American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-07-03
Garfield and Credit MoblIier as Shown
by the Record.

The following is the official record of
the testimony taken before the Credit
Mobilier Investigating Committee, SO
far as the same relates to Mr.. Garfield,
the Republican candidate for the Presi-
dcncy:
OAKES AMES' TESTIMONY.
Jan. %, 1873. Dukes Ames recalled: =
Question. In regard to Mr.. Garfield, state to
the committee details of transactions between
you and him in reference to Credit Mobilier
shares of the Credit Mobilier stock, for which
he paid par and interest.
q. When did you agree with him for that ?
A. That agreement was in December, 1877, or
january, 1865; about that time: about that
time had these conversations with all of them;
it was all about the same time.
Q. State what grew out of it. A. Mr.. Gar
field did not pay me any money; sold bonds
belonging to his $1,000 of stock at 81, making
$.16; in June l received n dividend i'll cash on
his stock of $500, which left balance due him
of $500. which paid him; that is all the trans
action between us; did not deliver him any
stock before or since: that is the only transac-
ton and the only thing.
plus of earnings on the stock above the amount
TO be paid for it, par value? A. Yes. sir. He
Union Pacific Railroad stock. The only thing
he realized on the transaction was the S;g9.
.. | see in this statement of the account
with General Garfield charge of S47: that is in
terest from the July previous, is it? A. Yes,
q. And the s776 on the credit side of the ac-
count is the so per cent. bond dividend sold at
%? A. Yes, sir.
Q. And the $500 on the credit side is the
money DIVIDEND. A. Yes, sir.
Q. And after you had received these two
sums, they in the aggreg ate overpaid the price
Q. How was that paid2 A. Paid in money,
: Q. Did you make statement of this to Mr..
Garfield! A. presume 50; think did with
all of them; that is my impression.
Q. When you paid him this s s,9, did you I'M
derstand it was the balance of his dividend
i do not know what else he could suppose.
.. You did not deliver the certificate of
stock to himF A. No, sir; he said nothing
Q. Why did he not receive his certificate9 A.
Q. Do you remember any conversation be
tween you and him in the adjustment of these
accounts? A. donOt.
q. You understood you were the holder OF
these ten shares? A. Yes. sir.
P Q. Did he SO understand it? A. presume
SO. 1t seems to have gone from his mind. how
q. Have you any belief that it ever has2 A.
O. Did you ever loan General Garfield $500?
A. Not to my knowledge; except that he calls
this u loan.
at the time. am willing it should 20 to suit
Q. What we want to get at is the exact
truth. A. have told you the truth in my
statement.
Q. When YOU paid him 1929 did he under
stand that he borrowed that money from you?
A. do not suppose so.
Q. Have you any belief now that he sup
posed so? A. No; only from what he said the
other day. do not dispute anybody.
Q. We want your Judgment of the transac-
ton. A. My Judgment OF the transaction Is
just as told you. There WAS but one thing
Q. That amount has never been repaid to
you. You did not suppose that you had any
right to it, any claim to it? A. No, sir.
Q. You regarded that rs money belonging
to him after the stock was paid for? A. Yes,
Q. Di., General Garfield ever receive these
bonds? A. No, sir; never has received but
S329.
Q. And that ne has received as his own money?
A. suppose so; it did not belong to me. l
should not have given it to him if it had not
@. You did not understand it to belong to
never received it back? A. No, sir.
Q. Has there been any conversation between
you and him in reference to the Pacific stock
he was entitled to? A. No, sir.
Q. HAS he ever called for it? A. No, sir.
q. Have you ever offered it to him? A No,
O. Has there been any conversation in rela-
ton to it? a. No, sir.
e. Has there ever been anything sald pc
chase of the ten shares of Credit MDbiiicr
stock2 Has there anything been said to you
of its being thrown up or abandoned or surrel-
dered? A. No, sir, not until recently.
q. How recently? A. Since this matter came
q. Since this investigation commenced? A.
o. Did you consider at the commencement
of this investigation that you held these other
dividends, which you say you did not pay to
him, in his behalf Did you regard yourself as
Of these dividends for him? A. Yes,
sir; he paid for his stock and is entitled to his
dividends.
time on his demands? A. Yes, sir; as soon as
this suit is settled.
it paid? A. l presume by check on the Ser
Arms. L find there are some checks
filed without any letters or initials indicating
who they were FOR.
o. Have you had any correspondence, since
this dividend was paid, with him in regard to
this matter? A do not know what matter
Q. If you had any correspondence between
you would like to see it, A. have no copy
o. Have you the originate a. No, sir;
sc intended Ta to inclose with some money sent
me. | did not know who the money came
from. He showed me a letter which he said he
to have put in. L fndorSed on the
over the letter and wrote what wrote on the
back of it, and let him have it.
Q. Your answer Endorsed on the back of the
letters was published in the newspapers? A.
Q. AS published did they correspond with
your recollection of the paper as written! a.
my room and said he had been accused of all
kinds of crimes and misdemcanOrs. L told
MIN l had made no such statement as he
He wanted me to say in writing
said he intended to have inclosed with the
money, and wrote on the back of it that had
made no such statement.
o. The published correspondence in the
papers of the next day is your recoi-
lection of what occurred? A. 1t agrees with
my recollection, except that he says he left II
efter for me at the Arlington. 1 never re-
ceived that letter. 1 only saw the letter on
which Endorsed my answer.
Q. Did he inclose the money? A. Some !
money came to me incloscd in an envelope, |
which he said he had sent. gave it back to
him.
O. How much money was in that envelope?
A. Four hundred dollars.
70
20 by witness as statement of his ac-
count with Mr.. Garfield was placed in
evidence:
j. A. G.
1865 DIR.
TO ten shares stock Credit Mobilicr of A 900
inter s q cash :::.. ST &
Io.al. Si'''o
BY dividend bond Union Pacific Rail- o
At eighty per cent. less three per cent. 776 |
June II, by dividend collected for your -,
account. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. w
The following is General
GARFIELD's EXPLANATION
before the same Committee:
The first l ever heard of the Credit Moblicr
vas in 1856 or 1867 l can not fix the dates |
when George Francis Train called on me and
said he was organizing Il company to be known |
Is the Credit Mobilier of America, to he form |
ID on the model of the Credit Mobilicr of |
France; that the object of the company was to |
purchase lands and build houses along the !
inc of the Pacific Railroad mt points where |
titles and villages were likely 10 spring up;
hat he had no doubt money thus invested |
would double or treble itself each year; that |
were limited to $1,000 each, and |
he wished me to subscribe. He showed me /
ong list of subscribers, among them Mr.. Oakes |
Ames to whom he referred me for further IN
concerning the enterprise. an
wcrcd that had not the money to spare, ana
f had would not subscribe without KNOW
nln nrDnpSnI H.