The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-12
PROBE TO BOTTOM.
WILSON DECLARES
Efforts Being Made to Draw Net
Around Late Assistant
Statistician.
(By Associated Press.)

WASHINGTON, July 11.-Secretary Will
son said to-day that unless there are
new developments in connection with the
cotton leak investigation he. proposed to
stand on the report Of tho secret service
Otncers. He. eXepected, however, that the
investigation would give rise to various
rumors and stories of irregularities in
connection with the departments reports
on other products, but that where the,r
was the slightest tangible evidence TO
\ work upon he would go to tho bottom
OF every complaint and publish the re-
suits Of his Investigations. Already he
said the allegation had been made that
the tobacco figures had been manipulated,
and the matter would be looked into But
for tic present he had nothing further
to say. @s .f53 Fl a
The new system Of preparing the
monthly crop report devised since the cot
ton Investigate ton began, was put In force
to-day.
That report was made public late tilis
afternoon. The Secretary believes that the
steps ken to safeguard the figures were
I we'll night perfect. Early In the day
Assistant Secretary Hays, Chief Stats.
8tician Hyde, and several reporters Of
the department were placed In a room
under lock and key, and they were not
permitted to come out until a O'Clock In
tho afternoon. The telephones In the
room were disconnected. and careful,
scrutiny was kept Of the windows to
avoid the possibility Of leak through
private signals.
No communications Of any sort have
been received from Mr.. Price or ms
attorney, and tho Secretary believes that
so far as the cotton investigation report
is concerned 1t Is a closed incident
5r.tFt&. D~~coo,1tSNt1
Acting Attorney General IIoyt received
from Secretary Wilson to-day the papers
In the cotton report Investigation. Sub
seql,ently the papers were placed IN tho
hands of United States District Attorney
Morgan Ecrch, who Will probe into the
whole subject and make a thorough IN
nuiry embracing every detail connected
with the compilation OF the statistics In
yolyed. Mr., Beach declined to say any
thing on the subject when asked tonight.
hut It Is understood that the Invests lon
which he will conduct VIII be- begun ~
earnest tomorrow, and VIII cover both
the legal and tho administrative feature
of the incident. 8l
4 District Attorney Beach has already
examined the report. and will now take
active direction Of the next proceedings
looking to prosecutions Of the guilty
parties.
Mr.. Hoyt stated to-day that he had
been urged by Secretary Wilson to probe
the matter TO the bottom and to use any
means at his comand to get Mt the true
condition and to bring all guilty persons
to trial. W. 5f ~
Mr.. rIoyt and Mr.. Reach have already,
been In communication, and 1t viii be de-
termlned whether there Is any statute
under which o. criminal prosecution may
be directed against Edwin s. Holmes,
the former associate statistlclan of the
Department of Agriculture, who was dis
missed, 1t is alleged, because he "juggled''
figures in the government crop estimates
and furnished advance information to
New FORK brokers. and against any that
MAY be found Implicated, In case cr!mi-
(continNed on I,lird Page,l N