The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-06-29
Mrs. jerks on the Sherman Letter.

Mrs. Agnes ID. jerks was before the
Potter Committee of Investigation on Sat
urday last, and for several days this
week. The immediate object of inqui-
ry was to ascertain what she knew Of
the so-called "Sherman letter" so much
talked about as the guarantee, which
Anderson swore he and man named
Weber got from the Hon. John Sherman,
when the latter was in New Orleans, as
compensation for suppressing the facts
about frauds in the Feliciana parishes of
Louisiana at the Presidential election in
1876. Mrs. jerks was reputed to have
the custody Of the Original of that letter,
and to have knowledge of all about it
and in fact she testified on Saturday that
she did know all about it-athe Alpha
and Omega of it." This is about the only
absolutely clear statement 10 the whole of
her testimony, except where she said, II
distinctly and entirely exonerate Mr.. Sec
retary Sherman from any completely, d.
rect or indirect, in the so-called Ander-
son-Weber guarantee We annex few
comments by the press, to show in what
light this matter is regarded
Secretary Sherman has not been judicious
says the Baltimore EreRiHg Bulletin, in the
selection of his tools for working his Louis
lana business. He chose Anderson to do the
Feiiciana work, and, when that worthy Invent
back on him" and betrayed the secret of the
compromising letter, he fixed upon Mrs. jerks
to cover up his tracks and disprove Anderson s
statements. Mrs. jerks has been carefully
coached by that learned lawyer, Samuel
Shellabarger, so carefully that she went before
the Potter committee on Saturday full of the
conviction that the fate of the Administration
at least, if not of the nation, was in her
hands. OF course this sense of profound re-
sponsibility was too much for Mrs. jerks, and
she gave to posing and BsiRdudeTie that I'M
doubted talent which her instructors and en-
ployers had hoped and intended she would
restrict to the establishment of her highly
imaginative story. The result was disastrous
in the extreme to Secretary Sherman. It was
evident that the witness did not tell the truth
about the Secretary's letter, but evident also
that she knew Of the existence Of such a letter
and was well acquainted with the Importance
of it. She swore that she wrote the letter, or
rather dictated it, which statement was piece
of folly growing out of her inordinate self
conceit, but her evidence indirectly went fur
Their to prove the actual existence Of the letter
than even Anderson's did. At the same time
she unconsciously eorroborated in the strong
est manner all the accounts given by Ander-
son of the repeated interviews between him
and Weber in regard to the East Feliciana re-
turns-interyiews which Sherman has posi-
lively denied. The immense "smartness" of
this witness digged pit for her, into which
she has not only fallen herself, bat has also
dragged in her accomplice, John Sherman.
There is a sort Of poetic justice in this which
our readers cannot fail to appreciate.
The general supposition now is that the
original of this letter-of which there are sew
eral Photographic copies-is in Sherman
possession, bought by him of Mrs. jerks, who
procured it, for money, Of Weber's widow
The probability of this disposition of the doc
ument will be brought out during the investi-
CATION.
Philadelphia TTmes-It is amusing to see
how the thick and thin Republicans who are
determined to believe John Sherman honest
although all men are liars, swallow the jerks
story at gulp. They defend its FEASIBILITY
with as much vigor as at first they defended
the theory that Anderson himself forged the
guarantee. Weighing the whole matter in
their false balances they pronounce the wo-
man who acknowledges herselfa letter thief
and courts suspicion of mOtiyeless forgery,
a marvellous proper person, whose word is to
be accepted without question as a complete
exoneration of Mr.. Sherman.