The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-05-12

PAY or Return It -scrusgs Makes State
men*.
Mr C. ". Garris, Of Colleton, wht
got Backroge's trunk, has written {
communication giving his statemen
as to his connection with the affair
} The following is what he has to saJ
about it:
Editor News and Courier: I notice
in the Columbia correspondence OF
your issue OF April 90, under the cap
ton OF "A New Dispensary Scandal,
that my name appears in connection
~ith the "Beck:oge trunk affair.
Truth seeker" after propoundine
the same question to certain dispense,
Iry officials, turns to ms and says:
We would be glad to haye Mr.. G.
/ W. Garris, . member of the legisla.
tive committee, to say Whist he knows
about the trunk"
I will cheerlully state NY connec
ton with the matter, and it is as fcl'
lows: I found at the close of the last
session OF the legislature, On account
of some purchases | had made. that
Eeeded q larger trunk. I remem oered
that 9hile I was & member of the leg
isiative examining committee we had
| taken sock Of kind CT "plundeT
room that contained some old trunks
and valises, among other things, that
were said to have been captured full
Of blind tiger" Eq7or. I learned that
these articles we're disposed OF by sale.
| When I found that needed trunk,
It occurred to ne that could purchase
a second handed trunk at the Gispen-
sary that would serve ny purpose,
land st the same time save rae part
Of tie extra expense of q new one. !
went to the Commissioner (Colcrel
!Gaston) aud asked ab5ut tee matter.
| showed me two small ones very bad
| l7 damaged. Twas about to buy one Of
these, whe2 EIr. Scruggs, or possibly
some member Of the board tD!d me
that there were others upstairs.
vent up with Colonel Gaston. and
found the trunk in question. It had
been handled very roughly in break
ing it open and needed rerairs-a new
Ilcck, etc. Colonel Castor and NY
self looked at the trunk, and he re-
marked that be would like to buy the
trunk himself, whereupon declined
to take it and started away. Colonel
| Castor reflected a moment, called me
back and said that if the trunk suited
| me l could rake it along. He deliver
ed it to me and had it brought to the
boards room door. | called on the
membecs present (and l forget now
what ones we're prasent-cculd had
out if necessary to fix the price. The
members SCENE. however, 10 be dis
cussing some matter very hurriedly.
think some Of them were going a"a!y
on TIE next train, and it was aboJ:
train time. Some members reuarke &!
that trey would fix tee pr;ce late.
aud that they would make il reason
be. seat the trunk then to the sno0
for repairs. TIE day b=fore [ left Co
lumbiA I called to SETTLE the matter.
Mr Scruggs stated that the price eat
not ye: been fixed, bat said he would
send me the bill as soon as it was.
| Recently was talking ~ rnemoe
| os the board. and he mentioned tn
matter to NE and again I asked for a
price, and ne promised he you'd az
tend to the matter at the next board
meeting aud send me the bill. This
is al. l know OF the iruuk
| l wish to state that know no:hin g
and care nothing ABOUT 1hsre the
trunk came from. | cid not kno@ or
care whether it ha1 been at the dis,
psnsary day or year. vas SIM
pie purchaser. wish 40 desire TO give
less than full value, and, of course,
uone to give more l would havs
| bought the trunk Under similar Cir
cunstances if every reporter in the
land had been there to witness the
sale. not only did not care for that
but did not think Of the public prints
in connection with the matter On
the contrary, I do say that had |
dreamed that the truuk was or would
af.er yards become matter Of legal
or other contention, I would not have
taken it under any circumstances, just
! because OF my aversion 10" dltticulles
OF thai kind.
Ihave gone into detail in the expla-
nation of this matter because it was
made public, and believe the public,
if it cares anything about it, would
prefer full statement. l make it,
TOO, in justice to myself and the off
GERS of the disrensary mentioned IN
the article referred to. | wish to state
further that / am IN no way connect
ed with the tlispensary, either as legis
lative examiner or other wise. | was
last year, but my active duties ended
long before bought the trunk. Still
I may have baen member, / DO not
know whether Speaker Gary had
made the new appointments at that
time or not.
In conclusion, l viii say that have
tried to preserve the proper spirit 10
my answer to the inquiry Of Truth
Seeker" His iDsinuation that the
trunk was given away is rot truth "
And fear his whole article was not
SO much an Inquiry Tor truth as 1t w.s
an attempt TO SANDER.
Nov, If Truth Seeker" knows any
thing thst is going or wrong at the
State D:spersary or anywhere else ii
his State govesament, for the sake Of
justice let him cone cut and name the
wrong and the wrorgdoer IL al hon
orable way sud sign his name to his
production, for the world is growing
10 hate the coward that ''thro9s q
brick add hides bis hand The money
or the truak is subj C. to the order OF
the oo$rd, and has been since it was
| bought and will be until settled.
If the trunk was illegally taken from
Mr. Deckrose, I do 70. blame him for
his contention l do rot blame any
nan who wants his own; TO blame
would be to condemn ny oTn diSpo-
sition. Respectfully,
c. W. Garris
Smoak's S. c., April 80, 1897.
y N eco nv thu NavS and Con-