The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-06-01
THE BLAINE INVESTIGATION.
Fisher Denies Giving Or Selling
MIR, Blaine Bonds.
Some Contradictory Tes-
timony.
Tesiim ony of Warren Frsher.

Testimony of Warren Fisher.
WASHINGTON, May 81. Before the House
Judiciary Committee today Warren Fisher,
Jr., of Boston, testified that he has never said
that be gave Mr. Blaine $130000 in bonds of
the Little Rock & Fort Smith Railroad without
consideration. Nor had he ever said anything
OF this nature, nor has be ever, as matter of
fact, given Mr.. Blaine $4,000 in bonds with
out a consideration,
Fisher also testified that he was contractor
| for building portion of the Fort Smith 81
Little Rock Railroad and sold out his contract
to Josiah Caldwell. Witness was to receive
| from him $250,000, but actually received only
$25, 900. He was to be paid by the company in
bonds and stock, and thus received probably
about 100000 or 100000 which he sold and
| traded off from time to time. Never sold any
bonds to Col Tom Scott, and never saw him
but once in his life and that was in 1861. Wit
ness never sold any bonds to Mr.. Blaine, but
old him some stock; understood Blaine owned
some of the bonds and thinks that Blaine him
self told him so; does not know what he did
with them and does not know that any of them
found their way to the Union Pacific Compa-
ny.
Hunton read to witness the report in the pa
pers that he said be gave Blaine $130, 900 10
| bonds without consideration and asked witress
| if he said so.
Witness replied he never said so nor any,
thing like it.
By Mr. Frye--As matter of fact did you
sideratOn?
Witness-No sir.
Witness never was connected with the Un-
ion Pacific Company; don't know Morton,
Bliss & Co.. never had any transactions with
them; the bonds spoken of by witness as being
owned by Blaine he understood were bought by
Blaine for other parties.
Testimony of Elisha Atkins.
Elisha Atkins of Boston testified: He had
| been director of the Union Pacific Company
| since 1869 and had been member of the exec
utive committee all the time except in 1871.
First knew about the Fort Smith & Little Rock
bonds in 1871, when order came to the
| treasurer to pay draft of Morton, Bliss q
Co.'S for So, 900 for rs of them owned by Col.
Thos. A. Scott; understood it was in lieu of
paying large salary to Scott; Scott was of i'm
mense value to the road and increased the mar
ket value of its securities; always supposed
Scott took hold of the Union Pacific in order to
make a connection to the Pacific coast for the
Pennsylvania Central road. The bonds of the
Little Rock road were worth about sixty per
cent; thinks that was their general value at
| that time, although he knows some were sold
| as high as II. Witness would not have sold his
own for 60 at that time, but made a mistake by
not doing SO. If the a:radgement had been
carried out with the Southern Security Co., the
bonds would have been very cheap at 60 per
cent No bonus accompanied the sales of
| Scott's bonds. Witness knew that some in
quiry was made in the board of directors about
| the purchase of these bonds and a satisfactory
explanation was given Never heard an inves-
| tigation would involve Blaine
Testimony of James Ninliigan.
James Mulligau of Boston, testified he was
treasurer of the Globe Theatre, but was for
merly book-keeper for firm in which Mr..
Fisher was partner; knew of sale of Fort
Smith bonds that went into the hands of Mr..
Blaine; knows of no particular sales of 70
bonds to Blaine in the transaction; there were
| $4,000 of bonds. and the sale of them netted
Shnr oAvf hair o1rn tsrnnc
attempted to explain this transaction, but Mr.
Frye, on behalf of Blaine, objected on the
ground that it related to quite number OF per-
sons in Maine for whom Blaine transacted some
| business, and whenever the committee was
ready to go into that Blaine would take the
stand as witness and explain the whole tran
sactiOn.
Much time was spent on this point during
which witness made some statements about the
matter not very Ineligible to the committee.
Muligan said Mr. Fisher received $130,000
| from persons in Maine to whom bonds were
sold Through Mr.. Blaine. For this sum they
received $4,000 in first mortgage bonds, the
same amount in common stock and the same
amount in preferred stock. The agent received
the same amount in land grant bonds and $32,
500 in first mortgage bonds.
Witness was then asked whether be ever
heard that any of these bonds went from Blaine
tn Thomas A. Scott, and replied he understood
Mr. Atkins to say IS bonds came from Blaine
to Scott, and that Scott got them off on to the
Union Pacific Company This remark was
made by Atkins to witness at time when the
latter was book-keeper for Fisher; was engag-
ed in making a settlement with Blaine of all
his transactions with Fisher and about the
same time witness understood from Blaine
binself he took up some bonds from parties in
Maine who had formerly purchased them. Fish
er wrote to Blaine about the bonds, which had
been negotiated by Blaine, telling him of the
complaints which had been made by purchas-
ers, and Blaine wrote back he had received no
benefit from them, he did not have the money
in his possession eighteen hours. Witness af-
forwards met Blaine at the Parker House, Bos
| ton, and Blaine said he was now going to settle
with witness the account between Blaine and
Fisher, witness being the book-keeper. Blaine
complained at that time Of his losses on the
bond transaction, and witness said he could not
have lost much for he knew where he got off
rs of them for so cents.
By Mr.. Lawrence-Did the settlement you
speak of refer to the Northern Pacific bonds or
Little Rock bonds?
A-BOth.
To Blaine-I have had business transactions
with Fisher for twenty years and this settle
ment covered all that time.
Witness-Some of the transactions settled at
that time took place before Blaine came to
Congress at all. Blaine thought the committee
had nothing to do with his private business
transactions which took place before he be-
came member of Congress, and Frye and
Lawrence objected to having witness go into
| the details of that settlement
The chairman said he desired to keep within
| the bounds of the resolution of enquiry, but
wanted to get at all the facts.
Witness said the settlement had nothing to
| do with the bonds which he had supposed went
through Col. Scott to the Union Pacific Co.
Some members of the committee not under
standing all the testimony given by witness
who spoke in a low tone, and who repeated
many of the statements sometimes not very
clearly, the stenographer was directed to have
his testimony written out for use of tie COM
mittee and his further examination was post
poned until tomorrow.
Atkins COntradicts MulIigan.
After the adjournment Atkins stated that he
| never told Mullgan that the IS bonds were
sold by Blaine to Col. Scott who got them eff
on the Union Pacific Co., but that in the con-
versation alluded to it.was Mulgan himself
who made this assertion and Atkins and Fisher
will again take the stand tomorrow for exam
| ination on this point.