, 1876-08-13
WILLIAMS.
The eEx-Attorney-Generai on the Anonymous |
Letter Scandal, |

The eEx-Attorney-(senerai On the Anonymous
Letter Scandal.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 4.--E1-AttorneY-
General Williams came before the Sub-Com-
mittee on Whisky Frauds this afternoon asking
to make statement on what he called an in
famous scandal, contained in the Cincinnati
Erening Gazette a few days ago He was pro
cecding to remark he had seen the President
this morning, who authorized him to say-'
saying he objected to receiving anything from
the President through third party, but if the
President desired he should have an opportunity
to be heard.
ring to the statement published in the Cincin-
natl Gazette, said that no such idea was ever
brcathed to him by the President or by any
member Of the Cabinet that anonymous letters
had ever created any prejudice against hum. III
Chief Of the Secret Service Division, was EN-
ploycd By him after Whitley had been removed,
Nlr. Williams said he never employed Whitley
for any purpose after he had resigned as Clnei
Of the Secret Service Division, but he was paid
for services rendered previous to his
With regard to the imputation that mis- wife
was the author of the anonymous letters, II
was damnable outrage and lie, Who
ever the author might be- when Attorney
General be received anonymous letters OF mia
nous character, and he presumed they all ems
mated from the same source, from some enemy
Of the Administration, and some were addressed
to the members Of the f,milies Of Cabinet Off
GERS. His wife was grieVed BY these letters,
but nothing could be then said about thens-
lie knew it was impossible that she could have
ANYTHING to do with such communications. She
was as much above such q mean, low act as
any woman in the United states Ihere never
was more Wanton and wicked calunny than
that contained in the newspaper afl3Gie
Mr. Solicitor Wilson informed him that he (sVil-
SOM WAS in no way responsible for the pholis:a,
ton in the Cincinnati Gazette. It was assumed
therein that he (Williams) was removed from the
Cabinet on account Of these anonymous letters.
The truth was he was not removed, but resign
ed. He had never heard it bre2thed that any
member of his family had aught to do with the
authorship OF the anonymous letters, until late-
ly, iu Dom Hatt's paper, but the statement Was
not sufficiently definite To enable him to under
stand its meaning. The statement IN the Gd-
sette, however, WAS in tangible form, and he was
surprised that it was introduced in the Commit
tee and thus given consequence 1t woula mol
otherwise have possessed
In reply to question from alr CocRfane, MT,
Williams said the anonymous letters contained
obscene statements about the President and his
family and the families Of different members OF
the Cabinet, aad charged that be !" 1hams)
kept mistress in his department while he WAS
Attorney General. These letters were not On
file They had been DESTROYED.
Mr.. Cochrane asked whether the Presidents
wife received such letters, when MI Williams
| replied: The President this morning showed
him one of those anonymous letters, only one
be knew Of, addressed IT, Mrs Grant. The
| charges therein were against Mr.. Williams and
his wife, and infamous in their imputatlons
The letters he himself received were scurrilous,
and attacked everybody connected in any way
| with the Administration. ..
A1r. Plaisted said be had objected to the recep-
ton Of the newspaper article, which was sour
1ilous, and they should not keep It any longer
| under their noses. Before Mr.. Williams retired
be said, in reply to reporter:
'.What proposed to say to the Committee
and what they refused to hear, was that the
President told me tlat the article, SO lar as it
related to him, was absolutely false, that he
no knowledge that the detectives were en-
ployed in tile matter, and that he did not -
| fiere or my wife had anything to do with 60
ANONYMOUS letters"