The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-04-11
rcorrsspondence OF the New York SUM-

IeuOIS,l OE we llud utm q y ASoo
of all offending there.
A BROOKLYN vuLTURE.
Not q movement is instituted, not a grab SET
on foot, but the sleek and sharp-cut Leslie Is
seen lowering DER it.. he is the same ge1tie.
trict in Brooklyn, at Albany. at the time OF the
Callicott bargain and sale, and who shared
something of the latter's political infamy IN
connection with that affair. Things grew too
warm In Brooklyn for the JanuB1taced legista-
tor; so he drifted of down here without money
enough to pay his Wite's Car fare nom Char
lotte. Next to Parker, the treasurer, Leslie
is now the richest carpet-bagger in South
Carolina. He has been In every plundering
scheme devised since the advent OF carpet
baggery, and has come out OF every one loaded
with money. His greatest haul was SWhlle
superintendent of public lands.
THE PREY OF THE vuLTUREs.
A year OF go ago the Legislature passed an
act constituting what 1t pleased that august
body to term a ''publtc land commission, The
ostensible object being to use the credit OF the
lands, the same tobe fesOld to actual settlers
on time, the whole being an immigration
scheme Of considerable magnitude. Because
of the extraordinary virtue OF the Hon. 9. T.
Leslie, he was appointed. by Governor Scott
superintendent, president, or what you Wli.0
this land commission. Parker; the treasurer;
Neagle,fthe comptroller, Patterson, a hang
er-on about the Statehouse, Familiarity known
as Honest John No. i" and other vultures of
the blacklist Kind formed the body Itself, and
seoA d million dollars South Carolina bonds
were sent to New York for hypothecation to
raise capital upon which this enterprising real
estate firm could business. Seven
hundred thousand dollars were raised, and
with this sum the commission commenced
buying lands. They purchased everything
right and left chat they could lay their hands
on, and did it in such a way that every trans
action cost the State thousands of dollars more
than it should: Each. member Of the commis.
sion had his. private. real estate agency, aad
through that heavy commissions were made,
and also his private lawyer, whose duty 1t was
to examine titles and
CHARGE SEVENTEEN PRICES
for the service. Some OF the most studendous
frauds ever practiced in any country or upon
any people took place through the. agency OF
this land commission. Lands were purchased
at SIS and So per acre, whose owners never re-
celved more than 81 or So an acre, IL oelng
understood at the OF the sale thst the
owner must acknowledge the higher price or
the commission would not purchase. 10
carry on the negotiations in this way the COM
mission reordred the services OF hordes OF
clerks, middlemen and undsrslrappers 81 ai
sorts and kinds, and it found them ID greaI
plenty in the persons 81 legislative clerks anu
lobby vultures. Indeed, as long as the $780,
0OO lasted. 1t seemed as II the whole State
Goyerhthent of south Carolina had gone Into
the real estate buslness, and that every resi-.
dent OF the State had acres to sell by the thou-
sands. Lest It nav seem singular thas tine
owners of land should lend their AID 70 eucn
schemes. it may be, necessary. to state thas IN
all instances wfere land was PurcnsSeu . ~
large tracts The. owner and seller was allowed
a few crumbs that fell from the sWindlers'
tsbles For Instance, John Jones owned 10000
acres of land that he lacked the capital TO
cultivate. He very naturally wanted to sell,
and Would much rather sell the whole than a
part. One oil the commissions agents ap-
breaches Mr.. Jones and talks buy. Mr.. Jones
krows.it's cash with the commission, so ne
puts his price right down. The understrapper
hints very vaguely that If Mr.. Jones will make
It his business to
SEE SENATOR LESLIE j;
nerhaps a sale NAV be made. Mr.. Jones secs
Senator Leslie. The noble senator hints that
Mr.. Jones isn't up to snuff. He ought ~ sell
ing out to.the State to put his price atBome'
thing like q decent figure; and quietly sng-
rests that 81 per acre Would be q much more
reasonable amount than 81 Mr.. Jones is sur
prised, because he Is yet viftnoes, u tstiAh ne
Is human, and he says nothing asalnA tne
DTOUOSlllOu. LAG 0LOo A. WV 1917 fNf
changed, and Mr. Jones. receives Senator Les
lies check Tor s4O,0 600, more money than ne
eyer dreamed OF possessing. To be sure, when
Mr.. and Mrs. Jones sigJed their names toa
certain little paper to Be given to the State+et
South Carolina, They 4oticsd ina, tEe aocu.
ment read: ''For and In consideration OF tne
sum of ssPer acIs, We sell ,aad a. se!lK ane az
check for $4,000 bay snpgly ~enseonced in the
brown leather pocketbaok :. aud MI Jones's
vision became suddenly oheeared.s =
And 40 with nine out OF len of tbe purchases
made bg this land CONN. Ssion. IN the hrst
place, the owner was paid twice the value OF
the property to. close;;hls eyes, and. tnen tae
price was doubledt to put huge ano0nlS INTO
the pocL cts Of the swindlerSl -!
But the seven hunAned thousand .soon gave
ont. and il then-seeame q matter of some con-
Germ to make a deceat showing. g The press
BEGAN to Iusiuuate s0fliy chat the fand COM
mission was q humbug, and Its lenterprislng
president
The noble senatoElsunchea out in display
and exhibited evidences OF wealth Waca
every one knew RQst hsye been slaaenly &c,
these ttshttul ..6GuresSsths people asked; OF
eaohother, andanally the m,Iterings reaehed
the.Sars of Governor Scott, who Instituted an
INQUIRY, with the result as above descrleed.
The Governor fourf6 the business OF the fanu
copHAsston.p be about as follows: .a:
LIABILITIES.
si,ooe,ooo South Carolina, Bonds ! per cent.
gold interest.
=: ;F;t. - r ,nrAssETS. n@.t1
~Flrst-Cash, 10000. 49, -
Second-Land 90, 900 acres, valhedat5o cents 10:
81 per acre. would bring under theqkafnHer one
fourth that snonn1 suda wo1ld.oe conaseated TO
any pufchasef by the first years. taxation.
rAAPrva fortunes In the hands of senator
leslie, Messrs. Parker, Neag1e and honest John
Patterson ysriousls essiMatel q p9o each;
Four;hECafria9es. Aorses, Silver plate, Ola.
uorda fnrpiture and, the Usual paraphernslla4
Ra{nNar government In great profHsFoni buS
not strictly within reach Of the state III counting
M the assets Of tf1e commission. ;
AFTER TIE FEAST OF fHE .yyLTUREs.
And this was the exhibit when the astonish-
ed Governor Inquired INFO #. 1t was not nat
terinE. It was not calculated foqnereese.Sae
peoples confidence In their most TRUSTWORTHY
Servants, neither was 1t destined to increase
their love for the beautiful iq3carpet-oagglng
and scalawagging, 50 load were the howlings'
and so profane were the eursings that resound.
ed through the country. The Governors nHS
act was to kick out Leslie, and his second 70
make a bitter enemy In him. His third was, TO
suspend the commission, and ask FOR aleglalar
tive examination into It's acts. Leslie fought
~ >"4-Hii tcs.e! t.ss -