The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-05-12
bad done, aud that be seemed ex.

1
J. Wood, but that gentleman, instead
Of delivering it as addressed, turned
the letter over to said liquor firm, when
one Of its members broke the seal and
read the contents. He stated to Mr..
Wood that it was DOS necessary to de
liver the letter. as be could give him
DO information about the reported cor.
ruption. Mr.. Wood left the letter 10
the bands of said firm. How it came
to be turned over to parties in Columbia
| do not know
If you will see that letter you will
6nd that was simply working to uo-
earth reported corruption in che dis
peosary management and TO assisting
Mr. Wood 10 securing a position. |
am not mixed up 10 any rebate or other
business connected with the dispeusary,
for my hands are clean and defy any
one to prove otherwise.
remember in that letter telling Mr..
Howell that Col. Willie Jones and
Hon D NJ. Miles we're my personal
friends aud would ssand by me. My
reason for writing this was that | in-
tended that Mr.. Howell could use it to
get the desired information from that
Atlanta liquor house. for could | COZ
vioco them that their business would
not suffer by telling all they knew,
they would more likely give the de-
sired information. also told TWO
members of the State board the reeort
that bad reached my ears.
Come up Saturday aud see me-.
Truly your friend, T. L CAN'T.
Mr.. Scruggs says that it was but just
to him to state toas he felt that he was
justified in making the appeal to MIR.
Gaots to keep the Outs matter quiet.
because it had been brought to the at
tention Of the board, aud bad been al
ready acted upon By that body. and be
coald Dot see any necessity to stir suca
matters up any more.
The investigation of the Beckroge
truck and dark closet" scandals
which seem to grow 7it5 each day is
becoming matter Of the greatest To-
teress now. Governor Ellerbe is de-
termiued to prosecute every employe of
the institution who froln the evideoce
appears to be guilty Of wrong doing.
Attorney General Barber got to ~ork
yesterday in dead earnest aud be is
adding to the 40 odd pages of afidavits
that have already beeo collected. This
evidence be is keeping back and will
continue to do so until such action as
may be determined upon has been
taken.
The results Of the Investigation
promise 10 be in the nature Of surprises
and revelations aod it looks at the pres.
ent as if several employees of the in-
s;'tusion are going to be carried into
court upon criminal charges The de-
tails Of several matters of which she
public is as yet in ignorance premise to
be brought out and there is DO telling
where the thing is going to end.
Yesterday things looked pretty live
ly about the capitol. Here aud there
could be seer men coonected with the
dispensary in one way or aoo,ber 10 the
balls while Governor E!lerbe and At
torney General Barber we're consulting
10 the formers private Office.
THOSE MISSING TWO GALLONS.
Governor Ellerbe is now also fully
Investigating the matter of The disap-
pearaucs of two gallons of tie liquor
shipped to Mr.. W. NJ. Wilsoo Of
Peaks. who bad compliedd with the ip
spection clause of the act 10 all its de-
tails The liquor it will be remember
was seized by Constable Harmon !;
when Mr.. Wilson got the liquor it was
sboat two gal'oos of the quantity that
should have been 10 it. Constable
Harmon, it is understood, claims that
the two gallons leaked out. He was
toto see the governor yesterday. Gov
ernor Ellerbe says he is fully deter
mined to fud out exactly where those
two gallcns vent to. He does not pro +.
pose to allow any liquor seized to evap-
crate if he can help it.
COMPARE GANrr's LETTERS, TO scRuGGs
Last night the following additional
chapter of the dear Clark" letter
matter was banded to The State:
Mr.. I. 0 Wood makes this State
! ment:
Oo the Sunday before went to
Atlanta S. W Scruggs aud T. Larry
Gaots drove up 10 front of TRIMMER s
bookstore in Spartapburg aud asked for
me. went out, and wen: up at theIr
invitation to the Piedmont Headlights
Office. and while in the Office they wrote
two letters. one addressed to Clark
Howell, Atlanta. Which thew gave to