Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-05
DISPENSARY DARK CLOSET.
Many Transactions Which Do Not Appea
to Be Altogether Regular.
Nayuc opd (,ourior

to Be Altogether Regular.
News and Courier.
COLUMBIA, April 30.-It looks much
as if the "contraband room" of the
state dispensary will prove to be a
dark closet for many. The develop
ments of this particular "dark closet"
are getting to be quite interesting
and the rumors about what has hap
pened thereabouts have come thick and
fast. From what can now be heard,
upon the order of Colonel Willie
Jones, new and double locks have
been put on this "dark closet" and if
anything further is to disappear from
it there is certain to be.trouble.
But the future will take care of
itself. What is still leading topic
is the Beckroge trunk. Governor
Ellerbe has rot stopped at the report
of ex-Commissioner Castor, and he
said today in the most emphatic terms
that he had ordered the whole trans.
action sifted to the bottom and let the
chips fall where they will, and further
he has instructed the attorney general
to prosecute whoever is at fault.
Assistant Attorney General Town.
send said that he was called into the
governors Office this morning and
instructed to push the case at once
and that he would Immediately begin
an inquiry into the facts further than
already given in the report OF Colonel
CASTOR. He said that the statements
would be made under oath and that he
would get through with the investiga-
tion as soon as possible.
Governor Ellerbe gave the impress
sion that he was not to be governed
by any precedents that might have
been established in his Office in show
ing leniency or in smotbering anything
that came up that smacked of wrong.
Governor Ellerbe further stated to-
day that if there has been any leniency
shown towards defaulting dispensers
that those who are short had better
not expect any favors from him, as he
intends to have them prosecuted or
know the reason why. He has in the
last few days ordered two warrants
and prosecutions against dispensers
who are short, and if there are no
actions brought it will be because he
is not advised of the cases.
THOSE DIsPENsARY THIEVES.
Day by day the eccentricities of the
dispensary and the multitude of things
which are done by constables and
others under protection of the great
moral institution come to light. In
today's Register there is the following
card, which explains itself:
Editor Register: For the informa-
tion of the public allow me a small
space through your columns to inform
them that on the Goth of March l
made application and ordered a keg
of corn whisky from Statesville, N. G.
J. C. Sommers & Co., at once forward
ed sample to Prof. w. B. Burney:
state chemist. 1t took to the 18th of
April to succeed in getting a certifi-
cate, according to the last act Of the
general assembly in regard to the dis
pensary law. The keg, with four and
a half gallons, was promptly shipped,
with the state certificate glued on the
end. When it arrived at Columbia on
the 18th it was seized by a state con-
stable. On the 18th it was forwarded
to Peak by express, but was ordered
back to Columbia. The messenger
carried it past Peak to Newberry and
returned it to Columbia the same day.
1t was then released, and on the 10th
it was the shipped to Peak, and be-
tween Columbia and Alston, State
Constable #. J. Harmon seized it again,
and instead of marking it to w. NJ.
Wilson he carried it again to Newber-
nv, shipped it back to Columbia the
same day with his card on it, consign-
ed to w. H. Wilson, state dispensary.
After an investigation of one week the
whisky was sent to its destination by
the state commissioner, it having been
robbed of two gallons of it's contents.
So you notice that it took 80 days and