The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-01-21

~~->N--D
ham acknowledges his Responsibility
and Makes Arrangements to Meet his
Liability.
COLUMBIA, S. g., Jan. 15.-I Iesterday
-Adjt. Gen Farley handed the Governor
the following statement, and last night
copies were given to the press. Later
the Governor decided to withhold It at
the earnest plea Of Gen. Bonham. To-
day permission was given to publish it,
Governor Tillman saying that he con-
slider ed it his duty to do so:
COLUNBIA, S. c., January IA, 1891.
HIS Excellency 3. r. Tillmap, Gov
ernor of State of South Carolina, Co
lumbia, S. C.-Dear Sir: Having in
formally communicated to your Excel
lency and also the Hon. Attorney Gen
era, rope onyesierday certain facts re-
latiye to the disbursements of the ap-
preparation for 1890 for the support
and maintenance of the militia OF this
State, l deem it my duty to submit the
following statement of the whole mat
ter with accompanying letters and then
to await further instructions from
your EXcellency as to the course to be
perSued.
On January s, 1891, received the en-
closed letter from the Hon. A. NJ. You
mans, OF Hampton County, to the effect
that Capt r. \. BrunsOn, Troop a.
1st. regiment S. g cavalry, had re-
celved from Gen. NJ. L. Bonham a check
on the Carolina National Bank of Co.
lumbia, S. C., for Sl5s, being the
amount OF the appropriation for his
company for 1890; that the notice to
him by Gen. Bonham that he had
drawn and sent the check is dated No
vember 10, 1890, and postmarked De-
cember 2 a. the postotfice in Columbia.
The check has been received, and IS
made payable TO order Capt. Brun-
son endorsed the check, it has been pre-
sented to the bank for payment, and
payment refused by the bank, and the
check gone to protest, as shown by the
notice of S. n. Walker. notary public.
Now what we desire you to do Is to
look into the matter at once for us and
write at your earliest convenience the
cause of the trouble, as it is creating
excitement and unfavorable comment
here"
Gen. Bonham coming into this Office
next morning, the 9th, I Immediately
brought the matter to his attention by
handing him the letter received. He
said: Il Lave been away in George
/ town for some time and will attend
to the matter at once," as there is
some mistake" I answered the letter
from Mr. Eoumans, telling him what l
had done and repeating what Gen.
Bonham said.
Trusting that the matter was all
right, said and did nothing until jan
uary 12, when I received the enclosed
letter from Mr.. Butler Hagood, of
Barnwell, dated January 10, stating as
| follows: u have been requested by
Capt. J, A. Hayes to enclose you notice
! of protest issued by the Carolina Ma
tional Bank of Columbia for a check
for Sl4s, issued by Gen. Bonham for
the quota of State appropriation to the
Hagood Guards, and asking: viii
YOU kindly look into the matter and
write Capt. Hayes at Appleton On
receipt of this letter at once went to
the Carolina National Bank to find if
any ether check had been protested,
and found from the statement of the
cashier that some eight or ten checks,
averaging about $50 each, had been
presented from various parties and
had gone to protest from non-payment,
no funds being on hand to meet them.
I again went to Gen. Bonham and told
him Of the receipt of Mr.. Hagood's let
ter and the contents, and also of the
facts learned at the National Bank.
He again informed me that these
checks had been presented during his
absence in Georgetown, and that ne
was prepared to meet every one OF
them, with other explanations as to the
custom of paying these claims IN the
past.
Under the circumstances deemed it
my duty to consult with Attorney Cen
erai Pope and yourself in regard to the
matter, as did on yesterday evening.
Early this morning after some confer
I euce with Col. Willie Jones, cashier OF
the Carolina National Bank, s,s to the
amount protested, l again approached
Gen. Bonham on the subject, and at my
suggestion we came to the office of At
torney General Pope and had another
statement of the matter. Gen. Bon
ham reiterated his former statement
to the effect that checks had Eeen pre-
sented during his absence, and that he
was prepared to meet them when pre-
serted again.
After this conversation with Gen
Pope, by agreement, Gen. Bonham and
II went to the National Bank to see
ICol. Willie Jones. the cashier, and it
was there arranged, at The instance of
Gen. Bonham, that Col. Jones should
recall the protested checks Or drafts
for payment, and Gen. Bonham then
drew and left with Col. Jones draft
on the general manager of the Union
Central Life Insurance Company,
which he represents here. for $1,000,
which, it was estimated, would cover
all Of the protested paper.
At Gen. Banham's request the draft
is to be forwarded to the general man
ager for his endorsement, and then
sent to the general office in - for
payment, Gen. Banham stating that he
had already arranged and given bond
and security for the amount desired.
1t IS Impossible at thlS Time Ior me
: to ascertain the exact amount covered
by the protested paper or the amount
of pay now due and in arrears to the
troops. as all of the receipts have not
vet come in to this office, and some OF
them represent checks which have not
been honored, but it can be approNlm-
ated as soon as the protested drafts are
returned to the National Bank.
Such is the situation at present, and
| will make no comments until further
developments. Iwould say, in conclu-
sion, however, that as this is neither a
bonded nor a disbursing Office, properly
, speaking, see no reason why the n
necessary custom which seems hereto
, fore to have prevailed should continue
, The amounts due the troops from year
to year can be drawn from the treasury