The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-04-01
A SLANDER NAILED.

But IL hept Rolling
Until it Gathered
Base False
hood.
Editor The Manning Times
1t has been rule of my life, thus
far, to refrain from appearing in the
public prints unless it should appear
necessary for me to do so, but how
ever repugnant to my inclinations
and exceptional to the rule stated,
the occasion, as will appear f1om
what hereafter follows, has arisen,
whereby it has become necessary for
me to trouble the public with this
communication; an attempt has been
made to destroy my good name.
Just before the meeting of the
General Assembly in Columbia to
which my duty as Representative
called me, [ was informed that re-
port, materially affecting my charac-
ter for honesty and integrity, had
been circulated in portions of this
County; the substance OF the report
appears in the communication here
matter following marked CA; and as
will appear from that communication
had been informed that Mr.. E. Il.
Plowden, Jr., was the circulator of
said report, and TO him I addressed
and seEt said communication, and
his reply thereto marked "B", here
matter follows; to Mr.. Plowden's let
ter I addressed aud sent the commu-
nication hereto appended marked "C".
Subsequently to the reception by Mr..
Plowden of the letter marked "C",
he called in person upon me having
in his possession letter signed by
Il. NJ Brunson, Conductor, A. G. L.,
a copy of which said letter is hereto
appended marked 3D." My duties
as member of the General Assembly
prevented me from further following
up this slanderous report until after
the adjournment Of that body; in the
mean time it came to my knowledge
that such report was still flying about
through the County and still being
industriously circulated by some one;
and this Notwithstanding the fact
that you, Mr.. Editor, whose pass was
said to have been used, had several
times, made statements to different
citizens of the County positively con-
tradicting such report and completely
exonerating me from any connection
whatever with the alleged free-pass
transaction; and, at times, these
statements were made to inquiring
friends of nire who had previously
been told that Mr.. E. R. PIowden, Jr.,
was ip possession of q letter that
would fix this slanderous report on
me, the letter referred to, evidently,
being the letter of Ar. Il. N. Brun-
son hereinbefore referred to. Now
just how any OF these inquirers came
10 know anything about the letter
Mr.. Plowden had received from Mr..
Brunson, have been unable to dis.
cover, for Mr.. Plowden stated in your
presence and in that of two other
gentlemen of this County that no one
save himself, yourself and two others,
knew of said letter.
Be that as it may all fair minded
persons will readily see and conclude
that the circulation of said report
was not friendly act, not done in a
| friendly spirit, nor with any view,
whatever, of befriending me, but on
the other hand its repetition and cir
culation was the result Of purpose
to damage me as far as practicable in
the eyes OF all respectable and hon
orable people. Oh course all unprei-
udiced people to whom I was per
sonally known gave no credence to
the report SO far as I have been in
formed, but as soon as my engage
ments wculd permit me to do SO
visited and interviewed the persons
who were said to have been con-
nected with the report, to wit: Con.
ductor h. NJ. Brunson, Messrs. r. 4.
Lawrence and W. II. Commander,
aud these gentlemen unhesitatiusly
signed aud placed in my possession
the certificates hereto appended
marked e aud "F"; Messrs. 7.
|
B. Kennedy and w. B. Smith having
been on the train when party at
tempted to use the pass of the Editor
of the Manning Times, voluntarily
affixed their names TO the certificate
markedly. While pursuing my iuyes-
LEGATIONS in the matter, Mr.. G. H.
Joudon kindly gave me the certificate
hereto appended marked "G". AS
these certificates will explain them
selves, it is useless for me to COM
meut upon their contents, except to
say that tue report concerning me,
referred to, is Shown by these GER
tlhcates to be fabrication from be-
ginning to end.
now desire to say in this public
way, III addition to what may be
gathered from the certificates re-
terred to, that I denounce said report
as being malicious falsehood, with
out the semblance of truth to support
it, and that any person who shall
hereafter publish, circulate or repeat
such report will be a willful defamer,
and equally as bad and guilty Of
malicious slander as one who would
originate such a report. In conclusion,
| call upon the Editor of The Man
ming Times, about whose pass so
much has been said, to state at the
foot Of this communication what he
knows about thn otlaoo1 ohefr,ot;on