The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-10-14
At the End Of Its Row.
The State Board Of Control
Abandons the Job.

The State board Of control is still
begging away at its regular monthly
roatioe business Yesterday morning,
however. It found time to receive the
report of Messrs. Williams aud Wes-
ton. who we're seus en- during the recess
to Cincinnati to look into matters bear
ing on the rebate business This re-
port vas received aud received some
discussion. The board practically de-
scided at the morning session what it
would do 80 far as any further iuvesti.
CATION is c,nceroed. but took no oficia!
action, prefsrring, it is understood. to
await the arrival Of Mr.. Allen. Dur
ing the morning, however, the board
decided to make public the report pre-
sented by these gentlemen. aud it was
,arned over to the representatives Of
sthe press.
In the afternoon the board brought
up the matter Of the investigation
again, and took final action 10 regard
thereto 10 the shape Of the following
resolution, which was adopted AID at
oace made public:
This board of control. on account
Of the many rumors affecting the integ.
rity Of the management Of the business
Of the State dispensary before the pres
ens board took charge Of its affairs.
deemed it proper to enter upon an IN.
ves.igasion of the truth of such rumors
SO far as they affect employees of the
.nssitusiou. This Investigator has
bsen made as thorough aud as search
ing as possible 10 view Of the limited
extent Of the power and authority of
this board.
..Dqriog the investigatiooSthe board
has received statements. under oath. Of
ali persons aud all officials who appear
ed before it. A joint committee. com
posed of coe member of the board and
one member ofsthe legislative examin'
ing committee. was sent to che oily of
Atlanta aud city of Cincinnati to inves.
tigate the business transactions between
firms who have sold liquors to the State
and the officials Of the State dispensary
{ under the former~aot Of the Legislature.
The report of this joint committee has
been made. The hearing before this
board was held with opee doors. and
the testimony has been published 10 the
daily newspapers for the information
of the public It is the sense Of this
board that at the proper time the gen.
eral assembly shall be fully apprised Of
the disadvantages under which :his in
vestiga,ion was made, that they may
take such steps as may be deemed ad-
visable.
THE evidence that has been taken
is, in the opinion of this board, iosufi-
cient to show that any officer or en-
pIoyee of, the State dispeusary has re-
ceived rebates or commissions % sales
to the dispensary, or to trace any
money so received to the personal pos
session of any such officer or employee.
or to prove that any such officer or
employee has participated in saoh re-
bates OF commissions
THE -MMIrTEE's REPORT.
Here is the report Of TIE official COM
mitt,ee sent 70 Cincinnati:
CoLuMBlA, S. G., Oct. 7, 1896.
To the State Board of Controf:
We, your committee appointed at
your las, meeting to 60 to Atlanta and
Cincinnati to collect evidence against
dispessary officials, if any there is,
tending to show that rebates were in
properly received, report:
That we weos to Atlanta, Ca, and
there found shat it was impossible to
recover 9 tamagiDg Telegram said to
have been seat from there to Commis-
:. s;ouer Mixsca by his son IN July, '95.
az uoder the rules Of the company,
which is that all matter over six months
old has been destroyed, if ever 10 exist
ance.
That We ,hea proceeded to Ciucin.
natl, and as result present herewith
a statement fron the PEBBLES and Live
Oak companies, who have been charged
with paying rebates, which deserves but
little comment at our hands. The ofi-
GERS aud employees of those companies
refused to discuss any of these matters
With us except through tbelrpey; they
refused tc ALLOW a stenograpbic report
of our Interview with them, aud re-
fused to be bound by any verbal state
ment they might make.
Their written statement amounts to
little else than an advertisement for
themselves, and without charging any
hod, w;th vron o .doino we reenectfullv