The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-04-10
GIVES OTHER Side
TELLS OF work Done BY The
BLEASE COMMISSION
F. Il. DOMINICK TESTIFIES

T. Il. DOMINlCk TES7lFlE;
Newberry Member of Board, Forme
Law Partner to the Governor, j
Closely Questioned as to His Ust
Of Railroad Pass and Charges OF
Expense Account.
Mr.. F. H. Dominick, Of Newberry
former law partner Of Governor
Bleasje and member Of the Blease
wind-up commission, was the prin
cipal witness before the committee
investigating into the acts and doins
Of everyone connected with the late
State dispensary Thursday. Mr.
Dominick detailed at length the work
which the Blease commission did
during its tenure OF Office and went
into many matters minutely. He
was questioned by Chairman Carlisle
and almost every member OF the
committee and was on the stand al
most three hours.
The only other witness was Mr.
Thos. F. Brantley, of Orangeburg,
likewise member of the Blease COM
mission, and he corroborated the tes-
timony OF Mr.. Dominick. This COM
pletes the examination Of the Blease
commission with the exception of Mr..
E NJ. Thompson, the secretary, who
is in hospital In the North under
treatment. He is expected to return
next week, and will be examined at
another meeting.
F. q. Doninick on Stand.
Mr.. Dominick stated that he at
tended practically all Of the meetings
F; of the commission. He told OF the
Attorney General meeting with the
commission on the evening Of the
day they organized; that the Attor-
ney 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 pro-
gress of settlement with this COM
nany. He said that at that time
the Attorney General did not evade
or refuse to give information.
Witness told Of the Blease COM
mission organizing in the Governors
office by the election OF Mr.. Stack
house as chairman, and that the Gov
ernor turned over to them the Eel
der contract, letter from ". D. Roy
written to John Black regarding the
amount Of purchases made by the dis
pensary while Black was On the
board; said that the Governor men
toned the Fielder letters. Witness
said there we're some eight or ten
claims. still waiting settlement when
their commission took charge, which
were shown in correspondence with
Fielder, but the commission could
gather no information, except that Of
the Richland Distilling Company. He
said DR.. Murray was willing to CO.
operate except he wouldn't surrender
their vouchers, which the commis-
siou considered public documents;
that they were informed by Mr.. ".
F. Stevenson, one time when DR..
Murray was before them, that they
had no right to Investigate the acts
and doings of the Murray commits
sion, but Mr.. Dominick said he was Of
different opinion. He stated that
the Governor gave them a copy of
message No. T." but they didn't in
vestigate the charges of Sunday work
and the Ansel commission.
AS to Farnum's Fine.
Witness saiu he had heard OF the
rumors about Farnum having paid
some O,000 OF 100000, and once he
told Farnum he was thinking Of hav-
ing him summoned before the COM
mission, but Farnum said he had set
tied everything and would not testi-
fy. and Farnum was never sub
poenaed.
Witness said Club" Evans told
him of his meetings with Fielder on
different occasions and CT the one
time when Attorney General Lyon
was In Atlanta as testified to by EV-
ans. He knew nothing Of any con-
ference between Evans and the At
torney General in Atlanta.
Mr.. Dominick told Of the efforts
Of the commission to settle the Rich
land Distillirg Companys case; that
the commission looked on the matter
as a bare judgment and transmitted
a request to the Attorney General;
he told Of his opinion that the judg-
ment against the Richland Distilling
Company was out of reason IN
amount and that nothing approach
ing the amount of this Judgment
could be collected. The impression
OF the excessive amount Of judgment
was borne out by Attorney General
Lyon; that the commission finally
employed Mr.. Abney to settle the
Richland Distilling Company matter
as told by the witness Wednesday.
A copy Of letter from Mr.. Abney
and the resolution of the commission
constituting the contract were read
BY witness; tMr. Abney got fifty pei
cent. of the amount collected and
paid the expenses out of his commits
sion. Mr.. Abney, in his letter, re-
served the right to employ Mr.. W
F. Stevenson or other such assistant
counsel as he might wish.
81 consider it to have been rea'
scnable contract under the circum'
stances" said the witness in reply tc
a question by Mr. Carlisle Witness
told of tho retaining OF NJ. W y