The daily gazette., 1880-08-06
GARFIELD AND THE DE COL
YER JOB.

THE FACTS AS ESTABLISHED IN THE
CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, IL
LIMOS.
CHICAGO, Aug. 2.-Arriving from
st. Louis on Saturday, | went to the
Clerks office of the Circuit Court for
the purpose of examining the records
and papers in the celebrated Chitten-
den, De Golyer g. Co., contract suit,
and believing that the numerous read
ers of your excellent paper would like
to know the facts as disclosed by the
evidence, l give them as they appear
from the papers and records in the
case. The style of the case is Geo. r.
ChittendeD, agt. Robert Mcclellan ct
AL, No. 12,1S1, Circuit Court, Cook
County, Ill.
On the 10Th day of June, 1874, En-
ory A. Storrs filed declaration in
writing in said court, asking for $780,
600 against De Golyer & Co., as Chit
tenden's share of the profits arising out
of the contract which DE Golyer g Co.
had with the Board of Public Works
Of the city of Washington. De Golyer
& Co. employed ex-senator Doolittle
as their attorney. Doolittle filed an
ansN er in the case, setting up as de-
ience: 1st. That the contract was
void upon its face. I'd. That the con-
tract was void as against public poll ~,
because of the $4,000 paid James A.
Garfield, a member of Congress, for
his Influence as a Congressman in get
t NJ the Board of Public Works at
Washington to give De Golyer 81 Co.
the contract. On the 10th of June,
1875, an order was made by the court
upon Storrs to reply or demur to the
answer. Storrs demurred; full hearing
was bad upon the demurrer, and the
Judge (Farwell, Republican,, after
a careful consideration of the case,
overluled the demurrer. From this
decision no appeal was taken, and
Storrs did not reply to the answer
Judgment was entered up in favor of
the defendants, and the case, as ap-
pears from the record, was finally dis
missed on the 18th day of May, 1876,
for want of prosecution.
This places Mr.. Garfield in a court of
record in the position of having re-
ceived $5, 1000 as a member of Congress
and Chairman of the Committee on
Appropriations in the House of Rep
resentatives, for his influence in secur-
ing the De Golyer pavement contract
job.
The declaration states that the profit
to De Golyer & Co. were $400, 000;that
they got $3.50 per square yard for the
pavement, and that it only cost them
$3.50 per yard.
The answer positively AYERS that
Garfield got the $4,000 for his influ-
ence as a member of Congress. The de-
murrer admits that fact. Judge Far
we'll held that that fact made the con-
tract illegal and void.
How, then, can Mr.. Garfield escape
the record in this ease His biography
which he is now experimenting, may
try to explain it away, but the facts
remain the same.
Emory A. Storrs, who was the at
torney Of Babcock, the Whiskey Ring
hero, and who is now delivering paid
speeches for Garfield, has goJ the pa
pers out of courthere and carried them
off or locked them up in a vault. 1
asked for the original files at his Office
bat his man in charge Of the Office told
me he had gone off to be absent until
the 1st Of September, and had given
special instructions not to open the
vault. A certified copy of the plead
ings in that case would make power
full campaign document against Gar
field. Storrs knows that, aud thinks
he will keep them out of the way; but
Senator Doolittle has copies, and our
Republican friends can see them at any
time by calling at his office, 154 Dear
born street, Chicago.
w. Ii. II. RUSSELL.