Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-02-12
..Handcufi,' Jayne's Testimony.

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::Handcufi,' Jayne's Testimony.
Perhaps the Oldest and most scandalous wit
ness yet examined before the Congressional
Committee Of Investigation is Jayne, who was
ON the stanl Yesterday His air, appearance
and bearing are remarkable. Nature has
stamped his physiognomy His employment
has been 10 line his own pockets and those Of
his confederates with money extorted, some
times from the guilt, and quite as often from
the fears, of the importers, Where guilt can
be established he gets his moieties, which aFeg
divided with his !Custom-hopse accomplices
but in many cases he operates on the tlmidlty
of merchants, who consent to be backmalied
rather than incur the loss of credit and reputa-
ton which would result from an embodiment
with the Custom house authorities
His methods are as base as his ends are ne
Earious. In spite of his evasious, Senator
Bayard compelled him to swear that he was
in the constant habit Of bribing merchants /,
clerks and book keepers to betray their employ
ers. and supply him with facts which enabled
him to ely his trade of blackmailing and extor
ton. On hints thus dishonoraby obtained it
has been the practice of this man to seize the
books and papers of merchants, and extort
hush money when he could not discover grounds
for prosecution He has kept handouts IN his
office, displayed them in the presence OF people
whom he wished to scare, and to force by
means of this terror and coercion into paying
tribute to his rapacity. He was struck with
CONSERVATION when questioned about his use OF
handouts, but in spite of all his shrinking, he
was compelled to admit that he kept handouts
in his office, and that they had been brought
forward in the presence of accused merchants
whom he was seeking to subdue. Of course,
no witness could be expected to fully confess
such iufamy, but his very subterfuges and eva,
sions are sufficient to convict him. We quote
from the testimony:
O. Do you consider the use of handouts
legitimate means of obtaining the TRUTH A.
Hardly. ...:. Iy..
@. Have you ever used such appliances?
A. Inever have.
@. Did you ever threaten to put handouts
upon a man? A. [ think not.
O. Well think again; tax your memory?
4. [ have thought pretty thoroughly.
O. Are you prepared to swear that you new
cr did? A. | am prepared to swear that other
men have laid pair of handouts down upon
the table without any suggestion OF their use;
O. There used to be pair IN your office
A. For short time.
@. How long did you keep handouts in your
office? A. never procured them they were
,rought there accidentally.
IL O. What were they brought there for? A.
BY a United States marshal who had prison
vr IN charge from Massachusetts,. 1
g. How long did you keep those handouts
in your Office? A. think they have hung
there ever since
Q. Are you willing to state further to the
committee the instances in which you have ac-
ted upon the fears of men in compelling them
to give to you information that you deemed ne
cessary to prosecute your suits? A. l think it
has been done to very limited extent.
@. Who was the man who came in so oppor- ),
tunely and laid down the handouts while you
were examining a witness? A. | think the
first time it occurred it was j. S. Chalker, now
a special agent with Colonel Howe.
0. What was his occupation at that time
A. Inspector.
Q. What knowledge had he that you were
intcrrogating this tinid witness? A. | think
he brought him there. -.
o. At what stage Of the terrifying did he
come in with the handouts? A. | do not
know just what stage.
Q. How often did you actually put these
handouts on anybody? A. [ have no knowl-
edge of their ever having been put on man
to territy him.
0. Well, to encourage him? A. | unlocked
sometimes to see how they work, but not to
terrify the witness. ..- 1T a., ...# :.
O. IF not to terrify or encourage him, what
was it for? A. TO see how they opened and
locked 5""
Q. In your presence at any time, has a wit
ness been handcuffed. A, | think not, sir.
O. Suppose you say you know not, not you
thiuk not? A: Not to the best of my knowl 1
edge and belief.
o. Did you ever see man, for any cause,
handcuffed'in your room in the Custom house
A. | think not, sir, except it, was voluntary on
his part ;, y
O. Well, VIII was the person who was hand h
cutfed at his own request? A. | do not know
that any one. was I think have put them on
my own wrists. 1p z.#o4p.
Q. When were you examining this witness
at the time that Chalker brought 10 the hand
cuffs? A. do not recoect. :" 81
Q. You do not keep record OF these trans
actions? A. No, sir. -al, .,,r aaI,.
This reminds one Of the barbarous times
when the rack was used to extort self lncnlpat-
ing testimony from accused persons No won
der that when scandals like this are coming 70
light the whitewashing members OF the com
mittce are so anxious to stop the investlgauon.
N y World. IF .e~
The New York Citizen has put on n new
theatrical critic who thus begins notice OF
the Black Crook ''Where now is the erst-
while glad frondescence of your garish grottoes,
the hammivomous efulgence Of your Hades the
huviatic mockery OF your copper bottomed lakes,
theimpermeable cotton OF your osclllatlng 1oam'
or the focculept horescence OF, your glowing
muslin roses? And where, indeed, the nor
rors of your delrious. vastly deep, the spencer
of your apoplectic. rainbow, the diaph!9mpeas
abundance Of your tissue paper skies, the ille@ee @
brous Meditation of your wiilowy PROSTATE e, vesS
tails on their mossy banks Of lbaize 7? There