The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-13
THE SWAIN INQUIRY.
Colonel Morrow and General Swain Testify
in their Own Behalf

Colonel Morrow and General Swain Testify
in their Own Behalf.
WAsHINGToN May 12.-In the Swain court of
inquiry, this morning, Colonel A. p. Morrow,
of the Sixth cavalry, was called by the defense.
He testified to the circumstances attending his
negotiation of a loan of 81, 500 from Bateman &
! Co., in March, 1883. He said he had gone
wit Major McISibben to General Swain to ask
for loan of $S, 900; that Swain said he was un-
able to loan him that sum- but referred him to his
bankers, who, he said, did that kind of business,
and gave him note of introduction to Bateman
that in company with McKibben, he had gone
to Bateman & Co.. and asked for loan of $S,
900, which had been refused him, and finally he
had accepted from them 81, 800, depositing ac-
counts for four months pay as security. He said
he had not said anything to Swain about his pay
account at the time of their interview.
| On cross examination the witness was asked
if the accounts he deposited with Bateman &
Co. as security were triplcates of his pay ac-
counts.
Mr. Calkins objected, saying the witness
should not be asked to criminate himself, and
the court surtained the objection.
Major McKibben was called. and testified to
having gone with Colonel Morrow to see General
SWAIN and to the fact of their subsequent visit to
the bank The witness knew from Morrow the con
dition of his accounts and of his having dupli-
Gated and Implicated his vouchers He did not tell
Swain about them, and did not know that
Swain knew anything about them. He did not
mention the fact at Batemans bank, because
they had refused loan of the entire amount,
and he told Morrow not totake the 81 800 offered.
He did not want to make the fact known unless
the loan could be secured and that was why he
did not mention it to General Swain or at the
bank.
General Swain was then called He testified
to his acquaintance with J. Stanley Brown and
to having loanded him 5000 to increase his capi-
tai with Bateman & Co.. substantially as already
stated in Browns testimony. He testified to
having had speaking acquaintance with Colonel
Morrow, and then narrated the story of the
latter's visit to him with Major McKibben, and
the application for the loan of $S 600
McNibber told him Morrow had been speculat-
ing in oil, had lost heavily, AID was embarrassed
and in debt. The witness refused to loan the
money, but told them they could undoubtedly
get accommodation from some brokers in the
city, who did that kind of business. He had re
ferred them to Bateman & Co., and possibly had
given Colonel Morrow q note of introduction to
Batenan. Nothing was said in the conversation
about pay vouchers, and the witness had no
issued by Colonel Morrow, and since
then had had no knowledge of any,
except by newspaper rumor and public talk.
He had not learned that Bateman & Co. had
loaned any money to Col. Morrow on his pay ac-
counts until the matter was published in the
newspapers. He denied ever having mad con
versation on the subject with BateElan in the
latters coupe, related by Bateman in his tes-
tmony, and also denied having had the conver-
saton with Bateman in the latter's Office testi-
fed to by Bateman. in which the latter stated
that he (Swaim had told him of securing bill
of sale on Col. Morows piano, and had said
the old man didn't get left" Bateman, he
said, had told him, after the Morrow matter be-
came noised obroad, that he tBateman) had been
caught by Morrow, and the witness had said he
was sorry, and that was all there was about it.
The witness then testified that the only finan-
was loaning him $780, without security, without
even 4 note for the amount Some time after he
had made the loan, Col. Morrow wished to sell
him his piano for $3.50, and witness agreed to
take it. but next day, after their conversation,
Col Morrow told him his wife had sold the
piano
The witnesses attention was then called, by
counsel, to the conversation testified to by Bate
man. in which he witness was said to have
threatened to squeeze" Col. Morrow at the
War Department, so that the bankers could
not get their money unless they contributed to
help him (the witness) out on his account
against Morrow, and the witness denied having
made such threat but said he had once said to
Bateman, with some warmth, that the latter had
been talking of his losses by army officers, and
he thought it was too late for them (the bankers)
to talk of fraud, after they had seized on Nor
rows assets and absorbed them to pay his in
debtedness to them, they having
the exclusion of bakers, and butchers, and