The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-29
OPINION OF THE LATEST ACT
IN THE CONSPIRACY DRAMA


annex of the revenue department, the rail
road tax wouldn't have been so heavy on
them poor corporations, and fellows who
git their legs cut off by trains couldn't
be getting four or five thousand dollars
for their loss. No, Stree, Chief Justice
Russell and Cappen Bilday wouldn't never
lowed nothing of that sort!'
rs it." asked Tom Hartman, ''the
same Cappen Bilday that was a lawyer
for McBee and Finch when they got
Judge Purnell to sign the order?"
THE very same man. said Abe, land
he is one of the shrewdest fellows 1
know
Yes said Ike, "he's one of these fell
lows who is so sharp that he always cuts
hisself."
And then everybody laughed, for Rham-
katie is proud of likes real genius in say
ing bright things.
well" said Abe, what do you think
of it? Won't it kill the Governor and the
News and Observer and the rest of them
fellows?"
Did Cappen Bilday say he heerd the
Governor say 500" asked Burwell.
NO, said Abe, che said he hadn't
heerd the sound of the Governors voice
since that speech he made in Raleigh
showing up Russell's and Jim Youngs
and John r. Smiths and Bilday's man
agement of the State
Did he say he had heard the lawyers
say anything about not Furnishing McBee
and Finch?' continued Burwell.
mo; he said he hadn't said nary a word
to any of them" answered Abe.
did he say he had talked to the News
and Observer folks?'' pursued Burwell,
who had turned into a cross examiner
equal to the late Judge Tom Fuller
No answered Abe, growing into a
rage, do you think Cappen Bilday or
any other fellow who held a job under
Russell or who tried to beat Clark, or
to get Russell made Chief Justice, would
have anything to do with that blanketty,
blanketty, bianketty Internal White Mans
paper. No, STREE, no Republican would
read that PAPER or believe anything he
sees in it. If it hadn't been for that in
| ternal sheet, Governoe Aycock, Senator
Simmons and other like fellers, right now
Russell would be Chief Justice in stead
of Clark; Jim Young would be in Con-
gress instead of Ed Pou; Cappen Bilday
would be a runnin' Of the penitentiary in
a way to delight the heart of every
Radical from Murphy to Manteo, and
every niger in the State, dead or alive
| would be votin' as many times as he did
| in 1896"
"Well," pursued Burwell eff Cappen
| Bilday didn't hear any of these fellers
say a single word, how could he swear
that they made any agreement or under
standing?'
He was a swearin' from heresay?' an,
swered Abe.
When" asked Burwell, who is a Jus
tice of the Peace and knows some law,
| did courts begin to admit heresay testi-
| mony?'
80, I don't know anything about law
| answered Abe, ceptin' that Cappen Bill
| day is too smart n lawyer to swear on the
| stand anything that the lawyers say is
| non-comptent. or something like. that If
he hadn't Rad a right to say it, I'll tell
you Cappen Bllday wouldn't have said
it. He will never get his tail caught in
no split stick
But Burwell was determined to go to the
| bottom of the matter. He IS one of the
| honestest Democrats in the world and he
| had been pralslng the Governor, the At
| torney General, the lawyers and the News
and Observer for uncovering the cOnspira-
| cy and he knew that the whole thing was
either a lie out of the whole cloth or the
mlsinterpreting of the magnanimous words
OF men free from any vindictive spirit.
| And so he was resolved to probe to the
! bottom. And when Burwell goes to prob
| ing to the bottom he is apt to get it if
| there is any bottom.
/ well continued BurwelI much to
| Abe's discontinue for he saw that his
great story had turned into boomerang
and he was making preparations to go,
| his chaSrin being apparent on his face,
hold on few minutes. OF course if
Cappen Bilday didn't hear any of the
| lnen he accuses of making what he calls
an agreement, how come him to go on
the stand and swear that they did MAKE
it? That's what want to know"
o. answered Abe, 'he hecrcd tell
| that it had been done
who did he hear say so?" next asked
| Durwcll, who had by common consent
como to~be the cross-examner icing row
and then prompted by Ike, George and
Tor. and the others who were determined
| to make Abcs discontinue and chagrin
as complete as McBees and Finch5 had
beer made last week.
He hecred Judge w. s. OBJ. @. r. S.
T. X. Y. u. Robinson, say So!
'Is he the same Radical lawyer who
appeared for McBec and Finch before
Chief Justice Clarke asked BurwelI.
THE same" answered Abe.
''Is he the same Radical lawyer who
was elected Judge by the niggers and
Populists in 1892" asked Burwell
The same" answered Abe, 'and what's
more he made big reputation on the
bench as original, unique, and amoosin
judge"
Us he the Judge who stuffed cotton in
his ears to keep from hearing Hon. Korc
Elias present the contention of his client
in case before Judge Robinson?" asked
Burwel
THE same" said Abe, "and he did
right, for that man Kope Elias is the
all-fredest Teller you ever saw to keen
on talking when a client has paid him
to represent him in court ne insists
that his clients cause shall have a hear
ing, and he often talks in a tone loud
enough to be heard in the next county.
Now when Judge Robinson made I'D his
mind Which side of the case he intended
| 4p }alr !, ;1,n,A