Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-11-03


TIE STATEMENT SWORN TO.
Nothing further was needed to convince
every man open to conviction Of the truth
of Registrar Woottens statement had it
stood otherwise unsupported. But, as n
matter of fact, that statement had already
been duly sworn to. in advance of its pub
liGation, rs shown by the following aiii-
davit tthe name in which, indicated here
by blank, is filled out in the original but
withheld from the public by the custodian
thereof for reasons satisfactory to those
Informed thereof:
REGISTRAR wooTrES's AFFIDAVIT.
STATE OF DELAWARE, ! ~
NEW CASTLE CnuHTy. 30.
Be II remembered that on This 9TH day Of
October, a. d., !Sg2, personally appeared lsnac
j. Wootten. who, being by mo first daily sworn
on the Holy Evaugels cf Almighty God, de-
poses and says.
My name is Isaac J. Wootten and reside at
Laurel Sussex county, Delaware, where am
engaged as merchant. am also major in
the First Delaware Regiment. am tho duly
appointed registrar in East Lit q Creek hun
dred, Sussex county. On Thursday, October
i3th, len2. had by appointment made with
George u. Smith meeting with Anthony lIig-
gins, United States Senator from Delaware.
This meeting was arranged by said George T.
smith, who ls tho postmaster at Laurel and is
known rs one of senator Higgins chief politi-
cal lieutenants in SUSSEX county. Smith Is
very active in politics in Little Creek hundred,
'h9suA tOuulSf uuu uSlttHg NOlhtt lDE tIS ht-
publcans.
About Tour weeks ngo sail Smith came to me
aud sRid he had been wanting 10 see mo to
have Il talk with me about politics. lia said 10
me: What do YOU expect to get out OF politics?
] told him didn't expect tu get anything nm
less MIR. Cleveland was elected, and, II he was,
wanted to get a place in the land unlce or Sln
Indian agency. lie went on to say tina. there
was no chance Of Cleveand's election, that
Harrison would bo elected and Harrison would
carry Delaware, that II was TO holp him they
"a so tFRfE
and ii would help them | should
have anything | wanted, and If | didn't
believe him he would write to ana tor lIig ins
and got him down here lie snid tn me could
help them n registrar by turning down Dsnn-
Gratis and lie shtd could be voters assistant IL
] wanted to be, and il wanted to, | could
manipulate the tickets for .llitcratc voters 40
that they wouldn't know, that could stamp
tickets So that the Democrats wouldn't know,
but when the votes We're counted they would
be Republican, that the voters couldn't tell
whether stamped them Democratic or Repub-
lGan.
want to say that my first impulse was to
knock smith down when he began 10 show me
what he was about but cDIltrollei myself and
led him on 20 that he believed was tnyoring
his conditions. lie talked 10 me about my
great influence among the Democrats and |
told him all / had to do was 10 60 out and call
Tor them and they would come. That was
about all there was in our first talk.
said | would see him again and
before / went further | went to Mr.
William II. Records n prominent Demo-
crat in Laurel, aud asked him 10 see Mir.
Alfred Z. Robinson at Georgetown aud ---,
! could benefit the Democratic party.
| was afraid they might BE- u proach-
ing other Democratic registrars in u
similar way and j wanted TO head
of all such schemes, and Colonel Records went
to Georgetown and whom he came back tod
me that - and Mr.. Robinson h1h advised
me to load smith on and get more ont OF him,
to soc ii ! could get who was prompting him
and find out all about it.
Smith was nj or mo almost every day but
puthiln oil from time to time till heard from
---, and when did, which was the tol owing
| Tuesday or Wednesday,, was prepared for
| Smith then led him on and tod him knew
| could be voters assistant If | wanted to. Ile
| told me Mr.. Higgins would do anything he
| (Smittl said and ne would get Mr.. Higgins to
| come down to see me. | tJld him that wasn't
necessary, that would take his word but he
insisted that he would get Higgins down, and
! IN a few days Smith came TO me and told
! mo 10 como to his house that night
| nj half-past ten, that senator Higgins
| would be there, that he had an appointment
| with two other men that night to come to his
house, one was to come at half-paSt eight.
| another at half-pnst nine, aud he didn't want
| me 10 sec them or them 10 sec me, 70 was TO
| come ut half-past ten. | made arrangements
10 have Smiths house watched that night 10
| see who went in there, and Mt half-past ten to
| eleven O'Clock went up 10 Smiths back door
Through his garden as he had requested and
| Smith met inc in the back yard and took me
| into tho house where found anthony Higgins
| waiting for mo. ! know MIR. Higgins but
| smith introduced ma 10 him ana Mr.
| Higgins vert on 10 talk about uarrison being
1 slIrn oi eie,tion, that the RennhIir,,ns vntIiI
carry North Carolina, had q lighting chance
ln aeliiess9s; ui tn,.t ne m pemevea they would
nsrtnt 9h bsI"ware wa. an, "a. hi,, VI III,
God, says hc, "if youth do this we're ali right
lie said he Didn't want to know Ill alb utSnith
and my arrangements, but whatever Smith
said was right and he would do whatever ho
salu t1r Ne; tMt VII 10 swc wGuu gSt h my place ior
10 nix General nolitt AID said thn Rnnnhiii NJ
cans wold carry New York, IIs said, ..ro ia,
vulgar expression, Dana's got the CUTS ot
This is about mo substance cf what we went
oVsr ny M t.d,l,,, hagn,, T.. :, noxt INCENTIVE, =.
un anu taa M mo ny on sS senetar iscis =. rs-s iie
you'ye rot the outs Of Little Creek. rnnSrf II
This 10 alr. Records and -. and 80 t0ld
mo TO got some promise Of particular place
from Mr.. Higgins, aud toti smith wante !
~, NE place 'iis rarsohs o. salis9ury mad under
ntaw9aha IN ~ tn1 ~, ta'a % -, M wro,o ~
,o,1idn;t see any Gus parsons in IN i. hlnn bnns
hui he found n j. A. Parsons who Mad an y ,SOd
place, bus smith said that wasn't good
enough place for me. He said lcould reduce
the DeihoGratic majority IN hlttie Creek U 70 .
sam NV eoIb ~ hi 'I",t ~. s'Enoa p
~ zee IIig,ins NJ some Mace last rht and
haven't seen INN since, lie was to tinl ON n
..,,...,.,..s,,.l ISAAC ]. Wo0rrEN.
year &loresaid. HENRY J, CRIrPEN,
Nousry iuo''c'
II CLEVELAND Siop Lp hE EhEcrEp'
n aa'iltlot % Mnat ii mas pcen hitherto
riI'e y, Nm tsmithH I'M rho ,,oss
| bilitv If tlevelnnd,s "Iretinn ami / spiI II
would be bad for me il did this ami