The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, May 30, 1906, Image 1
THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850. 'Be Just and Fear not-Let all the ends Thou Ahns* t at be thy Country's, Thy God's and Truth's."' THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established June, 186?
Consolidated Aug. 2,1881. SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY. MAY 30, 1906. New Series-Vol. XXT. So 45
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PROSECUTIONS FOR PERJURY.
Dispensary Investigating Committee
Will Turn Over Evidence Against j
Tnackston and Allsbrook to Solic?
itors, j
Columbia, May 24.-After a. lengthy
session yesterday afternoon the inves?
tigating committee decided to turn
over its records of the- testimony of
Dispenser Allsbrook, of Manning; and
Beer Dispenser T. B. Tnackston, of'
Spartanburg, to Solicitor Timmerman
in the case of Mr. Allsbrook and So?
licitor Sease in the case of Mr. Th?ck
rston with a view to having the two
men prosecuted for perjury.
The following are the resolutions
adopted by-the committee in executive
session:
Mr. Lyon: "I move that the evi-,
dence takten in regard to Mr. Tha?k- ?
ston as well as the evidence given by j
Mr. Thackston himself be referred to j
Solicitor Sease,. of the Seventh circuit, )
??nd that he be requested to examine j
the same and to make such further in- !
vestigation as may be necessary and
that he take such further steps as he
may deem advisable."
This- was carried.
Mr. Lyon: "I move that this com?
mittee hav? transcripts of the testi?
mony given by Mr. Allsbrook today
and copies of the letters which I pre?
sent the committee made and sent to
the solicitor of the Fifth circuit with
the request that he investigate the
matter further and have the 1 matter
presented to the next session of the
Sessions Court in Richland county. In
addition to this J want to put this:
That this committee will furnish any
assistance that may be reasonable to
ascertain any other facts in regard to
this matter and that may be necessary j
to complete the case against Mr. Alss- !
brook." !
RAILROAD WRECK.
Seven Passengers Killed in Accident in
the Louisville Freight Yard.
Louisville, Ky., May 28.-Seven .per?
sons were killed here this morning
?when a passenger train on the Louis?
ville and Nashville ran into the rear of
a freight. The passenger train was
running at a rate of 15 miles an hour
through the yards when the engineer
heard a flange break. Instantly he
^applied the emergency brake. The en?
gine and baggage car remained on the
track but the coaches and sleepers left
the ;track and crashed into a string of
freight cars. The passengers were
pinioned in the wreckage amid the
wildest scenes. Nearly every one in
the smoker is believed to have been
instantly killed. Those in the coach
were uninjured, while those in the
sleepers were unharmed.
FREE ALCOHOL.
"Congress Passes Bill That is Thought
to Be a Blow at Standard Oil.
Washington, D. C., May 28.-The
House today, by a unanimous vote,
concurred in the senate amendment
to the House bill making denatured
alcohol tax free for use in the arts and
manufactures. The bill becomes a law
With the president's signature. The
conviction of its advocates is that it
will cause great loss to the Standard
Oil Company by replacing kerosene
and gasoline as illuminates by dena?
tured alcohol.
SICK OF HIS JOB.
Beer Dispenser Charles Xaery of Co
lumbia Resigns in Disgust.
Columbia, May 28.-Ex-Alderman
Chas. Naery, for several years whole?
sale beer dispenser here, has resign?
ed. He was before the investigating
committee last week and is "sick of
the whole business."
Adjutant general Frost is endeavor?
ing to arrange for the State militia
to go into encampment at Chattanooga
this summer.
The barn of T. W. Wood, at Reeds
ville, Spartanburg county was struck
by lightning Sunday and burntd to the
ground. The loss was $1,500.
DISPENSARY INVESTIGATION.
FURTHER - DEVELOPMENTS IN
COLUMBIA THURSDAY.
The Revelations Seem to Be Coming
Nearer and Nearer to the Big Bugs
of the Machine-One Hundred and
Twenty-Five Dollars a Carload Paid
as a Bonus for Every Sale of Beer
by the Augusta Brewery to the State
Dispensary.
Columbia, May 24.-The dispensary
scandal continues. It is all a beautiful
mess. Legislation can never cure
such conditions. It is a matter of
! morals and not legislation. The inves
! tigation continues to be interesting,
j and the pity is that the whole people
cannot read a verbatim report of the
testimony rather than an outline. Yes?
terday, today and every day much
more than can be printed is brought
out, particularly the multiplicity of
suggestive letters. Today the evidence
of Mr. Herman was that the Augusta
Brewery paid money with which to
buy a beer, dispensary in Greenville,
and to get orders for beer from the
State board. Whether that money
went as intended is another matter,
but the Augusta Brewery paid $125
to its State agent for each carload of
beer for which it got an order, and
the manager of the brewery swore that
he thought this the only way to get the
order in view of the "peculiar condi?
tions" then existing in South Carolina.
That was last year.
What the State agent will say he
did with that money is another issue,
but he got it.
In the Greenville case the beer dis?
penser, Payne, wrote himself that he
was utterly disgusted. As late as 1905
he wrote that he had just paid $200
for his Job, and "here comes another
bother."
They seem to have come right along,
and the brewery said it was ready to
take its medicine, and simply wanted
to know when the Greenville grafters
were ready for another haul, and they
spelled grafters all in capitals.
Even a no-armed preacher, named
Fowler, took a Mr. Cox over to Augus- j
ta to get a slice of pie. They both
seem to have gotten it.
The publication of this piecemeal
correspondence does not show how the
Augusta petople tried to save their
money or how they thought they had
to do it in self-defense, but is simply
quoted in "high" spots, so to speaK.
The old German, E. H. Herman,
who opened his record to the commit?
tee, is sick and disgusted and wants to
do some good to the State. He wants
to make amends, and is intent on
having others open up their store
houses of information., He stated that
although the new board had an?
nounced in the newspapers in the list
of purchases that they had bought one
carload of beer from him, he had an
order for five cars from thc new board.
He offered to reduce r.ie price on four
undelivered cars $500, or $125 per car,
which was what went to Shaver on
each carload.
The Lyon - Christensen committee
showed that Greenville had about as
interesting a condition as Spartanburg.
Payne seemed to be the Ferguson or
Harman, and evidently had charge of
three beer dispense lies these of Jones,
Holcomb and h?nss?f, and at one time
Wilson's.
It was evident from the?file of letters
that the Augusta Brewery was satis?
fied with crumbs, and whether real or
fancied, it got out of the way of Dun?
woody, of Atlanta Brewery fame, be?
cause they thought him to be the spe?
cial friend of Mr. H. H. Evans.
The correspondence shows that for
years there has been a concerted ef?
fort made to save the beer dispensaries
from the board and the Legislature,
and that the beer people have had
paid attorneys to look after their in?
terests, and that the bills of some of
these attorneys, members of the State
Senate, appeared high. It was devel?
oped that the Augusta Brewery sent
$50 for a china wedding present to
Commissioner Crum during his ad?
ministration, and that such presents
were generally expected for this event.
The evidence taken today especially at
the afternoon session, when larger af?
fairs were considered, is well worth
studying at this time.-News and Cou?
rier.
Columbia, May 25.-Dispensary Di?
rector Black meeting Mr. J. Fraser
Lyon of the investigating committe,
on the street today denounced him for
the course he was pursuing in bring?
ing out personal matters in connection
with the investigation and it is assert?
ed warned him that he. Black, would
not stand for it. One bystander said
Black told Lyon he would shoot him
in such a case. The colloquy grew
quite heated, those who heard it say,
but the two did not come together In
a fight.
It is reported today that the com
mittee intends to call the matter to
the governor's attention and ask him
to remove Black. Up to 12:30 p. m.,
nothing like this has happened.
The committee has been examining !
Mr. Herman of the Augusta Brewery
Company this morning. So far only
cumulative evidence has been de?
veloped.
Senator Manning, of Sumter, filed
his pledge as a candidate for governor
today.
Columbia, May 26.-When the dis?
pensary investigating committee met
this morning Mr. Fraser Lyon arose
and, with one hand on the large table
in front of him, and with the utmost
deliberation and calmness, made this
statement:
"Mr. Chairman, there has a matter |
come up this morning that I deem it
my dutyA though unpleasant, to call to
the attention of this committee. I also
will state that the part of ft that af-,
fects me personally do not consider,
but that part of it that affects the wel?
fare of our committee I do consider,
and I deem it important to the final
particular determination of our inves?
tigation that it be brought forward to
the attention of this committee.
"This morning in corning from my
room, which is above the hotel, over
the store of Giradeau <SL Marshall, I
was stopped by Mr. Solomon, who is
the agen of the Big Creek Distilling
Company, of Savannah, Ga. He was
talking to me/about some accounts
which the committee has held up. We
have had some conversation about this
matter before and he renewed the con?
versation there and wished me to give
him some definite information about
when we could reach it. j
"As I was standing there talking to
him Mr. Black of the dispensary board
of directors appeared before me. I
really could not state- from what di?
rection he came. I could not say
whether from the front or rear. I was
intent with my conversation with Mr.
Solomon. Mr. Black's face uhowed de?
cided anger and he used some very in?
sulting language towards me. He said
that he understood that 1 had been
spying out on him-on his private life
-and things of that kind, and that it
was his purpose to kill me on the spot.
"I do not care to use any of the par?
ticular language he used on that occa?
sion, but he said that he had a notion
then and there to shoot me and blow
me up on the spot-to us3 his expres?
sion. There was in his company a per?
son that I do not know to have seen
before. My recollection is that there
was a person in his comp?ny with a
blue suit of clothes, red mustache and
straw hat. While he was making his
threats against me and daring me to
investigate his affairs he also used
very violent language against Senator
Christensen, which I suppose was in
the nature of a rebuke to me for at?
tending such a person about the
streets.
"I remarked that there were three
of them there; that I did not care to
discuss the matter with them; that I
was investigating the dispensary and
expected to continue to do so? He was
so impetuous, though, that I scarcely
had an opportunity of putting in a
word, and, believing that he intended
to make an attack on me and in put?
ting his hands about his person that
he intended to do me violence. I
turned and walked back to my room,
and he used some very unpleasant
epithets towards me and told me that
I might go and arm myself.
"I returned to my room and shortly
afterwards returned to Wright's Hotel.
As I passed the Columbia Hotel I did
not see Mr. Black or the gentleman
with him. I presume. Mr. Chairman,
that Mr. Black exhibited, or attempted
to exhibit, a letter from Manning,
which I understood was from Mr.'
Black's former home-Walterboro it
was. I found it necessary to go to
Walterboro a few days since for the
reason that I had heard-and I can
recognize the difficulties that it is like?
ly to place us in-I heard that Mr.
Black and Mr. H. H. Evans had been
parties to bribing a member of the
General Assembly who lives in the
town of Walterboro. I do not know
the facts in that case. I had some in?
formation along that line and I went
there to get some additional informa?
tion in regard to the matter. That
was the object of my visit to Walter?
boro, and I presume that Mr. Black
has been informed by those of whom
I enquired theero of the purpose of my
visit.
"I wish to say this: That I did go
to Walterboro for the purpose of in?
vestigating Mr. Black and Mr. H. H.
Evans and this member of the General
Assembly, whose name I do not care
to mention, as I do not think is proper,
as he is not a party to this transac?
tion.
"I want to say this, that I do not
know-how the committee feels about
a thing of this sort, but so far as I am
individually concerned I shall continue
to investigae Mr. Black and Mr. Ev
ans and anybody else who is on there,
and if it is necessary to be blown up
in this matter, Mr. Black or somebody
will have it to do."
. The. chairman (Senator Hay:) "Is
there any action you suggest? It
seems to me that it might be called to
the attention of the governor as Major
Black is a member of the State board
of control and he (the governor) has
a right to remove him from office."
Mr. Lyon: "This thing has been go?
ing on for some time. I did not know
that it had taken such violent shape,
but it has been reported to Senator
Christensen that witnesses who testis
fled that any one had received graft
or had stolen anything would be shot.
I was informed by gentlemen in
"Wright's Hotel that Mr. Black was in
Wright's Hotel vowing vengeance."
Mr. Christensen: "Mr. Chairman, I
regret very much to have to take any
notice of the matter of threats, but
they have been going on for a long
time and ix strikes me that in view of
the culmination that has been reached
today something ought to be done.
"As long as your sub-committee had
to deal with sub-dispensers we had no
trouble of that kind. They took the
matter very philosophically. But just
as soon as we approached the higher
officials we immediately began to real?
ize that great pressure of various
kinds had been brought to bear, and
witnesses had been made to under?
stand t?iat violence would be done
them if they testified. The former
chairman of the \ board. Mr. H. H.
Evans, came to me in Wright's Hotel
last winter and told me that if Mr.
Klingenberg, who was assisting us in
our investigating, should ask ques?
tions of what Mr. Evans considered
his private affairs he would shoot him
on sight, and he came to give him the
warning. I did not pay much atten?
tion to it at the time, but just before
the investigation in the Supreme Court
room Mr. Evans called me off and re?
minded me that he had r-iade these
threats and that he wished it under?
stood that he meant exactly what he
had said. Furthermore, he said that
if any witness got on the stand and
said that he, Mr. Ev^ns, got any mon?
ey or graft that he would settle with
such a person on the stand.
"Now various matters along this line
have been reported to me for months,
but you know the sub-committee has
not deemed it wise to bring the matter
to the attention of the committee and
the public."
The committee retired to go into ex?
ecutive session and, after remaining
outside for some time, returned to the
main hall.
Mr. Gaston stated that the final de?
cision in the7 matter rested with the
Governor, and that he, and he alone,
could act in the premises. Mr. Gaston
then read the following resolutions,
which had been adopted by the com?
mittee as fitting the situation:
To His Excellency, D. C. Heyward,
Governor, Columbia, S. C.-Dear Sir:
The committee appointed to investi?
gate the affairs of the State dispensa?
ry would respectfully call to your at?
tention the following testimony taken
before the committee:
(Here is inserted the testimony al?
ready given above.)
The committee would request that
you investigate this matter and take
such action as may appear to you to
be proper, the control of the directors
of the dispensary, with the absolute
power of removal of such officers, be?
ing in your hands.
(Signed.)
All of the papers will be ready to be
turned over to Governor Heyward
upon his return to the city. He is
now on his plantation, in Colleton
county, and will no doubt take the
matter up as soon as it is formally
presented to him.
The request for action, by the inves?
tigating committee is based on Section
556. Paragraph 41S, of the Code,
which reads in part: "The term of
office of the members of said board
shall be for two years, unless sooner
removed by the Governor," etc. etc.
This statute does not state what shall
be the cause nor is it very exact or
complete.
Columbia, May 26.-The calm has
followed the storm centering o bout the
clash yesterday between' Dispensary
Director Black an j J. Fraser Lyon, 01
the investigating ?ommiUee, which has
been lh? talk of tin* town and the State
since yesterday. Both men were seen
on the street last night, but neither
seemed hunting for the other, and
while the tension was great last night,
for both are known to be men of un?
disputed courage, and Black particu?
larly impetuous and hot headed, ev?
erything is serene today and no furth?
er trouble is expected.
Columbia. May 28.-Warrants were
issued yesterday for the arrest of Mr.
John Black and Mr. J. Fraser Lyon,
charging them with a bleach of the
peace, and upen which b';ey will be
peace, and upon which they will he
sot be placed under peace bonds, as
a result o? :he threatened attack upon
Mr. Lyon by Major Black Friday. The
v.arrents were sworn out before Robt.
Moorman, magistrate, by Owen Daly,
chief of police.
Major Black was serve! with the
paper yesterday afternoon and appear?
ed before the magistrate with his at?
torney. Mr. Lyon, after the adjourn
<ment of the investigating committee
/several days ago, left the city, and
(as a consequence has not yet been
(served.
( An effort was made to give Major
(Black a hearing yesterday afternoon,
(but as both he and Mr. Lyon are
(charged with a common offence it
(was found that both would have to be
(present and submit ^stimony. No
(witnesses are named in thc warrant
and the only testimony to be taken
(will be the statement of the two
(named therein.
Upon the appearance of Major
Black before the magistrate's court
yesterday morning he was released
funder a bond of SI,OOO until the hear?
ing can be held. His bondsmen were
Gen. Wilie Jones and Mr. J. P. Math?
ews. Major Black requested that if
,the case should not be taken up be?
fore Wednesday morning it be post?
poned until June 12, as it is neces?
sary for him to leave the city during
that time. It is not expected that
iMr. Lyon will be able to reach Colum?
bia by Wednesday morning. In fact,
it was not stated when he would be
present.
The bond under which Major Black
.was released was not a peace bond,
but simply a bond for appearance at
the proper time.
Governor Has Not Acted.
? Governor Heyward returned last
night from his plantation at Walter?
boro and began at once an official ex?
amination of the affair last Friday
when Major John Black, director of
the State Dispensary, cursed and
threatened Mr. J. Fraser Lyon, mem?
ber of the legislative committee ap?
pointed to investigate the dispensary.
This is the most serious problem
Governor Heyward has had to solve
since he became governor, and he is
very much worried over ir.
The governor said last night: "I
have just returned to Columbia and
have not yet had an opportunity to
look carefully into the matter. I shall
inot act until I have been fully advised
as to the law and all the facts and
circumstances.'
"Th 2 al corneys for Mr. Black have
requested me to give them a hearing,
and this will te accorded them at the
earliest possible moment.
"After this hearing I shall take
?such aetion as I believe to be proper."
Among Major Black's legal repre?
sentatives is Mr. W. B. Gruber, of
Walterboro, who was formerly sen?
ator for Oolleton counlv and after?
wards a promirent candidate for
judge several years ago aid is recog?
nized as one of the best lawyers in
the State. He is a broth.?r-in-law of
Major Black. The lather is the son
of the late Robert Black, who was
elected sheriff of Colleton county in
?1ST6 and was never defeated for
that office. At his death he was suc?
ceeded by Major John Black, at the
time mayor ol Walterboro. The prom?
inence of the parties, as well as the
delicate relations involved, will make
this case tho mest difficult of Gov?
ernor Key ward's official career.
There is hardly a. precedent for this
case in the courl recrrds of the State.
The board <<f control cl" thc State dis?
pensary in 18S9 rf mc ved Mr. J. B.
Dcuthit from hi'., ofuce as commission?
er and the court restored Mr. Douthit
tv", his office because ht had not been
given an opportunity to be heard in
h;? own behalf and to present witnes?
ses before the board acied. Judge Al?
drich, on th'3 -Sch of November, isis.
.decided that Commissioner Douthit
.had not been removed by proper
procevs el law. In the deciee of the
court Judge Aldrich d'scussed at
isome length wha: constituted a
"cause" upon which a man may be re
imoved from office.
Columbia, S. C., May 29.-At the re?
quest of attorney P. H. Nelson. Gover?
nor Heyward has appointed next Fri?
day at noon for a hearing in Black
Lyon matter, at his office.
Luther Strickland was found guilty
of the murder at Anderson Tuesday
afternoon with a recommendation to
the mercy of the court. He will re?
ceive a life sentence for the murder of
his wife last fall. Strickland is a de?
generate and the plea of insanity was
set up as a defense. He killed his
wife by striking her several times on
the head with an axe after having dis?
covered her in alleged criminal rela?
tions with a man of the community.
Jim Washington was found guilty of
manslaughter at the morning's session
of court.
DENATURED ALCOHOL.
Bili Passed By Senate. Which the
House Has Adopted. Taking Off Lu
ternal Revenue.
Washington, May 24.-After con?
siderable debate today the senate*
passed the bill relieving denatured al?
cohol from the internal revenue tax
and then took up the agrcuitural ap?
propriation bill, which was still under
consideration when the senate ad
jorned. The discussion of the alcohol
bill turned largely upon the effect of
the legislation on the manufacture of
wood alcohol, which, Senator Aldrich
asserted, would be greatly injured.
There was also considerable dis?
cussion of the amendment authoriz?
ing the purchase of samples of all
serums and anti-toxins for the cure
of animals, and it was denounced by
Mr. Hale as another step in the direc?
tion of paternalism, which he depre?
cated in strong language. Senator
McCumber supported the provision as
in the interest of the protection of the
public against posionous and other?
wise dangerous decoctions. The
amendment was agreed to.
In connection with the provision
making an appropriation "to orjgnate
crops by selection, etc." Senator Hale
said this was an effort to improve
on nature and he congratulated Sena?
tor Proctor in charge of the bill on
getting "nearer the line of absolute
control by the federal government
than anyone else had ever gotten be?
fore."
The Senate passed the so-called free
alcohol bill as it was reported from
the committee on finance. The bill
already has passed the house and the
amendments which the senate has
adopTed~-do__ not materially change its'
scope. It does nt>i^g<>Jnt'o effect until
January 1, 1S07. -
MURDER AND SUICIDE.
Another Unsavory Tragedy in New
York-Woman Killed By Her Par?
amour.
New York, May 25.-John Kitrovics,
who represented that he was employed
at the Metropole House, shot a woman
with whom he had been living as his
wife at 357 West 44th street, this
morning, and then sent a bullet,
through his own brain, dying instant?
ly. The woman, who gave her name
as Celia McCarry, is pronounced in a
serious condition. Jealousy is given as
the cause of the shooting.
PRESBYTERIAN UNION.
Southern Presbyterian General Assem?
bly Postpone Consideration Another
Year.
Greenville. May 25.-Ey a vote of
S9 to 84 the Southern Presbyterian
church general assembly decided to
postpone consideration of closer rela?
tions with the Northern Presbyterian,
church until next year.
TROOPS IN SAN FRANCISCO. -
President Roosevelt Promises That
Federal Troops Shall Remain Until
June 31. .J
Washington. D. C., May 25.-Presi?
dent Roosevelt has promised Senator
Flint of California that the Federal
troops now on duty in San Francisco
shall remain until June 30th. at least,
or longer if the conditions should de?
mand it. I
NEW TRANS-ATLANTIC RECORD.
Tlie New French Liner Lowers Time
From Havre.
New York. May 25.-The new
French Line steamer La Provenic ar?
rived this morning from Havre, break?
ing all records from that port. The
time of passage was six days, three
hours and S5 minutes.
PERKINS GOES FREE.
The Pull of the Big Insurance Grafters
Too Much for New York Courts.
New York. May 25.-The Supreme
Court, appellate division, today de
cided that Geo. W. Perkins, of the
firm of J. P. Morgan & Co., committed
no crime when he contributed the
money of the policy holders of the
New York Life Insurance Company to
the campaign funds of the Republican
party. The appellate division made
this decision today. Justice Green
baum is reversed and Perkins is dis?
charged from custody.
Quite a number of Sumter county
farmers are still holding cotton for
higher prices. It is estimated that
there are between two and three
thousand bales in the cotton ware?
houses and in the hands of the far?
mers.