Marshall County Republican., 1877-02-08
Pickett's widow. Relief scheme.
The witness Littlefeld, who stole the Vernon


county returns in Louisiana, substituted
forged copy in their place. and then sought in
vain to criminate the Returning Board, having
been disposed Of, now comes the next witness,
John T. Pickett, who. according to his own
story, ct the instance Of ex-Gov. Wells, the
President of the Returning Board. negotiated
with Mr.. nldens managers for the sale and
delivery Of tie vote OF louisiana for . cool
million Of dollars, the proceeds of his share Of
the plunder to be applied to the relief OF South
ern widows and orphans. Mr.. Pickett, by the
way, has tender spot somewhere In bis COM
position for widows He 10 the gentleman. it
viii be remembered. who sold the Confederate
archives to the Government for $75. .000
which handsome sum, according to thus
Southern widows. The pith of this mans
statement is that Gov. Wells entered the ne
gotiations through one Maddox, Nm internal
revenue agent, and himself, to deliver the
electoral vote of Louisiana to Tlden fer
II, ,0U0. 900; that he has an original letter OF
Gov. Wells and sundry telegrspss under fcti-
tious names to support his story and that he
went North and rendered the vote to the Hon.
John Morriesey, Hewitt, and others of Tldens
friends and barrel managers, but they were
scared by the price. Hewitt evidently was
suspicious that there was q large-szed negro
in the fence somewhere, but Morrissey Was
willing to enter into negotiations with Pickett
il he would drop $500. 600 in his figures. Az
$l00, 900, however, would not cover Pickett's
gigantic philanthropic scheme with reference
to the Southern widows, oil hands dropped the
mllson-dollir offer, and turned their Intention
TO Oregon, where the market was 30 dull that
q -, 600 draft could do Just much execution
u, 600 900 in louisiana
Even II this story we're true that Gov. Wells
initiated this echeme to sell out louisiana for q
million of dollars, and that Pickett went to
headquarters to negotiate the operation, 1t
would not have followed that Gov Wells were
dishonest. Had he been in the selling business,
had he been 4 corruptible man, he would have
fixed his figures at fair market value. The
result Of Pockets mission, even as narrated by
himself, shows that Gov Wells could not be cor
rupted. Acc -pting Hcketrs version, then, II
there was no ATTEMPT made 10 purchase him
by tho Tlden clique. it shows they knew he
WAS honest, or feared that he was
setting q trap to catch them. II there
was an attempt made, 4 shows that he could
not be bought. The most effectual disposition
OF Pickett's ,uths rn- widow ysrn, however, Is
the plump declaration Of Gov. Wells that 1t 10
lie. He disclaims all knowledge OF Pickett,
aud never heard OF him fore. The letter
written I, Maddox has no connection with the
alleged sale ef the Louit lama vote. and the
whole story ".s an infamous he, bsselees hs 1t
il malic GUS Tie Governor further intlmstee
that there will be an exposure ON the other ride
in Few days. ano that the Democrats seem to
forget there are two sidee to the controversy
Meanwhile. the case Of Pickett Is q sad one
Damn my int tsrest," rays p ck-tt 10 Maddox;
"think Of the interest of 40, 900 people.
81 said that l would take the money. for
would reg-rd It as spelling the Eg ptisns. and
womb distribute it among the widows nj or
phsns OF the South " said Pickett TO Maddox.
Was ever such colossal scheme OF phlla.'-
thropy npped 80 unumely in the bud before
When one thinks of the vast smJunt of relief
Pickett might have brought TO tue Southern
widows in these hard times, il tseems almost to,
bad that he did not succeed in despoiiipg tho
Egy ptians. There are other fields, hosever
Ia which he may cultivate his philanthropy
and the Southern widow need not despair. This
whole Sontn may yet he Il wing with the mill
of Plckett's human kindness.