The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-02-10
A BUBBLE PRICKED.
Ts.al Value Of Crun's Estate Less
Than Fourteen Thousand Dollars.
Exaot Figures of Appraisoment Give,
!, Under Seal OF BamberG ooun.
.,sP-obe.e Judge.

(. Il6 lat6 u. II. STuIu, VI 0auO0IR,
came into political prominence In the
ninet!es. A farmer himself and the
son Of q farmer, it was natural that
he took lively interest In the farm.
ers' movement and his work and in.
luence contributed largely to the suc-
cess Of that movement In his sc ction
of the state. One result OF this was
that for several years he was q mem
Der OF the house from Barnwell coun.
ty and afterward from Bamberg
when that county was created. In
the legislature he was regarded as a
safe and conservative man and good
committee worker. His strength In
the legislature was Shown by the large
vote he received when he was candi.
date foc the position Of state dispen
sary commissioner. After serving two
years In that Office ne was reelected
and served another term. His admin.
lstration Was considered conservative
and business like.
Before going into Office he had
farmed scme fertile land given him by
his father and bad purchased addi-
ticnal T. acts. While in cfflce he con
tinued his farming operations and the
four years he was In otnce were four
OF the best years the farmers have had
in generation. They wore years If
d high price for cotton. With the
start given him by his father and his
own planting ope, ations, togsther
| With four years i9' Off at good
salary, 1t was NATURAL that he should
gather together something OF ap
estate.
But when he died. last year, amas.
ing stories we're Immediately set afloat
as to the large value of the estate he
left. No father for these stories other
than the hoary-headed "They Say"
ever appeared. No one vouohed for
them. No one would he responsible
for them or would vouch for their ac
curecy. But they were circulated
with persistencY and system which
Indicated purpose behind them and
led to suspicion that some organiza.
tion vas using them for political pur.
poses.
Whenever friend OF the dispsn-
sary would say anything in defense of
the honesty of Its officials, he would
be asked how Crum gathered to.
gether such lsfRe' ectAte. Accord
ing to thorumors, Crum isft an es.
tate Variously valued at from al5O,.
600 to s25o,000 Ole nan would say
he bad card from some one who
ought to Know that Crun had $780,.
600 in bank and ownec houses and
lands and Suck wnrtE n mnre than
100000. There - Yaris lions Z, Il
this story, but the only 6iffefelce was
In Che cures, which by maly were
PLACID L:sher.
Ole o. Crum's warm personal
friends in Columbia, whu had repeat.
edly heard these stories investigated
Mr.. Orum's affairs and found that at
the time he died he haG an estate OF
about $4,000. including $1,000 in
bank, and that he owed about 5000
He asked that this statement be pub
lished In justice to the memory of
Mr.. Drum and to offie: the attacks
being made on the disperssry over his
dead body.
AS his statement was ex parte and
unofficia', The Record d ,smed 1t best
to obtain signed and sealed state
ment OF Mr. Crums estate from the
JNA b. Va piOSolO w DcIR Y,
through whose cffice the estate had
to be settled. This statement Is now
In The Record office and can be ex-
amined by any ybody who cares to
see it.
Mr.. Crum left 10 will, so an admin
istrator was appointed for bis estate.
The appraisers OF the estate were j.
d. Baxter, James A. Walker e lward
p. SojourLer, y. S. Folk and 4. H.
Neely, all prominent citizens OF Bam.
berg. Their arpraisemept, es certified
under seal by Geo. p. Harmon, judge
Of probate of Bamberg county, made
the total value OF Mr.. Gums estate,
including both personality and realty,
Sl3.82 Shy ro means a large for
tune when all the facts IL the case
are considered. .-Co.unbia Record.