Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-01-16

with those, who wanted a settle
ment. and Spectators who had
bought state bonds In anticipation Of
rise which would surely follow the
/ enactment Of such a law. There was
I a mighty tug of war. Days Of anxiety
and nights Of restlessness We're passed
by both sides. Finally a vote was
reached. The bill was defeated 10y one
vote. A motion was at once entered TO
reconsider the vote. This was on Fri
day, and the correspondents OF the
Western and Northern papers tele-
graphed long accounts OF that
black day Of adversely. One
man. representative of the
Cugfer-Jo,pRdl, a strong state credit
paper at that time, telegraphed that
''the stars did not sparkle with their
usual avidity, and the moon hid itself
in shame behind the fleecy clouds,
while the street lamps fiickered and
gave dull and sickly light" 1t might
be well to mention that at present the
aforesaid newspaper is on the side Of
Republication, Notwithstanding il headed
its Nashville dispatch which an
nounced the passage OF the 1908
bill: Bless God. II might
not be amiss to mention also
that Mr.. Henry WA1TERsoN
thinking that the reputation element
would predominant largely in Tennes-
see, it would be clever idea to flop
over in order 10 get the influence of
that state for his personal advancement
in the next National Democratic Con-
vention.
But to proceed with the story The
bin to reconsider the vote which de
feated the bill was passed, and the bill
passed Following this came deep
and loud groans; charges Of brib-
cry and corrupiion; next an
investigation, but nothing definite was
established and the matter dropped.
During the investigation ii was shown
that various packages Of money were
lying around l0o,ein Treasurer POLK 5
safe and one witness said that some of
it was put there for the purpose of
buying votes Mr.. O'CoNNER, who is
now dead, was one Of the mighty lob
byists Of that legislature. lie specu-
lated largely in bonds, and it was to his
pecunihry interests to have the
bill passed Mr. POLK left a
little tin box, only an
ordinary tin box, when he decamped,
but the contents were found to be very
interesting. This box contained memo
randa Of large amounts of money paid
to certain persons, on the order of Mr..
/ O'CoNNER, and some of thcsa persons
were members of the legislature Those
who set up the inquiry, tried to cstah-
/ lish the fact that O'CONNER had bought
/ the votes Of certain members, and il
( was shown that mysterious drafts had
been paid by certain bank, ans
a number of other thing.
shown which caused speculation tC
run high IA TO what the result of tina
investigation would he. Mr.. PoLE
himself was before the committee, bu
knew nothing. The bank cashier wa
there and knew nothing, and jus
about the time the committee and tn,
prosecutors of the inquiry though
they had everything running easy, tn
proof broke down, and the inquir,
ended with n reprimund to severa
members for entertaining proposition
for the sale of their votes.
Now comes the interesting portion
of the story. PoLK's tin box gives
clue. His promise to make some dr.
bones rattle is prelude The fea
that POLK would he killed to proven
him giving the thing away heighter
the excitement He has arrived /
Nashville. The committee has I'll
earthed graveyard. They are read
, to report, The senate is announced Z
the bar of the house. This body
seated around the speakers stanC
The gavel Of the presi,
ing officer commands silenc,
DR. PORTER, chairman, ris,
with voluminous paperin his hant
, All ears are listening eagerly. Tn
stiffness is oppressive. Nothing
heard but the monotonous sound {
: the reporters pencil DIR. PORTER l.,
. gins; Mr.. Speaker, and sudden
+, a noise is heard, then groan. A
faces blauch with terror and III
solid foundation of the capitol tren
= bies and totters. The sergeaut-a
arms is ordered to ascertain the eau,
of this unwarmuted interruption. II
walks out into the corridors and then,
to the west balcony lie return
9 with chattcring teeth and ha
I afanIi,,os n,, ,,,sl