Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-23
to withstand the blackhand assaults OF
infamy and shame.
The Burns Gang.

That you may have further lnfor-
nation, however, that the newspapers
of your state. have knowingly with
held from you, l am going to tell you
something of William ]. Burns and
his cohorts. This newspaper combi-
nation has attempted to make you be-
lieye that Burns, and those who work
Tor him, are high-toned gentlemen, al
though they had information to the
contrary. The regulations OF these
hirelings may perhaps be unknown to
you, but they are known to me, ana
1t is my duly to tell you what kind or
cattle they are. Since 1t became known
that the Burns crowd was bounding
me down, letters and kilograms have
come to me from various sections OF
the continent giving me Information
of the dirty methods Of this detective
agency. Without consuming much
time about the records and reputa-
tions Of this gang, l wish to call to
your attention the fact that they have
been denounced by two Of the most
prominent men in the United States
President William H. Taft and Hon.
George w. Wickersham, attorney gen.
eral of the United States. This de-
nunciation of Burns and his coWork-
ers was due to the fact that 1t was
proved to the department Of the attor-
ney general Of the United States that
one Willard N. Jones had been un-
justly convicted of crime by false tes-
timony presented to a court by Burns
and his men, and that the jury re-
turning the verdict of conviction had
been packed by these infamous scoun-
drels. President Taft pardoned Jones
on the showing made to him. Mr..
Wickersham, in recommending that
the president grant the pardon, stated
that he had been unable to get Burns
and his assistants to come before him
to explain, deny or justify their con-
duct. In concluding his report, the
attorney general wrote as follows:
1.-The course Of the executive, how
ever, seems to me to be clear, and that
Is, he cannot countenance the meth
ods employed in the prosecution of
these cases by requiring an enforce
ment of the sentence imposed in the
Jones case" II you care TO read the
whole report of the attorney general
on the Jones case, l suppose you can
get a copy Of it from his office, in the
city of Washington. The whole mat
ter is set out in the American Fedora
zionist, a magazine published by the
American Federation or Labor, in the
issue Of the present month, at page
537, in an article from the pen of
Samuel Gompers, editor of that maga-
zine, who is president Of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor-and Mr..
Gompers is the brave man who, fight
ing the battles for the laboring men
Of America, has stood firm and true,
even going to the point Of being sem
fenced to Jail for contempt OF an
august court. In commenting on the
conduct Of Burns In the Jones case,
Mr.. Gompers said: THUS Is fully es-
tablished the fact, in Burns own
handwriting, that he has proved him
self to stand as the worst type Of pri-
vate detectives which he so illuminat-
ingly describes" A copy Of that mag
azine can likely be obtained by ad-
dressing the magazine company at sol
G street, N. W., Washington, d. c.,
and enclosing 10 cents-unless all the
copies have been exhausted by the
general demand all over the country
to read Of the wickedness Of repro
bate.
Other Future Charges and Proofs.
Since the Augusta meetings have
ended and the Fielder committee
failed so miserably in their efforts to
connect me with wrongdoing, state
ments from Fielder. and. insinuations
from other sources almost equally as
bad, have from time to time appeared
in the newspapers that other disclos-
ures and charges would be laid against
me later These slanderers evidently
did not stop to consider before
making these announcements, for
this Is a frank confession from
them that so far they have shown alb
solutely nothing. But regardless Of
what they think Of their failures
Of the past, let them proceed
with their malicious work. Knowing
the men engaged in this unclean alli-
ance, having knowledge Of the little
regard for honesty, truth or character
they possess, having ample proof of
their ability to get finances for their
corrupt work, I shall not be surpris-
ed, If they go into some avenue Of pol
luton and bring forth some poor, mis-
cradle being in the shape Of human
being. who is willing, for the sake Of
a few paltry dollars, to further steep
his or her soul in infamy. And they
may. in their desperate efforts to get
rid of me- assail and attack those
kindred and friends dear 10 me. Such
other foul falsehood as they shall send
forth, shall be answered by me. II an
swer be deemed necessary whenever
they are made. OF course, you know.
as / know. what is the reason for the
continuous making Of these announce
ments, and for the reason Of the Eel
der committee to continue its ses-
sions. They desire to keep my friends
defending me, to keep me defending
myself, while the issues OF this cam
paign are being clouded. Those issues
are the records Of the life and labors
Of Ira B. Jones as a legislator and
judge-and the fight am making for
the interests Of the people against ex-
travagance in their government,
against the rule Of the self-serving
corporations. and against the right of
the newspaper trust to invade the
sanctity Of your homes. I shall not be
swerved from my purpose, and Judge
Jones, his campaign manager, Fielder,
and the five ardent Jones men on the
dispensary investigating committee,
had just as we'll open their eyes to
this fact.
Watch the Newspapers.
For about three days the daily news
papers carried the accounts given them
by Fielder and his committee. can not
say that they did not receive compen-
sation therefor, but am confident that
not one Of them can show where the
amount that came to tiff anv did
come-was entered on its books as cash
lOI ItS AlIIldlS duNCi llolil6. hdpo you
like me- are anxious to see the manner
in which they shall treat this state
ment of mine. demand Of them-not
for myself: but in the name Of decent
journalism, and for the good Of the
state-that they display this as prom
inently as they did the foul stuff Of
Fielder If they refuse. and dare
them to do so, once again their dirty
practices shall be made clear to you!
Likely they shall do, as they have so
often done, only publish communica-
tions from me upon the payment of ten
cents per printed line. II they charge
a penny for this, then I shall have the
undoubted proof that they are cocoon
spirators with Fielder and Burns to get
from honest people their money. 1 tell
you frankly that make these demands
so that If they do publish this. and
publish it prominently and without
charge, that I shall have accomplished
one purpose at last-and that Is to
teach these editors one small lesson in
the ethics Of journalism.
In Conclusion.
A number Of my friends have told
me that they do not see how ! can en-
dure, and for several years past have