The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-14

Yesterday-He Gave Interesting ..Tes-
timony-He Made. a Bad Witness for
Observation-Disclosures Col.
Noted Speech-The Examination 10
Continue To~day-SeveraI More VIII.
nesses TO be Examined
The taking Of dispositions in behal
of Democratic Congressman-Hliect
John D. Bellamy in the contest case
OF locke VS.. Bellamy, was resumed
yesterday at 10 a. m, in the United
States court rooom before Notaries
Public John j. Fowler and t. z. Wal
lace. Junius Davis, Esq, George l..
Peschau. ESQ, and Colonel Thomas w.
Strange were present as counse for
Mr.. Bellamy. Assistant United States
District Attorney Oscar ]. Spears, OF
LiIlingtcn, and John p. Cameron, Esq,
Of Rockingham, represented Colonel
Dockery.
The Hon. John D. Bellamy the con-
tCstee, was called to the witness stand,
n was examined during the entire
session, lasting till 2:20 .. m, when a
recess was taken till $3.50 p. M, when
court met at $3.50 p. m, he examina-
ton of Mr.. Bellamy was continued,
and nc finished about 7:15, when an
adjournment was taken till 9 o'clock
this morning.
MIR. BELLAMY'S TESTIMONY.
The following is a portion Of Mr.. Bel
lamE's testimony:
Question-What is your name, age
and place Of residence?
-Tnhn II Pn11nnnU i1ct *
last week, residence Wilmington, N. G.
QUESTIONABLE you the congressman
elect from this district?
Answer am.
questionable you read the testimony
of one S.. NJ. Cole, a witness for Oliver
H. Dockery, the contestant, taken at
Laurinburg, February 9th last in the
present contest case?
Answer did.
Question-Please state in substance
that testimony.
Answer-One S. M.Cole stated that in
a private conversation had with me at
Old Hundred, hat l said hat they,
meaning the democrats, were going to
have the election if they had to carry
it at the point of the bayOnet. He fur
Their stated upon a question in refer
ence to it who was present. He said
that no one was present except him
self and me.
Question-Will you please state
whether the testimony given by S. M.
Cole in hat particular was a truthful
quoting of what you said?
Answer will state that his state
ment is absolutely and positively false;
hat 1 did not entertain such a thought;
1 did not express such a thought, and
would have been opposed to any such
idea if l had thought that my party
desired or expected to resort to such a
thing. l will state that 1 never saw
the man before that day and never
ave seen him since, from that
day to this; that 1 do recollect upon
gazing from Gibson Station, where l had
spoken the day previous, to Old Hun
dred to take the train, while waiting
for the approach Of the train l saw
several parties who were said to have
been voters. 1 sought an Introduction
to every one of them and had some
thing pleasant to say to EACH, and l
think, possibly, and exceedingly very
probable, that l spoke pleasantly to
this man Cole, but as to using such
language or intimating such language,
or entertaining such a thought, and /
would say every word of it is untrue.
Questionable you read the deposit
lions of one Secrest, a witness for Oil
yer II. Dockery, the contestant in this
case. taken at Monroe, Union county,
in the present case?
Answer-Yes, 1 did.
QuestiOn-Will you state in substance
what that testimony Is!
Answer-Although 1 hardly think it
is necessary to contradict the statement
of Mr.. Secrest, as his character has
been shown by a number of witnesses
to be very bad, l will do SO. He stated
that he was present at a political
speaking where I addressed the assem-
blage at Stout's, at a schoolhouse in
Union county, and that I stated that
the people of Wilmington were armed
with Winchester rifles and were going
to carry the election if it was necessary
to shoot down the negroes. l say in
reply to that statement Of Mr.. Secrest
that it is absolutely false; what I did
say and what has been testified to by
other witnesses who heard me was
this: After 1 had discussed the policy
and principles of the democratic party
and its position upOn national QueS-
tlonS, L came down to the question of
the bad government of North Carolina
under fusion rule in state affairs, and
then finally in local matters. 1 stated
to the assemblage as q reason why the
fusioniStS Shout be hurled from power
and control in North Carolina was that
they had subjected the citizens of Will
mington, New Bern and Greenville to
the horrors of miSgOVernment and ne
gro domination, and all that that i'm
piled; and after briefly stating how
the town of Greenville had been gerry
wandered and put under negro control
n how the city OF New Bern had been
likewise treated, I then came to the
city Of Wilmington, where l resided
and was familiar with the state Of at
fairs. 1 stated as the result Of fusion
legislation the city had been put under
fusion control substantially; that al
though the white people owned about
81 per cent. of the property and paic
that much of the taxes of h city
that we had a board of aldermen with
a white mar for mayor who didn't owl
a foot of land in the county, and palS
comparatively little or no taxes; tina
three or four of the board of aldermen
were negroes; that forty of the magis
trates were negroes; that from fourteen
to seventeen of the thirty men on thu
police force were negroes; that nearl!
all OF the deputy sheriffs of the coun
ty were negroes; that the register o
deeds of the county was a negro; tina
every health officer of the city, a yer,
important position, was held by ne
groes; that one of the three county