The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1912-07-26
SPOKE BEFORE BLEASE
CLUB AT DRAYTON
MILLS.
Defends His Actions and Eu-
logizes Blease-Attacks Fel-
der, Burns and Reed-Blease
Crowd Were His Hearers.

tuesdays Spartanburg JournaD
The speech of Samuel J. Nichols,
before the Blease Club at Drayton
Mills last night was a vindication of
himself in the transactions with the
Burns detectives and an eulogy of
Governor Coleman L. Blease. He
spoke to crowd of about $50 per-
sons; 200 of them were voters. The
others were ladies, who displayed
much interest in the meeting. Mr..
Nichols delivered this speech at the
invitation of the Blease Club at
Drayton, which is one of the warm
est political organizations in the
county or in the state 1t numbers
among it's members a great majority
of the operatives at Drayton, and
every member is an enthusiastic
Blease supporter.
Mr.. Nichols was introduced by
the president of the club as "a friend
OF Governor Blease," He opened his
speech with what he termed a little
political history. He told of the time
when he and Blease were members
of the state legislature and when
they were on opposite sides. Mr..
Nichols said that Blease was an ex-
ponent of the state dispensary while
he (Nicholls) favored local option.
Blease, he said, was the leader of
his forces and he conducted his los
ing fight in an honorable and upright
manner. Mr.. Nichols said he ad-
mired Mr.. Blease for his attitude and
he had always been his friend.
The Dictagraph.
He also reviewed other incidents,
gn6Is cysy. ibdds4tx1 soosfsed un on
Fielder, Burns, Reed, xlss sssFS tssF,s sshs
dictagraph and the dispensary inves-
tigating commission. He told of the
various visits of Porter to this city
and of all transactions he had with
him. This part of his speech was
practically the same as his testimony
before the committee in Columbia.
Mr. Nichols said he had done many
things in his life that he was
ashamed of. He had gotten in fights,
had drank too much, but never yet
had he ever been accused of accept
ing dishonest cent. He then quoted
from the dictagraph record the SEN
tence: "They say Cole Blease has
been grating, but that is all damn
ed lie." This was the signal for pro-
longed cheers both for Blease and
Nichols.
When the Spartanburg attorney
got through with Fielder and Burns
they had been painted as the bad
men. He told of what Attorney
General Wickersham of the United
States, "who stands at the top of the
legal profession in this country" had
to say of Burns and how he had
stuffed the jury box in order to Sc
cure conviction.
Mr.. Nichols also said that he re-
quested the detective to be present
when he testified in Columbia, but he
refused
Brave Detective.
According to his own life his
tory" said the speaker, "this detect
i've has placed behind the bars
crooks in California when there were
anarchists there who sought to take
his life, and was not afraid. He had
rescued a girl from twenty cowboys
on the plains of North Dakota and
he was not afraid; he had invaded
Atlantic City and sent aldermen to
Jail land he wasn't afraid; he had
been to the jungles Of South Africa
after noted criminal, and he wasn't
afraid; he had been to South America
| after another crook, and he wasn't
afraid. But this same brave man
is afraid to come into South Carolina
with the entire police force of Colum-
bia to protect him, with the state
militia, if necessary; yes, he is afraid
to come. He knows that if he does
come, he will have to tell the truth
or stand indicted for perjury"
Mr.. Nichols then explained that
the dispensary investigating commit
tee ha dno authority to swear a wit
ness in another state, for it was not
recognized court
He stated that he noted by the pa
pers that Fielder was "squealing" be-
cause he (Nicholls) had $500 of his
money. Mr.. Nichols offered to re-
turn this money if Fielder would
come to his Office in the city of Spar
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