Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-03-01
Letter From ]. Madison Wells.

addressing you. As Jne Nllest calum-
nies, unsupported by particle of sufii-
cient evidence. have been scattered
broadcast over the whole country, /
deem it duty to myself, my late asso-
ciates, and TO the great party to which
belong to send after these oalumnies
such antidote as a few facts in the per-
sonal history of the chief conspirators
and their tools can supply.
When il is known that five successive
Grand Juries have firmly refused to find
a true bill against me at the high behest
of the Acknowledgement, and the prose-
cution against me and my associates is
based upon information, some public
interest will attach to the personal
character of the informer. The central
figure in this conspiracy is that most
supple tool of the traitors of Louisiana,
Judge William Il. Whitaker. He con-
spired to defraud the Government of
the United States of 100000 with
which he was intrusted as Assistant
Treasurer, succeeded in the conspiracy,
and stands indicted for the felony. On
the 18th day of April, 1877, "a nolle prose.
qui was entered in the case. The cele-
brated declaration of the Nichols Gov
ernment was made about the same time
the declaration that it was the pur-
pose of that Government to allay anx-
iety and discountenance all attempts,
from whatever source, to prosecute per-
sons for political offenses. Judge
Whitaker has conducted himself in the
late trial of Gen. Anderson as though
he had undertaken a contract with the
Democratic party to do their dirty
orH fttll
rehabilitation into their society. He
stated to several persons and to lawyers
of high standing before the trial of Gen.
Anderson that the jury was packed for
the purpose of his conviction. He stated
further that no motion having for its
object the removal of the cause from
his jurisdiction would have his sane
ton; that all motions for that object
would be overruled. Judge Whitaker
was elevated from the criminal dock to
do the dirty work of the party that is
now controlling him. Nine of the
Jurors in the Anderson trial swore that
they were prejudiced against the pris-
oner, vet they were made to serve.
Two of them had declared openly that
Anderson ought to be hanged. During
the greater part of the trial Judge
Whitaker was in beastly state of in
toXication.
Atty.-Gen. Ogden was aware of the
fact that the jury was packed, and aided
and assisted in the nefarious scheme by
which the packing was accomplished.
He said he intended to force the trial,
because he had his jury prepared for
conviction; that he kept concealed in
his room Littlefeld, to prevent his testi-
mony being taken in Anderson's trial.
This Attorney-General is wholly unre-
liable. AS a sworn officer he has spec
ulated upon the collection of taxes. He
attempted to force the Grand Jury last
summer to find bills of indictment
against the Returning Board. He ap-
peared before the Grand Jury, insulted
witnesses, and threatened them with in
generation if they refused to swear ex-
actly what he desired. Failing to pro-
cure such evidence from the witnesses
as he wanted, he accompanied the Judge
before the Grand Jury, and had him
(the Judge) to reprimand the witnesses
and threaten them with incarceration if
they did not give such testimony as was
required by him. The Judge attempted
to force the Grand Jury to find true
bill, to satisfy the wants and wishes of
the Attorney-General, against the Re-
turning Board, but, finding all their eX-
| traordinary efforts futile, they were
compelled to fall back upon the alter
native mode of information.
Asst.-Atty. Gen. Eagan is a worthy
and plant tool in the hands of the At
torney- General. He stands indicted for
murder in his own parish, having as
sassinated brother lawyer on account
of his success in practice over him.
Mr.. Charles Cavanac, the important
| and reliable witness of the trio of viii
lains, Whitaker, Ogden and Eagan, is
man of bad reputation for veracity, es-
pecially where political or personal
interest is involved. Hundreds of men
in this city would not believe him un-
der oath. He holds prominent posi-
ton in the city government, although
he has denounced the female teachers
of the public schools as prostitutes.
William r. Smart, the custodian of
the Vernon records, would omit no lie
that he could utter that would be likely
to convict me. During the rebellion he
stole my stock, killed my hogs and
poultry, and put the vote to his compa-
ny if they should kill me and burn my
dwelling over the heads of my family.
A. f. Burk, another prominent witness,
absconded from the little town of Xenia,
Clay County, State of Illinois, and
changed his name from A. E. Burk to
+. A. Burke. Debts have followed him
here for liquidation over the signature
of A Z. Burk, and some of them have
been paid by him, thus affirming the
fact of his abscOnding and changing his
name.
The names of the jurors that were
impaneled for the trial of Anderson and
myself were furnished by the Democrat
ic Committee. Their political status,
as well as their views as to the proper
punishment, was canvassed by the
Judge, Attorney-General,a and the Dem
ocratic Committee before being placed
on the panel. One of the Jury Com
that the list of jurors placed IN the
jury-box from which talesmen were
drawn, after exhausting the panel, was
furnished by the Democratic Executive
Committee, and this fact was known to
1.-the Deacon Ogden, the assassin Eagan,
and the pettifogger Finney."
The returns from Vernon Parish
were made up in the town of Alexan-
dria, in. the parish of Rapides, fully
eighty miles from where the election
was held, and yet the Returning Board
are charged with, and made response
BILE for. all the changes which it is al
legged have been made in these returns,
since the votes were counted by the
| Commissioners of Election, every one of
whom was Democrat. The Judge,
the Attorney-General, the Assistant At
torney-G General, and District-Attorney
have thrown every obstacle in the way,
and used every exertion to prevent us
from producing or having our wit
nesses, by urging a speedy trial, and
have denied every legal right claimed
by our attorneys. X. l.. Gibson has
seen fit, on the floor of Congress, to
calumniate the Returning Board, and
has attempted a justification of their
persecution. This colored Democratic
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