The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-27
POTTER'S INQUIRY.
MRS. jerks DECLARES SHE ONLY
DICTATED TsE LETTER.
Hugh J. Campbell QuiZzed i'm Regard 60
the Anderson Protest.

she stated that she mad not yet brought the
letters 10 her from Anderson to Kellogg anC
did not know that she would feel at liberty tC
produce them, particularly as to Gov Kel.
logRs correspondence. She wanted his full
permission before producing them at this
point.
Gov Cox stated that he was authorized by
Gov. Kellogg to say the latter not only gave
his tuit permission to have produced any or
Oil letters he might have written to Mrs.
jerks, and In fact decided that any letters
Tho chairman Now Mrs. jerks, will you
produce these lettersP
Anhwer-I have them not with me.
The witness further stated that she die
tatod the Sherman letter TO q person we'll
known In local politics In Louisiana and had
seen him about six months ago. but did not
know whether he was living or dead. She
pEcnrSED no GIVE HIS NAME
There was first defect In the Sherman let
ter which she did not like, because Ii was too
elaborate 1t was not much longer than the
enc sent, but much more definite i'm the
promises made. The first draft emanated
from the person TO whom she dictated the
Seeol1. She could not remember the lam
g1asye of the first draft 1t was altogether
~ uniinpcrtant matter to impress her
What became of the letter you took
from Weber, and 10 which you prepared the
fupiyY
Alt was scattered over boundless space,
vision becomes obscured.
What became of the first draft which
you NADER
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. Jenks volunteered the statement that
she made no communication to the witness
Haley about any letter received by her from
her husband, as he was so deaf that she could
not hold conversation with him without
raising her voice to speaking trumpet pitch.
She denied having told Mr.. Butler, CORE
Spondent of the Baltimore Gazette, that she
had written to her husband about any docu-
ment.
Turning to Mr.. MacMahon, Mrs. jerks
asked, "Are there any more lame, or blind, or
halt who are expected here as witnesses in my
case? II so, you had better go out upon the
highway and bring them ill.,"
Mr.. MaeMahon-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 he had sew
eral conversations
WITH MRS, jerks
about the Sherman letter. She said that she
had come here to assist Gov. Packard in his
race for the dictatorship and she approached
Secretary Sherman about the matter. Tt came
ont In the conversation that she knew the
whereabouts of the Sherman letter, and that
she had been offered $4,000 for it.
Witness told her the letter was worth at
least $4,000, being Louisianian and a Demo
GRAFT and wishing TO expose the fraud by
which the people of his State had been cheated. !
Witness played upon her, and got her angry
for having been denounced by Secretary Shef'- |
man as blackmailer to induce her to let him
act as her agent In placing the letter where it |
WOULD DO THE MOST GOOD.
She showed him draft of letter in reply to |
IN artlclsi in the New York Times, and pass
ruitD no inr
ia which she said she had not the Sherman |
JfettHr In her possession.
Witness called her attention to it and she
smiled and said that was merely Tallerand- |
ish play OF words, and that while she had not
actual physical possession of it yet it was |
under her control.
Witness understood from her subsequently |
that she would have to go to New Orleans to
get the letter; that she had committed an I'M
fortunate blunder In leaving the letter In such
d way that 1t could not be obtained upon her
order, but only by demanding it In person.
She then told witness that her husband 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 in it, but thinks she
showed il to him. He knew her husbands
handwriting. He wrote a very beautiful
letter, tull of poetry, and witness is very
fond of that.
Upon cross-examination by Mr. Cox witness
stated he came to this city during Pierce's
and was a clerk In the Gen
eral Land Office until the breaking out of the
war Served In
TIE CONFEDERATE ARMY
as lieutenant of cavalry under j. E. B. Stuart;
here IN November, 1865, and has
practiced law since. He made Mrs. jerks ac-
quaintance at a clearinghouse where he
heard that a very handsome Louisiana lady
was in the house, and being fond of handsome
ladies he was glad to meet her there.
Q.-It was merely clearinghouse &C
uuaintanee? 6
A.-Oh, no; it was great deal more than {
that. Laughter Witness has been afflicted ;
with deafness since 1862, but had no trouble {
IN hearing Mrs. jerks conversation, as he
CAN UNDERSTAND LADIES
much better than gentlemen. '
Understood from Mrs. jerks the letter was /
locked up in the iron safe of mercantile !
house In New Orleans. Never saw Anderson &
In his life. Mrs. jerks referred to the paper 3
as the Sherman-Weber letter and gave the {
general purport of it. Witness was trying to (
make commission on the proposed negotia- /
lion of the document and was willing to make i
that commission as liberal as possible. In :
his conversation with Mrs. jerks had to infer
3 great deal from very little Mrs. jerks :
told him that she had been to see Mrs. Weber, !
but never said the latter had given her a /
package. She told him distinctly
SHE HAD THE LETTER s
ID her possession, secured in a safe IN New '
orleans, and subject to her exclusive control. I
Mrs. jerks parlors were always thronged I
With Southern Republican statesmen and =
,thers, but witness could not remember the |
names of any Of them, excepting L. Cass Car !
)enter
The committee, at 70 80 p. M, took a recess !
or an hour, after which the Florida case will 9
)e taken up. .
The committee reassembled at $50. The l
programme appeared to have been changed I
IS to taking up the Florida matter, for I
JUDGE HUGH ]. CAMPBELL :
ook the stand and testified that he was in t
S76 Judge of the Fourth District Court of q
louisiana. He stated in reply to Gov. Cox +
hat some time in November of that year the u
Protest drawn up by Anderson was shown il
Jim by Marshal Pitkin. He gave his opinion c
hat the document was informal, and fur .
lished blank protest, which he had pre- t
jared for the use of supervisors of elections. c
Shortly after he was informed that Ander- @
on desired to swear to a protest, and that his t.
resence was requested in Mr.. Pitkin's office. s
Witness went to Pitkin's Office, where Ander- o
on raised some objection as to some of the s.
nets stated in the protest Witness told An s.
erson he must judge of that himself and take G.
- Il. Al. LEX \