Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-19
CAMPAIGN CHARGES
Made Against Mr.. HOgg by the Capitol
Contractors.
What It is Alleged Mr.. Hogg Did as a Mem
Der of the Capitol Building
Board.
Houston Post.


CHICAGO, ILL, June l3. The First
and Fourth congressional districts have
been in the throes of primary election
| to-day, to send delegates to the oonven-
ton to nominate congressman, and it
is pretty certain that Abner Taylor and
George G. Adams VIII be renominated.
A week ago the outlook in the First dis
trict was pretty bad for Mr.. Taylor, and
he came over from Washington Monday
to repair damages and put up his
fences, and to-day he stated TO the
press correspondent that he was well
pleased with the result. Indeed, Col.
Taylor is well pleased with the Republic
can outlook everywhere, except in
Texas, where he has large land and
cattle interests. When asked about the
Texas gubernatorial race he said the Re-
publicans stood no show, and that he
was taking no interest in it. He knew
two OF the Democratic candidates per-
sonaliy, Attorney General Hogg and
Land Commissioner Hail. The mem
tiOning of the name of Mr.. Hogg re-
called the Texas capitol trouble, of
which the Chicago papers were full at
the time, and the correspondent asked
MIR. Taylor if Mr.. Hogg mad not given
him great deal of trouble. eyes, sir,
he gave me much unnecessary trouble
about the time l was closing up work and
getting ready to turn over the building
to the state. His attacks would not have
made me so sore as they did, had he not
made rather singular proposition. In
other words, he offered to sell me q tract
of land up where he lived, owned, be-
law for $40 200. l thought this very sin
gular, coming as it did from one occupy
ing his position, especially as l thought
the price remarkably high, and great
deal more than the-laud was worth. -
''How did you interpret the offer?''
''Wel, interpreted it to mean that
if would buy it he would cease his war
upon me and the building '----
''Did you accept the proposition?'
mo, dldn t want the land. Had no
use for it, but wanted the war to close,
and put him off by telling him 1 would
write to Mr.. Farwell = who was in Eu-
rope, aud submit the proposition to him.
This seemed satisfactory and he ceased
to find fault, until he thought l had time
enough to hear from Mr.. Farwell, when
he began again. He also wrote Mr.. Mat
lock, our agent and attorney,
offering to sell the land, aud
he made proposition to Mr..
Bell, who is in the city, and can tell you
all about it. They thought like L did.
that to purchase the land would silence
MIR. Hogg. Had it been otherwise he
could have waited few weeks until the |
building was completed and turned over
and then made the offer. AS it was, it |
appeared to us that he was trying to |
ms IN sill nv "a no
land.
AS the question discloses some Sc
crets connected with the building of the |
Texas statehonse, the press correspond |
ent called on Mr.. Bell, and when aues-
toned about the affair he said he bad |
been sent by Mr.. Taylor to Austin to in |
vestigate the capitol building and compel |
Mr.. Wilke TO cure the defects and tear |
down and rebuild where the work was |
not in strict conformity to the specifoa- |
tons. Shortly after his arrival MIR. !
wilke informed him that he be- |
Iieved Mr.. Hogg was trying to
blaokmail him by compelling him |
to buy a tract of land. Mr.. Bell |
doubted MIR. Wilkes statement. but |
after week or ten days in Austin, bear
ing Mr.. Hogg's complaints about work |
for which there was not even a shadow |
of foundation, he began to believe that |
Mr.. Wilke was telling the truth. Finally |
one day, in Mr.. HOgg's office, he Of |
fered to sell Mr.. Bell the tract of land /
for $50 900, saying it belonged to his |
father-in-law, whom he wanted to move |
down to Austin to live. Mr.. Bell did |
not wish to purchase, but Mr.. Hogg, |
who persisted in trying TO make the sale, |
and his urgent and uncalled for COM
plants about defects in the building, !
that man of Mr.. Hogg's intelligence |
knew did not exist, excited the suspicion |
of Mr.. Bell that he was endeavoring to |
force purchase, and if sale was made |
his opposition would cease. Believing |
this, and to end the trouble, Mr. Bell |
says he partially agreed to buy the land |
for his brother, who was TO paw &c., |
600 cash and the balance, $40 900, on |
time, and when this agreement was en-
tered into Mr.. Hogg g opposition ceased. |
Mr.. Bell left Austin before the final ao- |
ceptauce Of the building, and has heard |
nothing from Mr.. Hogg since, aud |
neither has Mr.. Taylor or Wilke. Mr.. |
Wilke was seen this afternoon, and |
stated that one day in the private Office |
OF Mr.. Hogg he made him a proposition |
to sell him tract of land for S25, 200, |
saying: fWilke, if you buy it, it will |
make you both rich and happy Wilke |
refused, saying he had no use for it, aud |
no money just then to invest in land. 1t |
was after this refusal. Wilke says, that |
Mr.. Hogg commenced to trump up de- |
fects in work that a man with ordinary |
intellect knew did not exist All the |
gentlemen mentioned believed Mr.. Hogg |
was endeayoring to force them to buy, |
and this belief is confirmed by the fact |
that after the capitol was accepted by |
the state he made them no furthur offer |
10 sell. With the acceptance OF the I
capitol, Mr.. Hogg g land speculation /
suddenly and inexplicably ceased. |