Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-06-07
Another Story Hatched I'm
Against Blaine.

Against Blaine.
WASHINGTON, June l..
Inc sub-judiciary committee me
again this morning and continued tn
eXamnation of James Mulligan.
= Witness said he wanted to make
statement before continuing his ex
animation. lie said when he arrived
here note came down from Rlain,
$ requesting witness and Fisher to cal
at his house. Witness declined 10 q,
| but Fisher went. After witness tes.
, tiiied yesterday Blaine called upol
witness and asked him about some
| letters which were in his possession
, and wanted him to give them up tc
MN but witness declined to do so,
witness said Blaine almost got down
on his Knees and plead for the letters
saying they would ruin him for life,
and when witness further declined
Blaine asked him to think of his wife
ana SIX children; he bcsought witness
ana almost contemplated suicide.
witness then allowed Blaine to take
them, under the pledge that he would
return them. He looked them over
ana aid return them. This was in
the presence of Fisher and Atkins
Witness then retired to his room and
Blaine followed him around and
wanted to look at the letters again.
Witness allowed Blaine TO fake them
anu ne refused to return them, and
sun realms them. No one was pres
eht at this time but Blaine and wit
ness. There were about eighteen
While this statement was being
made, Blaine sat at a table opposite
the witness, and exhibited consider.
able mirth at his statement, laughing
outright at the remarks about suicide,
and when witness closed, Blaine rose
at once and asked to be sworn and be
allowed to make counter statement,
| The chairman objected to it at that
time, but assured Blaine that he sho'd
have an opportunity.
Witness was asked If he knew the
contents of the letters, and what their
contents were as far as they related
to the Union Pacific bonds,
Blaine objected to witness giving
the contents of letters until he had
made counter statement.
Frye said assuming that as witness
had stated, he though it proper for
Blaine to be heard, these letters were
private letters of Blaine to Fisher
and they were kept in Fishers safe.
Witness had no business with them,
but had got possession Of them and |
brought them here. They referred |
in no manner whatever to the Union
Pacific bonds that were repre- sentcd |
as going to Col. Scott.
Hunton thought the committee in
absence of the letters themselves had |
a right to inquire about the contents.
Ii the letters bear upon the matter
at issue they had right to know their
contents. Let Blaine put these let
ters in possession of the committee,
let the committee decide for them
selves.
Blaine said that on the ground of
fair play he thought he should be al
lowed to make statement in relation
to what transpired last night, because
of this personal statement made by
witness. He thought he could sim
pity the business of the committee
by making his statement before they
proceeded to examine the witness.
The statement made by witness
was being telegraphed all over the
country and would appear in the aft
ernoon papers, and when they cot
through with his examination il
would be too late for his explanation
to reach the press.
The committee decided that witness
should be examined first and he was
asked about the contents ofthe letters
and said one of them contained al
lusion to the bonds, and of Blaine's
losses in the transaction and that
Blaine said in one of them he did not
retain the money in his possession 4S
hours, Witness further explained
that Fisher knew he had these letters
and allowed him to have them. He
also said that when they were alone
last night Blaine talk'd politics to him
and asked him how he would like to
run committee, and if he would
like consulship, NC.
Blaine then took the stand and un-
der oath with the utmost emphasis,
denied the statements ofwitness as to
the consulship and the letters running
him. He didn't obtain the letters
under pledge of returning them. lie
called on Atkins and Fisher and Null
ligan at their hotel and talked with
all of them for some time together
He had known Mulligan for 25 wears.
He had been private secretary for
two of Blaine's brothers-in-law. and
in that capacity had obtained possess
sion OF many private matters not in
any way connected with this case,
concerning persons, and many dating
back long before Blaine came to Con-
gress. He found only one of these
letters related to this case, and this he |
returned to Mulligan, but kept the
others for the reason that he was ex-
asperatcd by Mulligan's announcing
his determination to publish them if
any body impugned his character or
testimony. Blaine then in presence
of Fisher and Atkins told Mulligan
that as these had no bearing in the
case, and were improperly in his
(Mulligan's) possession, witness would
not return them. He called i'm two
lawyer friends, read them the let
ters, and told them he would to-day
lay the letters before the two wisest |!
counselors in Washington, and if they
said there was anything in the letters
bearing on the case in the remotest
way he would relinquish them. lie
considered that Mulligan might as
well go to his house and take his 9TH
er private letters and lay them before
this Committee.
Chairman Hunton then asked
for the letters and memorandum
made from them by Mulligan to the
committee for their private examina-
ton.
Blaine said that he must for the
present decline to do so, but if in the
judgement of counsel who would
command the committees confidence
they had any bearing whatever upon
the pending inquiries he would pro-
duce them. He did not want the
committees verdict to be delayed by
their going into purely priyate mat |