The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-06-01
ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION.
COMMISSION SWEARS OUT WAR
RANT FOR FIELDER.
Charges Attempt to Bribe II. II
Eyans.-Felder Sends Charac-
acteriStc Letter.

A warrant charging T. B. Fielder of
Atlanta with offering and attempt
ing to bribe a State officer and with
conspiracy to defraud the State of
South Carolina, was sworn out Mon
day at Newberry by B. F. Kelly, Sec
retary of the new dispensary COM
mission. The warrant was sworn out
before ]. G. Sample and was placed
in the hands of Sheriff Buford Of that
county.
It is not known whether an at
tempt will be made to secure extra
dition papers. Mr.. Kelly when asked
if extradition papers would be secur-
ed said, that is a bridge that we
have not crossed
The warrant against Fielder was
sworn out following the adoption of
the following resolution by the new
dispensary commission:
whereas, certain information
having come into our possession,
which we are advised is sufficient
upon which to secure conviction,
"Be it resolved, that the secretary
of this commission is hereby instruct
ed to Immediately swear out war
rant for the arrest of one Thomas B.
Fielder for offering and attempting
to bribe State officer of the State
of South Carolina and for conspiracy
to defraud the said State"
No Official Statement.
The commission has given no Of
fetal statement as to the State official
Mr.. Fielder is charged with attempt
ing to bribe. The swearing out of
the warrant follows sensational
counter charges on the part Of Mr..
Fielder and the governor of South
Carolina. The governor recently
made public letter purporting to
have been written to H. H. Evans,
former chairman of the State dispen-
sary board of control, by T. B. Eel
der, offering to frame up deal
for 100000. The letter in ques-
tin was signed ''T. b. This letter
| was secured from H. H. Evans by the
governor. Just what kind of infor-
nation the commission has against
Mr.. Fielder is not known.
The commission met in Columbia
Monday. Several weeks ago an or
der was issued requiring Mr.. Fielder,
a member of the firm of Anderson,
Fielder, Wilson & Roundtree of At
lanta, to come to Columbia on May
% and tell what he knew of the acts
of the governor as private citizen,
State senator and chief executive in
connection with the dispensary stu
alton. Mr.. Fielder did not come to
| Columbia. The commission accord
| ingly adopted the resolution direct
ing that a warrant be sworn out
against him. Mr.. Fielder sent a let
ter to the commission in which he
explained his position.
The letter of Mr.. Fielder follows:
Felder's Letter.
| MAY 26, 1911.
Mr.. James Stackhouse, Chairman,
and Mr.. B. Frank Kelly, Secretary,
State Dispensary Commission of
South Carolina, Columbia, S. C.
Gentlemen:
Receipt of your valued favor of
the 18th instant is hereby acknowl-
edged. I have been absent from the
city for the past week or 10 days,
conducting some investigations on
my own account anent. the matters
referred to in the second paragraph
of the series of resolutions adopted
by your commission at a meeting
held in Columbia on the 9th instant,
a copy of which you caused to be
transmitted to me here.
after mature consideration, I
have reached the deliberate conclusi-
on that if your governor could with
propriety create a commission who
are all friends of mine and person
al supporters to investigate the
members of the old commission, the
attorney general of the State of
South Carolina and the agents, at
torney and employees of the old COM
mission, and to make a rigid investi-
cation of all of my (Blease) acts as
State senator, private citizen and
governor of the State I could with
equal propriety resolve myself into a
committee Of one to make investiga-
tions as to the said Blease, his al
lies and affiliates. I think it will be
conceded that my jurisdiction Is
equally as broad as yours; that
have the same authority to subpoena
witnesses, compel their attendance,
a.