The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-02-08
Or. D. B. JOHNSON TESTIFlES
CHARGES As 10 PEABODY FUND
BEFORE INVESTIGATING
COMMITTEE
President OF Winthrop Tells About
Amount Received b, Winthrop and
Reads Paper ON Southern Univer-
stiles.

made by the governor in his inaugural
address concerning the University Of
South Carolina and Winthrop college
was held yesterday afternoon in the
supreme court room. President John
son OF Winthroup occupied the stand
practically all of the time and after
making his statement he was exam
ined by members OF the committee
to make clear certain section OF this
statement. The testimony was most
interesting and threw considerable
light on the distribution OF the Pea
body fund TO the various educational
institutions I'm the South. The fund
amounted to about s3,000.000.
The members OF the investigating
committee are Senators Weston, chair
man; Young and Goodwin and Rep
resentative Nicholson, secretary;
Ashley and Welsh. The room was
crowded during the session which ad-
journed at s o'clock to meet again to-
day at o'clock. II was decided to
hold a session OF two hours each day
but the examination will be pushed
as rapidly as possible. Among some
OF the witnesses who are present and
may testify arc Martin f. Ansel. for
mer governor; President Mitchell OF
the University OF South Carolian; Au-
gust Kohn, "a member OF the board Of
trustees OF that institution, and 9TH
ers.
The committee was called to order
BY Senator Weston and Mr.. Nichol-
son read the resolution introduced by
Representative Ashley. calling for the
investigation. The resolution referred
TO remarks made by the governor In
his inaugural address in which he
charged that the president OF the
University OF South Carolina went
North and agreed that IL the Pea
body board gave the university a GER
tain amount OF money he president
Mitchell) would agree 10 let the re-
mainder so TO the education OF the
negro and that this action cut Win
throp out OF considerable amount of
money.
Senator Weston asked the governor
who was present. II he had any state
ment to make. The governor said that
his first information did not come
from President Johnson but from d.
w. McLaurin. a member OF the Win
throp board, who showed him a let
ter from f. III. McMaster, an alum
nus Of the institution, addressed to
President Johnson and a copy of a re-
ply. This was in September. 1911.
Later DR.. Johnson was in the city and
he had talk with him in the execu-
tive's office. His object in making this
statement, he said. was to show that
DIR. Johnson was not talebearer.
DR.. Jonson was then sworn. In
his statement he said that he had no
fight to make on any other educa-
tional institution but his duty was to
look after the interests OF Winthrop
college. He supposed that an alum
nus OF the university was acting for
the university. referring to the letter
from Mr.. McMaster to himself. He
then read the letter. which was dated
June 27. 1911, and which states that
the writer had learned that the Pea
body board had decided to give $40,-
900 TO the university but later, at the
suggestion OF President Johnson, had
decided to give the entire $50, 900 al
loted this state to Winthrop college.
President Johnson's reply. dated
July 15. 1911. says that II was at his
suggestion that Winthrop received the
$4,000 and ne would like TO know
the name OF the informant. He had
been working for 20 years for Win
throp college and II was understood
that when the Peabody fund was final
ly distributed Winthrop college
would get large slice. DIR. j. L. NJ.
Curry and Melville w. Fuller, chief
justice OF the supreme court, and both
members OF tho board, had so in
formed him. IL was the understanding
that after the Peabody institute at
Nashville had been provided for Win
throp college would come in for per-
haps as much as 100000. The Pea
body alumni in 1903. after lndorsing
that institution as the one to be ia
vored. urged that the board distribute
the balance among State normal col
leges Tho University OF Tennessee
did not take any such action as the
University OF South Carolina. This
university, ne said, had indorsed
plan whereby tho Peabody fund be
distributed among the Southern uni
verslties and not dollar go to the