The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1875-07-03
ALCORy UNIVERSITY.
Why that Institution is . Failure, and
What vent With The Money.


Correspondence Of the vcksbury Herald
CIArRoExE CouxrY, June II.
Iwant to tell the people. and cs-
pecially the c0lore0 people. who
are deeply interested in the mat
ter, something Of the condition Of
Alcorn University. | have been
a constant and close observer Of
the management OF this institu-
tiOn from It's foundation, and il is
my solemn conviction that u more
stupendOus outrage has never been
perpetratcd upon the people Of
Mississippi. From the day Of its
birth this school has been in the
hands OF an unprincipled ring Of
political thieves and 'demagogucs.
This concern was not gotten up In
the interest Of col0red education,
Us the colored members Of the
Legislature were led to believe,
but it was cOntrived by Governor
Alc0rm to "pay oil" soMo Of his
political henchmen who had done
his dirty work in politics. Chief
among these hcnchmen was one
Sam ireland, otherwise known as
"Sam Pcndlcton," ut New York
n0t0riety. Parties in Memphis
assert that he sold out the interest
Of tho colored people in that city
before he migrated to Mississippi
in 1868 and Prot. L. &. ThoMp-
son, late Of Alcorn University, re-
ports that when this same ireland
was sculliOn on United States
naval vessel during the war, he
wore ball and chain for six
months, while stationed in the
West Indies, for stealing from the
officers on board. This fellow was
deputed by james l.. Alcorn to Sc
lcct q site for the University, and
he chose "Oakland College" as
the basis Of his future operations,
where the public could not gain
easy access to the place, nor OBJ
serve his mode OF plundcriny.
Had this school becn located ut
Jackson, vicksburg, or some place
easy OF access to an observing
public, IL could not have survived
the first year Of its degradation.
This "ball and chain" scullion
was allowed TO choose his own
Board of Trustees, and Governor
AlcOrn gave them their commits
sions--" commissions " to plunder
the State Of nearly $40, 900 per an
mum. lie chose such Trustees as
were willing to execute his dis
honest schemes for the sake OF
bribcs, and one or two half.tieccnt
men were put in to give the Board
a coloring Of respcctability. This
disrcruiable man was ut first ap.
pointed steward" Of the Board
ing Hall, but he soon manipulated
oil authority into his own hands,
and had himself appointed, (thro'
his Trustees) to the offices Of
Proctor, Treasurer, Trustee and
Superintendent; and during the
last two years, though not IN
name yet IN fact hc was President
Of Alc0rn University. DR.. Revels
Is a m0urnful witness to this fact.
When DR.. Revcls found that Ire.
land was robbing the University
Of its funds, and attempted to pre-
vent his dishonest transactions,
what was the rcsult2 Ireland had
his hired trustees TO degrade and
dishonor Revcls before the whole
college, and he was treated with
every indignity that depraved
ingenuity could heap upon him.
Things got to such q pass that
Rovels could not get q command
executed by the hired help unless
Ireland first approved Of II. The
Trustees, at lreland's request, de-
privcd him OF. all executive pow.
ers, and then set him TO the digni-
fed task Of overlooking the wood
choppers aud janitor's duties.
The law which created tho school
contemplated that the President
should Sign all orders on the
treasury for money, but when Ire
land and his trustees found that
they could not get money out OF
the treasury fast enough with
Revels in the way, they annullcd
this part of the law, and made Il
the duty Of the Chairman of the
Executive Committee to issue oil
money orders instead of tho Pres.
ident. This "chairman" was
Ireland's right hand bower and
boon companion, W. W. Dedrick,
who is reported to have made his
pile out Of Alcorn University, and
has retired gracefully, and with
flying colors.
| After the finances were taken
from the control Of the President,
and put into the hands OF Dedrick,
Ireland and Spellrnan, the food
gate Of extravaganza was opened
IN full blast, and money poured
out Of the treasury like the waters
down Niagara. A magnificent en-
dOwmcnt Of nearly SO, 900 per an
mum, amounting to considerably
over &200.OOO IL the four years
past, which ought to have been
invested In real estate, bonds or
stocks, and made q perpetual into
rest fund for tho university, has,
through the splendid fnesso Of
Dedrick, 6pellhlan, Ireland b Co.,
dwlndled down to tl0, 600, al told.
Or. Revcls (whon he found how
the money VA being sQunndorod) ]
won't 70 lho LegiDlature, N thc
thin oeooioh Of 1S5o, ond Tried v
~ : law po1eod !compel!lng lhe
trQotooo 70 ~ noArt half u (hC
annual opproplI Iotions = 3 vootei|
III, 4 4, 49, as ~