National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-04-11
SHEPHERDS TALK
ABOUT THE PERUVIAN COMPANY.
What He Meant by Telling General Hurlbut He
WOnld Find Him "True Partncr"-IIis
Talk with General Grant and
ex-senator Conkling.

| The examination Of Mr. shipherd was resumed
by the Foreign Affairs Committee at 10 40 yester.
day morning, Chairman Williams presiding.
Representative Blount conducted the examina-
tlon. Witness desired to answer fully any direct
questions, but wished TO avoid the appearance Of
volunteering anything in regard to Mr.. Blaine or
any one else
Qucstion--When you wrote to General Hurlbut
September 2S that you would ask thatno change be
made at Lima in the ovent Of change Of admins
tration, did you mean to intimate to him that the
Peruvian Company would use its influence in his
behalf?
Witness replied at length that he was no pollt.
clan, and approached General Hurlbut as n bus-
ness man. believing that II was properly part of
his official duties as American minister to forward
American industries.
MIR. Blount then quoted from another letter Mr..
Shepherds words; If now you can see your way
clear to, work with us you will find me true
| to influence his official actlonY
| Witness insisted that II meant what the entire
| letter would imuly that Mr.. Hurlbut should co.
operate in n general way IN matter which was
! expected TO subscrvd the Interests oil the entire
! American people
| other letter and asked what was meant in your
expression speaking Of General Hurlbut He viii
find in IL a helpful friendship 30 long MS he lives2"
Did not this mean that he might expect 10 be
taken care of so long as he lived?
Witness attempted to dodge the direct issue, and
claimed that he was frank man and always said
what he meant. lie thought turning his letters
inside out as they were being done that the COM
mittcc might see in connection with his evidence
here that he was u frank man. The word part.
ner,' witness explained, did not mean o sharer IN
the pecuniary profits, but only IN that liberal sc'e
in which every American would have an interest
in the formation Of so great an undertaking. BY
the term you have deserved Peruvian conf
dence," witness said, was meant that General
Hurlbut, in n general way, hnd befriended Peru
in his official relations.
Representative Blount-what did you mean in
IN tha Ia
one ofus?"
Witness had regretted the use Of that term but
1t was written when he (witncSs) was in great
hurry lie would desire just her to state precisely
what their relations were. In September he
(shipherdl had talk of an hour with General
Grant in discussing the affairs of the Peruvian
Company. General Grant was the principal
tnlker, and expressed his views freely and at
length. told him our people desired to put him
ut the head of the company. He frankly stated
his position in about these words: shall not mt
present consider any proposition TO become
pcCuniuriy intcrcstedin yourcOmpnny, ,butwill not
hesitate to give you my views upon your case as
understand it, and 0t,er some further discussion
he remarked Mr.. shipherd, It viii make no
difference whether am stockholder or not l
should do nothing for you whether / were n
stakeholder or not other than to help you In
securing from the Government that co operation
and aid to which you arc justly entitled
In reply to further inquiry witness said Gem
eral Grant never was n stockholder, but feeling
that they could count upon his good offices even
more than If he were stockholder, he (witness),
in his letter to General Hurlbut, had spoken of
General Grant In that way as being one of u.s.
| Witness was asked in regard to Mr.. Conkling
whether there was any foundation for connecting
his name as counsel, and replied; ut having
| been decided to tender Mr.. Conkling n retainer,
| Senator Blair wrote to him and made the tender.
| Aiterward Judge Lord wrote u second letter to
| Senator Conkling and received reply that he
| had received Senator Blairs letter ana the dOcu
ments. Judge Lord nferwaTd saw Senator COnk
| ling. who told him that he had received Senator
saw no reason why he should not accept a re.
| tainer." Witness subsequently saw Mr.. CUnkling,
who received him very cordially, and discussed
with him the affairs Of the company. witness
told him there was at that time occasion for his
professional services, but as soon as such occasion
arosehe (witness should tender him retainer,
be pleased to accept it,"
Witness was then asked "Was any retainer
| ever rendered Mr.. William f. Chandler2"
Answer-At the time that letter was written II
| was thought best TO tender him retainer but
this was aiterward reconsdered, and no retainer
Reading further irom Shepherds letter to IIurl-
but. Mr. Blount asked: Who were the parties
with whom you say you were holding confidential
correspondence"
Witness declined to answer intimating that the
committee were exceeding the range of their in
vestigatlon, and obtruding upon purely private
matters. Witness stated that he was first intro.
duced TO Senator Blair by ex-senator Cmgin, but
declined to satNThether he was advised by the m
(wineSs had several reasons for desiring to secure
Senator Blair as counsel, primarily because he be-
lieved that Senator Blair could induce the Secre-
tary to give the matter prompt attention.
| Witness was asked: To whom did Senator Blair
| expect you to quote the Secretary, when he told
| you to quote him strong?' and replied: Having
no access to the Senators minds, | cannot state.
| My correspondence shows TO whom write, and
| IN what way spoke of the Secretary" Witness
here took occasion to make general. dGfaTsio a,
this correspondence, asserting Tft ,i S,',g H. ", -
he dealt only IN factSGHf, ~, i.i ahsnt
nnpt S n is Wus to make his correspondence
| filnes sworn evidence and stand by its truth
| The witness declined to state what sum was
| paid as n retainer TO Senator Blair. The exact
| amount was returned by him (Blair) early in No.
| vember, several weeks before the assembling OF
| Congress. Representative BlOunt then asked II
the witness had anything further TO offer in justi-
| fcation of his charge that Minister Hurbut had
| been influenced against the Peruvian Company by
| the Credit Industriel.
| Mr.. Shipherd replied at some length, to the eff
| feet that he had already been charged with pur-
| suing an attack upon the reputation of a dead
man. and he did not care to go further or say any
| justification. He had read from the newspapers
| Hurlbut with the Credit Industrel, and these re.
| ports he (Shipherd) had repeated 10 Secretary
| Blaine at their interview of OctObcrH.
| The witness was then asked to give the names OF
| the parties from whom he had heard the reports
| and replied that he would do so privately to the
| committee if they desired to summon them as wit
pesses but he must decline to give their names "a
| the country through the reporters The question
was not pressed, and the committee adjourned al
| ten minutes past twelve o'clock to half-past ter
| M 10 m