St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-08-27
The NoblOlm Cotton Claim.
HISTORY OF A CELEBRATED COTTON
CLAIM CASE-HOW THE GOVERN
MENT OFFICIALS
WERE BRIBED.

The Chicago Tribune Of Aug. 10th
publishes an article on the subject of
| the Noblom cotton claim, which it en-
titles 1.-THE Great Cotton Claim Swim
die" The suit was originally brought
bv New Orleans firm to recover adj
vances alleged to have been made upon
cotton during the war, and which result
ted in a Judgment in the Court OF Claims
of S296,O44.
Saws the Tribune: Gas now appears
! in the revision of the case by the court,
the New Orleans firm made the claim
for advances to planters on cotton
which they alleged had been seized and
it's value covered into the treasury, the
claim being bogus. In 1864 Noblom,
one of the firm, contracted with Clar-
ence A. Seward to prosecute the claim,
and the latter had engaged George
Taylor, of Washington, to attend to it.
R. H. Shannon, United States COM
missioner whose commission had been
revoked, was employed to take the tes-
timony, and received $4,000, and another
party, Valade, who threatened to kill
the case, was silenced with $4,000. In
1878 decision of the Supreme Court
virtually killed the case, but the legal
sharks did not abandon it. The three
lawyers engaged in it, Taylor, Lowell
and Corwine, put their heads together,
and by scheme which involved forgery,
perjury and bribery they reinstated the
case in new form, based upon new al
legations. with figures and dates
changed to suit them. Money was paid
out like water, though some of the big
gest rascals were the easiest to pur-
chase. 1t was agreed to pay to the
Dent estate $4,000 for the services OF
Louis Dent, Gen. Grants brother-in-
law, who had been engaged in the case
in 1878, but was then dead, though this
money was not paid by the cunning
lawyers after the settlement.
Other lawyers received the following
installments Of the stolen money, as
follows. George Taylor and c. A.
Seward, $59,212; r. NJ. Corwine,
$4,000; @. S. Lowell, $16, 900; Mcclure,
$4,000; and Taylor and Lowell, $4,000
for additional expenses. Capt. Pope,
who had testified in the case, got $500;
c. NJ. Conrad, $4,000; and Shannon, the
the testimony, $4,000. The biggest
rascal, in the corrupt ring, Alexander
johnson, the assistant United States at
torney general, who was specially
charged with the management of cotton
claims, and who was defendingC) the
government, was bought up cheaply
enough at $4,000. With tie exception
of Assistant Attorney General Coffroth,
there was not man connected with the
case at the time the government paid
the claim who did not know that it was
fraudulent, and that the judgment had
been obtained by false testimony,
coolsed-up affidavits, forgery, perjury
and bribery. The first fraud was
practiced by the original firm who
brought the claim upon the govern
ment through the department of State,
where it was originally filed, and that
firm is either bankrupt or dead, so there
is no hope from that quarter OF recover
ing the stolen money. The grosser
frauds were practiced by the adven-
turers who prosecuted the claim under
a so called contract with a syndicate
for shares OF what might be recovered,
and, as will be seen, divided their plum
der, not only with their own corrupt
counselors, but also with the principal
law officer defending the government.
Unfortunately, in this case also, the
death Of Johnson, Dent, Corwine, and
other leaders of the ring bars the pros
pect Of recovery, and the government
stands swindled, out of S296, O44 with
out recourse. The recent decision OF
the court, which has exposed the lnfa-
nous fraud practiced upon 1t III 1874,
is impotent so far as any restitution to
the government is concerned.
IN