Daily Kennebec journal., 1878-06-25
Mrs. jerks and the Potter Com
mittce She COnfesses that she
wrote the alleged Sherman Let
fn


Special to the Boston Advertiser
WASHINGTON, June 23.-The testimony of Mrs.
jerks fully justified the lately developed fears OF
the democrats that She would do their case great
damage. Though called by General Butler, she
was. IN fact, democratic witness. Neither the
republican member; nor republican counse asked
for her, and Butler had begun TO work earnestly
with the democrats when he handed in her name
for summons. The day afttr she arrived, Ander-
son and bis tiieads, or the democrats sscertalned
that while she had been relied upon one whe
could produce or tell the whereabouts Of the al
eyed Sherman letter, she would not testify to the
existence Of such letter, but aftei such delay
has attracted general attention, she was put on
the stand yesterday and co nfrmed the worst fears
Of the democrats by swearing that she was the
author of the Sherman letter. and dictated it to
some one who wrote it out. Her whole examina-
ton equal to a play.
She is a blonde, little above the medium height,
with high forehead, round face and regular fea-
lures. She is quiet, but qu ics of speech, and her
>eli-possesslOn was equal 10 That of any in the
room. sue paried questions with skill, and re-
pealedly set tue whole room laughing at both But
Ter and McAlahon, she evidently ha, mad much
tNptlltutc III FDitlh- duu Uctu an atLOI
in many Of its iutrigues. Her efforts to thwart
tue attempts 10 extract lnfor nation from her pro
longed the examination, and loaded toe record
with matter that Is only OF interest 1t formed
part OF very interesting show. She corro Ooiat-
ed Anderson ID several points, but Ia each gave
such eSplanat ions OF these portions of his test-
mony ss dAmaged his evdeuce more than If she
had simply denied 1t.
This was The case with the version she gave of
the circumstances which led to the mlnutaeture
Of the sherman letter. Her story was that An
derson WAS very ANXIOUS for guarantees Of recog-
milton from some OF the visiting statesmen, and
Weber was willing to humor him so far as to ioin
IN a letter to Shetman. This Mrs. jerks under
took TO deliver. Upon opening aud reading il
she did not denver It, but, taking 1t into the par
lor OF the St Charles, which the republicans used
as office, she herself dictated all answer to
It, and, putting it into an envelope addressed
to Webel aud Anderson, took It back to Weber.
She declared that sherman knew nothing about
II, and sad Tor Anderson that, while she
regarded bun a. the suDlmest villain on earth,
she still thought he had always been honest
10 the belief tnat Sherman wrote The letter sue
brought back to Weber and himself, Mr.. McMa-
hon examined her at length 10 regard to her 10
tersiews here wilh Secretary Sherman, but failed
10 elicit anything rejecting in the least degree
upon him. Tue democrats declaIe that they can
dlscredlt her testimony III regard to letter, by sew
T. al witnesses, to wnUm they claim she la, de-
cared that 1t existed, aud hat she had full knowl-
edge OF 1t. Still, most OF them have reluctantly
abandoned the idea that any original sherman
letter viii ever be found, SINCE they argue, MIS-.
jerks, who knows all ABOUT the matter, would
not, even iu case such letter existed, swear
as she did yesterday, unless she was telling the
lrdth, OF else she knows there was no possibility
of the letter being found.
Judge Hugh Campbell, of the fourth district
court OF Lou lsiana, before whom Anderson swore
to the protest wnlcn he now denies, has arrived.
He is gentleman of high standing He will ties.
thy that the fact OF his attention being called to
Anderson's signing and swearing to his protest
before HIM is true Tue democrats recognize the
damaged state Of then present case, but intimate
that IN sholt time they will startle the county
with new branch Of inquiry.