The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-04-28
GOVERNOR GETS SALLY.
THE FAMOUS SUIT ABOUT A MARE
ENDS IN HIS FAVOR.

nor.
No civil case has ever been heard in
this State, perhaps, which has created
more general interest than that of
Governor Ellerbe against Maj. B. B.
Evans for the possession of q certain
fine trotting mare known as "Sally,"
which was tried in Columbia on Fri.
day. MIR. Evans is in possession of
the animal and daily uses her as q
drive horse on the streets of Column
bia. He claims that he won the horse
from Governor Ellerbe in 1894 on q
bet as to how Anderson county would;
60 in a contest for the gubernatorial
nomination, which was then being
waged between Governor Ellerbe and
former governor, John Gary Evans.
The latter carried the county and
Major Evans claims that Governor
Ellerbe had bet the horse against 81 5
that he (Ellerbe) would carry the
county. Any way, after the nomina.
ton convention was held and john
Gary Evans was nominated for gov
ernor, Ellerbe gave Major Evans an
order on a horse man in Savannah
for 'tSally," he having her for train.
ing purposes. Evans got the horse and
brought it to Columbia, and has since
been using it. Governor Ellerbe claims
that he gave Major Evans the order
for the horse not in payment for any
bet, but simply as a loan, until he
needed it, while Evans claims thatis
was delivered to him in payment of
the bet. The two had various con-
versations about the matter, but in
their testimony before the court today
they materially differ. In course of
the negotiations Evans loaned Ellerbe
''his" horse and buggy until Euerbe's
team and carriage arrived in Colum-t
bia. Ellerbs says he was simply get
ting back "his" horse, which he hads
demanded several times. Finally, on
a certain Saturday recently the gov
ernor drove sally" down to bar
ber shop and alighting he went In To-
get shaved. Major Evans had prevfs
ously asked the return of the animal,
but Governor Ellerbe had replied that
her legs were sore and she ought not
to be driven, but offered to lend hims
another horse. Evans did not sand
for it, but evidently suspected that.
Ellerbe was not going to return tho:
horse. Seeing it in front of the bar
bershop Major Evans got in the bug.
gy and ordered Governor Ellerbe's
boy to drive to his stable, which was
done. The horse was locked up, and
when Governor Ellerbe came out OF
the shop he was informed by his
coachman what had happened. He
went to Major Evans stable and de-
manded the horse. Evans refused to-
give it up, saying he had fairly won
it. The governor denies that any such
remark was made. Later a sherifs
deputy went to the stable, opened It
and took the horse out. Later Major
Evans appeared and gave bond and
has ever since had possession.
The question then is, who is the.
rightful owner, and it is one that law
yers and a jury have been wrestling
with. Major Evans in court testified
that he had q conversation on July ~
with Governor Ellerbe on q Coast
Line train at Florence. The conversa.,
ton was relative to his race for COVER,
nor. I asked him how he was getting
on. He said he was goingfto be- elected.
I said: What counties are you going
to carry, and he name twenty.seven
counties that he was going to carry.
I wrote them on an envelope, just to Z
see how near right he would come tor
it. In the list of counties he had Ans
derson county. I said: Here, you've.
got Anderson county. He said: Ger.
tainly, am going to carry Anderson
county, as certain as I am going TO be
elected. I said there is where you
will be fooled on both, for you will
never carry Anderson. He said hes
was certain of carrying it, as his
strongest friends were there. I said:
1 can't help that, you will never carry
the county, and I said I will bet you
five dollars you won't. he said II
won't bet, but I will tell you what I'l5
do; I have very fine race horse on.
the track, a chestnut. sorrel mare
named Sally, with record OF 2:SO,
and if don't carry Anderson county
1 will give her to you against your $6.
said. Do you mean thata He said: /
do. said I'm going off on summer
vacation for about ten days but il you
mean it I will 60 back and put in work.
He said you can put in all the work
you can, but the county is mine. 1
said shake on that, but, old boy, I will
fool you. We went on to Florence;
and got off and took lunch. When
the train was moving off I spoke TO
him, from the end of the car, and said:
Good bye, Billy, I will drive your
mare. He smiled and said all right,
While some of the main facts of this
testimony are admitted by the Cover.
nor, yet he denies most emphatically
that he made q bet. He admits that
in the conversation he may have said
"Tll bet you horse to S." but he;
mentioned no particular horse and he
used the language just in a Jocular
way like men often do when they say
"I'll bet you a hundred dollars to
cent" He denies that they shook
hands on the bet, but would not swear
that they hadn't. The governor only
positively denies that he made bet,
but would not positively swear that
conversations Maj. Evans alleged to
nave had with him were not true.
The jury was out about two hours
and decided in favor of Governor
Ellerbe, and granted him the horse
Sally or $500, with no damages.
Six Feet Underground.
Professor Ferris, hypnotist, placed