The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1877-02-15
s1O0,eoo offered for a rIIdeu Vote.

S100,000 offered for a TIIden Vote.
Washington, February 9.-Tne senate
subcommittee on Louisiana affairs had
A. B. Levissee, alleged ineligible Hayes
elector, before them to-day. In the
course of his examination witness said /:
a proposition was made TO him for a
consideration to cast his electoral vote
for Samuel J. TIlden on the 4th of De-
Der. Witness was at the residence
of Mrs. Barlow, New Orleans; had dined
out and was returning home. Mrs.
Barlow gave witness a note asking him
to meet Z. W. Johnson at the Cassidays
hotel on important business. Johnson
wrote a note at Mrs. Bariow's. The
ladies asked witness what it meant. He
replied that he had no idea. The ladies
thought Johnson wanted witness to vote
for 1ilden. Johnson is an active demo-
crat. He called next morning and
asked witness to meet S. NJ. Ashur,
whom witness had known as q banker
at Shreveport, at Cassiday's. Witness
did so,:: first informing Marshal Pitkin
of his suspicious. Ashur and witness
walked to retired part of town. Ashur
said he had important business to pro-
pose, and would make fair proposition
as broker. He then presented this
offer: Whether witness would be will
ing to receive certain sum of money,
say thirty or forty thousand dollars, and
refuse his certificate IS an elector. Wit
ness gave no direct answer, as he had
arranged to do with Pitkin, and asked
several questions, and finally said that
the price is too small, that he might as
well receive two hundred thousand as for
ty thousand; that there was goodc nance
to make big thing that it only hap
pened once in hundred years that one
man had an opportunity to make apres-
ident and finally that Johnson might
say to his friends that Leyissee was not
unwilling to listen to the proposition,
but that they had not got up to his price
yet, and left him after appointing anoth-
er meeting TOR that night. At the Sc
cond interview Ashur said witness re-
piled this was q new question, and put
him off, and stuck to his price of $780,
900. Finally, alter more close inquiries
witness wanted to know who his back
ers were. Then he went off to see his
friend and promptor, and was back in
half an hour. Witness asked whom he
had seen, and he gave the name of Wal
ter Pugh. Ashur said 100000 was the
most that could be reached by Pugh or
his hackers. He asked witness to go
with him next morning to the common
and they would meet two men, Pugh
and the moneyed man. Witness and
A shur went to the place appointed and
met two men as described. The man
said to be monied the witness recogniz-
ed as Hernandez, a prominent New Or
leans banker. Hernandez spoke to the
witness and witness introduced Ashur
to him. Hernandez wished to talk and
the witness declined, saying that Heran-
dcz could talk TO Ashur as he was the
party to talk to. Witness then went
home, after making an appointment tor
the next morning at the st. Charles HO-
tel. Met Ashur next dav at eleven, and
made an appointment for noon, when
they again met, and Ashur said that
$4,000 was all that could be raised.
w llneSs STUCK 10 uis S-CO,CCUy anu sdlu
it was not worth while TO talk about ii
any more. Ashur Is Jew, fine bust
ness man and good neighbor. Wit
ness reported all these proceedings to
Pitkin as they took place, and Pitkin
was we'll satisfied with what witness had
done. He has never seen Johnson
since.
During crOss-eXamInatlon Levisee
stated that when Johnson came to Mrs.
Barlow's he remarked that he would
like TO be in witness shoes, he could
make 100000 in two days; witness
named $780, C0 az a more proper con-
sideration for so big a thing; never sug-
gested tha, he would accedc 10 the prop
osition, and made speech to the return
ing board placing his action for not vet
ing for pay on high moral grounds; such
suggestions was made by Ashur. but he
did not agree TO it; the last interview
and all took place with twentyfonr
hours ishur stated that 100000 was
waiting Tor him; at the meeting of the
electors witness announced that he had
been offered 100000 to cast his vote for
Tilden.