The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-07
ON THE STAND.
Two Important Witnesses Examined
In the Louisiana Case.
The Way the Returning Board SwindIe
Was Managed.

WAsH1NsToS, JAN 31-The select COM
mittee on the privileges of the house
had before ii to-day two witnesses
who gave testimony of highly important
character affecting the integrity of the
Louisiana returning board. The following
is report of the most important of the
testimony. John It. Pickett was sworn and
examined: He said, az am ar attorney at
law and resident of Washington, D. c."
Q-Have you in your possession a letter
from Mr.. Wells of the Louisiana returning
board?
Al have.
OWL you produce it?
Handing it to Mr.. Field)-It is what
purports to be his handwriting. l am not
familiar with it.
Mr.. Field read the letter as follows:
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 20, 1877.
names cut out.)
DEAR SIR-You fully understand the situa-
thereto? Yours very truly,
j. MADISON WELLS
Q.-State the circumstances of your re-
ceiving this letter and what was done in re-
lation to it?
A-On Thursday preceding the lait Sun
day of November %, gentleman with
whom l have been acquainted for more
than quarter of century came to my
Office, he having just arrived from Louisiana,
where 1 had known him quite intimate
quarter of century ago, and gave me a
full history of the state of affairs there arts
ing out of the late presidential election. He
said he had been spending a week or 10 days
in New Orleans. This gentleman delivered
to me that letter. He stated that he had
been some days in New Orleans. 1 knew
that, for | had notified my democratic
friendsdewn there of-the fact of his having
gone thjther, and that he was an exceed
ingly dangerous man TO our people
(meaning the democratic partly inasmueh as
he had been resident of New Orleans in
former years, and had held high position
there socially and otherwise and thew
might not have known that he was now
member of the republican party and an
emisSary as / believed from the government
here. Touching how the vote of Louisiana
should be counted, and stating that from my
personal friendship for him of long standing
| hoped that If there should be disturb
ance there, as had occurred on previous oc-
casions, no harm should befall him. By
some means he obtained information of my
having written such letter, and which came
back to Washington. He repaired to my
Office aud stated TO me fully the condition of
affairs IN Louisiana. He said he believed
and that others believed that Louisiana was
democratic by from 5000 to 10000, but that
money would decide how her electoral vote
would be thrown; that his sympathies were
l..
and that he had in his possession which he
exhibited to me sealed, letter pur-
porting to be from Mr. Wells
to Senator West My informant said ::
81 have read this letter; it is sealed; can
not open 1t of course, nor would have you do
il if you would, but it informs Senator West
that the democrats have put up million of
money, and that we (meaning the re-
publicans) would need a million down
there to settle this thing and to coun-
teract that" He said he did
not feel disposed TO deliver that letter, that
it was not obligatory on him, and that if he
followed the wishes of his heart and the die
tates of his judgment, he would endeavor 10
have these gentlemen supplied with what
they needed so as to determine the result,
and he asked me whether / had any obiec-
| ton to cooperate with him. said
professionally can not, but in view of the
| magnitude of the interests at stake have
no hesitation to do all that is in my little
power. The result was that after one or two
long conversations extending over portion
of the next day. and after
some preliminary reduction of points
TO waiting repaired to New York and there
had interviews with several gentlemen emf
nent in the democratic party, to whom /
fully related all these antecedent facts /
had but one letter, that which | have al
ready produced to the committee, and i'm
order to conceal the name of the party to