Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-02-04
Hobbs.

ture, and they made their re-
port to that body, which report
sets forth in full statements of
Hobbs, Doncan and House.
the principal actors in the great
mystery.
sMr Hobbs made clean breast
Of the fact that he was paid
$4,000 by Mr., Duncan, a BAN
ker Of Nashville, to resign his
position as Comptroller. Hobbs
and Duncan both aver that
they had no idea who would be
appointed as Comptroller upon
Hobbs resignation. Duncan
testifies that he paid Hobbs the
$4,000 because he believed
Hobbs incompetent to attend to
the duties of the office, and on
being a large bondholder he
was apprehensive that he would
suffer by Hobbs Incompetence.
The testimony of all the
witnesses fully exoneratc Gov.
Brown and Col Burch from all
participation in bringing about
Mr.. Hobbs resignation, or
from paying any part of the
$40, 900 that purchased the re-
suit. sLr 8 f.5e
| During the investigation of
the committee it was partially
developed that the election Of
Mr.. Hobbs was not the result
Of unselfish action on the part
Of several members of the Leg
islature. AS that part of the
evidence was not pushed very
far, we give our readers SO
much of it in full as bears upon
that particular feature of the
mystery.
Mr.. John L. House was on
the witness stand, when the fol-
lowing questions were asked
and the appended answers Civ
EN-: ua.
By Mr.. Noblitt--Do YOU
know Mr.; Wood, a member Of
the last Legislature?
A. / think / do.
Q. Do you know Mr.. Simp-
son. who was not a member?
a. / do not.
Q. Do you know Mr.. Hughes,
Il Senator in the last Legisla-
ture?
a. | do.
Q. Do you know me.
a. Yes, sir.
Q. How much money did you
pay Woods, Hughes, Simpson
and Noblitt, to elect Hobbs?
A. l did not pay DIR. Mob
lit one dollar, nor did | pay
anybody else a dollar to elect
Mr.. Hobbs. l never told any
body that / did.
By Mr.. Gibson--Do YOU
know Of any member of the
Legislature receiving anything
directly or indirectly, to vote
for any Of the candidates for
Comptroller?
A. | can answer the question
but will not give any names.
@. By Mr.. Noblitt:--Did you
you pay any man any money to
pay to Representave that you
did not pay directly.
A. | will answer the question,
and it will be truthfully. l will
answer the first one, but the
other one / cannot. / did not
pay money to secure my own
election. | paid money TO Sc
cure Hobbs election. l know
of money being paid to the
members of the General AS
.sembly to secure Hobbs cleo
ton. There is not a member of
the General Assembly here to-
day that was paid anything by
my knowledge. A part Of the
money | gave to a third party,
and whether he paid it or not,
L do not know. He said he did;
it was my own money. l had
rather not give the name of the
third party. These men are my
friends; they were not members
of the Legislature, but outsi-
ders, that gave this money to.
They did a thing that they
would not do for any man liv-
ing but me.
By Mr.. Head--How much
money was used?
A. Il reckon | paid out 81, 200
or S1,400. From what was
said, | believe that four MEM
bers received money, two of
them Senators and two of them
Representatives.
Q. What time did you pay
the money?
A. 1t was after the election.
l never mentioned to any man