The Van Buren press., 1903-04-18
SECRETION PRICE, s,.oo PER YEAR
Secretary Of State Crockett Has Gov
Davis on the Rock.

Little Rock, Ark, April 10, 1903,
TO the Editor Of the Gazette.
am slow to rush into print. ! seel
rather TO avoid the notoriety that come
10 those who needlessly mir their grie7
Rnces or seek to impress their particula
views upon the public. | have no rea
son to change my lifelong belief tina
the American people are willing to d,
their own thinking but in your pape
Of this morning you gave to the countr,
a card sigued by Governor Davis, il
which he makes the following state
ment, among others;
MIR. Altheimer did swear befor,
said committee in substance as follows
That he first offered his place to thu
state at S92 500, and at my Instance re
duced it to sS7, 500, when he was in
formed by me that the state would no
buy it at that price, after consultation
with his son he reduced the price &
S75, 600, That he put the proposition il
writing and gave it to Mr. Crockett
secretary Of the board. That he die
not give it to me and did not see me any
more until he gave it to Mr. Crockett
Mr.. Crockett denies that statement o
Mr.. Altheimer SHAT he gave him Thu
written proposition--and it is aquestioT
of veraeity between these two gentlemen
in which | have no concern. | chal
lenge either of the persons signing thi
alleged report to show difference BY
quoting from Altheimer's testimony
which they themselves have in thei
possession.
The governor not only misstates tn,
testimony of Mr.. Altheimer in othe
respects. but does 80 pointedly when HI
says he testified that he gave the $40,
600 proposition to me and that my de
NAL of it raises question Of veraclt,
between MIR Altheimer and myself.
Altheimer plainly testified that h,
told the governor that he would sell tn,
place to the board for SIS 900, out il
the front room, outside the room IL
which the board was assembled. II,
says that the governor went back int
the room and he heard Democratic
row In there. All that he says abou
the written proposition to sell at SIS,
600 is that the governor told him to pu
IL in writing and that his son did so. OF
u typewriter, and went in and gave i
TO the board, to me, if he is not mis-
taken.
Now it Is clear that Mr., Altheimer
who, in another part of his testimony
said the board was sitting behind LOCKED
or closed doors, did not see any sucl
delivery, and that the delivery to m
could not have been made without tn
knowledge of the other members Of tn
board and yet no member Of the boar'
ever saw such proposition or heard of |
until after the beginning of the presen
year.
Altheimer swesrs positively that tn,
only proposition that he ever made t,
the board, outside of this $15, 600 prop
ositlon, which was made to the governor
alone, was the $S7 500 proposition ant
it was the ss7, 800 proposition that Gov
ernor Davis moved to accept, the re
lection Of which so angered him.
II Atheimer s son delivered to any
body, or anybody except the governor
$5 600 proposition in writing WIN
did he not produce it or come TO testif,
about it2 If it was delivered to me il
board meeting, why did not Goyerno
Davis who would necessarily have seei
and known It, testify about III Tn,
truth is that all this about the si5 ,00t
proposition in writing and its deliver
Rnce TO me, in board meeting or else
where, is mere suhterfuge TO shiel,
the governor. Let the governor swear
il he will, that such delivery wa
made.
Again, Mr.. Altheimer teStihes tina
we were In board meeting or rowing
about An hour and that the governo
then came out and said TO him, 1.-THE,
don want your place, and that he
Altheimer said, Maurice, 90 and re
the papers, which Maurice did II
then goes on 90 say that he and Mauric
left after he had said TO the governor
Governor, II you want the HaYwar,
plantation, you know where TO find III
and my place, - and that he and his 30,
were not afterwsrd before the board 70
n year and half.
Asa member Of the board | accep
the governor y challenge. II he think
be can escape the just inference fror
this feature Of the testimony by the mer
assertion that there Ia question Of vel
Hci,y between Altheimer and myself
he will lind himself In error,
Juo w Crockett