything about that
stock, aud asked him TO tell me about it. He
replied; 1T is Pennsylvania corporation
which has the contract to build the Pacific
| railroad. It is good thing, and I think it
will make money out Of it. At any rate /
WEI guarantee you ten per cent: on your
money, or if you don't want your stock at
any time will pay you back your money and
ten per cent interest" l told him l would
think of it and let him know. then inquir-
cd of Mr.. Alley about this stock and he said
it was good stock, but he did not think it was
as good rs Mr.. Ames thought it was. On my
telling him that Mr.. Ames offered to guaran-
tee me ten per cent, he said that was safe
enough then, and I made no further inquiry,
but went to Mr.. Ames and told him l would
take the stock. He said that he could not
transfer it to me then, but that it was at his
home; that the first time he went homo he
would get it transferred to me and let me
have it. l then paid over to him the S 900
and took his accountable receipt for it. he
, saying at the time he gave it to me that if at
any time got sick OF it he would take it
back and pay me back my money and ten per
cent Before he went home / had occasion
to 60 home to Pittsfeld, and while there Mr.
Edward Learned, a friend and neighbor Of
mine, who was then, believe an officer of
the Kansas Pacific railroad, came into my
office and told me of suit which Duff Green
had commenced or was about to commence
IN the PENNSYLVANIA courts against Mr.. Amas
ard his associates, to get possession of the
Credit hlob!lier charter, claiming that it be-
longed to his and his associates, and had been
"rongfnily taken possession OF by Mr.. Ames
and those connected with him. When l re-
turned to Washington | told Mr.. Ames what
Mr. Learned had said to me, and told him
that did not want any such stock. He re-
piled: "Well, you need not take it. l will
pay you back your money and ten per cent.
interest if you PREFER He thereupon set
tied with me in that way, allowing me inter-
est and paying me back the money. In the
meantime, and before l went to Pittsfeld, he
had paid me dividend once. I do not know
how much it was, but think about 80 per cent
Whatever it was l allowed him in the settle
ment, he paying the balance. This ended the
transaction. The stock was not transferred
to me. | had no other transaction with the
Credit Mobilier or Union Pacific railroad
Neither during this transaction nor before it
nor since its close have | entertained any
thought or purpose in connection with it, nor
WAS anything suggested to me in that connec-
ton in any way, directly or indirectly, hav-
ing reference to any official conduct of mine
i'll or out of Congress. Nor did anything in
connection with it pass between me and Mr..
Ames or any othes person, other than would
naturally have passed had purchased of him
i IL,
or had purchased any share of the Nation.
al Bank stock or United States bond either
of him or any banks outside of Congress
Before and up 70 that time I don't remember
to have heard the Credit Moblier mentioned,
or any measure touching the Union Pacific
railroad since the legislation of 1864, under
which 1t was then being constructed, nor did
know of Mr. Ames's dealings with any 9TH
er person in or out of Congress. In closing
this statement of all that did occur in this
Transaction, desire to add tat although l
have never desired or sought to conceal in
any way anything that have done in this
matter, have never made or authorized any
public statement in reference to it before to.
day. feeling that I could patiently wait until
your committee should call upon me for this
statement. Nevertheless there did get into
print without my authority or knopledge a
private note written by me to a friend in
New York, thanking him for voluntarily and
on his own responsibility denying the state
ment in the New York Sun that Mr.. Cakes
Ames had for corrupt purposes given me stock
in the Credit Mobilier, and l desire to make
that note a part Of this testimony in order that
all have said as well as all have done in
reference TO this matter may become a part
Of this statement
The note is as follows
Pittsfield, Mass, IL, 1872.
Ny dear Sir Il thank you for denouncing
as a false libel the charge Of the New York
Sun so far as l am concerned. Neither Oakes
Ames nor any other man, dead or alive, even
gave me, directly or indirectly, a penny of
the Credit Mobiler or of any other corpora
ton in this world. l never owned a dollar of
any stock or any property of any kind that
did not pay the full value Of with my own
money, earned with my own hands.
Truly yours, II. L. DAwEss
Nelson, James Brooks son-in-law, was
examined. His testimony was to the effect
that the shares held by himself were owned
by him; that Brooks advanced him $4,000
for the purchase of the first 100 shares and
that Brooks first mentioned the Credit Mo-
biiier to him, saying that he Brooks had the
power of putting witness in the Credit Mo-
bilier, but made no explanation beyond say
ing tina. he din not care to hold shares HIM
self. The money was an advancement by
Brooks in the form of speculation on ae-
count of witness.