The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-02-19
LYON DENOUNCES
EDITOR KOESTER
Dramatic Scene Witnessed
i'm Columbia.
KOESTER CRITICISED.
An Editorial Directed at the Winding Up
Commission Occasion for an Un-
usual Incident.

> htJ 1o' viz
session of the D~ispensary Commission
this afternoon Attorney General Lyon
denounced Mr.. George |. Rooster, edi-
tor and manager of the Columbia Rec
ord. as "a most infamous and dirty
liar" Mr.. Rooster, who was present,
asked for the protection of the court,
and arose from his chair. The situa-
ton was tense, and Commissioner Pat
ton also arose, as if to step between
Lyon and Rooster. Mr.. Lyon warned
Mr.. Rooster not to approach, and dra-
m~atically told him that he (Lyon)
walked the streets of Columbia, and
was personally responsible for what he
said.
There was no confusion during the
exciting incident, but the situation was
such that even the official expert stem
ographer did not get his notes straight.
However, the detailed account of the
affair is given as a transcript of the Of
fetal copy of the testimony.
The incident grew out of an editorial
in the Record this afternoon. The pa
per was brought into the room while
The Commission was in session, and the
attention Of Mr.. Lyon was called to
the editorial. Mr.. Lyon had just come
into the room. He at once requested
the Commission to summon Mr.. Koes-
Ter. This was agreed to. Mr.. Steven
son drew up the summons, which was
signed by Mr.. McSween. The marshal
of the Commission went out to find Mr..
Rooster and within half an hour re-
turned with Mr.. Rooster, who had
come very willingly. He was exam
ined under oath by Mr.. Stevenson, the
regular counsel for the Commission.
At the conclusion of his statement
Mr.. Lyon arose and uttered his denunci-
alton. The editorial criticised Lyon for
purchasing testimony against alleged
grafters by holding up claims. Koes-
ter said his editorial was based on pub
lished reports of the Commission.
The portion Of the Records editorial
to which Attorney General Lyon di-
rected the attention Of the Commission
is as follows:
"The Record has been asked why it
assails the attorney general, and seeks
to hamper his attempts to have graft
ers punished. The insinuation in the
question is that the Record is in sympa-
thy with the grafters. The i%nsinuation
is too contemplate to notice. If expla-
nation of the Records attitude toward
Mr.. Lyon is wanted it is easy to give.
If fhnrn hoe Eoap .,n 81 tln Dooo- 80.
much as Mr.. Lyon or anybody else
wants it exposed and the guilty party
punished.
but the methods employed to bring
about that desired result should be
clean and honorable and command re-
spect. 1t is Mr.. Lyons methods to
which the Record objects. Wherever
the Anglo-SaXon civilization has spread
a common maxim of it's courts has been
that it is better for a thousand guilty
men to escape than that one innocent
man should be punished.
"Similar in spirit is the Records be-
lief that it is better hat all ~dispensary
grafters should escape than that at
tempt should be made to secure convlc-
tions with bought testimony. And that
is the game Mr.. Lyon has been play
ing, first as a member of the investiga-
ton committee, and now as attorney
general. If there was no political phase
to the matter he could not hope to Sc
cure conviction with bought testimony,
n it is only the political phase of the
case that keeps his attempts to buy
testimony from meeting the universal
condemnation they deserve"