New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-25
THE PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL.

RI,
spectators this morning caused by the fact tnat MI
Blaine was to have an opportunity Of testyng and CON
tradctng of Jacob r. snpherd so far al
least TO interviews with the former secretary
OF State Mr. Blaine entered the committee room al nan
after 10 o'clock accompanied by OF his young
sons. and having in his hand four enormous
envelopes and volume, published by the
State Department. entitled "War in south
America, and attempts TO bring about peace
II was arranged that the committee would continue IN
session till O'Clock. and Mr.. Blaine was thereupon
sworn as a witness, and the examination proceeded as
follows:
Air Blaine-Whre of course. desire 10 submit myself
TO such direction as the committee may indicate sim II
would probably be the most simple mode OF proceeding
for me to make general statement and then submit
myself To any questions which the coihhl'Iee may Pio
pose 10 put afterward
The chairman-I going TO lead to that after rev
nrellminarv ouestlons You Secretary of state
under President Garned's Administrations and for II
time under the administration OF President Arthur'
Mr. Blaine-I was.
Q.-Do YOU know jacob K. Shipherd, who has toslneu
in tins investigation Al d..
Q--IIayc you read the testimony purportng TO nave
been given by him before this committed A-Nos SIT,
and have tried to understand il. Gaughter)
The Charman-The committee may desire to intcrro-
gate you reference to the correspondence OF Mr. snip
herd and 10 various alleged interviews which he claims
70 have had with you; bnt the committee prefers that
make your own statement in such way as You please
taking 1t up in such order as you desire
Mr. Blaine asked for the reading OF the resolutions u-
Der which the committee acng, and they were read
By the clerk
Mr. Knsson-If It be agreeable TO Mr. Blaine, should
ask him. at first TO dopose o his knowledge touching
the missing papers.
Mr. Blaine-I was going to take il in that order To
begin with, Mr Chairman, I never saw the alleged
napere Of Mr. shpherd in the state Department in my
le-neher before this inquiry was started nor SINCE
They were papers OF character which would not hatu
rally be brought attention of the Secretary OF state
never knew that there such papers i'll the De
portmen nor addressed it, until after Mr. Smpherd
was introduced by Senator Blair in the latter part
of July He then referred to the fact that he had adj
dressed some letters 10 the President which had pToDa-
bly, been referred to the state Department never In
uured about them shall speak about that more directly
nfterward) and never them. knew nothing mp to
that time of their being there and prior 10 the ntroduc
uon by Senator Blair OF Shipherd to me- had never
heard Of the mans When Senator Blair came TO
me OF Monday, July rs, and said that he desired al
interview for a gentleman named Shipherd never
had heard OF the name, and SAID to nun ::
"You must mean shepherd, for never heard Of the
name Shiuherd" NO." he said, ." mean Shpherd.'
recolect that incident fixing the fact in my mind
that never had much as heard OF the man De
fore july % In further explanation Will state that
the correspondence which to the state Depart
ssort it, Consular fence 10 the Office OF
the Third Assistant Secretary; diplomatic correspond
ence goes the office OF the Second Assistant Secre
tary OF Of the First Assistant Secretary, or 10 the Dip
lomatic Bureau directly. The Secretary Of state would
only have his attention called to important dis
patches-to dispatches relating to questions Of policy
not 10 matters of detail. 1t would be utterly
impossible (and gentlemen Of the enst intelligence will
see how absurd would be to SUPPOSE that the head Of
any Of the great Departments of the Government should
have personal cOgnzance oversight OF every indvd
ua paper that comes the Department, much less
matter 0f entire rashness az that sent by dr.
shpherd and far investigation say il without
any disrespec the committed into what became Of
this concerned 1t was scarcely fitted Tor the
waste basket The Chief Clerk would have been acting
in strange his ordinary prudence had he at
TENTED Il, interrupt the attention OF the Secretary by
LAYING such matter on his table. did not know Mr..
ahipherd's handwriting until In the autumn when Mr..
Uurbut turned over his correspondence and the Assist
ant Secretary Mr.. HIT, brought 1t to my house one
morning and said Here is a pretty mess OF stun
from South America" And he exhibited these letters
I suid: Arc these in Shepherds handwriting" He
said he did know Shepherds Handwriting but that
they appeared original leters and that there was
no evidence Of their being copies. Up to that time had
never seen Shepherds handwriting. AS TO Mt SHEPHERDS
very frequcnt interviews with would suppose
from certain representations which appear TO have been
made to the committee aud especially from statements
IN the press that we spent the whole summer to-
gether
40 KNOWLEDGE OF THE MISSING PAPERS.
MI Ka-son-.Wil you simply state now whether you
know how the papers to be missing from the files
Of the State Department
MI Blaine-I never heard word OF their being missing
at all. do not know word about It, have az little
KNOWLEDGE OF IL as the unborn child They had never
been addressed to al all They were matters which.
IN course OF routine referred every day in large
quantities from the White House TO the different Depart
ments.
Q-And, of course you have no knowledge where they
are TO be found A-NOt the least in the world There
was precision that they might possibly be among
the various documents which necessarily brought
70 my house but have had every nook aud corner
searched my private secretary without effect aud he
himself who is a very careful Close attentive business
man. never heard OF these papers Now in regard TO my
frequent interviews with Mr. shipherd He was intro
duced to me on July % by Mr.. Blair IN the evening,
when had very brief interview with him Instead Of
its extending up TO IL o'clock in the evening as he
states should say that the whole interview not
longer than from ten fifteen minutes. excused my
sef account of having very important engagements,
and postponed the interview until the next morning
From then until the middle OF October never saw Mr.
Shipherd and never heard OF him.
O--Who present that EVENING" A-Senator
Blair Mr. Blair introduced him never saw him at
any time except with Mr.. Blair. never was one mo-
mept with him any time that Mr.. Blair not pres
ont except for q single which shall aIerw ards
explan But from July rs to October l3 never heard
OF NH shipherd nor saw him. Ihen saw him IL brief
time OIL November 8. l think that he has gwen the
dates correctly In his statement 80 far as have oDerVed
bul he has erred great deal TO the length OF the III
teryiews As TO what was said by Mr.. shipherd, OF
COURSE as fixing the policy OF the Government the com
mt.ee Will pardon for saying that that never ap
extraordinarily pertinent testimony.