Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-08
DISPENSARY DEVELOPMENTS
Larry CAN'T Trying to Pull
the Wires.
WRITES SOME INTERESTING LETTERS.

WRITES SOME INTERESTING LETTERS
Everything Goes to Show That the
Inside Workings of the Big Rum
Mill Need an Investigation.
From the Columbia State, Wednesday.
The State has for exactly one month
been aware of the existence of letter
purporting to have been written by
Editor CAN'T of The Piedmont Head
light to Clark Howell of the Atlanta
Constitution, which smacked strongly
of more rebate matters and further
scandals about the management of the
big gin mill and copy of " has been
available, but for several reasons this
letter was being held pending develop
ments.
1t was brought here by a liquor man
at the last session of the state board OF
control. He showed it to several 9th
er liquor men and others at that time
Since then copies of it have been heard
of here and there. There was some
doubt expressed as to its genuineness
but that doubt now seems to have en-.
tirely disappeared.
Time went on and now in the midst
If the Beckroge trunk scandal the
atter has found print in the Charles
ION correspondence of another news
paper.
The copy of the letter reads as fol-
lows, this particular copy not having
Mr.. Gantt's signature:
SPARTANBURG, S. c., Feb. IA, 1897.
DEAR CLARK-This will be handed
you by my friend, Mr.. I. o. ]. Wood
and who will explain to you just what
I want. I am anxious to control the
state board of dispensary commission
ers, so that can help out my friends
and also your friends, Blumenthal and
Bickart, of Atlanta, Ga.
Now, Clark, to be plain with you
in order to accomplish this, we must
down a man named QUITS, and keep
our mutual friend, Seth Scruggs, in
control. We can down Ouzts if I can
get Mr.. Bickart to give me statement
of transactions between himself and
QUITS and can show, as believe is the
case, that Outzs agreed to push his
liquors if he (BickarD would pay him
25 cents per case.
Iwant you to see Mr.. Bickart and gel
a statement from him of his proposition
to QUITS, and how it was first received
do not wish it for publication, but
simply to bulldoze him out of the race
against Scruggs. Hon. D. NJ. Miles
elected member of the board for five
years, is my personal friend and from
Spartanburg county. Colonel Willie
Jones, chairman of the board, is one
of my warmest friends, and I will
visit him next Friday and talk over
matters. I want to get QUITS con-
demnation by that time. Jones is @
strong Scruggs man. I want you to
say to Bickart to embody in his state
ment that after his first conference
with the board he tried to get a second
audience, so as to tell the whole truth
but was gagged and not allowed to dc
so, at the instigation of QUITS.
If can keep Scruggs in, it means
that our friends will be taken care of,
but if QUITS succeeds he will not
order a pint from B. &. B., and he is
opposed to Mr.. Bickart, because Of
that interview with the board.
also want you and your father, il
Mr.. Bickart gives this statement, to
certify to his high character.
have other things behind, but want
this certificate as an opening shot. As
stated, it is not for publication, but
simply to use to kill any support that
QUITS might get.
Mr.. Wood will give you the full sto'
ry of that matter.
Truly, your friend,
P. S--Why huve you cut me of
from your exchange list? have not
seen a copy of The Constitution since
Christmas. Also send me sample
copy of your evening daily. Of course
this letter is strictly confidential.
And now comes the tale of the
"Dear Clark" letter.
CLERK sCRUGGs EXPLAINS.
The publication of the above letter
put Clerk Scruggs of the state board
of control on the alert and yesterday
he gave two more letters to the press
bearing on the subject, each being
signed by Mr.. CAN'T, the latter admit.
ting his authorship of the "Dear
Clark" letter in one of them.
The first of these letters reads as fol-
lows:
| THE PIEDMONT HEADLIGHT.
Official Organ of Spartanburg. the Larg-
est, Most Popular and Wealthiest Coun-
ty in the State.
SPARTANBURG, Feb. 10, 1897.
DEAR SCRUGGs-I hear that an At.
lanta liquor man has offered bribe to
certain dispensary official, and to pay
him 25 cents on each box of this mans
49, ,o;J oEo;ol cbippo6 ont