The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-12-04
BEFORE THE q S. COM
MISSIONER.
w. P. Durant and Peggy johnson
Arralgned for Sending Obscene
Literature Through the
Mails

W.P Durant aud Peggy johnson, COL
ored, we're given hearing before q S. Con-
missioner s A. Norris Saturday. u"der
the charge of violating section 1893, Revised
Statutes of the Uulted States, by sending OBJ
scsre literature through the 2lails.
The facts of the case are rs follows
On November 10th Mrs Lena DeLorme, Of
Bishopville, received an abusive and Insulting
letter, through the mails, which WAS signed
nv Isaac Johnson The letter was delivered
by Mrs DeLorme to Mr.. T. Ed. Paskin, her
nephew, who at once began an investigation
He soon became satisfied that Isaac johnson
had nothing to do with writing or SEEDING
tne letter Later it was discovered that
Peggy Johnson had mailed the letter. She
was arrested and subsequent Developments
are ehown in the summary of the testimony
of the most important witnesses, which Is
given herewith.
Isaac Johnson whose name WAS signed to
the letter in question denied having written
the letter or having seen it. He
said that Peggy Johnson, one Of the defend
ants WAS his wife, but that they bad not
lived together since last July.
Fraser McIntosh on being swon told what
he knew about the letter Ee went to Peggy
Johnsons house, in Blshopvile, on the night
ofNovember 18TH, between 10 and II o clock.
When he got to the door he did not bail At
once, ba, peeped through the crack, and saw
W. ?. DurAnt and Peggy Joatson sitting Al
table Durant WAS wiring and they were
talking in low tone Then he called, Peg
gv ! and tbev stopped talking, hnt neither
answered He $1,000 there ten or fifteen min
utes and they neither answered nor said any
thing whle he was there: inst before leaving,
Peggy started to say something. but Durant
stook his head. saying, hush, he aint gore
YET -
Miss Bessie Breuham testified that Peggy
Johnson came 10 the house Of Rev. T ="
Scrnggs, where she lived, about clock on
The evening Of The 10Th OF November and
asked her to read the address o. a letter.
which had An unconceled postage stamp on
it, She identified the letter question a. the
one Peggy johnson had on the occasion men
toned.
Rev. T. W. Scruggs also saw the letter
10 read the address.
Letter was traced from The post office to
Mrs. Lena DeLormc ard it its delivery to Mr.
i 20 DaSXln, UV MrS. CflJOTt9t.
Z E Carues idenltird the letter and told
how be 6rsv came 10 see it, on November Goth.
|: WAS in the possession of NJ T. Ed BAskin,
Gho with crowd cf young men, was dis
cussing the matter at J w. Herron's store.
After reading it he deHied that it was Tho
handwriting Of Isaac John.on, whose name
was signed to it At the time be could MT
identify the wiring, although it was familiar.
Two days afterwards le became satisfied that
j, was the writing of w. P Durant After
searching through his papers he fouod a let
ter from Durant to him, as Chairman Of the
Board Of School Trustees OF Bishopville.
Comparing The two letters there was no
doubt left in his mind but that Durant wrote
the obscene letter The letter to Mr. Carnes,
written by Durant, applying for position
as teacher 10 The Bshopvifle school, was
submitted to the Commissioner. Peggy
johnson had admitted that she had mailed
the letter, although she denied baving4 done
80 at FIRST, and the admission was not made
antl she was confronted with the statements
made by Miss Brennan aud Rev. 7. w.
Scuggs When asked where she got the let
ter, she said that a gentleman came to her
house and asked her to mail it when she went
to the post office She refused to tell who
the gentleman was; asserting positively that
she did not know who he was
D. l.. Reeves, town marshall of Bishop
vile, who arrested Peggy Johnson and W.
P. Durant, corrosorated Mr.. R. E. Carnes'
testimony.
W. L. Parrott corroborated Mr. R. E.
Carnes' testimony and stated further tina,
W. p Durant admitted to him that be bad
written the letter for Peggy Johnson, who
also admitted that Durant wrote the letter.
W. H. Stuckey beard Peggy Johnson admit
mailing the letter, and Dnrsnt told him that
he wrote the letter at the request of Piggy
Johnson.
There were other witnesses, who corroeo,
-ated the testimony Of these witnesses and
strengthened the chain Of evidence.
Peggy johnson and w. P. Durant were
both bound over for trial at the next term OF
the U. S Court