The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-09-20

ton as settled upon the wife in Wood
ruff's case, and the children in that OF
JONES'" As to the
THOMAS W. PRICE PRINTING COMPANY,
continued Mr.. Parker, I know that
Thomas w. Price is merchant in Phil
adelphia, Penn, and I am quite positive
that, when his claim for printing was
first presented it was for $4,000, and was
afterwards raised to $4,000. James
Thompson, Chamberlain's right hand
man, and the editor of the Daily Uaion-
Herald, acted as an agent between Price
and the treasury.
CHAMBERLAIN DIRECTLY CHARGED WITH
CORRUPTION.
don't wish to say anything which
NAV appear like a personal attack on
Chamberlain, though 1 acknowledge that
/ have been offended by his treatment of
me. I do object, however, to being
made the scapegoat of the Ring, and I
am by no means willing that Chamber
lain and Kimpton should thrust off any of
their load on my shoulders. 1 am tired OF
hearing of what Parker did, and how he
acted in this transaction and that when
I know that my share in the questiona-
BILE doings of the Ring from 1868 to 1874
was no greater, to say the least, than that
of the the other members with whom l
acted. During these six years the corrup--
tion and peculation increased yearly, and
it is idle to attempt to palliate or deny
it. If the present investigation IN South
Carolina is pushed, the extent of the cor
ruption will be laid bare, and ell who
we're parties to it will be brought to
Judgment I wish it to be understood
that do not shrink from this investiga.
ton. desire rather that it be made as
thorough and searching as possible, and
am ready to hold myself responsible
for nv share in it. If have sinned in
the matter I am ready to make the
amends which the State shall direct. All
that ask for is that the part which each
one of the Ring took in the transactions
of those six years shall be exactly deter
mined, and condemnation meted out in
proportion to the extent of the offending.
For Chamberlain and Kimpton to deny
that they were privy to what was going
on is simply absurd. Some things un-
doubtedly Chamberlain had no hand in
directly, though they were done under
his nose, and he must have known about
them. In other transactions his name
did not appear, but there can be no ques'
tion that be was concerned in them in
some way. In other cases still he reaped
a direct benefit from his cooperation.
Like the case Of the
MARINE AND RIVER PHOSPHATE MINING
COMPANY
for instance. The shady transactions
connected with the management of this
company, and the bills lobbied through
the Legislature for its benefit, are quite
generally known. The measures by
Which the interests of its stockholders
were subserved in the Legislatures have
been published in the Charleston papers;
but Chamberlain's connection with it has
not heretofore been stated. The stock of
the company was owned largely by mem
bers of the Ring, and Chamberlain held
one-ffteenth Of it. It was $500, 900, /
believe, in all; so that Chamberlain's
share of the stock was $32 200. Tim
Hurley, Chamberlain's right-hand man,
and the Treasurer of Charleston County,
lobbied the bills for its benefit through
the Legislature. Then there was the
GREENv1LLE AND COLUMBIA RAILROAD.
The bills passed in connection with
this road were notoriously disreputable.
It's capital stock was held in twelve
shares, I think, of $4,000 each. Scott,
Neagle, Patterson, Chamberlain, Cardo.
20, Kimpton, Hurley, Crews and myself,
we're stockholders.
A BIT OF DIRECT CORRUPTION.
know also that Chamberlain received
$4,000 direct for his connection with a
transaction which 1 do not care yet to
make public. 1t was the same transac-
ton alluded to in the letter which Elliott
read in the last nominating convention.
He rose in his seat, brandishing this let
ter and threatening to make its contents
public. An agreement was thereupon
patched up between him and Chamber
lain. and he made the best he could OF
his previous threats against him. He
read the letter, omitting the names of the
persons concerned, one of whom was
chamberlain. Ihave spoken of the $780,:
| 600 due bill in favor of Kimpton, audited
by the financial board. Now, when Kimp-
ton was appointed financial agent an
agreement was made between him, Cham
berlain and myself that all commissions
accruing to him should be divided equal
" among the three. Scott was left out
Of this arrangement, although he was on
the financial board. Chamberlain and
myself were thus entitled by this agree
ment to $4,000 of the audited claim:
AS matter offact we never got a dollar OF
this amount, for Kimpton's due bill has
never been paid, and I should be very
much surprise if it ever should be, in
view of the coming developments in the
pending investigation. Both Chamber
lain and Kimpton will deny this arrange
ment as matter of course, but it is
fact nevertheless. You may remember
the letter from Chamberlain to me pub
lished in the Me,us and Courier some time
ago, which reads, as nearly as l can now
remember:
"Dear Parker-How did the commits
sions foot up?"
What did he care about these commls-
sions unless he had personal interest
in their amount2 MOI Chamberlain
kept in the background as far as he could
and pulled the wires, or employed Kimp-
ton to act as his proxy. 1t is too pre-
posterous for him now to pretend blind
ness and innocence.
WHY PARKER SAYS HE FELL.
In 1874 a civil action was brought
against me before mixed jury, Judge
Carpenter presiding, to recover S45O, ,00O,
of which amount it was alleged had de-
frauded the State by funding coupons
wrongfully detached. The esole witness OF
importance to the prosecution was q
forger clerk of mine, named Ladd, who
swore that had told him one day at
dinner that had funded that amount OF
coupons for Scott, Neagle, KimPton,