Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-10-25

/ rest, stated to the American correspondent
I to- av. that he knew Houk and that the lat
! ter was the man who registered as L. Camp
/ bell when taken to the station" And Mr.
| Corkhill, whose tastes, habits and capacity
! seem to qualify him better for such work
than for the professional duties appertain-
ing o bis Office, must nave learned at least
this much, If his investigation was half as
borough as he would have the voters of the
second district believe. But MS so-called
investigation was no investigation at all.
He never spoke 10 or inquired of either of
the Henerys about tine matter, a. they told
me yesterday, III the presence of witnesses. !
He made no inquiry of W. F. aenery, who
arrested Houk, or b. I. Henery, who lock-
ed him up IN cell No. ) He simply inouir-
ed of the clerk of the Police Court if there
was any record of Houk's arrest when it
had already been published that Houk had I
forfeited the five dollars collateral he had
deposited for his appearance instead of ap-
pearing at the Police Court. And he in
quired OF BoteleT if the records of his station
showed that the Honorable L. Q. Houk"
had been imprisoned or arrested. If the
truth were known, it would appear that
Corkhiu was told by Boteler what he (Bote-
ler) had told half dozen men, that the man
who signed himself Ii. Campbell, said he
Was Congressman Houk, of Tennessee,
and on Boteler learning from Corkhill
that it was desirable to shield Houk,
the former was afraid not to try to do so
for fear of losing his place, and the Hen
! erys Boteler's subordinates, share this
fear.
When Mr.. Corkhill states that as a result
of a careful examination he has to inform
Mr. Cordell that the Hon L. c. Houk was
never arrested imprisoned in this dis
I -
false. | may here remark that Corkhill I'M
/ dertakes to do for Houk what Houk has
never done for himself, and that is to deny
( what [ have charged And in support of
/ my charges and IN contradiction of what
/ Corkhill would have the public infer |
| hereto append the affidavits of myself and
| Dir. I. A Hamilton, Republican jour
/ nalist
! The people outside of this city may be
{ curious to know something of this swift
( witness who finds time and occasion to
/ rush to the rescue of the debauched and
{ dilapidated political boss whom the re
| spectacle Republicans of his district have
! resolved TO repudiate.
| This Mr.. George B. Corkhill halls from
1 the snow fields of Iowa, and came to Wash
ington under the administration of Mr..
/ Hayes, by whom he was appointed District
Attorney. He Is one of the numerous bar
nacles who by virtue of family cOnnec-
/ ton or other adventurous circumstances are
Improbable and uudeserving pensioners
upon the public treasury. Corkhiu hap
pens, by former marriage, to be a son-in-
law of very able and influential member
of the Supreme Bench of the United States.
In his position as district attorney he Is
constantly and conspiculously snubbed by
his superior officers, and if he were person
Of tender sensIblhties, or had the self res
pect of Il gentleman, he would long since
have r. signed the Office he is 10 unfit to nil.
When the assassin of President Garfield was
tried for murder, assistant counsel were EN-
ployed by the Department of Justice, at
great expense, to conduct the prosecution;
and more recen -, when the Star Route
cases we're tried, the bloated and stupid of
tiClal figure head was not known ia the pros
ecution at all, but at very heavy expense
to the taxpayers of the country, several as
5stant attorney wers employed for that pur-
pose and at the present time an SestigatIon
of charges of bribery and corruption,
growing ont of the last named trial, is on
foot, not under the direction of Corkhill,
but by special counsel employed by the
government for the performance of this
delicate and responsible duty. The infer
ence to be drawn from these facts is, that
COrkhiil Is regarded by his 5uperiors a. uu-
reliable and incompetent. OTHER INFERENE-
MAY BE DRAWN The only prominence he
acquired Ia the Guiteau trial, was when the
assassin, in the presence of the brilliant au.
dIence IN attendance, comprising the most
distinguished men and women of our Own
country and foreign ministers and then
wives, badgered him with owing poor
, woman washing bill of q few dollars, fol
". 1I.4.,
ment The only person in the court room
/ who did not blush was Corkhill himself. Hi
E effrontry in commencing Houk to the re
| spectacle citizens of the second district o
Tennessee Is equally shameless and unblush
, ing.
2 If Mr. Corkhill falls 50 far short Of havin,
the confidence of his superior officers here
where he is we'll known, that he Is no
? trusted to discharge the duties of his Office
what claim has he to the confidence anC
3 creduIty of those to whom lie Is wholly un
) known when he undertakes to NEEDLE will
| matters which IN no wise belong to hl
3 functions as an officer Of the governments
There Is strong affinity between Houl
l and Corkhill; their tastes, habits and III
: trDlities are similar. and it Is not unnatu IA
1 that they should depend on each other fol
mutual succOr and support. | have FIRE
j quently seen Corkhill stagger under the in
huences of liquor, and if he were not know
I to the police personally, aud if they were
! moi IN manner subordinate to him official
, / ly, have doubt he would have been
70 long since in the caaboose. His sympa HE
with him are so strong and his admiration
4 for him so great, that he said to me las
t Friday night, III the presence of severa
I gentlemen, that if Houk had been in tn
i calaboose half the time he would vote 70
= him for Congress. SO incapable is Cork
3 hill as district attorney, that 1t Is vel
known that President Garfield had deter
y mined to remove him and appoint In hi
t stead Hon. A. q. Riddle, of this city.
9 have already indicated his low standing wit
e the present administration. If his tenur
) depended upon his own, and not the merit
> of another, he would be unceremiousl
n kicked ont of the Office he disgraces by hi
It filthy habits and inetticiency.
/ For the work which his assistants dc
q Corkhill receives about five thousand do
+, lars per ear, and for the work which tn
district attorney ought to do but which as
y sistant attorneys are employed to do bt
& cause of CorkhilPs vast legal require
. ments," the government is paying out vas
II sums annually 1t would be a means {
st economy III Congress to put him on TIA
Is pension list at So, 600 per year, provide
/ the President put him out of Office an
s somebody in his place who is able to dis
'e charge the duties of the office.
lie Houks friend CorkhilI is far-fetcheG
e This man who undertakes to instruct tn
r. people of the Second district of Tennessee
II as to their political duties, comes from til
Is pistant State of Iowa. And now since Tia
State of Iowa has passed prohibition
II liquor law it would be well when the Re
e publican party awakens to the necessity G
8 unloading dead beats and barnacles an
y Corkhilrs place is filed with LAWYER an
= Houk's with GENTLEMAN, that these tw
al worthy friends should together go to tina
II land of prohibition and teetotalism
|; JOHN B. BRowNLow.
J. Washington, d. c., Oct. 10, 1882.
al