Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1877-06-21
Senatorial Group.


"coMMITTEE-uUdEf fRA6bs uNpOUDTED:S
LY PERpETRATED-THE lNvRsTidATtoN
70 he vo.Ns.T1ttNuED.. o.Ns.1tt ~, t
The suhjoihed report of the Benato Uot,a
thitteo charged With the investigation OF
the charges of fraud Against W6ittcmore. /,
Woodruff, and othcrs, was submitted oil
| friday tho tesoutions providing for con
tnuing tho Investigations have been pub."
lishcd as adopted: ~
CoLuMnrA, S. G., June 8, 1877.
The cun,mitteo 10 whom it was referred to
Investigate and report Upon tho charges Of
the improper Use Of tho public funds or the
public credit of tho State by any mcDbcr
or officer of The Senate, and oil parties i'm
plioated In tho alleged itauds, beg loasea to
report that they have endeavorcd to dis
charge tho duty devulvcd upon them BY thti
resolution Of tho SENATE. They regret that
the limited tinie allowed ID this investign-
hoh and tho Inherent difficulties of tho
case, have pfeventeu thom from reaching ~
tono!usioh wli6h Would bio satisfacto
| cithor to themselves DR. to che Senate.
1t must not bo overlooked that tue duty
devolvsd upon this tuttitiitteb sds to dis
cover ffadds @iitl hid bcet alleged to have
been committed three or four years agb, of
| whiuh no evidenco existed ih the hands OF
the Sehate OF Of the committee, aud all of
those from whom Information could be de-
rived were supposed participants III tho
ffauds, and bound to scorc6y by tho strong
motives of self interest ani self preservation.
10 expose tho frauds or aid your committee
III their ittestisatloh #as to deprive them
selves of their ill-guttcn gains, and consigh
them possibly to conviction as criminals
| Most Of tho witnesses possessed of informa-
ton wore reluctant to testify, aud all that
has been received has been obtained by rigid
CROSS examination. TO add to those diff :.
cuities, all the tbUks and records to ahicl,
resort could be liaa to oltcidate tho facts
and contradict tho witnesses has beeu SO
kept as to misead aud conceal what was the
teal state Of the tase In tine instances
access to the books which might have ex-
fpianed the transactions was positively re-.
fused. From the testimony before your
coti,mittce It appeared that a large amount
Of the certificates Of indebtedness issued to
tho Republican Printing Company in 1873
for work that has not yet been peffotmed,
although fully paid for; was Issued III De-
cettbef, 1873, to tie members of tic Senate
and the House and to officials of tho State.
The amount 50 issued was $l32,6OS.
Various explanations of this wete offered.
but when your committees requested 'tha
production of the books of tho Republican
Prhting Compauy. which might have dis,
closed What was the real consideration for
the delivery Of those certificates to tho
Senator'S ahd tthcr officials, Mt. NeodraH
refused to deliver theus. The refusal iusti-
fles the inferenco that their production
might, have trlthlliated not only the Ropub.
lioah Printing Cumpany, but tie recipients
of the certificates:
1t is not easy, eteh with the did of docus
ments and fetords and willing aud truthful
#itnessts, to uuearth ftauds which time and
ingenuity ha7o combined to cover, bit dc.
prived Of these aids the investigation neoes.
satily dumahds more time that aiiy commit,
tro gould give II dusihs the session Of tho
Legislatute. No such Investigation Gan bo
successfully prosecuted except by constant
aud continued labor. This has been i'm
possible; The Senate has been convened at
l O'clock each day, and during largo
portion Of the time haze beeh continued
into the hi9ht and, although your commit
tee have thBt dally, thelt senatorial duties
atid thcif necessary attendance upon othet
| cUmmlttees have prevented thcm from
sitting as tommlttee, except fot two hours
eaSh Gay. ~ ili
Dutldg this period, however, they havo.,
progressed with their investigation suAi
ciehtlyto bc satisfied that gsavo frauds and
|'abuses Of the publio credit have beeh CON-
mitted. The testlnuhy already taken before
your committee sufficiently demonstrates
this, but 1t docs not id the opinion Of your
cornmittce inclade all who arc participants
In tho alleged fraud.
| 'Yotir committee deem It propct to state
IN refetence to the orders signed by Mr.,
1 WuodtuG directing supplies to be sent Ia
the residences Of Senators "lYliittomofe md
Nash" that Mr.. Woodruff pfodaced tho
recetptcd itemiscd aSoouns OF Mt 'Synncr's,
signed by his took Keeper, embracing tho
4 articles ofsupplfes said to havo beef sent tn
! tl,eso Senator'S with tho dates, and appears
I to- hato been paid BY Mr. Woodruff otit OF
his own private funds. l5I.a
Your'committeo aro Of tho opinion thoS
If tltfio ls allowed fot full and thorough
examination Of tho financial transactions of +
the past tho guilty pirties can be reaohcd I,
and punished. le,. sg,,st.
four cothmitlec therefore recommofd thu
adoption Of tho accompanying corotrrent
resolution.
All Of which is respectfully sabmittod
n. j., BOWEN, Chairman,
1jfAcRfsERRY WfxE.-..fho following Is
said to be an excellent recipe for The manu-.
factnto of sapcflor wine from blaokberfics:
Mcastfro tho berries afrd bfGisei to every IA