The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-10-26
Dispensary Raid.

Dispcnsary constables on Wednesday
afternoon invaded the premises OF
Mike w. Hester, Il prominent merchant
of Dacusvillc. Pickens county, and
their conduct has aroused so much in
dignati0n in that neighborhood that
an immediate appeal will be made to
the Governor.
Mr.. Hester is Il man of considerable
means. Wednesday afternoon while
h. was absent on business in Green
vile party of three constables, whose
names are not yet known, made their
appearance at Dacusville, raided his
residence and carried off a gallon OF
fine rye whiskey they found on the
premises. They left the settlement in
haste, knowing that Mr.. Hester was
expected home in few hours.
The constables pushed their way into
the house in the face of the earnest APP
peal of Mrs. Hester, who was in very
delicate health at the time. Finding
that they had determined to make the
search she asked them as Il favor to
wait until her husband should come
back from (irecnville, but they refused
which WAS perhaps we'll for them. Mr..
Hester is Il man of high spirit and it is
believed by those who know him that
had he been at home at the time Of the
raid bloodshcd would have resulted it
the constables had invaded his home.
When Mr.. Hester got home Il few
hours after the c0nstablcs had left he
was greatly wrought up with excite
mcnt over the outrage and passed IL
slceplcss night iii consequence. As
soon as day appeared he went out and
reported the matter To one OF his
friends. declaring that he would rather
be dead than live under such an insult.
in speaking of the matter Yesterday
Il prominent resident of Dacusvillc.
was damnable outrage of the black
est type. and IL lasting disgrace to the
State that such IL thing should happen.
| know Mr. Hester personally anil will
take the stand and swear that he never
sold Il drop Of liquor in his life. 1t is
absurd to accuse him of ii, us every
body who knows anything about him
will say. He is IL man OF Independent
means and has no call to deal in the
stuff. He takes drink now and then
himself but withall is one OF the best
citizens in our section. The gallon of
whiskey which the constablcs got was
sent to his wife by her brother.
eyes, knew that she was in delicate
health. Mr.. Hester was almost wild
with rage when he learned of the crime,
but we finally persuaded him to take a
legal course in the matter, and he will
go to Columbia and personally present
II paper to Governor Ellcrbe .lcnounc-
ing the outrage and demanding that
the officers be punished. This paper
will be signed by everybody OF any
prominence in DacuSvilc and will be
numcrously signed by prominent pco-
pie in Grccnvilc. who know MIR. Hes
ter. We consider the raid Il personal
insult to It's at Dacusvillc, that so cN-
cellent IL man us Mr.. Hester should be
treated thus, and we intend to so cN-
press ourselves to the Governor.
II cannot conceive how these con-
stables came to .lo such Il thing, unless
they were drunk or were led by the
nose by some low. vicious person who
had i; spite against MIR. Hester. Such
IL person does live in the nciSlbor-
hood
1t is perhaps proper to say that il is
not believed that any OF the conSlaD'cs
in Crecnvillc had anything to do with
this raid. The men who made the
raid are known II Dacnsvillc, but their
names could not be learned Yesterday.
one of them is said to be from ?::!scns
while another comes from Easlcy.
\ strong dispcnsary advocate who
holds Il position under the system here,
WAS among those who denounced the
Dacusvillc outrage. He lamcntcd the
effects of such mischief ON the opera
tinn of tte lar.-LrncnLHL N:.cs