Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-02-06
CREOIT NroEILrER.


the two Investigating committees q.
s"ashington,is so voluminous that il
impossible for us to give a 1.-THE of ii
hardly. However so far as it pertains
TO men Of our own State, we ondcavor
to keep our readers posted. We give
therefore the testimony Of one B. w.
Spence, who it is reported stood an
excellent examination touching some
things connected with the Hon. James
+. Wilson of this State. We have
seen It stated elsewhere that Mr.. VIII
son together with Gen. G. NJ. Dodge
and another gentleman, were of the
committee to audit the $l26 .oooreferred
to, and that they reported the vouchers
correct and recommended the payment
Of the amount.
The testimony speaks for itself:
The Wilson committee met this af.
ternoon. Benjamin w. Spence, OF
Hoston, was sworQ: He was employed
by the Union Pacific Railroad Com
pany from June, 1869, to June, 1871 ;
he was cashier OF the company and
acted as assistant treasurer to the
Boar. of Trustees under tho Ames
contract !; he knew Of the item of $685.
600 paid for special legal expenses the
witness made the payment March 8,
iS7l; he, did not know what use was
was made of the money; there was
some talk about 1t at the time between
Williams and Bushnell; the substance
of their conversation was the money
used for the purpose of securing the
reversal CT the action of the Secretary
ofathe Treasury.
@. Were there any other legal ex-
penses paid at the time?
A. A short time before to Judge
Curtis, Sidney Bartlett, and L. r. Hoar
for opinions or public arguments, hay-
ing nothing to do with other transac-
tions. The payment of $4,000 was
in check and two or three drafts
The witness drew two checks, one for
$24,50o which he gave to g. M. Dodge,
AaH the other for 3d. 900 which he gave
James r. Wilson, a Government Direc-
tor. The remaining $S2.500, was made
up by draft on Morgan ~ Sons, New
York, and given to Bushnell. This
amount was divided into three parts
II round numbers as follows: $20626,
$43,84l, and S1S,033. The witness III
reply to question, said that Bushnell
gave q draft for $500 to e. Ii. Rollins
SecretarySof the Company. The wit
ness suggested 10 Rollins that that was
his share of the sl26, 900 for his servic-
es at Washington, when Rollin said
no; that he wanted the money to pay
on amount he had borrowed from Ord
way, the Sergeant-at-Arms of the
House. Bushnell, Rollins, Dodge, j.
F. Wilson, and Col. Thomas A. Scott
were in Washington previous to this
time. Tho last named, he believed,
was not then President of the Compa-
NY. All the $4,000 was charged to
one account. The witness, during the
examination by the Chairman, said the
check to Dodge was drawn on the Ma
tional Bank OF Boston, and the check
Of Wilson on the same bank.
J.F. Wilson, who was standing near
the Chairman, said he should like to
settle this question right here. He
should merely like an opportunity
to explain and to see whether check
Of that hind Was given him.
Mr.. IlOar said the gentleman should
have an opporruBityto be neard.
The witness, resa,ning his testimony
remarked that he had not stated that
the check was drawn in Wilson's favor.
The check was drawn to the order OF
the witness, who made 1t payable 10
the the order of F. ii. Rollins. The
witness remarked to Williams, the
treasurer of the Company. II SUPPOSE
the money was used for lobbying pur
poses?" to which Williams replied, II
suppose so,S and gave the witness TO
inter that such was the case The wit
ness knew OF $1,000 tor legal expenses
money being paid +. II. Rollins. but
for which no voucher WINS obtained
CAiver Ames, President Of The. Union
Pacific Ia lroad Company, told him TO
let Rollins have money, aud said Rol-
Inns wonld account 10 him for it. This
was June |. 1870. The witness had no
personal knowledge as to how the
money was applied, but during the
Senatorial contest in New Hampshire,
IN 1876, Rollins said the Company
would have 10 help him. Rollins was
trying to get Cragin's place, and came
back 10 Boston alter two weeks alb
senee.
BY vote Of the committee, j. +.
Wilson was privileged TO iuterrogate
the witness concerning that part of his
testimony in regnrd to him (WiIson).
Mr.. Wilson then closely questioned
the witness, vino said on the 9th OF
Marcel, lS7l, he handed to Wilson u
check for $4,000 in the office OF the
Union Pacific Railroad Company, at
or near his desk. The check was first
made payable to the order of the wit
ness aud then to the order OF K. II.
Rollins, payable at the National Bank
Of Commerce of Boston. The witness
had not stated that the check was pay
able to Wilson, bat that it was deliv-
cred to him, he thought, by the direc-
tion of Williams, Treasurer of the
Company.
Mr.. Wilson then said that since he
had been connected with the Union
Pacific Railroad-and he was direc-
tor at that time--he had never haiidled
dollar except such rs he had received
for his official services and the prepara-
Ion OF pamphlets, for which he had
received small amounts. All his
vouchers were made out regularly,
and he had received no money for
himself or for any other person, from
the Union Pacific Railroad Company,
except rs he bad just stated. He de-
sired that the check referred to by wit
ness might be obtained, and every per-
son through whose hands it passed
might be examined. He had studious-
ly abstained from doing anything
which would look like endeavoring to
influence Congress or any member oil
Congress, concerning legislation, from
the time he left Congress to the present
time. Mr.. Wilson said the check might
have been placed in his possession to
hand to some one, but he did not re-
collect even this. In conclusion he
emphaticalIy denied that he had ever
handled q dollar or used dollar oil
money represented by tho check, nor
did hs know where the money had
gone to, or anything whatever concern
ing 1t.