The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-02-17
STORY OF DRAFT.
Three Witnesses Testified In Regard
to That Do cument.

Austin, Feb. 1.-THE story of tho
$500 draft Senator Bailey is alle3
ed to have drawn on H. c. Pierce Jun<
13, 1900, was testified to by three "i'
nesses before the legislative inve2:.
eating committee.
The first witness was ]. NJ. Pot.s3
of Gainesville, who in that year WIS
connected with the Red River Nation
al bank of that place Mr.. Potter pro
duced that part of the books of his
bank which showed that the draft had
been placed in his bank for collection
on June Is, 1900; that it had been paid
and that Senator Bailey had drawn
the proceeds out at different times by
checks for various amounts. His books
contained no reference, he said, &c
Henry & Stribling. Or either of then
Andrew M. Finlay of ST Louis fol
lowed. Mr.. Finlay has been vice pres
ident, then president and then vice
president gain of the Waters-Piercs
Oil company.
He gave testimony regarding the
$l,5O0 voucher now in possession OF
the state of Texas and tire teiegram
from Mr.. Pierce attached thereto
Such Lort:On5 OF The voucher as DUP
ported to be in his own handwritipe
he identified as having been writer
by him. Other portions, he said, were
by }. +. Gruet and H Naudain. Ia
notatlons on the telegram: IS. D.
drawn by Bailey" he said had beer
made by him, but he had absolutely
no recollection of the transaction. He
said the 20. K" which the paners
bore was in the handwriting of J. D.
Johnson, attorney for the Water.
Pierce Oil company, and it was PROB
able that Mr. Johnson had been con
suited in this regard, as the witness
olsclalmed any knowledge whatever
OF matters pertaining to the company
legal affairs
As to the notation, "Stribing &
Taylor" which had been changed tc
read "Stribling & Henry" he said thf
original and the alteration were II
his own handwriting, but he dlu not
know how he had come to make either.
In fact, he said, his only knowledge
OF the entire transaction was such as
he could CLEAN from a perusal OF the
papers before him, for he had no in
dependent recollection of it, and would
not believed he could have handlec
such papers if they were not before
him.
AT the night session Mr. Hutchin-
son, who is travelling auditor OF the
Waters-Pierce Oil company, and who
was chief bookkeeper of that company
for many years, was on the stand.
He traced the entries of the several
vouchers which have figured in this
case through the various books Many
OF the entries he recognized as having
been made by himself
The tracing of each of the items
extended to the private ledger of the
company, where the items were charg-
ed of to profit and loss The items
were the $4,000 voucher, the s1,75u
voucher. the $4,000 voucher and the
$1,000 voucher. There are a great
many circumstances connected with
these entries. which cannot be con
densed in a brief statement
During the course of his testimony
Mr.. Hutchinson was asked if Mr.
Pierce was familiar with the books
of his company and could testify con
corning the entries if he were present
He said that he knew of hih own
knowledge that Mr.. Pierce had never
seen the books from the time he took
charge of them in 1890