Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-24
Peckham's Arrest.

news OF the arrest in Saratoga yesterday
or Frederick A. Peckham of New York one
or the alleged cotton conspirators who.
win moses A Haas and former Associate
e'a.is'lcian Holmes of the Department OF
Agriculture, is said to have profitably util.
lzed advance information from the bureau
or statistics OF the Agricultural Depart.
ment, was received with little or no sur.
prise In Washington. Peckham was taken
INTO custody on a bench warrant issued by
Chief Justice Clabaugh OF the Supreme
Court OF the District for alleged conspiracy,
TO de1raud the government In connection
with the issuance Of the government cot.
ton crop reports. The fact that an tndict-
ment had been returned was carefully kent
secret in Washington.
AS published exclusively in The Star soma
days ago. District Attorney Beach only re.
Gently unearthed important evidence which
made practically certain the return of threa
or more indictments. 1t Is now understood
although no verifcation can be obtained at
the office Of the district attorney that
three indictments have been returned and
warrants sworn out for the arrest of Peck-
nam co-consplrators. Information received
In Washington from New York today leads
to the belief that at least one arrest will
be made before night.
1t was not intended to make the arrest
SO soon, but the Washington authorities
were informed that Peckham, who had
been at Saratoga for some time, had paid
his hotel bill and was preparing to leave.
Fearing that Peckham might leave the
United States and seek refuge in Canada
or elsewhere, thus inaugurating a vexatious
and possibly long delay in bringing the
cotton conspirators to trial, Mr.. Beach ar
ranged to have the arrests made at once.
Holmes Whereabouts Known.
The whereabouts of Holmes, tho former
associate statistician, are said to be known
to the Washington authorities. Holmes
was in Washington three weeks ago and
has been here far day or two at time
ever since his dismissal from the AgricuI-
tural Department.
Frederick A. Peckham, who was arrested
yesterday, had been closely associated with
Moses Haas of New York. at one time an
employe Of the Agricultural Department.
and both of them declined to testify before
the grand jury here. Secretary Wilson in
his public statement on the cotton scandal,
said that L. c. Van Ripper of New York as
serted that Haas had acted a go-betweeu
in conveying information from Holmes to
New York brokers. Correspondence be-
tween dimes and brokers found by the
secret service agents contained the initial
"P, which is said to have been the way In
which Holmes referred to Peckham. Ac-
cording to the report of Secretary Wilson
on the original investigation, Holmes ad.
mitted that he and Peckham had close re-
lationS, and were at one time associated In
a business venture in which Holmes was
to have an interest equal to the sum OF
$1,000, which he was to receive as gin
from the other members of the firm
Secretary Wilson said also that Holmes
admitted that when he had occasion to visit
New York he frequently found that
his hotel bills were paid by Peckham or by
Van Ripper. Secretary Wilson's report
charged Holmes with communicating ad-
vance informa ton to Van Riper and Moses
Haas of New York
Mr. Beach is in New York today and the
grand jury will not meet again until next
Tuesday