National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-06-12
E SAFE BURGLARY.
THE TESTIMONY TAKEN BIZ TIE
JOINT C0MMzTEEE.

TIE IESIIIhONI TAAHN BIZ THE
JOINT CoMAzTEEE.
NO DECISION REACHED YEr-sTkTEsfFNTs
OF COLUMBUS ALEXANDER, MAJOR
RICHARDS, RICHARD HARRINGTON AND
oTHERs-ALL THEY KNEW ABOUT THE
WHOLE AFFAIR.
After all the excitement In regard to the mat
ter ofthe safe burglary had virtually died out
amer people had got tired Of expecting the testi
moay taken on the subiect BY the joint commit
tee In secret uession, It appeared In . garblsd
manner IN New York journal yesterday. The
witnesses were W. ". Demsine. Columbus Alex
ander, George Carter, (of BALTIMORE Mr.. Msdge
Richard Harrington, Major A; 9: Richards
Joshua Carter, Walter Lennon, A; b Williams,
Colonel Whitley and Mr., Nettleship. The testi.
mony eoyers rs octave pages, and is full ofrepe-
tittons. As was expected, the several witnesses
.s:ssd to directly The opposite fAess and before
viii have to give the preference for truth and We
racity TO either one side or the other.
HR. DENAINE's TESTIMONY.
The first witness was W. W. Demaine, who tes.
tined tina. about the Iss q April he sasualiy
The same man called at his house fsw days
tho nnG Iss that he young
named Butler, who had formerly worked fof
Evans, and who had in his possession the books
produced before the COMMITTEES were forgsries.
After several appointments Demaine met Butler,
who, after an Introduction, informed him that .he
and who now had possession Of the originals, and
would produce them IL said So" said: Why,
Evans has already produced his books" Butter,
inc ones, but others which were forgeries." This
astonlshed me not q little, and inquired Of But
Ter II he was certain about this wbereupon he
when be was in Evans employ, and knew ali
about his affairs. We were then walking along
the street. and passed Shepherds store. when
direction and said, significantly: The Governor
has no further use for mo now, but when ! was In
Evans, employ he promised 70 set me up In bust
iessly INQUIRED: "Did her" "Yes," said Butler;
"and when cali on him now he Is always too
H.eh engaged T. attend to me; and Shs1 ask
m hsa he said! viii. tell tell you what
some one Of the menorislists who viii not mem
ton my name, viii introduce him to my friend
who has the books, and at my request he viii
81 them" [ sad would see NJ. Alexander and
obtain his opinion about the matter. At Buffers
urgent request went OF then and saw Alexander.
brought him % Aiexsnder's house, when, much %
my sarprish my quondam friend asked for q prs
TESTIMONY OF COLUMBUS ALExAxDER.
HAD three interviews with man whom De
interview was between the 7th and 18th Of April,
1874 At this interview Butler was introduced to
me BY Mr.. ". W. Domaine. Butler told me sub
stantially that he had friend who had been
his friend had the books Of original entries, and
that the books which had besn produced before
the committee were not the genuine books; that
that they could be produced. I told him that Of
course we wanted sll the evidence thRt could be
produced in this matter Of investigation. but o6f
whole purpose wai to arrive at the truth. He
intimated that his friend ought to be paid, but
promptly and emphatieally replied that I had
uniformly refused to pay any witness for his testi
mony On for bis services In procuring testimony,
but as these books were out Of the city would
pay the expense OF having them sent here, such
as the freight BY express or railroad and nothing
serve the memorialigts, aud promised to use his
ipfusncs with his ffiend 70 have him produce
the books, as he was the custodian Of them,
and TO which he (Butler) also had free access,
and had at one time acted as the clerk Of John D.
Evans and made entries upon these books when
the bookkeeper was otherwise engaged: The
only met him for q momentupon the footway near
the strsetcorner stand Of the street Line at the
Capitol. He said he would not be able to get the
books here until about the middle Of the week.
The third Interview was between the 10th and sd
Of April, 1874. At this interview he brought an.
other man. and l went to the parlor and tsen
stepped into the hail and TO the first door loading
to the parlor and said, This is the man that VIII
bring you the books. Look at him so you will
know him." The interview was short. Just as
they were going away the man who called himself
Butler said. stHoB about compensp ton pr re-
piled, 81 will do nothing but what told YOU
meaning, of course, that / would only pay the
expense Of bringing the books here BY express or
railroad, ss had before expressly stated. desire
to add that spoke Freely Of this matter to my
counsel and my friends among the memorialists
and others that called to me- and sent word to
Judge Wilson Of the committee on the District In
vestigation by Mr.. Bigelow about 1t some few days
prior 20 the 18th Of April, 1874, rs you will ind
IRON thu questions he asked through mistAkeof
another Mr. Butler cailsd as witness, found On
also 81 q sSnEss e M fEssss1
to the committee, or some Of them, and he subse-
Suentiy informed me tass ss naa nayissa soIs,os
oi any improper means having to be used, and
alter H. Q. Evans brought the books to the COM
noi nses Sny ot6.1 boo{s ~ JoSn Evans q1
mention was made at any time OF any papers or
books being In the ppssess!0nO f Mr.. Harrington.
His name was never mentioned nor thought Of by
me in this connection. N
TESTIMONY OF GEORGE oAnTER. -
George Carter, special detective on the BAlti-
more and Ohio railroad, and formerly Of the Sc
cret service division, testified that about Aprif
! he came to Washington on business, and while
connected with the secret service. Hays rold
him that he had been ordered to Washington by
Col. Whitley to meet J. G. Nettleship, who was
the MstrOpolitsn as D. II. Butler, S. g. Amer
two days, during which he made TWO visits to
CArter's house, in Baltimore. Hays told witness
Job on hand; o safe was TO be cracked" and pa
pers distracted; that the party who owned the
safe was in the job. and the blame was to be put
On another party. He did not say who the party
was then. The same afternoon he saw Hays and
Nettleship in council. phey both went TO Balti-
more that night, and Hays told him that he was
Sing Sing to do the job. Hays then lett and RI.
turned on Saturday, the. 18th. ION Sunday |
morning at breakfast We were talking about the |
ob, and Hays said that District Attorney Har-
,ington was putting up the job to blow the safe
open and put the blame on Mr.. Alexander. did
lot believe at tho time that Hays was telling the
Ind SO told him. but Rays twore that it was So
That evening we went down the street TO see
Dorsey and Downs, both Of whom knew Hays.
he latter had made his acquaintance about
rear before. At the store Of Dorsey and Down
Hays told rs all what his business was.
rio held consultation and decided that If q safe
vas to be blown open Unjust be one in the Treas-
Try Department, which contained papers in the
hey csiDe to washingtqn, had an Interview with
foV. Swami, who took them before the Commit !
ee on appropriations, Who, alter hearing their
nd Foster, Of the wSys and Means. Thence I
hey sought Secretary Richardson. who turned \
hem over to Mr. Q. D, N1adge, supervising special \
gent Of the Department.
II saw Madge and told him all about thecsse,
nd was employed by that sfhcer % keep watch
9 Hayes and all concerned in the job. Hays had
old methat he had signtd full vouchers for Net
ieshfp whereby ne drew money from the Treas
ny Department, and that Nettleship had paid
i'm go a. one time and $50 81 another. He also
old me that he had helped Nettleship put an in
locent man in Sing Slng--am man named Murphy-t
n order to save Harry Cole, and received 500 Tor
he job"
Mr.. NADaE rKsrrPIKD n
hat he found by examination that the statements
q regard TO Hays and Neltleship being 10 Wash
ngton at tins times stated we're true. He put Q
ratch on the safe in the tFfsasury Department.,
md kept II there until amer the safe In the Dis
riot attorneys office was blown open Dorsey
nd Downs were examined, and corroborated the
tory Of Carter.
HAJoR A. Q. RICHARDS
estifed that Mr.. Harrington sent for him and
bowed him the warning ndte received from New
ork. He did not think tIltre was any hing In it,
ut at the suggestion Of Harrington he agreed to
70 with him and secrete themselvesin the Office,
nd leave Chief Claryoe % the oatside. He then
person inathe shade locking directly across to
he oft1ce-a person whom saw distinctly in the
Moonlight, and, / think, whom should recog.
iEs II should ever see him again. As we ap-
roached him, or came near him-perhaps We
assed-he walked directly across TO the ofhce.
We took the position that he left In the shade Of
he billboard. He walked across Louisiana ave-
gs, then walked u assr .s ;s,hslt
ad been IN that p0si t itSat be- had Sormery
coupled ten, or may be, 1fteen, minntes before
Wo persons came from the direction OF Eour-and-