New-York tribune., 1882-04-08
THAT "PErrY THEFT" AcKNoWLEDGED

THE STOLEN DISPATCH. AND WHO STOLE IT.
Some time ago we published letter from
the General Manager Of the Western Union Telegraph
COMPANY about the theft of a dispatch from the Editor
Oi TIE TRIBUNE the Assistant Secretary Of state.
General Eckert said the guilt rested Of the tee-
graphic employees but that in trying to punish him, they
had been stopped by finding law in the District to
cover offence which nearly everywhere else in the
Union sends tho criminal 10 the penitenary.
In publishing tins note stated that tho crime was
committed either by j. A. Hutchison the operator who
received the dispatch by jules Guthrdge the opera
tor in branch Office a few yards away, having loop
on the same wire. For a time the two operators had
nothing TO say. Then they appealed TO The Herah
(which had published the stolen dispatch in letter from
pretended Friend Of the late President,'D to help
them ont Of the nfamy. 1t trief,-saying that II
didn't know them in the matter and had heard them
well spoken of-and then making the droll assertion
that it received this extraordinary letter anonymously
and published it without the least idea In tho world
where it came from
Naturally this vindcati0n" did not vindicate, and
further efforts made resulting in receipt of the
following curious and interesting affidavit, from Mr. j.
A. Hutchison himself:
coa,qiy of Washington District Of Co,,tpbia:
Personally appeared before me. Nicholas Calan q
Notary Public in and for said County aud Dis
rirf John A. Hutchison, who is personally well
known to me- ana R9a6 1@ nsi Iy'pa S nE hs avn
YORK TEIPTSE of March g he can definitely recall
eiegraphc dispatch Mr.. Whiteaw Reid TO the Hon
John Hay published in The New York Herald o. January
s last and which TIE NEw-YoR TKIBCSE Of the date
mentioned charged said Hutchinson with stealing from
the wires and delivering TO improper par'isss;;
patch in question, and never 1t since u
ieft his hanes and never heard mention made
OF OF II e sad 0sG dSpn ~ re % T Oi% YORK Hea that on
the day following the publication in The Seo- YORK
nIace Of bnness letter from Mr. Jules Guthrldge oi
which the following is copy the Original having been
sent TO Mr.. WhIelaw Reid
DsAR HUTCH: have Just read a communication IN
to-day Yetc-Yori Herald which embodies among othc
things the dispach sent by Whela" keld lasi spring
/ want 10 say TO you here that 1t never
came from me. When saw 1t thought J
however, decided to drop II entirely. was afterwarJ
told could get - bg money for it ron me, me hsr
compromise you, ana certainly should not have sodH
felt that Lao everything to lose and relatively ttls
to gain by antagOnizing Whiteaw Reid aud lllL lklb
yon knew nothing about The Herald Gle until now. my
advice is 60 acknowledge nothing In short you know
'"''S,i csisnedj JULES GuTmrDcE.
The aian further that this the first ntins
ton he had had that there such dispatc III exist
encc or that it had passed through his hands; that
on his first opportunity thereafter; he went to
pany Mr. Marean, and told him that he had probably
received the dispatch. but could not definite
4ritnS, he Intchison desired to be so infor1ncd
that took no further steps IN the matter until some
stated that the message was in his, iiutchisons hand
writing; that investigation into the matter had been
made by whom he could not but he did say that he
Marean had had nOtang TO do with IT, Ainant iurther
states that about TINS uie r SGOrge 1a @ Guoa
when conversation ensued Of %hica he hulenison,
tpanseript OF tho notes then made by him:
Il understand you took that dispatch, bat l
don't believe you had anything TO do WIN
alaak ont
coming and saying, We have access TO The awcrF
ca can hnss Tnsp % s NE aa sh be h%S az Tsng pn
things IN his possession now and said he would nSd
i guess good deal OF this leak is him. asked
GilhLnd he had ever ,..Ssa seen s the .aid Slsi
no. but things transpired at that time which made
him think Guthridge le the man that took IT, Aiadi
the publication in TIE TRIBUNE OF March
ny mrther to his knowledge in regard to inc
telegram In question: that evening OF the Gay
last mentioned Mr.. Guthridse happened TO come where
he WAS employed when he (iutchson asked him wnas
wrote the following the back OF tel graphie DisaA
and banded IL To him. . -,
'You know mtg. know mtg, that's what said TO-DAY
when spoken ON subject; stick 10 IT.
Hutchinson further that after he read this noe
he returned II to Guthrdge, who erumpicd W In ~
hand and threw ii the toor that Guhrdgc tnen saa
10 bystaner that he knew nothing u the dispatch ana
Aant further states that beyond the several state.
meuts made TO him by the parties named herein 'as
notes received from Mr. Guthrldge Ohe Originals s S
Which been sent TO Mr.. whitelaw Reid. and 'Se
AFFIDAVIT before mentioned, OF Mr.. Byrne, ~
has no deilnit recollection OF tho dispatch IN
ouestion; that be has endesvored to secure thor.
ouRh investigation into all the facts and nas
earnestly appealed TO General Thomas 4. Eckert "
cause searching investigation TO be made here b. some
one designated by him. and that tins affidavit gwen -
aid In the made ageeaby with the ahan''
suggestiou. (Sgned) J. A. HCrCHsoN
subscribed and sworn TO before this 9th day W
March, A. D., 1882. (Signed)
n. CALLAS. Notary Public
We take great pleasure in publishing this for Ms
Hutchisons vindication It Is our duty. however,"
add that tho affidavit does the full letter from
the Interestingly uneasy Mr. Jules Guthridge rheons
ina letter Is before and know II to Do 10 JUS
ridges handwriting. There are two or three dscrepsn'
between 1t and the copy given In the affidavit ~ ~.
only one Of much importance the original says "noA
got copy OF it"where Mr. Hutchison. inadyertsn'v.
no doubt quotes 1t reading, When saw ID
Rut thers "a something muon more Significant Between
tho as sentence the one just preceding as r'
.hovs there is In the original erasurc Of an en'
s.ntenee Mr. Hutchinson. IN letters In our posseSson'
asn,ts having made this erasure but protests ths' ="
cannot remember why he did It. or what the sen'one
was We think we can help him. We have supn''s
the letter W experts, who. examining it seyeraly