Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-08
OUT COMES HORRID truth
Inside ROttenneSS Of the Big Gen.
tfal Machine.
Three OLD DIRECTORS TARRED ALIKE
Witnesses of High Character Tell of
Bribery and corruption-How Evans
Laid a Trap and Caught His COL
Ieasues-Boykin Sells to lanahan,
But Does Not Remain SoId-Most
Sensational Facts Yet Developed.

Ealp a Trap anu SduShe ''S wv
Ieaaues-Boykin Sells to Lanahan,
But Does Not Remain Sold-Most
Sensational Facts Yet Developed.
The dispensary investigation Is
growing really interesting now. The
committee Is giving its attention to-
the officials higher up" and they are
pre- esenting the testimony OF individ-
uals of a class that Is certainly not
lower. The most startling testimony
Of the entire investigation up to that
time was given by Mr.. Lewis w. Par
ker on Wednesday. Mr.. Parker would
not testify until compelled to do so by
the supreme court; but when he could
stand no longer he told some things
that were of tremendous Importance.
But the supreme court ruling broke
the ice, and the testimony OF Mr.. Par
ker, Notwithstanding its confederation
by Mr.. Z. w. Robinson, paled into
insignificance in the light of testimony
that was given yesterday by Mr.. c. G.
Davis, contractor and dealer In
building supplies of Newberry. Mr..
Parker's testimony involved the repe-
tition of conversations he had with
Lanahan, a big whisky dealer OF Bal
solely with statements and circum-
stances that came direct from Mr.. II.
II. Evans.
Mr.. Davis, like Mr.. Parker, was an
unwilling witness; but in view of the
ruling of the supreme court. he did
not try to hold anything back. He
said he was doing some work for
Mr. Evans, repairing or remodeling
house, and while so engaged Mr..
avhihftnh fn
large sums of money. The money
was generally in rolls. On one occa-
sion Mr. Davis saw three $1,000 bills.
He saw $1,000 bills at other times;
but could not say that he saw more
than one except on the occasion es-
pecially referred to. The large bills
were usually on top Of the rolls. AT
one time Davis told Evans Of the ne
cessity for moving a door. Evans
pointed to q high silk hat OF the KIND
he usually wore and called attention.
to the fact that the hat was filled
with greenbacks asked If that was
not sufficient to move the door.
Evans told Davis that this money
was given to him as presents from
whiskey men whose interests he took
care Of on the board of directors.
According to a story Evans told Davis,
shortly after Towill and Boykin were
elected, they talked around that
Evans was getting all the presents
and they were getting nothing. Evans
| laid a trap at the Columbia hotel.
After making arrangements. with his
whisky friends he put table under
transom in a hallway, and accom-
panied by Breech Wilson of the Rich
land Distilling company looked
| through into the room and saw the
whisky men give money to Towill and
| Boykn. After that Evans had no
more trouble with his fellow members
of the board. Also, Evans had bought
| off the candidates for the legislature
from Newberry county who were OPP
posed to him and Evans told Davis
that these men were the cheapest he
had ever bought in his life. Evans
received from Blumenthal and Bick
ert, whisky dealers Of Atlanta, a car
load Of fine furniture as Christmas
present and also a poker table from
some source that was said to be worth
$500. Evans had said that he bought
| the table for $400. Evans said that
he had gotten rid Of Blease by en-
ploying Blease as an attorney. Davis
had heard people say that Evans
method was to win money from liquor
drummers at poker; but Evans did
not tell him anything of the kind.
Several other Newberry witnesses
testified yesterday very much along
the same lines.
The principal witness Of Wednesday
was Mr.. l.. w. Parker of Greenville
who Is one Of the largest cotton mill
men in the state. He Is president OF
the Olympia, CRANKY and Richland
mills of Columbia, and has extensive
interests in other cotton mills. He Is
one of the leading business men OF
South Carolina, and Is In Intimate as
sociation with all the leaders of the
states largest financial and Industrial
affairs.
Mr.. Parker was In no sense vol
unteer witness. Messrs. Lyon and
Christensen in some way got hold OF
the fact that he knew some things that
would prove Of value to the commit
tee and of interest to the people or the
state, and they summoned him to ap-
pear before the committee. Shortly
after he took the stand 1t developed
that he knew absolutely nothing about
the dispensary business Of his own
knowledge; but he had been told some
things by a big whisky dealer. all In
a private conversation and he insisted
that he could not be compelled to re-
peat these private conversations.
Shortly after taking the stand, Mr..
Parker refused to repeat the converse
tions to which he admitted having been
party. Mr.. Lyon moved that Mr..
Parker be attached for contempt until
such time as he should decide to testi-
fy All the members Of the committee
backed up the motion with the eXcep-
ton Of Messrs. Blease and Hay, and
1t carried. Having anticipated this
very thing, Mr.. Parker had brought his
attorney, Mr.. Haynsworth OF Green
Vile and Mr.. Haynsworth had with
him ready prepared papers In habeas
corpus proceedings. The supreme
court had previously agreed to spe-
cial session, and after argument by
MIR. Haynsworth for the petitioner and
by Messrs CASTOR and Fraser, Of the
committee, to the contrary, the su-
preme court decided that the commit
tee had right to require Mr.. Parker
to repeat the conversations In ques-
ton.
1t Is not TO be understood that Mr..
Parker sought to evade any proper
responsibility in the matter. His re-
plies to questions Of the committee
showed that he had doubts as to
whether he could be lawfully required
to repeat a private conversation. He
did not want to go ahead and TESTIFY
and then have 1t develop afterward
that he need not have done so II he
had DIRECTED. he nldue ITO ODJeCllOlI |
to giving the committee to understand
that a large liquor dealer had told him
of the necessity of using unusual
means to make sales to the dispensa-
ry; that this dealer had fixed" men
who were i'm a position to control the
purchases of the board; but these men
would not stay fixed; they required
fixing" too often. But when Mr.. Par
ker refused to give names or the exact
purport of the conversation referred to
the committee decided to hold him In
custody until such time as he should
agree to testify, and this is the shape
in which the matter went to the su-
preme court.
Upon taking the stand after the
court had made its ruling, Mr.. Parker
testified at length. He gave the name
Of the party with whom he had con-
versed as Mr.. Samuel j. Lanahan. a
large whisky dealer Of Baltimore, who
had sold the dispensary tremendous
quantities of liquor in times past Mr..
Lanahan. it appears. made extensive
investments in the stock of Mr.. Park
er's mills and was on terms of very
close familiarity with him. One day
in the summer of 1904, Mr.. Lanahan
came to Mr.. Parker for help In secur-
fo; rt,ith 10 diSnancory |