Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 2, Number 304, 14 February 1877 — A NOVEL BRIBERY CASE. [ARTICLE]

A NOVEL BRIBERY CASE.

A California!! who Believed the stories or OGI--elal Corruption— lie Offers the Secretary ef the Interior $300 for a favorable Decision in a Laud Case. — — — — A novel attempt to bribe a Cabinet officer has ' recently beeD detected by Federal officials. The ! party is under arrest in San Francisco. The i full details of tbe attempted bribe and arrest I are given as follows. Last October the Secre* j tary of tbe Interior received a letter, of which the following is a copy : \VnEATLANr-, October 18, 1876. Mr. Z. Cbandler Sir: I am contesting a claim I against Joseph O. Omans and the State of California for j the N. V»" \i See. 3—ll It. W. 8 W. The Cotamis- ; siont-r lias given his decisioa and I appeal it to yon, j and I wish a decision from you as soon as ifcin be got. , No* If yon will give your decision by the 17th ot .'anuary next, and it is in my favor. I will give you $300 in gold coin for your trouble. Whatever security you wish for this It me know, and if you get the decision through by that time, let me know. Please answer and state your opinions. Yours truly. Tasset Stewart . ■Wheatland, Yuba con ;y, California. No notice appears to have been taken of tbe epistle, at least so tar as tbe writer was aware, as the following comncunication shows: Yuba City, January 7, 1577. Secretary of Interior : I have just been informed that the papers of appeal in the case of Joseph 0 nan vs. myself and tlie State of California, for noithwest quarter section 3, township 14 north, ranee 3 west, have just been sent to you. My offer of 300 in gold still stands to you if ray pre emption holds the land. Hurry the case along as fast as yon can. Hoping to hear from you soon, I remain yours, truly, Tasset Stewart. Address to Yuba City, Sutter county, California. These letters were transferred by the Secretary to the Attorney General, ,vbo transmitted them to United States Attoruev John M. Coshlao, of ibis city, with instructions to bring the guilty party to justice. The matter was placed by Mr. Cogblan in the bauds of United States Secret Service Detective Fiuaegass to work up, on tbe 29ih ot January. As soon as Colonel Fmnegass took an observation of tbe situation he forwarded a letter to tbe claimant, of which the following is a copy : [COBMDBKTIAL.] San Francisco, January 19. 1877. Tassey Stewart, E-q., Yuba City, Butter county, California — My Dear Sir : I have received advices fro-n Washington, D. C, relation to your claim. The $300 claim can be paid to me and the land business will be arranged to your entire satisfaction. If Igo to Yuba City I will quire my expenses to be paid, in addition to tbe 1300. I would prefer that you would come to this city. You <-:iu telegraph or write me. My address is Commercial Hot-, Montgomery avenue, San Francisco. I would suggest that you exercise great prudence in this matter, as the business is a very delicate one. Take no person into your confidence. Yours, truly, He.net Foster. To this communication Colonel Finnegass received the following reply : Ycba Cnr, February 7, 1877. Henry Foster, -<j , San Francisco — Bear Sir: I have just received yours of tbe 29*.h ultimo. Mv offer to the Secretary of the Interior was $300, if my claim stood, so I do not wish to pay the money till I am sure of it. So to make us both secure, I ■■rill employ you as an attorney and give you mv note, with security, to pay the said sum if my claim holds good, or give you a mortgage on ihe land for $300. Then if my claim is cojil your mortgage will hold, and if not your mortgage la useless. If you are in with all interested parties, as you surely are, 1 can employ you to attend to ray case, and you can arrange it to suit yourselves. Answer and let me know what you wish to do, and if we can agree I will go down to see you. Hoping to hear from you soon, 1 remain, yours truly, Tassky Stewart. Yuba City, Sutter county, California. In response to this letter the annexed telegram was sent: San Fbahcisco, February 10th. To T:=sey Stewait, Ytba City : Received your letI ter. Terms satisfactory. Meet me at Marysville tonight. llbnrt Foster. On Saturday morning Colonel Finnegass left this city for Marysville. He put up at a leading hotel of that city, registering as H. Foster, and took a careful survey of the surroundings. Asceriainißg that bis man was there, be requested an introduction by the landlord. The result was an invitation from tbe apparent attorney to the land sharp to visit bis room. It was foreseen tbat it would be necessary to identify Stewart's handwriting in connection with the attempted bribe and the officer played bis points accordingly. It was suggested by the officer that he would accept a note in lieu of a mortgage, whereupon Stewart wrote a note in these words: Martsville, February 10, 1877. For value received I promise to pay Henry Foster the sura of $300 in ca?e the land case now before the Secretary of the Interior is decided in my favor. Tassey Stewart. Colonel Finnegass, having gained his point, threw off bis disguise by saying : " This branch of tbe business having been finished, 1 must ! give you some information which will doubtless surprise you. lam not attorney Foster, but an officer of the Government, armed with a warrant for your arrest, and you will consider yourself a prisoner of a United States Deputy Marshal." Stewart turned pale with surprise, and leaned back in bis chair a forlorn object to look up»n. He shortly rallied and remarked: "It is done." He also intimated that he thought the outgoing administration would be ready to take advantage of an opportunity to make money. The officer and his prisoner came down on last night's train, and Stewart is now a boarder in the Count? Jail, at the expense of the Government. The United States Grand Jury found an indictment against him last Friday for attempting to bribe a Government officer.—[Bulletin.