The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-13
S0TT|LE DOESN'T ANSWER.
As TO CHARJESTo\
SITUATION AND GRAFT
CHARGES.
The Direct Question on Payment of
Money to- COnstables Not Answered
Mayor Grace Makes Statement as
to Fines Imposed on Blind Tigers.

"'"'''''"' ouI! " Diu you or
any member of your firm with vour
knowledge at any time ever pay any
money 10 any liquor constable or anv
ofilcers charged with the enforcement
of the dispensary law in consideration
of immunity to be granted to you?'
MIR. Sottile declines to answer the
question upon the ground that the
answer may tend TO incriminate him. :"
This answer was given by +. w
hughes, attorney for Albert Sottile
of Charleston. before the legislative
committee that is investigating the
affairs of the old State dispensarv
yesterday. The answer was given by
the attorney for Sottile in reply to a
fnal question by the committee as
10 Sottile's knowledge of the whis-
Key situation in Charleston. Mr..
Hughes raised the question of the
right of the committe to investigate
the whiskey situation in Charleston.
The committee adjourned yesterday
afternoon at 8 o'clock until tomor-
row morning at 10 o'clock in Augusta.
wnen the testimony of T. b. Fielder,
the Atlanta attorney, will be taken.
The meeting in Augusta will be held
In the Richmond county court house.
beginning al 10 o'clock.
The absence of material witnesses
was the feature of the session of the
legislative committee here Yesterday.
The Dominion of Canada claimed at
least one witness. Others were said
to be enjoying the cool air Of the
mountains of western North Carolina
and some seemed to have eluded per-
sonar contact with the officers of
Charleston county. The first witness
to take the sand at the morning ses-
sion was Albert Sottile of Charleston.
The feature of his testimony was Il
don't remember. l don't know"-an-
swers to nearly every question asked.
His attorney. f.. W. Hughes of Char
lesion, was present and raised many
objections, Mr.. Hughes made long
argument before the committee and
contended that it did not have the
legal right To investigate the whis-
Key situation in Charleston. He read
an exhaustive paper, containing many
points Of law. The result was that
not one material point to the investi-
cation was secured from Sottile.
Several days ago the committee
went down to Charleston and took
some testimony. Several men were
placed on the stand and some inter
esting testimony was presented
These men admitted that they were
blind tigers" and openly charged that
they had been paying "protecton
fun1'' To a number Of Wholesale deal
ers.
Among the witnesses summoned for
the session yesterday were Santos Sot-
tile, w. II. Behrens, j. Henry Doscher.
Albert SotIile, James :. Farnum. j. l..
Il. O'Ncill and Wallace *. Harley. \
roll call of the witnesses showed that
only Albert Sottile and w. X. Harley
We're present.
Mayor Grace of Charleston WAS
present at the hearing. He asked for
permission To- make Il statement
which was granted. He said that pre-
Vious testimony had been given be-
lorc one of the old dispenSarv com
missions to the effect that there was a
system of timing Illicit whiskey dealers
IN Charleston. He said that the sys-
tenn had been instituted by Mayor
l'hctt several years ago and that each
dealer was tined $500 year or $50
every three months He said that he
approved the system as instituted hv
Mr.. I;hctt and that since he became
mayor h" had more strictly enforced
the system. He declared that Tho
money thus derived was turned into
Wv N'"HUIN "l the cltN of CharlcStOn
II" invited an investigation of the ar
iairS and asked that any graft charges
I'm connection with his administration
hc prObcd
Nh'n the committee held "a meet
ing ia Charleston several wccks ago
J"hn j. Miller testified that he had
"'ard that man 10y the name of
Harley was the agent used i'm bring
ins the Whiskcy graf money from
"''' ''''S'"h To tn" governors Office.
Wallace k. Harley was summoned ,o
appear before the committee vcstcr-
d'\ ~" admitted that hc was on
gagged I'M the Whiskcy business hu,
"'"''" knowledge of graft. lie re