The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-02-17
An Extraordinary Scene.

animation of Wells is given by the
Washington correspondent Of the st.
Louis Republican:
A more extraordinary scene has
never been witnessed in Compression.
al investigations than the cxamina-
ton of J. Madison Wells this after
noon. His direct examination by
Judge Lawrence on the part of the
Republicans was unintercsting, but
when David Dudley Field took hold
of HIM it began lively at tile very
start and kept it up through three
hong hours. One of the most skillful
cross examiners in the American bar
and one Of the greatest rognes living
were pittcd against each other; one
strong with remarkable adroitncss to
drag forth the secrets of the most
tamning iniquity which blots the
history of the Republicans, the other
struggling with the desperation of
despair to cover up the evidences of
his guilt. He was gradully drawn
into the tolls of his relentless examiu-
er, however, and piece by piece com.
PEELED to confess the whole story of
corruption and fraud in which he en-
gagged, a willing tool of conspi,ators
who plotted to defeat the will of the
people. He was So filled with dismay
and CONSERVATION at the conttmpla-
ton of his own helplessnes and ina
bility to escape the crushing mass of
evidence that was gradually heaped
against him that he grew reckless in
bis wild efforts to palliate his crime
and explain away the damning testi
mony which his own hand had writ
ten against himself. Sentence by
sentence the letter to West was read
to him, and his explanation Of its
purpose aud meaning drawn out in
such a way that he had not been FIVE
minutes under examination before lie
had condemned himself half a dozen
times.
Excuses, apologies, denials, con-
tradictions, followed one after the
other with such rapidity that it is no
exaggeration to say that he gave the
lie to himself fully hundred times
in three hours. He was kept on the
rack by the merci!ess Field. Evas1ve
one moment and stubborn the next,
his examination was exciting until
almost stormy from tho beginning tt
the end. The detailed report OF
questions and answers will convey nc
idea of the scene enacted, and it is ab'
solutely impossible to fifty character
ize it. Wells had great advantage in
the fact that he was already under
punishment for contempt in refusing
to obey the commands of the com
mittec, and he knew that it was i'm
possible to increase his punishment
for there are no thumb-screws or 9th
er inquisitorial appliances in thcs'
DAYS to make il man tell what he doe
not want to. Knowing this well
Wells was clustering, offensive ant
insulting. Assuming offence to him
r self in Fields questions where thcr
was not the slightest possible excus
for him to be offended, he severa
times threatened to protect himself
the committee did not protect him
and it is said that he actually had tw
= loaded pistols on his person all tn
time. After TIE committee adjourned
. your correspondent was walking be
: hind him as the deputy scrgeant-at
/ arms was taking him down to til
b restaurant, in the basement of tn
D capitol, to get his dinner, and hear
r him remark to his guardian: "Field
S a ID rough old customer. If | &
}, a chance III whale him like hell.
J, won't let him insult me.' That give
t a good idea of the sort of a man Wei
g is-bold, desperate, and absolute|
r INSCRIPTIONS, despite the gray hai'
; that give him an air Of apparent rex
= portability.