The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-07-24
BEFORE DISPENSARY PROBERS
THAT HE GAVE MONEY FOR PROTECTION
Charleston Wholesale Liquor Dealer UnwiInaIy Admits
Having Collected and Paid Monthly Sum
to Constable Stothart for Pro.
lection From Raids.

Appearing before the committee of
the general assembly Thursday, j. p.
u. ONeill, confessed wholesale and
retail whiskey dealer of Charleston,
gave testimony under oath that he had
been paying protection fund" of
about $50 month to Ben H. Stoth-
art, the chief whiskey constable in
Charleston.
oNeill made the direct charge that
he had collected this fund from sew
eral retail whiskey dealers.
The testimony by O'Neili was given
atter he had been put through grill
ing cross-examination by the commit
tee and after he had been threatened
Will jail sentence for contempt. The
witness when placed on the stand re-
tused to give testimony on the ground
that 1t might incriminate him. The
members of the committee took the
position that O'Neill must answer all
questions with reference to the Char
lesion situation or to be held in con-
tempt. The testimony of the witness
and his answer caused a general up
roar among the spectators. He tried
to evade practically every question
propounded on the ground that it
might incriminate him or other Char
lesion citizens. After conference
with his attorney, w. S. Nelson.
O'Neill said that he was ready to
answer all questions rather than take
a Jail sentence.
Story of the Scheme.
After evading questions by the com
mittee for more than one hour and
after several conferences with his at
torney, ONeill got down to his story
of confession and outlined the follow
ing scheme
He said that about IS months ago
Ben III. Stothart of Charleston came
to his place of business and inform
ed him that he had been appointed
as chief constable for Charleston
county
"Stothart told me that the boys
would be coming around to see me-"
said O'Neill.
ONeill then said that about one
month afterwards he placed the pro
lection fund" that he had collected
from the retail whiskey dealers in an
envelope and put the envelope under
the door of the office OF Ben II. Stoth-
art in Society street. He declared
that the money was left during the
night and that the envelope contained
the names of the retail dealers who
had paid for protection. O'Neill de-
clared that the protection desired"
was given to the retail dealers.
The testimony of O'Neil was the
most sensational that has ever been
given before the legislative commit
tee. In his testimony O'Neil declared
| that the collection of the protection
fund had commenced about IS
months ago, or just after the appoint
ment of Stothart by the governor of
South Carolina. At a recent meet
ing of the dispensary committee in
Charleston several confessed blind
tigers charged that they had been
paying protection fund to j. p. b.
ONeil, who was said to be a member
of the Marion Stock company. alleged
to be a Wholesale whiskey company
operating in the city OF Charleston.
The principal testimony on the pro
lection fund" given at the Charleston
hearing was by John j. Miller.
ONeil admitted before the commit
tee that Miller had been employed as
his agent and that he collected the
fund" from the ratailarc
Grace's Charges.
Several weeks ago Mayor Grace of
Charleston, made the charge that
graft had been traced practically up
to the governors office. The legis-
latiVe committee held a meeting in
Charleston wien a score of witnesses
appeared. Practically every witness
gave testimony that they had been
paying protection fund to the
wholesale whiskey dealers. The
Wholesale dealers charged with re-
ceiVing the fund were subpoenaed to
appear before the committee. The
committee met last week and
only one alleged wholesaler appear
ed He was Albert Sottile.
SOttile Was Dumb.
He refused to testify on the ground
that it might incriminate him, the
committee at that time let him off
Later case was found giving the
committee the right to force to tes-
tify and not to use the testimony in
criminal prosecution. O'Neil is the
first witness to be called and he has
directly charged the chief constable
of the governor OF South Carolina
with grating All of the other whole
salers will be called and they will be
forced to tell what they did with the
fund collected