Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-27
PROBING THE PRIMARY.
Sub Committee Operates in Spartan
BURG, GreenviIIe and Anderson.

meetings in Spartanburg Tuesday af-
ternoon and Wednesday morning, went
to Greenville Wednesday afternoon and
to Anderson yesterday morning.
The committee met in the court
house at Spartanburg and was called
to order by Chairman Stevenson with
all the members present. There was
also In attendance an audience of
about 500 people, mostly supporters of
Governor Blease.
Governor Blease was in the city but
did not appear at the meeting. He was
represented by counsel including F. H.
Dominick, Of Newberry, John M. Can
non Of Laurens, and 8. ]. Nichols, of
Spartanburg. Judge Jones was not
present in the city but was represented
by r. w. Shand, and w. H. Townsend
of Columbia.
Counsel for Governor Blease secured
a ruling from the chair to the effect
that they might participate in the pro-
ceedings without prejudice to any 9TH
er rights they might have in the mat
ter.
Counsel for Judge Jones had nothing
to say during the deliberations except
In response to question from the chair
they stated that they had no charges
to prefer and no evidence to offer, leav-
Ing themselves in the apparent posi-
tion OF relying upon such evidence as
might be developed by the committee.
There had been published q state
ment to the effect that Detective Reed
Of dictagraph fame, had been employed
to investigate alleged frauds, and there
seems to be no doubt that he has been
operating in Greenville county; but
Chairman Stevenson took occasion to
say that the committee knew nothing
about the activities Of the detective
and was In nowise responsible for the
same. Detective Reed did not appear
In Spartanburg, or II he did, he did not
make himself known.
A stormy scene was precipitated at
the opening Of the meeting by vigor-
ous attack that Mr.. ]. M. Greer, of
Union made on the majority of the
committee for holding q meeting In
Charlotte without even advising the
minority that such a meeting was to
be held, and by calling Off the meeting
that had been previously appointed for
Columbia. Although, according to re-
ports, there was nothing especially
stirring In what Mr.. Greer said, his
agttated manner and his gesticulations
had an exciting effect on a majority of
the audience and quite q demonstra-
tion ensued. There were shouts of
Give 1t to them Greer" 60 back to
Charlotte" you can't bring q crowd
OF cutthroats here and tell US what to
do in South Carolina"
Chairman Stevenson raped for or
der and said that unless the same was
restored he would adjourn the meeting
and go into q secret session Of the
committee. Mr.. Greer pounded the
chairman's desk with his fist and dared
the chairman to attempt an adjourn
ment. The audience grew wilder and
wilder and 1t looked as IL something
was going to happen. Mr.. Park took
occasion to say that he was merely
there for the purpose Of doing his
duty In accordance with the orders of
the state executive COMMITTEES; and
while he was in favor of open sessions,
unless order was restored he would
move to go into executive session. This
had no effect and the uproar continued
until s. ]. Nichols said:
Gentlemen, you all know where my
heart is, you know what my politics
are. We are here to investigate fraud
charges. I don't believe they've got 1t {;
but for my sake, the sake Of Spartan
burg county and for the sake of Cole L.
Blease, keep quiet" Mr.. Nichols was
aprlauded and quiet was restored.
There was a call of the roll of the
counties In the western division" un-
der the direction of Mr.. Park, and q
number Of allegations were made, the
most specific being from Aiken in that
they were accompanied by sworn affi-
davits.
A special committee appointed to in
vestigate Spartanburg reported many
irregularities including a large number
OF names that appeared twice on vari-
Gus poll lists indicating repeating; but
the committee was not In a. position to
say that there had actually been any
repeating. It was also alleged that mi
nors had voted and II was insinuated
comparing the poll lists with the club
rolls was completed there would be as
many as 900 questionable votes to be
accounted for.
There were charges Of fraud In q re-
port from Greenville committee head
ed by Avery Patton, and although no
specific proof was offered the report
said that such proof would be forth
coming on the demand Of the commit
tee. It was alleged that fictitious names
and the names Of dead men were used.
After the committee got down to
work 1t proceeded with its further de-
liberations without any more Interrupt
ton, and Wednesday mornings session
was quiet and orderly.
During Wednesday morning John T.
Duncan submitted an affidavit in
which he alleged that during the last
week Of the campaign $108,000 was
spent in the interest Of Judge Jones.
He said that as much as 5000 was paid
at one precinct and that the price of
votes ranged from SO to SIC. He
charged also that seventeen Georgians
employed by the Greenville, Spartan
burg and Anderson railway voted for
Judge Jones at Greenville, and when
asked If he could furnish the proof,
offered to do so later.
The meeting at Greenville was not
productive Of specific results. Avery
Patton was the principal witness but
his testimony was Of general charac-
ter. The main evidence on which the
charges Of fraud in Greenville were
based was the finding ON one Of the
city polling lists 1913 names that were
unknown to the managers Of the elec-
ton. There were $40 Implications on
the city club lists, some Of the names
appearing as many as five times; but
as that condition Is so common every
where, no significance attaches.
An Anderson dispatch to the CO.
lumbia State Of this morning summar-
ICES the developments In Anderson
yesterday as follows: The sub-commit-
tee Of the executive committee Of the
Democratic party Of South Carolina
finished it's labors as committee Of
the whole today until the members as
semble in Columbia Monday to consid-
er all testimony in hand and prepare a
report for the state executive commit
tee. The day spent in Anderson did
not prove exciting. Late in the after
noon the committee went into execu-
tive session and decided that the COM
mittee will meet in the state library Of
the state house at Columbia Monday at
IL o'clock to review the work done and
prepare its report. The work done by
the sub committee from the Anderson
has been painstaking and
thorough, and when the committee
arrived here 1t found matter for its
consideration in excellent shape for ac-
ton. After a day in which consider
able time was lost in one way and an
other, plans for the continuance and
Of the work Of the commit
tee were adopted late in the afternoon
J. D. Bivens and R M. Jeffries will
proceed to Orangeburg to conduct an
there of the disappear
ance of the rolls and any other irregu-
larities noted. T. B. Butler is authoriz-
ed by the committee to collect all affi-
dayits at SDartanburg and other evil