The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-03
IOUN SIIERMAN'S LETTER.
x,,r MN VINO DESTROYED 1T LAST
' rrIR on THE WITNESS STAND.

.,,,, or Whnt the Visiting stntesmen
,,dir N~w Orienns-New Light on the Hc-
,,,u,nx board rrnuds-J. ID. Coz worried.
,r,.utyGroS. July 3 -- Tho testimony OF
Fl W,hrr WIS the feature of to-day. He Is
hIr,,hcr Of II. \. Weber. the Supervisor who
". t,lled ON March 7, 1871 Hc is young
s.o scarcely thirty -four years Of age. rather
',.o,c tho medium height. we'll formed. and
-aol looking. His father WIS German. but
Il. mother WIS born in France. His speech is
~,,kel by a slight French accent and his idiom
!. decidedly French. His spoken English Is
dramatically correct. He is, however. n little
.mh,rrasscd in speaking. hcstating Mt times
q, m, right worl. His examination was begun
!, Chairman Potter. lie asked leave TO rend
w,,,en statement. Gov. Cox promptly objected.
,.,reh few days before he had given Ptkin
'. onnor,uniiy to read long and carefully
,,,narcd statement. Gov. Cox had attempted
,nlearn from Weber what his testimony would
~ A short time before. when Weber came
,r,o the room, he had shown him letter and
,stcd him 10 1t was in his handwriting. Weber
,o,l,od that II was. Thcreupon Cox said he
raull Ike to talk 10 him about 1t. but
vebcr answered that he would rather not.
"a hc did not desire to talk about his tcs-
,Imony before he had testified. This Cox
,r,.rnreted ns an indication Of unfricndliness.
The bamocratic members did not know what
wshers statement would be-. Mr.. Potter said
,nat HE question had better be settled in cxecu-
,ve session. Tho consultation was not long;
n vas decided 70 allow the witness to read his
.ia,pmrnt There was y few minutes recrss
snd nj n quarter to one Weber began to read.
His statement covered about twenty pages ot
Congress otter paper u was rrad ln clear
distinct voice. and created n most profound sem
saiion. Il covers every polnt VI the Louisiana
cas-. Tho witness and his immelinie friends
comprised the white Republicans OF West teli-
ciana. He was native, not cArpet-hngger.
HIS position IN his parish. his intimacy with
Kellogg and Packard. his. connection with the
STATE Central Committee OF his ,pnrty-ail these
knowing At ilrst hnnd all that transpirrd IN New
Orleans during the count by tho Returning
VISITING statesmen at the St Charles Hotel and
The Custom House. He WAS present at confer.
enrrs between the visiting statesmen and local
Republican lenders and the members ot the Re-
turning Board. H. was consulted in regard to
the Frli,ianas. mt was sent for by sherman 20
consult especially about his brother lie
brought his brother to sherman. was present ut
The interview. and heard the verbal assurances
The value OF the evidence Of /. l.. Weber can
sour 'cly be ovrrrstimoted. II Is impossible to
summarize, such II statement; IL IL itself a sum
mnry Tho important points wherein he cor
rohnrntcs Anderson can. however. be- briefly
stated H. makes 1t perfectly clear that IA"
storns nhOut intimidation in the parishes
ui East and West Feliciana were rNrc-
gerated colorcd in the highest degree.
for political effect lie give in lew
scntcnccs the whole truth about the turmoil
and violence that had cN -ted In the Frlicianns
There We're few bad white men. They were
not representatives Of the great bulk 81 tho
Democrats OF those parishes. Good men ~ rl
parties. black ms well Hs white had combined
to prevent theft md To- punish thieves, There
wns nothing political about these organizations:
There were black men who were seditious and
turbulent rS ,T5o d G9d there we're bad Whit
tho glpptiOu fhprta M al,
or intimidation. He proves that there WAS
Conspiracy to prevent IN election in tho Fclici-
forts and those of his friends. held an election
In West Feliciana. The anxiety about Andcr-
son and his brother making protests. both be-
lore aud after the advent of the visiting states-
men h. describes with pNactitude and circun-
snntality ofrlrtilil. He gives the time and place
OF more than one conference with sherman
about his brother He corroboratcs Anderson
as 10 the Weber Anderson agreement: suites
that his brother told him OF II and showed II to
him. He tells all about the sherman letter.
traces u. and tells OF lis fnal destruction and
the circumstances under which this occurred.
HIS most important statement is IN regard 70
the work Of the Returning Board. He tesliiles
a. 10 the prcs"n'e otth" members NJ the Return
Ing Board NJ consultations between visiting
siacsm"n and Packard. Kellogg, md other
louisiana Republicans., H. tells how the pro-
efamme as first agreed upon. WIS found t. be
failure On Nov. y IN" work of the Returning
Board. inter straining their cOnsrlnnccs and the
law. as Butler puts 1t. was not sufficient. Then
they had to go To- work ana got up evidence.
manufacture afidHvts and protests. In some
Instances they could got no protests. These
were necessary. under IN" law To- give the board
Jurisdiction, but that was formally ~ VIII "a
tho board did not stick in u pinch like That
Weber named parishes where there were no
protests, or where protests were gotten up after
Nov q. He showed where evidence was manu-
featured rs late AS Dec. !. He told Of
other cases where affdavits were manufactured
and he intends 10 furnish the committee data
which will enable it 70 verify these statements.
He sw"ars that on Nov. q, while Packard and
mnloriiy Q; Republican candidates for tho
two Hayes electors behind from $50 10 2it
voles that II WAS 10 count these two in that all
the desperate efforts TO get up evidence were
nude.
Gov. Cox ut one point objected to Weber read
Ink his statement. II was where he spraks OF
NJ necessity there was OF stinening W the Re-
turning Board and what he heard in regard 70
bat. Mr.. Hunton insisted that 1t WIS strictly
iegal evidence, The witness was speaking Of
iaois presumably within his personal knowl-
continue and finish his statement. but
all trongh tho readihg OF II Coy. Cox man
animation WAS curious. He evidently relied
altogether upon upon the letter which he had
shortly before shown to Weber After some
preliminary questions he again handed the let
Ter TO the witness. who stated TO the committee
that he hoped the letter would not he made II
part Of tn. record and published. 1t was not
true, and II published would place him In a bad
light with the people with whom he lived.
IN. Chairman decided that II should be put in
evidence. the witness TO have ample opportunity
Oexplhin. The explanation came in good time.
and II was not what Gov. Cox wanted. He had
no excuse 10 offer for writing the letter. He
vas glal Of the opportunity to state the exact
mcls about the Killing Of his brother IA he Ind
slnce learned them from the people who knew.
II WAS from similar statements. private letters
written 10 be published in Northern papers,
Wht nine.tentlS of the stories about political
onirages had been taken. His brother was
Killed by personal enemies.
me cross-eNamination Of Gov. Cox did not
shhAe the witness IN the least. An attempt WIS
made 70 shake him in regard 10 the hnndwrit-
bhtM ne had seen Sherman write in examining
nih eoout this Cox brought out two facts he wns
nyV' seeking Tor. First, as 10 the presence
~, VIZ visiting statesmen in the Gus
en- mouse with witnesses. Weber described
n,sIung stat" smen in the Collectors suite OF
iiVvas suing vt his desk. some OF them ilgur-
a sns ".out me votes. others making memoranda
~ sa4"nE NJ desN ia the middle room. Sherman
uWeu sfht ior nm 10 ask about his brother.
yni.oou NJ ShermAns desk while the latter was
,fnung waited Til he was through. and then
,Ni1pu IL was NJ this Interview that sherman
XIX o III. y. 70 bring his brother to him or send
nn M !" Hlm, ms made distinct impression
n p.n MS Iilnl. lie remembered the writing
snIoleoYer, ne ma long been familiar with the
signature oi John sherman. He had examined
Neloseiy and repeatedly in an autograph album
srlonglng to his brOther-in-law, j. + Neshorn.
lormrrly Il member Of Congress He had no
loub about the letter his brother showed him
oI1hg In Shermnn's handwriting.
a ~ was noticeable fact that the crOss-eXnmina-
sVn on every point brought out new and i'm
nnamnt lacts. The manner OF tho witness WINS
e. 1ISi llulo nervous and embarrassed. lie
N TtaIas Al