The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-07-18
NEwBERRY. S. C.. july II. ,s3.

JOHN L.. M IRBY.
NEwBERRY, S. c., July IL, '93.
Hon. j. l.. M. Irby Laurens, S. c.
My Dear Sir-In reading the card o
Gen. III. l.. Farley in reference to the
publication Of letter signed Grad
dock in the Augusta Chronicle, an
reminded that during my stay In
Washington, the author of that piece
came into your room (where I stayed
also) with q communication in his
hand, sometime during Saturday night
q week after the Inauguration ol
Grover Cleveland. When he entered
the room you asked him torehearse as
between him and Gen. Farley at the
Metropolitan Hotel that day. He un.
hesitatingly and promptly told the fol.
lowing facts:
That Gen. Farley had read to him q
communication addressed to the Re.
formers of South Carolina, rather de.
nunciatory, than otherwise, of Tillman
and Irby as leaders of the party, and
asked Tillman to have it published in
the Atlanta Constitution under u nom
de plume, saying that as newspaper
man he could have 1t done under u nom
de plume and would not have to ex-
1 pooo LID luOhVlUy. llo
that II the article took we'll with the
Reformers, he would come out and
avow himself as its author. He also
said that he would give Jim Tillman a
place on State ticket, to be made up,
as adjutant general. He (Tillman) fur
ther emphasized he'fact of his author
ship of the "Craddock letter by read
ing it to me and by saying that he was
on his way to the telegraph office on
14th Street to send it to the Augusta
Chronicle. He also said that when
ever he had communications OF this
character to publish he used the nom
initials 81. II. T."
This information not only surprised
me, but was Mortified to think that
such things were going on among the
Reformers, and especially among the
leaders. Senator 1rby was also indig-
nant at it, and asked me, who intended
to return home by way of Columbia in
few days, to see Governor Tillman
and tell him what Jim Tillman had
said, for the reason that Senator Irby
was afraid the Governor would not see
the Sunday edition OF the Chronicle.
In passing through Columbia went
to Gov. Tillman's house and gave him
tho information we had received from
Jim Tillman in Washington.
make this statement to you volun-
tarily because you must have forgotten
that knew anything about it, or you
would have written to me and because
it is due to you and to truth that the
public should know the truth and the
authorship of this whole matter.
Your friend,
SAMPSON POPE.
This is to certify that Senator Irby
did not dictate to me any article
signed Craddock," published in the
Augusta Chronicle, or elsewhere.
and that knew nothing whatever of
its composition. Mr.. Jas. H. Tillman,
authorship of the Craddock letter. 1t
had been stated that Mr.. Tillman
denied responsibility for part of the
letter rejecting upon Mr.. F. G. Caugh-
man, but Mr.. Tillman, to disprove that
he had repudiated any part Of it, show
| ed me, and others l presume o note in
the nature of certificate, in which
Mr.. Caughman stated that Mr.. Till
man declared himself the author of the
article signed Craddock.na
On last Friday, June 30th, Gen.
Farley came into the Herald office, and
after being seated, the following con-
versation took place between myself
and Mr.. Farley:
publish an article in the Herald the
other week in which you stated that |
attended an Alliance caucus in Spartan
burg ? and wasn't something said about
sharpening Brutus daggers for Till
man, etc? Was the article an edi-
torial or communication
Mr.. Crews-There was an article OF
that nature published in the Herald a
week or two ago, but the Farley men,
tion was not intended to apply to you
it was Lid Farley. There was also
something said about "Brutus dag
gers" and was an editorial written by
myself.
Mr.. Farley-Where did you get your
information from? Didn't some one
here give you the information
Mr.. Crews-No, sir. l got my in
formation from some one OF the daily
papers | am not sure, but | think ii
was the Greenville News, and the
editorial was based on the information
contained in q dispatch sent from
Spartanburg
Mr.. Farley-I think you are mis-
taken about getting your information
from the Greenville News, as have
never seen anything of that Lind in
the News.
Mr.. Crews-Possibly I may be mis-
taken about getting my information
from the News, but I am positive that
I got it from some one of the daily
papers. No individual gave it to me
verbally or otherwise.
Mr.. Farley's questioning me in re
gard to the source ofmy information In
regard to the editorial in question i'm
pressed me at the time that he was en-
deavoring to extOrt from me a virtua
admission that some one in Lauren!
had given me the said information
and when he afterwards alluded to the
fact that he had personal enemy here
who was trying to injure him, ant
other such expressions, without direct
ly naming any one, could plainly SCI
that his references were to Senator
Irby. then told Mr.. Farley dis
tinctly and positively that neithel
Senator Irby nor any one else had eve
mentioned the subject to me. and tina
was responsible for the editorial ant
the reference to "Brutus daggers,
etc.
The above Is the compensation which
took place between Nv. Farley an'
myself, as well as can remembep, nm!
. the substance OF what / have writer
, and what was said by us on the oc
, cssion referred to ean be substantiate,
by three other employees In th'
fa,old nP{oa nhn haoa1 tho ooauapoo