Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-06-19

IVA LILO L 1IOdSuTy Dcp0TIku0ut, W6b T0'
called and testified that this morning
he went to the Secretary's Office a
the Executive Mansion and looked
over the records Of letters and found
that there had been . letter referred
to the Treasury Department., March
10, 1876, which had been written to
the President by . personal friend,
recommending the appointment oi
Jas. E. Anderson. Witness had but
one interview with the President in
regard to Anderson's appointment.
He produced . telegram from Stan
ley Matthews bearing date, Jan. Both,
addressed to himself, taken from the
files of the Treasury Department,
which he thought was in reply to q
telegram sent by Secretary Sherman.
The telegram read % follows:
"The letter referred to has been re.
ceived. No answer needed"
| Witness had written Matthews and
showed him one of Anderson's letters
but did not remember the contents of
Il it.
Witness said, answering Butler, he
believed he sent the letter written by
Anderson, declining the inspector
ship Of customs, to Matthews the day
of its receipt, June 20. Witness had
no very friendly relations with An
derson. Had appointed his brother
to Baltimore Custom House and ad-
vised him sometimes.
Butler asked if witness did not con.
slider it very fortunate that the letter
of Matthews to the president recon.
mending the appointment of Ander-
son, was not on file?
Smith-NO, sir, / do not.
Butler asked Smith if he was in
consultation with Judge Shellabarg-
er, Sherman's counsel, last night?
Smith said he did not know him.
Q-Do you know Judge Wilson,
Al don't know whether do or
not.
After further discussion by McMa-
hon, Reed and Cox, advocating tho
competency of Gen. Buffers question,
Gen. Butler stated that his reason for
putting the question was to show that
Smith was an unwilling witness and
was in connection with the other side.
Gen. Smith stated that Butler, in his
statement, claimed that he was of the
opinion from the beginning of the
examination that he (Smith) was an
unwilling witness, claiming 40 his
reason therefor the fact of the receipt
of personal letters from Anderson by
Smith, which led him (Butler) to be-
lieve that Smith would not testify to
anything unfavorable to Anderson,
and as Butler did not know of the
character Of the letters in question
until within the last five minutes, he
surely could not have considered him
an unwilling witness from the COM
mencement of his testimony; and
further Smith asked protection of the
committee. Smith further said But
ler had caused certain statements to
go into the record which he (Smith)
had not intended to utter. The in
vestigation was resumed and witness
stated in reply to Buffers question
that he had not been in consultation,
last night, with either Judge Shella-
barger or Mr.. Wilson.
Mr.. Cox objected to the question
and Butler said he didn't propose to
be reproved further by Cox. This
was the third or fourth time.
Mr.. Cox said he would continue to
object when the occasion prompted.
Witness detailed the interview be-
tween himself and Secretary Sherman
regarding furnishing these letters to
the committee. He said the Secreta-
ry read all the letters himself. Wit
ness said he had appointed Anderson
solely on the recommendation of
Matthews, transmitted in the letter
which is lost from the files. The
President refused to see Matthew'S,
manifesting some disgust and aver
sion. Witness told the President
that he had offered Anderson q minor
Office at Matthews request, and that
Anderson had refused the place Cat
about $4,000 salary and he had told
witness that the President would say
he must have q larger place. The
President declined and said he was
not aware any recognition of this
kind Of his services was required. He
disavowed any knowledge of any
such understanding. The President
didn't forbid appointing him to any
minor place there was no agreement.
He showed his aversion to the man
in emphatic words, and declined to
see him. He never went to see Sher-
man regarding the matter, because
Sherman always told him he could
not be bothered with such appoint
ments.
Witness was closely questioned on
this point and said he went to the
President regarding the matter be-
cause Anderson requested him, and
would have gone to Sherman if he
had requested that.
After some further testimony on
the same subject, adjourned.