The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-10-07
JOHN BLACK ON TRIAL.
Charged With Receiving Brides As
State Official.

COlumpld, SeQI. IS.-JOuu DIdCh,
former member of the old State dis
pensary board was placed on trial in
the Richland county court to-day on
the charge of accepting bribe in the
sum of S2,500. The trial is rather
significant as it is the first one where
former member of the board is to
be tried.
The only sensational feature of the
evidence was the introduction of two
banking papers. One was draft for
$2,500, Black had made and got the
cash on upon liquor drummer, John
T. Early by whom he is accused of
being bribed. This was collected
through the bank of Colleton. 1t
was made to the order of Henry w.
Black, Jr., and endorsed by him.
The other paper was $4,000
check dated at Savannah, and evil
IDENTIFY cashed there, made to the
order of John Black and endorsed by
him and signed by NJ. A. Goodman,
the liquor drummer.
J. B. Wylie, who has turned States
evidence, was back on the stand to-
day. He again went over the evil
dence he gave in the Farnum case
about the agreement entered into to
divide up the business among certain
houses in accordance with fixed
schedule of rebates.
At the opening of the bribery and
rebate case against Major Black, Mr..
Nelson for the defense, made the
same technical objections to the in
dictment as were made in the Far
mum case, but these were not argued.
Judge Memminger said he overruled
them on the same grounds as he
had overruled the others.
Henry w. Black, Jr., brother of
the defendant was called by the State
but he failed to respond, and bench
warrant was issued for him. There
is striking difference in point of at
tendance between this case and the
Farnum trial.
J. B. Wylie was the first witness
sworn. The witness exhibited mem
orandum of what was done at the
much discussed meeting, this carried
the figures of the famous graft
schedule" This meeting was on the
night of the 21st of March, Major
Black was present, the letter "W' on
the list referred to the houses on
the list he was to look after and 'B"
the list Black was to look after and
collect the commissions on. Witness
then read the schedule Of rebates
agreed upon. This was published in
detail in the record during the Far
mum trial.
tWas Mr.. Black there, and party
to this schedule and agreement"
eyes, sir, discussed it with him.
Mr.. Nelson interposed number of
objections, the same as he put in the
former trial. Witness went on to tell
how the March quarterly purchases
were divided up between the men,
bers of the board. Witness said he
got rebates from Early through Jno.
Black, the first commissions he got
being in September. He went to
Early first and then went to Black
who said Early had paid him $4,000
in round figures. Black turned over
to Wylie his third of this.
Mr.. Lyon said to the Judge: eve
propose to show that this defendant
received $4,000 rebates from Good
man. We propose to show series of
such crimes, to cite this $4,000 trans
action as shown in his corrupt mind.
That it was one of the series to which
the $4,000 transaction belongs"
eve know all about the $4,000
NATTER said Mr.. Nelson, ''and we
are prepared to meet it. In my judg-
ment we have a complete defense for
this. But it is not right to bring
this separate transaction here with
out notifying us in the indictment to
meet it." The afternoon session was
taken up with the cross examination
of Wylie.
The charge against John Black.
formerly member of the State dispen-
sary board of directors, is just the re-
verse of that under which Farnum
was tried and acquitted. The state
official is the one who is now facing
the jury, and is charged with receiv-
ing favors to influence his vote as
member of the board. John T. Ear
ley, who represented the Fleisch-
mann concern in this State in the
days of the old State dispensary, is
named in the Indictment as the man
who paid the $4,000 alleged to have
been received by Mr.. Black in the
transaction, because Of which he is
to be tried as set out in the indict-
ment.
It will be recalled by those who
kept up with the dispensary COM
mission proceedings, that one Of the
films through it's officers, admitted in
afidayits which were read at the last
session of the commission that GER
tain amounts were paid in this State
to secure business. These affidavits,
however, did not give the names of
those to whom the alleged rebates
were given. 1t was upon this Fleisch-
mann claim, the largest that was out
standing against the State, that the
affidavit was called into play. Some
matters that came up at the recent
oil r.ora alsQ tQuchad nnQn dr rim