San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-07-13
THE ELECTORAL INVESTIGATION.


can. Butler and Gen. MacMahon each ques.
,,oning her Mt some length regarding the
',rtlng of the so.called sherman letter. The
'w,;tness eyaded, or refused to answer, leading
"nestions, the substance of her testimony
icing that she wrote, or dictated, the spuri
ons letter, in order to make Anderson and
Weber stand firm, she being fearful that IL
they failed 10 get the written guarantee they
would sell out To the Democrats. Asareason
Tor not presenting the letter from Weber TO
Sherman, she said that she wanted to main
tain the dignity OF the party and did not want
the visiting statesmen to know what n con-
temptihle stratum there was in the party in
Louisiana ut that time. In reply to the
man had given verbal guarantee, she
said that Weber told her they had been as
sured they would be taken care Of, but Sher-
mans name was not mentioned I'M that con-
nection.. ..Gen. ii. v. BOynton, Washing
ION correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette,
being called testified to his protesting to the
President against ,hs appointment OF Ander;;
nv the papers that Anderson's appointment
was due to his disreputable political manip.
Nations in Louisiana. The President re.
nlied that Anderson had been appointed for
ancient services rendered the party, and in
reply to further inquiry the President said he
did not think Anderson would retain his Of
flee. Witness denied that he had stated to
any body that the President had told him
that it was necessary, or proper, to give An
derson nm Office on account OF his knowledge
Of louisiana affairs, but said that he (wit-
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
o5tb and read written statement after which
be was cross examined. His evidence was
contradictory of several statements made by
Anderson. The latter, he testified, had COM
nained to him tPitkin) of intimidation in his
parish and exhibited bullet;hole in his
coat as evidence he had been shot Mt. Re;
garding 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
nlete in all particulars, and knew OF no inter-
fineations being subsequently, made. Witness
corroborated the evidence given by Judge
Levissee as to the latter informing him (Pit-
KIM of the alleged attempts being made
TO bride him prior to the meeting of the
Electoral College,. Gen. Boynton was recall
ed and said the President never gave him to
understand that Anderson was In possession
of political secrets. He derived the impress.
sion from the newspapers He then related
the substance of a conversation he had with
Gen. Harlan, Of the McVeagh Commission,
before his departure for the South, in which
Harlan wanted him to find out II Brstow
was a candidate for the supreme Bench, in
which case he (Harlan) would withdraw.
Harlan was OF the opinion that II ne went TO
New Orleans he could aid in bringing about
satisfactory settlement of the very annoying
state of affairs then existing, and he thought,
probably, that transaction would help him in
securing u seat upon the Supreme Bench.
Mrs. jerks was again recalled OH the Goth,
and stated, in reference to the so-called
Sherman letter, that the person to whom she
dictated it was then prominent in local Lou
isana politics. but might now be dead las she
had not seen himfor six months. 1t was not
Weber. There was first draft OF the letter
made and destroyed, as being too elaborate.
IA. g. Haley testified as to conversations
with Mrs jerks in which she spoke of the
Sherman letter and claimed to nave 1t under
her control. Judge Hugh j. Campbell,
States Attorney for Dakota, affixed the jurat
to the Anderson protest. He could nottesti-
fly positively that Anderson swere to the
statement in lis presence, but was positive
he never affixed his signature to an affidavit
when the party making the same was not
present. ...a' s |
Ex- Marshal Pitkin was further examined
before the Committee on the 9th, 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.
Messrs Hiscock and Cox of the Committee
objected to the Introduction of further evil
dence on this point, on the ground that 1T
would drag out the examination to an in.
terminablo length: Mr.. MacMahon replied
that the question of going into an investiga-
ton of the McVeagh Commission had been
decided in secret session, and he voted for it
upon the & Ound that General Butler in
formed the Committee that an agreement
had been entered into whereby the fraudu-
lent count of the vote OF Louisiana mad been
made eifectual, and that he could prove
it.... Roger G. Glasscock, keeper of a
in Walhinptpn testified
that Mrs. jerks boarded at his
house last winter, and told witness that she
had the Sherman letter or could get 1t by GO
ing to New Orleans, which she was going to
do. William Il. Chandler was examined
regarding the Electoral count in Florida.
Being asked if he had given assurances that
the members of the Returning Board would
be taken care of in case Hayes was inangura-
ted, as was testified by McLinn before the
Florida sub committee, he said that he did
not remember making any such promises
egraphed to Lee, Gov Hayes's private
secretary" Send Stanley Matthews and
others of high character Things begin to
look favorable" Gov. Noyes subsequently
came but he did not know twas in response
to that telegram. He also telegraphed to
Zach Chandler as follows: After full confer.
ence with all our friends now here, we find
the work to be done requires, great and eXpe-
ditious labor in view of the shortness of time,
which, il well performed, will, we believe, in
sure success. Noyes and Kasson will be here
on Monday, and l wish $sooo seng
to Philadelphia to the Centennial
me have 5000 more, making 5000? 1t
looks possible for about % majority in the
State. You can imagine what the Democrats
are about. Where is Cooke lsignedl G."
The money came, and witness expressed his
willingness TO tell what he did with it when
called upon to do so. Mr.. Hunton said that
the object of examining the witness now was
to accommodate Governor Noyes, who wish.
ed to leave for Europe, and the witness would
be questioned only on matters relating TO
Governor Noyes's participation in the pro-
ceedings......L G. Dennis, prominent Re-
publican of Alachua 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 dis
pute before the Returning Board, but witness
told him that unless he was ready to aban- |
don his case he Lad better not put him upon |