Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-03-10
Twcnty-third Congress---ad. Scss
IN TIE SE.N.4TE-MARcH 9, 1885.
THE HON. GEORGE POlNDEXTER

In the Evening Session of this day the following pro-
ceeding took place. in which the Senate have indignant
ly the seal of reprobaio the plot against
the character of Mr. Pondextcr, the Senator from Mis-
sissippi;
Mr. Smith made the following Report:
The Select Committee TO whom referred the COM
municaton of the Hon George Pondexter respectfully
report
That with anxious desire to ascertain the truth con-
corning the grave matters submitted them they pro-
ceeded to take such testimony they considered cacu
lated TO clucdae the facts; and, having carefully cx-
ahmed the same submit the following report as the re-
suit of their Investigations and gives them great plea
sure to that in every fact and hereinafter
set forth the Committee unanimous.
At the first meeting of the Committee MIR. Tyler and
MIR. Wright appointed subcommittee to wait up.
on the President and respectfully request him to fur
nish the ahdavits ofMordecai Foy and David Stewart
together with any information in his possession relative
to the subJect-matter in inquiry.
These gentlemen made II written report TO the Com
mtee oftlteir interview with the President (Sec Doc
A. lhey also obtained the original aihdavts of Foy
and Stewart copies of which, marked and c, here
TO annexed.
The Committee readily unite in the declaration that
the testimony taken before them far as il is applicable
fully sustained the President in the statement which he
made to the subcommittee; il i'm any way an
pear from any evidence before the Committee that the
President had xion with this affair directly or
indirectly, other than that which he himself has avowed
me Committee will go farther and say that consi-
aerlng the situation of hazard and danger in which he
had been placed by the attempt of Lawrence upon his
lie, 1t but natural that the President should desire
to have the whole matter explored. Bat the Committee
while they use this declaration, due TO impartial JUS
ee, will not withhold the expression of their deep repuq
nance at the course of those who have gathered around
MN as Tor no other purpose than advance their own
selfish views) to give to his feelings and his Judgment
false direction.
The Committee are fully satisfied bnt the des;gn and
tendency OF the publication of the said aiidavs was TO
fix upon the Hon. George Poindexter sthe most infa
nous of all crimes that of having been accessory before
the fact to an attempt to take the life of the Chief Ma
gistrate by the hand of assassin After thorough
investigation OF the whole case, the Committee find that
the charge rests solely the evidence of said M
cal Foy and David Stewart
roy IN ms aidayit, states that he has seen Richard
Lawrence go INTO Governor Pondexter's dweng-hous
ana return al diiereat times particularly ON the Tues
day previous to his attempt assassnae the President
Stewart states in his affidavit that about the last Of
December, 1884, the LIST of January 1:}5 he sayv
lch9rd Lawrence go into the dwelling house of Senator
rolndexer, on -Four and Half street. and that on Tues
before the attempt to assassnate the President of
e United States, he the said Poindexter and said
Lawrence IN the passage of said house in conversation
Inc Committee are of opinion that the state nts con
famed IN the aoregoing aifdavs the only material
ones going, IN any respect to implicate Gov Pondex
Ter IN the criminal conduct of said Lawrence
principle OF law, commanding itself to the mind
i every one That tact from which inference guilt
is 10 ee made must first be established by e
nmony; and that the fact when thus established must
be rreconclable with the innocence of the accused
The committee proceeded to examine said Foy who
testified that the dwelling house of said Ponde xter adj
joined the dwelling house of Mr.. Frost He further
stated, That he had never Mr. Pondexter in COM
Pany with Lawrence in his life that he had seen Law
renee go into the house of said Frost three four times
mat The only time he said Lawrence enter the
mouse oil Governor Poindcxter the Tuesday pre-
vious to his attempt to assassnate the President between
ana y OF the clock, a. NJ. that he did see Law
renee In conversation with that he was not i'm
the house at that time than two or three minutes
before he came out that he did Governor Poin
dexter that morning; that at the time he gave his d.
W.T. ne ana not know in which of the two houses Gov
Poindexer lived and said at the Justices nor does
he now know that he bad seen Gov. Pondexter go into
both of said houses g 100
IL VIII be seen from the testimony of Foy mo ~ talk
en- before The committee, that he lie never saw
Lawrence go into Gov Poindexers house but once and
tha was on the tuesday previous to the ASSAULT and in
this he directly conradics his first affidavit in which Inc
swenrs that he saw him go in several times
From the testimony ofBenamn F. Smith No AZ !,
appears that on the l4t day of the present month he
met with said Foy and after some conversation smith
inquired what he knew about this matter Foy s,; IT,
at first refused to give his affidavit but had ,yro1
President and stated what he knew The Question ua.
then asked of him, what lie did know; to which Inc an
swered that he had seen Lawrence pnntin0 the dor
OF Governor Pondexters house" Smith rc1l;ed Ill
ne was mistaken for hat door had not been painted
10Y stu insisted his statement Wbereunon S,n;,
ma roy went to the doors of the houses occupied NV
Governor PoindeYer and Mr. John r. Frost and arr;,;
there Foy pointed out Mr. Frosts house as the one 5
wnich governor PondeXier lived. Smith informed Fov
that he was Mistaken for the other was the House occ
pea by Gov Ponde1 er; to which Foy replied Is il
then i am mistaken
1t is here worthy of notice. that all the information
foy pretended to have relative the matter in question
wheh ia conversation with Smith, was that hc had seen
lawrence painting the door of Governor Pcindexter's
fesscd hmscifto be, mistaken '''
ne committee would further advert to the dscrcnan
cy between the testimony of Toy and that Of MIR Frost
ono 40 inasmuch Foy testified that he had seen Co
vernon foindexter go into both houses whereas Mr.
Iost states mat Governor Poindexer has never been
INTO ms house since hc came into this citv
Various other inaccuracies, and DISCREPANCIES nd non
uauicuons might be pointed out, but they are NOT doom,
ed essential; and the whole of them will he occonntod
ior satisfactorily as the committee believe after bnvn
examined the testimony of VIM. j. Carroll No NJ
yohn Shcohan, (No. 40 and Seth Hyatt mo sG1 from
tine circumstances in which these three Witnesses ,n
TO vat, that the said Foy has become Of late ,c,,s III
ana lntemperae, and when under the influence az n
quor, winch rs almost continual he is falative al -
and IN their apinon, unable to discriminate objects win
accuracy. 80 VIZ"
The committee next proceeded TO crono;ne r,,.;t
half past nine and half past ten o'clock on fbo ,or
OF tuesday being Che last Tuesday Of Januarv 1s3
ne was passing up the street the opposite IN, 81 ~
way 10 Governor Poindexter's house; that s ca,;s
was Standing before the door; that while passing on t
opposite side Of the street he savv Iayrancc IT,, ~
ny OF Governor Poindexiers house. in compnnv viii
ovcrnor Pondexter and that the Governor appeared 10
be in the act Of going out FP '" "
Stewart further testified before the Committee ,,
Tencra jackson desired him to nothing moro Than
ne run and yet he explicitly declared 10 Col Brent
Mr. John A. Smith, and Erasmus Ai;,lJl.,,,, 49, a..
some say only part Of what the General desired hin 10
putin, ~ would have filed newspaper
ihe cOinniltce advert 10 this representation AMI ;
1t merely to show the contradiction anu O''o
stewart further testified before the committee ts,
he carriage before the door of Governor Poindv
yer house. yet IN his statement 10 the three ,if,cs
last named he declared that the carriage oas bc ~
fIoHts house. lie further testified before tl,, co,t
tee, That neither Senator Ewino nor C;co Ttr r..a
ever spoke to him on the subeeto the Lawrence sf;
never USED any influence persuasion 10 ipJnco.
~ ~ esuyj IN winch declaration lie is confirmed
MT Ewing, who swoars that he never held any 5000
tion with him that subject. and vet C,b,rf = ~ ~,
man swears That he, Stewart told him fIat So.