The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-16

put the stuff in stock, sell and pocket
the proceeds, is yet to be heard. The
system permitted it, just as did very
many other things that the people are
just finding out. Witness after wit
| ness is testifying to the pickings of
local dispensers in extra bottles,
samples presents and the like. The
changing of labels is more serious.
Today the evidence emphasized ana
hammered down a, series of already
developed matters.
First of all, Mr.. Toland, a former
dispenser, with apparent reticence,
but candor, told Of his actual payment
Of s275 and a gold watch to secure
a dispensary job. Toland testified
that, as instructed, he gave the money
to Dispenser Huseman, who was to
fact as the intermediary. He gave the
money to Husemann to give to Smith,
who was chairman of the, county
board, as advised, and to this he
stuck He had given an affidavit that
he had not given Smith any money
for an Office, and he urged that this
was technically correct, as the money
had been given to Husemann to give
Smith and Smith did get it from
Husemann. The watch was direct
gift.
Second. Toland said that he bid
as high as $3.50 forr a beer dispen-
sary, but he did not get the position
for his candidate.
Third. Mr.. D. NJ. Miles developed
into an unexpected witness. He went
on the stand to clear his record, which
is entirely good, and to refute certain
charges about his using liquor in an
election. 1t was while on the stand
he threw some sidelights on the
dispensary management of ten years
ago. For instance, he said that he
voluntarily quit the board Of control,
to which he had been twice unani-
mously elected, because the general
impression was that it was not an
honest place, and for fear that some
people might suspect him of dishon-
esty he thought it best to quit.
a n I
I could not afford to say anything
about, because I could not say wheth-
er they We're so or not. Then he
went on to say that he saw things he
supposed We're not right, but did
not know it. He was satisfied there
were then some honest as we'll as
some dishonest people about the dis
pensary When pressed for specific
information he would always fail
back, and say that he was prepared
to answer any legal questi> but he
would not volunteer any evidence for
fear of doing some one a possible in
jury. He went on to say that if the
dispensary had been run by the same
kind of men as it was in his day, it
would not be in the trouble it now
was. Of one thing Mr.. Miles was
positive, and that he Willingly testi-
led and that was that some one in the
dispensary in his day and time sup
piled liquor to blind tigers and he
doubted very much if the money for
it ever went to the State. He thought
that the board was all right, but he
said that in his day and time on the
board the outside influences We're bad,
and that orders were worked for by
outsiders. but he was free to say that
things We're not to his liking in the
dispensary itself, and he quit and
came home to be elected county su-
pervisor which Office he now holds.
Third. There was another scene
between Messrs. Christensen and Lyon
and Mr.. Blease. In connection with
Mr.. Toland's testimony, it was devel-
oped that AEr. Toland has sworn that
Mr.. Blease member Of the investi-
eating committee, had told him that
the committee was just going around
smoothing matters over and uphold
ing the dispensary law. That Mr..
Blease had asked him why in the
dickens he (Toland) had not gone of
and had nothing to say about the
matter. That he told Toland that
he was not obliged to testify, and
that the general tendency of the in
vestigating committee was to smooth
matters over and uphold the dispen-
sary.
Mr. Blease reiterated that he had
never done anything to interfere with
the work of the committee. that he is
doing, all he can to help it along and