Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-09-14
4 A DIsPERsAaY SENSATION.
Tho State Board Investigation.

3 During tho monthly session of tho
State Board of Control last week it was
4 rnmored in Columbia that thugs were
{ going wrong at tho State Dispensary,
. which eliminated in charges being pre-
! ferred against Commissioner nenthit
and Superintendent Bryant. u. !.
At tho meeting of the Board last Tues
day morning, 4th instant, Capt Black,
tho shipping clork, reported Mr.. Douthit
for shipping out goods without first re-
porting 1t in writing to- him as required
by resolutions of the Board. q, Captain
Black also reported Mr. Bryant, tho Su-
porintendont, for selling liquor to ON
ployees of tho disponsary contrary to
law.
Capt. Black, Mr.. Douthit and Mr..
Bryant were sont for and appeared be-
foro tho Board. After Capt. Black had
stated bis charges rs above indicated,
Mr.. Douthit explained that ho had some
time ago shown the Board tho usolessness
of so much red tapo in issuing orders for
the sending out of ovory littlo package
of contraband goods whom it could bo
entored and kept straight in tho cash
book. Ho thought his suggestions had
boon agreed upon. Mr.. Douthit ac-
knowlodged that ho did send out somo
goods without reporting it to Black, but
tho goods wore duly charged up on tho
books. On ono occasion ho sent out
some contraband bccr to local dispense
ries to be sold at half prico, as the beer
had beon on leo and had to DO disposed
of quickly or not at all. This was not
reported to Black, as he was absent at
tho time, but full reports wcro mado and
tho beer regularly charged up.
Mr.. Bryant, boing called upon, OK
planned tho beer transaction and con-
firmed Mr.. Douthit's statement. AS to
tho specific charges against himself, Mr..
Bryant admitted letting Byrd and lucy
have liquor. Did not remember lcttng
Young have any. Col. Vance told him
it was all right to let tho men have liquor.
Ho ncver knew it was irregular until to-
day. The money received for this liquor
was paid in. Mr.. IIasoldon admitted
that it had beon tho custom last year to
soil liquor at tho State Dispensary to
employees, but he thought hc had stop
pod it. NJ. Dickson gave tAe mon liquor
or vino and he told him to stop it.
Dickson told him Mr., Douthit told him
to sell or give it away. 1t was sourcd
wine.
Mr.. Bryant said he never sold any ono
anything but contraband goods. IIc
sold cider ono evening in buckets. His
orders wero to sell it. Mr.. Black sub
mitted several orders which he thought
a little irregular. IIo showed that tho
ordors for certain brands had been
markod out and others substituted. Mr..
Douthit explained that certain beer in
tho rear of tho warehouse was getting
old and he designated this particular
brand to be shipped out to prevent it's
spelling. AS to whiskcy orders, he said
changes were made because tho brands
ordered were not in stock and he subst-
tuted other brands Of tho same grade.
1T was developed in the course of this
investigation that Capt. Black believed
that Douthit and others wanted him
(Black) removed and that he and Mr..
Douthit were not on the best of terms.
1t was further developed that susp-
cions were entertained by certain mem
bers Of tho Board that some sort of con-
spiracy was brewing in tho State House
and elsewhere to abolish the State Board
of Control. Secretary of State Cooper
and Phosphate Commissioner Vance arc
mentioned as two of tho suspected plot
~~ters against the Board,
The final result of this investigation
was the adoption by the Board Of rcsH
lutions exonorating Douthit and Bryant
of any intentional wrong-doing with an
implied censuro for not adhoring strictly
to instructions.
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