Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-02-07
clerk. thereof. York 4. woodward On. q =.

did not know Of any instruct ons TO clerks in re-
lation 10 addition. tabulation aud compilation
Other than the instru ctons written the returns
themselves, slthough suggestions might have
been made by members Of the BOARD: lie d d not
know. by Conversation. or otherwise, Of q
purpose on the part II any members OF the
Board or other leading officials connected
with the vote, OF having II come out in a
particular way; he could give no explain ion as
Parish. J. II Murphy. OF Davenport Iowa, testi-
fed that Littleheld had, in December last. shown
70 him, at ST Lonis the return from Vernon Par
sh, and had said that Gov Wells had while the
Returning Board was In secret session come in-
70 The clerks room and requested him (Little6eld)
to transpose the vote Of the Second and Ninth
Precincts OF Vernon Parish TO the other side, and
the reason assigned by him wells was that
such transposition should elect Republican can
didates for District Judge and District Attor.
neg OF such district: Lttlefeld told witness
mat euch trinsporta ion was accordingly made by
him: after Morrison's Commit ee had called Gov.
Wells testify Wells said to Lttlefed that, there
being some annoyance about the Parish OF Vernon,
there would have to be some change, and asked Lit
tleneld whether he could not d .ure up and see
whether he could not make 178 votes for
those candidates; Littlefeld said he could do it
10: very we'll" said Gov Wells make ND the
record and we will have the afidavits prepared;
Wells told him to make copy. and certain tally
sheets were then destroyed by Gov. Wells. In re.
ply TO the statement OF Mr.. Murphy Mr. Little
hed testified that he never received any instruc-
tons from Gov. Wells, but he Informed wtless
W tHc contrary saying tnAt " ellis dlu INSTRUCT
him. Mr.. Littlefeld was then called before the
Committee on the Powers, Privileges and Duties
OF the House, and INTERCEPTED concerning the
precincts in question, but he refused to answer.
Littlefield, Clerk of the Louisiana Re-
turning Board, testified before Morrison's House
Committee on the 30th ult that on the Sd Of De.
cember he altered the original returns from two
OF the polls In Vernon Parish, go as to
ranspose IFS Democratic votes to the
Republican candidates; that he did this by
the express direction OF Gov. Wells, and
that, after making copies Of the altered originals
and substituting them for the originals the latter
were burnt d either by himself or Gov. Wells, he
did not remember which, but at all events with
Gov. Wells knowledge. On being oss-exam-
ined and as ked how 1t was that his answers of the
day before and at this examination old not agree,
witness stated that he msde no such answers on
his exaninat on on the Goth as were reported, but
that he refused to answer all questions. Little
field was subsequently before the Committee on
the Powers. Privileges and Duties of the House,
and reiterated his testimony as given before the
! Morrison Committee, giving detailed account OF
the manner in which the alleged alterations in the
returns from Vernon Parish were made, as he
Claimed, at the instigaton of GOV. Wells. Louis
NJ. kenner was recalled and further examined ;
he knew Hayes was elected by hrowng out
votes; the 70 es were thrown out because there
was evidence OF intimidation, hanging, men
driven from the polls and from their crops, and
therefore, the Board thought they re justidable
in doing SO: had some testimony that persons
voted The Democratic ticket thu ough fear; thought
there were ten Instances in which afidavits of in.
timidatlon came in with The returns; some
OF the other affldsvits came from persons
afraid to make them in their respective localities
owing to threats and intimiaation; witness had
no knowledge Of any part Of an original return
having been altered, nor had he knowledge that
the Board had any consul alton ON that subject, Oh
that there was any fraud by the Board or any
member thereof. or under their direction OF
knowledge. there was no concealment from the
Democratic Committee OF any papers before the
Board, ana accounts OF the proceedings were
published in the newspaper
The Select Committee on the Privi.
| leges, etc, of the House had before them on tho
3lst nit, j. T. Pickett, an attorney-at-law, Of
Washington, D. c., who produced letter pur-
porting to be from j. Madison Wells. of the
Louisiana Returning Board and dated New Or
leans, Nov 20, which read (the name of the party
to whom the letter was addressed being cut out) !:
My DEAR SIR: You fully understand the stua-
ton. Can you not advise me relative therefor
Yours, very truly" Witness then went on to
state that on the 23d OF November J. II. Maddox
just arrived in Washington from New Orleans,
called upon him and stated that he (Maddox) and
other Republicans believed that Louisiana was
Democratic by from 5000 TO 1000 majority, hut
that money would be needed 10 secure such de-
ci-on by The Returning Board, Mr.. Wells signi-
lying 81 90 900 as the requisite amount for that
purpose, otherwise they should give the State to
Hayes; witness. believing he serving the
cause of the right, con scented to cooperate in the
effort 10 bring alb ut negotiations to this end,
and subsequently saw Mr.. Hewitt and other lead
ing Democrats who declined 10 enter into the
proposed negotiations, Mr. Hewitt stating that
which had been made to him on the
part OF the Louisiana Returning Board
witness stated that he had been Colonel in
the Confederate service, chief OF staff to Gen.
Breckenridge in one campaign and volunteer aid
! in another. Joseph h. Maddox, special agent in
/ the revenue service was examined; knew Wells
and anderson twenty-five years in converse ton
1 ness, and instructed him what to do; had
/ frequent interviews with Wells and Ander-
/ son; couversed with Wells on the subject
matter, but declined TO disclose it; several papers
| were shown The witness, which he recognized as
| genuine including the correspondence on his part
/ the following memoranda was read: For 1000
200 the vote OF Louisiana can be secured to Iilden
and Hendricks; the manipulation mast be done
by me, and as far possible, to protect members
/ OF the Returning Board who may favor
such result IL may be necessary TO
elect two or three members of the Board
/ TO reach what we want: details 10 be
/ agreed upon; money 10 be paid in instalments
say one ourtn when the NTH member is elect
/ ed, one fourth when one member resigns and an
/ other is elected in his place, and one fourth when
another resigns with another elected in his place
the remaining one-fonrth to be paid when ccrtid-
Gates are gwen Witness declined to answer
whether that was the proposition Gov, Wells de-
sired him 10 carr, ont aud also declined to answer
several other questions relative 10 letters and tel
egrams which were shown him. and to whether
I or not Gov. Wells did negotiate with him for the
votes of the Louisiana Returning Board.
/ Mr.. Maddox was further examined on
the lst, and stated that Gov. Wells had said to
| him that he would like to serve his party in
making return in favor of Hayes but would not
take the risk unless paid tor it, the majority was
( very heavy--too much Tor him to hsndle--and he
did not know where TO commence to throw
out; he said in all probability he wculd have
( to throw OUT the vote of New Orleans On
the ground twitne's thought he meantl of neces-
sity Wells ask d witness Ia 90 to Washington
influential Obtain f,,r
him, and also to see whether he could not get the
/ required money to satisfy him. Wells said he
ought 10 have 81 COO COO. witness showed to the
! President and Secretary Cameron the two letters
addressed 10 him by Gov. Wells he told he
. Secretary that Cos, Wells wanted money, but
the Secretary declined 10 have anything ~