The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-17
SUMTER. s. c., WEDNESDAY, JULY H. 1912

or not. l told Col. Fielder l would
take it up. l detailed Mr.. Bailey. He
Is one of the men that made the in
Vestigation at Columbus, Ohio, that
resulted in the conviction of a num-
Der OF men in the legislature. in
structed Mr.. Bailey as to what he was
to do down there, and / particularly
cautioned Mr.. Bailey that 1 wanted
him to learn for my personal infor-
nation whether or not many of the
things Col. Fielder and the other gem
tlemen told me about were true.
was unable to take up the matter in
the hrst place for Col. Fielder and he
was unable to get the best. A private
detective sometimes falls down. All
over the country in my public utter
ances / am warning the public Of pri-
vate detectives. because so many Of
them cloak themselves with this call
ing solely for the purpose of robbing
and blackmailing and selling out their
clients. / vas interested in the mat
ter, although not prejudiced against
those i was investigating.
We 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 it, Just as
Col. Fielder told me l found that Sit
uation was there. l then decided to
take 1t from another angle and select
ed Mr.. Reid. Mr.. Reid has done some
Of the cleverst work in the country.
He has just finished at Atlantic City.
where he caught lot of those crooks
up there. l placed him on the case
to take up a certain part Of it. I
think We will be able to lay before
this committee evidence as to the
character of the work that we have
covered fully in our investigations.
There are facts. as / suggested to Col.
Fielder, that ought to be withheld for
the present. ] think that all ought to
be shown up, because personally l
, feel that at this period in the history
L
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. 1 told Col.
Fielder I thought it was his duty to go
to the bottom of this and prosecute.
i was not particularly interested
whether he would ever send ANYBODY
10 the penitentiary or to Jail. l think
1t far more important that light
should be turned on rather than send
tiary, | think the day has come in
this country when the people them
selves are becoming enlightened as to
everything. | think they are taking
tremendous interest in everything
public. The people are interested that
just such an investigation as this
lshOuld he carried to its conclusion. ]
think it would be a splendid thing to
the country at large if all this is
Ishown up. because if you can succeed
in doing that ii isn't any question but
ful citizens. 1t is when men are
tempted. when they take advantage of
a situation Of this sort. l think all
that should be shown up and shown
up thoroughly. | do not think it we'll
and wise to go perhaps as far as YOU
gentlemen insist on their going My
idea is it would be best for a grand
jury to 80 into the matter. All the
men | have detailed on this will be ac-
IcesSible at any time. You can see the
men who made the investigation just
as YOU can see Mr.. Reid.
81 think the people themselves have
become convinced that where there is
sufficient proof the day has gone
by when the personal feeling of peo-
Iple themselves will permit men to
go unpunished. 1t has been said
many. many times that Il legislative
investigation has never amounted to
ianything but to whitewash. In the
lway you are going at this | ann per-
ifectly satisfied YOU are going to see
that justice will be done to every man
land are not going to smrch anybody
for spite. The evidence will be there
land if it does not convince we will
not participate in it. We are going
To continue i'm this matter until the
IClOsc."
Question by Mr.. Fielder; some
months after our meeting in the city
l0f Augusta. | met YOU i'm the city of