The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-02-19
II On filings lie
At Editor Koester ofths Columbia
Evening Record
WHILEHE IS IN COURT

WHILE he he IS IN COURT
? AS Witness, Where He Had Beer
Summoned by the Attorney.Genec
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 Commis-
sloner 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 at
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-
Quested 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.. kcester 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 insinua-
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. It
is easy to give. II there has been
graft the Record, as much as Mr.
Lyon or anybody else, wants 1t 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
a common maxim Of its Courts has
been thai It is better for thousand
guilty men to escape than that one
innocent man should be punished.
Similar in spirit is the Records
belief that it is better that all dis
>pensary grafters should escape than
that an attempt should be made to
secure convictions with bought testl-
mony. And that is the game Mr..
Lyon has been playing first as mem
Der of the investigating committee
and now as Attorney General II
there were no political phase to the
matter ne could not hope to secure
conviction with bought testimony,
and it is only the political phase o.
the case that keeps his attempts 10
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
O. The commission being partly
charged with getting this testimony
and the work which Mr.. Lyon mas
done in that line being through the
commission, the commission wants
TO know what information you nave
about the purchase of testimony!
!. Nothing but what has been pup
lished.
0. Does what has been published
;rstifv the charge that they are buy
ing testimony? A. Well, all TINS IS
v,,rv sudden. l have not got 1t at
nv fingers end. bat Mr.. Hermann,
who is the president OF the Augusta
Brewing Company. testified that ne
b.6 Maid rebates or commissions and
that an order was passed by the olu
investigating committee ordering
naynent of his claim, which oeileVe
vas the first and the only one palu
up to that time. u
! O Let us get that straight. That
was when Nj. Lyon and another COM
mit1ee was investigating the dlspen-
sarr Those who composed that COM
mirree, I believe. were Mr.. Lyol. MI
Please. Nh. Christensen, Mr.. Splvey'
and some others. These gentlemen
Won charge, together with Mr., Lyon,
with having purchased TESTIMONY.
Is that the basis of your charge:
of the purchase OF testimony? a.
Thai is. offered to purchase test'-
|mony. yes.
O. THAT is the basis of your charge,
)! that the old investigating commletee
! did that? 4. That they offered an IN
iducenlent for getting testimony.
Q. want to know this; VIVA, @
o,,;d.nca nave YOU that there has been
purchase OF testimony since the Or
o,,;,.+ion of this commission? a.