The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-23

ity for protection eXttnueu item.
This originated with John P Grace,
the present mayor of Charleston, on
account of my not allowing him to
have the control and appointment of
the constabulary force in Charleston,
and to run the matter Of enforcing
the dispensary law and the sale of
whiskey in that city. The investigat-
ing committee has already heard him
and his attempted proof and the peo-
pie surely are convinced that there is
no foundation in any one OF his
charges" Each and every one OF his
false accusations have been denied
even my bitterest enemy, the Colum-
bia State, admitted that there was no
criminality traced to the governors
Office. I answered Grace's insinua-
tons at the campaign meeting in the
city of Charleston and stated in, his
presence that any man who made that
accusation against me was malicious
character thief and cowardly lair.
Interurban Railway.
In regard to my signing the bill
for the Piedmont-Northern company,
commonly known as the interurban.
This bill, as passed by the legisla-
ture, provided for the building of an
electric line around Spartanburg,
Greenville, Greenwood aid other
points in this State. thought it
contained too much power to give to
corporation, and, after carefully
looking over it, stated that I did not
think 1 would sign it. I received re-
quests from a number of people OF
that section, stating that the road
would be of great benefit to them.
Among others calling upon me in fav-
or of the measure, / now recall Hon.
D. H. Magill, of Greenwood; D. E.
lSmoak, Esq, of Greenville, and Sam.
j. .:.ichcls, Esq, of Spartanburg.
1 did not receive one cent of money
for approving this measure, nor was
threatened by any one on account OF
this bill, and if any lawyer received
fee for appearing before me in be-
half of the bill, it was without my
knowledge, and the payment OF any
such fee, if any was paid, exercised no
influence whatever in causing me to
take the action I did thereon, Some OF
the, very members of the committee
who are attempting to injure ne were
very active in the passage OF this
bill.
The Criminals -"DeFOrd and Porter"
In regard to the matter Of applica-
ton for pardon for one alleged to be
Gus DeFord, which petition has play
ed such prominent part i'll the die
tagraph proceedings had between
fCapt. Sam J. Nichols and cne Porter,
alias Reed, alias somebody else-I
don't know what his name isl will
state, in the first place, this great de-
tective, with a great flourish Of trum-
pets, stated that he had gone into the
South Carolina penitentiary and had
picked out not only the most notorious
criminal in that prison, but the most
notorious criminal in the United
States of America, in order to plant
scheme to trap me and my friend,
Capt. Nichols. Gus DeFord is not in
the penitentiary; but, ON the other
hand is a fugitive, from justice. 1t is
hardly necessary for me to refer to
this matter, in view of the testimony
that was submitted by their own wit
nesses and their famous dictagraph,
in which it was shown that there was
mo truth whatsoever in the alleged
statement of Fielder and his hireling
detective that l was to receive any
portion of the amounts that were to
be paid to the attorney who had been
employed to represent this alleged Gus
DeFord. On the cotrary, this very
dictagraph itself stated that the goVer-
nor of South Carolina could not be
bought and that it was useless to at
tempt to get the pardon from the gov
ernor of South Carolina by the use of
money. In addition to this, you have
the sworn testimony Of Capt. Nichols,
Young man we'll known throughout
South Carolina as man OF the nlgn-
est honor and integrity, who not only
voluntarily came to Columbia to tes-
tify. but insisted that meeting OF
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