The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-05-12
HERE'S THE EVIDENCE.
ALL ABOUT THOSE BECKRCGE Cl-
CARS AND PEACHES

ALL ABOUT THOSE BEcKRceE CT,
CARS AND PEACHES
sII. Scrusss Got Some, But Says BE va:
Oniy Following the Custom-Some Dam
sglng Testimony Regarding Dispenssry
Officials
Although all of the testimony in
| the Beckroge trunk matter has nc:
been taken, still there is enough to
sbow what became of the contents.
The testimony on this point is some
ehst conflicting, but it is very evident
that people in the Dispsnsary got the
contents of the trunk. Mr. Scruggs
acknowledges taking some of the ci
gars and peaches, but pleads that he
had no idea of doing anything wrong.
as it had been a custom for the ctfci-
ais to appropriate such things to their
own use ever since he had been cen
nec:ed with the Dispensary. But the
evidence can best speak for itself,
aud the public may form its own
conclusions. All Of the witnesses
were sworn By Judge Townsend and
al signed their testimony in his pres.
ence, The following is synopsis OF
the testimony:
CLERK SCRUGGs
was the first witness. He testified that he
sold the Beckroge trunk to Mr.. Garris and
that it was to be paid for on Mr.. GarriS next
visit to Columbia With the day upon which
| Commissioner Castor, Mr.. Garris and de-
! ponert went to the coutrabrand room to de-
liver the trunk was the first time he had any
knowledge Of the contents Of the trunk to
the best of his recollection: but one thing he
is positive about-that up to that time he
had never taken any part of the contents Of
. the trunk, and at that time all he saw in the
trunk were few partially filed boxes Of
cigars and two or three cans Of peaches, but
scattered on the floor were six or eight emp
ty cigar boxes; that on that day il thepres-
ence of CASTOR and GarriS deponen: took a
handful Of these cigars. Garris took hand
ful and CASTOR took handful and he joking
! ly twitted Judge CASTOR with the remark that
he could now account for the cigars which
he (Gaston) and Harry had been smoking
for several weeks; that cigars which depon-
ent took he carried into the State Board
room and gave Mr.. Williams and Mr.. Dout-
hit some Of them, and told them ne had got
ten them out Of the contraband room aud
would get them some more, which he in
tended to do before the adjournment Of the
Board and before they left the city, but in
the multiplicity Of his duties it escaped mis-
attention That a few days after this he
went into the Board roorl and got the key Of
the contcahand room which belonged TO the
State Board of Control, and which was in the
custody Of deponent as clerk ofthe Board, and
with Charles Lynch, cleIkin his Office, and
got four boxes Of cigars partially filed, as he
remembers, and four cans OF peaches, and
instructed Lynch to take them into the Of
fee, a.ud the boys in the Office could eat the
peaches, and he would divide the cigars with
them; that these four boxes Of cigars and
cans of peaches we're utterly yalueless to the
State as the cigars were very cheap cigars,
and ne does not believe they could have
been disposed of for any consideration; that
deponent also discovered several eottles Of
domestic wine the day he took Lynch IN for
cigars and peaches and humorously remarked
I'VE will get that wine, 100, before some one
takes it., but as q matter Of fact, did not
move to take it at the time of making the re-
mark, as it was not seriously made, and he
did not take the wine, aud Commissioner
CASTOR told him he had taken charge Of the
wine; that he seldom entered the contraband
room, and never unless upon urgent business.
! AS Colonel Jones and the Attorney Generals
Office will bear him, out there was great
| deal of trouble with contraband seizures
made by the constables, as many threaten
ing letters were received from parties about
liquors shipped to them Tor personal use;
that Colonel CASTOR did not attend to these
matters as promptly as Chairman Jones
thought he should and Colonel Jones told
him he and deponent would have to take
this matter in hand, and with the Attorney
General would have to look after the return
of contraband liquors, and the only occa-
sions on which he went into the contraband
room was to refer to the records supposed to
be contained in the receiving contraband
book; that on several occasions, with the
cons MT of Chairman Jones. he purchased
demijohns of corn whiskey which had been
seized and forfeited to the State, and paid
therefor at the rate Of Sl.50 per gallon,
which the records in his Office will show,
whilst the price the State Board paid for
some goods was from $3.50 to 81 .3o per gal
lon: that further than herein stated, he has
never taken a single article from the contra
band room; that in taking these four boxes
of cigars and cans of peaches he was only
following out custom which has been in
vogue ever since his connection with the
State Dispensary; that on divers occasions
such articles as brandy peaches, brandy
cherries, cigars ard other articles other than
wines a.d whiskies have been placed in the
custody of the Commissioner and ne has Of
ten given him some Of such articles and also
given them to others; and to show that de-
ponent did not suppose he was committing
an act which would make him liable to cen
sure, he gave to two members Of the Board
some Of these very cigars and told them
where he had gotten them; that he did say TO
Mr.. Lynch to say nothing to Mr.. Blakeley,
because Blakeley was his mortal enemy, for
some reason he knows not why, and he did
not wish any distortion Of the facts, and this
was the reason he told him to say nothing 20
Blakeley about cigars or peaches; that be
had no objection 10 Mr.. Blakeley knowing
he had taken the cigars and peaches to the
clerks in his Office, provided friendly and
legitimate construction upon what he did
was placed thereon; that when F. N. Mixson
was Commissioner in 1895, Mr.. Blakeley
checked up al contraband, and he as well as
deponent on divers occasions has been the
recipient Of these little cou-tesies through
the good offices of Commissioner M;xson.
COLONEL GASToN.
Colonel CASTOR, N his deposition, says:
That sometime IN November last he was ap
pointed pro TEN. Commissioner, and contin
ued TO act as such until his retirement recent
ly. While acting remember that large
drummer's trunk came to the Dispensary
from Charleston and was placed in the con-
traband room. 1t contained four jugs, one
Of which came broken, with whiskey, sever
al ot,les Of wine, some cans Of peaches, ten
bo.-es OF cigars, few decayed oranges and
one pair Of shoes. Since the trunk came the
Whisspv was dumne6 and hhrtled and The