The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-23
WOMAN'S WIT.
Yesterdays Proceedings OF
the Potter Committee.
A FIVE HOURS STORY.
The Secretary Of the Treasury
Exonerated
MRS. JENks THE WRITER OF TIE LETTER.
I Am the Alpha and the
Omega"
Scenes and Incidents at the st.
Charles Hotel.
WEBER AND ANDERSON OUTWITTED.
Successful Scheme OF a Female
Politician.
MRS. JENES THE WRITER OF TIE LETTER.
Il Am the Alpha and the
Omega
Scenes and Incidents at the st.
Charles Hotel.
WEBER AND ANDERSON oUTwITTED.
Successful Scheme OF a Female
Politician.
WASHINGTON, Juno %. 1878.

WASHINGTON. Juno %, 1873
A mere verbal report Of the examination Of Mrs.
Jerks before the Potter Committee to-day can give only
faint idea Of tho IN which she played the lead
ne role and Butler ind McMahon played subordinate
parts She came the witness chair with an arr OF
conscious superiority and she preserved the last.
When Mr.. Butler addressed himself TO tho task OF
sliciting laats from her he set himself to work
serious manner II he realized the diiiculty OF tho
enterprise but from the very frst Mrs. jerks assumed
the attitude Of disdainfui coquetto.
AS LADY DIspAIy
She repeated many Of the questions put to her. and
then replied to Thorn in a manner Of her own, half
scornfully while taking good to transgress
the rules OF propricfy. Shc leaned back confidently
In The chair which she occupied beside Mr.
Butler, played coqusttshy with her fan,
and answered mis- interrogatorcs with most
Irritating self-possessiou. Al last, after anus
Ing herself, the members OF the committee and
the audicncsor hall hour In this manner she
closed up her fan, laid IL the table before her. as
sumcd more dignifsd attitude, and from her high
chair thus testined:-
AFTER THE STYLE or RSHAs
~ wish to state In the presence OF this august
eommittes iof using the adjective ironi-
cal sensc) aud oil the country at large" Then shc
paused long time and looked solemn. and Mr. Butler
broke sho silence by asking her, sAre you going 10
give us anything more?"
HER GREAT STROKE.
Eyes, said she, with perturbability, al going
TO say considerably more" Then thsro was another
equally long pause, as II she were gathering up all
her mental and intellectual for superb burst
and after . while she continucd:-T dis
tnctly and entirely exonorate Secretary sherman
from any completely, indirect or Direct In the So
sailed Anderson ana Weber guarantee. II there is
sriminality that document II there Is public dis
honor attached to IT, alone know the outgo ana the
Income OF IL No one else knows aught In regard to
Il, and do not think | am compelled to tell any
more"
A. she ended this speech which was delivered with
. melodramats air, Nj. Springer, aimsmbsr OF the
committee, was carried away by the theatrical
effect Of It that he burst out with the EXCLAMATION:
''Now let the curtain drop. the act is anIsheLn
This was, however, her sole deviation from tho
knocking ana contemptuous air with which she in
vested her part, ana which she maintained in tho
most perfect style during the i've hours that she
under examination. Her accent anc pro
nuncintion are strongly marked with the French
peculiaritios ana she acted finished comedisnne
she described how she took Weber and Anderson's
letter to Sherman into paror P. OF the 81 Charles
HOTEL bit the ends Of Il ana then could think OF
such an act Of dsrespect the presentation Of such
note 10 the 10 tho "visiting statesman"
SHE HAS IDEA
But, ~ she said idea struck her, and whom But.
Ter pressed TO know what the idea was she 70.
piled, with arch mimisry. weber wished
M answer and he got hn She did
not then say (as she afterward did) that she
herself dictated that letter to one else and
palmod IT on on Weber as a genuine document, and
D..six
met by a sharp rebuke ana by reminder that he
must not impute TO her what she did not say.
LEAVES THE FIKLD.
Finally, after couple OF hours, Butler retired from
+. the unequal contest, leaving tho enemy in the field
After the recess Mr.. McMahon tried hts hand for
three hours, but met with no better success, and At
hvc o'clock, when Mr. Cox suggested that they wero
tired and the witness must be, shc rspudlsisd the
suggestion with scorn, and said that whoever else
might 90 fatieusd she not.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE
wAsHrSoros. Juno 20, 1873
The Potter Investigating Committee met nj ten
o'clock, Mr. Morrison acting chairman In Mr.. Pot
ssrs absence
An Oyer STANLEY xArrHrwa
General Butler said he desired to make an explana
tiou Affecting the action Of the committee. Ho had
observed In despatch 10 New York Newspaper that
u vas reported that Senator Matthew'S had Said he
had objection 10 going before the Potter
but that the personal hosttyof General utter was
such that friends felt jusned In advising him not
10 place himself In position wnorc General Butler
could insult him.
General Buslcr--I desire simply 10 say that II Mr.
Matthews should come into this room now should
not know him. havo never him 10 my
knowieeo but once. was introduced TO MIN some
General never have had any written oral com
nun caiion with him. can have NJ personal hos.
unity 10 him. To be lie simply In this matter tue
Ky or z OF an algebraic equation, an unknown
quantity 10 DO worked out In the solution OF
the problem, and nothing more and nothing less
want 70 put this record. so that 10 Wi, not appear
that our deliberations aud duties were any way
psdsd w my hostility and want 10 say that n Mr.
Matthews will come before this committee
qusstsd will absent myself on that day. I want TO
withdraw all possible obstacles In the way OF his
ing before u.s.
ANOTHER EXPLANATION.
Mr. McMahon--I would like TO make q statement
also Tho discussion that took place yesterday as 10
tho conduct Of tho majority OF the com.
mistss, scs has been variously reported
In the newspapers, and some reports would
seem 10 Indicate that had charged one member Of
this committee with perpstratng wiliui faisshood
what 1 said was not intended 10 convey that idsa,
but that the statement that made was not true In
the sense OF the discussion, and challenged the DIS
cussion by asking for the instances did not intend
10 say that he committing ialsehooa.
JESKs AGAIN.
Mr. jerks was recalled aad was sross.exami no BY
General Butler. No now iacts were elected and his
direct testimony was not shaken.
TESTIMONY MRS. JESks
Mira Agnes d. jerks was then called, md testified
10 folIows:-
Nv Mr. Bu,ler-Have you ever claimed TO be in