The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-02-14

some man passed through and spoke
TO mc and shook hands with me. but
| do not know who IL was, as my eye
sight at night Ii very bad. as am
blind in one eye. The stranger went
on to argue that the pay OF a member
Of the legislature was not sufficient TO
pay a mans expenses in Charleston
and that a man would be justified IN
taking money to make up for the poor
pay. and that this should he simply
a present and no BE- buying me. I re-
peatedly declined to accept the money
or to sell my vote in any way. They
also stated. IN addition to the two
thousand dollars. they would pay nv
expenses while in Charleston. This
offer I also refused. About this time
Mr.. Rhodes left the com. M stranger
locking the door after him. Then the
stranger asked me 10 ! had any objec.
ton TO taking n little spending money.
This | refused TO do several times.
and he finally became so insistent that
] began 10 be alarmed over the situa
ton in which I found myself. and
with a view TO getting out or the room
and also with a view TO exposing the
corruption which ] believed was being
practiced IN the election OF n United
states senator. 7 accepted what I be-
lievcd TO BE- n small sum OF money
which the stranger handed me and
which he stated was merely spending
money. tho stranger stating. As he
handed me the bills. that they were
small bills 10 be used for spending
money" ! hen left the room and
Mr.. Rhodes and ! went to supper.
After supper We went To n conference
meeting OF the Republican members Of
the legislature In :ie governors OF.
flee, after which conference I went 20
my boarding house. and inst before
retiring I counted the money given me
by the stranger M found. to my sur
prise. that there were five twenty dot
lar bills. as from the conversation had
with this man I did not imagine II
MAS any such sum OF money that had
been given to me.
Returned Money.
Next morning I got up early. before
daylight. aud called into room a friend
OF mine, sir. &. ~. williamson. from
Tyler county. who was boarding a.
tn" same house. with me. and living
~ an adjoining room. ] old Mr.. vii
PGmsOn. what had happened ,he night
beiOre and showed him the money
and asked him ~ write a letter for
me. as with the bad light I could not
"rite ~ with my eyesight. MIR. Vii
hanson then wrote q letter az my
diCiation addressed to MI. =. Z. q.
Rhodes. which as near as can re-.
member, read as follows. Keep nntiI
called for. ] have been preaching
C'cau politics n long time. and 10 one
could Insult me more highly Than to
try TO Influence me with money or
Otherwise 10 vote. Tell Mr.. Seymour
Edwards J do not a him or any 81
ntE worker 10 InfnG~ mo anr morn
] am done with him"
After Mr.. Williamson wrote tho
letter Tor me. he signed my name 'o
u M my request. and no 'h0u counted
mo money. put 70 Ia the envelope
and scaled 10 W. and handed g. 10 me
containing The money 70 Nr Rhodes
% 90 WITH me. but he stated hat had
o. 20 10 the train. a. some Of his
children were sick and and be- had
- go home After breakfast went
a. the KanaWha Hotel. where ] fouad
MI Rhodes and handed him the onyrI-
cpe with the money and letter On
clo. cd. and told him 10 deliver 70 back
10 ihr man VIC had talked TO the ulcAt
before. To- which Mr. Rhodes replied
r would do en. as soon as no had his
breakfast. which be- had not vet had
On the Monday following Nr.
Rhodes called me- ONt 81 the session
VI tho House. into tho ball. and
stated 20 me- that they had uo' bo.r
irving 10 hrlbe me. that that was not
i" Intention. 10 which ] replied
can do a. YOU plcnao. but 7 $3.50
never vote fOr Edwards
] Ohcr with my statement the All
dayit o. Nr ~ q Wilfameo1 % tho
facts above Fnt out be- far a. they
are In hi8 knowiolgn
kDTF respectfully IhOu.. J Smith
state - Wret VIRGINIA. County OF
Earar ha. This day personally ap
p'f-cd before mc. g r. Rirhm0nd @
notary public On md Tor Tho count
and sta'" af0rcsa'G. ~ O. WfrIama1r.
% being hy M" fr9' dgit worn
dopuse- aud says that on The morning