The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-28
THE FRAUD In LOUISIANA.
PROOF ExTORTED FROM MEMBER or
THE RETURNING BOfRD.


Jun. Zf.-lne committee on
the Privileges and Powers of the House had be-
lore them to-day Louis NJ. Kenner of the Louis
lana Returning Board. His testimony creates
considerable comment as II shows conclusively
that at least one of the returns was altered in
favor of the Hayes electors. Kenncr. who is n
little insignificant looking piece OF humanity.
took the chair with good deal OF assurance,
but when he was confronted with tho original
returns OF the parish Of Vcron. the certified
copies thereof. and shown the dis
crcpancics between them and the I'M
mistakablc evidences OF mutation, era
surea. and alterations. he was completely
dumbfoundcd. and from that time on was un-
able to conceal his confusion. He was not able
TO give a single definite and satisfactory reason
why there should be any differences, and very
reluctantly. but by force OF circumstances which
were so evidently against him. admitted that he
could see the ensures and alterations that had
been made. His testimony will be better under
stood when the explanation how these differ
cnccs came about is given. The parish of Yer
non cast. e5i votes-cio for. the Tidcn cleo
tors and two for six Of the Hayes cleo
tors. and none for Kellogg and Birch, the
uther two electors on the Repuhlicaa ticket,
Now the Returning Board transfers l7s votes
ior Kellogg and Birch and $50 votes for the other
Hayes electors from the Tildcn column to the
Hayes column. thus diminishing the total diff
terence from Gao votes 10 $50 votes, without
changing the aggregate: This transformation
Is made in two precincts-No. aud No. 1917
votes in one and 81 in the other. II will be re-
ncnbcrcd that the board has attempted to cx-
PLAIN this discrepancy toy declaring that these
votes were entirely thrown out; hut this Is
shown not TO hc the ease, on comparing the
originals with the copies. the aggregate in both
remaining the same. The witness was totally
unable to explain why this difference appeared
or. at least was unwilling 10 do so
Mr.. De Berry. Autograph operator at ITALIA
hnss.e. was recalled. and oss-examned 10y
MIR. Lawrence, Republican member. Of the
committee. He was asked whether he had
~ operator in Florida that he would not COM
municnte the contents of any message to any
persons except such as were lawfully entitled to
taken such an oath, and added that he had
never taken any oath whatever In relation to
IN" natter. He WAS asked az TO the day ON
which the telegraph wires were broken. delay
lng the transmission of the Shcrwin telegram.
The purpose Of the question was 10 show con-
ncton with the testimony Of Mr. Brush. given
before the committee yesterday. Mr. DE Berry
replied that II was on the gth. Mr. Brush had
testified that there had been DELAYS in he trans
mission OF messages some time between the 9th
and the 18TH. but was not able to say definitely
whether the line was broken on the day and at
med further as 10 the breaking Of the wires and
The delay caused in repairing them hut no new
i,actS were brought out 10 change the effect Of
:, Louis VI. kenner. IA member Of the Louisiana
returning Board, was then called TO the chair.
and was examined as iollOws
Q-You reside in New orleansi Al was born there
g Give your ase and occupation Any age is
mifty tour lkeep bartoom and billiard saloon.
lonsi Al have been in the business eight or nine
y Were you one Of the Louisiana Returning Boardi
,9.whea were You spuon,cd, Al think We were
q You have been member OF the board ever SINCE
= Ana hold it for hfe, Al cannot tell. sir
. !, mere any limitation that you Know ~ A.
90! NV many msmbcr. did ,he Returning BOARD
q Who constituted the B.ari' A-CoS W,l.s. Gcn
= Why di YOU ~, appoint tho dnii' A-pe.ans. If
-n- fnt ne uu the lalf the Board We tuId
agree We had man name boior, the board ios ,.e.
4 -whose name wa.r' A-Dr Hush Kennedy.
~, nno idoly,i go ~, Manu. a. believe his name
= WIZ did you not elect hint r. X-well, the Board
GLOW MAS the Board divided on the question Of
e,suoni AMIhsre were only fout-iwo against his
Q-whO were the two for him' Al was for him. for
mink c'S %SdcTsdn appointment ." Tue D0A'a' Al
q To the ne.t of your recollection Won knew some
body made the mott that he be- admitted ana that tie
me'er and 'eue one cl,e voted Tor him. nni Tie Two
g That to 'ay, me mover and Won voted for him,
aM1 ", nsa'h,, ZIP A-inrt' va, iisasreenent
A. N,H d,r us mo.st ana Agnr 'e, voted
y'..af 's aus MIMI
GLOW onen did you take a vote, AL DO not re.
4-Mol, ,lan onco' Yes, sir.
before YOU began The canvas. the voi,- oi The ist
fr.ii' nuAl elteuohf Al believe 50, though am not
Y The vote being thus dead lock was the reason
nou could not asfec amos y"gr Tor the reason that
-Ietme that th,rc b. no misunderstanding ahou,
u,s You moan % ..ul, nat The sole reason why you
Oh sn , o he e @ s saS y.91 Mgg 81
adcad 10 = A-Yes. sir saw ''4' '''A"'''s
,m%Ss; mery ANY , gse.on ty sny member to Dr.
was any objection menuonedi A-No. sir. not
DIN the discussions Of the board did anybody .ur.
scs hat he wa. no. nroor person 10 III Tie Vacancy
lie isa citizen oi Sew ORLEANS Of high repuiauoni
Y lie Is known very well 10 all pcople' Ayes
And .1mmaad' the confidence Of ALL Al think
wheq d ,siS y." PSs9 ne ssnyT and whsn dayoa
I'm Of November, and ended ON The 4u or 9TH Of
What did you DO with your papcrs' Ave turned
ITO What or,cr Of the state' A-The Secretary Of
Q-Me Dc no Az who is the custodian but to whom
.Q-Wmch legislature A-Ihc Legislature of which
9-On ihe sih Of january A--No. sir. mink 1t was
day or iwo aii,r the papers were turned over that the
Q TN,ry ,ou present. when thcy were turned over,
49, was ,,s' NJ Mn u'N were bcins s.aed, 4e' but
. Who Wa Ne l'r.on e deliver tlcmi A-Mr
q What directions wor' SVEN t,linf A-That lie
,h.si ~ric report Transmitting Tic documents, &c,
q -w1ere arc those document. nov' A-Thcy are in
,Q-Where did you last see thomt Ain our onlce,
Q-you do no, know whers they arc now A-No sir
CongTcs sional committ'ef Ayes, sir.
Q-Why did you not prodGcc themi
Objected 10 by Mr.. Burchard on the ground
that the witness had 10 answer Ia the House why
the board refused 10 produce them. Mr. Burch-
ard said that he did not see the propriety of
examining the witness At all while he was under
the jurisdiction Of the House. The question
was Withdrawn.
Are the original returns from the parishes made TO
Tho Returning Board UroscrNcdf A-Thcy are
Q-Mhore are theyf A-As | said before, they are in
New Orleans We turned them over 10 the Legislature
Q.W,re any Of them destroyedt A-No, sir, none
that know Ot
You would know them If you saw thcmi Al
think sir.
Q-You would know them II they were placed before
youi A i think 80. sir.
Nj Field handiug the witness one Of the returnsl-
Look at that and tell me whether or not 1t is the
returns
Tie witness after examining the paper-It looks very
much like one OF them. sr.
Q-Ihatis the seal OF the parish OF Vermont AYES
yes believe
Q-Look at the word compile and say whose hand.
wiring that j. A ! think II j. my handwriting
Q-Nhosc handwriting l. that Al could not say
Q-Nhnt did you mean 10y Writing the word com.
pier A.-Io show that It might be compiled jusl as
..Q-You mean that was put into the compiauoni A
Yes sir
Q-fhere was no objection to THAR A-None that
know uL
DO you mean 10 say that when you wrote the word
compile that you meant that that return Was 10 he
entered into the compilation without objcCuonf A
ics 81 entered a. II appears on the face