The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-11-12
GRAFT CASES PROGRESS.
JURY CHOSEN AND TWO WIT
NESSES HEARD DURING
DAY OF TRIAL.
state Works Oh an Uphill Case Ow-
ing TO Influences Which Tend TO
Tighten Offences OF Grafters.

which have been pending in the
courts of this State for two wears
were called to trial here today. At
ter the grotcsque verdict of a Rich
land jury in the Farnum case a Year
ago when the defendant was acquit-
ted and later pleaded guilty to almost
the Identical charge, the attorney
general decided to go to trial in some
other county with the remaining
cases. Chester county was selected
because the principal in the conspir-
acy charge. Joe b. Wyle. is said to
nave gotten the graft money in
Chester as an outcome OF his part
of the alleged conspiracy. Had the
cases been tried here year ago pub
lie sentiment doubtless would have
forced a verdict, but there are said to
have been at work here agencies
whose presence can be sensed rather
than explained, and the State, with
all Of its mass Of evidence and con-
fessions, may have an uphill fight.
The defendants are John Black,
Jodie NJ. Rawlinson and II. Lee Solo
mons. The original indictment named
also Morton A. Goodman, Jno. T.
Farley, Joe b. Wylie and James S.
Farnum. These four will not be tried
at this term.
After the attorney general, Mr.
Lyon, had read the indictments this
morning, A. l.. CASTOR of the Chester
bar endeavored to get Mr.. Lyon to
tell why these four were not under
trial. Mr.. Lyon said that was a mat
ter belonging to him. and in this he
was sustained by the court.
The indictment charges the defend
ants with having conspired to defraud
the State of South Carolina and with
having taken S133,OOO, which be-
longed to the State of South Carolina.
The presiding judge is Ernest
Moore, Of Lancaster, representing
uu6c NluSH, WHO Is Ill.
The attorney general, Mr.. Lyon, is
assisted In the prosecution by w. +.
Stevenson ard B. L. Abney. Solicitor
Henry is i'll and is represented by ].
G. Mcclure Of Chester.
The attorneys for the defendants
are as follows. For Rawlinson, Wes-
ton e Aycock and r. II. Welch. OF
Columbia; for John Black. John M.
Wise of Chester and M. p. Howell Of
Walterboro and Nelson. Nelson &
Gettys of Columbia; for H. Lee Solo
mons, A. l.. CASTOR Of Chester, a for
mer State dispensary leader in the
Legislature and a member of the in
vestigating committee.
The hearing of the case promises to
last a week. There were no dilatory
motions today, no questioning the
venue. no plea for former jeopardy
for Black. but the case was entered
upon at once. However, the defense
has contested every inch OF ground
in admitting into evidence extracts
from the bid book, purchase took,
minute book invoice book and ci k
book of the dispensary board unuer
which this particular graft is alleg-
ed.
Judge Moore polled the jury and
the attorneys on both sides and Sc
cured unanimous consent to go on
with the trial Tuesday, which is gen
eral election day and a holiday
OF the defendants. Jodie NJ. Raw
linson is farmer of Rchland
county, John Black Is a native of Col
Teton count, was shipping clerk at
the dispensary, later represented
whiskey house and after that was
elected on the board. This board in
February. 1907, was removed from
office by Gov. Ansel on motion of Mr..
Lyon. and the supreme court of the
State sustained the attorney general.
Of Estill, Hampton county. He rep
resented in 1906 the Big Springs Dis
tilling company of Savannah, Strauss,
PritZ & Co., OF Cincinnati.
Among the witnesses here to tes-
tirfy are Jno. T. Farley. who then
represented Fleischmann & Co.; w.
ID. Roy, head Of the Belroy Distilling
company and secretary of the whis-
key trust, and Col. G.. w. Dudley of
the United States Distilling company.
Twenty-six jurors were called. The
prosecution challenged Wade Hafner
and r. a. Smith. The defense eX-
cused Il. i. Gill, j. A. Barron. r. III.
Edwards, w. II. Kilgore. Hugh Cas-
key, r. T. Morris. w. G. Nunnery.
w. a. GLADDEN., j. Z. Hollis, S. B.
Clowney =. j. Lecke and Clarence
Wiskert