Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-08-15
DISPBNSARY
INVESTIGATION.
Spartanburg Session Ad-
-iOurned to Columbia.
LAST FRIDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
Accusations of Bribery, Etc., Denied
Witnesses Denounee Each Other
As Liars-More Testimony About the
Solicitation Of Campaign Funds From
WhoIesale 4 iouor Houses

SobSsoe'oH W SaHPe'S" e"se '~'
Wholesale Liquor Houses.
August Kohn in News and Courier.
The first public session Of the dis
pensary investigation committee ad'
journed tonight. Every one connected
with the investigation was tired ane
worn out and the broken threads will
be taken up In Columbia later on.
A number Of additional witnesses
were summoned here, but 1t was founo
unnecessary to call them and Messrs
Christensen and Lyon agreed that time
would probably be gained by wedding
the remaining witnesses down to 6
stand.
The day was largely devoted to ex-
plantations and privileged statements
from those who had been assailed BY
the evidence and there was every dis
position to allow them to make state
ments. Under this head Mr. Charles o
Smith, Arch Cathcart, Dispensers Fer
guson and McGarty and Mr. Avant
who was a member Of the board, made
their explanations.
The dispensers who took the stand
all admitted that they placed in stock
the over supply Of bottles that were
sent out by the Mallard Distilling COM
pany, the Richland Distilling company
and Bluthenthal & Bickert, all put the
proceeds in the cash drawer as other
sales. Dispenser Ferguson's position
was that as these goods were shipped
to them by the state dispensary thai
they belonged to the dispensers and nc
could not see where 1t was any wrong
doing In selling these extra compli-
mentary bottles and taking the pro-
ceeds, where cases were shipped out
containing these extra bottles by the
state dispenser. .
Messrs. Lyon and Christensen pres
ented a number of letters taken from
Mr.. Fergusons dispensary In which he
was notified that various wholesale
houses had sent him complimentary
liquors. The sub committee also pre-
sented a letter addressed to Mr.. Fer
guson in which Mr.. L. w. Boykin, a
member Of the state board Of control
wrote that he could now get some 9TH
er x corn and X rye than the Richland
stuff, and that he had been trying fol
a long time to get the board to pur-
chase some other TX corn and rye fol
you fellows that did not want the Rich
land stuff. but have only succeeded
yesterday.
The most interesting witness today
was Mr.. Charles o. Smith, who was
chairman Of the board Of control, which
has been charged with so much wrong
doing here.
He Is a rather young looking man,
dresses we'll, has a very flushed face
talks intelligently and is altogether
quite bright.
He denied absolutely and unequivo-
cally that he had ever accepted or re-
ceived one dollar for his vote In con-
nection with any dispensary election
and insists that it was all a pack OF
lies about his ever having received any
money for any dispensary election.
Mr.. Lyon asked him II he did not go
to Mr.. Wallis home and there offer him
$500 If he (WalD would vote for the
election as beer dispenser. Mr.. Smith
admitted that this was correct and then
went on to say that he had made the
offer simply to see II he would take 1t,
and what the other fellows were doing,
and he had no idea Of paying him any
money.
There were several ugly scenes in the
court house and on two occasions the
lie was passed to and from the witness
stand.
During the morning session Mr.. Nor
ris told Mr.. Smith that he was a liar
with reference to a certain statement
that Mr. Smith had made about Nor
ris's relations with woman.
Turning on Morris, Mr.. Smith insist
ed that Morris was doing the lying and
that II he did not like what he was
saying that he would see him outside
and settle it and he seemed anxious
to get busy without further delay.
At the afternoon session, Mr.. Ship
pey told Mr.. Ferguson that he was an
infamous liar. If he denied telling him
he had placed complimentary case
goods on his shelves and sold 1t. Dur
ing dinner recess Mr. Landrum, the
present chairman Of the board of con-
rol. and Mr. Jesse Mahaffey, who does
not mind boasting Of his drinking ca
pacity, came near having a hitch. but
fortunately the day passed without any
encounter, although there seemed to
be considerable preparation for such
thing.
One of the most interesting witnesses
of the whole day, and In fact, OF the
whole session, was Mr.. B. G. Landrum,
who has recently been elected chair
man of the county board Of control.
He was on the stand for just about
three minutes before the dinner re-
cess and in that time he said that ne
thought that his commission had been
deliberately held up after his ap-
pointment, so that certain deals could
be made In connection with the Nor
ris Bishop dispensary and that he had
been absolutely ignored In dispensary
affairs. That he had written to Chair
man Evans upon important dispensa-
nv matters, and had never received a
reply from him. that he had never
been supplied with a statement OF the
county dispensary as had been the
custom, and what Is necessary to Sc
cure a perfect check on the local dis
pensaries and he thought the county
boards humbug anyway.
Avant's Admission.
At the afternoon session Mr.. Avant,
who Is a member Of the present board
Of control, stated that Mr.. Landrum
had made a proposition to him for
division of the dispensaries In Spar
tanburg and that each Of the three
members elect his own friend to each
of the dispensaries as may be assigned
to him.
This proposition, he said, he reject
ed. Mr.. Avant admitted that he had
done wrong in signing certificates and
settlement blanks. but said that he