Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-10-06
HON. c. Il. HOOKER.
CONFINED from first Paae.l

facilities. lie fixes the date of his
visit To my Office 10y the date of Mr..
Martins receipt rs being the 23rd of
April, 1890. Unfortunately for him
the records of MY office show that
Chaucery court was in session, Chan
crllor McLanrin presiding, n. 5
Walker, sheriff and a. X. Jones, clerk,
being present.
Col. Hooker says that he received
ouly one of my letters. hut he fails to
explain why he did not reply tn that
one, though such explanation would
he singularly pertinent. Then after
reciting my letter of date January q,
1892, he says: "Where is the PROPOSE
ton to abate his fee or scale his ac-
count rs every other attorney and no
tary has willingly done r. To this |
reply that u proposition to "scale"
must come from the debtor, not the
creditor. He knew what the total
costs of the contests were and what
per centum of reduction should he
made from the various bills in order
that all the creditors might be treat
ed with equal fairness in distributing
the $1,000 amongst them. | had no
means of ascertaining these facts and
for aught | knew the $4,000 were
enough to pay the costs in full, espe-
cially after his writing to Mr.. Martin
that his fee of 800 was too moderate
for his services therefore, while |
would have been glad to "scalc," and
so come to a settlement, | could not
do so until Col. Hooker had informed
me how much must be deducted from
the claim. AS have shown, he not
only withheld this information, but
would not communicate With me ON
the subject ofmy bill
Nevertheless, did finally write of
fcrinG to cancel my entire claim if he
would pay the witnesses, by whose
demands for their money | was
greatly annoyed. He denies any
knowledge of this offer and asks, cam
| not justified in saying he never
wrote such letter !" | might make
the easy retort, docs not Col. Hook
er's course throughout justify me in
believing, Notwithstanding his repeat
ed denals, that he did get this letter
and all others likewiscf But | do
not choose to initiate his tactics, nor
Is II HtItSSdI HI NlHluVIIlt Comfy
where | am known and where Col.
Hooker is also becoming thoroughly
known, my word, | say itpr oudly, has
at least equal weight with his own,
and in a question of fact it is my state
ment that will be accepted rather
than his.
Again, he says my bill was $50
much larger than any other bill filed
that it excited comment at the time"
inadvertently he has here hoisted
himself by his own petard by admit
ting that he knew of its existence
from the opening of the testimony.
Col. Hooker should know that my fees
are regulated by law, and that over
charges on the part of an official con-
stitute serious offence. | had the
L. 5. statute on the subject of taking
dispositions before me and had the as
sistance of Mr.. Martin, his attorney,
i'll making up the cost bill and the
certificate attached thereto, and had
his approval of its correctness ana lr-
gality.
Col. Hooker is indeed reduced to
desperate straits when he introduces
into his answer the irrelevant and in
correct mass about the convention of
1886. Suffice it to say that | have no
explanation or apologies to make for
my action in that convention. 1t is a
theme of the past, and the bitterness
engendered on that occasion is healed,
and while its history and records, as
is we'll known to the representative
men of this county, cOnfute the asser-
tons of Col. Hooker, yet do not pro
pose to drag up those buried issues
which once so nearly disrupted the
Democratic party of Claiborne. Still
the conclusion he suggests makes 1t
apparent that he is muddying the
waters to divert the public from the
true issue before IFS.
Col. Hooker closes his case with
this: 81 put it to all fairminded and
honorable men of Claiborne county,
whether for me or against me, if it was
not my right as a representative and
a man to stigmatize this SANDER in
the emphatic language used in my
public speech at Port Gibson, brand
ing it as lie." Now put it to all
honest and truth loving men, who
hate the false and untrue, if Col.
Hooker was justiefid as representa-
tive, or as man, in stating in his
public speech in Rodney, four days
after his controversy with me in Port
Gibson, that he, in his public speed,
in Port Gibson, had characterized that
man jones' reports with three mono
syllables of three letters each and
jones was present and never opened
his mouth" That he said this any
good citizen of Rodney viii admit.
and in contradiction to his own card
when he states, "JOnes rose and said,"
etc. He made this statement in Rod.
ney while his blood was still tingliDg
from the episode of that Friday night
at Port Gibson, when and where | set
forth, with clear and forcible explana-
ton before his audience then present,
my position in the matter. Oh shame,
where is thy blush
In his statement Col. Hooker says !,
'The animus of this man is shown
in the time and manner in
which he publishes his Islander
On Wednesday, the day before the
primary election, which came off the
next day, he makes his publication
=. to operate ON the voter the
next day. He knew | wonld not see
| it till the election was over" Now
the truth Is that the gentleman him.
| satf 10 solaly restaausihlsa for all This 4