269
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1859
Remarkable coincidence, this testimony of Hewitson, in support of the power of attorney, is taken at Galveston, during the trial of Ufford vs. Dykes case, and perhaps on the very day when Hughes so magnanimously furnished Hale with a copy, and stipulated that no exceptions should be taken. In my opening remarks, I alluded to "the deep secrecy" which surrounded, as far as possible, the movements of the conspiracy, a sketch of which I have attempted to give from the results of long investigation, and by the lights of some newly-discovered evidence on the subject. I have pointed out, in the progress of the narrative, instances of the secrecy and cunning of the man- agement of these parties. Every means were taken to conceal their steps, and every opportunity was seized to take the oppo- site parties at advantage. The order of transfer from Austin appears to have been entered at the November term, 1854. The transcript was taken by Robert Hughes, with Hewitson's deposition, which was sent him en 'route to New Orleans, where the cases appear to have been filed in April, 1855. When the docket was called there, it appears that Hughes was anxious to have the cases disposed of with dispatch, and to take advantage of the supposed absence at that time of a defense. But in this he was disappointed by the sudden apparition in court of a poor settler who had trav- eled all the way from the wilderness, over hundreds of weary and painful miles, to confront the artful despoiler of his home, and to demand justice. I let the poor man, Eliphas Spencer, tell his story of what transpired in the court at New Orleans, as it is related in the printed evidence taken by the committee of the House in the Watrous investigation. He says: "I think he [Hughes] said he would like to leave them [the suits] tried at as early a day as would be convenient to the court, for he thought there would be no defense, and they could not take up much of the time of the court in trying them. After that I got up and said that I had come some six hundred miles to defend my land, and I wished that time should be given me to prepare my evidence, &c.; Judge Hughes observed, 'Oh, Mr. Spencer, I did not know that you were in court, or any one, to attend to the suits.' " In confirmation of this statement of Spencer of the advan- tage attempted to be taken against him, there is found an
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