The Washington times., 1905-07-08
CLERK HOLMES
GIVEN DISMISSAL
FOR COT TON LEAK
Secret Service Inquiry
Trapped Assistant
Statist clan.
WHOLE PLAN UNCOVERED
Secretary Wilson Promul-
gates Radical Order to
Prevent Recurrence.
WHOLE PLAN UNCOVERED

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson this
morning formally dismissed Edwin F.
Holmes, associate statiStician from the
Government service on the ground that
he had furnished advance information
of Government cotton reports to specu-
lators. ard that he manipulated the
figures of the reports for specula tive
purposes.
Victor H. Olmsted has been appoint
ed associate statistican 10 succeed
Holmes.
Mr. Olmsted for sometime past held
the position of chief of the division
of domestic crop reports, was formerly
assistant statistican of the department.
and also assistant director of the cen
suses of Cuba and the Philippines.
The report of the investigation by the
Secret Service shows that Holmes. on
at least one occasion. received $4,000
from a firm of brokers. presumably fer
this advance iEforma ton, although the
transaction was disguised as being in
payment for the sale of Western mining
stock, which, it is said. was practically
worthless.
the United States Attorney for the Dis
trict of Columbia for the purpose of as
certaining whether or not Holmes could
be prosecuted, but has learned that there
Bureau Methods Changed.
Secretary Wilson has issued a drastic
order affecting the Bureau of Statistics.
Hereafter all reports will come directly
to the Secretary's Office, and be filed
there until the day the general report
Is TO be compiled. The Secretary in his
statement today saws:
There will never be, at any time, -
the possession of the Bureau or Sta
tistics. Or of any one Office of the de.
OF the official report is being made CON-
plete Information from the correspond
ents of all the cotton States. Texas and
Georgia, two of the largest cotton-pro
ducing States. will be separated from
the group OF reports from townships anf
counties Hereafter there will be three
cne, assigned to the work of co1lectine
statistics fer the cotton crop reports
These agents Will have no commlnica
tion with each other, and will report or
no more opportunity for advance infor
nation on reports of speculative crops
Assistant Holmes has been sus
pended on his own request since the In.
vestigation was begun. At present he
will not talk about the matter but ha.
1ntimafed that he may nave something
TO say later.
Substance of Report
The report of the investigators bear.
out the allegations made by Cheatharr
that the Government figures relativ,
to the condition of the cotton crop wer,
given out in advance TO favored parties
and were thus made the basis of manip
ulatson and speculative trading IN tn.
stock market.
Statistican John Hyde. whose Euro
pean vacation trip was INTERRUPTED b,
the beginning of this inquiry into tn.
conduct of his Office, is not implicated
In any way III the report of the in
xestigators No allegations agains
him were made by Secretary Cheatham
but the latter believed the existenc
of such practices under the chief.
very eyes, as 1t were. showed too Iittl
attention TO the work Of protecting
the Governments sources of informa
ton.
Men Named in Report
Secretary Wilson's statement mention
the following persons as having bee
interviewed by Secret Service agents
connection with the investigation:
s. C. Van Riper, a broker of Ne
York. who turned over incrminatin
evidence against Holmes.
William NJ. Judd, formerly employe
by Van Ripper. who Informed Secretar
Cheatham of the letters in Van Ripper
possession
Theodore Price. a cotton broker {
New York. who used the inside informs
tion IN his manipulations of the cotto
+. A Packham. of New York. VIII
Cont -,ed on Second paeeo