Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-06-12
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WASHINGTON.
The 0nvestipatfon

WASHINGTON.
The Investigation.
WASHINGTON, June 5.-The house
committee investigating alleged
frauds in Louisiana and Florida in
connection with the last presidential
election met to-day. Returns of the
electoral college of Louisiana having
been received from the secretary Of
the senate were submitted for exami.
nation. After the returns were read
recess was taken to allow members tl
vote on the tariff bill.
The committee having resssembled
Gen. Butler offered the following
resolution
| WHEREAS, Jas. f. Anderson swear,
that between March 25th and june
lst, 1878, Hon. Stanley Matthews told
him II have just to-day had letter
from the president in regard to your
case, and have written him such q
letter rs will secure your appoint.
ment to aome position" and that on
about June I'd the president said tC
witness, "He had received a lette,
from Matthews requesting him to
give.him place )" therefore
ResOlved, That the president be re.
quested to furnish to this committee
all the original letters above men
toned which he has received, if any,
or certified copies thereof, with cop
les of any such letters supposed to be
written by him, as he may prefer, in
order to secure an Intelligent cross
examination of witness on the SUBJ
ject matter thereof.
| The resolution was adopted.
Geo. q. Gorhanl, Secy. of the Sem
ate. was questioned by the chairman
relative to papers submitted to the
committee, and he stated that they
were the only papers relating to the
Louisiana electoral college of 1876, in
his possession. He knew nothing of
any record of the proceedings of the
returning board until yesterday.
when he was informed by q CORES
pondent that such document was in
the keeping Of the Sergeant-at-A Arms
of the Senate, and that gentleman
would give the committee any infor-
nation they desired regarding it.
James f. Anderson was recalled
and further cross examined by Mr..
| Reed.
Witness was shown a document
purporting to be the original agree
ment signed by himself and Webber.
which he yesterday testified was in
possession of Stanley Matthews and
he declared the document not to be
the original but very fair counter
felt. Reed smiled and witness said
| "preserve your smiles until after this
investigation is over and perhaps you
will smile on the other side OF your
face" The chairman demanded or
der.
Reed asked witness if he could ex-
plain why he was SO positive that this
document was not the original, and
replying he said, "T remember dis
tinctly that the sheet of paper upon
which wrote the agreement had two
small red ink stains on it's face, one at
the top and the other about the mid
die of the page and l erased these
stains leaving the marks o: the eras-
er, and finding no such marks upon
this page know it is not the original,
WASHINGTON, June 6.-The inves.
tigation into the alleged Louisiana
and Florida frauds was continued to-
day. Cox, of the committee, said he
had received from Stanley Matthews
he originals of the correspondence
between him and Jas. E. Anderson,
which were read by the clerk. The
letters have appeared in Anderson's
previous testimony with the excep-
tion of one dated Philadelphia, April
I'D, wherein Anderson resigned all
claims upoL the administration and
requesting Matthews tn sacura fa~ o
friend Of his, in the Office of the
North American Newspaper, a posi-
tion worth from 81, 200 to 81 400 per
annum, in the Philadelphia Custom
House. Butler offered the following
resolution and it was unanimously
adopted:
Resolred, That Hon. Stanley Mat.
thews be invited to appear before this
committee at his convenience and
make any explanation regarding the
letters from Anderson to himself.
just read, as he may desire aud to an.
swer such questions as may be perth
nent to the subject under investiga-
tion.
Judge A. B. Levissee, of La, prac-
ticing attorney, of this city, was sworn,
but before his examination begun
some of the committee wishing to
vote on the tobacco tax left the room
interrupting the investigation.
I'M I ka. \
been offered by one Asher, one hun
dred thousand dollars to cast his vote
as elector for Tilden. Asher was the
only person who had spoken to wit
ness on the subject. Another person
named johnson, formerly Sergeant
alarms in the Louisiana House OF
Representatives, called on witness at
his lodgings and not finding him in
left note stating that he (Johnson)
desired to meet witness next morning
on important business, but before the
time appointed johnson called at
witness lodgings and appointed la
ter hour. Ladies of the house told
witness that they were under the i'm
preston, judging from the converse.
tion and manner of johnson, that he
was desirous of making bargain
with witness to change his vote and
stating as their reason for 70 believ-
ing that remark was made by John
son, the effect of which was eff was
in Levisse's shoes would make $780,
GOO out of it" johnson, witness said,
was intimately acquainted with the
ladies of the house.
hncn ,,nl,o,l .,os.
and witness recognized it as one left
by johnson when he first called.
Levisse said Asher was previously
cashier OF n bank in Shreveport, La,
but at the time in question was in
New Orleans transacting private
business. MacMahcn requested wit
ness to state rs near as he could re-
member, the conversation between
himself and Asher regarding the
transaction.
In reply he stated after some pre-
liminary remarks "Asher asked him
If he would be willing to accept
round sum, say $4,000 or 100000
and refuse to accept his certifi-
cate of election as elector."
Witness did resign, on advice Of his
friends, whom he had consulted, in
cluding Beckwith, Judge Campbell
and John Ray. He resigned because
he thought he was ineligible, as he at
that time filed federal office. He
was not advised nor did he UNDER
stand he would be elected to fill his
own vacancy, but thought it possible
such would be the case. AS to the
offer of $4,000 or $4,000 it was not
often men had chance by simple
vote to make President Of the u. s.
and the service therefore ought to be
worth larger sum. Asher said it
was not enough. The conclusion of
the conversation twas this: "He said
to Asher, "Tell your man who has the
money that he has not got up to my
price YETI Levisse intended to con-
vey the impression that hc would take
500, co., hut at the same time inten-
ded to put up the price so high that
the sum could not be paid.
McMshon-"You thought that the
money was lying around and that the
payment to you would be all right p
l Tnviaanp-.sT did mt oav that