Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-07-17
GOV, bLEASE
IN ON GRAFT
FOR PARDON
|DIclsgraph Records Agree.
ment Whereby Governor
Was 10 get $4,000
S|ueths Say he Was ClOseted
With Man Who Fixed
The Deal
South Carolina Investigating
Committee Has 4 big
Proposition

AUGUSTA, ia, july .-DetectlVe
Reed Of the w. ]. Burns agency, told
the investigating committee Of the
South Carolina Legislature that he
talked with a man pnrporting to be
an agent of Gov. Blease and that an
agreement was fixed up whereby a
convict was to be pardoned for $15,.
900, out of which the Governor was
to get $1,000. To support his charge
the detective introduced dictagraph
records, in which the conversation
was recorded.
To make his case even stronger
the detective said he had received a
message from Bambery, S. c., from
other Burns detectives that Blease
was at that moment closeted with
the man who made the agreement.
The most interesting feature of the
hearing when it was resumed late in
the afternoon was the submission of
dlctagraph records secured by detect
ives in the employ of Burns.
Detective Deed, who operated in
South Carolina as IN. M. Porter, At
torney, Chicago" secured the dicta-
graph records involving Gov. Blease.
The dictagraph record purpOrted to
show that in the New Willard Hotel
in Washington, Porter and Sam j.
Nichols discussed at considerable
length the matter of securing a par
don for Gus Deford, the safe blower,
who had served a term in the Federal
penitentiary in Atlanta and upon his
release was taken by the South Caro-
lima authorities and sentenced to ten
years for blowing open the safe Of
the Enore Manufacturing company.
The record outlined a conversation
between the detective and Nichols, in
which there was described the sup
posed large estate which Porter had
represented.
Nichols told the detective he had
influence with the Governor, accord
ing to the record, and agreed to Sc
cure the pardon II the Chicago at.
torney" would put up a fee of $4,000,
which would be divided in three parts
$4,000 to Nichols, 5000 to his law
partner, C. P. Sims, and $4,000 to
Cole l.. Blease, Governor.
Nothing was to be put In writing
and the money was to be deposited In
a Chicago bank so that it would be
Immediately available "the minute
the pardon is granted, and so that
there will be no question of a hitch,
as the record was read from the
stand.
Reed said he drew a check in Mich
OILS favor for $500 on account, which
was deposited by Nichols at the Bank
of Commerce, Cpartanburg.
Later he sent Nichols $500 on &C
count, (which l learned by a cipher
telegram received by me here today
has been cashed by Nichols"
Attorney Thomas B. Fielder swore
that the money had been put on de-
post with the understanding that it
was to be released to Nichols order
as soon as Reed, under the name of
Porter, got an O. X. telegram from
Nichols.
Reed testified that Blease had been
trailed by his force of men up to last
night and-that Nichols vas closeted
with Blease in Bamberg last night.
The South Carolina committee
came to Augusta so that Thomas B.
Fielder, an Atlanta lawyer, who Sc.
cured evidence showing the connec
ton between the old South Carolina
%dispensary commission and the whole
sale whiskey dealers, might testify
without being arrested.
Fielder has repeatedly accused Gov.
Blease of grating and the Governor
has ordered all South Carolina sher-
ifs to arrest him if he entered their
Jurisdiction. He also tried to have
Fielder arrested at the Baltimore con
vention.
Summing up the evidence SO far
given by Fielder and Burns detectives
the principal charges against Gov.
Blease are:
That Blease received $4,000 for
pardoning a convict, Rudolph Babon;
that he received the greater portion
Of $40 a month from each of the thir-
ty.fve Charleston blind tigers and in
turn gave them the states protection;
that he was paid $4,000 by the rail
road for killing legislation in the leg.
islature and was paid $3.50 for white
washing the dispensary, or to he ex-
act, in blocking the movement to in
|Nestigate the old dispensary when.