The Brookhaven leader., 1891-07-09
AN UGLY REVELATION.
CONCLUDED FROM SECOND PAGE.)

them. took them and locked them
my office desk. just before this
at my insistence, DIR. Watts had pro.
I cured from Mr.. Benson a copy of his
letter in reply to Supt. Smiths first
letter, the substance of which, as
remember its contents, is given above.
While these letters were in my pos
session DR.. Watts said to me on the
! street one evening as he saw Supt.
Smith passing, Smith is still nearly
/ dying to be IL candidate and he will
be up to see you in few days to see
if lie can't keep you from publishing
/ those letters. Sure enough, in few
days, Supt. Smith came up to my of
/ flee and stated that he had called to
have another talk with me about the
| Watts matter. He asked me if | had
the letters and | told HIM | had, but
that they were subject to Dr. Watts
order and might be called for ut any
time. He then went Oh to say this
whole thing on Watts part was a
scheme he was trying to work to his
own advantage that he was trying to
use me to create breach between me
and my friends and the Smith infu
ence, that he might profit politically
by such division, and that further,
Watts had made all sorts of offers to
compromise with him and his father
for their influence i'll the coming cleo
ton. He then went on to say that he
had been very strongly solicited and
urged to run for Superintendent again
since / had made the announcement
in the LEADER that he wouldn't be a
candidate, and that he thought he
could satisfy Watts if | would agree
not to publish anything about the let
tiers. He said lie knew | was think
ing about being candidate for Rep
resentative, or had friend | wanted
to be calling a certain gentleman's
name) and if satisfactory under
standing could be had, | might count
on his full influence in the way | de-
sired.
| was certainly astonished at the
boldness of this proposition, and | re-
piled with all of the composure |
could command that he had certainly
very seriously Inexperienced me if
he thought | was to be influenced by
any consideration of this kind. told
him that this matter, as l conceived
it, was one of serious importance to
the whole people of Lincoln county,
and that in my action in regard to it,
| did not intend to be influenced by
either my own personal interests or
those of any friend of mine, however
much l might like to do so. He re-
piled apologetically that he knew it
was usual for most men to make pO-
litical deals of this kind for their own
advantage, and volunteered the com
pliment that he knew | was right and
he could not help but think the better
of me for the course | proposed to
pursue.
He then went Oh to say lac thought
of being a candidate any how, but
had not fully decided. He said he
had received strong assurances of
support from men all over the county
who knew all about the letters, and he
was certain he could be nominated
and elected in spite of any objection
on that account. l replied if he
thought that way he most assuredly
had poorer opinion of the people of
Lincoln county than l had. l then
reviewed the considerations mention
ed in our last interview, which should
influence him, and reiterated the
great reluctance with which | would
publish the facts if he went ahead.
He left saying he had not fully de-
cided, but that if he determined to be-
come a candidate he would announce
in both of the county papers and
make the best fight he could.
A week or two after this interview
his announcement appeared in the
Times and the following Saturday he
came around to see me again and or.
dered it in the LEADER, paying his
subscription and announcement fee,
and telling me if l could not say any
thing complimentary of him to call
attention to it and say that he would
run on the record he had made during
his present term.
Now few words more about the
letters. A few days after Supt.
Smiths second visit and inquiry about
them, a little son of DR.. Watts came
to me on the street one afternoon and
said his father had sent him to my of
fee for the letters he had let me have,
but he failed to find me there and
would like to get them. 1t was but a
short distance to DR.. Watts Office and
l went by before going to my own of
fee for the letters, to ask him about
it. He explained that he was going to
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