The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-06-08
Between the Investigation Com.
mittee and a Witness.
WOULD NOT REPEAT
kumors Because lie Thought People
Character Too Sacred to be Hurt In
That Way, and He Was Ruled
for Contempt Of the
Committee.

The invest eating committee ha,
another row on It's hands. The Stat,
says as q result Of having become OK
cited and used profane language IL
the presence Of the d%Ispensary inyesti
eating committee, Mr.. w. G.. Ohilds
president of the Bank OF Colunbis
and also of tho Columbia, Newb RI,
and Laurcns railroad, has been oItec
to appear before the committee u
the charge Of contempt.
Ii was apparent at the time that
Mr.. Childs did not mean to show
contempt for the committee, but he
meant to express very forclb'y his
position IN regard to testifying against
certain d~ispensary people through the
medium OF repeating anything which
ne mad heard In a joking and
might be taken to reflect upon the
integrity Of honorable men.
Mr.. Lyon was trying to get the in
formation 80 that the committees
could pass upon It's rele vancy. He had
submitted the matter tor the com
mittee as q whole to pass upon when
Mr. Ohilds very cx,itedly exclaimed:
Wen, by God, l would 20 to I'll he
fore l would tell these Jokes, and Mr.
Lyon had q right to confer with me
before II he wanted to
Mr.. on stated that he would
leave h matter to the committee
Mr.. LAY, the chairman, stated that
Mr.. Ohilds could he excused from the
stand. The latter went cut
Of the senate cha n ,er vowing tha+ he
would not tell anything to refs ~
upon any b dy else If he had heard 4,
in a J liking way.
NJ. Lyon, thinking that Mr.. Ohflds
had exceeded the proprieties OF the
occasion Ia defYing the G ,mmittee bc-
ore the testimony had been insisted
upon by the committee, made the re
quest that Mr. Cnilds be made tn re
peat the jokes he had heard so az the
commute could ldge If they were
relevant to the investigation.
Chairman Hay replied:
We'll, MIR. LION, l do not know
that we should discuss this natter
any further right now. We can ia ke
IL up IN the committee and discuss IT.
among ourselves--th bearing OF it,
Later on the committee issued an
oroer Tor Mr. Ohilds to appe r before
the committee on Tuesday aid show
cause why he should not be Attached
FOR contempt of the committee In be-.
ing guilty Of disorderly conduct and
contempt In the presence Of 1.-THE com
nittee en- Friday, tie lsG Gay Of
June, a. D., 1906 Herein i. DOT.
The position taken by Jhilds
"a refusing to repeat these 1umGrs Is
not o surprise to those who know
MIN. He Is just such q man az would
DO q thing OF the kind, aud iust such
a man as will 20 to jail If he continues
or the opinion thai he ought NOT To
repeat these rumors.
WHAT CAUSED THE ROW.
The following is The testimony OF
Mr.. Ohilds which lead up to the
trouble. Mr.. Lyon was examining MI
Child: "
q Have you ever heard anybcdv
confess or acknowledge In any way
that they received aoy profits or div.
tdends arising from either the r Oh
laod Distillery Company or the Co.
lumbia CLASS Works?
A. No, sir.
Z Now, Mr.. Childs, you are in nc.
tive business around the CITY of %.
lumbia here, l presume, ft<ouentl,p
A l very seldom ever lea We my OF
nee except to go to dinner or on bus
mess.
= Your bank doas some collecting
tor creators OF the d%ispensarJ?
A. l think 50.
e. Don'd the l'q1or drummcrs 90
TO your bank there or you hays a
GOOD deal OF correspondence or THINGS
Of that sort with them?
a. Yes, sir; liquor drummers come
around when they want checks CASH
q Have any OF them ever stated
O,iaO tney pad any graft to any of
these d%isptnsary Officials?
a. l ave no recollection of any.
thing OF that kind.
q Lst's zee II you can't remembe1p
a.. l1 would not be fair for me In a
l)Klng conversation to make a re-
hAFk that would r,noct upon any,
BODY, and never heard any BODY say
In seriousness that they paid rebates.
q Tell us the kes.
a. L cannot remember the Jokes.
1t hes been four or five year, ago.
& What was the nature OF those
a. | would not be able to testify
TO Jokes IN remarks made. | have
never heard any remarks renectinp
seriously upon the members Of the
board OF control.
q We want to know the nature NJ
jhe kes.
A.. / do not remember distinctly
enough tC specify.
g You know distinctly eroupn 10
whether they we're compliment
,afy or whether they were not compli
ncntary.
A M, sir; do not.
q You do not?
A No, sir.
q And vet you recolleet that There
gere Joke?
A Yes, SIR there always was and
here is now.
q And 1t impressed you sum Client.
y TO remainder that there was all
,inds OF Jokes going on, but you can.
lot remember the nature Of those
oke.?
a. No, sir; l cannot remember be.
ause III might reflect upon som BODY
nd it would be unjust to rcneot upon
hem.
q Gould you remember who the
were who were doing this Joking F.? !
A NJ air. If WAS inat oonoo "a