The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-01
THE FUR-SEhL SWINDLE.
The Recent Farce Of an Investige tion-Mr.
BoutweIrs singular Conduct.

houtWete singular tOuuuCt.
WARRINGTON, May 3l.-Nobody is in the
least sstonished by the report OF the Sub. Com.
mlttee OF the WAYS and Means. withdrawing
the fur-seal swindle. The whole investigation
has been farce and fraud. The rich and pow
erful monopoly brought all the witnesses they
wanted, while the subcommittee persistcnty
refused to grant a subpoena for single witnes,
on the other side. Nevertheless, the plainest
and strongest case was made against the
complny. II was shown that Boutwell, got
It into his head-or rather they put II into his
head-that Congress meant to give tails Ring q
preference over other bidders for the lease.
Yet they were not named In the act, and the
Attorney General said they were not entitled to
anv preference. Mr. Boutwell, advertised for
bids. The Rings bid was the lowest Of eleven.
At the opening Of the bids he read memo
randum stating that he would Give the contract
to the Ring II their bid was not more than ten
per cent. below the highest. Their bid was ftv
per cent below Goldstones, and he thereupon
gave them the contract, not on their own bid,
but on Goldstone's. This contract they have
broken over and over again. They agreed and
covenanted to pay $4,000 rent per annum,
and the law expressly declared that the rent
should not be "iess than t5O0OO per annum." Hut
they paid, for the nrst year, only $5,is0.15 They
covenanted to pay nfty-nve cents per gallon on
seal oil. They have paid nothing, aud the Gov
eminent has, on this item alone, been done
out Of s2,svO0OO, counted for the whole term Of
the lease
This Fur Seal Ring has ALWAYS been intimately
associated with the White House. the District,
and the whiskey Rings and when Babcock was
under Are at st. Louis, Hutchinson, the resident
agept Of the Alaska Company here, rushed open
ly to the rescue with Shepherd and the rest
Perhaps this may account for Mr.. Boutwelrs
singular conduct. His better judgment may
have been ovorborne by orders from the white
House. 1t r. certainly the most charitable ex-
PLANTATION that can be offered.
The fact Il well known On the Pacific coast
that Hutchinson, Kohl & Co.. the principal menu
bers Of the Alaska Ring, have boosted that they
held Mr.. Boutwell, by corrupt bond, and that
| they secured fraudulent settlement with Tay-
Tor Bendel partners in seal venture before
the date Of this lease, by representing that they
had paid Boutwell, the proceeds of two.nfths Of
eighty. six thousand skins In order to get per-
NIT to take the skins from the Islands. Mr..
| TAYLOR, head Of the firm OF Taylor & Bendei, was
one OF the most reputable merchants OF San
Francisco. He Il now dead, but q letter Of his
dated Nov. 20, 1870. was fled with the CON-
mittee setting out this story In full I'M
podiatsly after II occurred. Taylor 4 Bendel
| had been compelled to sue Hutchinson, Kohl Il
Co. for their share of the profits, aud the latter
got IL compounded by making through their
| attorney, judge Delos Lake OF San Francisco,
| the above statement to Judge 5. ID. Sawyer, at
| torney OF Taylor & Bendel. They convinced
| Sawyer OF its truth, aud he advised the settle
ment. But what did this committee DO about
| this serious and scandalous revelation? 1t re-
| fused TO call either Sawyer or Lake as a witness
| although urgently pressed to do 80. Taylor says
the statement was repeated in the presence Of
one W. IL. Ennis, and Judge McCorkle made
AFFIDAVIT that Ennis was material aud neces-
sary witness. But the committee declined to
! call Sawyer. Lake, Ennis, they had re-
peatedly aud persistently refused to call
| anybody else from the beginning to the
end of the so-called investigation. The
| opponents Of Hutchinson, Kohl Co
have not made this charge against Bout
we'll; but they do say that Hutchinson
Kohl & Co. made It themselves, and they fur
nished the names OF the witnesses to prove It
| and these the committee declined to summon.
| II the Ring people told the truth on that occs-
sion-and they then said their books would beaI
tive need not look further for an ample ex-
PLANTATION of Mr.. Boutwell's oficial perform anoea
| IN their behalf.
| II 10 by no means certain that Mr.. Wood
can carry his report through the full Com
mittee OF Ways and Means. II he does. how
ever. It IA not impossible that Secretary Dristov
may improve the opportunity to teach the Dem
ocratic House another lesson In Ring smashing