The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-01-13
FARNUM, BEER KING" PLEADS GUILTY.
Judge Prince Imposes Fine Of $5,0O0--F Farnums
Action Great Victory for Lyon.

i but am going to take into considera-
ton your plea. The sentence is that
you be fined $4,000 or be confined at
hard labor on the public works Of
Richland county or in the State peni-
tentiary for a period of one year."
Sentence Amended.
When the judge had finished Mr..
Hagood said that the defendant would
Immediately pay his fine.
In that case,' said Judge Prince,
Il will amend the sentence before it
is entered"
Mr.. Hagood then turned over GER
tificate of deposit from the Peoples
National bank, of Charleston, for s5,-
900. 1t was dated yesterday.
| The next step was to submit an
order, which had already been type
written, discharging Farnum and his
sureties from further liability in the
remaining three cases against Far
mum. This order sets forth that these
cases are mol pressed by consert Of
the attorney general. The order fol-
lows:
State Of South Carolina, County Of
Richland.-In the Court of General
Sessions.
The State VS.. James S. Farnum,
bribery.
The State VS.. James S. Farnum, ct
al, conspiracy (two cases).
The attorney general having stated
that it is his intention to mol pros the
remaining indictments pending in
this court against James S. Farnum
and also having stated that it is his
I intention to mol pros, so far as the
defendant, James S. Farnum, is con-
cerned, those cases pending in this
court wherein the defendant James
S. Farnum is indicted with others for
conspiracy:
Now, on motion of B. A: Hagood,
attorney for James S. Farnum, it is
ordered, That the said James S. Far
mum and the sureties on the several
recognizances given by him for his
appearance to meet the charges con-
tanned in the said cases, are discharg-
ed from further liability thereon and
the said James S. Farnum is hereby
allowed to go hence without lay.
GEO. E. PRINCE,
Presiding Judge.
January 5, 1910.
Not a States Witness.
The agreement under which the
cases against Farnum are to be mol
pressed applies to all cases in which
he is defendant, both those in Rich
land and in Chester, for bribery and
conspiracy. In the other cases pend
| ing against State dispensary officials
Farnum cannot be made to testify,
however, as he has constitutional i'm
munity on the ground that his testi-
mony might tend to incriminate him.
1t is understood that Farnum has
positively refused to testify against
his former friends, just as he refused
to take the stand and perjure him
self by denying that he had given
bribes or rebates. His plea of guilty,
however, is complete admission Of
the allegations of corruption brought
against the State dispensary system
Other Dispensary Cases.
The other trials will be called at
the coming term of court in Chester
against the dispensary officials.
MIR. Lyon Gives His Reasons.
The announcement that Jim Far
mum had pleaded guilty caused quite
a sensation in Columbia. There was
much discussion, pro and con. Some
expressed the wish that, so long as a
record OF guilty was entered, tnere
might have been a measure of punish
ment in keeping with the debauching
of State and the bringing of a COM
monwealth into disrepute by such
methods of graft as that admitted.
Attorney General Lyon, when asked
if he were pleased with the outcome
of the case, said that he was not
satisfied, but that he had been forced
to consent to the best available
terms. He had been approached, be-
fore Jim Farnum's trial last Septem-
ber, and had declined to consider any
proposition except an unconditional
plea of guilty" and throwing ones
safety upon the mercy Of the court.
To ,hod folt ca suro of hia pronn6--