The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-03-14
Thursday. March IA. 1878.
The McGarrahan Claim.

DeIore the senate comul"t00 VI PuOiO VI
lands. IL has been investigated several y
times before, and always rejected, still it h
manages to be revived by claim.agents aud il
men occupying public position so as to come
before each session Of congress, or the .
head of q department, and without doubt il
from the abundant evidence already adj t
duced it was fraudulent 10 inception and a O
huge swindle throughout. Late dispatches
from Washington speak Of it as follows; r
Evidence has again been heard in re- s
gard to the McGarrahan claim for prop l.
erty in California, known as the New ldra
Quicksilver Mine. Judge Jeremiah Wilson,
Il &. Ingersoll and ex-senator Carpenter
appeared for Mr.. McGarrahan, aud Judge
Jeremiah Black, David S. Wilson, Of Iowa,
and exchief clerk of the land Office, Mr..
Curtis, for the New Idra Company. MIR.
Jeremiah Wilson offered in evidence
papers purportiDg to be copy of the
order Of the California land commissioner,
rejecting the claim of Mr.. McGarrahan;
then further order of the district court of
the United States for the district OF Cali
fornia, reviewing, on appeal, the order OF |
the land commissioner, and affirming the |
validity OF his claim 10 the land in con-
troversy; also a letter from ex-Secretary
of Interior, Caleb, B. Smith, and subse-
quent letter from Secretary John P. Usher,
directing patent to issue to McGarrahan,
and also exempli6cation of this patent from
the records of the general land office.
Judge Black then asked leave to examine
Mr.. McGarrahan relative to the steps
taken by him to secure these decisions. A
discussion thereupon occurred between the
counsel, Judge Black claiming that cor
rupt means had been used by Mr.. Nc
Garrahan to secure patent, and charging
that Senator McDougal. Senator Francis
p. Blair, Mr.. NJ. G, Forney and other form
or senators and members of congress had
been corrupted by the witness in obtaining
his decisions. Ex-senator Carpenter
claimed that even if bribery had been used
and Mr.. McGarrahan had Improperly in
fuenced dead senator's, it would not in
validate his clients title to the land in
question. AS long as he had not corrupted
this congress the committees duty and
that of congress was to pass upon the
validity of Mr.. McGarraban's grant. MIR.
David Wilson, of Iowa, said the defense
intended to show that every decision in
favor of Mr.. McGarrahan had been obtain
ed by the use of money. After some
lurther discussion relative to the admission
OF evidence of this character. Mr.. Nc
Garrahan was asked if he had ever
given stock, based on his claim, to
John Hickman, ex member of con-
gress from Pennsylvania, He replied
that he never had He heard subsequent
ly that Hickman had stock, but did not
know how he got it. 10 reply to further
questions witness said:-Daniel E. Sckles
performed some services for me- l did
not agree to give him any compensation
but subsequently gave him an interest
in my claim; he would have acted for me
II had never given a dime; never gave
james Wilson ex-member of congress
from Iowa, either stock or money; Their,
was some talk between Mr.. Sickles anC
myself about taking Mr.. L. M. Stantol
into our business; Mr.. Sickles said be di,
not think it was necessary to have Mr.
Stanton's aid; Mr.. Stanton was not at
tlrney general at that time | made n
attempt to buy up the attorney general
office; it was in the possession Of my oppo
nents.
Judge Black-It was in the possession
of the United States,
Mr.. David Wilson offered in evidenc
several letters from Mr. McGarrahan t
Mr. Frank, secretary of the Panoch
Grsnde Company, which, he claimed
would show that McGarrahan and Sickle
attempted to operate upon Stanton, Will
attorney general, for the purpose o
securing his influence. One of then
stated that he and his friends were willin
to take Stanton into the same boat will
them.
The other letters communicate
McGarrahan's movements with Mr.. Nc
Dougal, ex-senator from California, AM
others as to prospects of legislation befor
congress in his behalf, stating that tn
whole fight would now have to be made il
California; that for having Senator Nc
Douglas services 200 shares would hav
TO be given him. 1t would also be neces
airy to secure the services of man in tn,
attorney generals Office here. Anothe
letter states that when an injunction haC
been served upon the New Idra Compap,
to prevent them from running the mine
arrangements had been made here so tina
an appeal could not be taken in time t.
prove of service to McGarrahans oppo
nents. The letters to Frank number oveI
seven hundred and cover correspondence,
OF ten years. Their reading was discon
nnued' and 1t was ordered that they all BE-
printed and 60 into the Record.
Judge Wilson, of Iowa, said they were
all OF general character, showing thai
money was paid, federal appointment,
secured and laws changed in the interest
OF McGarrahan's claim.
-
Tired of Temporizing.
There are indications that the President
has abandoned all idea of harmonizing the
factions in the republican party in Louis
lana by any appointment he NAV make