The morning news., 1899-11-16
DlSPENsARY is RESPONSIBLE.
BLOODY RIOT IN SELLERS, :. c.,
GREW OUT OF 1T.

Ben Sellers Is, Perhaps, MortaIIy
wounded, and Several others Are
Seriously Hurt-Fight Grew out of
Charges Made Against !. D. HaseI-
den-He Accused sellers of Writ
ing a Letter saying He Had Re
ceived Liquors From Certain
Dealers.
Columbia. S. c.. Nov. 15.-As result Of
the recent factional differences in the
State Board Of Liquor Control there was
last night a bloody shooting ARRAY at
Sellers. a railroad station IN Marion coun-
ty, near the home of J. Dudley Haselden
ex-chairman and now member of the
state board.
There was a general fusillade. pistols a
Winchester and a shotgun being brought
into play.
As a result Ben Sellers Is perhaps NOR
tally wounded in the abdomen and mis- IA
ther John c. Sellers. is seriously hurt
with a Winchester ball in his shoulder
J. D. Haselden has ball in his leg. his
brother. Luther NJ. Haselden. late adjutant
South Carolina Volunteers. is slightly
wounded in the side. and their brother-n-
law. DR.. II. A. Edwards formerly state
inspector of dispensaries. is sprInkled with
bird shot. J. Aubrey Evans. former
wholesale liquor salesman and cousin Of
Haselden, was unhurt.
Yesterday morning Haselden accused
Ben Sellers of being the author of letter
charging Haselden with official and per
sonal improprlety in receiving whisky in
quantity from wholesale houses and in us
ing it in a questionable manner This let
ter had been published in connection with
other bitter articles in the recent dispen-
sary wrangle. There were hot words but
no fight yesterday.
Last night HaseIden and his three
friends were driving through Sellers sta
ton when they met Ben sellers. InfOrma-
ton is meager and ii is not known who
precipitated the difficulty. Ben Sellers was
shot and his father ran TO his rescue. The
other three parties were with Haselden
tn buggies
AS yer no fatalities have result ed. Hasel-
den was unable TO attend a meeting of the
state board to-day, called for the purpose
of giving a hearing to Commissioner Dout-
hit, discharged without a hearing by the
Haselden faction Of the board. The courts
ordered him to have a hearing by the
board.
The discharge of Douthit and his clerk.
d. A. G. QUITS, the result of bitter feel
ing in the board, led TO long and scandal
Gus controversies in the press between
QUITS and Haselden, which indirectly
caused the bloody affair yesterday.
The people of South Carolina are great
ly perplexed over the dispensary PROB
lem.
The wounded are doing as well as could
be expected this evening. Signed state
ments were gotten tonight from several
of the participants.
Statements of both sides.
Dudley Haselden says: Yesterday
morning Mr.. Ben Sellers and myself had
some talk about the letters; told him I
did not hold him responsible for them, but
/ heard he had been making references
to my house, which 1 would not allow He
did not deny It. ! told him he must affirm
or deny them. This ended in my striking
him. Afterwards we apologlzed to each
other shook hands aud transacted our
business. On parting he did not seem sat
lsied, and l told him l would give salts
faction in any way, he TO get "a friend to
represent him. He said, No I will give
you ample notice The notice I got was
while passing the depot when he rushed
out and opened fire on me. 1 returned the
fire promptly. Ben Sellers retired to the
waiting room and Mr.. John c. Sellers ran
out. Then guns We're fired from the wait
ing room. John Sellers took refuge behind
the mail crane, from which place he fired
al least ten times"
The statement of John c. Sellers is: "In
the morning just after my son told me of
his outrageous treatment by the mob at
the Haseldens, ]. Dudley and Luther Has
elden drove up, followed by the others in
buggies. Luther and Dudley got out, TAX
ing pistols with them and walked around
the building as If looking for some one
Then they drove off to Marion We ex>
pected trouble and prepared for it, The
mob returned about dusk When they
reached the depot both buggies stopped
Luther Haselden jumped out and ran up
the steps on the south side of the depot
My son was in front the office door or
the west side, and l was writing In the
office. Without a word being spoken Au-
brey Evans fired at Ben. striking him in
the hand then Dudley fired striking him
in the breast l ran out and as passed
through the door was shot through the
left forearm by Luther, who fired through
the office window. 1 ran down the steps,
firing az Dudley and Aubrey Evans, who
were running and firing back. About then
Ben fired at Henry Edwards with his shot
gun, but after exchanging a few shots
with him, he whipped up his horses and
ran off. l was shot I'm the bck BY either
Luther or Dudley Haselden. Dudley Has
elden took refuge in a negro Clubhouse.
Aubrey Evans jumped in the window OF
"a lady's house. Luther Haselden went un-
der the platform on all fours and LETT
the depot running ike a buck"
il is reported the crowd had coats of
mail manufactured and had them on