The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-13
BIG POLITICAL SENSATION.
DIR. Hunter and His two Lieutenants In
dicted for Attempting to Bride Member
ofthe Kentucky Legislature to Vote for
the Former-The Senatorial Contest Get.
ting Hot.

uiCtcu IoT ATTEMPTING IF1DS BlenlDeTb
of Kentucky Legislature to Vote for
the Former-The Senatorial Contest Get.
ting Hot.
Louisville, Ky, April ia special to
The Evening Post from Frankfort says:
Indictments, charging bribery and con-
spiracy TO bride. 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 repub-
lican nominee for the United States sem
ate; ex-Congressman John II. Wilson, OF
the Eleventh district, one of DR.. Hunters
one of the leading republican politicians
of the Second district. The indictments
we're prepared last night upon the testi-
mony of Captain Noel Gaines and Captain
Tanner, his brother-ir-law, and Fred
Gordon, all of this city. The charges are
Indignantly denied by DR.; Hunter, Mr..
Wilson and Mr.. Franks, al of whom say
they will prosecute for criminal libel all
who have testified to the above facts be-
fore the grand jury. They all claim that
1t is the last desperate effort of the Black
burn democrats to prevent DR.. Hunters
election today, which seemed a certainty
in view of the fact that he lacked only
one vote at the ballot yesterday.
The following authorized interview was
given out this morning by Captain Thos.
Tanner, one CT the accusing witnesses:
Il was called 70 the Capitol hotel Mon
day rignt and had a conference with
Wilson in room No. q. Wilson had a big
roll of bills; he said there were $1,000 Ill
the package and from all appearances
there were. There were four such pack
ages, or $40, 600, and he said this would
be paid for four votes for DR.. Hunter.
l had several conferences with Franks in
the same room. l was last called there
Thursday morning, when they seemed to
think hat some member of the legisla-
ture had offered to succumb for $40, 900,
but they thought this too high"
Captain Noel Gaines testified before the
grand jury in part as follows:
"When DR.. Hunter came to my house
he, DIR. Hunter, opened the conversation
by saying he had been told / could aid
him in getting three votes. / told him
that l did not know whether it was pos
! siblc or not, but / would study over it
votes, and am wiling to pay SO, OOO, or
$1,000 a vote. l will furnish the money all
right, but will have to have one 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-
gresham John II. Wilson, one of his
friends. call on me. Hunter told me that
Representative w. G.. Gossom and Merge
Clark, of Warren county, and John II.
Johns, of Floyd county, could be gotten,
and they should be the first ones for me
to see, as he was pretty certain L 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 DR..
Hunter had sent him to see me and that
he (Wilson) wanted to know if | had
talked with GOssom, Clark and Johns,
and if / had made a trade with them.
1 told him had not. Wilson said: We have
got the SIS, 600 here and are ready to give
it to them if they would agree to vote for
Hunter and continue to vote for him until
he was elected
Wilson said to me: I want you to go
right to work now and make the trade
with them quick
Mr.. Wilson came back to my house to
see me on two occasions. On one occa-
sion he said: The agreement is now
that this money will be turned over to
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 dur
: ing the first ballot for United States SEN
ator at noon today. The galleries and
Hobbies were rowded. The sole topic OF
conversation was the bribery charges
that nave been brought against DR.. Hun
ter and his chief l~ieutenants, Wilson and
Franks. The republicans denounced them
in unmeasured terms, saying it was bu,
a dirty scheme to defeat the republican
nominee. Before noon a statement signed
ter and Mr.. ranks was laid on the desks
of the members. The statement denied
all the charges and said that Gaines made
the proposition and they believed 1t &
. scheme to entrap DR.. Hunter.
Before the roll was called there was {
fist fight in the right gallery. The cal
of the roll showed no quorum present, bu'
a vote was taken anyway, which gave
Hunter 81 and Boyle 1. Sixty W
to their names.
A motion to adjourn brought out thu
absentees and the vote stood So to So, blu
President Worthington voted to continue
balloting and the second ballot wa
ordered.
The fight in the gallery was between
Thomas Morrow, Of Somerset, a relativ'
of Judge T. Il. Morrow and a nephe o
Governor Bradley, and Peter Sanders,
local Hunter republican. Sanders strucl
-, Morrow over the eye with a pair of bras
knuckles, making an ugly cut and draw
ing the blood in copious quantities
Sanders was arrested. There was n,
change on the second ballot.