The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-17
And I Will Deliver Unto You the
Columns Of My Paper and the
Influence Thereof.
AND THEY COVENAN TED WITH HIM
FOR 5000 PIECES OF SILVER
And From That Time to This Day He Has
Sought to Betray His Party Into The
Hands of the Negroes and
Revenue Dooders.

When the Asheville Gazette Topped
over to the Radical party and became
the organ of the revenue doodlers and
negroes, the Ashevlle Citizen charged
that the editor had sold his editorial
columns to the Radical bosses in that sec
doubted the statement, nobody could read
the Gazette day after day without recog-
nizing it as q subsidized organ of Radi-
calism. But in addition to the unrefuted
statement made by the Citizen and the
circumstantial evidence which it's col
umns gives. the following affidavit given
by Mr.. Walter Roy Somerville, who own
ed 375 out of the 1,500 shares of stock
in the Gazette Company, is evidence that
would convict the Gazette in any court.
Here is the affidavit:
l. Walter Roy Somerville, max = this
affidavit believing it q duty ! owe the
Democratic party in North Carolina
That from June, 1885, until June, 1890,
l was minority stakeholder in the Ga
zette Publishing Company, of Asheville,
n c., publishing the Asheville Daily Ga
Eette and the Asheville Weekly Gazette.
The majority stockholders were Jas. r.
Norton and members of his family: that
in or about April, 1899, James f.. Norton.
as president, editor and director of the
Gazette Publishing Company, proposed
and entered into an agreement with
Senator Jeter C. Pritchard, Collector H.
S. Harkins, Col. V. S. Lusk. District At
torney A. E. Holton and others as repre-
sentatives of the Republican party, to
ho
and Election Law drafted by the Demo
cratic Legislature of 1899. The editorial
columns OF the aforesaid mentioned pub
LEGATIONS were also to be used on divers
other occasions and events, verbally
agreed upon. Deponent further sayeth
that a regularly written agreement to
this effect was presented to said Jas. l..
Norton by representatives of the Repub-
lican party and signed by him as presi-
dent of the said Gazette Publishing Com
pany. The deponent further sayeth that
the terms in the agreement for these ser
vices on the part Of James e. Norton
was five thousand (S5000) dollars, to be
paid by the Republican party in install
ments Of one thousand 81 000) dollars
each, the first installment on signing
of said agreement, the last installment
by April. 1900. That these amounts were
to be paid to said James e. Norton, per-
sonally, and that deponent, in converse
ton with said James E. Norton and his
sister, Miss Mary Norton, in February,
1900. was informed that three Of these in
stallments had been paid. though no
record was made on the books Of said
Gazette Publishing Company.
Deponent further sayeth that in repeat
ed conversation between said James L.
Norton and affiant, said James r. Norton
stated that his only motives in opposing
the said Constitutional Amendment and
Election Law was the $4,000 paid by the
Republican party.
w. ROY SOMERVILLE.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this
18th day of July, A. d., 1900.
JOHN S. WURTS, Notary Public,
Philadelphia, Pa.