Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-08-13

make to the President the same expIa-
nation which he had made to me. You
will observe that l had q copy of
the letter with me-nOt the orig.
inal letter, and not puTporting to be
tre original letter; and that the letters
wv. H. were not inserted in an origi-
nal letter, aad in q different haudWrit.
ing, as has been asserted, 50 l could not
have said 1 saw this forgery in the origi.
nal letter."
Mr.. Piaisted-Wss it all in the same
handwriting, the "W. H" and the rest
of it?
Wituess-It was all in the same hand
writing,
Mr.. Plais ed-Go on, and give q sue
cinct history of the whole affair, in your
own way.
Witness-In the course of a conversa-
tion, Wilson asked me what 1 under
stood by the origin of the term "Sylph, +"
and an explanation of the "Sylph" dis
patch; 1 knew nothing in regard to the
origin of that term, or any circumstances
connected with it, OF my own knewl-
edge; l merely repeated TO wilson what
General BahcCck had told me, at Long
Branch, the previous summer, when,
from motives of curiosity, 1 asked him
what the explanation was, which | re-
peated to Wilson as coming from Gen
eral Babcock, and was as follows !:
That In the fall OF 1874 General BabcOck
visited s.. Louis with the Presidents
party; that on one occasion M'Donald,
then supervisor Cf that district, was
present, with some ether government
off GERS, with General Bab1Ock, either at
n Of ha Fo;y SaH hni,
held in that city; that M'DJnald pointed
out handsome woman, but rather
large in size, and called her sylph ;
that it was done in such manner as to
create considerable amusement; that it
was referred to afterward by way OF a
joke, and that it became sort of by
word; did not understand that the
President was present on this occasion,
nor did l understand there was any re-
Election upon the lady's character. The
allegation that I uttered or even re-
peat d q gross and vulgar slander on the
President iu that connection, or IN any
other connection, or that ever uttered
language which could be by any posi-
bility construed into reflection upon
his character, is so unutterably absurd as
to bear its own TefutatiOn in it5 face,
but I want right here, under the
solemnity Of al oath, to give to
that statement broad and absolute and
unqualified denial; Bluford Wilson says
or insinusted that / said the ''SyIph"
telegram referred to the movements Of
some parties who were going TO s.. Louis
on the bridge business; now mark the
perveTsion; what l said was just this 4:
In speaking Of the kilograms, snd for
the purpose of Illustrating how suspi-
cioUs a telegram might be on its lace
and yet how innocent might be its ma
ture, [ stated that Colonel Stevens had
recently told me that he once read tel
gram from General Babe0ck, in Wash
ingtOn, while be Colonel Steyens) was
in st. Louis, which read as follows: "NO
one going fIom here.n The colonel re-
marked that on its face, and without ex-
PLANTATION, that telegram might look
very suspicious; but that he had day
or two bgfore, he being railroad man
ager and hearing that the President and
his party were coming to st. Louis to
attend the opening of the St Louis bridge
on the fourth Of July, telegraphed Gen
eral BabGOck to know when the Presi-
dent would reach there, and
OF how many his party
would consist, and that it was in answer
to that telegram that General Babcock
sent him that very innocent reply, mo
one going from here" / took this Occa-
sion, in compliance with Mr.. Wilson'S
request, to speak to the President in re-
lation to the bottom and top of
The letter. In my inter-
view with the President, I showed
him the copy, explained to him that ]
had compared it with Wilson's letter
press copy, and that "W. H" was an
Interpolation; I also gave him the ex.
plana ion which Wilson had given me.
The President exhibited consid-
erable feeling in regard to the letter,
and did not appear TO regard the "W.
H." as at all imp Ortant; it was the gen.
ersl tone Of the letter to which he OBJ
jected, and l suggested that he should
send for Wilson, see the letter press copy
himself, and hear the explanation from
Wilson himself, as did not want to be
the vehicle for transmitting any expla-
nations. Now, l want to say here, thai
l made this call on Wilson from mo-
tives of kindness, and with the disposi.
ton to do him an sct Of justice, and the
only reward [ have received
thus far is having my name drawn into
an unseemly discussion i'll reference to g
matter about which l know little CT
nothing, and care still less.
Mr.. Plaisted-You may state what
the President said.
Witness-The President was annoyed
by the letter, and locked upon it as very
disrespectful, and as an effort to put
spies upon him during bis visit to St.
Louis.
. Mr.. Plaisted-Should like to have ju=t
what the President said about it.
Witness-I cannot trust my memory
to recollect the exact expressions used
Qges.-Was anything said about Viii
sons removal, that is, ought TO be
removed, or anything OF that sort
Ans.-The President said that Wilson
ought to ere moved, and that was what
lsd me to ask that he might send fol
Wilson himself.
Ques.-State just what the President
did say on that head. Ans His man.
ner and bis language left the impressi OIL
upon me that he was going to remove
Wilson,
In the cross examination General
Potter was asked if the President, at any
time after this convention between him
and Wilson, spoke about this "Sylph'
dispatch. Answer-He did not; the
President never said to me that Wilson
had made to him this statement as re.
lated in his testimony.
Q4estiOn-Do you know of the Presi
dent having at any time spoken of 9
conversation with Wilson in regard tC
your explanation Of the "Sylph" tele,
gram? Ii go, what did the President
say, and what are your means of knowl'
edge? The witness at first declined tC
answer the question, but finally said
"The President made no statement tC
me, or in my hearing, and anything
that may have heard, in the way q
runner as to what the President said,
must decline to state in evidence"
Ques.-Did you hear anything from
anybody, and if go, from whom, in re,
gard to the matter?
The witness said he heard about il
from A. StOrTs, who said the President
said that tne statement made by Will
son, in his testimony, was incorrect
that Wilson did ct recite this vulgar
SANDER to him; that he commenced tt
say something about an improper
woman, and that the President stopped
him instantly, and did not permit hin
to recite or discuss the matter.
William B. Moore, a fp9cisl Treasury
agent, c0ntT -dictsd, in mis- testim .
the statements made by Wlls0n Ca
cerning him. Among other things, IN
denied having aVan st0tad that he saw