The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-08-02
Cotton Association Official is
 Charged With 5 SpeeuIating BECOMES VERY ANGRY
Says Introduction of the Star Witness of the Day Is Trick and That
 He Is Tired
 of 1t.

Atlanta, August 1.-Before the eommit- tee of investigation named by President Harvie Jordan to hear evidence that cer- tain officers of the association owned an interest in well known brokerage con- eern and also have been speculating Tn cotton futures, Representative John An- derson of Chatham county repeated the charges made by him on the floor of the house last week.
 He charged that Richard Cheatham, secretary of the association, speoulated in cotton futures, carrying the accounts in the names of Mike O'Grady and P A. Lee. Mir Anderson also charged that Arthur A. Fairehild, who appears as the manager of the bureau of publicity of the association, owned one-elghth of tEe stock of the Piedmont Brokerage com pany, a concern which makes speciality of cotton futures To support these charges MT Anderson submitted a num- Der of affidavits and declared that an order from Mr. Cheatham on certain brokers would bring forth further eyi- dence in proof of the charges.
 Mr Cheatham produced in his defense a statement in which he declared. T do not at the present time nor have directly or indirectly in any manner. owned any part of or interest in buck et-shop or wire gambling house
 "I have never speculated in cotton fu- lures for my own personal gain
 Tells of o'erady Account.
 MT. o'Grady of Chattanooga was on hand to substantiate the statement of Mr. Cheatlam that the o'Grady ae- count" was handled for him by Mr. cheatham. merely as a personal act of friendship. Mir Cheatham refused to re- veal the identity of P A. Lee, in whose name the other account was carried
 The charge that Falrehild owned an interest In the Piedmont Brokerage com pany was not denied, although 1t was declared that the interest was disposed of sometime ago.
 MT. Pagan, manager of local ex- change, was the first witness at the after- noon session. He testified as to Mr. Cheatham having opened account un- der the name Of Mike O'Grady. MT, fa- gan admitted having given Mir Ander- son the information on which he based the charges.
 The next witness was B. C. eothran. local manager of a brokerage office. He told about Frazier telling Dr. Crawford that Mir Cheatham q stoekholder In the Piedmont exchange.
 Bookkeeper Is Star Witness.
 Holland Crrran, who was bookkeeper for brokerage firm with offices in this city, was the star witness of the day. He declined to testify without AIr. Cheatham's consent. whereupon MT. Cheatham jumped to his feet and ex- claimed:
 You are just here for trick. This thing has been tried on me before and I am tired of it. You are trying to play al the wrong game"
 MT. Curran flushed up angrily and pro- ceeded to tell what ne claimed he knew, and 1t was that MT Cheatham had bought cotton futures three times at his office He came 10 the office.e he said, "and 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?' he was asked and said Jones was good name and so ths account now stands on our books as Mike Jones"
 Dr. J NJ Crawford took the stand and said he was q stockholder in the Pied mont exchange He said he was always positive MT. Cheatham owned stock, al- though he never said so directly.
 A A. Fairchild, manager of the pub- fishing bureau of the association, was the last witness of the day and submitted n written statement