Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-04-06
THIRD EDITION,
1aohSoA1 HvHN1No' 49,
THE COCHET CLAIM.

PERUVIAN shlPHERD STILL AT IL
Telling How HIS Cesebrated Company Sc
cured Its Interest I'm the GuanO Land
His Estimate of Huribut.
WASHINGTON, April 6.-The examina
tion of Shipherd by the foreign affair.
committee was resumed to-day. Witness
stated that the Peruvian company own,
the claim Of Alexander Cochet through
the natural son of Alexander Cochet, who
| claimed to own one. third of all tho guanO
| deposits of Peru. Witness compiled the
prospectus Of the company from docu.
ments furnished him, one of the docu
ments being a written translation of an
| old Spanish pamphlet, which was deposi-
ted at Lima. The original of that manu-
script has never been shown in this cOun-
try. The company has the original manu-
scripts i'll the handwriting of COcEet, which
duplicate the pamphlet alluded to. Cochct
made scientific Investigations relative
to the commercial value Of guaDO which
led to the trade with England. The Peru
Wan Congress awarded Cochet some 5000
tons OF guanO on condition that he would
give the government the value Of certain
discoveries. This COchet refused, and the
company now claim one-third of the guanO
deposits by virtue of his right as such dis
coverer. It was first supposed Cochet
died lntestate, but subsequently the com,
panyfOund a will in Paris which settled the
validity Of the claim of GalateiO (Cochet o
natural sony. Witness declined to state
what was paid GalateiO for his claim.
In speaking Of his interview with Hurl-
bit, he stated that Hurlbut did not speak
of the president or secretary of state, but
used the expression of The govern.
ment )" and ShipLerd believed he spoke
by authority. The only evidence witness
had that the president knew anything of
the business of the Peruvian company was
a letter from the presidents private secre-
tary, saying: . Your letter received ard
referred to the secretary of state" Wit
ness said his reason for Offering Hurlbut
$3.50. 600 interest in the claim by letter ill-
stead of orally was because he wanted to
put 1t in writing rs he meant to be rcspou-
sible for what he said.
lie said lie made the offer to Hurlbut
because he did not believehim to be above
talking bribe, yet with ingenious So
phistry, insisted that he (ShipherdD was
not guilty of wrong intention in making
the offer. He said Hurlbut never ac-
the receipt of the letter and
never again called to see him. Hurlbut
was never paid ANYTHING. and was never
interested in the favor Of the company.
Witness said that in an interview with
Secretary Blaine on July % no suggestion
was made that the recretary or his friends
should become pecuniarily interested in
the cOmpany's claim that it never Oc-
CURED to him to approach any official ex-
cept Hurlbut. He explained to Blaine |
all the negotiations he had made, and |
Blaine nodded his head affirlnatively and !
told Shipherd to GO on.
MIR. Rice called attention to the discrep- |
ancy between the position of Hurlbut and
the secretary of state, by quoting the re-
mark of Blaine to Shipperd that I" Amer
leans had purchased claim from French
man, and now come here to ask these |
United States to have it enforced" and
asked Shipherd if the secretary ever did
moro than give notice to Chill |
and Peru of the fact of the assertion Of IN
American title to guano.
Witness made a long statement, in
which he said the secretary had said to
him "This French company have plenty
Of cash and you have what they want-an
American title. Why don't you join in
terests ?''
The committee then adjourned till to-
morrow.