The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-05-22

10 do anything in Charleston and that
Will have to handle the situation in
another way and that you will hear
from me in short time / did not
near for some days. On the 18th or
18th of May 1 went into the Bank of
Sumter and asked Mr.. Bernard Man.
ming If his father was not in Florence
attending Council and would be there
Tin Florence) on the following dav.
He said that he thought he would.
said that / would run over and sec
him. Mr.. Manning asked me ii II
wa sa matter Of any importance.
replied Il am about to order uniforms
for the police force and would like To
know about what time your father
expects me to leave here, as I do not
wish to order. a uniform for myself, if
1 am to leave shortly. He replied,
Mr.. Sumter, do not order a uniform.
1 know that he will need you shorty.
He knows that they are going to do
nothing in Charleston and 1 am sure
he will want you to go there, and 7
am sure II he will give you five or six
good men you can succeed in con-
trolling the situation I was prevent
ed from going to Florence, so wrote
Gov. Manning to fix the date for nv
leaving here as soon as he could pos
sibly learn Of it. This letter I held
until I learned that he had returned
to Columbia, mailing same Friday,
May 18th. Saturday morning, May
10Th. Gov. Manning called me up by
telephone and said L got your letter
When can you come? / replied that
1 could arrange by June 1st. He re-
piled That won't do. must have YOU
by Wednesday, as 1 have something l
want you to do then I mentioned my
desire 10 give the City Council some
notice and that / had some private
matters to arrange. He replied: You
can straighten your own affairs later.
Go over and see Jennings and tell him
/ want you. He promised to release
you. Ring me up later tonight-call
till you get me- l saw Mayor Jen-
nings on the street and said to him:
Mr.. Jennings. Gov. Manning has just
telephoned that he wants me on We'd
nesday, that he had made arrange
ments with you to release me when he
wanted me- Mayor Jennings said that
he had told Mr.. Manning that he
would do so. adding that he sympa-
thized with him in his efforts to en-
force law and order. l then turned
away and Mayor Jennings called to
me Il don't suppose this need be Il
secret ary longer, and turned and
spoke TO n friend about IT, Shortly
afterwards n number OF people came
Up and asked me If l had received
the appointment. I said: Yes, 1 ex-
pect to- get it, Saturday night call.
ed up Gov. Manning according to
agreement and said: Il have seen
Mayor Jennings and it Is all right. 1
will be over on Wednesday, He re.
piled. That will not do, you must
take the IL o'clock train on Monday,
which will put you here at l o'clock.
Come directly to my office. I want
you to go down to Charleston on
Tuesday, 1 replied: Very well, will
arrange to do that, and added this
thing has got out around town. He
said 4 am sorry for that. Well. we
will have to make the best Of 1t. Ask
the reporters not to wire their pa
pers the news
On Mond y, according to appoint
ment, saw Gov. Manning He asked
me If was ready to go to Charleston
replied. Yes" He then said, L
have seen Sheriff Martin and spoken
to him about you and of my conf
dence ard trust in your integrity. and
/ want you to assist him. (This is
the first time 1 ever learned that was
to be the subordinate Of Sheriff Mar
tin or anyone else.) I asked Gov.
Manning If he meant me to under
stand that he did not have a commits
sion for me as Chief Constable of the
State, the position he had offered me.
He replied NO that there was evil
IDENTIFY. some misunderstanding be-
tween us as to the position. 1 said
there was no misunderstanding on my
part, as to his request to me. / then
absolutely refused to go to Charles
ton. as Sheriff Martins subordinate.
stating my reasons for so refusing. |
Will add that the above mentioned
meetings and discussions between us
of the position offered and the plans
for rrutnn ont tho ihitinC In wu