The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-01-21
PROBING DEEP.
Commission Trying to Corner Ger
tain Dispensary Grafters.
THE: PROOF OF GUILT

is Getting Stronger In the Case of
Certain People Involved in the Dis
pensary scandals-Morton A. Good
man, Liquor Drummer, Was on
the Witness Stand. Some Tell Tale
Letters Read.
The old dispensary scandals are be-
ing ventilated again bv the commits
sion appointed to wind the institu-
ton up. Morton A. Goodman, once
a liquor salesman drawing nominally
$1,000 a year with an unlimited ex-
pense account was placed in arrest
Thursday at the instigation of At
torney General Lyon and the special
attorneys representing the commits
sion for the winding up of the aft
fairs Of the State dispensary. The
charge is conspiracy to defraud the
State. He subsequently offered q
cash topd of $4,000. The commits
sion examined only one witness Thurs
day. He came voluntarily to estab-
lish his claim but left a prisoner.
GooDMAN's TESTIMONY.
After being sworn, Goodman said
he had been a representative Of Ull-
man & Co. He declared that his ac-
count against the dispensary is just
and is still due and no amount Of it
had beed paid. He said that j. A.
Braun, who was present, is a book.
keeper for Ullman & Co., and had
brought the sales books for exami-
nation. Goodman was then eXamin-
ed by Mr.. Fielder special attorney
of the commission and interesting
statements were brought out by his
replies.
Witness said that he had covered
Ohio and a number of other States
for Ullman, including South Caro-
lima. Had been with Ullman since
1904. Was formerly with the Com
monwealth Distilling company as
manager and president. Elected
president in 1902. Its Office was in
Louisville. KY. The capitol stock
was $3.50, 900 or 100000.
Mr.. Fielder insisted that Goodman
should say where he made sales for
the Commonwealth company outside
of South Carolina. Witness said he
could not remember, except the Say
annah Grocery company, and did not
remember why ne sold that company.
Did not sell it Henrietta rye. Could
not say if he sold any one else Hen
rietta. Did not remember if he sold
Henrietta outside of South Carolina.
He was asked if he knew Mr.. B.
Ehrlich. and he replied that Ehrlich
did business in Atlanta.
In August. 1904, Goodman chang
ed his base Of operations from the
Commonwealth company of Louis
vile to the Ullman company of Gin
cinnati. He admitted that he had
been given his new position through
the agency of Ben Ehrlich, with
whom he established a partnership.
It was brought out that the Common
wealth company existed largely upon
letter heads and that its sales were
made from a warehouse in Louis
vile, although it claimed to be in
the distilling business at Lexington.
In the interim there was great
trouble brought to the heart Of Good
man. He wrote to his friend and
partner, Goodman explaining that
the Commonwealth people would not
release him from his contract with
them and the awarding of purchases
at the South Carolina dispensary
was to take place before he could get
on his job with the Ullman house. He
wrote Ullman a letter urging that
the dispensary board be prevailed
upon through John Black, not then a
member of the board, to postpone
the matter of purchases until Sep
tember as the Ullman bids were
Every poor"
The board for some reason or 9TH
er did this very same thing. No pur-
chases were made in August. In the
meantime, the Ulman company pro-
posed a new bid. in which the prices
on certain goods were raised. From
the time that Goodman went with
the Ullrnan company until the dis
pensary graft was made public Ull-
mans business was a great success.
The Commonwealth company, which
had been doing an enormous busl-
nass under Goersnan's nominal pres
idency, dropped to nothing. In the
meantime Ullman sold the State dis
penssry over $150,000 worth Of
goods" the first nine months that
Goodman was there, against about
$4,000 for several years preceding.
VERY POOR MEMORY.
Goodman exhibited a very faulty
memory. The commission was NOV
ed to great sorrow because a man Of
such apparent intelligence could re-
member nothing.
He denied that he had ever told
Black Rawlinson and Wylie, the
three elected dispensary directors,
that Ullman & Co., and the Anchor
Distilling company were the same.
And yet it was shown by Col. T. B.
Fielder that the very stationery of
the two concerns showed the same
address.
Subsequently it was brought out
that there was third concern,
Strauss & Co., making bids to the
C+cto 5;cponcorv on6 that thiS Strauss