The Portland daily press., 1878-06-29

three or four coIored men had been seized by
the Democrats, ropes put around their necks |
and they were taken into the woods and prepa.
rations made to hang them up, and finally
upon their kneeling down and swearing they
would go back and vote the Democratic ticket
and electioneer for it and get their friends to
do SO. the ropes were taken off their necks and
they were permitted to go back. l tried to
have the canvassing board throw out that
county, for it turned out that these men did
use their influence with their colored brethren,
but the board with two Republicans on it over
ruled it and it was counted
Q-Where did you get that information?
A-From affidavIts made there.
Q-Ex parte affidavts?
Ayes sir, everything was ex parte down
there. / do not mean to say was present
and saw the occurrence. Our friends always
told US that if there had been an honest count
and fair return of votes actually cast, and
fair and free election in Florida, the result
would have been large majority in favor OF
Hayes, some of them stating 1t as high as 5Oo0
or 5000 majority satisfied myself that Hayes
had carried the state on the face of the returns
and / was satisfied by the evidence that those
returns were correct so far as the hepupncan
vote was concerned.
BY Springer-Did you have any conyersa-
ton with Gov Stearns about that matter?
Ayes sir.
Odd Gov. Stearns or not inform you be-
fore the returns were opened that ar engagements
might have been the popular vote the face of
the returns would show that the Hayes electors
had carried the state?
A-No sir. He never told me anything OF
the kind and 1 do not remember hearing it
spoken of by anybody.
Q-Do you know that the visiting statesmen
impressed the people of Florida with the idea
that the face of the returns must show that
| fact in order to have the moral effect that was
necessary for the country?
A-No sir. No such fact came to my knowl-
| edge from any source whatever. I'VE congrat-
ulated ourselves very much that on the face of
| the returns the state had gone for Hayes and
| talked about iG great deal.
Q-Mr. McLn states that in one conversa-
ton you told him Of your visit to Louisiana
and what would be the result there and stated
that Louisiana would be all right for the Re-
| publican party and talked of the Importance of
Florida going for Hayes and hoped it would.
Did you have any conversation of that kind
with McLin?
A-Not precisely like that, but think 1
possibly said to him and others that friends in
Louisiana assured us that the state had cast its
| vote for Hayes. l gave the information that L
had got from our friends there. 1 never had
moments private liza lite he &c
is not correct.
Q-McLin also states that while you did not
directly make promises you said that the men,
bers of the canvassiDg board would bs provided
for that you stated this before the count had
been completed, and also repeated it after
wards?
Al never alluded in any way directly or
| Indirectly to the CONTRASTING board being taken
care of until after the vote had been declared,
and then 1 said what 1 have already testified
to just as we were going home. In my judy
| ment McLin has confounded the conversation
which had with him juet before coming away
and after the declaration of the vote of
Florida with what he claims to have been said
before.
By the Chairman-When Dennis called on
you did he state that Gen, Barlow was going
to sell out?
Al don't know that he stated that, 5ut he
gave me to understand that the local Republic
can distrusted him.
Q-What could Dennis have done at that
time to have controlled the result?
Al don't know, did not attach any i'm
portance to what he said beyond the fact that
he represented the Republicans as dissatisfied
and for that reason L thought we had better
accommodate them. That was my only object
in making the change.
By Mr.. Hunton-I am requested to ask if
you did not state to John f. Coyle while at
Tallahassee that you had authority to repre-
| sent Gov Hayes?
l do not know Coyle from Adam. l remember
there was a man down there named John f.
Coyle, and may have spoken to him but L
never told him or any other man that for it
would have been lie and 1 don't tell lies.
1t has been suggested to me by Attorney
General Little that 1 did send despatch to
Gov. Hayes announcing at some point what
the returns were and on that suggestion will
state that it is possible did SO.
Testimony of Gen. Lew Wallace.
Gen. Lew Wallace was sworn and exam
ined by Hiscock. He testified to visiting New
Orleans and Tallahassee
Q-Did you during your stay in Tallahassee
ever hear Gov. Noyes indicate any belief or
opinion on his part that fraud had been per-
petrated by the Republicans which it was
/ npcaaaarV N INV uUou
Did you ever hear him say anything indicating
that he did not conscientiously and honestly
believe the state elected the Hayes electoral
ticket?
A-No; 1 am perfectly sure that was Gov.
Noyes' conclusions as l heard him make posi-
tive and earnest declaration to that effect FREE
| quently.
Gen. Wallace in further testimony confirmed
GOV. Noyes, statement as to Dennis fears of
personal safety.
By Hunton-McLin has testified that YOU
told him that you came there at the special
request of the President Did you say any
thing of that kind?
Al went to Tallahassee twice. On nv first
visit never said anything of the kind but on
my second visit may have done So After the
returning board had rendered its judgment L
went back to Indiana and on my arrival home
L received telegram from Zach Chandler re-
questing me to return to Florida as an attorney
to attend to certain law suits or proceedings
which had been instituted in courts there and
on the same day l received a telegram from
GOV. aay s,s; referring ito the request made to
got to Florida told McLin 1 was there by
request of Gov. Hayes. / never told McLin
while the count was in progress that L was
there at the request of Gov. Hayes, because
such was not the fast.
Q-McLin says you told him you knew GOV.
Hayes we'll and was satisfied that if he became
President he would take pleasure 1in providing
for the Republicans of Florida What is yonr
| reply to that?
Al will tell you the fact and give you al.
most the Identical language used. went to
McLin's house by invitation an evening or two
before the board was to pronounce judgment,
and after some general conversation he made
the remark that Manton Marble, representing
the Democrats, had been but very short time
before at his house to see him and had told him
there was no necessity of his (McLins) living
or dying poor man; that if Tilden was count
ed in he could command anything he wanted.
said to McLin, "Mr. Marble is very bold in
his proposition, and he certainly forgets that if
Hayes is elected he will have the same oppor-
t9nlty OF taking care of his friends, which, 1
understand at the time that there was corrupt
proposition from me or anything that looked
that way to McLin. I had too much respect
Tor McLln to make any such proposition. He
was Republican and supposed he would do
MS duty as Republican. Manton Marble
was Democrat, and speaking to him as a
| Republican do not think there is any likeness
between MI. Marbles proposition and my own.
L may have repeated this to him on my second
visit there or given him some assurance.
Q-McLin says you frequently referred to the
fact that those who were instrumental in pro-
noting that result would be rewarded by
Hayes if he became President?
| A-That remark is true if it applies to any.
thing said after returned to Florida If he
says it applies to any time before the count he
is mistaken am positive. L never spoke to
him prior to the count except on this occasion
that have spoken of.
Q-McLin states that you said they were to
be rewarded by federal positions but no par
tcular position was referred to-
A-That may be if it is limited to my second
visit.
Q-Were you present when the returns were
| oped?
Ayes sir
The witness was then questioned in regard to
the vote of Baker county, and stated that there
were two or three returns from that county.
The returns were counted for the Republicans.
1t the returns had been the other way in that
county the majority for Tilden in the latter
| would have been about 95
By the Chairman-When you were in Flori-,
"a had you any personal acquaintance with
| Gov Hayes?