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THE LIQUOR SCANDA Some. Light on the Stat Great Moral Institution. Messrs. Scruggs and Gast o i Arrested. From the State, May 8. As forecasted in the State, t ii Beckroge trank dispensary scand which has been the all absorbing toj all over Sooth Carolina for a we past, culminated yesterday in the i rest of ex-Clerk Seth W. Scruggs - the State board of control, and Commissioner John T. Gaston, up the common law charge of effie misconduct. Both have given bo for their appearance at the next tei of court of sessions in this count and will be free until t,he court mee 5u the summer Yesterday every one was still tal jog about the scandal and the affid vhs that bad been secured, and wo dering what the State -authoriti were going to do about it. It was about noon when Mr. L < Williams, the member of the Sta board designated to swear ont tl f warraBts, went to Magistrate Smith office and made the affidavits hay ir the warrants issued. THE SCRUGGS WARRANT. The warrant in the case of M Scruggs charges that "on or abo; the first day of March. 1897, or Seth W. Scruggs did commit offici > misconduct by taking and carryin away from the contraband roofs i the State dispensary four boxes < cigars and four caos of peaches an : other articles, the property of th State, while engaged in the discharg of his daties as clerk and bookkeep? of the State board of control in sai State dispensary, with intent to de ^ fraud the State of South Carolina, s . folly set forth in the affidavit beret attached." v MR WILLIAMS* AFFIDAVIT The affidavit was made befor Magistrate Smith by Mr. L J. Wi! Hains, f nd is as follows : Personally appeared before me, I J. Williams, who, after being dui; sworn, says : That he is a membe of toe State board of control ; tha Seth W. Scrogg", of the county an< State aforesaid, was duly electee clerk of the State board of contro on the - day' of April, 1896, am at tie time entered upon the dutiei of said office and continued in th< disc s.rge of the same until the Ttl day of May, 1897, when his success or was duly elected ; that during the time he was clerk of the said board his duties were defined and pre scribed by said board, which were tc . act as bookkeeper of said board, tc have the custody and coutrol of the books and all papers in the control ol the said board, to keep the minutes of the board abd to discharge aij other duties appertaining to clerk ol the board That he is informed by a number of persons, who have made affidavits, H-.aad believes that Seth W. Scruggs, while so acting as bookkeeper and clerk of the said boord of coutrol, , did on or about the first day of March, A D. 1S97, procure a key to a room in the State dispensary in which al! liquors and other property seized and forfeited to the State are kept, and which was in she keeping and control of the State commissioner, but ander the g nerai control of the board, and with the said key did enter the said room, without the knowledge or consent of the State commissioner and the State board of control, and take therefrom and carry away four boxes of cigars and four cans of peaches, property of the State of South Carolina which had been forfeited to lt. of the value of $4. and did appropriate the same to bis own use, with intent thereby to defraud the State and damage the public and in grave violation of his said duties as clerk and bookkeeper. That he is informed by the persons who made affidavits as aforesaid that the said Seth W. Scruggs, while act ing as such bookkeeper and clerk of the board of control as aforesaid, did on divers occasions between the - day of April. 1896. and the 7th day of May, 1897, enter the said contra band room with a hey then in his possession other than the one in the possession of the State commissioner, claiming that the said key was one provided for the use of the State board of control, when in fact, so far as he knows, the board had no such key, and had not authorized him to provide such a key for the said board, and that with such false key tho said Seth W. Scruggs did open and enter the contraband room aforesaid and did take therefrom one box of cigars and four cans of peaches of the value of $4, the property of the State of Sooth Carolina, with the in tent to defraud the State of South Carolina by appropriating the said ! articles to his own use, in gross vio : lation of his dutuies as such clerk and bookkeeper, to the damage of the public and the evil example of all others in like cases offending. That he is informed by the persons aforesaid that Seth W. Scruggs, while acting as such clerk and book keeper and holding said office, be tween the - day of April, A. D. 1896, and the 8th day of May, 1897, on divers occassions procured a key and entered the said contrabnd room, which was under the control of the commissioner, subject to the general A ' - I control of the State board, atid di carry away therefrom cigars am other articles of personal property o the value of $200, the property o the State of South Carolina, with it) tent to defraud the State by appro psiating them to his own use, and t< the damage and injury of the pubiic and by such acts was guilty of gres official misconduct ; that all the acti herein charged were committed ii Richland county of the State of Souti Carolina. That Charles J. Lynch, M. H iMobley, C. H. Charles, Robert E Blakeley. S W. Yance, W. W Har ris, C. A. Koon, H. E. Watts, L J Williams, S H Douthit aud D. M Miles are material witnesses to prove 6aid charges. L J. WILLIAMS AGAINST COL GASTON. The warrant against Col. Gastor alleges that ' on or about the 1st da} of March, 1897, one John T. Gastor. did commit official misconduct bj taking and carrying away from th* contraband room in the State dispen 8ary one pair of shoes; part box o cigars and other articles, the property of the State while acting as State commissionei in charge of said room and while ir the discbarge of the duties of said office, with intent to defraud the State of South Carolina, as fully set forth in the affiavit hereto attached.' THE SPECIFIC CHARGES This affidavit is also made by Mr Williams before Magistrate Smith, and alleges : \ That John T Gaston was required by the State board of control to act as State commissioner in the State dispensary between the 25th day ol October, A D. 1896. and the 15th day of April, A D 1897, in the ptece of F M. Mixson, who had re signed Thal on information and belief he says that during the time he was act ing as State commissioner under the authority and direction o the State board of control the said John T. Gaston, who was as such commissioner in charge of the room in the State dispensary in which were placed for safe keeping all the liquors and other personal -property seized by the State constables and forfeited to the State, or in process of forfeiture, did on or about the first day of March, A. D. 1897, take and carry away from the said room one pair of shoes and part of a box of cigars, the property of the State of Sooth Carolina, and entrusted to his care and custody, of the value of $1 25, with the intent to defraud the State aforesaid and to appropriate the 8 aid property to his own use, which was in gross violation of his duty as acting State commissioner to take care of the said articles, which had been entrusted to his keeping by law, to the great damage of the State of South Carolina. , That on information and belief he further says that the said John T. Gaston, while discharging the duties of State commissioner by direction of the State board of control and while rn charge of the said contraband room aforesaid did on divers occa sions between the 25tb day of Oe rober, A D. 18c6 and the 15th day of April, A D 1897, take from the said room shoes, cigars, coffee and other articles of persona! property belonging to the State of South Caro lina of the value of $50, with intent to defraud the State and to appro priate the said articles to his own use, which was in gross violation j of his duty as acting State commissioner take care of the said articies, which had been entrusted to his keeping by law. to the great damage of the State of South Carolina That all of these acts were done in Richland county, in the State of South Carolina That S W. Vance Wilie Jones, H E Watts, L J. Williams and C. A Koon are material witnesses to prove said charges L J. WILLIAMS BOTH GIVE BOND lt was about 2:30 o'clock when Mr. Gaston walked into the office of the magistrate and surrendered himself, he having beeu informed by the magistrate's constable that he was wanted. He waived a preliminary, and gave bond for bis appearance at the sessions court in the sam cf $400 His bondsmen were Gen. John Gary Watts and Maj. B. B Evans About 4 o'clock the same proceed ing was gone through with as to Mr. Scruggs H came up in response to a similar notice from the constable, Mr Hartin His bond was fixed in the same amount. His bondsmen were James G. Payne and W. J Scruggs. Attorney General Barber says that the punishment for the offense charged upon conviction is imprisonment and fine in the discretion of the judge. i the imprisonment not to exceed seven j years. It is not of necessity in the State penitentiary Mr Gaston said yesterday that he had nothing to fear ; he had done nothing wrong so far as he knew, and intimated that Jie did not even think he would employ counsel to defend j him. There has been considerable talk j as to what offense these two men 6hould be prosecuted for. Breach of trust, grand larceny, housebreaking in the case of Scruggs and numerous other offenses were looked into, but the attorneys could not find where any of them would He upon the evi dence presented. Attorney General Barber yesterday said : "You eau just say for rae to the public, that if there is any other offense for which these parties can be indicted, then this office stands ready to prosecute therefor." SPMF C*CflAR6ES. T. Larry Gantt Declares He Will Make Them. There were no new developments in the Beckroge trunk, hocus pocus key scandal yesterday. Everything seems to have quieted down at this end of the line with the arrest of Messrs. Gaston and Scruggs. Manyi hereabouts seems to think that the | matter will die down now. But I there are some other things behind the scenes and they are liable to develop atx any time The other trunk case is being investigated. And now comes T. Larry Gantt, j who promises this week to make j specific charges of a sensational j character, giving information as to where evidence can be secured and j demanding an investigation ; Larry j avers that he is "loaded to the gun wales77 with information and he wants an investigation from "Hell to Holland.77 But read what he says in his latest card to The State : Tb the Editor of The State : In your issue of yesterday yon seem to think that I will be * prevail ed upon'1 to withhold my demand for an investigation of the dispensary management. If you will closely read the next issue of The Headlight you will find that I have specified my charges and showed ju3t where all the evidence can be secured to con duct the investigation. Did you ever know me to back down or flinch from a task that I had undertaken until it was accomplished. Now, in demanding a rigid inves tigation of the dispensary manage ment I have no feeling jn the matter whatever, but am solely prompted by a desire to purify a most important department of our State government from even the suspicion of corrup tion. There is not a man connected with the State dispensary but has treated me with every courtesy, and I have no known cause for grievance against any of these officials. And you will also, Mr. Editor, do me, I think, the fairness to confess that this demand for an investigation is no new found idea brought about by the publication of the Howell letter, but as the files of The Headlight will show, during the last session of the legislature I wrote columns calling the attentiou of that body to reports in circulation about the dispensary management, and demanded a rigid investigation. My position has ever been this ; I brought the dispensary law to South Carolina, and I intend to expend my every effort and ener gy to purify the thing from even the taint of suspicion, or tear it up root i and branch. I am now about convinced that the { dispensary is entirely too big a thing ! to place ir the hands of five men, j with unlimited power; and if the | State continues in the liquor business ? souse other means should be devised j to run it. Did it ever occur to you j that the purchases a.^d receipts of j the dispensary (if I am not mistaken) foot up near 2,000,000 about twice j as much as the entire State tax levy ? j It presents too inviting a Feld for j corruption 1 do not charge any j man connected with the dispensary witn corruption : but I do recite re ; ports that have reached my ears, and j then show just where they can be j refuted or verified. My only connection with the dis pensary has been to work to secure my friends positions-and men whom I believed to be honest and had al ways stood by and assisted me in every legitimate way. I have fre j quentiy asked Mr S. W Scruggs if everything was kept straight in his department, and he said that it was ; and as proof of this. I had the reports of that legislative committee, upon which was a Conservative and oppo nent to the dispensary, and these gentlemen always wound up by com plimenting Mr Scruggs. Of course, Mr Editor, it waa wrong for Mr. Scruggs to take those cigars and canned goods and divide the same with other employes ; but it seems he had preced nt for so do ing, and the value of the article was so trifling as to preclude the thought of intentional venality. Mr. Scruggs had the handling of thousands of j dollars of the public money each ! month, for a term of more than two ' years, and it seems that every cent j has been accounted for and his books balance to a hair. This is certainly a strong plea in his favor, and a just j and fair-minded public will not judge j him too harshly. Why, sir, I have j no doubt but if an investigation of I any public institution was made it would be f' und that it is nothing un usual for the heads to appropriate ! small articles to their own use or present them to their friends But one thing sure ; the wheels of this dispensary investigation must not be blocked by a can of peaches and a cheap cigar To stop now i would be like a man who had a wagon stolen, and after finding its lynchpin in the road went home : satisfied The matter cf rebates and j over-charges reported to have been paid for liquor under the Traxler regime are of far greater importance to the tax paye rs of South Carolina than air the seizures made by con stables since the dispensary law was enacted. And I see from Mr. Outz's card that the board raised his salary $10 per month after he had reported the Bickart proposition to bribe him. This is the toughest thing I have yet beard Surely common honesty is not such a rare jewel at the dispensary that its practice must be rewarded out of the people'8 money. I also see from the Columbia papers that they now all want agita tion in regard tb the dispen sary stopped. It is now too late. "They may cry peace peace ! but there willbe no peace" until the whole business is investiga ted from Dan to Beersheba, and from Alpha to Omega. The waters have been muddied, and they mu^t not be allowed to settle until thoroughly filtered, and if corrupt methods have ever been or are now practiced, let the people know it The people are not satisfied with the conduct of the dispensary, and demand a full and free investigation. And when this investigation is had, not a man connectad in any manner whatever with the State government should have aught to do with it. There is no telling who may be caught under the deadfall when it drops, and then it is human nature for men belonging to the same party7 and administration, and drawing lucrative salaries, to shield one anoth er. My proposition would be to let the majority of that investigation committee be made up of Conserva tives and men not favorable to the dispensary, and who will go to the very bottom Then let the doors be thrown wide open and every word of the testimony taken published to the world The people will then render the right verdict. And I would also suggest that ex Governor Evans unite with me in de manding this investigation. His name has been connected with the dispensary scandals but I believe, when the reported Augean stable is cleared, that John Gary Evans will come fos,th with clean hands If I did not think this I would never have supported him for United States senator. And I will give .you another bit of unwritten history, Mr. Editor: Mr. Evans never received but $800 from Rhind, and it is all he will ever get He was slaughtered by the unfortunate advice of reputed friends, and who made him ignore Mr. John Duncan and keep sealed lips when he should have told the people every thing he knew and made a plain and straight-forward statement I am a Reformer, because in South Carolina reform means the absolute rule of the white majority. So long as the minority faction repudiated their party nominees and appealed to the negro vote, I stood by my race and my party. We now have in South Carolina direct primaries, where every white voter can repair | to the polis and cast his ballot for the ? candidates of his chice The min- { ority faction has gone into those j primaries in good faith, and it would j bc wrong here after a draw lines Up here in Spartanburg our people are working together, and a better i and kindlier feeling exists than in years This is just as it should be ! all over our State When Reformers] appeal to the people to support can ; didates on old factional lines, now I that we have a primary, it is wrong and denying to the minority (air ; treatment. But I am glad to know j that Factional lines are fast being ! obliterated m the old Palmetto State, and when a man seeks to revive them he is an enemy to the upbuilding of his btate and the peace and happiness of the people thereof. The Conser vative party constitute a highly res pectable and intelligent minority, and they should be given an equal and j fair voice in governing their tate I have written thus at length be- j cause I desire to set myself right i before the people If I have erred I in anything it was in over zeal for my friends. But ieel that a generous public will not charge this against me I have never held any office with emoluments attached, ordesired to hold one. And, Mr. Editor, I don't come from a family of rogues on either side of the house. I have lived the greater portion of my life in Georgia, and I refer to the leading citizens of any place in that State where I have ever resided to vouch for my integrity and honesty I ara to-day a very poor man, but could have erinched myself had I seen pro - ! per to sell my principles and turn ! what talent God has given me to the j accumulation of gain. In demandinga rigid investigation of the dispensary, I have no desire to cast reflections on any man con nected with the trunks, for I have no animosity or feeling in the matter. But I shall each week ring into the ears of the 6,000 subscribers to the Piedmont Headlight the demand "Investigate ! Investigate!! In vestigate ! ! !'? until the whole busi ness has been laid before the public T. L GANTT Spartanbnrg, S. C , May 6 Take JOHNSON'S CHILL & FEVER ! TONIC Tariff Bill Reported j Washiogtoo, May 4 -Tbe uoexpect ed has happen again. To the surprise I of everybody except those in the con fideoce of the senate finance com mitte', j the tariff bill waa reported to tbe eta ate to-day When the committee m >t this morning Senator Jones- sbowe-J every evidence of complete satisfaction. The Democrats saw that opposition was useless. After a glance at the 216 pages of the bill a motion to report the bill to the seoate at. once was adopted by a vote of 0 to 5, Jones voting with the Republicans What he got for his vote nobody who is authorized to speak can fell. Whether it was the abroga tion cf the Hawaiian treaty, or whether he voted with the Republicans from preference will remain a part of the unexploited history cf the bill. Promptly when the beoate opened Sen ator Aldrich presented the bill, asked that ic go on the calendar until May 18 and that 5.000 copies of it be printed for the use of the senate It was all over in two minutes and the first battle was won without firing a un. It is onfideotly predicted that debate on the bill will end before anybody knows it, and that by June 15 it will be in coofereuce between the houses. As re ported to the senate ic is not the Diog ley bill. There have been radical de partures in making up the schedules and sweeping reductions in rates ail along the line. ? '?* Among the important changes, the following may be noted : Change of date when the bill is to take effect, from May 1 to July 1, the elimination of the house retroactive clause aod the provision ^elating to reciprocity. For ! tbe latter's substituted the following : That whenever any country, depend-^ eocy or colony shall pay or bestow di rectly or indirectly, any bounty or grant upoo the exportation of any ar ticle or merchandise from any country, dependency or colony and such article or merchandise is dutiable under the provisions of this acc. then upon im portation of any Roch article or mer chandise into the United States, wheth er the same shall be imported directly from the couutry of production or oth erwise, and whether such article or mer chandise is imported in the same condi tion as when exported from the country of production, or has been changed io condition by re-muaufacture or other wise, there shall be levied and paid io all cases, io addition to the duties otherwise imposed by this act an addi tional duty <qual to the net amount of such bounty or grant, however, the same be paid or bestowed The net amount of all such bounties or grants shall be, from time to time ascertained, determined and declared by the secre tary of the treasury who shall make all needful regulations for the identification of such articles and merchandise aod for thc assessment and collection of such additional duties. The house provision ic the tariff bill kecpiog ic force the Hawaiian recipro city treaty is stricken our, the effect being indirectly to abrogate the treaty j ar ii imposing the s-mie duty ^on Ha- ! waiian sugars as ts imposed oo sugars \ from o:her countries. - Mil) WI" Bradstreet's Observations. ! New Y..rk. May 7 -Bradstreet'^ to- j marrow v7 ! say : Favorable business features this week inclue!:: tije courin- : aed decline of water in bc flooded dis r r : o * of tho Mississippi River velicy, : in a portion of which plas tin g has bc gun : better demand fer staples at Bal- i iaiore, St. Louis, Omaha, Milwaukee, Si. Paul and Sioux Falls, and large s.iles of iron ore to Western furnaces, and a revival of activity among coun try merchants in some centrai Western Stares. Unfavorable trade features mci w de the further decline of prices for j Bessemer pig iron and steel billets, with production of pig iron .in excess of consumption and the prospect favorable j for blowing out a number of stacks j Cool weather West, has checked the re- j tail demand, and complaints are re- j ceived from wholesale dealers in shoes, ; clothing and dry goods. Low temperature has retarded the growth of cotton and corn in Texas, and in Kentucky, the leaf tobacco crop will be short. The Lake trade outlook is not satisfactory ; the movement of buildiog materials is slow ; mer cantile collections show no improve ment and the spring trade in general continues disappointing. Exports of wheat, from both coasts of the United States and Canada this week (flour included as wheat) amount to 1.799,322 bushels, as compared with 1.155,000 bushels last week. 1,882 - 000 bushels in the week a year ago, 2,805,000 bushels two years ago, 2 - S15 000 bushels three years ago, and as contrasted with 2,712,000 bushels in the like week of 1893 Exports of Indian corn amount to 3,127,781 bush- I els this week, compared with 3,657, 000 bushels last week 1,891,000 bush cir in the week a year ago, 933,000 j bu-hels two years ago. 730,01)0 bush-j els three yoars ago, and as contrasted : with 1,046,000 bushels in the like! week of 1893 j The total number of business failures ! throughout the United States this week | does not vary materially from what : maj bc regarded as the average in re cent years for a corresponding period, ; amounting lo 22S, against 244 last week, 207 in the week a year ago, 224 in rho week io 1895, 198 in 1894 and 219 io 1893. There are 39 business j failure reported from the Dominioo of i Canada this week, compared with 31 j last week, 38 io the week one year3go, 27 two years ago and 30 io the like week of 894. THE MAN IN GRAY. FRANK L. STANTON. Here be is in * wreck ot gray, With tbe brazen belt of the "C. S. A." Mea, do jou know him ? Far away. Where hattie blackened the face of day, And 6e r p:o rivers ir; crimson fled, And God's white roses wer;; reeked io red, His strength he gave and his t. ood he shed Followed fearless where Stonewall led, Or, galloped wild in the wake of Lee, In toe dashing, mad artillery Shelled the ranks cf the enemy For the South that wss and the South to be ! Or bore bis musket with wounded bands O'er icy rivers nod burrit g s-inds Leveled straight at '.hp hostile bands That spread iike death through the ravaged lands I, Men, do you knew him ? Grim and gray, He speaks to you from the Tar away ! There he stands on the prison sod il statue carved t-y the hand of God ; And the death be dared and the paths be trod Plead for him io a voice that seems Wild and Bad with buttle-dreatrs. And memory's river backward streams i With its strange unrest and crimson gleams ! j Tbere be stands like a bero-see I I He bore bis rags and his wounds for ye ! j He bore the *g cf the warring*South With red-scarred hands to the cannon's mouth . By beaven ! I se? a3 I did that day. i His red wounds gleam through the rags of gm ! Men of the South, your heroes stand j Statue-like in the new-bora land ! . j Will ye pass them by ? Will your lips coa de:-cn ? j The wounds on their brave breasts plead for them ! Shall the South tha they gave their blood to save Give them only a natreless grave? Nay ! for the men who faced the fray Are ber's in trust tilr the Judgment Day ! And God Himself io the far sweet-lands Will ask tbeir blood of their country's bands ! Soldier ! You io the wreck of gray, With the brazen belt of the "C. S. A.," Take my love and ray tears to-day ! Take them-all that I bave to give. But by God's grace, while my heart shall live, It still shall keep in its faithful way The camp-fires lit for the man in gray A\e ! till the trump sounds far away, And the silver bugles of heaven play, And tbe roll is called at the Judgment Day ! Traxler is Waiting. j Ez-Liquor Commissioner Traxler has i oeeo seen in Greenville by a represen tative of The News, who writes thus: "D. H Traxler, who was State j liquor commissioner under Tillman's j administration, was seen by a reporter j yesterday ia reference to the iosioua I lions made by Editor Gantt. Mr. I Traxler declined to be interviewed, say ing he preferred to avoid a controversy if possible aod chat as co specific charges were made against him and that he was not attacked directly and personally,* be did not feel called upon to go into print. He said he would watch the developments and might have something to say later. He ask ed that nothing be said for the pres ent." [ Take JOHNSON'S i i I CHILL & FEVER ! TONIC riiUM iii May 8. Senator (Jail, of Florida, has with drawn from the race for re-election and Chipley leads. The schooner Saucy Las? put io to Charleston Thursday night leaded with liquor and toe captain was arrested when he went ashore. State Treasurer Collins, of Florida, bas been found $50,000 shore in his accounts. Gov. Atkinson and Judge Turner spent yesterday in Columbia inspecting the penitentiary. To-day they are in specting the State Farm at Haloed. May 10. Laurens Tucker, a white man living in Laurens county went fishing with his wife on Saturday night, leaving their four children locked up in the house. The bouse was burned and all of thc children were cremated. N W. Nelson, pre*ideot of the Metropolitan Baok of Richmond, Va., was found dead in his batb room on Saturday morning He shat himself in the room and turned on the gas. He was 77 years old and had been io ill health for a long period. Biggs & Fleming's tobacc prize house in Wiltoo, N. C., w- urned Saturday. Loss on building 15,000, on tobacco 70,000. lt is feared in Montana that the Cheyenne Indians are meditating an outbreak. The German leaders are urging the rcichhtag to enact realiatory tariff laws against American goods on account of the Dingley bill. The steamer Maisie, of the Wacca ruaw river line, was burned at Conway on Saturday night. asy to Take asy io Operate Arc features peculiar to Hood's Pills. Small in size, tasteless, efficient, thorough. As nie tuan said: '. You never know you have taken.-i pill till it is all over." 25c. C. L Hood & Co., Proprietors. Lowell, Mass. "The only pills to take with Hood's Sarsaparilla. Pills