Arizona weekly citizen., 1884-07-19
THE TRUE STORY.
How He Earned His Title of The
 Plumed Knight.
An Exciting scene In Congress-The De mand for the Mulligan Letters by the Committee MT. Elaine Reads Them BeIdIy to the House
 Proctor knott Put
 Down squareIy.
ICineinnati Enquirer.l


 WASHINGTON, D. C., June 2l.-The nomination of James c. Blaine as the Republican candidate for President Of the United States recalls the famous and exciting scenes of June, lS76-over eight years ago. Blaine was then a candidate for the presidential nomination. He was member of the House of Representa- tives. He was acknowledged to be far III tue lead in the presidential race, and | but for the exposure of what are known | to history us the Mulligan letters he would probably have been nominated.
 THE BEGINNING OF THE PLOT.
 Some time in April or early in May preceding the June ID which the Repub- lican Convention met at Cincinnati, NIT. ' J. D. Harrison, of Indiana, an Implaca- | ble enemy then as now to blane, caused | to be printed in tue Cincinnati Commer- ! clal charge winch very seriously sf- \ fected NIT. Blaine's integrity. Harrison was 2 Director, representing the United States. of the Union Pacific Railroad. | The burden of the charge briefly stated was that the Union Pacific Railroad had charged to some one s6i OOO of the bonds of the Fort Smith X Little Rock Railroad of Arkansas, and that the real benenci- ary was James c. Blaine. A quadrilat eTal ot newspapers, which are now, | strange to say, zealously supporting Blaine because they bslleve that his innocence has been fully established. rung the changes on the charge until public opinion forced Blaine to ask for a committee of investigation. The in- 1 vestigatlon was oTdered by the Judiciary ! Committee, of which the Hon. J. Proc tor Knott, of Kentucky, was Chairman. As the investigation proceeded sub committee took more active charge of ii, of winch the Hon. Eppa Hunton, of Nir- ginig, was chairman.
 NotaiIg of any special importance de yeioped until one Warren Fisher, of 1 Boston, and the now famous MT. MullI- gan we're summoned. Fisher had in his day been quite a prominent sDeculator in railroad securities. In the Little R. ck < Fort Smith Railroad transaction he acted as the confidential agent of Josiah Caldwell, who, 1t was charged, was the l man who gave Blaine the S6i UUO ot stock. Caldwell was at the time III Flu rope, and 1t had been impossible to Sc cure d service upon bIm. Mulh gan, Of whom more hereafter, had been book keeper for Fisher. Up 10 the time Of the arrival of Fisher and Mulllgan, Blaine mad met every accusation agalnst him, and the bent of the Investigating Com mittee was to make report of exonera- l ton. Fisher was first placed Jn the witness stand. IL was evident al glance, whatever might have been his capacity theretofore, he was reduced through | alcoh, lIsm to almost a wreck. His mind 1 seemed to be gone. His memory was impaired. and his testimony wholly un- satisfactory.
 MULLIGAS.
 Then came M1llgan. As his name indicates, he as terrier, chuck full oi | Ceitlc blood He was a spare built man 1 with malicious look in a blue eye well back ID his head, a small, red face more oval than angular, with an intensity of expression denotIBg hate and malice. At first nis inclination was 10 be evasIye. Then questions were put to him which gave evidence he had been well coscbed. He was ItcBIng to unload, but hls cUu- nIng bad planned so as 10 make II bp- pear that secrets We're being extoEted rather than confessed. One day m the conrse Of his testimony heindicated that he had some very interesting document ] 1T two after Mir. Mulligan made his appear uncs before the committee m a state of great exciteu eut. He said that Mir. Blaine had twice called upon him at the Riggs House; that the first meeting Blaine, on his pended knees, had be- sought hIm to give him the letters he had in his possession. This was a cor respondence between Blaine and War Ten Fisher, which Mulligan, as Fishers bookkeeper, had stolen out of the lat ter's safe. After some hesitation, ard upon the promise that Blaine would re- turn the letters, MGlligan gave them to him. Blame kept them few hours and returned them. The sdcceedIng night Blaine again asked to see the letters, to refresh his memory as to the contents of one of them. Mulllgan again gave them , to him, when Blame placed them in hIs pocket and refused to give them mp.
 When Mullgan made this statement ; to the committee 1t created Q sensation. } Blaine did not deny that he had taken the letters, tut he justified himss If oD ihe ground that the letters. having teen stolen by Mulllgan, were not his prop erty. They belonged either to himself or Fisher, and the latter declared he was anxious that Blaine, and not MullieaD, should have them.
 TEE INVESTIGATION.
 The committee then, through Chair man Epps Hunton, demanded the letters. Blaine first asked time for consideration. A day was gwen him. The demand was then repeated, and Blaine plumpiy re- fused to give them mp. Then II was that the 9uadrilateral of organs now supporting Blaine, which then were bounding him, adjudged hlm guilty be- ' cause of the refusal to expose his cor respondence. The committee, too. had had long executive session. and had l agreed to report B aine to the House ss recalcitrant witness. Thus matters stood until the 4th day of Jure. 1876, when Blaine made the dramatic scene in the House of Representatives, which suggested to Boh Ingersoll his term oi the "Plumed Knight" afterward ap piled to him in lis famous speech at Cincinnati. Blaine arose in his seat to question of privilege. He was the very embodiment of rage and passion. His face was pale and bloOdless. No one who sa. within his hearing could have failed to surmise thct something was coming. Thereupon he reviewed succinctly what he deemed bis persecu- ton at the hands of the Judiciary Com mittee. his refusal under legal advice. to g.ve up the Mulhgan letters and, sad:
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