The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-26

7
cific railroad was mentioned TO me just at
the time and the office of the company was
suggested to me. / said to the officer.
Go up to the Northern Pacific railroad
office and see if the gentleman TO whom
this check was paid is there"
He went, came back and reported:
The gentleman Is sitting there reading
a newspaper
81 then directed our assistant cashier to
ing the president OF the bank to answer
confidential question which our assistant
that a certain check which we had paid
was paid TO a respectable man. The assist
ant cashier came back and reported to me
that the gentleman was named King, and
that he had been postmaster or something
of that kind to the House of Representa-
tives. / remarked to our assistant cashier:
This, think, relieves us OF any solicit
tude in respect 10 that cneck, and that Is
all our interest in it
with that / dismissed the whole thing,
and my connection with the matter ended
50 far the S115,OoO check was concerned
Having certified the $4,000 check, the next
| thing was TO ascertain how 1t was paid. /
inquired the next day what bank had sent
the s275, 900 check in. The answer of the
clerk was, The Marine Bank l requested
our assistant cashier to go down to the Ma
rine Bank and ask the officers whether the
| person to whom the $4,000 was paid was a
the bank knew him, so that might feel
assured ii was all right The word came
| back that the party was a very respecta-
| BILE party; that the cashier knew all about
| ii, and if ii was necessary he would tell
me, but that could be assured the check
was all right. l then dismissed the whole
| subject from my mind. It was none Of
my business 10 pursue 1t further.
IRWIN'S OPERATIONS.
The story of President Coe is given in all
| its detail because il affords an insight to
the bold magnitude of lobby operations as
well as to the strange methods of the lobby
Irwin, who made the deposit was an
agent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany. He summoned from San Fran
cisco in January and sent down to Wash
ington in February to try TO get through a
bill giving his company 100000 year for
service between San Francisco, Japan and
China. Between the time of his arrival here
In February and the final passage of the
bill, on the 21st of May, Mr.. Irwin used
$4,000. When his work accomplished
he went back to New York, made the de-
post or over 100000, which was in addition
services rendered in connection with the
bill.
The total amount attributed. of which
the two checks for $4,000 and $4,000
formed parts, was $4,000. 1t paid
OUT between the middle or FEBRUARY ana
the end of May. 1t was the price of the
passage of a single act Of Congress. Yet
not a dollar was traced into the pocket of
a member who voted for the measure.
The people who furnished the money were
probably under the impression that they
were buying votes Perhaps some of the
bank tellers, were thick in Washington
about the time Of this grand distribution
of intended corruption, purchased few
was never proven. An investigation, how
ever. showed that more than half of the
money went into the pockets of the lobby
and remained there. What became Of the
rest was only matter of suspicion.
Irwin was before the investigating COM
mittee. He was loath to give the names OF
those 10 whom he had paid the money.
But after much pressing he furnished the
list From this it appeared that the larg-
est sum had gone TO John u. Schumacher.
That gentleman had received $780, 900. which
included the check. He said he had kept
$4,000 as his fee for working in behalf of
the subsidy. The $500, 900 he had broken in
| TO checks of various amouts and at the
direction of the officers OF the Pacific
Mail had delivered them to persons indi-
Gated, but he had not paid anything 10
any member OF Congress. Mr.. Schumacher
was eX-member of Congress he was
not member of the Congress which passed
the subsidy BILL but was a member or the
next Congress after that. The second
largest sum went to William S. King, who
had been postmaster OF the House at the
time, and who was elected a member OF
the subsequent Congress. Mr.. King stated
under oath that he knew of no money be-
ing used in connection with this leglsla-
ton. He the man who collected the
check for $4,000 and who handed Slo'OOO
besides.
The other persons on Mr.. Irwin's list alb
sorbed sums ranging from 500 to So6,ovO,
but no one on this list was member OF
Congress. The names included ABOUT all
of the prominent members of the lobby at
that time. One of the beneficiarleS was an
ex-PoStmaster-general He handled Sio,VCo.
Another was an editor of national reputa-
ton He owned q paper in Washington at
the time and was paid $4,000 Another ed
itOr got 5000.
The persons on Mr. Twins list appeared
one after another and admitted that they
had received these munincent sums. some
had divided with others. But one ana all
swore vigorously that not dollar , nao Deen
Nv HON To a n
As far as supposed bribery or congressman
was concerned the inquiry was a DEAD
failure. AS a revelation of the ways ana
profits of the lobby it was a startling sue
cess.
Irwin came to Washington in February
took q house which he made the headquar-
ters of the lobby, and in three months spent
$4,000 in entertaining. This was his state
ment to the committee. He organized lob
by and spent 100000 in maintaining II until
the bill became law. Then he came into pos
session of the $4,000 which had been made
contingent on success. and proceeded TO re-
deem the promises ne hdu AAdue Oe ~
bill passed. -,
a man named Averill who had been col
lector of internal revenue IN the ln.erto th ot
time for the purpose of promoting several
enterprises. He received note at ms ho bts
asking him to call upon MI r"ih aI MS
headolarters He did so.
''He told me- said Averill that he had
received n letter from New York suggesting
me as a good person TO assist MIN IN Ger,
tain work that he wanted done he Salu
that / was probably aware OF the char-
acter of that work. that had seen from the
papers he was here for the purpose OF pro-
curing the passage of the Pacific Mail steam
ship subsidy bill. L told him had seen IT,
Then he said:
".I want YOU to take hold of this matter
and assist me in what 1 want done mere
| think YOU can do me a great deal OF good
here Mr. StOckwel Uhe president oil the
rornpanv) and myself have both become con-
WINGED that there is a very extensive com
hinatiOn here TO defeat the passage or TINS
subsidy. and that money is being used Tor
that purpose | want TO find out IL can
who the men are that are here for that pur-
nose and what they are doing; and, IT pos
sible / want to check them in every dlrec-
ton. Therefore | want you TO take hold OF
the case. and do all you can TO ASSIST me
II said to him that II did take hold OF IL
| should have to neglect my other business
"Said he You are pretty well acquainted
here and in New York. and you know exact
ly what l want. :,
at all l would do it upon certain conditlons
that | should receive $4,000, SlOOO down,
and the balance when the bill was passed.
Mr. Irwin agreed 10 that proposition ana
he paid me $1,000. / put myself, IN the
course of a day or two in position 10
know what was gOing on with reference
10 the adverse influences. L talked with
narties about the hotels and at the CapitoI,
and learned in a quiet way everything that
I could on the subject. AS soon as learned,
every turn that there were men here OPP
..o.;,,o, tho hili and that IL question