The Washington times., 1905-08-09
Denies That She Tried
to Avoid Subpoena in
New York.
WILLING TO COME HERE
Mrs. Frederick A. Peckham
RidiculeS Excitement About
Lock- Box Secrets.

The mystery cf the relations Of Mrs.
Frederick \. Peckharn TO the cotton
crop report leak scandal may yet be
solved.
Mrs Fcckhan. suspected OF being able
to throw especially strong light on the
relations OF the various people who were
involved in The leaks, has been served
with summons 10 appear before The
Federal grand jury here. August 10.
She was not easy to find, but was at
length located in New York.
Mrs Peckham and her husband sep
arated some months before the explo-
sion Of the crop report scandal. They
are understood not 70 have lived togeth-
er since. Mrs. Peckham is 4 business
woman Of wide experience. and in some
OF her concerns has been associated with
Lewis c. Van Ripper, the cotton broker
whose action first brought the Gotten
leaks TO the attention OF the Federal
authorities.
Important Factor
Mrs. Peckham has become a factor OF
much Importance in the grand jury in
vestgauon because il is believed she
holds some documents calculated to in
criminate some OF the people involved.
Certain II is that during the
course of bankruptcy proceedings
against her yeaE ago. Van Ripper was
willing TO pay a large sum in the dis
charge of her obligations rather than
have her papers taken from a safety
deposit vault and opened IN court.
Mrs BeclIhau, however. assumes en-
tire unconeern about her appearance be-
fore the grand jury. Interviewed in
New York last evening she said she
had no fears. as she was not IN any way
connected with the cotton report leak.
Incidentally the wife OF the cotton
broker denied many of the reports
which had been spread about her, and
which connected her name with the
dealings of Van Riper. Peckham, Haas
and Holmes.
A Clever Woman.
Mrs Beckham is a remarkably clever
business woman. She is not dependent
on her husband but runs various busi-
ness enterprises herself. She is OF re
fined, pleasant manner, and talks in a
well Hodulated. musical voice.
IN the first place I want to deny the
silly stories that have been printed about
that mysterious safe deposit box in
which IL was said Jhere repOsed dark
GoyeFnment secrets, she said.
= never possessed Government
secret of any kind. There was nothing in
The box except my personal papers. and
none of these had anything whatever 10
do with cotton reports or kindred sub
Jscts.
The bankruptcy proceedings which
were begun against ne We're an inius-
tice. II seems 10 me that I came out Of
them with ali honor, as I paid the claims
against ne After everything is settled
some one brings up the proceedings IN
order 10 establish some mysterious con-
nection with them and the cotton leak
Nothing to Tell.
There was absolutely nothing to
those proceedings except the fact that
disputed a claim against me. and the
man TO whom I owed the money instead
OF suing me in the usual manner began
bankruptcy proceedings.
I cannot understand why the grand
jury IN Washington want me as i wit
ness. There is nothing 1 can tell theR
that would be Of interest to them,
believe they have started out simply on
nsnlng expedition. and issued Il sub
poena for me because my name was
printed IN the paHerS. If they have any
question Jney want to ask me I shall
be g}ad 10 answer, but really there is
nothing I can tell
The story given out that Mr. Peck
ham was interested in the Mining World
IN Chicago Is absurd. / never heard him
mention The publication in my life. and
the one who said / told hin ne was in
ttTeSied IN The paper must be mistaken.
Publications Mixed.
1T is true that ] said my husband car
fled a lie Insurance policy Of $1,000 but
there certainly is no disgrace in that
The only way l can account for the re-
port that he IS Interested in the Mining
World being spread is that some one got
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