Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-14


THE PERU-CHILI INVESTIGATION.
Testimony OF Mr. W. HI. TrescOtt To-
day.
Mr. w. II. Trescott late commissioner OF the
United States to the South American republics OF
Chill, Peru and Bolivia, was examined by the
House committee on foreign affairs to-day. Wit
ness received his first commission from the Presi-
dent in November last, was confirmed by the Sen
ate In December, and received second commission
through Mr.. Frelinghuysen, who was then Secre-
tary OF State He was appointed special minister
plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary, and, in
general terms,
THE OBJECT OF HIS MISSION
was to attempt to bring the belligerent states OF
Chill, Peru and Bolivia together, and, II possible,
TO induce them to make peace. witness knew
nothing whatever OF the correspondence OF Mr..
Shtpherd; never saw him but once, and none Of
his papers ever came into hts {witness0 hands
just before witness left this city for South Amer
lea, Mr. Blaine showed him one OF Mr. Shepherds 8
letters and his {Baine'sl reply to 1t. no was the
letter in which he told Shipherd to speak to
him again-] With this exception, witness
KNEW NOTHING OF THE sHIPHBRD PAPERS
or the missing papers. In reply to questions by
Mr. Williams, witness stated thathe had no knowl-
edge that any minister Of the United States was
corruptly Influenced In connection with the Credit
lndustrlel, or any other company. Witness never
saw or heard anything to indicate that the late
enced. He (witness) found that great dissatisfac-
ton existed in Chill with the Official course OF Mr..
Hurl6ut, but he never heard the least intimation
that ne was corruptly Influenced in his action to-
ward Chill. or that he had any personal interest in
the Credit Industriel or other financial schemes In
been time when the Credit Industriel was or
could be made practical factor in the settlement
OF the dlficultieS between Chill and Peru. Wit
ness had an interview with the Chilian secretary
OF foreign affairs, and intimated to him that the
Chh1an people, by their structures upon Mr.. Hur-
butts course-evidenced by the articles in their
neWSpaperS-Were doing him an injustice and the
minister replied that the Chilian government had
no charge whatever to make against Mr.. Hurlbut
CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS ANNOUNCEMENT.
Mr.. Williams stated to the committee that he
had been notified that the Secretary of State
would to-day send to Congress a large mass of
colts mission. and unless some members OF the
committee desired to ask some questions he
thought 1t would be better to adjourn for few
days to give them an opportunity to examine this
correspondence.
Mr.. BEEMoNT's QUESTIONS
MI. Belmont desired to put few questions, and
1nquired:-"Do understand you. Mr.. Trescett, to
say that the plan OF the Credit Industriel the
only one that could have been practical?"
AnSwer.-It was the only one that heard OF
that seemed to have sufficient financial status to
warrant the expectation that it might furnish the
means to pay the war indemnity.
Question.-The first steps contemplated In the
plan of this company were the cession OF Terapaca
to Chill. and the establishment Of some form OF
they not?
Answer.-I do not know as to that; the Credit
nauss1el antsd t was Pely financial enterprise that
Mr. Belmont then put number OF questions,
with a view to showing that the Credit 1ndustrfel
Was the company which was meant, although it
was not mentioned in the instructions OF the State
department to Mr. Hurlbut. OF June 18th.
MR. BLAINE AND Mr.. RANDALL.
MI. TreScott was asked IL he had communicated
with anyone since his return from South America
in regard to the Credit Industriel and replied
that he had written to Mr.. Robert Randall in re-
sronse to letter from that gentleman, In which
lie called his (witneSs0 attention to certain por-
tionS Of Mr. BlaineS testimony and asked him for
statement of his Cyitness) recollection upon the
matters involved. Mr Trescott added: 81 DO not
wish to be drawn into any controversy as to the
accuracy of memory of either Mr.. Blaine or Mr..
Randall"
Mr.. Belmont.-''I am simply trying to ascertain
what. If any. were the relations OF the State de-
partment to the Credit IndustricL"
MI. TreScOtt-I know nothing cf what passed be-
tween Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. Randall. l knew Mr..
Randall as the agent representative of the Credit
1ndustriel. AS understood it, Mr.. Randall was
under the impression that certain relations had
been established between the Credit Industriel and
the State department, and he thought that Mr..
Blaine had taken up the Landreau claim, and had
Peru, to the detrment OF the success Of his COM
pany AS point of fact. however, the question
alton, and SO told Mr.. Randall.
PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATIONS.
Mr. Trescott was asked If he did not draft the
instructions OF June 18th, and replied that he did
not remember.
Some discussion ensued as to the proprety OF
compelling witness to disclose who wrote certain
Mr.. Trescott stated that he was perfectly willing
to answer any and all questions not conflicting
with his obligations to the President and Secretary
Of State, but all official dispatches signed by the
Secretary OF State were his (the Secretary's) de-
spatches and he witness, doubted the propriety OF
his being questioned In regard to their authorship
Mr.. Belmont stated that he deemed it pertinent
to the inquiry to show that the Credit 1ndustriel
tons OF June 18th, although 1t was not mentioned
by name. The witness yesterday made light of it,
and made the point that the Credit Industrel was
not mentioned at all. He desired witness to state
whether he twitness) had any other company in
mind.
Mr.. Trescott replied that his opinion on the SUBJ
ject was formed after he reached Peru, that from
what he had heard there he was satisfied that the
Credit Industriel was the only agency that could
and it was the only agency that he ever heard OF
While there.
THE CALDERON GOVERNMENT,
Mr.. Belmont asked several other questions In
regard to witness acquaintance with Mr.. Elmore,
Mr.. suarez and others, and in explanation stated
that his object was to show what kind of gov
ernment that OF Calderon was, when Mr.. ElmOre,
the representative OF it, was also the representa-
1--WE VI tc SftuiJ 1NQuStTlel, ana also Cnap IL was
so we'll understood that the Credit Industriel was
the only company Offering practicable plan; that
1t was not thought necessary in the dispatches to
mention 1t by name. The inquiry was not pur-
sued further, however. as the hour of adjournment
had arrived. Mr. TreScOtt was excused, with the
understanding that he would be recalled in few
days.
$150, GOO LOST AT A GAME OF .POKER.-At mid
night Monday DR.. Montrevill M. Hedges, dental
surgeon and sporting man, was arrested at New
burgh, n. Y, on bench warrant issued by Joseph
F. Barnard. justice Of the supreme court at Pougn-
keepsie. The complainant. Francis P. Weed, OF
Newburgh, charges Hedges and VIM. NJ. Scott, the
latter now dying OF consumption in California,
with cheating at games and conspiracy to de-
fraud: 1t is stated that the three played game
OF poker In Newburgh in June OF last y>ar, each
betting $150GO0 on a single hand, and Weed and
Hedges lost. Weed now charges that the hands
were put up BY Hedges and Scott, they to divide
the winnings. Weed had recently received from
the estate Of his deceased father fortune esti-
mated at about 100000. OF the amount lost it Is
stated that Weed paid the defendants during the
year over s1c0 GOO. having compromised for $4,000.
and that $4,000 is yet due an unpaid note This
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