The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-18
ROGERS RENDERED
THE JURY MONEY
{. 7. Banks Gives Details
of Approach.
GRAND lIIRY REPORT
GRAND JURY REPORT
Almost Certain that Additional Pre-
sentiment for Embracery Has Been
Found. Report Not Yet Given Out.
Certain Now that There Were
Those Higher Up.

As exclusively announced would be
the case by Sundays News and Obser-
yer. Mr.. E. T. Banks. of Middle Creek
township, yesterday testified before
Judge Allen To facts which fix J. Row
an Rogers with having not only at
tempted to influence jurors in the
Gattis- Kilgo and Duke case, but with
having offered money on behalf of
friends" whom he did not name, for
services which he wished to secure.
According to Mr.. Banks Mr.. Rogers
visited him. presumably in matter of
politics. both being Republicans. but
the talk soon yeered under Mr.. Rogers
direction to the Gattis- kiigo suit. Mr..
Rogers advised Banks to come TO Raj
eigh and do all he could for the de-
PENDANTS and to stand around and at
tempt to be taken on the jury. If
everything went well, he assured Mr..
Banks that there would be twenty
dollars in it for Banks and twenty-five
for himself. On Mr. Banks refusal
to be a party to such a scheme, Mr..
Rogers asked him how he might get
in communication with his cousin, Mil
ton Banks, VINO was a juTyman sum-
moned for the special term.
This evidence goes far towards es-
tablishing the claim consistently made
by The News and Observer since the
beginning of the embracery sensation
that Rogers and Sorrell were the tools
of other more guilty parties who sent
them out to work in the influence of
the defendants in the Gattis-kilgo
suit.
Mr.. Banks later went before the
grand jury by direction of Judge AL
len. and was examined by that body
which in making a final report late
in the afternoon filed a special report
presumably covering the new en-
bracery charge.
For some reason this report was
treated as confidential by Judge Allen
and was ordered sealed and placed in
the custody of the clerk. There is no
method by which its contents may be
made known as the grand jury is
bound to secrecy.
1t was the opinion of many, however.
that the testimony of Mr.. Banks furn
ished an important link in the progress
towards the real solution of this mat
ter of jury tampering. which has been
SO much obscured by the Teticence of
the two men convicted.
Whether Mr.. Rogers and Mr.. Sorrell
swore in their examination before the
grand jury that they had not attempt
ed to influence any other jurors than
King and Marcum, as they averred in
their sworn answers 10 the rule issued
by Judge Moore for contempt. Wheth-
er Mr.. Rogers swore on that occasion
that he had not spoken except 10 juror
King and to Mr. Sorrell. as was
claimed by his attorneys; or whether
both claimed their constitutional eX
emption for testifying to matters likely
to incriminate themselves are matters
of conjecture.
If they did so swear. there may be
contained in the special report Of the
grand jury referred to presentment or
presentments for perjury as well as the
additional indictment for embracery
which it is commonly reported that
the grand jury found from Mr.. Banks
testimony against Mr.. Rogers.
In substance the evidence of Mr..
Banks was as follows:
That on the Sunday before the Cat
s-kilgo trial. he was visited by Mr..
j. r. Rogers. who stated that he had
come to see him on a matter OF poll
tics. Soon. however, Rogers wished
to know how he stood on the Gattis-
Kilgo case. Mr.. Banks replied that in
his opinion there had been a good deal
of prejudice created against the de-
PENDANTS. Then Mr.. Rogers asked Mr..
Banks how about going TO Raleigh