The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-29
ley;s EmpOria. Hulcher and Mills.
Time, 1880. Umpire, Grum.
THE RISE OF MRS. BURCH.
The Woman Who Has just Stepped
Out of the Bureau of Statistics
But Who First Grew Rich
Serving UnGSr Hyde.

cotton leak scandal, the Atlanta Con-
stitution's special correspondent at
Washington says in part
Washington, July 27.-It is unfair
10 say, as some papers are doing, that
any official of the Department of Ag-
riculture has accused former StatiS-
tician John Hyde of completely with
the recently unearthed departmental
frauds. At the same time, however,
the prevailing impression in the de-
partment is one of surprise and re-
gret that Mr.. Hyde should have gone
away practically between two suns
without letting Secretary Wilson or AS
sistant Secretary Hays know of his
plans. He was expected to remain
here until the grand jury could have
an opportunity to hear him and his
going has in a degree crippled the
government in it's efforts to bring the
real culprits to justice.
His action has in a measure destroy
ed departmental confidence in him. 1t
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.
Mr.. Hyde is utterly lacking in order
and system. 1t is now claimed that
the department and his desk is I'm
Many papers that should be there are
absent. and it is alleged that even the
papers that are on hand are tossed
about and mixed up with irrelevant
reports of all kinds.
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 grand jury
inquiry without harm. His depart
Sui, Il. HOT hi q f1If
timdity, which is rank cowardce at
times, has controlled him in this ease,
and that his going away is not an evil
dence of guilt Meanwhile the inquiry
now under way by Professor Hays
and the grand jury viii probe a little
deeper into Hydes personal case than
otherwise they would have done.
The Woman i'm the Scandal.
The principal topic of conversation
here now is the resignation of Mrs.
Bertha Burch formerly private sec
retary to Mr. Hyde.
Mrs. Burch is the woman who. has
been frequently referred to in these
dispatches in connection with predic-
tions that che would either be dis
missed or forced to resign. In view of
some of the stories that are going
the rounds, it is believed by some that
Secretary Wilson was unduly lenient in
permitting her resignation, instead oil
ircontinently discharging her.
Mrs. Burch it is claimed, had a
thorough knowledge of the intricate
work of the bureau of statistics and
since August 20,1900, when she enter
ed the classified service as a stenOg-
rapher and statistical clerk, has been
one of the most trusted employees in
the bureau under the supervision of
John Hyde. 1t has been declared by
many employees at the department
that Mrs. Burch had unusual infi,%,ce
with Mr. Hyde and that so far>3 the
affairs of that bureau were concerned,
hse was called "the power behind the
throne"
She Was Close to Hyde.
In the departmental blue book for
1903 the name of Mrs. Bertha Burch
is entered as a compiler" in the bu-
reau of statistics of the department of
agriculture Mrs. Burch AYERS that
her position was that of private sec
retary to the chief of the bureau,
which position, it is said at the depart
ment, does not exist
Her promotions in the service were
extremely rapid, though she claims
that she passed a competitive exami-
nation in each case before being ad-
VanCed.
Mrs. Burch's resignation has
brought to light some unexpected
facts connected with the cotton leak
scandal. Mrs. Burch, it is claimed by
clerks in the department, borrowed
on several occasions large sums of
money from Mr.. Hyde on notes in
dorsed by Edwin S. Holmes. Jr., the
disgraced associate sta atistician. There
| is nothing about these notes aside
| from the fact that they are said to
| be far larger sums than an ordinary
clerk would be expected to borrow,
| and would indicate that they repre-
sented other than legitimate business
! transactions Yet they have not been
| explained TO the grNd jury or ~
secret service men who discovered
| them
Mrs. Burch Owns Property.
1t is said that Mrs. Burch own1 a
fine home in Tokoma park, estimated
to be worth several thousand dollars.
which she claims 60 have acquired
since she became q government en-
ployee. In addition to all this, it is
now claimed that Mrs. Burch is the
woman who sold or gave away infor-
nation regarding questions, and that
moreover an investigation made by the
civil service commission following GER
tain examinations in 1901 resulted in
report from that body specifically
naming Mrs. Burch as having i'm
properly and unfairly assisted in the
preparation of the questions. The
astounding feature of the case is, that
accordng'to the best information now
obtainable the report of the commits
sion was based largely, if not wholly,
on testimony given by Mr.. Hyde him
self The fact that Mrs. Burch was
retained after this, and that no ofli-
cal record of the matter was ever
made. or that at least it was not made
publis, is held to be strongly confirma-
tory Of the stories regarding Mrs.
Burchs influence over Mr.. Hyde,
which have come to light since the dis
missal of Homes.
To cap the climax in the present
situation, there appears to be the best
reasons for the belief that the where
abouts of Holmes is not known TO any
of the officials now interested in the
prosecution of the investigation. II
has been the understanding that the
law officers were keeping MIN under
surveillance. 1t was SO stated when a
few days ago he left Washington for
Chicago. Now it is limited that he Is
in Canada, or somewhere else beyond
the immediate reach of United States
authorities, but this cannot be officially
confirmed.