Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-24
n MODEM DELHI.

a MODERN DELHI.
''There is woman at the bottom of all |
mischief says an old proverb, and Satur- |
days developments before the Potter inves-
tigating committee, show that if woman
was not at the bottom of the Louisiana in
iquity, she at least took prominent part in
it. To use her own words, Mrs jerks sis
the alpha and omega of it. No ono else
knows aught in regard to it," The state
ment is remarkable one, and her entire
testimony is none the less remarkable, both
because of what she reveals, and because of
what she conceals.
Mrs. jerks is an extraordinary woman,
and apparently played as important part
in the conspiracy to defraud Louisiana out
of her electoral vote as the woman LaFarge
played with her knitting in the terrible
events of the French revolution. She was
the repository of the secrets of all parties to
the bargain, and seems to possess the pecu-
liar faculty, for woman, of remembering all
she did, and revealing only enough to accom-
plish what she has in view, and at the same
time limiting to her auditors the possession
of full knowledge of such facts as would
clear up the entire mystery surrounding the
conspiracy. Her object is to vindicate Sec
rotary Sherman. She states her platform
fatty at the outset, and adheres to it strictly
through all her subsequent testimony, sue
ceeding in evading all answers that would
shed any more light upon the subject than
she deems it prudent to give. She proved
herself more than match for the acute,
searching examination of Gen. Butler. Her
statement on behalf of her patron deserves
to be repeated. She says:
I wish to state in the presence of this august
committee and to the country at large, that l
distinctly and entirely exonerate Mr.. Secretary
Sherman from any completely, direct or indi-,
rect, in the so-called Anderson-Weher guaran-
ty. If there is criminality in the document or
political dishonor attached to it, alone know
the alpha and omega of it. No one else knows
aught in regard to it, and do not think
shall tell you anything more. It is sufficient
that exonerate Mr.. Secretary Sherman, and
also Mr.. Anderson, and although l may deem
him (Anderson) one of the most magnificent
and sublime scoundrels, at least in the matter
of the guaranty he has been sincere, and l
award him all due merit He has always
deemed it genuine, and this may be small
ray Of light admitted into the darkness that
surrounds him. No one knows about that doc
ument but myself, and I do not think am
compelled to tell you gentlemen any more.
AS to the letter itself, her testimony is far
from satisfactory. That she had seen it was
in fact the bearer of the demand for the
guaranty from Weber and Anderson to
Sherman and delivered the alleged guaranty
from the latter gentleman to Weber--she ad-
nits. She adroitly evades the questions,
however, which would lead to the truth as to
its authorship, and by series of ingenious
ly constructed sentences appears DESTROYS of
creating the impression that she was the
author; that she dictated its language to
some person in the room occupied by the
| visiting statesman in New Orleans, and
palmed it off on Weber as the product of
John Sherman. She asserts, positively
that neither Weber nor Anderson ever had
reason to suspect that the document was
other than a genuine one. All questions
asked as to the person to whom
she dictated the letter she positively de-
clined to answer, neither asserting nor adj
hitting anything. That Sherman was not
in the room she states, but that the letter
was not written by his request and approval
cannot be inferred from anything which she
| has testified.
| The excuse of Mrs. jerks for palming of
what she tries to make the committee be-
lieve was forged document upon her two
friends, is decidedly thin, land not worthy the
intelligence of woman such as she demon
strated herself to be. She knew all the cir
cumstances Of the case, and by her own adj
missions appreciated the value of the various
papers, but she affects to regard the Sher
man guaranty as of no account; that forged
letter was equally as good as a genuine one
If she had had foreknowledge of the events
that have since transpired. and had wished
to defeat the purposes of Weber and Ander
son, she might have acted in such manner
But all her relations with these two gen
tlemen, including her letters to Anderson
and Mrs. Weber, go to show that she wa
friendly towards them and in full sympath,
with their purposes. Anderson's letters t.
her, in which he places high pecuniar,
value upon the letter, apparently openet
her eyes and led her to determ ination t,
make use of it for her own protlt. She an
nounced to Anderson her inability to fine
the letter of Sherman, but almost immedi
ately packed her trunk and started for Wash
ington, where she had an interview with tn
secretary. She emerged from that inter
view declaring that there was n,
letter in existence from Sherma,
to Anderson and Weber. She now admit
the existence of such letter-seeing that
has already been proved,-but asserts that
was a forgery, and that she herself was tn
person who forged it. Nevertheless thi
forged letter is deemed of so much import
ance that it is taken from the person of Dor
A. Weber after he has been murdered. anc
preserved sacredly in s'the archives alon
with other documents bearing on the sam
rascality. Her testimony and the letters az
companying it, lead to the horrible susp
cion that to obtain possession of this She1
man letter forged, according to this Wi
ness,) Weber was waylaid and murdered, fc
he had it in his possession when he was a.
sassinated, and it was the only thing mis-
f ing from his person afterwards.
T Mrs. jerks apparently tells the trut
when she says she knows the alpha an
omega of this whole affair. She at lea