The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-04

lease. 1t is claimed that no man who
votes for the bill will be ~recognized in
the distribution of federal ~patronag
Inis was the statement l intended to
reiu,e when spoke to Hyatt. and
said: The governor was as able to take
care OF his friends as the Southern
railroad was 10 take care OF theirs
Whereupon Hyatt said in a loud tone
OF voice and seemingly to attract at
tentfon, that / was trying to bribe
him. said it was a lie. that he did not
understand or want to understand
what I said. He attempted to strike
me, but jumped out in the crowd and
said l wanted to bride him, to which
l reiterated Lie" His friends took
him away and there was no further
colioQuy or controversy. / neither Of
fered him a position nor promised 10
use my influence for him in any man
ner, shape or form"
senator Hyatt. OF Mitchell, was spe-
cially interviewed tonight and gave
out the following statement about his
fight with Private Secretary Alexan-
der:
alexander came to me this morning
and began talking to me about the
lease question. We had quite a little
friendly talk, lasting about a quarter
OF an hour. Alexander attempted TO
persuade me to vote TO annull the
lease. l explained TO him my position,
stating / was sent to the senate by
the people of my district and that l
had received several petitions from
them asking that / use my influence
in favor of the lease and that as their
representative, / would do as they de-
sired. Alexander then said the gov
ernOr was going TO take care of his
friends and asked me if l would ac-
cept a position if it was offered me. !
told him that, all things considered, 1
would do so with pleasure, if it was Of
fered IN a proper manner Alexander
then left me and appeared in very
good humOr. In about half an hour he
returned to the senate chamber and
beckoned to me. l left my seat and
went to him and we walked into one of
the library rooms in the senate cham
Der. On arriving there, Alexander turn
ed to me and said that if l would
stand by the governor in this North
Carolina railroad lease question Gov
ernor Russell would appoint me sec
rotary to the board of agriculture at a
salary Of 81, 500. AS he said this, ]
grabbed him by the lapel of his coat
with my left hand and struck him on
the neck with my right hand and fol-
lowed up the blow with several on the
chest n shoulders and -old him he
war a dirty, contemplate coward to
make me such a proposition, and !
looked upon it as an infamous insult.
l was so mad that l would nave hurt
him badly but for the fact that the as
SlStant Sergeant-at-armS and Repre-
sentative Aiken grabbed me AMI came
between us. They asked me what was
the matter and 1 told them the damned
coward had tried to bride me by Of
fering me a position in the agricul-
tural department for my vote on the
railroad lease question. / consi1er this
offer as a bride Of the lowest order,
and l resented the insult by striking
the cur who made it. / consider my
honor as a man dearer to me than any
Position Governor Russell or his al
lies can offer me. I denounce the act
rs 4 piece Of cowardly business, ard
in 1esenting the insult / have done
what any true North Carolina citizen
should have done. I will rise before the
senate n refer to the matter as a
perst nal privilege, and will see if the
governor can offer brides to rcInbors
of the assembly with impunlty. I do
rot come from a district where such
act would he tolerated."
At the republican caucus tonight D.
Fl. Abbott was chosen for railway COM
missioner, receiving thirty-seven votes,
White getting twenty-eight. Quite a
row was kicked up and seventy votes
were casc while only s~ixty-nine We're
present and some negro members
threatened to bolt the caucus Negro
members say Governor Russell is try
ing 10 induce tnem 10 attack the Dill
which gives him power to appoint the
I judge of the Eastern criminal circuit
by saying if they keep quiet they will
get the eastern hospital. They hin
he has slated DR.. Alexander as head
of the hospital.
Populist boilers caucused tonight
and named their directors for the in
sane asylums, penitentiary n agrit
cultural department. 1t seems tina
there was an effort to induce them
not to name any of their own number
for positions, but it failed though, Bah
bitt introduced resolutions to that eff
feet, and several were named. 1t is as
certained that the boilers committee
k the republican caucus last night
what the latter proposed to do and
whether it would stand by it's agree
ment to divide the offices, as Governor
Russell refused to answer the commit
tee.
1t is said that at the boilers caucus
tonight a resolution was adopted to
stand by the Charlotte police commits
sion bill which was favorably reported
by the committee this afternoon. The
caucus also decided to support The
| Code commission bill.