The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-09-16

own man and had right to 60 where
he pleased unquestioned. It was not
long after this before I began to hear
OF rebates being gotten by me:
Some time in, Mr.. White Of
Cincinnati was in my Office and in
formed me that the Live Oak Distill-
ing company had informed him that
some one here was claiming a COM
mission on goods sold. wrote Mr..
White the following letter and sent a
copy to the Live Oak people:
August 3, 1895.
| Mr.. a. J. White Cincinnati, o.:
Dear Sir: Replying to your inquiry in ref
erence to whether or not | know of any per-
son claiming q commission from the Live
Oak Distilling company, beg to say do
not know of any party getting or claiming
any commission whatever, unless yourself,
and should the Live Oak Distilling company be
paying any party commission for selling me
their whiskies they are havinga fraud prac-
ticed on them, as buy from them direct and
from no influence eXerted by any one Should
have reason to think or believe that any
one was practicing this deception of them /
would notify them at once and ascertain if
such were fact, and instruct them that if
they did not cease to pay such commission l
would not buy from them longer. If there
is any commission to be given l want it for
the State of South Carolina in the way Of dis
counts or lower prices on goods, and as no
! influence bears on me securing these orders,
| think that l should have any commission
that they are disposed to give in tie way
mention.
Hoping that the above is fully satisfactory
TO you, and since this seems to have arisen
will send copy of this letter to the Live
Oak Distilling company.
Respectfully,
F. NJ. MIxsoN, Commissioner.
heard nothing from this letter and
supposed that Mr.. Whites statement
was not correct. Some little time af-
ter this, Mr.. S. W. Scruggs, who was
my bookkeeper, asked permission to
go up to Greenville for few days.
He remained away longer than / ex-
pected, but returned, I think, on Tues
day morning He did not report to
the office. I saw Hon. D. II. Tomp-
kins during the morning, who told
me that Scruggs had sent for him ear
ly and informed him that he had been
to Cincinnati and discovered that re-
bates were paid my boys and wanted
to see me at his house went imme
diately to see him and was informed
that such was fact. l returned to
Mr.. Tompkins and so soon as we
could. on the same evening, we went
to the mansion and reported the whole
matter to Governor Evans, the chair
man of the State koard of control.
He stated then eu4 uhatically that he
knew nothing of Scruggs' visit to Gin
cinnati, and put the question to US:
why do you suppose the damned
scoundrel went?" Governor Evans
told US to say nothing of the matter to
anyone, but keep quiet and see if
Scruggs would report his find and be-
sides ne would take action when ne
cessary. Colonel Tonlpkins went to
my home with me and there we found
the boy. We asked him about the
matter and he acknowledged that it
was true, but stated that he had done
no great wrong, as Colonel Tompkins
and saw it-only in deceiving me.
This reported to the governor on the
following morning, which placed him
in possession of all the facts. The
boy saw how badly I was hurt; he
went up town and wrote me the fol-
lowing next morning:
Dear Pal left you last night before hav-
ing quite regained my equilibrium. should
have asked you to keep everything from be-
ing known publicly if possible. know you
well enough to believe you would hang your
own son he deserved it and possibly l de-
serve to have this whole affair published but
my mind is too narrow to see much enormitv
in it as Colonel Tompkins and yourself have
made out to me. The only wrong see in it
is the fact that have injured you and the
family in deceiving everybody at the same
time. wanted to withdraw after you ed
yised me against such course, but I had
gone too far in the first place and besides
Julian Yates was receiving commissions from
the Pennsylvania Glass Company, as l hap
pened to be aware, and why net I? who was
not connected with the dispensary IS close as
he, for he was then acting clerk Of the board
Of control if | am not mistaken. The only
difference was that he was being aided while
l hustled for myself; for soon after he accept
ed the position the board of control adopted
the Pennsylvania glass style bottle and you
contracted for about so carloads of bottles
from him. l suppose you and Governor
Evans wanted to help out Yates. Why not
help me cut? There is distinction without
difference. In neither case was there any
actual wrong, but Barney Evans seemed to
think so, for when he and I were talking Of
it IN the Senate chamber during the last ses-
sion of the legislature, he was very much
alarmed at the high tone in which l was
speaking, fearing that we may be overheard
in what he seemed to consider plot and l u
mere matter of business.
Well l made arrangements with the Live
Oak distillery intending it for Barney Evans
and myself, but after being so strenuously
advised by you not to do so, decided to let
things go as they had gone and tell you and
Barney nothing of it, receiving as o reward /
the scorn and condemnation of those now III |
possession Of the facts
If you will oblige me so much you will
burn this letter up and let things rest as they
are, for since Barney Evans received nothing
you can not do better than to keep him out
of it and will only injure Governor Evans in
his race for the senate and the Reform party |
generally.
left home last night because | didn't !!
want to have this thing thrown in my face
dayin and day out for the balance of my life,
as ] knew you would do calling me zone who |
had dragged down the family" which epi;het |
no doubt deserve. AS 10 what have don :; |
with the money, | don't know. It went
about as easily as it came, to- don't know |
where and | am not az we'll off as when |
started.
Now let me beg you to suppress the facts
as much as possible, for the shing is done
now and no good car come rom publicity. |
1t was q fault of the brain and not of the |
heart. Respectfully, W. 7. Nj.
This letter l also showed Governor
Evans, who advised me to DESTROY