The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-09-06
SENDS SOLID SHOT.
Solicitor Sawyer's Report in the
Williams Case.
TWO MAolsTRATE.REMOVED
Governor McSweeneY Takes
Prompt Action in the Case.
Senator. Mayfielo's
Affidavit.

Senator Mayf!elos
Affidavit.
twill be remembered that sometime
ago G. ". NJ. Williams, Denmark
lawyer, who was wanted in Georgia to
serve out a.sentence for some crime for
which he had been convicted over there
hadsthe Georgia constable who came
over to arrest him arrested on the
charge of forging Gcv. Ellerbe's name
to the requisition papers. Before the
constables could appear before the
magistrate who issued the warrant and
give bond, Williams gave leg bail and
left for parts unknown. Gov. Nc
Sweeney requested Solicitor Sawyer Of
that circuit to investigate the action OF
the magistrates who had aided Will
iams in escaping by arresting the con-
stables who came for him.
Solicitor Sawyer investigated the
matter and reported to the Governor on
Tuesday Of last week. In his report
the Solicitor says that he believes that
S. C. Ray, magistrate at Denmark,
and.W. L. Kennedy, magistrate at
Govan's, and constable by the name
Of ". j. Hutto, are guilty Of aiding IN
the escape Of Williams. The Solicitor
further says that he found very few
citizens willing to aid him in any way.
He said it seemed to him that there are
two parties at Denmark and considera-
BILE rivalry between the towns Of Den
mark and Bamberg, and some people
wish Williams well simply because he
has been prosecuted (perseeuted as they
term it, by the Banberg bar. He thinks
deplorable state Of affairs exist in that
vicinity.
In his report the Solicitor says: 1T
seems to me that Mr.. Ray attempts to
excuse himself for not arresting Will
liams upon the ground that Williams IS
desperate character and that he was
mad man on that day, yet he, as a
conservator of the peace, allowed Will
liams to walk up-and down the street
with his hands in his pockets, believing
that he had two pistols, one IN each
coat pocket, thus defying arrest. Your
excellency will note that Hutto says
Williams was not in rage, did not
look like mad man to him, that ne
could have arrested him if he mad had
the authority, and would have do2e SO.
Your excellency will also note that Mr..
Walker, the town marshal, says that he
does Lot consider Williams dangerous
character; that no one called upon him
to arrest Williams for disorderly con-
duct, nor for anything else, and that he
could have arrested him. Mr.. Ray was
at one time in considerable trouble
about person who was relative Of all
the parties, and, / was Informed, some
Of these parties took considerable IN
terest in that matter, which may have
placed some under obligations to the
others. At any rate, they all seem to
be very intimately connected and very
much interested in the welfare Of each
other, to such an extent that l am
convinced that they formed collu-
sion.
WHAT MAYFIELD SAYS.
Senator May6eld in an affidavit says:
''That shortly after July 18th on arrival
at his ofi,e deponent was called upon
by G. w. NJ. Williams, J-., who re-
ouested that deponent come over to his
fathers Office immediately, to which
deponent replied that he was very busy
but that if it was a matter Of lmpor-
tance he would be there directly; that
hortl y afterwards de2onent was again
called upon and again requested to go
over, Whereupon deponent Talked over
to the Office of G.. W. N. Williams, Sr., +,
and found there gentleman who was
introduced as a Mr.. Miley from Geor-
gia, with statement that certain pa
pers were placed in Miley's hands, and
they desired to know as 10 the regular
ity of the papers; Mr.. Miley handed
me the papers and I looked over them
and found all regular until I reached
one purporting to be signed by Gov.
W. Il. Ellerbe; informed the consta-
bic that the papers were IN every way
regular except that the name Of Gov.
Ellerbe had been written by his private
secretary, Mr.. W. Boyd Evans; that
supposed that it arose during the COVER
nor's illness and that Mr.. Evans sup
posed chat he had the authority under
the direction and at the request of the
governor to afix the signature Of the
governor to the papers; that IN my
Judgment as lawyer, a private secreta-
~ did not have such authority, as the
constitution of South Carolina devolV-
ed that duty upon the governor OF the
State, but that our constitution OF 1879
was new and that | presumed that this
matter had besn overlooked. and that
neither the private secretarys nor GOV.
Ellerbe's attention had been called to
the matter; hence the mistake. MIR.
Mileg asked me what was to be done
and j suggested that he send the re,
QUESTION back to Gov. Gambler with the
statement as aforesaid and to give the
governor my name as the one who had SC
advised him, and that l had no doubt,
upoL his sending the requlsltlon papers
back to his excellency, Gov. McSwee'
ney, that his excellency beng tamllla!
with Gov. Ellerbe's handwriting, would
perceive at glance that the paper had
not been executed by Gov. Elerbe and
that new papers would be granted; that
7 directed Mr.. Miley and had him tc
noLa notes so as to guide linn in writ.
inc Gov. Gambler; that thereupon | left
Mr. Williams and Constable Mi!ey to
eether in the Office and came On about
my general duties.