The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-02-22
Governor Evqds Takes Prompt 40
ton In His Case-The shortage
Fully covered by the Bondsmen.

| Fully covered ny the BOndsmen.
The State, 13th.inst
! Governor Evans has commenced to
apply the law to those dispensers who
have been found to be defaulters, as
he expressed it few days ago. And
the first man among these officers ol
the State to find himself in the hole is
| Mr.. b. o. Evans, the dispenser at ST.
Matthews, in Orangeburg County.
The official inspector has gone over
| this dispensers books, and finds that
there is a shortage of between so, 20O
| and $1,000.
Governor Evans said that the matter
of the existence of this shortage was
only reported to him on Saturday last.
He at once sent Inspector Scruggs to
st. Matthews to take charge of the
dispensary aid make an investigation
of'the books and accounts. He report
ed that the amount of the defalcation
was as given above. Governor Evans
says he cannot understand how the
county board of control could have let
the shortage occur without noticing it..
The Governor says there was nothing
left for him to do but to act promptly,
in order to preserve the discipline of
the entire management of the dispen-
sary. Consequently he has sent the
bond OF the dispenser to Messrs. Bow
man Il III. HI. Brunson, attorneys at
Oraneeburg, and ordered them to pro-
ceed at once to bring suit upon the
bond to recover the amount of the
shortage. He has also decided, he
says, to have Dispenser Evans prose-
cuted to the full extent of the law for
grand larceny and breach of trust.
On the dispensers bond are Messrs
Phiiip Rich and Frederick j. Buyck,
both men of wealth, and the loss will
be fully covered. Governor Evans
says the shortage, so far as he can as
certain, falls entirely on the county
and does not effect the funds due the
State. The Governor has ordered Mr..
Scruggs to close the dispensary and
turn it over to some person whom the
board of control shall select to act as
dispenser.
Governor Evans has not yet taken
any legal steps against any of the other
dispensers who have been found to be
defaulters, but his action in this case
indicates what course he will likely
pursue with all OF them.
The State, 18th inst.
Governor Evans yeste rday received
from Dispensary Inspector Scruggs his
report of his investigation Of the ac-
counts of the dispensary at ST. Mat
thews. He reports that the total short
tage is s., 252.S3. The bulk of this am
cunt falls on the State and not on the
county, as Governor Evans thought.
There is now due the State, so Mr..
Scruggs reports, 50, ,03S.S6 The amount
due the county on account of unpaid
M &c j. 4 hn .,tD
hand ut the dispensary as accounted
on Monday by Mr.. Scruggs, when he
took charge of the dispensary, was
worth 81 ,5l6.16. Dispenser Evans hg
purchased from the State since the re-
opening of the dispensaries in August
last, $6, 2S9.l4 worth of liquors, and the
total stock carried since the reopening
amounted to 81, ,55O.l9.
Governor Evans now believes that
the shortage has been accommodating
for some time, and he thinks that there
must have been something misleading
about the reports or the shortage
would have been discovered long ago.
Governor Evans has already forwarded
all the necessary papers and instruc-
tions to the attorneys in Orangeburg
representing the State and he says
the State will lose nothing and Dis
penser Evans will be made to suffer.
Governor Evans says this should be a
warning to other dispensers. He says
that all dispensers and others con-
nccted with the system might as well
understand that the States business is
not a thing to be monkeyed with. >"
He says he intends to show absolutely
no leniency with any one in such a
matter where States money is involv-
ed.