Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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^ ^ VOL. LI." WXNN8BORO, S. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1897. NO. 40. DISPENSARY SCANDALS. " SOME MIGHTY INTERESTING LET^ TERS GiVEN TO THE PUBLIC. Larry Gantt Threaten# to Expose Corruption, Bat VTaa Held Off by a Perioral Bu<iueat?Mr. Scruggs Ttlls Why He Wanted a t, oac c There seems :o be ro ecd to the 'j scandals ic connection with the dis y pensary. On Tuesday of last week / __ the following letter was published bj ' J&tei the Columbia Register: SpAiiTANicsc, S. C-, Feb. 14, ISO 7. / Dear Clark. This will be Landed you by my friend, Mr. I. 0. J- Wood, and who will explain to to you just what I want. lam anxious to control the State board of dispensary commissioners, so that I can help out inv friends, and also your friends, Biuthen thai and Bickart of Atlanta, Ga. 2sow, Clark, to be plain with you, in order to accomplish this, we must down a man named Otitzs. and keep our mutual friends, Seth Scruggs, in control. We can down Outzs if I can get Mr. Bickart to give ue a statement of the transactions between himself and Outzs and can show, as I believe is the case, that Outzs agreed to push his liquors if he (Bickart) would pay him 2-3 cents per case. I want you to set Mr. Bickart and get a statement from him of this proposition to Outzs, and how it was first received. I do not wish it for publication, but simply to bulldoze him out of the race against Scruggs. Hon. D. M. Miles, elected member of the board for five years, is my personal friend and from Spartanburg county. Col. Wilie Jones, chairman of the board, is one of tny warmest friends, and I will visit Hm next Friday and talk over matters. I rant to get Outzs' condemnation by that time. Jones is a strong Scruggs man. I want you to say to Bickart to embody in bis statement that after his first conference with the board he tried to -----'1 o/\ r? ^ vnll t V? TC* V? /*>! & gel a. seuuuu iiuuicutc, a.o <-v HU .. truth, but was gagged and not allowed to do so, at the instigation ofOutzs. If I can keep Scruggs in, it means that our friends will be taken care of, but if ?j Outzs succeeds he will not order a pint from B. & B , and he is opposed to Mr. Bickart, because of that interview with the board. I also want you and your father, if Mr. Bickart gives this statement, to certify to his high character. I have other things behind, but want this certificate as an opening shot. As stated, ii is not for publication, but simply to r.aC to kill any support that Outzs might get. Mr. Wood will give you the full story of that matter. Truly, your friend, P. S ?Why have you cut me off from your exchange list? I have not seen a copy V of The Constitution since Christmas. Also send me a sample copy of your evening daily. Of course this letter is strictly confidential. . The Pagister says this letter has been known to be in existence for over a month, but its publication was delayed until seme other things should transpire, but as ir has been pubiisnea ctber'letters on the same subject bas been given tbe public The ''Dear Clark" letter was -written by Col. T. Larry Gantt. editor of the Piedmont Headlight The rumors referred to rf in that letter are tbe subject of a con munication from him to Mr. Scruggs L last February. Following is a cop* m of that letter: gfok Spartan ui. kg. S. C., Feb. 10.1807. Dear Scruggs: I bear thai an Atlanta liquor man nas onereu a onoe 10 a ucruuu Dispensary official, and to pay him 25 cents on each bos of this maD's liquor that said official shipped out. Bat afterwards the liquor man stated that he had made a mistake and could only give 10 cents, and because he fell in his price this official then stated that the firm had tried to bribe him. It has, also, come to my ears that a certain liquor man had a member of the board as his guesi at me nutex; mai. tujic-uci ii? the same room, and that this liquor mail always got the best of the orders from the board. There are other rumors of a serious nature. I tell you, Scruggs, as your true friend, that this condiiion of affairs will disrupt the Reform movement. The people ure already restless and suspicious, and, groaning as they are, under increased taxation, they are prepared to believe any scandal they may hear. 1 am making further investigations into these rumors and shall expose the whole matter. Truly, your friend, T. L. Gaxtt. Mr. Scruggs beard .of this letter, scd, believing that his natre was connected with the alleged crookedness, he wrote and asked Mr. Gantt about it, receiving the following reply: S pa r. tan cum . S. C., April 9, 1S97. Dear Scruggs: "Your letter of the 7th, in which you state that you hear that there is a letter in circulation in Columbia, purport iag to nave oeen written by myseii, ana m which your name is connected, &c., has been received. Ycu ask me to let you know the substance of this letter. You remember that some time in February I wrote you that 1 had heard a report in circulation that a certain official in the State Dispensary had been offered a bribe of 25 cents a box for r every box of a certain brand of -whiskey he i ?1^*. .v:, 1.^1 2>iIIJL>?>CU UUt, uai UiiUC UitU Vliti tu by an Atlanta firm, but afterwards that the firm stated to said official that they could only pay 10 cents a box, and after he fell in his price then the official reported the representative of this firm as trying to bribe him. I also stated in said letter other reports connected with the Dispensary management "irt the miwMtt nf lin>;nr? tti-it. <rr>flcVffl strongly of corruption 1 stated to you that I intended to publish the^e reports, that the people might know them and demand an investigation of the whole business. A few days after the receipt of this letter you came to Spartanburg and asked me to suppress \ the publication. Yok k"ow at the time that s* 1 warned :ou against the suppression of "V anything crooked in the Dispensary that came to your knowledge, and told you that you could Iielp to cover up tne rottenness of anyone connected wi;h the Dispen.a, sary because of your friendship for him. jjpYou replied that you did not wish to hide any corruption, and the o'Hcial in question you believed to be your enemy and was working in conjunction with others to secure your defeat. 1 stated to you that 1 heard the representative of this firm would tell much more, nut That ne was coercea or ouiiuczed, and was cot afraid of publicity, fearing that it might destroy his chances for future business with the dispensary. I told L you further that I was not satisfied, and ? that 1 believed if they were assured that by telling the truth and all they knew would W not injure their prospects for business, that they would make a full statement of ail the facts. With this view I wrote a private letter to my frieud. II on. Clark, llo^ell, eaitor ot the Atlanta Constitution ^not the li-.utor firm), an assuring letter, which was personal and private. and sealed up. This letter was written to Mr. llowell. wiu> was a friend to said firm, with the hope of stiffening the backbone of this liquor man. and thereby securing all the facts. 1 don't remember what 1 did write, but 1 can tell you that I am a free and independent American citizen, and can stand by anything that 1 do or say. 1 wear no man's collar and my hands are not soiled with anv corruption mtk! whir. 1 irr.-iff* was with a view to discovering corruption that 1 might expose it through the Headlight, aud not to wink at rascality. The mistake I made was in not publishing at the time the rumors I heard, but you know your strong j personal appeal to me cot to do so is -what deterred me. If necessary I will call on jou J to publish the letter I wrote to jou some time in February. But to show you that I was not bushwhacking any man, upon learning that the Atlanta firm stated that the offer they made said official had been rejected, I came to Columbia, saw the accused party and stated to him the report 1 had heard, told him just what 1 had done, and that he seemed ex onerateu. The*Howell letter I seat by Mr. I. 0 J. Wood, but th?.t gentlemen, instead of delivering it as addressed, turned the letter over ! to said liquor firm, when one of its members i broke the seal and read the contents. He j stated to Mr. "Wood that it was not necessary ito deliver the letter, as he could give him no information about the reported corrup! iion. Mr. Wood left the letter in the hands j of said firm. How it came to be turned j over to parties in Columbia I do not know. ! If vou will see that letter vou will find j j that I was simply working to unearth re] ported corruption in the Dispensary management and to assist Mr. Wood in securing a ! position. I am not mixed up in any rebate j or other business coanected with the 1'ispent sary, for my hands are clean and I defy anyone to prove otherwise. I remember in that letter telling Mr. Howell that Col. Wilie Jones aud Hon D. M. Miles were personal friends and would stand by me. 'My reason for writing this was that I intended that Mr. Howell could use it to get the desired information from that Atlanta liquor house, for could I convince them that their business -would not sutler by idling all they knew they -would more like- , ly give the desired information. I also told two members of the State Board the report that had reached my ears. Come up Saturday- and see me. Truly vour menu, i T. L. Ca.ntt. Mr. Scruggs said that he did go to 1 see Mr. Gantt and pleaded with bim not to publish the reports be bad | heard about.ShippirgCler'-: Ouz s for ; the board had investigated them and bad exonerated Mr. Ouzis. Mr. Scruggs said he did this because the ' Dispensary bad already just passed j through one period of great trevail (the rebate scandal) and be didn't j want it to have to pass through anoth ; er. He said he simph wan'.sd to 1; | keep down troubie, for the board had j] Ialready settled the matter arid the!] j Dispensary couid not stand these con jj stant scandals in the newspapers, j < j even though they were proven to be jj without founcation. He said he J1 jdidn'c want to hide corruption, but!1 j simply urged Gautt not to stir up this 11 i in tl~.e 5r>fsr^ct r?f j biiiuc; XiO. i,AUVVA vvw va ^VMwV. ? Shipping Clerk Ouzts was asked what he had to ssy concerning: the 1 charges made in the "'Dear Clark" ] letter. He referred the reporter tuj, the Beard of Control for further infer- j? nation. It was learned that Mr. | j Ouzts reported the occurrence to the | board and that both he and Mr. Bick-1, art of Atlanta made statements The j j board exonerated Mr. Ouzts. for they j: afterwards re elected him. Mr. Gantt i: J seems, too. to have come to tee con- j j elusion that nothing was wrong here. I | as he states m ins letter, auer caviDg j raadfe an investigation. | Mr. I. 0. J. Wood, who earned the J ,lDear Ulark" letter to AtlaaU, made <the following: statement: | On the Sunday before I went to Atlanta, J S. W. Scruggs and T. Larry Gantt drove up in | front of Trimmier's bookstore in Spartanourg : and asked for me. I went out and went up at (their invitation to the Piedmont Headlight ofi fict,?.nu while in the office they wrote twoletjters. one addressed to Clark Howell, Atlan5 ta, which they gave to me sealed. I did not j know what were the contents. One other j letter written with pencil by Scruggs, which s ttm nonied bv Gantt on the typewriter. I don't kgow who this one was addressed to. They knew I was going to Atlanta on the following Tuesday. I had also in my possession an envelope which was written on the back with pencil by S. W. Scruggs, certain questions for me to ask Blumenthal and Bickart of Atlanta. They desired Blumenthal and Bickart to acknowledge ihat Outzs had made a proposition to them to the efiect that he would ship out their liquors provided that they, Blumenthal and Bickart would pay him so much [ per case. Mr. Bickart said that "I am too j honest a man to do such a thing, and I can't I do it." Mr. Ouzts never made me any such a proposition. I am the man -who made the proposition." I am in no way responsible for the "Dear Clark" confidential letter reaching South Carolina, nor for it being in the hands of the press. I make this statement in justice to >Jr. Ouzts since I have been used in an attempt to injure him. I. 0. J. Wood. A Fearful Death. A reliable gentleman from Eacree, who was in Spartanburg last week on business, informed The Herald report er of the tragic deatn of a negro man named John Smith in the Enoree river en Sunday morning. Right above the C, & W. C. trestle which spans the Enoree river a mile above the factory, is a dangerous sandbar in the river, which fishermen and bathers religiously avoid- Id happened that Smith and a crowd of negroes were in the water bathing, when Smith swam u p the stream and into the sandbar, leaving his companions far behind. Thi himself r>PrfpAtlv <5f f.Iirft I and completely foiled by the surfact j shallowness of the river b^re he thcugfci he would step andrest an.'l then swim back. No sooner did his feet strike I the sand than he began sinking. He i struggled to extricate himself, but to no avail; he only sank farther down. He never realized his awful position | until his body was almost completely j submerged by the quicksand and wai toi* T'her) Iip shnitpH feantip.allv and I desperately to bis faltering compan I j ions, who were far away down under J S the sleepers of the trestle. The men j I were afraid to venture up and rescue j 1 mm, and one of them said it hapened J j so suddenly that they were all paralyz J | ed with a strange fascination to the j {spot and could not move. So thisj j man went down unaided, as none i J dared risk life in such a place, it would i have been useless. Soon hfcer he dis j I appeared a search party was organized j aiid a crowd got in a bateau and pad- J died no to hnd the body, and the j B I- - J-L J _ 1 1 ~ 5 j searen cjounutu an iae aiierauuiJ j But up to \esterday moraine the body had sot bsen found, and it is j Drobable that it never wiil be. Fire at Epworth OrphaaRe. Tee Columbia Register says early j Thursday morning the burn of the! Epworth Orphasage v^as totally de- j Mroyed by fire, tniailiog a loss! of about $1,400. with onl> *500 worth | of insurance. When the fire was nrst discovered there was only a stoaii b;aze, tut as there are no facilities ?oifighting fire out there the building was quickly enveloped by the lUmts Everything was destroyed, including two fine Jersey cows. A mule was I saved, a.'though the animal was badly joarned before it was rescued. It is | thought that the fire was the vrork of | an incendiary, as timers is no ot&er ] x&j 1c expiam it. No arrests have f been made, but the Governor wiil oi| icr a reward, which may assist in find- j jing the fiend. HERE'S THE EVIDENCE. ALL ABOUT THOSE BECKRCGE CIGARS AND PEACHES. - Jlr. Sciu^gsGot Somp, Sut Says SCe Was Only Following the Custom?Some Damaging TesTlmony Regarding Dispensary Officials Although. all of the testimony in j the Beckrcge trunk matter has not i besn taken, still there is enough to \ show what became of the contents. J The testimony on this point is somewhat conflicting, but it is very evident that people in the Dispensary trot the contents of the trunk. Mr. Scruggs acknowledges taking some of the ci gars and peaches, but pleads that he had no idea of doing anything wrong, as it had been a custom Tor the ofScinr\n>iArkyi<lfo C!lPn f.VllTJCS f.ft t h Pi T aia IKJ ? ownusr ever sicce he had been connected with the Dispensary. But the evidence can best speak for itself, and the public may form its own conclusions. All of the witnesses were sworn by Judge Townsend and all signed their testimony in his presence. The following is a synopsis of the testimony: CLERK SCRUGGS was the first witness. lie testified that he] sold the Beckroge trunk to Mr. Garris . ?1 j that it was to be paid for on Mr. Garris nest | visit to Columbia. With the day upon which j Commissioner Gaston, Mr. Garris and de-j Donent went to the contrabrand room to de- j liver the ^runk was the first time he had any J knowledge of the contents of the trunk to the best *-'s recolection: but one thing he is positivy^about?that up to that time he had never fs.ken any part of the contents of the trunk, ani at that time all he saw in the trunk were a few partially filled boxes of cigars and two,"or three cans of peaches, but scattered on the'floor were six or eight empty cigar boxes; lhat on that day in thepressnce of Gaston and Garris deponent took a aandful of these cigars. Garris took a hand fui and (jaston tocc a nanmui ana nejoKiugly twitted Judge Gaston with the remark that ae could now account for the cigars which be (Gaston) and Iiarry had been smoking for several weeks; that cigars wl ich deponjat took he carried into the State Board room and gave Mr. V.'illiams and Mr. Dout- j tiit some of them, and told them he had got-1 :en them out of the contraband room and S *T>arv? Onm?k * irVT*^ ll A 1T1_ 1 :ended to do before the adjournment of the Board and before they left the city, but in :he multiplicity of his duties it escaped his ittention. That a few days after this he trent into the Board room, and got the key of j :he contraband room which belonged to the | State Board of Control, and which was in the , custody of deponent as clerk of the Board, am1 j with Charles Lynch, a cleikin his office, and j ;ot four boxes of cigars partially filled, as he j remembers, and fou:r cans of peaches, and j instructed Lynch to take them into the of- j See, and the boys in the office could eat the i peaches, and he would divide the cigars with | them; that these four boxes of cigars and j cans of peaches were utterly valueless to the 5 State, as the cigars were very cheap cigars, j and he does not believe they could have i been disposed of for any consideration: that j deponent also discovered several fcottles of Jj domestic wine the day he took Lynch in for i cigars and peaches and humorously remarked } ' We "vvill get that wine, too, before some one i takes it," but as a matter of fact, did not! move to take it at the time of making the re-1 mark, as it was not seriously made, aiul he ? did not take the Trine, and Commissioner j Gaston told him he tad taken charge of the J wine; that he seldom entered the contraband j room, and never unless upon urgent business. j As (joionei Jone3aaa tne Attorney uenerai s office -will bear him, out there was a great deal of trouble "with contraband seizures made by the constables, as many threatening letters were received from parties about liquors shipped to them for personal use; that Colonel Gaston did not attend to these matters as promptly as Chairman Joaes thought he should and Colonel Jones told him he and deponent would have to take this matter in hand, and with the Attorney General, would have to look after the return of contraband liquors, and the only occasions on which he went into the contraband room was to refer to tbe records supposed *o be contained in the receiving contraband book; that on several occassions, with the consent of Chairman Jones, he purchased demijohns of corn whiskey which had been seized and forfeited to the State, and paid therefor at the rate of $1.50 per gallon, which the records in his office will show, whilst the price the State Board paid for some goods was from ?1.30 to ?1.35 per gallon; that further than herein stated, he has never taken a single article from the contraband room; that in taking these four boxes of cigars and cans of peaches he was only following out a custom which ha3 been in vogue ever since his connection with the State Dispensary; that on divers occasions su^h articles n.5 brandv neaches. brandy cherries, cigars and other articles other than wines and whiskies have been placed in the custody of the Commissioner and he has often given him some of such articles and also ! given them to others; and to show that de- j ponent did not suppose he was committing j an act which would make him liable to censure, he gave to two members of the Board J some of these very cigars and told them where he had gotten them; that he did say to Mr. Lynch to say nothing to Mr. Blakeley, DCCUUSe JL>litKCity V*LL12 uuvrutl 'JU'CUJJ , iVi some reason he knows not why, and be did not wish any distortion of the facts, and this was the reason he told him to say nothing to Biakcley about cigars or peaches; that he had no objection to Mr. Blakeley knowing he had taken the cigars and peaches to the clerks in his office, provided a friendly and legitimate construction upon what he did was placed thereon; that when F. M. Mixson *vas Commissioner in 1895, Mr. Blakeley checked up all contraband, and he as well as deponent on divers occasions has been the recipient of these little courtesies through the ??ood offices of Commissioner Mixson. colonel gastos. Colonel Gaston, in his deposition, says: That sometime in November last he was ap- j pointed pro tem. Commissioner, and contin- j ued to act as such until his retirement recent- J ly. While acting I remember that a large j drummer's trunk came to the Dispensary | from Charleston and wa3 piaced in the con-1 traband room. It contained four jugs, one j of which camo broken, with whiskey, sever- i al bottles of wine, some cans of peaches, ten j boxes of cigars, a few decayed oranges and j one pair of shoes. Since the trunk caine the whiskey was dumped and bottled, and the j wine is stiil in the Dispensary. Some time j after the trunk camj L went to the room and ; found that the cigars had been tampered j with. About one-half to two-thirds of the cigars had been taken out of the boxes with j the exception of one. which was full. I then emptied all the broken boxes into four \ boxes and placed them witli the bottles of j wiue in another trunk. Soon after this I i went, into the room and looked in the trunk j into which the four boxes had been placed j and found them gone. On examination of: the empty boxes again, I found a few in a! i>ox ^hicn 1 took down to my oiiice. 1 then j calleu 'A'atts, who had a key to itic room, and Ben Harris, and told them there must, be something wrong and some one must have had a key. Taey both declared that no one had a key, and no one had been allowed to go in the room. I immediately notiiied Dl:ikeiey about what had been done in the room om! 1??m t r\ ItiA Tr nnt ond in rinding who was going into the room and. inerfering frith contraband stuff. 1 then ordered a new iock pat on the contraband room door, ai J then bolted securely the other door inside, and since that time nothing has been missed up to the tirae I left there. I: The pair of shoes in the trunk 1 sold for J $1: the pn.rt of a box of cigar:; brought down : to the nflbe I have pai?l for. I made a fall report of this matter to the j State] Uoe rd of Control at its last meeting,! which is hereto appended, and in that the ! dispositioa of the trouble iss tated. The report to the Hoard of Control referred j ^V1!_ | J IU , 1 have a matter I wish to call attention to. I have had charge of the contraband room | for some months. 1 took the keys and after j attending to the contraband business for some time I found that took up a great deal of my time, so I gave the kej's to Mr. Watts, 1 who is perfectly reliable. I visited the room i every few days to see how matters stood. I i missed occasionally a bottle of whiskey from ] the cases. I complained to Mr. Watts and he assured me that he carried the keys and < no one had been allowed in the room. ] About the time of your last meeting alarge ; trunk came in with three large jugs, several i bottles of wine, two cans of peaches auu ten i hoses of cigars While in there one morning < Mr. Garris told me that Mr. Scruggs said he i could have the trunk. So 1 got the things i out and let him have it. I put the things in ] another trunk. 1 took three cigars for my- < self. I was in there soon again and found < about half of the cigars or more taken out of ( every box. I put what was left in boxes, < filling them up, and gave Mr. Garris some i and put the rest in a trunk. A few days af- j ] ter 1 found the whole amount of cigars bad < been taken except one piece of a box. which j1 I now have in my possession. I have since J < had a new and strong lock put on the door, I} so 1 now lock one door and bolt the other. 1 I ] regret this very much, and am now satisfied j: it wiil never occur again. Some one must J i have had a false or duplicate key. Nothing i has been ruissed by me since that time. MR. lJLAICELKY, bookkeeper for the State Commissione. ( tilied that Mr. Lynch came to the office of , the Commissioner and deponent asked him ; if he knew anything about missing cigars I from the contraband room or had he seen j, any one smoking them. Mr. Lynch replied | that that was what he had come down to see j J him about. Deponent told bim that Mr. j' Gaston had missed ten boxes of cigars. Mr. |' Lynch then told him Mr. Scruggs had gotten {} them aud had divided them up in (he office. J C Deponent asked him how he had gotten j them. Mr. Lynch said he went into the j 1 room with a duplicate key and had told him j ? not to say anything about his having that j < key. Deponent told Mr. Lynch iic had done ! < right in telling him about this thing, and un- j ( der no circumstances to touch them. Lynch j j then said he was going to report the matter j to Mr. Williams and .Mr. Douthit, two ot' the |. members of the Board. Deponent after this j' reported the matter to Colonel Wilie -Jones, j n but not in an official way. He said if I {' would put it in writing he would call the at- j tention of the Board to it. Deponent said he I( would not do this, and it was hi* business as !' he had accused him of fighting Scruggs, and ! < it was none of his business n ne sioie mc ; j whole Dispeusary. Mr. Blakeley farther j 1 testified that Commissioner Gaston hail com- j i plained to him about some one stealing the j i cigars, and he asked Gaston if he had taken j1 any of the cigars, and he replied he had tak- j j en only three, and had given C. W. G arris a J i handful. j, MR. CHARLEY LYSClt. ] ; Mr. C. J. Lynch in his testimony makes !; some damaging statements as to ''-ir. Scruggs. I; Tie deposes: That he has been ia tbe State ^ Dispensary since it vras first opened, but was |' appointed bookkeeper . or assistant to Mr. j 1 Scruggs in April, lS'JG, and is still in tlie | ^ same position. That some time in Febru-j; ary, 1S97, Mr. Scruggs came into the of rice, j' in the presence of .Mr. Mobley and Mr. |; Charles ami himself and said: " 'Charlie, do|J yon know that Gaston. has-a tm-c-k fuli-yf c;- i; gars, peaches and wine back in the contra- j > band room?" I replied that I did not. ] < Mr. Scruggs said: "Well, he has been walk- j < iog up and down the street smoking them, j j and I have been wondering where in the}; h?11 he got them." I said: "No, I did not j i know he had them back there." Scruggs said j he had and said: "Come back with me aad I j < will show them to you. Scruggs and I went} out of the ofiice to the contraband room door j and he took a key out of his pocket and stooped down to unlock the door, and while j. fitting the key into the door he turned to me ] arid said: '-Don't tell anybody I have got I this key." He then unlocked the door and I we went in. Scruggs walked over to some j < empty cigar boxes scattered about the room, j; picked them up and threw them down and \ \ said: "I will be d?d if he has not smoked j' the last one." 1 was near the door andr asked him if he had not told me that they | were in a trunk, and he said, "Yes." I then j; said: "There is the trunk under the table." i1 He then went to the truuk, lifted the lid and ) moved aside some wine and pulled out three j 1 boxes containing cigars and handed them to [1 | deponent. He then reached on top of pigeon J1 holes over the trunk and took down another ]] j box containing cigars and said. "Here i3 ! < one I had up here when 1 was here this J j j morning," and banded them to deponent and 1 said: "Take the boxes to the office," L>ej ponent then asked him: "How about the i | peaches?" lie replied, "They are not here _ : in the trunk." Deponent then pointed to I cans of peache3 on the desk and said: J [ "There they are, over there." Scruggs then | went over and got them and gave them to ! him and said: "Go on to the office with the ' I things," but again said. "Wait until I see i if there is any one in the hall." He opened ' the door and looked and said: "There is no j ; one there; go ahead." Deponent then went j < I to the telephone room, and as he started into i' the oflice Scruggs said: "Let me see if there , is any one in there,"' He said: "Go ahead, ; there is no one in the office; take them in and hide them." Scruggs then started back out of the door and as he was leaving, deponent, j facing Mr. Moblcy, romanced. "Mind, I did , ; not take these tnings." Deponent then . j placed them on his desk, and Scruggs came ! ho/?lr in th#> anil said.- "Charlie hide' I those things before Mr. Blakeley conies in; ' II don't want him to sec them." Deponent { I then took them oil the de^k and put them in j a box at his feet. '-Scruggs came over and : I said: "Give Mose one of the boxes (mean| ing Mr. 3Iobley.) Deponent reached down! I and got one of the boxes and deponent han-1 i ded it over and he took it and put it in the j' ! drawer of his desk. lie then went into the } ( j next room and deponent opened one of the | cans of peaches and called him and asked j ! ' - 1! 1 4 11 r. It o t I mm 11 lie uiu nut ".nit suiuv;, iiv ivj/nm I i aid not. believe lie did just then, as lie was j ! going up street. Deponent. Mr. Charles and (' | Mr. MoOley ale the peaches. Deponent then j i opened a second can and took it into the j I next room where Mr. Scruggs was, and. j' i using a p.-iper cutter, took one ot' the peaches j ! out on it and hanied it to Mr. Scruggs, tell-j1 j ing him to try it. lie ate that and deponent j I handed him another, which he ate. Depo- j i or,,j \;r_ Scruggs went up street. While eating the rest of the peaches deponent shuv/ed Mobley : and Charles the peculiar manner in which Mr. Scruggs brushed aside liis moustache ! while eating the peaches. Deponent then went to Mr. Moblcv aad snid: Give me back that box of cigars; you don't waut it." lie replied. '-Yes. I do " Deponent then said: There is going 10 be h?11 raised about them, and vou dyti t wart them." Mr. Mob- j j ley tUeu said: "If thai i.s the case. 1 don't j j w;int to have anything to do with them,"' j : and handed them buck to deponent, and 1 i took tiic: box :iad locked it up with the other two 1 had i'eponent took the two remaining cans of peaches and hid them in the office, as Mr. tcruggs nud said: ".Don't eat all the peaches, as 1 want some of them " These two cans of peaches are now in the oilicc. A few days afterward deponent took the three boxes of cigars and carr;-.d them home for safe keeping and has them there now. Several times ne iad missed things on'of his drawer. A few days after this s..ri!,-r.rv wn* in thft office anii said. "Muse { give rue a cigar.' Mr. Mobtey replied, "1 i ? haven't any. sir.!' He lea the uiiice without' j saying unvthiue more. The nest day! 1 ' = * Scruggs came to deponent and said. "Charley. where are all those cigars'.'"' Deponent replied, "All gone, sir." Scruggs said, "The pieces of boxes, too'!"' Deponent replied, Yes. the;/ are all gone."' lie then left deponent without any further remark. A day :>r two afterwards Scruggs asked deponent if he had told Gaston he had taken those cigars. Deponent replied, "Xo, sir." Depo nent says that at tac: time he ana ticruggs went into the contraband room and while he was taking the cigars out of the trunk, he j remarked, "I'll have this wine before I get through," and he afterwards made a similar remark about the wiae in the oftice. Pepo- i aent further says Mr. Scruggs asked him a j lay or two ago if he knew anything about the shoes, or had Gaston said anything to [iim about them. Dononent further s:ivs that he omitted to I state above that the same clay the cigars and peaches were carried iato the office Mr. ; Mobley asked the deponent -where he got :he things. Deponent replied, "In the con:raband room." lie then asked him hefr he ;ot thera, as he thought Judge Gaston was ,n charge ot the room. Deponent replied hat Mr. Scruggs hf-.d a hocus pocus key. Deponent further states that on the suuie lay the cigars and peaches were taken out )f the contraband room he went down to the Commissioner's office and Mr. Blakeley askVit-n if Krv L-m.tr mit'tViinrr nWmif t'ne miiH. .ng cigars from the contraband room. Deponent replied, "Vei; that is what I have ;ome down to see you about," and then fvent on and told hioi all about the cigars tnd peaches; that a*, the next meeting of the :>oard lie reported to Mr. Williams and Mr. L>outhir. what he has said above as to the akiug of cigars and peaches from contraband ooiu and has also since that time reported t to the Governor. Mr. K M. Mcbley, a bookkeeper. ir?d Mr. Charles, aa employee in the iiecensarv. enrro berated the testimo sy of Mr. Lynch as given above. Commissioner Vance testified thai >n the 29ih day c: April, 1S97, Col. J. ?. Gaston cin:e :o him of his own ac ;ord ar d stated that he was clue the State Dispensary for some articles he 2?.d received and paid hire $1 for one ?<iir of shoes and 25 cents for somei ii?ars. Etn Harris test- Bed that he has been I ?rork:D? in the State Dispensary for' ibcut five jears atd has beea in the j jumping .room most of the time. He j said that 'Scruggs took cigars from the j lumping room, having gotten the key i :rom Mr. Waits. Mt-ssrs. II E. VTatts, W. W. Harris! md C. A. K'joi', all employees, at the Jispensary, tesiin-d to ihe facts above D2rratrd. Mr. Ganv: m explaining how ce ;ame to buy the trunk says that at -he time he purchased said trunk he iid net know or itq-iire from whom t was seized, as he suppessa it had Deen forfeited to the State and the Doard cDuld sell it; that he still has Ua A V- A V /-?r? rl rr O f oil .1JU U O*HU. JCCU 1 UAUjr ta.g cui i .imcs to pay for it when the price was ] Sxed. Deponent further ssys that he i it no lime *-ent into the contraband room with Ttlr. Scruggs and two cttier j ienUtmen and secured cigars vhile in j :bt-re. and tbai Mr. Scruggs did no. j :ake and gire to iim a nandf ul of ci- j jars cur of tee Irank, and that wtie:--. j ie purchased and carried a-.7ay the j .ruuk the re w&sjqg. cigars in it, aidj aone givea to hii by Mr. Gaston at j :hat line; that he knows ncthiogj - - - t - ^ _ _ * JLl ^ * J ibout &DJ oi tiif. coi.-xen.is 01 tr.s saiu ; Beckroge truak; .a;?cl never received j iny pari of IheVvgars it was said tc| aave contained, or of any other arti- j 3jes; that he has smoked cigars with i officials of the dispensary in a friend- j iy *nd casual way, but that the small I number received by him at any timej svas in this way, and he did not know j ivhere they came from as he supposed j ;he gentleman had purchased tnem. AN IMPORTANT CASE. 1. Firm or JLlqaor ueatera ^ner tne uiap^DHary. The Charleston correspondent of the I Columbia R?gister says the bill Hied I in the United States Circuit Court in that citv Tuesday by W. A. Vanderzooz. & Co., of California, against Commissioner Vance, the State constables and whomsoever else it may j sozcern, payiug damages for past interferences with the firms business in I this State, and for perpetual injunction 2gaiast all future occunences, if j this character, may be styled the; Pharsalas where the Slate will be call j id upon to make its last stand aeaicst i Lbe inroads of the interstate comrxacrce | s.w upon its peculiar institution, kno wn as the Dispensary system. The plaintiffs through their attorney, Mr. J. P. K Bryan, virtually set up the; ulaim, under the al^is of tie Federal Constitution and of the interstate laws enacted thereunder, to send their into the State to solicit business aud obtain orders, to establish warehouses or other depositories or the liquors, and to appoint sriii Dther agents to receive and disburse these liquors, in the original unbroken packages, to whomsoever they may see lit; thus establishing, without let or hindrance, to all intents and purposes, an opposition business to the Siate Dispensary. IfVandercook & Co. and adjudicated to be justified in their claims, as thus made, then any body woo proresses 10 os aa agem, ui any foreign cor.cam in the business ;au set up a^d engage in the traffic on the same conditions, and the State s monopoly cf it is virtually at an end. Cunosily enough, this denounce ment will have been led up 10 in and through a court which vras the first tribunal, unexpectedly enough, to de clare that the Dispensary law was con stitutional, in so far ss it curpcrted to regulate the do:nest:c traffic iu liquor. Since that first favorable decision Judge Simonton nas mea numerous others on the interstate commerce feature. declaring the la** t) oe uucon Siitutioiial io so far as it co;Hicied with the privileges and immunities o' ciorr.t-.siic and foreign cit;z=DS under the Federal instrument, with the efrect to sitdly cripple and circumscribe u " e- r~." fr.o Tite>-,uri Od fx> |.jP7 LUC L-'f-Cia'.iVUO j >w? ?r . Whether he will go to the extent or countenancing Vaadercook & Uo's. Jairn of the right to establish donits tie agencies within the Stale to virtually carry oa a wholesale and retail iiqu :r business remains to be seen. CXrtainly. if the justice Oi sucti a contention btiall be tstaDiishtd tbere 7v.uid seem to be little encouragement left for the Stale to continue in a c-usmess in which e "erv one n?a7 en -??"? without so much as askiue leave ji- license. Agrtes vtli bi McLiU.-ln, A speeiid dispatch from Wa&hicgton 10 tUe Cojurabii cute sa>> Seisator lillman wiJl make a spetcia on tiie tariff bill v.-hen the cotton schedule is reached. Speaking of the matter, he said; "I -will see McLaurin, and go nim two or three better. I snail urge a bounty on cotton and wheat exooris. 1 may oe turned down, aud probably ~iil be, but I'll make some of the protectionists mightily sick before I get through with them.'-' Harris and the trunk. SAYS HE BOUGHT IT FROM COMMISSIONER GASTON. Bat Belrg Busy Toid Him to Go Ahead ana the Price Would ba FJsed?Keady to Pay or Xetarn It?Scruggs flakes a Statement. Mr. C. W. G-arris, of Colleton, who got Bsckroge's trunk, has written a communication giving his statement as to his connection with the affair The following is what he has to sayabout it: Editor News and Courier: I notice -f 1- J Ill me UOiUHiUiH. cfjrresuutiuea^c ui your issue of April 29, under the caption of "A New Dispensary Scandal," that my name appears in connection with the 4,Beckrcge trunk affair." "Truth seeker." after propounding the same question to certain dispensary officials, turns to me and says: "We would be glad to haye Mr. C. W. Garris, a member of the legislative committee, to say what he kno ws about the trunk." I will cheerfully state my connec lion with the matter, and it is as follows: I found at the c]cco the last iession of the legislature, on account of some purchases I had made, that I needed a larger trunk. I remembered that while I was a member of the legislative examining committee we had taken s'.ock of a kind of "plunder ' ' 4.1~ 4- fts *-i- A A!/J Inn M Ire I rUULLt mat UUUliULTCU auiiio Wiu uui:Qo I and valises, among other things, that I were said to have been captured, full j cf "blind tiger" liquor. I learned that I these articles were disposed of by sale, i When I found that I needed a trunk, j it occurred to me that I could purchase ! a second handed trunk, at the dispensary that would serve my purpose, and at the same time save me a part of the extra expense of a ne v one. I | went to the Commissioner (Colonel Gaston) and asked ab^ui the matter I iieshowed metwosmaii ones very oaaly damaged. I was about to buy one of j these, whew Mr. Scruggs, or possibly some member of the board told me ; that there were others upstairs. I I went up with Colonel Gaston, and j found tbe tiunk in question. It had been handled very roughly in breakj in? it open and needed repairs?anew |lock, etc. Colonel Gaston and myself looked at the trunk, >:nd he reI marked that he would like to buy the j trunk himself, whereupon I declined to take it and started away. Colonel ! Gaston redacted a moment, called me ! back arid said liiat if tiie truut suited j me I cculd ?ake it aion?. Es deiiverj ed it to me and I had it brought to the [ board's room door. I called on the I members present (and I forset now ! what ones were present?could find I out if necessary) to fix the price, ^iie I members seemed, however, to t. a isj cussing some aia't-r v. rv burriidiy j I ifiiuk some of thtm wrr<? goin^ on the next train, and it was about train time. Some members remarked I ftmi tht.Tr txrr.niH fiv f'hp rv>-lry* latP.r ! a^d that they would m\ke is reasona[ b)e. I sest the trunk then to the shop I for repairs. The daj before I left Columbia. I called to settle the matter. ! Mr. Scruggs stated that the price had not yet been fixed, bat said he would send me the bill as soon as it was. Recently I was talking to a member ; of the board, and he mentioned the matter to me and again I asked for a price, arid he promised he would attend to the matter at the next board meeting, and send me the bill. This is all 1 know of the trunk. i I wish to state that I know nothing and care nothing about where the trunk came from. I did not Know or care whether it had been at the dispensary a day or a year, I was a simple purchaser, with no desire to give less than full value, and, of course, none to give more. I would have bousht the trunk under similar cir cuinstances if every reporter in the land had been there to witness the sale. I not only did not care for that but did not think of the public prints in connection with the matter. On the contrary, I do say that had I dreamed that the trunk was or would afterwards become a matter of legal or other contention, I would not have taken it uiider ai,Y circumstances, just because of my aversion for <3it?culiies of that kindI have gone into detail in the explanation of this matter because it was made public, and believe the public, if it cares anything about it, would prefer a full statement. I make it. too, in justice to myself and the offi cers of the dispensary mentioned in the article referred to. I wish to state further that I am in no way connect ed with the dispensary, either as legis latitrA ovQrminpp AT n'.hprSVlSft. I V72S last year, but my active duties ended Jong before I bought the irunk. Still I may have been a member, I do not know whether Speaker Gary had made the new appointments at that time or not. In conclusion, I wiil say that I have tried to preserve the proper spirit in -V _ * ~ ray answer to me inquiry 01 Arum Seeker." His insinuation that the trunk was given away is not "trulh " And I fear his whole article was not so much an inquiry for truth as it was an attempt to slander. Now, if "Truth Seeker" knows anything th.~t is going on wrong at the State Dispensary or anywhere else in his State government, for ihe sake of 1 nt nr\'no nut. rsn/1 ndmp thp J UO-iVyO A&V UJLll VViy v-.-.w wrong and the wrong-doer in an bon oraole way and sign his name to his production, for the world is growing to hate the co^rd that "thro ws a brick and bides his hand." The money or the truuk is subj-c$ to the order of the board, and has been sn^ce it was bought ar,d -^ill be until settled. If Lhe trunk was illegally taken from Mr. Beckroge, I do not blame him for nis contention. I do net blame any man who wants bis owa; to blame j WOUlU 'J" LU y^ilUCU'U ill* unu uujjyisitiori. Respecifuliy, C. W. Garris ! Smoak's S. C.. April 30, 1S97. P. S3 ?I see by th* News and Coui ri^r of today that I, aloag wiih the {-.. {Beers of the dispensary ,ata expected I to txrfuiii scrncioin^ abi>ut ei^.rs. p^aciitrs, shoes, etc. The indi^-Juai :hat iafimai&s that I bno^ ^nytbi-? l ivy ul. either is a tyira 5c~u;-c <-.l VL} connection wi-.h k was u>e jiUiCasr. and beyond that I know absolutely nothing. It will be r-otcd ihat there is a conflict in the testimony of Air. Garris and that of Cnionel Gaston. Tae lat+ ? ??'! 4-nof ,-rcc hci^ o-irpr I mx CCXiv*. f i him the trunk, while ilr. Garrfs s-iys i the transaction cf the sals and pur chi.se was between him and Colonel Gaston. Sir. Scruggs returned yesterday from ; Charleston, where he had been taking ' stock in the three hotel dispensaries, j He was somewhat indignant at the published report that he had gone to Colleton to confer with Mr. Garris. ! He says he net only did not see Garj ris, but has not written him cr communicated with him in any way since this matter has been talked of. He said Mr. Garris had bought the trunk openiy and above board, and that was all there was to it. While,of course, there may be some doubt as to the right of officials to dispose of such property by sale, still ithere is no doubt that it has been done. Anyway the public now certainly know that Mr. Garris got the trunk, but the burning question is, where are the cigars,peaches and lemons? Who got those, and how did the?? Judge To wnsend is busy taking the evidence, snd he ssid thai all that would be brought out. The evidence obtained by him is net yet available fnn:ihli.?arinn hilt will SCRUGGS ANDGASTCN ARRESTED. Both of Them Waived an ITxaraination and Gave Bond. The Beckroge trunk dispensary scandal, which has been the ail-absorbing topic all over South Carolina for a week past, culminated Friday in the arrest of ex-Clerk Seth W. Scruggs of ! t'r.s V>na>*^ i-if r>r>ntrol <ar>r1 fT Commissioner John T. Gaston, upon ! the common law charge of official J misconduct. Both have given bond j for their appearance at the next term | of the court of sessions in Richland j county, and will be free until the court meets in the summer. i Friday every one was still talking ! about the scandai and the aSdavits ] that had been secured, and wonderling what the State authorities were I going to do 2 tout it. It was aDout jncon when Mr. L J. Williams, the j member of the State board designated I to swear out the warrants, went to Magistrate Smith's office and made the affidavits having the warrants issued. The warrant in the case of Mr. Scruggs charged that "on or about the | first day of March. 1897. one Seth W. I Scruggs did commit official misconjduct by taking and carrying away j r*rom the contraband room in the State | dispensary four boxes of cigars and I four cans of peaches and other articles j the property of the State, while eii) gaged in the discharge of his duties as ! clerk and bookkeeper of the State board | of control in said St^te dispensary, with intent to defraud the State of "South * r^A?Alivin n f. T/\vf O T T? ^ Q "PR . * WAJ Uiiwa, CKO J U.XXJT OC-V JVl UJ-i. AM ViJV, MiAi. [davit hereto attached." % AGAINST COL. GASTON. I The warrant against Col. Gaston alj leges that "oil or about theJLst day of J Maich, 1S97. one Joan T. (iaston did | commit official misconduct by taking 5and carrying away from the contra oaod room ia the State dispensary \ oat pair of shoes, part box of cigars | and other articles the property of the 1 State while acting as State commisjsioner in charge of said room and | while in the discharge of the duties of | said office, -with intent to defraud the | State of South Carolina, as fully set ] forth ia the affidavit hereto attached." {Tne affidavit is also made by Mr. Wil{iiams before Magistrate Smith. BOTH GIVE BOND. It was about 2:30 o'clock when Mr. i -ncal-rpH into thfi fifiRra of the magistrate and surrendered himself, ne having been informed by the magistrate's constable that he was wanted. He waived a preliminary, and gave bend for his appearance at the sessions court in the sum of $400. His bondsmen were Gen. John Gary Watts and Jtaj. B. B. Evans. About 4 o'clock the same proceeding was gone through with as to Mr. Scruegs. He came up in response to a similar notice from the constable, llr. Hartin. His bond was fixed in U~ TTi'e LUC OtX li_LC auiuuuu. JO-IO uuuwotuvu were James G. Payne and W. J. Scruggs. Attorney General Barber says that the punishment for the offense charged upon conviction is imprisonment and fine in the discretion of.the judge, the imprisonment not to exceed seven ytars. It is not of necessity in the State penitentiary. Hr. Gaston said that he had nothing to fear; he had done nothing wrong so far as he knew; and intimated that he did not even think he would employ counsel to defend him. There has been considerable talk as * * __ -1 TJ to wnat onense mesa men snouia oe prosecuted for. Breach of trust, grand larceny, housebreaking in the case of Scruggs and numerous other offenses were looked into, but the attorneys could not find where any of them would lie upon the evidence presented. Attorney General Barber yesterday said: "You can just say forms to ti>?. public, that if there is any , othe: >Ciuse for which these parties can be indicted, then this olEce stands ready to prosecute therefor."?State. X-arry Gantt Got Some. In a letter to the Columbia State in reference to the dispensary scandal I Larry Gantt sajs: "I think your position is right about those samples. They are the property of the State, and should be sold with the other liquors aiid the proceeds turned into the State treasury. But ic has Jong been the custom, I believe, to divide those samples among dispensary attaches; and if a search warrant was taken out I doubt not but that sample bottles will j be fouud in every State officers house Jin Columbia, from the governor's j mansion to me penitentiary. I have ! had some seven or ei?ht sample bottles | jjiven me?and tHe.v did not ail come llrom Jlr. Scruargs, either. Mos', of | this liquor I brought home to use in j<as:i or sicfecess, as I supposed it was j better than that sold in the dispensary ; land the greater part of it is now in j my house, having ntver been opened, j and it there is asy question about it I j can return it to the dispensary. Clearing Mr. Garrls. j ine state ?>oara oi k>onircu 01 ias j Dispensary heiti a netting inOolumj bia on iast Thursday and after ihe transaction of routine busintss ilr. } Cooper in-traduced the follo wing resoi lution, wiiicii vras unanimously adopti ed j jR'-suived, Thai it is the sense of this ; oourd that the Hon. C. W. Garris ] came into the posse?sion of the BeckS ro*e trunk in an honorable *nd leyiii j mate ^ay aad that the price for said irui:k be fixed at ?5. Mr. Cooper prefaced his resolution by a fesr remarks. He had seen the trunk, he said, after Mr. Garris got it, . ' tha nr%r\ rl if inn it- tttqc ! I uiiU auc 'T WJLVV AV KMO I in. The other members of the board ?left it to Mr. Cooper to say what the I trunk was worth, as he was the only . | one to sBe it. He placed the price at r|the above amount. 1 CONDITION OF CROPS. THE WEEKLY BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE OBSERVER. State of the Weather? Glance About the Broad Acres Davoted to the Farming Interests in This State. ? The following is the weekly bulletin. of the condition of the weather and crops in this State issued last week by State Observer Bauer: TEMPEiiATUEE. Average of 57 weekly means 69 degrees; approximate normal for the * same period 68 degrees. Highest reported 95 on the 28th at Grillisonville; inwpst 44. nn the 28 th at fibers w. The temperature for the week was nearly normal over the entire State. There was a decided fall on Saturday, May 1. EAINFALL. Scattered showers fell on the 26th over the eastern counties, and on April 30 and May 1 rain was general over the entire State. Twenty-three correspondents reported measurements of less than one inch; 22 from one to two inches, and 7 more than two inches. Heaviest weekly rainfall was 3.35 at Elloree and the least 0.12 at Halsellville. The average of all report was 116 and the normal for the same period is approximately 0.78. The rainfall was generally -well distributed and sufficient for the present needs of crop, except in portions of Lexington, Newberry, Richland, Fairfield and Chester, where the showers were light and local and where in places more rain would prove beneficial. In Sumter, Kershaw, Spartanburg and Anderson lands were, in places, badly washed and some bottom lands flooded. Hail fell over the extreme western counties on the 30th, but no damage is reported. SUNSHINE AND "WINDS. | There was about the average duration of bright sunshine, ranging from 43 at Boiling Springs and Winnsboro to 90 at Beaulah and Hillsville Over the greater portion of the State the winds were generally south and southwesterly. There were high winds on the 30th which, however, did no injury. The warmer weather and rain had a very beneficial effect on gro wing crops. For the greater portion of the week, however, it was too dry to finish preparing some lands for planting, nevertheless farm work progressed rapidly, and is generally as much advanced as usual at this season, although in some localities the season is considered late. Farmers are generally well up with their work. Upland corn planting is nearing completion over the greater portion of the State, but in the northern coun| ties there is much yet to be planted, j the dry condition of the soil having ? tl-.o mr.ai'iQ'M+'Trtri nf | Stards of early planted corn are generally satisfactory, with exceptions in 1 every county, owing to worms in j Beaufort, Dorchester, Hampton, Colleton, Williamsburg, Berkeley and Florence; and lack of moisture else) where, however, the needed moisture t has since been supplied. Chinch bugs . j continue destructive in Chester. Over 1 - ? .3 the eastern counties corn nas received its first working generally, and some its second. It is somewhat4 'off color" in a few localities, owing to dry weather a- cool nights during the previous week. A great improvement is expected during the present week both in stands and color. The percentage of cotton yet to be planted ranges from 5 to 25, the latter in Chester and York and to the westward. Stands are greatly improved and are generally satisfactory. The late rains will bring up the recently planted to good stands. In the eas ? * - - ?~ 04-a4-A Ttoo i, tern puruuus ui tuo u/i>buu uw received its first cultivation and some fields have been chopped, to stands. It is estimated that cotton planting will be finished in about 10 days. Transplanting of tobacco sets made much progress during the week, following the rains, and this work is well advanced. The plants continue plentiful and of good size. River rice is about all planted, but upland rice is late and planting has been delaved. In Kershaw rice has not done well. Considerable yet to sow in the Georgetown district. The cool nights of the previous week were injurious to young plants as also were the brisk winds of the past week. Wheat reported as heading short, but the rains are expected to make & marked improvement in this respect Its condition continues promising. The reports on oats vary considerably but its general condition is still good. The rain will prove of great | benefit to oats in all portions of the Staie. vjais are aeaamgiow iu pisua. Sorghum cane coming up slowly. More than the usual area is being planted in the central counties. A great improvement is reported from the truck districts since the rains. Large shipments continue from the Charleston district. Sweet potato draws becoming plentiful and transplanting has begun, in the southern counties. Irish potatoes I growing well and are large enough | for use in the eastern counties. Gardens are everywhere reported doing welL The rains of the week ] were timely. Peaches are dropping freely in Hampton, but in other sections a fair crop is indicated. Apples plentiful ! on trees. Correspondents report the entire crop conditions as eminently satisfactory and encouraging to farmers over the entire State. A. Good Man to Hans. | Henry Jones, colored, was hanged | in Michigan City, Ind., on Friday, for the murder of a fellow prisoner 1 named Thomas, who testified against | him in his trial, which resulted in his j last seotence to prison. Jones conj fessed to having committed murders i ot Pla Savannah | Indianapolis, and the one for which. I he was hanged. He was a des i Derate character, naving made three attempts daring his imprisonment to j kill guards and convictsT 1 British Steamship Wrecked. The British ship Traveller, from Lonabaya for Deieware Breakwater is wrecked off Island Bodriquez. Three hundred tons of the cargo was soaked, Capt.. Christi and the first officer and * - f x-. ^^ ? ircurieen 01 me crew aieu 01 lever. An Earthquake Shock. A very distinct earthquake shock | was felt at B'ackville at 8:45 Thursday j evening, accompanied by a very loud I noise resembling that of heavy thunjder. The shock was felt at Elko, | Williston and Wagener.