The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-26
HAAS LANDED IN COTTON CASE
SECOND ARREST ron CONSPIRACY
.-AETER HOLMES NOV. S'i,

JF1, -
Prisoners Counsel says He's Been In Town
All the Time, and That the Arrests
Are Grand Stand Plays-Howery Liquor
Dealer Furnishes the &lO.O 900 Bail.
/. Moses Haas, who was indicted with Fred
eriok A.. Peckham and Edwin s. Holmes,
Jr., for conspiracy to defraud, in tho State
Supreme Court, gave himself up yesterday
TO United States Marshal Henkel at the Office
Of his counsel Mark Alter. 1l5 West Tenth
street
Haas was taken In we'll appointed car
riage to the MarshaRs private Office, and
later arraigned before United Statcs Com
missioner Samuel M. Hitchcock. Bail was
fixed at $4,000, given by Aaron Herzberg'
Wholesale liquor dealer at II Bowery.
Mr.. Alter reserved right to plead until
Haas ia examined Monday morning before
Commissioner Hitchcock.
Haas was arrested on complaint based
upon the indictment, and sworn to on In.
formation and belief by Assistant United
States District Attorney Henry A. wise
This charges that Holmes, Haas and Peck
ham entered into an unlawful agreement
and conspiracy to defraud the Government
through the furnishing by Holmes, In con-
travention OF his duties and violation OF
confidence reposed in him as associate
statistician IN the Department OF Agricul-
ture. Of copies Of the cotton crop reports
compiled by the Department, In advance OF
their official publication.
Haas and Peckham fulfilled their part
Of the alleged unlawful agreement, says
the complaint, by getting Lewis G. Van
Ripper, a New York cotton broker, to furnish
the money to play the market on Holiness
information. the profits to be divided be-
tween the participants.
The specific act upon which the charges
are based is alleged to have been COM
mitted in August, 1904. Holmes then fur
nished to Van Ripper figures and other ad-
vance information on the cotton crop which
were to have been published in the report
Of Sept. 3, 1904.
Peckham, in pursuance Of the conspiracy.
say the papers. sent the following tele-
gram from Washington on Aug. Q, 1904:
L. C. Van Ripper. Room 1901. 20 Brood ST..
NY:
Come to Washington at once Wire me
Raleigh Hotel time OF arrival. Don't advise
Mrs. p. FRED. 1910 P. NJ.
Indictments against Holmes. Peckham
and Haas were found by the Grand Jury
at Washington at the April term Of the
Supreme Cocn. The indictments were
filed on Aug. %, and bench warrants for the
arrest of the three men Immediately issued.
P,ckham was arrested at Saratoga on
Wednesday and the hunt for Holmes Is still
on. The warrants require the appearance Of
the three men for trial at Washington on
Oct. 8.
Although United States Marshal Henkel's
deputies have been searching for Haas
for the last few days, Mark Alter, his coun-
se says he has never been away from the
city.
Mr. Haas was in my Office twice on Thurs
day, and at no time has avoided arrest.
This is a piece Of grand stand play on
the part Of District Attorney Beach, at
whose instance Mr.. Peckham was arrested
at Saratoga Wednesday. He had been
at the hotel there for three weeks and had
no intention of leaving. There has been
no necessity for any persons 80 far con-
nected with the case to evade arrest or the
serving of any papers. It will be probably
proven in due time that even II the facts
laid down in the complaints and indictments
are true, no offense has been committed
under which these individuals who have
been mentioned can be held responsible
under the law.
As to Mr.. Van Rper's testimony,
doubt whether any Grand Jury would listen
to it. We have testimony to introduce
about him which, I think, will have the
effect of persuading Mr.. Beach to drop his
case
Section $40 of the Federal Revised Stat
utes, under which the three men are under
indictment, reads:
IF two or more persons conspire either
to commit any offense against the United
States. or to defraud the United States in
any manner or for any purpose, and one or
more OF such parties do any act to effect
the object of the conspiracy. all the parties
to such conspiracy shall be liable to penalty
of not less than 81 900 and not more than
$4,000 and to imprisonment for not more
than two years.
It Ia said that the combination to play
the market on Holiness information lasted
from November. 1903, to June, 1905, when
L. C. Van Ripper ia alleged to have given
the whole thing away. In that time. the
CLIQUE is supposed by the authorities to
have cleared over a million dollars.
WASHINGTON, Aug. rs Edwin 8. Holmes.
Jr., formerly associate statistician Of the
Department OF Agriculture, will be ar
rested tomorrow on the charge Of con-
spiracy to defraud the Government in
connection with the cotton statistics scan
dals under the indictments returned by
the Grand Jury early in the week.
The whereabouts Of Holmes has been
hidden from the general public for several
weeks. but the authorities here assert that
they have been in touch with him all the
time and that he will come to the city to-
morrow and surrender himself.
With the arrests Of Moses Haas, in New
York to-day, and of F. A. Peckham. at
Saratoga on Wednesday, together with
that Of Holiness. to come tomorrow, the
present plans for prosecutions in the cotton
conspiracy will be complete, and no other
arrests are expected unless the Grand Jury
should bring to light some additional evil
dence. In view of this statement. it Is
taken for granted that sufficient evidence
was not produced to implicate other 8 in
the charge Of conspiracy to profit by doc