The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-09-06
THE STORY OF A PHOTOGRAPH.
A Horribly. Serious Joke on Senator
John T. Patterson.
-EoiitMn1A. Senternher,l.

fs., 0Qau q. ~ dtICTSous
.CoLUMb1A, September1.
,The readers Oft .Ne,ns and Courier
were informed, a few days age, that Judge
T. J. Mackey had been called before the
investigating committee, but they were
not informed that 1t was in connection
Yith the history Of photograph Id the
distinguished witnesses possession, which
and which history the; com
mittee were desirous of obtaining. The
finding of, one of the true bills recently
submitted to the grand jury has made the
wholematter public, and your correspond.
ent is now enabled to give full account
of some very interesting particulars in re-
lation to the origin, history and import
ance of the Judges treasure. It was, in
effect, a correct and speaking likeness of
tho moral features of the dear departed
HohestJohn j. Patterson I! How it came
into the possession Of Judge Mackey is
thus explained -. n f:r.'
Ion d certain occasion, at hight, aboHt
the 9TH of March; 1872 Judge Mackey
chanced to be in q private room in Pat
terson's house, in Columbia, at the same
time that Patterson, Kimpton, White
more, Parker and Hardy Solomon were
holding sociable tea-party in a room
adjoining. The i"party" 'asted q long
time, and was finally broAen up by the
departure of Parker and Kimpton, who
went away together. Patterson then
joined Judge Mackey, and handing him
q package securely sealed, asked him to
take charge of it and to deliver it in per.
son to Kimpton at the latter's house or
hotel. Mackey received the package and
promised to deliver it as requested. On
his way to Kimpton's room, however,
Judge Mackey reflected that the suspi-
cious package might contain papers of
Importance, and decided that it would be
as we'll for him to acquaint himself nth
its contents. With this intention in
view, he called on Governor Scott as soon
as possible next morning, and informing
the Governor of his suspicious and inten-
tions, consulted with him as to the pro-
priety of examining the papers. Scott
agreed with the Judge that it would be
eminently proper to do so, and the two
proceeded accordingly to investigate the
contents of the envelope, which they
found, as one of them subsequently ex-
pressed it to contain "all hell ITSELF"
Fully satisfied now as to its Importance
they determined to obtain a copy, and
fearing that something might occur to
render such copy useless, unless it were a
fac sim;k of the original, they decided to
have it photographed. Judge Mackey
called at once on Mr.. Hix, the we'll known
photographer in this city, and requested
that he would make two Photographic
copies of the document, stipulating at the
same time that Mr.. Hix should not read
it, and that he should destroy the mega
tive in his (Mackey's) presence as soon
as the proofs were obtained. Mr.. Hix
complied with these conditions, and in a
short time, having presented Mackey
with two impressions, destroyed the neg
atiye before his eyes. One of the photo
graphs Judge Mackey retained, the other
he deposited with Governor Scott, and in
the course of the day the original was de-
liyered, securely resealed to the unsus-
pecting Kimpton, who in turn delivered
it to Parker in the presence of Judge
Mackey. Nothing was said of the two
copies at the time, and the fact of their
existence long remained secret, known
only to Mackey, Scott and few others
whom they took into their confidence.
Some reference has been made to them,
however, of late years, and a few days
ago Judge Mackey was called before the
investigating committee, to whom he de-
livered the tell-tale proof in his posses
sion. A copy was made and attached to
the bill ofindictment lately found against
Patterson, and from this again I have
made the following exact copy:
"VICE-PREsIDENT's OFFICE.
GREENvILLE AND COLUMBIA &. r. Co.
COLUMBIA, S. c., March 4, 1872.
"Hon. Niles @. Parker, State Treasurer
South Carolina:
'Please deliver to II. H. Kimpton
revenue bond scrip due the Blue Ridge
Railroad Company according to act
passed March I'd, 1872, amounting to one
hundred and fourteen thousand two hum
dred and fifty dollars at par, upon the
following conditions:
"That forty-two thousand eight hum
dred and ffty-seven dollars of said scrip
at par value is to be used for paying the
expenses of passing through the House
of Representives bills styled, a bill rela-
ting to the bonds of the State of South
Carolina, and bill to authorize the fnan-
rial hoard Tn settle the accounts of the
financial agent. Now if these above
named bills are passed and become laws,
this order for forty-two thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven dollars in scrip
at par is to be paid said Kimpton, and if
not passed, then this order for that
amount to be void and the scrip Is not to
be delivered. Also, that seventy-one
thousand four hundred and fourteen dol
lars of scrip at par you shall deliver to
said Kimpton, if said bills shall become
laws, and provided that he shall pay the
sum of fifty thousand dollars (the pro-
ceeds of said scrip at seventy cents on the
dollar) in paying the expenses incurred
in passing through the Senate the bill
known as bill to relieve the State ofall
liability on account of guaranty of Blue
Ridge Railroad bonds, &C., passed March
2, 1872, which said expenses said Kimp.
ton has contracted to pay, and if said
Kimpton fails or refuses to pay said
amount in defraying said expenses,
(when required by me,) then this order
to beSoid. If said conditions are COM
piled with, and the amount Of scrip de-
fivered to said Kimpton, he is not to be
held liable for or to account for its value.
The above two sums of $42,S59 and ST. :
414 in scrip at par make up the amount
of scrip first mentioned in this order.
"JOHN J. PATTERSON,
"Pres't. Blue Ridge Railroad Co.
"In South Carolina.
"Witness: r. B. ELLIOTT"
The authenticity of this precious and
carefully drawn contract is beyond cavil,
as it is attested by the two Photographic
copies, by the evidence Of Judge Mackey
and Governor Scott, who saw the origi-
nal, and by. the testimony of Elliott,
whose signature as witness is attached.
Elliott was before the grand Jury on