The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-06-25

HENRY 3. lewis, Of Moline.
s--~~ For Coroner,
HENRY II. DRSANTo. of Andalusia.
Gen. GARFIELD and the Ftve-Thousand
Dollar Bribs.
---- NIX. Sun.
When the Washington Ring was in the
full tide of successful experiment. in the
early spring of 1872. one G. r. Chittenden
turned up in Washington ne the agent OF
the firm Of De Golyer i Mcclellan OF
Chicago, to procure q large contract for
laying wood pavements. He began opera
tions, as described By himself in letter to
MS employers, dated Feb. 26. 1872, as
follows:
''The first act was to capture Huntington and the
Governor; next to parelyze the paving companies:
n .nr mas e es,sirsi To con1sta
Huntington was the cashier OF Jay
Cookies bank, and the Intermediary for
most of the Ring corruption. The Gov
ernor" was Boss Shepherd, Subsequently
Huntington died. and on the 9Th OF April,
1872. Chittenden telegraphed to McClel"
Ian as follows:
''Gcv. Shepherd is my right bower now in place
Of Huntington. Don't whisper word but one
soul kdows it. -
Having secured this influence, it was
necessary to enlist support in Congress for
the proposed raid on the Treasury. At
that time Il. G. Parsons was the United
States Marshal of the Supreme Court,
which Office he had converted into head
quarters for the lobby. He was known to
be the next friend of James A. Garfield,
then Chairman Of the Appropriations.
Chittenden brought Parsons to Washing
tom md in O ,ioFfnp 70 Ma(llallou ho cnna ka
in this language:
TUESDAY afternoon Parsons arrived. We shall
get tcOo yards, and how much more Is probe
NAUTICAL. Ths influence NJ Gen. Garfield has been
aSors BE 6ods the purse sEng Of the United
States, in Chairman Of the CommmitUee on AppTo-
pTlattons, and the strongest man in Congress and
with our friends my demand is to-day not less than
OO00O yards more-200, 900 in al. The connection
Garfield with Us. It is rare success and very
gratifying, as all the appropriations must come
through him."
Parsons was paid IS. 900 at that lime for
the connection" which he established, and
before the big contract was signed. It
was bribery retainer. On the 21st of
June. 1872, DeGolyer & Mcclellan were
formally notified to this effect:
1.-The Board have this day awarded you q con-
tract to lay 100000 yards of wood pavement. OF
patent known as De Golysr No. 2, the whole to be
completed within five months from date. An ad
awsrded you soon as the Board Is reimbursed by
The General GoDernme,zt account of eEPendt-
win be allowed to lay it this season If you viii
wait until an appropriation Is made this purpose
az $3.50 per square yard. -
The Ring was then applying to Con-
gress for an initial appropriation, and this
condition for the additional $4,000 yards
pledged to Boss Shepherd and his asso-
ciates after full understanding with Gar
field. The job aggregated 100000, and
the profit on it may be estimated by the
following extract from the testimony of O,
II. Quimby, the Superintendent of De
Golyer Il Mcclellan:
by the Chairman Did understand you cor
rectly when understood you to say that the total
cost of the pavement is $50 per square yard in
Guiding the blocks, labor, gravel, everythingf A
Yes, sir; that constitutes the 10h0Ie cost OF the
pavement, tho actual working cost oil the pavement
in this city"
Therefore, the contractors had $780,
600 for addition, division, and silence. To
procure this job, they agreed to pay nine.
ty seven thousand dollars. Mcclellan,
one OF the partners, testified on that point
thus:
when Dir. Chittenden came to Chicago he said
he wanted one hundred thousand dollars but that
ninety-Aevsn thousand dollars, and he said he
wanted to pay his expenses and part Of the ma
tt0nGL Qe6s. -
John s. Cook. the attorney aud business
manager of the firm, also testified:
My transit account showing disposition of
Col. Parsons. 5000; July -, bills payable $72.
100, (no explanation, but probable arrangement
ing Col Parsonsl. $4,000 GhaIf Of which GARFIELD
received: July II. w. G. [meaning the KEY. w.
Colvin brown1, $4,000"
When Parsons was called before the
joint committee in l847 he swore as fol-
lows:
Before the Board had finally made It's awards
sing private nature. and feeling great soictude as
the result of my labors and OF course, DESTROYS
of securing my fees, called upon Gen, Garfield
and gave him history OF the it then stood,
and asked him as congress would adjourn in
few days, if he would act for me in my absence,
and give the subject careful investigation. l
said to him had fee in the case Of Importance to-
me, and would be glad to share it with him: The
same day or day after I left for Cleveland, and
when received my fee The had previously receiv-4
ed $1,000 which he did not share with Garfield, or
from my clients in Chicago, deposited Gen. Gar
fields to his credit in bank and so wrote him.
Now,it is already seen from Crittenton's
foregoing letters what kind of lease"
Persons was representing, and what sort
of counsel he was. That shallow device
deceived nobody. Parsons was q WELL
known lobbyist, and they hired him solely
because ne could manage 0arheid, whom
Chittenden describrd as holding the
purse strings of the United States" The
Ring wanted money. and he was the man
who handled the appropriations.
Garfield did not appear before the joint
of 1874, But when the sub
ject was revived before the real estate pool
committee. in February. 1877, he came to
the front. B. &. Nickerson. the owner of
patent process used in the De Golyer
pavement, had made some damaging re-
Violations. and Garfield cross-examined
him. They had some sharp tits, and
finally Garfield undertook to reveal his
OWN connection with the De Golyer job,
and to explain his 5000 bribe. In these
words:
"A day or two before the adjournment of Con-
gress which the latter part OF Mayor the rst part
o. Jnne 1872 The didn't know which, with the re-
core 70 refer tot Richard C. Parsons who was a
Rh.setis1ng lawyer in Cleveland, but was then Mar
81 1a the supreme Court and an old acquaintance
al Mine, came to my house and said he was called
""ss sauiaaEalS py Important business latter hay