The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-12-20
MANNING, S. c., WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 70 1911
Rich AND RACY
CeIeneI Fslaer's Book o. G,veruer
BIease to be Published Soon.
IS VERY SENSATIONAL

~ sGAsS Ne1s0a SAWisEaE
The Expose OF the Governor by the
Atlanta attorney IS Said to be
in the Printers Hands and Will
Soon be Given to the ANXIOUS
Public.
The Spartanburg Herald says it
was informed Wednesday night OF
: rumor which, il "erifed, is likely
to prove one Of the most startling
political sensations South Carolina
has ever known. The rumor is that
Thomas B. Fielder, the Atlanta at
torney, has fulfilled his promise to
write a book concerning Gov. Cole
L. B!ease, and the volume is now
in the hands OF the printers. 1t is
called Fielder on Blease' and is
said to contain revelations OF most
extraordinary character.
The gentleman who mentioned the
rumor to The Herald is one whose
name is known to every well inform
ed citizen Of the state and is Of un-
impeached veracity. He save the
story on hearsay evidence. He has
had occasion to travel all over the
state and asserted that he had met
several reputable people who claimed
to have seen the book or extracts
from it.
In the book are recorded many al
legations concerning the governor.
One of them, it was incidentally
mentioned, concerned an elleged
happening on a train between Spar
tanburg and Greenville. The date
and hour of the occurrence, the num-
Der Of the train and other particu-
lars are given, it is said. There is
great wealth Of detail in the stories
Of all the incidents and agents re-
lated in the book.
Thomas 3. Fielder demonstrated in
certain letters which he wrote con-
cerning Governor B!ease last winter
that he has fac:le pen, a ready
vocabulary and vigorous style. His
hook is said fully to sustain the rep
utation he made with those epistles.
It is said to be a terrific and savage
arraignment Of the governor.
Thomas B. Fielder was employed
by the old dispensary winding-up
commission to unearth evidence
Iagainst the dispensary grafters. He
rendered valuable service and was Of
great assistance to Attorney General
J. Fraser Lyon in the prosecution of
the grafters and recovery Of money
unIawfully taken from the state.
Governor Blease, it will be re-
called, made charges by insinuation
against the winding-up commission
soon after he took Office and asked
the legislature to make an investiga-
ton. The legislature promptly
adopted a resolution calling for such
an investigation. In his message to
the legislature Governor Blease made
charges against Fielder, who vigor-
ously replied in terms most uncom-
plimentary to the governor.
Governor Blease soon afterward
removed the members Of the wind
! ing-up commission from Office and
appointed new commission. Lieu
tenant Governor Smith appointed the
senate members of the committee to
investigate the old winding-up COM
mission before Governor Blease had
signed the resolution providing for
the investigation.
When doubt was raised as to
whether the governor would approve
Of the investigation, even although
he himself had asked for it, Fielder
served notice that fthe governor did
not approve OF the bill within a GER
tain time he would write book ex-
posing Blease.
The governor finally vetoed the
resolution for the Investigation on
the ground that the senators appoint
ed on the investigating committee
were hostile to him. It was about
this time that Fielder wrote vitrolic
letters concerning the governor,
whom he invited either 70 prosecute
him for libel or to meet him in a
personal encounter outside Ct South
Carolina.
The new dispensary winding-up
J commission caused a warrant to be
sworn out against Fielder. charging
him with having attempted to bribe
II. H. Evans in 1905 when Evans
was chairman OF the state dispen-
sary. Governor Joe Brown, Of Geor-
gia, refused to permit Fielder to be
eytradited. Fielder gave out letters
purporting to have been written by
BIease and acknowledging the re-
ceipt of alleged bribes.
The Newberry County grand jury
took up the charge against Fielder
A couple of weeks ago, but after
long deliberation, found no Dill. IN
the meantime, Felder,s book has
been awaited by those who thought
him in earnest, while others declared
that he was merely making a grand
stand play, and had no intention OF
fulfilling his threats.
The latest heard from FEEDER was
a couple Of months ago when sena-
tor Tillman said he would fight
; Blease if shown to his entire salts
faction that the governor was
crooked. Fielder was quoted as say
ing apropos Of Senator TIllman's re-
mark that if he wanted proof that
Blease was crook that proof would
i. shortly be forthcoming in an over
whelrlinS degree.