Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-04-12
LYON ROASTS LANAHAN.
Holds Firm to Record In Dispensary
Case,

1T can scarcely be controverted,
said Attorney General Lyon, Satur-
day in speaking Of the Lanahar
claim incident, says a Columbia dis
patch, that the evidence before the
state dispeTsary commission shows
that Lanahan & Son, through those
who represented them, overcharged the
state for goods sold, and bribed at least
one state official to make the pur-
chases."
This statement was made as the
result Of the published interview with
the representative of the Lanahan
firm In Baltimore to the effect that
the company had never overcharged
the state Of South Carolina and that
the $4,000 which was paid to the
dispensary commission had been CIV
en- for sums due the company in this
state which were tied up by an in
junction.
1.-The story sent out from Balti-
more" continued the attorney gener-
al, lis thoroughly inaccurate and mis-
leading. The testimony taken before
the dispensary commission and other
evidence obtained by that body shows
beyond a doubt that the Lanahan
company did overcharge the state of
cOulu SdIOllIld VI lne extent lnOuS-
ands Of dollars"
THE case Of Lanahan was on ap-
peal to the supreme court of South
Carolina and there was nothing in
the way Of having the findings revers-
ed by that court, yet the company
had abandoned its appeal.
THE findings Of the dispensary
commission was made after a careful
inspection Of such books as Lanahan
& Son had produced and after hear
Ing the testimony of Mr.. Lanahan and
one Of his employees and the affidavit
of Joseph B. Wylie and the testimony
Of Lewis w. Parker and others taken
before the legislative investigating
committee. Also there was James S.
Farnum, who represented Lanahan
In this state and who Wylie said paid
him $500 to buy the goods from Lam
ahan. Farnum afterwards pleaded
guilty to having conspired to cheat
and defraud the state in connection
with his dealings with the old state
dispensary.
THE compromise was not brought
about by the recent act of the general
assembly with reference to the wind
ing-up Of the affairs in the counties re-
taining the dispensaries, for the Lana
han company made overtures toward
settlement before the act was passed or
before it was even thought of. 1t is
further fact that parties representing
the Lanahan company proposed COM
promise by which Lanahan was to
abandon his appeal to the state su-
preme court from the findings Of the
commission and pay in addition thereto
about $4,000"
The Lanahan company recently paid
the attorney general the sum Of $4,000
The statement was at the time, in the
press dispatches, that the company had
practically admitted that they had
overcharged the state Of South Caro-
lima to the extent Of thousands of dol
lars during their dealings with the
state. This brought an emphatic denial
from the Lanahan company. Lanahan
& Son had a claim against the COM
mission for about $4,000. There was an
overjudgment against the firm of $23,-
900. The firm had a claim against the
county dispen5aries for $4,000. The
firm agreed to wipe out their claim
against the commission and accept the
sum of $4,000 from the state for it's $6,-
900 claim and its $4,000 claim against
the county dispensaries.
The following is part Of an affida-
Wit by Joseph B. Wylie, a member Of
the dispensary board of control: u.
S. Farnum paid deponent 5000 in cash
on 900 cases Of Hunter rye, this being
Lanahan's goods. This payment was
made in November or December, 1906,
and goods were purchased on 10Th day
of September 1906. to the amount Of
300 cases and on November Is, 1905,
600 cases were pun chased All Of these
made to deponent by Farnum
I. IL
in before referred to and were arranged
between deponent and Far
mum in Columbia. s. c. The agree
ment as to the schedule If rebates was
agreed upon shortly after deponent
went on board"