The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-14
THE WASHINGTON RING.

PICTURES OF SOME OF THE BoSSES-JERRY
WILSON.
A Washington letter to the Chicago Times
gives some striking pen pictures of the Shep-
herd ring.
Let me introduce Messrs. Lst.a 6C Kill
bOurn, as they appeared at the district inves-
| tigation this morning. They are partners in
the real estate business in Washington. All
of their remarkable attributes are not yet
unfolded. So far as they are laid bare, they
entitle Messrs. LaJta & Kilbourn to primary
attention when the coming novelist or dra-
nsatist shall draw upon their craft for mate
rial. Latta is square and pudgy, with a
glObular head. crisp and coaly hair, eyes as
black and bright as newly polished boots,
cheeks and skin fit for woman; the
nose of a diamond seller; dEess, quiet,
but perfect; ages not many skips
from 40. His make is that of one of those
happy picture dealers of Florence, who
never handle paintings less than = century
old, and never sell them for less than triple
their worth. If you met him in Italy, and
found he was not in the costly pictune trade,
you would be sure he was thrifty opera
manager. There Is a dash of Judea in his
ensemble, though no accent or manner indi-
Gates the Israelitish eloven foot. KilbOurn,
opposite pole Ofthe magnet, is like his fellow
in weight, cut of figure and age-hi5 antipO
desc in ali else. T2wny of hair and beard !;
anxious to be blue, but will never deepen
beyond a faded gray.
Latta is cheerful and patronising under
inquistorial fire; Kilbourn, twitchy and de.
faint. Latta answers, or refuses to reply to
a question with unvarying eresminess; Kill
bourn has different sheer or grit OF the
teeth to every query. 1t is the old and Wig
orous marriage of the bland with the spite
full; the phlegmatic and the nervous san
guine; brunette and blonde. Success is GER
tain to such an alliance, be it either matri-
mony or business. This union was of
mutual benefit, and its policy has been neat
and hardy. The chief maxim of che high
contracting parties has been, ''let us do to
ourselves as we would wish others to do I'M
to u.s." There may have been occasions let
slip where Messrs. Latta and Kilbourn
would have made a cent and didn't, but the
record of them has not vet appeared in this
investigation. To buy land, Sin trust" in
all parts of Washington, just before the va
riOus neighborhoods where their purchases
were made were improved by the district
government was their strongest hold.
ACCESSORY GRIPS
of theirs were to be interested in every paw
ing company which had job OF any extent
In the streets of Washington, and to have
finger in all the rich dough of local trickery
mixed in the city. Held at bay by cunning
skilled members of the committee, Kilbourn
was as defiant as only a real estate agent
would dare 10 be, and told just as much as
he pleased, and not a whisper more. Yes, he
had bought certain land at certain prices.
That land had suddenly leaped TO Gilicious
valuation. He held it in trust for certain
pool of BUYERS Who they were he declined
TO saw. The demand for their names was
driven plump at him by Thurman, and the
agents face was drained as clear of blood
as dead mans but he refused to betray his
customers, Jay Cooke * company had con-
would admit, no more. Meshy questions
to entangle him were stepped over, and a
livid sheer curled his nountenance at the
mere idea of congressman Dvius @bIa 10
entrap real estate man. III all the wit
nesses are 10 be of like stamina and subtle
ty with Messrs. Latta and Kilbourn, the
committee will die of dry rot ere it tears
out grain of satisfaction. The grubbing,
thus far, has not been prolific. The chief
features of interest in the investigation
have been the legal points as to what a wit
ness may be forced to answer in trial of
this nature. and how far he may be required
to spread the details of his business before
the world. s1s- II
IERR BLACK
figures oddly in the inquiry. He swung
himself into the room few days ago,
stating that he had come to look after the
interests of some of his clients, who had
been engaged as witnesses. Asked if he
was engaged as attorney for the district
government, he rolled his astonished glance
at the questioner, and resented the imperti-
hence. He only appeared for 9 Mr.. Evans, he
protested. But when Mr.. Latta took the stand
to-day, the robust, ex-attorney general dis
covered that he was also lawyer for him, and
helped him along materially. Then the ver-
satile Jeremiah remembered that he had
been engaged in behalf of Mr.. KilbOurn, too,
and tenderly assisted that gentleman. The
case is that the district magDates found their
legal array too feeble for the potent trio of
the memorialists. The three young men
were unable to cope with such experienced
lawyers as Merrick, Shellabarger and Chris
tie, and so the shrewd assistant of Lincoln's
official counsellor was secured. The balance
now tips on the side of Shepherd and his
illen. Black has the energy of five and
twenty, and the practical knowledge of go.
He handles his own witnesses with the solic-
itude of q young mother; those Of the
mamOriQlista with the vim Of a nauthar