Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-03-14


Governor Moses, Woodruff and Jones, who
testify that the certificates issued in the name
of j. G. Gershon we're claims of the "Old
High Joint" The Gershon certificates are in
the vaults of the treasurer's Office, cancelled
and paid. 1t also appears that $4,000
certificate was issued to Senator B. F. Whit,
temore for the purpose of purchasing the por'
traits of Lincoln and Sumner for the Senate
Most of this amount has been paid him, but
the portraits are not to be found, and it is pre-
sumed that Senator Whittemore pocketed them
when he was preparing his flight from the
State.
In reference to passed claim certificate
No. ID, for $4,000, payable to the Columbia
Union Herald, Mr. Woodruff says: "It was
one of the mistakes and that he believes j.
G.. Thompson knew he had no right to the
money VIXEN he collected it," Woodruff, con-
tiuuing, says: Certificates were issued to j.
N. Dobaon for $642 and G. N. Smith for $642
as committee clerks, that no such persons
served if they had he would have known it. ,
These certificates were collected by Associate
Justice Wright, and bear the following en-.
dorsements "Per G.. N. Smith, for j. j.
Wright" and "Per j. N. Dobson, for j. j
Wrig ght."
JUDGE WRIGHT,
when summoned before the committee, testi
fed as follows: II know that at one time
several years ago, let two young men, who
as we'll as remember, represented themselves
as attaches of the General Assembly, have
some money about twenty-five dollars to one
and fifty to the other, and took as collateral
security pay certificates from each. think
this was during Parker's term of office. l dc
not know the names of the parties, nor have
ever seen them since. I made inquiry fol
them, but could not find them. I am moi
positive about the handwriting of the endorse
ment upon these certificates. My impression
is that it is my signature on the back of the
Dobson certificate, and perhaps on the other
but | do not speak positively. l now ask
leave to retract what said in reference tc
the endorsement, since upon more careful in
spection 1 could not have written the endorse
ment, for the English is too bad, the language
is not mine."
Your committee leave the matter with you
to Judge where this man obtained these certi6.
Gates, and whether it is probable story that
young men who we're strangers to him would
give him 81, ,2S4 worth of State paper for S75
without his ever hearing of them again. His
testimony that he did not know them, and in
the next moment saying he made inquiry for
them, and his confused statement in reference
to the endorsement, together with the fact
that he only objected to the "English," and
could see nothing wrong in law or morals in
the act Of signing another mans name, place
him in no enviabe light before the public.
GRATIFICATIoN CERTIFICATES.
Of the certificates presented, Mr.. Wood.
ruff designated more than 100000 as "grat;.
6cation certificates" issued for the State Of
6ciaIs and senators, and named Senators Ow.
ems, Whittemore, Nash, Gaillard and others
as recipients of portions of them. By refer
ence to Woodruff 8 evidence, it will be seen
that fraudulent certificate was issued to
Senator Robert Smalls for large amount
Woodruff testifies that certificates were issued
to various Senators out of the Senate contin
gent fund and divided between them. Sena
ator Cain corroborates this statement in his
evidence, and duplicates Senators B. F,
Whttemore, Nash, Jervey, Gaillard, j. M
Smith, Dublin l. Walker, j. II. White and
himself. Woodruff says: Certificates were
issued for supplies not only for necessary ar
ticles, but frequently as a bonus or grati6ca-
ton to senator's" In examination of the
vouchers, we find that this was true, and that
immense sums were thus annually expended.
A. O. Jones, clerk of the House, from 1868
to 1875, says: ut was made his duty to at.
test the signature of the Speaker that he
never questioned the right of the Speaker to
order his warrant on the State treasurer that
the issue of certificates was enormous in mum.
Der and amounts, and the pressure upon the
presiding officers, by members of the Senate
and House, to have certificates issued to their
friends, political and otherwise, for sinecures
and gratuities increased at every session. The
issue ran to the highest point at the session Of
1912, when the orders on the State treas.
urer, drawn by the Speaker of the House,
amounted to over half million of dollars
two.thirds of which we're for sinecures and
gratuities. Among the papers of the com.
mittee, of which they desire an explanation, |
recognize the following" here he named
FIVE certificates, purporting to have been Civ
en- to clerks and messengers, for $405 each,
collected by DR.. j: L. Neagle, then comp
troller-general. He says: HE knows no
such parties, and believes them to be gratuit-
ies." Jones makes the same statement in re-.
gard to eleven others of similar nature,
calling for $486.70 each, collected by j. l..
Watson, treasurer of York county. Sixty
odd other certificates issued by the Speaker
of the House, ranging in amounts from S32l
to $642 each, and aggregating $4,000, were
presented to him for inspection, and he pro-
nounced them all gratuities; knew of no such
persons as those named in the certificates, and
that no service was rendered for them.
Your committee only presented to Jones a
very few of the large number Of these certi6-
Gates in their possession. By reference to his
evidence hundreds of names of fictitious per-
sons will be found in the body of certificates
(and described by him as gratuities.) Sixty
of the certificates referred to were collected
by F. S. Jacobs, T. J. Coghlan, treasurer of
Sumter county, j. B. Lowry and G. w. Wa
terman ; the two last being brothers:in-law of
Governor R. K. Scott. The certificates COL
lected by Waterman aud j. B. Lowry, &C.
cording to the evidence of F. j. Moses, were
given to Governor Scott in cancellation of a
debt due him by Moses, and that he (Scott)
consenting to this arrangement allowed Crews
to turn over a sum of $4,000 due Moses on
a bribe promised him by Patterson on the
Greenville and Columbia Railroad Consoli-
dation bill.
THE WAY 1T WAS DONE.
Your committee cannot refrain from pre-
senting you literal copy of some of the or
ders given by Speaker Moses, showing as they
do, the reckless and dishonest manner of con.
ducting the affairs of State:
My Dear Jones-Please make out for me and
send by bearer the following certificates. I want
H., ot,1 7 mil oSl/ for orx,