The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-07-14
sell on Thursday. Where is PIP Tear
this up. 1t may 20 up O little before

Wv ook1OL0OICu WOl0
from Holmes and that their contents
had reference to the state of the cot.
ton report. A large numher Of letters
and kilograms signed with the initial
were sent from New York to
Van Ripper. Nearly all of these con.
tained information concerning the
cotton report, together with instruc.
lions to sell or buy on the market, ao.
cording to the information furnished
and all of them closed with the ad-
monition to destroy the letter.
The secret service agents learned
that "P" referred to In Holmes let.
ter was Il. A. Peckham,. of New York
and that the letters signed the initial
II" were Il. A. Peckham.
TRYING TO MAKE MONEY"
Peckham vas interviewed In New
York city and stated that the only
exrl.nation he had to give concerning
1.-THE letters was that he vas trying to
make some motley In the cotton mar.
ket, declining to say anything Of his
relations with Holmes, Haas or Van
Ripper. Shortly after he was inter
viewed 1t was learned that Peckham
came to Washington and held a con.
%versation with Holmes over the tele.
phone in which he inquired whether
Holmes intended to resign his position
or whether he expected to be dismiss,
ed from the government service. Peck,
ham was sen again by government
agents but would not discuss his rela-
tions with Holmes.
Homes was interviewed by secret
service agents and considerable space
in the report Is given to his explana-
tioas. Toe first questions asked him
were as to his relations with Peckham
and Van Ripper.
Homles said that they all had been
on very intimate terms socially and
that when he had occasion to visit
New York, which vas frequently, his
hotel bill had been paid by Van Ripper
or Peckham. Holmes admitted that
Peckham, Haas and himself were at
onetime associated In a business ven
turc in which Holmes was to have an
interest equal to the sum Of SO. 900,
which he was to receive as q gift from
the other members Of the firm. Sub.
stquently Haas transferred his interest
in this firm to l.. @. Van Ripper and
Van Ripper stated that the company
was organized for the purpose Of hand
ling cotton. Holmes testified that
this was true, but that he was not
aware OF the nature of the organiza
ton at the time he got an Interest in
it, and that when he learned the object
OF the company was to handle cotton,
he withdrew from it.
IL Ills MINING PROPERTY.
Under further examination Holmes
stated that he had sold to Van Ripper,
about Feb. 10, 1905, a t~hree-fourths
interest In some mining property in
Idaho for $73, 900, this amount hav,
ing been paid TO him by Van Ripper In
two instal(ments In currency. In this
connection Van Ripper stated that a
contract had been made between
Holmes and himself whereby Van
Ripper was supposed to have acquired
A seven eighths interest in some min
ing property, but that he had never
seen the property nor had any idea as
TO It's value or as to It's exact location.
Van Ripper said that Holmes wished
to have q contract signed which would
show that Van Ripper had paid to
Holmes a large sum Of money for the
mining property, In order that Holmes
might be able to account fer the pos
session of so much money. Van Riper
says he knows that Holmes received
a very large amount prior to the sign
ing OF the contract and he believes it
was not for mining or other property.
Secretary Wilson says there seems to
be every reason to believe from the
report Of secret service agents that
Holmes could have given approx.
mately correct information anywhere
from n TO three days in ad vance of
the publication Of the official report
During nearly the entire cotton re.
porting season OF 1903 Holmes was in
charge OF the bureau of statistics in
the absence Of Chief Statistician
Hyde, who was in Europe. Since that
time he has had access to the reports
OF field agents who furnish the data
upon which the cotton reports are
based. The MOST important Of these
reports come from Field Agent b. G.
White and from the several State
agents, TO all OF which Holmes had
access. II was found that alterations
had been made in the figures Of Mr..
Whites report, for October 3, 1903,
aud that these alterations appeared
to be in Holmes hand writing.
DEALS ONLY WITH FACTS.
Secretary Wilson says q large mum.
OF persons made statements OF a
general character, founded on rumor
and Incapable OF vGriication, and for
this reason they we're not made q part
0 his report, which Is intended to
deal with facts only.
According to the new plan outlined
by Secretary Wilson to govern the
Of monthly reports OF the
bureau Of statistics, the general spec
lal Held agents and State agents will
report on speculative crops directly to
the secretary or acting secretary OF
agriculture. These reports will re-
main sealed In the custody Of these
oiiicers until the day the Official re.
port Is to be made, when the agents
reports will be opened and the Official
compiled under strict precau
lions. There never will be at any
Time, in the possession Of the bureau
statistics or in any me Office OF the
department., except while the compil-
alton CT the oiicial report is being
made, complete information from the
correspondents In all Of the cotton
states. Texas and Georgia, two OF
Ihe largest cotton producing States,
VIII be separated from the group of
from townships and counties
Hereafter there will be three special