The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-09-18
A Dispensary Fraud.
Extraordinary Transaction at
the Rldgeway Gin Mill.

w lNNSDOhO. Sf'Sc'ON' - >S'''
the disoeusary system has great many
features of Improvement over the old
baE room system is certain beyoud a
question. It is on trial. so to speak
aud is being watched with serious iutv-
rest BY all right 'hieking men One
argument against it was the tendency TO
corruption ou the par, of the Govern
ment, the temptation to make money by
way Of private bonus. discounts etc.
The question which may some day arise
ia, whether it is better to have "wt :
key ring" 10 the Government with the
legislative. Judiciary and executive
power prejudiced in favor OF the ring,
or to have whiskey ring which can be
held Ill check by Government not pre-
JUDGED 10 it's favor. The question
above is the suggestion Of circumstan.
ces contested with the dispensary at
Ridgeway in this county.
About year ago. on the day that
Pope aud Til|nan spoke at Ridgeway.
the dispenser at that place, r. B.
Lewis. was sick 10 bed. About 5
O'Clock in the evening an ardent Re
former approached Governor Tillmsn
aud besoughs him to open up at enoe
the dispensary at that place. so as To
accommodate persons going home in
the county. Governor Tiliman agreed
to the request and sent MIR Lewis a
written order to open up. Mr.. Lewis
put Mr.. Haynes. who vas his clerk. in
charge Of the keys, and it was not long
before 1.-The boys" we're in charge of
everything. The wbiskey vas going
out. and going without money aud
without price. Mr. Lewis vas uoti6ed
in person bv Dr.. Lioder that he
(Lewis) was ruiutd; that the whiskey
was not being accounted for Mr.
Lewis sept Haynes word to close the
place up. Haynes replied that it would
take battalion of United States troops
to put those men out that they were
drunk aud would listen to no entreaty.
Various mem bers of the three military
companies 10 the county bad stormed
the fort and were holding the ground
The uext settlement of this di>peusary
account showed Lawis's DO ks short
about S58. Lew,c stated that the
shortage occurred on that day aud re-
ouested the board Of control to sue him
in order that his record mi ght be
cleared
Two me1,b bers of the board of control
s R Rutland and j. F. Lyles. were
il the Ridgeway dispeusary at the time
i: vas beicg relieved of its contents 80
freely, but the board it appears, did not
care to act on the matter of adjns;iog Z
this loss until Governor Evans had
been consulted The shortage was
'.carried" until about April without
being noted. Mr. Lewis refused to pay
it, ard told Governor Evans he would
30. pay it. In order to put Lewis 3
books right Governor Evans charged
this expense Of a big drunk TO the
profit account of town and county,
thereby cutting R,dgeway and Fairfield
County out Of s58 The town Of
Ridgeway put its claim 10 the hands OF
it's attorney. aud be appealed to the
county board of control for Ridgeway's
share Of the profits But the State
board had acted. aud the couoty board
voted to sustain Governor EVans's
action Lyles and Higgins voted to sus-
tain, aud Tenant. the county super
visor. member ex-of6cio, voting not to
sustain it,
The two members of the board o
control who voteG to sustain the State
boards action were we'll aware Of the
manner 10 which things were carried ou
at Ridgeway on Pope and Tillman day
The matter is not adjusted yet.
Your correspondent was informed
that the plan proposed by the town aud
county to settle it was to have the State
board refund tie amount of shortage in
order to give proper credit to Ridgeway
and Fairfield County, and to force the
settlement from the county board This
vas not done. So it appears that the
State must pay the expenses of the de-
baucb ou Pope aud Tillman day in
Ridgeway.
The State board sent an expert up to
Ridgeway some time ago, but we heard
nothing from this matter.-Sundoy
Neus
Bringing Out the Dead.