The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-06-07
THE BLAINE INQUIRY.
Desperate Efforts of Blaine to Ward OIL
the Biow-lfis Trailieking IN Rail-
road bonds AN Establish IL Fact.

Especial Dispatch to the New York World ]
WASHINGTON, June 2-PerSonal feeling
over the Blaine investigation runs even
higher tonight than it did yesterday.
The proceedings to-day have been less
dramatic. but the struggle of MIR. Blaine
and his friends TO ward of the force OF
the blow has been more desperate. The
committec-rooln was uncomiortaDly
crowded. The witnesses spoke III such
low tones that il was difficult 10 hear
them across the table. Blaine and Frye
alone were impetuous and loid-voiced,
and the result was three hours of hall
sutiocation and painfllly-intense listen
ing. 1t is difficult tonight to form an
intelligent and unbiased opinion as to the
result of the days investigation, ana
almost impossible TO find any two
who, having heard the testimony,
are of the same opinion. Mr..
Blaine's friends discuss the question
| very heatedly, denounce Mulligan We
hemently as thief who stole private let
tiers and kept them for sinister pur-
pose. and claims that the close Of the day
| leaves Mr.. Blaine in a much better light
| than the beginning. Yet Mr.. Fisher ties
titled that he had full knowledge that
| Mulligan had the letters ; that he brought
them 10 Washington with his Fishers }
| full and free permission that Mulligan
read the letters to him on the way here
| from New \ ork, and that he did not ask
| Mulligan 10 give them up until after he
| reached Washington. Ii is undoubtedly
true from the evidence that Mulligan pos
itively refused to give up the letters
either to Blaine or Fisher, and while in
| state Of great excitement stated in Ian
guase more forclble than polite that he
| would not deliver the letters TO anybody,
| and would print them IN yindication of
| himself il anybody ut any time, anywhere
| attempted TO break down his
| evidence or 10 impcach his We
racity. Bnt Oh the other hand il
appears that this state OF excitement
was the result of a mysterious interview,
| in which Mulligan still asserts that Blaine
made such pitcous appeals 10 him that he
| himself was moved 10 tears. And il
| seems TO be an iucontrOycrtiblc tact that
| the evidence tends to put Blaine into the
exceedingly bad position OF man who.
all other means falling, TO obtain posses
sions of certain letters, got them by Civ
Ing his promise to gentleman to return
them, and has broken his promise. The
fact that Blaine was for number OF
years trafilcking with and through Fisher
in both Fort Smith and Northern Pacific
bonds and stocks Is established TO q moral
certainty. That he was at one time in
possession OF vast block OF Fort Smith
stock and bonds is well established.
What Is not yet established il that Blaine
received $4,000 OF preferred stock.
Mulligan says he knows it as q fact, and
Blaine does not deny it, and the only
| consideration which as yet appears 10
have been given was Blainc's influence 10
induce his Maine friends to embark in
the speculation. That Fisher, Mullgan
and Atkins all had 3, the ti,ne at least an
impression, and strong one, that the
S9i 900 which Colonel Scott received
from the Union Puciiic company went In.
to Blaine's hands Is hardly deniable, and
that Blaine was sileGt when told that this
was the case Is establi Shed by the testi
mony OF both Fisher and Mulligan A
yet, however, there Is nothing TO show
that the Scott bonds were Blainc's. Tn,
, most mysterious part of the whole affair
the fifteen letters from Blaine to Fishe
remains almost as mysterious as a
iirst. The facts are established beyono
: all possibility of doubt that Blaine sen
!, for Fisher TO know exactly what was II
!, these letters; and he anxious APPARENT,
!, beyond the bounds OF ordinary reason /,
!, possess himself of them; that he Iii,
y possess himself Of them in at least
's questionable way that he has had sol
" possession OF them for some DAYS, an,