The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-01-30
The Potter Committee.
WASHINGTON, Jan. q.

WASHINGTON, Jan. e.
Upon the assembling Of the Potter Commit
tee to-day, General Butler denied the state
ment that he had declared the cipher dispatches
were in his possession all last summer and
that at one time he missed them from his desk.
II he made the statement he must have been
drunk or insane. Sebina Moses, a clerk in the
office Of the Secretary Of the Senate and for
merly private secretary to Vice-President Fer
~, remembered the certificate from Louisf-
ana called the Smith certificate It was sup
pressed without objection; did not know what
became of 1t. A secret session was held and
when the doors were reopened Mr. Butler
offered q resolution that the committee re-
ceive from him the cipher dispatches which
he shall present, and that a complete invento-
~ of the same be taken in duplicate, one copy
to be used by the committee and one to be
given to himself, and that all cipher dispatches
SO received shall be printed for the committee.
The resolution was adopted. Mr.. Reed Of
fered q resolution reciting that whereas A. I.
Hewitt, of New York, In his place In the
House, after alleging that Samuel j. Tlden
has been charged with the cipher dis
patches, has demanded that TYlden have
an opportunity to face his accusers before
competent tribunal. therefore, resolved. that
q copy of this resolution, directing the com
sent to Mr.. Tilden, and that Mr.. Tflden be
allowed to be represented by counsel in the
same manner and under the same limitations
as person arraigned under the ordinary
resolution constituting this COMMITTEES.
The resolution was not accepted. st Mar
tin was examined at some length
regarding his affidavit already published. Wit
Stenger to report "not found" when he had
subpnnss to serve upon Republicans; Mr..
Maddox gave him the instructions. Witness
further denied that he ever intended to refer
to Stenger's conduct, and said that the charges
made against that gentleman In his affidavit
were untrue. great part of his former evil
dence was declared by himself to be entirely
false and given at the insrigation of Gibson
and Maddox.
WASHINGTON, Jan. a.
committee. He testified that the witnesses
were tampered with by Gibson, Weber and
Carter. Witnesses were promised various
sums, from $500 to $500 for contradicting
Board. They were paid $50 or $50 before tes-
tifying; they never got the rest. st. Martin
admitted that he had been thrice indicted,
once for shooting and thrice for cutting, yet
he avowed that he had as clear record as
any man in Louisiana Witnesses affidavit
was made part of the records.
4a WASHINGTON. Jan. Is.
The cross-cxamination of St. Martin was
resumed. He reiterated his former statement
that Weber instructed him to return the sub
penas on Republican witnesses mot found,
could easily have found them. He had no in
structions from any one else in that respect.
Witness further stated that during the entire
session OF the cOmmlGCee IN NeW.OTl udu-
dox, Gibson and Carter were busy influencing
witnesses by means Of offers Of money. A
resolution was submitted by Mr.. Hiscock that
Jas. E. Anderson be recalled and examined
touching certain allegations made by him in
an affidavit dated Oct. 50, 1878. The resolu-
ton was held for further consideration.
WAsHNaToN. Jan. q.
The committee began the investigation of
the cipher kilograms. Clarence Carey, at
torney for the Western Union Telegraph
Company testified that certain kilograms were
placed in his charge when it was proposed to
issue subpenas for their production before an
investigating committee. The purpose OF
placing the kilograms in his possession was to
avoid, II possible, their delivery for public in
spectfon. Was afterward instructed to de-
liver the messages to Captain Whitney, man
ager of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany in Washington. Was instructed to take
all dispatches Of q political nature; out Of
g, 900 about 800 were in cipher. Over 800
kilograms were delivered to the Morri-
of them were afterward returned and
shipped them in a trunk to New York per or
der of President Orton. James D. Green
testified to burning the entire contents of the
trunk containing the telegrams as received
from Washington. Prof. Edward T. Holden.
of the Naval Observatory, was sworn to trans
late without civulging in any way the cipher
kilograms which were handed to the commit
tee by General Butler. A long discussion
here ensued as to the scope of the investiga-
tion, and whether the Tri6unc ciphers only
grams, no matter by whom sent. It was!fnally
decided that the subject now under examina-
tion should be proceeded with, but the com
mittee adjourned without eliciting ANYTHING