Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-04-06
SHEPHERD ON THE STAND,

He Tries to Bulldoze the Committee and
II Properly Snubbed Damaging State
ments by tho witness - to the Oharac-
ter of the Late Minister Hurlbut.
WASHINGTON, April 5.-The house commit
tee on foreign affairs met this morning.
Chairman Williams read the following letter
which he received the state department.
Lima, March IS, 1SS2-Hon. C. g. Williams,
chairman Of foreign affairs committee. Dear
Sir: leave here April 6, and ought to arrive
in New York BY the 25th. I will come ut once
to Washington. Read my late dispatches.
The United States are in a bad way out here
In the line Of reputation. Yours
sbnS Ens took his s.st s A. HIss.,s table
stated that he had brought with him the
postscript to the letter of May 20, which his
son had failed or omitted to send with the
other papers. but which he deemed necessary
to supplement that letter. He then read the
following letter, which, although 1t bore
separate date, was, Shipherd stated, post
script to the letter before mentioned:
May 81, 18l...-Sir: Since my letter of yes
terday was closed the remarkable letter OF
print here, and has already determined my
clients to reconsider their intention to
offer ga Gen. IS Grant the presi.
dency OF { this company, and am
instructed to reopen this parcel and add this
intimation. OF course my clients read Gen.
Grants letter through business eyes only, but
none the less it disturbs them. lam further
instructed to say my clients win be glad to
consider any nominations to the presidency OF
the Peruvian company which the president
| may be SO good as to suggest. Among
| many kcapable men, other conditions being
equal, we shall OF course prefer some one en-
Toying the presidents entire confidence.
Very respectfully to the president.
| lSignedl ]. r, SHIPHERD.
After the letter had been read Shipherd
desired to make an explanation which he
mittee. He then stated that the Republican
of this city had printed what purported to be
a statement Of his (shipherd) to Republican,
reporter to the effect that he proposed to Gre
ate a sensation in the committee room, and
asserted that he had never made any statement
for publication outside the committee room.
On being questioned he admitted having had
a conversation, In the course Of which he
made statements something similar to those
described in the newspaper, but the person to
whom be talked was private gentlemen hav-
ing, 50 far as he knew, no connection with
any newspaper and one who should have
known better than to report the conversation.
He (Shipherd) had never authorized any
thing OF the kind for publication. Shipherd
was asked tbs name of the person with whom
he had the conversation, but demurred. He
read a statemsnt he had prepared, he felt as
sured the committee would be satisfied, as 1t
covered all the ground of the recent ques-
tions. Shipherd then read from newspaper
and written statement, IN which, in alludlng
to the sudden death Of Minister Hurlbut, be
stated that he was confronted by @
most unexpected embarrassment, inasmuch
as the dead man had stood in the position
of chief accuser and to 20 on would seem like
and was stopped from making any reply
but in justice to himself and the great inter
ests which had been conf1ded to his keeping
and discretion, he deemed it his duty to pro.
coed just as if Hurlbut was living.
sHIPHERD SNUBBED.
The statement was long and carefully pre-.
pared, and Shipherd had already occupied some
fifteen minutes in relating when he was inter.
rupted by Rice, who said:
"Speaking for myself, Mr.. Shipherd, I de.
sire to suggest to you that while you may
state your impressions OF the character of the
transactions in which you were interested,
and your own motives in dealing with anoth.
er, you should not state your impressions as
to the character OF another or as to his mo.
tives. The questionsis right here, as under
stand it-Was there corrupt proposition In
tended to corrupt public of1cer?"
Shipherd-When was asked by the COM
mittee If considered Hurlbut purchasable,
and replied, "Most unquestionably," did
not mean that considered him merely pur-
chasable, but meant that he would insist on
being purchased and on being so placed that
he could in the future help himself, and that
until he was so fixed he would play dog in the
manger and in every way in his power thwart
eur purposes. / do not assert that he was
not pure and honorable man, but
do protest before that God whom he has
gone to meet, that my motive was simply and
purely to protect myself, and have no choice
now, but to add, that all my subsequent deal
| ings with him justified my belief that he never
| was purchased; and all his subsequent acts
we're calculated to obstruct and Illustrate our
purpose, and in this he was fully secured by
| his chief, the secretary of state, with modif-
cations that shall at the proper time offer.
| Shipherd then went into an explanation Of
the series of reasons that led him to make
| the charge OF corruption against Hurlbut-
| that he had been in the pay OF the Credit In
dustriale, etc. He stated he did not know
| that any such official charges were on record
| In the war department, but he had often
heard 1t asserted and never seen it contradict
ed. He then offered as part of his statement
copy of the Aurora Nesos, in which the
| charges to which he had alluded were printed.
| Rice objected ia anything of the kind and
suggested to the witness the propriety of
making proper distinction between legiti.
mate evidence as to the facts and m ere hear.
| say.
Chairman Williams here interposed an ex-
PLANTATION to the effect that when he put the
| question to the witness which had been re-
| ferred to it was not his object to get an ex-
preston of opinion by way Of prejudging
Minister Hurlbut, but simply to draw from
| the witness Shepherds idea Of the character of
| the transaction in which he (Shipherd) was en-.
gaged-to obtain his judgment as to what
kind of transaction 1t was; by no means to
elicit something to PREJUDICE the case or the
good name of Hurlbut.
Rice remarked-Mr. Shepherd, you have
| read very long statement, covering q good
| deal of ground. As q lawyer, you should
know what range committee is entitled to
| take upon the croes examination Of q witness.
would like to inquire If you expect to with
hold any facts touched upon or suggested in
your statements?
Witness-I don't conceive of any facts in
connection with this case that could wish
to withhold from the committee.
Rice-As you will be examined by the COM