The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1910-06-03


OF the $2.72l-27 for which the &C
countant's report states there il n
explanation except oral testimony
$4,000. as marked on his report. wal
for quarantine and $500. selling cot
ton" These warrants are explanatory
Of themselves and amount In sum to
tai to e2S5.00. Exhibit No. IL of the
same report shows 4364-6S. vouchers
not credited Sixty-nve dollars of the
$2.7z1-27 includes the three SINAI
items drawn during the Buck term
mentioned above and evidently fol
some specific purpose. And $500
$4,000 and $4,000. total 1880 Of like
amount during the Edwards term. al
dated 1905. checked and approved by
former committee. Also $l5639 of the
whitecap fund. approved by former
committee, less these items which
amount in sum total to Ss5e.0s. The
so-called unexplained balance is 81.
1858. The credits for vouchers do
not include some items mentioned in
Mr.. Moore's report, as receipted bills
paid TO A. J. Hoyt for detective serv.
ices rendered. Mr. Moore's statement
with reference TO these receipts 10 as
follows:
There are also some receipted bills
from A. J. Hoyt. detective. for serv-
ices rendered. but as there 10 also Q
letter from him stating that he was
to be paid at least q part OF these
amounts out of money subscribed by
the Law and Order League, and as
these bills were not filed with the
regular vouchers, I make no adjust.
ments for same. but would advise that
the committee examine same and, II
they see II. said amounts should be
credited 10 Gov. Vardaman."
The committee did not examine
these receipts and do not know how
much they were for nor for what par
ticular work the money was expended.
An examination OF these vouchers
might furnish more documentary EVIL
dence as to these expenditures. On
several occasions. as the testimony
shows. Gov Vardaman supplemented
money furnished by citizens by sub
scription and otherwise. by additional
expenditures from the contingent fund
All Property Accounted For.
But against this balance OF $1,7651S
there Is the testimony OF Mr.. Chas
c. Smith, one OF the trustees OF the
state penitentiary. and Mr.. Edwards
that about $4,000 OF the contingent
fund was expended Tin addition to
amounts appropriated by the county
nP lot he
county,. in an effort TO recapture a
man named Reagan, who was con
victed OF murder and escaped from
jail during the Vardaman administra
tion- Also statement OF Gov Varda
man that about $4,000, not shown on
the account. was expended In certain
detective work, | forget what. in Tu
MICA county. and $4,000 in similar
work connected with the Sandy Bayou
matter. In addition 20 this, about
$4,000 VAS spent In the Marsh case
In Jackson that is not shown on the
account. The total amount spent 10
that case was about 100000, while
only one warrant OF $42925 was found
On file in the governors office. This
item may not be fully explained in the
testimony before the committee, per.
haps only mentioned, but can be yer.
flied by those who were familiar with
the transaction at the time and who
now live in the city of Jackson. Thus
by oral testimony, II has been estab-
lished. through the vouchers. in some
instances, have been lost, practically
every dollar of the Vardaman con.
tingent fund has been properly &C.
counted for. and the full proceedings
OF the committee. when published with
the testimony. will bear me out In
this. tGov. Vardaman testified as &c
the transactions. not the amounts
He was not questioned along this line
by Gov. Vardaman to Chairman Pol.
lard Of the committee during the in.
vestigation).
About Those Personal Items.
Ten dollars OF the $4,000 account at
Addison & Bauer's store was con.
sidered by Mr.. Moore as an item for
personal use of Gov. Vardaman. Per.
haps by inadvertence some small items
OF personal expense were paid by
Gov. Vardaman out OF the contingent
fund. amounting in sum total to $1,000
IL / remember correctly, the greater
part of this $1,000 was used by Gov
Vardaman in buying some kind OF
washing machine and was used at
the mansion and left there when he
retired from office. notice Mr.
Moors's report strikes from Gov.
90
ture paid by Gov. Noel on September
LIST. 1909, to c. A. Fransioli, and
amounting In sum total TO $14.60. II
Mr.. Moore Is correct In calling these
items personal there can be no doubt
that neither governor purposely spent
the money for their personal use In
these sums. but in both cases ii was
. mere matter of inadvertence that
would likely occur in the best and
most carefully managed business es.
in the country, and is no
reflection on any one. either as to IN
tegrity or business ability.
Concerning Public Institutions.
Now, as to Table OF said report
where the same shows that the con
tingent fund contributed to the ex.
penses, where part was allowed by
the institutions. | will call your at.
tention TO the fact that OF $36I4a
drawn during the four years from the
several institutions. there is one item
of $4,000 allowed by the board OF
trustees of the insane hospital for
expenses incurred by Gov. Vardaman
during his entire term of office IL
connection with his work at that In
stitution. This $4,000 was not alone
for money spent in going to ana 70
turning from meetings OF the board
Of trustees. for. of course, this would