The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-02-22
RECEIVER As BAD As TIGER,
MAN WHO TRANSPORTS PUR-
CHASED CONTRABRAND
HELD GUILTY.
Ruling on Anderson Case, He Gives
New Teeth to Law Against Whis-
key Selling.

Anderson, Feb. 19.-In South Car
olina the purchaser Of whiskey from
a blind tiger is guilty Of a violation
OF the law and is punishable just as
IS the seller. This is the substance
OF an order handed down by Judge
Shipp in affirming the judgment Of
the recorder of this city in several
liquor cases.
Several weeks ago the authorities of
this city employed two white detec-
tives to work up liquor cases. These
detectives stopped as guests Of the
several hotels and managed to get
some of the porters, walters and bell
boys to get whiskey for them. About
10 cases Of this kind were the re-
suit.
When the cases were brought to
trial the offense charged was trans
porting contrabrand liquor rather than
the charge of selling liquor. Each Of
the defendants admitted delivering
whiskey from a blind tiger and several
that they were acting as the agents Of
the purchaser; that they themselves
did nothing more than carry the whis-
key from the blind tiger to the de-
tectives. They stated they got the
whiskey from a blind tiger and several
OF the defendants named the person
who they claimed let them have the
whiskey. The person named had
skipped when the officers went for
him.
The cases were tried before juries
in the recorders court, and verdicts
of guilty We're returned Appea's were
made to the circuit court, and were
heard by Judge Shipp. The attor-
neys, arguing the appeals for the de-
PENDANTS, admitted that the whiskey
came from a blind tiger and admit
ted that SO long as the whiskey was
in the hands Of the blind tiger it was
contrabband whiskey. They argued,
however, that the character of the
whiskey changed when it passed into
the hands of the defendants because
they had obtained possession Of it for
lawful purpose, and that it was not,
Nrefore,-eoAtraband W wfiskey,---yand
that the recorder erred in sentencing
them for transporting whiskey.
Judge Shipp said that in his opinion
the whiskey, which was admitted by
the defendants to be contraband at
one time, ~emained contraband after
it had changed hands. He, therefore,
handed down the following order af-
firming the judgment of Recorder
Frierson:
THE defendant herein was convict
ed in the recorders court Of the city
of Anderson for the offense of trans
porting contraband' liquors in viola
ton Of section 81 of the code of laws
of said city, reading as follows:
Section 81. 1t shall be deemed q
misdemeanor for any person TO
transport, handle, store or conceal
within the city Of Anderson any illicit
or contraband alcoholic liquors.
my findings of the fact from the
evidence are that the defendants,
either as agent or principal, purchas-
ed and obtained intoxicating liquor in
the city of Anderson from a person
whom defendant knew was not au-
thOrized by law to sell same, and that
this defendant thereupon transported
said liquor from one place to another
in said city and delivered it to a third
person.
Il hold as q matter of law that the
transportation in this city of this
liquor by this defendant after OBJ
tanning it through sale he knew was
unlawful, vas violation OF the ordi-
nance against transportation Of con-
traband liquor. Estate VS. Bookard 81
S. c., 444.) Let the judgment Of
the recorder be affirmed and the ap-
peal dismissed"
This point will very probably be
taken up to the supreme court for q
ruling by that tribunal.