The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-12
BY TELEGRAPH.
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
TO TIE DAILY LVTELLIGENoER
THE ANDERSON TRIAL.
sec'y shernan's Opinion of It,
Prosecution Without Indictment.
A Packed Jury, One Of Whom Is a
Periurer.
The Judge Who Tried Him a aPubllc
0sfaulter.
The colored Jurors Tricked Into
a Verdict.
The Judge Who Tried Him aPublll
DefauIter.
A VloIntlun Of the Constitution Of the
United States.

United states.
WASHINGTON, February lli-secretary
Sherman being asked II ii was true that
he, Matthews, Garfield, Hall, and White
had sent a dispatch to Anderson, said that
it was true, and as that fact had been
made public be would furnish copy Of
the dispatch, and they meant all they
said. Mr.. Sherman then said he regarded
the arrest, trial and conviction Of Ander.
son as q great outrage under color
OF the forms Of the law. Anderson was
not indicted. The grand jury had refused
to indict him. The proceedings against
him is called an information, and Is ex,
pressly prohibited in cases Of felony by
the Constitution Of the United States and
most OF the states, but Is provided for by
the law Of LouiSiana. The information
was signed and filed by man who was
an officer OF the White League. Identi.
fed, with all the numerous crimes OF the
organization, the Judge who tried the
case is n public defaulter for over six
hundred thousand dollars. When Ander.
son was arrested he was acting collect.
or Of the port Of New Orleans, and
the arrest was made while he was in the
discharge Of his duty at the Custom
House, which stands, as Sherman thinks,
on ground under the sole Jurisdiction oil
the United States by cession from
Louisiana. He was hurried to prison, re.
quired to give excessive bail, and failing
to do SO, WAS kept in custody, denied all
postponement, forced to trial, conyicted,
and ia now held for sentence without the
benefit Of bail. The jury was picked to
convict. Theipannel had been carefully
selected almost exclusively Of one politi.
cal party and one race. Their examina-
tion, az called, showed the deepest and
strongest prejudice against the defendant,
and in any tribunal he (Sherman) knew
that nearly every one would have been
rejected on his oath, and yet, though
challenged, they were sworn in. With
such jury l am prepared 10 believe the
story teiegraphed this morning, that the
two colored ilrors were tricked into
agreeing to this verdict by an empty ap-
peal to the mercy Of the court.
The cause OF this excitement against
Anderson and his associates ia that 10
the performance Of their public duty in
plain pursuance tf law and upon ample
testimony, they eliminated from the elec.
,ion returns ia Louisiana the results OF
violence and intimidation. Though this
was not alleged in the Information, yet
everybody knew this was the gravamen
Of the offence and without Il no man OF
the ia y would have convictd Anderson.
1t Is this that excited this populace,
heated with passion, to the highest state
OF resentment. The pretense set up Tor
the prosecution was that Anderson had
participated in the forgery or alteration
Of Vernon parish returns, but there was
not particle Of evidence TO connect him
with this act. The whole had been thor
oughly examined here by q commission
Of Congress and all records and returns
had been opened before them, and even
Li;tleAeld, who made the alteration,
has excuipated Audstson from knowl-
edge OF Il. The truth is, the Vernon
returns were opened by the Returning
Board before hosts OF Witnesses on the
ninth day Of the examination, we're print.
ed precisely a. they were in the daily
papers. and in both Houses Of Congress,
and the subsequent alteration by Little.
6eh OF one copy Of the returns was done
either as put up job by him or In the
interest OF local candidates, having no
effect upon the general result, and there
does not appear to be single scrap of
testimony showing that Anderson partic.
ipated In 1t the slightest degree. There
was no motive for tuch alteration by An.
derson, the true return being printed in
30 many forms that 1t was absurd to
think that he would alter II,
and yet upon this false pretext
he was convicted. I still hope that
this conviction will not be carried
into execution; but II It is, as n matter
OF course a deep set feeling Of resentment
and hostility will exist 10 the minds Of
the great mass ni our people, who believe
that these returning otficers did buttheir
simple duty. Nothing has been done
pending the trial to interfere in any way
With the course of Judicial proceedings,
but II Anderson Is imprisoned under
this sentence Il will be mockery Of public
justice, and will bring into contempt all
efforts At peace and coneiiation. It Ia
unlocked for, and a terrible commentary
upon the efforts OF the Pre,ldent to quiet
the turbulence and violence Of Louisiana
politics, and seems 10 me an act OF folly
and madness.
The following Is the dispatch referred
WAsuISOroS, D. c., Feb. i.
To General Thomas C. Anderson. New
New Orleans, La,;
The undersigned feel II due to you IN.
der present circumstances 10 assure you OF
our unhesitatlng belief that in the mat
ter wherein you stand, charged you are
guilllesslof any lffense against the law.
That you are basely accused and malic-
iUusly prosecuted; that the proceedings
against you, though 10 the course oil Law
| IL without the substance Of justice, that
we hereby tender our earnest sympathies
and express our hope that the sense oi
| justice and love Of peace Of the people Of
Louisiana will project you and not per
Init the best interest OF the whole country
| TO be disturbed by 4 revival Of sectional
animosity. In any event We are conyinc.
cd that the American people will redreas
any injustice OF which you may be made
JSo. SHERMAN,
STANLEY MATTHEWS,
]. A. GARFIELD,
EudENE HALE,
HARRY WHITE.
I