New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-16
SIeuths Are After Him with
Another TelltaIe lnStru-
ment, He Walls.
DENOUNCES GRAFT CHARGE
Executive Bitter Against De-
tective Burns-Felder Says
Governor offered to Pardon
Convicts to Kill Him.
[Ry Telegraph to The Tribune. ]

Columbia, s. c., July Ex-Governor Cole
Blease of South Carolina. who is accused
OF graft by Tom Fielder. before the legis-
lauve committee investigating the ad-
mnistration Of the State Dispensary here
to-day, branded as a tissue Of lies, all
tie charges made against him before the
probers. who conducted their hearings in
Atlanta last week.
he believes that the probe has been
made with only one idea in view, that
OF furthering the political fortunes of his
enemies, and Of injuring him in his cam
paign for reelection as Governor OF
South Carolina. He is particularly bitter
against William Burns whose evidence
also has been of so damaging a nature.
IN my opinion" he said to-day,
Burns has proved himself TO be un-
worthy Of belief and cheap hlreling IN
this case. as he has in others in which
lie has been engaged.
He made the following statement in re-
gard to the investigation in Augusta;
The entire transactions as brought out
at the Augusta hearings have been done
at this time in the campaign for the pur-
pose Of injuring me. thinking as we had
passed over half of the state at would be
impossible for me TO reach the people
with my refutation," he said to-day. The
whole thing is a tissue of misrepresenta-
ton and wilful lies which l will show
70 the people of this state with the
proofs
Il have received numbers Of kilograms,
letters and telephone a'essages from my
friends throughout the state and from
parties who have not heretofore been my
friends. in which they denounce the COM
nittee for the action il has taken and
assuring me OF their undivided support
II am satisfied that they have done me
no injury, but have materially strength
ened me with my friends and all South
Carolinians who love their state and who
will resent the manner in which this COW
ardly character and thief has attempted
to lnjure the chief magistrate of this state
with the assistance Of this committee
Governor Blease showed to-day clearlj
that he feared the Burns detectives are
abopt 10 install another dictagraph some
where in his home.
Two Greenville men came to see him. Il
order TO plead for a pardon for negro
who is about to die on the gallows. he
ordered them both out of his house a.
once.
"Sleuths were after him with the dicta
graph" was all the explanation he woul'
give.
in Atlanta to-day Thomas Fielder CAV
out an interview in which he stated tina
Blease had offered pardons TO South caro-
lima convicts provided that they would q
into Georgia and kill him. 1t is state'
that the investigation has already cos
Fielder over sl5,000, a large part OF this
being incurred when Fielder had Bleas'
Ehadowed while he was in Atlanta in 1911
1T which time he says Blease committed
a felony.
Spartanburg, S. c., July 15.-The Liquor
Dlspensary Committee Of the South Caro-
lima Legislature will resume its inquiry
into the administration Of the state dis
pensary at Columbia next Thursday. Thu
hearings adjourned temporarily at Au
gusta last Saturday after sensations
testimony by Detective William Burn
and E. r. Reid, his assistant, concernin
alleged graft among state officers.
Samuel \. j. Nichols, the Spartanbur
attorney who. according to Reid, wa
Governor Blease's agent in alleged ques
tionable transactions, will go before tn
committee Thursday, It is said. The frs
time ne says he knew he was trailed b.
detectives was when he read the sunda.
morning papers. At that time he was Il
the Governors office.