The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-04-27
THE FLORIDA FURRY.
What is Said Of the Story and Some
of the Parties.
National Associated Press to the star.

man was asked Wilat ne Thought Vi Iue hC-
Lin confession, and if he would be willing
to say anything on that subject. The Sec
retary laughed slightly and replied: mo,
nothing; except that l regard it with great
contempt"
On inquiry at the Department of Justice,
it is ascertained that Selkirk whose state
ment appears in the New York World, was
employed by Attorney General Taft about
the time he alleges he was furnished with
money and sent to Florida, upon what bust
ness the records of the Office do not show.
On his arrival in Florida, Selkirk com
menced a course of riotous living which
soon exhausted his resources, and at the
same time made it desirable that he should
be sent home consequently he was fur
nished funds for this purpose, but instead
of returning North he resumed his spree.
He was finally, however, sent home.
On his arrival here he presented claim
for services which underwent considerable
revision, but was finally paid, the last pay
ment, $1S, being paid under the present
administration. The published statement
of William H. Selkirk savors too much of
Munchhausenism to create a sensation. The
idea that man of the shrewdness of Bob
Toombs should carry in his pockets 5000, 900,
and moreover take it and show it to stran
ger with the remark that it was to be used
to fix things, is too absurd even for the most
credulous. Senator Conkling is referred to
as paying Alfred i. Morton to keep him
posted. VIM. E. Chandler's name and that
of his wife are dragged in; they are said to
have given money and diamonds to McLln
and his wife, and Senator Teller and Repre-
sentative Dunnell are represented to have
sent money to Selkirk.
Mr. Chandler, on being applied to in ref
erence to Selkirk's statement, said: Il
know no such man. l don't know that |
ever heard of him. There was some fellow
who went as far as Richmond, or Georgia,
and got drunk and never reached Florida.
That may have been Selkirk. I am sure |
never heard of him in Tallahassee or jack
sonville The places we're full of bummers
at that time, and Selkirk may have been one
of them. heard that Taft sent somebody
down there, but who it was | never knew.
deny of course, anything this man Sell
kirk says concerning ME. There is not one
word of truth in it."
Senator Teller made the following state
ment "Selkirk, when | first knew him,
was steward in ahotel in Georgetown, Col
orado, and subsequently in Denver. In
both places he made mark by getting in
continently drunk. He suddenly left Col
orado, and / never knew what become of
him until he turned up at Jacksonville
when l was there. He came to me and
wanted to borrow money to so to Washing
ton, because he claimed that the Govern
ment owed him some money for services
rendered as special agent. Subsequently
learned that he was to have gone with AL
fred Morton to act as Deputy Marshal.i be-
fore he got down there he got drunk. and
arrived there drunk. The Marshal tele-
graphed to the Department that the man
they had sent down there was drunk and of
no use, and Selkirk was discharged at once
When he asked me to lend him
money | declined to do so, but the night
before | went away he came to me and said
he was utterly destitute and had to move
out of his room if he did not get some
money. | lent him $40 but l knew of
course it was gift. When l returned to
Washington found there was $S3 due him,
and l advised Attorney General Taft to
send it to him. Mr.. Taft at first declined
to do so, saying that Selllirk was dead
beat but at last had the money sent him.
Selkirk then came to Washington and at
once came to me and wanted me to get him
q position in one of the departments, which
Florida he did not do anything. All his
talk about af1idavits is false. He told Inc
in Florida that story about Toombs show
ing him 100000 and wanted to be called
before our Committee to testify, but | told
him the thing was too absurd to be
thought Of"
Representative Dunnel said in reference
to Selkirk's allusion to him: II met Sell
kirk at Jacksonville; he declared himself
destitute of means, and wanted ME to lend
him some money, which | declined to do.
He claimed that he was there in the inter
est of Hayes, but he had no papers to show
for it. He said he had some papers, but
they were not then in his possession. He
stated that he had come down at the sug
gestion of Attorney General Taft, and had
not been furnished with any means" Sell
kirk is said to be native of Massachusetts,
and resident of Senator Dawes former
Congressional district and it is stated that
he was sent to Florida at the suggestion of
that Senator.
New York, April ga special to the
World from Indianapolis says Governor
Hendricks in. an informal way said the Nc
Lin and Dennis confessions in no manner
surprised him. He intimated that legal pro-
ceedings based upon them would be insti-
tuted, but not Immediately, although he
could not state what precise form would be
adopted. In regard 10 MS views on the
Presidential question he quoted from his
speech to the Democratic State Convention
of February 10th, saying while it is perfect
ly true that the title of Hayes to the Office
of President is settled under the forms of
law, it is still none the less true that i'm
perative duty demands that fitting punish
ment be visited upon criminals through
whose crimes that judgment was obtained.
The Herald Jacksonville special says that
there are no new developments in the Re-
turning Board Irregularities Interest is
centered on the case in the north. Morton,
the agent employed in this city in working
up the case, has been summoned to Wash
ington He saw Dennis at Live Oak, and
they will reach there probably simultaneous
ly. Morton left here to do more work in
the interior counties, but received tele-
graphic instructions to proceed to Washing
ton.
One among those who have made state
ments indicated by remark that if he was
out of the scrape he would never be caught
in another like it.
The President and Mrs. Hayes i'm
Philadelphia. .
National Associated Press to the'Star.
PHILADELPHIA, April 27.-The ladies at