The Washington herald., 1907-06-20
COTTONREPORTFALSE
Figures Juggled to Meet De-
mandS of Spectators.
VAN RIPPER REVEALS FRAUD
His Affidavit Introduced 10 show
Estimates of Cotton Report I'm 1905
York BrOkers-AdVance Informal
tiOn Given TO Various Persons.

tics, and data are to be manipulated at
the will of spectators and subject to
the whim OF departmental clerks and en-
/ ployes, legitimate trading is in fact para
/ lyzed and the business underlying such
/ trading is in a continually demoralized
/ condition, and the ultimate effect on the
holders Of cotton and grain is too well
/ known 20 be commented upon
THE effectw would be disastrous TO every
| one-to the producer. the consumer. and
/ the legitimate trader-and would only be
| beneficial 20 the speculator or gambler"
/ This is the closing paragraph Of an
/ affidavit which Lewis G. Van Ripper, Of
New York. furnished Secretary Richard
/ w. Cheatham, Of the Southern Cotton
/ Growers Association. in June. 1895, after
/ he CVan Riper) had been doubled
/ crossed, " according TO his testimony on
/ Tuesday by Haas. in connection with the
cotton report Of June 3, 1906, and through
which he lost about s25,oOO. The affidavit
was produced yesterday in the trial OF
Edwin s Holmes jr., on the indictment
which charges him, Frederick A. Peck
ham, and Moses Haas. with conspiracy
in the use Of government cotton statis-
tics
In # Ven RIper declares that Holmes
had at various times furnished advance
information 20 various persons with the
intention that such information should be
used by such persons In market opera
tons, that the information related 10 the
statistics and data compiled al the de-
partment under the supervision Of
Holmes. and was issued prior to the time
when the same was, or should have been,
regularly issued 10 the public
What AFFIDAVIT Alleges.
on March 70, 1898, the affidavit declares.
Holmes visited Van Ripers Office and
there disclosed certain plans which were
formulated by himself and others 10 in
huence the glnners' report. Holmes had
introduced him % Haas. an ex-employe
Of the department, who had told him
about May ! the percentage Of condition,
U2. which was given, was higher than
actual conditions warranted. and that the
acreage given. ia. was lower than
actually warranted by the reports re-
ceived
Tho affidavit then states that Van Ripper
met Haas az the Waldorf-Astoria on May
81 and informed Van Ripper that he was
about % have o conference with certain
New York cotton spectators. He had
said also that the figures 20 be issued on
June were the most bearish that could
be had under the circumstances. Later
In the evening, after the conference. Haas
said the spectators had not considered
the figures procured from Holmes bearIsh
enough for their purposes. and that he
Haas was going TO Washington that
night
The morning of June ? Haas had called
him up and said that the figures TO be
announced would show condition about
a. and the percentage Of reduction about
liz per cent and also that M his re-
quest, f. would be announced that the
acreage announced only included acreage
actually planted up TO May =. so that
the report would have a more bearish ef-
feet"
why Van Ripper Wrote Cheatham.
Attorney Worthlngton yesterday cross
examined Van Riper at length In con-
nection with this AFFIDAVIT
How did you happen to call Mr
Cheatham. Of the Southern Cotton Grow
ers' AssociatioH, to yogr assistance when
you wished 10 present your protest
against the government report Of June
30 asked Mr.. Worthington
Il knew that there had been a great
deal Of talk about the reduction in cotton
acreage in the spring OF 1895. and from
the newspapers l saw that NIr. Cheatham
had been 10 the Secretary Of Agriculture
concerning t. Realizing that he would
be likely 20 get a complete hearing, while
I. being unknown 20 the Secretary. might
not be able 70 see him, I therefore wrote
10 Mr.. Cheatham and secured his assist
ance"
What inspired you to protest particu-
larry against the cotton report OF June
3, 1852"
They were going too far. have al.
ready testified that the percentages were
sent out I'm incorrect form at the behest
of Theodore II. Price
The witness said he had no agreement
with Holmes.
I naturally Inferred he was getting an
equal share, because l saw Haas turn
over money to Holmes on several occa-
sions," he continued.
In reply to a question from Mr. Worth ;
.ngt, as 20 whether ne had ever re-
cei' ed any money from Mr.. Holmes. Van
Ripper said that he had not but that NJ |
one time he had given Holmes 5o.010
shares Of the Thunder Mountain Gold and I.
Silver Mining and Milling Company as
security for $4,000 which Holmes had 4
advanced to Peckham. A receipt signed /
by Holmes for this stock. dated Septem- /
Der o, 1904, was produced by the witness. |
Tells of FOrty-nine $1,000 Bills. |
While detailing some conversations he |
had with Haas. Van Ripper said the /
former had told him that. as the result /
of one transaction. he had handed /
Holmes forty-nine $1,000 bills.
During the afternoon Charles +. Her 4
nan, Of Charles G. Gates & Co. Of New
York, was called TO the stand and testi-
led as TO transactions by Van Riper from
August 10 TO December. Thomas Clark.
of the Twenty-eghth street
branch Of the Corn Exchange Bank.
brought with him to the stand the ledger
account of Moses Haas with the branch
rom January %. 1904. to August l9, 1905.
his showed that on November II. 1904.
10000 was checked out of Haas account.
hat on December 13 he deposited a check
or S4,250; on December 81 he deposited a
heck for S3S2s2.9O, both given by Van
2iper, anG other transactions.
Frederick FOxcroft assistap. c,zl,t.- - /
he National Park Bank; H. Woodcock.
f Brown Bros. e Co; William Jardine
4 Barring & Co, and E. d. Junior. auditor
f the Irving National Exchange Bank.
estifed as to the transfer Of money as
hown in their books. from n bank In
liverpool 10 Van Riper, where. i'm his tes-
imony, Van RiDer stated he had made
bout $SS,o00 profits in connection with the
otton reports Of December 3. 1904
]. NJ. Devere, a clerk in Van Riper's
ffiCn in New Vork taetffad .L,. /