The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-03-29
THE EMMA MINE.
Gen. Schenck before the Committee
A Denial OF Lyost's Charges.

WASHINGTON, D. c., March 2S.-Ex-Minister
Schenck appeared before the Committee on
Foreign Affairs to-day, bringing with him a
satchel filled with papers. He privately COM
planned of being weak, not having fully re-
covered from his receut attack of sickness
Ex-senator Stewart and other gentlemen con-
nected with the Emma mine transactions were
present.
Mr.. Schenck read the following paper:
desire respectfully to state to the commit
| tee that since my arrival in Washington have
read the printed testimony of james E. Lyon
| against me appear to be founded. The testl-
| mOny of these witnesses was taken In my alb
sence, and without any opportunity for cross
| examination. The evidence is intended to
| shew that the sale of the Emma mine by
| Messrs Park, Baxter and Stewart to the Emma
| Mine Company of London, was fraud, and
| that to the contamination OF such fraud l
| knowingly lent the assistance of my name and
| official position. The charge is very grave
one, and ask for the most full investigation of
| it, For that purpose, although not invited to
| appear before the committee, L left LoudOn as
soon as learned from the newspapers what
action had been taken aud came at once to
| Washington.
might rest my vindication upon the simple
| statement of my own connection with the tram
| sacton in question, which propose to make
from which it will appear that under a sincere
belief in the value of the mine, and the hon
1 L
| shares 1 hold now, and sustained large pecu-
| MARY loss But the committee have received
| evidence growing out of the previous history
| of the mine, and intended to show that it was
OF but little value and that the sale OF it was
| fraudulent.
This evidence has been widely published. 1
| deem it necessary to my complete vlndicatlon
that the committee should hear testimony upon
| these points, 1 am prepared to lay before this
| committee unquestionabe proofs that the evil
| dence which has been taken is false; that the
witnesses who gave it are infamous characters
| and not worthy of credit under oath; that the
sale of the mine was fair, honest and straight
| forward, without falsehood or fraud, and m ade
by men who had paid large sum of money
for it and implicitly believed in its value; that
the purchase was not made on the faith of any
representations of the sellers, but upon the ex.
act accounts of the actual products of the
mine for nearly year next before the sale, and
upon careful survey and examination OF it
by competent persons employed by the buyers
for that purpose: that the mine continued for
more than year after the sale to yield large
monthly dividends; that the confidence of the
sellers in it was such that after their interest
had been sold and paid for, some of them pur-
chased largely of the stock at high prices and
also loaned the company large sums of money
that the subsequent failure of the mine was
owing to mismanagement in its working; that
the mine is to-day, if properly worked. in all
probability as valuable as it was claimed OF
supposed to be, and finally, that so far as /
know or believe, the parties in England who
were concerned in its original purchase have
never claimed that any fraud or imposition
was practiced upon them, that claim ha wing
been recently set up by those who have bought
up the stock since the alleged failure OF the
mine, at nominal price.
| 1t will be very apparent to the committee
that this proof must involve the Interrogation
of considerable number of witnesses, that the
evidence cannot be presented except through
the means universally employed in judicial tri
bunals, the examination of the witnesses by
competent counsel acquainted with the case,
and subject OF course to such further questions
as any member of the committee may wish tC
put; that to conduct the inquiry by calling upon
witnesses to examine themselves or by such
desultory and imperfect examination as must
be made by a committee not informed of the
| facts, would be extremely I'm Just to the party
| who relies upon the testimony, and would tend
| to obscure the truth rather than to elicit it.
have therefore to respectfully request of the
committee that the usual privileges of the as
sistance of proper counsel may be accorded, as
well for the cross examination of witnesses
who have testified against me. as for the exam.
ination of those whom 1 desire to produce.
Should the committee be pleased to accede to
my request, as cannot doubt they will, l will
be ready to proceed with the cross.examination
of the witnesses or my own statement, as the
committee may think most desirable.
am gentlemen, yours respectfully,
ROBERT G. ScHENcK.
| Mr.. Eaulkner-Mr. Schenck was mistaken.
1t was the intention of the committee to invite
him to appear before them.
| Mr.. Sloan also remarked that the committee
would give Mr.. Schenck every facility with
the aid of counsel.
In explaining the settlement with Park, Mr..
Schenck said he gave to him the $500 received
from Mrs. Bates and 1854 in addition. There
was credit of e2500 on the note which he had
given to Park and which note had been re-
turned to him. This amount Schenck did not
understand till the final settlement with Park.
4 1t seemed that Park had some arrangements
with Grant for the payment of commission
| to him on the sha2es and that Grant gave him
| commission ON the 500 shares held by Schenck
of which Park said Schenck ought to have the
benefit as it belonged to him. As to the pay
ment of the remaining Indebtedness to Park,
the latter told him he need not trouble himself
and that he felt as safe without security as
with it as he knew 1t would be paid. ScheDck
then related how he paid the remainder of the
amount due to Park in stocks, etc.
Mr.. Schenck then alluded to other matters OF
less importance in connection with the Emma
mine, and read letter from Sir Rounded Pal
mer in reference to law suit, disproving the
statements which had been made against him
by Lyon, some of whose statements he char
acterized as clumsy lies. He did not know
that be had ever seen Lyon
The committee adjourned till tomorrow
morning when Mr.. Schenck again appears be-
fore it.