The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-19
Major Brander that check had been

/ IT..
| that had mentioned anything about
| what he had told me: that he and Mr.
| Foikes had been two OF my best friends;
| that | had never had a mlsword with
either. and that I was intensely sorry
| that I had been the cause OF any trou-
1 Bile. ano / would make any sacrifice. ana
| do anything / could 10 shield him from
the effects OF an investigation.
O. Your object in leaving town then
was 10 shield Mr.. West and let the bur-
| den rest you?
| A. Yes.
Mr.. Il. A. Catlln: Was II because you
had no money of your own. that you made
| this proposition TO Mr.. West that you
| would leave town II the American Book
| Company raised you slVoY
A. Yes. sir; / had not a cent with
which to leave town.
BY Mr.. Lamb
q. Have you any relatives here?
A. have a sister: she IS married.
Q. Did you have any one you could call
upon for the money?
A. ! had not
Mr. s y. Woodfn was then called to
| the stand
MR. &. u. WOODFTN.
O. BY Mr.. T,ecky: Mr.. Woodhn. are you
connected with the Richmond DispatchE
a. Yes. sir.
@. In what capacity?
a. City editor.
0. From the nature Of your position arc
all the reporters expected to report 10
you their finding Of news for the Dis
patch?
a. Yes. sir; they arc under my direction;
O. Did Mr. Womack. the representative
of the American Book Company ever
call to see you I'm regard 10 the investiga-
ton 70 be had by the Sons OF Veterans
No cir
@. Have you seen Mr.. womack in the
last month?
A. Yes. sir. several times.
Q. Have you seen him in the last ten
days?
A. Yes. sir.
Q. 1t has been stated in testimony here
that a certain check passed. and Colonel
Cowardin has stated i'm his evidence re-
rarding the visit Of Mr.. Womack to his
office. including the check and note. Did
Mr. Womack have any talk with you
concerning that check or that note?
A. | had a conversation with Mr.. Wo-
mack with reference TO the check and
note. not at the time he saw Mr.. Cowar
din and not at the same place. but on
Broad street. near the corner OF Ninth,
as ! was going TO my office. ] think on
Thursday before this investigation began.
q. What did he say regarding the check?
Did he state the amount Of II?
A. NY recollection is that he did.
Q. Whose check was 1t?
n. l iDlDk ne Sdlu-i ubn hilDN AihA
he said whose check IT was. but he stated
that the check was given to Mr.. West
by him as "A personal loan. from which
took il. Of course. that IL was his check.
Q. Did he receive In return a note?
A. He told me that there was some
transaction between Mr.. West and him
self. and that Mr.. West paid him, / think,
$50 on the check. or that $50 was salts
fed i'm some way. and that ne was given
by Mr.. West a note for the remaining $40.
which note had been discounted and was
I'm bank.
@. What was the term Of the note? For
how long was IL given?
A. My recollection is that he stated the
note would be due about the 4th OF De
cember. or early I'm December.
.. Did he state how long II was given
for-how many months or how many
days?
A. I don't think he did.
Q. Did he state the date Of the note?
A. No. sir.
@. Has MIR West ever reported to you
that he had this transaction Of the check
with Mr.. WOmack2
A. He did, the same day that had the
conversation with Mr.. Womack.
.. What did Mr.. West do with the
check? Did he tell you?
a. No. sir.
o. Did he have it cashed?
A. He didn't tell me what he had done
Q. BY Mr. Lamb Did he tell You who
cashed it for him?
A. No. sir. don't know that should
be as positive that lie did not tell me.
but | have no recollection that he did
tell me. had several conversations with
Mr. West during the day about the trans
action. but ! have no recollection that he
told me who cashed the check.
q. ON what day was that interview YOU
had with Mr. West? This was the first
interview you had with him on the sub
ject. imagine?
A. Yes sir. 1t was on Thursday.
ha - a "a tn hot hi.
was to be investigated. and his connection
with il?
A. Yes, sir, he brought the matter TO my
attention.
q. VIII You tell MS what ne told YOU?
THE SAME STORY
A. Wen. he told me that he had played
no part in the transaction of which ne
should be ashamed: that there was moth
ing In II which reflected on his character
or involved him in any transaction that
was not entirely honorable, and he ex-
plalncd TO me, about as Mr.. Womack did
how he got the check. and that ne had
given Mr.. Womack his note for IT, and
that the note was in bank. and. ! think.
the time that he stated cOrrespondod with
the date given by Mr.. Womack that the
note would fall due
Q. Ply Mr.. Lamb: You say that was the
4th of December?
A. That is my recollection: perhaps the
I'd. and the 4th would be the last dav II
was some time between the LIST and the
10th.
c. BY Mr.. Leeky: Did you have a con-
versation with Mr.. Duce on the same
subject?
A. Yes. sir.
Q. What time did you have that?
a; The same day, about two hours
earlier.
Q. Which OF these gentlemen was the
first 10 approach you on this subject?
\. Neither. that IS to say Mr.. Duce did
not approach me. I approached him.
@ win you. tell us what information
you gathered from him?
A. In giving Mr.. Duce his assignments.
] told him about the conversation / had
had with Mr. Womack coming down. and
asked him what he knew about this in
vestigation the causes that led up to IL,
and what was going TO be proved. and he
told me about a conversation that he
had had with certain members OF Lee
Camp Sons of Veterans.
q. State those parties.
A. one OF them was Mr.. Lecky I am
not positive about the other one. but |
am under the impression 1t was Mr.. Cox
| think Mr.. LeCky told me the same thing
a few days later. or the next day Mr
Duce told me in substance the converse
tion he had had with you gentlemen in
reference to this matter. the fact that he
had seen in Mr. Vests possession a
check which he understood 10 be from Mr.
Womack, and the impressiona that ne
was given for and how il was to be used
He was not clear. according 10 his state
ment 10 me whether in that conversation
he had given the name of Mr.. West or
not.
q. The committee received from the
hands of Mr.. Boykin this affidavit from
Mr.. Duce Exhibits afffdavitl, which. from