The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-03-14

SOUTH CAROLINA ROBBERS
A CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF
WHOLESALE PLUMBER.
yillaIny that Would Seem GrOtesque We're 1t
not so Terrible In its Effects.

or easier one was devised, nor could any
more effective have been devised to keep
on hand an unfailing supply of funds,
than the issuing fpay certificates by the
Speaker and the President of the Senate.
The latest installment of the Investiga-
ting Committees report, to be presented
tomorrow, tells the story. Thus it was
made possible to find money for "print'
ing" and supplies" and from this large
fund sprang also the Bond Ring and the
Legislative Ring. Its boldest and most
adroit manipulators, according to the
committee's report, were f. j. Moses,
who issued and sold the obligations, and
John ]. Patterson, who purchased them.
In one session there were issued pay GER
tificates to the amount Of $l,l68.255, of
which all but the sum of about 100000,
representing the pay of legislators and
the employees of the Assembly, was sto-
len. 1t was, in fact, race between the
Bond Ring Qimited) and the Legislature
to see which could absorb the greatest
share of the money raised by taxation
and the sale of bonds. An unlimited
number of pay certificates was issued on
the written or verbal order of the presi-
ding officers, or of Chairmen Of commit
tees. and Clerk Woodruff swears that
nearly every one who pretended to be a
victim of the Ku-Klux, or claimed to
have suffered persecution because of his
politics, obtained one of them, The con-
tingent fund was drawn upon for sup
plies" and certificates varying in amount
from $500 to $4,000 were issued against
it. These were qualification certificates,
issued to harmonize the friends" as the
leaders were called. At one session the
Senate issued $250000 of them, which
were defended as only the issue of a
eight between the representatives OF
the people and the vultures of the Bond
Ring" Initials were frequently trans
ferred in the names of the participants,
in the frauds to whom these certificates
were paid. One to L. F. Christopher
for $2. 500, represented, as Woodruff test
ifes, the expenses ofa committee sent to
Washington to defeat the petition of the
taxpayers. Whittemore was the lead
ing member of this committee, and "L
F. G." was F. L. Cardoza, who Lieuten
ant-Governor Gleaves said when order
ing it, "would take care of it." Ex-Gov
ernor R K. Scott collected it, and it hat
his Endorsement, "Mr Cardoza promises
to pay this January l, 1875" Another
certificate for $1,000, payable to "a. B
Jordan" was for JAS A. Bowley, Chair
man of the Committee on WAYS anC
Means of the House; still another, ISSUED
to ~. M. Foreman" was for F. j. Moses
They were usually Issued, according t.
Woodruff, after a meeting of the presi
ding officers with the Chairmen of tn,
Ways and Means and Finance commit
tees and the State Treasurer, and h
identified this list in the writing OF Lieut.
Governor Gleaves as representing tn
false names under which the Senator
had claimed $500 each, and the amount
,,,llotted to them, with their true names
CT, Andlon Senator T. @. Andrews,
$500; L. Crosby (L. Cain), $500; Alex. (
Cants (F. A. Clinton), $500; G. H, Clissol
(H. G. Corwin), $500; Ed. Dillon (E. +
Dickson), $500; D. G. Higby(C. D. Hayne
$500; 6. ]. Hurnin q. g. Hope), 5000; R
w. Jinkins wv. R. Jervey1, $780, r. W
Johns TW. E. Johnston], $500; j. Lear
TJohn Lee], 5000; M. Maston Nose
Martini, 5000. Of this number Hop
did not get his, Jervey collected his, 90
Scott collected Haynes Andrews an
others, Lee sold his. One lot of certif
Gates, aggregating $18.74l,9 ,94 was issue
in lump, to be divided between tn
printing company, the State officials an
the Senators. Each member of the con
mittee that annually examined theTreaE
urer's and Comptroller's books got Gel
tifcate for 5000 for his six days services
For the famous "High Old joint Con
mission" of 1871, many thousands do
lars worth of certificates were issueC
Dennis testifes that the committee wa
for while paid from the Armed Fore
fund. It's members left for New Yorl
June 8, 1871, and it was agreed, after col
sultation with Attorney-General Chan
berlain and agent Kimpton, that KIM
ton should pay all their expenses. The
took a recess for month, Hurley goin
to Boston, Whittemore to East Woburl
Mase., Swails to Elmira, and Gardnt
and Kimpton to Saratoga. Kimpto
paid the committee more than $l700
or claimed to have done 80, though oal
Sl25O1.32 were actually handed owe
The members further drew largely frol
the Armed Force fund, and receive
pay certificates, their allowances rangir
from 500 to $50 day each. They wer
evidently, the report says, inspired an
advised by Chamberlain, member
the Board of Finance, to take this mol
ey without color of law from the Final
cial Agent, and it will be shown later tn
Kimpton's books were remodeled to su
the emergency. Dennis testifies as
another item of fraud. Speaker Mos
"thought he ought to have something
and made out bill of $2500, whiC
Dennis, as chairman, approved. Lieu
Governor Ransier, President of the Sci
ate, would not sign it unless he receive
an equal amount, so the first bill was d
stroyed, and another, equally tictitiou
for $1,000, made out and put through,
follows:
To Jas. G. Gershon, DR..
To room rent, &C., for the Joint
Investigating Committee in N.
York, = $5.0
This money Ransier and Speaker M
ses divided, and another bill, for 81 81
was passed, to reward Dennis for his st
vices in signing the first one.
Whittemore got a certificate for $50
to buy portraits of Lincoln and Sunni
for the Senate. He obtained nearly
of the money, but the pictures nev
were heard of. Two certificates, ca
for $642, were issued to ]. N. Dobson
pay COMMITTEE clerks" but no such
fiCers had ever been employed. The
and another certificate for $1,000, pay
BILE to the Columbia Union Herald, we
collected by Associate Justice Wrigl
He testified that he had taken the oh
cations as securities for loans of $25 q
S6n nada to two of his boarders W