The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-12-19
DEATH Of MOSES
Who Was at One Time Known
As the Robber Governor
OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

OF SOUTH CAROLINA
He Gained Great Notoriety in Recon
struttion Days as a Member of
the Thievipg Gang Which Plum.
dered the Stste's Finances.
Dies OF AsDh,xla:ion.
Former Governor Franklin J. Mcses
Of South Carolina was found dead il
bed ct his lodging bouss st Winthror
Beach, Mass, Wednesday, dsasc be
ing caused ~ asp ,xistion. When
his room wss t- Asn into gas v&s
found escaping from s small stove
which was used to heat the place
MI. Noses was 90 years OF age. Es
had resided In winthrop for several
years and occasionally had sctec IS
moderator st its town meeting.
MI. Moses hsd g varied career and
although once was wealthy, it Is safo
that be died in comparative poverty.
he wS governor Of South Carolina IN
1872.
kosEs' OFFICIAL LIFE.
franklin J. Mosss. Jr., wss the son
of Franklin J. Moses, OF Sumter. 8
circuit judge under the white govern,
nent In 1865, snd chief Justice OF tie
supreme court under the nsg-o gov.
ernnent for eight years. Tbs younger
Moses was in the South Casolins eel
lege, from which ;se was honcrably
discharged in the junior class. BE
vss on the staff OF Gov. T. ". Pickens
In 1851, and raised the Confederate
flag over Fort Sumter when it WIS
surrendered to the Confederates On
April u, 1881.
Just sfssc the war he was 5 Demo
crat and attended one Democratic
State convention in Columbis. On
the institution Of the Reconstruction
measures ne joined the & publican
party. He was delegate to the con-
stitutionai convention IN 1868, ard
was : member Of the legislature in
the same year-being elected speaker
Of the houss of representatives. He
also held the Office Of &C jussnt sDd IN.
spectcr general. Ee was elected gov
emo. In November, 1872. and held
that Office for two years.
FRAUDS IN OFFICE.
AS a6jatsnt general sad also speak
er Of the house Of representatives.
from 1858 to 1872, he defrauded the
State oat Of $4,000 in buying arms
for the militia. AS speaker he re-
caiyed numerous bribes for officially
aiding different schemes by his rulings
and committee appointments. he
thus received large sums from the Be-
publican Printing company and some
money slso from John J. Patterson,
who was United States senator. BE
issued fraudulent psy certificates az
eregsting over $1,000, coo. AS gcv
ernor be received bribes fos approving
certain acts OF the general assembly,
which were desired by the corrupt
ring. Es was believed to have sold
many psrdons and also to have re.
ceived money for attempting to pro-
cure decisions Of the supreme court,
OF which his fsther was chief Justice.
On the solicitation Of one Thos. G..
Andrews, senator flom O:scgeburs,
he appointed John L. Hunbert treas
urer Of that county. Andrews con-
tro.leo The treasurer and had the lst-
ter to supply Moses with money 20
the amount OF about SO 600. Hum
bert and Moses were indicted On tie
charge OF having consp!Eeo to defrauo
the State out OF sl6 zoo Of public
funds.
Epmbert was arrested and g war
rant Of arrest was served On Moses
while governor by the O:angebure
sheriff. he refused to be arrested
and called out the negro militia II
Columbia to guard bis residencs and
the executive cfice. The indictneo1
was afterwards quashed on th'
ground that the governor could no
be indicted bu. must be inrescheo.
ELECTED CIRCUIT JUDGE.
He was electsd judes OF the ctrcui
court in Decsmber. 1875, but the su
prene court decided tue election void
In 1877 he wss indicted fcr variou
frsu6s. as speaker, ss adjutsns ger
eral and IS governor, but Vas neve
brought to trial genersl anness
having been granted tie sewers
thieves indicted for aheir conduct be
tween 1858 and 1875.
Moses was confessed bankrupt Il
1S74-his liabilities being 1925, 90
and his assets s67, 1000. he led yer
fast lie.
The following sketch OF the life
franklin J. Moses is taken from Nj
John S. Reynolds book, "Rsconstrut
tion in South Carolina"
Moses made himself notorious, o.
only In this State, but in the otis
States Of the Union. The opinion
expressed OF MIN by the Republics
minority thst sought the election
Tomlinson were more than justiie
BIZ his course in the executive offcs-
the white peoples estimate Of b
character was shown to nave bee
more than fair to him. That Nose
asa member Of the house Of repr
sentatives, snd more especially
speaker Of that body, had been II
ouently bribed, nobody but the blin