The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-01-12
PLEADS GUILTY
Farnum Buys Immunity for Less Than It
Would Cost Elm to
FICET CASES IN COURT
One Of the Star Defendants in the
Dispensary Graft Prosecution
Finds it Cheaper to Pay Fine
Than Hire Lawyers, So He Pays
. Fine and Goes Free.

Than Hire Lawyers, So He Pay
. Fine and Goes Free.
! James S. Farnum. agent IN tn!
State for the Anheuse--Busch Brew
ing Company and other liquor hous
es which did business with the la:
State dispensa-y. in open court /!
Columbia on Wednesday PLEADED
guilty to charge OF conspiracy u
defraud the State. paid a fne o
$1,000. and vas told TO so and sir
10 more.
The Columbia Record says the
end Of this case was great surprise
and came without previous intima
ton Wednesday morning Attorney
General Lyon appeared in the Rich
land county court Of general ses
sions with Solicitor Cobb. aud pre
sented new :i,nc;ncnt against Far
mum, charging him with conspiracy
with Joseph R. Wylie. formerly men.
Der Of the State dispeasary board
to detraud the State.
The grand jury at once retired
and Wy!ie was examined as wit.
ness. In short while the grand
jury returned with true bill
Fa1orm and his attorneys then came
Into court and other proceedings
were interrupted while the attorney
general announced that Faraun de-
sired to plead guilty apd he would
accept the plea.
Farnum stood up and Judge
Prince asked for the written plea.
which Fa.aum sisued. Judge Prince
at once imposed sentence, saying
that IN view OF the plea he would
be lenient but not as leoient as
Fa-nun might wish. The Judge said
he knew Farnun's humiliation was
punishment, but that he described
further punishment, though his NOR
al guilt was not as great as that Of
the officers OF the State who had
participated In the conspiracy aad
accepted bribes.
He would therefore impose a SEN
tence OF $4,000 aae Or one years
Imprisonment on the chaingaag or
in the peniteatia-y. Farnum's at
torney produced a certificate Of de-
posit for $4,000. which had beeo
drawn Tuesday. and which was ac-
cepted as payment. and then the
judge amended the sentence. so as
10 eliminate the alternative OF I'M
prisonmeat.
The Record says Attorney General
Lyon will. In view OF FarruH's
plea. mol pros the other cases agains;
FarnUm. five in all. two 70. bribery
OF State d!spensary officials and three
for conspiracy, all based on similar
testimony. At the last term Of
court Fa-num was acquitted on a
charge OF conspiracy based cn prac-
tically the same set Of facts.
The sensational compromise OF the
cases against Farnum was entirely
unexpected until the very moment
when he and his attorneys. B. A.
Hagood and T. ". Mordecai. OF Char
lesion. and District Attorney Ernest
+. Cochran OF Anderson, appeared
in court with him. and TOOK seats
within the bar, while Attorney Cen
eral Lyon sa. near the soitc:i3..
awaiting an opportunity TO breaa in
Upon the trial Of the Medlin murder
case. Mr. Facnuul was looking .he
picture Of health.
When congratulated by a FREUD
on having an end OF the prosecution
against him. he said: Well. ] don:
know whether the situation calls
FOR congratulations or not. I don't
like 10 plead guilty. even with the
privilege OF paying fine. = fellow
does no; like to have thing like
Cal CI1IheC III -@SI.iSS A411.
The agreement under which the
cases against Farnum are TO De mol
pressed applies 10 all cases IN which
ne is z defendant. both those IN
Richland and in Chester. for bribery
and conspiracy. In the other cases
pending against State d!spensary
officials Farnu,n cannot De made TO
testify. however. as he has cons,t-
tutional immunity on the ground
shat his testimony might tend TO in
criminate him.
]; is understood that Farnum has
positively refused 70 testify against
his former friends. just as he refus-
ed TO take the stand and perjure
himself By denying that he had Civ
en- b-ibes or rebates. His pleas OF
GUILTY. however. is a complete adm!s-
sion OF the allegations Of corruption
brouch: against the State dispeasaTy
system.
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