The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-04-05
"GRISWOLD'S GOSSIP"
a Vindication Of Tilden in the
Matter Of the st. Louis, Alton
& Terre Haute Railroad.
A CARD FROM TILDEN'S FIRST
FRIEND.

A GARD FROM TILDEN'S FIRST
FRIEND.
| GRIswoLD's s GOSSIP TO THE GLOBE DEMOCRAT
REPORTER PRONOUNCED FALSE IN EVERY
PARTICULAR.
The following card appeared in the New
York World, addressed to the editor,
Saturday: 1 have received your letter
and the Enclosures to which you call my
attention, and, in reply, I beg to say: en-
tered Governor Tilden's office in 1857, and
| continued there until he retired from prac-
tice. was admitted to the bar in 1859,
and from that time forward, and even
| rom before that time, had a very intimate
knowledge OF all Governor Tilden's busi-
ness, both professional and private. am
familiar with the facts in relation to the
| reorganization of the Terre Haute, Alton
Il st. Louis railroad from the beginning to
the end. have read the statements re-
ported to have been made on this subject
to reporter of the st. Louis Globe-Demc-
crat by WED. ID. Griswold, of that place.
and nave no hesitation in pronouncing
them false in every material particular in
tended to reflect upon Cover or
Tiiden or the purchasing committee"
The bonds and stocks referred to in the st.
Louis interview, it should be observed,
were not securities held st any time as
property by the st. Louis, Alton 81 Terre
Haute Railroad Company. They were
simply the obligations of that company it
sell, and they were all issued by
nn,cS.s. Is as the ,,osoL sole consideration and
Otherwise than by them it has
NEVER PAID ONE CENT FOR ITS RAILROAD.
All of these bonds and stocks were issued
and delivered to the gentlemen who bad
on their own responsibility, and pursuant
to agreements with individual third per-
sons, purchased the Terre Haute, Alton d
st. Louis railroad at foreclosure sale.
These gentlemen, acting as a unit, were
known IS the purchasing Committee
and Robert Bayard, Esq, wss their chair
man. The delivery to the purchasing
| committee was made pursuant to resolu-
| tions passed by the board of directors at
| MEETING held on the 28;h dsy of June.
1862, and these resolutions were voted
for and are suthentica, ed upon the
minutes by Mr.. Griswold. Subse-
quently to their issue, none of these securi-
ties were ever in the possession or under
the control of the company. Not ony
that, but for 13 years no officer or agent Of
the company ever put forward any claim
to them. They were not claimed by Mr.
Griswold himself, although be remained
| In the company as president until 1864.
Under these circumstances, If il be true
| that Mr.. Griswold has accused the pur-
chasing committee of "abstractipg" what
he calls the surplus" of these securities,
he has certainly permitted q NOR bidlv pas
| sionate and jealous nature to lead him into
| statement which can not be fly char
scterizsd otherwise than by saying that
lis
ABSOLUTELY AND UNANIMOUSLY FALSE.
In the resolutions before referred 10,
voted for by Mr.. Griswold, the following
words occur: Resolved, that for t5e pur-
pose of providing for the consideration or
purchase money of the railroad heretofore
known as the Terre Haute, Alton IL st.
LOUIS railroad, with its appurtenances and
equipment, and other property agreed to
be sold this company, there shall be
made by this corporation an issue," etc.
(enumersting the whole agg regate of bonds
and stocks which are the subject of Mr..
Griswold's interview.l The title of the
st. Louis, Alton & Terre Haute Rail-
road Company to its property is de-
rived solely from deed OF conveyance
made by Robert Bayard and his associate
purchasers under cate of June 80, 1862.
The consideration tor this deed is declared
| therein to be the issue and delivery to Mr..
Bsysrd and his associates of the whole az
gregste amount Qncluding the securities
now made the subject Of discussion) of all
the bonds and stocks of that company,
which in this deed are described in detail
| and declared to have been already deliv-
cred to the grantors. This deed was signed
and acknowledged by Mr.. Griswold, and
| subsequent deed, by way of further sssur-
| snce, was also signed and acknowledged
by him.
IN REGARD TO rR. GRIswoLD's sNEERs
at Governor Tilden's professional abilities,
II hat
ludicrous to those who know the governor,
except as they display an anImus towards
him which Is contemplate. On the sub
ject of Governor Tilden's charges / can
bear witness from absolute knowledge. /
do not believe there is any lawyer of promi-
neuce 10 this country who has given more
professional services gratuitously than
Goveroor Tilden. He was man careless
of charging for auy short service or advice,
| aud l have known clients for years &c
come In almost daily and take up
perhaps an hour at a time on mat
ters where his advice saved them large
| sums of money, without his making any
charge whatever. In no case, occurring
in Gov. Tlden's Office, from 1857 to 1862,
did he ever make a charge where he hsd
| not rendered a substantial, continued and
| important service, ard in no case did he
make a charge where the benefit accruing
Co his client would not have justified a
| higher charge, according to the accepted
scale of prices In this city for similar SER
| vices. have never known, in all that
| lime, q single instance in which client of
Gov. Tilden's paid his bill unwillingly. or
was otherwise than entirely satisfied, and
even thankful. And no such case could
have occurred without my knowledge.
Gov.
rILDKN NEVER TOOK CASE ON sPECULA-
| TON.
he never took q case for contingent fee.
he never took case until it had been first
examined with a view to discover whether
the person applying to him had not only
the merits in law but the equity on his
-ide. Governor Tilden always manifested