The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-17

John K. Branscome With keen anxiety.
To me. a young lawyer, just elected
Dictrict Attorney, with my spurs yet to
be won. had come his case of national
notice and importance. The facts were
as follows
During the debate in the State AS
selnbly. on the Consolidated Railroad
Bill, Richard w. Brownlow, member
from the 3rd Caduga District, rose to a
question of hign privilege
81 called on Senator Branscome, last
night at his written request" ne be-
gan. his face white, his voice ~tremulous.
with passion. He urged me to sup
sort the Consolidated bill, though 1
have been consistently opposed TO it all
along. He. he, CAV me five thousand
dollars 70 change. Here Is the money,
damn him." and he held up before his
startled associates. five one-thOusand
dollar bills.
A great political scandal ensued.
Senator Branscome, after a dignihed
denial on h floor OF the Senate, re-
manned silent. The accusation, hOwev-
er. vas too direct and circumstantial,
To pass IS a ten days sensation. There
had been ~go0d-natured whispers for
years about the sources OF the Senator's
large income. Now these whispers grew
loud and hostile. The strong reform
element seized opportunity for an ex-
ample. The Grand Jury Of the County
met when the storm Of de~nunciation
was at its height. An indictment for
bribery was found, and trial set for the
March Over and TPrmiDpr.
All this occurred in the closing days
Of my predecessors term; n he turn
ed over the papers to IN with a sigh
of relief.
II wish you JOY. Slayden," said Mr..
Wales; "an the JOY that can be found
between the devil and the deep sea.
It's a wonder there's q bone left in my
body. I've been so pulled and hauled
about. On one side there has been an
fmpressjOned public demand for jus
tiCe. or the other. nightly visitors,
mysterious messages, diplomatic sound
inSs, threats Of reprisal, hints at future
ayOrs. BransCOme has hosts of friends
in both parties. remember; n if you
don't know what that means, you
kaven't cut your political rnilk-teeth.
But that isn't all, my 10y, not by a
tuB-full. You have hear | of Miss So
phia B~ranscOme, of cOurse-a social ia
vOrite and leader at tn State Capital,
beautiful. dashing. cle-ar. resOurceful:
above all devoted to laT father. Well,
the women rallied t. her aid like an
hmazOnian army. = friends, rela-
lives and family " swept into their
ranks. I was bese red at the office. I
was entreated at ! ,me. until 1 did my
worst by putting through that indict-
ment. Then he dropped me like a
dead duck, vice u, the live one. Look
out for yourself. [ say; for Branscome
viii never be g nvicted if feminine wit
car save him
An ominiOUs warming; for Wales was
Il shrewd Ole elbow. who took a sort OF
fatherly int est in me; yet the evils
did not -~-dterialize. The Senators
friends OF ! Ith parties came to me with
heir cong Itula ions. They were diffuse
and cO-dirI. fighting over past admin
istratiOns and predicting success for
mine. bU1 one and all preserved Il dis
Greet silence regarding h one case OF
interest to them. What did it mean!
/ might have been absurd enough tC
think it a tribute to my integrity, had
7 not realized that Wales had hung uT
q veterans shield unstained.
L did feel social influences. though not
IN the Senator's behalf. Miss Brans-
come had gone into retirement on hel
ather's disgrace; but many of the
charming matrOns at the Capital found
opportunity 70 say a good word of Ed
ward Nalre IL me. Naire was a candi-
date for the position of my assistant;
and the enthusiasm of his fair friends
did not weaken my own favorable opin-
ion of him, | assure you.
For Nair was in all respects a fine
young man. Graduated from the Home
University and the Law School with
hOnOrs. he had taken a special course
IT Zurich. whence he had just return.
ed. The son of a prominent citizen
personally well-liked, with a reputation
for cIeverness from a child. what
objections could prudence raise against
him? After an hours talk, in which he
showed himself as nodes and willing
rs he was fit. I made the appointment
glad to secure so agreeable and eff.
cient a junior.
During this first talk, 1 related
WaIes's warning to Naire. and ne made
80 reasonable an explanation OF my
freedom from its annoyances that
thereafter l put it out of my head.
There are many things" he said
hat \ self~-respecting district attorne!
might do before indictment. which h
could not be expected to do after on,
had been found. Branscome n hi
friends are a hard-headed lot. and the!
Know they're IN a fight to the finish"
In this ~finish-fight it was evident
from the counsel employed for the de
Tense. thar no possible advantage would
DC discarded because technical or un
Professional. We. therefore. proceeded
TO devote all spare time to tn
preparation OF the bribery case. COINS
over the Indictment. the statute OF
which 1t was framed. the common Law
on which it was founded. with a jeal
~ and exacting scrutiny. In thi
work, Naire showed unusual powers
until at length 1 felt as sure as a law
Yer can that no legal flaw existed.
The facts. too. were equally satisfac
tory. being simple. direct, dependent OF
but few witnesses. We had Brownlow'