became public, he knew, but the public did then not know, that he had received large quantities of bonds upon the following contract:
Whereas, I have this day entered into agreements with A. & P. Coburn, and sundry other parties resident in Maine, to deliver to them certain specified amounts of the common stock, preferred stock and first-mortage bonds of the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad Company, upon said parties paying to me the aggregate sum of $130,000, which several agreements are witnessed by J. G. Blaine, and delivered to said parties by said Blaine:
Now, this agreement witnesses, that upon the due fulfilment of the several contracts referred to, by the payment of the $130,000, and for other valuable considerations, the receipt of which is acknowledged, I hereby agree to deliver to J. G. Blaine or order, as the same come into my hands as assignee of the contract for building the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad the following securities, namely: Of the land bonds, 7 per cents., $130,000; of the first-mortgage bonds, gold, 6's, $32,500. And these $130,000 of land bonds and $32,500 of first-mortgage bonds thus agreed to be delivered to said Blaine are over and above the securities agreed to be delivered by Warren Fisher, Jr., assignee, to the parties making the contracts, which parties with the several amounts to be paid by each and the securities to be received by each, are named in a memorandum on the next page of this sheet.
And it is further agreed that, in the event of any one of said parties failing to pay the amount stipulated, then the amount of securities to be delivered to said Blaine under this agreement shall be reduced in the same proportion that the deficit of payment bears to the aggregate amount agreed to be paid.
That this contract was carried out appears from a memorandum in Mr. Blaine's own handwriting produced
