Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-10-12
. !. .D|]I!!S|P[NSARY DIS ROTTENESS.
CHEAP LIQUORS MARKED AND SOLD AS
!. MORE EXPENSIVE GRADES,
D0UIA|1 and QUIZ HIT THE CEILING
Certaln Makes OF Whlskey Systematically
,3s. Boomed-The Greatest Scandal

ther dlsPensary sensation was sprung
to-day, after having been brewing
some time. 1t was tho usual semi
annual revelations with some extra
frills. Commissioners Douthit was
"removed for cause"
1t was fierce game while it lasted
and finally Robinson, Miles and IIa-
solden voted to remove Douthit,
while Boykin and Williams voted to
give him a further show and to 60
moro fully into the case. Then
Haselden moved to make the sus-
pension of Outz permanent, but be-
fore action was taken an adjourn
ment was had.
There was committee appointed
to look into the contraband room,
consisting of Hasclden and Robin
son. They wont right into things.
Their summary made nine pages
and there were several hundred
pages of aflidavits bearing out the
summary of the committee, The
meat of the report against Douthit
is, it seems from the testimony, that
under instructions from Commissioner
Douthit one firms labels were Or
dered to be placed on another firms
whiskey, and that high grade labels
have been placed on lower brands of
goods.
In this connection Superintendent
Bryant tcstifes: eyes, l put up
whiskcy in bottles with one firms
whiskey with another firms labels,
but it was under instructions from
Commissioner Douthit."
lie further testifics that Lanahan's
labels were placed on tho goods of
tho Wilson Distilling Company.
CAN'T says eyes; whiskcy is bot
tied with one firms label and with
another firms whiskey. l have
never known him to put label on
whiskey where the liquor called for
by the label was cheaper than the
whiskey actually in the bottles. We
put out one X corn whiskey with
labels of XXX."
King testifies that whiskey was
put up last Saturday and the xxx
label was used, but the firm name,
"Wilson Distilling Co.," was struck
off.
Earnhart, Assistant Superintend-
ent, testified: "I ha, never known
him to put label on whiskey where
the label was cheaper than the whis-
key. Have known him to put on as
high as q xxx label on Grover
whiskey--which, l have heard, is X
goods. [ have never kept record
of these changes. This has been a
practice during Mr.. Douthit's ad-
ministration. They put up Growers
whiskey Saturday morning with
Wilson labels, but the name evil
sOn" was struck off.
G. II. Charles, assistant book
keeper, says: "Grover's whiskey is
classed as X corn whiskey and the
difference in tho price of X and
xxx corn to consumers is 81 per
gallon"
The report of the committee says {:
"We conceive it to be our duty to
report the facts to the board as they
really appear, but in our finding tho
conclusion cannot be escaped that
this scheme of changing tho labels
on whiskey shipped out could have
been devised for nc other purpose
than to create way for collecting
more money for goods sent out to
tho local dispensers than the same
were invoiced for to the commission
ers; and, further, to create the i'm
preston on the members of the
board that certain brands are bccom-
ing more popular, they being hard to
keep in stock.
awe find that this practice of
changing labels is not only wrong for
the reasons stated, but it is abso.
lutely indefcnsiblc from any stand
point and contravcnes tho spirit and
letter of the law; and candor COM
polls us to add, it has unqucstionably
worked fraud upon the people of
South Carolina.
"Wo further find that the practice
of substitution of orders has been in
vogue under Mr.. Douthit's admins
tration. Orders have boon substi-
tuted when received from the city
of Charleston and elsewhere in the
State"
1t was reported that Mr.. .Douthit
gave the printing of the labels to the
Record. Bids were called on q lot
of ten thousand, and instead Of the
10000 lot tho Record printed $4,000,
and Mr.. Bryant states that on that