The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-10-21

THE BETTING PROPOSITION

The real issue before the executive WAS
who received the most legal votes in the
second primary, Stiles Higdon. and not
whether some members of the commit
tee had money bet on the result. The COM
Inittee decided that Stiles had received
the most legal votes and declared him the
nominee.
We are not going to conduct this CAM
paign on the low plane of how many
petty wagers were made no matter how
much the voters may howl about such
rnatters.
After this, Mr.. Higdon's campaign man
layers must deal with more material mat
ter, or we shall ignore them. But, In jus
tice to one OF the parties accused, and
as final closing of this matter the fol-
Moving card of Mr.. Edward A. Veitch and
affidavit of parties connected with the
Alleged betting are submitted.
ROBERT N. BELL, Chairman
October 90 1905.
Mr.. veitch's Reloinder to Col. Hiedon.
Colonel Eigdon came into Gardner
jGoodwyn's office, which is located In the
EOff1ce building, and which was being used
sas headquarters for the Young Mems
Stiles club. Colonel Higdon had with
him Mr.. Thomas Ray, one of his sup
lporters from Birmingham, and, therefore,
was not alone, as stated in his card
Those present in the office and during our
ldon Messrs Charles NJ. Ray Gardner
sGoodwyn, Percy Benton and ]. S. Ran
dali. After the usual greetings that pass
Between gentlemen We naturally, as the
occasion justified, talked of the political
situation. We also discussed the manage
snent of the campaign I criticised some
things emanating from his headquarters
and remarked that I feared his people
were verging on unclean politics He
differed with me on this, and said that
st was Just the reverse. as to the Stiles
management and said that the Stile peo-
pile were spending so to his 81. I asked
him II he was spending any? He said that
he was spending all that was necessary;
that he poor man and did not have
any money. I told him that strange
AS I was informed the farmer" he re-
l9ers to In his card went to Birmingham
"a Stiles man, went into Stiles headquar-
lters a Stiles man. made certain demands,
which were not granted. and upon leav-
ing went to Higdon headquarters and
came away a Higdon man and came to
Pessemer and told the members of a
mercantile house here that he had been
ITO Higdon headquarters and gotten $3.50;
showed the amount to them, and advised
them to do likewise.
Colonel Higdon Immediately denied this
and drew from his pocket a scabbard
purse from which he drew a roll of bills
and offered to bet me 500 that he (the
''farmer'O did not receive a cent from
him or his headquarters l replied that
r would be foolish for me to take such
a bet on that proposition as his head
quarters would deny 1t, the farmer would
of course deny 1t, and I consequently
would lose the bet. But I told him that
iif he would bet on the basis of the far
mer's former statement, and leave 1t to
the gentlemen whom he told of the cir
cumstances mentioned, and let them prove
that he did make the assertion, that [
+o1rA fhn hot Cd fha
cussion on the above subject. then
twitted him about claiming to be a poor
man and having such a fat wallet, where
upon he replied that he had a little money
left and that his friends had kindly let
him have all that he NEEDED. I remarked
that 1t was strange that he could bet
his friends money without their knowl-
edge and consent. This Is the conversa-
ton as I remember 1t. There was posi-
lively no proposition of giving 500 to
me or anyone else present 1t was appar-
emily an earnest and determined effort
on Higdon's part to BET 500.
EDWARD A. VEITCH.
Affidavit of w. G. Dortlc.
have submitted the above to all the
gentlemen mentioned as being present.
Each of them endorse 1t as being a cor
rect statement of the conversation be-
tween Colonel Higdon and myself.
EDWARD A. VEITCH.
The State or AlaDanla, JEFFERSON County.
Personally appeared before me. the
dersigned authority, w. G. Dortic, who,
being by me first duly sworn, deposes
and says, under oath, that he has read
the affidavit appearing in the Birmingham
News on October 10, 1906, over the sigma
ture of Kinds Peevey, chairman, and pur-
porting TO have been made by one w.
A. Malone, before HI. C. Wood, notary
public, on October IT, 1906 and which
contained the following statements:
ION election day. September II. 1906 he.
tW. A. Maone), bet $50 each with the
following persons: Ed Veitch and A. G..
iDortic, each paying one-half. I under
stand; that he, Stiles, would have 200
majority the stakeholder being Hr. Hus-
ton Edge"
And he further states under oath that
on the said day that he, affiant, did bet
500 with w A. Malone and that Huston
Edge was the stakeholder; that Ed
veitch did not put up any part of said
money and had no interest in said bet
or the money that was bet, and did not
in anyway divide the bet with affiant.
That affiant is well acquainted In Besse-
Irer and that there is not there to af-
flant's knowledge any man by the name
of A. G. Dortic.
That affiant has also read the affidavit
published In the same issue of said paper
over the signature of Kinds Peevey, chair
man. and purporting to be signed by f.
f. Vining, which contains the follow
ing statement, to-wit:
wv. G. Dortic bet e. f. Vining $40 that
Stiles would be elected. Mr.. Lacey Ed
mundson being stakeholder. Mr.. Veitch
notified the stakeholder lot to turn over
said money as Mr. Dortic's share of that
was his, Dortic's money. Mr.. Dortic
agreed"
Affiant further says that he did bet
$40 with Mr.. E. e. Vining and that Mr..
Lacey Edmundson was the stakeholder,