New-York tribune., 1875-05-13
SENATOR s,.pENCER'S CASE.


or rRoops FOR POLITICAL PURrOSEs-OPP0-
NxN1s OF SPENCER BRIBED WITH GOVERNMENT
ruNps-rHE TWO GIsLATUREs-MANUFACTUR-
rNo OF KU-XLUx oUrRAGEs-TEsTIMONY IN DE-
TAIL OF THE CLERK OF spBNCER's HOUSE.
MONTGOMERY, Ala, May 12.-The commit
Tee 70 investigate the TaeaRs whereby Mr. Spencer
secured his election to tire United States Senate took
rccess today. Over 800 pages of manuscript teson'
ey Republican witnesses prove the following facts be
Sore election Spencer went to Louisville 10 sec eu
FERRY and urge h TO send troops to Alabama the pu
ce ee,ns 10 use them as political machinery to in
sdate Democrats voters. After the election sep""0
Cpurt-room Legislature was organized, because ~ w
reared that II both parties met together tne
would control the organization and deeat spenoe
yublcans who opposed Spencer were oousn' ou"o
money and the promises OF appointments " ~
Tn orfer 10 get quorum for the CourtIooh'
sodv men were sent for and paid 10 come, anu
represcnt counties, not only without cerhncaes VI WV
MON but without any pretense OF election h "r"er W u
feat quorum in the Capitol Legislature One memper
was bribed by Kinds and another was drugged 10 In
sensibity The money used in corrupting members was
Government funds, borrowed for that purpose from
post and revenue officials When the compromise was
proposed by Attorney General Williams II was ioo 'n"'
unless one Democratic Senator could DC unseaeu ",u
Republican placed in his stead. the record "ouu sio"
that the Court room Legislature had no quorum III ''
Senate and that spencer's election was vod' 'neei
one Glass the Republican Senator for Macon Cou'!'
was paid from $500 $500 to pair of with Democro
Renator in what was known Us
Miller and Martin Contest" and violate his pe"so.
The Lieutenant Governor McKnstry was to ruie' ana
the Rnublcan Senators to sustain Ills ruhg ~ q"
" settle the before notice OF the treache! eouu
be conveyed TO the absent Democratic Senators
The testimony OF Robert Barber, Clerk OF the COURT
,oon Iowcr Uouse and Also Clerk Of the same House
after the consolidation sample Of the whole mass.
Mr. Barber being duly sworn testified as follows:
was Clerk Of the Lower House OF the Uonrt rooh
iHgsature and also Clerk OF the House III the S1sr sui
dated Legislature. The object OF the % hGs @
lature to secure the organ1auS aa d not think
ths could he done II we met at the capitol AeI
inc the means employed py sIhcer u ad hesrd wond
rival candidates for the Senate the witness proceeueu
but as they are confidential do not propose to Introduce
them The committee insisted on seeing the letters ah9
them Letter No dated Decatur, Oc:. o.. 1873, after
stating what troops had been ordered to Alabama and
~Iss %,sh RanaoS Deputy T. s Marshal wor the
Sn1ne Esn q, oH m Wish yoS would go to Tasdeea
block the must not however be knGwn n p%p sns a
~ To aas.Si KcSert sr9iS BasSer ySer'
aud these letters are written and signed by him. and
have the impress of his seal aud motto D'eu dSendf e
and other counties refers letter received by me from
Randolph County in which it was stated that II Troops
could into the counties named 10 make Ie"
arrests enough could be run ont of them TO sece tne
election OF the Republican candidate Tor d td 6s WHAT
thai part Of his letter relates As Assistant Secretary
s @ & R Pan se " and e Repbsan
party. J. j. Kinds was Spencers confidential man. anu
every movement. C. C. sheets, Col W H. Belts, D. C.
Whiting J. J. Kinds. Charles Pelham, United states Mar,
sha r. Baker. and had the special management oi
6pencers election In conferences was informed
that all the money needed 10 secure spcncers electon
provided, and in the hands OF Hmas IL was S3n sa
that the Lowndes County delegatlon except Major
Hunter, dsaiected This wonld defeat spenG,es
20 dsaect these members and that 1t had been dePosd
s,sfsard sfs found @ qe to be- untrue but not knowing
any better then was INSTRUCTED TO say 10 senator JONES
his holding the LOwndcs County delegation In the Court
room Assembly. Learning that Jones was attending
report Sandy Bynum John c. Hendrix, ani myself were
selected to watch the L1wndcs Comfy
Dan Norwood came ont OF the house where they were
tell them wanted to them. They came out ana we
the Madison House. where Spencer had ordered
70 spencSrs 'O' room %H" and informed linn that
had them He told Se ms ef0%pe' 0d tnen tnen that
spencer had up his mind TO give each OF them an
appointment and Spencer VINO was & prfIeH; e
watch and went TO spencers room to suggest The pro
prety Of sending TO Lowndes County ior 6! AMI sa n
arrived the next day and. as understood recsvc9 $40
from Kinds. This seemed 10 fx the Lowndes comfy
morning TIE Lowndcs County delegation were present
and voted for spencer: Many members fom other coh
to prom - members as many Offices as ght think ne
sessary to their support 1t was understood tha
thai at the proper he TO join the Courtroom Leg
and vote for spencer Meanwhile he was TO re-
confidence of the Capitol Assembly until his vote was
necessary the Court room Legislature TO elect senator
by going TO the rooms of members OF that pody
and leading them into conversation. and reported 10
s9ncer We tried constantly to defeat quorum of the
Capitol Legislature, and was gwen 10 9G 4hdeIstana
ihility; ! was given 10 understand that Mr.
Spencer was to be drugged and was atterward
Informed that he had been dgged, aud was lying some
where nsensibe. This was the night before the day
fixed by for the election OF United states Senator
when the Capitol Assembly would proceed TO elect on
that day learned that the druggcd member was still
Witness then proceeds 10 detail how Baker and CHS
holm, two men from distant coGnties eehefay known @
10 have not been elected were sent iof ana hdced Dy
promise office to enter the Courtroom Legislature
representatives OF their respective countess ana pro-
Baker was appointed clerk OF the House Committee
Internal Improvements 10y Gen. Dustan the Chairman
He told that he had also been promised Federal al
rontment, and hc afterward appointed United states
Marshal for the Northern District Of Alabama; After
the consolidation Of the two Legislatures Chisholm was
appointed TO a position in the Cusom-housc in
consolidated senate IL decided by the friends OF
Spencer the managers before referred TO- that Miller
tanning Lieut. Ov. McKinstrys rulings whatsoever they
might be In order to secure the success OF THIS Plan and
Miller before the absent Democratic senator's could re-
turn, 1t was necessTy We thoug4', or M d t 90 ~
was thought that If MKnstry so ruled, the Democratic
ss,, Io,s wGr rcscI men were by agreement in
the lobby OF the Chamber Among those men were
w II Belts Chas Pelham sam Oliver, NJ. G. Candee.
Milo Barber j. j. Kinds, rough nom Georgia whose
do not know, and some i've OF six others whose
names / cannot remember don't know that NC,
Kinstry knew plans, but he knew the men we had
stationed i'll lobby and believed that he would SO
rule Miller all hazards and that he would be
strengthened ny their presence. The purpose was 10
chow him that he had friends there who would back hln
We apprehended datory action by the democratic
eenaOr which would prevent final action until the re-
OF the absent Democratic Senator Ldwards, ana IL
was therefore necessary TO have final action
that day and seat Miller before Edwards could
get back. In answer TO question az 10 what
,oeans were used to induce Senator Glass remain in
Montgomery after senator Edwards, with whom he had