The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-01-10
Last NIGHTS Dispatches.
BRIBERY
HOW Blaine and his Crowd tried to Buy
Swan and Others in Maine.

HOW Blaine and his Crowd tried to Buy
Swan and Others in Maine.
| AUGUSTA Jan. 9.-The statement by
Mr., Swan in the House to-day relative to
the attempt to bribe him is as follows:
The press of the Republican party makes
charges against me rejecting unon my
honor and integrity in relation to the mat
ters connected withs my position as a
member of this House. [ refer to the at.
| tempt to bribe me by an agent of the Re-
| publican party. | will briefly state the
the main facts connected with this affair.
| came from my house to this city on Sat
urday. Jan. 3. On Monday following
rumors were af1oat that men had been
offered money to absent themselves from
the House of Representatives, so that no
quorum would be present on the first
ednesday in January. Later in the
evening of Jan. 5. reliable person who is
a member Of this House, informed me that
Wallace Il. White had called upon him
and offered him $1,000 cash to deliver up
his certificate and resign as a member OF
the house, which he had refused to accept
and that White informed him that he
wanted three more men to resign and re
| quested him to see me. Upon this in
| formation L went at once to the Augusta
| House and found Hon. e. H. Gore Secre-
tary of State, aud told him what | knew
about the matter Gore and myself then
went out and found Solon Chase. In their
presence | hastily drew signed an afida-
Wit embodying my statement of bribery.
| then went went and requested the gen.
| tleman who had been offered 81 200 to see
| White in the morning and inform him that
l would resign for S 900. He saw White
the next morning. White sent back a
g. L. -
house at 1920 A. NJ l went there about
that time and met White, who took me up
stairs into corner room. He then show
ed me statement as follows:
AUG UsTA, Jan. 6, ISS0.-To the chair
man of the Democratic and Greenback
council: After mature deliberation have
concluded it is my duty as citizen to
| obey the laws as they are construed and
decided by the Supreme judicial Court
[ cannot, therefore, lend my aid to keep
ing out Of their seats the Republican
representatives elect whom the Supreme
Court has declared entitled thereto. L
therefore give public notice that | will
not participate in the organization of the
house, being fairly and fully determined
to obey the mandate of the conrt. To
resist that mandate is a resolution de-
structlve both to my party and the great
THOMAS B. SWAN.
He informed me that should have TO
write a statement like it and sign the
same, also to sign my resignation and to
deliver up my certificate to hun. He said
they should not want to use the resigna>
ton. but wanted it to show that | acted in
good faith, and that after the house was
organized [ could take my seat and the
Republicans would put me upon an im-
portant committee. l Informed him that
[ would sign the paper, and he said that
he had to 80 and get the money. He left
the room and returned 10 about twenty
minutes and said it was all right, Hell
then read to me and / copied in my own
hand the letters TO the chairman OF the |
Democratic and Oreenback committee.
lie also read resignation which | copied |
L then put the said papers, without my
signature, into my pocket. We then
counted the money and found it correct
then signed the papers and took the |
money. He said he wanted some more
men and wanted TO know if | knew of any
he could get. | told him I thought he |
could get Hartman, Of Kennebunk. He |
told me to see him and come with him |
about so lett and called at the Au-
gusta House to see if could find uarri- |
man, but did not find him. | then went |
..
IL. Gore and made the following state |
ment:
|, Thomas B. Swan, iu the presence OF |
the Hon Scion Chase and Hon. L. II |
Gore, make the following statement: III
have this day been approached by an |
agent of the Repu tiioan party TO resign |
as Representative for money, and thus
show to the people the fraud and corrup- |
tion of the Republican party. / expect to |
have another party also take money for |
the same purpose,
'THos. B, SWAN"
went to the Augusta House and found |
Hartman. | told him what had taken |
PLACE and he agreed to go with me al / 80 |
and take the money and expose the fraud. |
| went tC my dinner and then returned to |
the Augusta House, where | again met |
Hartman, and not far from 2 o'clock We |
went towards the Court House Before |
VIC reached it | showed him White stand |
ing on the porch. White went into the
building aud so did Hartman. AS II
passed by the Court House. White stuck |
his head out of a window of the corner
room and motioned to me, and l answered |
the motion with a nod of my head. Ii
then went to the Granite National Bank, |
taking the money which White had paid
me and bought this draft on Boston. II
do not claim this money, and 1t Is subject
to the order OF the person who furnished
it.
Swan was followed by Hartman, of |
Kennebunk, who displayed roll of bills |
he had received. the house applaudine. |
The Speaker called for order, declaring |
that such shameful story ought not to
be SO received, In an impressive manner |
Hartman called upon God to witness the |
truth OF his statement as to the faith of !
bis Intentions while receiving the money. |
Clark, of Aobleboro, next rose and made |
similar statement regarding sthe attempt |
to bribe him With a promise Of money and |
certain House Office.
Tie Herald special says: 1t is |
charged that when White left Hartman |
in the court house to go after money be |
was followed down State Street and |
seen to enter Blaine's House. Upon |
leaving it he went directly to the court |
house.
In the House to day large number of |
remonstrances were presented By persons |
claiming seats In the House d. L. |
Murcb. of Ellsworth, claims the seat OF |
Eugene Hale.
A committee of FIVE was appointed to
Investigate the attempted bribery of |