The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-05-12

81; the part Off box of cigars brought down
to the office l have paid for.
l made full report Of this matter to the
State Board of Control at its last meeting,
which is hereto appended, and in that the
disposition of the trouble iss tated.
The report to the Board of Control referred
to follows:
have matter wish to call attention to.
have had charge of the contraband room
for some months. took the keys and after
attending to the contraband business for
some time found that took up great deal
of my time, so gave the keys to MIR. Watts,
who is perfectly reliable. visited the room
every few days to sec how matters stood.
missed occasionally bottle of whiskey from
the cases. complained to Mr.. Watts and
he assured me that he carried the keys and
no one had been allowed in the room.
About the time ofyour last meeting q large
trunk came in with three large jugs, several
bottles of wine, two cans of peaches and ten
boxes of cigars While in there one morning
Mr.. Garris told me that Mr.. Scruggs said he
could have the trunk. So got the things
out and let him have it. put the things IN
another trunk. l took three cigars for my
i
about half of the cigars or more taken out OF
every box. I put what was left In boxes,
filling them up, and gave Mr.. Garrls some
and put the rest in a trunk. few days al
ter found the whole amount of cigars had
beer taken except one piece Of box, which
| now have in my possession. l have since
had a new and strong lock put on the door,
so now lock one door and bolt the other. |
regret this very much, and am now satisfied
it will never occur again. Some one must
have had false or duplicate key. Nothing
has been missed by me since that time.
MR.. BLAKELEY,
bookkeeper for the State Commissioner, tes.
tilted that Mr.. Lynch came to the office OF
the Commissioner and deponent asked him
if he knew anything about missing cigars
from the contraband room or had he seen
any one smoking them. Mr.. Lynch replied
that that was what he had come down to see
him about. Deponent told him that MIR.
CASTOR had missed ten boxes of cigars. MIR.
Lynch then told him Mr.. Scruggs had gotten
them and had divided them up in the office
Deponent asked him how he had gotten
them. Mr.. Lynch said he went into the
room with duplicate key and had told him
not to say anything about his having that
key. Deponent told Mr.. Lynch he had done
right in telling him about this thing, and un'
der no circumstances to touch them. Lynch
then said he was going to report the matter
to Mr. Williams and Mr.. Douthit, two of the
members of the Board. Deponent after this
reported the matter to Colonel Willie Jones
but not in an official way. lie said If
would put it in writing he would call the at
tention of the Board to it. Deponent said he
would not do this, and it was his business as
he had accused him of fighting scruggs, and
it was none of his business if he stole the
whole Dispeusary. Mr.. Blakeley further
testified that Commissioner CASTOR had com
planned to him about some one stealing the
cigars, and he asked CASTOR if he had taken
any of the cigars, and he replied he had TAX
en- only three, and had given G. W. Garrls
handful.
MR.. CHARLEY LYNCH.
Mr.. C. J. Lynch in his testimony makes
some damaging statements as to Mr.. Scruggs
He deposes: That he has been in the State
Dispensary since it was first opened, but was
appointed bookkeeper, or assistant to MIR
s,cruggs in April, 1896, and is still in the
same position. That some time in Febru
ary, 1897, Mr.. Scruggs came into the office
in the presence of Mr.. Mobley and Mr.
Charles and himself and said: "Charlie, do
vou know that CASTOR has trunk full OF cl'
gars, peaches and wine back in the contra
band room?" I replied that 1 did not
Mr.. Scruggs said: "Well, he has been walk
ing up and down the street smoking them,
and | have been wondering where in the
h-ll he got them" I said: "No, did not
know he had them back there" Scruggs said
he had and said: "Come back with me and
will show them to you. Scruggs and l went
out of the office to the contraband room door
and he took q key out of his pocket and
stopped down to unlock the door, and while
fitting the key into the door he turned 10 me
and said: "Don't tell anybody l have got
this key. He then unlocked the door and
we went in. Scruggs walked over to some
empty cigar boxes scattered about the room,
picked them up and threw them down and
said: 81 will be ID if he has not smoked
the last one" I was near the door and
asked him if he had not told me that they
were in trunk, and he said, EYES," / then
said: "There is the trunk under the table -
He then went to the trunk, lifted the lid and
moved aside some wine and pulled out three
boxes containing cigars and handed them to
dcponent. He then reached on top of pigeon
holes over the trunk and took down another
box containing cigars and said. "Here le
one I had up here when | was here this
morning" and handed them to deponent and
said: "Take the boxes to the Office De-
poncnt then asked him: Chow about the
peaches?" He replied, ''They are not here
in the trunk" Deponent then pointed to
cans of peaches on the desk and said;
"There they are, over there" Scruggs then
went over and got them and gave them to
him and said: "Go on to the office with the
things" but again said. "Wait until see
if there is any one in the hall He opened
the door and looked and said: "There is nc
one there; 60 ahead" Deponent then went
to the telephone room, and as he started into
the office Scruggs said: "Let me see if there
is any one in there" He said: $50 ahead
there is no one in the office; take them in and
hide them" Scruggs then started back out
of the door and as he was leaving, deponeIn!t
facing Mr.. Mobley, remarked, mind, did
not take these Things" Deponent then
placed them on his desk and Scruggs came
back in the office and said: "Charlie hide
those things before Mr.. Blakeley comes in;
don't want him to see them" Deponenl
then took them off the desk and put them in
box at his feet. "Scruggs came over and
said: "Give Nose one of the boxes (mean'
ing Mr.. Mobley.) Deponent reached down
and got one of the boxes and depon.ent nan,
ded it over and he took it and put it in the
drawer of his desk. He then went into the
next room and deponent opened one OF the