The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-21
THE PENDLET0N SCANDAL.
EVIDENCE SUPPRESSED ny REPUB-
LICIS COMHITTEEMEN.

The story that wns Told ConhdentiaIIy TO
Mcssrs. Bass and Dnnford aud TO the Cor
respondent Of the New York Evening Post.
WASHINGTON, March 20.-Tho Republican
members Of the Committee on Expenditures In
the War Department arrligned their Democratic
associates before the House and the country for
Withholding from them for one day the facts
that Marsh had communicated 10 them in re-
gard to his bribing Delknap. The Radical press
took up the refrains, and have been bowling about
the bad faith Of Mr.. Clymer and his Democratic
colleagues ever since. Now 1t appears that the
Republican members of the committee have
been systematically suppressing from their
Democratic associates evidence which, N II h
as their friends represent II to be, Is OF tho ut
most Importance. In the NcW York Evening
Post OF lust Friday was printed a Washington
despatch from a special correspondent, In which
It was alle ged that prominent Republican law
yer OF this city lad been looking into the PEN
dleton case, and had discovered evidence which
would show beyond doubt that $4,000 had been
paid by Pendleton TO Mta Belknap to secure the
payment Of the Kentucky Central Railroad
claim.
mittee to-day and asked to give the name Of this
lawyer MIR. Bass one Of the Republican mem
bers, iDterposed, and said he had bad some
conversation with tho CORES pondsnt and he
thought the information ought to he given to
tho Committee privately. There was danger
that II this very important Information was
made public the witnesses might run away.
Indeed, they had information that one OF them
wss now en- route for New Orleans; and It was
feared With the intcntion OF fleeing the
country. The room was at once cleared. and
the witness was examined In private. In half
an hour tho doors were opened and " was as
ccrtained that the witness refused to tell. lie
was given an hour to make up his mind and to
consult with Mr.. DanfOrd, another Republican
member Of the committee, who was not present.
but who knew something about the matter.
In due time the witness reappeared, and when
asked n he would now tell. declined on the fol
lowing most important groupd He had. he
said, learned something about the evidence IN
the possession Of the liwyer on Friday morning
last aud wrote the despatch aforesaid To tho
Ercntng Posi-. The LAWYER bad requested him to
bring the two Republican members OF the COM
mittee to see him. lie took Mr. Danford aud
the sto.y was detailed TO him by the LAWYER, who
| requested that none OF the facts should be com
| municated to the Democratic members OF the
| committee. The witness said he had Just been
to see Mir. Danford IN the hope Of obtaining his
duested him to say to the committee that he
hoped they would let the matter rest until be
was able u attend the meeting OF the commit
| tee. MIR Bass, who also knew all about the
matter. was not present at the Meeting of the
| respondent was to be again examined.
The witness said that inasmuch as tho facts
| were known to two members OF the committee.
he thought he ought not to be compelled 10 = y
them. Tho Chairman asked him II he would
sS%mgPsa'H ,Ss uSs ,ss@ to % IT. sss
non wac called TO the is fsct ,.no...c that be
| had said that ono OF the witnesses
| was running away, and that bis refusal TO tell
might put 1t beyond the power OF the commit
tee TO prevent the escape, but this had no elect.
| Tho House by this time had adjourned, aud the
| witness could not be reported as contumaclous
until Tomorrow morning; hence he was given
| until 10 A. NJ. tomorrow to answer
| The conduct OF tho two Republican members
Ia inexplicaole. They will not com m unicate the
| facts, or alleged facts, to the majority OF the
| committee, and they request the CORES sponde ent
| through whom they obtaiied them not To tell
| either. II Is certainly one OF the most rom arha
| bic and extrlordinlry proceedings ever heard OF
| II Is pretty well known that the lawyer referred
| to by the witness Is ben Butler and the majori.
| " of the committee became so woll convinced
| Of this. that they caused subppna TO be Issued
| for Ben, who will be examined to-mor-
| row. The two other persons who are
| said to have given Ben the information are
| understood to be Mrs. Gen. Benton OF American
| Seal Lock Company fame and Mrs. Coles, an
other adventures OF Now York. Mrs. benton Ia
| the reputsd wife OF Frank brooks, who was con
| ceIned with Gen. L. d. Roddy In getting through
| the Treasury Department a fraud ulent cottot
claim. and for which they are now indicted II
the courts here. Gen Butler IL their lawyer
and Ia this way he Is supposed TO have acquired
some Information Tne committee, acting oI
the best Information they could get, have sub
pGnaed Benton and Coles.