Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-02-19

AT one Of the sessions of tie legislative
Commission for the investigation of election
frauds, in this place. last saturday. l.. ~
McL"an {hettcr known rs Geaeral Mclean,
Chief Clerk under John Calhoun in the
Land Office and notorious from his connc,-
ton in the Borler-Ruliian Wars) was examn
cd as witness
He testified that he knew nothing of any
frauds committed either ut the election Of
December 81, or that of January l. Tn
being asked where the returns of those
elections were, he swarc in the mist positive
manner that they had been left by Calhoun
in bis possession but that bout te 18th
or 18th ult., apcrson unknown 10 him hv
name, but whom he believed To b. a resident
Of Platte City, Missouri. called on him and
represented that he had been bv Calhoun for
the returns that he (McL3ar) delivered
them to the messenger who took them away:
that he had not seen them since, but sup
posed them in Calhoun possession.
This was believed to be lie manufactured
out of whole cloth The Commissioners
therefore made affidavit to this portion OF
his testimony, and t, their belief that the
returns werr still in or near the Surveyor
Gen rails Office, concealed.
As Calhoun is absent from the Territory.
Judge Miller OF the Probate Court imlnedi-
ately issued u search warrant for the returns
and placed it in the hands OF Sheriff sam
Walker.
That gentleman, who is not often to be
caught mapping, had already set watch on
McL,ans movements and knew the where
about of the returns. But there ar. fifteen
or twenty clerks in the office. and they had
stored forty loaded musscts in it with the
evident intention of resisting any attempt
! from Free State sources to obtain the re-
turns. On Monday, while the clerks were
at dinner, the caps ,rere quietly remorcd from.
al the guns by an individual sent BY Walker.
They did not discover the tact until too
late to make the knowledge OF any practical
value.
Yesterday. Sheriff Walker, with posse
of eight, called at the land Office. and pre-
scented the warrant Mclean received Walker
very blandly.
You are at perfect liberty, Captain. to
search wherever you like. But You will
find nothing to reward your pains if You
the Commission, sent the returns away sew
cral days ago"
Il guess that'sa mistlkc, General" re-
these premises.
'IIt, la, r14rcl Mclean, rclishing the
Joke. ami rubbing his hands at the ahsur,litv
OF the thing. "And whcrtabout -
Under that ,rood-pi!e,' answered Walker.
boxing him full in the eye
McLaan tarneI pale as death. His
associates began to talk of resisting but
Son discovered the condition of their
gans, and s15sided Mclean at last caspa,l
out
: Il forbid the search, until can call on =
lawyer 10 examine the writ.
Very we'll call in your lawyer was
Walkers cool response. but meanwhile,
t.st 10 sarc tine, ii 60 on with the search.
You know You can prosecute afterwards il
my action is not legal. Boys pitch into that
wonl pile
And while Mclean was entering .'solcmn
protest on the back of the warrant
r Nalkers men opened the wood pile, and
near the centrs of it found placa where
, there 'ras fresh dirt, After digging eight or
: ten inches, they cam t. Il box about Il DOT
, square, hearisg Mclean : name and labeled
star candies
They opened il an! looked at the contents
enough To see that they were the retains in
question. .tnd then Mclean had the at
dicity To express surprise rs 70 how the box
%! there II mcy lindout one OF Ties days
, when he is tried for perjury
The box was brought in triumph to Law
renee and delivered to Judge Miller lie
held Court last evening The retHrus were
opened sufficiently for Gov Denver and
Bahcock to examine them. All these gcntlc-
men identified them ~ the returns of the
elections of Dee 81 and Jan. l, which they
had joined Calhoun in counting at his invita-
ton.
They were not scrutinizcd infinitely
enough 10 ascertain whether anything had
been added tn or taken from them since the
formal counting. That will be done thi.
morning.
The Court committed the returns to the
custody oi the Commissioners for the next
: ten days for examination. At the end OF
that time they are TO give them to the Cover
nor. The inspection Of them is commencing
just as the mail closes
+ Duiendorf, Calhoun's hrother-in-law, i.
here on asubpena. t. testify before the Com
, mlssoncrs.
, \. ID. X.