The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-16

nor TO the effect that on the consider
alton Of $40 each per month they
would extend protection from arrest
to the blind tigers of Charleston. He
also stated that there were In the
neighborhood of $50 blind tigers in
Charleston and that these were to pay
$40 each during the first week of each
month. The president of the brewery
asked what disposition would be made
of this collection, whereupon the chief
constable told him that, under his
agreement with the governor, he was
to be allowed a commission for col
lecting and the balance was to be paid
over monthly to the governor.
Paid to Obstruct Probe?
''In said conversation the said Has
selmeyer stated that he personally
visited the governor at Columbia and
entered his protest against this ar
rangement, stating to the governor
that this graft should not be collected,
but the governor waved him aside
with the statement that he was run
ming that end of the matter.
Given through Fielder, Wilson'S
dictagraph testimony is Quilted as
follows: John H. Morris and B. L.
Toland, of Spartanburg, S. c., have
stated and will undoubtedly swear if
called before your committee, that
Cole. L. Blease, then senator from
Newbery, who was acting upon the in
vestigating committee to Investigate
the affairs of the late dispensary, was
employed by Jeff Dunwoody, of Allan
ia, agent for the Atlanta Brewing and
Ice company, to obstruct the proceed
ings of the said committee.
'tThey will also swear that the said
Blease sought private interview
with them and did everything in his
power to prevent them from testify
ing before said committee. jeff Dun
woody, being &C itizen of Georgia can
not be compelled to corroborate
this evidence, but the fact will be
sufficiently established by those two
witnesses.
Said to Have Ttaken Fee as Senator.
"In this connection I desire to state
that when Cole. L. Blease was senator
from Newberry and a bill was intro
duced to appropriate $4,000, to be US
ed by the attorney general of the
State in conducting the prosecution
against the grafters, that the liquor
dealers employed the said Blease, then
a senator, to oppose the passage of
said measure and as matter of fact,
the said Blease did oppose by speech,
vote and influence the passage of said
resolution and that he received for his
services the sum of $3.50 in cash, which
was paid to him at Wright's hotel in
the city of Columbia, State of South
Carolina.
"W. B. Roy, of the city of Louis
Vile; Morton, German, of the city
of Cincinnati, and James S. Farnum,
of the city of Charleston, are said to
have knowledge of this transaction.
after calling the election for the
new county of Hayward, and after the
bill passed, Fred Domniick, the law
partner of the governor, was employ
ed and paid a substantial fee to in
fluence executive action thereon. If
called upon before this committee and
Fred Dominick will corroborate his
verbal statebents in connection with
this transaction, he will state that he
was employed because of his influence
with the governor, that the compensa-
ton received for his services was sub
stantial, that he obtained the desired
results at the hands of the executive,
and that ne divided his fees with the
governor of the State of South Caro-
lin"
Blind Tiger Protection Money.
Wilson's dictagraph testimony by
Fielder said further: "Ben H. Stot-
hart, chief constable, appointed by
Blease, stated at the time of his ap-
pointment to the position it was un-
derstood between him and the gov
ernor that protection should be given
to the blind tigers operating in the
city of Charleston, provided they
would pay a stipulated sum per month
to him, that this sum amounted in the
aggregate to between $1,000 and $4,000
ner month. that as soon as the col