The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-04-01
ANSWERS HIS CRITICS.
GOY NOEL GIVES OUT A STATEMENT
REPLYING TO VARIOUS CRITl-
CISMS.
Shows That He has Been Misrepresent-
ed and MisquOted BY His
AssaiIants.

hSSdIidhtS.
Jackson. Miss. March 81
Governor Noel today gave out the
following interview in reply to
the recent editorial criticisms in
the Vicksburg Herald:
Each living ex x-governor can
bear testimony that. like myself,
some Of those who could not use
him, abused him, persistentIy and
lmaliciously. In his address in
Producing me as his successor,
Governor Vardaman told of his
experience all along the line, and
lOf the troubles to which he had
been, and to which / would be,
subjected. AS faIsehoods were
not accepted against me, while |
was a candidate, / have no fear Of
them now; and they do not trou-
lble mD otherwise than by their
annoyance to my family and
friends. After / had taken steps
to exclude two of the Vicksburg
papers from my newspaper mail,
Whichgis delivered at the mansion,
where it is read; and while / was
sitting at breakfast this morning,
one of these papers. containing a
villainous attack on me, was hand
led to me with my other mail. ad-
dressed to Mrs. Noel. governors
mansion, stamped and postmarked
Vicksburg. This was the depth
of depraVity.
As Illustrating how unworthy
of notice or credence, such false
hoods and their authors are, / will
dismiss the SUBJECT with brief
reference to few Of them.
About March 22nd notice was
given me of shooting near For
est, with request for blood
hounds from the state farm.
Within ten minutes from that my
private secretary was taking steps
to send through the country to the
Rankin farm by special messenger
a request to have the hounds at
Forest by first train. had a
number of conversations with
Judge BulIard and others in the
effort to get the hounds on the
spot as soon as possible, and at II
O'Clock that night sat at the tele-
phone for half an hour in an
effeIs4to get. a train to make a
special stop near the farm to take
the dogs, and Judge Bullard and
others know, and as be attests.
Notwithstanding all my prompt
and earnest efforts, the following
account of the matter was publish
ed: The criminal was given a
good opportunity to escape, the
posse waiting and relying on the
governor to send bloodhounds
from the state farm, which be re-
fused to do after waiting a consid-
cradle time, thus giving che negro
a chance to get away.
"On a message to the legisla-
ture, on March 10th, ! repeated
my recommendation of a law to
control the deposit of levee funds,
and requested an investigation Of
certain reports affecting the or
ganization of the levee board of
the upper districte The law was
passed. The investigation was
ordered upon resolutions offered
by Mr.. Adair Of the house and
amended at the instance of Senator
Hebron, in the Senate, both of
whom were in thorough accord
with me on this subject, and con-
ferred with me, and their action
met my hearty approval. Not
withstanding this, the charge was
published that upon reports re-
tlecting upon me, The resolution
was so amended in the senate as
to cover such reports. While |
do not in the least obJect, on the
contrary, court, investigation of
every act of mine pertaining to
that matter, The malicious falsity
Of the charge is demonstrated by
the following extract from a let
ter, in my possession, written By
Senator Hebron, chairman of the
leVee committee, on March 25th,
with authority to make any use
|of it | saw fit:
When the original house reso-
luton authorizing an inyestiga.
tion Of the organization of the
Yazoo and Mississippi delta levee
board, by members of the levee
committees of the house and SEN
ate, it was referred to the senate
|levee committee, OF which am
chairman. The house resolution
provided that the expenses Of the
investigation should be paid by
said levee board, and further pro-
lyided that the result of the inyes-
tigation should be reported to the
next session of the legislature. ]
Iotfered two amendments to the
house resolution, which we're
adopted By the senate committee
lin the form Of an amendment by
way Of substitute for the house