New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-22
INCIDENTS OF THE EXAMINATION.
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TEIBUSE.l


of emotion, because he had been suspected of trng
with the committee it was necessary give him an
orportunitv to yindcate himself on this point. He.
therefore. read a statement, in which he said that
his preference for truth telling and for unaffected
sincerity long ago became so easy habit thaI the
limitations of general oath " would not be rk-
some to him. and he suggested that he should he
supplementary sworn aud examined regarding MS
sickness He also submitted his doctors certificate,
which was read. The chairman, Mr. Williams, dis
posed of the matter by saying i'll substance that Mr.
Shepherds appearance left no doubt that he had
been unwell.
Mr.. Shipherd produced four of the five missing
letters The other was missing by some fatality he
said, although he had put it with the others to
bring II to Washington. The printed correspond
cnce furnished by the State Department describes
these five letters as being addressed to Mr.. Blaine,
but Mr. Shipherd said to-day they were all ad-
dressed to the President They proved 10 be unlm-
portant rs was expected, except that they had
comic grandloqucnce which is characteristic OF
everything Mr.. Shipherd writes and of most of what
he SAYS. As whole they represented the willing
ness of the great Peruvian Company, organized only
last October, to cooperate with the United states
Government on equal terms in settling the South
American war; cheerfully pledging any amount OF
money" for that purpose and manifesting perfect
readiness on the part of Mr. Shpherd to take entire
charge of the foreign policy of the Government.
In one letter he requested TO be sent Tor
before the instructions of Ministers Fitzpatrick
and Hurlhut given to those gentlemen. but he
admitted to-day that the State Department did not
summon hun to a consultation on that subject The
most amusing part of Mr.. Shepherds testimony, and
the most sensational if any part can be called so,
was his description of his negotiations with Minister
Ilurlbut He met Mr.. Hurlbut at the Fifth Avenuc
Hotel, MAY 3O1SS having asked an interview. Mr.
Hurlbut told him. so says Mr.. Shpherd, that he had
been :" sent to tell him" that "the President" re-
garded his case, as presented i'll the papers con-
tained in some OF the "missing letters" to be as
strong case as it could we'll be made and that the
unqualified and sturdy support of the United states
Government could be relied on. There were TO be
two conditions, however. The claim must be put
into the hands of responsible company, and
must not be pressed in a way to cnbar-
rass Peru. This mysterious phrase, which Mr.
Shipherd put into General Hurlbnt's mouth
~ am sent to tell YOU" Il am told to tell YOU"
REQUIRED several times. When the committee
sought an explanation of Mr.. Shipherd 1t was his
recollection that General Hurbut used "a vague
phrase with reference TO the officer who instructed
hlm except at the outset, when he said the PresI
dent" once or twice. General Hurlbut nowhere
used the name of the Secretary of State
Mr. Shepherds testimony about the setting apart
of $3.50 600 in stock for General HuTlbut was at
first blandly malicious, and afterward more posi-
tive He said he formerly lived in or near General
Hurlbut's Congressional District, and had become
pretty familiar" with General IIurlbuts idea of
what was proper in a public officer. lie had
received the impression that General Hurlbut
did not think it improper that he should be
concerned in business interests Of which he
might have more OF less "Offcial knowledge
After advising with friends who were lawyers, he
made up his mind that it would not be wise or safe
for him to deal with General Hurlbut in converse
ton 1t should he in writing. Then the letter of
June 2 was written. in which Mr.. Shipherd said he
would be glad TO have General Hurlbut and his
friends interested, aud added g will reserve say
$3.50 900 of the pool stock subject TO your advice.
The terms Of payment can suit individual cOnven-
ience."
81 have never regretted writing the letter" said
Mr. Shpherd; adding, with n smile, e did not fore
see its publication that that would distress the
whole Nation" a moment later he said with
broad smile, that he considered the
letter IAN artistic production" further
describing it as neat way of Offering General liur-
but q" the soaped end of the stick" Mr.. Shepherds
analysi of his moral attitude toward General Hurl-
but was as much of a psychological curiosity as
ANYTHING that was heard during the Guteau trial
"You considered General Hurlbut purchaSable
mani" asked Mr.. Williams.
Most emphatically, most emphatically," was
the response
"And you proposed to purchase him"
"No, sir" was the positive answer"
Then Mr.. Shiphcrd he'd the committee through
the mazes of a remarkable problem in political
morals He had not intended to bribe
General Hurlbnt TO do ANYTHING. He had
not tried to influence his official action, bat
his personal action. d" l wanted TO satisfy him, TO
prevent him from setting himself against Us" lie
wanted to make sure that General llurlbut should
not act against the interests OF the Peruvian Com
panv, and against the instructions he should re-
ceve from the State Department. added Mr..
Shipherd, with q superb assumption that the two
were TO be identical The witness bad either salts
fed himself or thought he could satisfy the COM
mittee, that there was no moral wrong IN bnDlng
Minister of the United states not TO DO tMnss when
the briber thought he ought not to 90, SO hg as ne
did not bribe hiu to do things which others might
think he ought not to do. Later he sad he dealt
with him as with " a recognized criminal
The statements OF Mr. Shipherd hardly be
said 10 make it necessary for General Aurl6ut TO
explain his action. That necessity apparently eX-
isted already The offer OF stock in Mr.. Shphcrd,s
moonshine company vas made on june Z, wmie
General HurlbuI still in this country. There Is
no record, so far the printed correspondence
shows, that lac presented Mr. Shipherd's oyertures
until November 23, when he forwarded TO the
State Department, from Perm, a long letter,
written TO him by Mr.. Shiphcrd, which
is described in the official index as Offering hlIn
bribe" Mr. Blaine received General iiurlbuts
letter on December u and in lt;le more than
week wiOte Mr.. ShipAcrd the well -in0wn letter OF
rebuke, striking hs name of the isl of attorneys
allowed 10 practise before the state Department,
and saving he should consult the President regard
ing possible prosecution by the Attorney-General.
General IuIlbut will undoubtedly appear before
the committee as soon rs lie reaches this country.
In the examination regarding the interview with
Mr.. Blaine, the committee soon ran against ship
herds counsel well understood by all the commit
tee and shown IN the printed correspondence 10 he
Senator Blair but whose name the witness desired
20 be relieved from stating at present, on the
ground that he was q Senator. The point was
passed by for the time. The witness said that the
reason why he retained the unnamed senator was
because he understood that he intimate
friend of the Secretary OF state and added that he
did not retain any member Of Congress because he
was "a mnInLer of Cnnln lle Seuatnr took AI.