The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-02-14
D|SPENSARY INVESTIGATION.

| DISPENSARY INVESTIGATION.
When a Sensation Was Expected
the Stopper Was Unexpectedly
Put in Hub Evans as a Big
Buffer.
Columbia. February S.-The
beginning d yesterdays after
moons session of the dispensary
investigating committee was char
acterized by some exciting and
more or less sensational and dra-
matte incidents, though the evl-
dence which the spectators had
been led to believe would be
brought out was shut off by a de-
cision of the commission.
The Supreme Court room where
the sessions of the committee are
being held, was crowded before
the proceedings began. At the
opening of the session Represen-
tative Lyon made a statement to
the effect that he and Senator
Christensen, in obedience to the
committees instructions, had Wis
tied the three home cities of the
three members of the board OF
dispensary directors with view
to bringing out comparison be-
tween the property owned by the
members of the board before 60
ing on the board and what they
owned now. He said that they
were now ready to go into this
matter and that there were anum-
Der of witnesses present from
Newberry, the home of Chairman
Eyans, ready to testify.
J The other members of the com
mittee got their heads together
on the judges rostrum, which
overlooks the seats occupied by
Messrs. Lyon and Christensen
and their detective, Mr.. Klingen-
berg, and Attorneys Welsh and
Bellinger for the other side.
While the conference was going
on Chairman Evans pushed open
the side door and strobe in, his
thumbs in his vest and a cigar
sticking out of the corner of his
mouth.
Hubble on the spot, he called
out. He circulated among the
spectators. Then he threaded
his way into the bar enclosure,
and leering at the detective as
sunled belligerent attitude.
It was expected that some trou-
BILE might be expected at this af-
ternoon's session, and there was a
current of suppressed excitement
running through the room. The
material at hand was in highly
inflammable state, and but for the
GOODNESS of those who had this Of
fetal business in charge it is like
ly that serious results might have
ensued.-
The members of the committee
conferring resumed their ordi-
nary attitude and Chairman Hay
announced that while the COM
mittee appreciated the work of
the subcommittee composed of
Messrs. Lyon and Christensen in
following out instructions under
difficult and disagreeable circum-
stances the committee had de-
cided not to go into any matters
affecting the purely private or
personal affairs of any member of
the board or any other employe,
and that it would be as we'll to
dismiss the witnesses summoned
for this purpose.
There had been much talk
throughout the city for several
days that the subcommittee
would establish that Chairman
Evans to begin with had nothing
and was now worth quarter of a
million dollars, and there had
been talk from him that the COM
mittee had stopped investigat-
inc and had gone to prosecuting
hat this had to stop. The
decision was disappointing to
Messrs. Lyon and Christensen as
we'll as to the spectators.
Mr.. Lyon inquired whether
gifts received from representatives
of whiskey concerns would come
within the scope Of the inquiry of