Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-10-21
-AY1oalsx. ..saEarToN SPEAKS.

NaO ~ eAO A4oulSOA Lc"eOtfUt1 Va
Sunday morning, headed Hugh H.
Brereton," 1.-THE kind OF man he is, !"
etc, etc.
Jnasmuch as the editors Of that
paper want little more light on
the Bribery" case, | will proceed to
give it, aud the means they at
tempted to use to suppress it. They
commenced about the first Of Aug
ust last, when Mr.. son-in-law Bash
ford, one of the editors aforesaid,
came to my house, in the town Of
Dane, and introduced himself to me
as such. He said he came to me by
direction of Gov, Taylor, to see if
he could not arrange to suppress
the facts about the bribery matter
that occurred in the county board,
and to get possession of the letter.
He wanted me to show him the let
ter, but | declined to do so. At this
time, some further conversation oc-
Cured on the subject, when he left.
On or about the 4th day of Sep
TENDER last, | was in the city Of
Madison, and was on my way to
feed my horses, and when near the
Methodist Church, in said city, |
noticed Gov. Taylor standing on
the park side Of the street, and near
the north corner, reckoning for me
to come over to him. | went and
met him. He said he wanted TO see
me at his office in the Capitol. After
caring for my team, | went there
and saw him. He asked me if |
had his certain letter with me. |
answered yes. He asked me to
show it to him. | said, | would if
he would give it back to me. He
promised, and then | handed it to
him, and be looked it over and
finally handed it back to me. The
Governor thanked me for not ex-
posing him at the election two years
before, and said if | would do the
same this year, he would give me q
good position. That he was sure of
his election, as tho railroads were
all going to support him. He
wanted the letter to keep; / refused
it; then he wanted copy | re-
fused that also. Then he wanted
me to promise not to show it to any
one until / saw him again, which |
did. Ho said that the letter did not
amount to much, as such things
were done, and letters written to
members of the Legislature every
winter; and that he had seen about
fifty of them last winter. He said
his sop-in-law, Bashford, wanted to
see me, as | understood, that day
He said, or Bashford said, | cannot
state positively which, that he want
ed the matter fixed up before the
convention in Milwaukee, as Sat.
Clark and some other sore-heads,
were trying to defect him, and if
they got no d Of this, they might do
it, ! promised it should not be
used against Taylor before the con-
vention.
/ next saw Bashford in Madison
during the Fair week, at which time
he offered me position for my son
in the Capitol, worth from $500 to
5000 per year, for the letter. He
said the salary of the position could
begin Oct. lst, but no services would
be required till Nov. LIST, because
there was then an occupant OF the
place, doing the work and getting
the pay, | would not accept his
proposition, As | told him, after a
good deal Of talk on his part.
About October 1st, after this, Bash
ford came out to my house again,
and showed me an article from the
Barahoo Republic, and wanted to
know if authorized the publication.
told him ] stated the facts to Wei
rick about the bride, and that / sail
TO Weirick that intended to make
a full statement about it.
Bashford then asked me il had
the letter! | said | had the letter
where | could put my hands upon
it, He then offered me $500 and
the position heretofore alluded to
for it. and said it would be nice
place for my boy, with chances for
promotion. He then pulled out the
statement again and read it to me,
and said he would modify it to suit
me if | would sign it. 1t was the
statement vindicating Gov. Taylor.
| declined to sign the statement or
/ 1;Sn,ca Of tbo Iattar