Page:The Gilded Age - Twain - 1874.pdf/575

This page has been validated.
PRICE OF HONOR AND CHARACTER.
535

man's influence he could do much, and feel that to help such a man would be an act that would have its reward; the struggles of the poor always touched him; he believed that Noble would make a good use of this money and that it would cheer many a sad heart and needy home; he would give the $10,000; all he desired in return was that when the balloting began, Noble should cast his vote for him and should explain to the legislature that upon looking into the charges against Mr. Dilworthy of bribery, corruption, and forwarding stealing measures in Congress he had found them to be base calumnies upon a man whose motives were pure and whose character was stainless; he then took from his pocket $2,000 in bank

TOUCHED BY THE STRUGGLES OF THE POOR.
TOUCHED BY THE STRUGGLES OF THE POOR.

bills and handed them to Noble, and got another package containg $5,000 out of his trunk and gave to him also. He—

A Committee man jumped up, and said:

"At last, Mr. Chairman, this shameless person has arrived at the point. This is sufficient and conclusive. By his own confession he has received a bribe, and did it deliberately.