The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-03
From tbs Manning Times. |

From the Manning Times.
Our readers were made aware last
week of the breaking into the County
Treasurer's Office and the attempt to
rob the iron safe in that Office. Suspj-
cion even then pointed to Benjamin S.
Dinkins as the guilty party, but we did
not have it in shape to give our read
ers. The robbery was one of the most
open-handed and bungling affairs on
record, and Dinkins seems to have gone
into it careless of the consequences.
1t 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 open
ly, conversed freely with. policeman,
intendant, sheriff, and other officers,
and although these officers were moral
ly certain be was the guilty party, yet
not an effort was made to arrest him.
Something is wrong; somebody is at
fault; an ordinary every day man
would never have spent the day out of
Jail: But B. S. Dinkins was allowed to
walk the streets freely all day Monday;
to 60 to Columbia Tuesday, to argue
case before the Supreme Court; to re-
,,ssss - that night and quietly have that
night and fFiesasxt sasxt day to arrange his
business, and to 60 to tReaeoTet ofe.~u ~Ihurs-
day morning, as freely as he ever did,
to take the train for ''parts unknown"
Comment is unnecessary. This is but
fair sample of South Carolina law and
justice, and the reason lynch law re-
tains such strong hold on the peo-
pie.
Early Sunday night, while the church
bells were calling people to the house
Of worship, Dinkins went to the court
house (as we believe, alone and with
out confederates or abettors), and, after
failing to break directly into the treas
urer's Office, 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 endeayored to
open the large iroh safe by manipula-
lating the combination lock, but he
failed in this project and gave up the
job. Thence he went to Henry Vein
berg's bar-room, between 9 and 10
o'clock, and bought pint of whiskey.
Sir. Jesse Hurst, the clerk of the bar,
seeing his dirty condition, said: "Great
God, man, what's the matter? You are
dirty from The crown of your head to
the soles of your feet.n Mr.. Hurst says
he.was full of SCOT and ashes, and one
side of his face was all blacbed up.
Dinkins coolly and deliberately
glanced at his condition, carelessly
busted off some of the dirt, and re-
piled: "My chimney fell down this eve
ming, and have been trying to put it
up" Twoor three negroes were present,
and one Immediately went out and no
titled 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 matter 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 a
case before the Supreme Court but he
did not go up till Tuesday. Tuesday
he freely walked the streets of Colum.
bia, and unmolested returned to Man.
ming that night. Wednesday, at the
advice of his friends, he concluded to
leave for parts unknown, and took the
train for Columbia Thursday morning
spendiny the day in that city till near
ly six o'clock, when he left on the
Augusta train.
After he left it was also discovered
that he had forged draft on the ST
monds (Sumter) Bank for $3.50, signing
his law partners uame, W. F. B
Haynsworth, and had got Treasurer
Higgins to cash it 5tansaction
took place as far back as the first of the
month.
Mr.. Dinkins was cotton buyer here
last fall, and on two occasions got Mr..
S. Wolkoviskie to cash drafts for him.
These drafts were never paid, and now
Mr.. Wolkoviskie holds in lieu of his
money two notes for the amount,
S16O.1O
Nor is this Mr.. Dinkins' first offense.
About two years ago he worked into
Mrs. Edwards confidence, and swim
died her out of about a thousand dol
lars. She recovered three or four hum
dred dollars, but the balance was clear
loss. Mrs. Edwards gave him the mo-
ney to pay her mercantile bills
in Charleston, and be forged receipts
to give her. Through the influence Of
friends he was not prosecuted. Mrs. Ed
wards talked about it good deal, and
ones he went into her store and threat
ened to kill her if she did not stop talk
ing about the forgery.
Before Dinkins left town he con-
fessed to some of his friends his attempt
at robbery, and asked their advice,
seeming 10th to leave. He was advised
of three courses: to kill himself, to 60
to the penitentiary, or to leave for
unknown.
Mr.. Dinkins was YER '1 s ~ ~
cellent parents and Ugh 49, ssS, S h;.
ing, pleasing ~ popular in aS, 49,
ways, sucoessful in business, and had
bo ,oL(Ta ndere1 frorn the natl, of rooti