The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-12-26

! cape.
Our readers were made aware last week
of the breaking into the County lfeasur-
er's Office, and the attempt to rob the IRON
safe in that Office Suspicion even then
pointed to Benjamin s. Dinkins as the
guilty party, but we did not have II IN
Shape to give our readers. The roopery
| was one Of the most open handed and bun
cling affairs on record, and Dinklns seems
to have gone into it careless OF the conse-
quences.
NO EFFORT TO ARREST HIM.
II was generally known, common
street talk, after Tuesday night. yet not an
effort was made to arrest him. he passed
along the street freely and openly, convers-
ed freely with policemen, lntendant, snerln
hcers were morally certain ne was tne eulity
party, yet not an effort was mace 70 arrest
him. Something is wrong; somebody IS al
fault; an ordinary everyday man Wou!o neS-
er have spent the next day out OF jail. But 3.
IS Dinkins was allowed to walk the streets
| freely oil day Monday; TO 60 to Columbia
Tuesday. to argue case before the Supreme
Court: to return that night, and quietly
have that night and the next day to arrange
his business; and to go to the depot ihurs-
day morning, as freely as he ever dld' 10
take the train for parts unknown. Com
ment is unnecessary. Ihls is Dut u !air
sample of South Carolina law and justice
and the reason lynch law retains snch a
strong hold on the people
HISTORY OF TIE ROBBERY.
Bus history of the robbery. Early Sun
day night, while the church bells were call
inc people to the house Of worship, Din
kins went to the Court House (as we belleve,
alone and without confederates or abettors),
and, as We stated last week, after falling to
break directly into the treasurers othce,
forced open the clerk of courts Office, and
then cut a hole through the back OF the
chimney. into the treaSurer's Office. He
then crawled through this hole, and en-
deavored to open the large iron safe BY
manipulating the combination lock. but he
failed in this project, and gave up the job.
Thence he Went to Henry Weinbergs bar
room, between nine and ten o'clock, and
bought a pint of whiskey. Mr.. Jesse Hurst,
the clerk of the bar, seeing his dirty condi-
ton, said: Great God, man. what's the
matter? You ere dirty from the crown Of
your head to the soles Of your feet" Mr..
Hurst says he was full of SCOT and ashes,
and one side Of his face was all BACKED up.
HIS CHIMNEY FELL DOWN.
Dinkins cody and deliberately glanced at
his condition, carelessly busted off some Of
the dirt, end replied: "S1y chimney fell
down this evening, and have been trying
to put it up" Two or three negroes were
present, and one Immediately went out and
notified policeman. The policeman and
several other negroes saw Dinkins in his
dirty condition as he went towards his
home. Mr.. Hurst did not conceal the mat
ter at all, but talked freely with a number
of citizens about it.
The following day Mr. Dinkins was to
have gone to Columbia, to argue case be-
fore the Supreme Court but he did not 60
up till Tuesday. Tuesday he freely walked
the streets of Columbia, and unmolested re-
turned to Manning THAT night Wednesday,
at the advice of his friends, he concluded
to leave for parts unknown, and took the
trim for Columbia Thursday morning,
spending the day in that city till nearly SIX
o'clock, when he left on the Augusta train.
FORGERY.
After he left it was also discovered that he
had forged draft on the Sinionds (SumteT)
Bank for $50, signing his law partners
name, W. F. B. Haynsworth, and had got
Treasurer Higgins to cash it. This trans
action took place as far back as the first of
MIR. Dink IS was cotton buyer here last
fall, and on two occasions got Mr.. S. VOL
koviskie to cash drafts for him. These
drafts were never paid, and now Mr.. Woiko-
viskie holds in lieu of his money two notes
for the amount, Sl6O.l0.