The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-05
DIsPENSARY WAYS ARE DARK.
BIG SCANDAL DEVELOPED BY AN
INVESTIGATION.

The Chairman of the Board of Con-
troll Resigns-He Insisted That
Chief Clerk ScrugEs should BE Re-
fained I'm Spite of Charges of
CrooLedness Made Against Him
Sensation Caused by the PrOduc-
ton of an Alleged Letter From
Larry CAN'T to Clark Howell.
Columbia. s. c.. May 4-The board Of
control Of the odorous dispensary has been
sitting for two days investigating charges
against officials. At midnight it is still in
session. The understanding is that several
officials will be arrested tomorrow.
Willie Jones colonel of the Palmetto
regiment, cashier of the Carolina Nation
az Bank, and ex-democratic state chair
man. resigned tonight as chairman of the
board Of control. He had insisted that
Chief Clerk Scruggs of the disDensary
board should he retained. There are grave
charges against Scruggs, who was APP
pointed to this Office by ex-Gov. Evans to
watch certain of the governor enemies
in the dispensary. The Scruggs case is
now being considered by the attorney gen.
eral He stated a few days ago that Jones
had to stick to him or he would show him
up. People here have confidence in Jones.
The sensation of the day was the pro-
duction of letters which brought Clark
Howell, editor OF the Atlanta Constitution
into the muddle one of these was written
by Editor Larry CAN'T of the Piedmont
Headlight to Dear Clark" in which he
gays: I am anxious to control the state
board of dispensary commissioners, so
that I can help out my friends, and also
your friends, Blumenthal Bickart OF
Atlanta Ga, liquor dealers. In order to
accomplish this we must down a man
named DUTIES. and keep our mutual
friend, Seth Scruggs, in control. We can
down DUTIES if / can get Mr.. Bickart to
give me a statement of the transactions
between himself and DUTIES, and can
show as / believe is the case, that DUTIES
agreed to push his liquors if he OBickarO
would pay him twenty-five cents per case.
] want you to see Mr.. Bickart and get
statement from him of his proposition TO
DUTIES, and how it was first received.
do not wish 1t for publication, but simply
TO bull-doze him out of the race against
Scruggs. If I can keep Scruggs in, it
means that our friends will be taken care
of, but if DUTIES succeeds. he will not or
der a pint from Blumenthal & Bickart,
and he is opposed to Mr.. Bickart, because
of that interview with the board. l also
want you and your father If Mr.. Bickart
gives this statement, to certify to his high
character"
The whole town is stirred up tonight.
Gov. Ellerbe says wrong-doers will go in
the penitentia-v.
Il is likely that some arrests will be
made tomorrow of prominent officials.
The charge against them is that they ap-
propriated to their own use cigars, lem
ons ETC. which were seized along with
certain liquors alleged to have been ille-
gally shipped into the state. They will
also be charged with using themselves.
and giving away to friends. such contra
band liquors which belonged rightfully to
the state
The attorney general will not state
whom he will arrest, but rumor connects
the name of an commissioner and
prominent clerk with the arrests The
testimony collected by the attorney gen.
eral will be made public tomorrow and
will create a big sensation politically and
otherwise.