The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-10-22

1
| ink. saving o'clock had come and
| not another name could be put on
| the books. Mr.. Watts said the book
was not wrapped up, as Britt had
/ inst sworn it was, either by himself
| az Rogers. He further said that when
/ he reached the place of registration
| il was a few minutes after O'Clock
| and fen names had been registered
/ by Britt and Rogers before ne arrived.
| Britt. he said, almost Immediately
| went away and was not there again
| for any length Of time during the DAY.
| Clerk ID. H. Young next took the
stand and said the book handed him
was not the regular registration book.
He said Britt first reported the loss
of the book to him about 10 O'Clock
Monday and then George Rogers also
gaye him his version of how he
lost it. He said Rogers told him
he had put the book on
a shelf in his shop and went out and
came back and found it gone. Rogers
claimed then that there was no one
i'm the shop when he went out. lie
testified that Britt was appointed to
represent the Populists and was the
chairman of the registrars. lie was
not positive that Britt ever came to
him about letting Capt. Watts have the
book.
~. ]. Edwards said he was present
when the book was turned over by
Britt to Rogers. He said Rogers asked
Britt for it i'm front of the Central
Hotel and Britt went for il and came
back and gave 1t to Rogers. The
book was tied up and he couldn't say
whether it was the registration book
or not.
Chas. Young. who works in Rogers's
shop. said he saw Rogers at work on "a
book Wednesday morning just before
the show. He said he went TO the
show and when he came back George
| asked him if he knew anything about
| the hook. saving that he had lost it. He
| had heard Rogers ask about it once or
! twice since. He did not know whether
| the book Rogers had was the registra-
| ton book or not.
| Sherman Jones said he was shoe
maker and his shop was next door to
| Rogers's. Under Mr.. Devereux's coach
| ing he said he saw Mr.. Meade Lambeth
| and George Rogers in earnest CONVEX
i sation last Monday evening about pol
| itics-issues of the day and who would
| be the next Governor. Mr.. Lambeth,
| he said, came by the shop often and
| stopped to joke about politics.
| George Rogers, the defendant, was
| then sworn in his own behalf. He
| related the circumstances of his get
i ting the book, how he had asked for it
i in front of the Central Hotel, and
/ Britt had gone for it. He said he was
not able to finish the book that night
/ and so did not return it as he had
| promised. He was at work on it the
| next day when several customers
| came in, and after cutting a mans hair
he went out to get a ST. bill changed
| and when he returned he found the
| book gone. He then went and copied
| Mr.. Watts'S book, and took the spurious
book to the place of registration and
| nobody seemed to notice it till a
| wrong name was found by Capt.
| Watts. He said Britt stayed away all
| day with the exception of few min
utes, but that returned and took the
book and ink as soon as the registra-
ton closed, before either he or Watts
| had a chance to look over it. He then
i related the dispute between himself
| and Britt on Monday morning about
the disappearance of the book and
| their subsequent visit to Clerk Young
in regard to the matter.
On cross-examination by Mr.. Deye-
reux, Rogers said when he left the
| book in the shop there were several
boys in the shop.
On cross-examination by Mayor
/ Russ, Rogers said he and Britt got
| there before Watts did and registered
! several names. He said Britt sat by
! him and watched him register the
! names, but didn't seem to notice that
| it was not the right book. The book
| that Britt gave him was a red-back
| book while the spurious book is
| dark-backed one. While he was writ
ing in the book he said Britt looked
| over his shoulder and couldn't well
| have failed to have noticed that it
| was not his book.
| At the conclusion of Rokers's testi-
mony Mr.. Deyereux addressed the
| court showing that Rogers had not
/ only been guilty of criminal neglect
| in the performance of his duty but
/ that it was an aggravated case; that
| he had concealed the fact for several
| DAYS and resorter to all kinds of sub
1 terfuges to hide his guilt. Mr.. Deve-
reux said he was employed by the Re-
| publican executive committee to pros
| ecute this matter and he wanted the
| public to know it. He asked that
! Rogers be bound over in proper bond
for his appearance at the next Grim
inal term of court.
/ Rogers then asked permission to
/ make a statement. He said it had
been indirectly charged by Mr.. Deye-
reux that he was hired by the Demo
Gratis to make way with the book. 81
| simply desire to say" he said, that
| have not been hired, either by the
/ Democrats or any other party or per-
son. 1t was simply an unfortunate
accident"
/ CAPT. WATrS'S BOOK ACCEPTED.
| All Voters in the Second Ward VIII be
Allowed to Cast Their Votes.
/ Upon petition, Mr.. ]. N. Holding,
chairman of the Executive committee