The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-06-13


at-Arms in the Louisiana House of Repre-
sentatlves, calling on witness at his lodg-
ings, and not finding him in, wrote note,
stating that Johnson desired to meet witness
at a certain hotel at nine o'clock the next
morning, on important business, but before
that hour johnson called at witnesses lodg
ings and made an engagement with him to
meet Asher at one o'clock.
The ladies of the house told witness they
were under the impression, judging from
the conversation and manner of johnson,
that he was desirous of making a bargain
with witness to change his vote. and stating
as their reason for SO believing that a re-
mark was made by johnson, the effect of
which was If | was in LevisSee's shoes /
would make 100000 cut of it." d" Johnson"
witness said, twas Intimately acquainted
with the ladies of the house."
Mcmahon here produced note and wit
ness recognized it as the one written
by johnson when he first called.
Continuing, 1evissee said Asher was
previously cashier of the bank in Shreve-
port. the time in question he was in New
Orleans transacting private business.
Mr.. McMahon requested witness to state,
as near as he could remember, the conversa
tion between kia self and Asher, regarding
the transaction. In reply, he stated that,
after some preliminary remarks, Asher
asked him if he would be willing to accept
round sum, say thirty forty thousand
dollars, and refuse to accept his certificate
of e'ection as Elector.
"A secret session was held on June z, and an
open session was afterward held, publishing
what was done. The fact was elected that
as soon as President Hayes was advised
that the 'e was anything suspicious in An
derson's character he sent letter to the
Secretary OF state ordering that Anderson's
appointment 20 : Consulsphip De withheld
until he could Investigate his character
This investigation was stopped bv Ander:
sons withdrawing his application. They
also scooped in their drag net letters from
| influential people in Steubenville, O., to the
President, indoI sing Anderson as worthy
| yotng man, whose integrity in the affair of
East Feliciana was greatly instrumental
in saving the State to the Republicans.
The time in secret session was principally
occupied in comparison of theproceedings
| of vhc Electoral Commission with the origi-
nal docucn ents IN the Louisiana case The
object was to find out whether the Electoral
certificate to which Elector Levissee claims
bis name fot gcd, was made the basis of tne
decision of the Elec oral Commission in
counting the Sta,e fot Hayes.
| James Mckinney, Dc putty Clerk of the
Supreme Court of tre United States, was
sworn and examined as to the identity of
the 9 lvelopes and their enthusiastically
received and examined by the committee
being he Electoral returns and papers con-
nected Herewith, which had been before the
Electoral Commission. Mckinney had been
Secretary of that commission. T recog-
nized and identified the envelopes aud in
dorsements thereon, some of which were
made by himself, and other. by Mr.. Cattell
and George A. Howard, wo bad been his
| first and second assistants. The 'etters 6: N.
| Co." wh;cn had been puzzle to the COM
mitt"e, wee exp aimed by him to be the
initials of Nathaniel Clifford, Presid ent of
| S-in d nHS all
turned i'll envelopes by MIN to the President
| o. The Senate.
Blackburn, who had been absent from
executive Sc, zion, desired to be informed as
to wha5 hsd bee done then.
The Chairmai ,ated the original election
inat, had been compared with each other
and with copies printed in the volume
| known as Count of Electoral Vote"
and that it had been founa that the certiti-
cate which had been before Congress and be-
fore the Electoral Commission, and which
was called No. )" was the certificate first
executed, and bearing genuine signatures,
where there was but one Inst Of Electors
and not twO-that is, where the- voted at
the same time foi Preident and Jice.Presi-
dent, and thatit was also found that the Ger.
tifcate which contained two set, of Elec-
tors-that is, where the President and Vice
President were voted for separately, and
his name was forged-had not been . .1ted
in the count Of the Electoral vote under the
head of Certificate No. 8, which was it's
number, but ihr No. 1, with some trifiing
alterations, had been printed as No. 8.
On the Sth, a letter from Senator Mat
thews was read declining TO appear before
the Committee. General Butler asked that
a subpoena be issued, and the Committee
decided in favor of it. The first witness
called WIS Mckinney, Deputy Clerk of the
Supreme Court, who was Clerk of the Elec-
toral Commission, and examined at censid-
erable length by Mr.. Cox touching the
preparation of the Electoral certificates
for publication as an appendix to the pro-
eeedings of the Commission.
, The point sought to be developed by the
examination of Mckinney is that Certificate
No. l, which Levisee identified as cor ain.
t ing his genuine signature, contains only the
single statement that the Electors voted fol
President end Vice President, while Ger
tificate No. Q, to which Levisee says his sig
' nature is forgery, contains the double
statement of the vote for President and oi
| the vote for Vice President. 1t appears
r that in both printed volumes (the one in
r quarto form, corresponding with the Con
E gressional Record, and the one in octave
f fOrm) it is only No. that is printed. O.
this curious fact the only explanation tha
could be offered by Mckinney, was tina
4 printed copies of Nos. l aud 8 were 81
S nearly identical in the first page that il
f gathering together copies that were no
: used, they got mixed together, there bein,
d NJ printed number to distinguish them, ant
s that when he handed to Murphy, the officia
: stenographer, copies to be printed in tn
: appendix, he had given him two of tn
same kind instead OF two of different kinds
g Judge A. B. Levissee was recalled, an
y made some corrections in his previous ties
J, timony, among which was one denyin
how fDId AcI, @t,.,A L
e hundred thousand dollars and refuse t
: accept his Electoral certificate. In answe
J. to question whether he had anything t
e add to his statement in regard to votin
E. blank as charged, he said: "Nothing i
l. particular. I took the ticket and indorse
as l can swear positively, having hear
le them read as they were taken out of tn
r box. alter they were voted. There wei
# eight pieces read, and / am confident tn
20 names of Hayes and Wheeler were write
g on each Of them" Senator Ferr
he (Viee President pro tem.) was e.
K amined as to the presentation to him of tt
to certificates of Electors, especially thos
\; from Louisiana, as to his manner of recei
a. ing and reporting them, etc. His testinion
n, was to the effect that in the cases of 9TH
OF States besides Louisiana be had suggeste
he to the messengers that the Endorsements
"a the Electors upon their packages We're i
b, formal, and that in more than one instan'
Mt the messengers did not insist that he M
d, Ferry] should take the package, but i
Id stead they went away and returned, as
the instance of the louisiana package, wi
81 amended or corrected Endorsements.
IN stated that when he saw upon the face al
ne evidence of formality, he called the atte
ne tion of the messen ser to the fact and to Il
en law on the subject; but after he took char
rk of packages he allowed nobody TO withdra
rs them.
of
IN IN LADIES, it has been remarked, as
~. general rule, imagine that care in pu
he ting away furs is all that is requires
IN, they think they can wear them wht
in and how they please, provided tn,
spend few pence for camphor, tn,
lu' lay them aside. This idea should
-, - g.,