Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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CX?IV ' NT ON FARNVM VERDICT U'Jhat .lie Two Leading Papers of. H i '?tollna Have to Kay. \ ? lumpt i for Debauchery. -four hours before the Hlc. county Jury found James S. Far mi n of Charleston guiltless of i n n attorney for Farnum sol emu i sured those twelve men that % verdict of "not guilty" would be Indorsed >y the people of South Car? olina. Members of that Jury may not be eusceptlble to public opinion; be* cause of the station and environment of the large majority of that Jurv a State wirf? storm of censure and a harrt cane of denunciation from all the elements of shocked righteous? ness may be impotent to affect them, because unheard. But If they have regard for enlightened public opinion, the excoriation, the contempt, the rid? icule, the sneers, the gibes and wrath, that will bo heaped upon them and mpon Richlind county by an indig? nant people, loving good government, will shook them Into a consciousness that their act of exonerating Farnum la not Indorsed by appreciable ele? ments of Intelligence or virtue. 8h ro of verbiage, the State of South Carolina, Indicting James S. Farnum for bribery, proved that Far? num was president of the Consumers' Beer Bottling Company of Charles? ton, and the representative In this State of the Anheuser Busch Com? pany, and a string of liquor com? panies. The State proved that Joseph B. Wylle was sleeted a member of the dispensary board of directors in 1906; that ha was approached or "sounded" try Farnum before his election; that after his election. Director Wylle and Farnum entered into an agreement by 'Which Wylle was to secure orders from the board for liquors sold by Farn urn's houses, and that Farnum 'was to pay him so much per case or ?arret. . '9%* Commonwealth proved that Farnum's beer and liquor housee got targe orders from the dispensary board of directors. The State of South Carolina proved that during eleven months Director Wylle received from Farnum and others, similarly dealt with, more than twenty-eight thousand dollars. TV h^tf cf StarUs Cr.rolir.a jrr.-td that Wylle received from Farnum at time a draft lor $1.126; that fWtmfi was, by Wyllo's request, made payrftAo to Henry Samuels, now may ? or C (Theater, a friend of Wylle's und ;a business agent Of Farnum's; that said draft was given to Ssmuele by Wyhv *e be cashed ; that Samuele Tgesu? Wylle $1.125 In money. $1.120 ^*f which was Immediately deposited by Wylte to hie credit In a Chester TVc State proved that James S. Farn not. president of a bottling com? pany and liquor agent, personally at? tended all the sessions of the dlspen saxy directors. All the foregoing was proved by the uncont. adle ted testimony of the former director, Jotieph B. Wylle. In corroborating the State proved try Henry Samuels that he was In Co lami-la with Wylle about the time of vas dsto of said draft for $1.125; that ha returned to Chester with Wylle; thai Wylle gave him the draft and asked him to cash it; that he had cashed other drafts for Wylle; that the following Monday (that being PHftay) he handed Wylle the cash? ?1.1*5 la farther corroboration, the State of I out a Carolina proved by Robert Oasra. cashier of the Commercial Bank of Chesttr. that he had, upon the date specified, cashed a draft for 11,12 5 drawn" upon the Consumers' Beet Bottling Company of Charleston, and payable to Henry Samuels; that amid Cashier Qage marked with red Ink a $100 bill before giving it to BaniuelM, that Joieph B. Wylle later brought $1,120 to the Commercial Bank of Cheater for deposit, and that the $100 bill, marked by Cashier Qa/,e. wan included in that deposit. Jn further corroboration the State e>f Sosth Carolina proved by bank officials the passage of that draft through Columbia, and Its payment la Charleston by the Consumers' Beer Bottling Company, of which James 8. Farnum is president. To the best of our understanding, the rnma-examlnatlon did not shake the Commonwealth's case at a single point, nor was claim to that effect snsde by the defense. The defense offered no denial of a single allegation by the prosecution. Neither Farnum nor any witness In bis t?half took the stand. No ex paanal.i n wus offered of that $1,125 draft. N > explanation was offered of why drafts for large sums intended for an executive officer of the Stste worn han-led fo that officer, but made pevyable to a third party. No effect ?wan made to prove a legitimate trans? action, or to disprove the charge of bribery, supported by the most direct and poultIve evidence. When ihe Indictment was for brib? ery, and when the evidence was the o*sBiiachrry ot a public official and Bsaylng through him. for his private sjsaha. a tremendously lucrative busl sjssav to the exclusion of all honest competition, James S. Farnum, re? ported to have made from a million to a million and a half dollars out of transactions with the South Carolina dispensary, sat dumh. His only spokesmen were unsworn attorneys and special pleaders whom his limit lens thousands secured from Charles? ton, Anderson and Columbia. And a Richland county Jury, sworn to find according to the law and the evidence, after one ballot writes a verdict of "not guilty!"?The State. The First of the Graft Cases. James S. Farnum was tried in the Court of General Sessions at Colum? bia last week. His trial began on Tuesday and ended on Saturday. He was represented by able counsel and his prosecution was conducted by the Attorney General of the State, assist? ed by a number of eminent lawyers. He was charged with bribery, using money for the purpose of corrupting the officers of the State engaged in tre management of the State Dispen? sary* His counsel moved for a con? tinuance of the case on the ground that he had not been given sufficient time in which to perfect his defense. This motion was denied by the pre? siding Judge and several other mo? tions, which appeared to the outside layman to be of a purely dilatory character, were also denied by the Judge, and the case was brought to trial. The selection of the jury con? sumed eighteen minutes, the State ex? ercising the right of only three chal? lenges and the defense a like number. The first witness was called on Wed? nesday and the last on Thursday. The defense did not put up a single wit? ness. The counsel made their argu? ments to the Jury on Friday. Judge Memmlnger charged the Jury on Sat? urday, and six hours later the jury re? turned a verdict of "not guilty." The charge against Farnum was that he had bribed J. B. Wylie, one of the members of the old Dispensary toard of control, by paying him the sum of $1,126 for obtaining for him the sale of certain liquors bought bv the board of control for sale in the dispensaries. This money was paid through the hands of Henry Samuels, at the time engaged in the business of placing orders with the Dispensary he bad never made any restitution to poople, and now filling the office of mayor of the city of Chester. Wy'.ie testified that he got the money and it wis proved that on or about the time ol this Uansaclon a draft given by Farnum for the identical amount re? ceived by Wylie was cashed at a bank ir Chester. Wylie further testified that during the year 1906 he received a out $30 .ooo for like services, and ha had been advised by his personal counsel to tell the whole truth, and that he would not he criminally prosecuted. He testified that he had lost a lar|;e part of the money he had been paid for his "influence" In se cjrlng orders for his friends, but that the State. Wylle's statements were corroborated by Samuels and it was .nalnly upon their testimony that the State asked for the conviction of Far? num. In his charge, which was particu? larly fair and impartial, Judge Mem nlnger told the Jury that it was not safe to convict upon the testimony of an accomplice without corroboratlon, nnd that " a mere present to an al? leged official given without a prioi corrupt promise, understanding or (greement will not suffice to constitue common law bribery." The jury found '"arnum not guilty. According to tlu cwspapt r reports the jury stood im? mediately upon retiring to their room oleven for acquittal and after delib? erating for six hours the twelfth man 'vas converted to the view of the ma? jority. The jury was composed en Irely of men of the vicinage. They rad no personal interest in Far::ur* ind were influenced doubtless solely by a desire to do the fair thing. The other cases will go to trial and :oo much cannot be said in praise of the Attorney General for his persis? tent pursuit of the grafters who fat? tened upon the dispensary and brought the State into the contempt ot the world. It Is hoped that he will not lose heart because of the failure of his first effort to convict.?News &, Courier. The best way to handle a man is to mnke him have a good opinion of himself; the best way to make him have a good opinion of himself is to tell him he hasn't. To watch the corn grow, or the blossem* set; to draw hard breath <?ver plowshnre or spade, to read, to think, to love, to pray?there are the things that make men happy. ?John Ruskln. A girl doesn't enjoy horseback rid? ing unless she thinks her figure looki good in a riding habit. CASTOR IA For Infant* and Children. 1st Kind You Han Always ?ongM Boars the Signature of COOK kmu* hm. REPLIES TO SOME OF THE LAT TEIVS CHARGES. nrooklyn Man Talks About Sledge* Used by Him, His Reason for Leav? ing His Instruments and Records with Whitney, and Other Matters. New York, Sept. 27.?Dr. Cook consented tonight to give the Associat? ed Press a formal reply to some of the most material of the charges brought against him by Commander Peary. A more complete declaration will be issued by the explorer when Commander Peary makes his accusa? tions over his own signature. The statement is as follows: "Commander Peary says that m> sledgeB were not fitted to Arctic trav? el, and that he would not care to voyage in the Arctic with them. The only sledge Commander Peary saw half a one, which I had given to Mr. Whitney as a souvenir. The remaind? er of it had been used to make bows and arrows. "As to my reasons for leaving my instruments with Mr. Whitney, he had told me that the Erie was com? ing to Etah and would take him over to the American sides to hunt big game, and would come back later to Annatok. The distance from Annatok to Jpernavik by the route by which I was compelled to follow was nearly 700 miles. In that journey I had to travel over high land in two places, with glaciers and difficult places to negotiate. The ice was extremely rough and there was a good deal of water to be expected that would have subjected the instruments to a risk which was entirely unnecessary when Mr. Whitney awaited a ship to go to Etah for him, upon which he expect? ed to return direct to America. "By going to Upernavik I hoped to get back by the end of July or the middle of August. I wanted to see my family as soon as possible, as I had been separated from them for over two years, while Mr. Whitney did not expect to get back before Oc? tober. "As to the charge that I had not found traces of Commander Peary's records at Cape Thomas Hubbard. We did not search for any cairn whero records might be deposited. In fact, I did not know that Commander Peary had left any record there. "Considerably to the west I did see a rock which might have been a cache, but it might have been merely a clump of rocks. I was at a very long distance from it, but there was no reason why I should have search? ed. I left a cache of provisions close to the beginning of the cliffs of what Sverdrup puts down as Svartevoeg. There was no indication near where we left ?'tr provisions. "The other points of the so-called charges have been replied to in detail m several occasions. I will answer everything in the most formal way when Commander Peary prints or makes public his other points. My re? ply will then be given out ?s a writ? ten statement." Dr. Cook lectured tonight at Carne? gie Hall under the auspices of the Arctic Club of America. Winnsboro's Example. From the Winnsboro News and Herald we learn that the Commorcm' Club, of Winnsbcro, had raised a fund?of $1,200 to be expended in the mployment of a civil engineer to be placed at the disposal of the county commissioners of Fairfkld county, for the purpose of properly laying out and grading and re-locating the pub? lic highways in Falrfleld county be? fore any work of a permanent nature ? done upon them. This is a move in the right dtr?3t!OU. There ?s no doubt that a great deal of money is being wasted in all the counties of this .State, not only in the expense of of chaingangs, but in the work that is attempted by the work of the road hands in an effort to improve the public roads.?Newberry Herald and News. Rev. A. Y. Cupp, of Adams coun? ty, is believed to hold the record in Iowa for the number of couples whom he has united In the holy bonds of matrimony. In all he has officiated at the marriage of 559 couples. 06 ?6 "Men may come, and men may go," Rut The Mutual Lifo Insurance Co. does on forever. For sixty-six years The Mutual Life Insurance Co. has met every obliga? tion promptly and satisfactorily. Do not delay?now is the time to insure. I. M. LORYEA, Special Agent, Clarendon and Sumter Counties, THE MUTUAL LIFE INS. CO. of New York, Manning, S. C. 06 6. J. E. MoFuddln, S. I. Till, Agt. Sardinia. Agt. Manning. BLACK CASK BEGINS. r.x-BLspensury Director to l>e Tried Tor Alleged Acceptance of a Bribe. Columbus, Sept. 28.?The official 1 announcement was made today that John Black would be trie.l tomorrow under an Indictment Chat ging him with accepting a bribe. Attornney General Lyon, after a conf erence with attorneys representing the State, an? nounced that the case would positive? ly be called tomorrow. Messrs. ALpcv and Stevenson were present at the conference today. Mr. J. B. Wylie, who gave sensa? tional testimony at the trial of James S. Faraum, was In the eky today and was in conference with attorneys. There were a number of other per? sons here who have had more or less connection with the dispensary mat? ters. The charge against John Black, formerly member of the State dispen? sary board of directors, is Just the re? verse of that under which Farnum was tried and acquitted. The State official is the one who is now to face a jury, and is charged with receiving favors to influence his vote as a mem? ber of the board. John T. Earley, who represented the Fleischmann concern in this State in the days of the old State dispensary, is named in the indictment as the man who paid the $2,500 alleged to have been re? ceived by Mr. Black In the transac? tion, because of which he is to be tried as set out in the indictment. It will be recalled by those who kept up with the dispensary commis? sion proceedings that one of the firms through its officers admitted in affi? davits which were read at the last session of the commission Jiat cer? tain amounts were paid in this State to secure business. These affidavit, however, did not give the names of those to whom the alleged rebates were given. It was upon this Fleisch? mann claim, the largest that was out? standing against the State, that the affidavit was called into play. Some matters that came up at the recent trial were also touched upon during the dispensary commission's investi? gations. Neither side will gain anything so far as the legal side of the matter is concerned from the first trial last week. The testimony of all witnesses was only as to the transactions in- 1 volved In the case on trial, and was not allowed to extend to any other persons. Although Mr. Black was a member of the board at the same time that Mr. Wylle was, nothing Tfcas said in the trial of Mr. Farnum as to Mr. Black's actions. The specific charge named in the indictment was clung to throughout the trial. It Is not definitely known whether or not Mr. Wylie will take the stand In the Black case, but it can safely be stated that even If he does he will not be the star witness for the State. The case will be called some time tomorrow, probably in the forenoon. Ever notice how easy it is to roll off a pay roll? [ Second=Hand Pianos Taken in Exchange for Our Product. We have on hand s?veral second-hand pianos, taken in exchange, which have been thoroughly overhauled, tuned and reflnished, which may be bought at a low price. These, in many cases, are serviceable instruments. Drop in and look at the lot, If you don't care to buy a new one. You may find just what you want. WE HAVE 2 Ivers & Pond upright 1 Foster 1 Lester 2 Everetts 2 K?hlers 1 Stlef! square excellent 1 Grovesteen & Fuller square 1 Knabe These pianos are only guar? anteed as to condition. Chas. M. Stieff Manufacturer of the Artistic Stieff, Shaw and stieff Self-Player Pianos. Baltimore, - Md. Southern Warerooin 5 West Trade St. (BlARLOTnD, - - N. C. C. H. Wilnioth, Manager. ALCOHOL 3 PER CENT. AVcgc^rTepartionlbrAs s iraila l ?KJ tie Rxxf and Regula ting lite SttNfti andJBoweteof Infants/Children Promotes Di^ta?kttfii ness and RestJCnn tolas nrttlw Opiujii.Mor^rune norMaeral. Not Narcotic. For Infanta ar d ^hiMren. The Kind Yea Have* Always Bought Bears the Signatare of J^cfOMlkSMJEUmEBl jiLcStaaa* JkcMteSdh AtarSttd * /j?PtnoKit? Mm Sud CtlX&J .f/JgT ? V?idznprteii Fkrrar. Aperfect Remedy for Consflp* tion, Sour StomadhDlarrta Worms jCoiwdskms.Feverislr ness and Lo ss OF SLEEP. FacSinilc Signarure of NEW YORK. Atb months old j5 Doses-35 ch nts Guaranteed' Exact Copy of Wrapper. Thirty Years CASTORIl tmb a?n mmmPMty. new tom oitt. Birme's Drug Store, 6 W. Liberty St. Sumter, S. C. Dealer In Pure Drugs and Medicines, CHOICE PERFUMES AND FINE TOILET ARTICLES, COMBS AND BRUSHES. PATENT MEDIC it Ef AND DRUGGISTS' SUNDRIES, A FULL LINE OF CIGARS AND TOBACCO. :: :: :: :: :: OUR MOTTO: PORE AND RELIABLE 600DS. in Our stock is complete and we cheerfully solicit your patronage. :: :: :: X COPVRI?HT survey our STOCK of superior building material and yo Will he convinced that you can't fln<' Vetter quality or a more compl, stock than you will at our yard, have anything you may need in a kinds of sash, doors, blinds, mould ings, rough and dressed lumber. 3f The Sumter Door, Sash & Blind Facty^ J. W. McKeiver. P^oprte! Seed Oats, j Seed Wheat Apiiler and Red Rust Proof, j Smooth and Bearded Varieties Seed Rye and Barley. Grain Pasture Mixture Compete .?f Winter Turf Oats. Wheat, Rye, Barley The best winter Horse, Cow and Hog Pasture you can possibly plant. :: :: j; THERE WILL BE A ROLLER FLOUR MILL IS SUMTER BY JAN. 1910. BEST LIVERY IN SUMTER. ??i The Farmers' Bank & Trust Go. "aL What- -?- ? to Say Satisfaction with one's efforts put the brakes on progress. There is a future ahead of the fellow who is sorry when the whistle blows. The Farmers' Bank and Trust Company is continually reaching out for new business, and is getting it. If you are not a patron we. Invite you to become one* C. G. ROWLAND, Pre*. R L EDMUNDS. Ceshler. GUY L. WARREN, Teller, A, 8, MERRIMAN, Bookkeeper H. L McCOY, Asst. Bookkeeper.