The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-08
RESUME WILSON HEARING
ONLY ONE WITNESS AND ONE DEPOSITION
BEFORE COMMITTEE.
Mr. Munson's Testimony Concerning the Half
Rate for Shipping Freight TO
Round Knob Hotel.

Round Knob Hotel.
| In the Senate chamber last night an
other section of the Wilson investigation
was worked off. The attorneys in the
case were unusually mild for Wilson
| investigation and with little gentle
urging from Chairman Osborne bottled
and corked their thunder against the
day OF argument, which promises to fall
| somewhere hard by. There were eight
| lawyers present and one witness, but
the witness was permitted to do fair
share of the talking
! Mr.. j. Il. Munson, division freight
agent, was called to the stand aud tss-
| titled He said that he remembered
that certain household goods had been
transported for s. Ohio Wilson cr his
people sometime in the spring Of 1897.
The arrangement had been made through
| him.
Mr. Douglas: "Who approached you
in regard to it,"
Maj. J. w Wilson asked for the
rate"
what rate?"
such as is usual for summer OK
cursionists; a half rate l think"
did You know the property vas Ohio
WilsonsF"
II did not"
How many people from Raleigh have
been given a similar rate?"
Very few"
"Was such a rate eyer given another
person.
Not that / remember"
Have you any record of the arrange
ment?"
Il think Major Wilson wrote let
ter"
"When You were before the Railroad
Commission did you not refuse to testi-
fy?"
Il did. for the reason 1 gave at the
time"
Mr.. Munson stated that no records had
been burned, destroyed or sent away
\ since he appeared before the Commits
sion.
Mr.. Douglas: "Have you ever heard
of a similar shipment at the same
rateY'
Mr.. Munson: 1T is the only one
know of from here"
"What return rate was paid on me
goods?'
"One-half. think"
/ did Otho Wilson not complain that
he had to pay full rate on return:
''My recollection is he did, but 1t was
an oversight of our agent; the over
charge was returned l think
WAS that the only half rate ship
ment?'
''All / recollect."
| The witness remembered chat Major
Wilson had asked for a rate on ship
ment of horses, carriages and general
household furniture. There we're no
written rules governing such shipments.
| He. had referred the matter 10 his SUI
pcrior and advised that the half rate
| be granted He had acted under d reEu-
lation of the Railroad Commission in
making the rate.
Mr. Douglas: ''Why thea di0 you
refuse to testify before The commits
sion?"
Mr.. Munson "On the ground thar it
might incriminate me; l acted on ad-
vice of counsel"
How long were the goods at Round
Knob?"
Our agent says they were shipped UP
in April and back in August or Septem-
Der
Gould a man get passenger excursion
rates in April?'
Il think not"
when do they usually begin?"
Il think about the middle of May or
first of June
There was no fixed schedule CT freight
rates for summer, witness said aad fix
ing them was largely arbitrary with the
roads. 1t was less so with passenger
rates. On cross examination witness
stated that Maj. Wilson hal not asked
the rate as a special favor.
Mr. Douglas: Did you ever know of
half freight rate before in North Car
olina?"
Il do not remember case"
Did you ever kaow OF one else
where?'
Not to my knowledge"
After the examination of Mr.. MunsOn
was completed, the deposition of Horace
Payne, telegraph operator and assistant
railway and express agent at Morganton
was read
He deposed that no telegraph messages
had been franked for Major Wilson, that
no express packages had been ranked
for him, That J. w. Wilson, Jr, was
the ticket agent of the Southern Railway
Company at Morganton and of the
Southern Express Company and as such
had franked packages for his sisters and
had secured passes for them. He I'M
derstood that Major Wilson had used
an annual pass.
If the rest of the dispositions arrive
the hearing of the case will be resumed
this afternoon, if not then so soon as
they do arrive.