The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-03
THE ACKLEN SCANDAL.
WHAT GENTLEMAN ON TIE SPOT
HAS TO SAY OFHT.
A Fiction Now COnd emned by the Best So
cieIy Of w mshingtOn.

"A EhcCADn NOW condemned ny the hesG SO"
ciety of w ashlngtOn.
Ex-Gov. Hahn. who arrived In the city yes
terday from Washington, and who has been
there for several months. was lnterrogated yes
terday by DEMOCRAT reporter as to the recent
scandal in which the Hon. J. II. Acklen's name
figured conspicuously.
No sooner had the question been rut than
Gov. Hahn replied that it was
A BASE SCANDAL,
and of that he was we'll satisfied.
Our reporter asked him upon what grounds
he based his opinion. when Gov. Hahn stated
that he had personally made survey of the
restaurant premises and conversed with par
lies employed there: the information he de-
rived satisfying him beyond d ubt that there
was not word of truth in the calumny. Il was
In the restaurant" he said, "a day or so subse-
quent to Mr.. Acklen's departure for Louisiana.
and, with gentleman and two ladies from
Louisiana, occupied the very room In which
Gen. Rosser was when 1t was alleged the scene
occurred. While there entered into conversa-
tion with the waiter, whom l found to be q
Frenchman. and chatted with him In his own
language upon the subject you alluded to. He,
! finding spoke the French language became
quite chatty and being bright intelligent
fellow. could better give me the hi tory than an
outsider or q newspaper man. who does not
| take the trouble to look for facts but jumps at
conciu ions.
| Il asked him as to the facts
CONCERNING THE SCANDAL,
his first reply being that he was astonished at
| what he had seen published about 1t in the
papers. He said that ON the evening In aues-
ton Mr.. AGklen cane there with o lady and oc
cupled the middle room. which | noticed was
| sepAra' ed from the one WIS in only by folding
doors the upper part OF which We, glass. Cen.
Rosser he said. was with o lady IN the very
room where we were at the time. Mr.. Acklen,
| he said, ed for some wine, and was not there
| altogether over twenty or twenty five minutes,
leaving as he came with the lady, ard both com
| ing out Of the room together, the door having
been partly oten all the time they were In there.
| He told me, o." added Gov. Hahn, that while
Mr.. Acklen was there his conduct was gentle
manly and courteous; that he wa7 quiet; and,
moreover, that there was no loud talking or
noise of any kind or cOmmOtion in the room
and If there, bad been. 1t would certainly have
| been heard In the front room and the adioin-
| ing rear room. 1t would also have been heard
| by Mrs. Welker, who has and occupies her
dde IN sad Re ar
| bolts or fastening5 Of aDy description upon
| the doors. Consequently they
| COULD NOT HAVE BEEN LOCKED
If the occupants desired to lock them. He told
me also that there WAS more loud talking in
! Gen ROsser's room ut the time than usual, and
| from what he heard he thought the General
must be passing happy and talkatiye evening.
|
| Gov. Hahn, Il communicated thnm to the Lou
isianians OF my acquaintance In WashiD gton, as
| we'll as to many of my newspaper friends. and
wondered why the latter hal not made an ex-
animation and ascertalned the facts for them-
selves in direct way; The impression which
was created In the public mind there by the SEN
sational and scandalous reports first published
was materially changed before Mr.. Acken re-
turned to that city from this State and the
promptness, and manliness which governed
| him in deciding 50 quickly to return there and
the zeal he manifested in endeayoring to ferret
out the instigators OF the vile caIumny con-
| hrmed that impression. which had
| ALREADY GAINED GROUND
to such an extent that the public generally con-
| sidered the whole thing as fiction After his
arrival and when the statements Of the various
parties were published with the affidavits, pub
| lie opini was so changed that every one con-
sidered the scandal a gross libel and an outrage
upon Mr.. Acklen, and SO marked and decided
was that sentiment that Mr.. Acklen was invited
10 and did attend one of the most fashionable
and aristocratie soirees of the season on the
night before he left to return to this city. and
should say too, that he received the greatest
attention on that occasion from all, including
the ladies Of the highest respectability and So
ciaI standing. and think that now you have
heard the last of that outrageous scandal"