The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-01-21
LIQUOR CASES WOUND UP.
LAST OF CASES TRIED MONDAY
AFTERNON BRING CONVICT
IONS.
George Il. Mckagen and X. S. Griffin,
White, Found Guilty by Jury.-NO-
tice OF Appeal.-Mr. Noise Says
City Ordinance is Demonstrations.

George p. McKagen was called up
for trial in the police court before Re-
corder Lee. Mr.. Harmon d. Noise,
attorney for the defendant, asked
that the case be dismissed on the
ground that the ordinance under
which the case was tried was uncon-
stitutional. This point yas overruled
by the Recorder. who held that, while
part of the ordinance might be un-
sound or crude in it's phraseology,
the whole Of 1t was not and the part
brought to bear in this trial was
sound. Mr.. Noise then brought up
other technical points which the Re-
corder also overruled. Mr.. Noise
then asked that the case be postpon-
ed, but as sufficient grounds were not
advanced for this request it was not
granted.
The case was then called for the
afternoon at 4 p. m. when 1t was re-
commenced. The evidence put up
showed that j. c. Dunning and G. L.
Moseley. the two detectives hired by
the city, had purchased whiskey from
McKagen on the 10th and goth of De-
cember, 1910.
The jury, after being out for only
few minutes, brought in a verdict
Of guilty on both counts. Recorder
Lee then sentenced McKagen to pay
a Inc of 500 or serve 80 days on each
count.
The court then took up the case
against r. s. Griffin, also white, for
selling whiskey to l.. A. Welch on De-
cember the 18th. Welch and III. G..
McKagen were the witnesses put up
by the city while Griffin took the
stand in his own behalf. The de-
Tense plead by Griffin was that he
had bought the whiskey for Welch
only after urgent persuasion on the
part Of Welch. that he kept no whis-
key In his own store, and that he
bought 1t from one Mary Holmes,
who has since that time left town.
He stated at the time that he was ar
rested that he had purchased the
whiskey from Len West, bat upon
reconsideration Of the matter he had
remembered that he had on this &C.
casion purchased it from Mary
Holmes. He said he had been in the
habit Of buying it from Len West,
who also was out Of town, and on
first thought he had said Len West,
but he had remembered better after
wards.
Short arguments were put up by
the opposing counsel, Mr.. Geo. d.
Levy, for the defense, and Mr.. John
II. Clifton. for the city. Mr.. Levy
asked that Mr.. Griffin be acquitted as
the evidence showed that there had
been no sale to Mr.. Griffin, who had
only bought the whiskey for Mr..
Welch as an accommodation, while
Mr.. Clifton argued that Mr.. Griffin
was in collusion with the seller.
After being out about five minutes
the jury brought in the usual verdict
Of guilty and the usual fine of 500 or
80 days on the chain gang was i'm
posed.
Mr.. Noise, the attorney for Nc
Hagen gave notice Of an appeal and
bond was arranged for while the ap-
peal was pending.
With the winding up Of these two
cases came the winding up of all of
the cases caused by the recent whole
sale arrests of the blind tiger liquor
sellers in the rity.
There were about twenty of them
In all and not one Of them was allow
ed to escape the wrath Of the law and
the city's ordinance. There was a
conviction in every case. No small
credit is due to Recorder Lee who
tried the cases, to Mr.. John III. Cliff
ton, who prosecuted all of the cases
for the city, to Chief Bradford and
Policeman H. G.. McKagen. who made
the capture and conviction possible
by their untiring work and energy
displayed in finding out the tigers
and In working up cases against
| them.