Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-03-15
FIELDER WAS ABSENT.
But the Meeting Of the Committee Yes.
terday Was Interesting.

There was another meeting in Co
lumbia yesterday Of the committee ap-
pointed to investigate the charges and
insinuations In Governor Blease's mes
sage No. 4. The witnesses mainly were
men under suspicion and accusation In
connection with the graft business.
Mr.. T. B. Fielder was not present yes
terday; but there was some right in
teresting testimony by John Bell Tow
Ill, J. s. Farnum and H. H. Evans.
Farnum said that he had no agree
ment with the attorney general in con-
'nection with his plea Of guilty, and he
said that he had paid no money to
anybody in connection with that plea
John Bell Towill did not want to tes-
tify because he Is under Indictment
and asked to be excused. The COM
mittee, however, advised him that he
would not be required to answer any
question to which his attorney might
object. He testified to the good char
|acters Of the members Of the Ansel
winding-up commission, and said that
he knew Of no money having been paid
to any Of them. He did not think that
the state had lost any money under
the dispensary board or that any had
been saved to 1t by the winding up
commission. He said that II. H. Evans
had told him Of his relations with T..
B. Fielder and Of Felder's ownership Of
a Nashville, Tenn, whisky house. He
was not clear in the details as to ex-
actly what Evans had told him about
Fielder. He said that he knew Fielder,
but had never had any personal deal
ings with him. He said that H. H.
Evans had told him that Fielder had
moi IN him Evans rohafea
H. H. Evans testified at considera-
BILE length. He said that Towill was
badly mixed up in his testimony; that
he had not told Towill the things that
Towill had said. He stated that he
did not like to testify against Fielder
in Felders absence; that he would
rather Fielder was present to hear
what he had to say. He said that John
Gary Evans had misrepresented the
facts when he stated that Cole l.
Blease was a personal attorney OF
his (Evans); that w. F. Stevenson
made a false statement with reference
to division Of graft in Atlanta, and
that the statement that he had been
on the verge of confessing to T. B. Eel
der in Atlanta, was false. He denied
that there was any truth In the inti-
nation in Governor Blease's message
tndt IleTc Was dIly hlIlu VI oil d6IcC-
ment between him, the witness, Johr
Gary Evans, T. B. Fielder and the at
torney general. He repeated the story
of Felder's alleged efforts to organize
a get-rich- quick liquor company. The
proposition was first made in Atlanta
he said, and Fielder came to Newberry
to see further about 1t. Evans said he
would not talk to Fielder. Fielder
wanted a drink and Evans took him
to Cole Blease's Office. Blease set out
bottle and all drank together. Sew
eral people had seen Fielder during the
visit, for Evans had tried to entertain
him as best he could. Evans said
that the Fielder letters were given tc
the governor by some one other thar
himself; that he would never have
given them up. He said all Of the ~
B." letters are now In the possession OF
the governor. Evans said that only
one side Of the business had ever beer
presented to the public, and that IL the
public had the other side the matter
would look different.
The committee adjourned yesterday
afternoon to meet again this morning
at $50 o'clock.