Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-08
SCANDAL
IS AIRED TODAY
Secretary Wilson Makes Public
the Report Of the Investigate
ing Committee
DEPARTMENT FIGURES JueeLED
Now York Brokers Got Advance lnfor-
nation and Cleared Up Hundreds Of
Thousands of DolIars-one OF tho
Guilty Employees Dismissed-eroker
Makes Denial.

Washington, July s.--As the result or
an investigation by the secret service
agents into the charges made by Rlch-
ard Cheatham secretary of the Cotton
Planters Association that Information
has been given cotton brokers of New
York by some person or persons In the
bureau of statistics of the department
of agriculture, Secretary Wilson today
made public the official report IN
which he states, Edwin S. Holmes. as
sociate statistician has been guilty OF
Juggling" the official report. The re-
mort says: ut has been found Holmes
communicated advance information 70
L. C. Van Ripper, New York broker,
and M. Haas, Of New York, who acted
as go-between in conveying infor-
nation from Holmes to other New
York brokers. including Theodore
Price. Steps have been taken by the
secretary to prevent any further leak
age OF the department figures and an
entire reorganization OF the bureau OF
statistics and the manner OF preparing
monthly crop reports has been OUT
lined by him. The papers in connec-
ton with the investigation were REFER
red to the United States attorney Tor
tho District OF Columbia and he has
reported, in his opinion, criminal pro-
ceeding will not lie against Holmes
Holmes has been dismissed from the
service Of the department"
According to the report, Wiliiahl
,1udd of New York. formerly IN the
employ OF l.. N. Van xupcr,, Induced
the latter to tell of his connections
with Holmes and then communicates
the information to Cheatham. van
R,ner became the principal witness In
the investigation conducted by the Sc
cret service and said he was induced
10 communicate the fact that advance
information was given out by homes
hecause he had heard Holmes and his
a associates had intended to try to man
inulate the June cotton report. Using
this information as foundation the
secret service agents interviewed nu-
merous persons who had been mem
toned by Judd and Var. Ripper, as well
as gathering mass of correspondence,
including many letters written by
Holmes to Van Ripper and others. The
report was made to Secretary Wilson
and the secretary's comments, togeth-
er with the details Of the new plan OF
conducting the bureau OF statistics
make more than four thousand words.
It reviews the the entire investigation,
beginning with the charges that were
laid before Secretary Wilson by Cheat
ham several weeks ago. The charges
by Cheatham were backed up with
evidence that certain information had
been given to cotton brokers in New
York by some person or persons em-
ployed in the bureau of statistics, rel
ative to the acreage and conditions of
the cotton crop of the United States,
prior to the actual publication of the
information, and that the crop figures
had been tampered with in the depart
ment In the interests of certain cotton
spectators.
Secretary Wilson determined at
once upon a thorough investigation
and furnished to the officers of the Sc
cret service all the evidence which had
been given to the department. Agents
then were put in touch with Cheatham
and directed to use every possible eff
fort to ascertain whether there had
been leak in the department and if sc
to furnish the secretary with the name
Of the person or persons responsible
Holmes is the only elnploye of the gov
ernment who has been found to have
had any connection with supplying in
formation to brokers prior to the pub
lication of the official report.
New York N v T,Ilv 2-Theodore