The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-07-31
GRACE REPLIES
TO GOVERNOR BLEASE
Continued from Page Nine)

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somewhat equiyocally however, that
he would not put any constables In
Charleston. Listening between the
lines Of his speech, however, there
were those present who discerned a
false note, and as they were men very
much interested in the situation, they
held an impromptu caucus and came
to me and advised me to have it out
with the governor there and then.
We adjourned t. the reception
room of the German Artillery Hall
about fifteen Of us, including men of
unimpeachable veracity. | might say
that | put Blease through the third
degree. He shifted and apologiZed
and finally began to assume the posi-
tion that it would be better for us Il
we did have constables in Charleston /:
that there might not be so much talk
about 1t through the state, that they
needn't do anything specially, but they
would come down and make a show
Ing. We told him that we didn't want
them, that If they came here to in
wade our homes and rigidly to do their
duty we certainly didn't want them,
and that II they came here for any
other purpose their presence would
be indefensible. He then suggested
that he would send men who would
be acceptable to us. This also was re-
jected. He then turned personally to
Mr.. Roessler and said:
Why Louis, you take it.
"Of course he knew this would be
instantly refused and that broke up
the meeting. The gentlemen present
thought that the jig was up, but they
asked me to make one further effort.
to take him to the hotel, and try again.
And at about half-past 2 O'Clock in
the morning, we got him into an auto
mobile and drove him to the hotel.
where | left him, and his last words
were that he would not do anything
In the matter without my approval,
and that for the present would do
nothing at all. The next day / heard
that he and Mr.. Rsrnum and Mr..
Stothart had had a conference and
that Stothart had been appointed.
went to the hotel and found that he
had gone and that night rang him up
over the long-distance phone and
asked him what was the news, telling
him what had heard. Being separat-
ed by 1872 miles, he grew very frank
and told me that he had appointed
Stothart as chief State detective, not
as constble, and that he would not op~
crate in Charleston and that he had
done it just to give him job. | told
him that If he carried that out | would
be very happy, that my fight was not
against Stothart or any other man,
but against constables.
MIR, Roessler had asked me to
phone him at the Schuetzenplatz as
soon as | got in touch with the gov
ernor. | reported to him what Blease
had said, and he informed me after
wards that he at once communicated
1t to his friends. In few days after
that Stothart and several other CON
stables visited the blind tigers of
Charleston and | was at once informed
that they were not here for the pur-
pose of raiding but of collecting mon
ey. That they collected it is now be-
yond dispute. l estimate that in the
last eighteen months Stothart has col
lected about sixty thousand dollars. If
he has kept it all, he is a very rich
man and he can at once disprove that
he was transmitted it to Blease by
showing his bank book When he got
the job, he was not only poor. but
as the records will show, his house
was mortgaged for a comparatively
small amount. He had no other
property. 1t ought TO be very easy for
him to show that he did not give this
money to Blease by showing that he
has kept it himself Either one thing
or the other is certain"