The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-10-10
PLUNDERED SOUTH CAROLINA.

i DVO1h OhAbVbANhs
The Fraud Investigating Committee
has just issued another installment of
their report, which embraces in con-
densed form a number of miscellaneous
frauds. We print below the opening
chapter:
KU KLUK REWARDS.
From the accompanying testimony it
will appear that Gov. r. K. Scott, on the
2Sth of July, 1871, issued proclamation
Offering reward of 5000 for each person
arrested, with proof to convict of the
charge, under the enforcement act, COM
monty known as the Ku Klux acl.
Afterwards one Hester made applica-
ton to him demanding S1S,600, the
amount which would have been payable
for the arrest and conviction of ninety
three persons under said proclamation.
This application, Gov. Scott says, was
endorsed by Judge Bryan, of the United
States District Court for South Carolina,
D. T. Corbip, District Attorney, and W..
E. Earle, Deputy District Attorney, and
| approved by Major Lewis Merrill and
other officers. Gov. Scott at first declined
to pay, on the ground that there was no
appropriation for such purpose. Hester
on the next day returned with a recon-
mendation from D. H. Chamberlain, then
Attorney General of this State, to pay
the said claim from the EARNED force
fund" Upon this recommendation of
the highest law officer of the State, Gov.
Scott issued to Hester three warrants, of
S3, 900 each, on said fund. He furnished
the commission subsequently raised for
the disbursement of the fund provided
for this purpose with the particulars Of
this claim, but does not know whether
the same was discounted from the fund
or not, as he has not been able to regain
the papers.
During the session of 1928 an act
was passed appropriating the sum of
$35, 900 for payment of claims under the
proclamation of Gov. Scott, as referred
to above. It is charged in the testimony
of F. ]. Moses that this act was procured
to be passed through the influence Of D.
II. Chamberlain and Judge T. ]. Mackey,
and that the whole amount was to be
paid to Major Lewis Merrill, U. s.. A.
He states that, under the act, he, as
Governor, was to have the distribution
of the fund, and declared his intention
to be very careful aboutit. D. II. Cham
berlain, however, prevailed upon him to
appoint commission for said purpose; /;
whereupon he appointed D. 81. Chamber
lain, G. D. Melton, j. D. Pope, R. B.
Elliott and James A. Dunbar as said COM
mission for the distribution of the S35, 600,
and on their award warrants were drawn
on the treasury as follows:
Major Lewis Merrill, U. S. A...$15, 600
T. NJ. Wilkes, Uuited States
Commissioner r.................-. 7,000.Q0
T. j. Macley) ).................. 100000
H. b. d. Byron, United States
Commissioner and Private
Secretary of the Governor. 10000
w. II. Brown, u. S. A........... 10000
James Canton, U. S. Marshall. 100000
F. J. Moses, in his testimony, declares
that he received $4,000 on warrant
drawn in favor of F. B. Lloyd. The re-
naming $4,000 of Lloyd's was discounted
and paid to T. ]. Mackey. g. FL. Bald
win, County Treasurer of Richland Coun-
ty, collected the two warrants made pay
able to F. B. Lloyd, as charged by F. j.
Moses.
With this brief reference, it will be
doing no injustice to the parties implica-
ted that the committee should incorpo-
rate in this report the testimony in full
on this subject, leaving proper and just
discrimination of the guilt or innocence
of the parties to your honorable bodies.
But your committee feel bound to call
particular attention to the conduct of D.
81. Chamberlain in regard to this mat
ter:
l. Whilst he was Attorney General of
the State, recommending officially to
Governor r. K. Scott the payment of
thisdlarge claim of s1S,6OO to Hester,
based upon his assumed arrest of ninety
three persons under the proclamation,
the payment TO be made from the armed
force fund, which he we'll knew was con-
trary to law.
2. Afterwards, as lobby agent, using
his influence to have the appropriation
of $35, 900 passed. AS the Attorney in
fact of Major Lewis Merrill, persuading
Governor +. J. Moses to appoint COM
mission to do what the act required the
Governor to do himself; procuring him
self to be appointed on the commission
for the distribution of said fund and,
whilst so deeply interested, presiding,
hearing and joining in the decision of
this matter; and, after the awards were
made, collecting and receiving the amount
of MerrilPs warrants, endorsing them I'D.
81. Chamberlain, attorney in fact for
Lewis Merrill" and with his associate
appropriating $500 each for their services
out of the money appropriated to pay re-
wards offered under the proclamation of
Governor Scott.
The conflict of interests represented by
him is plain enough. How he was able
to do exact and impartial justice to his
client and the State is not so clear. The
bald fact, however, stands out that his
client, Major Lewis Merrill, U. S. A,
was, in pecuniary sense, we'll taken
care of.
1t is to be hoped that this commission
carefully investigated the several claims
for rewards under the proclamation and
protected the State. Yet your committee,
in an earnest effort to obtain all the facts
attending this large appropriation, have
been furnished by James E. Hagood,
Clerk of the United States Circuit Court
for the District of South Carolina, with q
certificate, under seal, that the records of
said court shcw only one hundred and
nine persons convicted and pleading
guilty under the Ku Klux indictments.
If this is true, then s21, 800, at 5000 each,
would have been sufficient to pay all.
Nevertheless, the whole $4,000 was
drawn from the treasury
T. NJ. Wilkes, United States Commis-
sioner, states that he only expected to
receive his usual fees for his services, and
did receive such payment from the United
States government, but was induced, how
ever, to present his little bill, and was
awarded $1,000. The warrant issued to
him contained the names of the persons