The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-11

J.
Testifying With Criminal Libel.
Louisville, KY, April 1O.-A special to
the Evening Post from Frankfort says:
Indictments charging bribery and con-
spiracy to bribe, have been prepared by
the Franklin county grand jury against
the most prominent Republicans in the
State viz: Ex-Congressman w. Godfrey
Hunter, Of the Third district, the Re
publican nominee for the United States
Senate; ex-Congressman John III. Wilson,
of the Eleventh district, one Of DR.. Hun
ter's closest advisers, and Hon. Il. T.
Franks, one of the leading Republican
politicians of the Second district The
indictments were perpared last night up
on the testimony OF Capt Noel Gaines
and Capt. Tanner, his brother-in-law and
Fred Gordon, all Of this city. The charges
are Indignantly denied by DR.. Hunter,
Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Franks, all of whom
say they will prosecute for criminal libel
all who have testified to the above facts
before the grand jury. They all claim
that it is the last desperate effort Of
the Blackburn Democrats to prevent DR..
Hunters election to-day, which seemed
a certainty, in view of the fact that he
lacked only one vote at the ballot yester-
day. The following authorized interview
was given out this morning by Capt.
Thomas Tanner, one of the accusing wit
nesses:
II was called to the Capitol hotel Mon
day night and had conference with VIII
son in room 81. Wilson had big roll
of bills; he said there were $1,000 in the
package and from all appearances there
were. There were four such packages,
or $4,000 and he said this would be
paid for four votes for DR.. Hunter. l
had several conferences with Franks in
the same room. Was last called there
Thursday morning, when they seemed
to think some members Of the legisla-
ture had offered to succumb for $4,000
but they thought this too high.
Capt Noel Gaines testified before the
grand jury in part as follows
when DIR. Hunter came to my house
he, DR.. Hunter, opened the converse
ton by saying he had been told I could
aid him in getting three votes. told him
that l didn't know whether it was possi-
BILE to get them or not, but | would study
over it and see. Hunter said: Il want
three votes and am willing to pay $4,000
or $1,000 vote. l will furnish the mon
ey ali IhSuty DuL W nave ollS
of my Representatives complete the
trade and give you the money as it would
not do for me to hand it to you"
HE said that he would have ex-Con-
gressman John II. Wilson, one of his
friends call on me. Hunter told me that
Representatives w. G. Gossom and
Merge Clark. of Warren county and Jno.
H. Johns, of Floyd county, could be got
ten and they should be the first ones for
me to see, as he was pretty certain
could get them.
"On the next evening about the same
hour, Mr.. John H. Wilson came over
in company with Mr.. Tanner and we
all three went into the library of my
house. Mr.. Wilson began by saying that
DIR. Hunter had sent him to see me and
that he (Wilson) wanted to know if 1
had talked with Gossom, Clark and
Johns, and if 1 had made a trade with
them. l told him I had not. Wilson
said: we have got the $4,000 here
and are ready to give it to them if they
would agree to vote for Hunter and con-
tiuue to vote for him until he was elect
ed"
Wilson said to me. I want to go right
to work now and make the trade with
them. quick.
MIR. Wilson came back to my house
to see me after the two occasions. On
one occasion he said: The agreement is
now that this money will be turned over
to you when the men vote. If you can't
get these men to vote for Hunter, get
them to go away, and if you can't get
them to go away, have them slipped out
and keep them out until the ballot is
over"
The greatest excitement prevailed
during the first ballot for United States
Senator at noon to-day The galleries
and lobbies were crowded. The sole
topic of conversation was the bribery
charges that have been brought against
Or. Hunter and his chief lieutenants,
Wilson and Franks. The Republicans
denounced them in unmeasured terms,
saying it was but a dirty scheme to de-
feat the Republican nominee. Before
noon statement, signed by Mr. Wilson
and atteSted by fDr. Hunter and Mr.
Franks, was laid on the desks of the
members. The statement denied all the
charges and said that Gaines made the
proposition and believed it a scheme to
entrap DR.. Hunter.
Before the roll was called there was
a fist fight in the right gallery. The
call OF the roll showed no quorum pres
ent, but vote was taken anyway,
which gave Hunter 81 and Boyle /. Sixty
answered to their names.
A motion to adjourn brought out the
absentees and the vote stood So to So,
but President Worthington voted to con-
tinue balloting and the second ballot was
obtained.
The fight in the gallery was between
Thomas Morrow, of Somerset, relative
Of Judge II. u. Morrow and a nephew
Of Gov. Bradley, and Peter Sanders,
local Hunter Republican. Sanders
struck Morrow over the eye with n pair
Of brass knuckles, making an ugly cut
and drawing the blood in copious guam
titles. Sanders was arrested. There
was no change in the second ballot.
Washington, d. c., April 10.-Up to
date the State Department has received
responses from eight of the Maritime |
mo- inv fn1 10 oJ- e.