The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-02-03
What did Mr.. Robbins say

IN Won
Mr.. SWEET. One night after the commit
tee had adjourned, about midnight, while
passing out of the Capitol, Mr.. Robbins ask
ed me thai question / think Mr.. Robbins
said. ssThere is a rumor about me, and 1t Is
false :" or, he might have said, ut Is ma
mnusly false"
Mr.. BLYTHE. Had there not been SUD-
pena issued for Mr.. Stephens before this
time. in which his name was spelled wrong
ly. and to which he had refused to respond
Mr.. SWEET. The subpoena was directed to
A. w. Stevens. of Craven county, and was
delivered to j. W. Stephens, of Caswell
county, through an error of the sheriff OF
Wake county.
Mr. BLYTHE. Did this occur before Mr..
Robbins came before the committee and
made his confession2
Mr.. SWEET Yes.
Mr.. BLYTHE. Did not the Senator from
Rowan tell you that he had intended to de-
nv the whole matter, but that he had told
his wife of it, and was afraid that she would
not respect him ifhe lied about it 2
Mr.. SWEET Yes sir.
Mr.. BLYTHE. I wish to ask Mr.. Stephens,
the Senator from Caswel a few questions.
How long after you mace the application to
Mr.. Robbins did you pay the money to himY
Mr. STEPHENS The same evening that
received my per diem, at the door OF the
Treasury.
Mr.. Blythe. You simply made the pro-
position to him that if he would use his in
fuence for your resolution you would give
him $40?
Mr.. Stephens. asked him If he was in
favor of my getting my per diem and he
said he was Then made the proposition
to give him SEQ if he would advocate its
passage
Mr.. Blythe. Did you expect anything
else2 asa
Mr.. Stephens. expected his influence
with his party told him he was lawyer
and would give him $50 to advocate the
passage of my resolution.
Mr.. Blythe. How long was it after you
paid him the $40 before he offered to give it
back to you9 ~
Mr.. Stephens. About five months.
Mr.. Blythe Had you any private CONVEX
sation with Mr. Robbins regarding the mat
ter before you gave your evidence before the
committee?
Mr.. Stephens here asked the President
whether he was bound to relate q private
cOnVeFSatlon. uc SudiT uclu tudt lie was.
Mr.. Stephens. On the Saturday before
gave my evidence before the committee a
conversation occurred between Mr.. Robbins
and myself Mr.. Wiswall and myself were
leaving the Capitol when we met Mr. Rob-
bins who told me he wished to have some
private conversation with me. I walked
with him to one side. I cannot recall the
exact words that he used, but IN 1t he said
that he had understood that rumors of the
transaction were afoat and he wished me to
deny the whole matter, that he had made up
his mind to 10 so; that if the facts were
made public he and l would be eternaly
damned 1 told him that did not consider
myself implicated and did not feel disguised
to deny anything. He said he had gone
over the whole matter, and did not in his
heart, feel himself guilty of any wrong, as he
had offered to pay the money back. re-
fused to take the money back or to deny the
affair.
Mr.. Blythe. Did you promise Mr.. Rob-
bins to keep it quiet at that interview
Mr.. Stephens. l think promised that 1
would not tell of it unless forced to do So.
| Mr.. Blythe did he give you to understand
that the committee knew of it.
Mr.. Stephens. Both of us knew the Com
mittee knew of it.
Mr.. Blythe Did you ever receive back
the money you paid him9
Mr.. Stephens. never did.
Mr.. Blythe When you made that propo-
ton to him did you expect his influence
with his partya
Mr. Stephens. Yes, sir.
Mr.. Robbins In the private conversation
you speak of, did not say that we should
deny the fact of bribery?
Mr.. Stephens That is what you SAID.
Mr.. Robbins. Did l not say that l made
the transaction at the time innocently, and
that was perplexed about it because some
men would misconstrue 1t.
Mr.. Stephens. You said so.
Mr.. Robbins. Did mot say that reflection
! had satisfied me there was an unlntentlonal
error in the matter, and that repudiated it
in INV heart. and wished it to be rs if it
! never had been2
Mr.. Stephens. You said you did not
wish the transaction to be known and want
ed me to deny 1t.
Mr. Robbins. Did I not say then that /
had forgotten the matter till since this in
vestication was begun, haG resolved to
nndo it, and return you that fee?
Mr.. Stephens. You did.
Mr.. Robbins. l ask you if, in the last
conversation had with you on this matter,
you did not say to me that if would hold
off further efforts in prosecuting the inves-
tigation into bribery ard corruption, you
would manage so that this charge on me
should die out and nothing further should
he done in regard to it9
Mr. Stephens. said it would he better
for you not to stir the matter any further,
and all would be right
Mr. Robbins. Did I not ask you to go
to Mr.. Forkner and tell him there was no
intention to commit bribery between you
and II
Mr. Stephens. did not so understand
you. If l had should have done so be-
cause l had no intention of bribing you,
and think there was no intention of bri-
berry on your part.
| Mr.. Etheridge. When you offered Mr..
Robbins the money was it understood that
he was to be paid only if you got your per
diem
Mr.. Stephens Yes, that was the under
standing.
Mr.. Robbins could lay his hand upon his
heart and protest that when he first knew
that this was known he had not regarded
| himself as guilty of any crime; He had en-
deavored to conceal it because he knew that
itwould be misreprepresented. He was un-
willing for it to go into the newspapers and
before the public because he knew his mo-
tives would be misrepresented. But he had
thought to conceal it would be wrong and
he had frankly confessed the whole to the
committee. His name might be on a dark
leaf to all eternity but he had a clear con-
science