River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-03-23
A General smashing OF Pendle.on,s
CroCkeFV.

on expenditures Of the War Department
to-day, is very interesting one. While
no evidence Of corruption IN connection
with its payment has thus far been found,
and while all those who have thus far
testified, positively deny that any money
was paid TO Belknap, Mrs. Bowers, or
any one else, it illustrates very iorcibly
the inpolicy of practice rarely INDUCED
in by heads Of departments, aud always
considered rather irregular, of opening
old cases which have been adjudicated by
their predecessors. Only three-filths Of
the road was during the war
OWNED BY MR. BOWLER,
who, according to Senator Stevenson, re.
marked previous to his death that he
would sell his interest in the claim in
question for five cents on the dollar, and
none Of those interested ever expected
that it would be paid. Senator Steven
son testified that they all considered
what they got as clear gain. la 1870,
Pendleton, having in the meantime be.
come executor Of the estate Of Bowler,
late President Of the road, made con.
tract with those who owned the road TO
undertake the collection of the claim for
A CONTINGENT FEE OF so PER CENT.
This contract, which is very pecu liar
one, considering Mr.. Pendleton's rela-
tons to the owners Of the claim, has
caused a great deal of remark since he
made its terms known in his testimony
10 day. In the first place, as executor
OF the Bowler estate, he represents a
three-lifths interest in the claim. and in
his capacity as executor, was of course
legally and morally bound to do every
thing in his power to secure its payment.
Is president Of the road, also, he repre-.
sented the entire interest in the claim,
and, in consideration Of his salary of
$4,000 a year, was again legally bound to
protect and promote the interests of the
company in every way he could. Hold.
ing these positions, he
MADE CONTRACT Win HIMSELF
to collect the claim which he was bound
to try TO collect without fee, and the con.
dition Of the contract was that he should
have so per cent Of all he collected. None
Of the partners made any objection %
this arrangement, and the fact showed
how much they valued their claim. The
preliminary work of preparing papers IN
the case had already been done by Ran
som, who, Pendleten SAYS, had spent sew
eral years in Washington attempting to
secure its payment. Pendleton' service
consisted in seeing the Secretary of War
and inducing him to submit the case once
more to the Quartermaster General, and,
after he had reported adversely upon it.
again to write two or three arguments in
its favor. Finally it was turned over to
the Assistant Judg Advocate General.
and, on his favorable report, was approved
by Secretary Belknap and paid. Pendle-
ton said
Question by Mr. Bass. As | understand
in general terms, you, as administrator OF
the Bowler estate, owned three fifths of
this road! A. In general terms.
Q. And your administration was for
the benefit Of infantsl A. Yes, sir.
@, And you, as administrator, made a
contract with yourself, as the president
of the road, by which you received $780,.
600 and the Bowler estate received three.
fifths, or S58,O00i A, No, sir; |. did
not make it with myself.
Q. How was that donel A. Because
! consulted Mr.. Bowler, my nephew, who
was one Of tie heirs, and entitled to his
full share, and | consulted my sister,
Mrs. Bowler, who had her interest.
q. Yes; but there were two Infgnts
who represented them except yourself
a. Well, as far as they We're represent
ed, their mother and their brother and |
represented them.
q. IL was assumedl A. No, sir, it
was not assumed.
Q. II was assumed that they would
not object to this when they became OF
age A. Yes, sir. ! don't think they
will object to il.
q. Then that is the fact. that as ad.
minstrator, representing three-hfths OF
the ROAD, you made a contract with your.
self, as president Of the road, to perform
these services : A. made the contract
just as have stated it to you.
q. Out Of which you realized $4,000
as | understand ! A. Yes, sir; at least
| $4,000.
IL was n sorry day for George II. Pen
dletOn. The story that he told to-day
/ will no doubt
! TERMINATE HIS PUBLIC POLITICAL CAREER.
In and out Of Congress here there j,
but one opinion as TO the conduct Of Gen
tleman George. Belknap is not impeach
\ ed, but the candidacy Of George ii. Pen
1 dleton for the Presidency is ended.
The sentiment tonight is strongly ad
verse 20 him. His conduct under tho
most favorable view was that Of a very
sharp claim agent, even though it wa,
not directly dishonest. Admitting Pen,
dleton's questionable conduct, however
most men hold that a committee of Con
/ sress have no special interest in
OUTSIDE MATTERS OF THis SORT.
Feldleton Is not an official Of the gov,
ernment, nor guilty Of malieasanee which
can bring him under the authority Of
/ Congress. The pendlcton interlude wa,
arranged solely in the interest Of the Re.
/ publican party. which desires 10 break
the force Of the Bslknap disgrace by as.
sociating 10 N Of the other party in stint
lar evil dongs The Democrats are not
mourning Pendleton mishap. lie had
some Presidential pretensions which are
! now wholly broken, and there are no,
many tearing their hair az the result
I The general comment here Is that IL ha.
been 4 fortnight Of candidate smashing,
and that pendlctyn has plenty of com.
pany VA Morton, Blaine, C1nkling, and
| Hendricks.
William Warren, the popular eomodi.
an, recently fractured "A minor muscle in
the calf of his lce. The accidcn. will
prevent him from playing Tor some time.
THIS Black Hills cover an area Of some
5000 square miles, and 1t Is believed that
people enough @ populate il as densely
rs China win 90 there In the next two
moths.