The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-07
TIE CIPHER DISPATCHES.
MB. W. r. PELTON'S TESTIMONY BE
IORE THE SUB- COHMITTEE

c,pttng the Propositions from south Caro-
lima and Florida Asserting that when Mr.
TIideu Heard OF the NEGOTIATIONS with
Nr weed In Baltimore he nt Once Put "A
stop to Them nnd Recalled Nr. PeIton to
N.,V Nori. The Connection OF Mr. Cooper
with ur. Weeds ProposItion- Where Mr..
P,lon Expected TO Get the Money Needed.
Col Wm. r. Pclton testified yesterday be-
t,ro Nr Potter subcommittee. now sitting at
no Fifth Avenue Hotel Col polton was sworn |
st lO-,. AMI his examination was conducted |
without intrrmissiou until n few minutes before |
a Tho taror was uncomiortably thronged |
throughout tho day aud in the evening. |
Tho first three hours OF the examination were |
occupied in % critical comparison Of the printed |
cipher dispatches with tho original and relay |
comics. Thrn Col. Pelton went into a connected |
sta,pmcut oi his knowledge OF the purposes |
which the cphers were used 30 cover. This |
yns followed by a vigorous cross examination. |
conducted hy Congressman Reed and Iliscock. |
which was not concluded when the Committee !
adjourned for dinner. 1t was resumed Mt 8 !
o'clock AMI was continued for half an hour. |
Tho hearing was then adjourned until TO- this
morning. when Mr.. Manton Marble will prob
ably hc examined.
Inre-urItl the cipher dispatches. Col Pei
ton said u.at hc did not wish TO say that any Of
them were accurately translated. but he said
imuort wA- similar to the published transla-
tion.. II, had received by cipher kilograms
ur0rost..us transmitted through Mr.. Smith
NJ Wool and MIR Manton Marble. the former
relating g. the payment u money to secure a
hvorn1l, result from the Electoral Board OF
South Carolina and those from the latter relat
iug o. s.n AR proposals in Florida. The fig
urDs named in Mr. Weeds dispatches wcro
either sio.UNO or $4,000 and in Mr.. Marbles
nr-t drsi li % the price named was s2OO.OoO. but
this Col l. Ron said he at once rejected because
the price was too high. subsequently. when
Mr. Maille ielclraphed boy cipher that the price
was reduced then he telegraph ell an acceptance
Of ithcpropos .tlOn. The proposal that Mr.. Weed
tecsralhed from South Carolina he at once
hccrit %. aud ne agreed To- meet Mr.. Weed in
Baltimore 90 consummate the negotiation. Why
these propositions were not consummated Col.
pyltoH explained with great detail. He said
that hc had taken the entire responsibility Of
accepting them himself. He did not even con-
suit the Executive Committee. lie did. how
ever send for Mr.. Edward Cooper on the even
Ing %! his departure for Baltimore, and met
Mr.. Cooper In the hall Of Gov. Tilden's
house just as he was about to take
the cab for the depot. Then he briefly explained
to Mr.. Cooper the object Of his departure. and
added that he might telegraph 10 Mr.. Cooper in
the morning from Baltimore for money. He
cautioned Mr.. Cooper 10 say nothing OF the ma
turc of his trip TO Gov. Tden, but he could not
now say wha, Mr.. Cooper said about the jour
ney. IL. indeed. he said anything. The reason
why he cautioned Mr. Cooper ami said nothing
himself of his purposes 10 Coy. Tiden was be-
cause he know that Gov Tilden would at once
stop the negotiations. In Baltimore the next
morning he teleGraphed to Mr.. Cooper for
money and soon after got despatch from Mr.
D,aprr a.flfnlnsr 10 rcul H. and another. Sont
by direction Of Gov. Tiden instruc,ing him to
return at once. The Florida negotiations fell
through because the money was not deposited.
In both OF these negotiations Col. Pelton said
that he was careful that nothing OF them should
get to Gov Tilden's knowledge. because no
knew that they would be stopped at once Tho
responsibility Was entirely on his own Shout
ders. GOV. Tiden did express himself with
great tee!ug on hearing Of the South Carolina
negotiations and said to Col Peton. as he tes-
titled. tAat | had no business 70 do it. or words
b that cil ct
on cro-s-examination. Congressman Reed
AMI Hisco,k followed three lines Of inquiry.
One. the source from which Col. Peton eX-
pceted o. .:et the large sums ot money. To this.
Col. Peious iuyarable answer was that he was
not certain Of getting it at AL. but was willing
T. take the chances Of raising it through some
Of the mruhers Of the Committee. and he spe-
cially mentioned Mr.. Edward Cooper and Mr.
" J.. S'o'' But he never expected any Of II TO
CONE from Gov Itden,
A s.eon lne - inquiry. that was pressed on
cross, Namiu nation had reference g. the repetl-
ion ly C. P.Iton ot an attempt TO close neEo-
tal0n wta ihe Florida Returning b ard. after
h',ai lr.g r. huk-dhy GOvrid 'n,ond refused
Sluih Carolina To this Col prton replied
thHt Do" o.. k the responsibility ot the suhse-
qunnt ue-utatious upon himself, and was Will =
ius % t,,e tin chances = raising the money. II
NHHN
A 'l'rl purpose Of Congressman Reed and
il -ro-k WIS to show the ta't tunt Col fylton
Tide. tl P.l'on sad that be- Understood
tlHt Mr. y, % aul Mr.. MHr.l" h0'h believed
M.al fH.y Vruf south that Lr was acting in
tH .aIatty. hut added that they were rlght
ouY 81. Jar u- 20" general purpos" oi seeing thi
rr .,a- fair count in South Carolina and
Ti. C.ri 't.e cxpertel 20 ho-in the cx-
nuIua'Iou Ar Marble Inst evening. but after
Wnri .INl...I Iu.l f1 examine G.. W. Smith, Coy.
1l.u'- prl,,te seer tary. and Mr. Marble was
.tu.i Nt' hr need not appear just belorr
t.t"y+l.u. session it was decided mot 10 put
Mr. 0nIfN .n fHr-taud 40 present There h"lng
D. nnothorw''loa .os present the hearing was od-
!.luuI l.'i This morniur. 1le Committee
hty" h.p.l tn finish the hearing here by Natur-
.aiy rtri uE au, they now regard TINS rs eN-
CO. Vs.. .r pa.ton. being sworn. the Chair
nun t."H H lima llunton. conducted the ex-
q Sut. Your iuii name. residence age. and
OCCUPATION. A.-Millam r. potion, about 40
yetr- . &, resident OF Now York. aui n lawyer,
.Q.-Hul Ynu any ON 'ial conn ctinp with the
N4unnM h-mo'rnti, Committee IN the lresi-
A't'u 'au,ass % ls7G IL so, stnte IT,. A.
n, -,r''F taklng, any onirih, conneftlon'
Ill any ntall state what. Al hu charge ot
many matters connected with tn" management
Of the campaign. and with tho acquiescence Of
r. Committee. without any official action on
ueir part.
Q.-Are you related 10 either Of tho candidates
Tor Tho Presidency in that canvass Al am a
nephnw ~ Gov. Samuel j, Iilden. .
Q.-Do you know anything Of the so-caed
Visiting statesmen" who went South after the
election took place in 1876? A.-Yes, sir.
oQ-To what States did they gof A.-South
- Ony those two States A.-some also to
Louisiana.
.Q-Dii You have any correspondence with
those gentlcmen. or any Of themf Al did
with some Of them.
Q-Correspondenoe by teleGram2 Ayes
Q-EXclusiyely2 A.-Mainly,
,Q.Worg those kilograms in cipher or In writ
lngf A.-BOth.
Q-Do YOU recollect or have you retained. tho
Key Of the cipher dispatches you sent or re-
eelyody A-No. sir.
Q.-You do not recollect 1t? A.-No sir dc
,Q.-Haye you seen the cipher kilograms pub
llEleH u hn Aelg 1f,,.kJ JtIlluer a YES