Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-03-28
WASHINGTON,

MASHlNdIONO
schenek before the Com
mittee ON Foreign Affairs.
WASHINGTON, March 28. -Ex-Mimister
Scheack appeared before the Committee
on Foreign Affairs to-day. bringing with
him a satchel filled with papers. He
privately complained of being weak,
not having fullyrecovered from his recent
attack of sickness. Senator Stewart
and other gentlemen connected with
Emma Mine transactions we're present
Schenck read the following paper:
81 desire respectfully to state to the
Committee, that since my arrival in
in Washington 1 have read printed testi-
mony Of Jas. E. Lyon and Hiram A.
johnson, on which charges against me
appear to be founded. The testimony OF
these witnesses has been taken
in my absence, and without %affording
any opportunity for a cross : exsmina'
ton. This evidence is proposed to
show that the sale of the Emma mine by
Park, Baxter and Stewart to the Emma
Company Of London, was a fraud, and
that to the consummation Of such fraud
l knowingly lent the assistance of my
name and official position. The charge
is a grave enc and | ask for q most full
investigation of it. For that purpose,
although not invited to appear before the
committee, l left London as soon as |
learned from the newspapers what action
had been taken, and came at once to
Washington. l might rest my vindica-
tion upon the simple statement of my
own connection with the transaction in
question, which l propose to make, from
which it will appear that under the sim
cere belief in the value Of the mine and
the honesty Of the sale of it, / bought
and paid for the shares | hold now and
sustained large ~pecuniary loss; but as
the committee have received the
evidence growing out Of the pre-
vious history Of the mine and
intended to show that it was Of little
value, and the sale of it was fraudulent,
and this evidence has been in, it was
such that after their interest had
been sold and paid for, some Of
them purchased largely Of stock at high
prices and also loaned the company
large sums Of money; that the subSe
quent failure Of the mine was owing Il
mismanagement in its working; tina
mine is to-day, if properly worked, in al
probability as valuable as it was claimed
or supposed to be; and finally, that 81
far as | know or believe, parties in Eng
land who were concerned in the origina
| purchase have never claimed that an,
fraud or imposition was practiced upol
e them, that claim having been recent,
set up by those who have bought stocI
f since the alleged failure Of the min
e at a nominal price. 1t will be az
d parent to the committee hat this proc
e must involve the interrogation Of a cor
d siderable number of witnesses; tina
n evidence cannot be presented excep
through the means universally employe
s in Judicial tribunals, the examination
witnesses by competent counsel d.
quainted with the case; submit, G
b course, to such further questions as an
member Of the committee may wish
put that to conduct inquiry by Oallin
IS upon witnesses to examine themselves
IT or by such desultory and imperfect el
animation as must be made by the CON
h mittee not informed would be unjust (
st the party who relies upon the test
n mony, and would tend to obscure Ii
truth rather than to elicit it. / hav,
W therefore, TO request OF the commilte
that the usual privilege Of assistant
s. Of proper counsel may be accorded q
er we'll as for cress.examination Of wi
es pesses who have testified sgsinst Ia,
e. AS tor the examination Of those whom
BY desire to produce, should the committt
So be pleased to accede to this my reques
In as / cannot doubt they will, l will
ready to proceed with the cross-examin
ton of witnesses or on my own stat
nent, as the committee may think mo
desirable.
n, l am, gentlemen, very respectfully,
NJ. Robert G. SoHENoK.
Mr.. Faulkner said that Mr.. Scheme
mistook. 1t was the intention Of Il
committee to invite him to appear befo
= the committee,
= Mr.. Swami also remarked that Il
committee would give Mr.. Schen,
! every facility with the aid Of counsel.
Mr.. Schenck then gave. a circumsta
tial account Of his connection With Il
Emma mine.