The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-12
me for Gods sake don't let Anderson see me
now. He said Anderson told Jones

|
signed the name d. A. Weber himself to the
paper.
Mr.. S.-were there other names to that
document?
were on the document. | think they were on
| the back of the paper. / read the first side Of
the paper and took 1t up, but | can't tell
whether 1t was half sheet or not nor on what
part of the paper the names are. | saw him
| (Jonesl put the signature IN one place. | told
| Jones that some day he would get himself
into trouble by signing other peoples names
| to papers.
Mr. Swell, after Jones had finished his
forgery of the name of Weber, where did he
Smedley-When he went out Jones went to
Anderson, and they went off together
| Mr. $50 you let this man you know to be
forger stay at your place?
| Smedley-Yes; used to let Jones come in
my place and sleep for q month after my bar
was closed. / still had the key.
Mr.. S.-Who did you tell Of this forgery of
| the name Of Weber tor
SmedIey-T to d ali this TO G. G. Hobbs, Will
der, J. Dejean, Mr.. II. Fisk and Gen. Morgan
/ told 1t In presence of Mr.. Seymour, the no.
tary public, once | told 1t to Mr.. Ray /
can't remember whom told 1t first 1t was
after l saw the agreement published that
TOLD IT.
Dicks said to me that he was going to Wash
f1tstt3ff I'd that he was going to tell the truth
| He said that they wanted him to swear that
| he had seen Weber sign the paper, and he
| couldn't do that. | never said anything about
| this until after saw the document published.
| Mr.. S.-Why did you keep it quiet for more
| than year?
Smedley-The reason / didn't tell that
Jones had forged Weber's name for more
| than year was that | didn't want to get
Jones into trouble.
Mr.. S.-Then you, knowing Jones had COM
mitted this forgery allowed him to stay
| around the house still2
Smedley-Yes, sir, / kept the man who
committed the forgery about the house and
| had forgers there. know that they
SIGNED OTHER PEOPLES NAMES
there often. Jones had that reputation.
! By Mr.. Blackburn-Was Jas. E. Anderson
| in the habit OF going to your house?
Smedley-Anderson never was in my house.
/ saw him In the campaign OF 1876, when he
how often during the canvass. ! sat along
side of him at faro bank on Canal street. |
talked with him frequently in 1874. saw
| him make an extraordinary play one night.
1t was before the election. He played at faro
or tiger.
MI. B.-Was anybody in your house when
Jones signed Weber's name?
Smedley-Nobody came in when Jones
signed Webers name. We were alone. l
kept looking out for Anderson, but he could
not see In as the glass in the doors was
painted above mans height.
Mr. B.-Whan was this done? Try and re-
fresh your memory.
vious to my closing up my house in April. 1t
must have been in the latter part OF Februa-
ry. / remember when Weber was killed. l
believe that when the name was signed it was
after Weber was killed. AS you say, Weber
was killed March T. am not positive about
this however.
i Mr.. B.-Was
THIS NOTARY, JONES,
In the habit of signing other peoples names
to dOcumentsP
Smedley-I heard that Jones was in the
habit of forging papers; at least he had that
reputation, he as O notary had drawn up
deeds that were said to be fictitious by some,
| Mr. B.-You are positive that the name,
then of d. A. Weber was not on that paper
at that time witnessed as it was by Weber
and Dicks and acknowledged by w. j. Sey-
mour, the notary?
i Smedey-To the best Of my knowledge and
belief it was not am positive it was not at
that time. / want to tell you about
THIS MAN DICKS.
He had got So from Mr. Deiean to go to the
mortgage office, and he spent it on liquor and
came back tight, I told Mr.. Dicks that he
ought to quit drinking. This was after left
the whisky business myself 1 stated to Sey.
mour that the attestation to the document
was to a forgery in presence of parties. 1t
was during the time Anderson was down here,
before the election, that he told me he was
afraid to go back. In 1867 was supervisor OF
Grant parish. ] told him If he conducted the
registration as | had done in that parish,
there was no danger. had 100 atldavlts
made out that my life was in danger there /
told them then that was giving full regis
tration and registered all the citizens there
and no one troubled me; on the contrary,
was most kindly treated.
Mr.. B.-Where is this man Jones now?
Smedley-I don't know where Mr.. Jones is
I heard yesterday he was dead. l hunted for
him to find him, and heard he was dead.
Mr.. B-When did you get your subpoena to
appear before this committee2
Smedley-I received my subpoena to appear
before this committee yesterday. had in
formation that he was dead before testified
Mr.. B.-Were you not advised that you
would be called upon to testify before this
committee as early as Saturday last?
Smedley-Mr. Hobbs met me while under
the Influence OF liquor and,
AT CLAY STATUE,
told me that was going to be subpgnaed.
Mr.. B-You have made inquiries for this
missing Jones?
Smedley-I went yesterday to hunt up Mr.
Jones. It took some time, not much, to fnC
him dead. / went down to the registrar Of
births and deaths to find out whether he was
dead or not. | learned that he was dead. The
office was closed up, and l couldn't take toe
much trouble about it.
Mr.. B-What was Jones full name?
Smedley-Jones was named j. W. Jones
, Ivey we called him.
Mr. Stenger-That was sort of pet name
for him?
Smedley-Yes, sir, If you call it that.
, Mr.. B.-Tell us now what date it was wher
you closed up business at your cof1ee-house.
Smedley-t can't say exactly. I think II
was after Packard vacated the State-House
l did
MY PRINCIPAL BUSINESS
with the Legislature and when they left
shut up, think. Laughter.
Mr.. B.-Who told you of Jones death?
Smedley-Hobbs did. He is the one who In
formed me.
E. L. WEBER
sworn. To. Gov. Cox-I am the same person
that appeared before committee over which
Mr.. Boutwell, presided, in Mississippi. / was
under the impression it was in 1875 and DOM
know the time of year. remember testify
ing at Jackson, but not the year
it was. | was elected State Senator
in 1872 for the first time. was a
candidate In 1876. / stated in my testimony
that there were Regulators in Feliciana, from
rumors only, however. What was said in my
! testimony about these regulators l sale
merely from what reports had been made tc
; Thorn Tnpnrt Ynodn nTt nv Soma