The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-04-27
Leslie's assistance or relief by way of

accounts or explanation.
The committee find further that Mr.
Leslie received on account of the lands
sold in Barnwell and Orangeburg coun
ties the sum of 1886, which they can NJ
where find accounted for in any manner
whatsoever.
In the entire transactions of the lane
commission there were about So0,Ool
wholly unaccounted for, so far as this
committee are able to judge from all the
evidence that was accessible to them.
In the Secretary of States report, made
in 1872, is included an item of $8S,3S5
which should not have been included, as
it is in Kimpton's statement OF the ex'
penditures of the land commission. We
find also that the deeds for land pur'
chased absorbed larger amount than
was at that time supposed.
The real amount, which is wholly un,
accounted for, is as above stated, and
about S6S, 900 of this deficiency occurred
during the administration of Mr.. Leslie
Hoping to get at the facts of Mr.. Les
lies administration just as they occurred
the committee examined all of the mem
bers of the advisory board except Parker
From them we learned that very impor-
taut purchases of land had been made by
Mr.. Leslie and his sub-agents, and that
they were not to any great extent respon-
sible for these purchases, as they, by the
rules of the board, were governed by the
approvals or disapprovals of the land
commissioner, which was necessary be,
fore any purchases could be ordered, and
also by the recommendations of persons
whom they supposed to be reliable.
The committee also examined various
persons who had transactions with the
Land Commissioner, but they most gen.
erally had their contracts with third par
ties, and proved but little against the
administration of Mr.. Leslie. We, how
ever, found one witness j. G: Gibbes)
who negotiated directly with Mr.. Leslie,
and who testified that he sold him tract
of land in Fairfield County for $40, ,544,
which lands were conveyed by Whilden
& Sons and G. G. Singleton; that, by the
terms of sale, he was to be paid in cash,
but, after many delays and disappoint-
ments, he was told by Mr.. Leslie that he
acou2dI haze to giue something 10 get his
uonev. and that he had ultimately to pay
Mr. Leslie 81, 500 in cash and give him a
due bill for 81 800 more to haze the trans
action closed. Mr.. Gibbes stated that MIR.
Leslie said at the time that he did not
require the money for himself, but for
other parties.
Again, in reference to the conduct of
Mr.. Leslie, as Land Commissioner, Mr..
Cardozo testified that Mr.. Leslie tried to
get him to buy and sell lands to the land
commission, and to make money in that
way, but he Indignantly refused to do 80,
and that he would not cooperate with
the beard on account of the e1travagant
prices which were being paid for lands,
and the fraudulent manner in which the
purchases we're made. In this connec-
ton the committee would add, that ac-
cording to the testimony of R.J. Donald
son he sold two, and only two, tracts OF
land to the land commission, and that
these sales were made during the admin
istration of Mr.. Leslie, viz: the Fox and
Wadsworth lands in Chesterfield County,
and the consideration expressed in the
deeds for these lands were paid to him
partly in cash and partly IN drafts. By
reference to the deeds in the office of the
Secretary of State, we find that the con-
sideration of these two deeds amounts in
the aggregate to s44,4S0. We find in
the Treasurer's Office four drafts in favor
of R. J. Donaldson amounting in the
aggregate to $33,635.75, and charged to
account of the land commission. We
find also in the Treasurer's Office four
drafts in favor of II. j. Fox, amounting
in the aggregate to $50, ,4S8, and charged
also to the account of the land commits
sion. Mr.. Fox testifes that the drafts
for his land were all paid to R. j. Don
aldson. 1t appears, therefore, to the
committee that the sum of $25, 5,643.75
land we cannot say how much more than
this) over and above the considerations
expressed in the deeds for the Fox and
Wadswbrth lands were paid to R. j.
Donaldson, and is not accounted for in
any manner whatever. =.
From the evidence of G. G. Bowen, it
appears that Mr.. Leslie proposed to re-
sign the Office of Land Commissioner on
certain conditions, to wit: that he should
receive $4,000 for his Greenville and
Columbia Railroad stock, and $28,000 in
money, and the payment of $4,000 to
Kimpton, which he had borrowed from
him. This proposition was accepted,
and it was arranged that drafts were to
be drawn by Parker on Kimpton for the
payment of the money to Mr.. Leslie.
We can only remark that this was q
very large sum of money to be paid for
an Office which had been so active and
reckless in expending the money of the
State, after the funds provided for its
purposes had been more than twice ex-
hausted.
In conclusion, the committee would
say that this investigation has been as
thorough and complete as the limited
time allowed them would permit. and
without any expense to the State since it
began, and within the past few days a
deed for one tract of land purchased
during the administration of Mr.. Leslie
as Land Commissioner has been returned
to the Secretary of State. If the inves-
tigation should finally result in securing
for the State titles to all the lands which
it is alleged have been purchased, but
for which no deeds have yet been made,
the committee will feel fully compensa-
ted for the arduous duties which they
have performed.
Accompanying this report is the evil
dence and statement from Mr.. Leslie,
all of which is very respectfully submit
ted.
J. w. LIVINGSTON,
Chairman Investigating Committee.
MATRIMoNY AND PoCKETs.-A young
man from one of the suburban districts
was into one of our tailor shops get
ting measured for vest, the other after
noon.