The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-11-10
GRAFT TRIALS IN CHESTER.
Cases Commenced Against Former
State Dispensary Commissioners.

Chester, Nov. THE graft
cases which have been pending in the
courts of this State for two years
were called to trial here to-day.
After the grotesque verdict of a
Richland jury in the Farnum case a
year ago when the defendant was ac-
quilted and later pleaded guilty to al
most the identical charge, the at
torney general decided to go to trial
in some other county with the re-
naming cases. Chester county was
selected because the principal in the
conspiracy charge, Joe B. Wylie, is
said to have got 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 it's mass of evidence and con-
fessions, may have an uphill fight.
The Defendants.
The defendants are John Black,
Jodie NJ. Rawlinson and H. Lee Solo
mons. The original indictment nam
ed also Morton A. Goodman, Jno. T..
Early, 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, 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 de-
fraud the State of South Carolina
and with having taken $4,000
which belonged to the State of South
Carolina.
The presiding judge is Ernest
Moore, of Lancaster, representing
Judge Klugh, who is i'll.
The Counsel.
The attorney general, Mr.. Lyon, is
assisted in the prosecution by w. F.
Stevenson and B. L. Abney. Solicitor
Henry is i'll and is represented by j..
C. Mcclure, of Chester.
The attorneys for the defendants
are as follows: For Rawlinson, Wes-
ton & Aycock and R. H. Welch, of
Columbia; for John Black, John M.
Wise, of Chester, and NJ. P. Howell,
of Walterboro and Nelson, Nelson &
Gettys, of Columbia; for H. Lee Solo,
mons, A. L. Castor, of Chester,
former State dispensary leader in the
legislature and a member of the in
vestigating committee.
May Consume Week.
The hearing of the case promises
to last a week. There were no dila-
tory motions to-day, no questioning
the venue, no plea of former jeopar-
DIV for Black, but the case was enter
ed upon at once. However the de-
fense has contested every inch OF
ground in admitting into evidence
extracts from the bid book, purchase
book, minute book, invoice book and
check book of the dispensary board
under which this particular graft is
alleged.
Judge Moore polled the jury and
the attorneys on both sides and Sc
cured unanimous consent to 60 on
with the trial Tuesday, which Is gen.
eral election day and holiday.
The Defendants.
Of the defendants, Jodie NJ. Raw
linson is a farmer of Richland coun-
ty, John Black is a native of COL
Teton county, was shipping clerk at
the dispensary, later represented a
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.
Lee Solomons is now business man
of Estill, Hampton county. He repre-
sented in 1906 the Big Springs Dis
tilling company of Savannah, Strauss
Pritz & Co., of Cincinnati.
Witnesses.
Among the witnesses here to tes-
tify are Jno. T. Farley, who then rep
resented Fleischmann &. Co.; w. D.
Roy, head of the Belroy Distlll1ng
company and secretary of the whis-
KEY trust, and Col. c. w. Dudley, or
the United States Distilling company.
Col. Dudley has been very mucn
:, ao,,ond for couD1e of wears, but