The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-12-04
Abrsm Hewitt Pays His Respects Il
Judge Davis.

Abram Hewitt Pays His Respects to
Judge Dayls.
In his opinion in the case Of Kenward
Philip. charged with having forged the
Garfield Norey letter and thus crimi-
na!Iy libeling General Garfield. Judge
Davis characterized the conduct of Mr..
Hewitt in severe and unjudicial ard
partisan terms. Mr.. Hewitt makes the
following reply:
The Judge who sits upon the bench IL sup
posed to know the evidence which has been
given by a witness. Certainly he should ex'
anime it before he undertakes to make state
mcnts as to its nature and to draw conclusions
from it, That Judge Davis has not performed
this duty the following comparison Of his
statement with my testimony will serve to
prove:
The passage is quoted from the orin-
ion in which it is made to appear that
the MOrey letter was not published I'M
til after Mr.. Hart had it examined by
Hewitt. Mr.. Hewitt makes this re.
joinder:
Now, the simple and unanswerabie reply to
oil this statement, tho extraordinary CONF
ments In which Judge Davis has seen fit 10
indulge, is that the letter had already bcca
published in Truth before had ever seen MI
Hart or the original letter, or any copy OF IT.
This fact Judge Davis must have known wncn
he penned the above lines, because l had
sworn, in his presence, AMI after the cross
| examination by Mir. StOughton, in which Mr..
| Bliss interviewed to verify the dates, tina! inc
interview with Mr.. Hart and the examination
| of the letter took place on the 10Th OF octo'
Der, after its publication in Truth, and not be-
| fore. do not know whether Mr.. Hart made
a mistake in his testimony IA to date. but ii
he did there is no possible justification lot
Judge Davis to base IL statement on this mis-.
take in order to attack from the Bench the
character of citizen after tho date MI"
been fixed beyond the possibility OF all COM
troverSy.
While writing this statement sent mes
senycr to Mr.. Hart to ascertain whether nc
had ever made any declaration at variance
with the facts rs I have stated them. NE.
Hart REPLIES he never said, testified, Orthou"ht
that Mr.. Hewitt, or any one connected win
the National Committee, saw the letter in al
vance of the publication of the text of the let
ter in Truth on the 3Oth of October. IncVcr
pronounced the body and signature OF the let
ter to be in the handwriting OF General "ar.
field. On the contrary. in the picsehce VI
Mr.. Hart, aud all the gentlemen present.
declared the body Of the letter not to Dc III
the handwriting of General Garfield out 'na'
believed the signature to be his autograph
As to the second interview in the evening, II
took place after my speech at Chickering Hall
when was exhausted, and took no other par'
in the discussion but to rcairm my beiief N
the genuineuess of the signature. l did moi
tell MIR. Hart that would have made 1t
forgery If could, nor has he or any one elst
testified ever used the expression.
10 Judge Davis assertion that Hewitt
"went on with his associates scattcrin:
the forgery broadcast throughout tn
country" Hewitt replies:
So far us am concerned, it would, perhaps
, be sufficient answer to say that never circu
= lated any Autographs or fac-similcs OF cithe
kind. but, in order to show with what rockies
:, eaycrness the charge is made, state that ar
assured by the person who did send out tn
fac-similcs that only the first or accurate one
were circulated. and that the second q
. amended f0c-similcs were only published
Truth, over which it is not pretended tho con
u mittee had any control. l fOrbear
: make any commentary whatever upo
t the extraordinary character OF the oP'1
y ion produced by Judge Davis 1t
t enough for mo to point out tn
h the foundation upon which he has built up u
n attack upon my character Is false in fact an
=. with this demonstration the consequences ca
" only be damaging to himself. l was prepare
" for this attack by the evidently prcarrangt
7, preliminary statement of Mr.. Stoughton in II
+. Times of yesterday, and am now forced
Ee believe that there Is a concerted scheme to
N tempt to break me down in this communi
,e where have lived for fifty years and to wh
N can more safely trust for just Judgment tn
to Judge Of the Supreme Court who forge
that when nc becomes Judge he should cca
to be a partisan.