Daily Los Angeles herald., 1880-10-29

q great deal Of eloquence and sta.
tistics anent:a certain oil claim in
which one Gilbert figured, and In
which he now figures as the bitter
denunciator of Gen. Hancock. In
his long, rambling and incohere Mt
statement, he represents Gen. Han
cock as having used United States
troops to dispossess him. Gilbert
had u partner. Mr.. Hosmer, who
appeared, the other day. ct the
office of the San Francisco EsS.
aminsr aud told the following
story:
The "Chronicle" Of yesterday
has "a long and rambling statement,
made by a man named Gilbert,
against General Hancock, and pub
lished In the Bodle "Free Press"
The charges nre substantially that
General Hancock, with the men Of
his command, jumped an oil claim
owned by Gilbert and Hosmer, in
Los Angeles county, about 1859 or
$50. Gilbert's memory does not
run back to the exact year, though
he is exceedingly circumstantial
as to the other points attempted to
be made against the distinguish
ed General. When Gilbert was
In Bodie-he has been ciroulat-
ing himself nui his story all
through the southern country-and
the Bodie "P'ts," published his
statement, th- STANDARD" ex-
posing it as pure Invention, he
was there regarded as a man whose
head was affected. His oft-repeat-
ed declaration had affected him SO
that he could speak of nothing
else.
Charles Hosmer, the man who
put the money-six or seven thous-
and dollars-intO the Los Angeles
oil springs, for Gilbert had nothing,
advanced no money and lost none,
has called at this Office and de.
MES the whole story, alleging that
it is made out of whole cloth.
Mr.. Hosmer says Gen. Hancock
had no connection with the wells,
and he never before heard his name
mentioned in The matter. The spec.
ulatiOn did not pay and was aban-
donsd by Hosmer and Gilbert at
the same time. Gilbert was an ex.
perienced oil man, and had been
selected by Hosmer, who furnished
the capital, as manager. When
the wells were abandoned, Gilbert
went to San Buenaventura. Hos
| mer never took the matter into
| the courts and does not think that
Gilbert did, AS the article in the
"Chroniclen asserts. The claim
was jumped, after Hosmer had
abandoned 1t by citizens from Los
Angeles. Mr.. Hosmer claims that
1t was money in his pocket when
it was jumped, and he says 1t never
has been worked since. DR.. Tier
ney, of this city, vouches for the
truth OF this statement, knowing of
his personal knowledge that the
nearest troops, and they were not
under the command of Captain
Hancock, were at Fort TETON, one
hundred miles distant. Thus IL
exploded another weak invention
OF desperate and INSCRIPTIONS pc.
litical tricksters.
Thus, 1t will be seen, Gilberts
"pard" goes back OIL him. 1t is a
matter of fact, not fancy, that the
oil wells spoken OF by Gilbert
would not command a purchaser in
the market to-day.
Mr.. J. R. Briefly appears in yes
terday's Commercial in q long ar
ticle intending to confirm Mr.. Gill
berps statement. AS matter Of
fact Mr.. Briefly is a very pro.
nounced Republican partizan-one
who labors In season and out for
the success of his party. His zeal
is liable to be unduly inflamed and
to tincturs his views of things past
and present. AS opposed to the
Republican, Mr.. s. II. Briefly, who
proposes to vote for Garfield, We
have the Republican, Major Han
cock, one Of the numerous Repub.
licans Of this section who propose
to vote for Hancock. What be.
tween Gilberps partner Hosmsr,
Major Hancock and numerous
other gentlemen, old settlers, who
pooh-pooh Gilbert's charges, we are
obliged to decide that this cam.
paign effort Is hardly worthy Of
aavtono nj