Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-29
THAT ANONYMOUS LETTER.
Bill King on the Witness Stand-H
CrOss-erGnstneS DOnnelty.

Blu King on the Witness Stdnd-He
CrOss-ecGntnes DOnneliy.
Washington Post, May 70.
The famous ex-Congressman Bill King,
of Minnesota, appeared before the Springer
letter committee yesterday. Being sworn,
he said:
"I live at Minneapolis, MINI. was here
considerably of the time during February
last, and was here until the evening of the
4th of March. left here at 9:45 o'clock"
THE anonymous letter bears date March
4th. 81 had no connection with the con-
tested election case. I retusned to Wash
here between the 4th and 9th of March. 1
left here about the 1st of April for my
home" 1t was on April LIST the final vote
was taken in the committee of elections on
the Donnelly- Washburn case. 81 have no
knowledge of who wrote that letter or caused
it to be sent. l first heard of it through the
public press. l have no idea whatever of
who wrote the anonymous letter. I never
saw that handwriting before. Mr..
Donnelly and myself are not friendly. Mr..
Finley and myself are friendly. In our con.
versations it was understood that was for
Washburn and Finley for Donnelly. I said
to Mr.. Washburn that Finley said that he
would lose his seat unless he spent lots of
money. Washburn replied that he would
not spend one cent to keep his seat. / told
Finley that if Washburn was turned out all
the sawmills at the Falls would be put into
the canvass to return him to Congress. When
I left Washington on March 4th, I understood
that Mr.. Springer was thoroughly against
Mr.. Washburn. I may have said that Wash
burn would spend any amount of money to
be returned to Congress; that he would come
back cost what it might"
Mr.. King was here asked what difference
there was, in point of morals, between spend
ing money to be returned after being turned
out, and spending money to keep himself
from being out. He replied that not being
a moral philosopher he could not answer
that question.
'sI was registered at Wizards hotel on one
occasion, but whether was registered on
other occasions can't say. AS rule I do
not register when go to hotels. l made
such abominable work on one occasion in
registering that was ashamed of my sigma
ture."
Mr.. King then expressed desire to cross
examine Mr.. Donnelly. Mr.. DonuelIy took
the stand. Mr.. King asked why Mr.. DON
nelly told Mrs. Springer that that letter came
from q friend of Washburn. Mr.. Donnelly
replied because it was on the Sd of March
that Washburn saw for the first time the re-
port of the subcommittee, recitlng the proof
that he had bribed over 300 voters, and in
Inundated thousands more, and that on the
4th of March, when the anonymous letter
hn Md - j.
were in a desperate state of
mind, and ready to venture on
anything to save Washburn. That the
anonymous letter was "feeler." If Spring
or was dishonast he would bite at it; if he
was not he would rise and expose it in the
House, and Washburn's friends would then
deny that it came from them. Mr.. King
asked what motive he would have had to
send such letter to Springer, if he, King,
believed Springer to be an honest man. Mr..
Donnelly replied that he did not know what
King believed upon that question. It did
not follow that if an improper proposal was
made to member of Congress that the
party making it must know positively that
the member was dishonest. Mr.. King ex-
pressed desire to cross-examine George T.
Jones, the expert. This will probably be
granted to-day.
Mr.. McLennan, the expert who was called
last week, and then testified that in his
opinion Mr.. Finley might have written the
anonymous letter, was recalled and examined
at length as to the similarities between some
of the letters in Finley writing and the let
tiers in the anonymous letter.
1t has been decided by the committee to
send the letter, or its fac sinnsIe, to two ex-
perts-one in Boston and one in New York
who have 30 far had 1thing to do with
the case. Their decision will be awaited with
interest. 1t is probable that the investiga-
ton will close in four or five days. So great
is the doubt in the committee as to the au-
thorship of the mysterious letter that it
probable that two or three reports will DO
made upon the SUBJECT. Mr.. Carlisle, tn
chairman, is understood to take the ground
that neither King nor Finley wrote the
letter,