The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-02-06
to the gentlemen 3of the committee, / win

to the gentlemen 4of the, committee, will
state that am unwilling to be catecilised
upon any Of the results OF the election TN
I'll I have been discharged from con-
tempt before. the House and nv lib
critics rs an American freeman are
allowed. With the exception Of Vernon
parish, upon that am willing to give the
fullest explanation, but upon all other mat
tiers relating to.the election must decline
to testify till the punishment OF which
have been adjudged has been carried cut or
have been relieved Of it. Tam noWTeady
to answer your question. You may
now state whether returns from Polls 2 and
0 or any other polls OF Vernon parish were
burnt or otherwise destroyed in your pre-
sence or with your knowledge. No, sir;
and the man who has sworn to that effect
is IN unmitgated liar. l beg your pardon,
! gentlemen; I did not mean to offend the
feelings OF the committee, but the outrage
upon nv rights and my character excites
me, and causes me to use language which,
perhaps, ought not to use before this body.
| Did YOU make any request or give any di-
rection for the destruction in any form OF
any paper returned to the Board / never
did, sir. Or any other paper relating to the
election never did, sir. Did you have any
knowledge OF the destruction OF anyS l did
not, sir. will make statement now IN
connection with that matter: When the
com nn;;,ca returns by the supervisor OF cleo
t;on from Vernon narish were transmitted
in a single sheet by MAJ. 4 sdpte OF four
hundred miles, the envelope was opened In
the presence OF the gentlemen who were
there, and who had gone there from the
North for the purpose of examining the
count. On opening the returns there was
but single paper enYeloped in the re-
turns, and that was the compiled statement
from the supervisor OF registration. There
was protest signed by the clerks on behalf
of the Hayes electors, and other protests,
as will lie shown by reference to the books.
There were no such papers as have been re-
ierred to to destroy. No such papers came
from that parish. EEaf ~
Some two hours cross-eXamination fol-
lowed, in which some OF Mr.. Fields friends
say he had caught tartar:
Governor Wells was persistent to the end.
eAssANovE's TESTIMONY CONCERNING THE
LOUISIANA BOARD.
Casanova testified that he did not know
how the count would result until the ap-
proclamation was finally made. He knew
nothing OF DR.. Kenner except that he lived
in New Orleans. They did not put DIR.
Kennedy on because they had q quorum
without him. Cassanove did not consider
it his duty to put Democrat on. The
clerks did the figuring. There was no
figuring done in secret session. He could
not mention any affidavit in any precinct or
parish, because he could not remember.
How. many parishes were thrown out2
There were a good many precincts thrown
out. How many votes were thrown out
Don't know. De you remember whether
there were 500 or 10000 votes thrown out
No, sir. l think 1900 or 1000 votes
were thrown out from the time the
canvass began until it ended. Never
had conversation with any human being
concerning it; did not know how the
State had gone until the returns were
sent to the Secretary OF State on the
5th or 9th OF January, at 8 O'Clock in the
morning. The final return for the presi-
Dental electors was made in the afternoon;
don't remember the day; it was in January.
Were all four OF you present at the count
I think SO. Did all four OF you sign the
return !? / think so. Witness said as far
as he knew all the afidayits OF lntlmi-
dation before the Board came in with
the returns as they came originally from the
supervisor. He was examined at length as
to the proceedings Of the Board, but he
could not tell how many votes or how many
parishes were thrown out. he was shown
the return from the parish OF Vernon, and
asked whose handwriting the word "Com-
piled" was in. He said it didn't look like
Kenner's, and he didn't believe kenner
wrote it. He said he didn't know anything
about the throwing out OF votes in Vernon
parish, and il it was done it must have been
done fraudently. Who did it? I don't
know anything about the alterations.