Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-09-22

OF eeCEtOH TO the CO6lClOQ Ca0QlQaCe, am uuWll-
beg YOU and Beckley to meet me here without de-
lay that we may decide what Is best TO expose the
vain0us conduct Of these traders in the rights OF
the people.
W.R LAWS
Quickly responding and calling at Alex
andria for Beckley, l met Mr.. Laws at
the st. Marc Hotel, who informed Beck
ley and myself that while engaged in the
canvass for DezendOrf he was approached
by Peter ]. Carter. who told HIM he could
make it to his interest to desert Dezendorf
and advocate Libby's election. He posi-
lively refused to 60 back on what he had
said in the district for Dezendorf. but ex-
pressed willingness to negotiate for his
departurefrom the district. Garter prompt
ly furnished him with the following
letter to the chairman of Libby's COM
mittee:
WHERE CARTER MISSED HIS MAN.
No. so Water Street, J
NG seps sfd y isssa
Hon. Gee. z. Bowdsn, President
Esteemed Sir-Ihis will be handed to you by Mr.
". r; Laws the gentleman / was speaking to you
Mr.. Laws is = gentleman, aud whatever he agrees
to do you may be assured that he will stand by it.
o opoS as Mr.
leaves that other party Dezendorf's case will be
dead Hastily Y0urs' g. cARTER
Before Laws could deliver the note to
Bowden he was introduced by Carter at
Princess Ann Courthouse to Judge Booker
and Mr.. Libby, who arranged for an inter-
| view at the custOmhOuse at Norfolk In
this interview, at which Mr.. Peter Carter,
| Mr.. BOwden and Judge Booker were pres
ent. terms were agreed upon, and Mr.
| Laws asserts that Gen. Malone was made
aware of them.
| Malone was to give him an office in WASH
| ington that was to pay not less than $40
per month. CorrOh0rative Of Laws state
ment, while we were in conference III WASH
| ington, Bill Gordon called Laws from the
room. and on his return, Laws says Cor
| don told him that Gen. Malone had sent
| to him (Laws) to say that he wanted to see
him, and that he would provide a place for
! him.
Laws alleges that in conference at Nor
| folk, Bowden and Booker agreed to pay
HIM $500 in consideration Of which, TO-
| gether with the office, he was to desert De-
zendorf either by leaving the district or by
| advocating the eleeti0n of Libby.
The terms were complied with On the
part of the bribers by paying por-
ton of the money and promising the
rest.
had, as L avs informs me in his letter,
advised both him and BeckleY that if they
were offered
BRIDES TO DESERT THEIR PRIN CIPLEs
to take the brides; but to .'Stand BY Their
Principles. am not prepared to defend
the moral part of such advice, but have
never hesitated to give the same advice
from the stump where l suspected that
such degrading means of controlling men 8
vOtaa ware tn ha usad 81. s
Whom the gods would destroy they n OF
| only make mad, but sometimes they ma Ike
them very silly, az the sequel in this case
will show.
Instead of paying Laws the 5000 cash and
thereby destroying
THE CHAIN OF EVIDENCE SEA-.
OF their conduct, they paid him one hun :
dred dollars in cash and gave him check
for the remaining hundred, which lives to-
day (or proof of 1t does) to convict them
of their crime. The balance ($300) was to
be paid by the day of election. Laws car
risd the check with him to Washin gton,
and after several Intellectual attempts to
have it cashed. deposited it in the Bank Of
| Washington for collection. The bank sent
it to Norfolk for payment. Wishing to
bribers, who love liberty so we'll. and who
are in favor of ...
"A FREE BALLOT AND FAIR COUNT"
induced Laws to send the following tele.
gram:
;... Sept. s. 1852.
Geo. Z. Bowden, Custom House. Norfolk, Va:
want that to-day that could not get here. How
about it! W. r. LAWS,
267 L Street, N. W.
Had Laws purchasers known that Beck
ley and myself were at the other end of the
line 1 doubt not but that they would
have sent very different answer to this
one
NORFOLK, Sept. g. 1882.
WR.Laws, 267 L ST., N. W., Washington De-:
Cannot understand telegram to chairman Bank
here will telegraph any bank in Washington that
check is good Rnmored here that you intend to Re-
square: Have ysu seen the General yet Answer
Room s, No. 81 Roanoke Aven ne.
Anxious that Mr.. Booker and his associ-
ates should fully understand Laws first
telegram, and that full answers should be
made to his enquiries, had Laws to re-
spond as follOws'
w4s SEPT. 3. Ella.
To Jshn Booker Custom House, Norfolk, Va:
Check paid No truth in report that dent mean
to act square. will prove my fidelity to my promi-
SeS WuoA reGufn BACK Dv wednesdays boat
Have not seen the General yet. w. n. LAWS
THE CHECK
drawn by John Booker on the Home Saw
ing Bank at Norfolk, and payable to the
order Of W. r. Laws. was collected BY
the Bank of Washington. at Washington,
DC, and paid to Laws, who is 5000 en-
riched BY money wrung. no doubt, from
the hard-w0rked and poorly -clad clerks at
Washington, while the Malone Campaign
fund is to that amount impoverished.
Laws maintains his loyalty to his orig.
inal pledges. He will continue to work
for the success of Dezendorf and Repubi-
can principles, and he deserves, as he Will
receive, the hearty commentator of hon.
est men everywhere.
And now what becomes of the boast of
these people that they meant to protect the
purity of the ballot-box? Certainly thew
never intended to bedraggle the skirts Of
their own judiciary by giving it such pro-
lection as these facts aevslope To nv
mind it is clear thai Senator
MAHONE KNEW
of this particular effort at corruption. and I
while those who know him best will agree
that he has always adopted the same kind
ct means to secure his ends, the people of
the North, who have sustained him until
recently, will be shocked to learn how un,