578 



and Turner said the proposition was, if it could be brought about, 

 Turner would take the land at $30,000, so that Garmon would 

 receive the half of $20,000. 



Then another deal as to the southwest quarter of the 15 township, 

 and that was valued at $15,000 and that was to be worked in the 

 same way, and the probable residue to be divided was not mentioned; 

 I assume it would be as much as three or four thousand 

 dollars; that subject was opened, Turner says, while they were 

 on this ride; that afterwards, at his house in Plattsburgh, not 

 a great while after, Garmon was there some four times, and perhaps 

 more than that, the matter was still further talked about, and 

 arranged in regard to the two pieces of land. The land in suit he 

 didn't take, and that Turner went down to buy this title of the Coch- 

 ranes; he made arrangements for it, came to the Comptroller's office — 

 Garmon says Basselin, too, was to take and help to vacate the tax deed 

 and they found that the land had been allotted and that they must 

 show occupation as to each lot before the scheme would work, and it 

 fell and this, of course, extended for some time and probably along 

 until the fall; and as to the other land, he went to New York to the 

 Van Lennocks to buy in the old title, but was unable to do so 

 because some of them were in Europe, and it was supposed or 

 said that Smith Weed had something to do with the title 

 of this last piece of land; Turner says so and Garmon after- 

 wards speak about it. So that there was a direct and corrupt 

 proposition on the part of Garmon, the warden of this State 

 commission, to plunder the State, so far as he was concerned, 

 for the money that he could get out of it. Of course, when Mr. 

 Turner had testified to so corrupt and wicked transaction, the whole 

 effort was ip break down Turner as a witness, discredit him, to destroy 

 him, and my friends on the other side did all they could to that end 

 up to the time we adjourned, and then on Saturday and Sunday and 

 Monday they went to Plattsburgh, Garmon and one of the counsel, 

 and they scoured the country, they were diligent, for they had time, 

 and laid in everything in the power of mortal man, everything that 

 energy and craft could do, to break down Turner. 



They said, in the first place, that Turner was a bad man, the worst 

 man up in that country; he stole everything; he had been sued; he had 

 quarreled with everybody, and there was a multitude of litigations 

 against him and indictments, too. He, Turner said, I have been sued up 

 there and some of the State agents, Albert Turner and Miller and 

 others here sort of helped the thing along; I have been sued; I have 

 settled some of them and I have paid damages and some of them I 



