Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-12-05
MIR. PROBERT'S SPEECH.
WHAT he SAID TO THE RICHMOND SHARE
HOLDERS.
The Committee of Investigation
Handled without Gloves.

the proceedings OF the extraordinary meet
ing Of the Richmond shareholders, called
to consider the reply Of Mr.. Probert to the
charges Of the committee of investigation.
Mr.. Probert made an able speech, showing
the committee to have been prompted by
unworthy motives from the start. We re-
produce such portions of it as we can find
room for:
Mr.. Edward Probert, who was received
with loud and prolonged cheering, said
that ever since he received at San Francisco
that voluminous indictment, the report of
the committee of investigation, in the lat
ter end Of July, he nae been burning to
meet the shareholders, and had been OBJ
pressed besides with a sense of the wrong
which had been done him. lCheers. He
had asked himself was it possible that any
person who had known him in early life,
or before he went to the United States five
years ago, could believe for one moment
that a Tooth part 81 the contents Of these
two or three pages under the head of gen
eTal management could be true Of him.
Hear. For himself he had wondered
wondered asking himself this question
SIS 1t possibly that / nave beeome SO de-
moralized during these few years that l do
not understand the nature OF my own acts,
that l have made myself a thing, that /
have lost all my self-respect?" lie could
tell the shareholders, on his honor, that
there was nothing in that indictment which
he had to plead guilty to. He would de-
fend himself and meet those allegations in
any order they liked, with proper docu-
mentary evidence, and not with letters of
treacherous employees. That voluminons
indictment had been planned with so much
wicked skill as almost to impose upon his
best and most intimate friends, and if the
shareholders had not been imposed upon
he was surprised at it, and-he marve,led at
their forbearance, he would say at their
generosity, that they did not yield to the
clamor OF the committee and condemn him
in his absence. No. no.. If hs had been
guilty of one hundredth part of the charges
brought against him he should be untitled
not only to control the interests of this
company, but to meet in the society OF
honorable men and move amongst them,
and lie owed it to the instructive love of
justice and fair play which he had always
held to be the characteristics of his coun-
trymen, and to the action Of earnest friends
who knew him personally, that he had not
been condemned in default. He had, as
he had said, been burning to meet them,
and nothing but the interests Of the ON
pany would have kept him so long on the
other side Of the Atlantic. They did not
know what he had to tell them on that sub
Ject. lie did not know thai IT wonld be
possible 10 communicate 10 them to-day
all that he mad to say on that point, but
sooner or later the shareholders should
know 1t:
he would try to avoid hard words, but ne
would tell them beforehand that ne would
deal hard blows instead. lCheers. Now,
he began by asking IN IN to inquire a little
into the history OF ihe appointment OF the
committee. Did tlat committee come into
existence spontaneously at the wish OF the
shareholders mo, no)-but was II not
forced upon the body OF the shareholders
oy the action OF a lew disconnected spirits,
ne wonid not impute other motives to
them lCheers. The movement gath
cred strength as 1t went on, and the men,
ocrs OF the had personal inter-
ests' which he would endeayor to expose,
and to show them something of the consti-
tuition OF the committee. The persons on
that committee were not selected, but
elected themselves 70 80 out there to be his
Investigators y
NOW he wished to call the attention OF the
TO some early correspondence
Win Mr. pulbrook; but before he did so
perhaps they wonld allow HIM to say that
ne ala not consider IL quite honorable on
.he part 0 man TO take another mans
letters and read them IN pnbiio, even If
they mad not private and confidential
marked upon them. But his W letters
had been so used in his absence. and if he
retaiiated a little IN the same manner he
could assure them that it was exceptional
conduc on his part, and he should not be
guilty except under the pressure of the
circumstances, bat he was bounl to do 1T
IN THIS instance. Cheers. Now, he had
told them that Mr.. Puibrook had q per-
sonal interest IN this affair; Col. Steuart,
ne beieved, had a personal interest; and
uhquestiohapiy ar. Drereton had a per-
interest to serve. All those were the
gentlemen VINO came ont to Investigate his
mismaha2ement n MS ~'pick1ngs'-he
supposed they called thcm-from the com-
panys property, INT to sec what he had
made out OF the company indirectly. la
M But had they found a dollar
missing Cheers. Had they dared to
say so! Loud cheers. The committee
went u to the dirt which they
mad since thrown at him, but they had not
aarea 20 niahe sucn a charge as that against
nm. lCheefs, No; this company was
perhaps the only English company on the
other sac OF the Atlantic OF which 1t could
De said that not a dollar was found miss
Hear, hear. Well, MT. Brercton
came OUT IN the early part OF 1876, with the
OBJECT OF becoming manager of the prop
er1y II ne could satisfy him (Mr. Probert)
that nc was htted Tor the post. As he un
uhTkInDn IhA WnIIhE chairman. Mr. ItrnrA-
Ton . appointment was altogether OF the
nature 0, q conditional appointment. He
ne could not, for many reasons,
endofse the appointment OF Mr.. Brereton.
ne woui NOT go INTO these reasons now'
put MI. bIere'on had had a grievance
asains. 'ne Ilcnniond company ever since,
and hau coscrty zone himself tMr. FRO
peru ana the company great mischief as
ne wouid prove. AS regarded coi. steuart,
ne naa no personal acquaintance with That
sentiehlan IN ne came 10 Euresa' n IN
nAI NJ