Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

t ! ? VOL. LI. WINNSBORO, S. C? WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1897. NO. 40. DISPENSARY SCANDALS. SOME MIGHTY INTERESTING LETTERS GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC. Larry Gantt Threatens to Expose Corruption, Bat Was Held Off by a Ftrsoral Rs <iuest?3Jr. Scruggs Tells v>by He Wanted It Sbtu U;>. ^ There seems ;c be 20 ecd to the > scandals in connection 'with the dis 1 At<f tt??.q !r pensary. uu xucsusv tu i?i >. j _ the following letter was published by >&>* the Columbia Register: Vff Si-aktansuhg, S. C., Feb. 14, ISO7. Dear Clark. This will be ban ied 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 my friends, and also your friends, Blutlienthal and Bickart of Atlanta, Ga. Now, Clark, to be plain with you, in order to accomplish this, we must dow.i a man named Outzs. and keep our mutual friends, C rvrrc? 1 rt /?Anfrnl Wo r?G V> Hr>Tn U"Jt-U. VVUV4W*. VMM VV.fOutzs if I can get Mr. Bickart to give Lie a statement of tbe transactions between himself and Outzs and can show, as I believe is the case, that Outzs agreed to push his iiquors if he (Bickart) would pay him *25 cents per case. I want you to see Mr. Bickart and get a smiprrtarif. from him of this DrODOSition 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 my warmest friends, and I will visit him next Friday and talk over matters. I want to get Outzs' condemnation by that time. Jones is a strong Scruggs man. I want you to say to Bickart to embody in his statement that after his first conference with the board he tried to get a second audience, so as to tell the whole truth, but was gagged and not allowed to do so, at the instigation of Outzs. If I can keep Scruggs in, it means that our friends will be taken care of, but if 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 vou 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, it is not for publication, but simply to use to kill any support that Ouizs might get. Mr. Wood will give you the full story of that matter. Truly, your friend, %-v ~ * X - ? if. 5?v*ny nave you cut uiv uu nuia your exchange list? 1 have not seen a copy "j" of The Constitution since Christmas. Also send me a sample copy of your evening daily. Of course this letter is strictly confidential. The Register savs this letter has been known to be in ezistecce for over a month, but its -publication was delayed until some other things should ft "1 * V?rvO -TNTl * oVi 1X"<4L1SMi?C, UUV as XL nao other letters on the same subject has been given the public The "D*ar Clark" letter was written by Col. T. Larry Gantt. editor of the Piedmont Headlight. The rumors referred to jf in that letter are the sufcj?ct cf a com muoication from him to Mr. Scruggs . last February. Following is a copj t Intf av HQ UA (IUHW lVbbVX ||^ Spartanui.ec. S. C., Feb. 10.1807. ||||i Dear Scruggs: I hero- that an Atlani* liquor man has offered a bribe to a certain Dispensary oScial, and to pay him 25 cent3 on each bos of this man's liquor that said oficiai shipped out. Cut 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 guest at the hotel; that they slept together in the sameroo: , and that this liquor man 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 condition of affairs will disrupt the Reform movement. The people are 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. Gastt. Mr. Scruggs beard .of this letter, and> believing that his name -was coil nectea vmn me aiie^ea crconeaness, he wrote asd ssked Mr. Gantt about it, receiving the folio wins reply: Spap. taxci'kg, S. C., April 9, 1S97. Dear Scruggs: Your letter of tiie 7th, in which you state that you hear that there is a letter in circulation in Columbia, purporting to have been 'written by myself, and in which your name is connected, &c., has been received. You ask me to let you know the substance of this letter. You remember that 3cme time in February I wrote you that I had heard a report in circulation that a certain official in the State Dispensary had been offered a bribe of 2b cents a box for r every box of a certain brand of whiskey he shipoed out, that this bribe had been offered by an Atlanta firm, but afterwards that the firm stated to said of:icial 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 and the purchase of liquors that smacked strongly of corruption I stated 10 you that I intended to publish these 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. Ych know at the time that ??, I warned you against the suppression y anything crooked in the Dispensary tnai ' came to your knowledge, and told you that you could not help to cover up the rottenness of anyone connected "with the Dispen sary because of your friendship for him. jp You replied that you did not wish to hide any corruption, and the official :.u 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 tel! much more, but that he was coerced or bulldozed, and was not afraid of publicity, fearing that it might destroy his chances for future business with the dispensary. I told L you lurcher that 1 was not satisfied. ana W that 1 believed if they were assured that by telling the truth and all they knew would v cot injure their prospects for business, thai they would make a full statement of all the faces. With this view I wrote a private letter to my friend. Hon. Clark lioffel!, editor of the Atlanta Constitution ^not the liquor aria), an assuring letter, which was personal and priv-te. and scalei up. This letter was written to .Mr. iloweii. who was a friend to said firm, Rita the hope of stiffening the backbone ol this liquor man. and thereby securing all ... the facts. 1 don't remember what. I did "?- write, but 1 can tell vou that I am a free and independent American citizen, and can stand by anything that I do or say. I wear no man's collar and my hands are not soiled with any corruption, and what 1 wrote was with a view to discovering corruption that 1 might expose it through the Headlight, and not to wink at rascality. The mistake I made was in not publishing at the time the rumors I iieara, out you unow your stroisg personal appeal to me not :o do so is what deterred me. If necessary 1 will call on you to publish the letter I wrote to you some time in February. But to show you that I was not bushwhacking any man, upon learning that the Atlanta iirm stated that the oiler they made said official had been rejected, I came to Columbia, saw the accused party and stated to i him the report 1 had heard, told him just what I had done, and that he seemed exonerated. The'Howell letter 1 sent by Mr. I. 0 J. , -_i?j -r 7 vvooa, out mat gentlemen , insicau ui ucuv ering it as addressed, turned the letter over to said liquor finn, when one of its members broke the seal and read the contents. He J stated to Mr. Wood that it was not necessary | to deliver the letter, as he could give him j no information about the reported corrups tion. Mr. Wood left the letter in the bands ofsaidSrm. How it came to be turned over to parties in Columbia I do not know. I T? -cmi icill fliot letter vfiii will find J J ..... ? J (that I was simply working to unearth rej 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 connected with the Dispen! 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 and Hon I>. M. Miles were personal friends and would stand by me. Olr 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 suffer by telling all they knew they would more likely give the desired information. I also told two members of the State Board the report that had reached my ears. Come j up Saturday and see me. Truly your friend, T. L. Gantt. | Ur. Scruggs said that he did go to {see Mr. Gantt and pleaded with birr ! not to publish the reports be bad I heard about Shiorsir?Cler'-: Ouz s for the board had investigated them snd bad exonerated Mr. Ouzts. Mr. Scru?gs said he did this because the Dispensary had already just passed through one period of great trevaii (the rebate EcardaJ) and he didn't sraDt it to have to psss through anoth er- He said he simply wanted to keep down trouble, for the board had (already settled the matter and the jj Dispensary could not stand these con (stant scandals in the newspapers, ^ 1- -t U/s ! evezx lUGUg'Q laey wtrc prv-vcu i.u ] without founcation. He said he | didn't want to hide corruption, but j simply urged G-antt not to stir up this | thins in the interest of peace. Shipping Clerk Ouzts was asked J what he had to say concerning the 5 charges made in the ''Dear Clark" | letter. He referred the reporter iu !ihe Board of Control for further in formation. It was learned that Mr. Ouzis reoorled the occurrence to the J ?. j .'...il?*-u U~ ,? A "!>.? -4 i soaru aim mat. W.U JUG O..U^ XU.A. | art of Atlanta made statements- The board exonerated ilr. Ouzts, for they I afterwards re elected him. Mr. Gantt i seems, too. to have come to tee conclusion that noising was wrosg here, as he states in his letter, after haviag made an investigation. Mr. T. 0. J. Wocd, who earned the 'Dear Clark" letter to AtiauU, made th?. following statement: On the Sunday before I Trent to Atlanta, !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 | rheir invitation to the Piedmont Headlight ofi 5cc,anJ while in the office they wrote tsvoletIters. one addressed to Clark Howell, Atlanta, which they gave to me sealed. I did not know what were the contents. One other letter written with pencil by Scruggs, which | was copied by Gantt on the typewriter. I I don't Know who this one was addressed to. They knew I was going to Atianta on the following Tuesday. I had also in my possession an envelope which was written on the back with pencil by S. W. Scrugg3, certain questions for me to ask Blumenthal and Bickart of Atlanta. They desired Blumenthai and Bickart to acknowlI edge that Outzs had made a proposition to J them to the effect that he would ship out 1 their liquors provided that they, Blumen Ithal 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 j do it." Mr. Ouzts never made me any such ! a proposition. I am the man who made i the proposition." | I am in no way responsible for the "Dear j Clark" confidential letter reaching South j Carolina, nor for it being in the hands of the I press. I make this statement in justice to Mr. J Ouzts since I have been used in an attempt | to iDjure Mm. I. 0. J. Wood. A Fearful Deatli. A. reliable gentleman from E acres, who was in Spartanburg last week or. business, informed The Herald reporter of the tragic death of a negro man named John Smith in the Enoree river on Sunday morning. Right above , the C. & W. C. trestie which spans the Enoree river a mile above the fac tory, is a aaoperous sanaoar in. me river, which fishermen and bathers religiously avoid- Id happened that Smith and a crowd of negroes were in . ihe water bathing, when Smith swam up the stream and into the sandbar, leaving his companions far behind. Thinking himself perfectly stcure. and completely foiled by ihe surfact : shallowness of the river here he thc ughi he would stoD andrest and then swim ; back. No sooner did his feet strike the sand than he began sinking. He struggled to extricate himself, but to no avail; he only sank further down. He never realized bis awful position until bis body was almost completely submerged by the quicksand and water. Then he shouted frantically and desperately to bis faltering compan ions, who were far away down under j the sleepers of the trestle. Themeu j were afraid to venture up and rescue j hire, and one of th*m said it hapened ! so suddenly thatihey were all paralvz j ed wi-h a strange fascination to the ! j spot and could not move. So this j man went down unaided, as none ; 1 > /. A HI.- 1 i > ?-"? !>? ? aU r? i rt/JA it W/\ r xxcjo. iu a. xt *?wuiu I have been useless. Soon after he dis appeared a search, parij vras organized and a crowd get ia a bateau and paddled up to find the body, and tne ' search ccntirutd all the afterncou But up to yesterday mornine the body had not been fouad, and it is probable that it never wiii be. Fire at Epworth Orphaage. Tte Columbia Begister says early Thursday morning the burn of the Epwortii Orphanage was totally de s-troyed by hre, entailing a loss of about $1,400, with only ?500 worth of insurance. When the hrc was first discovered there was only a s:na.i b;aze, but as tnere are no facilities for Z n?n f t h o hnijrlinc was quickly enveloped by the iiamts (Everything was destroyed, including ; two Sue Jersey cows. A mule was j saved, although tbe animal was bad!} | Darned before it was rescued. It is : I :houcht that the fire was tne work of Ian incendiary, as there is no other ] a*ay to explain it. Xo arrests ha~e j been. made, but the Governor will of: j icr a reward, which may assist in nnd;! ing the hend. HERE'S THE EVIDENCE. 1 ALL ASOUT THOSE BECKRCGE CIGARS AND PEACHES. X!r. SctuggsGot Some, But Says He "Was Oa)y Following the Custom-Some Dam? niunfinftarr ifgxug A CO? liUVUJ Officials AJthough all of the testimony in the Beckrcge trunk matter has not been taken, still there is enough to show what became of ' -? contents. The testimony on tbis point is somewhat conflicting, but it is very evident that people in the Dispecsarv trot the contents of the trunk. Mr." Scrugss j acknowledges taking some of the ci j gars and peaches, but pleads that he had no idea of doing anytnmg wron?, as it had been a custom for the officials to appropriate such things to their own use ever since 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 ihe testimony: CLERK SCRUGGS was the first witness. lie testified that he soui me jjecsroge iruns 10 .ur. u.nns auu ? tbat it was to be paid for on Mr. Garris next j visit to Columbia. With the day upon which i Commissioner Gaston, Mr. Garris and de* j ponent went to the contrabrand room to do- j liver the Lrunk was the first time he had acy J knowledge of the contents of the trunk to the best ?? *-'s recolection: but one thing he is positivc^aabout?that up to that time he had never ts?cen any part of the contents of the trunk, ati 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 empf-rr Ai'rtflX Ka-COC t ATI f ll O f fl 0 V 1 T) f.H ft WM "J UVAWi ? ? ?^ r j ence of Gaston and Garris deponent took a handful of these cigars. Garris took a handful and Gaston took a handful and he jokingly twitted Judge Gaston with the remark that he could now account for the cigars which he (Gaston) and harry had been smoking for several weeks; that cigars which deponent took he carried into the State Board room and gave Mr. Williams and Mr. Dout- j hit some of them, and told them he had got-j ten them out of the contraband room and j would get them some more, which he in- j tended to do before the adjournment of the Board and before they left the city, but in j the multiplicity of his duties it escaped his i attention. That a few days after this he j | went into the Board r-oora. and got the key of j I the contraband room which belonged to the I | State Board of Control, and which was in the j | custody of deponent as clerk of the Board, and j j with Charles Lynch, a cleikin his office, and I got four boxes of cigars partially filled, as he | remembers, and four cans of peaches, and !?instructed Lynch to take them into the office, and the boy3 in the office could eat the | 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 State, as the cigars were very cheap cigars, j and he does not believe they could have f been disposed of for any consideration: that j j * ? Jiz j l I uepuneiiL itisu uisuovercu acvaui tvuiva vi ^ domestic wine the day he took Lynch in for ! cigars and peaches and humorously remarked I ' We will get that wine, too, before some one j takes it," but as a matter-of fact, did not! move to take it at the time of making the remark, as it was not seriously made, and he did not take the wine, and Commissioner j Gaston told him he had taken charge of the wine; that he seldom entered the contraband j room, and never unless upon urgent business, j As Colonel Jones and the Attorney General's office will bear him, oat 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 lor personal use; that Colonel Gaston did not attend to these matters a3 promptly as Chairman Jones thought he should and Colonel Jones told | him he and deponent would have to take I 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 the records supposed to 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, TCflAWl Twitl for I some goods -was from 31.30 to ?1.35 per gal-1 Ion: that further than herein, stated, he has j never taken a single article from the contra- j band room; that in taking these four boxvs j of cigars and cans of peaches he was only j following out a custom which has been in | vogue ever since his connection with the State Dispensary; that on divers occasions such articles as brandy peaches, brandy j cherries, cigars and other articles other than 1 wines and whiskies have been placed in tbe custody of the Commissioner and he has of" ^ Q?^aVi nvtlAlftO o n/1 o 1 c o ! j ICU li-ii-U ournc UA auvu cbX4.AVi.VO ct.LA\A. ctiviV : given them to others: and to show that deponent did not suppose he was committing an act which would make him liable to censure, he gave to two members of the Board 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, because Blakeley was his mortal enemy, for some reason he knows not why, and he did not wish any distortion of the facts, and this was the reason he told him to say nothing to k r?r> to /\t? T\0?1 AC - t Vl Q t V? ("> VX?CbJ..? VI yvuvuvg, J-?W had no objection to Mr. Blakeley knowing he had taken the cigars and peaches to the clerks in hi3 office, provided a friendly and legitimate construction upon what he did was placed thereon; that when F. M. Mixson was Commissioner in 1S0-3, 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 good offices of Commissioner Mixson. COLONEL GASTON. toionei Gaston, in ms deposition, says: That sometime in November last he was appointed pro tem. Commissioner, and continj ued to act as such until his retirement recently. While acting I remember that a large drummer's trunk cime to the Dispensary from Charleston and was placed in the contraband room. It contained four jugs, one of which came broken, with whiskey, several bottles of wine, some cans of peaches, ten boxes of cigars, a few decayed oranges and nno r>nir nf ThoTrnnlr fVimo flu* I! whiskey was Jumped and bottled, arid the J wine is still in the Dispensary. Soine time alter the trunk came L weoi. to the room and found that the cigars had been tampered with. About one-iialf to two-thirds of the , cigars had been taken out sf the boxes with I the exception of one, which was full. 1 LliCU LUG UAViVVU 'JV-XtJ 1UIU 1VU1 boxes and placed them with the bottles of wine in another trunk. Soon after this I went into the room and looked in the trunk into which the four boxes had been placed and found them gone. On examination of the empty boxes again, I found a few in a box whicii I took down to uuj office. I then called Watts, who had a ke? to the room, and lien Harris, and told thexn there must be something wrong and some one must have had a kev. Thev ucth declared that no one I had a key, fin<1 no one had been allowed to go jin the room. I immediately notiiied iilake| ley about -what ha<i been done in the roont I ami asked him to look out and aid dc in rtao :uiv tuc luuui aiiu iiierfering with contraband stulT. I then or| dered a new lock pur. on the contraband | room door, and then bolted securely the otb|er door inside, and since that time nothing has been missed up to the time I left there.! The pair of shoes in the trunk 1 sold for j $1: the part of a box of cigars brought down j to the otiice 1 have paid for. I maue a lUll r'JJIOX'l u: UUS uriucx iu iac j State] Board of Control at its hurt meeting, i Tvhich is hereto appended, and in that the ! disposition of the trouble iss tated. The report to the Board of Control referred j to follows: 1 have a matter 1 wish to call attention to. i I have had charge of the contraband room J 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 keys to Mr. Watts, who is perfectly reliable. 1 visited the room every few days to sec how matters stood. I missed occasionally a bottle of whiskey from the cases. 1 complained to Mr. Watts and he assured me that he carried the keys and no one ha>l been allowed in the room. About the time of your last meeting a large fi-nuL- ir? Tfitli TrvrPP Inrrrp in<r%* fiftYCr:!.! ? ?.x wua vurnv "UU J ^ I bottles of wine, two cans of peaches auu ten j boxes of cigars While in there one morning J Mr. Garris told me that Mr. Scruggs said he 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 fjr myself. 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 and put the rest in a trunk. A few days after I found the whole amount of cigars had been taken except one piece of a box, which I now have in my possession. I have since ; had a new and strong lock put- on the door,! so I now lock one door and bolt the other, I j regret this very much, and am now satisfied j it will never occur again. Some one must j lio.l o At* Irov Xnf.hin^ I has been missed by me since that time. mr. i:la iceley, bookkeeper for the State Commissioner, tes- j titied that Mr. Lynch came to the office of! the Commissioner and deponent asked him j if he knew anything about missing cigars 1 from the contraband room or had he seen j any one smoking them. Mr. Lynch replied j that that was what he had come down to see j hiin about. Deponent told him that Mr. j Gaston had missed ten boxes of cigars. Mr. J Lynch then told him Mr. Scruggs had gotten I them and had divided them up in the office. J Deponent asked him how he had gotten > them. Mr. Lynch said he went into the j room with a duplicate key and had cold him j nrtf oott ov?t! ?iv,n? ok/Mif l.ic liovinrr thni. < .-.Uj WlUp key. Deponent told Mr. Lyneh lie had done j right in telling him about this thing, and un- j der no circumstances to touch them. Lynch j then said he was going to report the matter j to Mr. Williams and Mr. Douihit, two of the J members of the Hoard. Deponent after this j reported the matter to Colonel Wllie ioncs. > but not in an official "way. He said if Ij would pat.it in writing he would call the at- j tention of the Board to it. Deponent said lie ' would not do this, and it was his business as ! he had accused him of Sghting fcruggs, and I it was none of his business if he stole ihej whole Dispensary. Mr. Blakeley further j testified that Commissioner Gaston had com- [ plained to him about some one stealing the I cigars, and he asked Gaston if he bad taken j any of the cigar.*, and he replied he had tak- j en only three, and had given C. W. Garris a j handful. V.R. CHARLEY LYNCH. Mr. C. J. Lynch in his testimony makes ) some damaging statements as to Mr. Scruggs, j lie deposes: That he has been in the State j Dispensary since it was first opened, but was j appointed bookkeeper, or assistant to Mr. | Scruggs in April, lS'JG, and is still in the j same position. That some time in Febru-5 ary, IS'JT, Mr. Scruggs came into the ofiice, i in the presence of Mr. Mobley and Mr.! Charles and himself and said:""Charlie, do j yor know that Gaston has a trr&k fuil-of ci-} gars, peaches and wine back in the contra- j band room?" 1 replied that I did not. j Mr. Scruggs said: "Well, he has been walk- j ing up and down the street smoking them, j and I have been wondering where in the i h?11 he got them." I said: "No, 1 did not know he had them back there." Scruggs said he had and said: "Come back with mc and I will show them to you. Scruggs and I went out of the oiiic<; to the contraband room door ; 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 I and said: "iJon't tell anybody I have got I this key." He then unlocked the door and i 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 ana; said: "I will be d?d if he has not smoked | the last one." I was near the door andj asked hioi if he had not told me that they j were in a trunk, and he said, "Yes." I then j said: "There is the trunk under the table." j He then went to the truuk, lifted the lid and { moved aside some wine and pulled out three I boxes containing cigars and handed them to | deponent, lie then reached on top of pigeon j holes over the trunk and took down another I box containing cigars and said. "Here i3 j one I had up here when I was here this J morninsr." and handed t.hem to deponent and } said: "Take the boxes to the office," Deponent theu asked hira: "How about the peaches?" He replied, "They are not here in the trunk." Deponent then pointed to cans of peaches on the desk and said: ' There they are, over there." Scruggs then went over and got them and gave them to j him and said: "Go on to the ofiice with the i rliiniri; '' hnt. flc.iin said. "Wait until I see I if there is any one in the ball." Jle opened the door and looked and said: "There is no one there; go ahead." Deponent then went ] to the telephone room, and as he started into Ithe office Scruggs said: '-Let mc sec if there is any one in there," He said: '-Go ahead, i 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, facing Mr. Mobley, remarked, "Mind, j did not take these tnings." Deponent then j ! nl.ifeil them on his desk and Scruzes came j back in the office and said: "Charlie hide j those things before Mr. Klakeley comes in; 1 don"I want him to see them.'' Deponent then took them ofi" the desk and put them in a box at his feet. '-Scruggs come over and said: "Give Mose one of the boxes {meaning Mr. Alobley.) Deponent reached down and got one of the boxes and deponent Lani ded it over and he took it and put it in the drawer of nis desk. lie then went into the next room and deponent opened one of the j cans of peaches and called him and asked j him if he did not want some. He replied he I did not believe he did just then, as he was i rr..!rm nn 1 )f>riiinpnt Mr CharlM .'LIlcl I ..r ~~L, Mr. Mooley ate the peaches. Deponent then I opened a second can ami took it into the next room where Mr. Scruggs was, ana. j using a paper cutter, took one o?' the peaches j out on it and hanied it to Mr. Scruggs, tcll-j ing him to try it. JIe ate that and deponent j handed him another, which, he ate. Deponent then went back into the office and Mr. Scruggs went up street. While eating the | rest of the peaches deponent showed Mobley ! and Charles the peculiar manner in which | Mr. Scruggs brushed aside iiis moustache j 3 while eating the peaches. Deponent then j went to Mr. Motley and said: "Give me back that box of cigars: you don't waut it." j lie replied. "Yes, 1 do " Deponent then ' said: 'There is going to be h?ii raised about j theni, and you dun t wart them." Mr. Mob- j ley then said: "If that is the case, 1 don't j i want to have anything to do with them,"'! ? aud hauded them buck tu deponent, and I took tiic box aud locked it up >vith the other two I had Deponent took tiie two remaining cans of peaches aud hid them in the otlice, as Mr. icruggs n:;d said: --Don't eat all tlie peaches, as I want some of theai " These two cans of peaches are row in the ofW A few d.iva alter,vard deotueai took ilie three boxes of cigars and carried them home for safe keeping and has thcta there now. Several times lie had missed things out of his drawer. A few day- after thia Scruggs was in the ollice and said. "Muse, give me a cigar." Mr. Mobley replied, haven't any, sir/' He left the oiiice without saying anything more. The rezt day Scruggs came to Jeponcnt and said. "Charley, >vhere are all those cigars?" Deponent replied, "All gone, sir." Scruggs said, "The pieces of boxes, too?" Deponent replied, "l'es, they are all gone." lie then left deponent -without any further remark. A day or two afterwards Scruggs asked deponent j if he had told Gaston he had taken those ci- J gars. Deponent replied, "No, sir.1' Deponent says that at tiie time he and Scruggs went into the contraband room and while he was taking the cigars out of the trunk, he remarked, "I'll have this wine before I get. through,'' and he afterwards made a similar remark about the v.-inc in the office. Deponent further says Mr. Scruggs asked him a day or two ago if he knew anything about the shoes, or had Gaston said anything to him about them. Deponent further says that he omitted to state above that the same day the cigars and reaches were carried into the office Mr. Mobley asked the deponent where he got the things. Deponent replied, "In the contraband room." lie then asked him how he got them, as he thought Judge Gaston was in charge ot the room. Deponent replied that Mr. Scruggs had a hocus pocus key. Deponent further states that on the same day the cigars and peaches were taken out of the contraband room he went down to the Commissioner's office and Mr. Blakeley asked him if he knew anything about the missing cigars frora the contraband room. Deponent replied, "Yes: that is what I have come down to see you about," and then went on and told him all about the cigars and peaches; that at the next meeting of the board he reported to Mr. Williams and Mr. Douthir, what he has said above as to the taking of cigars and peaches from contraband room and has also since that time reported it to the Governor. Mr. H M. Mcbley, a bookkeeper, and Mr. Charts, an employee in the ciepensary. corrobcrated the testimony of Mr. Lynch as given above. Commissioner Vance testified that r\r* i/io 9Qfri r.f A r>r:l -T T. Gaston cacr;e '.o him of his own ac cord ar d stated that he was due the State Dispensary for some articles he did received and paid bias $1 for one p<sir of shoes and 25 cents for some cigars. Ben Harris ttstifisd that he has been working in the State Dispensary for about nvejears acd has been in the dumping room most of the time. He i.Hfct. fVmow 7 not r^esrs from the dumping room, raving gotten the key j from Mr. Watts. Messrs. II E. Watts, W. W. Harris) and C. A. Koou, all employees, at the j dispensary, ?.estirled to the facts above narrated. Mr. Garris iu explaining how he I came to buy the trunk says that at the lime he purchased said trunk he did net know or inquire from whom it was seized, as he tuppesad it had been forfeited to the State and the board could sell it: that he still has the trunk and has been ready at aJl Limes to pay for :t when the price was fixed. Deponent further says that htat no time frent into the contraband room vrith Mr. Sc/uggs and two other geatltmen and secured cigars Trhile in there. and tbai Mr. Scruggs did no. take and grire to him a nandf ul of cigars cur of tee '.rank, and that woe:-, he purci.-,sad and carried a-yay the trunk there w&sjtip cigars in it, a:-d none given to him by Mr. Gaston at that tine; that he knows nothing about any of th<. contents of the said jDdCKregc; iruuE.; .a.'iu ucvcr icwivcu i d.ny part of Ihevgzrs it ^as s*id to ? have contained, or of any other avti-1 cjes; that he has smoked cigars with i officials of the dispensary in a friend- j iy and casual way, but that the small number received by him at any time was in this way, and he did not know where they came from as he supposed the gentleman had purchased tiiem. AN IMPORTANT CASE. A Firm of Liquor Dealers After the Dls I peasary. The Charleston correspondent of the Columbia Register says the bill filed in the United States Circuit Hourtin that cit.- Tuesday by W. A. Vandercoos & Co., of California, against Commissioner Vance, the State constables and whomsoever else it may corcern. payir-g damages for past interferences with the firms business in this Stale, and for perpetual iujuac-J tioa against all future occunences, if this character, may be styled the Pharsalas where the Slate will be call ed upon to make its last stand against the inroads of the interstate commerce : aw upon its peculiar institution, kno wn as the Disipensary system. The plaintiffs through their attorney, Mr. J. P. K Bryan, virtually set-up the claim, under the ai^is of tue b'ecierai Constitution and of the interstate ]aws enacted thereunder, to send their agents into the State to solicit business aud obtain orders, to establish warehouses or other depositories for the liquors, and to appoint, still other agents to receive and disburse these liquors, in the original unbroken packages, to whomsoever they may see fit: thus establishing, without | let or hindrance, to ail intents and purposes, an opposition business to the Siate Dispenss.ry. If Vandercook & Co. and adjudicated to be justified iu -1 ' -- J- .u ! j tneir Claims, as mus .LLiiiu.e, Luou auj body who professes to bs an agent of ;any foreign cor.cern in the business lean sel up asd engage in the traffic on j the iame conditions, and the State's | monopoly cf it is virtually at an end. ! Curiosily enough, this denounce ! ment will have been led up to in aud I through a court which was ths first j tribunal, unexpectedly enough, to de I clare mat the D'spensarj- law was con j stiiutional, in so far ss it eurpcrted to! i regulate the domestic traffic ia liquor. O Since that first favorable decision,1 ! Judge Simonton has filed numerous] loiters cn the interbtat3 commerce fea- j cure, declaring the lavrt) oe uticon { I s'iitutiorialin so far as it co; liieted ] ! -vita the privileges and immunities o' j Itioref-.siic and foreign citizens under! : the Federal instrument, v^itii theef-j ! rtci to sadly cripple and circumscribe i the ooer.ilio-iS of the Dispensary jaw. j Whether he w:.ll go to the exisator ccauteaaocitig Vaadercook & Co's. dairn of the right to establish clones r.ic agencies within the State to virtu\ aiiy carry oa a whoi;:saie and retail jiquor business remains to be seen. Certainly. if the justice oT such a ccnu-niion i>hall be established there . r..uid seem to be little encouragement left for the State toccuUnui in a .. usiness in which e *ery one LL,ay en -dicc without so much as asking lt-^ve or ncfcLse. A?rte? WaiII McL^urln* - r it- . ~ | A SpeCiiti CILS;J5.1CJ1 'TOIZi vv | : :.o ihe OoJumbia elate sa>> Senator j j rill;uan will make a spetcia on tiie | I tariif bill when the coilon schedule is j j reached. Speaking of the matter, he j i said: "I wiii see M.eL.aunD, ana go j bim two or three teller. I snail urge ! ! a bounty on cotton and wheat exports. | 11 may oe turned down, and probably j r?ili be, but I'll make soinc of the pro| teciionisis mightily sick before I gel j through with them.'-' "(1 ARRIS AND THE TRUNK. | SAYS HE BOUGHT I" FROM COMMIS- | SIONER GASTON. ! liat Being Busy Told BJm to Go A&ead j and the Price Would be Fixed?Ready to j Pay or Kelarn It?Scruggs Maies a Stateni6Dt. Mr. C. W. Garris. of Colleton, vrho 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 say about it: Editor News and Courier: I notice in the Columbia correspondence of your issue of Aoril 29, under the cap"Lit >r r\.* o lion Ol ""ii. iNew i^ispensitry ccauu?i, that my name appears in connection with the "Beckroge trunk affair." "Truth seeker." after propounding the sums question to certain dispensary officials, turns to me and eays: "We would be glad to haye Mr. C. W. Garris, a member of the legislative committee, to say what he knows about the trunk." I will cheerfully state my connection with the matter, and it is as follows: I found at the close of the last tension of the legislature, on account of some purchases I had made, that I needed a larger trunk. I remembered that '-"hile I was a member of the legislative ftxj?mininfr committee we had taken s'.ock of a kind of "plunder j room' that contained some old trunks J and valises, among other things, thai | were said to have been captured full cf "blind tiger" liquor. I learned that these articles were disposed of by sale. When I found that I needed a trunk, 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 abaut the matter He showed me two small ones very badly damaged. I was about to buy one of these, when Mr. Scruggs, or possibiy some member of the board told me that there were others upstairs. I! - 1 r* 3 1 went up wna uoionei vxastuju, auu j found the tiunk in question. It had I been handled very roughly in break-1 in? it open and needed repairs?a new lock, etc. Colonel Gaston and my-j self looked at the trunk, and he re-j marked that he would use to ouy tne j trunk himself, whereupon I declined j to take it and started a^ay. Colonel 1 Gaston reflected a moment, called mc j back and said that if the trunk suited ! me I cculd ?ake it along. He deliver-1 ed it to me and I had it brought to the; board's room door. I called on the j members present (and I forget now j what ones were present?could find! out if necessary) to fix the price. The j members seemed, however, to beais-J casing some ma;?,-r v. ry hurriedly < I ifsiuk same of ihtm wrc goiui* awa; \ on the next train, and it was &boutj train time. Some members remarked j thai thf-y wouid fix the prici- later,: a$d that tbty xouid m\ke ic reason*-1 b!e. I sent the trunk ihen to the shop j for repairs. The day before L left Columbia I exiled to settle the matter.? Mr. Scruggs stated that the price had ] not yet been fixed, but said he would I send me the bill as soon as it was. j Jttecsntly J. was talking to a mernoer of the board, and he mentioned the matter to me and a^ain I asked for a price, and he promised he would attend to the matter at the next board meeting, and send me the bill. This is ali 1 know of the trunk. I wish to state that I know nothing and care nothing about where the truriK came irom. jl aia noi 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 valus, and, of course, none to give more. I would have bought the trunk under similar cir cumstances if every reporter in the land had been there to witness the sale. I not only did not care for that j but did not think of the public prints j in connection with the matter. OnJ :he 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 utder any circumstances, just because of my aversion for ^iincullies of that kind. I 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 or tiie dispensary mentioned m the article referred to. I wish to state further that I am in no way connect ed with the dispensary, either as legia lative examiner or otherwise. I was last year, but my active duties ended ;ong before I bought the trunk. Still I mny have been a member, I do not know whether Speaker Gary had made the new appointments at that time or not. In conclusion, 1 wiil say that I have tried to preserve the proper spirit in my answer to the inquiry cf "Truth I Seeker." His insinuation that the! trunk was given away is not "truth " And I fear his whole article was not so much an inquiry for truth as it was an attempt to slander. Now, it "Truth Seek?r1' knows anything thr-t is going on wrong at the State Dispensary or anywhere else in - ' ? - ? "p - L L _ ? If the trunk was illegaiiy taken from 1 Mr. B=ckroge, I do not blame him for! nis conie&tion. I do not blsme any man who wants his own; to blame would be to eondeo-<n my own disposition. Respectfully, C W. Garris Smoak's S. C.. April 30, 1897F. S ?I see by the News and Cou i-. n I I *"? 1 -VI A* TTT it 5^ ? V> C- \ Titfi Ux i\jo&y '.uai JL5 aiuug wn-u LUV J i.-ffice/s of the di.sp osary,arn expected to expUia som-iaing about eL'nrs, i peaches, shoes, etc. The indi?;duai that intimates that. I kno*v ?mytbi~sr j ;i;> ut feitiser is a iyivtc sc .u-* d-d. Vlj | connection wi:h ii was the uuiC^as-, and beyond that I kno77 absolutelyj nothing. | It will be r-ottd ihat there is aeon- j ii'lict in the testimony of ilr. G-arrisj ! and that of Co. Lei Gaston. The iat- j i ter said thai Mr. Scruggs had given! him the trunk, while Mr. Garris says! the transaction cf the sak and pur chi.se was between him and Colonel Gaston. Mr. Scruggs returned yesterday from Charleston, where he had been taking stock in the three hotel dispensaries. He was somewhat indignant at the published report that he had gone to Colleton to ^confer wit fa Hr. Garris. He says he cot only did not see Garris, but has not written him or communicated with him ia any way since this matter has been talked of. Hs said Mr. Garris had bought the trunk openly and above board, and that was all there was to it. While,of course, there may be some doubt as to the ri^htcf oUc-ials to dispose of such property by sale, still theve is no doubt that it has been uuif. -Li.iiy vy a v luc puujio nurv taimy know that Mr. Garris got the trunk, but the burning question is, where are the cigars,peaches and lemons? Who got these, and how did thev? Judge Tcrcnsend is bufy taking the evidence, and he said that all that would be brought out. The evidence obtained by him is not yet available for publication, but will bs. SCRUGGS ANDGAoTGrJ AnKbo I Eu. Both of Them Waived an Fximination and Gave Bond. The Beckroge trunk dispensary scandal, which has been the all-absorbing topic all over South Carolina for a wees pasi, cuimiDaiea j? riaay ia me arrest "of ex-Clerk Seth W. Scruggs of the State board of control, and exCommissioner John T. Gaston, upon the common law charge o? official misconduct. Both have given bond for ihtir appearance at the next term j of the court of sessions in Richland county, aod will be free until the court meets in the summer. Friday every one was still talking about the scandal and tbe affidavits j that had bt?en secured, and wondering what 'he St2le authorities were ^oiog to do about it. It was about y\ onn t7tV? dti Af r* T. _T. i 11 ^ c nn c t.ViA member of the Scale board designated to s?rear out the warrants, went to Magistrate Sooth's office and made the J affidavits having the warrants issued. The warrant in the case of Mr. Scruggs charged that "on or about the first day of March. 1S97. one Seth W. Scruggs did commit official misconduct by taking and carrying away r'rom the contraband room in the State dispensary four boxes of cigars and four cans of peaches and other articles the property of the State, while enA-f V(1C? O C I 111 LilC \JJL JULXJ VHAbAV??J U>J I clerk and bookkeeper of the State board of control in said Stute dispensary, with j intent to defraud the State of South] Carolina, as fully set forth in the affi caviE nereto auacnea.- ? AGAINST COL. GASTON. The -warrant against Col. Gaston alleges that >;on or about the 1st day of March, 1S97, one John T. Gaston did commit official misconduct by taking and carrying away from the contraband room in the State dispensary J oat pair of shc^s, part box of cijjars i and other articles the property of the j Slate while acting as State commis-j sinnpr in o.'nzv.rp of Mid room and I while in the discharge of the duties of 5 said otSce, with intent to defraud the | Staie of South Carolina, as fully set forth in the affidavit hereto attached." The affidavit is also made by Mr. Williams before Magistrate Smith. D/vm? /am? "oovn It was about 2:30 o'clock when Mr. Gaston walked into the office of the magistrate and surrendered himself, ne having been informed by the magistrate's constable that he was wanted. 3e waived a preliminary, and gave bond for his appearance at the sessions court in the sum of $400. His bondsmen were Gen. John Gary Watts and Maj B. B. Evans. A 'rt'.iit A r.nhr tlio carrns TYpnropHini* ! J. V -~l? was gone through with as to Mr. Scruegs. He came up in response to a similar notice from the constable, Mr. Hartin. His bond was fixed in the same amount. His bondsmen were Jamis Q-. Payne and W. J. Scruggs. Attorney Genera! Barber says that the punishment for the offense charged upon conviction is imprisonment and nne in tne discretion onnejucige, Ihe imprisonment not to exceed seven years. It is not of necessity in the State penitentiary. Mr. 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 to -what offense these men should be prosecuted for. Breach of trust, grand larceny, housebreaking in the case of Scruggs and numerous other offenses were iooked Into, but the attorneys could not find where any of them would lie upon the evidence present j a .x r* ? ^ eu.. iilLuriLC.y \jrcucraj. uai vrci jcouga-j day said: "You can just say for me to the public, that if there is any other offsnse for which these parties can be indicted, then this office stands ready to prosecute therefor.*'?State. Larry Gantt Got Some. In a letter to the Columbia State in refuronpfl tn tViA rHcnpnsar'c Larry Gantt says: "I think your i Dosition is right about those samples. They are the property of the State, and should be sola with the other liquors aLd the proceeds turned into the State treasury. But ic has Jong been the custom. I believe, to divide those samples among dispensary attaches: and nis kiiat^ government, lor ins sase ui s justice let him come out and name the j wrong and the wrong-doer in an hon j oracle way and sign. his name to his! productio-n, fcr the world is growing j * Ua?-a. 4 U/% /?a *** H ?4/% .wc n | LO U<XI>J LiJ.c w ?aiu buab tuivo c* ? brick and bides sis hand." The money j or the trunk is subj-c' to the order of j the board, and has Dten sittce it wssj bouffbt ar.fi will b<r until settled. if a search warrant was taken out i j doubt not out that sample bottles will i be fouud in every State officer's house ] in Columbia, from the governor's | maiiiion to the penitentiary. I have j bad some seven or ei^ht sample bottles j jjiven me?and tbey did not ail come ; from Mr. Scruggs, either- AIosl of | this liquor I brought home to use in ! vas r of sickness, as I supposed it was j better than that sold in the dispensary;! and the greater part of it is now in j mv House, having atver been opened,1 and if there is any question about it I can return it to the dispensary. Clearing Mr. Garris. ^OtrttA T?rvf%vi/^ >-vr r*/N-MA/ c. JLU.C vj i.<\ wO i^v/aiu 'JL wuwi vi vy* bi.Lv Dispensary he3d a mettin^ in Columbia oil last Thursday a^d after the transaction of routine business ilr. Cooper introduced the following resolution. which was unanimously adopted R'-si;Ived, That it is the sense of this ; oourd ihal iat Hon. C. W. Garris ! came into the possession of the BeckI ro^-e trunk in an honorable *nd iegitii rr.k'^ Trav a ad that the price for said | iruiik be fixed at ?5. Mr. Cooper prefaced his resolution by a few remarks. He had seen the trunk, he said, after Mr. Garris got it, and knew the condition it was in. The other numbers of the board left it to Mr. Cooper to say what the + rrTrt f rr?Axt In Of TXTQC tHo /^T") 1TT j II LL olXV. rruiwu, ao ticw buu ksiaaj I one to s;e it. He placed the price at [the above amount. CONDITION OF CROPS. THE WEEKLY BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE OBSERVER. State ol 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: TEMPERATURE. Average of 57 weekly means 69 degrees; approximate normal for the > same period 68 degrees. Highest reported 95 on the 28th at Grillisonville; lowest 44 on the 28th at Cheraw, The temperature for the week was nearly normal over the entire State. There was a decided fall on Saturday, Hay 1. RAINFALL. 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 Ealsellville. The average of all reports was 116 and the normal for the same period is approximately 0.78. The rainfall was generally well distributed ana sufficient for the present Deeds of crop, except in portions of Lexington, Newberry, Richland, Fair neia ana unesier, wnere me snowers 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 bottorn lands flooded. Hail fell over the extreme western counties on the 30th, but no damage is reported. SUNSHINE AND WINDS. 'mere was aoout tne 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 growing 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 counties there is much yet to be planted, the dry condition of the soil having prevented the preparation of lands. Stands of early planted corn are generally satisfactory, with exceptions in every county, owing to worms in Beaufort, Dorchester, Hampton, Colleton, Williamsburg, Berkeley and Florence; and lack o* moisture elsewhere, however, the needed moisture has tince been supplied. 'Jinnat bugs . continue destructive in Chester. Over the eastern counties corn has received its first working generally, and some its second. It is somewhat4 'off color" in a few localities, owing to dry weatner and 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 <ars^ or-a o-prtflrall-ir satififflfitrtrv. The late rains will bring up the recentlyplanted tc good stands. In the eastern portions of the State cotton has received its first cultivation and some fields have been chopped to stands. It is estimated that cDtton 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 nlAntiful anrf nf fmnd size. River rice is about all planted, but upland rice is late and planting has been delayed. 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 a 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 i State. Oats are heading low in places. [ Sorghum cane coming up slowly, j 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 growing well and are large enough for use in the eastern counties. Gardens are everywhere reported doine: 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. CorresDondents reoort the entire crop conditions as eminently satisfactory and encouraging to farmers over the entire State. A Good Man to Hang. Henry Jones, colored, was hanged in Michigan City, Ind., on Friday, for the murder of a fellow prisoner named Thomas, who testified against ; LULL: in mo tnai, VYUI^U icouibcu ill | last sentence to prison. Jones con! fessed to having committed murders j at Jacksonville, Fla., Savannah, Ga., I Indianapolis, and the one for which | he was hanged. He was a desj perate character, saving made three ; attemDts dnrinf his imnrisonment to I kill guards and convicts. British, gteamahip Wrecked* I-LJaC XXVUkl Lonabaya for Deleware Breakwater is I wrecked off Island Rodriquez. Three hundred tons of the cargo was soaked. I Capt. Christi and the first officer ana j fourteen of the crew died of fever. Ail Earthquake Shock. A very distinct earthquake shock was felt at B'ackville at8:45 Thursday j evening, accompanied by a very loud i noise resembling that of heavy thunj der. The shock was felt at Elko, j Williston and Wagener. *