Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-10-12

,96s 63
The production OF this evidence
astounded Coliax. The links in the
chain from the check by Ames, through
the Sergeantat.Arms, and into the
deposit, were perfect. These proofs
were offered on the 2Sth of January,
and no attempt was made to break
their force until the llth of February,
a fortnight later. If there was any
explanation, why was it not made on
the spot2 A lame and lying defence
was concocted, which ended in expos.
ing Collax's venality where it had not
been suspected. He stepped from the
frying pan into the fire.
Now for his witnesses. In No. of
his letter ho cites Mr.. Dillon, Cashier
of the Sergeant alarms, to relieve him
from the check, and gives a part of
Dillon's testimony to that effect.
This man was examined twice. On
the first occasion, January 23, 1873, he
testified:
"By Mr., ColiaX
"Q.-At the time this payment was
made on tho S. @. check there seems
to have been another TO ). F. Wilson,
1929, entered on the same line. Would
that indicate that the two checks came
in together2 A.-No; only that they
came in on the same day. They were
both put on the same line as q matter
of economy.
90 Bat do you recollect anything
in relation topaying them, or to whom
they were paid2 A.-NO, Sir.
This positive and broad answer ex.
cluded all knowledge on the part OF
Dillon then. At least he swore so.
He was clerk under N. G. Ordway,
then Sergeant at Arms, and a radical
Republican The corruptionists con-
troled the House. They were dissat.
isfed with billions testimony, because
it was important to clear Collax and
to relieve the party from these damag-
ing disclosures. When Dillon next
appeared ho was no longer a know.
nothing, bat most willing witness,
whom Colfax now uses after eight
years silence to throw dust in the
eyes of q forgctlul public.
Coliax attempted to explain the
81 200 check in this way, to use his
own words:
"Of the deposit Of bills, 5000, ! am
positive, were paid me by my step
father, Mr.. Matthews, on account Of a
debt which be owed mo, About the
time of this payment, and as near as !
can fix the date, about the middle OF
the month of June, as | was opening
my letter mail at the breakfast table,
found an envelope within another
envelope postmarked New York. On
opening the inner envelope | found it
contained letter written by Geo. +.
Nesbit, congratulating me cordially
upon my nomination for the Vice
Presidency, and saying that the writer
desired to send mo con6dentially the
remittance enclosed, TO aid me IN the
heavy expenses of the canvass, but
wished it kept secret, as neither bis
family nor anyone else would ever
know of II unless / told them. En-.
closed in the letter was greenback
or national bank bill for 81 900. Hold.
ing up the letter and the bill, | asked
the attention Of all my family TO II,
and then read them the letter The
Bill ,rds then passed around from hand
10 hand and examined. am sure |
deposited it with the 5000 received
from Mr.. Matthews. | have gone
three times over all tho letters have
preserved, and hare not found this let'
ter"
After turning to various friends in
New York for assistance IN accounting
Tor the 81 200, loan or otherwise, this
Nesbit story was manufactured out OF
whole cloth. A number Of Nesblts
letters were produced, but, by singular
fatality, the most important Of all was
missing. 1t could not be found for the
sufficient reason that ii was never
written. Nesbt was q favored con
tractor in the Postoflice Department
For years he had successfully dehed
all competition by mysterious induen.
ces, which became explained by bis
correspondence with Coliax, who had
been Chairman Of the Postofllce Com
mittee, Speaker, and was then Vice
President.
In one Of Nesbit's letters, dated
April II, 1868, ho writes:
al enclose check for safety. 1fyou
had rather receive il in another form,
please name your wish"
This "it" probably referred to q