Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-04-11
eY,pYFRO's INVESTIGATION.
The Witness Examined by Rep
resentative Blount.
He Explains His Letter to Hurlbut.


| The examination of Shipherd was resumed
BY the foreign affairs committee this morning,
| Chairman Williams presiding.
Representative Blount conducted the exam
| ination.
| The witness desired to answer fully any d.
rect questions, but wished to avoid the ap-
pearance of volunteering anything in regard
to Mr.. Blaine or anyone else.
Question When you wrote to General
Hurlbut, Sept. %, that you would ask that
no change be made at Lima in the event of
change of administration, did you mean to
intimate to him that the Peruvian Co. would
use its influence in his behalf.
The witness replied at length that he was
no politician and approached Gen. Hurlburt
as a business man. believing that it was prob
ably part of his official duties as an Ameri-
| can minister to forward American interests.
Blount then quoted from another letter,
Shepherds words: If you can see your
way clear to work with us, you will find me
true partner. And asked: Did you not in
this intend to influence his official action.
| The witness insisted that it meant what
the entire letter would imply, that Hurlburt
should cooperate in general way in a mat
ter which was expected to subserve the inter
est of the entire American people.
| Again Blount quoted from another letter,
| sion, speaking of Hurlbut, He will find in
us a helpful friendship long he lives.
Did not this mean that he might expect to be
taken care of so long as he lived?
The witness attempted to dodge the direct
issue and claimed that he was frank man,
and always said what he meant. He thought
| turning his letters inside out. as was being
done, that the committee might see in con-
nection with his evidence that he was frank
| man. The word partner, the witness ex-
planned, did not mean a sharer in the pecun-
iary profits, but only in the liberal sense in
which every American would have an interest
in the formation of so. great an undertaking.
BY the term, You have deserved Peruvian
confidence the witness said was meant that
Hurlbut in a general way had befriended
Peru in his official labors.
Representative Blount: What did you
mean in your letter to Hurlbut by the words
Grant is now one of us.
The witness had regretted the use of that
term but it was written when he (witness)
was in the greatest hurry. He would desire,
just here TO state precisely what their rela.
tons were. In September he (Shipherd)
had a talk of an hour with General Grant
| in discussing the affairs of the Peruvian Co.
Gen. Grant was the principal talker and ex-
pressed his views freely and at length told
him our people desired to put him at the
head of the company. He frankly stated his
position in about these words: shall not
at present consider any proposition to become
pecuniarily interested in your company, but
will not hesitate to give you my views upon
your case as understand it.
After some further discussion he remarked
Mr.. Shipherd, it will make no difference
whether am stakeholder or not. l should
do nothing for you whether l were a stock
holder or not, other than to help you in Sc
curing from government that cooperation
and aid to which you are justly entitled. In
reply to further inquiries, the witness said
Grant never was q stakeholder, but feeling
that they could count upon his offices even
more than if he were stakeholder, he.
(witness) in his letter to Hurlburt, had
spoken of Grant in that way, as being one of
US.
The witness was asked in regard to Conk-
ling whether there was any foundation for
connecting his name as counsel, and replied
| 1t having been decided to tender to Conkling
a retainer, Senator Blair wrote to him and
made the tender. Afterward Judge Lord
wrote second letter to Conkling, and re-
ceived reply that he had received Blair's
letter. and documents. Judge Lord after
wards saw Conkling, who told him that he
had received Blair's letter, and had examined
the papers and saw no reason why he should
not accept retainer.
The witness subsequently saw Conkling,
who received him very cordially and dis
cussed with him the affairs of the company
The witness told him there was at that time
no occasion for his professional services, but
as soon as such occasion arose the witness
should tender him retainer. To this, Conk-
ling replied pleasantly, shall be pleased to
| accept it.
| The question was then asked: Was any
retainer ever rendered VIM. E. Chandler?
| Ans.-At the time that the letter was writ
ten it was thought best to tender him
retainer, but this was afterwards re-consid-
cred, and no retainer was ever offered him.
| The witness stated, that he was first intro
duced to Senator Blair by ex-senator Cragin.
but declined to state whether he was advised
by the latter gentleman to employ Senator
Blair. He (witness) had several reasons for
desiring to secure Blair as counsel primarily
because he believed Blair could induce the
Secretary to give the matter prompt atten-
ton.
| The witness declined to state what sum
was paid as a retainer to Senator Blair. The
exact amount was returned by him (Blair)
early in November, several weeks before tho
assembling Congress.
Representative Blount then asked if the
witness mad anything further to offer in JUS
LITIGATION of his charge that Hurlbut had been
influenced against the Peruvian company by
the Credit Industriel
! Shipherd replied at some length to the eff.
feet that he had already been charged with
pursuing an attack upon the reputation of a
dead man, and did not care to go further or
say anything that was not directly in line
of his own justification.
He had read from the newspapers and had
heard from others, reports connecting Hurl-
but with the Credit industrial, and these re.
ports he (Shipherd) had repeated to Secre-
tary Blaine at their interview of October
l4th,
| The witness was then asked to give the
names of parties from whom he heard the re-
ports, and replied that he would do so priv
stely to the committee if they desired to
summon them as witnesses, but he must de-
cline to give their names to the country
through the reports.
| The question was not pressed and the COM
mittee adjourned at ten minutes past twelve
! till tomorrow.
THE JEANNETTE SEARCH.