The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-08-29
THE DISPENSARY STILL
IN THE PUBLIC EYE
PROCEEDINGS BEFORE COM
MITTEE THURSDAY.
Nixon Produces Letters-That Big
Purchase of Labels.-Compro-
missing Shortages-Gunter
Denies Fant's Statement.

It was a sort Of double-barrel gun
that was used at the dispensary inves-
tigation on Thursday, says the Co.
lumbia correspondent Of the News
and Courier. One Of the barrels was
loaded by the committee on the busi-
ness management, and the second by
that on county dispensaries. When
one of the barrels would get hot the
other was used for a while to let the
cooling process go on.
Perhaps the most important de-
velopment on Thursday was the s:lr-
render of business letters between J.
w. Kelley & Co., who sold oily
about $4,000 worth of liquor to he
dispensary in year, and their state
agent, Col. F. NJ. Mixson.
Col. Mixson made a good fight, but
the committee was in no hurnor to oe
bluffed. By resolution the comr1t-
tee unanimously decided that unless
the letters were presentd that MlxsAn
would have to go to Jail, until ne
purged himself by presenting the let
ters. or got out in some legal way.
Col. Mixson bucked to the finish, but
when the commitment was served on
him he submitted. He said he had no
money with which to fight, that he
could nor afford to go to jail, and as
the committee insisted on sending him
to jail or getting the letters, there
was nothing left foe him to do but
surrender the letters under protest,
as an interference with personal at
fairs.
Whatever these letters show, if
anything, would be apart from and to
itself, and unlike the alleged Lanahan
offer of cash to Col. Mixson for a
slice of dispensary melon. Col. Mix
son swears under oath that MI. ).
T. Lanahan offered him 10000 cash
for S1oo,ooo worth of purchases, and
Mr. Lanahan insists that this is false
and that he never made such an otter.
Go step further. Suppose the offer
had been accepted, and the cash actu-
a11v Daid. and Col. Mixson told OF
that It would again be purely a
matter between two men. The one
denving and the other affirming, and
therein is what many suggest is the
real focus of the difficulties Of any
investigation of the dispensary, that
what will develop some say is the
| marrow.
Division Chief Fant,
Of the constabulary force made some
sensational statements. A good deal
Of # was hearsay,and this is untor-
tunate, but perhaps it is just as we'll
for everything to come out, althougn
hearsav evidence is often embarrass-
ing and proves utterly groundless'
Mr. FAINT, in his evidence, gave the
distinct impression that certain par
ties in Spartanburg were regularly
harterin9 positions on the constaDu-
1arv force, from the smallest to the
highest position. He said it was re-
ported that Mr.. William MCGOWAN
Of that city, was credited with having
a regular constabulary mill and that
r,e had the record of 28 men who
had arranged with Mr.. MCGOWAN tc
get Jobs on the constabulary, and that
the offers for the positions ranged
all the way from $50 to 5000, and thai
a+ one time when his position was in
ieoDardv he had Toland offer Mr
MCGOWAN $500 for the position o1
division chief, but this was done
merely to gain time to puncture the
scheme, and that he never intended
paving cent for his position, bu1
that he wished to expose the affair
He then went on to say he reported
the entire matter to Governor Nc.
Sweeney, and thar he was retained