The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-17
THE WELLS LETTER
Reply Of the District Attorney ana II,
True statement.

Reply Of the District Attorney ana tn,
True statement.
The following open letter was telegraphed L
the New York Herald last night
New ORLEANS. La. July Is, 1877.
| To the Editor of the New York Herald
Sri beg leave to ask space In your paper to
insert the following, in reply to q letter which
| appears in the New Orleans DEMOCRAT OF this
date, signed by j. Madison Wells, ana addressed
to you, in regard to the prosecution recently in
| stitnted against the members OF the late Board
OF Returning Officers OF this State. Notwih-
| standing the many, and, I ain forced to saw siltJ
reports which have been circulated throughout
the country as to the motive which aotuates this
prosecution, / had made up my mind neither to
deny nor approve any Of them.
do not think 1t well, however, to allow this
communication to pass unnoticed.
1t IL true that Mr.. Wells and his colleagues Of
the Returning Board are hot being prosecuted
f3r perjury and forgery, but for s'uttering and
publishing "A true certain altered, false, forged
| snd counterfeited public record" this public
record being the original returns OF the election
held on the 7th OF November, 1877. in the parish
OF Vernon, an entirely distinct oflense but which
extent. -
1t Ii equally true that Mr.. Wells and his fol.
lows are not prosecuted upon the basis on an in
dictrnent or true biz found by the Grand Jury OF
as District Attorney, upon the following recon-
fnendation, viz:
"GnArD jury Room,
"New Orleans, June ~, 1877.
"The Grand Jury respectfully recommends
that ihe honorable court will instruct the Dis
trict Attorney to file the proper informations
against J. Madison Wells, Thomas O. Anderson,
g. Casanave aud Louis M. Kenner, members OF
| the late Returning Eaard for perjury, forgery
| and altering the returns OF the parish OK Vernon
and other parishes of the state.
JOHN A.. OBRIEN,
foreman OF Grand Jury"
This was handed to me on the date OF it's writ
ing, and as soon possible there after 1 pre-
pared, and on the fifth OF July following filed
the information upon which J. Madison Wells
aud his colleagues must appear before the Supe-
ror Criminal Court for the parish Of Orleans. for
trisl.
As to the delay in filing this information Wells
and his associates are more to blame than any
body else; they and their creatures refused TO
recognize the court, its officers and the Grand
Inquest Of this parish, when the invest IA ton
was frst begun, and 1t is but now, when the au-
thorty OF the state officials is no longer denied
Or disputed. that J. Mad. Wells and his accused
brothers, 10 far submit, well knowing, perhaps,
the futilty OF resistance, as TO recognize capias
placed In the hands OF our Criminal sheriff for
execution.
Unlike the late Returning Board, Of which .
Mad Wells was the presiding officer, the Superior
Criminal Court tor the parish OF Orleans keeps
no SECRET files" and as the late president OF the
defunct Returning Board well knows. his counsel
was well aware OF the time when the informatio
which causes 50 much trouble was to be filed,
and it may be that MIR. Wells did not take advan-
tRge Of this knowledge.
may take this opportunity to say that, as far
~ know, no one connected with either of the
late contestng political parties in this State have
had the least concern or influence In the procur-
ing OF this prosecution.
My "method and design" In this is simply TO
bring guilty men to justice, as have sworn to
do, and none shall escape punishment, if / can
prevent 1t. and particularly for the preparation
OF such high crimes rs J. Mad. Wells and his
accused fe lows are charged with.
Very respectfully,
JOHN j. FINNEY,
District Attorney of FIRST Judicial District of
Louisiana.