The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-04-02
TROUBLE TROUBLE BREWING
union COUNTY SHERIFF CLASH
WITH BLEASE
ABOUT SELLING BOOZE

ABOUT SELLING BOOZE
Tense Situation Apparently Brought
About by the Recent Activities of
Detective" Fortner, Which People
of Union Resent-Statements of
Mayor Duncan and Gov. Blease.
rier from Union says a sharp clash
A dispatch to The News and Cou-
between the city and county officials
Of Union on one side, and Governor
Blease on the other appear immi-
nent. AS 2 result, the people Of Uni
on city and county are very much
wrought up, momentarily expecting
the smouldering flames to break out
in some new quarter in the triangu-
lar fight now being staged.
Following the appearance Of Rep
resentative Fortner, Of Spartanburg,
Baease member of the Legislature,
in Union with a commission from
Governor Blease as State detective
in his pocket and the big row, it is
said. he kicked up by attempting to
raid an alleged blind tiger, the mayor
Of Union and several of the promi-
nent people caustically condemned
the Governor for giving a represent
ative a commission as a detective,
and the people Of Union, at least
many Of them, resented the incident
bitterly and charged a political plot.
Tuesday Sheriff 'Fant, Of Union,
received letter from the Governor
charging the sheriff with being dere-
lict in his duty in enforcing the laws,
and strongly intimating that unless
he performed his duty he may be re-
moved from Office. In his letter to
Sheriff FAINT the Governor said: cit
has been reliably reported to me that
one Will Estes is running an open
blind tiger in the town Of Union,
which is nuisance to the communi-
ty; and that ] w. Wolling, negro,
J. P. FAINT, Miller FAINT and Dick
English are engaged in violations OF
the dispensary law.
''It is further reported that the
mayor and the police force in the city
of Union are not making any effort
to enforce the dispensary law in the
town Of Union-in fact, 1t is report
ed to me that members Of the police
force kept special vigilance over one
of my detectives sent there, in order
to keep him from accomplishing any
thing.
s'Many complaints are coming to
{ this Office about the open and fragrant
violation of the dispensary law in the
town of Union, as well as in the coun.
ty Of Union. I again write and beg
Of you to get busy and endeavor tc
stop these violations OF the law.
ST am writing to other sheriff:
along the same line begging them tt
get busy, and I sincerely hope that
all Of the officers Of the State viii
remember the oath, that they have
{ taken and do something to help mt
In the enforcement Of the law.
$ can not do it by myself; can only
urge upon you whose duty it is"
Concerning rumor that the Gov
ernor had threatened to remove Sher
III FAINT from Office and appoint for
mer Sheriff Long the sheriff is quoted
as having nothing to say, while Mr.
Long is quoted as saying that If the
place is offered to him he would &C
cept. Mr.. FAINT defeated MI. Lons
sor sheriff OF Union county last sum
mer.
Mayor Duncan is quoted as fol.
lows: Mayor Duncan, when seer
and asked if he had anything to say
regarding Governor Blease's severe
criticism Of the police force, said: g!
never give any attention to commun
ications Of an anonymous character
Let Governor Blease give name o:
his informant, giving him informa
ton, so-called, regarding action Of
mayor and police force, and it will be
shown that his informant is nothing
more than common everyday liar
Union is a thriving little city ot
some 5000 inhabitants in the Pied
mont section of South Carolina, ane
the people are nightly stirred oTel
the threatened clash between the
local officials. It is said that viii
Estes isthe owner of the place which
Fortner, while in Union with a detec'
tfye's commission, said he would raid
or he would have the Governor to
place Union under martial law.
When asked about the matter Gov
ernor Blease said he had not threat
ened to remove Sheriff FAINT; that al
said that complaints had come to him
from as good citizens as were in I'm
ion County, comparing OF the wide
open" way in which the "blind IT,
gers" were running, and the Govern
or said it was reported to him that
the mayor was encouraging them, as
he was opposed to the dispensary.
He said that it was also reported
that Sheriff FAINT had done nothing
towards enforcing the law and he
was simply calling his attention to
these matters, he being new official.
He said that he had sent three detec-
tiyes into Union and, each Of them
had reported that a condition of law
lessness prevailed in respect to the