The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-12-04

there are liars In all societies. i give
this account In order that the public
may judge for ITSELF" said Governor
Blease today in a signed statement. in
which ho denounces the alleged au-
thors Of certain statements which he
;'says have been made falsely concern
Ing the seizure OF tho beer the other
nieht. which was told OF in. The News
ana Courier on thanksgiving morn
! Ing S
1.-THE governor bitterly assails his
|S'sDemies" calling IT 'the dirty. sour
rilous attempt which Is being made by
some Of my enemies to have 1t appear
that Klbler seized the beer because it
was the shriners." and he nails it as
"a wiIful. malicious and cowardly at
tempt to injure me-"
| His statement. in full. follows:
f"on the 17th OF November Chief
Constable Kibler reported to me that
twenty-eIght barrels Of beer had been
delivered to ID. b. Gresham. Columbia,
8. c., and asked me what to do with
Il. I told him to seize It. which he
did. A little later Mr.. Kibler. Mr..
0rssham. DR. Frank Hart and Mr..
Jen ooodwyn came to. my once. and
Dr. Hart, speaking for the crowd.
asked me how they could recover the
beer stating that Il was for the use
of the shrIners for their Thanksgiving
dinner or celebration. and that Mr..
0rsshagn ala not receive any pay for
the same and had, no interest what
ever in Il; that Il belonged to the
Shriisers Themselves ! told. DIR. Hart
thn& he could get 1t by giving bond
cor r. az by bringing . claim and de-
SHofv cult He told me that they did
not know what 10 do and f.ad come
to me for advice and hoped that !
would help them out. After talking
a little more about the matter, I told
them to go and see the Attorney GEN.
eral. and IL the Attorney General
would give them an order for the beer
that had no objection to Mr.. Kib-
Ter turning 1t over. They left my Of
flee. In a short while the following
letter, from Assistant Attorney Gener-
al DeBruhl. was handed to me:
Columbia. 8. c.. Nov. 27. 1917
10 ~ q
C.-Dear Sir: / am informed that
Omar Temple of Shriners have order
ed and had shipped to Columbia to
one Of their members q quantity Of
beer for the use Of the Shrine at their
meeting and banquet here tomorrow,
and that this beer has been seized by
one Of the dispensary constables
1.-The beer Is bought by the Temple,
will be paid for with funds Of the
Temple and Is to be used by them
when assembled here tomorrow. just
| as supplies of food are to be used at
their banquet 1t Is not to be sold or
distributed among members, but
simply to be drank at the meeting by
the members of the Temple present.
No charge Is made against the men,
bers for the beer or any other article
| served at the banquet--the beer IL
simply to be n part of the bill of fare.
"Tn my opinion. it is not viola.
tion OF the dispensary law to pur-
chase beer and use 1t in this way
Yours truly.
(SignedD I'M. Il. DeBruhl,
Assistant Attorney General
IL Immediately told Mr. Kibler to
turn the beer over. have In my pos
session some OF the tags which were
| on the kegs Of beer. and they are
marked, r.. II. Gresham. Columbia, s.
c.. personal use.'
Now, any man who knows any
thing about the law o. this State
knows that Mr. Gresham did not need
any twcnty-scvcn or twenty W Int
barrels OF beer for his personal use.
and for that reason the seizure was
made
THE dirty scurri!ous attempt
which IN being made by some OF nv
enemies To- have II appear that Kiblcr
seized the beer because II was the
Shrincrs' IL a wilful malicious and
cowardly attempt 10 injurc me and Is
unworthy of man who has taken
what I am Informed Is the oath that
Masons and Shrincrs take. However.
Knowing that there are liars in all So
cictics. | give this account I'm order
that the public may judge for itself.
"The Elks of Columbia. that same
day, received sixteen casos Of whiskcv.