The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-02-10
correspondence IS
CONTINUED from Page one

to get at the bottom of these
charges, 1 trust you will be fair
enough to give me such facts as
are at your disposal.
1t is very sad day when all
men must stand charged with graft
who have in any way to handle the
funds of the state, but when these
charges come direct from those
from whom we should expect bet
ter things, feel that they should
be allowed to give reason for
the faith that is in them. There
fore this letter to you, and will
withhold Judgment until I hear
from you in person. Yours truly,
(Signed) w. A. MONTGOMERY.
Mr. Parker's copy of the reply he
made to Colonel Montgomery reads as
follows:
New Orleans, La, Feb. Z, 1918.
Colonel w. A. Montgomery, Ed
wards, Miss:
Dear Sir-As a member of the
board of trustees of the Mississip-
pi state penitentiary you are clear
ly entitled to all the information
at my command in regard to the
cotton handled by my firm from
Parchman, Miss, and raised by
the state with convict labor, and
every facility and original record
will be promptly placed at your
disposal.
Governor Brewer asked me over
the telephone if l would furnish
him any information from our
our books as to the cotton raised
by the state convicts of Mississip-
pi, and my reply was in exact ac-
cord with the above statement.
A few days later his personal
representative, Mr.. Sample (whom
1 had never met before) called at
my office and asked what kind Of
man was Mr.. George P. Reeve
of Vicksburg. My reply was that
had known Mr.. Reeves for many
years, regarded him highly, and
as he had offices in this building
phoned, asking him please to come
to my office, which he did prompt
ly.
' Mr.. Sample asked Mr.. Reeve
i, what he knew in regard to pur-
Y chase of some six hundred and
D odd bales of cotton at Parchman
farm by Mr.. Lucien Oats Of the
firm of George P. Reeve & Co.,
Vicksburg, Miss. Mr.. Reeve an
swered that Mr. Oates had pur-
b chased about that number Of bales,
+ he thought, at Is cents a pound,
g and had Immediately resold the
cotton to Boyce & Co. for Is IL
}, cents, or a net profit of $1,000,
for which sum he promptly re-
y ceived check.
t A few days later, my firm sold
}. on actual samples from our Ia
l, bles, to George p Reeve, Son &
d Co., the New Orleans firm, the
following cotton:
It Sale No. 1888 at 20 IL cents
Oct II, 1910.
Sale No, 1866 at % cents
Oct. II, 1910.
a Sale No 1868 at "a cents
y Oct. II, 1910.
'r Sale NO. 1902 at 25 cents
Is Oct. II, 1910.
Sale No. It'll at 80 cents
10 Oct. II, 1910.
s. Sale No. 117S-5S9 at 20 IL cents
le Oct. 10, 1910.
n These cottons were shipped b!
IS Boyce & Co., and known al
C. states CROP" and the prices re
Id allied showed such an enormou
ID difference between the publishes
IL price at which these cottons sol
in Mississippi as to create consid
Ky cradle comment, and both MI
ls- Reeve and Mr.. Oates have said 4
OF my presence that, while they coul
not prove it, they were Statistic
se, this was the identical cotton orit
as inally purchased by Mr.. Oates
De, Parchman, when he examined tn
samples laid out, but did not san
pie nor inspect bale.
= My firm made two other sale
. for Boyce & Co., consisting OF II
. bales to e. Bornemann & Co., DC
9 IS, 1910, at 16 is cents, and
900 bales to Herman Loeb, No
10, 1910, at 10 cents.
am mot one of those parti'
who are charging the trustees
OF the Mississippi penitentiary wi
net graft in handling the state cotton
on but as native born Mississippia
est with lifelong friends and lar