Absence from the City and the State Fair have prevented an earlier reply to your letter.

Sometime ago I wrote the Solicitor of the Charlotte District that I wanted to have a conference with him about the riot that resulted in the death of five citizens in the City of Charlotte. You will remember that I was out of the State at the time this tragedy occurred. As a result of this correspondence, Solicitor Wilson met me in Charlotte Sunday afternoon, October 12th, and we went over the matter as thoroughly as we could in the limited time that we had. Both the Solicitor and myself were of opinion that a thorough investigation should be made of the facts resulting in the death of these people. The Solicitor impressed me as being more than willing to make a most rigid investigation, the only doubt in his mind being just the form the investigation should take. I told him that I would go over the matter with the Attorney General on my return to Raleigh from New Orleans, and ask the Attorney General to advise with the Solicitor in regard to the matter.

After seeing Mr. Wilson I saw Mr. Goble and had quite a long talk with him, and he submitted to me a large number of affidavits tending to show that the people were unnecessarily killed. As a result of my conversation with Mr. Goble I wired the Attorney General to at once go to Charlotte and consult with the Solicitor and Mr. Newell about the best way to make a thorough investigation of this case. In compliance with this telegram the Attorney General proceeded to Charlotte and had a conference with Mr. Newell, and with Mr. Parker of your firm, and also with Mr. Goble. As a result of this conference it was agreed that the proper way to proceed with the investigation was to indict the policemen and others who engaged in firing upon the crowd. The Attorney General then returned to the City and made a very complete report of his trip to me, and at the conclusion of this report he says:

"Mr. Newell, Mr. Goble and Mr. Parker stated to me that they very much desired my presence at the preliminary investigation and that they intended to request you to direct me, as the Attorney General of the State, to be present at this preliminary hearing. In view of the fact that able, capable and experienced counsel represent the prosecution, in addition to the Solicitor, I do not think that the Attorney General ought to be required to take part in this investigation or other proceedings other than is usually and customarily done by the Attorney General. While I think that every violation of the law should be carefully and fully investigated by the proper authorities, I see nothing in this case that should call for any extraordinary proceeding or any extraordinary course."

I am bound to concur in the report made by the Attorney General. The Solicitor will actively co-operate in the prosecution, and he, with three other able and energetic lawyers, will undoubtedly be able to bring before the court very pertinent facts in this case.