Excerpt from Scandalmonger by William Safire, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

Clingman was there and had a useful piece of evidence for them. He said that Reynolds, unaware that his confederate was cooperating with the Congressional investigators, had left a mangled note for him: "Let me read it to you," Clingman said. " 'I hope I have not forfeited your friendship, Jacob...' -- here three lines were scratched out -- 'I will have satisfaction from HIM.' The 'him' is Hamilton, of course. 'He has offered to furnish me and Mrs. Reynolds with money to carry us off. If I agree to go immediately, he will see that Mrs. Reynolds has money to follow me. That is all I can say till I see you.' He didn't sign it, but this is his writing."

"What was scratched out?" Muhlenberg asked.

"He scratched it out, not me," Clingman said, "so I don't know. Here's another note that came to me at home first thing this morning, from Comptroller Wolcott." The note was on official Treasury stationery, and read, "Mr. Wolcott will be glad to see Mr. Clingman today, at half after ten

o'clock."

"And did you see him?"

"Of course, and he took me directly into Colonel Hamilton's office at Treasury. They wanted to know who I was seeing from the Congress and what was the nature of your questioning."

"You told them?"

"I told the truth, Speaker Muhlenberg. They made it clear they would reopen the proceedings and put me in jail if I didn't cooperate. I said I went to you -- you're the only one who has helped me in all this, and Colonel Burr, a little. I told them you brought along this gentleman" -- he indicated Monroe -- "whose name I did not know, and still don't."

Monroe allowed himself a thin smile and did not introduce himself. Let Hamilton wonder who else was on his trail besides the Speaker, a mild Federalist as well as a generous soul, inclined to forgiveness. "What did Hamilton say to that?"

"He desired me to go into the Gallery, where I could see the Members of the House, and inquire of your name from the bystanders."

"Do that," directed the Senator, who would not be in that chamber. "And when you don't see me there, report that to Wolcott and his superior. In your meeting this morning, what else did they want to know?"

"Hamilton wanted -- demanded -- to know if I turned over any documents. I told him what I gave you, the three. He said I had done very wrong to do that." The former clerk looked back plaintively at Maria. "I'm caught in the middle." She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Monroe sensed that she was in control of whatever they would do.

"Keep telling us the truth, Jacob," said Muhlenberg, "it's the only way you can keep the story straight in your head."

"Now that your husband has fled, Mrs. Reynolds," said Monroe, "is there anything you think we should know?" Certain that the conspirators would leave the investigators a false story to misdirect them, he was stunned by her answer:

"My husband told me he was received by Hamilton this morning."

Muhlenberg thundered some imprecation in German.

"Reynolds said that the Treasury Secretary was extremely agitated," she went on, "walking backward and forward, striking alternately his forehead and his thigh."

That detail struck Monroe as having the ring of truth. He had once seen Hamilton agitated, making such gestures unique to him; he remembered thinking it was lucky Hamilton did not carry a riding crop.

"Colonel Hamilton said he had enemies at work," Maria Reynolds continued, now at ease with her interrogators, "but he was willing to meet them on fair ground. Then he told my husband not to stay long in his Treasury office in case his presence might be noticed."

Monroe asked, "Did Hamilton give him any money, did Reynolds say?"

"He didn't say. There were times," she volunteered, "when Hamilton did give him money -- as much as a thousand dollars at a time -- but I don't know about this morning." She added, more wistfully than bitterly, "He surely didn't leave any for my daughter and me."

Copyright William Safire February 2000. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of the publisher, Simon & Schuster