Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1878-07-06
THE ELECTORAL INVESTIGATION.
Proceedings of the Potter Committee.


toning her at some length regarding the
writing of the so called Sherman letter. The
witness evaded, or refused to answer, leading
questions, the substance of her testimony
being that she wrote, or dictated the spurious
letter, in order to make nderson and Weber
stand firm, she being fearful that II they
laiieu 70 get the written guarantee they would
sell out to the Democrats. As n reason for
not presenting the letter from Weber to Sher-
man, she said that she wanted to maintain
the dignity of the party and did not want the
visiting statesmen to know what a contempt
ible strata there was in the party in
io louisiana ISIS ~ at that time. In reply
sherman had given n verbal guaranty, she
said that Weber told her they had been as
sured they would be taken care of, but Sher
mans name was not mentioned in that con-
nection.. Gen. III. V. Boynton, Washing
ton correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette,
being called, testified to his protesting to the
President against the appointment of Ander-
son, on the ground that il had been charged
by the papers that Anderson's appointment
was due to his disreputable political
manipulations in Louisiana. The President
replied that Anderson had been appointed
Tor efficient services rendered the party, and
In reply to further inquiry the President said
he did not think Anderson would retain his
office. Witness denied that he had stated to
any body that the President had told him
that ft was necessary, or proper, to give An
derson an Office on account of his knowledge
oil louisiana affairs, but said that he (wft-
ness) may have conveyed that impression
by what he did say.
EX-Marshal John r. G.. Pitkin, of Louis
lana, appeared before the Committee on the
25th and read written statement, after
which he was cross-examincd. His evidence
was contradictory Of several statements
had complained to him (Pitkin) of intimida-
tion in his parish, and exhibited a bullet hole
In his coat as evidence he had been shot at;
Regarding the Anderson protest, witness said
that he (Anderson) handed him the paper,
signed and sworn to by himself (Anderson).
Did not observe but that the paper was COM
plete in all particulars, and knew of no inter-
hneations being subsequently made. Witness
corroborated the evidence given by Judge
Levissee as to the latter inf rming him
(Pitkin) of the alleged attempts being made
TO bribe him prior to the meeting of the
called and said the President never gave him
to understand that Anderson was in posses
sion of political secrets. He derived the i'm
preston from the newspapers. He then re-
lated the substance of a conversation he had
with Gen. Harlan, of the Mcyeigh Commits
sion, before his departure for the. South,
Bristow was n candidate for the Supreme
Bench, in which case he (Harlan) would with
draw. Harlan was of the opinion that If he
went to New Orleans he could aid in bring.
ing about n satisfactory settlement of the
he that
would help him in securing seat upon the
Supreme Bench.
Mrs. jerks was again recalled on the 26th,
and stated, in reference to the so called Sher-
man letter, that the person to whom she die
tated it was then prominent in local Louisi-
ana politics, but might now be dead, as she
had not seen him tor six months. 1t was not
Weber. There was a first draft of the letter
made and destroyed, as being too elaborate.
with Mrs. jerks in which she spoke of the
sherman letter and claimed to have it under
her control. Judge Hugh j. Campbell.
formerly of New Orleans, but now United
states Attorney for Dakota, affixed the jurat
to the Anderson protest. He could not testi-
fly positively that Anderson swore to the
Gta in lie nraG hft M tive
he never affixed his signature to an affidavit
when the party making the same was not
present.
Ex-Marshal Pitkin was further examined
before the Committee on the 27th, mainly in
reference to the work of the Mcveagh Com
mission in New Orleans, preliminary to the
recognition of the Nichols Government.
Witness testified to conversations with Haw-
ley and Harlan. who assured him that the
Administration would take care of all the
leading Republicans who had borne the brunt
of the work in Louisiana; Anderson was not
mentioned by name in this connection.
Mcssrs. Hiscock and Cox of the Committee
objected to the Introduction of further evil
dence on this point, on the ground that it
would drag out the examination to an in.
the question of going into an investigation
of the McVeagh Commission had been decid
ed in secret session, and he voted for it upon
the ground that General Butler informed the
Committee that an agreement had been en-
tered into whereby the fraudulent count of
ual, and that he could prove it,. Roger
q. Glasscock, keeper of a boarding house in
Washington, testified that Mrs. jerks board
ed at his house last winter, and told witness
that she had the sherman letter or could get
it by going. to New Orleans, which
Z. Chandler was examined regarding the
Electoral count in Florida. He denied the
testimony of McLin, given before the sub
committee, that he (Chandler) had given any
assurances that the members of the Return
ing Board would be taken care of in case
Hayes was inaugurated. He telegraphed to
tary, "send Stanley Matthews and
others Of high character; things be,
subsequently came, but he did not know it
was in response to that telegram. He also
% 10 G mum aI a. as, 9ioMS
nOw here, we find the work to be done re-
quires great and expeditions labor in view of
ed, will, we believe, insure success. Noyes
and kasson will be here on Monday,
and 1 wish 5000 sent to Philadelphia
to the Centennial National Bank; can You
also let me have 5000 more, making 5000
1t looks possible for about 25 majority in the
State. You can imagine what the Democrats
pressed his Willingness to- tell wha,
called upon TO do so. MIR. Hunton said that
the object 81 examining the witness now was
! to accommodate Governor Noyes, who wish.
eti TO leave for Europe, and the witness would
be questioned only on matters relating to
Governor Noyes's participation in the pro
publican of Aiachua County, Florida, testi.
ned that Gov. Noyes wanted him to swear
to the correctness of the return from
Archer Precinct in that county, which was In
dispute before the Returning Board, but wit
ness told him that unless he was ready tC
abandon his case he e., had better not Put ut him
rimental to the Republican side. Gov. Noyes
was regarded by all the Republicans as Mr.
| Hayes's intimate friend, and assured then
| q wnnld nrOtprt SOuthprn Rpnnhli.
cans.
Mr.. l.. G. Dennis further testified before
| the Committee on the 2sth: The reason why
| he did not wish to swear to the correctness
| of the returns from Archer Precinct was be
cause the Inspector had confidentially in
| formed him that there had been 2l9 fraudu
| lent Dames added to the list of voters, and
the addition of these names was matter o.
public notoriety. To Mr.. Butler the witness
said he believed the returns in Archer Pre-
| cinct should have shown 2l9 votes in exces,
| of what they did for the Republican party
| The Republican officers made up the den
cheney from the registration book, so as tC
make the returns show their proper number
| of votes. He believed there had been fraut
| on both sides. When the votes were turned
out of the box the missing number of Repub
| Ecan votes appeared as having been legally
cast. The witness testified that Black ,Repub
| ican Inspector of Elections, and Vance, Re
| publican Clerk, had made affidavit as to tho
correctness of the return, and that his reason
| for not wishing to go on the stand was tina
his testimony would have tended strongly t.
| have contradicted theirs. He did not dis
| close this knowledge to Gov. Noyes, but sim
| ply tried to impress him with the idea tha
| he had not better put him on the stand, be
| cause IL would injure his case. Mr.. His
a,d Of sae IghoSiSe
| they did not raise the return; and also evi
| dence showing that as many men swore the,
| voted the Republican ticket whose names
| were ON the poll list as were certified to b,
the returns. He was willing to leave the issu'
right here, with the understanding that TIN
1 nf.aft NOT f,.lf h.afn 4 la rNnh lin
Edward L. Noyes, United States Minister Il
| France, appeared before the Committee anC
| made n general and explicit denial of nj
charges made against him of any complicit.
| in fraudulently counting the Electoral vot
| of Florida for Hayes. He did not go to EloTi
| da at the solicitation or with the knowledg
| of Gov. HaNes he did not nnderstnnd Denni