Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL. XMA. 3ANNING. S. C., WED)NESDAY. MAY 12, 1 DISPENSA RY SCAINDALS& SOME MIGHTY INTERESTING LET TERS GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC. Larry Gantt Threatens to Exposo Corrup tion, But Wsa Held Off by a Peraoz-al r quest-.Mr. Scruggs Tells Wby He Wanted It Shut Up. There seems 1o te no end to the scandals in connection with the dis pensary. On Tuesday of last week the following letter was published by the Columbia Redister: SPAmA.smP6. S. C., Feb. 14. 1897. Dear Clark. This will be handed you by my friend Ir. 1. 0. J. Wood. and who will explain to to you just what I want. I am anxious to control the State board of dispen sary commissioners, so that I can help out my friends, and also your friends, Bluthen thal and Bickart of Atlanta. Ga. Now, Clark. to be plain with you, in or der 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 1r. Bickart to give t:e a statement of the transactions between him self and Outzs and can show, as I believe is the case, that Outzs agreed to push his li quors if he (Bickart) would pay him 25 cents per case. I want you to see 3Ir. Bickart and get a statement from him of this proposition to Outzs, and how it was first received. I do not wish it for publication, but simply to bulldoze him out of the race against Scruggs. Hon. D. _1. liles, 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 you and your father. if Ir. 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 As stated, it is not for publication, but simply to use to kill any support that Outzs might get.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 of 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 confi dential. 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 eiven the pubhc Tne "Dear Clark" letter was ^written by Col T Larry Gantt, editor of the Piedmont Heaalight. The rumors referred to in that letter are the su-bject of a com munication from him to Mr. Scruggs last February. Following is a cops of that letter: SPAr.TB oRG, S. C., Feb. 10 1897. Dear Scruggs: I hear that an Atlanta liquor man has offered a bribe to a certain Dispensary official, and to pay 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 mis take and could only give 10 cents, and be cause 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 al ways 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 dis rupt the Reform movement. The people are already restless and suspicious, and, groan-] ing as they are, under increased taxation, they are prepared to believe any scandal they may hear.1 1 am making further investigations into these rumors and shall expose the whole matter. Truly, your friend, T. L. G.srr. Mr.; Scruggs heard of this letter, and, believing that his namte was con nected with the alleged crookedness, he wrote and asked Mr. Gantt about it, receiving the following reply: SPrTnASBURG, S. C., April 9, 1S97. Dear Scruggs: Your letter of the 7th, in which you state that you hear that there is a letter in circulation in Columbia, purport 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 remember that some 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' 25 cents a box for every box of a certain brand of whiskey he shipped out; that this bribe had been offered by an Atlanta firm, but afterwards that the firm stated to said official that they could only pay 10 cents a box, and after he fell in his price then the ofiicial reported the rep resentative of this firm as trying to bribe him. I also stated in said letter other reports connected with the Dispensary managemnent and the purchase of liquors that smacked strongly of corruption. I stated to you that I intended to publish these reports, that the people might know themi 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. You know at the time that 1 warned you against the suppression of anything crooked in the Dispensary that came to your knowledge, and told y ou that you could not help to cover up the rotten ness of anyone connected with the Dispen sary because of your friendship for him. You replied that you did not wish to hide any corruption. and the oflicial in question you believed to be your enemy and was working in conjunction with others to secure your defeat. 1 stated to you that I heard the representative of this firm would tell j much more, but that he was coerced or bull dozed, and was not afraid of publicity, fear-j ing that it might destroy his chances for fu ture business with the dispensary. I told you further that I was not satisfied, and that I believed if they were assured that by telling the truth and all they knew would not injure their prospects for buasiness. that they would make a full statement of all the facts. With this view 1 wrote a private letter to my friend, lion. Clark Iionell, editor of the Atlanta Constitution (not the liquor firm), an assuring letter, which was personal and pri vate, and sealed up. This letter was written to \lr. Howell, who was a~ friend to said firm, with the hope of stitfening the backbone of this lionor man, and thereby securing all the facts. I dont remember what 1 did write, but I can tell you that I am a free and independent American citizen, and cat, stand by anything that. I do or say. I wear no man's collar and my hands are not soied with any corruption, and what I wrote was with a view to discovering corruption that I might expose it through the Iheadlight, and not to wink at rascality. The mistake I made was in not publishing at the time the 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 to you somc time in February. But to show you that I was not hush whacking any man, upon learning that the Atlanta tirm stated that the offer they made said official had been rejected, I came to Co lumbia. saw the accused party and stated to him the report I had heard, told him just what I had done. and that he seemed ex onerated. The Rowell letter I sent by "Mr. I. 0 J. Wood, but that gentlemen, instead of deliv ering it a- addressed, turned the letter over to said liquoi firm, when one of its members broke the seal zsud read the contents. le stated to Mr. Wtood that it was not necessary to deliver the letter, as he could give him no information about the reported corrup tion. Mr. Wood left the letter in the hands of said firm. how it came to be turned ver to parties in Columbia I do not know. If you will see that letter you will find that I was simply working to unearth re ported corruption in the Dispensary manage ment and to Ai- Mr. Wood in securing a position. I am not mixed up in any rebate or other business connected with the Dispen ary, for my hands are clean and I defy tnyone to prove otherwise. I remember in that letter telling 'Mr. Howell that Col. Wilie Jones and lion D. '. Miles were personal friends and would stand by me. 'Mv reason for writing this was hat I intended that Mr. Howell could use it to get the desired information from that At arua liquor house, for could I convince them that their businezs would not suffer by .elling all they knew they would more like ly give the desired information. 1 also told two members of the State Board the report that had reached my ears. Come ap Saturday and see me. Truly your friend, T. L. GANTr. Mr. Scruggs said that be did go to ee Mr. Gartt and pleaded with hin aot to publish t1e reports he hat' beard about Shipping Cleri Ouz s forq the board had investzated them and had exonerated Mr. Ouzts. Mr. Bruggs said he did this bN.cause the Dispensary had already just passed hrough ore reriod of great trtevail (the rebate scaidil) and he didn't want it to have to pass through an oth r. He said he simplh wanted to keep down trouble, for the board hud ailready settled the rmatter and the Dispensary could not stand these con tant scandals in the newspapers, ven though they were proven to be ithout founcation. He sa-id he lidn't want to hide corruption, but imply urged Gautt not to stir up this rhing in the interest of peace. Shipping Clerk Ouzts was asked what he had to say concerning the :harges made in the "Dear Clark" :eiter. He referred the reporter to the Board of Control for further in for mation. It was learned that Mr. )uzts reported the occurrence to the board and that both he and Mr. Bick rt of Atlanta made statements. Th: bard excnerated Mr. Ouzts. fcr they fterwards re elected him. Mr. Gantt seems. too. to have come to tLe con :usion that nothing was wrong here, is he states in his letter, after havina 3ade an investigationr. Mr. 1. 0. J. Wood, vi-o carriEd the Vear CUlrk" letter to Atlanta, made .hI folAowing statemeut: On the Sunday before I went to Atlanta, . W. Scruggs and T. Larry Gantt drove up in ront of Truumier's bookstore in Spartanburg 6nd asked for me. I went out and went up at heir invitation to the Piedmcnt Headlight of ice,and while in the office they wrote two let ers. one addressed to Clark Howell, Atlan a, which they gave to me sealed. I did not :now what were the contents. One other etter written with pencil by Scruggs, which vas copied by Gantt on the typewriter. I lon't ?snow who this one was addressed to. Lhey knew I was going to At:anta on the llowing Tuesday. I had also in my pos ession an envelope which was written on he back with pencil by S. W Scruggs, ertain questions for me to ask Blu nenthal and Bickart of Atlanta. They de ired Blumenthal and Bickart to acknowl dge that Outzs had made a proposition to hem to the effect that he would ship out heir liquors provided that they, Blumen hal and Bictart would pay him so much er case. Mr. Bickart said that "I am too onest a man to do such a thing, and 1 can't o it." MIr. Ouzts never made me any such Sproposition. I am the man who made he proposition." 1 am in no way responsible for the "Dear iark" confidential letter reaching South arolina, nor for it being in the hands of the ress. I make this statement in justice to Mr. )zts since I have been used in an attempt o injure him. I. 0. J. WooD. A Fearful Death. A reliable gentleman from E aoree, who was in Spartanburg last week on ysiness, informed The Herald report r of the tragic death of a negro man aamed John Smith in the Enioree riv r on Sunday morning. Right above he C, & W. C. trestle which spans :he Enioree river a mile above the fac ory, is a dangerous sandbar in the -iver, which fishermen and bathers -eliiously avoid. It happened tnist :mith and a crowd of negroes were in le water bathing, when Smith swam .p the stream and into the sandbar, leaving his companions far behind. rhinking himself perfec-ly secure. nd completely foiled by the surface thallowness of the river here he thc ught he would stop andrest and then swim back. No sooner did his feet strike le sand than he began sinking. He struggled to extricate himself, but to no avail; he only sank further down. Eae never realizedt his aw ful position antil his body was almost completely ubmerged by the quicksand and wa :er. Then he shouted frantically and esperately to his faltering compan ons. who were far away down under e sleepers of the trestle. The men tere afraid to venture up and rescue aim, and one of them said it hapened o suddenly that they were all paraiyz d with a strange fascination to the ~pot and could not move. So this an went down unaided, as none ared risk life in such a place, it would ave been useless. Soon after he dis ppeared a search party was organize a and a crowd got in a bateau and pad ied upto find the body, and the ~ear ch' contin utd all the afternoon. at up to yesterday morning the yody had not been f ound, and it is robable that it never will be. Fire at Epworth Orphange. The Columbia Register says early Ihursday morning the barn of the lpw.rth Orphanage was totally de troyed by fire, entoiling a loss >f about $1,400, wtithi only $500 worth f insurance. When the fire was first liscoverea there was only a small >aze, but as there are no facilities for ighing fire out there the building aas quiegly enveloped by the flames ?very ting was destroyed, including .wo ine Jersey cows. A mule was tave di, a? haugh the animal was badly arned oefore it was rescued. It is ,ought that the fire was the work 01 mn izncendiary, as there is no other .vay o explain it. No arrests have een made, but the Governor will 01 er a reward, which may assist in find ng the fiend. HERE'S THE EVIDENCE. ALL ABOUT THOSE BECKROGE Cl GARS AND PEACHES 'Ur. Scrugg Got Some, But Says He Wa Oary Following the Custom- Some Dam Eging Testimony Regarding Dispensary Officials Although all of the testimony in the Beckroge trunk matter has not been taken, still there is enough to sbov what became of the contents. The testimony on this point is some what conflicting, but it is very evident that people in the Dispensary got the contents of the trunk. Mr. Scruggs acknowledges taking some of the ci gars and peaches, but pleads that he had no idea of doing anything wrong. as it had been a custom for the offei als to avpropriate such thir'gs to their own use ever since he had been crn nected 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 pres ence. The following is a synopsis of the testimony: CLERK SCRUGGS was the first witness. lie testified that he sold the Beckroge trunk to Mr. Garris and that it was to be paid for on Mr. Garris next visit to Columbia. With the day upon which Commissioner Gast=, Mr. Garris and de ponent went to the contrabrand room to de liver 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 emp ty cigar boxes; that on that day in thepres ence of Gaston and Garris deponent took a handful of these cigars. Garris took a hand ful and Gaston took a handful and he joking ly 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 depon eut took he carried into the State Board room and gave Mr. Williams and Mr. Dout hit some of them. and told them he had got ten them out of the contraband room and would get them some more, which he in tended 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 roora, and got the key of the contraband room wLich belonged to the State Board of Control, and which was in the custody of deponent as clerk of the Board, and with Charles Lynch, a cleik in 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 of fice, '-.ud 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 have been disposed of for any consideration; that deponent also discovered several -ottles of domestic wine the day he took Lynch in for I cigars and peaches and humorously remarked --We will get that wine, too, before some one takes it," but as a matter of fact, did not move to take it at the time of making the re mark, as it was not seriously made. and 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. As Colonel Jones 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 occa sions 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 cons nt of Chairman Jones. he purchased demijohns of corn whiskey which had been seized and forfeited to the State, and paid therefor at the rate of $1.50 per gallon, which the records in his office will show, whilst the price the State Board paid for some goods was from $1.30 to $1.35 per gal lon: that further than herein stated, he has never taken a single article from the contra band room; that in taking these four boxes 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 cherries, cigars arnd other articles other than wines a-d whiskies have been placed in the custody of the Commissioner and he has of ten given him some of such articles and also given them to others; and to show that de ponent did not suppose he was committing an act which would make him liable to cen sure, 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. Biakeley, 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 Blakeley about cigars or peaches: that he had no objection to Mr. Blakeley knowiuzg he had taken the cigars and peaches to the clerks in his office, provided a friendly and legitimate construction upon what he did was placed thereon: that when F. M. Mixson was Commissioner in 1895, Mr. Blakeleyl checked up all contraband, and he as well asi deponent on divers occasions has been the recipient of these little courtenies throughi the good offices of Commissioner Mixson. coLONEL GAsroN. Colonel Gaston. in his deposition. says: That sometime in November last he was ap pointed pro tem. Commissioner, and contin ned to act as such until his retirement recent ly. While acting I remember that a large drummer's trunk came to the D)ispensar-y from Charleston and was placed in the eon traband room. It contained four jugs, one of which came broken, with whiskey. sever. at ~ ottles of wine, some cans of peaches, ten b-.es of cigars, a few decayed oranges and one pair of shoes. Since the trunk came the whiskey was dumped and bottled, and the wine is still in the Dispensary. Some time after the trunk came L went to the room and found that the cigars had been tampered with. About one-half to two-thirds of the 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 botties of wine in another trunk. Soon after ihis I went into th'e room and looked in the trunk into which the four boxes had been placed and found them gone. Un examination of the empty boxes again, 1 found a fe w ina box which I took down to my o:lice. I thien called Watts, who had a key to the rom. and Ben llarris, and told them there munst be something wrong and sonie one muit h:ave had a key. They both declare-d that no one had a key, and no one had been allowed to go in the room. I immediately notifled lilake ev about what had been done in the roomi and asked him to look out and aid me in inding who was going into the room and in erfering with contraband stutf. I then or dered a new lock put on the contraband room door, and then bolted securely the oth er.door inside, and sincethat time nothine has beetn issed up to the time I left :iere. The pair of sh'>es in the trunk i sold for $1: the part of a box of cigars brought down r to the o!iice I have pai'' for. I made a full rer-ot of 'his matter to the - S:ate Boari of Co'irol at its last meeting, - whicih is hereto apenled, and in that the o disposition of the trouble izs ta;'l. i The report to the Board of Control reiferred to follows- n I have a mat ter I wish to call attention to. v I have had charge of the contralband room N for some months. I took the keys and after r, attending to the contrahand business for t] some time I found that took up a great deal r< of my time. so I gave the keys to lr. Watts n who is perfectly reliable. I visited the room d every few days to see how matters :tood. I it missed occasionlly a bottle of whiskey from i the cases. I complained to Mr. Watts and he assured me that he carried the keys and st no one had been allowed in the room. . Tp About the time ofyour last meeting a large . trunk came in with three large jugs, sevetal It bottles of wine, two cans of peaches and ten t boxes of cigars While in there one morning gI Mr. Girris told me that Mr. Scruggs Said he it could have the trunk. So I got the things it out and let him h-tve it. 1 put the thin- in D another trunk. I took three cigar- for my- d self. I was in there soon again a tound oi about half of the cigars or more t:aken out of C every box. I put what was left in boxes. e( filling them up. and gave Mr. Garris some ir and put the rest in a trunk. A few days a f- p< ter I found the whole amount of cigars had c( been taken except one piece of a box, which W I now have in my possession. I have since at had a new and strong lock put on the door, jh so I now lock one door and bolt the other. I D regret this very much, and am now satisfied it will never occur again. Some one must rc have had a false or duplicate key. Nothing- it has been missed by mie since that time. .MR. 1;LA1_KELEY, bookkeeper for the State Commissioner. tes titied that Mr. Lynch c-tme to the oilice of I the Commissioner antd deponent asked him if lie knew anything about missing cigars from the contraband room or had he seen any one smoking them. Mr. Lynch replied L that that was what he had come down to see him aboutt. Deponent told hint that .Mr. Gaston had missed ten boxes of cigara. Mr. Lynch then told him Mr. Scrug,. had gotten P: them and had divided them up in the ofice. IC1 Deponent asked him how he hal gotten them. Mr. Lynch said he went Into the J room with a duplicate key and had told him al not to say anything about his having that d key. Deponent told Mr. Lynch he had done ; right in telling him about this thing, and un- I der no circumstances to touch them. Lynch j then said he was going to report the matter to Mr. Williams and Mr. Douthit. two of the a members of the Board. Deponent after this reported the matter to Colonel Wilie Jones. 6ut not in an ollicial way. Ile said if I would put it in writing he would call the at tention of the Board to it. Deponent said he would not do this, and it was his business as he had accused him of fighting -cruggs, and d it was none of his business if he stole the 11 whole Dispeusary. 'Mr. Blakeley further bt testified that Commissioner Gaston had com- b< plained to him about some one stealing the L1 cigars, and he asked Gaston if he had taken ti any of the cigari, and he replied lie had tak- fl en only three, and had given C. W. Garris a a handful. V MtR. CHtARLEY LYNCi. R Mr. C. J. Lynch in his testimony makes I some damaging statements as to .. r. Scruggs- ts lie deposes: That he has been in the State Dispensary since it was firs: opened, but was appointed bookkeeper, or assistant to Mr. eruggs in April. 18' and is still in the same position. That some timne in Febru-) ary, IzM7. 'Mr. Scruggs came into the ofifice, in the presence of Mr. M3obley and Mr. Charles and himself and said: "Charlie. do you know that Gaston has a trunk fall of ci- Q : .rs, peaches and wine back in the contra- b baud room':" I replied that I did not. C Mr. Scruggs said: "Well. he has been walk- I ing up and down the street smoking them. ; and I have been wondering where in the a -lilhe got them." I said: "No, I did not know he haid them back there." Scruggs said1 e had andi said: "Come back with me aud I will show them to you. Scruggs and I went out of the otlice to the contraband room door nd ne took a key out of his pocket and stooped down to unlock the door, and while . ftting the key into the d or he turned to me1 nd said: "Don't tell anybody I hav'e got] this key." lie then unlockedl the door and we went in. Scruggs walaed 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 smnokedi the last one." I was near the door and C asked him if he had not told nme that theyC were in a trunk, and he said, "Yes." I thens said: "There is the trunk under the table." et~ He then went to the trtuuk, lifted the lid and te moved aside some wine and pulled out three ti boxes containing cigars and handed them to til deponent. lie then reached on top of pigeon ti oles over the trunk and took down anotheri F box containing cigars and said. "Here is one I had up here when I was here this t morning," and handed themi to deponent and said: "Take the boxes to the office," De ponent then asked him: "How about the peaches" lie replied. "They are not here in the trunt-." ILevonent then pointed to :ans of peaches on thec dack anti said: "There they are, over there.'' Seruggs then went over and got them and gave thetm to him and said: "Go on to the office with the SM things," but again said. "Wait until I see 0. if there is any one in the hall." Hie opened I,1 he door and looked and said: "There is no t ne there: go ahead.'' Deponent then went 0t o the telephone room, and as he started into tb he office Scruggs said: "Let me see if there k s any one in there,'' He said: "GUo ahead, m here is no one in the offiee: take them in and le ide them." Seruggs then started back out f the door and as he was leaving. deponent., facing M1r. 3Mo51ey, remarsed. "-Mind. I did ' nt take these tninmgs.' Deponent then paced them on his die-u and Sernggs cam' back in the oihic und aid ''harie hideb hose things before \ir. iBlaieley comes in, ! don't want him to 'ee thm' Deponett hen took them oir the dL'- and put them i box at his feet. "Seruggs came over andl said: "Give 31ose one vf the boxes inean ing Mir. 310ltey. Deponent reached dew nit' nd got one of the boxes and deponernt han-t ed it over and he took is and put it in t ae'r rawer of his deak. ile then went into the c ext room and deponent opened one of the I s ans of peaches and caled him and asked te im if he did not want somue. Hie replied he! id not believe hc did just then, as he wa j oing up street. Deptonent, M1r. Charle:o and 1r. 31eoley ate the peaches. Dteponent :ne. pened a second can and took it into0 th ext room where .'.r. Serugg~s was, and sing a p'aper cutter. took One 0f the teache:-~ ut on it and nanded it to M1r. Seruggrs, te) ing him to try it. 11e ate that and detponent' anded him another, which he ate. Dep at then went haer into the ofice and M1r.t Scugs went up stret. While eating tie et of the peaches deponent showed M10ulei c nd Charles the pecuiar manner in which : lr. Scrutggs brushed aside his moustache 0 while eating the peaches, D'epenent then . a went to M1r. 31blev' and said -~ Giee ack that box of eiglar-: you don' want it.i ie replied. 'Ye-. I do Deptonent then aidJ: --There is tgoing to be a-l raid itou' nfett. and you d n t wart them'' 'I..db cy then sail: If tnhat is the ca-e. I dont want to have anything~ to do wnhi theuc anti handed inem back :o deponet, and I took the box and locked it up ''hte ~e wo I had. Ievoet teL. tine' 'n eaam-i hse twoecals ''''tiecs ire nt'w in the offce. A few days a::trwara detoneit lot the three b"se of eiar ..nd.' carri tamem n:in~e for eaic '''p''"a I hais themu there iow. Several rue- iie had iitssed thing' out of his dr'aw'er'. .\ ew days after tua a -rues was in the ofiice and s:iid, "lMoe. I ve me a engar. .Mr. Mlobley replied, "I u aen't any, sir.' lie left the oilice withou:t 1 cruggs came to dleponent and said, "Char !y. where are all those cigprs'" Deponent ePlied, "All gone. sir." Scruggs said. "The ieces of boxes. to':' Deponent replied, Yes. they are all gone.' lie then left de onent without any further remark. A day r two aterwards ;cruggs asked deponent he had told Gaston he hail taken those ci ars. De-,onent replied. -No. .ir.' Depo cnt says that at the time he and Scruggs 'ent into the contraband room and while he 'as taking the cigars out of the trunk, he -markedi, "I'll have this wine before I get irough,' and he afterwards made a similar emark about the wine in the office. Depo ent further says -Mr. Scriggs asked him a ay or two ago if he knew anything about le shoes, or had Gaston said anything to im about them, Deponent further says that he omitted to ate above that the same day the cigars and eaches were carried into the ollice Mr. lohley asked the deponent where he got te things. Deponent replied1. "In the con -'aand room." Ile then asked him how he >t them, as he thought Judge Gaston was ehar-- ot the room. Deponent replied ,at Mr. Scruggs had a hocus pocus key. eponent further states that. on the same 1y the cigars and peaches were taken out the contraband room he went down to the ommissioner's office and Mr. Blakeley ask I him if he knew anything about the miss ig cigars from the contraband room. De ment replied, "Yes: that is what I have nie down to see you about." and then ent on and told him all about the cigars id peaches; that at the next meeting of the )ard he reported to .Ir. Williams and Mr. outhit what he has said above as to the .king of cigars and peaches from contraband >om and has also since that time reported to the Governor. Mr. H. M. Mobley, a bookkeeper. i:d Mr. Cha'les, an emoployee in the -iecnry. corrobcr.ated the testino' y ov Mr. L'nch a ivcn above. Cr i:-silm:er Vance tesified that a the 29th day of April, 1897, Ccl. J. . astor came to him o! his.own ac rd tr.d slated tit he was due Ibe at Disoer s -v for some artieks he ad :'etiied and paid him $1 for one I d:r Cf shoes and 25 cents for some Bn Harris testifed that he has been orkin in the State Dispensary for yut fie years ard has bln in the amping room iLost of the time. He Lid that Scruggs took cigars from the amping ro-.m, having gotten the key Im idr. Watts. Mess H E. Watts, W. W. Harris ud C. A. Koott, ali eployee's, at the ispensaty, estid to the facts above arratid. Mr. Garris is explaining how he .ne to buy the traut: says that at ie umie he purchased said trunk he d not know or irquire from whom was ,eized, as he suppcsed it haa en forfeited to the State and the >ard could sell it; that he still has e trauk and has been ready at all mes to pay for it when the price was Xe.I Deponent further says that h,: ; no time went into the contraband om with Mr. Scruggs and two other a1llemen a::d secured cigars while in :ere, and tnat H. Scruggs did not .ke anid gir ',; hi;n a handful cf ci irs out of tce trunk, and that wbe1 a purchas-d and carried a,-7ay the auk there was no cigars in it, atd ne given to him by Mr. Gaston at -at ui.,e; :1bat he inows nothinga >out ",.ty ofthe cootentUs of th kaid -.ruT and rever receied >y part of in cigais it was said to ve contain d, or of any other arti -s; that he h.s sumoked cigars with Wl'iis o' U'. dispensary in a fri-ad 1and cazual w&, bu:. that the swatl Lnber received by am at any timi as in this way, and he did not kaow ere they came 'rom as ne suppsd tgeatle man nad purchased taem. AN IMPOR TANT CASE. Firm of Liqcnr Daliers After the Dis p.'rsary. Tue Chaas tonacrrespondot or the oumbiai R- gist-r says the bill aled Sthe- Urnhed StatEs Circuit Co0artin st cit Tut:sday by W. A. Vander >o & Co., of Calt'ornia. against onmissioner Vance. the State con ales and v.homsoever else it may icern, paying datuages for past in rferences writh the firms business in iis State, and for perpetual in~iuacc an against all future occurr ences, if uis character, may be styled the narsalas where the State will be call !uuon to make its ist stand agaimst ' inroads of the interstat- commerce .w upon its peculiar institution, o wn as the Disp'ensary system. The sintiffs through their attorney, Mr. P. K. Bryan, virtually set up the aim, under the algis of te Federal onstitution and of the interstate .ws enacted thercunder, to send their ens into the State to solicit isness and obtain orders, to estab sh warehouses or other depositories r the liquors, and to appoint still her agents to receive and disburse ese liquors, in the original unbro mn packages, to whomsoever they av see fit; thus establishing, without t ~or hindirance, to all intents and irposes, an cpposition business to e Sate Dispensary. If Yandercook & o. and adjadicated to be justified in eir cliais, as thus made, then any dtVv wop pofesses to be an ag-.Lt of fo zreig a cor cern in the buRsins s. up ann engage in tne tru ou e sam conitions.5 and the. Stae' onop~y of it is vdirtaly at an e d C.ur'osuly enough,. this den'un..:e "'t wil' havea en~ led up to la and .uhacourt which was the i?rst tcu.al, unexe-:tedly enough', to de are that the Disansar law was c'on ituieuol, in so far es it purpocrted to glae the do ' c traiha in liqugr. necc that fir~t' 1avorable decision t'ge Simonton i2S n ti nu'-erous res cmn th-: interstata comnterce fea re, declar'ing the 1:-s t> m e u'jcon tutontal ia 'ofra t co..ilic-ed ia the psi';lges and i'.uuine~s of >mJSic an'd st .ign- ciz-L's u'nder e Federal in aament, with tile ef t to sadiy crippi..e and circumns'2ribe c oerau.:'Ms Ot the Dispensary law. htehr he wi:ll go to the extent oil u tenat'cing Vandercook & Co's. ~im of the rvgnt~ to estaochsh dornes s'uexs wihin'f the State to virtu y carry on a wholesale and retail a'>-h'r buie's remains to be seenI. IWtinly. i the jasti?ce of such'aacon mon, P Ihi bc stablished~ ther'e aid sea'u to be litu eneour:ge em M for the- '-'ate- toco.mnue in a ans i M~ e e ery one may en e hut' so mruch as asking leaveI Agreese VWih 1cLa~urn Li Columibia State says 'e.o~tr 1ha wi ".ii make a specc.a on the i 1 ti w a tue cottaa sch edule is achen y.kig of the Lmatter, he :1 "I wci aee aieLiurin. and. go ' t wo or thre~e better. I a' all u'rge boty on cotton and whe~at exoorts. ey be turneQ down, and probably ill e, but I'll. make some o: the pro tinists mightily sick before I get rmuh with them." GARRIS AND THE TRUNK. s SAYS HE BOUGHT I~ FROM COMMIS SIONER GASTON. B ri But i3Mng Bu-y Told HiM to Go Ahead M Iti and the Price Would b Fixed-Ready to Pay or R'turn It -Scragg g Makes a State. - 0 ai ment. 1 Mr C. W. Garris, of COttleton, who d< got Bsckroge's trunk, has written a pm communication giving his statement th as to his connection wi'h the affair d< The following is what he has to say ta about it: tr Editor News and Courier: I notice w in the Columbia correspondence of oi your issue of April 29, under the cap- th tion of "A New Dispensary ScandAl," that my name appears ir connection es w-ith the "Beckoge trunk affair." w, "Truth seeker." after propounding o: the same question to certain dispensa- fo ry officials, turns to me and says: -We would be glad to have Mr. C. I W. Garris, a member of the legisla-I tive committee, to say what he knows BC about the trunk." I I will cheerfully state my connec tion with the matter, and it is as fol lows: I found at the close of the last da sesion of the legislature, on account to of some purchases I had made, that I wI needed a larger trunk. I remembered ar that ~ hile I was a member of the :eg- th islative examining committee we had C< taken s-ock of a kind of "plunde, th room' tbat contained some old trunks m and valises, among other thines, that :o were said to have been captured fullof of "blind tice~r" lq;or. I learned that cc hese articles were disposed of by sale. m When I tound that ' needeut a trunk, it occurred to me that I could purchase ab a second handed trunk at the dispen- th sary that would serve m(y purpose. in and at the same time save ae a part 1o of the extra expense of a ne-v one. I went to the Commissioner (Colonel Gaston) and asked abjut the matter. to Eeshowed me t o small ones very bad- X 17 damaged. Iwas about to buy one of af these, whek Mr. Scruggs, or possibly some member of the board told me SC that there were others upstairs. I dr went up with Colonel Gaston. and Sc found the trunk in question. It had du been handled very roughly in break- Fr ing it open and needed repairs-a newI di: lick, etc. Colonel Gaston and my- io, self looked at the trunk, and he re- Ith, marked that he would like to buy the ga trunk himself, whereupon I declined ch to take it and started a way. Colouel of Gaston reflected a moment, called me in1 back and said that if the trunk suited Cs me I could Take it along. He deliver- da ed it to me and I had it brought to the board's room door. I called on the I membe 5 present (and I forget now e, what ones were present-could find out if necessary) to fix the price. The co members seeme . however, to be dis- a cussing some matter very hurriedly- ;a I think some of the~m w;.ra going awa. on the nex. train, and it was abn a train ime. Some members remrake .1 that they wolid flx the pric- late add that they would mtke it reas" be. I sea. the truck then to the eso. s for repairs. Ta day brfore I left Co umbia I called to settii the matt'r. , Mr Scruzgs stated that the. price 'a j nut yet been fixed, but said ile woulc J.3 bend me the bill as soon as it was. I Recer,tly I wa talking L a mewber the bo;ard. and be men tioued th- G ma'ter to me and a,!ain I asked for a price, and he promised he would at tend to the matter at the r.ext board n meeting and s'-nd ame the bill. This isi is a!. 1 kno w of the iruck I wish to state that I knowv nothir~ g and care nothing a'out vere the trunk came from. I did not gnon' or X c:re wnether it raJ 'been at tue dis p.-sary a dayv or- a yea~r. I was a simn pie purchaser. wih no desire to aive less than fuall value, and, of course, none to give mo~re I would have bought the trunk under similar cir cumstances if every reporter in the t land had been there to witness the sale. I not only did not care for that S but did not think of the nublic prints in connection with. the 'matter. On th the contrary, I do say that had I dreamed that the trunk was or would a afer wards becamne a matter of legal ~ or other cortention, I would not have l taken it under arny circumstances, just S to of that kind.-. I have gone in'.o detail in the expla- hE nation of this matter because it was p1 made public, and believe the public, if it cares anything about it, would to prefer a full statement. I make it. pr too, in justice to myself and the offi la ers of the dispensary mentioned in S the article referred to. I wish to state further that I am in no way connect cc ed with the dispensary, either as legis w lative examiner or other wise. I was e last year, but my active duties ended mi ong before I bought the trunk. Suill to [ may have been a member, I do not otl know wrhether Speaker Gary had nade the newv appointments at that aime or not. In conclusion, I will say that I haveI tried to preserve the pro:e spirit in my answrr to the inquiry of "-Truth re Seeker." His insinuation that the L ~ruk was given away is rot "truth." j o: nd I fear his whole ar'icle was not 'Th a much an in qiry for truth as it we~s 1h S attnimt to dl&ndcer. ar. Now, it "Truth Seeker" kboas an.y- Itre sing th:.t is going~ on wrong. at the eu Stie Dispersary or any where else in Iple 2is State government, for the sake ofjif ustice let him comie cut and namae the do vrong and the wrong doer in an hon be rate vway sud sign Sits namTe to his in roduction, for th~e world is growing mm :0 hate tihe co.rard that "-t:rosas 2:ick and hides ihis tanmd." Tae m~oney i ithe trutnk is subj ci to the order of 'r .he boardl, and has beuen ice it was thji >oughlt and will be until sentid. [as If the trunk was illegall ytake~n from bet Ir. Beckcoze, I do noi, blame him for ani 2is contention. I do not blme any m' nan who wants his owr ; to bhrne an1 roud be to condemn my o.vn dispo- ca: ition. Respectfully, C. W. Garris Smoah's S. C..- April 30, 1897. P. 5 -I see by the Ne~vs and Cou- Di -ier of today thant I, along with the bia licers of the dispe' sary,aim expected itra ;at intimates that I knowv anvtai: ed t but either is a .ying se suudrl VMy onnection weih 11. was the purchse, U.m 1nd beyoud that I know a'bs:-lue:yea 2thiig. It will be notd a iat thcee is a con ira iict in the testticonv of Mr. Garr:s md that of Cjtorl Gas.on. Tae lat o er said that Mr. Scruges had ein-tn tre~ :aim the trunk, while Mr Gasrris s:.:. vn :he transaction cf the sak anm: par h. hse was between him and Comel 1lat aston. tr Mr Seruggs returned yesterday from Ion baietn, mhere he h.d been taking jthi och in the thr-n hotel dispensaries. e was somewhat indignant at the ibi;shed report that he had gone to rilleton to confer with Mr. Garris. e says he rot only did not see Gar s, but hrs Lct written him or com unicated with him in any way since is matter has been talked of. He ]a Mr. Garris had b3ught the trunk yenly and above board, and that was 1 there was to it. While,of course, there may be some mbt Ps to the right of officials to dis se of such property by sale, still ere is no doubt that it has been sne. Anyway the public now c-r ifl know that Mr. Garris got the unk, but the burning question is, here are the cigars,peach'es and lem is? Wiio got these. And how did Judge Trend is busy taking the 'idence, and he said that all that u1d be brought out. The evidence tair.ed by him is not yet available r publication, but will be. CRLGGS AND GASTON ARRESTED. oth of Them Waived an Eximination and Gave Bond. The Beckroge trunk dispensary scan 1, which lis been the all-absorbing pic all over South Carolina for a !ek past, culminated Friday in the rest of ex-Clerk Seth W. Scruggs of e State board of control, and ex >mmissioner John T. Gaston. upon e common law charge of official isconduct. Both have given bond r their appearance at the next term the court of sessions in Richland unty, and will be free until the court pets in the summer. Friday every one was still talking out the scandal and the affidavits at had been secured, and wondez D what the State authorities were ing to do about it. It was about bon When Mr. L. J. Williams, the nber of the State board designated swear out the warrants, wert to 4gistrate Smith's office and made the idavits having the warrants issued. The warrant in the case of Mr. ruggs charged that "on or:about the tt day of March, 1897. one Seth W. ruggs did commit official miscon .ct by tAking and carrying away )m tLe contraband room in the State ,pensary four boxes of cigars and ar cans of peaches and other articles e property of the State, while en ged in the discharge of his duties as .rk and bookkeeper of the State board control in said Stote dispensary, with tent to defraud the State of South rolina, as fully set forth in the affi vit hereto attached." AGAINST COL. GASTON. The warrant against Col. Gaston al ,es that -on or about the 1st day of irch, 1897, one John T. Gaston did mmit official misconduct by taking d carrying away from the contra nd room in the State dispensary 1 pair of shoes, part box of cigars d other articles the property of the C while acting as State commis >aer in ebarge of said room and :. in the dt Charge of the duties of Ed oflice, witlh intent to de fraud the ve of South Carolina, as fully set rth in the .affdavit hereto attached." te affida-it is also made by Mr. Wil .ms bzfore Maaistrate Smith BOTH GIVE BOND. It was ab.au, 2:3J o'clock when Mr. .-ton walked into the office of the .gistrate and surrendered himself, having been informed by the mae rate's c anstable triat he was wantea. waived a preliminary, and gave nd for his appearance at the-sessions urt in the sum of $400. His bonds en were G-n. John Gary Watts and ..j B. B Eva;.s. A bout 4 Jekcac tne same proceeding is go~ne through with as to Mr. cuags. He came up in response to .imiljar notict fromn the constable, e. Hartin. His bond was fixed in e same amount His bondsmen -re James G. Payne and W. J. ruges. A.ttorney General Barber says that e punishment for the offense charg upon conviction is imprisonment d fine in the discretion of the judge, e imprisonment not to exceen seven ars. It is not of necessity in the a~te penitentiary. Mr. Gaston said that he had nothing fear; he had done nothing wrong far as he kne w; and intimated that did not even think he would em >y counsel to defend him. There has been considerable talk as what offense these men should be osecuted for. Breach of trust, grand -ceny, housebreaking in the case of ruggs and numerous other offenses are looked 'nto, but the attorneys uild not find where any of them .uld lie upon the evidence present .Attorney General Barber yester y said: "You can just say for me the public, that if there is any 1er offense for which these parties a be indicted, then this office stands rdy to prosecute therefor."-State. Larry Gantt Got Some. [n a letter to the Columbia State in erence to the dispensary scandal rry Gantt says: "I think your sition is right about those samples. ey are the property of the State, and >uld be sold with the other liquors di the proceeds turned into the Statej asury. But it has long been the s among dispensary attaches and a search warrant was tak-r. out I abt not out that sample hbc..es willI fouud in every State ofli~er's house Columbia, from the governor's .rsion to tne penitentiary. I have 3. some seven or eigh~t sample bottles -en me-and they did not all ecme mo Mr. Scruggs, either. Most of s liquor I brought home to use in or sicikness, as I supposed it was ter than that sold in the dispensary ; :1 the greater part of it is now ia house, having never been opened, 3. i: there is any question about it ~1 ireturn it to thie aispensary. Clearin~g MXr. Garris. .he State Boar-d of Control of the' pens gy held a metting in Clolum- I on rast Thursdaiy arid after the1 niaction of ro.2tiue business Mr. oper introduced the~ foli ireso ionx, wich~ was uuanimously adopt-1 esol?ved, That it is the sese of this .rd that the Hon. C.W. Garris ne~ ino the yo~ase-ion .f the Beca. e tuL in an honora ble and 1egiti aaynd that the price for said d ~Coe preaced his resolution a fe . remarks. He had seen the 'ik, he said, af ter Mr. Garris got it. j knew the condition it was The other members of the board I tit to Mr. Cooper to say what the uk was worth, as he was the only e to see it. He placed the price at < CONDITION OF CROPS. THE WEEKLY BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE OBSERVER. State of the Weather-Glance About the Broad Acres Devoted to the Farming Interesat 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 de grees; approximate normal for the same period 68 degrees. Highest re ported 95 on the 28th at Sillisonville; 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, May 1. RAINFALL. Scattered showers fell on the 26th over the eastern counties, and on Ap ril 30 and May 1 rain was general over the entire State. Twenty-three correspondents reported measurements of less than one inch; 22 from one to two inches, and 7 more than two inches. Heaviest weekly rainfall was 3.35 at Elloree and the least 0.12 at Halsellville. The average of all re ports was 1.16 and the normal for the same period is approximately 0.78. The rainfall was generally well dis tributed and sufficient for the preseat needs of crop, except in portions of Lexington, Newberry, Richland, Fair field and Chester, where the showers were light and local and where in places more rain would prove benefi cial. In Sumter, Kershaw, Spartan burg and Anderson lands were, in places, badly washed and some bot tom lands flooded. Hail fell over the extreme western counties on the 30th, but no damage is reported. SUNSHINE AND WINDS. There was about the average dura tion of bright sunshine, ranging from 13 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 pre paring some lands for planting, nev ertheless farm work progressed rapid ly, 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 nearmg' completion over the greater portion of the State, but in the nort'ern coun ties there is much yet to be planted, the dry condition of the soil having prevented the preparation of lands. StAuds of early planted corn are gen erally satisfactory, with exceptions in very county, owing to worms in Beaufort, Dorchester, Hampton, Col leton, Williamsburg, Berkeley and Florence; and lack of moisture else where, however, the needed moisture has since been supplied. Chinch bugs continue destructive in Chester. Over the eastern counties corn has received its first working generally, and some its second. It is somewhat "off color" in a few localities, owing to dry weatther and cool nights during the previous week. A great improve ment is expected during the present week both in stands and color. The percentage of cotton yet to be panted ranges from 5 to 25, the latter in Chester and York and to the west ward. Stands are greatly improved and are generally satisfactory. The late rains will bring up the recently planted to good stands. In the eas tern portions of the State cotton has received its first cultivation and some fields have been chopped to stands. It is estimated that cotton planting will be finished in about 10 days. Transplanting of tobacco sets made much progress during the week, fol lowing the rains, and this work is well advanced. The plants continue plentiful and of good size. River rice is about all planted, but upland rice is late and planting has been delayed. In Kershaw rice has not done well. Considerable yet to sow in the Georgetown district. The zool nights of the previous week were injurious to young plant. as also were the brisk winds of the pat week. Wheat reported as heading ehort, but the rains are expected to make a marked improvement in this respect. [ts condition continues pr . The reports on oats vary consi era bly but its general condition is still good. The rain will prove of great benefit to oats in all portions of the tate. Oats are heading low in places. Sorghum cane coming up slowly. More than the usual area is being pnted in the central counties. A great improvement is reported rom the truck districts since the rains. [Large shipments continue from the Dharleston district. Sweet potato draws becoming plen iful and transplanting has begun in he 0outhern counties. Irish potatoes ~rowing well and are large enough or use in thie eastern counties. Gardens are everywhere reported loing well The rains of the week were timely. Peaches are dropping freely in iampton, but in other sections a fair ~rop is indicated. Apples plentiful mn trees. Correspondents report the entire rop conditions as eminently satisfac ory and encouraging to farmers over he entire State. A Good Man to Hang. Henry Jones, colored, was hanged n Michigan City, Ind., on Friday, or the murder of a fellow prisoner 2aed Tuomas, who testified against iimi in his trial, which resulted in his ast sentence to prison. Jones con essed to having committed murders it Jacksonville, Fla., Savannah, Ga., ndianapolis, and the one for which e was hanged. He was a des >erate character, niaving made three timpts during his imprisonment to ~ill guards and convicts. Eritish dtearnship Wrecked. The British ship Traveller, from ~onabaya for Deleware Breakwater is vrecked off Island Rodriquez. Three iund ted tons of the cargo was soaked Japt. Christi and the first officer and curteen of the crew died of fever. An Earthquake shock. A very distinct earthquake shock vas felt at Brackville at 8.45 Thursday vening, accompanied by a very l"ud ioise resembling that of heavy thun ler. The shiock was felt at Elko, 3illiston and Waenne