The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-27
To THE PUBLIC.


On the ninth OF October the statement here
with published was handed TO Mr.. Acken As
be has declined to withdraw from the canvass.
we deem II due TO the public who have been
made aware. through tho presa. that an invest-
cation was being made rs well as duo to our
selves that the results N our investigation
should be made known. We. therefore. submit
tho whole matter without further comment:
statement.
telerraphic dispatch from New Orleans
published In the New York Times Of twenty-
ninth Of September. 1878 alleged that the Hon.
| J. ii. Acklen had been guilty of the great ana
heinous crime of seduction, and tho subse-
quent deHerti II ~ his victim. On the rcpuhli-
cation of this dispatch in one of tho New Or
leans dailies Mr. Aeklen Immediately request
ed the undersigned to investigate tho truth or
falsity OF these damaging allegations
Az the first meeting Of the undersigned. n
onawer to our inquiry az to what would DC bis
Congress, 80 far 90 IL depended on our invosti-
cation, Mr.. Acklen voluntarily stated that If the
undersigned, after u full investigation Of all
the af1ldavits and other evidence that might be
adduced, did not exeuluate him from all bame
Of criminal character, he tMr. Aeklenl would
withdraw from the canvass aR u candidate for
Congress-. With this understanding the under
signed consented TO discharge this very IN
pleasant duty.
davits presented 70 us at that time. heard all the
testimony of all the witnesses who had any in
| formation that We arc aware Of on the subject
and then handed Mr.. Acklen our opinion. with
out any dissent from any Of us. expressed as
After n careful consideration OF tho evidence
documentary and oral which has been submit
ted to us we are Of the opinion that Mr.. y. Lack
len ahould withdraw from the canvass rs a can
didnta for Congress In the Third CongresSi onal
District and that no further action should be
taken by Us in tho matter now under inyosttga-
ton
rnunpptpU n
aamuch as he (Mr Aekleni insisted that wo had
misunderstood his request and had exceeded
the authority conilded 70 u by him. and be fur
thor declared that he could produce additional
testimony. exculuating him from the allegation
Of seduction, II we would defer further action
in the premises for five days, 80 that he could
visit his homo in st. Mary and obtain the afll-
davits This request was readily aeduiesccd IN
by us.
On Mr.. kcklens return he presented rs with
a bundle OF papers and ut the same time he
handed us n letter from himself. In this letter.
and In his conversation, no requested us to con
fine our investigation exclusively To the matter
of ABDUCTION regardless of all collateral and
concurrent actions connected with the seduc-
tIon and that II any on9 Of ia had misunder
stood him In this matter. and refused to ooniine
the Investigation 10 thai one point; viz: sednc-
ton that we were ut liberty to decline serving
further in the investigation. On learning tho
contents Of this last letter We unanimously de-
clined TO serve further In the matter.
Az the request to investigate the truth or
falsty of tho allegations had emanated from
Mr.. Acken and from moro other, we deemed
he was at liberty to withdraw that request whom
ever he thought proper TO do 80. We make tho
above statement in justification Of the causes
and motives OF our action in the promises, and
the reason Of our subsequent deelination TO
proceed further.
Signed In duplicate, New Orleans. October o.
1878. - -