The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-10-09

are pfovcrb;ai He openly says that
tie building Of tie somerse: and
Johnstoan Railroad, . project that
would require the expenditure Of at
!eass $500. 00e, apd ire completion Of
which would be Of incalcal4bls hene-
f; 20 this county, has been indefinite
by delayed, if not entirely abandon,
ed, By reason Of the character the
GTeenback movement has assumed
Let oar readers ponder bis words.
TnERE has been a charge current,
since General CoTroth formerly serv-
cd il Congress, that during him term,
be bestowed for a pecuniary consid-
Grafton, CT 10 other words sold, one
or more appointments tc cadetships at
The e. s. Military and Naval acade-
mics. While it was a matter Of
record that Mr.. Cofroth had bestow-
cd two OF least Of these appointments
oa lads living outside Of bis district,
and while we strongly censared him
for thus giving 10 strangers appoint
ments that Of right, and as a matter
Of lag belonged to young men, whose
parents were bis constituents, and
residents Of the district be represent
ed, we were 10th to credit the charge
that he had sold them, and having
always entertained amicsble social
terms with him, we RETAINED from
giving them currency through the
medium Of this journal. Lately the
Johnstown Tribune having Published
those charges, and maintained them
by the sworn testimony Of Mr.. VIII
liam Lilly, a Democratic Attorney-st-
law residing 10 Washington City.
who under oath related the facts be-
fore the Democratic Judiciary Com
mi,tee Of the Den ocratic House, sit
ting to investigate the charge of
selling a cadstship, made against
Charles Hays, Member Of Congress
from Alabama.
The testimony elected by this
committee vas published under
authority Of Congress- in pamphlet
form. See Ms. Doc. No. Ill XLIVA
Congress, Isl Session House Of Rep
re5caiaiiUes. In il is to be found the
testimony Of Lilly in which be sweares
that he sold for Cofroth q cadetsbip
10 the Naval Academy, to the friends
Of a boy, with q peculiar German
name, who resided 10 or near the city
Of New York, but that be could not
then remember the name, that $1,000
was the sum be received, Of which
be paid to CofIfoth $500 CT $500,
.hGt the arrangement was, he was TO
pay to Confoth one-half, and that he
loaned him the other two or three
hundred dollars, and that IL has
never been paid back.
Ga the appearance Of the article in
The Tribune, NJ. John Fulton, agen-
tlemGn residing 10 Johastown, pub
lished a%let.er stating that "Mr. Bsr-
wind, the young gentleman appoint
ed, was residing in Saxton, Bedford
County, when he made application
to Gen. Con:o;h."
AS Lilly in bis testimony had
declared that be did not remember
the name Of the young man for whom
the purchase was made, Mr.. Ber-
winds name thus first came to light
through Coffrolh's friend Fulton, who,
not content with denying the charge,
that be (Bsrwind) or his friends had
bought the cadetship, wrote to
them, and having obtained answers
from Berwind and his brother for
warded them to Coffoth, and the
Democrat Of last week having pub
lished them under the captions Of
ANOTHER LIE NAILED" &c +,
&c, the matter has thus been brought
before the people Of this county, aud
becomes a legitimate subject Of com,
ment, nay, forces comment upon US,
in our editorial position.
Ia these letters, Edward. j. Ber-
wind declares that he received an
appointment as cadet to the Naval
School, from Gen. Coffroth in 1865,
that at the time, be resided at Sax.
ton, Bedford County, and had lived
there during the two previous years,
and at that time and ever since, his
parents resided in Philadelphia; that
be graduated ia 1869, served nine
years in toe navy, and was retired
in 1875 for Injuries received in the
performance OF duty at sea, that be
never met or saw Mr.. Lilly, and
that the charge that money was paid
TO Colfroih for bis nomination as q
cadet, is utterly gr~oundlesq, and en-
lirely false.
Mr.. Charles +. Berwind also
writes, denying emphatically that
money or other consideration was
ever paid Mr.. Coffoth directly or
indirectly, or to any other person, for
his brothers. appointment.
Now, as IN astute lawyer, which be
is, General Coifroth. in giving these
letters 20 the public, knew, that as
legal proof they amountedt) nothing.
He might have procured letters from
a score Of other relatives Of Der wind.
that they knew Of no IN ney being
paid, and hat would they amount
to, as o contradiction Of The sworn
testimony Of any man, that money
was paid 10 him? They did not see
it, or know Of 1t, but what does that
or,,, 80 Al