Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1908-06-04
PRICE INDICTED
ne Is Accused of Participation in
Crop Report Leaks.
BIG COTTON DEALER


msh Advance Information apt
WIN Attempting to Bribe Holn,e.
to Shape Reports to Suit Him nm,
His Assistants.
iheo' ii, Price. big dealer. was in
uicted in New York Friday Inv N,
"i sraho jury after a long in.
Nestlgation of the leak of tba cror
statistics contained in Government,
report which had not been made pub
'ic' Inc government found two j.,
"!ctments against Price. one cb,rs;n
conspiracy to commit nm &C.
'he united States and the
"'her bribery government om
0'ai. Three other persons wero =,
win Price and warrants issued
lor their arrest.
with the handing down of ,,o :,
dictments. Mr.. Price who
"'icipated the action taken
e"i"sI hlm' appeared at the Fed
Vral building and surrendered hin,
S1ii' tie was arraigned before 1raao
iiough and pleaded not guiltv NJ,
was nNed at $4,000, which was ru.
hIshed' and Mr.. Price was reIoaaa, !,
"i'er lhe Court had set Juna 10 -
nv ud.e lor the prelimary hearing
W. rrlce In statement made nuhIic
"i'er MS arraignment asserted th,t
ne was entirely innocent of tho
charges. vi 'he
"A dispatch from Wasbinpton
"'i,ost simultaneously in Washington
"nu ne" York indictments were to
uaE returned against Theodore ~
rice' prominent New York cotton
operator' Frederick A. Peckham and
MOSES haas, both of New York and
EuWln ). Holmes, Jr.. of that citv
iorIherly assistant statistican of rho
department of agriculture. for aIIey-
eu participation in Government cron
ePort leaks. Price is charged viii,
having consp!Ied with the other
three men to furnish advance inror-
nation regarding the crop reports or
the department. of agricultnre ,nd
reckham and Haas are charg-
Gu win tonspiring to bribe Holmes
10 siape the official reports to suit
their interests.
Ihere were four indictments
brought In by the Federal grand Jury
IN both cities. All but Price have
heretofore been indicted under true
Dill returned in October. 1905 fol-
lowing the sensational exposure of
IN" crop ieafs. After n lonr le.al
hsht 'f"Et am and Ha5s succeeded
'aprcvrG' nS their e<L.1 1ition here
from New York, but Holmes was
placed on trial in June, 1907. the
jury reporting disagreement. HoI-
mes has not been retired
The indictment were returned hero
ldte friday According TO them
Price made $75O.000 as result of
his advance information regarding
the report for December 1904 and
paid Haas $125,0O0 out of this sum.
While not stating how much Holmes
received 1s his share the Indictment
charge that Haas paid Holmes ST.
ooo Tor information on the June re-
port OF 1908. The Indictment. which
sets out. seven overt acts. SAYS that on
May 81. 1905. Price and Haas con-
spired by promising. Offering and Civ
ing TO an official of the United States
n sum OF money to induce Holmes.
In violation of his duty to furnish
such advance information
1t recites the conference in New
York on Nav 3 between Price and
Haas, following which Haas came to
Washington. met Holmes and pro-
missed to pay for advance information
that on June and =. 1905. Haas
received such Information from HoI-
mes and twas conveyed to Price. and
that on June Haas paid Holmes
$1,000, The second count of the
indictment says Haas and Price con
spired to bribe Holmes TO arrange the
June report so as to show greater
crop than the information in the
statistican S Office justified
The other indictments charge
three New York men, in eight counts
with bribing Holmes for the informa-
ton and shaping the conspiracy re-
port as mentioned; charge Holmes
Pcckham and Haas with conspiracy
to defraud the Government by get
ting information in advance, and the
fourth indictment. charging Peck
ham and Haas only with conspiracy
to bribe Holmes to give out advance
information. =