Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-28
GEN. .SWAIM'S CAREER.
HOW GARFIELD YANKED HIM
OUT OF OBSCURITY.

! Given a Committee Clerkship, he Saves
his Salary and Buys Admission to the
Bar With a Bottle of Whisky and a
Few Cigars-His Loans to the Dead
President.
The fact that a court OF inquiry has
been ordered by the Secretary of War to
investigate the charges of fraud and
swindling against Judge Advocate Gen.
eral Swain, preferred by Mr.. A. E. Bate
man, of this city, says a Washington
special to the New York World, makes a
sketch of that officers career of interest.
just after the war Gen. Garfield, then a
member of Congress, employed small
striker named Swain to do some political
work for him among the rural voters.
Swain proved an adept. This resulted
in Gen. Garfield bringing him to Wash
ingtOn and appointing him clerk to his
committee. In 1866 the committee clerk
ship expired, but Swain had secured his
first start in the world. He had saved
most OF his salary and had begun lending
out his money at very high rates. When
Congress adjourned he went home to Ohio
and developed a new scheme for getting
on in the world. He made up his mind to
be admitted to the bar. He possessed no
huOWAGuSc VI luc law, anu his tllle was
too valuable to waste it in any prelimi-
nary study. lie went to brilliant LAWYER
Of his village who had lost caste i'm a
measure through his reckless dissipation.
He told him what he wanted and prom
ised if this could be brought about he
would go to Minnesota with his certificate
and not attempt TO practice at home.
A day or two after the obliging lawyer
made motion in court to have a COM
mIfTnn 0nnOinfn1 To nv f,u
admission to the bar. The lawyer hand
ed the clerk of the court the names of two
OF his Intimate associates to be put upon
the committee with himself. Then he sent
word to Swain to appear on a certain
day. When Swain arrived the LAWYER
told him what to do. He directed the
future Judge Advocate General of the
Army to go to the hotel of the place and
order room for the use of the committee
T9 this room he was to send a bottle of
whisky and box of cigars. At the end
of their drinking bout they sent for Swain,
and amid rOarS of drunken laughter
handed him his certificate. Swain did
not 90 to Minnesota. During his resi-
dence in Washington he obtained a strong
hold upon Gen. Garfield. Garfield was
always in financial distress, aud his
thrifty committee clerk did not hesitate
to lend him money, but never without the
most ample security. 1t was not long
after Swaim's sO-called admission to the
bar that he was appointed, through Gar
field, Judge Advocate in the army with
the rank of Major.
His intimate relations with Garfield
continued and at the time of Garfield's
nomination at Chicago he had a mortgage
on Gartield's house for all it would bring
at forced sale. 1t is said that goOdly
portion of the amount was lost to Swain
at the poker table. Gen. Garfield was
very fond of poker, but was prOverbiallv
unlucky at the game. So close was he to
Garfield and so notorious had become his
relations that Garfield preferred to get
Hayes to appoint Swain to the office of
Judge-AdVOcate General the special OBJ
lect of Swaim's ambition. Hayes made a
bargain to appoint Swain il Garfield
would i'll turn reappoint Stanley Mat
thews to the Supreme Court bench. In
the February of the closing year of his
administration Hayes advanced Swain
over six of his superiOrs in rank to the
office of Judge-AdvOcate General.
Swain then formed the "Chum Cabi-
net" Col. Rockwell, of the army, one of
his associates, was to be made Quarter
master General, and Col. Corbin. another
intimate friend from Ohio, was to be made
Adjutant General. The death or Garfield
alone prevented the carrying out of this
scheme. If Garfield had lived the "Chum
Cabinet would certainly have covered
the Garfield administration with more
disgraceful scandals than ever were
known in the history of any previous ad-
ministratiOn. Blaine saw this very soon
and at the time of the assassination he
had made up his mind that either he or
the ''Chum Cabinet" would have to go.
Secretary Lincoln had also arrived at the
same conclusion. The bullet of Guiteau
destroyed the plans of the "Chum Cabi-
metz combination