Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-01
SENATOR HIGGINS ON THE STAND



stance?"
Mr.. Mahaffy-"I admit / might have
spelt that Hume. When made out list
No. 8 Mr.. Watson helped in calling off
names. Otherwise Mr.. Mahoney and |
did the work alone and | believe the
lists to be accurate copies.
81 know nothing about the cash set
Element"
The committee then adjourned to
o'clock Tuesday afternoon.
THE ERROR LISTS PRODUCED.
1t was exactly 1870 o'clock Tuesday
afternoon when the chairman called the
committee to order. Mr.. Bradford sug-
gestei that it would be proper that the
error list for 1890 DO produced before the
committee.
There was another short delay await
ing the appearance of the heavy tones.
Meanwhile Mr.. Bradford was absorb
ingly engaged in the close consideration
of several sheets of manuscript, it is
supposed more questions for the wit
nesses
None of Mondays more prominent
witnesses were present. Deputy United
States Marshal @. M. d. Watson was
the only one of the Federal officials in
the room.
Close discussion of an informal but a
very important nature, (which as scantily
as the reporter could gather flor it WAS
continued informally among a small
knot around Attorney Bradford's deskl
indicated a new departure or line of
policy to be pursued in this investiga-
ton by which an attempt is to be made
to inyalidate the Levy Court commit
tees certificate as to the collectors error
allowance
This of course would prick the whole
bubble and in effect place the two col
lectors in position that they would
hold previous to March 10th-in other
words, entirely at the mercy of the
court in regard to all the money they
owed 10 the county previous to March
10th. If this be accomplished further
investigation would be technically not
needed so far as the two collectors are
individually concerned.
Mr.. Bradford drew the attention of
the committee to the fact that the error
lists of Dougherty and Mckee were
| filed on March 18th of that year that is
on the day after the the final payment
was made to them on account of taxes.
DEPUTY wATsoN's EVIDENCE.
Deputy United States Marshal George
| NJ. d. Watson was next called to the
stand. Similar preliminary questions
were put to him as to the preceding
witnesses. File stated that receipt was
held for each and every name on that
final list.
"There was," he added, "a bona tide
receipt for each name, and | compared
| all the receipts with the Names"
On Mr.. Hickman's question, the wit
ness reaverred tho fact of the compari-
son of the receipts with the list of RS"
On further questioning he added, 81
have a copy of the final list of the Rs.
and can produce 1t at any time when
called on"
Mr.. Bradford-"You will produce it
| then 2"
MIR. Watson--"It is private property
but l will let you have it."
| On MIR. Hickman's request two small
leathered- books were held by
Mr.. Bradford. TIE witness was re-
quested to state whether he had ever
seen them before. These were the ORR
ginal lists.
Mr.. Watson taking one up after the
other and examining them-"I don't
think ] ever saw them before"
On Mr.. Bradford's request he con-
tinued, 1T was list in book form thai
had. ! received it from Henry q.
Mahatfy."
| FILLED IN THE RECEIPTS
Mr.. Watson in reply to Mr.. Hickman
Eyes, l helped to fill in the body Of
the receipts"
Mr.. Hickman-"Did you stamp any
of the tax receipts?"
Witness-"No, sir"
Mr.. Hickman-"Mr. Chairman, wish
to say that if these tax receipts and lists
had at first been exhibited to the COM
mittee and placed in their hands it
would have been possible to show that
these bargains were made elsewhere
than at the post-offlce. 1t is the general
opinion everywhere that it is from these
books that the lists were copied and the
return made March 18th. All knew
that the error list was going to be al
lowed. Now we could not go on unless
we had the tax receipts to go by"
Mr. Bradford--"I must say l never
heard syllable of testimony that this
has been done"
Mr. Bradford to witness-"Did you
hear any intimation or have any under
standing whatever that the names APP
pearing in the final list and for which
the money had been paid were to be re-
turned as deinquents?"
Mr.. Watson-"Never heard 1t spoken
of--the only object understood was to
qualify the voters"
Mr.. Eliason-"That was just the rea
son we wanted to have the error lists,
tax receipts and other documents in our
possession at the very inception Of this
investigation"
Mr.. Bradford then went into another
explanation of the reasons why he
adopted the policy of hearing the wit
nesses before producing the tax receipts
and other documents before the COM
mittee.
WHAT MIR. HICKMAN KNEW.
81 move Mr. Hickman be sworn"
said Mr.. Clark, and Mr.. Hickman being
in nowise unwilling was duly qualified.
Mr.. Bradford asked him for any state
ment he might see fit about any facts
coming to his knowledge.
Mr.. Hickman said that when the
error lists of the Wilmington collectors
were presented to the Levy Court, he
had no knowledge that they contained
the names of any persons whose taxes
had been paid He had not even any
suspicion until March 9th, the day the
error lists were allowed. On that day a
gentleman came to him and told him 1t
was shame to allow those lists, as they
contained many names of persons whose
taxes had been paid.
Mr.. Hickman said he impaired this
information to Mr.. Eliason, but to no