New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-26

in its possession the original of the alleged
Sherman letter.
THE FAMOUS SHERMAN LETTER.
GENERAL BUTLER ASSERTS THAT THE COMMITTEE
HAS THE oR1oINAL-THE HISTORY OF THE DOC
UMENr AND SECRETARY sHERMAN's DENIAL OF
IT'S GENUINENEss
General Butler told personal and political friend
during the session Of the Potter Committee in this
CITY. that the original of the alleged Sherman letter
had been obtained that he had seen it, and had no
doubt of its genuneness and that it was in the pos
session of the committee. He said that it would
not be publicly produced and put in evidence until
October when it could be used most effectually to
iniure the Republican party in the Autumn cleo
tiOns.
The Potter Committee has taken a great mass Of
testimony first and last, about the letter alleged to
have been written by Senator, now Secretary Sher-
man. to James E. Anderson and Don A. weber,
Supervisors respectively Of East and West Felcana
Parishes of Louisiana. While the struggle over the
MASSAGE of the resolution ordering the inquiry was
in progress it was whispered about among
the Democrats of the House of Representa-
tives that the first important piece of evil
dence would be an autograph letter from Mr..
Sherman promising to Anderson political reward II
he would falsely swear to intimidation in the parish
in which he managed the election. BY some II was
said that the document which the Democrats had
was the original and by others that it was photo
graph COPY.
On the day when the committee was named by
the Speaker of the House. Secretary Sherman, In an
interview with the Washington correspondent
of THE TRIBUNE denounced all the stories about
sueb letter as false and declared that if the
Democrats had any letter purporting to have been
written by him, he believed that it was forgery,
and that those who had it knew it to be SUCH
James E. Anderson was one of the first witnesses
examined by the committee after lis organization,
and he produced what he assorted to be copy mot
the original or photograph Of the Sherman letter
He said that on the Sunday after the arrival of
Mr.. Sherman in New-Orleans, in November, 1876,
he had an interview with the Senator in MOreau's
restaurant on Canal-st., in that ciSy, in which he
told Mr.. Sherman that the protest he had signed
was not true and that if he allowed IL to stand he
would be unable to remain in Louisiana. Dir. Sher-
man. he declared, urged him to stand firm. The
next day he and Webber joined in a letter to Mr..
Sherman asking for guarantees IN writing which
Webber took away and soon returned with what
purpOrted to be an answer in Mr.. Sher-
mans handwriting Weber read of this letter and
Anderson made a copy of 1t from dictatiOn, which
no gave to Webber, retaining the original himself
Subsequently Webber took the original and was
supposed to have had it upon his person when he
was assassiuated in the Spring Of 1877.
Secretary Sherman was at once called in, and
when shown the copy of the letter said that while
there were some things in it that he might have
written. he did not believe that the letter his
His testimony was not very positive. Subsequently
the Democrats produced several witnesses to sus-
tain AndersOns story. but their testimony was not
of a very satisfactory character. They had heard
of such q letter but none of them had seen 1t.
Finally Mrs. jerks appeared and swOre that she
wrote or dictated the letter aud had deceived Web
Der and Anderson with 1t.
When the Committee was in session at Atlantic
City in July, Mr.. Sherman was again examined
in regard to the authenticity of the letter
in question, and most positively denied hay
ing written it. He pointed out expressions
in it which he said be never could have used. In
spite of the failure to find the original to get ey-
dence to sustain AndersOn's story, those who have
been managing the inquiry, or have been working
ND the case for the committee, have never given up
the hope that the missing document would finally
be obtained but every body else seems to have set
tied down to the conviction that Mr.. Sherman never
wrote any letter at all, aud this opinion
became a certainty when he made his positive
denial at Atlantic City. II now paper should be
produced that appears to have been written BY Dir.
Sherman the important question to be settled Will
be whether it is genuine or a forgery. When Mr..
Sherman supposed that the Democrats had such
paper. he boldly denounced it as forgery; if the
paper should now be produced the Secretary would
probably stand by the declaration he made before
line Of testimony was taken.
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