The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-10-09
COUNCIL HEARS WITNESSES.
CHARGES AGAINST COLUMBIA
MAYOR INVESTIGATED.
Citizens Committee Put up Number of
Men and Women Who Testify to
Mayors Being I'm DisOrdcrly House
I'm misunderstanding of Fines
Comes I'm For Share of Testimony.

flying this evening in the investigation
OF the charges against Mayor l.. A.
Griffith, Of remitting fines and of dis
orderly conduct. w. Anderson Clark
son was the spokesman for the citi-
zens' committee and conducted their
side of the case. The mayor was rep
resented by w. S. Nelson, E. j. Best
and Representative Alan Johnstonc,
Jr. Only the citizens committee had
put in their side when council, at 7.40
o'clock. adjourned until 4 O'Clock to-
morrow afternoon. after sitting three
hours and forty minutes. The mayor
will present his side tomorrow.
Among the features brought out in
the mass Of testimony this evening
was an affidavit from Grace McCravy
saying she was subject to fits, and
that If the mayor struck her on the
night of September IS, while in the
house of Lily Moore, he did it while
she was unconscious. She swore on the
witness stand that the mayor did not
strike her, and she said that she had
never asked her attorney, James H.
Hammond, to begin action against him
or told him that the mayor had struck
her. Her testimony was corroborated
by Jessie Williams, who said she was
in the same house on the night in
question and who swore that Grace
McCravy was subject to "fts and
SPELLS" Both Of them said they tes-
titled without fear of any one.
Under question from Attorney
Clarkson, Of the citizens committee,
Grace McCravy admitted she had made
a statement to her attorney Mr.. Ham
mond, few days after the alleged oc-
currence. but she could not remem-
Der what was in the statement. Mr..
Hammond, who is a representative in
the general assembly from this coun-
ty. while on the stand later in the
evening declined to reveal the con-
tents OF this statement on the ground
that 1t was a confidential communi-
cation, between lawyer and client, and
thus privileged. He said he had
taken exception to q statement of the
mayor, which he thought reflected on
him. Attorney Johnstone read a copy
OF letter written by the mayor to
Mr.. Hammond, apologizing to him. Mr..
Hammond said the mayor had talked
to him about representing him before
the council this afternoon, but he had
declined. as both sides had tried to set
the statement Of the McCravy woman,
and he had declined to give it up, and
he thought 1t better for him not to
take any part with either side.
Charles Davis repeated the substance
OF his affidavit read at the mass
meeting Friday night, in which he
swore he was in the house Of Lily
Moore on the 18th of September, and
that he heard screams coming from
Grace McCravy's room, and swore he
saw Mayor Griffith in the house. He
swore Jessie Williams ran into the
room and coming back, said, Some
big man is back there beating Grace"
This statement the Williams woman
denied having made. The testimony
of Davis was in the main corroborated
by Lane l.. Bonner and e. C. Smith.
Doth of whom swore they were in the
house on the night in question.
Policeman B. A. Hinnant who was
on his beat that night, testified to hav-
ing gone into the house, but on Lilv
Moore and others saying there was
no disorder, left He said he saluted
Mayor Griffith, whom he passed in the
nall, and in reply to question
swore the mayor had not ordered him
out OF the house. The testimony that
there was no disorder was corroborat-
ed by Mr.. Keith, who delivers laun-
dry for local concern, and who said
ne was there delivering laundry that
night.
r.. c. Smith swore he stood on the
steps leading up the stairs, and saw
Mayor Griffith and his party leave the
house. He said he did not recognize
any of the party but the mayor.
Council spent over an hour deciding
VINO should act as mayor protein, as
Mayor Griffith after calling the body
To order surrendered the chair and
took n seat with his attorneys. lie
had turned the gavel over to Council
man Keenan,, but Councilman Asbill
objected and said the mayor protein
mad been elected since the new council
came In. Tho city attorney. G. $.
Monteith. held that each new council