The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-04-27
BLACKMAILING AND FRAUD.
A Democratic Report upon Land Com
missioner Leslie.


A Democratic Report upon Land Com
missioner Leslie.
The report of the special committee Of
Democratic members of the House OF
Representatives, appointed to investigate
the charges against G. P. Leslie, is as
follows:
The committee in making the investi-
sgation required, sought in the first place
to ascertain the facts connected with the
administration of Mr.. Leslie, as Land
Commissioner, by an examination OF the
books and papers kept by him as such,
and the accounts kept by Parker, the
State Treasurer, ut that time. They sup
posed that these would show all the trans
actions of the Office, and that the books
of the one officer would serve to explain
and to correct any irregularities that
might exist in those of the other. Much
to their surprise, however, they were I'm
able to find any books, records or papers
which were kept by Mr.. Leslie while he
acted as the Land Commissioner of the
State, although he was furnished with a
competent clerk for that purpose, and
whose salary was $125 per month.
Upon examining the books of the State
Treasurer it appeared that large sums of
money had been expended for the pur-
poses OF, ,theland commission, but beyond
this they showed no accurate or detailed
account of what had been done by the
Land Commissioner, the parties who had
sold lands. the prices paid for them,
where and by whom money had been
paid, and for what particular effect it
had been paid, except the Treasurer's
statement that it had been expended on
account of the land commission. j..
The committee next endeayored to ind
the records of the advisory board, which
We were informed had, been kept and
contained the proceedings of that body,
But after diligent Search, in which we
were aided by the clerks of the Secretary
of State, aue ,cere unable to find them or
any portion of them. We made an effort
also to get possession of the applications
which had been made while Mr.. Leslie
was the Land Commissioner, and which
had been fayorably acted upon by him
and the advisory board, but we failed to
find single application, Of this kind.
Our next effort was to examine the
deeds which were made to Mr.. Leslie
while he was Land Commissioner, and to
get all the information we could from
them. We found in the Office of the
Secretary of State deeds that were made
to, him, the considerations expressed IN
which amounted in the aggregate to $685.
1876. We believe that there was a
deed made by Louis Jones, of Edge6eld,
for seven hundred and ninety acres of
land; also, that L. A. Bigger, OF Claren-
don, sold to Mr.. Leslie siz tracts of land
instead of one, and that the consideration
paid for them amounted to S10,OSS.
There is but one deed, however, in the
Office, and that is for six hundred and
eighteen acres, and was purchased for
$1,135.,
The committee derive this information
from the testimony of L. A. Bigger, taken
before the joint special investigating
committee appointed by concurrent reso-
luton November 2Sth, 1870, to investi-
gate the affairs of the land commission.
SeThe committee also learn from the evil
dence of w. ]. Whipper, taken by them,
that he sold to Mr.. Leslie tract of land
in Charleston County for $1,000, and re-
ceived payment for the same; that ne
has never made any titles to this land,
but was at all times ready and willing to
(. do so until Judgment was recovered
against him in 1872, and the land was
sold under that judgment.
If the committee are correct IN suppos-
ing that the FIVE other purchases from
l.. a. Bigger and the purchase from W..
J. Whipper should be added to the
amount expended. by Mr.. Leslie, leav-
ing out the Jordan purchase entirely he
actually expended, as appears by the
deeds and the evidence above referred to,
the sum of S4O6, ,796.75; while only
100000 in bonds had been authorized
to be issued for the purpose of the land
commission before he ceased to be Land
Commissioner.
From the evidence of Governor Scott,
it appears that he insisted upon MIR. Les
lies making, before retiring from the
Office, as Land Commissioner, report to
the advisory board Of the amount of
money which had been expended by him
during his term of Office, and from this
report which was made it appeared that
not less than $475, 600 had actually been
spent, and there was then left only a
small balance to- be expended by his
successor, r. @. 1DeLarge. From all of
this it appears that there remains at this
date the sum of S68, ,203.35, wholly un-
accounted for by Mr.. Leslie. For this
deficiency he is in defauk, and must be held
responsible. If the money was merely
wasted by the Treasurer, the financial
agent or any other party, he is to blame.
If his books and papers had been proper
" kept, he might now show that it was
not fraudulently spent or wasted by him.
self. He was provided with good clerk,
and it seems to the committee that he is
without excuse.
Mr.. Leslie first insisted that "not a
dollar" of the money arising from the
sale of the lands issued for the purposes
of the Land Commissioner, except his
salary, ever came into his hands, but upon
an examination of the papers in the
Treasurer's Office the committee discov-
cred that he had given receipts showing
that he had received from Parker, the
State Treasurer, and Kimpton, the fnan-
cial agent in New York, during the time
he was Land Commissioner, the sum of
sS9,OO45O. In addition to this, it ap.
pears from the report of the financial
agent. which was approved by the 6nan-
cial board, that he received during the
same time $S3,325, making an aggregate
of 1922, ,329.5O.
The reports and Mr.. Leslie's receipts
show how a portion only of this large
sum of money has been applied. In
some cases the receipts are given without
explanation, but in others with the ex,
plantations, which the facts, as we find
them to exist, do not sustain.
For instance, Mr.. Leslie. gave Kimpton
hundred n and forty-nine dollars ISIS, e,s4s)
dated October 26,. 1868, for the purchase
~ .EdoaGald lands reported by Mr.