Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-10-28

L do that, people will say L have told
lie to eXonerate you. L also told
him that my own folks very well knew
that what Capt Carter states, / told
him, and il is true, and that he must
find some other plan to get out of it.
He then said he would give me what
he made out of the transaction, then |
could say that [ had all there was
made, without lying. [ satisfied the
Governor at once, that [ had no mer-
cenary motives and that he could not
buy me. | also told him that when /
published falsehood to shield anoth-
er, it would be for truer friend than
he had poven himself to be to me.
He then asked me if [ would so to
the city of Madison that night and
talk the matter over in the presence of
lawyer, with a view of getting up
some reasonable plan to exonerate
him and have it look the most plausi-
ble [ told him [ would meet him.
He said be had to go over to his farm,
and if [ went first to Madison, [
should cut green bush and lay it
across the road on the hill this side of
Galligher's and if he went first, he
would do the same thing. | went
first, and cut the green bush, as agreed
upon.
At S o'clock that evening, l went to
the executive chamber. according to
appointment, and found the lawyer on
hand, alone in the Governors Office.
The Governor soon came in, apparently
considerably excited. and passing
around his table opposite this distin-
guished lawyer and to the right of me,
he remarked: Well, Farr say we did
buy some soldiers for less than two
hundred dollars, and now he will make
a statement to the effect that he had
all there was made out of the trans
action.
[ corrected the Governors last re-
mark by saying. that | had not prom
lsed to make any such statement. The
Lawyer then said: ''Mr. Farr, how
many men did you and Governor Tay-
lor get at this time? | answered
about sixteen. He then asked.
"What did you pay them p [ ans
swered from one to two hundred dol
lars; to those men residents of the
Town we paid from one hundred and
fifty dollars each, with few exceptions,
and We divided the profits, or to that
effect. lie the then asked, ''What do
the Town records show?' [ replied
the Town records show that the six
teen men cost the town $3,217, and
that w. r. Taylor charged the Town
fourteen dollars for his services. At
this juncture, the Lawyer arose and
asked the Governor to step out into the
other room
In less than three minutes, the Gov
ernor returned alone. asked, "Where
has the Lawyer gone 2" The Governor
answered, presume he has gone home,
[ said: [ thought he came here to help
US get up some plan to exonerate you !;
TAYLOR said, we'll he says, this is a
matter between you and | !; and if you
will make statement that you had all
the money there was made out Of the
transaction, that Will be sufficient. [
then asked, did he recommend me to
make such statement. The Governor
said, he said, if you are willing to do
it, that will clear me. I then said.
Gov. TAYLOR, that man has gone home
in disgust, he has heard all he wants to
of this matter, and is satisfied that
there is more to it than he wants to
hear. and he has too much honor to
advise me to publish a false statment
that will be proved against me as such,
and he has heard enough here toni ght,
to convince him that what [ told Capt
CARTER is true. Gov. TAYLOR said,
now VAN you must make some kind of
a statement that will clear me, or [
will have to move out Of this country !;
you have my election or my defeat in
your hands; you can save me or kill
me, just as you see fit; now if you
will make statement that will save
me. [ will give you anything you may
ask. [ will appoint you to the best
Office in my power to give Name
your terms and [ will give it, if you
will only do this little for me. then
said, Governor you are profuse with
your promises now, but judging from
the past, you will forget all these
promises when election is over, and
disregard them, as you have done be-
fore, not only with me, but with all
your old standbys. Governor said, [
know you think [ have wronged you,
and let that be as it may, what can
do to convice you now that [ will
keep my promises? I said [ don't
think you could do anything to con-
vince me that you would keep your
promise if you could benefit yourself
by breaking it, and besides you have
cut nv corners at every turn for the last
ten wears. When we finished filling
the quota of Cottage Grove, [ asked
you to 90 to Gov. LEWIS and use
your Influence in getting me a commits
sion, and you took $500 out of me
for that friendly service, and when [