The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-10-16

~u NuCotlOn- ndt bCC41liO Va
written contract above mentionedf
Answer-It was placed in the hands
of John S. Witehsr. now Secretary OF
State, for the purpose of taking it TO
Wheeling and submitting it to other
parties there to sign it, who were to
have an equal interest on their adyo-
eating its (the bilPs) passage over the
opposition of James H. Ferguson and
others.
Sd Question-Was there anything
said at the time of entering into the
said written agreement about money
due from the general government fsr
tolls to the Bridge Company
Answer-There was. We understood
that there was between ten thousand
and thirteen thousand dollars due from
the Government to the Bridge Com
pany for the passage of troops and their
supplies over the bridge during the war,
which was considered by as part OF
the benefits to be derived from the pas
sage of the bill.
Cross xamination-Question by j. II.
Ferguson, complainant's counsel-Do
you mean to be understood as swearing
positively that the name of +. ~
Wright was inserted in the body OF the
contract, at Guyandotte, as one OF the
parties therefor
Answer-Yes, to the best of my recol-
lection.
ID Question-May You not be mis-
taken.
Answer-I don't think / am.
Sd QUESTIONABLE you positively GER
tain that b. d. McGinnis reported that
the passage of the bill had been stopped
in the House!
Answer am.
Re-examined.-Question-Did b. D..
McGinnis, at the time of entering into
said contract, state whether Mr.. +. ID.
Wright was consulted in regard to the
passage of Senate Bill No. II. If so,
what did he statei
Answer-He stated that Mr.. Wright
was favorable to the passage of the bill.
And further the deponert saith not.
TSipned1 j. II. HYsELL.
Joseph Price being sworn deposeth
and saith as follows:
1st. Question by Defendants Counsel.
Do You know anything in relation to
Senate Bill No. IL while it was upon its
passage in the Hoasei fso state all you
know about it.
Answer-I went to Wheeling while
the said bill was OH its second reading
in the House. / met Mr.. John s. Wit
cher there who told me there was no
use to try to defeat the passage of the bill
it had passed the Senate aud was then
on it's second reading i'll the House, and
that Mr.. Ferguson had made speech In
favor of it's passage. He went with me
to Mr.. Ferguson's room, and then con-
suited Mr.. Ferguson, and he told me to
call at his room the next morning. l
accordingly called, when Mr.. Ferguson
showed me some instructions from Guy.
andotte to vote tor that bill, signed
among others by +. Smith. MIR. Fergu-
son inquired of me whether or not; 1T
was Edward Smith the sOn of L. D.
Smith, aud told him it was not, that
his name was +. A. Smith, and that the
one whose name was signed to it was
Henry f. Smith, who was then in the
store with VIM. o. Wright and is a
brother-in-law of the said VIM. y.
Wright. | authorized Mr.. Ferguson at
that time to state to the House that 1
would take the bridge upon the condi-
tions mentioned in the bill, and further
that l would give the State one thous-
and dollars to make the transfer to me.
Mr.. Ferguson said upon that PROPOSE
ton he could certainly defeat the bill,
and also told me to consult MIR. Lamb
and Mr.. Bickel of Wheeling and put
them in possession of all the facts,
which l did. And the bill as it came
from the Senate, was defeated while |
was there. was there four or five days
and as soon as the bill was defeated /
left for my home in Guyandotte.
Colonel John S. Witcher tried
every way to get me to give
up my efforts to defeat the bill, and
said that it had gone too far to stop it.
Mr.. L. d. Wright also told me that
there was no use to try to defeat the
bill. And further the dcponent saith
not. -f...
(Signcd) JOSEPH PRICE.
The above is the deposition in full OF
Captain Price.
B. d. McGinRis, Prosecuting Attor-
ney for Cabell county, brother-in-law OF
E. ID. Wright, who is the father of VIM
o. Wright, deposed as to the contract
and that Witcher took it way.