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

favorable decision in the case now
pending at Washington, and with
best wishes, am yours truly,
GEO. HUBBELL.
Shortly afterwards I had occasion t.
send for Mixson and reprimand him
for dealing with q man who he had
told me had offered him bribe. This
man then represented the Live Oak
Distilling Company. Mixson replied
he did not believe the old man, Mr..
White, intended it. l then showed
him Hubbell's prices, and he stated to
me that Hubbell was as guilty as
White, and he, Hubbell, had offered
a bribe also. I then replied TO him
that ne was right, and not to purchase
from Hubbell or any other company
whose agent was so corrupt. Mr.. Hub
bell returned shortly afterwards and
made the statement to me as published
in the papers. I could rot ask Mix
son to purchase from Hubbell in view
of his (Mixson's) statement, and not a
gallon was purchased from him. But
after the law was changed | advised
Mr.. Hboell to state TO the new board
of control what he had stated to me.
He did so, and as a result the board
gave him an order. 1t was also re.
ported to me that son of Mixson had
gone to Cincinnati and was being en-
lertained by whiskey dealers, and a
marked copy OF newspaper was sent
nae from that city giving an ACCOUNT
of an interview with him.
Isant for Mixson and told him that
if this thing did not cease he would
also be convicted by the public Of get
ting rebates. whether it be true or not.
The boy afterwards called upon me
and endeavored to explain his conduct
saying that he had gone on business
trip, something about bicycles. 1t
turned out, however, that he was not
the bic ,cle boy, but the steuographer
Of the 9Th circuit.
But to return to the efforts of Mr..
ScrEggs 10 catch the guilty parties.
Mr.. Scruggs proceeded to Cincinnati
and returned with evidence, which he
assured me would convict Mixson of
having received rebates from the Live
Oak DIstilling Compan On his re-
turn he saw MixSon and Secretary
Tompkins.before he did me, and they
Immediately came 10 the Mansion and
stated to me that Scruggs had been to
Cincinnati and had returned with evi.
Gence that MiXson'S son had received
thousands of dollars from PEBBLES &
Co., and the Live Oak Distilling Com
pany and asked me what to do. | told
them if Scruggs had told them he had
evidence to substantiate it, the best
thing to do was to see Mixson's son
and get him to tell the truth.
They left with this determination,
and next morning Mr.. Tompkins came
into my office and wrote on slip OF
paper that the boy had confessed
everything and gotten the money.
Mixson soon called upon me and stat
ed that the boy confessed, but that he
(Mixson) was as innocent as lamb.
He produced q letter from the boy in
which he confessed and deplored the
fact that he had brought disgrace on
his father and family, and had left
home never to return. I was moved
to sympathy for them and told Mixson
to see the boy and not let him run
away. That if Mixson was innocent
the boy had been overreached by whis'
key drummers. I was called to New
York on business for the State and
stopped in Washington and told
everything to Senator Tillman. Till
man suggested that Mixson should re-
sign. retu ned and told Mr.. Tomp.
kins what senator Tillman had said
and we agreed upon that policy. but
thought it best to wait until further
developments. Mixson came to me
afterwards and stated he was innocent
and his friends had told him not to
resign. I replied to him that the
board of control could only remove
him for cause, and that If he could
show his innocence we could not re.
move him. saw Mr.. Tompkins and
he agreed with me IN this, and stated
to me that Mixson's.. friends had ad-
vised him not to resign. I told No
Norton l feared that something was
going wrong at the dispensary and I
wanted him to stand by me in my &C.
ton if the issue came. He replied
that he would do so.
Mr.. Scruggs has never handed me
the written evidence, but the boys
confession made it unnecessary to re.
quire it. The meeting of the Legisla-
ture came on, and determined in the
absence of proof direct against Mixson
to drop the matter, but to take away
from him any chance CT temptation
and recommend that the entire con-
troll be taken from his hands and from
the hands of State House officers and
place it in the hands of a board con-
Sisting of FIVE members elected by the
General Assembly. This offended
Tompkins, who stated that
in view of the charges made it would
look like kicking him out by reason
thereof. l replied that no evidence
had been produced against him, but
II ne 1elL Ln2E way WOulu Grange my
and leave the old
board, but would ask for two addi-
tional members TO be elected by the
He ereplied that this would
be satisfactory. Mr.. Edrd, Senator
from Lexington, had consulted me
and he agreed with me fully and Of
fered to see Mr.. Tompkins and en-
deavor to get him to withdraw his OBJ.
jections. Ee did not succeed, but the
LEGISLATURE took Efrd's view and
changed the board, takirg the pur
chasing power from Mixson's hand.
Mixson and others organized to kill the
bill in the Legislature, and Mr.. John
I. Duncan was to lead the fight. Dun
can was kicked out before the bill
came up, and he accuses me to this day
for unseating him on account of his
opposition to this bill
| stated to Mixeon if he did not stop
his opposition | would indicate TO the
Legislature his probable cause of op.