The news., 1885-07-14

by Henry c. Kelsey, of this alleged
combination between Sewell and N.Y.
self, date and place being given, but
the name of the public benefactor who
had reported the story withheld. l
demanded without success, however,
the name of the accuser, and, that no
injury might be done the canvass then
in progress, as soon as ended, the
publication of the charge,
I then sought the name of the occu-
pant of the adjoining room ON the con-
tinental Hotel register. PHI. Watson,
ofOhio, the register said, was the man
| addressed to him. also, letter stat
ing all l was permitted to know, and
demanding, if he had made such a
statement, to give the same at once
full publicity. This letter, for safety
of delivery, I sent through Hugh J.
Jewett, at the time President of the
Erie Railroad. To this letter I receiped
no reply.
Distrusting the source of my infor-
nation to me always suspicious one,
perforce, this charge was full of mean
ing and began to look to my ammu-
nition-in short, to investigate myself,
and the circumstances proved very
suspicious as the sequel will show.
| discovered unerringly that my
visit to Philadelphia at the date afore-
said, the only one made by me during
the entire Winter-as / seldom stop
there at all-was two-fold purpose,
to attend corporation meeting (not
railroad) at the hotel in the daytime,
and for that purpose, I telegraphed for
a room (26 being assigned) and to
attend a business meeting in the
evening not in the hotel. The first
meeting failed to reach, but was in
time for the second. I did not visit
the room (26) or any room at all, but
left the house at once with Mr.. A. M.
Fuller and others to keep my second
engagement; disappointing number
of political friends who had been noti-
fed of my coming, to Philadelphia,
and without entering the hotel again
that night went on a late train to New
York, reaching there before daylight.
l now and here affirm, with all the
ponderosity of particularly, that did
not meet General Sewell, or any man,
woman or child in room 26, Continen-
tai Hotel, Philadelphia, on December
the 9Th, 1878. either during the day or
night. Nor have ever met General
Sewell prior to that date, or subse-
quent to that date, in Philadelphia or
elsewhere, for the object and purpose
as charged.
But this is not all. Instead of being
conspirator myself, l had earned the
right to suspect that I was being made
the victim of conspiracy, and making
due allowance for death and forgetful
men, prudence dictated additional
safeguards.
Accordingly l addressed letters to
the following gentlemen, who, having
had much to do with the objects of
my trip to Philadelphia, their memory
of the circumstances was likely to be
accurate:
Mr.. James Montgomery, then of
Chicago now of New York.
Mr.. A. H. Fuller, prominent citizen
of Philadelphia, Director in the First
National Bank of Jersey City, and one
of the largest property owners in that
city, and
Mr.. D. H. Sherman, President of
the Pennsylvania Railroad stock yards
in Jersey city, who, although Repub-
lican, his personal aid to me made
possible the one majority on joint bal
lot which elected Democratic Senate
in 1877.
The following replies were received !:
Oct. 80, 1880.
Hon. John r. MCPHERSON:
Dear Sir-You write me that the
political scandal-monger is abroad
charging yourself and General Sewell
with political conspiracy in your
room, 26, at the Continental Hotel,
Philadelphia, Dec. 5th, 1878, the day
fixed for our meeting, and ask me to
state as near as recollect it all of your
movements while at the hotel that day
or evening.
You were expected from Washing
ton early in the day to attend meet
ing of a corporation in which was in
terested and which meeting came from
Chicago to attend, and owing to your
absence and others the meeting was
postponed You did not reach the
hotel until evening-you did not go
upstairs to the room which the office
informed me had been assigned to you
on telegram from Washington, but
almost Immediately left the hotel
with Mr.. M. A. Fuller and others on a
pressing business engagement. You
were not above the office floor from
the time of your arrival from Wash
ington until we both took the train in
company for New York.
The room was as common as the
street for politicians and others, both
day and evening, who said they came
to meet you. If important to you, you
might get plenty others who know
these facts, unless forgotten by them.
Yours very truly,
JAMES MONTGOMERY.
JERSEY CRY, Oct. 30, 1885.
Alfred IT. Fuller, Esq.
Dear Sir-Please inform me what
data or recollection, if any, you have