The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-09-28
The Label CASE :
Celebrated lispensary Case ~ (:
The Cour!, al Columbia g
THREE MEN ARE NAMED

THREE MEN ARE NAMED
Conspiracy to Defraud the State Is
the Technical Charge Made Against
the Defendants, L. w. Boykin, D.
r. Towiu and w. o. Tatum, Form
er Dispensary Officials.
The Record says persistent argu'
ment over the admission or rejection
of testimony of witnesses and the en-.
trance Of records isto the evidence
were the predominating features OF
the first day of the. trial in the cele-
brated .label" case, which was COM
menced Tuesday morning in the court
of general sessions, at Columola
Judge Wilson presiding. The case
is one of the so-called dispensary
"c,raft cases. Defense and prosecu-
tion stating themselves ready for
trial in the case of the State against
W. e. Tatum, formerly dispensar!
commissioner; L. W. Boykin and
John Bell Ttowill, former members OF
the dispensary board, on the charge
of conspiracy to defraud the state
the trial commenced about 10 O'Clock
Tuesday morning.
Up to the dinner recess, three VIII
nesses for the prosecution had been
examined, these being Assistant Sec
retary of State w. B. Dove, Mr.. Es M.
Thomson, secretary OF the present
winding-up commission, and Mr. $
T. Garter, chief clerk in the State
treasurer's office. The principal mat
ters OF evidence brought out during
. the morning session of the court were
the stub book of the old dispensary
hoard. showing memoranda OF war
rants drawn on the State treasury,
two of which were in favor OF the
Nivison-Weiskopf company, OF Gin
cinnati, and the two vouchers cores
ponding from the vaults of the State
treasury. These showed two pay
ments of s17,SOs.50 each from the
dispensary commission, to the Wels-
kopf co;.psay.
The attorneys for the defense en-"
tered their names with the clerk.
Representing L. w. Boykln are
Messrs. Nelson, Nelson & Gettys OF
Columbia, gMessrs. Johnstone & Gro
mer OF 'Newberry and Mr.. r. H.
Welch of Columbia. Representing
John Bell Towill are Messrs. E. l..
Asbill Of Lexington and Solicitor
George B. Zimmerman, cousin OF
MIR. Towill- Attorneys for W. o.
Tatum are Messrs. Raysor & Sum-
mers OF Orangeburg, State Senator
Robert Lide of Orangeburg, T. H.
Tatum of Ellss opville, J. B. McLaugh-
lin of Columbia and r. H. Welch OF
Columbia. Attorneys for the defense
called the roll of their witnesses and
IT. was stated that they would all be
present during the day. Thereupon
the defense, announced itself ready
for trial.
Among the witnesses named were:
H, G. Garrison, w. M. Shannon, A.
D. Kennedy, w. B. Gordon, W. X.
Hough, John G. Richards, Jr., W. b.
Boyle, J. r.. Gidden, H. H. Evans,
M. O. DAIMLER, Willie Jones, J. T.
Matthews, W. G. Childs, G. Fitzsim-
ons. Charles Ellis, G. Med. Hamp-
ton, D. S. Pope, ]. J. Watson, Theo.
N, DuBose, l.. C. Lipscomb, William
Watson, Fl. B. Richardson and others.
The prosecution is conducted by At
torney General Lyon, assisted by MT.
w. F. Stevenson, Assistant Attorney
General NJ. P. DeBruhl, Solicitor w.
H. Cobb and Mr.. B. L. Abney.
The indictment which was read to
the jury charges that the three de-
PENDANTS were officials Of the State
dispensary, that they entered into a
conspiracy to defraud the State IN
the purchase of number Of labels
from the Nivison-Weiskopf company
at a total expenditure Of about $780,
600. defrauding the State in the sum
OF s22,5O0 in the transaction
Mr.. W. B. Dove, assistant secre-
tary of state, was the first witness
for the State, but the defense stated
that they would admit what the wit
mess was to prove, that the defen-
dants were officials of the old dispen-
sary board. Messrs. Boykin and
Towill were directors and Mr.. Tatum
commissioner. The first real fight
of the trial came when Mr.. E. NJ
Thomson, secretary Of the present
dispensary winding-up commission
was placed on the stand as the State's
second witness. The prosecution de-
sired to enter as evidence a stub book
containing the records of warrants
drawn by the dispensary board upon
the State treasurer. The defense OBJ.
jected to this book being entered in
evidence. Arguments were made by
Mr.. George Johnstone for the de-
fense and Mr.. Stevenson for the
State. The defense claimed that they
had a right to demand the checks OF
warrants themselves, which they said
u,o,,l5 ha tho highest evidence and