New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-06
Fy-GOy. VELLS'S DENIALS.
4 LIVELY DAY IL THE COMmTTEK-ROOM-DAvID
prDLyY FIELD AND TIE WITNESS N EXCITED
CONTROVERSY.

A
DUDLEY FIELD AND TIE WITNESS IN EXCITED
CONTROVERSY.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRiDuNE.l
W,su1NGrON. Feb. 5.-The scene in the
room OF the House Committee the Judiciary TINS
afternoon during the crOss-exlmination OF ex-uoV.
Wells OF the Louisiana Returning Board by DaVlu
Dudley Field was many respects an unusual:one Tx
Gov Wells had requested Tie committee 70 eX hiho nm
last Saturday afternoon order that his explanation Of
the letters produced by Maddox might 90 10 the country
with the letters themselves; but the Democrats on the
committee not only saw fl to deny him this privilege
bu in secret session voted 10 alsy its record au 10
omit from its journal all notice of the request "e7
was first examined to-day by Mr.. Lawrence. lis eA-
plaua;ion OF the letters will be found in deta IN the
General Press dispatches. The least tha' can
he said about ii is that it IL not very
natural one especially Wells has testified thar he
had held no previous communication with senator west
on the subjects treated o. and without previous under
standing no reader OF the letter would be Aely % give
the Interpretation put upon by ats author "e' a
one strong point ia his testimony about Maddox story
The latter inserted, when examined last week. tha'
Wells Informed hun on the 9th OF December that the Re
pplIicau majority in the State would be l20O or LOU
Wells called attention to the fact that on the morning VI
that lay the official canvass was promulgated anu pun
H.bed IN the papers OF N'vOrlcaus, ana that 1iuuoA
mus have known every else did, that the MAJOR
ity was about $500; it would therefore be absurd 70
give on that day any other information touching The MI
iority II may nave promulgated.
In:eaeld, story was denied by Wells IN almost every
particular ami point AZ least he throw great ds
credit upon the assertions made by that witness one Oh
the rrjnciral accusations made against Wells by Little
field II may De remembered, was that he caused 10 p5
DESTROYED the returns Of the commissioners OF vernon
Parish after the ransposicns the consolidated state
mept OF the Supervisor OF Registration had been made
Wells showed from the verbatim report OF the proceed
in- Of the board at the time the returns from vernon
Parish were opened that there were no poists ana no
-euprs from The precinct commissioners accompanying
the returns, of the supervisor no such papers were
oyer in the possession OF the board OF course Wells
never cond have destroyed them himself or caused any
one else 10 do So This single fact throws very great
Gscredi, on the whole Of Littceds testimony Tor II
il La div possible that be could have been mistaken Ill
a fact OF Ia kind short. tie only conclusion That
can bc accepted is that Lit ceids testimony on lA9
point al least was deliberate perjury.
The croseXaminatono Of Wells was conducted by Da'lu
Dudley Field Til. witness hal evidently been warned
thai Field would resort 10 every trick known 70 criminal
lawyer % cHtYJp MIN and TO make MS testimony IL
damaging to himself possible. WhcA NJ Field began.
his examination therefore cxGo7. Wells DrSiied up
and placed himself on the defensive, and daring con
siderable part Of the time there was great deal OF
very .harp firing across the cOmmi;tce-tabe Taxing q
copv Of Weiss letter 10 Senator West, Mr Field read ii
sentence by and clause by clause d'id.AE IL
most ssil.uly and demanding an explanation ot eaci
portion separately, som,tmes without giving the Wit
ness an opportunity TO know the entire contents Of the
sentence on when be answering qGcs ions DR. Field
manner toward HIN also at times extremely severe
dcmandias OF hIm car,or, answers 10 his enItappus
ouextions and ordering him in the most prrrmp'ory
Iaunrr 10 stop when ne undertook 10 give an cAl4hi-
I'm of ~ icuiir, Il. OlLcr times Wells himself got
Greatly cvccd. and interrupted Mr.. Field IN the midst
of his questions, ordering him 10 -top ana 4hIo Hh@
him that ,r T.r.i himself answering the question,
md mat ne did wish 10 Ue he'd responsible iJF il
testimony that Mr.. Field mlEIt give SOmcl III u Wa
impossible tel wlicn TIE witness and "hIcAWAs
con juctIug ;Lc examination.
Ir. Wells refused 20 answer questions rr!a'inE 10
ans, subject except the letters produced by Maddox and
the returns Vernon Parish. lie SAID ;Aat whenever
Ia ais freedom Lc Will then testify before ;ir committee.
put while he prisoner Ae Will Cn4y ans "er
questions such aunlcrts as lie ri. asses. HS
/ refusal was in maDT ca.r- very decided. Nhri
Hr EI.ld asked Inn question Nllrh re Olh
I not mend 70 answer al be b'-aa an *
llpngtluu Of hi- reasons. he would follow Mf. Field .
interruption and accompanying demand mat nc snoud
answer tnr question with. 80 won't spoken 10 the
most decided manner \ very interesting passage 0l
IN, eTo.,- xdiiI tnat in "Acl he testified tl
duncan T. kcuneI, e pr n.lsut Democratic citizcn 81
Oyu 10 return the Of %" ~tc Tor ihc Dr'c attic
electors and fnr the Nichols state Government. The III
egylcW. Wells s:Ii took pace u Mr.. n tniirl'- Office
Mr. Field did tIOW up lis examination on thIa point,
but IL understood that the Republican members Of 'r
committee VIII pur>u" the INVESTIGATION and insist on
having all tie facts card 10 II brought Out Wells
crosse XaInlnalIOn Is 10 be continued tomorrow.