The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, June 13, 1906, Image 1
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THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850.
'Be Just and Fear not-Let all the ends Thou Aims't at be thy Country's, Thy God's and Truth's."
THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established June, ISM
Consolidated Aug. 2,1881.
SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY. JUNE 13. 1906.
Sew Series-Yoi. XXY. No 4?
? , o G
Published Every Wednesday;,
' -BY
OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY,
SUMTER, S. C.
Terms:
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Every subsequent insertion.50
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All communications which sub?
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GRAFTERS IN TROUBLE.
OLD DISPENSARY BOARD TO BE
PROSECUTED.
Attorney General's Atttntion Is
Called to Testimony-Malfeasance
and Corruption in Office Is the
Charge - Governor Deelares the
Law Must Be Vindicated.
Columbia, June 7.-Much addi?
tional interest is added to the dis?
pensary investigation by the action
taken by Governor Heyward today.
He has called the attention of the at
, torney general to the evidence of Mr.
f Parker before the committee yester?
day, instructing him to take such
steps as proper by entering prosecu?
tion.
The letter follows:
4<Dear Sir: I see through the pub?
lic prints that as a result of the
^ ruling of the Supreme Court, evi?
dence was produced before the in?
vestigating committee charging for?
mer members of the board of direc?
tors of the dispensary with malfeas?
ance and corruption in the discharge
of their official duty. J
"I direct this matjter to your atten
S tion to the end that you promptly
cause such prosecution to be institu?
ted as shall be proper and necessary
to vindicate the law.
"Yours respectfully.
"D. C. Heyward, Governor.'
MUST HAVE LICENSE.
Conviction of Former Dispenser at
Marion of Selling Liquor Without
Federal License.
Charleston, June 8.-An important
I opinion was rendered in the United
? States district court today by which
liquor drummers will be compelled
to tftie out the license of a retailer.
The case came up in the trial of M.
Manheim, of Marion, who represent?
ed a Wilmington liquor house. Man?
heim solicited orders a* and about
Q Marion and was arrested for selling
liquor without having paid the tax.
The facts of the case were admitted,
to the effect that the orders were
solicited and forwarded to the house
and shipped direct by the firm to the
consignee. Arguments were made by
the counsel, and then Judge Brawley
charged the jury to return a verdict
of guilty, with a recommendation of
mercy.
The decision will have much effect
in the conduct of the business, and it
is expected that an appeal will be
taken, as the liquor dealers will prob?
ably not be content to let the decision
stand. The custom has been for the
drummers to operate without a li?
cense, the payment of the tax by
their firm being sufficient. The de?
cision may put a~stop to liquor drum?
ming in certain communities, where
the busness does not justify the cost
of the retailer's tax which each
drummer will have to pay.
Manheim was dispenser at Marion
before the dispensary there was
closed by vote of the people.
BLACKBURN SUCCEEDS GORMAN
Kentucky Senator Selected as Chair?
man of Democratic Party Caucus.
Washington, D. C., June 8.-The
Democratic senators have decided to
elect Senator J. C. C. Blackburn, of
Kentucky, chairman of the party
caucus to succesd the late Senator
Gorman. This position carries with
it the leadership of the minority on
the floor.
"Washington, D. C., June 9.-The
Democrats cf the senate in caucus to?
day elected Senator J. C. S. Black?
burn, of Kentucky, chairman, to
Succeed the late Senator Gorman.
Edward G. Bcylston, a white farm?
er of Williston, has been forced to
leave that community by a commit?
tee of citizens. He was guilty of an
attempt to inveigle a prominent phy?
sician into a compromising situation
with his wife by writing him letters
in his wife's name. The physician did
not fall into the trap, but sought the
advice of friends and succeeded in
proving the guilt ol Boylston. I
DISPENSARY INVESTIGATION.
AN EXCITING DAY OF THE COM?
MITTEE PROCEEDINGS.
Mr. William G. Childs Asks Pardon for
His Bad Language and Says He La
tended No Contempt-Mr. A. A.
Bristow of Greenville Testifies to
Case of Graft, but Gives No Names
or Dates.
Columbia, June 5.-The work of the
dispensary investigating committee
this morning was brief, but full of in?
terest. It may be divided into three
sections-the rounding off of Mr. Wm.
G. Childs; the orthodox position of
the committee as to what it would
permit in the way of evidence, and
finally the sensational evidence of Mr.
A. A. Bristow, a prominent citizen of
Greenville, in which he related that a
liquor man told him that he had paid
$$,000 in cash to get an order for $67,
000 from the State dispensary.
Unfortunately no names, no dates
and even the name of the liquor house
alleged to have paid the money was
j not given.
In a nutshell Mr. Bristow testified
that Abe Hamberger, of Baltimore,
told him that he paid $8,000 to get a
liquor order for $67,000 from the
State dispensary. The crux is that the
money is alleged to have been paid, no
tell-tale checks or express records.
Now the dispensary's friends already
say that no- names, no dates, no cor?
roboration is given, and that Ham?
burger is sore because he received only
j the one order. Be that as it may, he
j told Mr. Bristow, a high toned citizen
j of Greenville, a merchant of means, a
I damning story. Why is Mr. Ham
I burger not brought before the commit?
tee to tell his story and to get names?
He is not amendable to the orders of
the committee, being a non-resident,
and he is afraid to come. That is the
whole situation. He told his story to
Mr. Bristow and again to Mr. Jesse R.
Smith, of Greenville. The testimony
was simply presented by Mr. Bristow,
and Mr. Lyon did not undertake to
press it any deeper than he saw it
went of its own accord.
It is very interesting to watch Mr.
Fraser Lyon in his uphill work, strug?
gling inch by inch to gain evidence,
and to get evidence out of the witness?
es. The committee, it is to be remem?
bered, has been unable to get big
liquor dealers to appear before the
committee, so it is said, and this fail?
ure appears to be exciting comment.
The liquor firms are represented by
eminent counsel, but the committee
\ .*
would like to see the drummers and
the heads of the linns.
Mr. Lyon's right bower was detained
today and was not p.- esent to lend him
that moral encouragement he needs.
! Mr. Childs today made h's return to
I the committee on the contempt writ.
No one even thought he meant any
disrespect. He simply got mad ar,d
lost his temper, and, like a man, own?
ed up and apologized. Mr. Childs,
however, persisted in his refusal to
repeat rumors and jokes, and the com?
mittee decided not to force the issue
with Mr. Childs, and there the matter
ended. Mr. Childs today was very em?
phatic and positive to say three things:
First, that he would never and had
never paid, directly or indirectly, for
the freight business of the dispensary,
for the business enjoyed by the Colum?
bia. Newberry and Laurens railroad, of
which he is president. Second, that
he never owned a share of stock in
the Richland Distilling company, and
that he never, directly or indirectly,
held in trust or for others a share of
stock in the Carolina Glass company,
and finally that he would never re?
peat what he regarded as idle rumors
or jokes about dispensary affairs.
During Mr. Childs's testimony he
candidly stated that Mr. H. H. Evans
has held an annual pass over the Co?
lumbia. Newberry and Laurens rail?
road for the past 16 years, and dur?
ing all these years Mr. Evans has been
engaged as counsel for that railroad.
Columbia, June 7.-There was
brought out before the dispensary
investiga ling committee yesterday
testimony that did not come from a
"sore head," it was not a statement
made in a "joking way," and it was
not hearsay. The witness was Mr.
Lewis W. Parker, president of the
Olympia, Granby and Richland cotton
mills in Columbia, treasurer of the
Monaghan in Greenville and inter?
ested in banking and mill industries
in other parts of the state. The state?
ment which he made under the order
of the State Supreme Court-and not
until so ordered-was that Mr. S. J.
Lanahan had complained to him th??i
he could not get business from the
dispensary without using unusual
methods, and that when they had
arrangements fixed they would not
stay fixed sometimes.
The testimony of Mr. Parker was
secured only after the hardest work.
Mr. Parker stated to a friend yester
Iday afternoon that the people
South Carolina owe a debt Of gr.
tude to Messrs. Lyon and Christen
for the -manner in which they h
worked on this investigation and
stated most positively that he d
not know how they became aware
the fact that he was in possession
any information. He was very mi
surprised when they tried to get so
facts from him.
When the committee met yest
day morning, Mr. Lyon put 3
Parker on the stand. Mr. Parker i
dined to testify to conversant
which hE.d occurred between hims
and a second party, who had sta:
that he had had to pursue '"unusu
methods to get business from 1
state dispensary. After a good, d
of parleying, Mr. Lyon moved tl
the witness be placed in arrest m
such a time as he would answer 1
question. This was agreed to by 1
committee. Mr. Praker eviden
had been looking for such move
this and he had his attorney, Mr.
J. Haynsworth, )of Greenville, w:
him. Mr. Haynsworth already h
had prepared a writ of habeas corr
and it was agreed to argue the me
of this motion before the State S
preme Court at 4 o'clock, the coi
having agreed to sit for that pt
pose.
Mr. Fraser and Mr. Gaston we
delegated to represent the comm
tee in t!.ie argument before the S
preme Court. The court heard t
arguments at the time appointe
and, after deliberating not over hi
a minute, decided that the writ
habeas corpus should not be issu
and that the witness, therefoi
should answer the questions pr
pounded.
Mr. Haynsworth made a fine pr
sentation of Mr. Parker's side of tl
case, but the feature of the hearing
the Supreme Court was the address
Mr. Fraser to the court, in which 1
described clearly and strongly tl
duties of the committee. Mr. Gaste
followed Mr. Fraser, and Mr. Hayn
worth made an argument in reply.
Chief Justice Pope, after a m<
ment's consultation with the oth<
members of the court, announce
that the writ of habeas corpus shou'
not Issue-in other words, that tl
witness should remain in the custoc
of the committee until he shoul
purge himself of contempt by con
plying with the will of the commi
tee.
The members of the committe?
with the exception of Senator Ha
and Senator Blease, had voted at tb
morning session to require the wil
ness to testify. The Supreme Coui
thus decided in favor of the pos:
tion taken by Messrs. Lyon and Chris
tensen. Yesterday afternoon th
relevancy of a certain bit of testi
mony was questioned, and Mr. Spive
wras the only member of the com
mittee who agreed with Mr. Lyo:
and Mr. Christensen in this. The is
sue was as to whether or not Mi
Parker should testify as to the iden
tity of the agent of Wm. Lanahan ?
Son in this state appointed some tim
last yes.r. Mr. Parker - declined t<
testify further than to state thr.t th.
man wis some kind of official, al
though not a state official nor a dis
pensa ry official.
The substance of Mr. Parker's tes
timony in reference to what Mr
Lanahan said to him is as follows
He (Lanahan) said that he wa:
convinced that it took more than th(
merit of the liquors to do business
with the state dispensary. He saic
that the dispensary bought cheap
mean liquor. He said that it cos?
money to do business with the board
in 1D04 and 1905, and he could not
afford to pay what had to be paid.
He told Mr. Parker enough to make
him say that the conversations im?
plied that rebates were paid to get
orders.
He told Mr. Parker that "At the
last letting of contracts, which had
just passed, there was in it for the
members of the board of control not
less thai $5,000. Later cn Mr. Park?
er explained that Mr. Lanahan said
that the regulation rebate appeared
to be $5 a barrel on order?, and he
was not a competitor with his goods
on that basis.
Mr. Lanahan is quoted as having
offered to sell the dispensary liquor
at from 15 to 20 cents less per gallon
than it was buying at, ii he did not
have to give up anything, and Chair?
man Evans told him that if he did
not like the form of bids of the beard
that he need not bid at all.
Mr. Lanahan tried repeatedly to
get Mr. Parker to suggest some South
Carolina man with a pull to repre?
sent him, and finally secured some?
one who held an official position to
represent him.
Mr. Parker declined forgive the
name of this representative, and the
commitiee, by a vote of 4 to 3. de?
clined t:> order him tc give the r.a.me.
Some suggested he was a member <>i
the general assembly. Mr. Parker
y
?.: e. J
thought this representative was paid
$2,000, but had never learned wheth?
er such a representative had ever got?
ten orders or not for Lanahan & Son.
Mr. Lanahan is quoted as having
told Mr. Parker that "he had ar?
ranged with Mr. Boykin, one of the
members of the board of control, for
Mr. Boykin to be his representative
on the board of control, and to see
to it that he got his share of the busi?
ness." He did not get the new busi?
ness, and Mr. Boykin is quoted as
j having said that "he had not gotten
. a more satisfactory offer from otners.
I but that others were providing for
I other members of the family than
himself, and blood was thicker than
water, and that a certain other liquor
house employed a brother-in-law of
Mr. Boykin as special representative
or something of the sort, and that
the other house was doing equally as
well by him as Mr. Lanahan."
Mr. Evans is alleged to have said
that there was an agreement by which
members would order from certain
houses, and that the agreement was
for Mr.''Boykin to see to Mr. Lana
han;s business.
Mr. Parker spoke of what he un?
derstood to be, a "system of corrup?
tion," and teemed, to have soaked
down deep into his thoughts after
the repeated conversations with the
cautious Sam J. Lanahan, who had
done hundreds of thousands of dol?
lars worth of business himself with
the system.
Mr. Parker .said: '"I cennot say
that the term rebate was used, but
terms that implied rebates; just gen?
eral statements as to having agree?
ments with members of the board by
which thay were to get it."
Mr- Lanahan made it very plain In
his repeated conversations that-he did
not for an instant think that the
dispensary orders were made on com?
petitive bids. He had voluntarily of?
fered to reduce prices, and thc offer
was rejected.
Columbia, June 7.-What were al?
leged to be statements or confessions
of Hub Evans that he had received
presents of large amounts of money
from whisky houses and occular evi?
dences of the possession of big sums
by him were detailed and was the
sensational testimony of one of the
chief witnesses before the dispensary
investigating committee today.
C. C. Davis, a Newberry contractor,
who had worked on ex-Chairman H.
H. Evans's new house in Newberry,
in a cool and somewhat reluctant
manner, told of Evans admitting to
him that on various occasions he had
been getting presents of various kinds
and great wads of money from the
whisky houses he took care of on the
dispensary purchasing board. Evans
showed him on several occasions big
bunches of greenbacks of all sorts of
denominations, bills as high, more j
than one time, as $1,000 and several
of these in each bunch. On one oe
easton when witness told Evans a j
certain door in the house had better
be moved Evans pointed to a beaver
hat sitting on the floor full of green?
backs of large denominations, and
asked if he did not think that would
move it. Evans never did call it re?
bates or graft, but admitted he got
the cash as well as the presents and
said they were in consideration of his
services on the board to these houses.
Among the presents was a handsome
suite of furniture with a $500 poker
table among the pieces, which Evans
admitted getting as a present from
Bluthenthal & Bickert, of Atlanta.
Witness denied that Evans told him
he bought thc big Kinard plantation
in Newberry with dispensary graft,
and also denied that Evans said he
used poker playing as a blind; de?
nied that Evans told him that on one
occasion he won $10,000 in a-poker
game with some whisky drummers. A
whisky man named John Loeb told
him tha* in order to get a showing he
paid Evans $2 a case on several thou?
sand cases.
The most important part of Davis's
testimony was perhaps that involving
a dired: case of bribery against Evans'
associates on the board, John Bell
Towill and L. W. Boykin. Witness
said Evans told him that Evans was
not getting the proper showing for
his friends in the purchases and he
and Briggs Wilson, of the Richland
distillery, here laid a trap in which
they caught Towill and Boykin.
Evans' whisky friends got Towill
and Boykin in a hotel room here and
Evans and Wilson, standing on a table
in the hallway, saw the other two
directors paid the money. After that
Evans got what he wanted on the
board. !
E. W. Robertson, president of the
National Loan and Exchange bank
and of a number of other Columbia
enterprises and interested as director
in a number of cotton mills through?
out the stalte, was on the stand today.
He corroborated the testimony of L.
W. Parker given yesterday as to
Samuel J. Lanahan having Director
Boykin as his state middleman, but
there was a decided difference as to
what Lanahan had said about having
a middleman now who is a state of?
ficer, but not connected with the dis?
pensary. Mr. Parker said Mr. Lana
han's statement was made in New
York in the presence of Mr. Robert?
son, but Mr. Robertson did not re?
member this and thought Mr. Parker
must have been mistaken as to this
point. The committee yesterday did
not insist on Mr. Parker giving the
name, although the Supreme Court
had jus? ruled that he could be com?
pelled to answer questions.
Columbia, June 9.-Mr. W. A.
Clark, president of the Carolina Na?
tional bank of this city for the last
25 years, yesterday stated before the
dispensary investigating committee
that he had heard frequent com?
plaints made by members of the firm
of William Lanahan & Son, of Balti?
more to the effect that the dispen?
sary was not giving ouf its purchases
properly. 8Mr. Clark presented a let?
ter which he had received from Mr.
S. J. Lanahan 'in which he made
general charges of this kind. The
letter had been shown to Governor
Heyward. The latter had asked for
mere specific charges. Governor Hey
wa?d last night returned from Flor?
ence and when advised of Mr. Clark's
testimony he stated that he had not
been able to act on the matter, as
Mr. Lanahan would not furnish par?
ticular and specific information.
The committee adjourned until
next Tuesday, as a line of testimony
which had been planned panned out
badly and the commit/tee had enough
testimony along that line anyway.
The witnesses who had been sum?
moned and had been excused were
Judge Ernest Gary ana Mr. Waties
Thomas, of the firm of Thomas &
Thomas, of this city.
Judge Ernest Gary stated positive?
ly that he knew nothing which would
throw any light on the investigation
and declared further that should he
testify it might embarass him in the
future in his official duties. Mr. Lyon,
declaring that Judge Gary is an hon?
orable gentleman, said that he would
not push the questions on Judge
Gary under the circumstances named,
and he would accept Judge Gary's
disclaimer that he knew nothing.
The committee took recess until
Tuesday of next week, and made the
statement that the members of the
state board would be invited to ap?
pear Wednesday. An effort will be
made to wind up next week,
although there is a vast amount of
work to be done.
The sub-committee has yet to go
into the matters it picked up in Cin?
cinnati and elsewhere in (the distill?
ing country. There will be a lot of
documentary evidence, perhaps.
Mr. J. M. Cantey, brother-in-law of
Mr. L. W. Boykin, former member of
the >oard, was present yesterday, but
was excused by Senator Hay on the
ground that his lawyer was out of
the city. Col. Spivey did not want
to excuse Mr. Cantey, for he had been
summoned as a witness and what
difference did it make if his lawyer
were not present, he said. The com?
mittee did not give the same consid?
eration to other witnesses.
On account of his having been
mentioned incidentally as a witness
to a certain conversation, Mr. A. M.
Deal, stenographer of the commit?
tee, made an impassioned statement
in which he stated his opinion of Mr.
T. W. Klingenberg, the special attor?
ney of the sub-committee, that he
is a "detective," "spy," "no gentle?
man," and other opprobrious terms,
and said that he would follow it up
on the outside. Mr. Klingenberg paid
no attention to the denunciation, ex?
cept to smile occasionally and to
coach Mr. Lyon upon some questions
to ask Mr. Deal upon cross examina?
tion.
Mr. Deal showed determination,
and stuck to his intention of de?
nouncing Mr. Klingenberg, coming
back to the subject later on in the
proceedings. At times his remarks
were such that they might have been
construed as a reflection upon the
sub-committee for ? permitting Mr.
Klingenberg to work up evidence of
the kind presented. The whole af?
fair was unnecessary and therefore
uncalled for.
HUB EVANS HEARD FROM.
Newberry, June S.-It having been
published this morning that Mr. H.
H. Evans, formerly chairman of the
dispensary board of directors, was
preparing a card in reply to Mr. C.
C. Davis's testimony as taken yester?
day before the committee, your
representative called on Mr. Evans
today for the card. Mr. Evans stated
that in view of the action of the
governor directing the attorney gen?
eral to institute legal proceedings
against the old board of directors of
the state dispensary, which he wei
corned, his counsel advised him to
make no statement through the news?
papers, and that he had reluctantly
determined to act upon their advice.
Mr. Evans stated, however, that he
was ready to meet any charges
which might be preferred against,
him in any proceedings instituted
under the order of the governor.
News and Courier. ,
WERE NOT BOUGHT.
Member From Newberry Declares it
it a Matter of Veracity Between Ev?
ans and Davis.
Newberry, June 9.-The State sena?
tor from this county and all the mem?
bers of the house of representatives
unequivocally and emphatically deny
the allegations and insinuations con?
tained in the testimony of Mr. C. Cv
Davis as emanating from Mr. H. BL
Byan*, j ^
Mr. J. W. Earhardt makes the fol?
lowing statement: ,
"To those who know me as a pri*?
vate citizen and in a public capacity I
think a denial on my part of such ?
charge is unnecessary. I have waited
to see a statement from Mr. Evans?
He, failing to make any on the advice
of his attorneys, I went to see him ia
person, and to me he denied the state?
ment attributed to him in as emphatic
a manner and in as strong language
as is possible to be used, xnus the
whole matter resolves itself into a.
question of veracity between him and
Mr. Davis, with whom I have nothing
to do.
"Fortunately, however, my record
in the legislature is sufficient denial of
the accusation on my part. I voted
to retain the Brice bUl and to knock
out the tax feature of the Brice bilL
which I considered a barrier, to give
the present investigating committee
the power it-asked at that body's?
hands, without limit as to the number '
of days they should receive pay, as.
was attempted; to abolish the State
dispensary and against the Rayspr
Manning bill which appeared to me
as a menace to fasten the dispensary
system on the people of South Caro?
lina indefinitely. ' ?
"I supported the Morgan bill which
meant local option as between coun?
ty dispensaries and prohibition, and
on all measures relating to the dis?
pensary the journal of the iiouse of
representatives, which I have at hand,,
shows my vote recorded against what
is known as the present dispensary
interests as now conducted. On the
record I am willing tc stand or fall.
As to the vote for Mr. Evans as chair?
man, I do not suppose that any one;
for a moment would have expected*!
me to vote for any ether than Mr.,.
Evans, with no other candidate in the.
field from my county, a matter, how
ever, which Mr. Evans never mention?
ed to me. During my 10 or 12 years
of public life, neither by Mr. Evans
nor any one else has an improper
proposal been made to me."
COTTON ACREAGE REPORT.
Assistant Secretary of Agriculture
States That Increase Neted is Not
All of This Year.
Washington, June ll.-Assistant
Secretary Hays of the department of
agriculture today gave out the follow?
ing statement regarding the cotton
acreage report of June :
"The department is convinced that
the estimated planted acreage in cot?
ton1 of about 28,686,000, issued June
4, is near the truth; but the increase^
of 1,686,000 or 6.2 per cent, it should
be understood, is not all- of this year.
The census bureau's final report of
the crop of 1905 was about 400,000
bales more than was estimated by the
bureau of statistics cn the 4th of De?
cember last. Due weight must be giv?
en to this source of information and
fully one-third of the estimated in?
crease reported last month is attribu?
table to rectification cf last year's
work to bring it intQ harmony with
tba census report of the amount of
cotton -ginned in the respective
States."
The statement was approved by
Secretary Wilson. |
ADJOURNMENT OF CONGRESS.
Session Will Continue Until End o?
Month at Least.
Washington, D. C., June 9.-While
it has heretofore been the expectation
of congressional leaders that fina?
adjournment of this session would
come on the 20th inst., recent de?
velopments have caused them to re?
vise this opinion. It is now believed
the session will run until the end of
the month, and some think it may
last until the 10th or 15th of July.
June 28 is, however, generally ac?
cepted as getting away date. Next
week will be a busy one in the sen?
ate. Both the railroad rate and state?
hood bills will, it is thought, be final?
ly disposed pf, i ?