New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-27
THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
THE FOURTH DAYS PROCEEDINGS
A FEW MORE REVELATIONS

A FEW MORE REVELATIONS
The congressional investigating eorh.
mittee resumed it's labors yesterday, Measrb }.
Hoar, Frye, Wheeler and Marshal present.
Both sides, that is Republicans and Dem
ocrats, were fully represented.
Elk Governor Wells took the witness
stand to explain portion of the sub-com-
mittee's report relative to his absence from
the Returning Board on the twenty-fourth
of December last. Sickness in his family
in Rapides parish demanded his presence;
he returned to New Orleans on the eleventh
of January; knew nothing of the sub con-
gressional committee being at work until I
saw 1t in the newspapers; Was anxious to
give evidence before that committee; no
proposition was made to me to appear before
that committee; was in New Orleans the
day after election; election returns wese
sealed and placed in the Auditors vault,
when the documents were taken from the
vault deemed it best not to open the
packages until every member of the Re-
turning board was present; l intended to
do justice to every body; never put my hand
on the seal; Democratic counsel placed their
seal on the packages; when rum0rs of riot
were heard caused the bundles to be trans
ferred to the Treasurer's vault for greater
safety; many of the packages had their
seals broken when they reached the board
from the Pestotfice; there has been COM
plant about throwing out Sabine parish
tam returns, which had been used we're
placed in an armoir in the room in which
the board held its sessions, it is asserted,
had been tempered with; reliable men were
placed on guard there at night; the only
person who touched the papers, SO far as
know, was Mr.. Levy, clerk; can not say
who broke the armoir; Mr.. Arroyo, in his
statement, COMPOUNDED Sabine with Jack.
son parish; he signed the Sabine pa
pers, not the Jackson parish; it was
worth a mans life to make protest in the
Rapides parish case; office holders were
driven from their offices by armed mobs;
when was ready to return to New Orleans
desired to go up to Alexandra to take
boat, was warned not to, as my life would
be endangered; was informed Of that fact
through letter from friends; would have
been assassinated; was not afraid Of an
open enemy; during the war was Union
man, and was forced to remain in the
woods for more than year, and was
hunted with dogs; carpetbagge1s and Re-
publicans are not liked in Louisiana; l
owned two plantations in Rapides parish,
b9t to day | am poor man; was Governor
Democratic counsel crOss-examined the
Governor closely about documents which
decided the board in rendering its decisions.
During this examination the Governor
related that on the twentieth of November
he dined at the City Hotel, and while eat
ing was informed by friend that he had
something important to communicate to
him; having finished his meal he arose to
leave, when he was followed by two men,
who appeared disposed to attack him; az he
was leaving the room q gentleman and two
ladies stepped between him and his pur-
suers, whom he had then learned intended
to do him personal injury; he was persuaded
by his friend to leave the hotel to prevent
trouble; did not know the mems names; he
chose not to reveal the name of the gentle
man who gave him information of the
intended attack, without having consult
alton with his informant.
Judge Hoar announced that several per-
sons had conversed with him concerning
the state of affairs in this locality, but they
feared to appear as witnesses, because. it
would certainly injure them in their bust
ness and socially. This prevented the
obtaining important testimony.
Mr.. Mare expressed himself as believing
The contrary.
General Campbell stated that his expe-
hence was unlike that of Mr.. Mari He
believed that any man who should appear
lere as a witness would be called liar if |
le told the truth, and would be frowned |
lown as an enemy to the public.
T. C. Anderson-Was Wing previous to
he war and q Conservative since; was a |
member of the Legislature before, during |
nd after the war; am a member of the |
Board; the statements in Cover
or Wells testimony are entirely true as |
ar as my knowledge extends.
Witness here read extracts from Mr.. |
statements relating to an alleged
between them concerning the |
'ort Jessup poll. Witness emphaticslly
sserted that Mr.. Zacharie was mistaken;
Q (witnese) had never proposed to make
tade of Selph for Smith or Smith for Selph;
ever had any such conversations; held
b claims against the Kellogg government;
is not true that l said had purchased
900 claim for $4,000; Mr.. Whitaker
as testified that l had acknowledged that
t the last election the Democrats had car
led the House; if said anything of the
ind it was from a general impression
leaned from newspapers, for at that time
ne returns were not sufficiently clear to
,rm conclusion; Mr.. Arroyo must be mis-
aken about having signed the returns Of
ackson parish; never had any conversation
18th Packard or Kellogg, saying that the
democrats had majority of ten in the
louise: perhaps said that the Democrats
ad majority, but that conclusion was
lade up from newspaper items, and general
lmors; never made such q remark after l
armed the actual returns; the Returning
oard did all it could to facilitate business
nd make its returns.
Cross exsmination-The assertion made
v the Returning Board clerks. that when
ley were discharged all the returns were
lady to be promulgated, could only have
cen q conclusion they jumped at; they
ere mistaken in their conclusions; we did
OF consider protests or evidence before the
cures were made up; the figures were
lbulated and the protests fled with them;
believe that the WhiteJLeague, an armed /
3dy, exists in every parish in this State; I
ave seen them organized, with arms; one
t went to or started tor the parish of St. i
artin last summer to help their friends in {
ut section, as it was intended to remove ,
10 parish officers; one other cause of these |
en- leaving st. Landry was because it was {
Slowed that troops were to arrive in that I
irish; in some parishes men act as COM
issiOners who can not read or write; men | i
ho are educated do not like to serve. I
Governor Wells recalled-Candidates
uld not have access to the papers during
Q time the Returning Board sat with
osed doors; we did not hold any CONVEX
ton as to the policy of counting in or out 4
single parish. 9