The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-17

DEHECTIvE BURNS HAS LOOKED
UP BLEASK"S RECORD.
Hest Known and Most Successful De-
tective OF the Day Says He Has the
Facts To Prove That Cole Blease IA
senator and Governor Has Been IA
CRATER.

portant part In the convetion of
gratfers in the United states. Thomas
Il. Fielder. the Atlanta attorney. today
began his official attack on the rec
ord Of Cole l.. Blesse. governor of
<south Carolina.
We are going to clean out the
Augean stables today" he said.
Previously Mr.. Fielder had prom
ised the people of South Carolina that
he would. when he got on the wit
ness stand. LAY Cole Blease's record
Rbare TO the bone"
William j. Burns, the detective
who put the Los Angeles dynamiters
behind the bars. uncovered a dyna-
mite conspiracy extending across one
side of the United States. and has fig
ured In the apprehension of more big
friminals than any other one man
In the United States. WA quoted from
the witness stand as declaring that
the San Francisco graft case was in
fnitesimal compared with the con-
Carolina"
Piece by piece Fielder. in his testi-
mony. charged alarming and startling
conditions Of official corruption In
South Carolina. For five hours or
more he was on the witness stand and
In q connected story made the charge
OF unlimited graft. legislative "syndi-
<1ates" controlled by Blease as sena-
tor. or money demanded by the syn
dicate" to block legislation. of par
dons alleged to have been purchased
from the governor. one In Charleston
having cost $4,000; Of corruption
n1Dr1 1knGoll llsGis2, .kxom railroads. for
% e0Hhs out of the legislature
ctlls the railroads didn't want. OF a
frame-up made In Atlanta by Blease
and Hub" II. Evans with Bluthen-
thai * Bickert, "a wholesale whiskey
house. for adding rebates to the cost
OF whiskey sold the State dispensary
$50 the rebates could he turned over to
vthe board OF control by the whole
salers; of $4,000 i'm one lump sum
paid into the hands of Cole l.. Blease
and Hub II. Evans by Monroe Bickert
when the deal was first framed on
the occasion of visit to the liquor
house In Atlanta: of the schedule of
ton blind tigers by Blease. and of his
share with chief Constable Stothart
in that monthly tax.
Finally the session closed tonight
with the testimony of William j.
Burns. whose parting shot was di-
ksct statement in reply To- a question
from Representative Cary. that Cole
l.. Blease Is a CRATER.
The committeeman had asked:
will your record (rcferring tn the
dictagraph records and aiIiiavits)
show that Cole L.. Blcasc has grated.
~.as senator and IL governor. under the
vNquor laws of South CarOlina?"
Mr.. Burns reply was plain. short
and pointed: EYES. they WILL"
The hearing had adjourned until
10 o'clock tomorrow morning when
Detective Reed. of telephone device
fame. will go on the stand.
- Several sensations for the session
tomorrow were promised tonight by
Mr.. Fielder. More Of the dictagraph
testimony will .be presented. and 1t Is
A.
Carolinians will be implicated. The
session will be resumed tomorrow
<morning at 10 o'clock.
The committee has restricted Eel
der To- the official record of Gov.
Blease and has consistently refused
To hear testimony bearing on the pri-
vate life OF the chief executive.
The legislative committee arrived In
yAusnsta from their homes I'm South
Carolina last night. The members Of
the committee here are Senators Car
Isle, Clifton and Sullivan and Repre-
sentatives Cary and Evans. Mr.. Dan
lei was detained at his home on ac-
count OF sickness.
MIR. Fielder was represented at the
hearing by 3urt0n smith and carl
HutCheson Of Atlanta; Hoykin Wright
w. X. Miller and q. T.. Dunbar. all II
Augusta: and w 49, Davis IT Woyucs-
boro.
-. The meeting was called Co. order at
p1O.i5 o'clock by senator ~ u. Car
isle chairman.
There was great silence iu the court
r,,u, wheu Nfr fielder arose to ud-