The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-05-28

Columbia, May 24.-Thos B. Eel
der the Atlanta attorney, now charg-
ed with alleged bribery in Atlanta,
Ca, was excoriated this morning by
Governor Cole l.. Blease The Cover
nor also refers to w. F, Stevenson,
representative from Chesterfield, and
former Attorney General j. Fraser
Lyon, as well as H. B. Carlisle, Sena-
tor from Spartanburg county, who wa
chairman Of the disensary investig p
Ing committee, that took the Br &,
Fielder detectives to Augusta las -,
mer. "
Governor Bleases dicta/ der
view follows:
Il do not see thai il is nee. sary for
me to give out any interview or to
have anything to say. 1t is not in
side of my State and 1 do not suppose
anybody that knows Tom Fielder
would be surprised if he is guilty or
If this is scheme worked up by him
to get little cheap notoriety and ad-
vertisement. However, presume
that the members of the Atlanta Bar
will Immediately furnish certificates
OF character for their darling, Tom
my. and show that, he is above sus-
picion and a gentleman of the high
est character, with an unbiemished
reputation as q man and attorney, and
If court Of Georgia should order his
arrest that Gen. Anderson will forth
with call out the militia and have him
released, as Gen. Anderson, his form
er partner and lifelong friend,
Knows of his character and reputa.
ton and will not for a moment allow
his Tommy to be interfered with, and
] am satisfied that poor little misled
Joe Brown has had hts pardon clerk
already fixing UP a release for his in
nocent darling in case OF any convic-
.tion. And as a matter of course, the
gutter-snipes who went over to Au-
gusta from South Carolina will hur-
ry to offer their services to 60 on
sweet Tommy's bond, and also TO ar
pear in the courts, along with Sea-
board Bill and his friend, ]. Fraser
Lyon, who have heretofore been his
bosom friends in his defence-all save
Chairman Carlisle, who 1 suppose
will be too busy Mos. :. e" to leave
his own State just now.
Consequently all will be well
Birds of a feather flock together, and,
OF course, if the lead buzzard rings
his bell the congregation will assem-
ble."
Thos. B. Fielder is we'll known
thoroughOut South Carolina. As an at
torney for the Ansel dispensary wind
ing-up commission he secured the
evidence which resulted in over $50,-
600 being recovered to the State from
liquor houses which had overcharged
the old State dispensary. After Gov
ernor Blease came into office and the
Ansel commission were fired a war
rant charging Fielder with having at
tempted to make a "frame-up" with
II. III. Evans, of Newberry. to sell
liquor 20 the State dispensary while
Evans was on the board was taken
out in Newberry and a reward was Of
Tered for the arrest of Cot Fielder
Requisition papers drawn on Govern
or Brown, of Georgia, by Governor
Blease for Col. Fielder were refused
The Newberry grand jury returned a
no bill' in this case later on.
Col. Felder's charges against Gov
ernor Blease and his sensational let
ters to the press of South Carolina
promising to write book on the Gov
ernor, and finally his employing of De-
tective William j. Burns in attempt
ing to prove official corruption in
South Carolina, the testimony at
Augusta, the reply by Governor
Blease and the latter's reelection, all
are recalled by the latest news from
Atlanta.
Great interest is being taken all
over the state i'm the charges against
Col. Fielder.
URGE SEGREGATION or RACES