The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-06-05
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE.
tRitDtIENT Pfy-ROLLS go SOHE RE-
HtRH 1BLE syPIfERTNti.
y. w. srsry Nakrs Proposition I'll
Wants 10 Coin Ills Influence.


| The committee met at half-past ten
O'Clock this morning and Immediately
called to the stand
W. q. CATLiN,
q resident Of New Orleans since 1863.
Was dstiller. Knows Col or Gen.
Dent. from Washington was here in
1863 witness had some one hundred
barrels Of whisky ut that time. pur-
chased from q broker: the whisky was
paid S2i cents per gallon, the tax was
then so per gallon tho whisky being
seized. parties stated that | could have
the whisky released for SO per barrel g.
| refused to give the money; the same
parties came back and offered to have it
released for $500; | again refused, when
1t was suggested that ] should call and
see Col Dent
| Witness testimony was then objected
TO by Mr.. Conger rs irrelevant and not
bearing upon a Federal official. After
considerable discussion. it being ascer-
tained that Col. Dent was dead that por-
tion Of the examination was dropped.
Upon resuming the examination wit
ness stated he was acquainted with J.
w. Casey, Collector Of the Port. who
offered witness his prot ction should
witness give him OneWrd in his dis
tllery: this proposition was made some
time in tie fail or winter of 1870, wit
ness distillary being then seized ;,
witness saw Casey in Herwigs private
office in the Customhouse; witness
reply to Casey's proposition Of his pro-
lection was that he, Casey. was TOO tip n
man. and would leave him in the lurch
! il he got i'm trouble, that if he wanted
an interest $4,000 would secure it.
Casey replied he had no money. but he
would stop the officers from annoying
witness, and that his influence was
worth the money. Witness stated that
! it was impossible to run u diStillery. on
account OF tho exactions Of the officers
! Witness was distiling ut the end of
Steadman ) time Col StockdHle came
in and closed him NJ. and it was at that
| time Casey made the proposition. Wit
ness understood that Casey's position
would enable him to protect the distil-
lery. When the proposition was made
witness had won his suit against the
Government. aud his distllery was then
In his possession.
Cross examined by Mr. COnger Wit
ness stated that he had no other conver-
satiou with Casey than the one alluded
I to above nobody was present during
the conversation Capt. Sam Houston
came to witness house and requested
him to call on Col Casey, Mr. Casey
tillcrY to t,se his influences to protect me
from the WeyH Interference Of the Fed
eral officers, witness experience as a
distilcr was that Stendman Il Go. and
other Federal officials poeketed almost
all the profits of the Iistilleries: money
had to be paid upon Saturday nighL-or
the distlleries could not run the next
week; the officers at that time were
Steadmau. Moore and Woolney. they
Il l.. ~
Democrats
HENRY LARSEN
was next sworn. Is native Of this
city; has resided here all his life, is
clerk of the Towboat Company; never
held Federal position. In 1872 was in
the shipping business, was induced to
see j II. Sypher to get the appointment
under the new shipping bill. Sypher |
agreed to help him provided he Darsen)
worked to get him elected to Congress. |
Wanted Larsen's brother to work |
work for him. and agreed to furnish him
with two barrels Of whisky to treat
With. Sypher was very particular to I
state that he was not Republican. but !
working for Sypher Sypher gave him
money but he signed no pay rolls. AT
terward. with two friends. was called |
upon to go to the Customhouse signed /
some documents which looked like pay
rolls: no amount was specified on them
There was quito number OF pay
rolls; oil were signed: Sypher suggest
ed not to sign them all alike to make
crosses on some. Sypher gave witness
money whenever he called for it, but
never gave him to understand that he
was on the pay-rolls. The pay-rolls were
signed on Saturday. the last of October.
1872; the Monday following being elec-
ton day. The papers were handed wit
ness and his friends in II little room in
the Customhouse they signed whatever
names were filled in the pay-roIls; the
were left blank. Sypher stated
that there was no harm. that it was all
Il mere matter Of form. All three signed
t he lay-rolls, witness. for his share,
signed over twenty pay-rols
Sypher took witness friends to the
Office of Ur. HrO,ou, whom witness be-
lieves to be the cashier of the Custom
house, and money was paid them by said
Brown: the rest ofthe money was put in
directed envelopes and handed to differ
eDt parties. Witness worked for Sypher
on election day. but did not get his ap-
worked for q while with
Judge Long. Got money from Sypher
during d period Of two months Does
not remember the names on the pay !.
roll. Knows some down town boys were !
III bIlt Iotlo. NlLHbSS uOcS nOb Know
whether Witlidm S,onn was on the pay l
roll, but does know that he called on s
swan with Sypher and that Sypher was {
reated with
SILENT CONTEMPT i
~ Bill Swan. There were about one I
and fifty to two hundred of G
hose documents brought by Sypher !
igned. The names were signed at the !
bottom. When the papers were signed d
witness understood that they were r
,ouchers to draw the money to pay l
he men that were working for Q
'ypher. This money was to come II
rom Washington; in signing the
'apers he handwriting was disguised
The pay rolls were signed in Sypher's
ffice in the upper part of the building. q
Witness believes Mr.. Brown, the party g
Tho paid the money. was in the con <
truction department under Col. Morse n
Witness heard FernOn cav before wit Is