The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-06-06

of mot guilty" this afternoon at 9
O'Clock, in the Richland county court,
after two hours and twenty minutes
deliberation, thus saying to the
world that John Bell Towill, L. Whit
Boykin and W. O. Tatum were not
guilty of conspiracy to defraud the
State out of S22,500 on purchase of
21,OO0,OOO labels in 1905, while they
were officials of the late State dis
pensary, as charged by the State.
The defendants, with their attorneys,
were present in court when the ver-
dict was announced and they were
naturally elated at their vindication.
The verdict came at the close of
the third day of the trial of this
case, it having been preceded by the
trial of Hub" Evans, on the charge
of accepting rebates, and he, too, was
found not guilty.
Spectators and counsel, defendants
and the court have had strenuous
week of it throughout the trial of
the graft" cases.
This case last September resulted
in mistrial after the jury deliber-
ated thirty-five hours. The jury to-
day was only little over two hours
in reaching verdict of mot guilty."
Mol Pros for Weiskopf.
Dennis Weiskopf, Of Cincinnati,
whose house sold the State dispen-
sary the 21,O0O,OOO labels in 1905
for $4,000, out of which grew the
charge of the State that Towill, Boy
kin, Tatum, Goodman and Weiskopf
formed conspiracy to defraud the
State out of S22,500, was a spectator
in the court during the trial of this
case, he having testified for the
State yesterday. AS result, he will
get a mol pros entered against him,
according to an agreement he made
with Attorney General Lyon before
agreeing to testify. This agreement
has been referred to time and again
in the present trial.
T. B. Fielder, of Atlanta, who was
the attorney of the Ansel winding
up commission, entered into the
agreement with Weiskopf, whereby
the latter agreed to testify for the
State on the condition that the in
dictments against him for conspiracy
and perjury were mol pressed. The
attorney general agreed to this on
the condition that Weiskopf come to
South Carolina and testify whenever
he was needed, and to carry out this
agreement he gave bond in the sum
of $4,000. His firm further agreed
to return part of the label purchase
money to the State whenever all IN
dictments against Weiskopf were mol
pressed, and deposited $500 in a
trust company in Cincinnati, in the
name of T. B. Fielder, J. S. Graydon,
attorney for John T. Early, and the
attorney for Weiskopf, to be turned
over to the State whenever the GRIM
inal indictments against Weiskopf
were dismissed.
Hard on Goodman.
M. A. Goodman, the liquor drum
mer, who is charged with having been
the "go-between" who engineered
the deal between the dispensary
board and Weiskopf and Early, and
who turned States evidence and is
now living in California, was bitterly
denounced by the lawyers for the de-
fence in their speeches.
where is Goodman and why isn't
he here to testify?" shouted W. H.
Welch. Goodman is dirty little
contemplate scoundrd, whom Weis-
kopf, his confederate, swore he
wouldn't believe on oath,' exclaimed
Col. P. H. Nelson. HE is self
confessed thief and a cowardly little
wretch" was another expression
used describing Goodman. He was
fayed and scored by counsel for the
defence, who held him up to ridicule
and scorn throughout their speeches.
Attorney General Lyon, Solicitor
W. H. Cobb and Mr.. W. F. Stevenson
all scored the label deal in their
speeches and said that while the de-
fence would make Goodman out a
scoundrel now, still he was the init
mate friend and associate of Towill,
Boykin and Tatum in 1905, during
the label purchase.
Goodman has won the undying
hatred of the grafters and made sew
eral people uncomfortable since he
agreed to testify for the State" said
Attorney General Lyon in his speech
to the jury.
Savoring of Politics.
Tho Dolitica1 feeling uoder1vino O.