Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-05-29
TIN HURLEY'S CHECKERED CAREER.
MEN WHO DEsPoLEp SOUTH CAROLINA
PASSING AWAY.


lima and gaze the excuse, the rea-
sons, for tie revolution of 1876 are
passing away. A recent issue of the
New York Herald contains this
notice:
"Timothy Hurley, a civil war
veteran 72 years old, died on Sun
day, in his home, at No. 1880
Eightieth street, Brooklyn, from the
ills incident to old age. Mr.. Hurley
was born in Boston. In 1869 he
went to Columbia, S. G. He was
State Treasurer under several Gov
ernors, member OF the Constitu.
tional Convention ard chairman of
the electoral board of the State in
the election of President Hayes"
The stateme cts herein as to Hur-
ley's career are by no means accurate.
But his career was interesting
enough. From facts contained in
ttReconstruction in South Carolina"
by John y. Reynolds, supplemented
by staten ents by well-informed
gentleman of this city, resume of
Hurley's history in South Carolina
has been obtained:
Timothy Hurley came to South
Carolina with the Federal army, in
which, it is said, he served as sutler.
He was delegate from Berkeley
district in the Constitutional Con-
vention, called under the Recon
struction Acts of Congress, and as
sembled in Charleston in January,
1868. He was not prominent in that
body.
When the first Reconstruction
Legislature met in Columbia, in July,
1868, Hurle..- appeared on the scene
as an avowed lobbyist "on the
make" His first conspicuous per-
formance was in helping on the pas
sage, at the session of 1869. 1870, of
the bill granting to certain persons,
for the term of II years, the right to
dig aud mine phosphates in the navi-
gable streams Of the State, on a
royalty of dollar ton. Governor
Scott having vetoed the bill, Hurley
was active in procuring its passage
over the veto. He spent at least
$25,GG2 il br;h;ng members of the
House - Frank Moses receiving
$1,000 for his services as Speaker,
and each of several members receiv-
ing $500 or more for his vote.
When, in 1870, the syndicate was
formed by Chamberlain, Scott,
kimpton aud others of the ring for
getting control of the Greenville and
Columbia and the Spartanburg and
Columbia Railroad, Hurley was an
active member and received stock to
the amount of $4,000, supposed to
have been his fee for getting through
the House the bill authorizing the
sinking fund commission to sell the
States stock. Speaker Moses re-
ceived $4,000 for various "services,"
and number of members each $500
or more for voting as the syndicate
desired. Under this scheme stock,
which cost the State $50 per share,
aggregating S433 ,960, was sold to the
syndicate at 1915 per share, the
whole amount received being less
than 100000.
He was elected to the House from
Charleston in 1870 and again 1872.
Hurley had large share in the
frauds of the Republican Printing
Company, in connection with the
public printing. In procuring the
passage of an appropriation of $780,
600, December 10, 1879 A. O.
Jones and Josephus Woodruff, con-
stituting that company, spent nearly
$4,000, Tim getting $4,000.
For helping on the passage I87D
OF the resolution to pay certain
claims, (S90,55G,) for furnishing the
Legislative halls and committee
rooms, the difference between the
actual bills of the claimants (&40,180
and the sum above stated was di- |
Vided among different members of