The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-02-28

Old Fort? \. / think it was Il French
man named Musee; can not remember
any other one keeping hotel there be-
tween the time that | came to Old Fort
and the time that Mr. Musee opened it.
Z. For the time that Musee was there
have You some idea how long he kept the
hotel there! y. Well, only as a general
idea that he was there year or two.
perhaps two years, / will say.
Q. From the time that Musee closed
until the Wilson's came, was anybody
keeping hotel there? A. / think not
Mr.. w. r. Troy, who was a witness
for Maj. ]. w. Wilson, testified on cross
examination and redirect examination
that he kept the hotel two years,
agreed TO pay rental of 500 month.
The first year it was railroad eating
house. He lost about $1,000 and his
time. and he considered the business
worse than nothing.
The testimony as TO the special rates
asked for by Major Wilson for ). Otho
Wilson will he best understood by be
ginning 10 Ettu lut correspondence WI
page 107. 1t shows that j. w. Wilson
asked for special rate for Otho's goods,
and that the General Freight agent
wrote TO Division Agent Munson: Give
any rate Chairman Wilson suggests on
this shipment; dead-head if necessary.
What does that suggest under the cir
cumstanceS?
The evidence is complete that ). OHIO
Wilson was the real tenant; that he was
SO regarded; that he so stated in verbal
conversation and in writing, and that he
never took the hotel until Maj. Wilson
had assured him that the trains would
stop at Round Knob for dinner both
ways. We have not space for much of
that evidence, but the following estab-
fishes the scandal of the Round Knob
eating house:
Il. H. Mashburn, of Old Fort, page
90 testified that he heard :. Ohio Will
son say in 1897, that he thought the
hotel would pay him about $4,000 that
summer.
]. NJ. Morgan testified page CD that
he heard Ohio Wilson say to T. {.
Starn, clerk of the court who has. since
died: Il am giving Il S1.O0 meal for
only - cents
j. III. Lange, page 42) testified in ref
ercnce to Il conversation between his
clerk, Mr.. Arnold (who was mistaken
by S. Ohio Wilson for Langc) and :.
Ohio Wilson as follows:
Q. Did you ever have any CONVERSE
ton with Mr.. S. O. Wilson about leas-
ing that property? a. Yes, sir.
@. Please relate it? a. l was sit
ting in the office there at the Glen Rock,
and he stepped up and spoke to Mr..
Arnold. the clerk at the time, and he
called him Mr.. Wilson, whom recognize
there now and he wanted to lease it to
Arnold, and | think he thought he was
talking to me. as the owner of the Glen
Rock: and he said that he would like to
sell the lease on it for $500. and that he
had been ut considerable expense in get
ting his furniture up there, and would
now like to sell his lease. Mr.. Arnold
told him that he did not want it, and
Mr.. Wilson said. You can close il up
and force them to use the Glen Rock.
He offered to sell it to me. but | did not
want ii.
O. Al what price did he offer it to
you? [A/ He never named amy price
to me. for i never asked him, and then
he began to tell me what he had done
for the State in lowering the rates on
telegraphs and telephones, and so on.
Q. What was it he said to Mr.. Ar
mold about moving? \. Mr.. Wilson
told Arnold that he could close it up
and he would have it removed back to
the Glen Rock, is the way l remem-
Der it.
Q. You say he seemed to be under
the impression that Arnold was the
owner of the Glen Rock? y. Yes, sir;
that was the way it impressed me from
his conversation with Arnold. Arnold
called me up there and introduced me to
him.
Q. Did he ever mention the subject
to you afterwards at any time! n.
No, sir.
Q. What did Mr. Arnold say to him?
A. He wanted to know what assurance
he would have that he would remove 1t
back to Ashevillc, and Mr.. Wilson as
sured him that he would.
@. Suppose it could not be removed,
did Mr.. Wilson give him any assurance
tina it would be kept there as an eating
house? A. l do not remember, though
he talked like it was dead sure thing
that he could move it back
Q. Did he say anything about the
mower he had over the railroad? n.
He went on to say something about what
he would do i'll getting the rates down,
and / supposed he had a good deal OF
power, the way he talked
Hunter Arnold testified as follows,
(pagcs - and go:
Q. Where were YOU in the year 1871
A. From July till December | was at
the Glen Rock Hotel in Asheville.
Q. Were you employed there by Mr.
Lange? a. Yes, sir.
Q. During that time did You have any
conversation with Mr.. 5. o. Wilson
about purchasing his lease upon the
Round Knob hotel? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Please state what it was? y.
He met me in the lobby of the hotel
and offered to sell me his lease or the
lease of the Round Knob hotel; think
he said the lease was for five years. and
part of it had run out, probably year
or two, and he offered me the remain
EyNW, Il A N