New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-06-13
An EVENTFUL Day
,vw STYLES or LOUISIANA wITNRssEs-EvIDENTL'
oSr HONEST MAN POUND Al LAsT-AMUsIN'
1xctoTNTs IN COMMITTEE.


Z ,siano witnesses was fired off to-day and il is
rrderst5od that only one more upon each side Of
he Kellogg SpofoTd contest remains ODE examined
,r WASHINGTON. The proceedings to-day were IN
ne highest degree amusing, and withal instruc-
tive
The first witness r. s. Babcock of st. Mary's
parish member of the Packard Legislature. testi
IA IN the regularity of the proceedings III that
81, ON the day of the election of o Senator, AID
denied that any money was ever offered to him 10
vote for Kellogg. lie said that on the contrary IN
dueements were freely offered to him TO over to the
Nichols House and vote for Spoford. He swore that
.o-re extraordinary efforts had been made recently
toiudgce him to make affidavit in behalf of Spot
ford lie was written to. and teegraphed for, from
New-Orleans: and at last he went to the city where
he was urged 10 10 charges of bribery against
Kellogg. bat refused because they were untrue.
The second witness. Charles F. Brown. was
rortly. rood-ooking mulatto of quiet address, but
Great wag 4 gOod-natured smile played over his
{,ce rs hc rarricd with skill the searching cross
ouastions Of Judge Merrick. His testimony was di-
net and convincing both to the fact that he was
never approached with offers of money or OTHER re-
ward by any one in behalf of Senator Kellogg and
with regard 20 the presence of quorum of the
Legislature when the election took place. The
chief feature Of his testimony was i'll regard to in-
duccments which were held ont TO members OF the
Packard Legislature by persons acting in behalf of
the Democracy to 60 to the Nichols House and
vote for Spofford. Mr.. Brown swore that his
colleague J. Patrick Kennedy, 1rishman,
who had been induced before the election
ofKcllogc 70 20 over to the Nichols Legislature
was supplied with abundant means TO go among
the members of the Packard House and buy them
up Very small pains taken TO conceal the
OPERATION. and on one occasion Kennedy pulled out
two rolls of bills in which Brown noticed $50.
500 and $500 notes. saying, Boys here is your
cash If you want to go over" The cross-eXamina-
ton elected variation from the story IN any
respect. -
Richard Simms, OF st. Jamess Parish. full
Nooded negro a farmer. and a schOol-teacher by
,-ofession. was next sworn. His testimony was
brief explicit and important. He was one of the
three whom Murray had named rs having exhibited
rolls # bills ia the rooms of the Sergeant-at- Arms
IN the Louisiana State House, and boosted that he
had received IL for voting for Kellogg. Tom
Murray would not tell me that" said he. quietly
looking Murray squarely in the eye as he said 1t.
He denied Murrays story as a fabrication from
beginning 70 end. He said that when he met
Murray IN Washington this morning he had re-
rr,ached him for his falsehoOds, to which Murray
Lad eaid he only wanted to give him chance to
come 10 Washington and added that he himself knew
nothing about the vote 1t will he remembered that
Murray is up TO the present time the only Spoford
witness who has not testified directly against Spot
ford and evidence accumuates tending to show
that Murray Is himself the concOcter of the whole
scheme. and that Spofford and Cavanac are dupes
Tho testimony of Slmms with regard to the pres
tnce Of a quorum was equally explicit He knew
Of the presence of Sevignes because the latter sat
directly IN front of him, and he narrated a CONVEX
sa,ion which took place between Thomas, the man
who Murray swore was sick with small pox. and an
other member Just before the election took place.
Probably there was not man in the room who did
not believe that Simms was telling the truth.
Dunbar Watson, the next witness created a SEN
saron. He was smart-loOking cream-c0lored man,
dressed in a stylish light-colored suit and had the
arof man about town. He had been preacher,
merchant, and something of lawyer and withal
politician. He was a graduate of Strait University
and made use Of Latin terms at times quite IN the
college stye He argued with counsel briefly
g. what would and would not constitute
he according 20 Louisiana Jurisprudence and he
volunteered to instruct Judge Merrick in the
mystery of the Louisiana code of morals Murray
had sworn that he had shown Watson TO Thomas's
sat the Hall of Representatives and that Watson
had personated Thomas in order to make up the
quorum. Watson sw0re that be was not In the
state House during the month of January 1877,
BIO the contrary, had been engaged every day
BON morning until evening as a letter-earrier IN
Zoe New-Oricaus Post Office.
STYLISH WITNESS.
Wat.on's story was as follows: Murray had
sugh, him out and had told him of a project which
would make them both big nIggers" Watson
bad uo objection 20 turning an honest penny from
De Democrats 10y swearing TO a falSehood and af-
kfsarl catching them in their own trap and ex-
Posing Them He had visited the Office of SpOftord's
scents and made aHidavits requested and had re-
N'vci small sums of money on account which he
-tdcl with Murray. His descriptive passages
/ sefe highly humorous and kept the committee and
\ t' Spectators in a great state of glee. He was
\ iRis 10 earnest however when he referred 10 the
/ "faiug Of his store by the Democratic |
1 elldozers. aud he managed ngenousy |
A work into the record number |
l Incidental illusions TO Democratic outrages |
mel caused considerable annoyance. He termed |
4 ahdayits which he had made 10 Spofiord's |
'o's a. qaGsi ahidayits aud the oaths by which |
10y vere sustained quasi oaths, and he consid- |
1 IVA the proceedings quite regular lie Jared rather |
-g IN cross-examination, but his msfortunes |
Wholly IN connection with the plot in Louis |
The story told under oath 70 the committee |
'Shol shaken.
CHOKING WITH INDIGNATION.
a. next event Of the days session was the exam
49, OF Robt. b. johnson, lank. raw-boned |
H., ~ln dressed in snuff-colored suit lie is q
e. Trade, dhd the proprietor Of a number
o,r's In the nyer parishes. He testified TO
gay S,S H AZ he was making more money at home
~ 49, nAh us witness fees would amount to.
IVA 49, Indignant at having been called away
Mgm iSsihess that immediately after being
aesa AS pDed up and shook his fist across the
,slAsiine uIS, and threatened 10 give hun a dire /
shlsq's I"NheVer they should meet outside.
~ la asTT9age was OF the plantation order,
y An. dOkng indignation, which was
la