The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-10-09
WITNESSES sTEsFFYFoR MAYOR
GiiltFITH HAD STATED lie
WOULD INVESTIGATE RE-
SIRICTED DISTRICT.
Ease Continued To-Day When Mayor
VIII Take Stand-Much Of Tcsu-
mony Yesterday Related 20 the Re-
mitting of fines.

Columbia. oct. 6.-That Mayor
Griffith told him he was going on an
inspection of the segregated district
ON the night of September Is as head
of the police department was the tes-
timony of j. Ii. Crews before the city
council this afternoon in the investi-
cation against the mayor. Mr.. Crews
said he had previously mentioned to
the mayor that ne had heard that
practically the only holders of United
States revenue liquor licenses In CO.
lumbia. were residents of the restrict
ed district.
City Recorder w. p. Etchison, on
the stand this evening. told of the
custom prevailing up to six months
ago OF automatically docketing n
case OF yagrancy against woman Of
the segregated district when she was
brought up on disorderly charges. He
said this custom had been abolished.
They are virtually licensed" said
Mr.. Etchison. OF the houses Of the
segregated district. He said his idea
OF regulating such district was to
abolish IL.
Chief OF Police ]. w. Richardson
testified TO having received orders
from the mayor to enforce the laws
against whlskey selling and gambling.
lie said Solicitor Wade Hampton
Cobb had told him that he (the SOL
icitor) acted on his own discretion I'm
entering mol presses against Archie
McCraney. w. ]. Wilson, f. r. Poat
and A. Il. Hitler I'm the General Ses-
sions Court. who were charged with
violation OF the dispensary law.
These bad been up I'm the Recorders
Court and Mr.. Etchison had said
while on the stand that he considered
the evidence against them very strong.
Solicitor Cobb will be called by the
mayors attorneys to testify.
Detective F.. s. Strickland testified
TO a conversation in the mayors Of
flee between the mayor and James ].
Hammond. attorney for Grace Nc
Ray. In which he said the mayor had
asked Mr.. Hammond IL he hadn't al
ways treated him fairly and asked
him II he attached any importance to
the woman's statements. and when
Mr.. Hammond said he thought they
were worthy of investigation the may
or had said something about not sub
mittiTiS To blackmall. whereupon' Mr..
Hammond had said he had nothing
To do with any blackmail. but was
simply attorney for the woman in
vestisating her statements. 1t was
testified yesterday that letter of
apology was written by the mayor TO
Mr.. Hammond.
Grace McRay had said on the stand
this evening that she would object
to Mr.. Hammond giving the contents
OF her statement. which ne made to
him about tho alleged occurrence.
Representative Alan tombstone. Jr..
on the stand. being called by the cit
liens committee. said he had Witness
ed the McRay statement and Mr..
Hammond had talked 1t over with
him.. but that he certainly would not
violate any confidence. for, II the con-
tents of the statement were divulged
MIR! Hammond was the proper party
To make II. He said he had no OBJ
lection himself To turning on all the
light possible on the whole matter.
III c. Mills testified to being In the
Lilly Moore house on the night In
question and to hearing screams, but