The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-19
NO AGREEMENT FOR
MONEY FOR BLEASE
SAYS SCOTCH LIQUOR HAD PECU'
LIAR EFFECT.
Denies Blease Was to Share in An!
.Profts,-Believes Blease Could
Not be Bribed.


Columbia, July 18-S. j. Nichols, OF
Spartanburg, was the first witness to
take the stand before the dispensary
investigating committee in session
. here today.
1t was read into the record that Mr..
Nichols had requested that Detective
Reed be present at the hearing, but
!, that the latter would not come into
South Carolina
In a dispatch from spartanburg this
morning it had been stated that Chair
man Carlisle, of the committee, had
been notified that Detective E. S. Reed,
of the Burns Detective agncy, would
not appear before the committee to
confront Mr.. Nichols. That dispatch
said that Fielder and Reed had made it
known they believed their lives would
be in danger in coming into South
Carolina.
Mr.. Nichols corroDorated certain tes-
timony that had been taken by the die
tagraph at the Spartanourg hotel. He
denied that he had said the governor
had received anything FOR the signing
of the interurban bill, but had repre-
ssented to his excellency that if he did
not sign it, it would hurt the Piedmont
section of the State.
He said that when he went into
Reeds room there were two quarts of
! Scotch whiskey on the dresser, and
that he became intoxicated, and now
can't say what took place. He de-
.clared the whiskey had a peculiar ef-
feet on him, and that the dictagraph
testimony did not represent his sane
moments" or the facts in the case.
He denied that he had evel been Of
fered any bribe for anything or by any
one. He denied he had represented
Green in securing pardon.
. The telegram he sent to Reed read:
Things don't look good; come to
Spartanburg at once"
The original was placed in evidence
Considerable amusement was Great
ed when Nichols was asked what die
tagraph is. He laughed and remark
ed:
81 don't know, but 1 have hearn tell
of them"
His lawyer elected the fact that
stenographers can change their notes
in transcribing, creating the impress
sion that later this will be specifically
charged. The stenographer's notes
were never sworn to.
That part of the dictagraph record
where Nichols referred to the governor
sharing in the profits" for the Deford
pardon, he said was erroneous; that
Sims, of Spartanburg, and not the gov
ernor, was the one referred to. 1t
was charged the stenographer had in
serted the word governor to make the
record "miscarry"
George w. Wickersham's magazine
article, wherein it was stated that
Burns had used improper methods in
Investigating certain cases, was read
by Mr.. Nichols.
Mr.. Nichols fatty stated, upon ques-
tion by his attorney, that he had nev-
er made any agreement to receive any
money for Governor 3lease and that
he did not think the governor would
receive bribe if offered.
! Mr.. Nichols said that if he had made
the statement that he would accept
money to be used in connection with
Governor Blease's campaign that he
was under the influence of Whiskey at
the time.
He denied that he had done much
pardon business, as alleged by Detec-
tive Reed. He stated that in several
cases he had been offered large fees to
secure pardons, but had refused to
consider them
At the conclusion Of Mr. Nichols
testimony the committee recessed un-
til Ais o'clock this afternoon, when
several witnesses who are here from