Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1906-07-06
.RETRACTS CHARGES
2. n, CRUMPToN OF SUPERIOR.
WIS, coRREcTs Statement
ON GRAIN sTA1lsTIcs.
FORMER FIGURES BASIS or GEN.
sATIoNAL SPEECH ~ SEN.
AToR P. J, M'cUMDRR.

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(4y Chas. H. Thornton.)
When the Hon. P. J. McCumber,
United States senator from North d.
kota. in the course of a speech made
IN tho United States senate on March
30, 1904, said that 100000 bushels,
in round numbers. more grain was
shipped from Duluth,Superior than
was received during the period of ten
years ending Sept. l. 1902, he quail
fed the statement by saying that he
was not speaking with personal
knowledge, but was quoting from an
article In the Superior Evening Tele'
gram Of May 2, 1903, written by H. G
Suvers, and had never verified the
figures by an examination Of the rec
ords. although such records are open
to inspection at all times.
In a personal letter to the writer
6tfvers stated that the basis of his
article In the Superior Evening Tele-
gram was some figures compiled by
F. r. Crumpton OF Superior, and which
were used by him (Stivers) without
verifying them In detail. It appears,
therefore, that the basis of all these
figures IS the compilation made by
Frank r. Crumpton Of Superior, who
has lately again gone into the matter,
and is now satisfied that his original
{lgures were incorrect, and has made
an affidavit, retracting all of his for
mer figures, said affidavit in sub
stance being as follows: :
That he is the same Frank R.
Crumpton who, at the sessions of the
Wisconsin legislature in the winter
of 1908, used in arguments and con-
versations with members of the Wis.
consin legislature and in private cor
respondence the statement that dur
ing the ten years from Sept 1. 1892,
to Sept. l, 1902, 26,014,000 bushels
more of wheat had been reported as
shipped or manufactured into -four,
from Duluth and Superior, than had
been received, and that this state
ment was made in support Of bill
then pending before the Wisconsin
legislature providing for the establish
ment of Wisconsin inspection, and
that so far as he knows be is the only
person who ever made or used, or
testified to such shortage of grain.
That since that time said Crumpton
has examined into the matter more
carefully and has made use of all
auoi1oh10 cfofic4sec ~
ment through the port of Duluth-Su-
perior and now knows that the orig
mai computation made by him was
not true or correct statement. That
the error in his original computation
was due partly to clerical error by
himself. partly to not having taken
note to the grain in store at the be-
ginning and end of the period men
toned, and largely to the fact that
during the first three years of the
period mentioned he failed to account
for 30,6S6,0O0 bushels of wheat re-
ceived directly by We mills and not
included in the official figures of re-
ceipts, but he did figure the -four
mace from this wheat into his total
shipments. He made a further error,
against his own theory of an excess of
shipments over receipts, by failing to
take into account the dockage on 224,
100000 bushels of wheat, amounting
to 4,671,00 bushels, which, almost ex
actly accounts for the difference be-
tween his two principal errors, above
noted. The afiant Crumpton con-
cluda5 his affidavit by saying that after
careful and painstaking examina-
ton. in the light Of this later and
complete information, he is now con.
vinctd that, during the said period Of
ten years ending Sept /, 1902, there
was no excess of shipments of grain
from the elevators at the Head of the
Lakes over receipts of grain by the
said elevators, and that in all state
ments to that effect he was acting
upon rlisinfornlation, and that he
makes this affidavit for the purpose
of correcting the misstatements and
Of showing the true facts. The af-
fidavit in full is as follows:
STATE OF MINNESOTA,
County of st. Louis-ss.
Frank Il. CCuuptpn. being FIRST duly
sworn, deposes. and SAYS as follows:
That he is now and has been for sixteeb
years last past continuously & resident Of
the city OF Superior, IN the state Of Wis
cousin, and has beea during all of said
period engaged in the business Of buying
aua selling grain.
Tina, af1iiant is the same Frank r.
Champion who was a witness in the case
of Gregory, Cook & Co. VS.. Wisconsin
(sraip Commission, which was tried before
Judge Parish in Superior. Wis. OH or
| about Mach %, 1906, in which case aftiant
gave testimony, under oath, as to CON-
| putstien made by attiant as to the amount
! of wheat received anil shipped by the ele-
| :ators located upon Duluth-Superior harbor
| during the ten years from Sept. 1, 1892, to
! Sept. !, 1902, and from which computation
! it appeared that 26 O14, 600 bushels Of wheat
had been reported shipped and manufac-
| tured into flour more than the amount re-
| ported as having been received by said ele-
| vators during the same period Of time.
That afi1ant is the same Frank R. Crump-
ton, who, at the sessions of the Wisconsin