Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-27
kilograms to The Star
TIE ACKLEN SCANDAL.
Evidence in the Case.
Afidavits Of the Girl.
SOME NOTABLE FIRES.
AN EMPEROR IN DANGER.
TIE ACKLEN SCANDAL,
Evidence in the Case.
Ahdavits Of the Girl.
SOME NOTABLE FIRES.
AN EMPEROR IN DANGER.
THE WALKING MATCH.
CONGRESSMAN ACKaES.S CASE.
The Evidence Apaiu>, Finn.

NJ" ORLEANS, Dec. 26.--The following is
published here:
To the Editor Of The Deat0craf:-I hand Won
herewith for publication synopsis OF evidence
taken before tie Acklen committee, OF which
was member. This synopsis was written a.
The time for publication, but for q reason have
heretofore stated and which was then acalIi-
eSccd IN. IL was withheld. l have no desire to
pursue Mr. Achlen, but his action i'm Sanl-incr !,
VindicatiCn at tie hands CT Others has raised
an issue OF fact Which can only be determinei
uE submitting the testimony To the public I.
me decision OF our commitIee IS not based On
Stlhcitnt testimony. then Mr.. Acklen is enf.-
TED TO the benefit Of il. II, on the her hand
II is justit!ed, let impGtati0n rest where il b.,
longs. Respectfully. ID. B. Penn.
Adverse 10 AciSIcar's Erinocenre,
hele 1oloWS a statement made by the COM
mlt!te showing that their decision was adver-e
10 ACIenS innocence. They notitet Ackien
lhat tEelF decision would emade public "Acs.-
zen eEtleated US not TO make this decision bubble
Until after u H. on sunday. the 18Th Inst in
order 10 determine, as he said after more calm
reflection, whether he would Withdraw from
IHe canvass or not. To this delay we consented
for tie pgrpc So lie had Indicated PendinrtbiS
Geiay MI. Acklen secured q favorable opinion
from the second committee. composed OF prom
inent republicans. headed b. Ex-Governor
Hahn and laIe on saturday night sent this see
ord and favorable opinion to the CITY press fo.
publication in the sunday papers. This extra
tie fact that the second decision Was directly
opposite 10 tie one We had rendered though
profeSsCdly based on the same evidence. con-
pes US 10 give brief synopsis OF the evidence
on which we gave our decision, to show. as we
think ii Will, that our decision was not diet ate1
by prejudice or tll-Will.
every ShamefuE,, DeyeIOsmensS.
The history of this very shameful AFFAIR, as
developed By evidence adduced during our in
VCStlgatfon, is as follows: "A column OF Svnop-
Sis or testimony follows, reciting that AckIen
engaged the girls father TO manage his planta-
tloh" Some time after an intimacy Sprang up
between the girl and Acklen. In August, ISL.
Achlen accompanied the girl and her mother to
New Orleans, and was active in perfectIng
marriage between the girl and man named
Wright, who had been hoStler on his planta
ton. From others we learned that Wright de.
serted MS wife and went to Texas a few days
an infant in February, 1875, and after that she
sank lower and lower In social life and died of
yellow feVer in september, IoIS.r
Two Affidavits of the Girl in the
Case.
Two af1idavitS are then cited, one alleged to
have been signed by the girl, very Favorable 10
Acklen, and declaring his Innocence OF any
criminal intention. The affidavit was in thp
form OF questions and answers before Alfred
lngraham, notary public, who met the com
mlttee and testified in substance as follows:
Ihat one morning Mr.. Acken came into his
once accompanied by young woman. pre-
sented him the affidavit, questions and answers
all written out, already signed. aud that he only
read the caption TO learn that the affiant was
the person mentioned Sin the affidavit Mr..
lngraham asked the young woman If that was
her signature. and that was all Mr. Inprahan
did in the matter. He was asked specially if he
had propounded any OF the questions set forth
In the affidavit and had taken answers down
He said he had not, and that he knew nothing
or the contents OF the affiday1tS at all. We have
very grave reasons TO doubt the genuineneSS of
this affidavit We have most positive proof that
the girl could not write. We had evidence thai
a pencil was placed in her hand and she was
requested to write her name. and she could MOI
make the first stroke Of a letter. She certainly
did not sign the affidavit bearing the signature
Of Matte p Wright.
6oyrifN No, do I1,-+
ing to MI Ackien as affidavit No. ! was fay0ra-
Die TO him. The girl made the acquaintance OF
Mr.. H. l. Smith, and to him told her tale. He
reduced the statement to writing and in
duced her to come TO his house, where she ap.
peared before Judge O'Rourle a Justice of the
peace, and stated she knew the contents ana
made her mark, which was atteSted by the ius-
tice in August, 1875. This affidavit No. gives
1ull and detailed stat olnent OF the whole mat
Ter between Mr.. Acklen and herself; alleges the
seduction, the manner OF the seduction, and all
the facts with so much minUteneSS OF detail
that 1t carries much weight with it, Although
we did not rely On its StatementSaS materially
influencing our Judgment, we believe much OF
IL 10 be true, particularly where there was cor
rohoratlNe testimony 10 sustain what she teS-
tilted. The questions OF ii. l.. Smiths motives
whether they were revenge or b!ackmafling. did
not interest us. Eight respectable persons teS-
tilted that the girl related TO them the facts
mentioned in the affidavit No. . at the time OF
Ler marriage, when she did not know the exist
ence OF Smith; but what is OF interest for us 10
know that Smith had not concocted the state
ments; OF this we were fully satisfied.
Other AGfitayi:s.
To the affidavitS furnished by Mr.. Ac5en
winch lie procured on his visit TO his plantation
in the last few days, we attach but little or no
credit. They are all in the handwriting of Mr..
Ac6len, and made BY his negro carriage driver
ana his wife, and by his negro blacksmith AMI
his wife, and other negroes, ali of whom are
now Or have been employed on his plantation.
most OF them afiiXing their marks, not knOwinr
now 10 Write, and sworn to before negro
justice OF the peace"
The above, dated October 10th. but not here
to1ore published, was signed by the committee
(Signed)-Duncan +. Kenner, ID. b. Penn, AL
pert Foorhfes, Paul E. Theard, j. Il. Alcee-
GautheauX, III. j. Hearsey.
THE WALKING; MATCH.