The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-04-25
Blaine on shipherd.

| com mlttee, to-day, IN connection with
Shipherd. He had read his testimony
and endeavOre3 10 uEderstsud it. Blaine
said he never saw or heard of Shepherds
letter IN the state department until Ship
herd was introduced to him By Senator
Blair. Such trashy matters as Shepherds
letters would never be called to the atten-
Uon or the secretary, IS they were
scarcely Mt Tor the waste basket. Wit
ness SAID he knew nothing Whatever as
10 how the letter came to be missing from
the files. The first interview with Shin
nerd, so far from lasting late into the
night, only lasted fifteen minutes, and
witness did not see Shipherl again
for nearly three months. Blaine
then produced what he stated was
the entire correspondence between
himself and Hurlbut, during tina
lstters's administration at Lima.
Shlpherd came to me and stated that he
was the representative Of q very i'm
portsnt claim called the Cochet Claim. I
had never before heard Of it, and asked
him how he spelled the name. he told
me that Senator Blair was one of his
counsel, ana also added ex-senator
ConkliDg, Hon. Scott Lord, ex-senator
Cragin and others. / thought it S very
strong array of counsel, He named about
a dozen prominent inanciers and bankers,
including the Seligmans, Morton, Bliss
q Co., and others. mention these facts
because l have been criticised for not
kicking Shipherd out OF the department
the first morning he called, but when q
man comes introduced by q United
States senator. with three ex-senaIors and
an ex-secretary Of the treasury as eoun-
sci, and an array of hackers such as ha
| mentioned, it would hardly be the Gus
tom OF the department to kick him out
on sight. This explains why did not
do what l virtually did later. Blaine re-
lated the points of his conversation with
Shipherd, IN which he (Shipherd) read
what be claimed 10 be the opinions Of
ex-Secretary Evsrts, TO the effect that
OOchet could claim One-third of the
guAno. Blaine said, with much empha-
sis: Il would be willing TO take most
solemn oath that President Garfield died
without having even heard of this vile
sehemer. never having heard the name
OF Cochet mentioned"
Trescot, st Blaine's dietstiOn, wrote q
dispatch to Hurlbut telling him that hs
no doubt would be placed 10 possession
Of facts concerning the Cochss claims,
but ne must take no step towards COM
hitting government thereto till he re-
ceived further definite Instructions, HurI-
but replied that the legrtion had nothing
but vague statements regarding the claim
and could take no Judicial action. On
November 18th, Blaine instructed Hurl-
but not to extend the good offices Of this
government to purchasers Of tins claim.
Shepherds letter referring to the de-
tectlve title Of the claim, which has al
ready been published, was read To
this Blaine replied that he took pleasure
IN commencing Hurlbut's action in send
ing hither the correspondence in the case,
and added; perhaps l should mitigate
someW hat the severity of my language
IN view " the possibility of
the fact that Shipherd is not wholly in
his right mind. This ended the cor
respondence between the state depart
men: and Minister Hurlbut on the Coches
claim"
Belmont enquired: Was there not q
subsequent dispatch? Blaine explained
that the Peruvian company denied the
Oochet claim, and Shipperd informed
him that Ex-Senstors OonklinR and
Eaton would soon start for Peru in its
interest and after that he wrote dispatch
such as would always be given where
Americans OF high rank were interested.
The COchet claim was Peruvian scheme
in behalf Of which the department could
net under the circumstances use its
offices, but the Peruvian company being
an American company, it was entitled to
the kind offices Of our Minister in snv
investigation that might be made in Peru
in their behslf.
In regard to Shipherd's story OF
go, COZ bribe offered to Hurlbut the fol-
oEing latter Ras read:
WASHINGTON, April 10.
Hon. Jas. @. Blaine:
Dear Str:-I never heard Shioherd
state to you that be had offered Hurlbut
$3.50, 900 stock. l never heard that he
made such an offer until read L in the
published reports of his evidence before
the foreign affairs committee.
(Signed), HENRY w. BLAIE.
R!sine read similar lettsrs Of denial
from Secretary Boutwell,, Scott Lord,
son, and raised general laugh by add
ing: There is q very large liza out
there, and l don't think it will require q
very searching Investigation to locate it."
Blaine then read MS (Blsine's) CORES
pondenee with Secretary Evsrts. in
which Eva-ts denies that Shipherd had
any authority to quote him. that he never
gave or vas eYen asked for an opinion re-
gsrdingt the Coohet clsim;only knew upon
MS return from Europe that Shipherd
had used his name. Said Blaine; GI
have not the slightest hesitation in saw
ing this man Shipherd should be sent be-
fore the grand jury. It is fat, unausIi.
fed perjury on his part and ought to be
properly punished" Blaine read a let.
ter from Elmore, saying the
story. that be had seen the
marginal note, go in Steve" was
absolutely false. Blaine being reminded
that he had not denied this marginal
note, said quickly, sob, oh!it is an absc-
lutely detestlble and on of WhOle-cloth
lie, and don't think the man is of sound
mind" In Vindcation Of President
Garfield and Burlbut from Ship
herds insinuatious, Blaine reviewed
an interview with Shipherd on Hurl-
but, pointing out the sbsurditY of Ship
herds version, that Huribut sought the
interview 10 public CIR. idor Of the Fifth
Avenue Hotel; witness believed Shipherd
wsylAid Hurlbut there They merely
had casual chat >hipberd's assunp-
ton ia speaking for Garfield was simply
infamous. He e.OqusntlY and v9h6-
mently said he Was prepared t. take q
most solemn oath so frm were mis- con-