The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-10-12
A DISPENSARY SENSATION.
THE BOARD. DROPPED DOUTIIIT.


TwO Hundred Pages Of Sworn Tcsti-
mOny Brings to Light Some Ugly
Transnc nctions-Loosc Methods Gen
orally In Vogue.
The State board of control has acted
upon tho report OF a special committee,
consisting OF Mcssrs. Haseldcn and
Robinson, who were appointed month
ago to investigate the management of
contraband goods, and this report re-
suited in the removal OF Commissioner
}. b. Douthit, Of Anderson, who was
formerly Il member OF the State board.
a synopsis Of the report is as follows :
The attention Of your committee was
irst directed to the condition Of affairs
Of the contraband at the State dispcn-
sary building and Ill matters connect
cd Herewith.
We are constrained to say that the
difficulties your committee encounter
cd in its inquiry have been many, but
we are able to present tho facts Cm-
braccd in aildavits from those in q
position to know from their personal
knowledge and from Official figures OBJ.
tanned from the boOkkcCpers OF tho in
stitution, which arc herewith filed and
made a part OF this report.
Your committee summoned COnsta-
bulary Clerk Harris and requested a
statement from him showing all contra
band goods reported to him rs seized
and shipped in by the constaSlcs dur
ing Mr.. Douthit's administration.
Tho statement requested was fur
nished' and 1t covers the receipt OF
goods for period OF time commencing
10th March, 1898, TO 18th September,
1899.
We find that if Commissioner Dout-
hit is charged with all contra band
goods soiZcd during his administra-
tiOD, as reported to Cons Ia bulary Clerk
dispensary, this will amount to 81, 333.-
II, and after giving him the proper
credits, there is a deficit OF 81, l55.S2
worth Of contrabund goods unaccounted
for.
But tho receiving book at the contra
band room, kept by II. e. Watts, shows
that during the same pcriod OF time
covered by Clerk Harris statement,
that Commissioner Dolthit is to be
charged with only the sum Of $l ,069.17
IT difference of $262 n5 between
Harris statement and Watts books at
the State aispensary.
After charging Commissioner Dou-
thit with the sum OF $4,OG9.TI Of con-
traband goods, according to Watts
books at the State diSpens9ry,. and
after giving him the proper credits,
there is & deficit Of $14l 81.
But the committee iiGd that the pro
per deficit is ST I55. 81. for the reason
that there are contrabamd goods found
elsowh2ro iD tho building for which
no records have been kept OF their re-
eipts i.t the cnntlt.iJaud room or else
where. We have sworn testimony OF
the receipt Of c0ntraOand goods At the
dispcnsary which were stored away in
the commissioners OiliCc and else
where on the premises, but as the con
stables were warned that the state
commissioner would examine contents
of packages OF contraband liquors
shipped TO lin, and compare them
with the contents as reported on thc
label attached to the package, and
as we have sworn statements from tho
chiefs and others of the cOnstabulary
force that this order was given to the
men, your committee Is irrcsistibly
led to the conclusion that Commission
er Dou hit received the $262.95 worth
Of contraband goods, and he is charged
with this lem.
"dOGS DUOhS aV UliO COlltTdbhHu IOOlil
show that he had released the sum OF
$4,000 worth OF cOLtraband goods to
be returned, yet when your committee
requested I. statement from the COM
missioner as TO the amount Of contra
band goods actually return ID, it shows
only tho sum of $l6S 80 worth returned
ii dii1crcnce Of $l51.30 between
Watts books and Commissioner Dou-
thits books. SO that, VIC find that
this difference Of $l51. 80 should be
charged back to the commissioner.
Adding tho $262.95 to tho $l5l 30
makes Slll 25, pius tho sum OF $14l.37
makes the sum Of 81, 1892 which veri-
ics the Harris statement.
Your committee was unable to find
any statement on the books showing
the amount of contraband goods ac-
tually turned over to Commissioner
DOuthit when he succeeded Commits
sioner Vance, consequently MIR. DOu-
thit is not charged with any goods
turned over to him by Dir. Vance.
We noticed from the records that
tho following contraband goods have
been reported ao seizcd, and turned in
2lS glasses, walters, II leo tubs, Il
crates, refrigcrators, 25 bottles,
glass boxes, basket and beer glasses, :
stills, 60 gallon capacity each, copper
still, ono lot OF still fixtures, S mule:
and one horse, 2 wagons and harness
| basket, | faucet at $12. We have
| not been able to thoroughly look into
the disposition Of such articles as above
enumerated, on account OF pressure O
many other matters, but we diroc'
your attention to an unauthorized pri
vatc sale made by Commissioner Dou
| thit to Constable LaFar Of q horse
We refer you to LaIfar's testimony or
this subject.
We call your special attention to tho
loose way Of doing business in regar(
to the disposition OF cmptics. We
learn, from the testimony OF Superin
tel don't Bryant, that at least twt
hundred and fifty kegs, fifty jugs ant
dcmijUhns were sold by him during
Mr.. Douthit's administration, and n,
states Ia his affidavit that this doe
not include sales made by other Official
at the dispensary building; tina
Bry Mt received for sales made by hin
at least the sum OF $50, and turned th'
proceeds over to Bookkeeper Ouzis
We requested statement from Com
missioner Douthit, showing all sales o