The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-06-03
Vol. XXXII. No. 80.


approval He asked the court to take
cogniZance Of this situation.
The Supreme Court did not decide
/ tonight the right Of the counsel ar,-
ployed by the commission to reprc-
sent the commission, but stated that
1t permitted counsel to be heard as
amicus curiae, (friend Of the court)
and as appearing for the individual
members Of the commission in the
matter before the court. The court
'ntlmated that in the proceeding be-
fore 1t tonight it was no .ncerned
with the right of cour appear
for the commission.
1t recognizes - ney General
Lyons right to = ar for the State
and hear otF ~ -msel, amici curiae.
the Stu the proceedings, Attor-
ney ~ Il Lyons brief statement of
tn Ger before the court was the
e. ssion of doubts as to the author
ity Of the commission TO order the
turning over Of the records. Mr..
Lyons position was a peculiar one.
in the circumstances, as he, nominally
representing the commission as the
Attorney General, his attitude was
on its face, against the contention Of
the commission by the expressing of
the doubts as to the powers conferred
by the several Acts.
Mr.. Lyon pointed out that the Act
OF 1907 gave the commission power to
| investigate the affairs of the old State
dispensary. Was the Act prospective?
DIR. William ]. Murray, former
chairman Of the State dispensary
commission, that was removed by
Governor Blease, was placed under
arrest for contempt at 2:15 o'clock to-
| day. Immediately his counsel OBJ
tanned an order from the Chief Jus
tice in habcas corpus proceedings.
The order was retnrnable .at
o'clock, when the marshais Of the
commission appeared with the body
lof Or. Murray and the habeas cofp6s
proceedings We're sentered into with
the result that Or. Murray was ur,-
lconditionaaly dischargede
There were lengthy statements by
Attorneys Belser and Stevenson Tor
! las.s. ~. "a w, Al, IIolnan. Of
= 8 &: IS 49, -asts q sitSs' s.ss
r y ssfet;s s's serof the commission.
The gist sof the situation: Dir. Muir
| ray refused to turn over vouchers the
commission claimed were needed in
the work Of investigating. The vouch-
ers were claimed by Dr. Murray and
MS colleagues of the old commission
to be necessary for personal protec-
ton in case Of an investigation, be-
ing the receipts IF moneys paid out.
| Dr. Murray was willing that copies
be taken or that inspection be had
| at the bank in this city, where the
vouchers are kept. The legal po-
sition was, in the main. set out in the
statement OF Attorney Stevenson be-
| fore the commission earlier in The
| day, that the vouchers were not the
| property Of the new commission. but
were the private property Of the old
commission for protection, was the
main contention.
! A Wy
ton, claimed for the new commission
that the question of eXpediency
should not enter into the habeas cor
pus proceedings; that the vouchers
were necessary for the work of the
commission ard that they were pub
lie records. A compromise solution
was suggested. which in effect is
what the order of the court means.
The order will formally be made to-
morrow.
The proceedings attracted much at
tertion. Present were the members
of the new commission; two members
of the old commission, Or. Murray
GE,l John McSween, Of Timmonsville;
the Attorney General and the assist
ant Attorney General, in addition to
counsel and number Of interested
spectators. The afternoon proceed
ings were halted when il was found
that probably the new commission
had not heen notified of the habeas
corpus proceedings. They were no
tilted for the night session Of the
| court.
STREET FIGHT IN MENICO.