The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-05-08
The Dispensary Cases.
Liquor Commissioner Mlxson
Ruled For Contempt by
Judge Golf.
Two State Constables in the Same
Uncomfortable Box. by COTS
Order.

whole country is talking-the hear
ing which began before United States
Circuit Judges Golf and simonton
yesterday morning, was productive
at the very outset of a sensation of
no inconsiderable dimensions. As
was surmised. Judge Golf promptly
ruled State Liquor Commissioner r.
NJ. Mixson and two members of the
liquor constabulary force for the
d~;sobedience of his order of injunc.
ton, and this morning they will have
to appear before the Judge and show
cause why they shall not be attached
and punished as the Judge sees fit for
contempt of the, court. Golf does
not seem to have that much talked
of legal gah for nothing, and it is
now getting in its work again.
What the resalt will be it is hard to
tell. but it is thought that Judge
Golf will. be pretty severe on Col.
Nilsson.
All will recall that recently, upon
the ground that the dispensary law
was unconstitutional in many parti
culars, and essentially because of it's
violation of the interstate commerce
laws of the United States, Judge
Golf issued a temporary injunction
restraining all the State liquor au-
thorities and their employees, officers
and agents from interfering in any
way with liquor shipped into the
State from points outside the State,
either while ID transit, at the point of
destination, or in the hands of the
consignee.
The State authorities proceeded to
disregard the order and Commissioner
Nilsson issued the following circular
cf instructions to the constables
CoLU4B1A, S. c., April25 Is, 1895.
Circular Letter to State Constables
Sir: Enclosed you will find three
kinds Of certificates to be used only
as follows: One to bring goods into
she State. one to carry goods out OF
the State and the other to ship goods
from point to point in the State.
The latter ones will be used by every
one who does any shipping in the
State, including the shipping from
the State ~dispensary to tie county
dispensaries and elsewhere, and by
the State constab.es in shipping to
the commission here. You will see
that The blanks are properly filed in
and you will be particularly vigilant
to catch any packages going from
place to place in this State not bear
ing the proper certificate and in TAX
ing packages shipped into OF out Of
the State, unless properly stamped.
You will also find twelve of the certi-
fcates for your own use. Send into
me any others you may have on hand.
F. M. Nilsson,
State Commissioner.
When the court had been called to
order yesterday morning, the judges
having taken their seats on the
bench, Dr.. Pope rose aud said
MAY it please your honor, | am
sorry to inform you that your tenn
porary order of injunction has been
disobeyed in many particulars.
DR.. Pope then read the circular
letter given above aud handed it up
to Judge Golf. This done he read a
proper affidavit in regard TO it.
Judge Golf conferred for a few
moments with Judge Simonton and
very quickly made the announce
ment : ga rule may issue at once
against Nilsson, the party issuing
this circular, to appear before me,
requiring aim to show cause why he
shall not be attached and punished
for contempt of the court, returnable
at 10 O'Clock tomorrow morning"
But this was not all.
AFTER TIE C%oNsTABLEs TOO.
DR.. Pope then rose again and pre-
sented an affidavit stating that State
Liquor Constable A. T. Davis, had
seized at the depot in Columbia a
barrel of beer, shipped from Angus,
Ia, Ca, to D. Fl. Goble, Mr.. Goble
making the affidavit.
Judge Gof-Let a similar rule
issue against this constable to show
cause why he shall not be punished
for contempt.
Once mere DR.. Pope rose. This
time it was an affidavit from Levi E
Folk, of Silver Street. stating that
Constable S. G.. Lafar had seized
some liquor shipped from Richmond,
Va TO him Judge Golf once more
said .'Let a similar order issue in
this case
Then Dr.. Pope bobbed up again
and proceeded to read a couple of
afidavits reading on Conformation and
belief"
Judge Golf stopped him and said