The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-08
THE MACHAD0 CLAIM.
Norman Wizard Explains-nr. schenck's Ex'
PLANTATION to Reverdy Johnson.

PLANTATION TO heverdy Johnson
To Editor ofMe Boston Globe Shortly
after General Schenck sailed for England
to enter upon the duties of his mission,
person occupying an office contiguous to
mine in New York, and who knows of
the friendly relations existing between the
minister and myself, proposed to me to
permit an interview with Machado, who
had large claim against the British gov
eminent, with view to having it pre-
sened for final adjustment. He represent
ed TO me that the claim was valid, legal
and just that several American ministers
in succession had pressed II to the point
where the British government had acknowl-
edged its validity and had proposed plan
for ascertaining the amount due by arbitra-
ton, etc. After several conversations
upon the subject and being assured that
Machado would gladly pay very large
amount for my services, $4,000 or more,
consented to an interview, at which
Machado confirmed all the statements of
his agent in relation to the claim. / then
| toll him if he would have brief of the
| case prepared by learned counsel, such as
| in my Judgment would enable the minister
to easily comprehend the merits of the
case, | would send it forward and ask
| General Schenck as a personal favor to at
tenu to it. Machado named Judge Eras-
| tus G. Benedict as his counsel, who would
prepare the brief, and in few days
thereafter returned to me with ii com
pleted. Machado insisted upon having
a written contract executed by and
between us, expressing the terms
and conditions of the bargain we
had made, before entrusting me with
the brief to be forwarded to London, tc
which assented and suggested to him tc
go to Judge Benedict and have one pre-
pared. He soon returned with it, we ex-
ecuted it | wrote note to Genera
Schenck IN his presence, enclosed all the
pers-inadvertenlly including the con
tract Just signed-and mailed them at once
to the legation at London BY return o.
mail / received a letter from Genera
Schenck admonishing me for having hi
name mentioned in the contract with Mac
hado, and enclosed with his letter l fsunC
the missing contract returned to me. Al
near as | can recollect, the only referenc,
in the contract to General Schenck was
clause terminating its conditions il tn
claim was not adjusted and paid befor
his mission to England terminated.
The papers in this case, with man
others of value to me, were stolen iron
me by attaches and assistants to the edit
ors and correspondents of the New Yorl
Tribune and the Sun. prosecuted tn
thieves in Washington for larceny, forger
and conspiracy, and they were held t
bail. The authorities endeavored to sc
cure the attendance of Mr.. Dana to testif
before the grand jury, but he .evaded tn
summons, so the rascals escaped. Th
fact that charges were so prererred wa
we'll known at the time, being publishe
in the Tribune, Sun and other papers, an
: it may be assumed that the reason that tn
stolen papers were not utilized earlier b
the libelious sheets in which they hav
lately appeared, was only to evade prost
cution as receivers of stolen goods, know
ing them to be stolen, under the statul
, limitations. The third of a century tbs
General Schenck has been in the serviC
of the United States government and pee
pie, has established his character on sue
= a firm basis that it would be superiiuol
, for me to confirm the declaration he MAKE
in the next to the last paragraph of his lie
: ter to Mr.. johnson, as published in Il
Baltimore american of yesterday. II
: spectfuly, NORMAN WIZARD
, Boston, January 6.