Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-10-09
BARBER STRIKES BACK.
Attorney General Denounces Charges as
Slanderous and False.

Attorney General Denounces Charges as
Slanderous and False.
There was somewhat of sensation
in the United States circuit court at
Charleston last Thursday. 1t was
made by Attorney General Barber
who, in an able and eloquent speech,
denounced certain charges that had
been made against himself and other
state officials in the complaint of
Bluenthal & Bickart. The principal
portion of the complaint to which
General Barber objected was as fol-
lows:
"Your orators further show that the
said William H. Ellerbe and William
A. Barber, c. P. Townsend and S. w.
Vance have, Notwithstanding the rights
of your orators as importers of liquors
in original unbroken packages in this
state under the constitution and laws
of the United States, caused and di-
rected the agencies of your orators at
Union, Eko and Chester, in the state
of South Carolina, to be seized and the
said goods of your orators to be taken
possession of by various parties claim
ing to act as state constables, and that
the said William H. Ellerbe and Viii.
liam A. Barber, G. ?. Townsend and
S. w. Vance, for the purpose and with
the intention of evading the ipjunc-
tions of this court, have caused such
seizures to be made by different state
constables, in each instance claiming
that the ipjunctions issued by this court
and heretofore obtained by your ora
tors for the protection of their business
AZ aforesaid in the state of South Car
DINA, only affected the parties named
in said bill, and that the said William
H. Ellerbe and William A. Barber, c.
P. Townsend and s. W. Vance, have
agreed, combined and conspired to-
gether and threaten, with parties un-
known to your orators, further to seize
and confiscate all goods of your ora
tors in the state of South Carolina at
the various agencies hereinabove set
forth, and purpose TO seize and conts-
cate such goods by authorizing differ
ent constables or agents in each In
stance 10 make such seizure; and that
it is mauifestly impossible for your
orators to make, as parties defendant
to this bill, all parties who might pos
sibly be authorized and directed by the
said William H. Ellerbe and William
A. Barber, G. P. Townsend and s. w.
Vance, unlawfully and wrongfully to
seize and con6scate the goods Of your
orators, and that unless relieved oy
this honorable court by the issuance OF
an injunction and restraining order
protecting the goods of your orators
so shipped as aforesaid into the state
of South Carolina from such unlawful
and wrongful acts of the said Willlum
H. Ellerbe aud William A. Barber, G.
P. Townsend and S. w. Vance and
other parties to your orators unknown,
and the agents by them appointed to
do such wrongful acts, your orators
are remediless IN the premises.
In reply to the foregoing, MIR. Bar
Der said:
These allegations, and kindred ones
in this bill, reflect seriously, most serl-
ously, upon the respondents to your
honor's, rule, that l have the honor to
represent; they reflect upon the officers
of the state; and, may it please your
honor, more than that-they reflect
seriously upon my assistant and my.
self as attorneys of this court. If l
am guilty of entering into a conspira-
cy to thwart the decisions of this court,
am unworthy to practice here. II
his excellency the governor and the
other state officers have entered into
conspiracy in restraint of trade, which
is a crime under the statutes OF the
United States, we should be impeached
and removed from Office.
The charges, therefore, may it please
your honor, are of the most serious