The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-02-06
VOL. XIV-,:--NO. 30.
THE RADICAL CIPHERS.
how Morton Destroyed Them Two Year,
Ago-A Circumstance in the History o
tho Presidential Steal.


1t is a matter of history that the first
demand made upon the Western Union
Telegraph Company for the political dis
patches sent during the campaign of 1876
came from the House committee. With
in few days after the subpoena dues
tectm of the Housecommittee was served,
Morton's Committee on Elections of the
Senate issued and had served similar
demand upon Mr.. Orton, then President
of the Western Union Company. This
corporation, which was managed in the
interest of the Radical party, under COW
er of desire to protect private correspon-
dence, resisted these subpGnas at first, but
it was merely pretense to gain tempo
rary relief from the pressure of the House.
Mr.. Orion issued commands to the oper.
ators to send all the political dispatches
to the principal Office in New York, and
as soon as this was done he had them
placed in a trunk and turned over to the
attorney Of the company, who brought
the trunk to Washington. he took
refuge at the residence of Prof. Holden,
then and now professor of mathematics
at the United States Naval Observatory,
where the trunk of kilograms was con-
cealed for several days.
Mr.. Orton was in Washington himself,
and directed every movement of his en-
ployee, who had possession of the tele-
grams over which the two houses of Con-
gress were struggling. Finally, by Or
ders of the President of the company, the
attorney delivered the trunk of dispatch
es at the room of the Senate Committee
on Privileges and Elections, and it was
received by Mr.. Burbank, the then clerk
of that committee, and Immediately
turned over to George E. Bullock, mes
senger of the committee. Senator Nor
ton was promptly notified of the receipt
of the trunk, and he lost no time in re-
pairing to his committee room and max
ing an examination of the contents. He
took with him several Republican Sena-
tors, members of the Elections Committee,
(whose names will come out during the
investigation, and together they exam
ined oil the dispatches. Bullock took
the kilograms from the trunk and assist
ed in asserting them.
Mr.. Morton was personally interested
in getting possession of the telegraphic
messages of that campaign, because he
had sent and received, in his management
of the Pacific States for Hayes, dispatch
es that he did not want to see the light.
All the kilograms which compromised the
Republican party III any serious degree
were separated from the others, and the
balance were returned to the trunk. The
honorable Senators then left the room,
leaving the Republican dispatches in the
hands of Bullock, with an understanding
that he was to put them where they could
never do any harm. Bullock locked the
door and made bonfire of the bundle
of kilograms which had been been left
with him. He then arranged the others
in good order in the trunk, and next day
Mr.. Morton called a meeting of the full
committee, informing them it was to ex-
anime the kilograms which had been
turned over to him by the Western
Union Company.
Of course nothing was found that the
Republicans cared to conceal, but there
were kilograms which perplexed the
Democratic members of the committee.
Morton, with an assumed air of magma
nimity, suggested that the trunk and its
contents be kept a secret, and this was
tacitly agreed to. Subsequently General
Butler mysterously found himself in pos
session of package of these cipher dis
patches, and now he proposes to turn
them over to the Potter committee. 1t
turns out that Professor Holden was the
man who translated the cipher dispatches
for the New York Tribune, and as this
experience doubtless furnished him with
the key, he has been selected by General
Butler to continue the translation.
Gen. E. Bullock performed his part of
the work to the entire satisfaction of the
Radical Senators who were engaged with
him in the job. He was promised reward
in the shape of official position, and he
got it in due time. He wes appointed
as consul to Cologne, and was confirm
ed through the influence of the very
Senators who examined the contents Of
the trunk, with the exception of Morton,
who died before the job could be COM
pleted.- Washington Post.