The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-05-20
DISCREPANCIES IN RECLAlMs
Detective Pagan Has stupendous Task
of Verifying Shipping and Sale
Weight of Each Bale of Cotton Sold
to 6oyce. May Have to 90 to Europe
to Get All Facts. y


Jackson, Miss. May 20.-Unable to
secure from A. c. Boyce, of the Mem
phis cotton firm of Boyce and Com
pany, who came here yesterday with
his books to show them to Gov. Brew
err the weights of state cotton at for
eign ports and upon which Boyce sold
the cotton after buying it from the
state, Gov. Brewer will send Detective
H. A. Pagan to Europe this week to Sc
cure this information from the various
steamship companies and customers
of Boyce, if possible.
Gov. Brewer stated to Boyce that
information regarding foreign weights
upon which Boyce was paid for cotton
he sold, grades, staple and prices he
received were necessary before he
could pass judgment upon the truth or
falsity of reports that there had been
Irregularities in the sale of the states
cotton at Parchman farm. The Gov
ernor closely questioned Boyce in the
executive offices yesterday, the net re-
suit of which was the fat refusal a
Boyce to show his invoices to the Gov
ernor. and the statement OF the Gov
ernor to Boyce that the information
Boyce offered was what he already
had, and that all of it dealt with the
settlements made by Boyce with the
state. What he wanted was informa-
tion regarding what Boyce got for the
cotton, what 1t weighed at European
points, and how it was graded after be-
ing bought from the state. Boyce
frankly told the Governor, in sub
stance, that it was no ones business
what profits he made, so long as he
could show that he paid the state every
dollar due the treasury for what he
contracted to buy from the board Of
prison trustees.
Investigate RecIaims.
An interesting feature OF the ex-
animation of Boyce by the Governor
Yesterday morning dealt with certain
reclaims by Boyce against the state.
He said that he had made only three
reclaims since he began buying state
cotton several years ago, although he
had bought between 10000 and 10000
bales of cotton.
Boyce made reclaims on cotton
claiming losses on weights on three
shipments to New Orleans, and they
were the only ones ever filed. 1t. IA
the contention of the Governor and the
Burns detectives that as a matter oi
fact the cotton on these three ship
ments weighed more in New Orleans
than Boyce received payment for IN
excess Of weights on which he made
settlement to the state. Boyce at
tempted to explain this by stating thai
the cotton didn't weigh that much
The bills of sales that he submitted
showed that he received payment fol
more cotton than he paid the stat
for. On these three reclaims he re
ceived from the state s5s5. S1ss ans
$7SS. Boyce said the cotton was n
weighed by a public wsigher at Ney
Orleans, and admitted that he wa
paid for more cotton than he paid tn
state for. For illustration, In Octobe
1910. he shipped $50 bales, of pul
chase of 625 bales. The weight furr
/ ished the railroad was 2s1, ,156 pound.
He paid the state for the cotton on
weight Of 291,156 pounds. The cotto
was invoiced to Parker, in New o.
leans. at 2s2,1ss pounds. The actus
weight of the $50 bales was gsi, 81
pounds. These are the figures I
Boyce and company. It Is an increaz
of III pounds over the amount pal
to the state, and LII pounds over Il
: railroad weights. Including the weigi
of 3e bales, the 625 bales weighed, .
= cording to Boyce's settlement with II
/ state. S10.s14 pounds. The weigh
= redered the railroad was s00.3'
u pounds. In his reclaim to the sta
l. Boyce alleged that the e25 bales weig
: ed but sOs,140 pounds. loss Of II
tContinued on Page Eightl