The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-07-12
SOLOMONS RELEASED.
Prisoner was Charged with Seeking
to Influence Beaufort County
Dispensary Board Chairman.

Beaufort, July 10.-Magistrate 7.
G.. White this afternoon refused to
bind over Mr.-H. L. Solomons, Of Co
lumbia, the liquor drummer who was
arrested Monday onthe charge Of vio-
lating Section 46 Of the Dispensary
Law.
Attorney General Lyon appeared
for the state and Mr.. Talbird, Of
Beaufort, for the defence. The hear
ing was held in the Court House and
lasted five hours. The principal wit
ness was DR.. NJ. G. Elliott, chairman
Of the Beaufort county dispensary
board. Mr.. Solomons made a state
ment.
In prefacing his summing upsof the
case the Attorney General said: '1
wish here to avow my deliberate in
tention of running every liquor drum
mer ont Of the State of South Caro-
lima. I ann here in accordance with
the wishes of Governor Ansel and
state that it is the policy Of the Ad-
ministration to enforce the anti-graft
section Of the county dispensary law
to the letter. Wherever hear Of its
being violated and feel that can be
Of assistance in its enforcement I in
tend to go and prosecute the often
ders.'
Mr.. Lyon spoke Of the corruption
Of the state -dispensary system and the
efforts Of the legislature to guard
against some of its evils by forbid
ding any liquor drummer living in this
state doing business with the county
boards and outlawing any communi-
cation whatever between the boards
and liquor men except through the
formal quarterly bids. In his opin-
ion the testimony Of the defendant
alone was enough to convict before a
petit Jury. .~
IL giving his decision the magis-
irate said that he thought the evi-
de,lee showed there was no intention
to bribe, and in weighing the evidence
he considered the spirit Of the law
rather than its letter. He did not
think that the legislature intended to
put the broad construction on this Sec
ton that the Attorney General in
sisted on and THAT it did not intend to
make such4an act as that Of MIR. Solo
mons an offence.
After the case was over Mr.. Lyon
said: notwithstanding this back
set in the enforcement Of the law [
intend Ito use every ofort In having
it enforced. No enforcement will rest
on other shoulders than mine. Wheth-
er tie breakers Of this prsticular law
are punished IL this instance or not I
intend ~ make it as difficult as pos
SHE to carry en- their outlawed busi-
ness.
DR.. N. G. Elliott is a native Of
Beaufort and stands high in the COM
mun:tv. He has been active in at
tempting to secure strict enforce
ment Of the dispensary law in this
county. His testimony told Of two
interviews Of Mr.. Solomons with him.
The first was before the doctor was
commissioned. In it Mr.. SolomOns
discussed the new law and the liquor
business in general and nothing was
said that the witness thought was sus-
picious. DIR. Elliott was at first some
what doubtful as to wether he had
been commissioned before the second
visit of the accused, but in his state
ment Mr.. Solomon said that he came
up on seeing in the papers an adver-
tisement for bids from the Beaufort
board, and Mr. Elliott was recalled
and sowre that the advertisement, was
not printed until after the board had
been commissioned.
Coming to the second meeting DR..
Elliott testified: "Abolt two or three
weeks later Mr.. Solomons called on
me again and the liquor question was
again brought up and discussed be-
tween US. After while Mr.. Solo
mons went out and in little while he
returned with bottle Of whiskey and
suggested that we open it and sam
pie it. I told Mr.. Solomons that I
was no judge Of whiskey, and knew
nothing about it and wrapped up the
bottle, andhanded it back to him with
out the cork being drawn. Mr.. Solo
mons presented me with list of IL