The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-26
Commissioner Describes In
cident Referred to at
Gaines Chapel
FIRST ACCEPTED
AND THEN DECLINED
Was All in Jocular Way and Wealth
erly Cannot Understand Insinua-
ton That He Was Trying
to "Set Trap

The Rooseveltian explosion of ex-Gov.
B. B. Conner at Gaines Chapel Thursday
in which he expressed himself with ex-
ceedins candor concerning his political
enemies, and in which he did not refrain
from reference to those who are dead
has set the state by the ears.
Governor O'Neal will reply. Charles
Henderson has already replied. Leon Nc
Cord and Sam Kennedy have replied. 1t
is thought that John Fl. Wallace, Jr., and
Walter ID. Seed will have something to
say in return for the Conner references to
them
James weatherly. member of the city
commission, who was 'rung in either
as an undesirable citizen" or as mem
Der of the "Ananias club" or what-not,
will write Mr.. Conner a letter
UNLESS following the reception of that
letter. said Mr.. Weatherly, "Mr. Conner
acts fairly in the matter, l will make a
public statement
Mr.. Conner, as is remembered, ihsinu-
ated that Mr.. Weatherly had invited him
to visit the plantation of the late Howard
Douglass, his brother-in-law, where also
d teasSC
been invited to visit for the purpose of
putting him (Comer) under obligations
to the railroads, or agents of the rail
roads.
At First Accepted Invitation
Mr. Weatherly was surprised in that
Mr. Corner had so insinuated and Of
fered the information that Mr. Conner,
then governor, had, at first, accepted the
invitation.
MIR. Douglass, now dead" said Mr..
Weatherly, had a just complaint against
the Southern railroad. He could not get
freight or transportation rights, and was
forced to resort to the use of the river
Therefore, l invited j. S. b. Thompson
then a high official of the Southern, to
visit Mr. Douglass In order that he might
see for himself just how pertinent was
the complaint of that gentleman. Mr..
Thompson accepted.
ut so happened that | had previously
invited Mr. Conner to visit the Douglass
plantation for the purpose of shooting
some birds or catching some fish. So,
meeting him casually on the street, l
again asked him to go, stating at the
same time that Mr.. thompson had al
ready been invited. Mr.. Conner accepted.
Later, however, he met me and de-
clared that he thought 1t best that he
not attend and made some jocular ref
erence to the fact that Mr.. Thompson
was connected with the Southern. and
that | was attorney for that railroad.
| told him that his declinaton was all
right and timely, in that Mr. Thomp-
son had also found that 1t would be i'm
possible to attend.
Cannot Give Reason for InsinuatiOn
Il do not believe that MI. Conner at
that time had an idea that l was laying
a trap in which to catch him. and | do
not believe that he now holds to such
an opinion OF course, / cannot offer a
reason why he insinuated concerning this
little matter, which occurred six or seven
years ago.
II was never interested in the intangi-
BILE taxation of the Southern railroad,
and Mr.. Thompson had not been assigned
to that apartment of the work. And il
| remember correctly. the intangible tax
alton matter had been settled prior to
the invitation / extended"
Mr.. Douglass was one of the best known
men of the state and owned one of the
most extensive plantations. He is dead
MIR. Thompson was connected in an i'm
portant capacity with the Southern, and
was well known throughout the south
He is also dead.