Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-11-01
THE POTTER COMMITTEE PLOT.
The Last Act of the Farce Known as the
Potter NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of Rascality
that will Startle the Nation.


Potter Observation-Disclosures of Rascality
that will Startle the Nation.
Special dispatch to the Cincinnati Gazette.
WASHINGTON Oct. 25.-The Repub-
licans are at last in possession of the
principle facts connected with the work
ing up of the forged Democratic and
perjured testimony, upon which the
Potter testimony was based. Ander-
son, the notorious witness, has at last
prepared written statement, and furn-
ished corroborating evidence to sustain
it, showing how agents for Tilden from
New York and this city went to work
to manufacture a basis upon which to
set up the Potter investigation. For a
long time the Republicans who were APP
preached here declined to have anything
to do with the matter, as they did not
believe Anderson could make any state
ments which would command the least
confidence, but finally they were Undue
ed to look into his statement and exam
inc his proofs, and the result has been
that most complete exposure awaits
most of those who were active as Til
dens agents in making up the Potter
investigation.
The story will disgust good many
Democrats in the House, who were de-
liberately deceived in regard to the
real character of the documents which
were exhibited to them as proofs that
the case against Secretary Sherman and
the President could be made out at
once, if the Democrats would pass res
olution of inquiry 1t can now be PROV
ed that Sherman letter was forged and
brought here by Weber, brother of the
murdered Supervisor. 1t was photo
graphed here, and the copies were to be
used so as to avoid being technically
guilty of forgery, since these were only
photographs. After these were taken,
experts examined them, and compared
them with Secretary Sherman's hand
writing, and agreed that it would never
do to try to pass the letter as genu-
inc one. 1t was next decided to intro
duce testimony to the effect that Dan
Weber's wife had destroyed the original,
but that the copy which Anderson had
made here, and which he afterward pro-
duced, was true copy, either because
Mrs. Weber could not be prevailed upon
to swear to this story, or because some
other link in the manufactured story
could not be supplied. This line of
perjury was dropped, and it was finally
agreed that Tom Weber should swear to
the story that he found the Sherman
letter in a box with his deceased broth
er's papers. and destroyed it without
even mentioning his discovery to any
member of the family.
Proof of the forging of the Weber
Anderson agreement is also available,
and, in short, the diabolical plot by
which the Potter investigation was
worked up and forced upon the Demo
Gratis of the House is now known to the
Republicans, and will, doubtless, be es-
tablished to the full satisfaction of the
country, as soon as the Senate commit
tee charged with the inquiry.into charges
against Senator Matthews meets. 1t is
understood that Anderson will then APP
pear and free himself from the load Of
falsehood he took upon himself in the
Potter committee The payments of
money to Anderson for preparing testi-
mony, and the persons who paid it, are
known.
The part taken by Col. Pelton, Til
den's nephew, in working up the case,
and forcing it through the House, are
also now known. The persons who
took part in manufacturing the oral
testimony for several witnesses before
the committee are also known, and some
of these will probably be soon proceed
ed against criminally for subornation
of perjury. Some Of the Democrats in
vOlved in these transactions have known
for some weeks that the danger of the
Republicans obtaining clue to their
crooked transactions was very great,
and their efforts to avert this trouble
have been untiring. The evidence of
their attempt to prevent exposure will
be about as interesting, and at the same
time as convincing of guilt as any OF
the rest.
A gentleman who is regarded as one
of the managing men in the Potter in
vestigation, and who has recently
returned from visit to New
York, where he has consulted with those
who have conducted the investigation
thus far, expresses the opinion that the
committee will hold no further sessions
for taking testimony. The cipher dis
patches are evidently subject of no
interest to Potter and his associates,
and the expected investigation of the
entire subject will doubtless be con
Quoted by Senate committee. If the
Democrats examine any other witnesses,
it is expected Samuel j. Tilden will be
among them.