The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, July 25, 1912, Image 3
A STORY OF GRAFT
SAYS HE SLIPPED MONEY UNDER
STOTHORT'S DOOR
?
IT WENT ON FOR MONTHS
O'Neill, Former Charleston Liquor
Dealer, Hays lie Collected "Protection
Fund" From Other "Tigers",
Put it in Envelope and Left
it at Office of Chief Constable.
Appearing before the committee of
the general assembly at Columbia on
Thursday, J. P. 11. O'Neill, a confessed
whole~sale and retail whiskey dealer
of Charleston, gave testimony under
oath that hp had been paying a
"protection fund" of about $60 a
month to ITeu H. Stothart, the chief
whiskey constable in Charleston.
O'Neill made the direct charge that
he had collected this fund from sev-;
eral retail whiskey dealers.
Tho testimony by O'Neill was given
after he had been put through a
grilling cross-examination by the
r-nmmittfvi ami after ho had been
threatened with a jail sentence for
contempt. The witness when placed
on the stand refused to give testimony
on the ground that it might Incriminate
him. The members of the
committee took the position that
O'Neill must answer all questions
with reference to the Charleston situation
or to be held in contempt.
The testimony of the witness and
his answer caused a general uproar
among the spectators. He tried to
evade practically every question propounded
on the ground that it might
incriminate him or other Charleston
citizens. After a conference with his
attorney, W. S. Nelson, O'Neill said
that he was ready to answer all questions
rather than take a jail sentence.
Story of the Scheme.
After evading questions by the
committee for more than one hour
...,d after several conferences with
his attorrey, O'Neill got down to his
story of confession and outlined the
.following scheme. He said that about
eighteen months ago Hen H. Stothart
-* 1 - ... * ~ Uln nlnnn f
OI VJIliinCHlUU v;illII15 lu II in ui
business and informed him that he
had been appointed as chief constable
for Charleston county.
"Stothart told me that the boys
would be coining around to see me,"
said O'Neill. O'Neill then said that
about one month afterwards he placed
Uie "protection fund" that he had
collected from the retail whiskey
dealears in an envelope and put the
envelope under the door of the ofllce
of Ben II. Stothart in Society street.
He declared that the money was
left during the night and that the envelope
contained the names of the retail
dealers who had paid for protection.
O'Neill declared that the "protection
desired" was given to the retail
dealers.
The testimony of O'Neill was the
most sensational that has been given
before the legislative committee. In
IPs testimony O'Neill declared that
thv, collection of the "protection
fund" had commenced about eighteen
months ago or just after the appointment
of Stothart by the governor of
South Carolina.
At a recent meeting of the dispensary
committee in Charleston several
confessed "blind tigers" charged that
they bad been paying a protection
fund to J. P. B. O'Neill, who was said
to be a member of the Marion Stock
company, alleged to be a wholesale
* ' ' ?...... rvo/vrnlintr 1,1 (hn
WIUSKCy CUIll (11111/ i/|ici ainif, in v>*v
city of Charleston, The principal testimony
on the "protection fund" given
at the Charleston hearing was by
John J. Miller. O'Neill admitted before
the committee that Miller had
been employed as his agent and that
ho collected the "fund" from the retailers.
O'Nelirs Testimony.
The following is J. B. P. O'Neill's
confession as taken from the ollicial
stenographer's notes:
Mr. Carlisle: Mr. O'Neill, did you
collect any money in the city of Charleston
or elsewhere for the purpose
of paying it over to Mr. Stothart or
any other constable for protection or
immunity? A. I decline to answer
on the ground that it would incriminate
me.
Committee rules that witness will
'have to answer or be ruled for contempt.
Upon reconsideration and
consultation Mr. O'Neill consents to
answer.
A. I can not tell you exactly. It
has been testified by two people they
paid me money and this money I
placed in an envelope with names of
parties paying it to me, and left it
at the constable's otllce.
Q. What parties paid it to you? A.
Milton is one. He paid it for two
places, $15 .
Q. Did you take it in person to the
constable's ollice? A. Yes, sir.
Q. With whom did you leave it?
A. At his ollice.
Q. Did you have your name on it
f ift any way? A. ."Samoa or parries
who paid the money and (heir place
of business.
(J. How did you know the consta
l)les would keep that money? A.
^ Because I was to Rive the money to
them.
Q. Acting agent between reailers
and constables? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did the retailers direct you how
to do that? A. The retailers?
Q. Yes. sir; who told you to put it
under the door? A. Those people
who dealt with me was to pay me
so much to keep from being raided by
a warrant. All I had to do was to
place the amount in an envelope and
names and to leave at the ofllce.
Ills Name.
^Question by Senator Clifton: What
is his name? A. B. H. Stothart. The
constable's ofTlee.
Question by Senator Carlisle: Who
made that arrangement for you to do
that? A. I arranged.
| Q. With those fellows? A. What
fellows?
Q. Those In this business. Did you
ever have any conversation at an?
time about this method of "protection"?
D|dn't you agree with tne
constables that this matter should be
done In this way? A. That I could
collect It. I made that agreement (
with Mr. Stothart himself.
Q. How many retailers did you
represent in this' proposition? A.
Different times.
Q. How many times did you leave
it under the door? A. Once every
month.
Q. When did that arrangement begin?
A. About 18 months ago.
Q. Commenced soon after Mr. Stothart
went Into business as constable?
A. About the time I went into
tlie jobbing business. About March
of last year.
Q. Soon after the inauguration of
Gov. Mease? I want to get after tne
date of Mr. Stothart's appointment.
A. Shortly after that.
Q. And continued up to what? A.
Up to when I went out of business,
some time in the month of June.
Q. Just about the time that article
came out in Common Sense? ? A.
Before that I think.
Q. I would like if you could give
I us the exact date of your going out
of business? A. I can not state positively.
Q. Do you know whether any other
jobbers had this same plan? A.
Don't know anything about others.
Q. Mr. Stothart didn't tell you?
A. No, sir.
Q. Where were you when you
made that arrangement? A. At my
place of business. Mr. Stothart came
there. He notified me ho had been
appointed chief constable, and the
boys would be around to see me.
The "Boys".
Q. Whom did ho mean by boys?
A. Men under him.
Q. What arrangement aid lie suggest
to prevent anything unpleasant,
what did you suggest he could do for
you? A. Didn't suggest anything. J
just collected the money during the
month and put it in an envelope and
left it at the ofllce.
Q. At the time of the first conversation
did he tell you he would do
that? A Didn't specify anything.
Said only the hoys would ne around.
Q. Said something besides that? A.
No, sir; 1 was in jobbing business.
Q. You think Mr. Stothart, when
he found those envelopes of money
knew what they were for? A. Yes,
sir; the names were there; my name
was on it.
Q. Then Mr. O'Neill, the understanding
was tliat those payments
were made monthly there would be
no search warrant? A. He was not
particular about it.
Q. The understanding was if they
were paid the searches would not go
so far as search warrants? A. I did
not do that.
Q. Wasn't search warrants on
vn11r fiiHtniners after that? A. I
don't know.
Q. Did you ever give them credit
for goods? A. No, sir.
Q. About how many customers did
you have? A. Not many, very Tew.
Q. About how many? Any time
during the last 18 months. IIow many
men have paid you that money? A.
Only six.
Q. (live us names? A. Milton is
one. He paid for two places.
Q. The others? A. Strickland,
Windham, myself, and \V. J. Cantwell.
Q. How much did you pay, Mr.
O'Neill? A. Fifteen dollars per
month.
Q. How much did you pay for each
of the others? A. Five dollars and
ten dollars.
Q. Your total payments for the
month aggregated about how much?
A. About $60.
Q. Where is that office located?
A. Society Street.
Q. What time would you pay it?
A. Just shove it under the door.
Q. Ever hand it to them personally?
A. No, sir.
Q. If they were in there you would
put in under the door? A. No, sir;
if they were in there I would not
leave it.
Never Got Itack Money,
Q. You never got any of that money
back? A. No, sir.
Q. Mr. O'Neill, you say you were
a jobber? A. Yes, sir.
Q. About how much stock did you
carry? A. Didn't do much business.
Not more than ten customers.
Q. Didn't you pay for some of the
1 A XT ^
oineiH: nu, ?u.
Q. Why did you discriminate? A
] don't know.
Q. Did. those men you spoke of buy
mostly from you? A. No, sir.
Q. Hut from others, too? A. I
judge so.
Q. Do you know whether any other
jobbers had the same privilege or
agreement? A. Don't know. Never
heard one of them say.
Q. Hy Mr. Cary: Mr. O'Neill, (lid
you ever have any way of knowing
whether these constables or the chief
of the constables actually got this
money that you put under the door?
A. No, I don't know for a positive
fact.
Q. Havo*you any reason to feel
sure that they did get it? A. Oh, I
judge so.
Q. From what did you judge? A.
I guessed I would have got a telephone
message if there wasn't something
doing.
Q. Hy Mr. Carlisle: Why do you
guess that? A. Just guess they would
liave rung me up.
Q. Didn't they do It? A. I never
gave them time. I always sent it in.
T^5*1 \T*\ it 1/ n o n n n o a/1 i
Vg? I/in j sj 11 iv 111/ >v a iiKiii uaiuv;ii
Uonvc? A. Sain Howe?
Q. Yes. A. He used to be chief
constable there; during the State dispensary,
I think.
Q. Ever know of his receiving any
money directly or indirectly? A. I
was a new beginner.
Q. Did you ever hear of any one
who did make arrangement with
him? A. No, sir.
Q. Dy Mr. Evans; Any arrangement
made in your behalf? A. Not
that I know.
Q: Ever have any protection at all
then? A. No.
I*rotect<Ml by Stothart.
Q. By Mr. Carlisle: From whom
were you to be protected? A. The
only one I got any protection from
was Mr. Stothart.
Q. Do you know, Mr. O'Neill, anything
about what became of that
money when It went into the hands
of the constables? A. No, sir.
Q. Ever hear them say? A. No,
sir; never discussed it with them at i
all.
Q. Mr. O'Neill, as a matter of fact
in your first conversation with Mr.
Stothart, did you not make some
agreement with him as to some kind
of protection? A. No, sir.
Q. You never discussed this matter
it all with him? A. No.
Q. You simply paid him money
without any understanding? A. I
simply wrote him names of people
and enclosed money.
Q. How did you know he would
take it? A. I didn't know. Just
sent it to him.
Q. How long after that first convernation
was it you first sent it to
him? A. About a month afterwards.
Might have been longer than a
month.
Q. You did that without any
knowledge of whether he would accept
it or not? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Without any suggestion from
anyone? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Ever pay protection to anybody
else? A. No.
Q. By Mr. Evans: Why is it you
taxed yourself heavier than others?
A. I just sent it to him. There was
no price on any.
A. I didn't know, just sent It. If
it wasn't satisfactory I guess I would
have heard.
Q. by Mr. Oary: Did you first
think up tliis scheme that it would
be a good one to keep your customers
protected? A. I thought it n. good
idea for those fellows, they would not
have no trouble.
Q. by Mr. Clifton: How far is
your place from Hasselmcyer? A.
One mile and a quarter.
Q. Wasn't he one of your customers?
A. No.
Sold Whiskey.
Q. What do you sell? A. wniskey,
mostly.
Q. You wero in business in a small
way? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know Miller? A. Yes,
sir.
Q. Did you hear him say he collected
money in the same way? A.
Yes, sir; he was my collector. He
worked for me.
Q. He collected from the people
and paid it to you and they put yon
brttween Miller and Stothart? Is
that correct? A. He paid money over
to me and Stothart.
Q. You were to stand between Milier
and Stothart? A. Miller was
working for me.
Q. When he collected for the goods
he also would collect the graft? A.
Yes, sir.
Q. You mean to tell this committee
that you paid money to constables
without any agreement? A. tMr.
Stothart came into my place and said
lie was appointed chief constables.
Q. So you sent him that money in
answer to an agreement? A. I told
you I sent it to him in an envelope.
Q. Ho knew about your agreement?
A. He knew about names In
envelopes.. He didn't suggest that I
put money under door.
Q. He didn't know Stothart was
appointed chief constable until he
told you? Didn't you then agree
with him for you to collect from
people you could and they would not
be raided by warrant? A. I put money
in envelope and put it under door.
Q. He knew what it was Tor? A.
Yes, sir.
Q. He knew not to raid these people
with warrants? A. To he raided
all right, but that he would notify us.
j Q. That was the agreement? A.
[There was no agreement. That was
just understood.
Q. by Mr. Cary: Mr. O'Neill, on
this first trip of Mr. Stothart's to
your place did you write down the
I names of these retail liquor dealers
and show it to Mr. Stothart with
amounts opposite their names? A.
| No, sir; I guess it was a month afterwards
when I sent it to him.
[ Q. Did you ever submit a list to
Mr. Stothart without the money? A.
I No.
Q. by Mr. Carlisle: You didn't
collect in advance? A. No, sir.
, The committee then adjourned
subject to the call of the chairman.
? ? __
BURNS SAYS ITS A HAT) MESS.
?,
I Says Conditions in South Carolina is
I
I the Very Worse.
Before leaving Augusta William J.
Burns discussed the situation In
South Carolina. Ho charged that
conditions here are worse than in any
case where he has made investigations.
He charged that the "graft
I c? f 11 n Ion " in Smith Carol inn. was the
"worst mess" that he had ever run
across and that the San Francisco
hoodie case was infinitesimal in comparison.
He expressed himself as being
interested in the South Carolina
case and said that he would go to the
bottom of it. On the stand Burns
testified that he had the evidence te
show that Cole L. Blease had heen
guilty of grafting as governor and
State senator. It is expected that
Burns will appear before the committee
at a later date. He promised
the use of his men in airing the situation
and said that they would be
avauauie ai any Iimr.
?
Several Drowned by Cloudburst,.
At Darren Run, Pa., Thursday
Flight during a heavy storm John
Raymond left Ills homo and went to
a barn in a nearby ravine. Alarmed
by his continued absence, his wife,
six children and two quests went In
search of him. As they entered the
ravine a wall of water swept, down
and drowned them. Raymond, safe
I # the barn, was helpless to aid when
the victims screamed.
WILD TEXAS STEER
ON A RAMPAGE IN THE STREETS
OF NEW YORK CITY
TRIED TO GORE PEOPLE
Dashes Through the Streets, Bellowing
and Cliarging Group of Folks
on the Sidewalks, and is Finally
Killed by a Bullet from the Pistol
of a Policeman.
The New York World says one
hundred long-horned steers, just arrived
in New York from the Texas
plains, were being unloaded Wednesday
night from a cattle boat at the
foot of East Forty-fourth street.
Suddenly one of them?a big red
fellow?gave an angry bellow, plunged
against the fence about the pier,
broke it and leaped into the East
River. The steer started up the river,
swimming with the tide.
l.Many persons swimming off the
piers passed by the longhorn hurried
to shore. At the foot of Forty-ninth
street there is a pier that extends
far out into the river. The steer
rounded it and then turned toward
the shore, where between 3 00 and
inn Yunn nnil wnnion wore bathiliir.
The first the bathers knew of the
steer having got loose was when they
saw him approaching. At tho same
time lie gained a footing in tho shallow
water and with a bellow charged
them.
A small boy, trying to clamber up
the jagged rocks, was overtaken by
the brute. The steer was lunging
forward with his sharp horns when
Walter McGirr of No. 311 East Fiftyfirst
street ran forward and covered
the steer's eyes with his coat. Then
the boy was drawn to a sare place.
Quickly the steer shook tho coat
from his head and, trotting up to tho J
street level, loped up Forty-ninth
street toward First avenue. The
street was crowded, but the cries of
the bathers had given tho alarm.
At First avenue the steer swung
about and headed toward tho river.
On tho long pier at the foot of the
treet were many mothers with babies
! in carriages and small children at
their skirts.
The steer made straight for the
pier, and the women and children
were pushed upon a barge by men,
who then sought their own sarety.
The police were called. Again the
steer turned and started in a gallop,
with lowered head, toward First
avenue. A passing trolley car brought
him to a halt.
Patrolman Andrew Deleali of the
East Fifty-first street station attempted
to head off the steer and was
charged. The patrolman sprang
aside and as the steer swept past lilm
he sent a bullet into the animal's
shoulder. This only angered tin;
brute the more. He turned and
again charged. Deleah had to show
the agility ol' a toreador as he leaped
to safety. A second bullet entered
the steer's side.
The third time the steer charged
he came so fast Deleah was In danger
of being gored. Again the patrolman
shot. The brute sank to his knees
with a bullet in the centre of his
forehead. Before he could get to his
feet Deleah had shot him in the
hea rt.
The steer was consigned to the United
Dressed Beef Company, which
has an abattoir at Forty-fourth street
and First avenue. It was hardly
dead before employees of the company
came running up armed with
clubs and carrying ropes. The steer
was loaded on a wagon and hauled to
the abottoir. After a government
inspector had said the animal would
make perfectly good beef It was prepared
for market.
?
BURNS DKTKUTIVKS ABSKNT.
Afraid They Would be Assassinated
if They. Came.
An interesting turn has come about
in the investigation in the absence of
the Burns detectives. Sam Nichols
had requested that when he testified
'I'll Iit.crlnv ie S2 Wniwl liellTi'M
1 J1 UI C7VIUJ X 4% M. lV\/VVt| A# l ???^ ?a\/ v? VN/..
ant, appear and hear his testimony.
The committee had requested Reed
to appear, but announcement has
been made that neither the Burns detectives
nor Thomas H. Felder, who
has been backing the detectives' investigation,
will appear before the
committee in this State. They say
they are afraid that they will be assassinated
by friends of the Governor
who will act boldly in the expectation
of a pardon from the chief executive
in case of conviction. They consent
to appear before the probers in any
city in a nearby State.
? ?
Cat Adopted Little Rats.
An official report of the assistant
actuary of the Ohio State liability
board declares he lias discovered a
cat at the Goodman plant in Hamil
ton that has adopted a nest
of eight young rats. The mother rat
had been killed by employees of the
plant. The report says the eat is
mothering the rats just as if they
were her own offspring.
?
tinselino Tea Kills Girl.
Miss Florence Trout, of Muscatine,
la., was burned to death and
four other members of the family
were injured, two fatally, when a tea
pot of gasoline exploded. Tly mistake
the kettle had been tilled with the
dangerous fluid and placed on a hot
stove.
A Daring Airmail Killed.
At Sevastopol Lieut. Zekutskt fell
from a military aeroplane Monday
and was killed. He was an experienced
airman.
BITES PROVE FATAL I;
CHARLESTON MAN VICTIM OF
MARSH MOSQUITOES. ^
Succumbs to Illiictis Brought on by
Myriads of Mosquitoes Which Bit ri
Him While in a Launch. '
The News and Courier says as a result
of numerous mosquito bitos, j(
which he received in the marshes behind
the Isle of Palms about two
weeks ago, Mr. John Von Oven, the
King street grocer, died at the Riverside
Infirmary. Mr. Clarence Fairchild,
who was with Mr. Von Oven,
was also badly bitten, and is ill at the
Riverside Infirmary, though his condition
is said not to be serious.
The two men spent the night in a
launch near the isle of Palms two 1
weeks, or more ago, it is said, but :p
did not feel seriously the effects of 1
the attacks of the mosquitoes until
a few days ago. Mr. Von Oven's (
death is ascribed to a severe malarial
infection.
It was not by previously made
plans, but through seemingly acci- 1
dental circumstances that Messrs. 1
Von Oven and Fairchild spent the t
night in the launch behinn the Isle >
of Palms. The two men, together (
; with some ladies, had gone to the ,
Isle of Palms to attend one of the
hops at the pavilion. They made the
trip in a launch, tying the vessel in 1
one of the small creeks back of the
island. 1
After the dance it was found that t
the tide had ebbed, and left the boat (
aground. It was impossible to get
the craft off at that hour, under the ,
circumstances, and the ladies spent
the night at the hotel, he men staying
aboard to take care of the vessel, 1
and to get her afloat at the first pos- '
sible opportunity. During the night
the mosquitoes attacked them in
droves, and both men were badly bit
ten.
The serious results of the bites did
not become apparent until a few days
ugo, when the men became ill, and
were taken to the Riverside Infirmary
for treatment. In spite of all
that could done for him Mr. Von
Oven died. The cause of death is
said to be ;i severe malarial infection,
received from the bites of these mosquitoes.
It is now a generally accepted belief
of the medical profession that
malaria can only be taken into the
human system through the bite of
mosquitoes of a certain species. The
mosquitoes probably came from the
fresh water swamps in the interior of
the marshes themselves. At last reports,
Mr. Fairchild was stated to be
getting along nicely, and it is thought
he will be out again in the near future.
?
Will Defeat President Taft.
To elect the ticket nominated on
Aug. 5 seems not to be the purpose
of those responsible for this third
party movement, so much as to bring
dissatisfied voters into a new party
organization and thereby prevent, if
possible, the re-election of President
Taft, says Grit. There does not
eem to be prospect for success in any
oilier direction, although there may
be. Some idea of what a million or
two votes can do in a presidential
primary election may be gained from
on examination of the returns of former
elections, in which sometimes a
few votes determined the results.
For instance, in 1 908 the Republican
pluralities in a number of States
were quite small. If the same conditions
should obtain in 19 12, the third
party might be able to determine the
votes of these states. To bo more
explicit, if the third party should
draw away 11 per cent, of the Republican
vole in Delaware, 3 per cent in I
Indianna, 2 per cent in Montana, 12
per cent in Ohio, and 20 per cent in
West Virginia, the electoral votes of
these States, amounting to 54, would
go to Wilson, providing he can poll
the normal Democratic vote. This
loss of 5 4 votes would likely defeat
Taft.
Again, the progressive element is
supposed to be very strong in California,
Idaho, Kansas, Maine, North
Dakota, and Oregon. To take these
States from the Taft column the third
party would have to poll 40 per cent
of the Republican vote in California,
3 5 per cent in Idaho, 30 per cent in
Kansas, 15 per cent in Maine, 4 5 per
cent in North Dakota, and 3 0 per cent
in Oregon, on the basis of the vote of
the last presidential election. To carry
these States and secure their 43
electoral votes for its own candidates,
the third party would have to secure
between GO and 7 0 per cent of the
Republican votes in each and all of
them, which it seems posible to do,
unless the Democrats vote solidly for
their own candidates. A few votes
in these states might place them in
the third party column, and what is
true of them, is also true of Penn- |
Smia, with its 38 electoral votes,
it what effect a very few votes
d have in determining results is
best illustrated by the election of
1S84, wherein 1,000 in the state of
New York would have mado IMaino
president; or in the election of 1 888,
wherein a change of 3 0,000 votes divided
between several states would
have re-elueted Cleveland; or in 189G
a change of .1.r>,000 votes properly
distributed would have made Bryan
president. A change of 01,000 votes
1000; and the same number of votes
would have prevented Taft from being
elected President in 1 008.
? ?
People oftentimes lay tho blame
for failure on bad luck when it is bad
Judgement that is at fault. Life is
made a failure, not by ill conditions
but by ill thinking . I
rHE MESSAGE CAME
?
IICHOLS TELEGRAM TO REED REGEIVED
SUNDAY.
rHE PERSECUTION CRY
?.?
4
'elder Talks About tlie Evidence M??i
Submitted to the Committee am?
Says After Sending the Telegram
Nichols Went to See Bleasc andWas
Closeted All Day.
"Blease and Sam J. Nichols may
lot have had a conference about the
ardoning of Gus Deford, but the fac*.
emains that wo have in our poeses*
iion a telegram from Nichols, adIressed
to the mythical Chicago lawyer
who was really a Burns dotecive
stating that on last Thursday ho
,vas going to have a conference with.
iImsh ami nrrflntro for the nardon.'*
laid T. D?. Folder Sunday afternoon?*
>\ hen shown the denial or the Govm
nor lllease, that he ever had any:hing
to say to Nicholas about the
pardon of Deford by a Constitution
reporter.
The Constitution then goes to say
that Mr. Feldor was satisfied with
he evidence which he gave before the
committee from the South Carolina
legislature at Augusa, and lie was.
non-committal when asked if ho
would cause the Hums' agency to
continue its investigation of tho acts
ei the South Carolina governor. It is
said that the investigations which resulted
in Blease bcimg charged with
giving and accepting bribes and with
other crimes have already cost Mr.
Folder more than $15,000, all ot
which was paid from his private*
funds.
A number of prominent South Carolinians,
whose names were not given
out, held a conference with Mr.
Folder in his ollico Monday morning,
hut what the result of this conferencewas
could not bo learned, as Mr. Folder
refused to talk of its purpose. Hostated,
however, that a number of
additional facts wore supplied himwhich
may later develop into testi mony
even more startling than that:
given at Augusta.
Owing to the fact that the South
Carolina legislature will not nieo.ti.
again until January, >9 13, tho Investigating
committee from, the legislature
will have several ''additional
months to obtain new testimony and
prepare its report, which will bemade
immediately upon the convening
of the legislature. This commit?
too has been at work since February,
and has hold many meetings, at all of
which now evidence against the governor
has been heard.
With the facts already obtained, ft
is said, the legislature of South Carolina
will take little time in imponchtbo
chief exeeutiVs of tho State, as
conclusive proof hi been given that
Ifleaso not only acci Ted bribes, but
also misused his oIlicA in other ways.
Tho declaration of 11 Lease tnat the investigation
was caused by political
enemies was denounced as absurd.
"When Sam Nichols sent the telegram
to Chicago ho immediately
went to Barnwell, where he nwr
Rlcase, and the two were closeted; .
most of the day," continued Mr. Folder
in answer to IlJease's denial of
the charges. "It may be that Nichols
merely fabricated, out it does not
seem probable after' what we have
already found out. J^icase knows
that he is up a tree and is adopting;
the only methods possible. N
"I have never known a crook?take
the McNamaras, the Atlantic
City grafters, or any others?who.
when direct evidence was given
against him, did not cry that he was
being persecuted. That is the only
defense they can put lip and that is
just what llloase is doing. Ho is as
guilty as any man outside penitentiary
walls, and it would not surprise
me to see him spend the greater part
ef tho remainder of his life behind!
the bars of a prison."
E. S. Ueid, the Burns detective
who has been conducting the investigation
in South Carolina, is still in
the city as Mr. Folder's guest. Ho
Iirst began his detective work when
ho was but sixteen years of age. At
that time he ascertained the location
ot a kidnapped child and returned
her to her parents. After that he
was employed by the Croat Northern
railroad to- run down the Harvey Logan
gang of trainrobbors. After a
trip over practically all of the United
States and Central America he caught
the leader of the gang in Argentine.
His latest work was rounding up
the Atlantic City grafters, and it was.,
with the little dictagraph, the same
instrument which ilgured in the
Iinvestigation, that ho obtain
oil most of the evidenco against, the
city oftlcials and bosses. It Is not
Improbable that he will continue his
investigation of F.loase and will have
many more sensational developments
to reveal at the next meeting of the . j
committee.
Five Texas Feudists Poisoned. J
County Commissioner M. G. Diaz,- .JM
his nurse, and three other county offlcials
who drank from tho same bar- jr.1
rel of water in San Diego, Tex., are M
j dead as the result of a feud in which
a number of outlaws bad ncen previously
killed. The water was.shciwni
to contain strychnine. t-J