The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-04-09
MIR. F. H. DOMINACK
ON WITNESS STAND
TELLS OF WORK DONE BY BLEASE
COMMISSION.
NeWberry Member If Board, Former
Law Partner to Governor, Gives
Testimony.

Testimony.
Columbia, April 4.-Mr. F. H. Dom
inick, of Newberry, former law part
ner of Governor Blease and mem
ber of the Blease winding-up commits
sion, was the principal witness before
the committee investigating into the
acts and doings of everyone connected
with the late State dispensary today
Mr., Dominick detailed at length the
work which the Blease commission
did during it's tenure Of ottlce ana
went into many matters mlnutely. he
was questioned by Chairman Carlisle
and almost every member of the COM
mittee and was on the stand almost
three hours. The only other witness
was Mr.. Thos. F. Brantley, of Orange
burg, likewise a member of the Blease
commission, AID he corroborated the
testimony of Mr.. Doninick. This COM
Dletes the examination Of the Blease
commission with the exception of Mr..
E. NJ. Thompson, the secretary, who
is in a hospital in the North under
treatment. He is expected to return
next week, and will be examined at
another meeting.
F. II. DOminick on Stand.
Mr.. Dominick stated that he attend
ed practically all of the meetings OF
the commission. He told Of the attor-
ney general meeting with the commits
sion on the evening of the day they
organized; that the attorney general
told of the judgment which had been
found against the Richland Distilling
company by the old commission and
the scheme of settlement which had
been in progress of settlement with
this company. He said that at that
time the attorney general did not
evade or refuse to give information.
Could Get no Information.
Witness told of the Blease commits
sion organizing in the governors Of
fee by the election of Mr.. Stackhouse
as chairman, and that the governor
turned over to them the Fielder con-
tract, a letter from W. D. Roy written
to John Black regarding the amount
of purchases made by the dispensary
while Black was on the board; said
that the governor mentioned the Eel
der letters. Witness said there were
some eight or ten claims still waiting
settlement when their commission took
charge, which were shown in CORE
spondence with Fielder, but the COM
mission could gather no information,
except that of the Richland Distilllng
company. He said DR.. Murray was
willing to cooperate except he would
Mt surrender their vouchers, which the
commission considered public docu-
ments; that they were informed by
Mr.. W. F. Stevenson, one time when
DR.. Murray was before them, that they
had no right to investigate the acts
and doings of the Murray commission,
but Mr.. Dominick said he was of a
different opinion. He stated that the
governor gave them a copy of ''Mes-
sage No. A. but they didn't investigate
the charges of Sunday work and the
Ansel commission.
AS to Farnum's Fine.
Witness said he had heard of the
rumors about Farnum having paid
some $4,000 or 100000, and once he
told Farnu1n he was thinking Of ha,v-
ing him summoned before the COM
mission, but Farnum said he had set
tied everything and would not testify,
and Farnum was never subpoenaed.
Witness said Hub" Evans told him
of his meetings with Fielder on differ
ent occasions and of the one time
when Attorney General Lyon was in
Atlanta as testified to by Evans. He
knew nothing of any conference be-
tween Fielder, John Gary Evans, Hub
Evans and the attorney general in At
lanta
RichIand Distillfng Co. Claim.
Mr.. Dominick told OF the efforts OF
the commission to settle the Richland
Distilling company's case; that the
commission looked on the matter as a
bare judgment and transmitted re-