The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-11
VOL. XLIIL-N0. lSO.
THE DANNEM0RA J0BBERY.
now MONEY HIS BEEN MADE OUT
1HE SI.ITE or NEW TORk.
selling Lands to the state at Double Their
yniue-IIow sccessiOuist was Taken In
aud Done or-Lnrgc Returns from
Small Iuvcstment-The Way Money Goes.

Small Invcstment-The NHy money Hott'
DASSrwoRA, March G-There is state
prison here In Clinton county. situated at the
opening to an iron mine. the taking out OF
which metal the smelling M, and manufactur-
ing into cut nails are the employment OF the con-
yicts somo G)) Of whom are confined within the
hoard walls OF this prison. II Is located sixteen
miles from any railroad station, being renched
from pIattsburg on tho line from Albany to
Montreal or from Elcnbuts. a station on the
Osdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad. In
either case one has to travel from tho depot up
hill TO roach the prison, by horse conveyance
over corduroy road some OF tine way.
The prison was first built In an almost inter-
ninable wilderness, In valley among the noun
tains but the country for miles around ls now
denudcd OF timber, which has been made into
charcoal for smelling purposes. This prison
ought TO be self sustaining, but owing to dishon-
sstmanigemcnt It costs the state nearly 100000
to support 1t each year over and above Its earn
ings the whole of which sutn,tt Is safe to saw, Is
downris plumber.
TO illustrate how this prison has been used to
rob the state, the following plain statement OF
facts may be given:
MONEY EASILY MADE.
A gentleman named Edmund Law Rogers. re-
siding then. as now, In Baltimore, Md, owned
some 2o,Nn ncres OF woodland adjoining the
prison. Ho was wealthy Southerner, had been
q Confederate during the war, and had not
eight or ten years previous to 1857 In the latter
year number OF gentlemen residing IN and
about Clinton county conceived the idea Of get
ting hOlI Of this land, or a portion Of it, dtsDos-
Ing Of what they could to the state, aud explor-
Ing the remainder for iron mines. among the
gentlemen then and afterward most prominently
connected with the transactions in regard TO
these lands. and lawsuit which grow out OF the
same. were the Hon.Smith NJ Weed. C Congressman
Williams, the Hon. Christopher L. Norton Sena.
tor 4. W. Tobey, Ersstus :. Mead (uncle OF
Smith NJ Weed. and Henry c. Foote. In pur-
- nf a nl an 1ean na1 Mr AfVtf
NJ. Weed to baltimore in September, 1867, 10
arrange with Mr.. Rogers.
latter, and stated to him that he Weed had
come ON to make proposal in relation TO plr-
chasing certain lands IN Township No. 3, Old
Military Tract. on which there was an iron ore
bed. hr. Weed Informed Mr. Rogers that he
WoeeiS having been engaged in rebellion,
there was danger Of these lands being conns-
Gated. and that the more quietly be could dis
pose ot them the better for himself. He Weed
was % friend OF his, and would do all he could
g protect his interests. Much more talk Of this
kind W. had. and Mr. Rogers came to regard
Mr. " eed a. his protector guardian angel, good
genius ana all that sort Of thing. In the next
and sold some tour thousand acres of land con.
tanning valuable iron mine TO number OF the
gentlemen above named, some of whom, how
ever, did not appear ia the Transaction until
lawsuit. which lasted In the United States Cir
cult Court a number Of years, and which was
decided In favor OF Mr. Rogers This Ia out In
troductory, however to more interesting
transaction.
THE STATE Is TO GET PIECE.
In 1867 the Hon. Smith NJ. Weed was member
Of Assembly for Clinton county, and Moss H.
Piatt was state Senator from that district. They
had iu1uence with the powers that be. and with
out informing Mr. Rogers OF their plans they
got the state officers to enter into NEGOTIATIONS
TO purchase lOOOO acres of woodland in the
peighbofhood OF the prison, the timber thereon
TO be used for charcoal for the iron works OF the
institution.
Mr. Weed accordingly, In a letter dated State
OF New YORK tonstitu;ional Convention, AL
bany, Sept. 20, 1885," wrote to Mr.. Rogers as fol-
lows
have been thinking over the question Of trying nv;
sell to purchase yOur lands and sometimes think Will
make you an Offer, and then wncn thlk how blue the
ire,.I viii have hard time OF - gel discouraged al
ss aSss for the S.sy .1Ss a seHS ro %Es m a.
You nave as hsGre t. shout 20 90 acres e;t after put
IN nps !a' Ssp axe 'SSdd s5 s9 Gt o 0'a
60 re mil Is taxed; You ssld to me thaI you would
70 that viii sell what yon have iefi In ciin
Ha 9es s';g II; HE'
o seS %th ptees sn wh e p
sooner II can and will give 80 DAYS ~ and
ana Ss cs 'S sS oyss s sG IT 70 a b
good for US both certainly f9r you ana
Isise ne d WITH me- ibut no ma!tcr. Please let me
sxIrH NJ. WEED.
Then from "Plattsburc, Sunday. Sept. 90"
Mr. Weed wrote another letter to Mr.. Rogers as
folows:
MY DEAR SIR: You probably ere This have answered
my Letter q Albany ba{ as our copyenton adlourned
have not reeeyed It yei. wiIe you note to-day ,.
om to and ss: ook puer eyeSI epT
DAY, ana We want to move sharp.
S are ges % R Sa f M sah sns .S 10Y s.t
supposed he was worth 10000 six months ago ana
We OF, but is now many thousand dollars worse IN
lAAn Nh.n born
Yours truly. SMITH NJ. WEED.
Again on Oct. s, 1857, Mr.. Weed wrote to Mr.
Rogers as follows;
My DEAR SIR Ihave been waiting, this Is the second
X, 10 see au M IA Df
course, that you did not write you were coming on
' TO ,G a &c her to 5 sss Su u 40 ySS So
.lsh o ANA slAll noi be from home while you are here
SEX oa ne last % q @ hi, Week Wee T. SGl go o1's'i os he
Baltimore, snail cali upon You, II. however, i hear
ign y yos 4 ". You aaa Mf' l.ageTs o. youssi acne
mo- elady Nat; You viii get this letter by Thusday
Sod9 Il a. ghss % inqay m m9rnns 9 an Sls4 ygg
i9ii we er y9a VII come eAi ~eeS Or week al er
y, ;eiaT ou' cr's;y i..day s6e,a, .slg Resard.
OAlL Your truy, shiIn NJ. WEED
ROGERS FIGHTS SHY.
Mr.. Rogers didn't go W 10 Clinton county the
next week. and 80 Mr.. Weed went down to Bal
tue terms proposed by Mr.. Weed, and so tue
iatter made IN arrangement whereby he was to
become noininally their haif owner, but really
only Sir. Rogers agent for the sale Of u whole
or portion Of the lands to the state. Accord
sign apes on the Olh Of October, 1867, ostensi-
blv selling him Cweed) for $50.OD0-but really for
tlO,UOO ore undivided h1lt part OF all the land
In township No. ., Old Military Tract, belong
lng 10 said Rogers Except the ore bed before
referred iul anc also one-half part OF nll claims
and demnnds ~ every kind for trespasses pnd
waste OF any KIND ia said township, and Of all
money. one o. TO become due upon and for any
lands OF said Rogers therein"
The clause IN the above document giving
Weed a half interest ia all clpims for trespass Is
not so meaningless "a at hrst sight II might at-
pear. Mr. rogers had IA claim against the State
for trespAss, in that the prison officials had been
chOpping wood on his lands, and he mad never
got 1nytAing for 1t. II Weed settled the matter
with the - stc, he was 10 get one-half of what
ever he could get from the state treasury.
In order TO clOthe Mr.. Weed with the fullest
auti Ority 10 deal with the State, Mr.. Rogers
executed two powers Of attorney To Mr.. Weed,
one Of which WAS in the regular form, to show
the stat" officers, constituting MIR. Weed his
Wogera'J true and lawful attorney TO sell, bar
gain, and contract to the State of New York, or
10 any of iis officers, i0,UJ1 acros Of land -
To sell the wood and timber thereon, and to set
tie ami arrange for the wood and timber cut by
the state or ito officers on such land"
The other power OF attorney WAS unique
document kent by Mr. Weed himself, and not
shown to any state officer. II provided that Mr..
Weed was 10 retain one half Of whatever he
could got from the state for the lands or for the
now FOR BUSINESS.
Things having thus been djusted TO the salts.
faction OF Mr. Weed, he sold 1000 acres OF the
laD1 to the state, through his innuence as menu
Der OF Assembly and otherwise, for SSOlUO, or
s. an acre. lie thus made a clear profit on this
one tranyaction alone Of S3O,0OJ, But the 1gure