New-York tribune., 1879-03-24
TURNING THE TABLEsW WITH VENGEANCE
PURLOINING PRIVATE LETTERS VERSUS USING DIS
PATCuE' OFFICIALLY PROCURED.

PURLoiNING PRIVATE LETTERS VERSUS USING DIS
PATCnE' OFFICIALLY PROCURED
Erco"gre3sman Ecas N EfC1ngessqa" Tot'er L" The IN
SIR: During the Investigation by the special
committee OF The late House of Representatives, OF
which you were aiman Won produced and read TO the
committee and made public through the press copy
0f private letter which had been addressed TO me by
George f. Bullock from Cologne Germany concerning
NEw-HORK TRIBUNE. Inquired of you soon afterward
by what means YOU had come into possession Of said
copy and yon thea evadcd the inquiry By saying YOU
would see me again about IT, After waiting for some
time for yOu to notify that you desired another u-
'crycw on the subject, addres ed You respectful
note renewing the Inquiry. You then replied that Just
before the holiday of lat Winter person called
upon you at your house and offered 10 furnish copy
Of said letter. provided It's ycricatOn could be estaD-
shcd 10y some one else; that you dd not then know e
person. but that the ropy wo afterwGrd furnished with
tue name OF the person Whch oi were no At Ib1ry 20
menion This was all tia reply you designed To make,
although promptly addressed You second note re-
que,tnc n;ormaon as 20 the means adopted 10 procure
l" copy OF the lcttcr aiolrsl Aple oppCi tnhy mas
been you to explain ~ least your participation in
hlS ti'h>ac''VI anu ''u Hdsc hiV'ttu no ulopOSiOi
10 40 90 am therefore Ht iDrrtE 10 express hly onou
of your conduct terius. and In public
manner the circum tancCs will justify. The letter IN
question cam" ny regular post 10 my adurtas through
tnr House Ptst Oncc, Washington, d. C. After lis dc
livery 1t securely locked IN nv private apart
mcnt, IN Washington. am. therefore, prepared TO
assert in The most positive manner that copy of could
brcakins the scai Of the letcr while it was in the
custodv OF the Democratic employees OF the House
Post Office, or by DurganousY entering my private
apartment and ab,tracting II thereirom. As the en-
vclopc bore the card of the American Consulate.
",
known 10 had free and lawful access TO the senate
| cummi te.-TOOm Washington, cmplOye or that
body while the cipher clcgrauS were III the custody
Of the committee, aud n also well known That
he and lodged in the same house III Washington and
intimate friends, IL Is reasonable TO conclude mat
auXcty, and that OF Democratic cOnfTeres
would lead t. suggest espionage over our cor
rrspUndruce. discover Glow TO the dvugcnce or the
tclcgIah alluded TO- Your admission that you received
copy Of Bullocks letter upon the promise to conceal
the sOuIc" from whence II came Is evidence
OF the fact tba. You knew IL was I'M
properly obtained, and ycu thereby became a
parry 10 TIC wrong. That the copy was procured
as The fruit o crime Is be Oud dispute, and that YOU
about aS conclusive Bt4cF branch OF tho prOpOs-
ton H. therefore, the seal Of this private letter was
broken violation penal statute then hy prCning ny
the anu COuccalug the name OF tnc criminal you Dc
tanned by burglInrusly entering my apartment, the
scOIudre VINO went tntrc committed SneaElng, mean
act which you approve by cDEccIllng Ills maine and
| screening bin from puIisuncut. lei me ell your
special afttGtIOu to the TACT mat ot all the
pei sons VINO we're before connected with
your committee the sUppOSt0n that they had
kupWlrl-" Of the procurement OF the "ciplcr
tcicgrams for publication, or Ot aay fact bearing
upon the question Ot tie telcgrams III any manner
you are the only one who failed to make full and frank
statement OF an he knew. Nv connection with the
transaction stated without reservation or equlvOca-
tOn. and II simply amounted to my having received a
package from another without information as to Its con
tents, and passed II over 10 third person Tor
sfekeeping have referred to this fact 10 estoD yon
from the contemplate plea which yOu would doubtless
make that you were acting In rctaatOn peg YOU 10
remember that | am commenting upon ana properly
claracerZing act and hat the sOftest phrase
the which will express fully Is that you
an accessory the crime U opening letters III transit
or of sncakIngy p1Iloinng private letigr from my
desk. Yours, etc. j. l.. Evans.
NCbleSUiUe, Ind, March lS, 1879.