The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-23
Name Sent to Grand Jury by Dis
trict Attorney HoIton
Dick" Hackett Anxious to Show Proof
of Blackburn's Wrong Doing.
Charges Against the Eighth District
ETY. That Doomed Senators Mitchell
and Burton.

least nothing came Of it except a lot
OF reports as to the why and the
wherefore. Last Friday night Dis
trict Attorney Holton went to Wash
ington. 1t was naturally said that
his object was to learn something
about the nature of the charges filed
against him by Blackburn, but his
was not the case, for according to the
correspondents of the Charlotte OBJ
server and Raleigh Observer, Mr.. Hol-
ton spent most of his time If not all
Of it at the department Of justice. He
told these correspondents that his OBJ
ject was not to look into the charges
and he would do nothing unless ask
ed by the committee. All in all a
Yer undressing story was evolved by
the news gatherers at. Washington
They are Of the opinion that the de-
partment of justice sent for Mr.. Hol-
ton and that he was given specific in
structiOns to do certain things. What
those things are they do lot say, but
they do say that there will be a sen
satiOn sprung at Asheville this week
and that men higher up" will be
looked after, meaning of course that
there are to be more indictments in
connection with the frauds against
the government and that the defend
ants will be men of prominence. Nat
urally this gives rise as to who those
men are and the conclusion reached is
that Blackburn is one of the men and
that he will be indicted in connection
with Wilkes county frauds. How
much truth there is in this remains
to be seen.
In this connection it will not hurt to
repeat a good story to the effect that
Dick Hackett, of Wilkes, has been
doing his best to have Holton indict
Blackburn, but as it was not done
some time ago he is now willing to
wait or wants to wait until after
Blackburn is again nominated for
congress and then he will get On him
himself with proof of his w~rongdoing,
Mr.. Hackett desiring to be nominated
on the democratic ticket. This is a
very pretty move, If true, but it is not
vouched for; it is given as apart Of the
current literature Of the day.
Another story current here to day is
that the reason Holton did not send
a bill against Blackburn a long time
ago was that the officials at Wash
ington would not let him, believing the
whole business was a fake, Or that it
was spite work on the part Of Holton,
but now since the visit Of Mr.. Robb
down here he has changed his mind
and that as a matter Of fact he sent
for Mr.. Holton las week and told
him to bring an Indictment at once.
True or not, it makes a foundation for
the Washington story sent out by the
correspondents that there would be
son ethittng doing this week in the old
north state.-Greensboro RECORD.
Winston-Salem, Feb. 19.-The bat
tie royal between District Attorney
Holton of the western district Of North
Carolina, and the indicted yer
officers will possibly eliminate in
Asheville this week when a bill of in
dictment will be sent against some of
the most prominent men of the state.
It is stated that the district attorney
has been asked to send in a bill
against Congressman E. Spencer
VI liz CIShth lotAA> ~
violations of the same variety that
have doomed Senators Mitchell n
Burton. Whether he will comply with
his orders is a matter Of speculation
many believing that Blackburn's an
tagonizing the senate's
of Holton's reappointment Will make
the Indictment seem like revenge on
Holton's part, but there are those VINO
believe Mr.. Holton will carry out his
orders in spite of such criticisms.
The fight of Blackburn against Ho1-
ton assumed a rather interesting
phase today when a civil judgment
was rendered in Forsyth superior
court against Mr.. Holton as surety
for Blackburn in his campaign in the
eighth district. District Attorney
Holton left this afternoon for Ashe-
VILE, where court conyenes tomorrow
Several prominent men from Wilkes
and other western counties were on
the train headed the same way, lav-
ing been subpoenaed. They were won
dering what it all means. Mr.. Hol-
ton was the only one who knew, and
he was reticent. Asked If he was
going to send in a bill of indictment
against Congressman Blackburn, he
replied ''if I find he has violated the
law, l will do my duty, that's ALL
Special to Charlotte Observer.
Asheville. n. c., Feb. 20.-A bill
of indictment against republican Con-
gresham E. Spencer Blackburn, of
the eighth district of North Carolina,
was this afternoon presented to the
grand jury of the district federal court
which convened here this morning.
The congressman is charged with ac-
cepting retainers from government
employees for his services before the
departments in Washington during
- term of congress in the years OF
1901 to 1903, which is in violation OF
the federal laws prohibiting congress-
men from accepting retainers for such
services. No return of the bill has
vet been made by the jury.
While of course this is but official,