Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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NICHOLS, FRIEF rr I, T BLy* - ( > ?? ;- . * i Nichols, Sims and Ble< Pardon of DeFor Dictagraph G f-':? ' ,>' r. * . Augusta fi-a.. July 13.?I thousand dollars for Cole L. Ble the governor of South Carolina; 000 for Sam J. Nichols, attorney Spartaanburg and friend of Gover Blease; $5,000 for C. P. Sims, at ney of Spartanburg?that tl amounts were to be paid to the ] y sons named was sworn to by E v , . Reed, chief lieutenant of Willian Burns, detective, and substantia by thousands of words of dictagra for the pardon of Gus DeFord, on< the most notorious prisoners in South Carolina penitentiary, who 1 convicted in Spartanburg county toao +Via /-?Viarco r*f hlowine ijK . ' i . \ liTVA V/U i?uv VUW^QV w*. w safe of the Enoree Manufacturing < when over $8,000 was secured, i sentenced to serve a term of years. Detective Reed was on stand before the legislative comr tee for several hours this aftern % and he, under oath, gave the ab testimony. The final act of the v leged gigantic pardon deal was have been reached to-day with "O. K/' telegram from Sam J. Ni ols to the effect that the pardon ] been granted. The telegram was received. (Jets Admission to the "Pen." Several years ago on the cha of blowing the safe of the Eno Mfg. Co. over $8,000 was secured the work and the Spartanburg cou court, after a long and tedious tr sent DeFord to the State penitenti for ten years. Porter said that S . J. Nichols gave him a letter of inl *-rs' v ? duction to Capt. Sondley of the St penitentiary. Felder said that 1 :T' letter would he later introduced evidence. Porter said that he w to the penitentiary and presented letter of introduction to Capt. So ley and was well received. "I as] to see several prisoners," said Pon "and was given admission to the p on. I called for DeFord. I tall with him and told him that I 1 interested in his case. I gave him r;;:;V - understand that I was to act as attorney." T ?. Goes to Spartanburg. Porter said that after the conJ ence at the penitentiary with DeF he went to Spartanburg and met S J. Nichols. He said that he g Nichols to understand that he i looking for a certain convict and t he was unable to locate him. He s that he told Nichols that it was v necessary to find this convict, as settlement of a big estate pended his freedom. The convict was one the beneficiaries and his restorat of citizenship was necef*sary. Por told Nichols of the man DeFord i Raid that he was satisfied he was g, mail. Porter s^id that Nichols qu tioned him as to the amount invol1 ' . and that he told him that it was v ESS? -'- " necessary to secure the pardon 0$ . DeFord. Would Not Be Hard. Porter said that Nichols told I that it would not be difficult to DeFord out of the penitentiary. P If- er told of depositing a letter of ere for $2,500 with the Bank of Cc Pmerce. Drafts in Evidence. T. B. Felder placed in evidence draft for $2,500, drawn on Fourth National bank, Atlanta, to is deposited in the Bank of Commei t. of Spartanburg, for financing the d whereby evidence was to be secu: that Governor Blease had been gui of selling pardons. "E. S. Reed, < of the best detectives in the Uni States and head of the Burns fort was selected to carry out the wi under the name of 'Henry N. Pori attorney, of Chicago, 111.' " Dir testimony was given that Sam Nichols had been given a check $500 as a retainer's fee to secure pardon of DeFord and that the ch was on deposit in the Bank of C< merce in Spartanburg. Checks Given. Direct testimony was given Reed and Felder that an additio check for $500 had been placed the disposal of Nichols for work buying a pardon for DeFord. Dii testimony was given that $15,000 1 deposited in a Chicago bank to paid to Sam J. Nichols upon word that DeFord had been relea from the State penitentiary. Over 25,000 Words Testimony. The checks, Felder said, will placed in evidence before the c< mittee. Over 25,000 words in te mony from the dictagraph was p ed in evidence with reference to pardon deal the conversations tween Sam J. Nichols and "Henrj Porter," the detective were gb This testimony was taken by exj stenographers. The principal st ment taken in a Washington h was taken by the private secretar; Postmaster General Hitchci ID OF BLEASE, ALKS TOO FREELY i ^??- j ase to Get $5,000 Each for ] d, Notorious Yeggman. j ives Nichols Away. ) t 1 rive | Should the case ever be brought to ( ase, j court these stenographers will be put t $5,-| up as witnesses. The testimony was 1 r of j sworn to by Detective "Henry N. , nor Porter." i tor-1 The Interurban Deal. ] tese The dictagraph testimony further 1 ?er~ ! showed how Sam J. Nichols secured a r S. j charter for the Piedmont Northern i 1 J-1 railway. According to the testimony lte(* | he had a row with Governor Blease j LPk> and threatened to desert him unless ^ 3 he signed the bill. The testimony shows that Nichols said that the signwas ing of the bill meant $10,000 a year in to him. According to the testimony, J the Nichols told Blease that his hatred 2?-? for Lewis W. Parker and "Smyth" or anQ the money paid by the Southern Railten way was keeping kim from signing tiie the bill. Governor Blease signed the { Qlt~ bill and the dictagraph relates a ' oon stormy scene. This conversation, setove ting out the statements, was between . a*" Sam J. Nichols and "Henry N. Port0 ter," the detective. Felder on Stand. 7 lCll~ Felder occupied the witness stand for several hours this afternoon and not read excerpts from the dictagraph testimony relative to the conversation between Nichols and Detective rge Porter. The conversation of "Porter" ree bristled with fine humor and sarcasm ky when it wad read. d n*y Reed Takes Stand. t in] 1 M 1 ? - Ax ~ "in n TaKing ine stana mis aiieruuuu, m. ~ ar- S. Reed, who was known as "Henry d ,am Porter," the Chicago attorney, said t 'r0"; that he had been engaged in the de- ? ate tective business for 22 years. He t 'k*3 said that when W. J, Burns under- * in took the graft investigation in South t ent Carolina that he was assigned to Cothe lumbia and the western section of the nd" State and that "Bailie," the other a ked Burns man, known as "the fascin- n t?r' ating Mr. Wilson," had been detailed t rig- / to work in Charleston. Porter hand- e feed ed the committee one of his cards? b rog used in making the investigation, o t0 This gave the information that he g was "a Chicago lawyer." In answer t to questions by Felder, Porter said v that he had used the dictagraph to a [ergather the testimony in connection or ; with the sale of pardons. !om Selected. Worst Criminal. v ave " ^ag "We selected," said Porter, "the f, hat worst criminal in the South Carolina 0 ai(j penitentiary for our investigation. e ery This man was known as Gus iDeford, ^ tllg alias James Johnson, alias Edward y on Murphy, alias Edward Hollaway, alias f, , G. W. Deford, alias G. M. Deford and a ion other aliases. This man was a yegg- b ,*er man and a safe blower. He had just & ind i served a sentence of five years in the <j i nrisnn in Atlanta when he v tne * ? . ,eg_ was convicted in South Carolina. "De- n ^e(i ford was convicted in Spartanburg " ery county." e jor Telegrams in Evidence. t Porter read several telegrams that he exchanged with Nichols. The telelim grams wer introduced in evidence, c get Porter declared that after he had s 'or- talked over the matter of securing a b idit pardon for Deford he paid Sam J. k >m- Nichols a check for $500. This check b he said was deposited in the Bank of v Commerce of Spartanburg to the S his credit of Sam J. Nichols and that the h the check would be later placed in evi- d be dence. Another check was drawn for f< ce, $500, subject to the order of Nichols, f< eal said the witness. This money was s red turned loose to aid Nichols in secur- u ilty ing the pardon. Here Porter told of n jne the injection of the dictagraph in the ted investigation. The dictagraph was ;es, used in the Finch hotel in Spartan- E 3rk burg and in the New Willard hotel c ter, in Washington. d ect First Meeting Jane 23. ti J. The first meeting between Nichols f< for and Porter occured on June 23. Por- C the ter said that he, after arriving in " eck Spartanburg and installing himself in s; >m- room 48 of the Finch hotel, he sent n a note to Sam J. Nichols, asking that p he call and talk over the securing of li by a pardon for Deford. Nichols sent E nal back a note saying that he was going n at out of town and that it would be im- t in possible to talk over the matter. A E *ect second note was sent to Nichols by d svas Porter. A second reply was received, s be The reply of Nichols will be submit- o the ted to the "committee by Porter. The b sed witness said that an expert stenogra- a pher by the name of S. Teitlebaum 1 was located in the room next to num- v tv /N AM ^ O V ue | uei to. Dm- j Dictagraph in Finch Hotel. f ssti- The dictagraph was placed in the I lac- room with Porter. Later in the day \ the Porter said that Nichols called and be- that they held a conference for five r N. hours, during which time the Deford t fen. pardon was freely discussed. A tran- 1 pert script of the testimony, covering more t ate- than 10,000 words was introduced in t otel evidence. Felder said at this point t Y of that the stenographer will be called c 3ck. to testify should prosecution be nec- I sssary. Next at Washington. The next conference, Porter sa ?*as held in the New Willard hoi in Washington, in room 541. The ficial stenographer in Washingti Porter said, was George W. Reik, 1 private secretary to Postmaster G< pral Hitchcock. As in Spartanbu :he conversation between Nichols a Porter was taken. This transcrit :estimony was introduced in evidei ;his afternoon and made a part of t jfficial record. The discussion c( ;inued with reference to the Defc Dardon and the manner in which vas to be secured. Porter said tl sTichols came to his room in Was ngton with a man by the name 3aslay, from Spartanburg. Niche le said, asked Paslay to leave t oom, as he had some important bi ness to talk over with Porter, vas stated by Porter that Nich< >romised to close up the pardon d< vithin two weeks. Went to Baltimore. According to the witness, Sam fichols left Washington and went Baltimore. He was followed by P< er and they both went to the All ciont hotel, iwhere the South Cai ina delegation to the national cc ention was registered. At this poi cl the testimony the members of t ommittee questioned Porter as to t orrectness of the testimony by t lictagraph. A technical explanati if the working of the instrument w riven and the witness declared tt rom experience it had been shoi hat it was impossible to "fake" tes oony from the dictagraph. He sa hat the stenographers' notes wou how whether it was genuine or n< Local History Proves Truth. Porter said that the record of t lictagraph was full of local histo hat would show the absolute correi iess of the testimony. Smiling con [ently, Porter told of his convert ions with Sam J. Nichols in Bal aore. The dictagraph gave in det he conversations. National politi ras among the subjects discussed he two. Felder Again on the Stand. At this point Porter left the sta: nd T. B. Felder resumed his tes aony. He read certain sections he dictagraph testimony. He brar d as a lie statements made by me: ers of the old State dispensary boa f control that he h^d been guilty rafting. He gave some interesti: estimony concerning , his relatio rith L. W. Boykin, John Bell Tow nd others. Felder Defends Himself. In answer to the previous tes aony given the committee to the < ect that he, Felder, had been gui] f grafting, he said: "I was conne d with the dispensary investigatio q South Carolina for three or fo ears before these charges were pi erred against me. If they had h mything on me they would ha rought it out. They would ha Hatched at the chance so," said F< er. "that it would not have ma our head swim, but would ha iade it go around like a whirlpoo. Did you ever try to bribe H. 1 Ivans with $50?" asked the comm ee. Would Have Succeeded. ''If I had tried I would have si eded," snapped back Felder. Feld aid that the necessity of adding i ates in South Carolina was w< nown. He illustrated the stateme y referring to an Augusta man w ras unable to do business with t outh Carolina dispensary until ad paid the necessary money. F< er said that John Bell Towill h allowed him around to make a cc gssion. He said that he would ha ecured a confession from many tie "grafters" if the present gov< or had not been elected. Blease's Election Stopped Them. "With the election of Cole {lease the views of the grafte hanged as to confessions," said F< er. "Did you ever make a propoi ton to Boykin, Towill and Evans arm a whiskey corporation in Sou !4rolina?" asked the coaimittc Never," he replied. "Anybody th ays that I received a graft in co .ection with the South Carolina d ensary," said Felder, "tells an abs ite, unmitigated and infamous lie Ixcerpts from the dictagraph tes lony with reference to the signing he Piedmont Northern charter llease was read by Felder and t ocument was placed in evidence a: worn to by Porter. It was broug iUt Dy reiaer mat uctctuvco u :ept in touch with Sam J. Nich< nd that he had left Spartanbu 'hursday afternoon for Columbia. 1 rent from Columbia to Barnwell, ras stated that Nichols held a cc erence with Governor Blease Blackville last night or that th rere together. Next Meeting Upon Call. The committee held a long exec ive session to-night and adjourned .1 o'clock. No statement was ma >y members of the committee as he matters to be discussed. T :ext meeting was left subject to t all of the chairman, Senator Howa 5. Carlisle, of Spartanburg. CHICAGO'S WOMAN JUDGE. ^ Miss Bartelme Will Preside Over el, Trials of Delinquent Girls. of Her honor, Judge Mary M. BarteljH 9 me has just taken her place on the an_ bench of the Chicago juvenile court, , the first woman judge Chicago has ever had. ^e(l Miss Bartelme accepted the position of assistant judge of the juvenile he court which was offered her by the )n_ circuit court judges-. But the fact >r(1 that she is to be an assistant judge does not mean that she is not to have a court of her own. She is to sit ,j1_ in a separate part devoted to the trial 0? of girls and young women charged (jg with minor offenses and delinquency. Miss Bartelme, who is a former ls_ school teacher, a lawyer and a public jt guardian in Cook county, owes her 3js elevation to the bench to a suggestion Jal made by President Harry Pratt Judson of the University of Chicago and Jane Addaips of Hull House. It is the highest judicial place any J* woman has ever attained in Illinois, t0 the next highest position ever held Jl~ by a woman in tne siaie Deing mat -a" of a justice of the peace. o in- Treasure Trove. A young man recently got married and took a cottage, determined to he grow enough vegetables to keep the he household going. He started to dig on up the garden, and, after half an as hour's hard work, was astonished to = tat find a sovereign at his feet. Then j *n he dug with a renewed ardor. Sev- j eral pennies, a sixpence and a half crown rewarded his efforts. "Blow me! If this ain't a bloomin' j ot- gold mine!" he said, digging away ; for all he was worth. "I wonder j he what I'll find next?" j ,ry His arms ached, little beads of ct- perspiration trickled down his nose ifi- and his neck felt as though it was ! ia- breaking. He could stick to it no J ti- longer. He straightened his back at I ail last with a groan of pain, and at the j ics same instant felt something cold slidby ing down his leg. In a moment he had grasped the truth. There was a hole in his trousers pocket!? J Q(j Sketch. j ti_ Passing of the Pull Blood Indian. I of j id- The American Indian is doomed | m- to disappear in a few decades. He i rd is merging into the white race rapidof ly. His fate as a full blood Indian ng is already sealed and there seems to ns be nothing that will save him. He i ill can not keep pace with the march of j progress. He could live and thrive ' j in a wigwam and lope over the loneti ly forest trails for hours at a time gf- without fatigue. He can not exist in .! Ity a modern house and pines and wilts j ct- like a captive wild bird. His chil- j ns dren to-day are far different from j ur the healthy papooses of more than a j re- century ago. His wife has a very ad meagre supply of vitality compared ! ,ve to the rugged squaw who used to do j ve all the work for his great-great- j el- grandfather. 0 = de According to the census of 1910, j ve the total number of Indians in the I." United States is 265,683 and 150,H. 000 of these are full-blooded. There | it- are nearly as many tribes as in the i old Colonial days, but six of them are represented by only a single memic ber and 30 have less than 10 memer bers each. Indians are found in ev- ! *e- ery State, but Oklahoma contains the j ell largest number, 74,825. j nt Official investigation shows that j ho sterility is more common among full- i he blooded than among mixed blood In- 1 he dian women and the birth rate is b1- steadily declining. The number of ad children born increases in proportion m- to the amount of white blood. Not ve only that but the vitality of the offof spring as hown by the proportion of ?r- surviving children follows the same 3. rule. These conditions will tend to K: increase the proportion of mixed ?e L. bloods among the Indians of the er ts United States and as a result the full m 3l- blood Indian is doomed to disappear- hi si- ance at an early date. to b? .i - A Bold Bet. te / se In Thomas E. Farish's book. "Gold at Hunters of Caliornia," is a yarn about the biggest gambling Mr. Far- pj ls" ish knew of in that time of big bet- Pi ,0~ ting: "A man of the name of Moore ^ , ? fa " had been betting and lost over and ,w tl_ over sums aggregating several thous- jn and dollars on the game of faro, ne Finally, as he turned to leave, the P1 he dealer asked: 'Are you through?' Q(* Moore halted, hesitated, then, turning and taking from his pocket a a<* key, held it up and said, 'I will bet w; )ls you everything in my safe, which this gi rg key unlocks, on the ten.' 'How much ^ L^e is in your safe?' inquired the dealer: Y ^ 'I do not know, but it is a large sum. m ,n" If you win take the key, open the safe at and secure all the money you find ce ey there. If I win we will go to the safe g.' together, count the money, and you must cover the amount,' was the ai :u" answer. The challenge was accept- ? ed, the bet made and Moore won do ca something over $47,000." t0 dc he $25.00 up, suits to order of fine _ be woolens, fit perfect; also ready-made . clothes, all wool, from $10.00 up; dr ra wash suits $4.00 up. Write F. G. a MERTINS, Augusta, Ga. Ai i i 7Y The Cancelled Check To "The Public , In the course;of business^a bill is sometimes presented for collection where ,it has.already been . ? paid. > r This may have happened to you as it has to so many.:' - Such an occurrence is annoying and requires explanations and sometimes the re eeipt. IPf! You need"never pay a bill twice] if you pay by check. .'The check isx a positive proof that you have paid the money,"and your cancelled cheoks are reoeipts. for. the bills you have paid. ' . Our bank offers prompt and efficient service in handling your ao-' 11 1 ' \ &-. ?:&, count. * Tours very, truly, t :S mm FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK I! || 4 per ct. Paid Quarterly on Savings Accounts. Ehrhardt^S^D^^ NOT TOE BEST! (j! [ We don't claim to have the best 1 |. '-~y* S H Horses and Mnles ever brought to M 1 j Q this market in our stables at this . . j 5 time, for we have had some mighty v j \ I good ones heretofore, but we do - I I j claim these to be just as good as any ' /J i we have ever handled, and if you will P j | I 1 |j come and look we know we can ? . 3 jlj ! ^ please you. See ours before buying ^ | ^ JONES BROS., | J BAMBERG, SOUTH CAROLINA. ? g A few Snowflakes do not make any impression, but a ||l sufficient number of them will stop a locomotive. Your JP j I small change may seem unimportant to you, but if you open a savings account here, and constantly add to the W. amount, the accumulation will surprise you and prove g S a great help to you when WANT tries to run you down. We pay 4 per cent, on Savings Deposits. is A nnn a m ntinnnn 1 AiunurDTPS D Hnio W a ttMAi Mwuiu; ijniunco i tn o rnuMi ??? THE DIAMOND BRAJtD. ' W"" ard to Duplicate It in Bamberg. cSiSid?S/DSJ^lfftw/?V ? P11U in Red *3d*S^W Scores of representative citizens of ? t?? b?? ? rw t . ' '^s imberg are testifying for Doan's C Jr IpnSf:'*&!' ^ idney Pills. Such a record of local V v n*nknown as Bot. safest. Aiw*jrsReifeb? 'wigS? idorsement is unequalled in mod- -r SOLO BY DRUGGISTS EVERYWHERE -'M n times. This public statement W-\ ade by a citizen is but one of the V~?Y any that have preceded it and- the mt -* : ?: mdreds that will follow. Read it: Mrs. L. B. Fowler, Elm, St.,'Bam- j ^ jrg, S. C., says: "My little daugh- i x f.i r suffered from weak kidneys for j? .?&: veral years and she had practically &|p|S ) control over the kidney secretions. le often complained of her back F^^;? V irting her and her health was poor. I M? auHAD!)" ?? .' ' inally I got a box of Doan's Kidney MIMM*"* . ??fH ills from the Peoples Drug Co., as ImnrAVPfl SSW MllKl :ey had previously been used in our IIIIpIUWvU UttVV IVUU04 jvjz mily with good results. In a few (variable ruction feed, na^srl , eeka after my daughter began tab- material and workmanship, iigbft^ ?$? g them, the trouble with her kid- ^ , requires little power; simple! ;?f !ys was corrected and her health im- ^to^ndle. Are made in several! oved. I shall always raommend ^ are good, substantial mone^ t; ^ nati'fl Pills ^Statement HI .. +?+h<?flm?11psA 1 venIn March, 1908.) " mamzmacuuiWuWn? DPD ' xTT7'"k"rrn size- Write for catalog showing $ A PERMANENT CURE. gines, Boilers and all Saw Mill supplies]; On January, 2 6, 1911, Mrs. Fowler Lombard Iron Works A Supply Co.t as Interviewed and she said: "It ? aucusta. ca. ? J ves me pleasure to again endorse oan's Kidney Pills, for the cure they ade in my family has been lasting. FRANCIS F. CARROLL 1 ou may continue to use my stateFor sale by all dealers. Prifce 50 Attoril6y-3it-I?3iW nts. Foster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, _ '-'k&M 3w York, sole agents for the United Office in Hoffman Building *tes GENERAL PRACTICE. Remember the name?Doan's? R.MRPRr ? n id take no other. BAMBERG, S. C. . . 5 0T? ? ?,?ses ?65, wil1 any J. Aldrich Wyman E. H. Henderson ' *1 ? ' xr"^TTt,-r it ante nn ?.. B ^ j se OI UU111S auu J~- <=?W , .?. _ ... e liver better than Calomel, and W yUL3J1 05 HCIlUt?rS0Il >es not gripe or sicken. 25c. ^ ^ ^ NOTICE.?Automobile rain proof AttOTllByS'&tr isters $5.00; also gloves and caps, . <>'" full line. Write F. G. MERTINS, BAMBERG, S. C. , jgusta, Ga. General Practice. Loans Negotiated. . .. < ' l- .. ..., . . ..