Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-29
COTTON LEAK FINDING
Four Indictments Returned by
Grand Jury Here.
CONSPIRACY Is CHARGED
7. H. Price, Moses Haas, F. A. Peck
ham and E. S. Holmes Accused.
ALLEGED PROFIT OF $750,00O
Statistician of Agricultural Depart
ment Said to Have Been Paid
$1,000 in One Instance.
ALLEGED PROFIT OF $750,OOO

this afternoon by the grand jury grow
ing out ot the cotton leak scandal of 1910,
in the Department of Agriculture.
Theodore H. Price of New York. the
cotton king. is alleged in the indictments
to have conspired with Moses Haas and
Edwin S. Holmes jr., of this city, the lat
ter then associate statistician of the De-
partment of Agriculture. to furnish ad-
vance IL ormation in anticipation of cot
ton occ,,s
The lee New York men are also
char.-1 WITH co aspiring to bribe Holmes
to shaot the reports to suit their inter-
ests
Price mace s7jO.hN out of the advance
Information of the report for December
1904. it is alleged in one of the indict-
paid Moses Haas s125.OOO The indict-
ments do not estimate how much Holmes
is believed to have received as his share
Of the profits. but it is charged that for
information on the June report of 1905
he was paid $1,000 by Haas.
Former Proceedings.
Holmes. Peel ham and Haas were in
| dicted here in 1,,;.t"r. 1903. After a long
| legal fight P.. kl IN. and Haas succeeded
! in preventing II ri, ,,.ra zion 10 this dis
trict. Holmes weS -ried in June. 1907
and the jury disagreed. He has not been
| retired
Indictments OF similar import and
against the defendants were returned in
New York city today
| One indictment charges that on Nav 81
| 1908. Theodore H Price and Moses Haas
unla Wfully conspired TO commit an offense
against the United States Of promising
offering and giving to an official of the
United States a sum of money the
amount to the grand Jurors unknown. tc
| induce Holmes unlawfully and in viola
tion of his duty as associate statistician-
which was honestly and carefully to keen
secret all statistics and statistical mat
ter-to furnish advance information 10
them concerning the contents of the forth
coming crop report
Seven Overt Acts.
The indictment sets out seven overt
acts 1t is charged that conference was
held in New York city. May 81. 1905 be-
tween Price and Haas: that June l. I'm
furtherance of the alleged conspiracy,
Haas iourneyed to Washington. where.
it is alleged. he met Holmes and promised
TO pay Holmes for the alleged violation of
his duty of secrecy by giving out advance
, information concerning the cotton crop.
The next overt act charged is that June
L. 1909. Haas received from Holmes in
! formation of what was to be contained in
the cotton crop report to be issued in
June. The next day. and before the re-
port was made public. il is alleged Haas
received information from Holmes On
both rates mentioned. it is declared Price
in New York. received the information
to Haas
The last overt act charged is that Haas
June ,, 1905 gave Holmes $1,000
Inc second count of this Indictment
charges that Haas and Price conspired
10 brlbe Holmes to shape the June report
so as to show a greater cotton crop than
the information in the hands of Holmes
justified
Beckham Is Involved.
Another indictment charges Price, Haas
anu I1olineS. IN elght counts. as conSpir-
ing to bribe Holmes to give out informa-
ton In advance of the department report
The other counts charge conspiracy to
shape the report to suit the ends desired
by Price and Haas
The third indictment is against Holmes
Peckham and Haas. and charges a con-
spiracy to defraud the government by get
ting information In advance
The fourth indictment is against Peck
ham and Haas only, and charges they
conspfred to commit the offense of brib-
ing Holmes to give out advance informa-
tion
Indicted in New York.
NEW YORK. May @-Four indict-
ments We're returned by the federal grand
jury today. 1t was reported that Theo
dore III. Price. the prominent cotton onera-
tor. was charged with improper transac-
tions in connection with the leak of gov
ernment cotton statistics of several wears
ago.
Mr.. Price was arraigned before ,Judpa
Hough In the criminal branch of the
United States circuit court later I'm the
afternoon. and through his counsel John
-. Lindsay. entered plea of not guilty
to the charge of conspiracy against th..
United States government Assistant
United States District Attorney Dorr sa ID
that awo indictments have been found
but only one would be pressed. He asked
for 10000. bail In the case
MILLER THREATENS SUIT.