The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-10-20

heen redeemed in stocks. While the
loss is not so large, it shows now,
even in the most jealousy guarded
system of business, error and some
times wrong may creep in.
Disparity Noticed Before.
AS far back as two years ago Mr..
S. T. Carter, bookkeeper in the othce
Of the state treasurer, called to the
attention of the ways and means COM
mittee the fact that there was some
thing wrong with the interest paid on
stocks and the coupons paid on bonds.
What this trouble was, no one at that
time could tell, although it was seen
that the state was actually paying
more interest than was mathematical
" proper. At that time no intent was
SUSPECTED or the matter could have
been aired.
Mr.. Carter had been called before
the ways and means committee 20
testify in regard to the petition OF Mr..
George H. Cornelson Of Orangeburg,
who stated that his brother, who had
lived in Australia had died, leaving
$4,000 in South Carolina bonds which
could not be found. It was while
looking into the Cornelson matter
that Mr.. Carter first had his atten-
ton attracted to the disparity in the
interest accounts.
About month OF six weeks ago
Capt. Jennings received letter from
some ladies in Charleston in ref";-
ence to some bonds in their posses
sion, and in looking up the record
with refereuc: to these bonds it was
found that there had been suhs'ltu-
ron. This was the first intina':o1
the state treasurer had OF the trans.
actions which are now suspected OF
being fraudulent. He saw that the
entries were in the handwriting OF
Mr. Zimmerman, and yet thinking
that it was clerical error, telephones
TO MI. Zimmerman to come to the
state treasurer's Office. Mr.. thinner
man stated that he would be there
that afternoon at 4 o'clock. Two days
elaosed and as he had not seen Mr..
Zimmerman the state treasurer again
'phoned to his house and Mr.. Zimmer-
man stated that he had been unwell
but would be there the next morning
at 10 o'clock.
Suspicion First Aroused.
AS Mr.. Zimmerman failed to keep
that engagement, Capt. Jennings fear
ed that the extent of the error, as he
thought it might not be known to Mr..
Zimm erman, and he wrote a letter
under date of September 18th asking
Mr.. Zimmerman to call and explain a
matter OF considerable Importance to
Mr.. Zimmerman and TO the Office.
After some delay Mr.. Zimmerman
drove up to the east door of the state
capitol and called for Mr.. S. T. Car
ter, and informed MI. Carter that it
would be of no use for him to make
an examination of the entry which
had attracted attention as it had been
made, so long ago that he could not
explain it.
Subsequently MI. Zimmerman ap-
peared in the corridor of the capitol
building and explained to Capt. Jen-
nings that it would not be worth while
for him to try TO explain the matter
as he had no recollection Of it. This
excited the suspicion Of the people in
the office and Capt. Jennings lmme-
diately notified the comptroller gen.
eral and demanded a searching inves-
tigation of the books in which the
records were kept.
The Comptroller's Report.
Comptroller General Jones yester-
day submitted to Capt. Jennings the
following report made after very
searching examination:
"In your letter directed to me as
comptroller general, dated October
9TH, you state that there appears to be
an irregularity in the matter Of ex-