Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-05-13
BEEN LONG SILENT.
Another Man Makes Public a
Startling Secret.
F. A. LUOKENBAOKs AFFIDAVIT,

What One Seyd, of London, Told Him
The Whole American Congress Bought
for $500, OOo-Aleged Price of the Pas
sage of the Silver Decentralization Act
The Purchaser Said to be the Bank
of England-Campaign Thunder for the
Free Coinage Men.
DENVER, May 13.-Frederick A. Lucken-
back. of this city, has made remarkable
affidavit before the supreme court, the
substance of which is as follows:
in the year 1865 l visited London, Eng
land, for the purpose of placing there
Pennsylvania oil properties in which
was interested. / took with me letters of
introduction to many gentlemen, among
them one to Mr.. Seyd, from Robert NJ.
Faust, ex-treasurer of Philadelphia.
became well acquainted with Mr.. Seyd and
with his brother, Richard Seyd. In Feb
ruary, 1874, while on one Of these visits,
and while his guest at dinner, had talk
with him about official corruption.
Had a Roland for His oliver.
Il alluded to rumors af1oat of parlia-
mentary corruption and expressed aston
ishment that such corruption should exist.
In reply to this he told me he could relate
facts about the corruption Of the Ameri-
can congress that would place it far ahead
OF the English parliament in that line.
After dinner he invited me to another
room and said: If you will pledge me
your honor as gentleman not TO divulge
what am about to tell you while you live
Will convince you that what said about
fTsNra - H.
is true
Had Millions to Spend.
Il gave him the promise and he then
continued: L went to America in the win
ter OF 1872, authorized, if could, to secure
the passage of a bill demonetizing silver.
1t was the interest of those l represen ted
the governors of the Bank of England
to have it done. l took with me e1OO, Goo
with instructions if that was not sufficient
to accomplish the object to draw for an
other 100000 or as much more as was nee
essary.' He told me German bankers were
also interested in having it accomplished
he said he was the financial adviser of the
bank.
Refused to Gives the Names.
He said: I saw the committees of the
house and senate and paid the money and
stayed in America until l knew the meas
ure was safe l asked him if he would
give me the names of the members to
whom he paid the money, but this he de
clined to do. He said: Your people will
not now comprehend the far reaching ex-
tent of that measure, but they will in
after years. Whatever you may think of
corruption in the English parliament /
assure you l would not have dared make
such an attempt here as 1 did in your
country expressed my shame to him
for my countrymen in our legislative
bodies"
Ammunition for the Silver League.
Mr.. Luckenback is well known to
Erastus Wyman and is well and favorably
known by many of Colorado's leading
business men. He has been engaged for
two years past in introducing q pneumatic
pulvertzer. 1t having come to the ears of
M. S. Slater, chairman of the executive
committee of the state silver league, that
Mr.. Luckenback possessed the inforrna-
ton contained in the affidavit, that gem
leman waited upon him and induced him
to put the whole story in explicit form
and give it to the public