The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-09-05

bill of credit and utterly void. | desire
to state that this paper, in my Judgment
then and now, presented no fact in which
the State of South Carolina has any in
terest whatsoever relating solely to the
disbursement of the scrip by the presi-
dent of the company, who was authorized
by law to receive and disburse it. l was
surprised at Patterson's delivering the
paper to me when I saw its contents;
aud became acquainted with its con-
tents from the fact of its becoming un-
sealed. At the date of this letter Mr..
Patterson had not developed his subse-
quent criminal record, but was in good
standing in the business community. My
recollection is that I met Kimpton at the
State House next morning and delivered
the paper to him i'll the presence Of
Treasurer Parker, when he thereupon
delivered it to Parker himself. This was
subsequent to the passage of the act au-
thorizing the issue of the Revenue Bond
scrip. Ny position in regard to the issue
of the Revenue Bond scrip had been one
of steady hostility. 1 wrote the legal
argument in the Message of Governor
Scott vetong the bill, and the position
that I took in that argument was identi-
cal with that afterwards embodied in the
decision of the Supreme Court. This
was prior to my becoming Circuit Judge.
1 was elected in February, 1872, and was
installed on the 26th of August, 1872.
During the passage of the Revenue Bond
Scrip bill, or Immediately after its pass
age, I was passing near the Speakers
room when my attention was attracted
by loud and violent language in the
Speakers room. 1 entered, with several
others, and saw Kimpton confronting j.
J. Patterson, who had small pistol in
his hand and was denouncipg Kimpton,
calling him "scoundrel," &c. Patterson
was then taken out of the room by his
friends, among whom I recollect Gen.
Worthington. I do not recollect the
others who were present, except II. B.
Elliott. I was not informed of the cause
of the quarrel. 1t appeared, however, to
relate to some money demand that Pat
terson had made on Kimpton. had no
knowledge of the object of the confer
ence. A few days after this quarrel be-
tween Kimpton, Elliott and Patterson,
when Kimpton and Patterson had sud-
denly become friendly again, the letter
in question was signed as hereinbefore
stated. When I arrived at Patterson's
house I found the three persons named
in conference, and they all of them re-
mained in conference for about half
hour after my arrival; but did not hear
what transpired between them, not being
in the room.
I exhibited the Photographic copy Of
the letter retained by myself to Gen. NJ.
G. Butler in December of last year, and
also informed Governor Hampton and
Col. A. G. Haskell that / had it in my
possession. have it still in my posses
sion. The copy in my possession was
never exhibited to any other person, eI-
cept to Governor D. H. Chamberlain, in
the early part of 1875; and it has never
passed out of my possession Had con-
sidered this paper alone, without any
other evidence to explain its object, suf-
ficient to support s criminal prosecution,
should have had criminal proceedings
instituted against Patterson.
R. B. Elliott was known to me rs an
active advocate of the Revenue Bond
Scrip bill in all its stages. F. j. Moses,
Jr., Speaker of the House at the time,
was also. These facts are fixed in my
memory by my having written two mes
sages for Governor Scott vetoing the bill.
And in the first message, which was not
used, Moses and Elliott were charged by
name with q corrupt use of their infu-
ence in the premises. / can state posi-
lively that r. B. Elliott was present and
assisted at the conference which resulted
in this letter, for the door between the
rooms was open occasionally and at
such times saw him, and could dis
tinguish his voice as taking part in the
conversation now and then for as long
time Els half an hour. could not dis
tinguish the subject of the conversation.
WHO SAW IT DONE?
R. B. Elliott, being first duly sworn,
deposes and says: Am resident of the
city of Columbia, in this State, and am
a lawyer. have 9 recollection of hav-
ing witnessed paper of some kind at
Senator Patterson's house, but do not
remember what the paper was. I had
no knowledge of the substance Of the
paper. Afterwards heard from Judge L.
J. Mackey that the paper had been pho.
tographed. The photograph copy of
the paper presented to witness, and his
handwriting as the witness thereto recog-
nized and acknowledged. 1t would
seem to witness that the contents and the
signature of the party first signing the
paper are in the same handwriting, and
it would seem 10 witness to be in the
handwriting of John j. Patterson. The
paper was signed on Sunday. Kimpton,
T. j. MacEey and Worthington were
there, and I think Niles G. Parker also
was there. The paper was delivered to
T. J. Mackey, and Mackey informed me
on the next day that he had had the
paper photographed. This transaction
was in the spring of 1872.
THE SUN ON THE STAND.
w. P. Hix, being first duly sworn, de-
poses and says: 1 am resident of the
city of Columbia, in this State, and am
an artist. Have frequently taken photo
graph copies of written instruments.
Judge T. J. Mackey brough ght letter to
me and requested me to take two photo
graph copies of it, and bound me not to
read it, and stipulated that I should d de-
stroy the negative in his presence: The
negative was destroyed. 1 recognize the
paper handed me by the committee,
signed by John ]. Patterson and wit
messed by R. B. Elliott, dated March 4,
1872, as a copy taken by myself of the
paper brought to me by Judge Mackey
The copy was taken March 4, 1872.
BR1BINa THE SUPREME COURT.
Personally appeared F. j. Moses, who,
on oath, deposes and says: Some time
during the year 1871 became very much
in need of twenty-five hundred dollars
and, after many Intellectual efforts to bor-
row it elsewhere, I asked the loan OF it
from John ]. Patterson. 1 had no secu-
rity to give him, and he said that he
wnuld lend me the money on condition