The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-02-06

count except Lnat Gnc law SnOuiQ not De
violated. He did not mean that /" never
with his consent should the Confederates
rule" Hon. Duncan f. Kcnner proposed
to give him NYells) 100000 to give the
State to Tilden. 1t was. then he wrote to
West that the State should not be given to
Tilden by purchase There had been
no proposition to the Board to
buy the State. He does not know
whether his associates had their price,
but he believed them honest and honorable
men. He was apprehensiye that the large
amount OF money sent into the State might
influence the electors, or the Governor, as
in Oregon. Republicans are not easily
bought, but they may sell out to one another
il it is necessary. The money might have
corrupted the people and caused them to
attack the Board, do them bodily harm, and
destroy the records OF the election. A ma.
iority Of the people in Louisiana are moi
excited over the election more than they
have been at every election for years. Mo.
ney had its proportion Of influence in ex'
citing them. They did not fear they would
be cheated out OF
THE HONEST RESULT OF THE ELECTION.
The statement, that, a million or barrel
OF money had been sent into Louisiana was
made upon common rumor. It is true the
election was over, but the money might
have been used to make the people destroy
the records or to assassinate the Board. BY
a "counter move" he meant that the Pre-
sident should serd troops to keep down the
mob. 1t was intended that Maddox, who
carried the letter, should communicate the
condition of the people. The "moves''
referred to were the excitement Of the peo-
Pile. Maddox was to communicate freely
the "mental condition OF the people," and
to ask for troops.
The majority on the face Of the returns
was not for Tilden. II there had been
there would have been no object in destroy
ing the returns.
After being cornered by MI. Field wit
ness admitted that the State went for Tilden
by six or seven thousand votes.
By saying ga hint to the wise he didn't
mean anything in particular, except, per-
haps, that West should act promptly in
sending troops if needed.
Being shown the original return from
Vernon, Wells said it bore the appearance
of an original, but he would not say il was
such. The word " complied " on it, he said,
looked like Kenner's handwriting, but it
might be forgery, IS the habit was to write
- compile" not compiled" for the direc-
ton of the clerks.
Wells said tie originals from two pre-
eincts in Vernon each showed two votes
for the Hayes electors and ITS for the Til
den electors. II those figures were trans
posed it must have been done by fraud or
for speculation by selling the forged paper
referring to Littlefeldl. II the change
appears also in the official general return
that he Wells signed, it, too, must have been
put there for the same purpose. g.
HOW WELLS WAS MANAGED.
There are few men who can manage as
did Mr.. Field such man as Wells upon the
witness-stand. He was bold, impudent,
obstinate, and discussiye. Yet
at times he was very meek, after an out
burst Of anger at Mr. Field, whose manner
was sometimes persuasive, sometimes
careless, and sometimes preemptorily. To
fully appreciate Wells as a witness
he must have been seen and heard.
He told Field he meant to answer questions
IN his own way, or not at all; and told the
chairman if he did not protect him from
Mr.. Field, he'd protect himself, and looked
at Air. Field, and added,
&" And that very quick. too" AT another
time, when Field ordered him to stop when
he attempted TO interrupt to question, Wells
appealed, with voice quivering with emo
ton, to Knott to know whether he was to
be spoken to in that way, and said he:
I" Can he 60 outside of the pale OF a gentle
man to do it?" Dir. Knott replied that
any member OF the committee had the right
to stop him, and he must answer when re-
quired. The whole story of Wells carried
with it the .. ...:.....
CONVICTION OF ITS OWN UNTRUTHFULNEss,
and his manner was that of a man under
the influence OF liquor and suffering from
great nervous excitement. 1t was painful
even to his political opponents to observe
his writing and lying under the cross
firing Of Field. aa
......... WELLS ARMED.
It has since been discovered by an officer
of the House that Wells was armed with
two revolvers and loaded cane. 1t would
not have surprised any person present had
he gone over the table at Mr.. Field at any
moment. He was denied bottle Of whis-
key he demanded tonight, and will be dis
armed before he goes into the committee
room tomorrow. :....
Duncan Kenner telegraphs from New Or
leans tonight that Wells proposed to him
to count the vote of Louisiana as Ii was cast
IL paid 100000, and lie replied that he
could not raise the money. Mr.. kenner
will start for Washington at once. Re is a
wealthy planter, and Kenner Of the Return
ing Board takes his name from the family.
Associated Press Reports by telegraph to the. Dis
'--. go patch.]
WELLs'S STORY. .s.
Wells's testimony before the Committee
on Powers and Privileges was mainly: con-
fined to contradictions in breaking down
LittleheitPs. He testified that the statements
of: votes, or tally-sheets, had been received
from Vernon parish, therefore they could
not have been destroyed by Littlefeld or
himself. = ~.
Wells was shown the letter to West. He
y 4 ho .r nlninad the letter he Wnllfn