The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-09
THE INVESTIGATION.
TESTIMONY OF TAE CLERK or THE
ELECTORAL COMMISSION.
1sHge LevIsee Recalled re Has csc Not
che WemOtest Idea as to who signed
HlR SIGNATURE

HWe NGhmbbeSb hWSR as T0 "hp sASne0
Hls signature
WASHINGTON. June 8.-The Potter com.
mlttee met at II 30, and Mr.. McKenney
clerk to the Electoral Commission. testified as
10 tho discrepancies in the Arrangement and
numbering of the election certificates used
before the Electoral Commission. The orig
inal certificates were sent to the printer and
printed copies we're used for reference by
members OF the Commission. The published
record Of the proceedings Of the Commission
were not prepared by witness, but by MI
Murphy, stenOgrapher Of the Senate, who re-
ported the proceedings of the Commission.
The printed copies of the returns were in
serted into the published volumes as an ap-
pendiX to the proceedings.
Judge IpTiSeG was recalled and after
making some corrections in his testimony Of
Thursday was asked some questions by Gov.
Cox as to his interview with Asher. and the
motive which governed him in his dealings
with that individual His answers agreed in
every material point with those given by him
on his examinatiOn-in-Ch In reply to q
question by Chairman Potter Lcvisee stated
that he had not the remOtest idea as to who
signed his signature on the returns shown
him the other day.
The committee then took n recess until 2 D.
m. when Senator Ferry will appear on the
stand.
SENATOR FERRY ON THE STAND.
When the committee reassembed Senator
r. w. Ferry was sworn and testified in sub
stance as follows: In 1876 was President of
the United States Senate, and as such the re
turns Of the Electoral College were delivered
to me. Turning to list Of the returns re-
Ceived al the time, Mr. Ferry proceeded The
first return from Louisiana was received on
December IA, 1876. Moses, my private sccre-
tary, brought ii to me- The initials $. T.. NJ
are his. OF these first returns | received no
duplicate,
The next set Of returns, the McEnery re-
Ceived by mail on December q, the duplicate
by messenger, Mr.. Henry NJ. Spofford, on
January II. / next received returns from
Louisiana, by mail and by messenger, on Jan
uary 3. The messenger was IhOs. G. Ander-
son. When received the first return by mail
| think the messenger had been here, but did
not believe this package genuine. ! did not
take it because It was informal There was
no certificate of the appointment of mes
senger on the outside envelope. | do not
know who the messenger was. / did not de-
cline to take the package but called the mes
sengerS attention to the statute and to the
noncompliance with it, The messenger with
drew, taking the package with him. | do not
know its contents, and learned from no one
what they were.
| made a practice. where returns appeared
informal to call attention to 1t then, when the
messenger insisted upon my taking it. did
not learn at that time that the paper was a
defective one and containing but one list Of
electors. | did not hear Of that until lately.
was not asked to give mp the returns re-
ceved by mail. Senator Ferry then related
the proceedings In regard to Louisiana when
the houses were in joint session, and, In reply
to questions by the chairman, gave detailed
account as to how the envelopes containing
the returns were opened the returns read
etc. First came the Republican certificates,
then the Democratic, then the second Re
publican.
QuestiOn-What was the difference between
return No |, of which there was no dupi- |
Cate and return No 3, of which there was a
duplicate?
Answer Cannot say.
IN -l.x.r, o,.r,i,,y
upon your mind what was the difference |
Al think in the first there was only one |
list, while in the third there were three lists. |
/ am not clear about this however Nobody |
ever suggested in my hearing that any of the
signatures TO any Of the returns were not |
genuine Did not hear of it at all at that !
time. Had mNcOnversatt0n with some one
In which he said he supposed that the first
return, being made at the time of casting the
electoral vote, would probably be more cor
rect than the other. | think | heard first
from Gen. Garfield that these last returns
had been forged. This was about four weeks
ago.
In reply to a question by Mr. Cox. Senator
Ferry stated that there were infOrmalitcs
upon great many Of the envelopes contain
ing electoral returns.
Mr.; CoX-Did you exercise any personal
scrutiny over the contents Of any Of these
parcels, or was that done by other officers of
the joint meeting?
Al did not; I knew nothing of the con-
tents until they were opened and read by the
tellers; then they passed out of my hands
and have not seen them since
Q.-Was there in any rule you adopted any
shown to either party?
A.-NOne whatever
Mr., McNIahon-D Did both sets of the Kcl-
logg returns come on the same day
A.-1es; on January 3.
Q.-What time of day ?
Al do not remember
Q'-Was the messenger who brought the
GnpDnI kntIDUU ~ hn cor h,
brought the first?
A.-N0 sir. (
O. Did not that excite suspicion in your
mind
Al cannot say it did !
Q.-Dd it not strike you that there must
have been another meeting of electors?
A.-YeS; ] thought there might have been {
Q-The messenger brought his authority /
A-Yes; or else l should not have taken
The paper 7
Odd any one come to you with the first
messenger?
Al think not.
Odd there with the second?
A.-Yes L
Q.-Wh0 first?
A.-Thomas G. Anderson.
Q,-WhO the second?
Al do not know. c
Q-You received the returns in the Senate S
c
A.-Generally. b
.Q..DO you rec0llNCt gong out OF the SEN 4
lte chamber when the second set was received? Il
Al have no recollection about it. 5
Q.-When this first man. suppOSing him to il
Ne Anderson, presented the paper to you, YOU
lad, OF course, received a corresponding one
~ mail?
Al have stated | couldnot say whether it
vas before or alter had received the one by c
nail.
Q.-Now, Senator, Mr.. Anderson had been
ather notable person in politics?
A hnGs yr
Q.-Well, do you not think you could give u
S an idea what sort of a looking man he was? K
Alt made no impression upon my mind. G,
Odd Ii not eycite sIIsnininLl in uo1ir mind D