The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-07
KICKED OUT AS A SPY.
COL. PEEK DISCHARGES HIS FE-
MALE TBNoGRAPHER.

Alliance Exchange Officials claim
That Size Was Furnishing Col. Liv-
ingston With Information Obtained
by Virtue Of Her Position The Lady
Denies the Accusation and is De.
Tended by Her Friends.
ATLANTA, GA, April "a decidedly
interesting story Of political flavor has
come TO light here through the discharge Of
Mrs. Hampton, stenographer at the alliance
exchange and private secretary 30 Col. W.
L. Peek. president and business manager Of
the exchange. Mrs. Hampton was paid
months salary in advance and notified that
her services would be no longer needed on
the first OF the present month
The lady. who is a widow and OF
fine family, was placed in her position
through the influence OF Congressman
Livingston, in whose employ she had been
as private secretary previous to the assem-
bling of congress. Col Peek's prominence
in the third party movement has made him
the object of close scrutiny az every move,
and when Mrs. Hampton was summarily
discharged, the Tumor gained circulation
that Col. Peek did not want her at his office
because she had expressed herself as opposed
TO the anti-democratic work In which he
is engaged.
USING CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
Mrs Hampton was very much wrought
up over the loss Of her position, and In order
to express her feelings published card, in
which she revealed some OF the secrets Of
Col Peek and his associates regarding the
third party organization work. She
| Iu1-g ~
private conversation, which, she
! says, took place between Col Peek
and other third party satellites. She came
into possession Of these secrets and heard
the conversation referred 20 through her
position as Col. Peek's private secretary,
she being necessarily in his confidence. The
publication OF Mrs Hampton's card brings
| out the q most interesting part
of the story. The inside reason for
her discharge by Col Peek as
it comes from alliance headquarters and as
stated by Mrs Hampton Is that she was
| Col. Livingstons confidential secretary,
Mrs. Hampton's only daughter lives in New
York, and Col. Livingston has promised to
take her to Washington and get her into a
| nice place as joint secretary to himself and
| other Georgia alliance congressman 30 that
she could be in reach OF her daughter.
UNDER THE CoLoNRL's THUMB.
Through holding out this promise Col.
Livingston had an influence over the lady
| which served as an incentive to make her
do almost anything to serve his purposes
! When Col. Livingston departed for con
gress, however, matters between him aud the
alliance were mixed, and naturally he
| wanted to be kept informed as to what took
| place Ia his absence. SO he turned TO his
secretary, upon whom he knew he
could rely. and through his oonuec-
tion with the alliance succeeded in INSTALL
| ing Mrs. Hampton as Col. Peek's stenogra-
| pher. 1t is claimed that the lady has been
only too faithful to Col Livingston's inter-
ests. 1t is even said that some time ago
complaint came from third partytes in
! Washington that some one at the alliance
headquarters was furnishing Col. Livingston
with complete record Of all the
third party moves aud, besides, data
that would be damaging to Col
Peek and others in case Col. Livingston
cared TO use it. Finally, it is said by ex-
change officials, that Mrs. Hampton was
located as Col. Livingston's spy, and that
was the reason she was summarily dis
charged. The lady denies the story, and
those who gave 1t out say they believe she
acted under the impression that there was
nothing wrong In supplying information to
| Col. Livingston, as he was president OF the
| alliance, and, therefore, entitled 10 know
everything that was going on.