The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-12
The Subcommittee In New Orleans.

lncn HuJOuTncu until trluuy
morning.
The subcommittee In New Orleans.
New ORLEANS, July 11.-Only two wit
nesses wore examined to-day; the testimony OF
these two. however. gives interesting reading
matter to tho whole country. One Of these was
called to clcar John Sherman OF the charge Of
being accessory to the great fraud OF 1876. His
name is Hiram smedey. He has been sue
cessivey mechanic. policeman. Super
visor of Registration. barkoeper. and vaga-
bond. Smedley swore to II statement that n
drunken notary named Jones had forged We
ber's signature to the Anderson Weber agree
ment; that he had heard yesterday that Jones
was dead. and that now he (Smedley) was the
only lying witness to the forgery which. at the
time Jones committed II in his groggerv, he
had advised Jones not 10 commit Smrdlev
tod brief. concise story 70 Cox in direct exam
inatlon. but Stenger aud Blackburn utterly de-
molishod him. He evnded questions and con
tradicted himself badly.
=, The second witness was +. L. Weher. called by
tov Cox with extraordinary fidelity Of state
ment he repeated the testimony he had already
given IN Washington, In the language there
was variation. but in the substance and sense
not one Jot OF omission. correction, or
change. His willy examiner sought in every
c lSg,'maHi,e way y, To- eniEnp him into
FACTS. which hnd bccn necessarily stamped on
ms memory Gov, Cox confronted him with his
testimony before the Senate Committee In 1873,
and he repeated his explanation of il and
frank expressions Of regret that a blind par
tsanship should have betrayed him into CIV
Hiram smedley testified that he kent n coffee
house lbarrooml on Exchange alley In the sprng
agreement, lie testified TINT he saw the name Of
ID. A: Weber added to this or similar docu-
named ]. W. Jones'. His coffee house was n"nrths
State House. One morning Anderson and Jones
came down the alley toward the state House.
tered witness's place and asked for a drink.
Then Jones went into u little back room where
he had in his hand. Jones first dcclined Say
gthat Anderson would not like H. but witness
s9w H.. II was registration paper with d. A.
weber y name on IT,. Jones then laid down n
document which witness was sure was TINT
sworn 70 before Seymour. Jones signed Webers
at that time. and thought the paper before The
computes was the same; had not seen II since
and asked him why he did not 90 back 10 his
parish. and Anderson said he was afraid Of
being killed. To Mr.. stcneer the witness gave
an account OF his life on the river and on shore;
OF the happy five months on Kellogg's police. in
which he did nothing md drew 800. and other
episodes; He had been running his coffee
house about five months when Jones made
him this visit; 1t was in February or March,
house and stopped Then Jones returned and
asked MN Ion, pen and ink and drink:
would not come In. Jones had Put the paper that
Anderson handed him in his pocket before he
i.'d'ifl NlAutNS uOpFs nut WNtn ne W. nj INTO
inc little room he pulled II out Witness did
hot know whether II was whole sheet or half
sheet. lega cap or foolscap; ne did not pay par
ueular attention 10 the paper. Jones took three
drinks at intervals Of three TO five minutes.
Witness took only one. When Jones signed
the paper " itness was. behind looking over his
shoulder. Jones told witness to go ont and
watch Anderson. rs b. did not want Anderson
b% HqS this bc lGeT and s %d iGs
names were there, but he was not positive about
scymour's. He thought Dcks's and Wlidcrs
hal OF ettl.t. lt.t
| did not remember. Saw Jones put the name Of
n. A. Weber on one side OF the paper; IL he put
Witness went to the window TO watch Anderson.
Jones went out and Joined pderson. aud they
walked on. witness had told this to Hobbs
Fisk. Wilder. and others lie made no bones
about II. Never told II to any body until h. saw
me agreement published in the papers with
tn It o"iore because he did not want to s-.
Jones Ia trouble. He denied saying that Andcr-
SON had told him b" WAS afraid Of beng Killed
" he returned 10 the parish. and only acknow-
edged II when the stcnogrnphcr read his an
body but witness himself was in his coif 20
house ho,,so when Jones . forged Weoer's az.
minutes in doing this. Anderson wntod Tor
| hun. Could not say whether II was IN March or
February. He had learned from Hobbs and
| Wilder that Jones was in tho habit Of drawing
| ~ iictiiious papers rs no,nry. Witness did not
| know Jones 5 whereabou,s; heard yesterday
that he WINS dead; Hobbs told him SO.
l.. l.. Weber. cross-eXamined by Mr. Cox.
testified that he had appeared before the Bout
/ wei cfulultt't III 1870 ana lul tlel titled
70 Intimidation and violence in West F.
lleiPna; That testimony was from renot
ma lniormati2n. and he had found out laie
| IN 1876 that the information WIS false lie
know OF no outrages Of his own knowledge.
AZ the request Of Kellogg he had taken
what purported to be IA report on outrasrs
made 10y committee OF the LOUIS
i9na senate % the Boutwell, committee.
zen NE mao testified at mat time that tho r.gua9rs
found out subsequently that they organized
solely 70 prevent tho stealing and sale Of
white and colored Republicans were members.
me nrlng at his house the story Of which APP
had since learned. 10y II party. OF his friends who
We're on spree and wanted him 70 Join them.
witness repeated s1rcinctly the exact testimony
he hed given IN Washington relative 10 his
knowledge Of the existence Of the sherman let
ter. Mrs. Jenkss Efforts TO get il, his
Cox asked him Il he he D destroyed this.
letter 10 hide his brothers vllHny. witness in
disnaptly geplled that the yillainy was on the
mon. who had used him and his dead brother
as as tools ,Sds;; and now being able to
% further serve their own purposes 10y blaeken-
ing them. The witness appealed 10 the. COM
od Gov. Cox that il he DID moi treat KIM fa pry
he would force him TO do SO. Asked whether
Re Ind not been inauced g testify Ms be- did IN
Washington by bribery. He answered that APP
proaches had beed made TO buy his testimony.
but they had been from the Republican side. He
then repeated his account OF the interviews with
emissares Of Tom Anderson and John sherman
He was u true Republican still When he was
summoned before the committe In Washington
he reluctantly obeyed. hut resolved to tel!
tho whole truth. When he testified
before the Boutwell, Committee he was u blind
partisan who. like others higher up. had politi-
cal ends TO gain. Now he was not in politics.
Chairman Potter's Reply 10 John sherman.
House OF REPRESENTATIVES,. July 10. 1878.
SIR: | received this morning your letter
OF the Sth instant, and have laid it before the
committee. Gen Garfield and the other gem
tlemen who visited Louisiana. named in the list
sent me by Mr.. Shellabarger. will be- summon
ed for rs early date as practicable. As to
Weber's examination, neither Gen. Cox nor
myself could remain over the Sd, and ms he de-
sired Weber to be in New Orleans for further
examination BY him on the 10th. it was arranged
that Mcssrs. Hunton and Springer should con-
tlnue Webers examination 30 far rs they de-
sired To do 50 ON that day. ami that Mr. Shella-
barger should attend for Gen. Cox.
The stenogrRpher's minutes Of the session DO
not disclose any objection by Mr.. ShrlmhHrger
which was not assented TO- nor any request ~
his refused and do not understand from those
Heutlempn that any difference brtNVrrn them