The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1928-07-06
WHAT BECAME
OF $4,5OO OF AL
SMITH MONEY?
One Mr.. Jessie Davis Got 5000
of It; One Sheriff Edwards
Got $l,50o-But What Did
They Do With It?

What became of the some
$1,000 Smith campaign money
sent into North Carolina by
Smiths New York managers
this summer? At last we are
about to find out and another
Senate investigating commit-
tee may look more deeply into
the subject.
1t was brought out In the recent
Senatorial Committee investigation
of campaign expenditures that n
total of $4,000 or some such sum
had been spent by Smith forces In
North Carolina. W. B. (Buck)
Jones, Raleigh attorney and poll
tical strategist who managed the
Smith campaign in North Carolina
said he had seen no such sum.
Josiah William Bailey and Judge j..
Crawford Biggs. prominent MEM
hers of the Raleigh bar who were
also active in the Smith campaign
! insisted that they hadn't seen any
Smith money. No one in the First
District saw any OF it.
1t came out in Houston last week
that Jesse Davis. solicitor in the
New Bern and Beaufort district
got $1,000 of ii. Sheriff Bob Ed
wards Of GOldsbOrO also got 81 300.
Both gentlemen made trips to New
York and got the money. Davis got
his on his nerve and with letter
of recommendation from former
State Chairman John Dawson OF
KinstOn. Davis painted frightfui
conditions in North Carolina. relat-
ing how Senator Simmons franked
government envelopes were being
used to mail out Ku Klux klart
I literature against Congressman Kerr
In the Second District. Davis show
ed Geo. Il. Van Nance, Smiths
manager what Senator Simmons
and Josephus Daniels were doing to
defeat Smith In North Carolina; he
had no trouble in convincing Dir.
Van Nance that Smith funds could
he spent effectively in North Caro-
lima and Mr.. Van Nance gave Mr..
Davis $1,000 to bring back to the
North Carolina committee. Davis
didn't bring it to the conhhittee;
shortly after his return from New
York he bought himself new auto
Imobile.
Sheriff Edwards of Vance County
had AS little difficulty In extracting
$1,000 from Mr. Van Nance. Mr..
Van Nance did not question him;
for many years Sheriff Edwards
had passed as a personal friend OF
Governor Smith and had entertained
the Governor and been entertained
hy him. But Sheriff Edwards didn't
turn the $1,5O0 he got over toAthe
committee: he has as yet made no
accounting.
Davis was called to account ly
Buck Jones. Davis told Mr.. Jones
he had spent the money III behalf OF
Smith. detailing q number Of places
in which lie says he paid out money;
he said he had spent $500 in Judge
Keer's district. This was news to
Judge Kerr. But Davis conld ac-
count for only $2.500 and Dir. Jones
made him disgorye $500. Davis
d,dIlt get IL single delegate for
Smith in his district. But Davis
went TO the Houston convention and
occupied a seat with the delegates.
Altho not delegate he got hi at
Houston as easily as he got into
Geo. Il. Van Nance. He also visit
ed MIR. Van Nance and the distln-
cuished George Gordon Battle while
I'm Houston the fact that they gave
him cold reception didn't discon-
cert him a bit.
What makes Buck Jones especial
IL sore is a conviction that Davis
has done the Smith cause in East
erfi North Carolina more harm than
good. Davises new automobile has
created a lot Of unwholesome talk
in his district.