The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-01-21

Complaints Made by Gen Farley ofthe
Non.Payment. and Protest of the
Checks Drawn by his Predecessor.
Gen BOnham-Imvestigati shows
Between 81. 900 and $4,000 Of Pro.
tested Checks-Gcn BOnbam's Ex-
planatiOn-He Acknowledges his
Responsibility and Makcs Arran-
rements TO Meet his Liability.
News and Courier.
COLUMBIA, January 10 Special: Yesterday
Adjt Gen Farley handed the Governor the
following statement, and last night copies
were given to the press. Later the Governor
decided to withhold 1t at the earnest plea OF
Gen Bonham. TO day permission was given
to publish II, Governor Tlllmun saying that
he considered 1t his duty TO do SO:
COLUMBIA, S. c., January IA, 1901.
His Excellency b. X. TlllIuan, Governor OF
Stale OF South Carolina, Columbia, >. O..
Dear Sir: Having informally communicated
to your Excellency and also the Hon Ator.
ncy &c ,eral Pope on yesterday certain facts
relative To the disbursements of the appro-
prntio for 1890 for the support and mainten'
duty I } submit the following statement OF the
whole matter with accompanying letters and
then 20 await further instructions from your
Ex 3ellency rs to the course TO he pursued.
on January s, 1891, I received the enclosed
lie ter from the Hon a. NJ. Yuumans, Of flaDp-
Loi County to the effect TINT Capt r.. A.
Rrunson. Troop A. lst regiments. q. cavalry,
has received from Gen NJ. L. Bonham check
on the Carolina National Bank Of Columbia,
| $. G., tor $l5G. being the amount Of the oppro-
priation for his company for 1880; that the
notice to him by Gen Bonham tnat ne haa al
10, 1880, and postmarked December 2 al the
postofilce In Columbia. The check has been
received, and Is made payable ITO order"
presented 10 the bank for payment, and ,pny-
lnent refused by the bank. and the cheek
gone to protest. as shown by the notice. NOW
what we desire yon to do IL to look into Inc
matter at once for us. and write atyour earii-
est convenience the Cause OF the trouole, as II
is creating excitement and unfaVorable COM
ment here.
morning, the 18th, Immediately brought the
matter TO his attention by handing him the
letter received. He said: l have been away
In Georgetown for suIne time and | viii ht'
tend to the matter at once" as there Is SOME
mistake" ! answered the letter FROM Mr.,
Youmans, telling him what ha.t done and
repeating what Gen Btnham said;
said and did nothing until January IL, when
received the enclosed letter from Mr. Butler
Hasecd, Of Barnwell. dated January ~ stat
ling as follows II have been requested by
CAPT ]. A. Hayes to enclose you notice OF pro-
test Issued uy the Carolina National Bank OF
Columbia for a check for SliS, issued by Gen
Bonharn for the quota OF Slate appropriation
to the Iiagood Guards, ana asking: VIII
you kindly look into the matter ard write
Capt Hay es at Appleton ?' On receipt OF this
letter l at once went TO the Carolina National
protested. and found from the statement OF
the cuShier that sume eight or ten checKs;
averaging about $50 each, had been presented
from various parties ana had gone 10 proless
from non payment, no funds being on hand
to meet them. again went TO Gen Bonham
and told him Of the receipt OF Mr. Hagoods
| letter and the contents, and also OF the lacts
learned Mt the National Bank, He again In.
formed me these checks had been presented
during his absence In Georgetown ana tnat
he was prepared TO meet every one ot them,
with other explanations ns To the custom ol
paying these claims In the past.
| Under the circumstances l deemeu IL my
duty to consult with Attorney General Pope
and yourself in regard TO the matter, as l(dld
after some Conference with Col Willie Jones,
cashier or the Carolina National Bank, as 10
the amount protested, again approached
Gen Bonham on the subj ect, ana at my sug-
General Pope and had another statement OF
the matte. Gen Bonham reiterated his form;
er statement TO tho effect that checks had
beenp resen ted during his absence, ana that
he was prepared To meet them when presen-
ted again
After this con versatlon with Gen Pope, by
agreement. Gen Bonham ana Went 10 the
National Bank to see Col Willie Jones' the
cashier, and II WAS there arranged, ut the III.
stance OF Gen BonhaIn, that Col Jones should
recall the protest checks or drafts for pay ment
Col Jones q draft on the general manager or
Union Central Life insurance Company,
wh ich he represents here for S2OOo, when ~
was estimated, would cover oil OF the protest.
ed paper.
At Gen Bonham's request the draft Is to be
forwarded TO the general manager for his en-
dorsement, then sent TO the general once e.
for payment, Gen Bonham stating that he
had already arranged and given bond and Sc
curity for the amount desired.
1t Is Impossible at this time for me to ascer-
tain the exact amount covered by the protest.
ed paper or the amount OF pay now due and
in arrears to the troops, as all Of the receipts
have not yet come into this ONCE, ana some
or them represent checks Whlch nave not
been honored, but 1t can be approximately as
soon as the protested drafts are returned 10
the National Bank. go
Such ia the situation at present, and I will
make no comments until further develop
that rs this Is neither bonded nor disburs-
Ing office, properly speaking, see no reason
why the unnecessary custom which seems
heretofore to have prevailed should commune. q, nue.
The amount due the troops from year 10 year
can be drawn from the treasury on warrant
by the--and signed by the--in mvor OF
and to "the order or the companies to whom
the money Is due without passing through
this office, which do not think the law eon.
templntts Possibility If this had been done
heretofore the apparent trouble now con-
fronting US might have been avoided: .o. 81,
1t may be necessary or well 10 aod trR all
that has been done so far has been done with
as kindly a spirit as possible and view 10
the Importance Of securing the money due to
the troops still left unpaid. am, very re-
spectrully, your obedlent servant.
H. l.. Farley,
Adjutant and Inspector General
The notice OF protest for the check for si4S,
In favor of Capt Hayes. Is appended, as also
are the letters from Mesxrs Butler Hagood
and A. N. Youmans The former bears the
da te Of January l0 and the latter that or Jahu-
ary7.
Gen Bonham telcgraphed for Col Aldrlch.
his brother-in-law. and he arrived on the
night train from Barnweli. He was met ut
the depot by Gen Farley and taken at once to
the Executive mansion, where he held u con-
ference with the Governor.
After the consultation Col. Aldrich called
Mt the Bureau and stated that Gen. Bonham
would tomorrow give to the press q lull
statement of his side OF the case. He Will y"
doubt make a frank acknowledgment OF the
use OF the money and assume the consequent
CTS.
In an official way the above Is complete
statement Of the whole case, and there was
little more 10 add. The matter In some way DC
come known among many citizens this aiter-
noon, and 1t was freely discussed In oil its
bearings.
Gen. Bonhan was visited at his residence to
night by The News and Couriers representa-,
tive, and the columns OF the paper offered
anI hn