The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-08-08
cHEATHaM DENIES CHARGES.
Owns No Budket Shop Stock and Buys
No Futures.

Atlanta, -aug. Before the COM
mittee OF investigation named by
President Harvie Jordan to hear evi-
dence that certain officers Of the As
sociation owned an interest IN Well
known brokerage concern. also have
been speculat:ng in cotton futures,
Representative j. r. Anderson, Of
Chatham County. repated the charges
made by him on the floor of the
House this week He charged that
Richard Cheatham, secretary Of the
Association, speculated in cotton
futures, carrying the accounts in the
names Of Mike O'Grady and P. a.
Lee. Mr.. Anderson also charged that
Arthur F. Fairchild, who appears as
the manager Of the bureau Of pub
licity of the Associs :on, owned one
eighth of the stock Of the Piedmont
Brokerage Company, concern which
makes a speciality Of cotton futures.
To support these charges Mr.. Ander-
son submitted a number of affldavits
and declared that an order from Mr..
Cheatham on certain brokers would
bring forth further evidence of proof
Of the charges.
Mr.. Cheatham produced in his de-
fence a statement in which he de-
clared: 81 do not at the present time,
nor have I directly or indirectly in
any manner owned any part Of or in
terest in a bucket shop or Wire gam
bling houses.
81 have never speculated in cotton
futures for NY own personal gain.
Mr.. o'Grady, of Chattanooga, was
on hand to substantiate the statement
Of Mr.. Cheatham that the "O'Grady
account was handled for him by Mr.,
Cheatham, merely as a personal act
of friendship. Mr.. Cheatham refused
to reveal the identity Of P. A. Lee, in
! whose name the other account was
carried
The charge that Fairchild owned an
interest in the Piedmont Brokerage
Company was not denied, although
it was declared that the interest was
disposed Of some time ago.
Mr.. Fagan, manager Of the local
exchange, was che first witness at
the afternoon session. He testified as
to Mr.. Cheatham having opened an
account under the name CT Mike
O'Grady. Mr. Fagan admitted hav-
ing given Mr. Anderson the informa-
ton on which he based the charges.
The next witness was B. c. Cothran,
local manager Of a brokers' office,
and he told about Frazier telling DR..
Crawford that Mr.. Cheathan was
stockholder in the Piedmont Ex-
change.
Holland Curran, who was book
keeper for a brokerage firm with
offices in this city, was the star wit
ness of the day. He declined to testi-
fy without Mr.. Cheatham's consent,
whereupon Mr. Cheatham jumped to
his feet and exclaimed:
You are just here for trick.
This thing hes been tried on me be-
fore, and 1 am tired OF it. You are
trying to play at the wrong game"
Mr.. Curran flushed up angrily and
proceeded to tell what he claimed he
knew, and it was that Mr.. Cheatham
had bought cotton futures three
times at his Office. ''He came to the
Office said the witness, land wanted
to open an account. He did SO and
when we asked in what name to put
the account he said: 'Oh, Mike will
do Mike who?' was asked, and said
Jones was a, good name, and so the
account now stands on our books as
Mike JONES'
DR.. ]. NJ. Crawford took the stand
and said he was a stockholder in the
Piedmont Exchange. He said he was
always positive Mr.. Cheatham owned
stock, although he never said so di-
rectly.
A. F. Fairchild, manager of the
publishing bureau Of the Association,
was the last witness Of the day and
submitted written statement.
CHEATHAM GUILTY.
M ittea