Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-20
SWAIN RAPS BATENIAN.
The Banker Handled without Fear
or Favor

Inc banker handled without Fear
or Favor.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-The direct exami-
nation of Gen. Swain was resumed as soon as
the court opened to-day. He testified that he
first learned that Mr.. Bateman had made
charges against him to the Secretary of War
through the newspapers on the morning after
they were made, and was about to 20 to court
and bring an action against Mr.. Bateman for
criminal libel when Mr.. Parker came to him
with arequest from Mr.. Bateman to come and
see him; and that he went to see Mr. Bateman.
who s1ld that he had made charges against
him in order to save his bank, because his cus-
toners were already running him and the case
was desperate. He sald further that Mr.
Bateman told him that the bank would be
ruined unless the suit was withdrawn and
that he (Bateman) was willing to submit the
matter to arbitration, and if the suit were
withdrawn, to write letter to the Secretary
of War generating him (Swaim) from the
charges he (Bateman) had made. He testified
that he knew nothing about the pooling ar
rangement entered into by Col. Morrow IS
creditors until he read about it in the newspa-
pers.
HIS FIRST NOTIFICATION.
He also testified that the first information
he had of the duplication of Col MOrrOw,s 8
pay accounts was given him by a newspaper
correspondent named Scott Smith, who came
into his office one day and told him that thev
were having rumpus over at the War De-
partment about Col. MOrrOw's paw accounts,
He sad that Smith told him that he rot his
information in the Secretary's office On the
same day Gen. Mckibben, Col. Rockwell and
half dozen other officers told him (Swaim)
that the War Department had information of
the duplication of Col. MorrOw's accounts
Sometime afterward, he said, Col. Nor
row told him that he tMOrrow) had made
statement about his accounts to the War De-
partment. He testified that on one occasion
while in Mr.. Ii tteman's Office, the latter h 4d
begun a TRADE against army officers, saving
that they were a set of swindlers all of them
and he had lost $1,000 or $1,000 by them, and
that he (owaim) then told him that it came
with very bad grace from him to talk about
swindling army officers when he (SWaim had
caught him in an attempt to swinde him in
his stock accounts.
SANDPAPERING THE BANKER.
He added that he told Mr. Bateman at that
time that they (the banker-) had selzed on all
of Col. MorrOw's assets to the exclusion of the
butchers and bakers and other creditors. and
had allowed Col. MOrrow's wife a mere pit
tance, and that it came with very bad grace
from them to talk about losing money bY Col
Morrow. The witness c Osed his testimony on
the direct examination with a statement that
at the time he transferred the duebil to
Bright, Humphrey Il Co. he honestly believed
that on fair settlement of the accounts be-
tween him and Mr.. Bateman the latter WOuld
he found to owe him several thousand dollar
The examination was then directed to the
matter of Gen. SWaim's stock transactions
with the firm Of Bateman & Co., and con
tlnued in this line up to the hour of adjourn
ment. The court Will meet again Jan. 2.