The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-09-06
4 SAD CASE.
Young Bouzard, dispenser at For1
Motto, Eas Been Arrested
For Being Short in His Accounts
Two Thousand Two Hundred
and Fifty Dollars.

Two Thousand Two Hundred
and Fifty Dollars.
3. F. Bouzard, late dispenser a
Fort, Motto, was arrested on Monda,
at tie instigation Of the American
Surety company, the complaint hav
ing been filed by Solicitor P. T. Hide
brand. BE was carried before M.gis
trate Brunson who fixed bis bail al
80, 900. Bouzard was short In his &C
counts and was checked up and closed
out on the 10Th Of last April. The
prosecution has been delayed In ordel
to give the accused opportunity tt
prove himself innocent OF the charge
as be claimed that be could do. But
checks alleged to have been sent have
never been received. The amount o1
the shortage is 81, 271.81.
BouZard is about 30 years OF age
very intelligent young man, and Wat
married less than year ago. Under
the laws Of South Carolina it is the
duty OF the county board Of control te
take the initiative In criminal pro
ceedings against detaulters in county
dispensaries, and the complaint v::ss
signed by b. O. Paaiing, G. a. Stro-
man and 81. r. Gibson, members o1
the county board. The witnesses
named in the complaint are: a. q.
Dean and R. W. Nichols, inspectors
b. c. Pauling, chairman OF the coun.
ty board; NJ. b. Mobley, bsokkeepel
in the commissioners Office, and ]
Fuller Lyon, bookkeeper in the State
treasurer;s ofice.
The first intimation the officials OF
the State dispenssry had Of the ir1eg-
ularities in the Fort Motto dispensary
was on March 80, 1904, when Capt, a.
81. Dean, inspector, examined Bou-
yards accounts. On this occasion a
shortage OF over 1000 was discover.
ed, but before Capt. Dean could com
plete the investigation to bis own sat-
isfaction be was called away to look
after some ether business Of greater
importance.
Mr.. W. o. Tatum, the commission
er OF the State d1spensary, detailed
Inspector R. W. Nichols to proceed to
Fort Motto with instructions to open
every package Of goods in the ware
house Of the dispenser at that place.
Accordingly, Inspector Nichols com
nenced bis investigation Of this mat
ter on April IA, 1905, at which time
Bouzzrd strenuously opposed the open
ing of numerous boxes and barrels In
the back rows Of the store room, as
suring Inspector Nichols that they
were all right" because Capt. Dean
had examined them, Which statement
proved to be false. In spite OF Bouz-
ards opportunities Mr.. Nichols pro-
ceeded to open every package In the
establishment in the presence OF Mr..
q. c. Psuling Of the board OF control,
who had been sum noned to assist In
the verifcation Of the inspectors fig.
ures in the account Of stock then on
hand. MI. Pauling, by the way, Is an
uncle Of Bouzard's wife. At the con.
clusion OF his labors MIR. Nichols dis
covered shortage 0f 81, I'll 81 which
which increase was oecasioned by his
finding over $500 worth OF empty cases
in the back lows. Strange to say,
Bouzard insisted that be did not know
bow thoee empty boxes and barrels
got there. This, too, in the face Of
the fact that no person but himself
worked in that dispensary.
Bouzard did not undertake to resort
to the old trick OF an alleged robbery"
to cover up his shortage, but boldly
asserted that his accounts would bal
ancs il be ccud obtain credit tor five
remittances which he claims to have
made by express to the State treasur-
s., from whom, he alleges, he had not
been able to obtain receipt, although
be had written to that functionary In
regard to the matter. When the treas
urer was advised Of the situation by
long distance telephone, he replied
that the five ''remittances," aggregat-
ing 1882, were not received ard
that BouZard had been SO informed.
No such shipments Of funds In pack
ages OF by money orders can be found
in the records OF the Southern Ex
press company. This, it will oe OBJ
served, still leaves a deficit Of 1922 So.
When Bouza1d was confronted with
this damaging evidence he stated that
he had sent the State treasurer Sever
al hundreds dollars in checks, obtain
etl by him from various sources and
none OF than had been acknowledged
by that Official. At this jlncture In.
spector Nichols urged Bouzard to fur,
nish him with the names Of the per.
sons from whom these checks had been
obtained, so that duplicates might be
issued, but Bouzard said be could not
recollect the name Of single person
connected:with the alleged check trans
actions.
The American Surety company OF
New York being on BouZsrd's bond
In the sum of $4,000, Commissioner
Tatum sent notice Of claim In this
case to Messrs. Moss g. Lide, attorneys
for the bond company in Orangeburg,
from which place it was forwarded tc
MIR. Marion NJ. Jackson, general at.
torney for the surety company with
officers at Atlanta, Ca, who did not
receive from the State the sworn state
ment of loss until June 81. The delay
in transmitting the formal claim was
occas.oned by the confused condition
OF Bouzard's account.
MI. Jackson arrived in Orangebur2
on June 26, at which time be received
a call from Messrs. Glaze s. Brantley.
attorneys for Bouzard, who asked fur
ther time to enable them to inVesti'
gate the alleged Irregularities in the
Office OF the State treasurer respect,
ing the missing remtttances said tx
| nave heen made hY BOCZSrd. MI.