The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-12-30
Pacific Mail Subsidy Investigation.

Pacific Mail Subsidy Investigation
NEW YORK, December 26.-The inves
tigation into the subsidy business of thu
Pacific Mail Company was resumed thi'
morning. Geo. A. Scott, of Scott
Strong & Co.. testified that the ialst
entries of amounts to him was reported
to witness by Mr.. Hatch; at the time
Hatch told him he was managing direct
or Of the Company, and there were two
or three entries in the bank, one fol
100000 and another for $4,000; witnes:
promised to produce an account for the
committee.
By Mr.. Dawes-Do you know Of any
false entries to other parties in the Pacific
Mail books?
Witness gave Dawes wink and whis-
pered in his ear. The answer was not
insisted on.
Christian B. McDougall, police
officer, testified he saw Mr.. King in
the Park bank, when he was
pointed out to him by Mr.. Cole; did not
remember seeing any person with him;
was told by Mr.. Cole that he was Mr..
King, postmaster Of the House of Rep
resentatives.
Julius NJ. Noyes, of the firm of Har-
rott l. Noyes, testified that he WAS ac-
quainted with A. b. Stockwell, but did
not know Irwin; in May, 1872 had n
transaction with Stockwell; had no
knowledge Of an entry in the books Of
the company of $650,OO0, charged to tho
firm. A check for $506, 547, signed by
Irwin and endorsed by Noyes, was iden-
titled by the witness. He said it was
what is called an exchange check; the en-
try of $650,0O0 was false, as was all such
tries; the $507,567 was only loan to
Stockwell personally for sccomodati on
purposes, and not to tho company; wit
ness was paid by one check of $500, 900
from the Pacific Mail company. and the
day after this another check from the
Panama Railroad company, for $7,647
was deposited. This was done simply
at tho request of Stockwell and had no
business with Irwin. In May '73, he
had no knowledge of the entry of 800,
600 in the Pacific Mail books, to the firm
of Eldridge j. Irwin Us agents of Harri-
Oft & NOyes, and if any such entry ex-
istcd il was false.
John z. Ilsley testified that he knew
nothing about the disbursement Of money
to Mr.. King; he lived in st. Paul in the
summer time; witnesses knowledge was
only derived from Cole.
Charles w. Griswold, of the Fifth Av-
enue Hotel identified two checks cndors-
ed by him; one check was dated May Sd,
1872, drawn in favor of
w. T. King, for $l,459.
endorsed payable to Darby, GriswOld "
Co.'S order. Another dated May so,
1872, to w. S. King for $4,000; did not
know for what this money was drawn.
William b. Gage testified that he WAS
cashier for the proprietor of the Fifth
Avenue Hotel. w. :. King asked that
these checks be placed to his credit; the
money WAS paid out in different sums;
King was guest in the hotel; did not
remember seeing any person with King;
his name was entered in tho register Of
29lh of May, 1872, and no left on the
3lst of May, two days after.
John Roach, an iron ship builder teS-
titled that he had had business with the
Pacific Mail Company since 1871; built
one vessel for them in 1871; up to June,
1872, had built another vessel; had no
other business with them but building
these vessels.
The first he knew about the subsidy was
after it became a law. They never asked
him to aid them in procuring the passage
of the subsidy. Knew no person en-
ploycd to aid them. Mr.. Irwin asked
him for some statistics about the China
trade, which he gave him. Whatever
dealings witness had with the Pacific
Mail Company were with the present
Board, and since June. 1872,
Committee then took recess.
Upon re-assembling Delamater, cashier
of the Park Bank, was examined. He
testified that on the Both of May there
were deposited by the Pacific Mail Com
pany the sum of s275,OO0, which was
placed to the credit Of the Brooklyn
Trust Company. The President of the
Brooklyn Trust Company then was f. 5.
Mills. and Secretary, Henry Rodman.
Witness attention was first drawn to TIN,
matter Yesterday; had no knowledge be-
yond this matter of the Brooklyn Trust
Company; could not tell by an cxamina-
ton of his books by whom the money
WAS drawn; at the time this deposit was
made the Trust Company had n deposit
of $I5l, 900 in the bank.
Alderman q. Z. {. Billings testified
that he was a lawyer; was elected dircc-
tor of the Pacific Mail Company in No
vcmber, 1871; knew Irwin by sight;
knew of him being sent to Washington
to represent the company; witness un-
derstood that he was sent there to pro-
cure the passage ofa bill, but did not know
what means were employed; was presc Mt
at the meeting authorizing Stockwell
to employ counsel and money in order to
prepare the bill and to secure lis passage.
This was at an executive session, and the
action was afterward ratified in the
meeting of the Board of Directors;
Sto, kwell thought that $4,000 would be
enough, but no sum either large or small
was agreed upon; he thought it was the
policy of the Company to know what the
President WAS doing with Pacific Mail
money; this entry OF $4,000 on
the books of the Company es-
capped the notice OF the witness
if the company desired to know wha,
their president WAS doing with the funds
it could easily have been ascertained from
the books; no questions were asked by
the company Of Stockwell with regard to
the money he was enpending for the
subsidy; never examined the books of the
company while he WAS director; it WAS
the custom of the company to leave the
drawing of ell checks and money in the
hands Of the President, there being, Of
course, limit to the amount; be sttrib-
u,ed the passage Of these sums Of money
through the hands Of the President, not
TO carelessness on the psit of the COM
PAW. but to its being the usual custom
Of the company; witness knew, as did also
the other directors, that Stockwell was
dealing in stocks OF other companies, and
also of this company; had done the law
work for the company, but not while