The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-01-29


shIeid tho Members Of the Returning
Hoard, They Threaten 10 Expose the
whole Fraud,
New ORLEANS, January 2S.-The su-
perior criminal court room was crowded
to day, when three of the accused
members OF the returning board, An.
derson, Cassanave and Kenner, were
brought to the bar.
General Anderson, being asked II he
was willing to give his reasons for his
course during the last two days, espe.
cially with reference to his resistance
to the execution OF state writs In the
customhouse, said: al have no objeo-
tons. My information in regard to
the character of the panel was such az
to convince me that it was organized
to convict, without reference to the
testimony In my behalf, or the absence
Of testimony against me. | believe
that if had appeared on Friday last i
would have been tried and convicted
before Saturday night-n0t because
am guilty of the act charged in the in
formation, or that any evidence impli
eating me in il could have been found,
but because 1t was 30 determined, and
| believe arranged in advance.
"Look, for instance, in this list
of names OF persons composing the
panel. Here General Anderson
produced printed list, containing
forty.siX names, | have searched
that list diligently, and | can
find on it the name of only one
person, Mr.. Becker, with whom |
have any personal acquaintance, and
! am told, and | believe it to he true,
that IL not only does not contain u sin
gle cOlOred man, but there is not a sin.
gle republican on it from beginning TO
end. Does any tairminded, impartial
man, believe that before Jury thus
made up, could have any assurance
of an impartial trial? 1t is said that
the republicans would be sure to con-
Wet me on the same principle that the
democrats would be sure to convict me.
''ln South Carolina, where the polit-
zeal feeling IL rs strong as it Is in this
state, both democrats and republicans
were placed on the juries in the trials
of Cardoza and Smalls, and yet no
was found in obtaining con.
viction. am willing to submit to All
impartial judgment of any fair-minded
man that this studied exclusion OF re-
publicans from the panel Is an outrage
on every principle of justice, and that
1t gives me the right to say the jury Is
to convict.
"Under these circumstances my right
of challenge would be of no avail. j
have twelve challenges, and when
these are exhausted, the character Of
the panel would remain just what it
was be fore. | wish to say here that |
am entirely ignorant OF the Vernon
parish matter. The record Will show
that was not present when the YER
non returns were opened In the pres
ence Of the visiting statesmen. The
certified reports Of both parties will
show this. The returns appear to have
been passed over to the clerks for tabu.
lation without remark, aud when pre-.
scented to me for my signature, ] signed
them as did those Of every other par
ish, as q matter OF course.
az had no idea, and had no reason to
suspect that any alteration had been
made in them. | was surprised when
the matter was called to my attention
before the congressional committee,
ana testified then that knew moths
ing about it. / had no interest Ia Ver-
non parish, or 10 any Of the local cam
didates in that part Of the state. The
vote for electors and governor was not
at all affected by the alleged alteration.
For the reasons which have given,
1 was determined not to be tried before
a packed jury, II / could help IL. My
counsel will use every legal effort to
avert 1t. | suppose that they will ask
for change Of venue"
The counsel for r. c. Anderson filed
q motion for change Of venue, allsg,