The New York herald., 1879-03-07
THEFT OF THE TELEGRhMS EXPLAINED
Sharp Practice Of Republican Leaders
and Their Tools
THE NEGOTIATIONS CONDEMNED
Mr. Tilden Eonerated from ANY Con
nection with Them.
STATEMENT BY NEPHEW PELTON

WASHINGTON. March 6, 1879.
The Potter Committee have made the following re-
port on the cipher dispatches
The Committee for the Investigation Of Frauds in
the Electoral Count which, by the resolution Of the
House Of January 20, 1872 directed to inquire
into certain cipher dispatches. &C., respectfully re-
port
Telegraph Company gave orders TO its employees at
all points to from which such dispatches had been
sent or received repeated, to forward to its main
office at New York all dispatches and copies of de-
spatches relating to the Presidential election of 1876
aud the same were thereupon collected ana forwarded
TO New York, where they were assorted in packages
with reference TO the points from which they
came. The purpose Of the company was to
keep the dispatches from being exposed TO process
from the courts and from Congress. and thus keep
them from publication. With that view they de
rected that the assortment OF them be conducted
der the care of 7ir Cary-ofce attorney OF the
pany-and that when assorted they should remain
in his charge as being person less likely to be sum
moned to produce them than the proper officers
OF the company. In this selection all cipher and
other dispatches referring supposed to refer In
any way to the election. including all dispatches In
respect of which the operators In doubt were
collected and came into Mr.. Cary's charge, to the
pBnas having been issued by the Committee of the
House of Representatives on Louisiana Affairs. OF
which Mr.. Morrison was chairman. calling for
particular Louisiana dispatches, and BY the Com
niittee Of Privileges and Elections of the Senate of
which Mr.. Morton chairman, calling for par
ticular Oregon dispatches, the same were selected
from the thus put the charge Of Mr.. Cary and
particular inventory of them taken. Subsequently,
general subpoena having been served upon the
members of the Executive Committee OF the telegraph
company, commanding them to produce all de-
spatches relating in any to the election Of 1876
Mr.. Cary to deliver to Mr. Whitney. the manager Of
the company at Washington, all the dispatches in
his charge. and Mr.. Whitney. after having taken
therefrom the specific Oregon and Louisiana de-
spatches aforementioned, placed the rest of the
dispatches amounting in number to 29,275. In
trunk. taking inventory only of the num-
further designation of the date. sender receiver
contents The particular dispatches required by tine
Morrison and Morton committees were delivered on
the Odd and oath OF January. 1877. The remaining
29.275 Dispatches the o5th day of January.
1877. pursuant to the direction OF Mr.. Sargent,
OF the Morton committee in charge OF the matter,
delivered by Mr.. Whitney either to the clerk OF that
committee. Mr. Burbank, who Yves orother-in-lsw
of Mr. Morton. or to the person for the time being
in charge of the committee room, locked In trunk
the key of which Mr.. Whitney at the same time de-
Gvered to the clerk Of that committee.
DISPATCHES ABsTRACTED.
The Louisiana dispatches received by the Morrison
committee we're in due time returned to the tele-
graph company. Those received by the Morton
committee both the specified lot OF 241 Oregon de-
spatohes and the remaining lot of undesignated
dispatches, remained in the custody of that COM
m;ttee not open to general or careless inspection,
but, on the contrary kept close and under guard
un the 18th day of March, 1877, when the telegraph
company. having been notified they could recover
the same. applied through Mr.. Whitney to the on
GERS of the committee and received back the trunk
in which they had delivered the dispatches to the
committed. locked, together with the key Of the
same accompanied by the statement that these
all the dispatches which had been delivered by the
company to that committee. This trunk with the
dispatches thus believed to be enclosed,
forwarded TO New York. aud in due time.
under the regulations OF the company, was opened,
and the dispatches therein contained destroyed
by burning. The telegraph company were not aware
the time that there had not been been returned
them all the dispatches which they had delivered to
the Morton Committee. In point Of fact, however,
large number Q, I haa & Ssen
OF these about seven hundred were as late rs May.
1873. in the possession of one George Edward
Bullock. of Indiana, who had been the
messenger to that committee, and proteg6
OF its chairman. Mr.. Morton, and who Sc
Thomas J. Brady. of Indiana the second As.
sstant Postmaster General, and others from
that State. an appointment as Consul at Cologne.
Upon the OF his departure in May 1S7S and just
after your committee had been appointed, Bullock
delivered these dispatches to his friend the Hon. j.
Mr.. Brady for alleged safe keeping. who had them
copied and, after consultation with Mr.. Hale and
Others. furnished those copies in part to Mr. William
T.. Chandler, secretary of the National Republican
Committee, and in part TO the New York Tribun,, so
that from Mr.. Brady or Mr. Chandler either directly
or through others, copies of all these dispatches
came into the possession of the Tribune.
THE PUBLICATION
Some Of the originals thus assorted by Bullock ont
of the whole lot OF 1875 telegrams Mr. Brady for
warded anonymously TO the Tribune at time when
It was claimed that journal had no original telc-
grams. The rest of the originals Brady gave Mr..
Chandler. who left the in the Office of General
Butler. member of this committee, in his Absence
without acquainting him from whom they came.
aid in whose possession the committee found them,
The Tribune procured the copies OF dispatches
which 1t had thus obtained 10 I've translated by AIR.
Hassard aud other gentlemen in its employ yment, in
which work they exhibited very great capacity and
lave shown how almost any cipher couid be trans
lated IL enough OF il could be obi aimed to work upon
We have caused the dispatches, far they were
In cipher, 90 be photolthogaphcd, and the others.
relating in any way TO the election TO be printed.
aud report the same herewith. We have also caused
tie dispatches to he translated by Professor Edward
b. Holden. of the Naval Observatory, and return his
report herewith. although, OF course he was largely
adcd from the prior TRANSACTIONS made by the Tr'-
t.ns staf, which. however. from mistakes in the
copies or other causes, contained some errors.
GENERALLY the telegraph company 10 have
exercised due care in respect of the preservation
aud privacy OF their dispatches. aud the theft aud
publication Of the dispatches in question do not
to be in any way their fault. At the same time
We cannot but suspect that Mr. Orton. the president
of the company, since deceased who was an earnest
aud active republican leader iurthered the delivery
OF the dispatches in the custody Of the company to
q republican committee OF the Senate rather than
to democratic committee of the House He had
before shown his bias by permitting TO be withdrawn
from the hlcs of the company JUST before Il
pecteu congress might cail Tor dispatches certain
dispatches sent during the campaign 10y the Post
mastericncral, Mr. TyDcr. Some or these dispatches
~ Mr. Tyner testified, relate to the purchase In the
rrcenoack interest. OF organs and leaders in the
october campaign in Indiana others to the transfer
To Indiana Of certain sums of money for tho Novem-
Der campaign, and we're couchcd in an agreed upon
cipher.
"ISDrAx APPOINTMENT"
On the 3d OF November, 1876. Mr.. Tyner tele-
Chandler, the chairman Of the Republican National
Committee at Now York
II you cannot apous two Indian agents please appoint
To which Mr.. Chandler answcred:-
The two appon; uonts will DO made
MIR. Tyncr replicd:.-
Put representing the two appo,ptmeots A. tn.
credit OF the C~ntrs Bank Of Indisnayolis.
To which Mr.. Chandler then rcspondcd.--
II will be done to-day
Mr.. Tyner says that the first of these despatches
meant
II yon send siQ.D the stats Conm,t,e, far
campaign purposes, send 5000.
That Mr.. Chambers answer being interpreted
MEANT
Tho $1,000 for CAMPAIGN purposes will be furnished
And that Mr.. Tyncr's reply to this meant
Put the sum 81 $1,000 fer campaign purposes che
credit u the Central Bank Of fnjiasspciis
And that Mr.. Chsndlcrs nnsl rcjoinder being trans
lated meant:
snL.I lux ....a.a. As a..a.i.al L.