Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-12
SEARCHING FOR FACTS
ATTORNEY GENERAL ORDERS
CROP INVESTIGATION.

Acting Attorney General Hoyt this morn
ing transmitted to District Attorney Nor
gan II. Beach the papers and exhibits in
the cotton crop report scandal. and the
latter has begun what promises to be a
thorough and careful examination of the
case.
The investigation which will be conducted
by Mr.. Beach will be pushed with vigor
and without regard to the persons who
may be affected by IT. President Roose-
welt and his Secretary of Agriculture are as
one on this particular point, and corre-
spending Instructions have been given to
Mr.. Beach through his superior, Solicitor
General and Acting Attorney General Hoyt.
The inquiry by the district attorney will
also be far more exhaustive than that con-
Quoted by the secret service operatives at
the request of Secretary Wilson. The whole
investigation will be aimed at bringing
about the indictment of any persons found
to have violated the criminal statutes and
TO cause the infection of administrative
punishment, such as summary dismissal
upon any government employe found guilty
of wrongdoing not recognizable in the
criminal courts. Mr.. Beach has already
mapped out a program of work and the
inquiries will be prosecuted along other
lines than the investigation work already
done
Mr.. Beach intends to complete his exami-
nation of the case before he retires from
the position of United States attorney on
August 81 He has taken up the subject
as prosecuting attorney, and in all proba-
Dillly VIII assist the government When the
matter is brought into the courts, an out
come of the investigation that is believed
by Department of Justice officials to be a
certainty.
Not to Spare Expense.
Expense will not be spared in gathering
evidence of the methods alleged to have
been employed by Edwin s. Holmes, the
dismissed associate statistician of the De-
partment OF Agriculture, and in exposing
hGa f..6 Iafg
operations Mr.. Beach will have the benefit
of the iabors of secret service mel who
Were employed by Secretary Wilson, and
also of the best legal talent of his own Of
flee. Working on the case will be number
of men who ferreted out much of the evi-
denee used in the prosecution of post office
frauds
The statement frequently has been pub
lished that District Attorney Beach report
ed to Secretary Wilson that there is no
statute under which Holmes can be pros
ecuted. 1t was said authoritatively today
that the position of Mr.. Beach in this mat
ter has been misunderstood. Mr.. Beach
took the position that Holmes could not be
prosecuted on the showing made by the
published report of his alleged operations,
but II is his opinion that the investigation
was not conducted from the point of view
that would be followed by law officer of
the department Secretary Wilson was de-
termined to ascertain in the briefcst time
possible whether there was foundation for
the charges made by Richard Cheatham
ASSOcl1-
Ton, mat advance information was being
furnished by an employe employees of
the government to stock brokers. When
he became satisfied of the correctness of the
charge he published his report and took
steps to prevent further leakage by dis
missing the official believed to be guilty and
reorganizng the method of gathering and
publishing crop statistics.
May Find Some Means
officials of the Department of Justice have
no doubt that II officials of the government
have betrayed their trust for personal gain
there will be found some means to bring
them TO account. Therefore II has been de-
tcrmined that the further investigation shall
be an examination by law officers, assisted
by secret service operatives. II Is planned
TO conduct the examination secretly, on the
ground that 1t will be much more effective.
II has not been decided whether the case
Will be submitted to the grand jury prior to
arrests, II 1t is found that arrests are war
ranted. but It is not believed this will be the
procedure.
Should 1t be found advisable to seek in
dlctments there will be delay, the
grand Jury, although excused until Septem-
Der, is subject to the call OF the district at
torney at any time As to how long the IN
vestigation will last II Is impossible to pre-
dict, but the impression Is corroborated by
the action OF the district attorney that he
is under hurry orders to complete the
task assigned him within the briefest possi-
BILE time consistent with thoroughness, and
consequently the task may be finished with
in a fortnight.
Word has been passed along the line
from the Department of Justice that the
investigation is TO be conducted in the dark.
Secretary Wilson when seen this morning
by a Star man refused absolutely TO dis
cuss the case. THE matter Is out of my
hands" he said. "and all the talking neces-
sary win be done by the officials Of the
Department of Justice"
District Attorney Beach was equally ret
icent. declaring that he would not be heard
from until something had been accom-
plished-