The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-12-06
Graa- jury Considers Charge Agains!
Thos. B. Fielder, Of atlanta
BRIBERY IS CHARGED
Accused Of Trying to Corrupt 81. n.
Evans, While He Was Chairman Of
the Old State Dispensary Board Of
Control by Offering BIN Bri5e
TO Purchase Liquor.

In tie Court Of General Sessions
at Newberry on last Monday morn
Ing a bill of indictment was handed
to the grand jury, charging Thomas
B. Fielder, Of Atlanta, with attempt
ing to bribe H. Il. Evans in 1905,
while Evans was chairman Of the
board of directors Of the State dis
pensary. At that time Evans was
on the board with John Bell Towill,
Of Batesburg, and L. ". Boykin, OF
Camden.
Evans, Towill and Boykin were
sworn as witnesses before the grand
jury. Governor Blease was in Court
at the time the Indictment was hand
ed out by Solicitor Cooper. The in
dtctment follows 4 warrant sworn
out some months ago by B. Frank
Kelley, then secretary Of the dispen-
sary winding-up commission.
This warrant was placed IN the
hands Of Sheriff Butord Of Newber-
~ county. who went to Atlanta for
Fielder, but was poweriess to arrest
him, because Governor Brown, Of
Georgia, refused to honor the requi-
sition issued by Governor Blease Of
South Carolina.
The indictment comes after an in
yestigation by the winding-up COM
mission. Judge Gage charged the
grand jury that they should find q
true bill if the testimony before them
satisfied them beyond reasonable
doubt; If not, to find mo bill" In
addition to the former members Of
this dis2ensary board sent before the
grand jury, it is understood that
several letters purporting to have
been written by Fielder to Evans and
other were submitted to the jury.
The bill Of Indictment is drawn
under Section 261 of the Criminal
Code and contains three counts, In
effect, it charges that Fielder, on or
about October End, 1905, offered H.
Il. Evans, of Newberry, then chair
man Of the State dispensary board, 2
large amount OF stock In a company
organized by Fielder, to influence
Evans vote to secure orders for Ii
Quors from the company organized.
The first count charges that on the
date named Fielder offered Evans
S50,0eo of the capital stock Of this
company organized under the laws of
one Of the States Of the United States.
said State being to the jurors known.
The second count charges Fielder
with offering Evans s250,000 of the
preferred stock Of this company and
the third count charges the offer by
Fielder to Evans Of the S250,000 in
lawful money Of the United States,
being practically 2 repetition of the
second count in 3 different form.
The famous ''T. P.' letter, address
ed "Dear Hub which was some time
ago given to the press by Governor
Blease, as a letter written by Eel
der to Evans, bears date Atlanta,
October 2, 1905, and the indictment
appears to be grounded upon the mat
ters set out in this letter.
When Court reconvened after the
dinner recess Judge Gage suggested
to the grand jury that if all the wit
nesses had testified before them in
the Fielder case, since this case could
not be tried at this term of Court,
and as the Court was waiting upon
the findings Of the grand jury on
other bills handed thsm, that they
postpone consideration Of the Fielder
case until they had disposed Of other
indictments, in order that the Court
might be kept busy.