New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-06

NOVEL THEORY EXEMPLIFIED - DONNELLY'S
CURIOUS METHODS oF REAsoSING-MR. KING
SUMMONED.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.I
WASHINGTON, May 5.-Represcntatve Manning
was again the stand to-day, before the DonnelIy-
Finley Investigating Committee. He stated that
In the latter part of March Mr. Springer met him,
and during conversation, wrote down on slip OF
paper the names Of eight Democrats who would
vote to unseat Mr. Washburn, namely, Messrs.
Springer Manning. Colcrck, Clark, Sawyer, Beltz-
hoover, Phistcr and Weaver, adding "yOu will
win on that vote" He then made mark opposite
the names of hessrs. Weaver and Phister saying
"yOu will lose these votes on the proposition to
seat DOnney" Mr.. Manning put the memOran-
dunn in evidence stating that he had retained it be-
cause ho suspected Mr. Springer of duplicity. Mr..
DOnnellY made some uninportant statements. His
theory OF the authorship of the now somewhat fa-
nous anonymous letter. received by Mr.. Springer
several weeks ago, Offering to pay Mrs. Springer
$1,000 IL her husband would vote to retain
Mr.. Washburn In his seat. and which
"CoOnel Finley has been suspected
of writing in Donnelly's interests, is, to say the
least. an ingenious one. 1t was disclosed at the
meeting of the special investigating committee yes
terday when Mr. George T. Jones, vice president Of
the Columbian Bank Note Company OF .his city,
and recognized expert in chirography, was placed
upon the witness stand.
Mr.. Jones was first asked to compare tho nnony-
nous letter with the one which Colonel" Finley is
admitted to have written to Mr.. Springer and after
having done so, he gave it as bis opinion that both
Of them could not have been written by
the same hand. Then ho was given some letters
written by Mr. William :. King, of Minnesota, and
the result Of his examination was the conviction
that the man who wrote them might have written
also the anonymous letter. hut that in penning the
letter he had made an attempt to dgnses his hand.
On cross-cxaminatOn Mr.. Jones said that there
were rcsrmblanccs between Colonel" Fnley's
handwriting and that in which the anonymous let
ter was written, and in his opinion the
author of the latter has disguised his
band. in order to initiate the chlrography
OF the former. In other words; Mr.. Jones thought
that Bill King might have written the anony-
nous lcitc- ard If he did, that he tried
to initiate tho handwriting of Finley, sue
cccding so well that Il person seeing it casually
might even think lhat Finley himself wrote it.
The weak point in this theory is that it makes
ont "Bll' KING to be q tool, which, whatever
else he MAJ be. nobody who knows him, except Mr..
Doauc,Iy ,yill suspect him of being. If that letter
was written by any friend of Mr. Wa'hburn's,
10 WIS IA vcTitablo attempt to bribe tho
chairman Of the Committee Elections.
and to have succeeded in throwing the suspicion of
it, author.mp upon Finley or any any other
one of DOnnrllys friends would have de-
frltcd it, obj ,ct. But then Mr.. Dom
urliy's methods Of rcasoning are different
tened 10 the tr,umOny,Of Mr. jones to-day would
conclude thu; il furnished at least rs much reason
10 believe that Finley wrote the anonymous letter
Sir. King has been summoned and those who
know hm brst feel genuine pity for DOnnelly in
view of what Is sure to happen.