The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-21
A DRAMA OF FRAUD.
How the South Carolina Legisla-
ture Was Bribed.
SEVENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR VOTES.
Official Report Giving Prices
and Names.

tFrom she ChArlssiown News and Courier August It'll
The report OF the Joint Committee on Frauds on
the Blue RIDGE Railroad scrip, tho Validating act ana
ths Financial Settlement. is now published for the
erst time II 10 as oiIows:-
10 rnz HoxoKABLE tbs SENATE AND HOUSE. or REP.
. Your csm,nnlec. having already exhibited John J.
ps,or in various schemes OF public plumber
ana personal bribery-viz., drst, in his e.ec-
S hon sauso Un,e0 suites Senator seoo1d' IN
6resnvilie and Columbia Railroad swindle, and,
fourth, The impeachment acts--now propose TO
csvsr ana reveal his GROWING work In fraud and In
fanny under the above captions These several
measures, VIZ, the Blue Ridge Railroad scrip bill,
the Validating BILL and the financial Settlement bill
following each other so clescy ia point OF me hav-
Ing been originated, ma.ured and engineered b. Pat
tersou and the REG, and passed through the Lesis-
aturo " the same means IL impossible to separate
them In this report hence the subjects combined,
ana may be aptly Designated Drama Of fraud ID
On the Sd day OF February. 1872, A. L. Singleton
relieve the State OF South Carolina OF all liability Tor
its guaranty OF the bonds OF the Blue Ridge Railroad
csS. :ns ss Sc a.. S.y DE- e.
The same month Jonn B: Dennis by unanimous
censont in.roeScsa "a bill relating % the bonds
Validating act. He also, At The same tme introduced
"A b relating 70 the Financial Agent Of tho State IN
the city OF Now YORK. commonly called the '.Finan-
r,ai settlement o' II Will be seen now In nocent
the titles OF these bills appear, and YET how iu each
IL Of dangerous mischief the State as executed py
the parties The nrst its face representing pausi
Bile scheme 10 relieve he state from It's guaranty
Of tho lsrgs sum Of 81 0o0 900 Of bonds OF the
Blue Ridge Railroad Company by the issue Of scrip,
ostensbiy to pay tho honest debt Of said company,
but in fact 10 DO converted into private and personal
eorrupt fraud. The second appeared u be merely
ret 10 validate the irregular issue Of certain bonds
but was intended 10 validate The Illegal use
byH H. Kimpton, and then iasten such debt upon
the State. The third simply empowered the notorious
Financial Board to make q settlement with h. Il.
Kimptop, Financial Agent, hut really sffordng this
desired opportunity OF covering up and canceilng the
large amounts paid out by Kimpton from sales Of
bonds illegally made, TO be divided out in commissions
among the "rnR," and in carrying the purchase of
the Grssnvlls and Columbia Railroad for the same
ring.
TIE most cursory examination OF the journals OF
the General Assembly, and the testimony annexed
10 this report must satisfy all that these three
Bures were aaroitly ana deliberately concocted by
tho sane persons tor their JOINT personal benefit
ssi Assembly by the mi most snsrneisss aud
bareiaced bribery of Senators and members. For
forth. with par.icuariiy, that Paterson. worihing
ton, Neagle, Kimptop, Scott Parker and Chamber
lain aided these neiarious measures by counsel and
advice, by the solicitation oil votes ard tho actual pur-
shasc oil numerous voters with large OF money,
these persons having full knowledge aud conscious.
OF the steaage and corruption intended to be per-
potratsd through and by such legislation.
The same persuasio arguments and bribery were
upon Senator'S senator G. r. Leslie also figured
conspcususly IN the Senate as advocate OF theso
bills; was stakeholder; got the money aud away
70 New York; vas followed by duped aud Indignant
cash.
THE MONEY DEPOSITED IN BANK.
thar Kimp,on mao deposited sac. 600 ia TIE Central
Natsousl Bank for Woodruff, 10 re o,vided among
ak SENATOR; also Of another deposit Of ooo in
tbs Carolina National Bank, TO be divided between
Lssls and senator Ovens. The witress drew the
money and dsvsred Il Leslie. The dspesl; OF the
SAID Gums Of money to proven by cashiers Of said
banks
SETTLING SLIGHT DIFFICULTY
that afssr the passsSs or the bills Pat,srson and
Kimpton QuarreIod about The division Details as
stated In the testimony OF Judge T. J. hackcy, and
for an adjustment and settlement OF such little differ
snces the following order given by Patterson 70
Parker, then Treasurer
e. at VICE PRESIDENTS Orvrcr. J
0REHEvrLLE AND COLUMBIA RAILROAD COMPANY
CoLuxBA G.. March 1872;
Please deliver 70 h. Kimo.oa revenue bond scrip"
due ,he Blss Ridge Railroad Company according &c.
e: THAT said scrip !. sP p.r
e II sa Ss'1x
Esing 70 tho bonds Of shs state Of soatn Carolina and
pccoues Of the Financial agent" Now. these above
Eass7 in scrip 81 par 90 be paid said Rmpson and Il
POT passed then This order for iat void and
ietp par you shall deliver said Kimp.on If said
sam Of $4,000. II. proceed. Of said scrip seventy
ssns: sas dn the s
Sill Known :: relieve the STAT. .. aSi.y on
Of GUARANTY hidgo Railroad bends" &C.
TO and If aiS ki%Dson fails or
By 10 b. .s sona
Tor is value The two sums OF s4257 and S7 Ala
ssp as;s
tIssesns sI.e nSy Railroad csnpssy IN south csrea
This order, In business IKE and simple language,
points TO expresses the means used In procuring
The passage Of iness measures
Comment criticism or Remuneration would only
weaken the force and meaning Of sucn q document.
The testimony OF Judge T. J. Mackcy Is furthermore
Interesting In describing tue ingenious and delicate
mode Of obtaining Photographic. copy OF said
order-the orisipa, however. now being 10 tho pos.
session oil the committee, having been furnished by
Niles q. Parker. The LABOR ingenuity Of Pat,er-
sSn were sun rsaored ior when The validity Of tho
before the supreme Court OF the State, he IS again
found a. tho post Of his peculiar duty, attempting 70
bride y. J. Moses to obtain favorable decision Of
the Court upon the scrip. Again, whom bill was
passed rspsang the act providing Tor the issue OF tho
scrip. he is still to ths front, and sucossds brbing
a. ]. Maxwell Chairman OF the Senate COMMITTEES on
Enzrosscd Actr, TO Withhold destroy me record,
wnioh was done, and the act failed for that session
And lastly, with courage and perseverance, rarely
Witnessed when bill for funding tho state debt ~
ftv cents on the dollar was on It's passage IN tho
found Offering large sums Of money to nave the Blue
Ridge scrip included at dollar for dollar
Tho following paper turned over 10 the commit
tos BY Niles @. Parker:-
orrrcK BLUE RIDGE RAILROAD CosrAHr.l
COLUMBIA, March ., lS72 !
Hon Fnns PARKER, state Treasurer South caroiina -
Please deliver TO GENERAL H. b. Eniott, or order svo
thousand six hundred and fourteen dollars IN revenue
bond scrip. nc issued to the Blue Ridge Railroad Com
pany under net of November ,. 1874
JOHN J. PATTERSON.
Presdsnt Blns Ridge Railroad Company In south Carolina
Endorsed X. b. ELLioIE
This paper nnds its meaning and Significance In tho
fact testified TO by Judge T. J. Mackcy, that Elliott
was active advocate OF tho Blue Ridgo Scrip bill
in all It's stages and In The TACT testified b. Elliott
himself that no was tho witness 10 the order drawn
By Patterson on Parker Tor delivering STA $50 scrip
10 Kimpton for tho purpose OF paying tho expenses
Of passing the bill
Now lot Tue curtain drop. For why ampliiy the
criticisms oil such mon such mcasures2 The facts
sworn 10 by 80 many witnesses must be Sufficiently
eonvincing without further tnent.
An Of which Ii respectfully submitted.
JOHN r. COCHRAN. Chairman, l OF the
HENRY A. MEElZE, I Senate.
GERHARD MULLER ., 49,