The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-10
THE VENEZUELA SWINDLE.
a RlSCALLYJOB TO ROBA FRIEND
LY Sister REP UBLIC.



swindle deliberately perpetrated on the little
republic Of Venezuela, by Ring OF rogues
which included the American Minister aud his
spurious sccretiry OF Legation, the American
Commissioners, a purchased umpire, anu the
bogus claimants, vino alone were considered by
this corrupt combination. BY the treaty Of
April %, 1855. all claims Of American citizens
were To he submitted to commission Of two
persons, one chosen by the United states and
one by Venezuela, VIII should select an umpire.
One David NJ. Talnage, a GOAL broker, who had
been engaged in the construction OF gas works
In Caracas, Venezuela, was selected az the Com
missioner for the United States without having
a single qualification for the place. Before
starting for his mission, American claimants
seeking his counsel and aid were referred to
mid1leman, who demanded 10 per cent. OF every
claim for "innuencs" before the commission.
The claimants who agreed to this extortion
received awards while those who refused, like
W. II. Aspnwall, Henry Woodruff, and a few
Others, for whom tue treaty was expressly
made. were excluded entirely. by the treaty
the commission lasted year, but the work was
hurried through In less than four months, and
the American Commissioners, with his confed-
crates, scampered Of with their pockets full Of
the scrip which they had voted themselves 10y a
fraud on Venezuela.
This commission passed claims TO the amount
Of t1,2jS,3OJOT. Tue Committee on Foreign Az.
fairs OF The House say OF them "On a careful
examination Of each and every one OF the cases
decided bv the umpire, your committee nave
failed to discover a single dirdrd which Is justi-
fed by the law or the evidence"
Venezuela protested against the payment Of
these fraudulent awards, and appealed to the
Justice Of our Government for protection. Mr.
Fish turned deaf ear to the entreaty, and
threw the wellht of the Department OF state In
favor OF ex citing the last dollar by force. The
Ring went to Congress for legislation and as two
OF the chiefs were Indiana men, they enlisted
0r;h. Morton, Packard. and others to carry
through the Infamous act OF Feb. %, 1873, which
deClafes
with venelucs 9" April Is sSG pc su,nt to ne terms
OF sad Convention 4. HEREBY Recognized nnai aud
ag.int tns Republic Of veneIlcia
After a long correspondence Mr.. Fish a year
| ego ordered our Minister In Venezuela to close
the legation In case payment should be re-
| fused or 10 offered only In connection with
| conditions restraining tue right 81 Disposal Of
| the monsy by the United States" thus
mcuaced, Nen,z Iela PAID All instalment, and an
inveeti. alton was ordered by the House, wnicu
brought out Tue disnOnoring facts to which we
have refeTred.
1t was proved that orth had lobbied the
| cocrcive bill through. and while mem DER Of the
House had exirted his IN iLl influence to pru-
cure payment Of dividends On certificates Of The
co omission which were frauduientlN obtained
and torcitk held. Inc testimony compelled
hiin To retire as candidate for Governor of In
DIAN nus as ne !. sun a prominent supporter
! Of III tyes aud vi Lac OF the Kepuullcan party,
| 4 may Ue well or the public to zee pow the =
| venezuelan swindlers treated each other when
| they fell out or had no common interest to
| serve.
| t1rst In order will be few extracts from the
| testimony OF Godlove ;. Oi.h ueiore the Com
| mittee On Foreign An irs, s4ay %. 1876:
% DO you know ANYTHING about Whist IL called the
| N,athu.' 1n H~a A-lts During Tie Forty nrst
An-irs Wen nrst heard tle trou1e NJ tne Neue.
r. IA anarls hai toiniittee mad ga lyc-tisatou
AnOhg tuc afcaitts of tue committee, u maue "A
report sss made to iSe House Sy Mr. Weln.oa "1 TAI t
S.ss al Ia. second session Of the Fort nr.t congress
sequentiS 10 that time wnen never elpec tel to
az iaisvt 10 S "sa't s.t a aSSS'
ng upagme' = 'gn,s moi<g ehicA ID o,,i. J5' rdrf
=, ne satis DspDt,.snt. inat employment inciudrd
cirug ne passage q Inc nj rcscuiic9 OF the F5rty
seeo"q CYnsrr.s uecsrn. the y-liily OF tne award.
- lille "a were here you ~cfe acting ia oensf OF
l.a,nasg . a s.iSsl 49, .sr ,.,..-
memger ~ onsr,.s from Indiana, and as appointed
Q.-N. be- N,Iis.cr to vencluei, pending the sitting
OF t"e inIcy commission I-taeasf A. ie,. ~
missioner "a behalf OF .nr United Sta,c..
y "a you sge Image IA 'he inat1erf A.-Yes,siri
Q-Mnat Interest uid GAlmage desire yon to repre-.
| eates NAN iu tfust for othcr..
Z How ucn 40 ne aaye Al cannot tel iva.
large cum, probably larger than StliWNIs mad t ~
tnlA Wit lsitus.e tnan ~ltn siliweh.
,Sa asa Ma Nv rm "a h 'S cit, '''S1 Wa" Ia
| must nave occurred anouI Tue uine tne OIL wa peLd.
l-g, Snd 4 ws' IL Jaau.r' Or te oIaary 1873,
Y. that aIi fAMrase desire You 70 10 At the state
to soe terscea.es be hcli ana ca en- Tie pay
ment 9f tnc seven per cent. mai been Nitnneli.
e eue.p zee Via the state bsp. IN
re1t.Jn TO tne.e rrceplsP A-ies.
have mere ~nat purpOrss to be copy OF the cor.
re.pOnaence. LOoS At inis letter. dated july 1879
Tue "frlcu." mentioned ~ the letter means Mr. TAI.
Q,-Hayey you the letter. written by Mr. TamAss 70
iouL a: So 10 not tnlnS preserved them II l
CIV here Were you Tnen I.1 Tro tao,e letter.
Q.-nee gO9 stI dctipg a. attorney Tor tAuage aAd
ln~t my eupiol ent terninaed the passage Of tne
lyon we're employed jointly by ramaE' and st.-
O-Did Jog receive eou pensauOn from suwe as
Q-Did ever come ~ your know edge. through
ns ns 81 hs we're rS S say S Tue
rgndui elsnsni' asAn.t their wlshesr An In.t
.iTs Or oaer hsss here . ,s a,G Nay
eat re e Rs the Soq. sise Osae t sna h
utner parry would deny g..
pso1a9 cot .sys Of ines. ,o,t
prn.es Ana a reasonable lee.
Odd those certne-ies come through Tslmage o
through sui~enf A.-luey came through DOtn o
(Which FURNISHED the greater p'r'3 Al mn
mas Iihadge Jurni'hsd ne g,sdte, plri.
Al received, proUAby, some Of mem 1871 some II
1872 anu come 1873 received Jst vi them ate
tue passage Of the Law IN 1873
This is. In brief, the story OF Orth, and II re-
yeals his character pretty well as a CHRISTIAN
statesman. We nave heard the counsel, now 10
US hear the cnent. D.vld ~. Iaimadge Wa
SWORD on the I'D Of June, and testified a
follows:
Odd you ever employ Godoye g. Orth Of Indian
to act as attorney TO get uiYdenls PAID Gu these Gel
Lncsteu al tue state Department. A HeEsr .liL
DID you ever write a letter to han gutnurlLin
MIN To- address the state Department IN 10 ulN
dtud y Ia On thrse ctrtlncatesP n. i Hsrel I'D.
Q-Mr. OrtA inahes tnls stltrmeut; " IhAt a. IA
second session Of the Orti nrst Congress went Gu
VI COuSlcss w the OF March, Ih1I Subsequent
th.t dine, and wncn "eVtr expected TO be ia Coz
sress Asan, accepted all employ ulrut from hfilNe
aLu lnluasr Co HCt 90 their attorney Ia procure L
paylnrnt Ot some money NnlCh nad been furN arue
htir " tue NcutLlr al Government, ana NhlCh
service ncIe Washington To assist prOcdrlu
tue passage OF tue JOINT lesuuiun u he lury-
Cou.rrs, declaring the ytlluiy ut tnr award" Is ina
Stat, meat trucP A. httef emInyed NJ. Oth
Jrvr4ts Ms bdgfAthf ~ an. money from fhe Nhige IN
DuiHhsH ti'hsT on mg O'e" account or Oh account q
y Diu you employ nm Tor the purpose OF securin
tie passage Of The act VI C1hsress IN 1879 VI 1875
A dUt HOt
a. lurre was an passed me 25th OF Februar,
1873, utCaIlAg thAt tIe Nnung- u the nlKeu eumui
slnu nnal ana conclusive Oh lac Venezuelan q J
cruinvut DlI you ruIui Nj. Ortu ~ secure tuV pas
ssr oil that ucl} Al So.
O-Dd Ou pay anna anj hug Tor his services Ia rel'
tiou toltp a. Isi nos
Q-Nnrn MIR. O,ln ~ns before The committee he te
! | uncd 10 tJlONr! Q-Mhic yOu Nrrt mere You weT
a,unk IN uen-t of lainasv Adu shIwrNS A. Yes III
4