The Newtown bee., 1879-02-18
THE CIPHER DISPATCHES.
Investigation by the Potter Sub-C0mmitt
 in New York.

testified that dispatches from Smith M. weed and others who had gone South after the presidential election in 1876 were received by him in care of Mir. Henry Havemeyer, who was a personal friend of witness. After testi- flying in regard to number of dispatches sent to him by Manton Marble from Florida-some of which he thought were correct as trans lated by the T-ibstne, while as to the authentic ity of others he was not so certain - witness said he had received and accepted proposl- ton to purchase the vote of Florida for $50, 900 from the returning board, but his acceptance came too late to take effect. Regarding the South rolinaSiispatches from Smith M. Weed, witness stated he assented to the proposition to buy the returning board for $60,OOO the day before going to Baltimore he had talk with MT. Cooper in regard to the purchase Of the South Carolina vote, and to the best of bis recollection that gentleman disapproved of the proposition and considered it impracticab1ej jthe next day, when in Baltimore, he received two dispatches, one from Mir. Cooper to the effect that the money could not be raised, and the other from MT. Tilden, telling him to return ; after returning to New York with Mir. Weed, he saw Mir. Tilden, who made some emphatic remarks on the proceedings in question, arc expressed the opinion that the witness had no business to do as he had done; he had pur- posely concealed the transactions from Mir. Tlden, as he knew that the latter would dis approve of them |; he did not think that Mir. Tilden knew of his visit to Baltimore until after he had gone there Mir. Tilden, so far as he
 
 negotiations in regard to Florida the witness did not intend that Mr. Tilden should know anything about them; the information which he received from Mir. Weed and Mir. Marble rel ative to the intended purchase of votes was not imparted by him to Mr. Hewitt or other mem- bers of the Democratic national committee. Upon cross-examination it was brought out that witness did not recollect the origin of the ciphers, and his memory as to other interesting points was not clear.
 MT. Manton Marble testified that he went to Florida, on his own motion, to watch the count of the electoral vote in the Democratic inter- est, but not at the request of Mr. Tilden. Mr. Peltou gave him cipher at the Everett house. Witness asserted he found no Democratic frauds, but plenty on the other side, and coun- tenanced no corrupt dealings, but transmitted to Mr. Pelton, !" as warnings to the Democratic committee" two propostions-one of $50, 900 and the other of $200,o00 - to sell the elec toral vote of the State. To one he received done only once j" he put it in the fire and said nothing to any one about it During his stay in Florida he sent and received dispatches in this cipher almost daily, but he sent none to MT. Tilden and got none from him. His understanding was that the dis sent by Mir. Pelton. Of the published cipher dispatches he identified numDer as having been sent or received by him, and as having been translated with substantial correctness; others had been mistranslated,S or had had 8 wrong meaning put upon them. He had not re- tsined his copy of the cipher, having burned all his Florida papers when he got through there. Witness said he had nothing to do with any dickering for the vote of Florida, and denied all knowledge of the dispatch of December 4, which according to the Tribune transiasion read: " Marble says plan sent you Saturday must be acted upon immediately" He re- pulsed all ''plans of that sort on the spot Mir. Paris, who wrote the dispatch in question, was then called, produced his cipher-key and stated that for a Marble the Tribune should have read Woolley," the "indiscreet l" man with whom Mir. Marble had declined to act
 MIR. TILDEN ON THE STAND.
 Samuel J. Tilden appeared before the com mittee, was sworn, and testified as follows He had read the transIations of the cipher dispatches in the New York papers, but did not reeognize single document either in cipher or translation, that he had ever seen before. He never entered into any arrange ment to purchase the vote of South Carolina or Florida, and had no information or suspicion that such arrangements were being carried OR until he saw the dispatches printed in the New York Tribune. He had no knowledge or deal- ings with any parties to these negotiations. On the morning of November 20, 1876, Mrs. Col. Pelton mentioned in his presence that her hus- land had gone for the day. and later in the day he was called upon by Mir. Cooper and told by him that he had received an offer from some party to obtain for money the vote of South Carolina. He (the witness) said he would authorize no such transaction nor spend money for any such purpose. He obtained Colonel Pelton's address in Baltimore and telegraphed him to come back he did not use any cipher, and knew nothing of any ciphers passing be- tween Colonel Pelton and others, and could nok have translated them if he had. In regard to Florida, he never saw one of the telegrams, either in cipher or in translation, and was not informed even that any negotiations were going on in regard to obtaining illegally the certificates of the returning board i: MT. Marble called occasionally, and told hiIt about the corruptions of the Florida board. In regard to the Oregon dispatches, he did not know they came in cipher until after she meeting of the committee appointed to investi- gate them. Gen. Grant wrote him letter : few days after the election. recommending that the committee should go South to see fair count. He had nothing to do with these conn mittees and never heard from them but once, and that was in q communication signed by Mir. Ottendorfer and others. Under no cir to secure electoral certificates by venal induce ments. There never was an hour or minute in which he entertained such thought. To the people whom he believed elected him Presi- dent of the United States, and to the four mill lions of citizens who were defrauded of their rights of suffrage, he owed the duty of pro- claiming that he would not yield one jot or little of his rights whatever evils might result from this subversiOn of the electoral system, he resolved he would enter into no auction for the purchase of the chief magistracy of the re- public. He was resolved that he would protest against the wrong by which the people had been defrauded out of their rights. Upon cross-examination Mir. Tilden said he had an interview with Colonel Pelton, after the latter returned from Baltimore. and his expressions were an outburst of impatience and displeasure with Colonel Pelton's conduct. Colonel Pelton was sometimes called acting secretary but he had no money and no power to do anything without the concurrence of another man. He did not know that Pelton had made any engage ment or encouraged any offer in regard to the sale of the South Carolina vote. After witness had promptly and effectualIy stopped any pro- ceedings of the sort he did not suppose they would be renewed 1; he understood that Colonel Pelton had merely received an offer. MT. Til den said he had never heard of any attempt to purchase an electoral vote before the publica- ton of these dispatches, and he regarded them as attempts to sell. not to buy he was first told of the Florida matter by MT. Marble, who remarked to him that the Florida vote had been for sale. Mir. Tlden said he knew Smith M. Weed, but his relations with him were not more confidential than with any other promi- nent Democrat; he did not know of Mir. Weeds presence in South Carolina until after his return. He then had ! brief task for engaging in such transactions. When MT. Cooper informed him of the South Caro- lima proposition he (Mr. Coopsr) said nothing to indicate that he had encouraged Colonel Pelton to believe that any money would be furnished. Witness supposed that the gentle men who went South were competent to per- form the duties for which they had been select- a by tho national committed, and he hover gavo them my instructIons, or undertook to exsrctse any supexvision over them. He MI inflated with O0lonel Pelton for hnyin8 any- th5nx to do with the South 0&xo1Ine pxopo6i- t1ou. If ho fthe Witne6e) had my m ifioil to engaGe in any sneh trall lsaolio1 ooa6neI Rels