The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-07-18
CHARGES BLEASE GOT GRAFT
CONTINUED from Page l,


Paid to Obstruct Probe?
"In said conversation the said Has
selmeyer stated that he personally
visited the governor at Columbia and
entered his protest against the ar
rangement, stating to the governor
that this graft should not be collect
ed, but the governor waved him aside
with the statement that he was run
ming that end of the matter"
Given through Fielder, Wilson's"
dictagraph testimony is outlined as
follows: John M. Morris and B. L.
Toland, of Spartanburg, S. c., have
stated and will undoubtedly swear if
called before your committee, that
Cole l.. Blease, then senator from
Newberry, who was acting upon the
investigating committee to investi-
gate the affairs of the late dispensary,
was employed by JEFF Dunwoody, of
Atlanta, agent for the Atlanta Brew
ing and Ice Company, t" obstruct the
proceedings of the said committee.
eeThey will also swear that the said
Blease sought private interview
with them and did everything in his
power to prevent them from testify
ing before said committee. JEFF Dun
woody, being a citizen of Georgia,
cannot be compelled to corroborate
this evidence, but the fact will be
sufficiently established by those two
witnesses.
Said to Have Taken Fee as Senator.
"In this connection 1 desire to state
that when Cole L. Blease was senator
from Newberry and bill was intro
duced to appropriate SIS, 900, to be
used by the attorney general of the
State in conducting the prosecution
against the grafters, that the liquor
dealers employed the said Blease,
then a senator, to oppose the passage
of said measure and, as matter of
fact, the said Blease did oppose by
speech, vote and influence the pass
age of said resolution and that he re-
ceived for his services the sum of
$3.50 in cash, which was paid to him
at Wright's Hotel in the city of Co.
lumbia, State of South Carolina.
"W. B. Roy, of the city of Louis
Vile; Morton, a German, of the city
of Cincinnati, and James S. Farnum,
of the city of Charleston, are said to
have knowledge of this transaction.
AFTER calling the election for the,
new county of Hayward, and after
the bill passed, Fred Dominick, the
law partner of the governor, was en-
ployed and paid substantial fee to
influence executive action thereon. II
called upon before this committee
and Fred Dominick will corroborate
his verbal statements in connection
with this transaction, he will state
that he was employed because of his
influence with the governor, that the
compensation received for his SER
vices was substantial, that he obtain
ed the desired results at the hands OF
the executive, and that he divided his
fees with the governor of South Caro-
lima"
Blind Tiger Protection Money.
Wilson's dictagraph testimony by
Fielder said further: ..'Ben II. 'stoF-
hart, chief constable, appointed by
Blease, stated at the time Of his ap-
pointment to. the position it was un-
derstood between him and the gov
ernor that protection would be given
to the blind tigers operating in the
city of Charleston, provided they
would pay a stipulated sum per
month to him, that this sum amount
ed in the aggregate to between So
500 and. $1,000 per month, that as
soon as the collections were made he
deducted his commission for making
the same and would personally take
the balance to Columbia, S. c., and
pay it over to the governor.
"He stated further that protests
had been made to the governor
against these collections by interested
parties, but that the governor would
pay no attention to them; that de-
mand had been made upon the gov
ernor for his dismissal, but that he
felt perfectly secure in his job, for
the governor was man Of jndepend-
ence and had the power to do as he
| pleased about it.
ALSO that the governor had issued
pardon to one Rudolph Rabens, a
blind tiger man in the city Of Charles
ton, I believe this is the name, re-
ceiving therefor the sum Of $4,000 in
cash. The said Stothart stated that
he had conducted the negotiations
which resnlted in the pardon OF this