The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-03-12
REFUSED To GIVE
NAME Of TRAOUCER
Ex-Editor Simpson, OF
Times, Was MUM
PLEADED PRIVILEGE"
Meeting OF Committee to Run Down
False Charges Held Yesterday.
Members of Conference Conn
mittcc Give Lie TO Charges
in Toto.

CFrom News and Observer, March 81
The first meeting of the House
committee appointed to conduct an in
VestigatiGn into the source or inspira-
ton Of the ISLANDERS printed by the
Raleigh Evening Times and the char
lotte Observer against the Legislative
Conferees on the recently pending pas
Senger rate bill was held in the county
court house yesterday afternoon from
half after three until after six O'Clock.
The committee first examined. rela-
tive to the charge that they had been
Influenced in establishing the mileage
basis in the railroad rate bill by Mr..
Josephus Daniels, the various mem
bers Of the House and Senate commit
tees on Conference. One after the
other, Mr.. Manning. Judge WinbOrne,
NJ Mr Stevens, Senator Daniel Senator
Webb and Senator AycOck. detailed
the proceedings Of the committee, the
methods followed by them in arriving
at an agreement on the bill and each
denied emphatically and in toto the
published statements. Each of the
confereeS denied as unquaiifiedly false
the suggestion that Mr.. Daniels had
influenced the establishment Of the
mileage basis; that they had ever been
approached directly or indirectly by
him on the subject; or that they had
ever heard before the publication Of
the canard Of any personal ill-feeling
between Mr. Daniels and Mr. Page
one point of interest, which may or
may not be of Importance was the
statement by Mr. Stevens that, after
the conference. he had been ap-
preached by Mr. PeeIe Of Scotland.
who had declared that the pub
lication in the Times was true. and
that Mr. Henry A. Page was coming
to Raleigh the-ncXt day to prove it Mr..
Page is already eliminated from con-
pecture on this point b. his denial 81
having inspired the article published
Peele of the truth Of the slander and
when viii probably be closely exam
irod into by tho committee
No progress was made 50 far as The
| actual fact Of clearing up the resDon-
sible author of the scurrilOus canarl
is concerned
E,S- Editor Pleads Privilege.
The former editor Of the Times. Nr.
r. w Simpson was put upon
the stand, but refused to answer any
questions in anyWise looking either to
the authorship Of the original articlo
printed in the Times, or to Identifying
the authority upon which the publicI-
ton was based.
In refusing to answer the questions
| put him. Mr.. Simpson filed with the
committee 2 written statement pre-
|
forth by him under their advice in
which he declared that he refused ["
testify, first or the ground that the
publication. made upon confidential
communications would be held invio-
late by 4 newspaper: and second. on
the ground that he was advised that
the articles themselves might be libel
and that his testimony in respect
thereto might tend to render hln
liable TO Z criminal prosecution for
libel.
MIR Simpson insisted upon the
view of newspaper ethics set forth IA
his statement, but based his actual re
fusal to testify upon his .privilege
This privilege" he followed to an eN-
treme degree declining to answer q
number of questions Which apparently
did not come within the puryie" q
ther Of the authorship Of the artlc'e
or the information upon which they
were based. To question after queS-
ton put by Mr. Locke Craig. counsel
for the committee. the Times eN-ed!t-
or replied. Il decline to answer. O
other questions asked by the commit
tee and followed upon his refusal -
answer by Chairman Williams dlrec-
ton to answer, he replied either Il 9v-
cline to answer, Or-in seNerai IL
stances-''I decline to answer at TIE
direction of the Committee.
Red Buck" Followed liumour.
Mr.. H r. c. Bryant, of the char
lotte Observer in whose correspond
ence the same story as that printed III
the Times of March 1st. was printed
in the Charlotte observer Of March
2nd made j statement on the stand TO
the effect that the information upon
which he filed his story at Greensboro
was general rumOr and comment fol-
lowing upon the publication IN ihc
Times on the afternoon OF March Isl
Mr. Bryant stated that ne was 1T ftal-
eigh on the afternoon OF that DAY
taking the evening train to Greens
boro from which he dated his COM
munication: that he had heard the
story at the Marlborough House from
several persons and had afterWar Is
heard it repeated on the train. Mt
Bryant stated that he vas writing d
political story. and pointed out that
his publication was prefaced by the
phrase, lit is said, : which h inssStetf
indicated that it was mere talk ANA
rumor He denied any intention ["
reflect on the committed and con
tended that his use Of the EXPRESSION.
Mr. Daniels had put into tn" rate
bill" was not meant to imply that he
had personally influenced the COM
mlttCc.
Simpson iartie;ns Cheer.
The court room was filed with
dense thrpng Of peoIlc, many pf whom
wore evident rartiSans Of the eN-
cdior This element, on occasion,
Continued on Page TWO