The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-06
MONEY DEPOSITED
TO HIS CREDIT
Also Consulted Johnson's as to
Publishing Book-Adrrlits He
Purchased Rare Book and
Sold for Profit, But
Says He Had
Right.

witness before the achoolbooE tnyes uga.s-
ing committee yesterday. aud tho search-
ing cross-exl1nination through which he (
was put by Chairman Richard u Byrd
lasted for nearly two hours. He will re-
sumo at 10 o'clock this morning, ana in-F
dications arc that the inquiry Will end
to-day. and that tho report will bc made
up and given to the public in q sho-t
whllc
The day was full Of interesting incl
dents and at times there wero spirited
colloquics and sharp rotorts among par-ssS3
ties In interest. AIessrs. c. ". Mere-
dith and s. S. r.. patteson, members Of
tho library board, We're present during
the day, and now and then asked ques-
tions relating to salient matters concern
Ing the inquiry. Nearly Ill the seats ii, y
the Senate chamber were taken, and
many ladies' were present. 5s
There were but four witnesses during l
the day They were Messrs. w. G. Tor
renee, Of the photography department;
=. B, Berkeley. of the departing ent d E tray-si
cling llbraries: R.&O Bell, OF the Belt
Book and Stationery Company, and j, Il, y
Kennedy.
+ Mr.. florence testified asEto the alleged II
statement OF MIR. Kennedy concerning an,
offer he had to write u history oe Viz
ginia. and he practically corroborated tha;
testimony OF Messrs. Evans. Berkeley ana
others on this point.
Wife Made Him the Offer
The climax or this feature ., M hory,jE
ever. toward the end of the session. n hens
MI. Kennedy contradlcted these Witnesses 4
and declared that 1t was his wife lIyy,h ,nsTfR
had made him the offer q s
lie declared that he had had il In mind
the writing OF history for some time.
{ though he had not tho means to ,,ntler-
take the work. Mrs. Kennedy j. had the 4
money to spare. They talked it over, al,il
she gave him a New York draft Tor 500
Tor the purpose of getting the work
started. They estimated that the entire
cost would be about $500. and that H
might be q source of some profit i5ss;9
Witness said he deposited the draft3to
his credit In the National Bank Of Vir-
Elnla. and later on he about decided not
to write the book. but Used the money 4
for Other PURPOSES. will, his wifc's con-
sent.
He admitted that later he had consulted
Mr.. Crump and Mr.. NorveI. OF the b il.
johnson Company. with reference to tha
writing Of such q history. and he ana
Nj. Crumn had talked over the cost $or II
the publication n HI
He had told Mr.. Cr1lmp that IN the II
event he decided to write the history
tho matter or getting the data would
cost something. and that he did not have AZ
money to spare
Couldn't Find Papers.
Witness said he might decide 10 write
the history later but IL no did he would
consult tho Attorney-General and set
the consent OF the Library Board. II, sig
Mr.. Byrd took tho witness through
searching examination with reference to
his second annual report, which was H
quoted in the fight for tho appropriation
for travelling Libraries before the last
Legislature. The report set out tho cry
ing need for these libraries, and declared
that there We're about thirty applications
then ON file for them.
Mr.. Byrd handed Mr.. Kennedy what
purported to be tho flo In question. and #
1t contained no applications. Witness
thought II siven timo he could produce
correspondence on this subject which
would prove satisfactory.
Mr., Strobe did not think this was II
matter within the scope or the commits s
tees powers, but Messrs. Byrd and Cox II
took the other view. and tho line WAS
pursued &
Mr.. Kennedy said he would produce the
papers when his stenographcrs could look
through 10000 letters and find them. III
Sale of History. Il
Mr. Byrd brought out another natter
Which WAS full OF interest 1t was With Y
reference to tho dealing In books by the N
librarian ION the side VI
He admitted thatYin 1906 he had bought
from ]. c. Blrdsong, of Raleigh N. 4 c.. NJ
"Burks History of Virginia" for $10 and ss3
had sold It later to Professor Dunbar R1-.g g5s
land, Of Jackson, Miss, on his own Ic-g Il
count for $50. TIe had right to do this, @
no said. because his Impression was chat
the library did not want the books, and al
that tho State was not In the business fS
OF speculafing In them.
The correspondence relating to the pure
chase ana sale of the books is signed as III
librarian, and MI, Kennedy said he signs Il
ed all letters that way.
Mr.. Byrd asked the Witness II he had &4H
consulted tho board about conducting a %
general merchandise business for theSi
sale OF books while in the employ nf s
the State, and the latter again said II
was his impression that the hooks were
not wanted by tho State. He thought
he had the right TO buy ard sell @
book in his own time. g5
Wanted a Square Deal,
MIR. Bell occupied tie stand for q long a
While, and he asserted that tho reason t
he had NOT bid on the recent contracta ss5
for library books was mainly that he y
did not think the librarian world gvS
him u SQUARE deal"
IIe WAS cross-examined BY Mr. Meredith Is
and Mr.. Kennedy, the latter ei--rsing tina
witness in sonc sharp exchanges now and
then. 4f
Mr BerkeleS, who had previously Gtes-
tilted, WAS again examined M lengtil. Hs84y