The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-05-12
TIE LIQUOR SCANDAL.
Some, Eight on the States
Great Moral Institution.
Messrs. Scruggs and CASTOR
Arrested.
Fsom the State, May 8.

all over South Carolina for week
past, eliminated yesterday in the ar
rest Of ex-Clerk Seth w Scruggs OF
the State board of control, and ex-
Commissioner John 7. CASTOR. upon
the common law charge of official
misconduct. Both have given bond
for their appearance at the next term
Of court of sessions in this county,
and will be free until the court meets
:n the summer
Yesterday every one was stil' talk
ing about the scandal and the afida
Wits that had been secured, aud won
dering what the State authorities
were going to do about it.
It was about noon when Mr. l. >.
Williams, the member of the State
board designated to swear out the
warrants, went to Magistrate Smith s
Office and made the afidavits having
the warrants issued.
THE scRUGGs WARRANT.
The warrant in the case Of Mr.
Scruggs charges that con or about
the frst day of March. 1897, one
Seth w scrnggs did commit Official
misconduct by taking aud carrying
away from the .contraband roca in
the State dispensary four boxes of
cigars and four cans Of peaches ani
other articles, the property Of the
State, while engaged in the discharge
of his duties as clerk and bookkeeper
) os the State board of control in said
State dispensary, with intent to de-
fraud the State of South Carolina, as
fully set forth in the affidavit hereto
attached !"
MR. WILLIAMS AFFIDAVIT
The affidavit was made before
Magistrate Smith by Mr. L j. VIII
liams, and is as follows:
Personally appeared before me, L..
J.. Williams. who, after being duly
sworn, says That he is member
Of the State board of control that
Seth w. Scragg-, of the county and
State aforesaid, was duly elected
clerk of the State board of control
on the - day. of April. 1896, and
al The time entered upon the duties
OF said Office and continued in the
discharge Of the same until the 7th
day cf May, 1897, when his success
or was duly elected ; that during the
time he was clerk of the said board,
his duties were defined and pre-
scribed By said board, which were to
act as bookkeeper of said board, to
have the custody and control of the
books and all papers in the control of
the said board, to keep the minutes
Of the board aud to discharge all
other duties appertaining to clerk of
the board
That he is informed by a number
of persons. who have made afidsyits,
and believes that Seth W. Scsuges,
while SO acting as bookkeeper and
clerk of the said boord of coatrol,
did on or about the first day of " arch,
"A. D. 1897, procure key to room
in the State dispensary in which all
liquors aad other property seized
and forfeited 80 the State are kept,
and which was in she keeping aud
control of the State commissioner,
but under the general control of the
board, and with the said key did
enter the said room. without the
knowledge or consent of the State
commissioners and the State board of
control, aud take therefrom aud carry
away four boxes of cigars and four
cans of peaches, property OF the
State of South Carolina which had
been forfeited to it. of the value Of
81. and did appropriate the same to
bis own use, with intent thereby to
defraud the State and damage the
public and in grave violation of his
said duties as clerk and bookkeeper.
That he is informed by the persons
who made afidavits as aforesaid that
the said Seth w. Scruggs. while act.
ing as such bookkeeper and clerk of
the board of control as aforesaid, did
ON divers occasions between the =
day of April. 1896: an3 the Tin day
of May, 1897, enter the said contra
band room with a key then in his
possession other than the one in the
possession of the State commissioner,
claiming that the said key was one
provided for the use of the State
board of control. when in fact, SO far
as he knows, the board had no such
key, and had not authorized him to
provide such key for the said board,
and that with such false key the eaid
Seth W Scruggs did open and enter
the contraband room aforesaid and
did take therefrom one box of cigars