The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-12
WILL PROBE
 INTO LEAK" Trial of Holmes for Cot-
 ton Frauds. A REMARKABLE CONSPIRACY Method by Which Statistics Were
 Given Out. Despite Fact That Secretary wilson RfdfcuIed Disclosures Made By Southern Association Gov
 ernment fs Prosecuting.
BY JOHN CORRIGAN.

Washington, May 11.-(SpeciaL)- The trial of Edwin S. Holmes. one time assistant statistician of the department of agriculture and the man charged with the cotton leaks" which enrag- ed the cotton farmers and stirred up indignation against the department of agriculture two years ago, recalls a story that has as many sensationl features as one of Dr. Conan Doyles best detective stories.
 Holmes is charged with conspiracy to defraud the government. Also another count is pending against hfm which recites that he was guilty of misconduct in office.
 The misconduct and conspiracy charge is to the effect that he gave ad- vance Information to cotton specu- 1ators which enabled them to always play the winning side of the market and which. incidentally, enabled Holmes to line his pockets with about $5O0.OO0 while working. for the government at the very nominal sum-considering his genius--of $S,000 per year.
 The facts in this deep laid and care fulfy carried out conspiracy gained circulation through a falling out among the men who had profited by the op- erations of Holmes Chief and lore most among the men operating in the GXChanRe plk was h. Ss oh As'PCN VI New York. Among others was Theo- dore H. Price, the great cotton bear How the ConspiratOrs Worked.
 Tn addition to Edwin s. Holmes, Jr., the men directly charged with the con .r,racv are Frederick A. Peck -.am and Moses Haas The two last named men were not connected with the depart ment. but did the outside work, act ing as go-betweens in the oparatiohs - N r.ha in dtctmen+ against the men has n.en nendfng since October ?. 1905. rlea of guilty was entered by Holmes nn Anrfi 27. 1906. Morgan H. beacn' l s,,aciaI counsel for tho government l. Se. ,,rged that the case be taken up ard has been working to the end Una. TIoimes may be brought into court anu nnt kept out longer by technlcaities' which have been empioysd py ms a,n- r~m ea haye announced that they are ready. ., xYo,roas while
 t,ne as chief statisticfan Of the oe- sartment of agriculture. comm muhioa. = R5 to his confederates on the outsloe {ne news as to the size or the cot.ol e. eron as shown by the governnen., renort. exhibited consloeraDAe ms ty. s,.r,sa News.
 
 x,S-tba figures were in his hand, nc .o,fssd the faithful watchers py rais sng or lowering a window cur 'aih ~ :. .hs room. If the curtain went up, s1
 a tba s,ze of the crop. If the curtair ,-ant down. the men outside kne" tnt s-avernments estimate showed slIlaL @bon and advised the operators wn' were in the game. The men whom ln' ennsnirators approached to do the trad ing divided up the proceeds from Ih' aAsi amonr the three confederates-
 But finally, the gentlemen who Aae haon growing rich through the use oi -.tba advance tips furnished them ps T7olmes and his fellow conspirators, Iei out among themselves ana then ho" est men got their deserts.
 wilson Said "mpossible."
 The facts were laid before Secreear, vvg1sou. He promptly said the thlns was impossible. Later he wlthore" th .'impossible."
 Richard Cheatham, Secretary or th ssonthern Cotton Association. had got "a, bold of the rumors which were De inc handled about the New York Stoci Erchange. and had demanded, In th name os that Association, that the Sec ratarv make an investigation. Tho Sc crat Service men were called in and th' ronsnfracy was unearthed. This wa in June. 1905.
 Az d result of these investigations ,t was clearly proven that not onl! bad the "leakages" occurred in the cot Ion crop report, which Secretary Wilson ' thought was mpossible-impossible be canse MT. Hyde, the Statistician, was al , able man, and MT. Holmes. was such