, 1876-04-24


fRll Of 1879, during tho Presidential campaign.
Independently Of Tho &5.0oo previously paid on
shs order Of Akernsn, and paid him 10000,
all 1t onB tinao. In Tho course OF examination
Whitley said hn objected to pay money 10 Dassu-
port. because ho did not know to what usa It
would DO put; AAorney. General Williams told
h!m ho was directed to psy It By order Of the
port htd right 10 draw huy moro money he
ought to draw Il directly and not through him;
tho Attorney. General said It WAS the desire Of
tho President that tho monoy should be drawn
In tAAt way.
Q.-Wbas reaaons did Williams giro for OBJ
lection to payment Of this tnonoY7 Al asip-
pose because objected; cannot ssy posEtivs-
to Ss '' a"S" @ @ 's ro rtao.s ss" .Soasas
Davenport, II he bad snpIoysd mon, ought 10
have seat them 10 him t0r payment; he could
not tell whether tho direction or order of the
President raa verbally OF in writing. Wil!ams
President. and WtIl,ama told him he thought
that tue money ought not to be paid out IN that
way. In answer to q question tho witncss said
had NOT Davenport been \ Republican ho would
not have received tho money In shat nay. They
did not deal With Democrats politically.
Q.-btsto II yoa do not know that tho money
vas used for Campaign and Improper purposes
IN the election tboro7 A.-Nos Of my own
spend dollar OF It Ia any way, shape, OF neu.
ner. beyond paying 1t 10 Davenport. Tho Wit
ness said tue money MAS not accounted for In
tho department, There wore in that denhrtment
no rece4psB from Davenport. lie thought tho
committee would find, BY examination, thst Ia
addition to what he paid Davenport, the depart
| mont Paid linn largo au,ount of money for the
18no services lc rendered lti Now York.
Y.-Do you know ~hat dcrvlces?f3A 3A.-No bnt
think It was something 10 regard to tho eIoc-
sion. Tho wltnosa said he himself drew, In The
epaca OF four years, from 1871 to 1874 inclusive,
| from Al25. .009 to fi40t LOO, snd out OF this ho
| paid Davenport; he made returns from, tlme to
| time Of his own doIngs. but did not repdes &C.
i counts Of his expenditures; his reporta show
| that ho employed men for detective purposes,
and these reports were made IN Justification Of
| the expenditures; he HAs novcr requested to
| eettle; thor had confidence In him~ and he ro-
ceiysd orders for tho monoy drawn by Williams
| on tbs Pay Department.
| The following are cxttacta from the testimony
| Of e1-Attorney General Williams relating to ,he
payment Of money TO Davenport
| Q.-Dil understand you to say THAI It was
Mr. Whitley or Mr; Davsnport 1hat brought yon
Davenport A.-Mr. Davenport.
Q.-Do YOU know what has become Of the
uoto ? AL an not able to state; prcaume
will say tho President Was accustomed to write
IN card aomelimes on IL little piecs Of paper,
| make me, aud these communications nero nerer
| preserved, they woro thrown away or DESTROYED.
| Q.-1n nd1ition 70 tl'at you had conve1sation
With the President upon the subject 2 Al
hnd.a asir.
OIL understand you, you objected tt. paying
out the mouoy because you thought 1t did not
lcgisinatelg como In your department? A.
| No, not exactly that. did not want to pay out
| about tho purposes TO which .heso funds vera 10
be applied, except from REPRESENTATIONS made to
mo BY Mr.. Dasenport, aud I was not willing to
| allow him to have money upon hts ropresenth-
| tions. At the samo TINA Nns reluctant about
paying tie money because wanted this fund,
a. thought. for mhny purposes, and all had to
ecouomizo In overy WAY to make the appsoptta-
| tio1 meet tho expenses Of tile department. At
not uae 1t in tblo way. If 10 mr. Judgment 1t WAS
| proper, and II the expenditure OF thin money In
that uny mould tend 10 prevent frauds in
elections or prevent crimes,
this money. did he sta.e to you for What pur-
pohe be wnntod ~ A.-Yo8, sir that whs dis
tiuclly unuesAtool all around between the Preai-
nens aud mysolt and Mr. Davenport.
from tho President directing that Il should be
| paid. Was It a direction or Tequest Al
| will not ho cer!asn whether ho mado m appca-
ton to me In tho first place for the money and
in tho first instance ho brought this note from
the President. which was the frat knowledge
that had that ho was to haye any such money
| I caupot be certain about that, but am cor
ts!p thns 'hts Iots aon,.s, came which, think
Davenport to hare money for that pur-
pose. subsequently when Mr. Davenport came
for money was reluctant about letting It 70,
sad the Ptosdont thought that ho might havo
mora money fur that purpose, and 90 l allowed
1t to 60 in that Way,
Q.-Thsn tho work was not juns begun. 1t
theba nifty or one hundrod books bad hccufnu-
provious III tho clectiona7 AL think they
| wars al made by Mr. Davenport and hia Ass,s-
tants; Think Mr. Daycnportiuy iuyensed tho system
and have heard 1t remarked that tho invention
,tsolr exhibits genius 10 thas way; have heard
people speak OF the work in very authuBiaetc
tsrus, asserting tnat Mr. davenport IL grcas
genius in tho way Of tnyontlng Byssom to pro-
vent fraud. and aao exhibits groat energy and
skill In pesfecting the system.
Q.--Was ttAt any pnrt Of hiB duty Is an officer
OF the Government Al don't tlink it Tay.
Q.-Anybody eso could have done that except
= Commissioner Of Election Al don't think
It III the duty Of \ Supervisor Of N elcctton to
prsp1re aach work showing registration OF
The voters, but 1t III made BY Ian the duty Of the
supervisor, In cass hs conaiora it necessary to
prevent frauds At eloct!ons. 10 have nado for
httn by his aubordinates. lists OF Tho registered
voters in each election precinct IN his district 60
that this. ~ underatand, whs 10 be regulated
~ : eubstituto for thosa lthta that tho Law 70.
quites tho auhordiuatos OF the Supervisor to
make, but don't undertake 10 say that Ii Was
| his duty to make Any Rucn booka.
Q.-1hen this enterprise upon which Daven-
port eutsrod Was \ thing that tho law did nHs
require him to do under the oflice tbkt he hol1,
VIVA it not2 Ia 1t laid down by law ns one Of
bis duties? Al do not understand that it wAz
his duty to do It,
Q.-Did You not approve Of this ensespsiso Of
his2 Al did not know anything about It.
Gle told you. did he not7 Alto did
bnt was not willing to oct upoo hts represent.
Aslona; not until had learned from sourcos
moro satisfactory to me that le was engaged
upon auoh work. 1loarned FROM tho President
who understand hAd examined the work.
Q.-Dtd you consult any othar source thar
! the ptesidents Al did not.
Q.-rhen you never ozdelod any money to be
pAid to Davenport until 10 frat brought 10 you
written osdsr trosn the Psestdent7 AL dId
not, ,aiE.
Q.-,Vhoss Ia that written order from the
Psosidens7 AL don't know, sr. ! will mol
Gay that it was written order. - cannot secol'
Iocs tho phsasoo1o9y. 1t mAy hare boon slmp!e
| ranlast IN shn rRtt Of the PEa4ident. brought Il