Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-08

sign his position, or whether he expected to
be dismissed from the government service.
Mr.. Peckham was interviewed again at
the Hotel Breslin in New York after his
trip, but declined to give any further in
formation concerning his relations With
Mr.. Holmes.
his rela tons with Mr.. Peckham and Mr.
Van Ripper he said that they had all been
on very intimate terms socially, and that
when he had occasion to visit New York
he frequently found that his hotel bills
had been paid by Mr.. Van Ripper or by
Mr.. Peckham. Mr.. Holmes admits that
he and Mr.. Peckham and Mr.. Haas were
at one time associated In a business VEN
ture. in which Mr. Holmes was to have an
interest equal to the sum of $4,000, which
he was to receive a gift from the other
members of the firm. Subsequently Mr..
Haas transferred his interest in this con-
Germ to Mr.. l.. c. Van Ripper. and Mr.. Van
Ripper states that the company was or
ganized for the purpose of handling cot
ton. Mr.. Holmes says that this Is true,
but that he was not aware of the nature
given an interest in it, and that when he
learned the object of the company was to
handle cotton he withdrew from it.
The Peckham letters were shown Mr.
Holmes and he recognized the handwriting
as that of Mr.. Peckham, and admitted
that the person referred to as colonel in
the said letters probably meant himself, as
Mr.. Peckham and Mr.. Van Ripper had been
in the habit of calling him colonel" Mr..
Holmes also said that the person uesig-
mated as man and party in the Peck
ham letters was probably Mr.. Haas.
Alleged Sale of Mining Stock.
Under further examination Mr. Holmes
stated that he had sold to Mr. Van Ripper
about February. 1900 a three fourths inter-
est in some mining property In Idaho for
the sum of s13.0OO this amount having
haa 49,
installments, in currency In this connec-
ton Mr.. Van Ripper stated that a contract
had been made between Mr.. Holmes and
himself whereby Mr.. Van Ripper was sup
posed to have acquired a seven-eighthS in
terest in some mining property but that he
had never seen the property nor had he any
idea as to its value to it's exact loca
ton Mr.. Van Ripper said that Mr.. Homes
wished to have a contract signed which
would show that Mr.. Van Ripper had paid
to MIR. Holmes a large sum of money for
the mining property. in order that Mr..
Holmes might be able to account for the
possession of so much money Mr.. Van
Ripper here said that the only copy of this
contract is in the possession of Mr.. Holmes,
and that he (Mr. Van Riper) has absolutely
nothing to show that he ever bought any
mining or other property from Mr.. Holmes.
Mr. Van Ripper says that he knows that
Mr.. Holmes received a very large amount
of money prior to the signing of this con-
tract, and that he believes that it was not
for mining or other property.
The question has been investigated as to
whether any opportunity existed in the bu-
reau of statistics whereby the figures of the
monthly report and the condition of the
cotton crop could be anticipated and there
seems to be every reason to believe that
Mr. Holmes could have given approx
mately correct information anywhere from
one to three days in advance of the pub
lea ton of the official report
During nearly the entire cotton-repOrting
II1lx, tv,o f,nv-c of
the bureau of statistics in the absence of
the chief in Europe. and since that time
Mr.. Holmes has had access to the reports
of the agents in the field to furnish the
data upon which the cotton crop reports
are based The most important OF these
reports come from Field Agent B. c. White
and from the several state agents. all OF
which Mr. Holmes has had access to.
On this point Mr. Holmes states that dur
ing the absence of the chief of the bureau
of statistics in the season of --J3 he, Mr..
Holmes. exercised unusual precautions to
prevent any suspicion of a leak" and that
ever since that time extraordinary care has
been taken to prevent information from
getting out in advance of the official report.
1t was stated that the reports of Field
Agent b. c. White were sealed when they
came into the office. and that none of them
had ever been opened until the day of the
report in the presence of the officers
charged with it's issue.
Agent Whites Figures Changed.
Under examination Mr.. White stated that
he had always made his report personally
and that no persons other than himself had
any opportunity to learn it's contents. Mr..
Whites report. dated Washington, D. -,
October . 1903, one day prior to the official
publication of the cotton report. was writ
ten In ink, evidently by Mr.. White. In this
report the original figures for the states of
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,
Texas and Tennessee. have been altered in
every case from higher to a lower per-
centage. The figures as changed are prac-
tically the figures given to the public on
October 3. 1903, as the official report. The
alterations in Mr. Whites report appear to
be in the handwriting of Mr.. Holmes
Mr.. Whites report dated st. Louis Mo-,
September %, 1904. has been altered: and
Mr. White states that he has never at any
time or under any circumstances changed
any of the percentages In any of his month
ly reports after they have been prepared
nor has he ever authorized anyone to alter
or change any of his reports in the slight
est degree. Mr.. White also stated that he
was not aware that any of his reports have
been changed until his attention was called
to that fact during the progress of this in
vestigation.
No Criminal Prosecution.
number of persons other than those
herein mentioned. who were said to have
information concerning the matter under
consideration were interviewed. The state
ments of these persons were of a general
character, founded on rumor and incapable
of verification. For this reason they have
not been made part of this report, which
is intended to deal with facts only
The report of the secret service with all
papers in connection Herewith, has been
submitted by me to the United States at
torney for the District of Columbia, with
the request that he inform me whether In
his opinion sufficient facts have been dis
closed to warrant a criminal prosecution
The United States attorney states that in
his opinion criminal prosecution will not
lie
I'm the report OF the secret service opera
tive. Edwin S. Holmes. former associate
statistician, Is the only departmental en-
ploye implicated and 1 have dismissed him
from the service Of the department"