Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-02-08

to be in contempt for violating the privileges of
the House and q second resolution was also
adopted-13S to Ti-ordering them TO appear be-
fore the special committee of which Mr.. Nor ison
is Chairman, to produce all the statements OF
votes and tally-sheets of every polling place in
Louisiana together with afidayits, ETC.. and re-
manding them to the custody of the Sergeant-at-
Arms.
Louis NJ Kenner, of the Louisiana Re-
turning Board, was recalled the 29th, and
stated that to the returns from Vernon Parish
the witness had no doubt OF the originality Of the
paper presented on which he had written the word
= compile;'' had not thought why 175 votes
had been transferred from Tilden to Hayes side;
knew of nothing done TO those returns in the
Board of Louisiana. Mr.. Littlefeld, one of the
clerks of the Louisiana Returning Board. was
before Morrison's Committee on the 18th, and re-
fused to answer certain questions relative to IN
structions given by members of the Board to the
clerks thereof. York A. Woodward, one of the
clerks of the Returning Board . testified that he
did not know of any Instructions to clerks in re-
lation TO addition, tabulation and compilation
other than the instructions writ en- the returns
made by members of the Board; he did not know
by conversation otherwise, of purpose
on the part of any members of the
Board, or other q leading officials connected
with the vote, of having it come out in a
particular way; he could give no explanation as
to the change of the record of votes in Vernon
fed that Littlefed had. in December last. shown
to him, at St. Louis, the return from Vernon
Parish and had said that Gov. Wells had, while
the Returning Board was in secret session, come
into the clerks room and requested him (Little-
feld) to transpose the vote of the Second and
Ninth Precincts of Vernon Parish to the other
side, and the reason assigned By him (Wells) was
that such transposition should elect Republican
candidates for District Judge and District Attor-
ney of such district; Littlefeld told witness
that such transposition was accordingly made by
him; after Morrison's Committee had called Gov.
Wells to testify. Wells said to Llttlefeld that,
there being some annoyance about the Parish of
asked Litlefeld whether he could not figure up
and see whether he could not make 17S votes for
those candidates; Littlefeld said he could do
it by altering three other precincts-1, and
10; very well,'' said Gov. Wells, make up the
record and we will have the affidavits prepared;'
Wells told him to make copy, and certain tally
ply to the statement of Mr.. Murphy. Mr.. Little
field testified that he never received any instruc-
tions from Gov Wells, but he informed witness to
the contrary, saying that Wells did so instruct
HIM. Mr.. Littlefeld was then called before the
Committee on the Powers, Privileges and Duties
of the House, and interrogated concerning the
precincts in question, but he refused to answer.
Littlefield, Clerk of the Louisiana Re-
turning Board, testified before Morrison's House
Committee, on the 3Oth ut., that on the Sd of De-
cember he altered the original returns from two
of the polls in Vernon Parish, so as to transpose
178 Democratic votes over to the Republican can
didates; that he did this by, the express
making copies of the altered originals, and
substituting them for the originals the latter
were burned either by himself or Gov. Wells, he
did not remember which. bur, at all events, with
Gov. Wells knowledge. Or being cross-exam-
ined and asked how it was that his answers of tne
day before and at this examination did not agree,
witness stated that he made no such answers
on his examination on the 29th as were
reported, but that he refused to answer all
ques ions. Lttlefeld was subsequently be-
fore the Committee on the Powers. PriVi-
leges and Duties of the House, and reiterated
his testimony as given before the Morrison Com
mittee, giving a detailed account of the
manner in which the alleged alterations in the re-
turns from Vernon Parish made, as he
claimed, at the instlga:ian of Gov. Wells. Louis
M. Kenner was recalled and further examined; he
knew Hayes elected by thro ing out votes:
the votes were thrown out because there was evil
dence of intimidation, hanging, men driven from
the polls and from their crops, and, therefore the
Board thought they were justfable in doing so
had some testimony that persons voted the Demo
cratic ticket through fear; fear; thought there
Intimidation came IN with the retu ms; some
of the other afidavits came from per- ons
afraid to make them in their respective lCcaIries
owing 70 threats and Intimidation; witne had
no knowledge of any part of an original return
having been altered, nor had he knowledge mat
the Board had any consultation on that subject,
or that there was any fraud by the Board or any
member thereof, or under their direction
knowledge; there Vas no cOncealment from the
Democratic Committee of any papers before the
Board, AID accounts of the proceedings were pub
lished in the newspapers.
The Select Committee on the Privi-
leges ETC., of the House had before them, on the
31st ult., j. T. Pickett, an attorney law, of
Washington, D. c., who produced letter pur-
porting to be from j. Madison Wells of the
ouisiana Returning Board and dated New Or
leans, Nov 20, which read (the name of the party
to whom the letter was addressed being Gu out):
- My DEAR SIR: You fully understand the situa-
ton Can you not advise me relative thereto?
Yours, very truly Witness then went on TO
state that on the I'D of November, J H. Maddox
just arrived in Washington from New Orleans,
called upon him and stated that (MaddOx) and
other Republicans believed that Louisiana was
Democratic by from so to $4,000 majority, but
that money would be needed to secure such de-
cision by the Returning Board, Mr.. Wells signify
ing s1,00t,000 as the requisite amount for
that purpose, otherwise they should give the
State to Hayes; witness, believing he serving
he cause of the right, consented TO CO operate in
the. effort to bring about neg citations to this end,
and subsequently saw Mr.. hewi and other lead
ing Democrats, who declined to enter into the
proposed negotiations, Mr.. Hewitt stating that
this the third proposition of the kind
which had been made to him on the part
of the Louisiana Returning Board; witness
stated that he had been a Colonel in the
Confederate service, chief of staff to Gen.
Breckenridge in one campaign, and volunteer aid
in another. Joseph FL. Maddox special agent in
the revenue service, was examined; knew Wells
with Wells he said he had confidence in the wit
ness, and in tructed him what to do; had
frequent interviews with Wells and Ander
son; conversed with Wells on the subject
matter, but declined to disclose it; several papers
were shown the witness, which he recog-
nized as genuine, including the correspondence
on his part: the following memoranda was read:
- For 81 COO 000 the vote of Louisiana can be Sc
cured to Tilden and Hendricks; the manipulation
must be done by me, and, as far as possible to
protect members of the Returning Board who
may favor such result, it may be necessary
to elect two or three members of the Board
to reach what we want; details to be
agreed upon; money to be paid in instalments
say one-fourth when the fifth member is elected,
and one-fourth when one member resigns and an
other is elected in his place, and onefourth when
another resigns with another elected in his place,
the remaining one-fourth to be paid when certif-
Gates are given.n Witness declined to answer
whether that was the proposition Gov. Wells de-
sired him to carry out. and also declined to an
swer several other questions relative to letters anG
telegrams which were shown him, and as tc
whether or not Gov. Wells did negotiate with him
for the votes of the Louisiana Returning Board.
Mr.. Maddox was further examined on
the 1st and stated that Gov. Wells had said to
him that he would like to serve his party in
making q return in favor of Hayes, but would not
take the risk unless paid for it; the majority was
very heavy-too much for him to handle-and he
did not know where to commence to throw out:
he said in all probability he would have
to throw out the vote of New Orleans on the
ground (witness thought he meant) of necessity;
Wells asked witness 10 go to Washington see
men. and obtain protection for him.
and also to see whether he could not get the
required money to satisfy him; Wells said he
ought to have 81 100000; witness showed to the