The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-07-04
The Fraud Committee.

The Fraud COMMITTEE.
Mrs. jerks was again on the stand on
June "a. She repeated her performance of
Saturday for about two hours, much to the
general amusement but not to the increase
Of general knowledge in regard to the Sher-
man letter. She continued to maintain that
she dictated the whole of the Sherman
letter, though she refused to say who she
dictated it to, or to give any special details
of her work. She declared that Secretary
Sherman was not in any sense party to 1t,
and that she delivered it after it was COM
pleted to Weber and Anderson. There was
again a great amount OF valueless question
ing and answering.
After recess Mr.. Mcmahon called General
Boynton of the Cincinnati Gazette, to ask
about the report that he had been to the
White House to make inquiries about the
appointment of Anderson at the time it
was made, and had conversed with the Pres
ident on TIE subject. The fact was devel-
oped that in ride with the President, ex-
tending over several hours, the first week
in last June, about two or three minutes
conversation took place in regard
to the matter. The President stated
the appointment was made on ac-
count of the good service Ander-
son had rendered as Republican. The
charges of the press that he had been ap-
pointed on account of some imp oper manip-
the President neither affirmed nor denied,
but said he thought Anderson would not oc-
cupy the Office. This was then supposed by
the witness to refer to a report curr MT that
Anderson would net take the place; and
witness stated that the impression made
upon his mind then was that Anderson had
been appointed because of his connec-
ton with the operations there charged
in Louisiana. Witness said he had re-
mained under this impression, and had
stated it to others in private talks in his
Office, but that upon seeing, by the dare If
the Presidents letter to Secretary Evarts,
that the commission had been ordered with
held on The Goth of May, a week or ten
days before the conversation with the Pres
ident, he saw that his impression had been
altogether erroneous.
On the 25th June, Mrs jerks and General
Boynton were again on the stand, but moth
ing satisfac ory was developed. Gen. raj
Boynton corrected and verified the evil
dence given by him yesterday, and added
an account of how General Harlan, of Ken
lucky, intrigued for place on the Supreme
Bench, and urged Boynton to find out Tor
| him, while in Louisiana as member of the
MacVeagh Commission, whether or not
| General Bristow was candidate for the
| place, saying that if Bristow was not a candi-
date, he thought it possible the solution of
the Louisiana difficulty by the Commission
would have tendency to promote his (Har-
lan's) candidacy for the place.
Marshall John Z. G. Pitkin was on the
stand, and testified that his Deputy U. s.
Marshals assisted in bringing with esses be-
! fore the Returning Board, State organiza-
| ton, and that these witnesses were all Re.
| publicans, while the Democrats had to pro-
duce and defray the expenses of their own
witnesses. Pitkin was familiar with the
handwriting of Dan Weber, and identified
| htc f1an lrp.
sented to him, but he expressed doubt as to
the genuineness of the signature on the
i Weber-Anderson agreement. He believes
it is not real, because of differences in the
characteristics of the handwriting, al
tough there is a general resemblance
except in the size of the letters
The next witness called was Mr. Haley
by whose testimony it is expected to dis
credit Mrs. jerks. He was prevented from
testifying, however, by the interesting anc
spirited interlocutory discussion whicl
grew out of the objection raised by Mr.
Hiscock to attempting thus early to i'm
peach the testimony of the witness, Mrs
jerks, because she didn't swear that Sher
man wrote the guaranty of safety to Webe
and Anderson, which attempt, he charged
was made for the purpose of allowing tn
erroneous impression to go to the countr
that, because she may be proven to be no
worthy OF belief, Mr.. Sherman wrote tn
, letter which she swears she dictated.
Mr.. Hiscock and Mcmahon INDUCED in
, somewhat animated discussion upon thi
: question, during which the latter, in repl
to a question by Hiscock, gave it as hi
, judgment that John Sherman wrete th
letter.
. General Cox agreed with Hiscoek and s
q did Butler in the main, though the latte
was in favor of taking the testimony I
!. Haley.
:, Mr.. Butler argued that no evidence
y the existence of a letter written by She
man will be afforded by proving tn,
Mrs. jerks has testified falsel
u She says she procured to
S written letter which might have been an
v probably was the letter which was circ
a wrong, it doesn't prove that Sherman wro
it; the thing is to prove that she is n
= worthy of belief.
IS MIR. Hiscock asserted that there was
a legal evidence to show that Sherman wro
e or ever saw the letter. The material thil
:, is to establish the charge that Sherman W
- or was not the author or had anything to
u with the letter.
N Mrs. jerks was again before the Comm
rt tee on the 26th of June She agreed to pl
.duce certain letters of Mr.. Kell gg not y
submitted to the Comm ttee, after sendi
;" for them to New Orleans. In reply to qu'
ce tions, the witness said she dictated the Sh
ne man letter to another party, and wished t
sh Committee to distinctly understand that S
nj herself did not write it. She would not gi
81 the name of the person.
Vi Mr.. Haley, a Democratic clerk in the
en- terror Department, by whom it was intend
ng to disprove some of Mrs. Jenks's testimol
RS swore that she had told him last winter tt
n.y. she knew where the Sherman letter was, a
~ had been offered ST. 900 for it. He advis
ne her not to sell at that price. because if S
ar | was willing tn Sall she cOnId obtain S6
nd for it.
lis The only point of material difference
IN tween Haley's and Mrs. Jenks's testimo
=. is that he says she stated to him that
'o had written to her husband to send her
letter, which was in a safe in New Orlea
1as and that he responded by letter to the eff
ble that she had committed the blunder of lie
~ ing it subject to her personal comma
'ie m whereas she testified that she had writ
z5. to her husband about it.
j. Judge Campbell, now United States
ent trict Attorney for Dakota, local Ju
sb. at the time of the election, was
- amined regarding the form and mod.
nv making election protests, and as to
was little he knew about the circumstances
ked Andersons protest and subsequent
led, streperousness Withdrawing it. Ca
his bell stated that he regarded 1T legal
49,, proper to annex a protest other affid
,n- to an election return after it had been
the f ON the parish to which it related, w
urt. circumstances such MS intimidati or o
and danger might have rendered its annexa
the impracticable in the first instance, espec
if such reason was stated by the Superv
He had met Sherman once and Stoug
several times in New Orleans, but the
ject of the Anderson protest was not
cussed by the visiting statesmen.
A hands j ined in keeping up |
tally cross-fire at the witness, who gave it a