The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1904-02-24

with the report of the commission, and
with the limitations above expressed 1
have signed myself as n responsible
member OF the commission,
X. IL. jennings.
Under the resolution passed by the
general assembly of South Carolina,
allowing h members OF h State
house commission TO file such state
ments as they respectively desired to
make, l submit the following:
That in the election of architect to
make plans and specifications for he
completion of the work on the state
house L did not vote for Mr.. MilDurn
for reasons satisfactory to myself. In
the acceptance for the completion Nc
Ilvain-Unkefer Co. was the only one
that came within the limits of the APP
propriation, and it resolved itself into
the acceptance of the same or n post
Donement of the work until the pro-
visions should be made by the State
legislature. When l went out of Office
as state treasurer my connection with
the commission ceased. n i am in no
way responsible for the completion or
acceptance of the work OF the con-
tractor. l did not pretend to have any
knowledge of architecture, and could
therefore have easily been imposed
upon as to the beauty and the finish OF
the architecture.
Very respectfully submitted,
w. II. Zimmerman.
EXHIBIT A.
Personally appeared G.. Duncan Bel
linger. who being duly sworn, says:
That in the late fall of the year 1903,
upon casually meeting the Hon. j.. o.
Patterson, a member of the joint In
vestigating committee, and ascertain
ing accidentally from him that he had
just returned from Columbia where
he had been in attendance upon said
committee, L asked him If the COM
mission would be accorded Il hearing
before his committee. In reply to this
Mr.. Patterson stated that MIR. Aldrich
was the chairman of the committee
and advised me that If such request
was made of the chairman ii would
be granted. Deponent referred to rea-
sons mutually known to him and to
MIR. Patterson why such request would
be unpleasant 70 deponent. upon which
Mr.. Patterson assured me that
he would himself notify he chair
man of the desire of the members or
the commission to be heard. This con-
versation occurred in h town of
Barnwell on a Saturday night, within
30 feet of the paling of Mr.. Patterson's
front yard.
Subsequently and before the occas-
ion next to be referred to in the same
town, and near the same locality, /
recalled to Mr.. Patterson our previous
conversation and asked him If the
right which we had demanded would
be accorded to us. and he assured me
that 1t would, and that he a spoken
to the chairman on the subject and the
probability was that the illness from
which Mr.. Aldiich was then suffering
was the reason why l, and other MEM
bers of h commission had not been
notified. l again impressed upon him
that this equeS was made on behalf
OF all of the mber of the commits
sion.
These ora the nnpn SinnS fn Uhiph I
referred in the communication which
L recently published concerning this
request made upon Mr.. Patterson, and
at that time l had no reference to any
other; but his published statement,
said to have been in defense of his
conduct, while explaining upon the
floor of the house of representatives,
the injustice done by his committee
to members of our commission recalled
to me another and third occasion when
this demand for justice was repeated.
In the city of Columbia. on the night
of the 18th of December, just passed,
II of my partners, the Hon. J.. w.
Haskell, who is n member of the house
of representatives, and myself went by
appointment to the Columbia hotel to
meet some clients from the city Of
Augusta. with whom we conferred UNI
til about II O'Clock. After this confer
ence and when about to leave the hotel
we met Mr.. j. o. Patterson, who re-
us 10 So % HIS TOo1l, as Ic
would have TO sit up to catch n late
train. While in this gentleman's room
the subject of the investigating com-
mittee arose and / learned accidentally
that a meeting of this committee had
been very recently held. Becoming
thus convinced that the promised hear,
ing was in n fair way never to be ac-
corded TO US. / most earnestly attemp-
ted to impress him with the determin-
alton on the part of some of us to
appeal to the Legislature We're we so
unfairly treated as not to be accorded
an opportunity to be heard. Again l
received empty promises and vain as
SuranceS. a very recent conversation
with Mr.. Haskell warrants me in the
assertion that he was present and re-
calls that the request was most earn
eStly made
c.. Duncan Bellingcr.
Sworn to before me this. 18th day Of
February, 1904. j. 7. CAN'T,
Notary Public, S. c.
EXHIBIT B..
State of South Carolina-County of
Richland.
Personally appeared w. j.. Johnson.
who being duly sworn. says that dur-
ing the present session Of the legjsla-
ture the deponent had an intimation
that the commission for the compile
ton of the State house We're going to
be severely criticised by the committee
appointed to investigate the several
reports of the commission. That the
deponent Immediately looked up Repre-
sentative Rawlinson, who was a mem
Der OF the investigating committee, and
informed him of what deponent had
heard. and further informed him tina
III the reports of severe arraignment
or criticism We're that the COM
mission had a right to be heard, and
that an opportunity should be given
them. That Representative RaWlin-
son assured deponent that there was
nothing in the ruInor and that the com
mission would not be harshly critics.
ed and that his committee had not
fuIly made up It's report; that they
would have another meeting and all
the members of the old commission
could be heard: further stated that Il
was his impression that all the mem
bers OF the commission had been in
Vited to attend their meetings; de-
ponen Informed him hat none of the
members OF tho commission had been