Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-01-28
NEW ORLEANS.
Ihe Report of the Returning board
Ex-Governor Wells TesIifyiDE
Before the Congregational
ComHiItee.
The 0id Man Not AfraIi, buI then He
SOU1G not Speak in Public
The Negroes His Only
Friends

NEW ORLEANS, January 26.-Gov-
ernor Wells was before the congIessiOn-
al committee to-day, and testified as to
the action OF the returning board. He
submitted the returning boards report
to the legislature, and about seventy
foolscap pages as his statement. He eX-
planned his not appearing before the sub.
committee on the ground that he was
not subpenaed; he received no notice
whatever about the committee being
here, except through the newspapers,
and did not think they would leave so
soon; intended going to Washington to
testify, but heard another committee
was coming, so he did not go.
Governor Wells testified as follows
All the polls in Rapides were thrown
out on my evidence; we had no other.
/ made my affidavit on the fourteenth
of December. filed these statements
and mentioned these facts to the men,
bers of the board.
Mr.. Hosr asked if counsel had access
to that affidavit before filing their briefs.
Governor Wells said he thought they
did.
Mr.. Hoar-Was it filed before going
into secret session?
Governor Wells-Just before; cOun-
sci would have had time to examine
that affidavit if he had remained long
enough to have reached that parish; he
could have had time if he had wished
it; there was 30 protest OF the election
of officers in Rapides, because it was
worth mans life to do so; Judge Man
ming, one of the worst White Leaguers
in the country, made up the supervis-
ors' statement; the sheriff of the parish,
a White Lacquer, held on till the TWEEN
tieth of December; they pat in regular
sheriff afterward; the recorder is
M'Enery man.
Mr.. Marshall asked if Governor Wells
had been assaulted IN Rapides.
Governor Wells-I was not assaulted,
but my life was threatened; l received
a letter from my sOn-in-law. The let
ter was read. 1t advised the governor
to beware, that he would be killed by
stealth, and as he was in the discharge
of his duty his friends would die with
him in protecting him. He said as
sassinS can intimidate, but my enemies
dare not face me; / am not afraid; /
could not speak in the parish, for l
would have been killed; the cOlOred
people were my only friends during the
war when / was driven out for my
opinions; they watched over me and
cared for me; heard no man threaten
men; [ am sixty-seven years old; was
born in Rapides; was a Wing before
the war and voted for Douglas to avert
the struggle; was sheriff before the
war; was Federal during the war; |
had to sleep in woods during the war.
l wss called jayEawker; am proud
of the name; would rather be a jay
hawker than traitor; | was governor
after the war and was removed in, 1857,
by General Sheridan; I had one hun
dred and twenty-seven slaves when the
war broke out; l owned two planta-
tiOns but am very poor now; have ac-
quired no property since the war; could
not pay my debts, but may be able to do
so if l live long enough; my neighbors
treated me very well until the White
League was organized; L proposed an
amendment to the constitution in my
message as governor which produced
political differences; i'll feeling to-
ward me has only sprung up since
the Kellogg and Millinery difficulty.