The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-10-04
Fully and Satisfactorily Ex-
plains this Little Mule
Transaction.
AN ELECTION LIE.
lie Appeals to Good Republic
can Authority to Nail il.
VIII the Tray Blanche and Sweetheart
Take the Back Track:
Herald. Journal and News Copy.

To the Editor of the sentinel:
Sir-The Herald of Saturday contains sensa-
tional article, the purpose of which is to lmPn-
in connection with mule contract during the
war The Journal of this morning sub
stsntially repeats the charge. The facts in
substance are these: The letting of a con-
advertised by the United state, states quar-
tlemen besides myself contemplated bidding
viz: VIM G.. Holmes, John bradshaw, Joseph
d. Pattison EdT W. Patti f,, IA; n, Jen
Lawrence Richie of Johnson county, John
Igo and George W. Maxfield. Besides these,
some st. Louis parties contemplated pluulhg.
II was the wish of each of the above Indiana
parties to get the contract for hitslself, ana
next if that could not be done, that other In
diana Darties should get il, rather than
those living in Missouri. The result
that the above named Indiana parties
formed a partnership for the purpose OF Did
ding for the contract, and was selected as the
person to make the bid and to become the ac-
tive member of the firm, for the purpose Of full
Milling the contract if it should be let to The
two Pattisons and Jenkins were partners at
the time, and that firm constituted one MEM
Der, owning one interest In the bid made
accordingly put in a bid for 1000 mules at
prices ranging from SIZE to SID per head,
which was the lowest bid made, and was not
regarded by anybody as eXtortiouate. My bid
was accepted. / bought all the mules, except
some that were turned in by the respective
partners at Sl:s5 each. The rest were purchased
by me, with money borrowed from banks upon
the credit of several of the partners The con-
small profit TO each partner. immediately
settled with all the several partners To their
satisfaction except the MeSsrs. Pattison a Jen-
kinS, who together held one interest, aS stated
above. One or two of that firm of Pattison x
Jenkins were unwilling To allow me credit Tor
the interest paid on the money borrowed 70
buy the mules, and for this reason and for the
further reason that | wished To apply thelr
share of the profits on IA claim / had against
that firm for IL large amount ON an entirely
different transaction, which / regarded as just,
but which the MesSrs. PattisOn disputed, ana
that partnership interest was not then settled;
MesSrs. Pattison * Jenkins against me in that
transaction. This is the suit referred Ia i'm the
Herald and Journal. l employed MeSSrs.
Hendricks, HOrd < Hendricks, and after
wards employed MesSrs. Porter, Harri
son Il Fishback 10 assist them. The
case was attended to for me on the trial by Mr..
HOni and by Mr.. Porter and General Harrison,
Governor Hendricks being absent from the
Herald was drawn by Mr.. HOrd. objected to
his filing il, telling him that there had been
no fraudulent combination whatever, as teS-
titled on the trial He told me that though
there was no actual fraud, yet the court might
regard the formation of partnership Tor joint
bid, when otherwise there would be separate
and competing bids a constructive fraud, as
ne called it; that If employed him as my at
tOrney, he would insist in managing the case
in his own way. The other lawyers mentioned
had not then been employed BY me. This Is
the full history of the case. II there was any
thing morally wrong in myself ana those
other gentlemen entering into partner
ship for the purpose OF furnishing
mules to the government, cannot see it. The
purpose of forming combination to forestall
bidding and to obtain the contract at am exor-
bitart or unreasonable sale, was not enter
tanned by me nor by amy other of the gentle
men named.
All of those other gentlemen named are of
good standing, except Mr.. MaXfeld and myself
are Republicans. One of them, the Hon. Jas.
+. Evans is the Republican member of Con-
gress from the Eleventh district, and eandi-
date for reelection
For the correctness of this explanation, and
To prove that in the transaction referred To no
fraudulent combination To injure the govern
ment was formed, refer to all the Republic
can gentleman above named.
There was never at any time any disagreement
whatever apout the settlement of these trans
actions between me and anyone of my part
ners. except the MeSSrS. Pattison, above
mentioned, and so far as the MeSsrs. PattisOn
and were concerned, after the ease had been
tried, with the result of a hung jury, made
amicable settlement Of our controversy,
and ever since then il has been at rest. In
conclusion, / will say that | did nothing i'm
connection with the transaction that i would
not feel justified in doing again.
I