Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1902-05-15
LETTERS OFFICIAL
DECLARES RUSSELL
His Defense For Giving Out
the Clark Letters.
\ AOM DID LIE CIT TuEM
\ how DID HE GET THEM
If Official Why Not on File in the
Office?
Will GOVERNOR AYcocK DEMAND THEM?
A Raleigh Man Writes the Sort of a Letter That
He Thinks Governor Aycock Ought
TO Write to Governor
Russell,

u I'm 1OdN . 4NC"0 dAd OOoS1 VI
4 special from Wilmington yesterday
said: "a friend of Governor Russell
says that he seeks to evade the charge
that he betrayed confidence by turning
over confidential letters written by him
to Judge Clark in this way: He claims
ed to official acts. and that therefore
there is no breach of confidence in MAX
ing them public"
Are they official? I dropped into the
Executive office yesterday to see Gov
ernor Aycock about the matter, but the
Governor had gone to Union county to
make an address at a school
lnent and [ could not see him.
Col. Pearsall said that there were
no letters on file in the office from
Judge Clark with reference to the re-
moVals of the Wilson's or any other let
tiers from him to Governor Russell that
he had seen,
| asked a prominent lawyer yesterday
if it could be true that Governor Rus
sell was in. possession of official letters
written to the Executive Department
and he answered:
Not unless somebody stole them and
gave 1hcm to him.
When Governor Aycock returns a
friend of Judge Clark intends to make
two demands On the Governors:
l. To see all official letters written
by Judge Clark to Governor Russell.
2. If there are no such letters on file
to request him demand that Gov. Rus
sell return them to the files of the
Executive office, and to explain how he
and Southern Railway officials came to
be in possession Of them.
Speaking about this matter later. a
gentleman said there is the sort of let
ter that Governor Aycock ought to write
to Governor RUSSELL:
Executive Department,
Raleigh, N. c., May Z.
Hon. Daniel L. Russell, Wilmington,
N. c.:
am informed that certain officials or
attorneys of the Southern Railway in
this city nave now or did have last month
certain letters alleged to nave been writ
ten by Judge Walter Clark to the Chic
Executive of the State on official bust
ness; that these letters were photo
g%rahphed or Autographed by said South
ern Railway attorney; and that copies
of them have been variously distributed
by Southern Railway attorneys through
out the State.
L Wr1IG TO ask now you cauC IN Dos
session of official letters THAI ought tC
be on file in this office? Did you alb
stract them before your term expired and
give them to Southern Railway attor-
neys, or has some one since then stolen
them from this office?
If the letters were addressed to you in
your official capacity as the Chief Exc
cutive of the State, then were they not
the property of the State and should they
not have been placed and retained among
the files with other official documents in
the Governors office? Wee they not as
much the property of the State as any
bond or other valuable security, or tbs
desk at which you wrote or the chair
upon which you sat? Had you any l'g:.l
while Governor or on retiring from The
office to remove the same from the Office
for any purpose MISUNDERSTANDING tc
serve any personal ends? If you had ne
right to take these letters, would
not section 1915 of the Code, which read:
as follows, prove relevant and interest
ing?
eff any officer, agent or employe of the
State, or other person, having or hold
ing in trust for the same any bonds is
sued by said State, or any security, o.
OTHER PROPERTY AND EFFECTS o
the same, shall embezzle or %knowingl,
and wilfu1ly MISAPPLY OR CONVEX
H SAME TO HIS OWN USE, or other
wise wilfully or corrupt1y U TIL
SAID TRUST, such offender and all per
sons Adm AND ABETTING, or other
wise assisting therein, shall be guilty o
felony and fined not less than ten thous
and dollars or imprisoned in the peni
tertiary not less than twenty years, o
both, at the discretion of the court"
If these letters, however, were privat
and confidential and aSSn6 from J1dp
Clark to you as from man to man O
friend to friend, then different rules
which have always obtained among gen
tie and knightly men would apply. I
that case 1 have neither any right @
desire to know their contents.
Very truly,
CHARLES A. BEECOCK.
Governo.