The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-09-16

own man and had a right to 60 where
he pleased unquestioned. 1t was not
long after this before 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 COM
mission on goods sold. I 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 commission from the Live
Oak Distilling company, beg to say l do
not know of any party getting or claiming
any commission whatever, unless yourself,
and should the Live Oak Distilling companyb be
paying any party commission for selling me
their whlskles they are hayinga fraud prac-
tlced on them, as buy from them direct and
from no influence excrted by any one. Should
| have reason to think or believe that any
one was practicing this deception of them |
would notify them ut once and ascertain if
such were fact, and instruct them that if
they did not cease to pay such commission
would not buy from them longer If there
is any commission to be given | 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 the way l
mention.
Hoping that the above is fully satisfactory
10 you, and since this seems to have arisen
will send a copy of this letter to the Live
Oak Distilling company.
Respectfully,
F. M. MTxsoN, 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
20 up to Greenville for a few days.
He remained away longer than l ex.
pected, but returned, 1 think, on Tues.
day morning. He did not report to
the office. I saw Hon. D. H. 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. I went imme.
diately to see him and was informed
that such was a fact. I 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 board of control.
He stated then emphatically 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 be would take action when ne
cessary. Colonel Tompkins 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 7 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 ifhe deserved it and possibly de-
serve to have this whole affair published but
my mind is too narrow to see much enormity
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 ad-
vised me against such a course, but 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 not 1? who was
not connected with the dispensary as 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
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 out? There is distinction without
difference. In neither case was there any
actual wrong, but Barney Evans seemed to
think 80, for when he and 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 q
mere matter of business.
Well / made arrangements with the Live
Oak distillery intending il for Barney Evans
and myself, but after being so strenuously
advised by you not to do so, decided to let
things 60 as they had gone and tell you and
Barney nothing Of it, receiving as q reward
the scorn and condemnation of those now in
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
day in and day out for the balance of my life,
as knew you would do calling me cone who
had dragged down the family" which epithet