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f I ? The Press and Banner. BY HUGH WILSON" ~ AHBCriLLE, N. <> m rv "*T r\ r% t Vlv A I Pi llJSrUJNSilM BUAJWAL8 SOME MIGHTY INTERESTING LETTERS GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC. I any Gantt Threatens to Expose Corruption, Bat W?a Held Off by a Persoral Re quest?Mr. Scroggn T? lis Wby He Wanted It Shot Up. 1 There seems to be do end to the scandals in connection wiih the cis , pensary. On Tuesday of last wtek the following letter was published bj I the Columbia Register: Spartanbvbg, S. C., Feb. 14, 1897. ? ? I V? Dear C'larK. xnis win oe onuucu /uu uj my friend, Mr. I. 0. J. Wood, and who will explain to to you just what I want. Iam anxious to control the State board of dispensary commissioners, so that I can help out my friends, and also your friends, Bluthenthal and Bickart of Atlanta, Ga. Now, Clark, to be plain with you, in order to accomplish this, we must down a man named Outzs, 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 25 cents per case. I want you to see Mr. Bickart and get a statement from him of this proposition to krvw woo received. I do VUlLC, auu uvn aw huw m?w? ? 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 Bickartto 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. ,f T ??"? firvrii(T<Ta in it. TllPftnS that eur 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 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 As stated, it is not for publication, but simply to use to kill any support that Outzs might get. Mr. Wood will give you the full story ol that matter. Truly, your friend, P. S ?Why have you cut me off from your exchange list? I have not seen a copy of The Constitution since Christmas. Also send me a sample copy of your evening daily. Of course this letter is strictly confidential. . The Register says this letter has been known to be in existence for over a month, but its publication was delayed until some other things should transpire, but as it has been published other letters on the same subject has been given the public. The "Dear Clark" letter was written by Col. T Larry Gantt, editor of the Piedmont Headlight. The rumors referred to in that latter are the subject of a com munication from him to Mr. Scruggs last February. Following is a copy of that letter: Spartanbirg, S. C., Feb. 10 1897. Dear Scruggs: I hear that an Atlanta liquor man has offered a bribe to a certain Hianpnaarv nffinial and to TI8.V him 25 cents on each box of this man's liquor that said official shipped out. But 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 same room, 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 jour true friend, that this condlion 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. Gantt. Mr. Scruggs heard of this letter, Bed, believing that his name was connected with the alleged crookedness, be wrote and asked Mr. Gantt about it, receiving the following reply: Spartanburg, S. C., April 9, 1897. Dear Scruggs; Your letter of the 7th, in which you state that you hear that there is n. Ipfter in fiircnlnlinn in Columbia, rmrnort ing 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 remembei that some time in February I wrote you thai I had heard a report in circulation that 8 certain official in the State Dispensary had been offered a bribe of 25 cents a box foi every box of a certain brand of whiskey h< shipped out; that this bribe had been offeree by an Atlanta firm, but afterwards that th< firm stated to said official that they coulti only pay 10 cents a box, and after he fell ii his price then the official reported the rep resentative of this firm as trying to brib< him. I also stated in said letter other report: connected with the Dispensary managemen and the purchase of liquors that smackei strongly of corruption I stated to you tha I intended to publish these reports, that th< people might know them and demand ai investigation of the whole business. A fev days after the receipt of this letter you cam< to Spartanburg and asked me to suppresi the publication. You know at the time tha I warned you against the suppression o anything crooked in the Dispensary tha came to your knowledge, and told you tha you could not help to cover up the rotten ness of anyone connected with the Dispen eary because of your friendship for him You replied that you did not wish to hid* any corruption, and the official in questioi you believed to be your enemy and wa working in conjunction with others to secun your defeat. 1 stated to you that I hean the representative of this firm would tel much more, but fhat he was coerced or bull dozed, and was not afraid of publicity, fear ing that it might destroy his chances for fu ture business with the dispensary. I toll you further that I was not satisfied, am that I believed if they were assured that b. telling the truth and all they knew woul? not injure their prospects for business, tha they would make a full statement of all th facta. With this view I wrote a private letter t my friend, Hon. Clark Ilowell, editor of th Atlanta Constitution (not the liquor firm), ai assuring letter, which was personal and pri vate, and sealed up. This letter was writtei to Mr. Howell, who was a friend to said firm with the hope of stiffening the backbone c this liquor man, and thereby securing al the facts. 1 don't remember what 1 di< write, but I can tell you that I am a free am independent American citizen, and cai stand by anything that I do or say. I wca no man's collar and my hands are not soiled with any corruption, and what I wrote Fas with a view to discovering corruption that I might expose it through the Headlight, and not to wink at rascality. The mistaka 1 made was in not publishing at the time the rumors I heard, but you know your strong personal appeal to me not to do so is what deterred me. If necessary I will call on you to publish the letter i wrote 10 you suujc 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 ho seemed exonerated. The llowell letter 1 sent by Mr. 1. 0 J. Wood, but that gentlemen, instead of delivering it as addressed, turned the letter over to said liquor firm, when one of its members broke the seal and read the contents. He stated to Mr. Wood that it was not necessary to deliver the letter, as he could give him no information about the reported corruption. Mr. Wood left the letter in the hands of said firm. How it came to be turned over to parties in Columbia I do not know. If you will see that letter you will find that I was simply working to unearth reported corruption in the Dispensary management and to assist Mr. Wood in securing a position. I am not mixed up in any rebate or other business connected with the Dispensary, for my hands arc clean and I defy anyone t? prove otherwise. I remember in that letter telling Mr. Howell that Col. AVilie Jones and 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 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 up Saturday and see me. Truly your friend, i T. L. Gajjtt. Mr. Scruggs said that he did go to see Mr. ftaottand pleaded with him not to publish the reports he had heard about,Shipping Cler't Ouz's, for the beard had investigated them and had exonerated Mr. Ouzts. Mr. Scruggs said he did this because the Dispensary had already just passed through one period of great travail (the rebate scandal) and he didn't - want it to have to pass through another. He said he simply wanted to keep down trouble, for the board had aiready settled the matter and the Dispensary could not stand these constant scandals in the newspapers, even though they wr re proven to be 1 without foundation. He said he didn't want to hide corruption, but fiimnlv ureed Gantt not to stir up this . thing: in the interest of peace. Shipping Clerk Oizv,s was asked what he had to say corcemiDg the charges made in the "Dear Clark" letter. He referred the reporter to the Board of Control for further in for, mation. It was learned that Mr. 0uzt8 reported the occurrence to the board and that both he and Mr. Bickart of Atlanta made statements- The board exonerated Mr Ouzts, for they afterwards re elected him. Mr. Gantt seems, too, to have come to the conclusion that nothing was wrong here, as he states in his letter, after having made an investigation. Mr. I. 0. J. Wood, who earned the "Dear Clark" letter to Atlanta, made the following statement: On the Sunday before I went to Atlanta, S. W. Scruggs and T. Larry Gantt drove up in front of Trimmier's bookstore in Spartanburg and asked for me. I went out and went up at their invitation to the Piedmont Headlight office,and while in the office they wrote two letters. one addressed to Clark Howell, Atlanta, which they gave to me sealed. I did not 1 know what were the contents. One other letter written with pencil by Scruggs, which was copied by Gantt on the typewriter. I don't Know 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 acknowl, edge that Outzs had made a proposition to ! them to the effect that he would ghip out , their liquors^ provided that they, Blumenthal and BicKart would pay him so much , per case. Mr. Bickart said that "I am too honest a man to do such a thing, and I can't 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 "Deai , Clark" confidential letter reaching South Carolina, nor for it being in the hands of the press 1 make this statement in justice to Mr. Ouzts since I have been used in an attempt to injure him. I. 0. J. Wood. / Clearing Mr. Qarrls. The State Board of Control of the Dispensary held a metting in Colum1 bia on last Thursday and after the 1 transaction of routine business Mr. Cooper introduced the following reso( lution, which was unanimously adoptp ed: Resolved, That it is the sense of this [ board that the Hon. C. W. Garris , came into the possession of the Beck [ roge trunk in an honorable and legiti mate way and that the price for said j trunk be fixed at $5. I Mr. Cooper prefaced his resolution s by a few remarks. He had seen thf I trunk, he said, after Mr. Garris got it, 1 and knew the condition it was " in. The other members of the boarc 2 left it to Mr. Cooper to say what th< trunk was worth, as he was the onlj * one to S26 it. He placed the price ai j the above amount. t Fire at Kpworth Orphange. B Tbe Columbia Register says earlj 1 Thursday morning the barn of th< [ Epworth Orphanage was totally de ' stroyed by fire, entailing- a losi t of about $1,400, with only $500 worlt f of insurance. When the fire was firs l discovered there was only a smal] t blaze, but as there are no facilities foi . fighting fire out there the building - was quickly enveloped by the flames . Everything was destroyed, including s two fine Jersey cows. A mule wai i saved, although the animal was badl] s burned before it was rescued. It ii e thought that the fire was the work o ] an incendiary, as there is no othei 1 way to explain it. No arrests hav< been made, but the Governor will of ] fer a reward, which may assist in find j ing the fiend. J Anleep on the Track. y A special dispatch to the Columbii -1 State says when the passenger trail 1 due at Edgefield at 3:30 p. m. Thurs e day had reached a point about cm mile from Edgefied, in turning asharj 0 curve the engineer saw lying on th( e track between the rails, not 50 fee a ahead, two boys, one of them evident ^ ly asleep. The distance was too shorl , to stop the tvain. Jim Blocker, a ne gro about 10 years old, was struck bj j the pilot and knocked down an em 1 bankment four feet. His legs am j skull were crushed and he was killei a instantly. Tne other boy can't b r found. ; HERE'S THE EVIDENCE. ALL ABOUT THOSE BECKROGE CIGARS AND PEACHES Sir. Scruggs Got Some, Hut Sitys He Was Only Following the Custom-1 ome Damaging Tes'lmony Regarding Dispensary Officials Although all of the testimory in the Beckrcge trunk matter has not been taken, still there is enoueh to show what became of the contents The testimony on this point is somewhat conflicting, but it is very evident that people in the Dispensary got the contents of the trunk. Mr. Scrugts i acknowledges takirg some of the ci i gars and peaches, but pleads that he oaa no lueu ui uuiuk aii^iuiup muuf, as it had been a custom for tbe officials to appropriate such things to their own use ever since he had been connected with the Dispensary. But the evidence can best sptak for itself, and the public may form its own conclusions. All of tLe witnesses were sworn by Judge Townsend and all signed their testimony in his presence. The following is a synopsis of the testimony: clerk scrpaas was the first witness. He testified that he sold the Beckroge trunk to Mr. Garris and that it was to be paid for on Mr. Garris next visit to Columbia. With the day upon which Commissioner Gaston. Mr. Garris and de ponent went to the contrabrand room to deliver the trunk was the first time he had any knowledge of the contents of the trunk to the best of his recolection: but one thing he is positive about?that up to that time he had never taken any part of the contents of the trunk, and 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; that on that day in the presence 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 i he could now account for the cigars which he (Gaston) and Ilarry had been smoking for several weeks; that cigars which deponent took he carried into the State Board room and gave Mr. Williams and Mr. Douthit some of them, and told them he had gotten them out of the contraband room and would get them some more, which he intended to do before the adjournment of the Board and before they left the city, but in the multiplicity of his duties it escaped his attention. That a few days after this he went into the Board room, and got the key of the contraband room which belonged to the State Board of Control, and which was in the custody 01 deponent as cierK 01 me uunru, uuu with Charles Lynch, a cleikin his office, and 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 boys in the office could eat the peaches, and he would divide the cigars with them; that these four boxes of cigars and cans of peaches were utterly valueless to the State, as the cigars were very cheap cigars, and he does not believe they could hare been disposed of for any consideration; that deponent also discovered several bottles of domestic wine the day he took Lynch in for cigars ana peacnes ana numorousiy remarseu "We will get that wine, too, before some one takes it," bat as a matter of fact, did not i move to take it at the time of making the remark, as it was not seriously made, &nd he did not take the wine, and Commissioner Gaston told him he had taken charge of the wine; that he seldom entered the contraband . room, and never unless upon urgent business. J As Colonel Jonee and the Attorney General's . office will bear him, out there was a great , deal of trouble with contraband seizures made by the constables, as many threaten, ing 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 Jones 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 the records supposed to be contained in the receiving contraband i book; that on several occasions, yith 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, ?in UlO aAi /lft mill aKn ttt I WlilUIl IUU IUV/U1U3 1U U AO WJUUV TTAIA DUV/tV, whilst the price the State Board paid tor i 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 s of cigars and cans of peaches he was only 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 oneirics, gigurs uuu uiuci gnwra utuci i/uuu wines and whiskies have been placed iu the i custody of the Commissioner and he has often given him some of such articles and also , given them to others; and to show that deponent diu 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 J Mr. Lynch to say nothing to Mr. Blakcley, ' because Blakeley was his mortal enemy, for some reason he knows not why, and he did ' not wish any distortion of the facta, and this I was the reason he told him to say nothing to Blakeley about cigars or peaches; that he had no objection to Mr. Blakeley knowing J he had taken the cigars and peaches to the * t.?_ rr _ _ -M-.l ,11 ? , CierKS lams 01UCU, pruviueu a mcuui; uuu i legitimate construction upon what he did | was placed thereon; that when F. M. Mixson > was Comniisiioner in 1895, Mr. Blakeley r checked up all contraband, and he as well a.s ^ deponent on divers occasions has been the recipient of these little courtesies through the good offices of Commissioner Mixson. COLONEL OASTON. r Colonel Gaston, in his deposition, says: , That sometime in November last he was ap' pointed pro tem. Commissioner, and continued to act as such until his retirement recently. While acting 1 remember that a large ' drummer's trunk came to the Dispensary i from Charleston and was placed in the conl iraband room. It contained four jug?, one r of which came broken, with whiskey, sever. X al bottles of wine, some cans of peaches, ten boxes of cigars, a few decayed oranges and \ one pair of shoes. Since the trunk came the 3 whiskey was dumped and bottled, and the j wine is still in the Dispensary. Some time 5 after the trunk came I went to the room and f found that the cigars had been tampered r with. About one-half to two-thirds of the 9 cigars had been taken out of the boxes with the exception of one, which was full. I then emptied all the broken boxes into four boxes and placed them with the bottles of wine in another trunk. Soon after this 1 went into the room and looked in the truuk l into which the four boxes had been placed 1 and found them gone. On examination of i the empty boxes again, I found a few in a g box which 1 took down to myotlice. 1 tben j called Watts, who had a key to the room, and y Ben Harris, and told them there must, be ^ something wrong and some one must have had a key. They both declared that no one f had a key, and no one had been allowed to go " in the room. I immediately notified Blake* ley about what had been done in the room f and asked him to look out and aid me in * finding who was going into the room and ini erfering with contraband stuff. 1 then ori dered a new lock put on the contraband 6 room door, and then bolted securely the other door inside, and since that time nothing has been missed up to the time I left there. The pnir of shoes in the trunk I sold for $1; the part of a box of cigars brought down to the office I have paid for. I made a full report of this matter to the State' Board of Control at its last meeting, which is hereto appended, and in that the disposition of the trouble iss tated. The report to the Hoard ofControl referred to follows: I have a matter I wish to call attention to. I havo had charge of the contraband room for some months. 1 took the keys and after 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, i visiteu uie room every few days to sec how matters stood. 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 ofyour last meeting alarge trunk came in with three large jugs, several bottles of wine, two cans of peaches and ten boxes of cigars While in there one morning Mr. Oarris told me that Mr. Scruggs said he could have the trunk. So I got the things out and let him have it. I put the things in another trunk. 1 took three cigars for 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. Oarris some and put the rest in a trunk. A few days after 1 found the whole amount of cigars had been taken except one piece 01 a box, wmcn I now have in my possession. I have since j had a new and strong lock put on the door, so I now lock one door and bolt the other, I regret this very much, and am now satisfied it will never occur again. Some one must j have had a false or duplicate key. Nothing has been missed by me since that time. j MR. BLAKELEY, bookkeeper for the State Commissioner, testified that Mr. Lynch came to the office of the Commissioner and deponent asked him , if he knew anything about missing cigars from the contraband room or had he seen any one smoking them. Mr. Lynch replied that that was what he had come down to see him about. Deponent told him that Mr. Gaston had missed tea boxes of cigars. Mr. Lynch then told him Mr. Scruggs had gotten them and had divided them up in the office. Deponent asked him how he had gotten them. Mr. Lynch said lie went into tne room with a duplicate key and had told him not to say anything about his having that key. Deponent told Mr. Lynch he had done right in telling him about this thing, and under no circumstances to touch them. Lynch then said he was going to report the matter to Mr. Williams and Mr. Douthit, two of the members of the Board. Deponent after this reported the matter to Colonel Wilie Jones, but not in an official way. He said if I would put it in writing he would call the attention of the Board to it. Deponent said he would not do this, and it was his business as he had accused him of fighting Scruggs, and it was none of his business if he stole the whole Dispeusary. Mr. Blakeley further testified that Commissioner Gaston had complained to him about some one stealing the cigars, and he asked Gasfon if he had ta'ten any of the cigara, and he replied he had laknn nnW jhrpp and had {riven C. W. Garris a I handful. MR. CHARLEY LYNCH. Mr. C. J. Lynch in his testimony makes some damaging statements as to Mr. Scruggs. He deposes: That he has been in the State Dispensary since it was first opened, but was appointed bookkeeper, or assistant to Mr. Scruggs in April, 189G, and i9" still in the same position. That some time in February, 1897, Mr. Scruggs came into the office, in the presence of Mr. Mobley and Mr. Charles and himself and said: "Charlie, do you know that Gaston has a trunk full of cigars, peaches and wine back in the contraband room?" I replied that I did not. Mr. Scruggs said: "Well, he has been walk ing up and down the street smoking tnem, and I have been wondering where in the h?11 he got them." I said: "No, I did not know he had them back there." Scrugg0 said he had and said: "Come back with me and I will show them to you. Scruggs and I went out of the office to the contraband room door and hi took n key out of his pocket and stooped down to unlock the door, and while fitting the key into the door he turned to me and said: "Don't tell anybody I have got this key." He then unlocked the door and we went in. Scruggs walked over to some empty cigar boxes scattered about the room, picked them up and threw them down and said: "I will be d?d if he has not smoked the last one." I was near the door and asked him if he had not told me that they were in a trunk, and he said, "Yes," I then ' said: "There is the trunk under ihe table." He then went to the truuk, lifted the lid and moved aside some wine and pulled out three boxes coataining cigars and handed them to deponent. He then reached on top of pigeon holes over the trunk and took down another box containing cigars and said. "Hero io one I had up here when I was here this morning," and handed ttiem to deponent and said: "Take the boxes to the office," Deponent then asked him: "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 him and said: "Go on to the office with the things," but again said. "Wait until I see if there is any one in the hall." He opened .L- > 1 1?1 1 A uTIiavn ta Tin IUU uuornuu 1UUACU nuu auu. a.uvi ^ one there; go ahead." Deponent then went to the telephone room, and as he started into the office 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, facing Mr. Mobley, remariced, "Mind, I did not take these tnings." Deponent then placed them on his desk and Scruggs came back in the office and said: "Charlie hide those things before Mr. Blakeley comes in; I don't want him to see them." Deponent then took them off the desk and put them in a box at his feet. "Scruggs came over and said: "Give Mose one of the boxes (meaning Mr. Mobley.) Deponent reached down and got one of the boxes and deponent handed it over and he took it and put it in the drawer of his desk. He then went into the next room and deponent opened one of the cans of peaches aad called him and asked him if he did not want some, lie replied he did not believe he did just then, as he was going up street. Deponent, Mr. Charles and Mr. Mobley ate the pcaches. Deponent then opened a second can and took it into the next room where Mr. Scruggs was, and, using a paper cutter, took one of the peaches out on it and handed it to Mr. Scruggs, telling him to try it. He ate that and deponent 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 depocent showed Mobley and Charles the peculiar manner in which Mr. Scruggs brushed aside his moustache while eating the peaches, Deponent then went to Mr. Mobley and said: "Give me back that box of cigars; you don't waut it." He replied, "Ves, 1 do." Deponent then said: ''There is going to be h?11 raised about them, and you don't wart them." Mr. Mobley then said: "If that is the case, I don't want to have anything to do with them," and handed them back to deponent, and I took the box and locked it up with the other two I had. Deponent took the two remaining cans of peaches and hid them in the office, as Mr. Scruggs had said: "Don't cat all the peaches, as I want some of them " These two cans of peaches are now in the office. A few days afterward deponent took the three boxes of cigars and carried them home for sate keeping and has them there now. Several times he had missed things out of his drawer. A few days after this Scruggs was in the office and sail. "Mose, give me a cigar." Mr. Mobley replied, "I haven't any, sir." lie left the oflice without saying anything more. The next day 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, they are all gone." lie then left deponent without any further remark. A day or two afterwards Scruggs asked deponent <j kr*/i rioQfnn ho had tn.kf?n f.hnsa m 11 lie UU)U IUIU Vi(?ovuu - v ? ? V- ?. v gtirs. Deponent replied, "No, sir." Depo- -y nent says that at the time ho and Scruggs a went into the contraband room and while he ^ was taking the cigars out of the trunk, he r remarked, "I'll have this wine before I get . through," and he afterwards made a similar remark about the wine in the office. Depo- ? nent further says Mr. Scruggs asked him a 1 day or two ago if he knew anything about c the shoes, or had Gaston said anything to c him about them, E Deponent further says that he omitted to state above that the same day the cigars and a peaches were carried into the office Mr. t Mobley asked the deponent where he got }: the things. Deponent replied, "In the con- g traband room." He then asked him how he i got them, as he thought Judge Gaston was E in charge of the room. Deponent replied ^ \I? S/trncrrra Jlftrl a hnp.llS TIOCUS keV. H mui, iTi?. "feo- r ? Deponent further states that on the same day the cigars and peaches were taken out of the contraband room he went down to the c Commissioner's office and Mr. Blakeley ask- ^ ed him if he knew anything about the migs- * ing cigars from the contraband room. De- ^ poncnt replied, "Yes; that is what I have ? come down to see you about," and then went on and told him all about the cigars d and peaches; that at the next meeting of the f board he reported to Mr. Williams and Mr. t Douthit what he has said above as to the taking of cigars and peaches from contraband c room and has also since that time reported q it to the Governor. j Mr. H M. Mobley, a bookkeeper, ( aod Mr. Charles, an employee in the diepensary, corroborated the testimony of Mr. Lynch as given above. Commissioner Vance testified that ]( * * * i n.i T , on-tne 2yL& aay or April, ion/, v^ui. o. | T. Gaston came to him of his own ac c cord aid stated that he was due the g State Diapersary for some articles be t had received and paid him $1 for one c pair of shoes and 25 cents for some a cigars. g Ben Harris testified that he has been s working in the State Dispensary for ^ about five years and has been in the s dumping ropm most of the time. He g said that Scruggs took cigars from the f dumping room, having gotten the key q from Mr. Watts. 1 Messrs. H E Watls, W. W. Harris and C. A. Koon, all employees, at the dispensary, testified to the facts above ( narrated. i Mr. Garris in explaining how he i came to buy the trunk says that at j tVio tima Via nurrliasprl Kftid trunk he T did Dot know or kquire from whom j it was seized, as be supposed it had c been forfeited to the State and the r board could sell it; that he still has j the trunk and has been ready at ail times to pay for it when the price was ^ fixed. Deponent further says tbat he < at no time went into the contraband ? room with Mr. Scruggs and two other J gentlemen and secured cigars while in t there, and that Mr. Scruggs did not ^ take and gire to him a handful of ci- ? gars out of the trunk, and that when he purchased and carried away the t trunk there was no cigars in it, and c none given to him by Mr. Gaston at 8 that tine; that he knows nothing j about any of the contents of the said i Beckroge trunk, and never received g r\t tha />iflrara it OTfl.fi flftid tO ?UJ - -- have contained, or of any other arti- t cles; that he has smoked cigars with a officials of the dispensary in a friend- f ly and casual way, but that the small j number received by him at any time was in this way, and he did not know t where they came from as he supposed j the gentleman had purchased them. ] AN IMPORTANT CASE. S A Firm of Liquor Dealers After the DIspeoaary. e The Charleston correspondent of the ^ Columbia Register says the bill filed in the United States Circuit Court in c that cit Tuesday by W. A. Vander c cook & Co., of California, against r Commissioner Vance, the State con iilakU on/f orhnmcnflwr plsfl it maV 3 '.aUJLV^O (?UM T? UVIMWVV> w* ? concern, paying damages for past in- , terferences with the firms businrss in i this State, and for perpetual injunc- e ion against all future occur')ences, if r this character, may be styled the e PharsaJas where the State will be call t -d upon to amke its last stand against t the inroads of the interstat commerce t law upon its peculiar institution, r known as the Dispensary system. Th?; r phintiffs through their attorney, Mr. c J P K Bryan, viriually set up the t claim, Under the algis of t e Federal t Constitution and of the interstate ] laws enacted thereunder, to send their q agents into the State to solicit s business and obtain orders, to estab s lish warehouses or other depositories j for the liquors, and to appoint still t other agents to receive and disburse t these liquors, in the original unbro s ken packages, to whomsoever they ? may see fit; thus establishing, without j Jet or hindrance, to all intents and t purposes, an opposition business to s the Slate Dispensary. If Vandercook & i Co. and adjudicated to be justified in their claims, as thus made, then any i body who professes to be an agent of i any foreign concern in the business ^ can set up and engage in the traffic on ? the same conditions, and the State's s monopoly cf it is virtually at an end. e Curiosily enough, this denounce s ment will have been led up to in and r through a court which was the first (j tribunal, unexcectedly enough, to de }; clare that the Dispensary law was con a stitutional, in so far as it purported to a regulate the domest'c traffic in liquor, <j Since that first favorable decision s Judge Simon ton has filed numerous | others on the interstat9 commerce tea- fc ture, declaring the law to ce uncon p stitutional in so far as it conflicted with the privileges and immunities of domestic and foreign citizans under the Federal instrument, with the ef- a feet to sadly cripple and circumscribe d the operations of the Dispensary law. a Whether he will go to the extent of d countenancing Vandercook & Co's. s claim of the right to establish domes- * tic agencies within the State to virtu- o ally carry on a wholesale and retail d liquor business remains to be seen. 2 0. rtainly, if the j astice of such a con- t tention sball bs established there s would seem to be little encourage- i meat left for the State to continue in a t business in which e^ery one mav en ? gage without so much as asking leave 1 or license. a L Agrees Willi Mcl.iurln. A special dispatch from Washington to the Columbia State says Senator Tillman will make a speech on the c tariff bill when the colton schedule is 1: reached. Speaking of the matter, he I said: "I will see McLaurin, and go a him two or three better. I snail urge c a bounty on cotton and wheat exnorts. r 1 may be turned down, and probably \ will be, but I'll make som? of the pro I tectionists mightily sick before I get 4 through with them." i SCRUGGS ANDGASTON ARRESTED. toth of Them Waived an Examination and Gave Bocd. T Tbe Beckroge trunk dispensary scanal, which hes been tbe all absorbing opic all over South Carolina for a 8 cfpk mist, culminated Friday in the rrest of ex-Clerk Seth W. Scruggs of he State board of control, and excommissioner John T. Gaston, upon he common law charge of official 0 oisconduct. Both have given bond c or their appearance at the next term g if the court of sessions in Richland ounty, and will be free until the court Qeets in the summer. g Friday every one was still talking Si bout the scandal and tbe affidavits p hat had been secured, and wonderng what the State authorities were ;oing to do about it. It was about Q loon when Mr L J. Williams, the n oember of the State board designated o swear out the warrants, went to Ingistrate Smith's office and made the tfidavits having the warrants issued. 0 The warrant in the case of Mr. rj Icruggs charged that "on or about the 0 irfct day of March, 1897. one Seth W. C( 'craves did commit official miscon- ? luct by taking and carrying away rom the contraband room in the Stite jj lispensary four boxes of cigars and 3 our cans of peaches and other articles g he property of the State, while en- p ;aged in the discharge of his duties as m lerk and bookkeeper of the State board x if control in said 3t*te dispensary, with ^ ntent to defraud the State of South n Carolina, as fully set forth in the affi- ? lavit hereto attached." g AGAINST COL. GAflTON. v The warrant against Col. Gaston al- p eges that "on or about the 1st day of c llarcb, 1897, one John T. Gaston did b lommit official misconduct by taking p md carrying away from the contra t, tand room in the State dispensary me pair of shoes, part box of cigars 0 n?4i/)1oo 4V10 nvnilAvfTr r\f iVlA 1. kJLIU VbUOi oi biviwo ItUW jk/X WJ v* kmv 12 Hate while acting as State commis ioner in charge of said room and rhile in the discharge of the duties of aid office, with intent to defraud the Hate of South Carolina, as fully set 4 orth in the affidavit hereto attached." & Che affidavit is also made by Mr. Wil iams before Magistrate Smith. BOTH GIVE BOND. S( It was about 2:30 o'clock when Mr. * Jaston walked into the office of the d nagistrate and surrendered himself, le having been informed by the mag- v strate's constable that he was wanted, le waived a preliminary, and gave " >ond for his appearance at the sessions P ;ourt in the sum of $400. His bonds- ? nen were Gen. John Gary Watts and ^ ilaj. B. B. Evans. a About 4 o'clock the same proceeding ? vas gene through with as to Mr. fcguggs. He came up in response to Y i similar notice from the constable, llr. Hartin. His bond was fixed in c he same amount. His bondsmen J; vere James G. Payne and W. J. *] Scruggs. ' Attorney General Barber says that P he punishment for the offense charg- " :d upon conviction is imprisonment e tnd fine in the discretion of the judge, ? he imprisonment not to exceed seven * rears. It is not of necessity in the j! Jtate penitentiary. * Mr. Gaston said that he bad nothing * o fear; he had done nothine wrong ? o far as he knew; and intimated that ? le did not even think he would em- r >loy counsel to defend him. There has been considerable talk as V o what offense these men should be 11 jrosecuted for. Breach of trust, grand y arceny, housebreaking in the case of P >cruggs and numerous other offenses n vere looked into, but the attorneys " :ould not find where any of them vould lie upon the evidence present- P d. Attorney General Barber yester- 11 lay said: "You can just say forme v o the public, that if there is any * ither offunse for which these part es ^ an be indicted, then this office stands P eady to prosecute therefor."?State. " r A Fearful Death. g A reliable gentleman from Eaoree, it *ho was in Spartanburg last wt-ek on b lusiness, informed The Herald reportr of the tragic death of a neuro man n tamed John Smith in the Euoree riv- li sr od S mday morning Right above w he 0. & W. C. trestle which spans p he Euoree river a mile above the facory. is a dangerous sandbar in the u iver, which fishermen and bathers b eli^iously avoii. It happened that n Jmith and a crowd of negroes were in si he water bathing, when Smith swam c ip the stream and into the sandbar, ii eaving his companions far behind, tj thinking himself perfectly srcure, ind completely foiled by the surface b hallo wness of the river here he thought n le would stop andrest and then swim I >ack. No sooner did his feet strike he sand than he began sinking He b truggled to extricate bimself, but to g 10 avail; he only sank further down. b le never realized his awful position S lutil his body was almost completely ubmerged by the quicksand and wa- \ a- Than Vioehnif-pH frantifiallv and n lesperatsly to his faltering compan ons, who were far away down under fi he sleepers of the trestle. The men I rere afraid to venture up and rescue C lim, and one of them said it hapened 0 suddenly that they were all paralyz- ti d with a strange fascination to the tl pot and could not move. So this g nan went down unaided, as none f< 1 ired risk life in such a place, it would lave been useless Soon after he dis- d .ppeared a search party was organized w ,nd a crowd got in a bateau and padlicd up to find the body, and the E earch continued all the afternoon, c: Jut up to yesterday morning the o >ody had not been found, and it is irobable that it never will be. ci t( Scaldad Him to Death. In a fit of pa sion, Richard Garrity, n iron moulder, of New York. Thuisay afternoon threw Bernard McDonid, a fello.v workmau, into a caul- ir Iron of scaldiog water. The man was fc o badly scalded that he will die. The n oen quarrelled as to which could run h iut the greatest number of bars in a If lay. They finally came to blows. f< IcDonald struck Garrity with an iron ai >ar, when Garrity, furious with rage, I: siz:;d McDonald, knocked the bar of h ron from his hands and dragged him p 0 a cauldron cf scalding water. A a ierce struggle took place, McDonald k oudly calling for help, but before ,ny oue could interfere Garrity pushed lim into the_water. Murdered for his Money. ^ Joe Spricz, a prominent business ^ an of Midville, Ga., was murdered ? lereFriday night by unknown parties. f( 2e was struck twice on the head with 1 blunt iLStrument. Theobject of the nurder was robbery. Mr. Sprinz's dianond pic, ring and $1,000 in gold w vere stolen. The robbers have not e )een captured as yet. A reward of n !400 has bten offered for their ar- d est. \ f CONDITION OF CROPS. 'HE WEEKLY BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE OBSERVER. tate of the Weather? Glance About the Broad A ores Da voted to the FarnlBf Infere sts In Thta State. The following is the weekly bulletin f the condition of the weather and rops in this State issued last week by tate Observer Bauer: TEMPERATURE. Averase of 57 weekly means 69 derees; approximate normal for the ime period 68 degrees. Highest reorted 95 on the 28th af 'Hllisonville; >west 41 on the 28th at Cheraw. The jmperature for the week was nearly ormal over the entire State. There 'as a decided fall on Saturday, ^ lay 1. RAINFALL Scattered showers fell on the 28th ver the eastern counties, and on Apil 30 and May 1 rain was general ver the entire State. Twenty-three ^respondents reported measurements f less than one inch; 22 from one to vo inches, and 7 more than two ' iches, Heaviest weekly rainfall was 35 at Elloree and the least 0.12 at talsellville. The average of all*?* ores was 116 and the normal forihe ame period is approximately 0,78, 'he rainfall was generally well disributei and sufficient for the present eeds of crop, except in portions of jexington, Newberry, Bichland, Faireld and Chester, where the showers. re re light and local and where in laces more rain would prove beneft-. ial. In Sumter, Kershaw, Spartanurg and Anderson lands were, in laces, badly washed and some bot* Dm lands flooded. Hail fell over the extreme western ountie3 on the 30th, but no damage i reported. SUNSHINE AND WINDS. There was about the average dam* ion of bright sunshine, ranging froar 3 at Boiling Springs and WinnsbdfO 5 90 at Beaulah and Hillsville. Over the greater portion of the State tie winds were cenerallv south and outh westerly. There were hifjUk, rinds on the 30th which, however, id no injury. The warmer weather and rain had a ery beneficial effect on growing ordfw. For the greater portion of the WWC*:; owever, it was too dry to finish jwe*' aring some lands for planting, nevrtheless farm work progressed rapldy, and is generally as much advanoed s usual at this season, although in 9me localities the season isconsfitared ate. Farmers are generally wall tip rith their work. Upland corn planting is nearitf ompletion over the greater portion'** he State, but in the northern Connies there is much yet to be planted, tie dry condition of the soil havlftf. i-J 4.1? *i, laiuk ireveuieu me (iro|jarauuu ui uum? Itands of early planted corn aregearally satisfactory, with exception* ht very county, owing to worms-ln teaufort, Dorchester, Hampton, 061sion, Williamsburg, Berkeley and Florence; and lack of moisture elio* ?here, however, the needed moiatcm, as since been supplied. Chinch btigs ontinue destructive in Chester. Over he eastern counties corn has reoe?fe$ a first working generally, and soma a second. It is somewhat "off color" i a few localities, owing toi dry reather and cool nights during the revious week. A groat improve- H lent is expected during the present reek both in stands and color. ?9 The percentage of cotton yet to be H lanted ranges from 5 to 25, the latter H i Chester and York and to the weat- H rard. Stands are greatly impro^aiH nd are generally satisfactory. The B ite rains will bring up the recently lanted to good stands. In the;' &?- H jrn pactions of the State cotton has it* first cultivation and sotne I elds have been chopped to standi.'; i estimated that cotton planting will fl e finished in about 10 days. 9 Transplanting of tobacco sets made H luch progress during the week, foil-H awing the rains, and this work JtjH ?ell advanced. The plants continueH lentiful and of good size. River rice is about all planted, but H pland rice is late and planting baa H een delayed. In Kershaw rioe'fraa-H ot done well. Considerable y?t to H ow in the Georgetown district The H ool nights of the previous week weare^B jurious to young plants as susu wenw tie brisk winds of the past week. .H Wheat reported as heading rhort, H ut the rains are expected to make a H larked improvement in this ts condition continues promising* Q The reports on oats vary oonauun-H ly but its general condition is siQlH ood. The raiu will prove of gnat^l enefit to oats in all portions of the^f tate. Oats are heading low in plapec. H Sore hum cane coming np slowly. H lore than the usual area is being^H lanted in the central counties. A great improvement is reported? tmmir since the rains. Hi Ll/lU WUU MUwa . i . jarge shipments continue from the^H !harleston district. 9B Sweet potato draws becoming plen^H iful and transplanting has began in]H ie southern counties. Irish rowing well and are large enoogl^H or use in the eastern counties. Gardens are everywhere reported oing well. The rains of the week^J rere timely. Peaches are dropping freely lampton, but in other sections a fair^H rop is indicated. Apples plentiful^? Correspondents report the en tire rop conditions as eminently satisfac-^H >ry and encouraging to farmers over^J le entire State. A Good Man to Hang. H Henry Jones, colored, was hanged^H i Michigan City, Ind., on Friday,^! )r the murder of a fellow prisoner^H amed Thomas, who testified against^H im in his trial, which resulted in his^H ist sentence to prison. Jones con<^H ?ssed to having committed murder^H t Jacksonville, Fla., Savannah, Ga.,^H ndianapolis, and the one for which^H e was hanged. He was a desS| erate character, having made three^H ttempts during his imprisonment to^B ill guards and convicts. flfl British Steamship Wrecked. The British ship Traveller, from^J lOnabaya for Deleware Breakwater 'recked off Island Bodriquez. Threc^H undred tons of the cargo was soaked^B !apt. Christi and the first officer ano^H jurteen of the crew died of fever. An Earthquake Shock. A very distinct earthquake shoclfl| ras felt at Black villa at 8:45 Thursdaj^l vening, accompanied by a very Iou<^H oise resembling that of heavy thun^H er. The shock was felt at Elko^H Villistoh and Wagener. KBI