The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-07-13
POLICEMAN EAST OF FLORENCE
is HELD FOR lNGEADIARISN.
Damaging Evidence Brought Out
at Preliminary Hearing.

Florence July 1.-COmptroller O0n-
eral A. W. Jones and Assistant Attor-
ney General W. H. Townsend, of Co.
lumbia, arrived here this morning.
| and today they held an examination
under the Act of the Legislature,
relating to incendiary DIes, and as q
result Of that investigation the Compe-
troller General causeda warrant to be
issued for the arrest Of Samuel J.
East, one OF the city policemen, char
ginH him with setting FIRE to and
| burning the Pee-Dee tobacco ware
house, in this city, on the night OF
April % last. The preliminary hear
ing will take place before Magistrate
EE. W. Lloyd tomorrow morning.
MIR. ". f. Clayton, city attorney,
will. represent the State for the At
touley General, and will assist Solici-
| tor Wilson in the prosecution.
East, the policeman, is charged with
arson, and Sheriff Burch, who SERVED
the warrant in person, has placed
East in the county prison
A reward of $3.50 was offered for the
arrest of the guilty party-the city OF
Florence offering $500 and the Cover
nor $50. It is stated that there will
be some startling revelations made
lat the preliminary hearing in the
morning. The arrest of East has
caused considerable comment on the
streets here this afternoon, inasmuch
as he is member of the police force
and being paid to protect life and pro-
PERI, and arrested on a charge Of this
kind. East came here several years
ago from Virginia, and has always
been looked upon as being straight
forward man and had the confidence Of
a large number Of our people.
| Florence, July s.-The preliminary
Thea ring of policeman S. j. East who
| was arrested yesterday for setting fire
| to and burning the Pee Dee Rarehouse
last April was held today. The hearing
began at 70 O'Clock and lasted till
about s this evening. Magistrate
Lloyd was satisfied that there was evi-
den,,e enough to bind him over to the
sessions court.
East is still in Jail. S. W. G. Shipp,
his attorney. will institute habeas
corpus proceedings and try to get.him
out on bond.
The new act under, which Comp
trolIer General Jones is proceeding was
passed for the protection of the FIRE
companies, there having been CON-
plant FOR many years that small mer-
chants were ''doing'' the insurance
companies with two frequent fires.
Section 2 Of the act provides.
cit shall be the duty of the comp
troI!er general to examine, or cause
examination to be made, either person
ally or by his deputy, into the cause,
circumstances and origin of all fires
occurring within the State, to which
his attention has been called, by inter
este3 parties, by which property is
ccidentally Or uniaWfnlly burned,
destroyed or damaged, whenever in his
Judgment the evidence is sufficient,
is 10 specially examine and decide
whether the fire was the result Of
relessness or the act of an incend-
iary. The said comptroller general or
his deputy shall. when in his opinion
said proceedings are necessary, take or
cause to be taken the testimony, or
both, Of all persons supposed to be
coglIizant of any facts or to have
means of knowledge in relation to the
matter as to which an examination is
herein required to be made, and shall
cause the same to be reduced to writ.
ing, and if he shall be of the opinion
that there is evidence sufficient to
chaige any person with the crime Of
arson, be shall cause such to be ar
rested and charged with such offense,
and SHAH furnish to the solicitor Of
the district all such evidence. together
with the nam of witnesses and all
the information obtained by him, in
cluding a copy Of all pertinent and
material testimony in the case.