Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-02-01
Anen,inhernf1ssO.

The libel suit which Joseph Hart, the pub
Usher of Truth, has brought against George
Alfred Townsend now on trial in New York,
brings wildly to the recollection the Morey
letter, and the testimony of Hart let's more
light in upon that forgery than the public
has ever had before. In his testimony Hart
said that he took the letter to the Democrat
ic headquarters and had a consultation with
some of the members of the national com
mittee. Among those who were present at
the conference were William II. Barnum
(chairman), ex,Speaker Randall, Representa-
tive Hewett, ex Mayor Cooper, and several
other party managers who write Hon" be-
fore their names. The following is Harris
testimony:
"What was done at the conference 2"
1.-The letter and envelope we're handed to
Mr.. Barnum, who, after examining them,
handed them to Mr.. Randall. He examined
them carefully and said that he could with
out hesitation pronounce the letter, both
body and signature, in the handwriting of
James A. Garfield. He said that he had been
familiar with Mr.. Garfeld's handwriting for
twenty years and was certain of what he
said"
"What was done next?"
'Mr Hewett took the letter and with Mr.
Cooper examined it very carefully for fully
fifteen minutes in connection with some 9th
err papers, which he said he knew had been
written by Mr.. Garfield. He pronounced the
signature that of Mr. Garfield but was not
certain of the body of the letter. He said he
would compare it with some other letters he
had of Mr.. Garfeld's and if he was convinced
would SO announce from the rostrum on the
next night He announced that the sigma
ture was genuine the next night"
"After the publication of the fac -simile
what efforts did you make to establish the
truth of the letter."
81 despatched a man to Lynn, Mass, to
find out what he could about Morey. He re-
ported that one o. N. Wilson was ahead of
him and had procured all the evidence of
Morey's existence. He got the hotel register
in which was Morey's name, and found the
mother and another relation of Morey, who
testified"
"Who WAS o. N. Wilson ?"
''He was man employed by the Demo
cratic national committee. His name turned
out to be II. II. Hadley."
The witness further testified that the Dem
ocratic national committee had afterward
sent him what purported to be the register
of the Kirkland House with Morey's name in
it, He employed detectives to ferret out the
author of the letter, and kept them at work
for a couple of months.
Mr.. Rewcombe created a sensation by say.
ing 81 believe that can produce to morrow
the original draft of the Morey letter"
eve can show that the letter was manu- fac
turod in the Office of the paper" said Mr.
Townsend.
letter from W. s. Hutchings of the
Washington Post, inclosing one from Robert
Lindsay of Cumberland, Maryland, was offer
ed in evidence, and Mr.. Newcombe read al
affidavit purporting to come from Lindsay
which appeared in Truth.
where did you get that afiidavit2"
1T came to the Office on manitoba sup
pose from the Democratic national commit
tee."
The witness added in a low tone: "Mr
Barnum, the chairman of the Democratic ma
tional committee paid $500 to have it insert
ed"
In answer to questions Mr. Hart said tina
Wilson or Hadley had brought Lindsay an(
Morey to the city to testify in regard to tn,
Morey letter.
Unless Hart is romancing, or, to be mort
explicit, committing perjury, he has impli
Gated many OF the leaders of the Democratic
party with the responsibility of the issue o
that letter 1t will be of no practical use now
but 1t will be interesting to know how far thu
leading Democrats were in the conspiracy L
palm of this forgery upon the country.
was the most infamous piece of work in pc
litical history, not excepting the cipher de
spatches of the Tilden conspirators, wht
were, in fact, the same men who were re
sponsible for the publication of the More,
letter