The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-06-24


Governor iiIiman and Treasurer
Bates, wbo, alone. under the acts Of the
ieei-.a:n-e ao,ve referred ~. mad tue
authority 10 dispose OF The bonds and
who, as vas publicly known, had been
unable to DO 90 !ftbere is any man
10 South Carolina who had pull on
Ben Ti!maa I do uos know him He
does his owo thinklng aud pulling aud
bis integrity znl honesty is too we'll
kuown TO require aay comment.
Governor E7ans then real Mr.
Rhind's testimony in fell Below are
given some extracts:
q Well did you succeed ia form
ing that syndicate in finding pur-
chasers for The whale Issue on those
terms?
ga. We did not. At this juno
ture, the exact date I cannot give
from memory, someone introduced a
bill into the South Carolina legisla.
ture authorizing the extension of the
6 per cent. Brown consols for four
years at 6 per cent, which was evi.
deutly done by some one unfrlendly
to the administration of South Caro-
lima, and that had the effect of throw
ing those people off entlrely-many
of them. They said that they could
not negotiate for | 2 per cent.
bond. when the State was con-
sidering the extension OF its bonds at
6 per cent, and when I say they
say understand me, do no: mean
any person | am giving you the
general view Of what | gathered at
the time. Mr.. French was i'll and
not active in getting up the syndicate
as we'll man might have been"
In another place Mr.. Rhind speaks
of the commission which he was to
get, saying he started out to work
for commission of l l2 per cent.
Mr.. Rhind on the re direct exami-
nation by Mr.. venab!c tells of the
$1,000 fee he promised to pay Major
Gary of Augusta, Ga, and says:
q Now, you have said also that
you agreed to pay Mr. John Gary
Evans fee. What was the amount
of that fee ?
CA. It has never been settled !; it
is like yours and Mr.. Baetjer's 1t is
subject to an agreement
20. What was the fee for SER
vices as an attorney?
"a. Services as an attorney; ne
has been working with me from the
start on this thing, and he has given
me point after point in regard to the
law, and l have consulted him as a
resident of South Carolina and as a
practicin attorney there. | have
consulted 10th Of these gentlemen,
and he has come on to Baltimore
here in this case, l don't know how
many times half dozen times,
several times, at last, in this matter,
and until he was nominated and elect
ed governor he was my active ad-
wiser in the case.
s6RD-Q And you owe him a
fee for his services, but the amount
is not settled?
ga. The amount is in allegiance.
"7RD-Q. Have you agreed or un-
dertaken to pay any other persons
for their cervices in connection with
this matter
GA No person whatsoever except
the 81 900 that have stated, paya-
bic to to he Bank of Charles ton (.
Governor Evans concluded what be
had to say on the subject thus:
Gas to my connection with the
cases in our supreme court | have
this to say: I was sent for by Gov
ernor TiIlman to come to Columbia
after the contracts had been signed
for the sale of the bonds. He related
that hair-splitting lawyers had raised
point against the constitutionality
of this act, and the syndicate would
not take the bonds unless they were
decided constitutional by the supreme
court. then brought an action
in my own name against Till
man and Bates, enjoining them from
entering into the contract with the
syndicate. The case was heard by
the supreme court, the attorney gen
eral representing the State The
supreme court decided the act to be
constitutional. Governor Tillman re.
fused to pay me fee upon the
ground that he had no money for that
purpose, but 1 insisted that he at
least pay my expenses. This he did
by giving me check for $50 out of
his contingent fund. After the
syndicate had purchased the bonds
lawyers in New York raised another
point against their validity which is
reported in the case of Robertson VS.
Tillman and Bates. l was tele
graphed to by Mr. Davidson, presi.
dent of the syndicate, to meet their