Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-05-15
Riddle 60 Blaiue.

paper correspondent, and q son-in law oil
MI. Riddle. The latter gives q letter from
General III. V. Boynton, In which General B.
says OF Knowlton that he enjoyed high
reputation among his associates as q man
OF unblemished honor, was most careful
and exact correspondent, and during Gen
eral BIS daily and close association with
him, nothing was ever brought TO his atteu-
one time Mr.. Knowlton told him, General
BoyntoD. that he was q law student in the
Office OF Stewart & Riddle; that one night he
when Mr.. Blaine called and asked to see Mr..
Stewart, who was in his private room. He
passed into that room and remained there
art came out Of the room with what proved
To be twenty-five 81 900 construction bonds
of the Union Pacific railroad, eastern divi-
sion, and asked Mr.. Knowlton TO sign them,
ton did, end Stewart took the bonds back
into the room where Mr.. Blaine was, and In
few moments the latter passed out. Mr..
knowltOn did not claim TO have seen these
bonds delivered to Mr.. Blaine, or to have
any other knowledge Of the transaction than
that recited above. After this conversation
had been heard in part by Mr.. Gibson, OF the
New York Sun, then in the front office; and
Mr.. kn0wlton said TO Gen. Boynton that he
had charged him In the most emphatic man.
ner not to use il; and he did not at that time.
The next day after Stewards arraignment
In the House as a contumaciouS witness, an
appeared in the New York Sun, winch, after
referring to reports in circulation concerning
alleged relations between Mr.. Blaine and
Mr.: Stewart, continued: ga clerk in Stew
arts Office tells a circumstantial story about
avisit certain gentleman paid to Stewards
office late one night, and how s2i 900 I'm guar
anteed bonds of the Kansas Pacific road
passed from Stewards hands to the certain
gentleman aforesaid" When this dispatch
returned, Mr.. KnowltOn was exceedingly
surprised and annoyed, and consulted me at
vised him to print the very exact statement
he had previously given him. He replied,
that under no circumstances could ne do this,
and that he must at all haz ards avoid being
called before the committee in regard to ii.
for, in the first place, he had a friendly regard
for Mr. Blaine, and admired him greatly as
q politician, and he would not appear against
In WashingiOn and those of his family, aside
nom his newspaper friends, were chiefly
with the bar OF the District, and that his APP
fsmiIy would largely extend his associations
In the same direction. AS what he had done
and seen In the office of Stewart & Riddle took
Pi Ssh un ,,e tne paiyiieges and commences
unwilling to subject bis friends or himself to
The criticisms which would follow him In the
circles where they moved ifhe we're held up TO
them as one who had attacked pnblie man
by violating the condolences OF q law Office.
Alter examining the dispatch in the Sise, 1t
was found that, strictly speaking, 1T con-
Il II
then decided to go directly to Mr.. Gibson
and assure him OF the incorrectness of his
dispatch, and say that, IL called upoo, he
should be obligeu to testify to that effect
subsequently he, informed me that Mr..
Blaine had sent for him, and that Mr.. Blaine
had fnrther sought TO convince him that 1t
was his cousin, Gen. Thomas Ewing, jr.,
VINO had legal relations with Stewart, who
was In the office with Stewart on the night
in question. Mr.. Knowlton said to me in
relation to this that, while lie was absolutely
certain that II was not case of mistaken
identity, and that there was a tacit under
standing between himself and Mr.. Blaine
that IL was not, yet in view of the great en-
barrassment that would certainly come both
to himse and Mr.. Blaine, if he shouId tes-
ttfy before the com nittee without qualifica-
ton, he would be glad, IL possible, to let the
matter pass there, if he was summoned, upon
any declaration which Mr.. Blaine shoIlt
make that 1t was q mistake In identity
Mr.. knowltOn further took active means
20 stop the circulation OF the story by assur-
Gibt several other sorreSpondsnis that Mr.
he should be obliged TO so testify il called
before The committee. AS q result of his
efforts the story gained no circulation In the
press. Mr.. Knowlton, however, continued
greatly disturbed over the matter, fearing
that IL summoned he might be too strictly,
questioned la regard TO his real conviction
regarding the matter OF identity, and so
long as there was any probability that the
Committee would take up the matter he
kept close watch for all Indications that
they would do go, and had bis baggage
packed for quite time In order that he
might leave the city, and, If necessary, 60 TO
Canada to avoid testifytng, because, as be
declared, If put under oath and questioned
positiveness that 1t was Mr.. Blaine who
visited Stewards office under the circum-
stances already related: 10 several subse-
over this ground, always afirming the cor.
RICHNESS OF his statement regarding the night
visit to Stewart, end never, under any cir
tom Wneh was chaEgeS ana af sns re-
tracted In the New York Tribune Of Ssptem-
Der or October, 1872.
General r. D. Mussey writes Mr.. Riddle
he was q student with Knowlton In Riddles
office; that he remembers that Blaine was
there once, but don't remember the circum
same story he told General Boynton. Mr..
II. L. Bridgman, formerly q Washin gtOn
correspondent, writes Mr.. Riddle, under date
OF May 4th last, TO say that Knowiton also
told him the same story he told General
Mr.. Riddle contends that Knowlton's yer.
sion sa OF tne story, as told TO General Boynton
true 1t does not follow that the bonds were
transferred to Blaine or that Stewart deliv-
cred them to him. Stewart says he did not,
and Mr. Riddle does not intimate that his is
the position OF man wne has received a
woman's favors. and feels bound to protect
her name by denial of her frailty, nor does
value of such evidence.
Mr.. Riddle gives Stewards letter to the
president OF the Union Pacific Railroad Conn
pany, dated April %, 1868, in which james
Blusae figures as holding fifteen construction
bonds, and asks: "Who is this James Blaine?
In the absenceof anything have yet seen :
think he was the man who received the
twenty-five construction bonds, and the
holder Of Stewards order for their equiva-
Tents IN land grant bonds, mentioned in
Stewards order to Ewing, and this in the
face OF the stipulation in reference to J. Z.
Biaine's fifteen bonds"
Mr.. Riddle gives several reasons why he
believes the James Blaine was really +. g.
Blaine, one being that Stewart in subse-
Quently giving list Of those who had re.
ceived bonds omitted the "James," writing
simply Blaine" He says: 'sThis omission
was by design-purposely made, without Q
word OF explanation then and none now,
with all the Intervening time In which to
invent one. II was TO serve some purpose.
shield some person, gain some point desirtd
BY both parties to the suit. quote from Q
carefully prepared copy OF Stewards deposit
ton In an abstract used on the trial OF said
case In 1872, At Topeka, In the presence Of the
original. In answer to cr05S-tnterrogatnry
17s he said: 81 further state, - In direct ex-
animation, that the president Of the defend
ant, Mr.. John D. Ferry, and its counsel,
Hon. John p. Usher, have both repeatedly
n A. - =