The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-24

w. +. Blackburn. the Governors :
stenographer setting out the above
state ments is submitted.
denial that he received $4,000
for he pardon of Rudolph Rabens is
made and an affidavit from Rabens
himself setting this forth j. submit
ted also an affidavit from the Rev
w. "A. c. Mueller, bearing this out.
NJ. Mueller says in his affidavit
that he personally requested the par
don, that Rabens had only twenty
eight days more to serve and that it
Is foolish to think he paid $4,000 to
keep from serving twenty eight days.
He also says that Rabens' people tell
him that they did not offer or pay
one cent.
The Governor says he never heard
of +. II. Krauss until the Augusta
hearing and he reiterates that he has
genuine "T. b." letters. He repeats
his well-known statements about a
''frane-up" and being able to convict
Fielder.
The Governor calls his brief The
F'roo1 Positive and says: You
should rejoice with me that once
more honor and virtue have been able
to withstand the black hand assaults
Of infamy and shame" He refers to
the S3urns gang" and applies to them
such 'epithets as "hirelings" and
cattle"
He says that ''since it became
known that the Burns crowd was
bounding me down. letters and tele-
grams have come to me from various
sections Of the continent giving me
information OF the dirty methods of
the detective agency. 1 wish to call
your attention to the fact that they
have been denounced by two of the
most prominent men in the United
States, President William II. Taft and
Attorney General Wickersham." The
Governor assails the detective in
stingirg and bitter terms.
The Governor under his sub-head-
ing Of "Other Future Charges and
Proof. says that the Fielder commit
tee" may go into some other avenue
of pollution and bring forth some
poor, miserable being in the shape of
a human being, who Is willing for the
sake of a few paltry dollars, to fur
ther steep his or her soul in misery
and they may, in their desperate ef-
forts To get rid of me. assail and at
tack those kindred and friends dear
to me. Such other foul falsehoods as
they shall send forth, shall be
answered by me. If answer be deem
ed necessary. whenever they are
made"
He then charges that the reason
for this investigation is to cloud the
issue and keep him off the record Of
Judge Ira B. Jones. saying that 81
cannot say that they did not receive
therefor"
~sSAS' A'hS W Tive prominence given
by the newspapers to the Fielder test
imony, the Governor demands" that
the papers publish his reply in full.
and, to quote the reply, If they
charge penny for this, then 1 shall
have the undoubted proof that they
are -cOnspirators with Fielder and
Burns TO get from honest people
their money" He dares the news
papers to refuse to publish his re-
ply in full. .-. ..~.s-
The Governor classes himself with
Thomas Jefferson, Andrew jackson,
John c. Calhoun and Abraham Lin
rOln and styles himself as fighting
the battle of the people against the
ierce and bitter opposition Of the
privileged classes.
Concluding, his statement says:
But naught that can be said or done,
as long as l shall live, will prevent
NE from going on in the fight have
been making for your rights and I be-
ieve that in this battle have the
hopes. the assistance and the prayers
IF d great majority Of the white men
and women Of South Carolina"