The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-23
THE SHERMAN LETTER.
WHAT THE POTTER COMMITTEE DIS
COVERED YESTERDAY.
Mrs. Jenks Explains How the Famous
Document Fell Into Her Possession
speF EvaslOns Equiy0ea ti0ns aud De-
nials-"ABything Possible in LouisE-
ana Politics"

WASHINGTON, June 22.--Ihe Potter commit
tee was called tn order at 10 30 o. N, by acting
chairman Morrison.
Mr.. Butler read paragraph from news
paper to the effect that Mr.. Stanley Matthew'S
refusal to appear before The Potter commit
tee was based upon the fact that he (Mr. But
ler) was hostile to Matthews, and if the latter
should appear before the committee, Butler
would insult him. Butler said so far from this
being true If Mr.. Matthews should now come
into the room he would not know him. He
had never seen that gentleman. but once IL bis
life and had no idea be was hostile to him,
and II this was Mr.. Matthew'S reason for not
appearing he would says tliag II III III Mat
thews would signify any day when he would
appear before the committee, he (But1er)
would on that day absent himself from the
session.
MIR. McMahon diselaifned having character
lied q word uf Mr. Reed, at yesterdays seS4
sion, as willIully false, and asserted he had
made use of no such expressions, and was
much surprised to find himself so reported In
the morning papers. All the members of the
committee, including Mr.. Reed e0rroborated
the disclaimer.
jerks was recalled, and testified that when
Anderson wrote for the Anderson Weber
statement, witness understood he wanted TO
use 1t to make war on the Hayes administra-
tiOn. It was several mouths after the election
and after the Harlan investigation. Witness
met all the members OF the Harlan commits
sion in New Orleans on the sixth of January.
Pitkin was the first man witness ever heard
speak OF the Sherman letter, or refer to the
Sherman agreement, and that WAS on the sixth
of January, when witness met Pitkin In New
Orleans.
Several letters from Anderson to witness,
written in 1877, in reference to the Sherman
letter, were read by Mr.. MeMahOu. but wit
ness said he did not know the correspondence
referred TO that letter till last January After
the election Anderson claimed to have dOcu-
ments, and after Anderson signed the protest
he came to witness and wanted him tO enter
into conspiracy with him or Nash, declaring
the election fraud and promising witness the
naval office, Witness peremptorily refused
to have anything to do with It, Witness did
not know what Anderson meant in bis
letter to witness by the expression,
that letter" Anderson never offered wit
ness $1000 but he wrote witness
that that document was worth $1,000; that he
knew parties who would give col Thousand
for it. Witness never authorized Mrs jerks
to offer money to Mrs. Weber for the letter,
nor knew she ever did offer money to Mrs.
Weber. Witness never questioned his wife about
the Sherman letter, she having denied having
the letter in the New York Times, Witness
believed that statement, and had no further
curiosity about it. Witness never asked bis
wife If she knew where the letter was, in con-
sequence of letters from Kellogg, or to aid
him in some way. Witness knew that cor
respondence passed between hmselfand wife,
and Anderson and Kellogg in relation to some
letters or documents 1t was supposed his
wife knew something about, but did not
know his wife first wrote TO Kellogg, and not
he to her,
Mrs jerks, wife of the previous witness'
was then called and sworn. She remembered
the document Anderson said he wanted 1t
was last January. He called it the Sherman
letter. Anderson wrote q letter asking for a
document some beats who claimed to want q
fair count for Louisiana had given him. She
thought he meant by dead beats
the MGVeigh commission. ILaughter.l Wit
ness had the document called the Sherman
letter in her possession for a couple OF min
uies in New Orleans; She picked it up in the
parlor of the st. Charles Hotel. Did not
know how the letter got on the table where
she found 1t. Some Of the visiting statesmen
were in the room discussing the Returning
Board, among them Sherman, Garfield, Mat
| thews and Others. Witness left tho hotel after
Weber at the ladies entrance. She supposes
he was waiting there to get it. Witness here
said she wished to state in the presence of the
committee and the country at large, that she
distinctly exOnerates Mr.. Sherman from any
connection with the Sherman agreement: also
Mr.. Anderson. She had received note from
Anderson to Sherman, and, while waiting In
the parlOr for Sherman unCOnsCiOusiy bit the
end of 1t. She felt ashamed of having mutt
lated it, and 50 read 1t, and then went into the
little parlOr, and knowing Weber was waiting
for an answer she gave him the letter She
did not like to present the note after biting
the end off. Witness gave Weber letter, but
did not say who wrote It, or who had sent it
to him.
Witness then repeated the exact language
OF the sO-called Sherman letter, word for
word, from memory. This letter was written
in parl0r z, and in the presence of the visit
ing statesmen. None of them knew of the
letter. They we're too busy with the Return
ing Board
Witness knew about the letter from Alpha
to Omega. Did not say she wrote the letter;
that Is direct question.
Witness handed the letter to Weber, It
was addressed to Don Weber. Witness has
not seer. that letter since. It was worth pre-
serving in the archives. Witness has since
looked for some important documents, but
never for that letter; never went anywhere
to find 1t; has never seen that precious
document since. Witness looked for
the letter Anderson represented to be inn
portant, but never found 1t, and was as much
IN the dark as any one else about it's i'm
pOrtanee Anderson kept writing for his
document-never for the so called Sherman
letter. He doubtless thought that the letter
was genuine, Witness never meant that An
derson should get hold OF the letter If he was
going to do anything with it. 1t was po-
litical document and belonged to the party.
lGreat laughter.l He wanted the letter, and
could have got it. Witness could have fur
nished him the letter at any time, as nothing
is impossible in politics in Louisiana.
Q.-What paper was it you asked Mrs.
Weber for?
Miscellaneous documents
Q.-Why did you always refer % it as that
document?
A.-Because Mr.. Anderson did.
Gen. Butler then read to witness letter
written by her to- Mrs. Weber, wherein she
asked the latter to search thoroughly for a
paper addressed to Weber and Anderson, for
likely, ii she found itand forwarded it to Mrs
jerks, she should be well rewarded.
The witness (handingz Gen. Butler paper)-
This is the reply.
Gen. Butler then read q, letter from Ander-
son to Mrs. jerks with reference to the same
subject.
Odd Anderson ever write about any
other guaranteed
Ale never wrote about anv guarantee.
Gen. Butler then read an extract from an
other letter written by Mrs. Jenksy in which
she spoke Of letter Weber i1adi in his pocket
at the time he left New Orleans prior to his
Q.-Is that the Sherman letter you refer to?
A.-MOst decidedly not.
Gen. Butler proceeded to read letter from
the witness to Gov. Kellogg, when Mrs jerks
said that it was hardly faIr to read in public a
confidential letter.
Gen. Butler-Oh, everything is possible in
Il a4E