The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-07-11
An Important Witness.
Special to the Chicago Times.

Special to the Chicago Times.
There has been no witness put
upon the stand in the Potter inves-
LEGATION who has given and will
give, such important testimony as
was produced by +. L. Weber.
He was a witness called by the re-
publicans, and nothing that has
been produced before the commit
tee has given such q staggering
blow TO the John Sherman theory
of defense. Shellaberger, Sherman s
counsel, who has maintained a
stony face all through the testimo-
ny of the proceeding witnesses,
showed today for the first time
symptoms of distrust. He gather
ed together al documents that he
could procure and bent his entire
energies to the aid of Cox in his at
tempt to break down this eXtraordi-
nary witness.
This point of his story as he
told it is in brief: He was mem
Der of the Packard Senate. He had
held offices of trust in Feliciana
parish. He was in the confidence
of the visiting statesmen when they
went to New Orleans and carried
messages between them and his
brother. He was present at pri-
vate meetings at the custom-hOuse
ut which were present John Sher-
man, Hale, Garfield and Stoughton.
He sat by the side of John Sher
man and saw him write during one
long evening, and he therefore
claimed to be familiar with John
Sherman's handwriting.
He testified that there were no
cases OF intimidation in the Felici-
ana parish; that the protest against
his brother was based upon a mis-
construction of facts, and that his
brother was only persuaded to
make such an affidavit upon the
earnest solicitation of the visiting
statesmen; that they alone braced
up the returning board to do what
it did, and that the presence OF the
visiting statesmen enabled the local
officials TO alter the result in the
State. He had seen the John Sher-
man letter, about which there has
been so much dispute, had read it,
and swore positively that 1t
was in the handwriting of Secretary
Sherman. He then gave the sequel
of this mysterious letter, and in a
| few words shed a bright light upon
the mystery that has surrounded
this provoking epistle. Both he
and Mrs. Weber had received i'm
portunitIes from both Anderson
and Mrs. jerks to search Weber's
effects to procure the letter for them.
They knew that it was only to be
used for dis-eputable purposes, and
they became ashamed of having in
their possession such letter. They
searched the murdered Weber S
documents and found it, and not
desiring to profit in any way by
this document, e. L. Weber swears
that he destroyed it.
This statement made a sensation
profound and thrilling. The train
was at one end, aud the game was
at last at the death. When Weber
slowly enunciated the statement
that he had read this John Sherman
letter, knew Sherman's handwrit-
ING, and, further, could swear that
it was in John SLerman's hand
writing, Shellabarger's countcnance
writhed as If he had just had an at
tack Of cholera morbus. And Mis-
tress SapphIlia Jenks-was utterly
destroyed by this sturdy French,
square-toed man, who bluntly took
position, that exposes, most ludi-
crously, the lying pretentions of
the gang who desired to blackmail
and use the information which,
while they did not have it in their
possession, yet did believe it to
exist. 1t was clear now that Sher
man was adroit enough to see last
winte~ that Mrs. jerks had nothing
and SO refused to talk with her
The Kellogg Packard Darrell crowd
who were willing to have this letter
used in their interest, are also left
in an embarrassing position as men
utterly destitute OfShame can wellbe.