The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1914-08-20

his intsntion to publish the report if he
was able to obtain copy thereof. He
has no excuse, therefore, for not pre-
senting the result of this investigation
to the tax payers of the county. for as
we have plainly indicated above COM
plete duplicate copy of the record was
prepared for Mr. Cooks personal use
and has been held for delivery to him
at any me. We infer from his charge
against this committee for its failure
to keep promise respecting the publi
cation of this record that such refusal
to publish same was prompted by per-
sonal motives, but he evidently over
looked the fact that We are simply
representatives of the grand jury and
of the county at large and not of Mr.
Cook. The publication of the record
was declined solely upon the advice of
attorneys who had been consulted.
With reference to the charge that our
original report is inaccessible for the
reason that it has been sealed and di-
rected to the Grand Jury, we wish to
say that Mr. Cook was present when
this record was delivered to the Clerk
of Court and filed in his office, and it
was then and there definitely announced
to Mr. Cook and to the Clerk that the
entire report was a public record open
to the inspection of any citizen alter 1t
had been filed with the Clerk. 1t was
properly addressed to the Grand Jury,
the authority directing the inquiry. A
few minutes after the record had been
presented to the Clerk, Mr. Cook inter-
viewed two members of this committee,
both of whom positively and definitely
advised him that the record was not in
tended to be a sealed packet, but was
subject to his inspection. In order that
the record might be bound together,
there being two separate portions, they
were made into roll, around the center
of which a wrapper was placed and the
flap thereof sealed. The same result
might have been obtained by the use of
a string or rubber band to bind the
wrapper on, and the entire record might
be slipped from its wrapper with the
same ease and readiness that string
or rubber band might be removed. But
in addition to this physical condition of
the papers, Mr. Cook and the Clerk were
both expressly and positively instructed
that the record was not sealed packet,
but was open to inspection at any time.
Whilst we regret exceedingly the un-
reasonably hostile attitude assumed by
Mr. Cook, we are not perturbed; for our
duty was unmistakably laid before US,
and-as special officers of the Grand
Jury-we have expeditiously performed
our duties as we met them. Selected
and directed to investigate condition
of affairs which was alleged to have ex-
isted, We simply sscertained the facts
and have presented them to the author
ity directing this investigation. We
have been merely servants of the peo-
pie. with our line of conduct fixed by
our duty, and prompted by no ulterior
nor personal motive, we have performed
our services in this case. The record
has been completed and filed and the
final disposition Of the case now rests
with the Grand Jury of this county.
Respectfully submitted,
w H CARR,
AC SWAILs,
j B GAMBLE,
Special Committee from the Grand Jury
of Williamsburg County.
Kingstree, S c,
August II, 1914. S-2O-lt