Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-16
Carolina Affairs.
corresnondence Columbia State.

committee today, Thomas 3. Fielder
of Atlanta, former attorney for the
winding-up commission, submitted ir
documentary form, evidence gathered
by detectives on the force Of William
J.. Burns bearing on the record ol
Coleman L. Blease as state senator
and governor which is Of a sensation
al nature. Part OF the evidence in
troduced by Fielder is to the effect
that the blind tigers Of Charleston
raised fund to elect Blesse governor
of South Carolina and that Chief Con-
stable Stothart personally paid to the
governor each month sums aggre-
eating between $500 and $4,000
which were collected from Illicit IL
quor dealers in return for protection
The testimony is the result Of conver-
sations with Stothart and blind IT,
gers" either face to face or overheard
on the dictagraph by Mr.. Bailey. one
of Burns detectives, who posed as a
gambler and blind tiger" in Charles
ton.
One Of the documents introduced
saws that Charlton Wright Of Colum-
bia told Burns detective that he knew
Blease was a crook because when the
governor was in the senate and he
was working for "Abney" he had CIV
en- Blease a check for $500 for block
ing some railroad legislation.
Fielder told of a conversation he had
with Senator Blease personally about
stopping a bill affecting the interests
of the telegraph companies in which
the need Of the "quid pro quo" was
mentioned as the only means to the
end. Fielder. said he told Senator
Blease he was not managing that END
of the business for the telegraph COM
pany he represented.
Mr.. Fielder took the stand as a wit
ness and began his story at o'clock
He was questioned generally by the
committee as to his business. He
gave an account Of his connection
with the work Of winding up the af-
fairs of the South Carolina dispen-
sary. He told Of meeting John Gary
Evans In Washington and his subse-
quent employment as counsel for the
state dispensary commission. He told
of his conversation with Mr.. Evans In
1905. Mr.. Fielder said he told ex-
Gov. Evans that everybody knews OF
the existence Of graft in connection
with the affairs Of the dispensary. Mr.
Fielder said a year later ]. Fraser
Lyon called him up over the tele-
phone relative to his engagement as
counsel. Col. Fielder told Of a visit to
Atlanta by H. H. Evans and Blease.
Meeting in Augusta.
Fielder told Of meeting DR.. w. j
Murray and Mr.. Lyon in Augusta 9
year after the Washington conference
with John Gary Evans. He said
Messrs. Lyon and Murray explained
the situation in South Carolina. The
whisky house claims were explained
to Fielder. He said that Mr.. Lyon told
him that he (Felder) had been rec
commended by John Gary Evans.
II made those gentlemen a propo'
sition," said Fielder. He said he rep
resented several reputable liquor firms
and that they were desirous Of put
ting down dishonest dealers.
Fielder told of taking up the South
Carolina dispensary case upon a con-
tingent basis. The amount for ser.
vices on "live accounts was ten pei
cent and SO per cent on dead &C.
counts" Fielder said that not one
member Of his firm agreed to the
contract because they thought 1t toe
liberal. He said that his firm spent
between $4,000 and 100000 before
cent was received. The investigation
covered more than a year.
He told of assuring Mr.. Lyon tha
he would be able to secure enough evi'
dence to defeat the claims Of the
whisky dealers who had overchargec
the state. He referred to the various
dispensary trials in South Carolina.
Fielder said that by his work in con
nection with Mr.. Lyon he had saved
the state several hundred Thousand
dollars.
Mr.. Fielder said that several months
ago he and W. ]. Burns had confer
ence at Augusta with two leading
South Carolinians, at which time the!
spent over a day in conference, goinl
thoroughly over many records, ant
that at its close Mr.. Burns said tina
in his thirty years of experience n
had never before seen as much graf
as there was in the South Carolina
situation. The San Francisco graft, h
declared, was infinitesmal in compar
ison with the boldness and characte
of the grafters in South Carolina
Mr.. Fielder stated that Burns sait
he usually did not take charge of sucl
cases, but on account of the condition
OF affairs he would personally TAX
charge of the situation.
Put Men At Work.
He said that Mr.. Burns put tw'
men to work in South Carolina.
Mr.. Fielder also said that the tw,
South Carolinians had promised t
assist him financially in bringing thos
responsible for conditions of affairs t
Justice, but the assistance was no
forthcoming, and he had finished tn
matter alone. He proposed to con
tinue alone. He proposed to continu
it to the end and bring the culprits t
justice.
when this man Is unfrocked OF tn
robes of his office" said Mr.. Fielder
referring to Blease, Il propose t
lay the evidence which have gather
ed before some grand jury in Soutl
Carolina that he may be brought t
justice"
He referred to Blease as the spiTi
and genius of the plunderbund, an
charged that the governor had re
ceived rebates.
Mr.. Fielder said that he understood
that Blease had some letters purport
ing to reflect on Fielder and the attor
ney general. Mr.. Fielder announce,