The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-23
The Proceeding. In Detail.

WASHINGTON, June % 2-The Potter Inves-
tigating Committee met at 10 o'clock. Mr. Nor
rison acting as Chairman in Mr.. Potters alb
sence.
Gen. Butler said he had observed in the Ns,c
Iork Times that it was reported that Senator
Matthews had said he had no objection to going
before the Potter Committee. but that the per-
sonal hostility Of Gen. Butler was such that his
friends felt justified In advising him not TO
place himself In position whore Gen. Butler
could insult him. Gen. Butler added desire
simply to say that II Mr. Matthews should come
into this room now l should not know him.
have never seon him to my knowledge but once.
was introduced to him some time late in Feb
ruAry. 1877. by Mr.. Taft. the Attorney General.
never have had any written or oral communi-
cation with him. can have no personal hos
tility to him. To me he 10 simply in this matter
the " Y. or z Of An algebraic equation-an un-
known quantity to be worked out In the solu-
ton Of the problem. and nothing more and
nothing less. II Mr.. Matthews will come before
.his committee. as requested. will absent my
self on that day. / want to withdraw all posi-
Sle obstacles in the way Of his coming before US
Mr.. McMahon-Some reports would seem to
indicate that had charged one member of this
committee with perpetrating a wllful false
hood. What | said was not intended to convey
that idea. but that the statement that was made
was not true in the sense OF the discussion. and
l challenged the discussion by asking for the
Instances / did not intend to say that he was
committing falsehood.
Mr.. Jenks. whose examination was suspended
yesterday. was recalled and further examined
by Mr.. Mcmahon.
Q.-How long after the 10th Of November
when the protest was made. were you ap
4 -. a.tQ. l.. ..g. a.
he had drawn up? Al think about three
days-about the l3th. | was approached at {
subsequent time to sign an affidavit in regart
10 there being a fair aud peaceable election a
Felcana and that he never signed a protest
Anderson said he was making fight on thC
Administration for a position. and wanted t
get all the documents he could ii was after tn,
Harlan Macyeag1 commission was there
Q.-How do you iixlthe Sherman letter to bt
in January? 'A.-Simply by this: | met Mr.
Pitkin about the 9Th OF January, and no was th'
first man who ever mentioned Sherman nam,'
IN connection with II 50 Tar as am copcerned
| never had heard up to that time about th'
sherman letter II was news 10 me, My wii'
DOCUMENTS. When Anderson was followins
Mr.. Matthews all over the country he used I,
write me a postal card almost every day,
against the Administration for him to compe
them to give him AZ 2fflce. mover knew unit
o, .,
red to the sherman letter. II was Away, {
mystery to me what he was referring to. II,
never stated to me what document II was, ana
never knew and never heard Shorman's name
mentioned In that competition. wrote Ander
son that we did not find any such document, ~
he described IN ms sH5s % P@d TX wib sb
came on here in connection with letter sh'
received from Gov. Kellogg in, regard to som'
damaging documents that Anderson had IN hi'
By Mr. Butler-Dld Mr. Anderson ever offe
You athousand dollars to get that letter A.
No, sir He wrote me that the document wa
worth u thousand dollars.
Q.-What did AIr. Pltkin say when he spoke t'
you about the Sherman letter. A.-Ho wanted
10 know whothcr ] knew, or what knew, aDou
that sherman letter. and told him had NJ
knowledge Of 1t at all. snw by the ncwspnDer'
after my wife reached Washlngton that II WA
claimed she had possess ION Of the Sherman let
ter and was surprised AT that. We discussed
that matter some, III ink apd inierrqd iron
her eonN NorsatiOn that she did not have ii. ! d'
not think ever put the question iirr'ty 10 he
whether she had the lotter or not. II never cn
tered my mind that She ever h4d any such lelte
nj ali. She had made very distinct assertion
In tho Neig York Tunes that she did not have
"'UJ "0Without being curious will ask, wa
your income argoi A.-Not stupendous. .
Q.-l3ut still you worc goingto pay your WE
knew nothing about, to Rtnnd 10 somelhih. en-
never told You about. Did YOU hot lnlkr IN
inquiry about it before YOU went tothat expehd
NJ So y You paid her expenses NJ hero totcl
nl"nts, is that IT. All would seem to hr so;
Mrs. Agnes d. jerks was then called. sh
''I By Mr. Butler Have YOU ever claimed to bo i
pos5ession OF any document or know ot liA eN
istrnce that Mr.. Anderson wanted for ms oY
purposes Al remember a dqfHmthi lhat @ Il
what il was He stated in writing from Phlla
| dclphia what document It was.
Q-IIad you then tho document he wanted
| Al did not know until January what doeu
ment no wished. and then did not nave It I
| my possesslon. He wantod document that II
| called the sherman letter.
O-Did you not know Of thas document beior
january A.-NO. sir; because ho wrote leltef
| In 1877 that he wanted the doculnenis tnht nat ~
| "deadboats" II use his language) who came I