The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-02-01
LOUISIANA REVELATIONS.
What its Board Did in Secret
Session.
Frauds Unearthed by a Clerk,
HAYES Electors Chosen by Throw
Ing Ont Votes.
ORIGINAL RETURNS BURNED
And Altered Ones Take Their Places
A CLERK Sees CONSIDERABLE
SCRATCHING.
ORIGINAL RETURNS BURNED
And Altered Ones Take Their Places
THESE FRAUDS PERPETRATED
UNDER,WELLS'S DIRECTION.
To Secure the Election of the State
and National Tickets.
WASHINGTON, January 80.

WASHINGTON, January 80.
Littlefeld, Clerk of the Louisiana Re-
turning Board testified before the Morri-
son House committee to-day, that on the
Sd of December he altered the original
returns from two of the polls in Vernon
parish so as to transpose l78 Democratic
votes over to the Republican candidates;
that he did this at the express direction
of Governor Wells, and that after making
copies of the altered original and substi-
tuting them for the originals the latter
were burned either by himself or Cover
nor Wells, he does not remember ich,
but at all events with Governor Wells's
knowledge.
General Hurlbut of Illinois cross-exam.
ined Littlefeld and reading certain an
swers feom the stenographer's notes of
yesterday and to-day did not agree. Wit
ness stated that he did not make answers
yesterday as claimed but that he refused
to answer all questions and he stated
here as he did at the beginning of his di-
rect examination that he made no such
answers in his examination yesterday as
reported.
The Committee on the Powers, Privile-
ges and Duties of The House in counting
the electoral vote, to-day recalled Lewis
M. Kenner, of the Louisiana Returning
Board, who testified as to the vacancy of
the Louisiana Returning Board. Dr.
Kennedy, who proposed to fill it, was
Democrat, and man of fair standing in
the community. Wells and Anderson
were against Kennedy. Witness knew
Hayes was elected by throwing out votes.
The votes were thrown out because there
was evidence of intimidation, driving
them from the polls and from their crops
and therefore the board thought they
were justifable in doing 80. We had
some testimony of persons who voted the
Democratic ticket through fear Witness
thoughtthere were ten instances in which
affidavits of intimidation, &C., came in
with the returns some of the other aft
davits came from persons afraid to make
them in their respective localities, owing
to threats and intimidation everything
was quiet in New Orleans on election
day.
Ex-Governor Kellogg was briefly ex-
amined concerning electors of Louisiana.
He had no personal knowledge of Levisee
being United States Commissioner and
Brewster Attorney General at the time
they we're voted for, but he knew they
absented themselves from the College
and that the other electors filled the va
cancies.
Kenner and Casanave, both of the Re.
turning Board, were before the Commit
tee this afternoon. The examination of
the former resulted in his being com.
PEELED to produce private memoranda
taken by himself in the Board during the
addition, compilation and statement of
returns. The memoranda showed mum.
erous precincts thrown out on the alleged
grounds of intimidation, violence, &c.
There was nothing in the memoranda
about Vernon parish, witness saying he
made his notes of proceedings only while
he was present at the Board.
J.T. Littlefield was recalled, and his
testimony was in all substantial points
similar to that previously given before
Morrison's committee. He said yester-
day when he appeared before the COM
nittee he had taken no legal advice, but
since then he had a conference with an
attorney, who informed him that he
could tell the whole truth if he did 80
under protest, otherwise he wonld have
to bear the burden of suspicion in alb
stracting original returns of Vernon
parish.
Field asked witness to look at paper
marked S, and he answered after short
inspection, that it was the same paper
that was before the Returning Board. |
The witness in reply to questions, said |
he was requested by Gov Wells to trans
pose returns of two polls, taking votes
from Democrats and giving them to Re-
publicans, polls two and nine; the num-
ber of votes thus transferred was 178. The |
original figures were erased and those |
required were written in their places.
By Field-What motive did Gov. Wells
assign for requiring you to make the
changer
AETo elect Hunter, Judge, Andrews
District Attorney, and Kelso State Sena-
sor, the parish being in the Judicial Dis
;rict in which Gov. Wells resided.
Q.-Was one of the persons named
James Andrews who refused to accept the
,ffice on the ground that he was not fair
y electedP
Al presume so, from the fact that
10 was candidate for District Attorney.
Field exhibited certificates of election
# two friends of Wells-Hunter and
kelso, which witness believed to be gen.
line.
By Mr.. Field-When a change of fig.
Tres was accomplished in the way you
MENTION what became ofthe original pa
'ers from Vernon parishP
Al was instructed by Governor
Wells to bring him two statements ac-
the consolidated statement
gave them to him the day after the Of
Cial promulgation; he was aboutto put !