The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-06-17
AROUSED
OVER GOLD MINE
INQUEST STARTED OVER
NORTH CAROLINA PRO-
MOTION SCHEME
USEDCHIEF EXPERT
Members of Congress Appear
Suspicious of the Use of Sta
tionery and Official Services
USEDCHIEF EXPERT

Washington, June 15.-The way was
opened in the senate today for an in
vestigation of the senate stationery
and the alleged employment of gov
ernment officials in connection with
the promotion of a North Carolina
gold mine.
Senator Overman, one of those men
toned in connection with the mine, in
troduced a resolution calling for such
an inquiry, and it was endorsed by
Senator Chiffon, another senator
whose name figured in the same way.
The resolution was referred without
debate to the committee on contingent
expenses and probably will be reported
for acton within few days. There Is
little doubt that it will be agreed to
without opposition.
The call for an investigation came
as a result Of report published to-
day that there had appeared in the
office Of the New York brokers, letters
boosting the mine Of the Gold Hill
Consolidated Company, written on sta
tionery of the senate committee on
rules, of which Mr.. Overman Is chair
man, and of the committee on census
Of which Mr.. Chiffon is chairman.
The letter on the census committee
stationery was addressed to Senator
Chiffon and signed by ]. c. Williams,
an economic and mining engineer. The
other letter was said to be identical.
According to the published report
the chief expert of the United States
assay Office was sent TO Investigate the
mine by Comptroller Of the Currency
John Shelton Williams several months
ago, when Mr.. Williams was assistant
secretary of the treasury. What pur-
ported to be reproduction of the let
ters appeared, carrying the names, OF
all senator's on the committees as do
all such letter pads heads.
This disturbed several Of the mem-
bers Of the committees and Senator
LaFollette prepared resolution iden-
tical with that introduced later by Mr.
Overman, announcing if no one else
introduced it he would.
Senators Overman and Chiffon both
said they were interested In the Gold
Hill Company, but denied any knowl-
edge of the use Of the senate stationery
to boost it. Senator Overman said a
young woman in his Office had made
copies Of the letter on rules commit
tee paper at the request Of Walter
George Newman, said to be promoter
of the mine, and Senator Chiffon said
that Williams, the engineer, came to
his Office and got his clerk to. make
copies on census committee paper.
"This mine is in my county" said
Senator Overman. Before the war, at
one time it was the largest gold pro-
ducer in the United States. An assay
office was established at Charlotte, N.
c., to test the gold from it. Some time
ago, Newman, whom I know nothing
about, went down there and unwatered
it. He said that by cross cutting he
had found vein to have the assay
office reestablished.
Some did ask to have is reestablish-
ed and Williams sent man to see If
the production down there justified
the re-establishment Of the assay Of
fee.
In view of what I knew of the mine
and of what Newman reported, I in
vested $4,000 in the stock. l have
done nothing to promote it. All that
has been done in my Office was done by
a Door womn who worked there tempo
rarily."
Senator Chiffon addressed the SEN
ate as soon as Senator Overman con-
cluded.
81 yield second place to no one in
having money invested in gold mines"
he said. "All my lite have fostered
an idea that I might get out of the
habit of not having enough to pay my
bills by striking a gold mine.
"I felt interested and sent this min
ing engineer, J. C. Williams, down
there. When he returned he told me
about the mine and later wrote me
letter. One day Mr.. Williams came to
my office and said he wanted that les-
ter. That is all heard of it, recent
ly heard some one had, on census
committee paper, copy Of the letter.
My clerk told me that Williams had
come in and asked him to make copies
and the most convenient paper being
the census committee paper, the copies
were made on it.
81 want the senate to make prompt
investigation and L. there IS anything
to censure me for. am ready to take
NV medicine"