Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-26

Spartanburg, July 25: When the
New York, Atlanta and New Orleans
limited Of the Southern railway ar
rived in Spartanburg shortly after
noon today Sheriff w. J. White went
aboard and arrested a wealthy paSSen-
ger, w. ]. Massee, president Of half q
dozen large Georgia corporations
who was returning from New York
to his home in Macon. He was taken
in custody on a warrant. issued by
Magistrate A. H. Kirby, charging him
with being a fugitive from justice. on
representations made by L. L. j. Koch.
a deputy sheriff Of Maurer county
Tenn, that Mr. Massee was accused In
Columbia, Tenn, Of having attempted
by threats to coerce Robert Williams
of that place into dropping a civil
suit which Williams had instituted
against Mr.. Massee in the United
States court for defamation of char
acter. This was said by Koch to be a
felony under the Tennessee code, pun
ishable with Imprisonment Of from
three to ten years. w. F. Patterson. a
detective of Nashville, Tenn, who has
been trailing Mr.. Massee for some
time, was on the train and pointed him
out to Sheriff White. Mr.. Massee was
accompanied by his private secretary,
u.
him. Mr.. MaSSee'S arrest had been
carefully planned by the Tennessee
officers and Harry S. Stokes, who is
said to have been appointed special
assistant attorney general Of Tennes-
see in the case, was in close touch
with Gov. Cole L. Blease, awaiting
word Of the apprehension of Mr.. Mas
see to ask for eXtradition. Koch, who
has been in the city several days, at
once telegraphed to Stokes, and the
latter took the matter up with the gov
ernor at Edgefield. Gov. Blease tele-
graphed to Sheriff White to deliver
Massee to the Tennessee sheriff, as he
had granted requisition. Mr.. Massee
engaged Messrs. Sanders and Depass
and c. c. Wyche to secure his release
through a writ Of habeas corpus, and
Deputy Sheriff Koch employed Messrs.
Nichols and Nichols to oppose the
motion. The matter was brought up
before Judge Thomas S. Sease In the
circuit court, and he admitted Mr..
Massee to bail in the sum of $4,000,
on condition that he appear in court
Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock. In
the meantime Mr.. Massee's attorneys
will endeavor to pursuade Gov. Blease
to withdraw extradition. Mr.. Massee
submitted an affidavit in which he
said that Williams had formerly been
his employe and had lost or squander-
ed $4,000 Of his money and then gone
to Tennessee, that Mr.. Massee had fol-
lowed him and cursed him, that Will
liams sued him for defamation Of char
acter, and Massee told him that If he
did not withdraw the suit he would
prosecute him criminally in Georgia
for swindling him. Mr.. Massee said
that Gov. Hoke Smith Of Georgia had
declined to grant requisition for him
from Tennessee and that this whole
transaction is an effort to collect
debt by criminal process" Thos. b.
Fielder, 1t was said, was employed by
the state of Tennessee in the Georgia
requisition matter but withdrew on the
ground that his firm represented GER
tain of Mr.. Massee's companies. When
Mr.. Massee was taken from the train
the rumor was circulated that Fielder
had been arrested, and the story Gre
ated excitement. Mr.. Massee is re-
puted to be a millionaire. In answer
to a question of Judge Sease he said
he was worth from 100000 to $780,
000