The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-02-18
LYON FILINGS Lie
AtEditor Rooster of the Columbia
Evening Record
while lie IS I'M COURT

AS Witness, Where He Had Been
Summoned by the Attorney-G -Gener.
al to Give His Reasons for Assert
ing That the Attorney General Has
Been Trying to Convict in Dispen-
sary Cases with Bought Testimony.
During the session Of the dispen-
sary commission Thursday after
noon, Attorney General Lyon de-
nounced Mr.. George R. Koester, edi-
tor and manager of the Columbia
Record, as "a most Infamous and
dirty liar" Mr.. Koester, who was
present, asked Tor the protection of
the Court, and arose from his chair.
The situation was tense and Commits
sioner Patton also arose as if to step
between Lyon and Koester. Mr.. Lyon
warned Mr.. Koester not to approach
and dramatically told him he (Lyons)
walked the streets of Columbia and
was personally responsible for what
he said.
The incident grew out of an edi-
torial in the Record Wednesday af-
torial in the Record Thursday af-
brought into the room while the COM
mission was in session and the at
tention of Mr.. Lyon was called to
the editorial. Mr.. Lyon had just
come into the room. He at once re-
Guested the commission to summon
Mr.. koester. This was agreed to-,
and Mr.. Stevenson, drew up the sum-
mons, which was signed by Mr.. Nc
Sween. The marshal of the commits
sion was given the paper and within
a half hour or so returned with Mr..
Koester, who had come very willing
! ly. He was examined under oath by
Mr.. Stevenson, the regular counsel
for the commission.
Mr.. Koester Questioned.
The official record is in substance
as follows:
@. Mr.. Koester, the attention Of
the commission has been drawn to
this paragraph in this afternoons
daily paper as follows:
The Record has been asked why it
assails Attorney General Lyon and
seeks to hamper his attempts to have
"grafters" punished. The iDsinua-
ton in the question is that the Re-
cord is in sympathy with the graf
ters.' The insinuation is too con-
temptible to notice.
Explanation of the Records atti-
tude toward Mr.. Lyon is wanted. 1t
is easy to give. If there has been
graft the Record, as much as Mr..
Lyon or anybody else, wants it ex-
posed and the guilty punished, but
the methods employed to bring about
that desired result should be clean
and honorable and command respect
It is Mr.. Lyons methods to which
the Record objects. Wherever the
Anglo-Saxon civilization has spread
common maxim of it's Courts has
been that it is better for thousand
guilty men to escape than that one
innocent man should be punished.
Similar in spirit is the Record S
belief that it is better that all dis
pensary grafters should escape than
that an attempt should be made to
secure convictions with bought testi-
mony. And that is the game Mr.
Lyon has been playing first as mem
ber of the investigating committee
and now as Attorney General. II
there were no political phase to the
matter he could not hope to secure
conviction with bought testimony,
and it is only the political phase OF
the case that keeps his attempts to
buy testimony from meeting the uni
versal execration they deserve
The commission wishes to know
who is responsible for the editorial
department of your paper. A. am.
@. The commission being partly
charged with getting this testimony,
and the work which Mr.. Lyon has
done in that line being through the
commission, the commission wants
to know what information you have
about the purchase Of testimony!
A. Nothing but what has been pub
lished.
@. Does what has been published
Justify the charge that they are buy
ing testimony? A. Well, all this is
very sudden. l have not got 1t at
nv fingers end, but Mr.. Hermann,
who is the president of the Augusta
Brewing Company, testified that he
had paid rebates or commissions ana
that an order was passed by the old
investigating committee ordering
payment of his claim, which | believe
Was the first and the only one pad
up to that time.
@. Let us get that straight, That
was when Mr. Lyon and another COM
mittee was investigating the dispen-
sarv. Those who composed that COM
mittce, l believe, were Mr.. Lyon. Mr..
Blease, Mr.. Christensen, Mr.. SplVey,
and some others. These gentlemen
YOU charge, together with Mr. Lyon
with having purchased testimony
Is that the basis of your charge:
Of the purchase Of testimony! A
That is, offered to purchase testl-