The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-02-21
WEBEk'S WRONG-D DOING.
WHILE SCHOOL COMMISSIONER OF
CHARLESTON COUNTY

WHILE SCHOOL COMMISSIONER OF
CHARLESTON COUNTY
Promise 'ed-The Supsrilt pcep'
# Educs,i us Dsmniag Repors-The
Amount o: Shor.sse.
COLUMBIA, S. C., Feb. l5.-Last sum
mer Mr.. John L. Weber of Charleston
who had been living in that city fcl
many years, engaged il editorial VOTE
on the News and Courier. was elected
to a chair in Trinity College, North
Carolina. Ee resigned his position as
school commissioner Of Charleston
County ana his position on the News
and CoEr,er and left Charleston stand.
ing high in the estimation of al the
people Of that city. He was known &c
the world as q high toned. honorable
and high cultivated man. He was well
known throughout South Carolina and
every one was sorry to see him leave,
though all were glad to know Of his
rise in life.
1t did not take long, however, for the
terrible blow, which like the sword OF
Damocles, hung over the young mans
head, to fall. About two months ago
it came with crushing force, when 1t
became known to the State authorities
that something was wrong in the Of
fee which Mr.. Weber had vacated. An
investigation was started and soon the
worst was ascertained. The facts have
been known to the press for weeks, but
they have been waiting Official action,
before giving them to the pubic.
About week ago Mr.. Weber returned
to the State and went to Charleston
upon the advice Of his friends. Yes
ter6ay Superintendent Of Education
Mayfeld, who has been investigating
the matter, returned TO the city and
submitted to Governor Tilman the fol-
lowing report, which the Governor gave
the press for publication. It tells the
story of MIR. Weber's downfall in de-
tails:
State of South Carolina, Executive De-
partment, Office of State Superlnten-
dent Of Education, Columbia, 5. C.,
February IS, 1894.
Gov. B. &. T1llman, Columbia, S. =.
Dear Str: Under the law county
scnool commissioner are required to
report to tie State Superintendent OF
Education by the 1st day Of October
of each year, among other things, the
amount of money collected and expen-
ded for schools during the year.
On the 3rd day of October, 1898, John
L. Weber, as school commissioner for
Charleston county, fled his annual re-
port with me, which showed the ex-
penditures for the year to be IN excess
of the receipts. Being dissatisfied with
the report, I sought an explanation.
Mr. Weber has resigned and lett the
State to accept position in Trinity
y College, ionated at Durham, n. c., and
F. Horton Colcock has been appointed
by you as his succes sor. Mr.. Colcock
was unable, from the records in his
Office, to explain the discrepancy. l,
therefore, prepared blanks and sent
them to the school trustees Of that
county for the purpose Of obtaining the
desirsd information. In making up
these reports, discrepancy was discoy-
ersd in enc of the school warrants.
I have made peTsonal examination
of ths school commissioners office, ana
fnd that this particular warrant has
beer raised from S7.65 to 1916, by in
sertipg the figure in the margin IN
front Of the figure Z, and writing the
word ninety in front of the worG seven
in the body Of the warrant. | alsJ had
other warrants that have been raised,
and others that were issued for labor
not performed, and for school supplies
and furniture that were not furnished.
The wsrrant for S7.65, raised to $751;
SIS, above referred to, is made payable
to Isaac Hammond or order" The
correctness of the claim is sworn to b7
him before the chairman Of the board
Of school trustees issuing it, and both
of them say the warrant was issued
for S7.65, and that that amount was
actually due. Isaac Hammond ls a
merchant OF good financial standing
and reputation, and engaged IN busl-
ness on Broad street, in the city Of
Charleston. He says that he turned
the claim over to Mr.. Weber To- be
conntersigned by him as school COM
missioner, and that Mr.. Weber brought
bis S7.65 IN cash, the amount due him.
The warrant was ce7taluly raised be-
fore it was presented to the county
treasurer, Gee. b. Walter, for payment
for it was paid by him with check
drawn in favor of "Isaac Hammond or
order" for S97.65. The check was pre-
sente6 to and paid by the Charleston
Bank, Isaac Haumond'S name being
endorsed ON the back of the check.
The teller of the bank, who paid the
money endorsed on the back Of the
check in blue pencil that he had paid it
to John L. Weber. Mr.. Hammond
saws that the endorsement Of his name
on the back of the check is forgery
and the experts in the bank say 1t Is
not his signature. The changes in the
warrant appear to be IN the handWr1t,
ing of Mr.. Weber. There was issued
payable to Isaac Hammond or order
another school warrant for $500 which
was raised to S68.50. This warrant
took very much the same course as the
other above referred to, and the
changes in 1t tappsar to be IN Mr.. Web
Ser's hand.
Mr. Weber ran an account with Mes.
SIS. Walker, Evans & CogsweH on
which he had charged rhe articles be
purchased for his own private use, and
also those be purchased for his OWL
use as school commissioner, and also
those be purchased for the use Of the
public SCHOOLS of his county. On April
8, 1892, he owed on this account for all
purchases S1OO5 so, and on the same day
the account was credited with $500
This credit of S66.5O was school war.
rant issued to Walker, Evans & Cogs.
we'll originally, for $500, but raised to
S66 so. The changes appear to be IN
MIR. Weber's hand. Walker, Evans 4
Cogswell collected the money. Pur.
chases were continued, and on April
20, 1892, had increased S801, making
the whole account S10S.5l. On the
same day, April 20, 1892, second
school warrant for S8925 was issued to
them and the account credited with the
full amount OF the warrant, they pay.