Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-25
BLAINE ON HIS METTLE.
HE DEN0UNCES SHIPHERD AS
A PERJURER.
why He Did Not Kick HIM out
The Dead President Defendef-
Hurlbut and the state Department.

The Dead President Defendef-
Hurlbut and the State Department.
WASHINGTON, April "a -Ex-Secretary
Blaine appeared before the House Foreign
Relations Committee to-day. After being
sworn he said, In reply to question, that
he knew shipherd, had read his testimony
and had endeavored to understand it. Mr..
Blaine then stated in substance that he
never saw or knew of the letters ia the
State Department until Shipherd was intro
duced to him (Blaine) by Senator Blair. Until
then he had never seen the man or heard
OF him until the 25th of July. Mr.. Blaine
then explained the method of disposing of
papers in the State Department. which
would account for his previous statement,
and added: 'Such trashy matters as the
Shipherd letters would never be called to the
attention of the head of that great depart
ment, as they we're scarcely it forsthe
waste basket" Mr.. Blaine said he had no
knowledge of how the missing papers left
the State Department files. Also that his
first interview with Shipherd, on July 25,
lasted only about fifteen minutes. instead of
several hours, as Shipherd had testified.
Mr.. Blaine was then called away on import
ant business, and the interview was post
poned until the next morning. Mr.. Blaine
next saw Shipherd on October 18th. Blaine
then produced what he stated was the en-
tire correspondence between himself and
Hurlbut during his administration at Lima.
"Mr. Shipherd came to me and stated that
he was the representative q very import
ant claim called the Cochet claim. had
never before heard of 1t, and asked him how
he spelled the name. He told me Senator
Blair was one of his counsel, and also added
the names of ex-senator CoDkling, Hon.
Scott Lord, ex-senator Cragin, and others.
l thought 1t very strange array of counsel.
He named about q dozen prominent fnan-
ciers and bankers, including the Seligmans,
August Belmont, Morton, Bliss & Co., and
others. l mention these facts en- pdSSdnt,
because l have been criticised for not kick
ing Shipherd out of the department the
first morning he called. But when
man comes introduced by a United
States Senator, with three ex-Senators
and an ex Secretary OF the Treasury as
counsel, and an array OF hackers such as he
mentioned, it would hardly be the custom
of the department to kick him out of sight.
This explains why did not do what l vir-
tually did do later, and for not doing which
have been severely criticised"
Mr.. Blaine then related the points of his
conversation with Sbipherd, in which he
(Shipherd) read what he claimed to be an
opinion OF ex-Secretary Evarts, to the effect
that Cochet could claim one-third of the
guano. Mr.. Blaine said with much
emphasis: II would be willing to take the
most solemn oath that President Garfield
died without ever having heard of this vile
scheme, or ever having heard the name Of
Cochet mentioned"
Mr.. Blaine then proceeded to read the
entire correspondence between the Depart
ment of State and Minister Hurlbut, touch
ing the Cochet claim, all dIscreditipg the
value of the claim, or the right of it's owner
to the support of this government. Mr.
Blaine then stated that the department
looked into the matter to see If there was
any claim to the property, as was asserted
by Shipherd upon Evarts' opinion, and had
found nothing in it. Senor Elmore, the
Peruvian Minister in a subsequent converse
ton, fully satisfied him upon the subject.
In regard to Shepherds story about offer
ing $3.50, 900 in stock as bribe TO Minister
Hurlbut, Mr.. Blaine had written to all the
gentlemen named by Shipherd as cogniz ant
of this offer, and that IT. had been discussed
10 Blaine's presence, Blaine himself taking
part in the discussion. In reply Senator
Blair writes that he never heard Shipherd
make any such statement, and that he had
never heard of this offer until be read It in
the published reports Of the proceedings Of
this committee.
Mr.. Blaine then read similar letters OF
denial from ex Secretary Boutwell,, ez Sen
ator Cragin, ex Senator Eaton, Scott Lord
and VIM. H. Robertson, of New York. Mr.
Blaine then read his (Blsine's) correspond
ence with ex Secretary Evarts, in which the
latter denied that Shipherd had any authori-
ty for quoting him In any way, that he had
never given any opinion or been asked to
give any whatever, in regard to the Cochet
claim; that he was absent in Europe and
did not know until his return. and then on
lY through the public prints, that Shipherd
had been using his name.
"I have not" said Blaine, "the slightest
hesitation In saying shat this man Shipberd
should be sent before the grand jury. 1t is
fiat, unqualified perjury on his part that
ought to be properly punished"
Mr.. Blaine read a letter from Senior
Elmore, denouncing Shepherds description
in every particular, except that he had per-
mitted Shipherd an introduction, and fur
nished him with copies of the financial con-
tracts of the Credit Industriel with the Peru
Wan Government.
Senior Elmore says in the letter: ''In re-
gard to my alleged statement that had
marginal note, Go iu Steve l need not as
sure you that it Is absolutely false"
Chairman Williams having reminded wit
ness that he had not made any denial of his
own, Mr.. Blaine quickly responded. "Oh
oh. 1t is an absolute. .detestable, out-of-the-
whole-cloth lie,l and I don't think the man
is of sound mind"
Mr.. Blaine maintained that Shepherds
version that he had met the late Minister
Hurlbut by the latter's appointment, and
that they had sat upon a sofa in a public
corridor and held such an interview as Ship
herd described, was absurd. Mr.. Blaine
utterly discredited any other explanation
than that Shipherd had waylatd Hurlbut
and secured merely casual chat
with him. Mr.. Blaine characterized
in the most forcible language the assump-
tion of Shipherd in assuming to speak for
President Garfield. as simply Infamous, and
with eloquent vehemence declared that he
was prepared to take the most solemn oath,
so firm were his convictions, that President
Garfield went to his death without ever hay
ing seen or heard of Shipherd or his claim