New-York tribune., 1912-07-15
GOV. BLEASE DARES
lisl
PROBERS TO FIGHT DUEL ] /
South Carolina Executive Offers
$1,000 to Get "Tom" Fielder
Into the State.
ABUSES WHOLE COMMITTEE
Invites q Member Who Objected
to His Attacks to Shoot It
Out" with Him on Colum.
bia Streets.
fBy Telegraph 70 The rrIbuno.l |

dares to Thomas 3. Fielder to settle their
differences with a duel and violently de-
nounc!ng every member Of the investigate
ing committee from South Carolina which
has been probing the charges OF tEeder and
the evidence Of the dictagraph in Augusta.
Governor Cole L. Blease Of South Carolina
to-day was NtrioIic in his criticism Of those
who opposed him.
Declaring that Mr. Fielder was thief, ne
said:
Il will give any man 5000 who will get
Tom Fielder two feet on this side OF the
Savannah River and let me be present"
The members Of committee Governor
B!ease called gutter snipes" and many un-
printable names.
IF they will come 10 me-" he continued,
II will call them something that will make
any man in South Carolina fight"
And, by direction, he invited member
OF the committee who did not like what he
said TO meet him on the streets Of Columbia
and shoot it out" with him.
OF Judge Jones he said:
Hes got mixed blood In him and
can't get MIN TO admit it. During the war
he and his people were IN the bulTushes,
ike Moses, and we couldn't pull EN- out
John T. Duncan !s a cleverer man than
Ira 2. Jones II tell you why. Like a
coward, with his mixed blood, Jones came
here to Bamberg, and behind my back,
when I was not here 70 arra!gn him, at
tacked me and now when 1 am here he
comes apolog!zing TO you for social equal
ity vote"
The Governor, IL denouncing the commit
tee for meeting in Georgia instead OF Soutn
Carolina, spoke OF Georgia as a state tAat
can't raise anything But degenerates ana
waterne!ons," and Of Governor Brown og
Georgia as "a man who did not have sense
enough even 70 raise watermelon
Referring 10 his pardon record, testimony
as 70 which played an important part in
the Investigation at Augusta, the Governor
said:
They say that have pardoned a great
many people. I have. and. by the living
Cod. propose to pardon more
THAT dirty set Of sneaks," he continued,
have gone over 10 Augusta 70 take the
testimony Of Tom Fielder, who's q thief,
and he knows It. and the Attorney General
Of South Carolina knows that Fielder is
the greatest CRATER that ever came INTO
the state FeldeTs statements at Augusta
are false, and the cowardly little puppy
knows Il, and that's why he Is AFRAID 10
come to South Carolina.
1T is against the law 10 send challenges
in South Carolina, but II any OF that COM
mittee will come to me and tell me he BE-
ueyes what Tom Fielder said you won't
need any duelling law, and Charles Smith
will be your Governor"
Charles A. Smith IS Lieutenant Governor
OF the state
.IfI were as black as they tried 70 paint
me- at Augusta" the Governor said. would
have the face 10 come here and stand oe-
fore YOU and shake the hands or honest
peopIe of this county? The dirty sEunks or
that committee are not hurting me; they
are trying TO besm!rch the Governor OF
YOUR state-to hurt the name OF soutn
Carolina
Atlanta, July l4-"Governor Blease COM
mitted felony while in Atlanta In ls4I' ana
will be indicted for it by an Atlanta gEah'
Jury" declared Thomas Fielder on MS Ie-
turn to Atlanta to-day.
He stated that the legislative commitee
had by no means heard all the evidence
he and Detective Burns had 10 oner' ana
that It would not be submitted until after
the eubernatorial primary at which time
the grand Jury Of South Carolina wouId
have an opportunity TO act.
As for Governor Bleases dares 70 meet
him" continued Mr. Fielder, L have only
70 say that I will gladly meet him any
where outside Of South Carolina and VII
give him all the satisfaction he desires
His charges that l am a bully and bras-
CART are ridiculous He has those qualities
cornered."
Augusta. Ca, July 1.-THE alleged tele-
pbonic record Of the conversation between
Detective Reed and Sam J. Nichols, taken
al spartanburg, referred to IN YESTERDAY
hearing before the dispensary investigat-
ing committee OF the South Carolina Legis-
latura, was made the day before the South
Carolina delegation left for Baltimore
The conversation lasted lve hours ana
covered a wide range OF topics. While as-
cussing the Johnson pardon Nicho!Ls IS
recorded as saying Blease would surely
grant the pardon after the election, al
though Nichols was not so sure OF MS
action before that time. please always
does as 1 tell him." Nichols is recorded ~
saying, and II we insist we may be ao!e
10 get the pardon before he is elected. We
have got to get up a petition. B!ease
don't care who signs the petition; all No
wants is the petition
Continuing, the record credits Nicho1s
as saying the only thing he had done since
Rlease was Governor that caused comment
was having the Governor sign OIL
authorizing q franchise 10 an interuGoah
railroad. The bill was adopted with onV :
three votes TO spare.
Accord!ng 10 the record Nichols learned
Rlease contemplated vetoing the measure
The record quotes the following CONVERSE
ton, as told by NICHOLS:
Governor. what about that railroad
bil?' said NICHOLS.
Il am going to veto the damned tnins'
the Governor replied
"oh. don't fly of your nut" NiehoIls S
| recorded as saying. Il want TO tak 'n'
matter over with you"
Nichols is alleged to have told how later
ba demonstrated with the Governor. on
visit, 70 his house. saying: IL You doh
sjgn the biz I'll raise hell You arc e!'He'
E6hing il because you don't hse the then
hack OF it or you are being paid by the
Southern Railroad" .sr.
Accora,ng TO the record, Nichols then
s+or,aa 70 leave the Governor, when thd
latter said: Come back here minute,
Come IN and bring this damned raiir0aa
b,u I am going TO sign IL to get rid o.
the damned thins"
!
a1> - Gum m or |