Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1879 — THE INVESTIGATIONS. [ARTICLE]

THE INVESTIGATIONS.

The Teller Committee. IN SOUTH CAROLINA. Before the committee at Charleston, on the 27th, State-Senator Maurice testified to the lukewarmness and divisions of the Republicans in Williamsburg, and to the general bad character of Swails, the Republican leader; it was in consequence of Sw&lls' threats that he was notified that tie would be held responsible for any bloodshed or house-burning, and had better leave the county, Gifcuit-bolicitor Hirsh, a Rebhblififth.ttntil 1877; said he bad investigated, by llauiptoli s direction, the different thitrges ihade by Swails, and found that the White-Oak meeting was not held to advocate Rainey; that Swails was not arrested by red shirts, and that no threats had been made against Swails except he would he held to account for any bloodshed or incendiarism. Jack E. Epps, a colored preacher, testified that be abstained from voting at the election in conse?|uence of being debarred by catered Republicans rom ministering in the Baptist Churches be had regularly served —- J. I. lUiwnrd testified that the invitation to Swails to ride into King’s Tree with the red shirts, was freely accepted h-r 'wails when he had been assured no harm would b* done him, J. B. Ohandlef testified that aimed negroes surrounded the Cedar-Swamps Frfccinci, saying the ballot; should not be countef the ballot-box was sent on on a by-path, while (he negroes lay in wait for it on the usual road, tt was the intention of the negroes to murder the Managers and seize ■the box. “ ■ The first Democratic witness from Richland County was Paul Ludwig, who testified as to the peacefulness of the election. John Lee (colored Democrat) had been told by the Republicans that be ought to l>e hung and his wife be burned; many colored Democrats had been threatened and theif, red shifts torn off; others had been pulled from their horses and their wives advised to leave them; saw large numbers of Colored Republicans vote the Democratic ticket. Coleman Beattie (colored Democrat) was told that every colored Democrat ought to be hung or burned. . Andrew JbhhSon tcOlothd Democrat) had been threatened, abused and beaten by colored Republicans on account of his politics.and his children beaten and driven from schooL Jr.nies Minns (colored) had been cursed and scorned, and his children hissed at because he was a Democrat. He had been shot in the face and his head was broken. Dick Wallace (colored) had been cursed and threatened by colored Republicans, who also knocked down abuildingon his place. James Taylor (colored) was attacked, near Columbia, by three colored Republicans, who tore off his red shirt and stole his hat. Other attempts were made to do him bodily injury. , i: Edward.tcr.ry.,a.printer. of.Charleston,.testifiedthat he printed 10,000 Republican tissue-tickcte lor E. W. Mackey, Republican candidate tor Congress, at the last election.

William Riley, a colored Republican, from Barnwell, testified, on the 28th, thst on the bight before the election he was taken from his house by a band of white and colored men, tied to • tree, and aeverely beaten becauae he was a Republican. - ~7 Fred Nox. a colored Republican, of the same county, testified that he was assaulted by the Democrats at a meeting at Biackville, OcL 11, who insisted on a division of time, and that a colored Democrat fired at Congressman Smalls, who was also prevented from leaving the place that night, Thomas H. Moses, a colored Democrat, testified that a majority'of the colored people in the thickest colored sections or the county were Democrats. J. E. Steedman, a white Democrat, testified that there was no disturbance at the Biackville meeting; that Smalls consented to a division of time, and that on election day everybody voted freely. L. J. Isclar, Mayor of Biackville, confirmed this testimony, and testified that the Republicans indorsed the whole Democratic ticket,' except two candidates for Legislature. ____ J. Bellinger, a colored Democrat, testified that William Riley was a notoriously bad character, whom be would not believe on oath; at the poli where witness was on election day,-in Hampton County, moßt colored people voted the Democratic ticket. J,, 1 1 ... Sandy Keith, a colored Republican Deputy Marshal, testified thst at Orangeburg. Orangeburg County, the Republicans were delayed in voting; that he saw a Democrat stuff Democratic ticket* into the box, and that he was arrested for insistIh4 on going into the polling-room to witness the count ; after, the election. he had-been-assaulted, and is afraid to go back home; hundreds of colored men have been turned off by their employers because they did not vote the Democratic ticket. E. A. Webster, • whtfe Republican, testified that two Republican, meetings were broken up by the ■Democrats, and that at the election the Repnbllcans were more, united than ever before. Two colored Supervisors testified, to the excess of tickets in the boxes, and to the solidity of the colored vote. ®- Byss, colored, testified to the threats of colored Republicans against cojpn*! Ope

colored Democrat Waa severely beaten for distributing red shirts. • ' I '' '• " 1 1 ' ,IJ ,r • WVL. Daggett, white Democrat testified that he had prlsted olfferent kinds of Democratic tlcketa for election, Inclndlng some thousand tlasuo-tlck-eta. The testimony before the committee, at Charlestons on the 29th. waa similar In many respect* to that previously given. Two Republicans testified that Georgetown County was given to the Democrat* by throwing out Republican vote* on account of allegod informalities. It. Bmith a colored Democrat, waa positive that over 8000 colored men in Charleston voted the Democratic ticket at the late election. Tbe committee adjourned to meet in Washington. on the 3d of February.

The Potter Committee. * IN WASHINGTON, -Iju The cipher telegrams were taken np by the committee, on the 27th. Clarence Carey, the attorney for the Western Union Telegraph Company, testified that certain telegrams were placed in hla hands, when It was proposed to Issnc subpoenas for their production before the Inveatlgaling Committee, to' prevent tbelr inspection by the public; subsequently he was directed to deliver them to the Manager of the Telegraph Company at Washington, and did ""kloyd Grant testified that of the 29,000 political telegrams 300 were In cipher. Manager Whitney testified that he delivered 300 cipher dispatches to the Morrison Committee; thought they were afterward returned; some of them w<tc subsequently delivered to the Hcnete Committee on Privilege* and Election*. James U- Green testified to thu burning of the eutire content* of a trunk containing telegrams received from Washington, sh teply to ihe question If he knew anything of any telegrams being kept hack from those furnished In compliance with the subpoenas of the committees, witnesssulil he knew of some telegraphic correspondence being collected, prior to the issues of the enbpieiias, between James N. Tyi tr and John \V. Foster, the latter of IncUafiapOila; at the request of President Orton, witness sent the telegrams in question cither to Mr. Orton or to Capt. Whitney, at Washington; the messages referred to political matters, and Ihe linpreasiou formed hy the witness was that they referred to Ihe sale of some political office; he hail no direct Information that the conclusion arrived at by him was a truo. one. ’ Prof. Edward 8. Iloldcll, Naval Observatory, was sworn to translate, without divulging In any Way. the cipher telegrams width Wero in the bauds of the chmmlttee; At this point the committee adjotifned. On the 28th, Ass’t P. M.-Gen. Brady testified: Brady said that he suspected the contents of a package given to him for safekeeping hy Mr. Bullock; he had copies made, and gave a portion of the originals to William E. Chandler, another part, anonymously, to Whitclaw Reid; the remainder were given to Chandler and Hiscock; the telegrams of noth parties were in the bundle, and both sides of the question wore revised by them; Chandler waa given the Florida , dlspntohes; witness, Chandler and Col. Parker (Chief of the Fostofflce Special Ageflts) endeavored to translate the messages, but utterly failed) Witness took frtlm the telegrams In the Senate com-tnittce-fooni those which passed between Tyncf hml himself; he would produce all that he received or that were sent by him, if they can bd found; there was nothing in them that he would fear the world seeing. William B. Chafidler testified that he lett the Inajor part hf the telegrams which Gen. Brady gave him in the private office of Gen. Butler; another package he took to the Washington office of the New York Tribunt; he first furnished coniei of the Florida telegrams which wera returned to him, and Mr. Illscock sent copies of all,remaining telegrams to the Tribune. W. T. McClellan was called, on the 29th, and testified that he had translated the Oregon cipher dispatches, Oen. Brady was recalled and presented the telegrams sent ahd received by him, and explained their purporti he said Gen. Tyner wa* his correspondent, . .*•. ■ "■ - Gen. Tyner Wa* sworn, fttld prod odea the telegraphic tcUTfespttndenee between himself, Mr. Foster atid Mr: Chandler i he saw milney was needed in Indiana, anh. Foster and he adopted catch phrases, which Wddld be understood by them and unintelligible to Others; A proposition had been mfide to purchase the Indianapolis Sentinel, and they agreed to call this the “ Brown” arrangement in their correspondence; the transactions with the Greenbackers were to be known a* tho “Smith” case; the word "early” meant *IO,OOO. and the word "certain,” *5 007; the telegram, then, being in these words, “ Jas. N. Tyner—Smith case and arrangement* are satisfactory. Certain will be necessary in addition to early promised by McCormick. J. W. Foster.” meant i substantially, be said, that Foster had madesatistactoiy arrangement* with ihe active members of the Greenback party In Indiana, to arrest the Greenback movement, ahd that *ls;000 would be required for that purpose. Other dispatchCs were similarly explained. Witness farther said that, after the October election, he had a conversation with Z. Chandler aa to the prospects of carrying Tndiana fhr the Republicans in November. The witness wa* to go to Indiana and see what could be done; if there was any chance of success he was to telegraph Chandler, who would furnish him with funds to the extent of *10.000; before he left, the witness said to Sec'y Chandler; “If we telegraph aboqt money we had better use a phrase;” it wasdecided that if *5,000 were needed the witness should telegraph foronelndian.appointment,andif *IO.OOO. two Indian appointments, and Chandler Would honor his drafts for these sums. W, E. Chandler Wa* called, and stated that he wtqte and, signed one of tbe two telegrams sent by Znch Chatldldr id which Indiail Agents were mentioned; hfc xfcfHfembfited the great admiration with which he regarded thiit clCver cijJher. Still the cipher was made and he had to use it: to the question whether the dispatches had no reference to any appointment, he Baid: “ Anyone who knows Zacn Chandler, knows that he never-made any appointment in his Department either for money or a consideration of any kind, and I did not think any gentleman would suggest it.”

On the 30th ult., Whitelaw Reid (New York Tribune) testified that he had received a package of “ cipher dispatches" from William Ei ChandlSr, and one from Mr. Hlscoek. of the committee: He produced two sCramboqks; the firkt volume contained copies Of the Florida dispatches; Volume No: 2 embodied telegrams referring to South Carolina and Oregon; before the telegrams were deciphered, Mr. Reid said he published editorials on the subiect, with a view to inducing some one to corne forward with a key to the cipher, but that failing, the copies were attacked seriously; Messrs. Hazard and Grovenor did the entire work of translation; Prof. Holden aided in some immaterial way; with the exception of Mr. Marble, no one had complained, and the latter was justified as he was not the author of the telegram attributed to him; the first of the Oregon dispatches were not deciphered and published in the Tribune, but in some other paper t an Associated Press dispatch drew attention to the. fact that the cipher used was an bid minifig Cipher, and was taken from the “ Household Dictionary the 'Tribune experts then procured this dictionary. and the cipher was plain; witness met Gov. Tilden about the time the publication of the dispatches commenced, and told him they were bothered by these ciphers and he ought to give them the key; Tilden replied in the same jocular way ,and subsequently, at Saratogas id be did not know anything about the ciphers and did not believe any had been delivered at his house; Reid understood him to mean that he had not even read the telegrams then being published. The Potter Investigating Committee began its session, on the 81st ult., with a secret sitting, during which a resolution was adopted, naming Messia. McMahon, Stenger, Springer, Oox afld Hiscock aa a sub-committee to proceed to New York to take testimony concerning the cipher telegrams. ....... SC<Martins was recalled, and testified that he Sut the dates on the cards sent to him by Madox, all at the same time, and subsequently to the interviews he held with hint. A. R. Potts, Sergeant-at-Arms of the sub-com-mittee sent to New Orleans, testified as to the appointment of St. Martins ns Deputy, and stated that all the subpenas he had he obtained from witness with no other instructions except to serve them. „ . ... Mr. Blackburn testified that he had never spoken to St. Martins in his life except perhaps to khv good day; had never seen him talking with 8 anger, ana never heard that a large number of witnesses wore kept in close quarters by him and c^€r Mr. Stenger testified that the first time he saw Weber was in the committee-room at New Orleans; never saw SC Martins until he was appointed ; believed he was appointed st the suggestion of Weber, who recommended him as one who knew where to find witnesses; never had any conversation with Maddox, and did not sneak to Carter until the committee returned to Washington- ■

The proportion of land covered with forests throughout Eufope is 29 per cent., of which Russia and Sweden furnish the greatest part. In Russia, 40 per cent of territory is covered with woods, and o( this some 200,000,000 acres are covered with pines and 1 other cone-bearing trees. Sweden and Norway have 34 per cent., chiefly birch, maple, pine, fir and willow. Austria has 29 per cent, Germany has 26 per cent, and France 17. Far below these comes Spain, with its cork woods and evergreen oak forests, coveting 7 per cent, of the land, and Holland and Belgium with the same. Portugal comes next with 5 per cent, and Great Britain follows with 4 per cent The percentage annually decreases in all coun..triesrapidlj, . When a snow-ball as hard as a doorknob hits you in the back of the head as you are crossing the street, no matter how quickly you turn, the only thing you cab see is ’one boy, with the most innocent face apd emptiest hands that ever confronted a false accusation. Hawk-Eye. i «. ■ I , . 1