The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-11-17
TAXING a SERIOUS ruRN.
The Governor Takes a Hand In tho Barn
well AFFAIR.

has taken quite a serious turn. Tne fol
lowing letter to Governor Tillman and
the instructions of Governor Tillman
to the Attorney General will explain
themselves:
BARNwELL, November 8, 1891.
Dear Sir: i received MI. Tompkin's
letter OF the 4th acknowledging my let.
ter of the I'd. / suppose you received
News and Courier of today that Mr.. q.
w. NJ. Williams has written you a let
ter which reflects upon me and to which
[ desire to reply.
1T must strike your Exceilency as
somewhat strange that Mr.. Williams is
championing the cause Of his clients
captor, and is trying to aid him i'm re-
covering the reward offered for. his
vices. He Is taking ~ course which de-
prives his client Of the credit Of having
voluntarily surrendered, and grows ex-
ceedingly Wrothy II severe upon those
who dispute the claims Of the reward.
All of this, too, without his name being
connected with the matter in either Of
the communications addressed to your
Excellency on the subject. Mr.. Williams
says: Sol. Aldrich was by some means
brought into the case to assist me in
the defence of McFail." This language
Is usually employed to indicate that a
lawyer has insinuated himself irregu
larly into a case, and L have no doubt
that Mr.. Williams intends TO create
that impression Notwithstanding that
he knows that | consented to assist him
Williams himself, which writings from
each of them are in my possession and
will show that my services are purely
n entirely gratuitOuS.
l admit that Mr.. Williams is Mr.. Nc
Fails principal attorney, and as he has
shown by his letter that my connection
with the caseis unpleasant to him, l
have severed my relations with 1t, as 1
told Mr.. Williams, Mr.. McFail and the
elder Mr.. McFail l would do If any at
tempt should be made to defraud the
State out of the reward in the way it
was rumored it would be done, and
which has been done.
MIR. Williams called at my house on
Monday evening in company with Hill
and Informed Inc that McFail was in
the hands Of the sheriff. L asked him
fine had gone to the sheriff and surren-
dered himself as l advised. Williams
replied: "Well, practically so. / thought
1T bitter to have some one with him
coming along, as / didn't know what
certain parties might do"
l was very much pressed for time, as
it was salesday and l had several i'm
portant land sales to attend to, and the
hour of sale was near at hand, and very
few words passed between Mr.. Williams
and myself. Iasked him to call on me
that night for a consultation and he
replied: THAT he was going away that
evening, but would see me in a day or
two"
We parted and L saw him no more
that day or since. He remarks that l
said nothing to him about my intention
to write to you. l had no Intention Of
writing to you then; my suspicion,
were aroused afterwarde. Nothing can
be more despicable than the insinuation
that | wished to prevent Hill collecting
this reward, because McFail is a wit
ness in another case of mine, nor do l
see what possible connection the two
things eau have with each other. | can
furnish you with proof as follows:
First. That McFail came to Barnwell
on Sunday night in company with
Williams and Hill, and the three stayed
together at the hotel.
Second. That i'll the morning Will
liams and Hill went to the sheriff's
house, a quarter of u mile away, to in
leaving McFail alone at the hotel.
Third. That McFail told Probate
Judge L. O. Patterson on the morning
OF the surrender that he was acting un-
der advice of Williams in doing so.
Fourth. That Williams went to G.. nj.
Hunter, county auditor, before the sur
render and Old him they had concluded
to give up McFail and wanted some
friend OF his to take him in charge and
deliver him to the sheriff and claim the
reward and turn it over to McFail or
Williams to pay the expenses of his
case, and that they had selected Mr..
Hunter to do that work, which work
Hunter refused to do, whereupon Will
liams said he would have to get some
one else.
Very respectfully and truly yours,
Robert Aldrich.
Governor Tillman, IN relation to the
above has written the following letter:
COLUMBIA, November z, 1891.
TO the Hon. Y. j. Pope, Attorney
General-Sir: From letters in my pos
session and circumstances connected
with the Case, | am led to believe that
an attempt has been made to defraud
the State of the sum offered as a re-
Client evidence to warrant the belief
that a conspiracy was formed for this
purpose by certain parties, and that
possibly the sheriff Of BarnWell was in
collision with them.
l have had reason to think that the
State has been defrauded more than
once in this matter of rewards, and to
know that some Of our sheriffs are very
derelict about making arrests. 1 desire
that the present case be thoroughly
sifted and an example made. You
will, therefore. proceed to Barnwell on
Monday morning to make a thorough
investigation, and cause an indictment
both for conspiracy and perjury to be
issued II the proofs obtained will war
ram it.
L have every confidence in the solicit
tor of that circuit. but desire that you
investigate in person and press for a
speedy trial if a prosecution is deter
mined upon.
Yours respectfully,
B.R. TILLMAN, Governor.
According to instructions Attorney
General Pope will be in Barnwell to-
morrow, where the Court of General
Sessions opens in the morning.
"CONSPlRACY AND PERJURY"