The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-12
A CARD.
REPUTATION OF A FALSE REPORT OF
THE NEW ORLEANS TIMES.


the editor OF the Times. who refused to print
because It contains proofs rather too conclusiv
as to the habitual righteousness and mendscit
displayed by that paper when speaking Of me
New ORLEANS, March II. 1879.
To the Editor OF the New Orleans Times:
SRI find In your reportorial columns thi
morning the following, purporting to be
statement of an interview on Monday between
the Governor and myself at the State House,
BREEZE IN THE GOVERNORS PARLoR-UNKINl
WORDS THAT PAss BETWEEN THE GOV
ERN0B AND MIR. DUPRE.
Shortly after IL o'clock yesterday the report 4
that Mr.. George w. Dupre entered the Govern
ers office, ostensibly TO make copy OF the re
cent contract for public printing entered Int,
II appears on that Gov Nichols was within at tn,
time. and some excited words were used In con
IT Is intimated that Gov Nichols said that Mr.
Dupre had made several statements In connec
ton with the printing contract which were un
Mr. Dupre, It lie alleged replied: The onl,
answer could make you would be TO slap youl
It Ia said that the Governor called bis messen
ger, who turned Mr.. Dupre out Of the office. ant
there the matter ended.
You have boon entirely mtsinformed, Or cuilts
Of gross and unqualified raisrepres entation
There Ia not statement relative to tho object Of
nay visit In the above report of the interview
the Governor ostehsibly or really to make q
copy Of the contract with Mr.. Nicholson. OF
for any purpose touching the contract: no ex-
citing words were used relative 10 the contract
and the assertion that the Governor called bis
messenger, who turned me out Of the Office s
an unqualified and malicious fdtsehood. -.
My visit to Governor Nichols grew out OF the
following proceedings In the Superior Criminal
Court, on Monday morning. and which find
correctly and fairly reported by you.
DupRE IN couRT-THE INDICTED Ex-sTATE
PRINTER DEMANDS A SPEEDY TRIAL.
Mr. Geo " nuprs; the ex;sta,s Printer. ap;
said May \ please PIE YOUR honor would
Judge Whitaker answered that he would like
TO have the case come up as early az possible
but he was not informed yet who would repre-
District Attorney Finney remarked that he
was Informed by MI. Dupre that the Attorney
General S ai, and the Assistant Attorney General
the Governor to appoint special counsel to try
the case.
tion In regard to the case was under the cir
Mr.. Dupre stated that the Governor had been
requested In time TO appoint special counsel
to try the case for the day on which 1t had been
fixed. the twenty.seventh of February, but this
He was entitled to q speedy trial and thought
that II the case was fixed for Wednesday there
would be somebody found to appear on the
doubtedly was not required to furnish prose-
eutor.
!. The court concluded with the assurance that
soon as there was a prosecutor for the State the
case should be set for trial at once.
Mr.. Dnpre then withdrew
For months charges of the grossest character
affecting my honor rs a gentleman, and my
business standing. have been made by grand
juries and newspapers. without my being able |
to obtain a judicial investigation or to obtain |
from certain officers the public declaration OF |
an opinion expressed In private of my inno-
cence. Finally. after many months. a grand |
jury found an Indictment and expected. at |
last to have a speedy trial before jury of my
fellow-citizens, where all the evidence could be |
brought out, and my name and character vindi-
Gated. But the Attorney General and Assistant
Attorney General deemed 1t proper to recuse
themselves. The Governor was requested to |
appoint IAN eminent member of the bar" to |
prosecute me. When appeared In court the
district attorney. under the circumstances, did |
not feel sure Of the course he ought to pursue.
then stated TO the court that It was not my
duty to furnish prosecutor. / had done all In
my power to bring the case to q trial. / con-
Guided by saying that had no doubt that II the
case were fixed for trial on Wednesday. the
twelfth, some one would be present to represent
The State
/ then left the court and repaired to the Gov
srnor's Office. not to see him in relation to the
printing contract. but to ask him to appoint an
attorney to represent the State against me at
he earliest time possible. Gov John McEnery.
one Of my counsel. was present l opened the
by asking Gov. Nichols at what time
x.zN,,11 IN ,t,,t, |
had been requested to do by the Attorney Gen
,rat. He, the Governor Immediately dispatched
messenger to the Attorney General. request
ing his presence. After an interval Of perhaps 1
IN hour Mr.. Ogden arrived. and the Governor
Invited him and myself into his private office.
The Governor. with marked elaboration, and
before seating himself, threw wide open the
ioor leading into his main Office. where num-
Der OF gentlemen were assembled awaiting
their turn to speak with his Excellency. On Y
my attempting to speak on what deemed the |
object of the conference.-the is. the appoint I
nent of counsel on the part Of the State-the I
Governor excitedly Interrupted me, saying: 9
No, sir: not that l wish to speak of some- {
hing else. / want In the presence of the At !
orney General to correct the statement you t
lave made, that instructed him to tie up your g
In the treasury. did nothing OF the ,
ind"
/ replied: Governor, that was undoubted- !
Y an act of the administration. Al
hough you assured me positively last 6
ummer that you could not and would
OF advise, sanction or approve a proceed !
M against its own warrants on the
art of the State. but that In the case Of fraud or
vercharge in my accounts would be held liza
lie under my bond as State Printer: yet. sir
hen, under instruction from you. the Attorney 2
General instituted an investigation into the q
harges against me by the grand Jury and c
eported to you In December last. he informed G
GU that he had stopped the payment Of my {
arrants. That you sanctioned and approved q
nat proceeding your message to the Legisla- =
ure proves. / say. therefore. that the tying 3
ID Of my warrants was an act OF the admins 9
ration resulting from general instructions re- \
eived by the law officer Of the State from YOU" a
To this the Governor responded In an OK 2
tied manner: Il say that your statement Is
alsehood."