The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1905-07-21
THE COTTON SCANDAL.
President Orders Prompt In
vestigation.
HOLMES INGENIOUS METHODS
Army Supply Scandal Also
Unearthed.


WEEKLY LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
The President has taken charge Of
the Department of Agriculture cotton
and cr. report scandal with charac-
'teristic vigor and oeficials in Wash
'ington are now moving with an
entirely unaccustomed energy. The
president was thoroughly disgustea
with the calm and cispassionate view
taken Of the matter by Secretary Will
aon and some Enthusiastically vigor-
Gus instructions were flashed over the
wires from Oyster Bay to Washing
ton. AS result, Secretary Wilson,
after announcing that the affair was
a closed incident, that Chief Statisa
tcian John f4yde would be retained
and that no further action would be
taken in the matter, suddenly
changed his mind. He laid before
the Department. Of Justice all the
evidence in the case and authorized
the Secret Service operatives to con-
duct thorough investigation Of
every phase Of the crop reporting work
and the lureau OF statistics
The evidence was not In the hands
of the Department Of Justice more
than twenty four hours when 1T was
xlecided that it was Of such charac-
ter,as to require its submission to
the grand Jury and it was placed in
the hands OF District Attorney Nor
Nau Beach with that end in view.
Mr. Beach refuses to say whether he
will ask tte court to convene the
grand Jury Immediately or whether
he will cause the arrest of former
Associate Statisticlan Holmes, and
possibly OF some of his occomplices,
and hold them under bail to await
the action OF the grand jury at its
regular meeting next September, or
not. But the District Attorney ad-
mi,s that he has been instructed to
proceed with the utmost expedition
&And to apply drastic measures.
~ Some OF the methods used by
1Iolmes to convey information of the
comiug market reports were ingenious.
For instance, on the day when the
\ hnal figures for the crop reports were
prepared it was the custom of Statis-
trojan Hyde, with Associate Holmes
and several stenographers to lock
themselves in q room where they re-
NAMED until the work was completed
and the results ready to give TO the
representatives of the press who
waited outside and who rushed them
onto the telegraph wires as fast as
that could be accomplished. In or.
der To give his accomplices advance
Information, however, Holmes devlseo
a system of signals. For instance
fs3 would have a man posted opposite
certain window when, say, th'
wheat report was being prepared
Then be would lower Or raise th'
window shade as the government
estimate showed an increase or a de
crease Of the percentage. kalslul
toe shade to near the top of the win
dow Indicated remarkable increase
Drawing it to the bottom showed
remarkable decrease and Jesse
movement indicated changes but o
less proportion, He also had sSs
te.a Of handkerchief signals wnlc
would indicate the trend OF the hs
ures for another crop ana 50 Oh
Holmes enjoyed the absolute conf
dence Of Statistician Hyde and als
Of Secretary Wilson. 1t was Know
that he lived extrayagantiy and wa
accumulating money bnt he gave OF
the story that nc had been singulafl
fortunate in the purchase OF certai
m,utnK stocks and this story was d
cepted at it's face value by his super
cra aud associates. In fact, nad
rot been fGt tie jealousy OF woma'
- IS doubtful II Holmes' ingenio'
methods Of betraying his trust al
robbing the farmers would have Del
discovered yet.
4 scandal Of uiinor proportions h
comc to light in connection Win u
manufacture and purchase of arm
supplies at Philadelphia ~hefe the