The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-06-26
Third Edition
THE LATEST
FRAUD FISHING
Mrs. jerks Investigating the Committee
Special to the Star.

WASHINGTON, June 26.-This morning
Mrs jerks appeared before the Potter Com
mittee. In reply to question by the
Chairman she stated that she had not yet
brought the letters to her from Anderson
and Kellogg and did not know that she
would feel at liberty to produce them, par
ticularly as to Gov. Kellogg's correspond
ence. She wanted his full permission be-
fore producing them.
Al this point Gov. Cox stated that he was
authorized by Gov. Kellogg to say that the
latter not only gave full permission to have
produced any letters he might have written
to Mrs jerks, and in fact decided that they
might be produced.
The Chairman-Now, Mrs. jerks, will you
produce these letters?
81 have them not with me-"
The witness further stated that she die
tacted the Sherman letter to person we'll
known in local politics in Louisiana. Had
seen him about six months ago, but did not
know whether he was living or
dead. She declined to give his
name. There was a first draft of the
Sherman letter which she did not
like because it was too elaborate. 1t was
not much longer than the one sent, but
much more definite in the promises made
The first draft emanated from the person to
whom she dictated the second. She could
not remember the language of the first
draft, it was altogether too unimportant a
matter to impress her mind.
What horop,a pf tho 1attar Won tool-
from Weber and to which you prepared the
reply?
Att was scattered over boundless space,
where the eye of man can not reach and
where vision becomes obscured.
Q.-What became of the first draft which
was made?
Alt followed suit.
She stated that they were taken away
from the parlor where the writing was
done. 1t must have been herself who took
them away. Mrs. jerks volunteered the
statement that she made no communication
to Haley about any letter received by her
from her husband, as he was 80 deaf that
she could not hold conversation with him
without using a speaking trumpet. She de-
MED having told Mr.. Butler the cores
pondent Of the Baltimore Gazette, that she
had written to her husband about any doc
ument
Turning to Mr. Mcmahon, Mrs. jerks
asked: Are there any more lame, blind
or halt who are expected here as witnesses
in my case? If 50, you had better go out
upon the highway and bring them in
Mr. McMahOn-"YOu know, Mrs jerks,
there are none so blind as those that will
not see."
A. G. Haley was then recalled. He stated
that in January or February last ne had
several conversations with Mrs. jerks about
the Sherman letter.
She said that she had come here to assist
Coy Packard in his race for the Collect r
ship, and she had approached Secretary
Sherman about the matter. 1t came out in
this conversation that she knew the where
abouts of the Sherman letter, and she had
been offered $1,000
Witness told her the letter was worth at
least S. 600 Being LOuisianian and q
Democrat and wishing to expose a
fraud by which the people of this
State had been cheated witness
played upon her anger for having
been denounced by Secretary Sherman as
to induce her to let him act as
her agent in placing the letter where it
would do the most good. She showed him
a draft of a letter in reply to an article in
the New York Times, and passage in it
struck the witness as peculiar, namely, in
which he said she had not the Sherman
letter in her possession.
Witness called her attention to it, and
she smiled and said that was merely a Tai
play of words, and that while she
had not actual physical possession of it, yet
that it was under her control.
Witness understood from her subsequent
ly that she would have to go to New Or
leans to get the letter; that she had COM
nitted an unfortunate blunder in leaving
the letter in such way that it could not be
obtained upon her order but only by de-
it in person.
She then told the witness that her hus-
band had written her that it could not be
obtained without her personal application
Witness thinks at the time she had letter
from her husband in her hand Is not sure
that he read that passage i'll it, but thinks
She showed it to him.
He knew her husbands handwriting
He wrote very beautiful letter, full of
poetry and witness is very fond Of that. Upon
by Mr. Cox, witness
stated he came to this city during
Pierce's administration, and was a clerk in
the General Land Office until the breaking
Oul OI me war, served IN the confederate
Army as Lieutenant of Cavalry under J. B.
Stuart, returned here November 1875, and
has praciced law since.
He made Mrs. jerks acquaintance at a
clearinghouse where he stopped some
three or four years ago. He heard that a
very handsome Louisiana lady was in the
house, and, being fond of handsome ladies,
he was glad to meet her
Mrs. jerks told Haley that she had been
to see Mrs. Weber, but never said the lat
Ter had given her package. She told him
distinctly she had the letter in her posses
sion, secured in a safe in New Orleans and
subject to her exclusive control.