Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-02-19
The louisiana Returning Board.

NEW YORK, Feb. 19.-J. Madison Wells
prints column and half letter in the Times,
this morning. in which be ys:-When it is
kno@n that five successive grand juries have
firmly refused 10 find true bill against me at
the high behest OF the Attorney General and
the prosecution against me aud my associates.
is based upon Information, some public interest
will attach TO The personal character Of the in
former. The central figure in this conspiracy
is Judge WllliamR. Whitaker. lie conspired
to dctraud the Government cf the United States
of 5000 900, with which he was entrusted as
assistant treasurer-succeeGcd ia the conspiracy
and stands Indicted for the felopy. Judge
Whitaker has conducted himself IN the late
trial OF General Anderson as though be had
undertaken q contract With the democratic par
ty 10 do their dirty work and receive as his re.
ward iu rehabilitation iuto their society. lie
stated to several persons and to lawyers of high
standing, before tie trial eli Gen. Anderson,
that the jury was packed for the purpose of his
conviction. lie stated further That no motion
having for lis object the removal of the cause
from his jurisdiction would have his sanction;
that all motions TOR that object would be over.
ruled. Nine Of the jurors in tho Anderson
trial sworc that they were preiudiced against
the prisoner, yet they were made to serve. Two
OF them had declared openly that Anderson
ought TO be hanged. During the greater part
of The trial Judge Whitaker was in bcastly
state 81 intoxlcatioD.
Attorney General Ogden was also aware tn ct
the Jury was packed and aided and assisted 10
the netarious scheme by which the packing was
accomplished. lie said he intended to force
the Till, bto.use he had his jury prepared for
conviction; that he kept concealed in his room
LiuIcticd to prevent his testimony btiog taken
10 Andersou's trial. This Attorney General is
wholly unreliable. As sworn officer he has
specnatcd upon the collection of taxes. lie
attempted TO force the grand jury last summer
to fad il' Of indictment against the returnlog
board. He appeared before the grand J ury
and insUl ed the witnesses, and threatened
them with incarceration if they refused to swear
exactly what he desired. Failing to procure
such evidence from the Witnesses as he wanted,
he accompanied the judge before tho grand
jury, and had him (thc judge to reprmand
the witnesses and threaten them with incarcc-
ration if they did not give such testimony as
was required by him. The judge attempted to
fore, the grand jury fnd true bill, to satisfy
the wants and wishes Of the Attorney General,
against the returning board. but, toding all
their extraordinary efforts futile, they were
compelled 10 fall bark upon the alternative
mode of Information.
Assistant Attorney General Eagan stands 10
dccd for the murder oil his brother in law. OF
the witnesses be says that Charles Cavanac is
a man OF bad reputation for veracity.
VIM Il Smart would omit 20 lie he could utter
that would be likely to convict him (Wclls.)
During the rebellion he sto'e my stock,
killed my hogs and poultry, aud put the vote
to his company if they should kill me aud burn
my dwelling over tho heads of my family
Burke is an abseonder from Illinois. The
names Of tho jurors that wers impanelled for
the trial OF Anderson and myself were furnish
cd by the democratic committee. Their polll'
cal status az WE'LL s their views as to the proper
punishment was canvassed by the Judge, At
torncy General, and democratic committee be-
lore bcog placed en- the panel. One Of the
Jury commissioners testified before the court
that the list Ct jurors placed in the jury box,
from which talcsmcn were drawO, after exhaust
ing the panel was furnished by the democratic
executive committee, and this fact was known
to Osden, Esgan and Finncy. Wells says that
if the Vernon Parish returns were altered they
were altered by democrats. lie thus speaks OF
Congressman Gibson: "R l.. Gibson has seen
fit Oh the floor of Congress to calumnlatc tho
returning board, and has attempted a .ustiica
ton Of their persecution. This colored demo.
cratic representative seems to claim right to
assa the white race because he feels boastlngly
proud Of the cOmmingDg OF the African with
the Caucasian blood in his veins. When |
was aching foreman Of the u. S. grand jury 10
1874 this coored representative of Louisiana 10
A. Va cf ho toI fof hn
grand Jury for violation Of tho election laws 10
frauduIcntly filling the boxes with tickets that
wcro rcver balIoted, and would have been in.
dicted by the jury, and 10 all probability sent
to the peDitcntiary, but for my leDiency and
forbearancc. The evidence Ct his guilt taken
before The Jury is yet 10 the hands OF one Of its
members.
These are samples Of the principal tools and
the means employed 10 secure the conviction OF
the members Of the returning board 10 the case
Improperly called "the State of Louisiana vs..
j. Madison Wells and Others but really and
truly it should be called 'thc case of Samuel j.
Tidcn W. Rutherford B. Hayes" Its a con.
test for the office Of President of the United
States, and the patronage Of the executive dc.
partments OF the Federal Government. 1t is
chiefly managed by David Dudley Field, with
the advice and pecuniary assistance CT the Ma
tional Democratic Committee. A verdict of II
packed jury of Louisiana democrats procured
in the manner above pointed out, will, it is ex.
peoted, be accepted by the people Of the U. s.
as judicial settlement OF MIR. Tiden's title to
the Presidency. 1t is bold ard desperate gamo
for great State. Myself and colleagues on the
returning board arc merely tho outposts or
picket guard which they hope to capture add
then they will surprise the garrison it possible,
and claim the patronage of the Government
as the spols of war. In confederation of
this view | refer you to the movements all
along the line of the enemy's camp; to the we'll
grounded reports that large sum of money
has been sent here from New York to be used 10
the trial; to the fact that the National Demo.
cratic Committee has been hastily called to.
gether, though no national election is pending;
to the fact thai several Of the officers of the
Court, including the Judge, the Attorney Gen.
eral, the Assistant Attorney General, the Sher-
iE the principal Witnesses, several of the jurors,