Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-09-20

30,
ceeded Chamberlain as encouragement, but
when Chamberlain went out Of Office he be.
came Melton's law partner, and so got right
behind the throne again. One of the first
acts of the Legislature, after Frank Moses be-
came Governor, was an act directing the at
torney- general of the State to prosecute the
late sinking fund commissioners of the State
for corruption. These commissioners were
Scott, Neagle, Chamberlain, the chairman of
the finance committee of the Senate and the
chairman of the ways and means committee
of the House. Did Melton do it now
What did he do? Waited until April, 1874,
and then commenced prosecution against
me. The complaint was made by Daniel d.
Chamberlain, then Governor and ex.oficio
president of the sinking fund commission.
The Encouragement brought suit for the re-
covery of 5000, alleged to have been fraud.
ulently misapplied. l was arrested and held
to bail. A night or two before my arrest
Chamberlain had been talking to me as pleas.
antly as ever in the theatre, where Anna
Dickinson was lecturing. We had loving
parting, but he sneaked off and caused me to
be arrested on the next day, or within few
days at any rate, When I succeeded, how.
ever, in pressing the thing to suit, it was mol
prossed by the attorney general. On whose
shoulders does the blame for the borrowing
of the $25,000 lie? The sinking fund COM
missioners ought to have been prosecuted tor
their part in the matter as well as for other
crimes which they committed. The treasury
needed the money, and it was none Of my
business who lent the amount. 1t was not
my funeral at all. I consulted with Cham
,berlain, asking him if it was any crime on
my part to borrow this money. "No," said
he, "it is no crime of yours" Chamberlain
will say now that he was in minority on the
sinking fund commission, and that the COM
mission lent the money to the treasury with.
out his consent. At any rate, the sinking
fund commissioners are responsible in this
matter and not myself, the treasurer.
THE BLUE RIDGE RAILROAD swNDLE.
In regard to the Blue Ridge Railroad swim
die, by which the State was said to have been
defrauded out of $1,8O0,O0O, can say at
least, that had nothing to do with the road,
except when called upon, in my capacity as
State treasurer, to pay over to the officers of
the road the scrip voted by the Legislature.
When Harrison was President of the road,
100000 was voted by the Legislature, in
State scrip, to defray the expenses of its con-
struction. Harrison applied to Scott, who
was then Governor, for money, and Scott re-
quested Kimpton to furnish $500, 900 to Har-
rison for the road, in return for 100000 Of
the bonded stock of the road owned by the
State Kimpton, believe, still has that
100000 of stock. Cameron succeeded Har-
rson as President of the road, and Patterson
succeeded Cameron. So Patterson came to
have control of the four millions of stock, less
the 100000 which Kimpton had gobbled
1t is this $3,60OOOO that he has got now to
account for. know that he borrowed $685.
900 from gentleman in this city, Mr.. E. B.
Wesley, giving 100000 of the Blue Ridge
Road stock as security. I cannot tell what
disposition he made of any portion except Of
this amount. I never owned dollars worth
of stock in the road myself. Scott owned
stock in it and holds it to-day. As to the
letter of Patterson to me as State treasurer,
published few days ago, authorizing me to
deliver to H. H. Kimpton revenue bond scrip
amounting to $114, 4,250, am ready to admit
that it is genuine. If you ask me whether l
paid this order, I answer that l paid every
order for this scrip made upon the treasury
by Senator Patterson as president of the road.
l did not see that | had any authority to with
hold the scrip, 80 long as it was drawn in &C
cordance with legal provisions. If the scrip
was afterwards misapplied, I had nothing to
do with this subsequent handling of it.
As financial agent of the State, Kimpton
had in his possession all bonds of the State
that we're ever issued for raising money. He
was not obliged, by law, to exhibit his accounts
to the State treasurer, to the financial board,
nor to render any vouchers thereof, and ne
never did 80 until his final settlement. When
his final settlement was made in accor-
dance with a special act, he received from the
financial board due bill of about $4,000
and settled with the board upon what is stated
to be fraudulent set of books Chamber
lain was q member of the board, aud took an
active part in all that pertains to the issue,
management and settlement of its finances.
Judge Willard told me that Kimpton had
manufactured fraudulent set of books, but
I cannot assert it of my own knowledge. l
suppose this statement will show my hand to
him, but do not care much. Chamberlain
signed the settlement and papers in that mat.
ter, and took part in all other transactions Of
the board.
THE PRINTING sWINDLE.
The appropriations for the benefit of the Re-
publican Printing Company we're in the main
a gigantic swindle. Woodruff and Jones,
who ran the company, will be compelled to
tell how the money was appropriated.
The following dispatch to the Charleston
News and Courier supplements Mr.. Parker's
prediction in regard to Messrs. Jones and
Woodruff:
"The agreement with Jones and Woodruff,
the late clerks of the House and Senate, is
that noAe pros sh I'll be entered on the in
dictments against them, they to testify in be.
half of the State when called upon to do so.
Each surrenders $4,000 of Bonanza war.
rants and all claims against the State for
printing, &c. Jones also $4,000, and Wood
ruff surrenders the Republican Printing Com
pauy's building and fixtures in Columbia,
valued at about $1,000, and also claims
against the Bank of the State for $4,000.
Both Jones and Woodruff saved their respec-
tive residences in Charleston as settled upon
the wife in Woodruff'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 a merchant in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, and l am quite positive that,
when his claim for printing was first presented,