The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-10-04
The LABEL CASE
Celebrated Dispeusary Case Called in
The Ceur! at Columbia
THREE MEN ARE NAMED

the Defendants, L. ". Boykin, J.
B. Towill and W. o. Tatun, 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 into the evidence
were the predominatiag features of
the first day Of the trial in the cele-
brate6 label case. which was COM
menced Tuesday morning in the court
of general sessions, at Columbia,
Judge Wilson presiding. The case
is one Of the so-called dispensary
graft cases." Defense and prosecu-
ton stating themselves ready for
trial in the case OF the State against
W. G. Tatum, formerly dispensar,
commissioner; L. W. Boykin and
John Bell Towill, 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 wit
nesses for the prosecution had been
examined, these seing Assistant Sec
retary of State W. B. Dove, Mr.. E. NJ.
Thomson, secretary of he present
winding-up commission, and Mr.. S.
T. Carter, chief clerk in the State
treasurer's Office The principal mat
tiers of evidence brought out during
the morning session Of the court were
the stub book OF the old oispensary
board, showing memoranda of war
rants drawn on the State treasury,
two of which were in favor Of the
Nivison-Weiskcpf company, Of Gin
cinnati, and the two vouchers CORES
ponding from the vaults Of the State
treasury. These showed two pay
ments of s17,SQS50 each from the
dispensacy commission, to the WelS-
kopf ;.pa1y
The attorneys for the defense en-
tered their names with the clerk.
Representing L. ". Boykin are
Messrs. Nelson, Nelson & Gettys of
Columb bia, Messrs. Johnstone & Gro
mer Of New,berry and Mr.. r. H.
Welch OF Columb bia. Representing
John Bel. Towill are Messrs. E. L..
Asbill of Lexington and Solicitor
George B. Zimmerman, cousin of
MI. Towill Attorneys for ". O..
Tatum are Nessrs. Raysor & Sum-
mers Of Orangeburg, State Senator
Robert Lide of Orangeburg, T. H.
Tatum of Rishopvilla, J. 3. 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. C. Garrison, ". NJ. Shannon, A.
D. Kennedy, W. B. Gordon, W. R..
Hough, John G. Richards, Jr., ". B.
Boyle, J. K Gidden, H. H. Evans,
NJ. o. Dantzler, Willie Jones, J. P.
Matthews, ". C. Childs, c. Fitzsim-
ons, Charles Ellis, G. Med. Hamp-
ton, D. S. Pope, J. J. Watson, Theo.
n. DuBose, I. C. Lipscomb, William
Watson, H. B. Richardson and others.
The prosecution is conducted by At
torney General Lyon, assisted by Mr..
w. F. Stevenson, Assistant Attorney
General NJ. P. DeBruhl, Solicitor ".
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 a number Of labels
from the Nivison-We eiskopf company
at total expenditure of about $685.
900, defrauding the State in the sum
OF S22,500 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
ness was to prove, that the defen-
dants were officials of the old dispen-
sary board. Messrs. Boykin and
Towill were directors and NJ. 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 States
second witness. The prosecution de-
sired to enter as evidence stub book
containing the records OF warrants
drawn by the dispensary board upon
the State treasurer. The defense OBJ
evidence. Arguments were made by
Mr.. George Johnstone for the de-
fense and Mr.. Stevenson for the
State. The defense claimed that they
had right to demand the checks or
warrants themselves. which they said
would be the highest evidence and
not merely the memoranda of these
checks.
w ~S
cept these stubs as evidence Of mon
ey paid out by the commissioner, 1t
would have to be proved that the
memorandums so made were made
under the authority OF the board that
the writing was the handwriting Of
the defendants. The objection was
finally oyeruled by Judge Wilson and
the evidence was submitted.
Several stubs were read to the jury
by Mr. Stevenson showing warrants
drawn in favor OF the Weiskopf COM
pany. Upon cross examination Mr..
Thomson stated that he had come
into the possession CT the books only
the day before and could not vouch
for its being the records made under
the supervision Of the board. The