The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-07
MRS. JENKS'S DECOY PAPERS.
THE PLOT THIT DID NOT ENTRIP MR..
PUTTLR'S JB-COMWITIEE

tCN are claiming innt IL ran away. Ihey Ms
sumo TINT Mr.. Potter went to New Orleans in
oncs' of what hc believed TO he the original Of
H. sherman letter. and that he was clevcrly
trIrkrl hy the notorious Mrs. jerks. This Is
The Interpretation which John Shormans
friends sock 20 put upon Mr.. Pottcr's mission.
How far from the truth this is plain statement
Of facts will show
Mr. Potter went 20 Now Orleans with two OBJ
jcTs In view. John Sherman through his coun.
eel had made great parade at tho beginning
Of the inv stigation Of his purpose to prove that
ucaTion ~ tho Infamous Returning Board was
honest and that Hayes was fairly entitled 10 the
electoral votes of Louisiana. This. he said no
woul mike clear II the Committee would only
summon ninc.y.t three witnesses. whose names
and ros' denccs he. through his counsel formal
" furnished 10 the Committee. In due time
Subcommittee went to Louisiana. There tho
prer W John sherman. through n local counsel.
9olu lNy was renewed. The Sub Committee
accepted the gage proIercd. Some thirty Of tho
witnesses designated by John sherman were
summoned 10y the Committee upon it, own mo-
hon They were witnesses who had been
brought Co New Orleans to make the Custom
House nflidayits upon which the Returning
Boarl pretended to act and Of which the Sner-
man report il-tliying the action OF the Return
inr Board was largely made. These thirty wit
nes.cs rerudiatod thcir Custom House afllda-
yts. and explained the circumstances under
which they were made.
In c1rroboratiou Of the statements Of these
Ftnc-scs some Of the men who had been en-
r,oyod at the Custom House in tho prepare
lion o. Tie alldayits and in drilling tho negroes
In noir parts. were examined. They tes-
hn"d that the aflldavits were prepared after
moiel. and in accordance with instructions
given rs iho Republican leaders; and that tho
visiting statesmen were constantly on hand 10
See that TIE work was we'll done. Tho instruc-
tons 800 brief. were to make tho afldavits
ttr.ne On intimidation and to mako the ne
groos swear to facts as Of their personal
know ls' when they had only heard Of them
y rum flying about tho parishes.
limuterod not whether the negroes did or
dill not swear knowingly 10 those things. which
Mey subsequently, admitted they had no knowl-
ridge ~. II Is lmmatorial whether the negroes
Wcrc influenced one way in the fall Of 1876 and
mother in the summer Of 1878. The fact was
slcarly established that their testimony was
totally Enthusiastically.
IL WIS proved also beyond doubt thnt the
AFFIDAVIT factory in the Custom House was run
upon system. and that the visiting statesmen
were perfectly familiar with the iaodus oDerandi.
This evidence demonstrated the real character
oith testimony contained in the sherman re-
port. which was the defence prepared BY the
Republican visiting statesmen to bolster tho
monstrous conduct Of Wells. Anderson. and tho
two mulattoes. who undid the work Of the peo-
he u Louisiana at the ballot box and made
Hayes De facto President
The counsel OF John sherman. although noti-
Del that no could have processes for every one
Of his ninety-three witnesses 10y whom the in
amiiution WAS 10 be proven declined 10 ask for
me ,Hninonlng OF these parties. The excuse
was mat the time was too short and that tho
VI. rs foyer WAS too threatening
VT. Potter went e. New Orleans last month 90
glYHJ mn ShrTinAhis counsel an opportunity To
ca. w. lretol MS ninety three witnesses. This
Opportunity was not embraced, The first ex-
guse was That tho witnesses would not testify
n''iy u brought 10 New Orleans. Then" Mr..
ioit'r SAID, we Will 90 to the parishes. and
your witt. sses can Dee examined there" Then
had boon SO much terrorism lis, fal That pt tie
negroes would be afraid 10 testify-which seems
" rrnmise poor harvest for the Teller Com
mu"N. But 10 seems that il makes great deal
Of difference whether the negro il summoned
y deputy marihals 70 appear at the Custom
hpteHr 81 the y. Charles Hotel. It would seem
nom this that the negro is a UNPLEASANT sort of
mileage and per diem. The inference il that
he swears 10 suit the politics Of the Committee
nat summons MIN. The counsel Of sherman
having declined 10 accept the opportunity
offered 10 make good the hoasts Of his client IN
lIn tc,t Tor Mr.. POttors Committee 70 do AT
Aad now as 70 tho package 81 papers dropped
81 ,cnrpet store by Mrs. jerks. i is claimed
that Mr. Potter went all the way 10 New Orleans
hussing the delusion that the original sherman
put this forward do IL deliberately 10 create IA
lslse public opinion under cover Of which they
Gan sneak out OF rascally Job in which they
Mr. Potter knew perfectly we'll that the pack
age ~ l9i,ers Mrs. jerks dropped in the carpet
slore oi Llkin Co.. Canal street, on ia, 18th 81
September last. was decoy package. He was
never deceived about II for an instant, He
al InN anf. q NHfHHnH
and detectives to entrap him into accepting This
sles"d original Of tho sherman letter as q
bona ia" original. Various attempts TO palm on
hinTg"ry Il this kind upon the Committee had
be'n made. And the suspicious fact about these
fepra'"d cfOris was that they were always made
~ some ono Wh9 was discovered e be acting IN
ne interest u John sherman. These Efforts
having failed Mrs jerks the hrazen hussy who
Tested ~ the instrument by which tho forgery
g4s 10 Ice put upon the Committee. II was the
&C. gam" this time. The confidence game
MIS-. Jcnks. on the 18th Of September. just be-
orleans with an envelope containing a lot OF
1apeI- Among them were some letters and
olher pap"rs which We're genuine. They We're
(ui IN Tor tho purpose OF making II seem 10
o. iuck axe Of valuable papers. The intention
W. e. drop this package where il might be-
kopei would bite at the bait. call his Committee
snfl.tner ana submit what Gurp9rted 70 be the
Mlnii proiuco the iorger Of this piper, who
wclt confess that tho work was his aud per-
NHl- swear also mat ne Aad been paid by some
a. -'l agent OF Ildrn 10 commit the forgery.
h" original intention was to sell this forgery
u t!e Committee. The attempt 10 do this was
MAJ" re than once. and in ways that might
ihr" deceived n less careful man than Mr.
in'l'r This falling the jerks plot Was resOrted
u as luft resort Mrs jerks. however. was
Aot au clever at this game rs she was nj swear
INK she went about the streets OF New Orleans
uIopIlns the package wherever she could find
q knot 9i men. She seems 10 have consumed
~ good part Of a day in this Ruthless dropping
u' Nlng would not work. for every time she
urnIp"d II in the street somebody saw the
Hr"Y and hastened 10 call her attention 10 her
vs.. lnally, rs 4 in despair. she went 10 the
carpet store ul Elkin6 Co.. 100 Canal street and
"Iir pretending 10 look at goods dropped tho
"a sage behind a roll 81 mating. and then hur.
!1rl away. The following Is a summary Of
~. '',u Wqny u the Witnesses who testified in
I'E rl % tho finding Of the package;
IL arr hnu c. Lloyd. sworn: ! reside on CamD
hli."L am in the carpet business nj 100 Canal
hli"t. az Elkin store know Mrs jerks. She
Shn ln tie store md priced some mating one
ua'' iie only came In and passed around some
e.. vs., hut was not out OF my sight all the time.
I"'' ~ the day gcntleman, In replacing some
& ~. found letter. He showed the letter 10
~ lWfluond, who IA in our store. and myself.
"ls addressed % Agnes ID. jerks. New Or
!. J.. Raymond. sworn: =" / reside in New Or
I"I p. .ul was last > september hOokke"per Of
- u & g.. ! INV the package Of papers found
~ MT. hfIIuHF. | went lnfure IA notary and