The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1895-10-17

eioh w duy pooh u w III NO" OAtceho
or elsewhere. 1 told him that i was
highly gratified at such an assurance,
as had believed and hoped from the
first there was nothing in the charge.
He declared that so far from his hav-
ing made any effort to get the books
of New Orleans publisher adopted
in this county, he had been in favor
of the American Book Co.'s books
from the first, and called on me to
witness if this were not true, which,
according to the best of my recollec-
ton was fact. | went on to say that
| did not know whether he then antic-
ipated becoming a candidate for any
Office in the county or not, but that If
he did, was sure from what l had
heard that he would have this charge
to meet in his canvass and that he
ought to be prepared to meet and dis
prove it, which was one of my objects
in speaking to him. He replied that
he had about decided to become a
candidate for reelection as county
superintendent, had heard some little
talk of this charge against him before,
and that he would act on my advice
and be fully prepared to prove the
falsity of the charge at the proper
time. With this assurance we parted,
/ feeling very much gratified ut the
result of the interview.
In less than week after this, Supt.
Smith came into my office one morn
ing in q rather exultant manner and
told me he wanted to show me some
thing, and produced a postal card
from +. f. Hansell g. Bro. of New
Orleans,in answer to n letter from him,
making denial of their ever having
received any illegal proposition from
him aud completely generating him,
so far as they were concerned, from
the charge.
Still not knowing that Hansell g.
Bro. were not the New Orleans firm
to which he had made the proposition
| accepted this as conclusive of his in
nocence and heartily congratulated
him on his vindication. l further ad-
vised him to carefully preserve the
card from Hansell g. Bro. and not let
the party who was trying to injure
him know anything about it until the
canvass fairly opened and the charges
against him were made public and
then he could publish it in connection
with personal card and explode the
whole thing. This he said he would
do and left my Office apparently in
very high spirits.
Shortly after this l went to New
Orleans and when started back, the
train had scarcely left the depot,
when DR.. Watts came to my seat in
the car, in pretty much the same spir-
it of exultation that Smith exhibited
when he showed me the Hansell card.
He said he now had the original of
those letters he had been telling me
about-that there were two of them
at the same time producing them from
his pockets and handing them to me
to read. The letters were as publish
ed and described above, and the read
er may easily imagine my surprise and
regret, after what had occurred be-
tween Smith and my self, and of which
Watts was in utter Ignorance. DIR.
Watts went on to say he had secured
the letters for the purpose of using
them against Smith, and that he in
tended to show them to State Super
intendent Preston and have Smith
turned out of office. Badly as | felt
Smith had acted, could not help but
sympatmze with him, and told Watts
] thought, in view of all the circum-
stances, that would be an extreme
course; that though Smith had mani
testify been willing to ignore the best
interests of the people of the county
to advance his own, lie had evidently
failed, so far as this particular effOr
was concerned, and that as the tex
book question was settled for the
time, it was not likely that he cOul(
do very much damage in any way be-
fore the close of his present term; bu
that if Smith went ahead and tried tt
get the Office again he would be JUST
fled in exposing him, and that so fal
as was concerned, l would consider
it duty owed the people under
such circumstances to publish the
facts. He further said he had beer
badly treated by the Smith crowd
and he was determined to have hin
out if he could accomplish it. final.
ly said to him that Smith was ayOuDg
man and this probably his first mis-
take, and that | thought If he would
consent to get out of the way and not
be candidate for reelection, he
ought to be satisfied with that. | also
stated to him that l would take it on
myself to see Smith as soon as | could
and explain the situation to him, and
advise him not to become Il candidate
for any Office i'm the county, and if he
would do so, there the matter ought
to drop. Watts signified that he
might agree tOs such Il compromise al
this and at the same time asked mt
to carry the letters to Pres. Fitzhugh
of Whitworth College, who was sit
ting in rear car, as he had promised
to let him see them. ! went back api
gave him the letters and sat with hin
until he had read them, when l told
him all that had occurred between
Smith and myself about the matter
and what had proposed to Watts
which he approved.
The letters were then returned tt
DIR. Watts, who said he had been spe
cially charged to carefully preserve
them by Mr.. Benson, who expressed
some disapproval of having them pub
lished for fear they might get hin
into a libel suit.
A few days after my return home
not having seen Supt. Smith, i drop,
ped him postal card to call at my
office the first time he was in town, as
/ wished to see him on important bus
mess. 1t was Saturday, and he re-
cal yad IL and called that afternoon