The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-08-03
Woman in Case Develops in
Cotton Leak Scandal.
NEW SENSATION SPRUNG
Gossip Follows Resignation Of Mrs.
Burch from Statistical Department.
John Hyde Leaves Washington
Very Unexpectedly.

unfair to say, as some papers are do
ing, that any officials Of the depart
menr Of agriculture have accused for
mer Statistician John Hyde of COM
niicity with the recently unearthed
I.Gepa7 tmental frauds. At the same
time, however, the prevailing impress
sion in the department is one Of sur.
prise and regret the Mr.. Hyde should
have gone away practically between
two suns without letting Secretary
Wilson OR Assistant Secretary Hays
know of his plans He was expected
to remain in the city until the grand
jury could have an opportunity to
hear him and his going has in de-
gree crippled the government in its
efforts to bring the real culprits to
justice.
His action has, in a measure, de-
stroyed departmental confidence in
him. It is not yet time to say the
department thinks him a party to the
frauds, but the officials do think that
he should have been brave enough to
remain at home and stand the racket
whatever it might have been. his
failure to do this was a great disap-
pointment to his Washington friends,
official and otherwise. No accusations
have been brought against him be-
yond the fact that his methods were
sufficiently loose as to make the work
Of the real culprits easier than it
should have been.
The suspicion exists in some quar-.
ters that he probably would not have
gone had he been satisfied that he could
run the gauntlet OF the grand jury in
uuiry without harm. His department.
tai friends say that his natural timid-
ity, which is rank cowardice at times,
has controlled him in this case, and
that his going away is not an evidence
Of guilt.
Meanwhile, inquiry now under way
by Professor Hays. and the grand
Jury will probe q little deeper into
Hyde's personal case than otherwise
they would have done.
The principal topic Of conversation
in washington Is the resignation Of
Mrs. Bertha Burch, formerly private
secretary to Mr.. Hyde. Even the re-
fusal Of Beckham and Haas to testtf,
before the grand jury Thursday after
noon and probability Of summary
treatment Of them unless they change
their minds does not appear to be so
interesting to the Washington people.
Mira Burch is the woman who has
been frequently referred to in con-
nection with predictions that she
would either be dismissed or forced to
resign. In view Of some Of the stories
that are going the rounds, it is be-
lieved by some that Secretary Wilson
was unduly lenient in permitting her
resignation, instead Of incontinentiy
discbarging her.
Mrs. Bu1ch, 1t is claimed, had q
thorough knowledge Of the intricate
work Of the bureau Of statistics and
since August 20, 1900, when she en-
tered the classified service as stem
ographer and statistical clerk, has
been one Of the most trusted employees
in the bureau under the supervision
q John Hyde. It has been declared
by many employees at the department
that Mrs. Burch had unusual inflr-
ence with Mr.. Hyde and that so far
as the affairs Of the bureau we're con-
cerned, she was called "the power be-
hind the throne"
In the departmental blue book for
1903 the name of Mrs. Bertha Burch
is entered as "eompiler" in the bu-
reau Of statistics Of the department
of agriculture Mrs. Burch AYERS that
her position was that Of private sec
retary to Mr.. Hyde.
,.oo ,auI lINH EnR ARMIS1lCE,