The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-01-11
HIS FURNISHED STATEMENT.


telling him of my meeting with Sat
terrified on the floor of the House. That
letter was written as confidential, but
was afterward published" He testi-
fed that on March 18th, three ses-
sions of the legislature were held.
He was present all during the sittings,
except about twenty minutes.
THE FLIGHT EXPLAINED.
"Vhere were you during those thirty
minutes ?" asked the cross-examiner,
with the air of one who discovers the
Niger in the wood-pile.
Il was in the office of the Secretary
of State"
"Why did you leave the House,
..Weil. to be perfectly frank with
YOU" said Mr.. Smith of Stanly, with a
naughty twinkle in his eye" Il left
the House and went down to the Sec
retarys office to break a quorum. We
were breaking quorums then"
ssYou didn't go down there alone? ?"
inquired the Solicitor. Were you not
in as good company ass you would have
found i'm the legislature?"
Better" laconieally replied the gen
tleman from Stanly.
THE ZIG-ZAG Z.
He testified that he was a memebr of
the committee on enrolled bills, and
attended the sessions of the committee
oftener than any other member ex-
cept the chairman. That at no time
to his knowledge did the assignment
act come before that committee.
He was shown the bill that is now
new law, and asked if he recognized
the signatures thereon.
He recognized perfectly the signature
of Walker, the chairman, and said,
''the Taylor signature is all right,
think, because that is Taylors great
big zig-zag-Z."
The court then took a recess until
$50 o'clock.
BROWN READ THE BILL OVER.
When court re-assembled, the State
introduced one of its strongest wit
nesses
Miss Daisy Branson was put on the
stand.
The enrolled bin that became and is
now law, is in her handwriting.
She testified that at the instance of
the enrolling clerk, j. w. Brown, she
had copied a number of bills during
the last legislature.
The original assignment bill was
handed her. She examined it careful
", and said she had seen it before.
This bill was given me, together
with several others, to copy for Mr..
Brown. / copied it and carried it back
to his Office. When ] returned the bill
and the copy, Mr.. Brown read the bill
over with me to see that / had copied
it correctly. That was either Tues
day or Wednesday"
She didn't remember the stamp
tabled" on the bill. She recognized
the bin as the same by the attach
ed amendment that being the only
bill with an amendment so attached
copied by her during the Legislature.
The amendment was attached to the
bin on a separate piece of paper.
HOW THE BILL WAS COPIED.
Cross-examination by the counsel for
the defense, she stated that she copied
the Din in the parlor of her fathers
house. and that only her father was
present in the room at the time the
bill was copied. No member of the
Legislature was present. The bill was
copied sometime during the morning,
she thought.
She testified that when she rcceiy-
ed the bill that morning at the enroll
ing clerks office, everything there was
in great confusion, and she did not
distinctly remember who gave her the
bill. She stayed there only few
minutes.
When she returned the bill and the
copy she read the bill over with Brown
at his desk
The only thing she remembers re-
garding the endorsement on the back
of the bill were the words, Special
order. Friday evening, $780," Miss
Branson's affidavit, published at the
time of the litigation regarding the
validity Of the assignment act was put
in evidence.
BROWNS RECEIPT BOOK.
On redirect examination she stated
that the ratified act was in her hand
writing. That with these two papers
she went to Mr. Brown and they to-
gether compared them, the original
and the copy.
She testified that up to the last day
all those who took bills out of the en-
rolling clerks Office to copy gave re-
ceipts for them, signing their names IN
a book that Mr.. Brown kept for the
purpose.
did you sign receipt for this bill?"
asked Solicitor Pou.
She was not quite certain, but
thought she receipted for it as usual.
Here the State tried to show that
Miss Branson had tried to ascertain If
she had signed for this bill, and that
she had been unable to examine the re-
ceipt book.
The defense vehemently objected,
and the objection was sustained.
Miss Branson also testified that she
returned the bill to the enrolling
clerks office the same day she got IT.
She kept the bill only a few hours.
r. t. Smith was recalled for mo-
ment, and testified that when he met
Satterfeld with the bill in his hand
on his way to the enrolling clerks
Office, it was during the morning
hour.
Here the State rested its case.
THE DEFENSE OPENS.