New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-11
The Carroll Parish Returnss

Tie Democratic attorneys who practice
before the Returning Beard recently made
much ado about tie affidavit Of Mr.. r. S.
Barton. in which Mr.. Bsnham. Of Carroll,
and ano.hss party not named. we're repre-.
scented as being engaged in tampering with
the returns. 1hs eprigh,iy limbs Of the
law first above mentioned filed This docu.
ment. and at once moved for judgment.
Bat the Returning Board not being in such
hurry a. the attorneys. considered tho
matter awhile. and finally permitted che
following affidavit 70 DO filed. which puts
an entirely different laes upon the matter:
State of Louisiana, parish OF Morehonse.--
Personally appeared before me. the under
signed authority, Samuel w. Riley. resi-
dent vt this parish ard State. who being
duly sworn, deposes and Gays that he spent
the evening. from seven to eight o'clock.
with Mr.. Georg. e. B-nham, at his board
ing house, No. l59 jackson street, on Fri.
day, November ~. 1874; that he called there
in accordance with a previous engagement,
made in the morning of the same day, and
for the purpose Of procuring Mr.. Benham's
assistance in making out his accounts for
services as registrar, and those OF his clerks,
as we'll as comparing nl5 returns with the
law TO see il il had been complied with IN
every way, and if his papers were IN due
form; it was found that he had not brought
along the sworn statement OF the clerk OF
the court, and the following morning, as
per engagement. Mr.. Benham ana myseit
called at the office OF the State registrar
and stated the case to him for his advice,
which was to leave what returns he had III
some safe .lace in New Orleans. and return
at once to Morehouse, procure the missing
paper and send it down; deponent asked
the State registrar if he could send the
paper to Mr.. Benham and have him TO
attend to it, and he replied Certainly,
Immediately upon Receiving this advice
took such returns as had brought, ar", Va
company With Mr.. benham, ~ent 70 the
Auditors Office, and lodged them
IN his vault, taking tn. receipt OF
MS chief clerk, Mr., Shuttle, JOE
"u on the seventeenth OF November
, mailed, in registered letter to Mr.. Ben
ham, the necessary paper to make my
returns complete, requesting him to get the
package frcm the Auditors vanlt. and turn
the completed resurns over TO the Returning
Board, which lind was done on the TWEEN
tieth of November, as per receipt now IN
my possession.
Deponent was received by Mr.. Benham at
his boardin ghOuse on jackson street, in the
front paiIor, and we sat at the centre table
while TIE doors and Nindows were all open.
and daring my stay persons (either ladies Or
gentiemenl were constantly going or com
ing--either in the iron. or back parlor: de-
ponent makes this affidavit because he is
informed that one I. 5. Barton has made an
affidavit to the effect that, on this particular
evening, he saw Mr.. Benham at this same
place. with another person, engaged in tam
pering with the returns from Carroll parish,
when it will be seen bv the foregoing that
such ia not the case. If Mr.. Behham had
onIy been anxious to serve himself. he
would not have called my attention to the
defect in my returns from Morehouse. be,
cause defective returns would have aided
him greatly, as the parish went against
him.
SAMUEL w. RILEY.
Sworn to and subscribed before me. this
twenty-fitth day Of November, A. d. 1874.
G.. Il. WHEELER, Parish Jodge.