The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-14
THE GOVERNOR
AND THE GIDEON
CONTINUED from LIST page.)

ThiS, with some OUnef testimony or
minor Importance, completed the
Gideon's testimony until the afternoon,
when he was recalled.
Chairman Caldwell-"Mr Wilson.
who made application for reduced rates
on your goods?"
81 did. 1t was made to Mr.. Munson,
the division freight agent"
did Maj. Jas. w. Wilson make APP
plication to anybody for the same
thing?"
"Not to my knowledge"
Mr.. Pearson-"Did Mr.. Munson give
you an immediate reply to your apph-
cation"
Il think So"
DIR. Abbott-"Did you have any rea-
son to expect that these rates would be
grantedY
Il did. / understood that such rates
half rates-Were given on goods and
baggage sent up for people going to the
mountains and seacoast for the sum
meT.
Mr.. Pearson-'Wha was the amount
of the freight bill?"
about $40. l have since been told
that it was customary to transport goods
free for fitting up hotels on their line.
This was not done for my mother
Il stated this morning that | had not
used any passes prior to the first of last
April. There are two exceptions to this
statement. | have been using one all
the time on the Atlantic and North Caro-
lima railroad, and / used a 1000 mile
ticket on the Seaboard. l only used
600 miles of this before got an annual
pass"
At the beginning of the afternoon ses-
sion. and before Mr.. Wilson had finish
ed his testimony, Governor Russell APP
peared and asked to be sworn; that he
might make a statement touching Mr..
Wilson's testimony during the morning.
He said:
Il want to state to the Commission
that | understand that Mr. s. Ohio Will
son has stated that he consulted with
the Governor as to taking passes from
the railroads for himself and other
Commissioners, and that the Governor
advised him TO take the passes. This
statement is true. He stated to me
that the railroads had been in the habit
of giving passes to the Commissioners,
and that they were willing to do so in
the future, and that by their taking
passes the State would save about So
600, that is, that there was an appro-
priation Of $4,000 to pay the expenses
OF the Railroad Commission, and that
these expenses were mostly in travelling
over the railroads, and to accept passes
the State was saved the bulk of this
expense. l told him that if the rail
roads were willing to bear this expense
by granting passes, saw no objection
to their accepting them. That is all"
After this the Gideon completed his
testimony, and the Commission proceed
ed with it's routine work. But it was
not long before the Governor returned
to make another statement He had
been reading the stenographic report of
the Gideon's remarks, touching his adj
vice to him as to the use of passes.
Now ne dictated the following state
ment, supplementing the one made an
hour Before:
''Since the above was testified to, I
have read the evidence of ex-Commis-
sioner 0tho Wilson, and / see that he
says that he would not have taken pass
es except for my earnest request l
made no earnest request but simply
told him that / thought it would be as
well 20 save the State the money. Again,
he says that l said that 1 was getting
passes for guests ! at the Governors
Mansion. This is false. He did hear
He say that 1 could get passes any time
for guests and for pretty much anything
else that l wanted, and that if ! could
take all that the railroads offered, it
would probably be worth $1,000 ii year
to me-
81 viii add that when I advised him
to taRe passes and took them myself, it
! was not understood. nor indeed, cor
tended by anybody, SO far as l know,
that our railroad law prohibited free
passes."
Fhe Gideon heard about this last
statement. Net Being willing to let the
Governor shave the last say, especially
) when HAT say" accused him OF telling
a Ealseheed, he harried to the Commits
saGa Office and dictated the following
sSa$@meRt:
7BEae conversation referred to between
ssoTeEAor Russell and myself about the
use Of fRee passes, as given this a. IA.
Is Ia substance correct.
"GSveTnor Russell stated to me that
he 1sed passes for himself and family.
jOSalsTly remarked that his family was
eniY himself and wife, and he said, "Oh,
A-~is that means Mrs. Russell's guests at
tie Mansion
'sThat no meRber OF the past two Sos
sfone OF the General Assembly consider
ed THE Railroad Commission Act prevent
ing the use Of passes, both sessions of the
two last General Assemblies tried to
pasS an anti-free pass bill.
THE dead-head package from Rich
naeRd was the four ounce package and
the 40 pound package was paid"
iRhis seemed to close the incident, but
it dBln'k The Governor now had his
bsdR up and he proposed to push the
Gideon TO the wall. Chamberlain, the
fertilizer man and tenth rate politician
had been leaking on the statesman from
RAamkatte. He had told the Governor
all about that shipment of fertilizer to
Round Knob that Othe denied he had
got any special rate ON. He had told the
Governor enough to lead him to believe
that the Gideon had not sworn to facts.
30 HE Excelleney, with his sight
bower C'has. A. Cook and Attorney
Douglass, hurried back to the Commits
sion office, and with Commissioner
Pearson, went over the stenographic re-
post Of what Wilson had sworn to on
this particular point.