The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-02-06
VOL, XIV NO. s,J.
yaR RADICAL OrPHERs. a.
How Morton Destroyed Tham Two Years
AEo-A Circumstanco in tfle history oa
tho Presidential Steal. y.

How Morton Destroyed Tham Two wear
Ago-A Circuimstanco In the History q
tho Presidential Steal. =
1t ia q matter Of history that the ars
demand made upon The Western, Unioy
Telegraph Company for the political dis
patches sent during the campaign Of 1915
came from the House committee. With
in & few days after the sa5pts,,a daoe
fecufn OF the Houseccmmittee was served
Mort0n's Committee on Elections of tht
Senate issued and had served 6 5irniIal
demand upon Mr. Orton, then President
OF the Western Union Company. ThiI
corporation, which was managed in ths
interest of the Radical party, under GOV
er Of desire to protect private cosres pon
dence, resisted these ss5penas ut first, but
1t was merely @ pfetense TO gain tempo
rary relieffrom the pressure of the House
Mr. Orton issued commands TO the 0psr
ators TO send all the political dispatcha.
to the principal Office in New York. and
as soon rs this was done he had then
placed in a trunk and turned over TO the
attorney Of the company, who brought
the trunk TO Washington. lie tool
refuge ut the residence of Prof. Holden
then and now professor Of mathematicl
at the United States Naval Observatory
where the trunk OF kilograms was con
cealed for several days.
Mr. Orion was In Washington himself
and directed every movement of his EN-.
ployee, who had possession Of the fele.
grams over which the two houses of Con.
gress were struggling. Finally, by or.
ders of the President of the company, tht
attorney delivered the trunk Of dispatch.
es at the room of the Senate Committee
on Privileges and Elections, and it wa
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 not!isd of the receipt
of the trunk, and he loss no time In re.
pairing to his committee room and mai.
ing an examination of the contents. He
took with him several Republican Sena.
tors, members ofthe Elections Committee,
(whose names will como out during the
investigation, and together they exam
ined oil the dispatches. Buliock took
the telegrams from the trunk and assist
ed in asserting them.
MIR. 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, dispafch.
es that he did not went TO see the light
All the kilograms which compromised The
Republican party in any serious degree
were separated from the others, and the
balance were returned to the trunk. The
hnnnro 1la Ganofnrc khnt, Ii
leaving the Republican dispatches in the
hands of Bullock, with an understanding
the. he was TO put them where they could
never 90 any narm. Bullock locked the
door and made bonfire of thu bundle
of kilograms which had been been left
With him. he then arranged the others
in gcJd order in the trunk, and next day
Mr.. Morton called meeting Of the full
committee, informing them II was to ex-
anime the telegrams 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 plenbors Of the committee.
Morton, with an assumed air Of magma.
nimity, suggested that the trunk and Its
contents be kept secret, and this was
tacitly agreed to. Subsequently, General
Butler mysterously found himself in pos.
session of o package of these cipher dis
patches, and now he proposes to turn
them ever to the Potter committee. 1,
turns out that Professor H. den 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 oI
tho 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 be
got 1t in duo time. He Yves appointed
as a consul to Cologre, and was confirm.
ed through the influence of the very
Senators vino examined the contents Of
the trunk, with the exception of Morton
who died before the job could be com,
pleted. = Washington Post.