The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-06-04
Third Ed!t!i.,
POTTER INVESTIGATION.
Mr.. Anderson's Cross. Examination.
Some Sharp Cross Firing by Mem
bers of the Com mittee.
Special to the Star.

WASHINGTON June. 4.-Ihe Potter COm-
mittee did not come to order until II :25
O'clock this morning when the Chairman
state that in obedience to the wish of the
Committee he had written to the Secretary
of State to furnish the Committee the orig
inal records of the Electoral Colleges OF
file in the State Department. In reply he
had received letter from the Secretary
stating that the papers are not on file there.
Gen. Butler suggested that these returns
are no doubt in the Office of the District
Court in New Orleans, and should be sent
for and submitted to the Committee going
to Louisiana. He said that he had heard
within few days that the returns here
have been altered, which could be tested by
comparing them with those in New Orleans.
1t was decided to submit the matter to the
subj Committee.
James E. Anderson was then again called
to the stand He requested to be allowed
to make corrections in his testimony which
would in no wise change its sense, but cor.
rect inaccuracy Of the stenographer and the
printer He was permitted to do so.
He stated in reply to question by Mr..
Mcmahon, that he found the copies of the
Sherman letter in the envelope which he
found in Katz & Bonz's warehouse. He
further explained that the Mrs. jerks re-
ferred to by him was the wife of Thomas
H. jerks, and that her full name is Agnes
d. jerks.
Mr.. Reed then begun Anderson's eross-ex-
animation. He asked him with reference
to his agreement with Ex-Congressman
Nash, in regard to which Anderson stated
that he made it not so much with view to
obtain the position of Naval Officer as to
prevent Nash from throwing him overheard
and to hold the document as threat over
Nash's head s..
Q-Have you entered into many of these
little transactions before this?
.A.-No; l never found it necessary until
had to deal with Louisiana Republicans
Q-And you practiced this little trick
first on colored man?
A.-Yes, sir.
.Q,-Don't you think little backing ur
would improve you?
A.-Well, it might or might not (Mr
Reed We'll, l think it would.
| Mr.. Mcmahon at this point, said he mus
protest, that the witness ought to have fail
| treatment. 1t ought to be remembered thai
this was an Investigating Committee and
| nota Police Court Mr.. Reed retorted thai
there had been tactics employed here which
| led him to think that this was Police
Court trial.
A short colloquy ensued. Mr.. Mcmahon
insisted upon aruling from the Chairman.
Mr.. Potter said that he thought Mr.. Reed
| would hardly claim that this was fail
treatment of witness, and asked him not
to repeat it.
Mr.. Reed-I think the last'remark of the
| Chairman uncalled for.
"Well, if you want you can have ruling
| upon this"
Mr.. Reed-"What want is to go on with
the examination.
MIR. Potter-"Well, then, go on"
Considerable time was consumed by Mr.
| Reed in reading extracts from Anderson's
| testimony before the House Committee fol
the purpose of showing that at that time
| the purport of Anderson's testimony was
entirely different from that given by him
now.
After that Mr.. Reed handed the witness
! the printed copy of his alleged twice-altered
protest contained in the Sherman report
| and asked him to point out the alterations
and then to read the protest as originally
written by him.