Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1878 — The Attempted Cupture of a Florida Elector. [ARTICLE]

The Attempted Cupture of a Florida Elector.

The Florid* Board had opened the return* on Tuesday, Nov. 98, had heard evidenoe orr both aides patiently, and was obliged to reach a decision within aiew day*. From the beginning Att’y-Uen. Cocke had been counted safe by the Democrat*. Dr. Cowgfll, formerly of Delaware, was a staunch Union man, and Mr. Marbl* had said it was " wasting” time to call on him. Bw*j<«Tßtato JWcLIn, tor twenty two rears a resident of Florida, was once s Confederate, but afterward a Union man, and a Republican editor of, reputation aa an upright man, but the *otuplratora needed |one vote, and what they tried to do let the dispatches show; V < (No date.) Henry HavemereC, No. 15 West Seventeenth street, New York: Rochester of answer America yesterday to-day under*tend* Timms* my Africa about bat it first avail at my nothing Bavaria a* will Copenhagen once fear reported small by and satisfied hope. Max. TALLAHAHto. 15 West Seventeeth street. New York: My hope ■mall. Vote* about a* reported yesterday. Africa loroliably McLin)satisfied by Bavaria (probably Oogwilll and fear that America IDrewJ understands it. Nothing but cash will avail. Answer my first of to-day at onoe. Thomas. Coyle. New York, 2d Dec. 6.— J. F.Coyle, Tall*., Fla.: Twenty-one nineteen unleaa yon have nineteen five again. H. [Translation,] New York, Dec. 2.—John F. Coyle, Tallahassee, Fla.: Telegram reoeived. Unleaa yon have received will remit again. Havemeyer.

It Is probable that the word ‘‘answer” followed “ received,” and has been lost. But what was Coyle’s “ first of to day”! This, at leaat, though not signed, bears another name ; Talla. 2. —Col. Pelton, No. 15 Gramercv Park, N. Y.: Certificate required to Moses decision have London hour for Bolivia of just add Edinburgh at Moaelle had a any over glasgow fra me rec'd, russiaof [No signature.] [Translated.] Talla, Dec. 2.—CoL Pelton, 15Gramercy Park: Have Just received a proposition to hand over at any hour required Tilden deoision of board and certificate of Governor for 9900,000. Marble. Did Mr. Marble or Mr. Coyle actually re-ct-let such a startling proposition 1 Wc tin not believe it. Mr. McLin has sworn that such a proposition was made to him, not by him, and there has been a question of veracity on the matter between him and Mr. Marble, who denies that he had any talk with Me-' Lin on the subject. In tbe light of these dispatches, which is to be believed! Was It not one of the current political ramorsof the time that Mr. Marble bad said In a Democratic gathering: “McLin is a deserter from tbe Confederacy, and deserters can be bought?” But the question of grave Importance is not whether Mr. Marble deceived others or himself, but what had Gramercy Park to answer. This- * New Yoke, Dec. B.— Man ton Marble, Tallahassee, Fla.: Warsaw here. Bolivia Brazil. [No signature.) [Translation.] New York, Dec. B.— Manton Marble, Tallahassee, Fla.: Dispatoh here. Proposition too high.(?) [No sig.J Gramercy Park had reasons not known to Mr. Marble for considering his “Bolivia” decidedly “ Brazil.” For on the preceding day the following had come from Mr. Woolley: Tallahassee, Fla., Dec. 1, 1876.— Henry Havemeyer. No. 15 West Seventeenth street. New York: Sixteen Fetch may make thirteen. Forty of half of a twelve eleven ten. Can you Bay two in nine immediately if twenty. Fox. [Translation.] Tallahassee, Dec. I.— H. Hnvermayer,- No. 15 West Seventeenth street. New York: Board fetch may make necessary expense of half of a hundred thousand dollars. Can you say will deposit in bank immediately if agreed. Whatever significance may be given to the woid “fetch,” which, it will fce remembered, Mr. Havemeyer failed, on a former occasion, to understand, there can be very little doubt as to tbe meaning of the proposal. And the reply of Gramercy Park was: New York, 1 Dec. 6, 2:25 P. M.-C. W. Woolley, Talla, Fia.: Twenty one nineteen two ten twenty cannot however seven before twenty four thirty seven nineteen reply forty six. [Translation J New York, Dec. l.—C. W. Woolley, Taliah-i*-see, Fla.: Telegram received. Will deposit dollars agreed; (you) cannot, however, draw liefonvote member received. We have no evidence that Mr. Havemeyer ever sent this damning answer, or that he ever read either the answer or the dispatch to which a reply sighed “ H.” was sent. He received dispatches; it is probable that Gramercy Park read and answered them all. But it is now apparent why the Marble-Coyle £2OO,(XX) “ Bolivia” was not held good. Probably Mr. Woolley learned that bargains were going on behind his back, for he telegraphed:

Dec. 2, ’76.—Henry Havemeyer, No. 15 West Seventeenth street. New York: More in select have have whom some you in confidence winning evidently than— Fox. [Translation.] Dec. 2. —To Havemeyer: Belect some one in whom von have more confidence than you evidently nave in Woolley. Woolley. The reply , signed “ W,” might probably as well have been signed W. T. Pelton, and needs careful reading: New York, Dec. 3.—C. W. Woolley, Tails, Fla.: Perfect yon what power we could and answer you cannot belief declined all telegraphed to do all application no in and stay private has ’-you have needles* other prevent here W. (Translation.) Dec. B.— C. W. Woolley: All here have perfect confidenoejn gou. We cannot prevent needless. efined. Stay and do wiiat you telegraphed you could do. Private. Answer. W. “ All here” at Gramercy Park—what doe» that mean! What was it that Mr. Woolley “telegraphed he could do,” which needed not only the secrecy of a cipher, but the injunction “private” within that cipher? Mr. Woolley was private—so private that the following dispatches, covering precisely the same proposition, went to Gramercy Park in two distinct c’phers: Talla, Fla., B.— Col. Pelton, 15 Gramercy Park, N.Y.; Preventing Moses beet Bolivia or from Glasgow vote London documents united Rochester state half giving concurrence electors his cast being court either of in received of action for Havana. [No signature.! [Translation.! Tallahassee, Dec, 8.--COI. W. T. Pelton, No. 16 Gramercy Park: Proposition received either giving vote of Republican of board, or his concurrence in oourt action preventing Electoral vote from being cast, for half hundred best United States documents. [For £60,000 in United States notes.] Marble. Talla, Fla., 4.—Henry Havemeyer, 15 West Seventeenth street, N. Y.: Half twelve may le« thirty eleven winning ten additional seven for give Lieutenant sixteen Russia. * Fox. : (TtUiUlhju.I — I —^ Tallahassee, Dec. 4.—Henry Havemeyer, 15 West Seventeenth street. New York: May Woolley give hundred thousand dollara lees half for Tilden additional Board member? Lieutenant. — Woolley.— There is not much room to doubt what either of these propositions mean. “ Hundred thousand dollars less half,” means exactly the same as “ half hundred best United States documents.” Ah, ye thieves I Hide your deeds under a dozen different ciphers, with shifttifß keys for each, ’known only to your secret thoughts, and yet the damning truth shall come out, and fit? black ineffaceble brand of the great fraud shall be fixed where It belongs, on you 1 j But these, were only propositions. Did Gramercy Park reply? Instantly—but this Nation was not doomed to tbe foul disgrace of having ite chief magistracy sold at auction^ “ forces” with care, but they failed to touch the omnipotent. Devoured with anxiety, they waited. Wilkinson Call. Democratic candidate for Elector, telegraphed: Tallahassee. Dee. 4. 1876.—W. T. Pelton, No. 52 Liberty sueet. New York; Thing* culminating here. Answer Max’s dispatch to day. W. Call. To Woolley came only this answer—to his impatient soul how torturing ! New York, Dec. 4, '6, Talla, Fla., Dec. 4. Col. C. W. Woolley: Act divided time twins him •eonpseleeach all important you in Warsaw other of you may Say have or conjunction consult him loose will wish and coincide you must Israel. [No signature.] . New York, Dec. 4.—C. W. Woolley, Tallahassee. Fla;: Bee Israel and act in conjunction with him. Yon must coincide, or yon will [unintelligible] each other. Have telegraphed him consult yon. Time important Divided oonncils may lose all. [No.signature.] Mr,Woo)ley rushedto“lsrael,”or “ Moses,” or Marble, but not one word bad he reoeived except the following unintelligible dispatch: New Yohil 8.-Manton Marble, Tallahassee, Fla.: Lima should important to onoe b* oonoert councils and better if trust yon can fox done time him divided act only Bolivia with and consult herb. [No signature.] Mr. Marble conld not read this. No one of the conspirators conld read it The duty was slipping away, and the board might decide on the morrow. Mr. Marble telegraphed:' Dec. B.— Ool. Pelton, No. 15 Gramercy Park. New York: Tell Spain to -repeat bis message in my cipher." It is unintelligible. - —Mahtqh Marble. Meanwhile Mr. Woolley received the following: i London will not rally ad via* yon o*o reported so need Lima* Rhine to if ns here. W. ?

- I>*c. 4.-0. W. WoXTTOlkha-wr. Fla.: Reported here that board have given ns the vote, if so, yon will not need to nse Moeptanoa Advise fntlr. This plainly implied that power to draw and use money had been sent to aomebody, bat to wnom Mr. WoolleO could not learn, and in hot liasto be denied knowing anything about the “ Rhine*’ (one) vote, or the “ Lima” (acceptance) said to have been sent. Tali.abahhee, Fla., 6, ’76.—HenYj Havemeyer, Ils.U Wsst B»>satssaih wtssst, Ksw Yotki No one here knows moaning of words Unit Rhine. Foe. But at last came the answer to Manton Marble hirnnelf. Let “ the keen bright sunlight of publicity" fall upon It, and show four millions of American freemen what sort of a man they voted to tnake President of these United (Hates: concert council and letter if trust yon them very no no Warsaw can Oox done time him divided net only Bolivia with and oonsnlt here. INo signature.] [Translation.] Dec. 4.—Manton Marble, Tallahasee. Fla.: Telegram here. Proposition accepted if dona only once. Better oonsnlt with Woolley and act in concert. You can trust him. Time very important, and there ahould be no divided oonncils. (No signature. ] Here, then, was the authority so anxiously awaited. Here was the authority implied, but not received, in the dispatch to Woolley. “It dono only once,” because Woolley and Marble bad sent the same proposition, and tirainercy Park did not want to pay twice for the same rote. Sent hours ago, in that unintelligible dispatch which Marble had tortured all hiß keys In trying to read, because four words had dropped out in transmission, viz.: “ then very no Warsaw” (telegram). Here was the order to buv oiie Presidency of these United States for “ half hundred best United States documents.” And the desired vote? The conspirators rushed out—and it was too late. The following dispatches tell the story: Talla., Fla., 4.—Henry Havemeyer, No. 18 West Seventeenth street. New York: Saturday William if power Joined forty further twenty have Charles necessary be Jane yon late ten sixteen will withjmd six twenty 100 be against Becured five from"Sclvr»e _ appear. ' FijYi [Translation.] Dec. 4 —H. Havemever. New York: Power received too late. Twenty-five ten appear to have Joined with Board arainst contract from Saturday. Will be prompt and advise you further if necessary. Jane Charles William. Woolley. Talla, Dec. 6, ’76. —Col. Pelton, No. 15 Urameroy Park, New York: Proposition failed. Finished yesterday afternoon responsibility [Usd. those. Last night Woolley found me and said he had nothing, which 1 knew already. Tell Tilden to saddle Blackstone Iresort to legal proceedings.] Marble. One secret yet remains: Had the conspirators reason for their hope? They can tell, if anybody will now believe them. Mr. Woolley’s dispatch, nearly unintelligible, seems to imply a belief on their part that Att’y-Gen. Cocke, who voted with the Republican members of the Board to throw out Democratic fraudulent returns from Key West, had been influenced by "dollars.” Tne one thing certain is, that the “dollars” were ready to make Samuel J. Tilden President, but the vote was not. Perhaps they came too late.— N. Y. Tribune, Oct. 8.