Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-04-13
g 7e11 WASHINGTON, D. c. 1s7s
The MeGarrahan InvestigatfOn.
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE
TO-DAY

Inc Senate committee investigating the
claim of William McGarrahan to the property
in California on which the New Idria Quick
silver Mine is located, under a memorial to
The Senate, asking that patent be issued to
san alm iSr the land in question resumed its ses
Sentatives Ingersoll, hellabarger, and Jere.
wilson and Col. Robert IngersOll and Nj. G.
+. Shaw for the memorialist, and ex;AttOrney
General Black. Judge David s. Wilson of
Iowa, and Messrs. Curtis, Earl and Burdett of
this city, for the defence, the owners of the
mine.
Mr.. Sturgis and Mr.. Hearth, of the general
land office, were called by the defence in refer
ence to the time OF the receipt at the general
land Office of the letter of Attorney General
Bates, directing the Commissioners to forbid
the Issuance of patent. The books of record
were examined by the witnesses, and they tes
1lfsd IlS tG that the letter was received on March
18th, 1863 An order of the secretary was writ
ten, directing the Commissioner to suspend
the patent on the l4th, and a copy of the Origi-
nal 1ettef at was hled in the general land office
Inc object OF the testimony was to bring out
tile record IN the case to show that the letter
was received before the patent was issued.
whereas McGarrahan claims the reverse.
Jas NJ; Armstrong, of the Land office, ex-
amlned last week, was recalled and shown
the parchment which McGarrahan claims was
la1er. Mr.. Armstrong, testified that the last
Two sheets OF the parchment were ruled diff
1erently from the preceding sheets and We're
also thicker. He thought there were peculiari-
ties about the workmanship of the last sheets.
He would have followed another method if he
had been doing the job.
Mr.. Hopper, librarian of the attorney gen
erals $ once, was recalled and produced book
containing the current correspondence of the
attorney generals office, containing the letter
OF March 18th, ordering the patent to McGar-
rahan suspended.
A SHARP PASSAGE BETWEEN COUNSEL.
Judge wilson here asked the committee
whether it would be competent to show that
Mr: Shaw, when inquring at the department
OF justice for all documents in this case from
MI kl0pper, had made an offer of money.
MI Shaw in great heat, Sprang to his feet and
demanded that this insinuatiOn be proven or
Ietracted at once. He held commission from
the me state OF New York and had practiced in
her courts, His oath required him to avoid
perjury and bribery and he wanted to know
whether an adversary just from the bench
ana sa Iepresentlng "a small obscure and in
tellor zero jurisdiction could assail his reputa-
The committee said that Mr.. Shaw need not
take the charge so seriously, and positively de-
chned 10 allow him to take any notice Of the
accusation.
MIR. Schatfer came up and said to Mr.. Shaw
later that the charge was false, and Mr.. Shaw
against you.'
It was proved today from the records by
this witness, and Judge Wilson acknowledged
the fact, that what is known as the bogus APP
peal was taken in December, 1861, at which
time there was no district attorney except as
Judge wilson claimed, one appointed by Judge
Ogie.
1t appears from today's evidence in the
showing of the New Idria that the Suspensive
order from Acting Secretary Otto, not to issue
the patent, did not reach the Land Office until
March l4th 1863, and then the patent had al
the General Land Office.
The committee at , o'clock took a recess.