Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-12
THOSE TWO PETERSBURG CHECKS
Mr.. Womnck Is EndeavOrfnE to As
certain How They Were Gotten.

taches thereto. Mr.. Baughman declines
most positively TO shed any light on the
matter, and Mr.. Womack says. with
great emphasis. that he cannot account
for their presence before the committee.
The Petersburg bank officials are equally
as much at sea on the question.
Diligent inquiry is being made, how
ever, and Mr.. Womack says he hopes
soon to get at the bottom of the matter.
He went to Petersburg yesterday to
| prosecute his investigations, and paid q
visit to the National Bank. The officials
there contended that they had delivered
the checks Of 1894 to him, but he found
the checks Of 1895 still in the bank He
has no recollection, he said last night, oi
the checks having been delivered to him
but until further investigation and he
gets more light on the subject he will
make no further statement. He says he
is going TO the bottom OF the matter, and
show the public just how the checks got
into the hands OF the committee He
says there is not a doubt but that they
were gotten in an unlawful way
HIS CHECKS WERE DELIVERED.
The Dispatch has received the follow
Ing communications from its Petersburg
correspondent concerning the checks:
'In an interview with Mr.. Carter X
| Bishop, cashier of the National Bank OF
| Petersburg, this afternoon, information
was asked relative to the two checks
| ofty h., w
j. N. Stubbs, which figured so promi-
nently in the history investigation in
Richmond.
'Mr. Bishop said that the checks, which
bore date October l6. 1894, were paid by
the National Bank here on the next day,
October 18th, and the amounts charged
| up to Mr.. Womack's account.
"Mr. Bishop further stated that Mt.
Womacks handbook was written up
about the 1st of January, 1895, and re-
turned to him, with all Of his cancelled
checks up to that date, and that among
these were the two checks given to Colo
mel Stubbs; that Mr. Womack's book
was again written up in October OF the
ssme year. anu mat since September,
1895, that gentleman has had no account
or transactions with the bank.
"Mr. Bishop says that he has no know
ledge whatever as to how the two checks
ever got out; that it certainly did not
occur through any act or negligence on
the part Of the bank or its officials, as
the checks were placed directly in Mr.
II the handbook as written up in Janu-
ary and October did not correspond with
the vouchers as enclosed complaint or
any error should have been made at the
time. The amounts on the bank-books
were taken directly from the checks, and
not from the ledger.
HIS ACCOUNT WRITTEN UP.
"Mr. Womack late this afternoon had
brief but satisfactory conference with
the National Bank officials, relative to
the Stubbs checks, and then left at once
for Richmond, where, IT is understood, he
will consult lawyers as to his future
course. His transactions at the bank
were checked up satisfactorily, and his
cancelled checks were found to have been
returned to him when his handbook was
written UP. No blame is, therefore, at
tached to the bank in the matter of the
publicity OF these checks. Until they were
produced before the History Committee.
in Richmond, II was thought that the
checks were safely filed away in Mr..
Womack's residence here. and ii is said
they were there last summer. Now, upon
investigation, It appears that other checks
of that period and the handbook itself
are missing with them. Mr.. Womack
believes these checks were stolen, and
he intends to leave no stone unturned
and to spare no expense or trouble to
clear up the mystery surrounding their
disappearance and their possession"
General Lee Not known in II.
The statement which appeared in yes
terdays Dispatch to the effect that Colo
mel Stubbs had expressed the belief that
General Fitz Lee had something to do
with bringing about the investigation has
created considerable talk IN political cir
cles. Major Thomas A. Brander, the
author of the resolution introduced in
Lee Camp, under which the investigation
was held, declared emphatically yester-
day that General Lee had nothing what
ever to do with the case, nor had his
name ever occurred to him. Il intro
duced the resolution" said Major Bran
der. ''solely and entirely on the grounds
stated by me on the stand before the
committee, which has been fully printed
in all the papers. You can say that
most emphatically deny that General
Lees name was ever mentioned In con-
nection with the matter. His name was
not thought of, nor has he any knowledge
of the affair so far as / know"
The members Of the Investigating Com
mittee were asked whether they had un-
derstood that General Lee had been in
any way concerned in instigating the in
vestigation. AS body ana individually.
they declared that such thing had never
entered their minds.
General Hundley's signed statement re-
viewing the conversation which took
place I'm the conference was only given
at the solicitation of Dispatch man, who
informed him that II was reported that
Senator Martin was present when Gene
raj Lee was referred to. and his state
ment was written in defence OF the Sena-
tor.
WHAT MIR. GREENE SAYS.