Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-01-12
MIR. LiON GIVES HIS REASONS.
Allowed Falnum to Plead Guilty
Rather Tlmn Take Chances.
columbia State, 6th.D

The announcement that Jim Far
mum had pleaded guilty caused quite
a sensation IN Columbia yesterday.
There was much discussion, pro and
con. Some expressed the wish that,
so long as record OF guilty" was
entered there might have been a
measure Of punishment in keeping
with the deDauching Of a State and
the bringing of a Commonwealth into
disrepute' by such methods Of graft
as that admitted yesterday.
Attorney General Lyon. when ask
ed II he were pleased with the out
come of the case, said that he was
not satisfied, but that he had been
forced to consent to the best availa-
bic terms He had been approached,
before jim Farnum's trial last Sep
tembcr, and had declined to con-
slider any proposition except an un-
conditional plea of guilty." and
throwing ones safety upon the mercy
Of the court. He had felt so sure Of
his ground-the facts as to Farnum's
guilt were SO impressive upon his
own consciousness-that he could
not see how jury of intelligent men
could fail to find the man guilty.
But the public now knows.
The facts were presented. Wylie
swore to having received bribe; a
bank cashier swore to having mark
ed the money Of large denomination
which Wylie received so that the
cashier could learn if Wylie were
grafting-as rumored; the books Of
several banking institutions traced
the voucher back to Charleston, and
the entire case was conclusive. but
the jury took refuge under the poor
excuse Of the evidence Of an accom-
plice not being trustworthy. Mr..
Lyon said yesterday that the
Supreme Court library is full of de-
cisions to show that such conclu-
sion was a farce.
When, therefore, he had met de-
feat at the hands Of jury Of this
prosecution in the future came up.
Mr.. Lyon reluctantly accepted a re-
ncwed offer to plead guilty to one Of
the charges He would have pre-
lerred TO have had a clen-cut convic-
ton on the evidence, "but," satd
MIR. Lyon yesterday, there was al
ways the element Of uncertainty"
With as much money as he has
made unlawfully out Of the State of
South Carolina, this man could al
ways have found at least one crook
who for price would have tied the
jury's hands, and, when his attor-
ncys, even after their technical vic
tory In the first case, showed a will
ingness to offer a plea of guilty
thought it was Just as impressive for
Farnum to say that he was guilty as
for jury to say the same thing over
his denial, and there was more Of a
chance OF the jury generating him.
81 do not feel that the State OF
So 'th Carolina has lost anything in
TINS plea OF guilty" said Mr.. Lyon.
II was taking chances, but have
had recorded on the court records of
this State the word Guilty opposite
the name OF j. S. Farnum. or course
proved him guilty before. The cvi-
dence shows it, but the verdict Of a
jury Of twelve men set all at naught
officially. Therefore, feel that if
the former trial with it's farcical de-
houemcnt and this plea Of guilty are
balanced, the State has achieved il
victory"
The stratcgical advantages gained
by Mr.. Lyon in securing this confess
sion are declared to be vastly
stronger than the mere fine OF
$4,000, and that is said to be the
largest fine on record in this Stale