Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-03-23
a General SMASHING OF Pendleton,s
# 49, Crockery.. ...
-. fWAshinnf0n Enecial Marol, IL

a General Smashing OF Pendleton,.
s# saa+.; 49, Crockery.,.
Washington Special, March l4.l
The history of the celebrated Ken.
tucky Railroad claim rejected by Secrc.
tarY Stanton and paid over by Secretary
Belknap, rs told by George Il. Pendlcton
and Senator Stevenson to the committee
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 forcibly
the impolicy Of practice rarely indu'ged
in by heads Of departments, and always
considered rather irregular, Of opening
old cases which have been adjudicatcd by
their predecessors. Only thrcc.fiiths Of
the road was during the war
-. OWNED by MR. BOWLER, : :
'Sho. according to Senator Stevenson, re.
marked previous to his death that he
would sell his interest in the claim III
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. In 1870,
Pendleton, having in the meantime be.
come executor Of the estate Of Bowler,
late President Of the road, made a 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 peculiar
one, considering Mr.. Pendleton's rela.
tions to the owners of the claim, has
caused great deal of remark since he
made its terms known in his testimony
to day. In the first place, as executor
Of the Bowler estate, he represents
three.fifths 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.
AS president Of tic road, also, he repro.
sented the entire interest in the claim,
and. in consideration of his salary OF
$1,000 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 A CONTRACT WITH HIMSELF
to collect the claim which he was bound
to try to collect without Zee, and the con.
dition Of the contract was that he should
have so per cent Of ail he collected. None
Of the partners made any objection 20
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's 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 uponf it,
again to write two or three arguments il
its favor. Finally it was turned over to
the Assistant Judge Advocate General,
and, on his favorable report, was approved
by Secretary Belknap and paid. Pcndle'
ton said:
Question by Mr.. Bass. AS l understand
in general tcrme, you, rs administrator Of
the Bowler estate, owned three. fifths OF
this road! A. In general terms.
Q. And your administration was for
the benefit Of infants? A. Yes, sir.
| Q. And you, as administrator, made a
contract with yourself, as the presidcn,
of tho road, by which you received $780,
600 and the Bowler estate received three
fifths, or $5S,000? A. No, sir; die
not make it with myself.
@. How was that done? A. Because
! consulted Mr.. Bowler, my nephew, who
was one Of tire heirs, and entitled to his
full share, and l consulted my sister,
Mrs. Bowler, who had her interest.
Q. Yes; but there were two infants
who represented them except yourself
A. Well; as far as they were represent
ed, their mother and their brother and
represented them.
Q. 1t was assumed? A. No, sir, il
was not assumed.
@. 1t was assumed that they would
not object to this when they became O
age? A. Yes, sir. ! don't think they
will object to it.
@. Then that is the fact, that as nd
ministrator, representing three.f!ths o
the read, you made . contract with your
self, as president of the road, to perform
these services A. Imadc the contrac
lust as I have stated it to you.
| @. Out Of which you realized $50, 900
as l understand A. Yes, sir; at ieas
$4,000.
1t was sorry day for George H. Pen
dleton. The story that he told to'da!
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 H. Pen
dlcton for the Presidency is ended.
/ The sentiment tonight is strongly ad
verse to him. His conduct under tn
most favorable view was that Of yer,
sharp claim agent, even though it wa
not directly dishonest. Admitting Pen
dleton's questionable conduct, howeve,
most men hold that committee Of Con
gross have no special interest in
OUTSIDE MATTERS OF THIS SORT.
Pendleton is not an official Of the gov
ernment, nor guilty of malfeasance whic]
can bring him under tho authority q
Congress. The Pendleton interlude wa
arranged solely in the interest Of the Re
publican party, which desires to breal
, the force Of the Belknap disgrace by as
sociating m en Of the other party in sim
lar evil doings. The Democrats are nc
> mourning Pendletons mishap. He ha
some Presidential pretensions which ar
now wholly broken, and there are nc
many tearing their hair At the result
The general comment here is that it hs
been fortnight of candidate smashing
and that Pendleton has plenty of con
pany in Morton, Blaine, Conkling, an
Hendricks.
Rescue oe Fort Peasc.
rChicago Telegram, l7th.]
Tho following telegram was received :
: Sheridan headquarters from Brigade
General Terry, commanding the depar
= ment of Dakota: ...,
The following is just received:
Mouth cf Big Horn, March 6, 1885,
Arrived at Fort Pcase March 4th and r
Q lievcd tho garrison. The fort was evac
q atAd 1T noon t0.dav The or pinal parl