New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-11
THE CONGRESSIONAL COMmlTTER.


Investis.sieas Continued.
The members of the congressional inves-
tigsting committee resumed session yester.
Present-Gessrs. Gibson, New, Reilly,
WOODBURY., the two latter having just ar.
rived from C0ushstta.
In regard to the Coushatta mystery, both
gentlemen agree - to the report that NO
evidence was brought to bear showing that
the killing of King and the w0unding of
Twitchell arose from either personal or
political nature, as the name Of the per.
son who did the shooting could not be
ascertained, although some thirty -four or
thirty.five witnesses were examined, Sen
ator Twitchell himself testifying that the
party was neither Bean or Yates, the two
men whose names have been mentioned in
relatlOn to the affair.
Captain Henry j. Blinker sworn-Has
resided in this city twenty-five years; Is q
steamboat captain; commanded the Marie
Louise during the Grant parish trial; his
boat brought down the witnesses in that
case; Donald McMickle, deputy United
States marshal subpenaed the witness; wit
ness agreed to pay him Q certain sum if
they came down on his boat; 81 each;
there were fifty or sixty witnesses; the
regular rate was SIP for passenger or $A
for the round trip; witnesses we're brought
down twice on the Marie Louise; the first
time no arrangement was made with the
deputy marshal; they paid their own pas
sage money, $40 each.
To Mr.. COnger-The clerk collected the
passage money at the CustomhOuse.
Lafayette Lane sworn-Resides in Match
itOchee; was arrested by q man named
Boullt, claiming to be United States dep
uty marshal, on q warrant issued by United
States Commissioner WoOlfey; was taken
to NatchitOchee, and first kept in camp,
where he was confined till after the cleo
ton; the troops went away. and nothing
was done with those arrested; witness gave
bond in the sum OF $4,000 to appear for trial;
wrote to tho United States district attorney
several times about it, but he put of the
trial, giving as . reason that there WAS no
Judge; witness has never been tried, nor
heard that the proceedings sgains. him
have been quashed; the charge was con-
spiracy and murder in relation to the Cou'
shatta officials; was not furnished with tho
names of witnesses, and one of them wit
ness did not knew; was subsequ entity re-
leased on his own recognizance: witness at
first refused to be released, and after ward
gave bond of $4,000 for his appearance for
trial; several others were arrested in wit
ness neighbOrhoOd just previous to the
election, which caused q Decentralization
among the white people, who took to the
woods; was in the city August %, when the
alleged murder was committed:
To Mr.. COnger-Arrived in New Orleans
on the morning of the twenty-sixth OF
August; don't know that any were arrested
who were not charged with conspiracy and
murder; the marshal said he had war
rants for the arrest of 200 people; wit
ness resided fifty miles from where the
murder was committed; Mr.. Beckwith re-
piled, when witness asked for trial, that
the expense would be too great-that it
would cost $lO,O 900; none of those arrested
for conspiracy and murder have been tried
TO Mr. Gibson-Witness did not know, of
his own knowledge, that any murder was
committed; all he stated ON that point was
from hesrsay and accounts in the news
papers; - ,;... c,uo,.o,
swOrn-Was on Mr.. LowelPs bond; the
sureties had q meeting to make up the
amount; before it was understood positively
what the amount would be, George L..
Smith went to witness and offered to pay
his pro rata. to which he replied that he
would refund it; Governor Kellogg re
ceived q sight draft from Hon. Frank Mo
rey; the money was paid to Morey; witness
understood the defalcati0n was c0mprO-
missed for $1,000.
Robert Hall sworn-Resides in the parish
| of st. Bernard; Collector COckrem called
| on witness to pay an internal revenue tax
| assessment: he also made some additional
charges, which witness thought were illegal;
wrote to Secretary BristUw in relation to
| the matter; the Secretary referred him to
| United States Commissioner Pratt, who
wrote him letter on the subject; this letter,
dated February 90, 1876, was to General
| Gibson, and stated that no charges were on
| file relative to dealing in tobacco, and that
| Collector Cockrem had been directed to
make an investigation; subsequent letter
was written by the commissioner, inclosing
q letter OF instructions to Collector COckrem,
| ordering an immediate explanation Of the
matter; y third letter this from the COM
missioner to Collector COckrem), relative to
| charges, penalties, mileage, interest, etc.,
was then read, requesting him to exercise
| the utmost care in future in making charges
| for the above; fourth letter was read from
the commission to Mr.. Gibson, disapprov-
| ing of the action of Collector Cockrem.
Richard T. Buckner sworn-Witness
Lane identified by him; testified that he
was in this city the latter part OF August,
| and was present at the Baton Rouge con-
| ventiOn.
John Clark sworn-Is an iron founder;
made q bid for iron work at the Custom
house in 1871; his bid was $35, 900 and was
published in the newspapers; the bid was
| for cornice work; j. H. Sypher came to wit
ness and stated that his bid was lower than
| any of the nine or ten submitted, and that
| he could get him the contract if he would
increase the bid $1,000; as he had influence
with the authorities at Washington. Cap
tain Morse, Mr.. Sypher said, knew all about
| it; witness then said that Sypher took his
(witness) clerk with him to the Custom
house next day; Sypher then went to Wash
| ington; before going he told witness Captain
Morse knew nothing about the arrange
ments; few days after he was instructed
by A. j. Sypher to 60 to work under the
| contract and made the necessary arrange
| ments, gave bond and signed the contract;
the contract was subsequently Cancelled, as
the witness repeatedly refused to accede to
propositions after signing the contract; A.
| q retaining fee for his brother, j. II. Sypher,
which witness refused to give; the contract
was subsequently awarded to q firm in Bal
t;more; the original bid was increased $1,000
by the Baltimore firm; was not furnished
with duplicate of the contract signed.
Il. H. Mari sw0rn-TO Mr.. GlbsOn-Is
acquainted with Mr.. Lafayette Lane; was
present at Baton Rouge August "a and %,
1874, when the nominating convention was
held; Lane accompanied witness from Baton
Rouge; Lane was in the city several days
| following this date.
KJoseph j. Todd sw0rn-TO Mr.. Nevis
q steamboat clerk; in 1872 was clerk on the
Marie Louise, which was then in the Red
river trade; brought down from Grant par
ish about 100 witnesses, and received from
| IS to $40 for each; they gave drafts upon
| the United States marshal for their passage;
the marshal paid the drafts in his office.
Mr.. New said he did not wish to go into
the subject further, as it wo uld implicate a
man now dead.
To Mr.. Conger-There was no deputy