The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-03-07

such letter as he wanted, if could; I wrote
the letter from the sketch of Tomlinson; the
endeavor was to exculpate the Secretary;
there was nothing in it untrue to the best of
my recollection, but it did not state the whole
truth; it was very short letter; he took it
with the contract inclosed; he said he would
take the letter and contract to Mr.. Black.
burn, who would show it to the committee,
and that would be the end of it; he left my
house ct 2 o'clock Friday morning.
At midnight Friday night I was reused up
and had the subpoena of the committee served
on me; Saturday morning, at about o'clock,
DR.. Tomlinson again appeared and said he
had been to Washington; he wanted to know
the first thing if had been subpenaed; I
told him had; he began talking the whole
thing over again, still wanting me to say be-
fore the committee what was suggested at the
Secretary's at the interview on Thursday
night; he wanted me to telegraph to the COM
mittee before whom had been subpenaed by
telegraph to appear the next morning friday
that my wife was sick, and that could not
attend; my wife being sick, I consented, and
did SO telegraph; recurring to the interview
again on Saturday morning, said l could
not make the statement he desired; he said
he had seen Mr.. Blackburn in the interval,
and had shown him the letter of Thursday
night; he then returned it and the contract
to me; said: DR.. Tomlinson, have thought
of this thing so much it has nearly made me
crazy; am not going to talk about it any
more; we will 60 down to my lawyer and
consult him about il; my object was to have q
lawyer to tell him how ridiculous the story
he wanted me to tell would appear before the
committee; we went down and called on Mr.
Bartlett, and I told him the whole truth
- L. nf Ds 'sno NJ
Bartlett said I could not manufacture
any story if I wanted, and must not ii I
COULD Dr.. Tomlinson still insisted that if I
could swear that Gen. Belknap knew nothing
of the arrangement with his sister, now de-
ceased, and If could swear that, at the time
I was at her funeral, I made an arrangement
with Mrs. Bowers, the present Mrs. Belknap.
by which was to send her all this money
through the Secretary, that the whole thing
could still be settled; replied, ~ can not
state it, for it is not true" my impression
then being that ct the funeral had said some
thing about the matter to Gen. Belknsp; Tom
linson said, "If you can not swear to that
you had better leave the country" Mr.. Bart
lett said, 3" This is bad business; it is not q
legal question you have submitted to me. and
in the position Of affairs the Secretary of
War should decide if you should 60 to
Washington or leave the country; DR.. Tom.
linson said he would return to Washington;
he prepared two formulas of kilograms which
I would understand; one was ~ hope your
wife is we'll" and was to be interpreted to
leave the country; the other was: 81 hope
your wife is BETTER" which meant, come to
Washington; we then parted; on going homo
in the street car, thinking the whole thing
over about the conversation ct the time of the
funeral, made up my mind that although
had stated to MI. Bartlett that thought I
mad had some conversation at the time OF the
,neral with the Secretary Of War about send
ing this money, yet was 50 undecided about
it that was certainly willing to give the Sec-
rotary the benefit Of the doubt; thought I
would see Tomlinson and tell him; we
parted at l O'Clock; he was to leave for Wash
ington at O'Clock; went to the depot and
met him and told him that on thinking over
the matter was SO undecided about the con-
versation with the Secretary at the time of the
funeral that would give him the benefit Of
the doubt; he said, 81 am very glad to hear
this, because my sister, Mrs Belknap, said
this was the fact" that Saturday evening I
which said, 7" Come to Washington tonight;
it is necessary" received it in the evening;
next morning Hast Sunday I received dis.
patch from Dr.. Tomlinson-"I hope your
wife is better which, according to our
agreement, meant "Come to Washington"
in the afternoon 1 got q second dispatch from
Dr.. Tomlinson, as follows:
"Come without fail. Answer"
answered:
II shall come tonight, without fail"
I was very glad not to have to leave the
country. the conviction having grown on my
mind that it would do no good; reached
Washington yesterday morning ct $50, and
stopped at the Arlington, my wife being with
ne; We were shown to q temporary room;
about Z o'clock lay down, being greatly
fatigued, and about 8 o'clock Dr.. Tomlinson
called me to the door of the room; he said he
had seen Blackburn, and that he still thought
this matter could be fixed up without any
trouble; heasked me if had the letter had
written to the committee on Thursday night;
said had not; he said:
: Blackburn says you had better write
another of the same purport and send it up
p the committee, with q note explaining why
ii did not come sooner" I did so. 1.-THE
tote and letter were marked 3D." &C. u
Shortly before P. n, yesterday, came to
the Capitol to meet the committee, and DR..
Tomlinson found me in the corridor, near the
committee room door. He said, "You are
OoinO haf0YA tina committee and want v0u