Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-16

him 1t would be impossible as had {
great deal of work on hand. He ther
explained to me what the situation wa
and when I found that men occupying
high public positions were involved
felt that 1t was my duty to take 1t up
and told him I would.
Laid His Plans.
I'VE arranged for a conversation a.
Augusta, and I came down here and
met the colonel and couple Of gen.
tlemen from South Carolina and an.
other gentleman from Atlanta, Ga
we went over the case. These gentle.
men. made statements to me which
confess shocked me, notwithstanding
the fact I am making investigations al
the time involving men in high places
I felt from the statement that had beer
made that 1t was absolutely true be-
cause 1t Is not difficult to determine
from the details Of a case whether they
are we'll founded or not. I told Col
Fielder I would take 1t up. I detailed
Mr.. Bailey. He is one Of the men that
made the investigation at Columbus
Ohio, that resulted In the conviction OF
a number Of men in the Legislature.
instructed Mr. Bailey as to what ne
was to do down there, and particu-
larly cautioned Mr.. Bailey that want
ed him to learn for my personal infor.
nation whether or not many Of the
things Col. Fielder and the other gen.
tlemen told me about were true. I was
unable to take up the matter In the
first place for Col. Fielder and he was
unable to get the best. A private de-
tective sometimes falls down. All over
the country in my public utterances
am warning the public Of private de-
tectives, because so many Of them
cloak themselves with this calling sole
ly for the purpose Of robbing and
blackmailing and selling out their cli-
ents. I was interested in the matter
although not prejudiced against those
was investigating.
From Another Angle.
I'VE always approach these matters
with an open mind and even when we
find our clients in the. wrong we state
the case to them and drop 1t. Just as
Col. Fielder told me I found that stu
alton was there. then decided to take
1t from another angle and selected Mr.
Reid. Mr.. Reid has done some Of the
cleverest work in the country. He has
just finished at Atlantic City, where he
caught a lot of those crooks up there
I placed him on the case to take up
certain part Of It. I think we will be
able to lay before this committee evil
dence as to the character Of the work
that we have covered fully in our in
vestigations There are facts, as sug-
gested to Col Fielder, that ought to be
withheld for the present think that
all ought to be shown up. because per-
sonally I feel that at this period in the
history of the country we ought to
show up these matters where men In
high public position are involved. Men
representing the public should be made
to do so in the interest of the people
That being true, told Col. Fielder
thought 1t was his duty to go to the
bottom Of this and prosecute.
81 was not particularly interested
whether he would ever send anybody
to the penitentiary or to jail. think
1t far more important that light should
be turned on rather than send thous-
and Of them to the penitentiary. think
the day has come In this country when
the people themselves are becoming
enlightened as to everything. I think
they are taking tremendous interest in
everything public. The people are in
terested that just such an investigation
as this should be carried to Its conclu-
sion. I think 1t would be a splendid
thing to the country at large II all this
is shown up, because II you can sue
ceed in doing that there isn't any ques-
tion but what many Of those men be-
come useful citizens. 1t Is when men
are tempted, when they take advan-
tage of a situation of this sort. think
all Of that should be shown up and
shown up thoroughly. I do not think
1t we'll and wise to 60 perhaps as fal
as you gentlemen insist on their going
My idea is 1t would be best for q grand
jury to 60 into the matter. All the
men 1 have detailed on this will be &C.
cessible at any time. You can see the
men who made the investigation just
as you can see Mr.. Reid.
People Are Awake.
II think the people themselves
have become convinced that where
there is sufficient proof. The day ha!
gone by when the personal feeling o.
people themselves will permit. men t.
go unpublished. 1t has been sait
many, many times that Legislative
investigation has never amounted t.
anything but to whitewash. In the
way you are going at this I am per-
fectly satisfied you are going to SEE
that justice will be done to every mar
and are not going to smirch anybody
for spite. The evidence will be there
and II 1t does not convince we will
not participate in 1t. We are goint
to continue in this matter until the
close"
Question by Mr.. Fielder: Some