The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-06-27
TaE FLEcroRAL INVESTIGATION.



Proceedings of the Potter Committee.
Cant. Thomas. A. jerks, United States
-pepntv Marsha, under Pitkin in East Felici-
ana Parish. La, in 1875. was examined &c
length OF, she else regarding his knowledge
of the no. called sherman Anderson letser.
witness testified that the rirst ne ever heard
ABORT he letter Was on Jan. 6eh last, When II
was mentioned by Marshal Pitktn IN CONVEX
sasion, never SAW the letter, nor haa ne any
reasou to believe his vile Knew any thing
admitted that his wife came 20 Washington
r., January last, IN response to n request from
kellogg and Packard, who professedsto be-
Or some Information of some kind
that would help them IN prosecuting
their claims for Office. Letters IRON Ander-
SON to jerks were introduced, requesting
the batter 10 obtain the letters" the
"docufnents.n etc, and witness testined thas
Anderson had written or told him that the
document " lnted was worth VI Geo. but wit
ness never had any knowledge Of what the
valuable document was. In TINS connection
IL was shown that Mrs jerks, wife OF witness,
went to Donaldsonville TO see MIS-. weber
who was supposed to have the sherman let
ter in her possession Capt. jerks was also
examined at length regarding the state OF
affairs in his parish during the canvass he
said the Republicans therc were afraid TO
register on account Of intimidation
and he produced a letter from Ander-
SON requesting him 10 send him lAnderson2
there. which he (Jenksl had forwarded 10
Cen Anger. Witness testified TO seeing An-
de.son sign and swear 10 the protest Which
the latter subsequently claimed nad Oeen
faIsifIed and Anderson fnfCrmed him that
Mai Burke had offered nm seVei'h thous'ilu
dollars if he (Anderson) Eoh.d 90 back on
his protest Being shown INC ,.asSed ~,
opinion that Weber's signature was net gen
on the 99d Mrs. Agnes d. jerks, wife OF
Capt Thomas A. jerks underMsilt = ioIs ~ ~
animation lasting nearly the entire day. She
proved to be q very vOlubie anu entertaining
witness and her testimony contained q num-
Der of surprising statements, notaoly ti's s One
that she was the bearer OF the message Iiom
Weber and Anderson to sherman, ask1lg Iof
n written guarantee; that she went 70 the ~
Charles Hotel. where the "NisiunS states-
men" were stopping. ana inquired ivr Sner-
man. hut he being engaged, did not see hiini
that IN order 20 crafty her curiosity -he ol,eh,
ed the letter entrusted to her care anu rea9
the contents and that she herself dictated
the letter in reply, signed JOhp sherman, re-
earding which there mas been 50 hlnch con
troversy. Who wrote the letter al heI ' Slcta-
tfOn she refused to tell, but said that AhutlSon
honestly believed the letter 20 nave ocSh
written by sherman In this connectl9h snS
said in a most theatrical manner. Nlsh
to state in presence of this august cOmrut-
tee and to the country at large that dls-
tinctly and entirely eXonerate MI secretary
Sherman from any completely direct or m
direct in the O-calied Anderson eoer
guarantee. If there is criminality In the doe
hruent or political dishOnur attached 70 y,
Ialone know the Alpha and Omega OF IT, no
one else knows aught in regard TO II, ana
do not think shall tell yoa any tning more.
Ii is sufficient that exonerate Mr.. secretary
Sherman and also Mr.. Anderson. No one
knows about that document but myself ahu
do not think am compelled 10 teh SOu'
gentlemen, any more.
Gen. Butler here read in evidence the fol-
lowing letters: ~ From Jas f. Anderson to
Can't jerks, dated Philadelphia, sept % 1871,
that letter sent to Weber and myself" and
guaranteeing q cool thousand dollars IL he
succeeded in doing so. This letter Is Endorsed
here referred TO long ere the within was writ
ten. Pray do not fail to return this 20 me.
sincerely trust this matter will be invfolable-
A. d. j." (1.) From Mrs jerks to GOV. KEEL
l0gg dated New Orleans, Nov. IL, lSf1, and en-
closing preceding letter. The writer assures
Kellogg that Anderson IL not in possession OF
the letter referred to, and be may rest assur-
ed that he will never get il. 81 From Mrs.
jerks to Mrs. ID. A. Weber, dated New Or
leans, Oct TO- ISL, asking Mrs. W. To look
over her late IHisbands papers and see IL she
can not find the letter " 1 went up to Donald
sonville to speak TO you about" The writer
says she feels sure it must be there, as ne
(Weber) had it when he left the city the last
time She adds: 81" MIR. Weber expected to
return 10 New Orleans in IA few days, other
wise Anderson and Capt. jerks would have
kept the letter, as il belonged to them all The
letter." she adds, " was addressed TO Ander-
son and Weber. After reading it you viii see
that it is of no use or benefit To You, but real
ly it is of use to u.s." a. From Mrs. Weber to
Mrs. jerks, in repiy to above, stating
that she has made another careful
search through her late husbands papers,
but failed to ind the letter spoken OF. Being
Intercepted in regard to the letter mentioned
in these several communications witness de-
clared that she did not suppose the 81 callec
Sherman letter was the one referred to-
thought IL alluded to another document en-
tirelv. Witness said in re erence to her visit
to Washington in January that she had seF-
eral interviews with Stanley Matthew and
endeayOred TO see Secretary sherman. BAL
the latter refused 70 grant her PA 1zie izis--
view. Witness produced 3e--e- PROM Al
derson 70 Capt jerks, dated = Asttzz-i1rs
June 10. Isl, the pifh q EE.eh s. r. .1.-oVs-
IL will give yO1 3 bis q t-to---ziiscln -le-Ts1-
given 20 any ore bs41-z. 49, Tr1- 1l-1sr -. 2
carefully Whel f1e-e AGsrs---lalsE- -sssiaf-
beats cane 20 L1EisfEzE l1lsl La - 1E7s Z
far eouu-. WeDs- I'D ! rsr1ssss- -
fail mo line un-ll ne rFzez-T-1 4 N---1.I1
guarantee thai EO-ll1 be T-cT---z- ~ :
am convilcedi II Uas On He1zrss lerssr1 IT,
DAY he WAS killed He had charge q r. NoE
what has become OF that paper II Ee can
get possession OF u. VIII make THIS A1-
ministrAtiOH hump. Ny own impression i
{ at it was secured by his murierers and that
it played an important part in bringing
about the present state OF affairs II you can
prosecute any fntl uires in regard to it. do so,
but act carefully. Let me give you one word
of advice. In case you attempt any thing, tor
Gods sake do it outside of Louisiana would
not give nickel for you if you do not"