Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-03-21
not cashed by Gwathmey & Co., until

December IS until March IL: then Le-
roy Springs misappropriated funds
from November q until February 2, the
date the check was cashed," said the
witness.
THAT check was, drawn for another
firm and it seems they did not get 1t
until after all this trouble started
said the witness.
Challenges Scott's Statement.
The witness challenged the state
ments of G.. c. Scott, of Charlotte, GER
titled public accountant, who was on
the stand Saturday, stating that some
of the statements made by Mr.. Scott
were untrue. This related to the S7,-
500 check. Mr.. Jones stated that 1t
was another $500 check that Mr..
Scott asked him about. He stated
what check it was and what it was for.
He declined to show Mr.. Scott any
checks. of the Lancaster Mercantile
names with the exception of Mr..
Springs. Mr.. Stevens and the manager
of the mercantile company, hence he
would show Mr.. Scott nothing without
a written order from one of these
three gentlemen.
In direct answer to a question from
counsel, the witness stated that he had
never been allowed to see the books OF
the Lancaster Mercantile company un-
til few nights ago, and that upon or
der of the court.
Who Sees the Books.
He. testified that Mr.. Rice, private
secretary to Leroy Springs, went into
the books whenever he wanted to,
stating:
Yes, Rice, had access to the books.
I saw him coming out of the store the
other night at 10 O'clock" said the
witness.
The witness stated that when he did
see the books that items had been
copied or changed overnight. One
specific item, he declared, had been
placed in the books between 10 o'clock
Tuesday night, when he (Jones) and
his counsel had copied certain rec
ord, and when the same record was
handed to them again the next morn
ing.
He stated, when asked about the
s5O,OOO paid to Leroy Springs, that:
Yes, and l hope to get that back by
civil action" -. H.. T..
He stated: 'If had wanted to put
over anything on the mercantile COM
pany ! would have put that other 100
bales in too. bought 100 bales under
my own name, for the operator in MIR.
Springs private office" g e..
Profit of $500.
The witness showed by the records
that the 200 bales which he had bought
for the Lancaster Mercantile company
were finally sold at a profit of some
$400.
And" said the witness, eff they are
charging me with misappropriation,
why don't they take off that $400 from
the original $500, as the mercantile
company got the profit?"
He said the cotton was sold upon
order of Leroy Springs, and that Mr..
Springs held to his other 500 bales and
made bigger profit.
He said that he was being tried
criminally for misappropriation OF ST.
500, and was being sued civilly for
$10,134 upon the same transactions.
He said there were five warrants out
for him and that there were civil ac-
tions for some s1630o0 against him.
They are trying to convict me
criminally. so as to close my mouth in
the courts and then take all of my
property away from me- declared the
witness in referring to the criminal ac.
tions.
He said that Springs had accused
him of buying cotton below the market
price and selling 1t to the Lancaster
cotton mills at as much as 10 cents
profit on the pound.
Bought Low; j Sold High.
The witness explained this by say
ing that he had bought cotton when 1t
was low and that It. had been bought
by the mills VIXEN II was high.
sometimes we rnade as high as 10
cents profit on the cotton" said the
witness; but we always paid the
market price when we bought 1t. The
fact that it went up and that the mills
had to pay more for 1t, was good busi-
ness for the Lancaster Mercantile
company. l was working for the Lam
caster Mercantile company and not for
the Lancaster mills. We made $43,O0O
which I hope; to collect from the Lam
caster cotton mills under civil suit,
said the witness.
He told of being thrown out of his
position on July II, last and OF con-
versaton with Leroy Springs when
the latter said, according to the wit
ness. I've got you where / want you
now" -
He charged that Bank Examiner
Schechter, Leroy Springs and others
were in n conspiracy to ruin him, and
then contradicted much Of the testi-
mony of Mr.. Schechter.
He said that Mr. Schechter took the
| two checks in question and did not re-
turn them until. forced to do so by
| counsel for the bank in Washington
| He said he never gave any permission
to Mr.. Schechter to take the checks
with him.
Afternoon Session.
At this period the court recessed un-
| til 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
Upon the re-opening Of court the
witness continued with the direct ex-
animation. He denied telling Frank
Barrett that these accounts with
Munds, Rogers & Stackpole were his
individual accounts. (Barrett swore
Saturday that Jones so stately
AS to the certificate Of sales from
New York house wherein the losses tc
the Lancaster Mercantile company
were $500 on a transaction OF 1,OOC
bales, the witness declared that the
original had been tampered with. He
showed the jury where the word cot
ton" had been erased and the WORD
mercantile" inserted instead.
II wish I could see the books of the
company that handled this transac-
tion." said the witness, and | believe
it would show the loss was sustained
by the Lancaster Cotton mills and
charged to thv Lancaster Mercantile
| incfaol