The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-03
The Wilson's Reinstated
Continued from First Page.)

would change, and il would he closed.
and then opened again. .
Continuing, he sail.
he whole tenor ,s Tho whole owl
dcnee tends irrcsistibIy to the concu-
sion mat this lease too closely connect
ca ~ least one of the Commissioners
with the Southern Raiway-too closely
Tor man who is called upon to adjudi-
cate. between the railroads and the pco-
pie.
wee President Andrews told Chair
man wilson he would lease The hotel,
Chairman Wilson told Commissioner
wilson, commissioner Wilson told Mrs.
wilson. ne trade was made Round
KNOB Hotel was once more an eating
house and the Wilson family was
happy.
Head the testimony and you can
come TO but one conclusion--that Ohio
Wilson was the general manager of that
eating house,
lie read from Ohio Wilson's evidence
where, he said he had no interest in the
Round Knob Hotel; that he was only
boarding there. and that his mother
was running it,
This is what Ohio said AFTER the
Governor pulled that suspension clause
ON him.
What did he say before that?''
Judge Macrae read from Mr.. Exum's
testimony that he had dunned Ohio for
= debt, Ohio had plead inability to pay
1t just then, but added that he was run
ming hotel at Round Knob and he ex-
peeted soon to make enough money on
II to pay the account.
This was BEFORE the suspension
was suggested
And again continued the Judge.
What does Mr.. Hunter Arnold saw"
He SAYS Ohio Wilson met him in
Asheville and tried to sublet the Round
Knob Hotel to him. Here is the rest
of his testimony on this point:
20. Did he offer you any inducement
to buy it: A. He said would have
the indncement that it was an eating
house. and that would have my tele-
graphing free and my transportation
free. and my provisions would be dead
headed.
GO. Did he say anything about what
would be tie c0nuuences of closing it
up, il you chose to close it? A. He talk
ed as If be thought | was the proprietor
of the Glen Rock Hotel, and he said
that would be a good way to close the
if it were closed up the railroad would
have to come to Asheville. asked him
what assurance / would have that the
Round Knob Hotel would (be) a rail
road eating house il | took it: and he
said. / think. all the assurance in the
world, for as long as the railroad peo-
pie wanted it, it would go on, and
he named Colonel Andrews and Major
Wilson: that is. rather. that as long
as the railroad people owned it. naming
Colonel Andrews and Major Wilson"
in this matter, gentlemen, | roll thu
responsibility upon you. What matters
it to me whether these men are without
fear or free from susDenSion-fair ami
impartial jurors without stain upon their
official record: You cant dodge this
question by trying 10 make the Governor
the prosecutor. ! am not here IL per-
secutc or ask you to do augh. with these
men. The responsibility is with sou,
gentlemen.
At this point Judge MacI.ae asked how
much more time he had and being told
he had only five minutes more, he threw
upon the floor the copy of the testimony
from which he was reading and cxclaim-
ed:
why should | go on. Here is page
after page of this DEFENDANTS incrimina-
ting evidence Ii needs no argument.
You need but read it for yourself.
He argued for broad Interpretation
of the statute-an Interpretation Of its
spirit rather than its letter: and CON
tended that the approaches to public Of
flee ought to be kept pure and stainless,
and to do it this safeguard had been
erected by the representatives of the
people in General Assembly.
1t fell to the lot OF Mr.. X. q. Burton
to blaze out the path for the defense.
and in the most brilliant manner he
did it.
.'lhe case was 10 be tried upon the
evidence and the law. not upon what
one might wish or what might appear
in the public prints was his opening
declaration. M
.You are sitting here as judge and
jury. sworn to On your dnty-sitting
here in what is the nearest approach
to a court of impeachment.
Continuing. Mr.. Burton criticised the
Governor for not giving to the Wilson's
the names of his witnesses and their
testimony when he suspended them, and
denounced their suspension as an eXer-
else of arbitrary power.
LET me see what we are TO Try. III
necessary principle that there should
he charges, an opportunity given to
refute them and a conviction.
He read the original charges against
Maj. Wilson:
i. That he was joint owner of the
Round Knob Hotel and that he had
an arrangement whereby the trains
should stop at the hotel.
9. That he had a son in the employ Of
the Southern Railway who had been
promoted at his Mai. Wilson's) request
over the heads of others entitled by the
rules of the company to the place.
..In his statements to the General As
sembly. however. Governor Russell
abandoned the charge in reference to
Mai. Wilson's son, but puts in its place
sbe charge that Major Wilson was
mortgaged TO Col. Andrews. and that
he had been enjoying special privileges
from telegraph and express companies
II submit. then. that the only charge
on which Mai. Wilson can be tried is
the one in regard TO the ioint-own"r-
shin of the Round Knob Hotel. And
Il appears from the evidence that he had
disaosed of that before he was sus-
pended. :.