The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-08
Messenger Bureau.
Raleigh, \. c., February 5.

The general inquiry today was:
What will the directors of the North
Carolina railway do with President
Robert Hancock" The answer can
now be given. They will remove him.
Some of them so say. Only two, E. II.
Meadows and W. H. Chadbourn, Jr.,
support him.
This morning the directors again
met at the governors Office, eleven
being present. The meeting adjourn
ed IN a few minutes, until February
22nd at New Bern. The motion to ad
journ was by Meadows.
At the meeting of the state directors
last night at the governors mansion
llere was much discussion of the Han
cock matter, in which Governor Rus
sell Joined. None of the private di-
rectors were admitted. Meadows and
ChadbOurn alone supported Hancock.
All the others opposed him. 1t is well
understood that the governor has set
tied upon removal and that either Di-
rector Patrick or Hewitt will be his
successor.
There is much talk among the pri-
vate directors at the action Governor
Russell took or did not take yesterday
afternoon. They were in ms office.
He walked in and said Here is may
Office. Use it when you please. You
know what you have come here
for / leave the whole matter in your
hands. l have no power to remove
Hancock" A private director said
''rhis was queer. l think some of the
directors want to wait until the mat
ter cools off, and continue Hancock.
But a state director said to me L can
assure you the governor will remove
him. One of Hancock's friends said
today the governor was not unfavOra-
BILE to him. He addeu that he could
not see why the directors did not dis
pose of the matter today unless they
did not care to take the responsibility
upon themselves.
IL a vote had been taken last night
Hancock would certainly have been
ousted. The main thing which causes
hitch is that there are several ap-
plicants for the place. These are T.
ID. Hewitt D. M. Patrick, John New
boorne, w. H. Charbourn, Jr., w. J.
Polk. One of these will get the place
February 22nd.
A Hancock director said that the
governor last night said do you
think Hancock guilty as alleged in the
charger" and that they all answered
No., and that the governor also said:
mo" This must be fake. Other di-
rectors declined to say it was SO or not
SO, but said the proceedings were secret
Sawyer, Meadows and Cnadbourn gave
this reply.
The astonishing statement is made
tonight that at a conference Of the
state directors and the governor last
night it was said that the fusion party
would be ruined unless Hancock were
ousted, as the general public believed
him guilty, and that the question was
whether it was not the best politics to
sacrifice him to save the party.
The adjutant general is notified that
four canvas boats, built for the De-
troit and the Montgomery, will be
issued to the North Carolina naval re-
serves. They are now at the Norfolk
navy yard.
L. M. Curry, is commissioned as first
lieutenant of Company B, Second regi-
ment, and DR.. T. S. Nc Muller, Of Hert-
ford, assistant surgeon of the First
regiment of the state guard.
A. w. Shaffer is taking a very active
part in the fight for the post office
here.
1t is the current belief here that New
Bern's next sensation will be a per-
sonal encounter between tobert Han
cock and Dick Williams, two republi-
can lights. Hancock denounces Will
liams, and his friends say he gave
Williams the lie two or three times
during the last campaign.
Moonshiners in Rockingham county
did a very horrible thing. A lot of
them swore that a white man named
Bowles had outraged a white girl. The
man was actually on trial for his life
when his lawyer exposed the scheme.
c. d. McIver, president of the State
Normal and Industrial school, has re-
covered from an attack of pneumonia.
A Philadelphia man wants 100000
acres of land in western North Caroli-
ma in one tract for a COLONY