The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1911-08-16
REPRESENTATIVE WILLIS
BRUSHES WITH BLEASE
ACCUSES HIM OF D!seourtsgy 80 n
Young Lady Ticket Agent at Bolton.
Blease Makes Reply.

Young Lady Ticket Agent at Bolton.
Blease Makes Reply.
Belton, Aug. 9.-In it's issue of Fri
day morning, August A, the Bolton
Zines carried an article. giving an
account of an incident that occurred
In the Southern railway station here
Saturday afternoon, July 20. The Incl
dent caused no little amount of COM
ment here in Belton. One of Gov.
Blease's adherents, James G.. Harris.
wrote the governor, asking him IL the
article was true. and the governor
replied under date of August 5. deny
The Times had brought against him,
and further caller the editor of The
Times a liar. Numbers of people Of
fered to substantiate the article, and
the editor of the paper has secured
sworn afiidavits to prove its truth
j. Archie Willis of Laurens county,
member of the State legislature
from Laurens county, is the owner
of The Times. He came to Bolton
from Laurens yesterday, and when
shown the article, published in the
Anderson Intelligencer, which in
cluded Gov. Blease's letter to his
friend, Mr.. Harris, he proceeded to
get the proofs that the article pub
iished I'm last Fridays Times was true
in every respect. He secured the
sworn afildavits of people who wit
messed the conduct of the governor
that his papers article was absolutely
true. and he wrote Gov Belase let
ter yesterday afternoon. inclosing af-
fidavits.
Letter to Governor.
The letter follows:
"Belton, s. c., Aug. 8. 1911.
Hon. Cole l.. Dlease, Governor OF
South Carolina, Columbia, S. G
Dear Sir: | have just read copy
OF your letter to James G. Harris,
published in this mornings Anderson
1ntelligencer, i'm which you accuse the
editor of the Belton Times with hav-
ing lied in the published account of
your ungentlemanly conduct in the
railway station here on Saturday af-
ternoon, July 20. AS to the remaining
contents OF your letter, you have
called so many editors in this State
dirty scurrilous little editors that it
must appear to you the joke has grown
rather stale.
"The facts in the article referred
to were published precisely as stated
by the young lady of whom you
bought your ticket. and j am inclos-
ing you herewith her sworn affidavit
to the effect that the article was true
in every respect. l am going to the
further trouble to accommodate your
excellency. and am inclosing you also
the sworn affidavit of James Alex
ander. the we'll known superintend-
ent of the Pelzer mills. who witnessed
tInt fIn
pened exactly as reported in the Bel
ton Times. So, with this evidence in
your hands, 1t must appear very plain
20 you that you must go further than
accusing the editor Of The Times with
having lied II you want to prove
yourself innocent of the charge which
the young lady has lodged against
you. You must do that which no gen.
tleman having the high sense of hon
or which you claim to have would
do, and must accuse the young lady
with having perjured herself, At the
same time, my dear sir. YOU must
prove the sworn statement of the Ben>
tleman who witnessed 1t, and who has
made a sworn affidavit that the article
published in the Belton Times was a
true account Of what happened, to
be n lie also.
"And now, my dear sir ont of re-
spect for the governorship OF my
State, n member of whose general as
sembly l have the honor to be, / re.
frain from telling you what I know
you are, and Iut 1t up to your con-
stituency to judge as to whether or
not you are the one who has lied
about the matter.
"Very TesDectfulIy
(SigneD 81. Archie Wills,
Publisher the Belton Times"
1nclosed with the letter Mr. Willis
included the affidavit of Miss Rogers,
the ticket agent, and also the afHda-
Wit of James NJ Alexander, superin-
tendent of the Pelzer mills.
Mr.. AleXandcr's Affidavit.
The following affidavit was sent the
BeltOn Times by Mr.. Alexander from
Pelzer yesterday afternoon:
"The controversy between Gov
Cole Blease and Miss Rogers as
printed in the Belton Times, is cor
rect. | was present trying to get a
ticket for the train going to Green
VILE and heard the. conversation
Would not have known the man If
he had not said. Il am Cole Blease,
governor of South Carolina etc.
(SignedJ Jas. NJ. Alexander.
"Sworn to before me this the Sth
day OF August 1911.
(SeaD 81. H. Merritt,
Notary Public South Carolina"
The Governors Conduct.
Jhe following extract from the ar
ticle published in The Times is what
tho ppUnrnnr hoe 1aniaJ b,,t u,Li al,