The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-06
ON THE TRAIL OF THE THIEVES.
IMPORTANT TDEyELorMENTs I'm souTHz
CAROLINA.
Capture of Records duplicating Wamyy
Prominent Radical Statesmen
[Ciucinusti Enquirer special.l

prominent Radical "States1ncn.''
Cincinnati Enquirer special1
COLUMBIA. 5. g., Sept. 2.-The Grand
Jury has adjourned temporarily be-
cause there was not plenty of work for
them, but because the committee
thought best not to lay any more Of the
cases OF the thieves before them for q
the committee. that the restitution made
by ex-cleTks Woodruff and Jones,
amounts to property Of cash value
OK 100000, and they agree to tell all
they know about everybody, which Is
equivalent almost to conviction of
every political thief who has had hand
in the stealing carried on here for eight
years past. Woodruff is stenographer,
and has kept diary In shorthand OF
every day OF his political life, II covers
the most minute transactions, from Civ
ing an order on furniture dealer for q
cradle for the use Of an ilegitimate
offspring OF one Of the members or
upon grocer for q caddy Of tobacco
or o basket of Champage, up to
his acts where, with the stroke of his
pen, he ordered hundreds of thousands
of dollars to be paid for the nefarlou
work OF some vagabond carpet-bagger,
negro. or scalawag, and then charged 1t
| to legislative expenses. He is now en-
gagged ia transIating his diary for the
| use OF the committee. He and Jones
| also, last night, turned over one hun
| dred and fifty checks, bribe money.
| paid to as many members Of the Legis~
lature. The checks were made payable
to the order of the members In cues
ton, were indorsed by the members,
and drawn by Woodruff and Jones
| from bank.
It will be seen, therefore. that there
| IN ftr@. ,txAax A
$50 statesmen, with their signatures
staring them Ia the face when they are
brought into court. At least fifty Of
these bribes-checks, as they are called
were drawn to pay these mem bers for
electing j. j. Patterson, better known
as Honest john" to the United Statee
Senate.
A most important witness comess
before the Commissioners, one Mrs.
Mclaughlin, Of Charleston, who was IL
lobbyist off and on for six years. Her
husband was 81 member of the Lower
House at one time. Nothing more need
be said OF her than that she was the
intimate friend and associate OF the
notorious land commission thief, G. +.
Leslie, better know as "Hell-hole
Swamp Leslie" who fled the State as
soon as the Democrats carried 1t last
fall. This fellow hailed from Brooklyn,
New York, but the Lord only knows
where he Is now. There is one thing
certain, and that is, that nothing but d
requisition would ever induce him to
show his face in South Carolina again
Senator Cochran, the chairman of the
committee, informed me tonight that
Woodruff's dairy, the facts contained
therein, and the evidence to be given by
Mrs. Mclaughlin, to be examined to-
{ morrow, would be Of incalcuable value
to the State. He thinks that about one
third of all that has been stolen from
the people, amounting to many millions,
will be recovered eventually, and that
the capture Of Woodruff, who has been
clerk Of the Senate during all these
black years, will be the cause Of 1t.