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VOL. XLX, MANNING, S. C., WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1905. NO. 47 THEY GT PAID. Some Damaging Evidence Agains Certain Dispensary Officials WAS BROUGHT OUT. A Former Beer Dispenser at Spartanburg Gives Some Rich and Racy Testi mony Before the Commission as to How Money Was Raised for Graft. On the witness stand in the court house at Spartanturg on Tuesday of last week John Henry Morris, former lv beer dispenser, testified that he had lost his job as beer dispenser because he complained of the miserable quali ty of beer sold by the Atlanta Brew ing company and because he had re fused to pay to C. 0. Smith, chairman of county board, the amount that Smith demanded. Witness swore fur ther that in making final settlement with Atlanta Brewing company that concern was represented by Cole L Blease, who had said, "You boys could have kept from telling so much." Beferrirg to the afadavits which witnesses had given Messrs. Christen sen and Lyon, Morris also testified that H. H. Evans had asked him to "chip in" $300 to the election of leg islators in Spartanburg county, prom ising to refund it. Witness had never been reimbursed althoua he bad spent money on advies of Jess Mahaff ey, former member a: 3- gislature, who had told Morris that Evans was good for the amount, as curing the session 'of the legislature Mabhffey had had $20 bills stuffed into his pockets by Evans during the campaign incident to Evans' reelection. Witness declin ed to testify further, as Mabaffey was not present and he wanted to say it to Mahaffey's face. Witness also swore that C. 0. Smith, the former chairman of the county board, had told him that he must sell Atlanta beer or none at all when Mor ris complained that the beer was stale and the customers were quitting him. He testified that he had seen Smith drunk on several odcasions and that once be saw Smith try to cut a man with a meat kinife. Morris was the only witness examined, as the hearing did not commence until after 5 o'clock. r.EASE'S NAME BROUGHT IN. Senator Hay and Mr. Fraser having been delayed, Mr. Lyon stated that he and Mr. Christensen, being mem bers of the sub-committee, would not sit as members of the commission but as prosecuting attorneys. He begun - by reading a letter from C. H. Henry and his reply to that letter. Henry had asked for permission to reply to statements in an almdavit of which he had heard. Mr. Lyon had replied that Henry would be given a free and full' hearing. This was approved by the cmmittee and Henry may appear If he choses to do so. On account of the delay, there were not many people in the court house, but the testimony of Morris made quite a stir. Senator Blease, who was author of the resolution looking to the dispensary investigation, was referred to very pointedly by the witness but did not 3ross examine him. There were several present who are interested In the local fight to vote out the dispensary and they seem to think that the testimony today will have its weight in that issue, for the witness Is said to be a reliable man He testified that he is a butcher and has an Interest in a grocery store. He was a -willing witness and did not hies itate to declare him..elf. He had been elected beer dispenser in April, 1904, and was not reelecsed at the end of the year. He had spent $80 to get the job, including the attorney's fee. It had cost him between $700 and $800 to fix up his place. OBJECTION RAISED. Morris swore that the original- aff davit was correct. When Mr. Lyon reached that point in the reading where the name of C. 0. Smith was mentioned, C. P. Sims, a lawyer of the Spartanburg bar, arose and asked to be heard. M:>rris had stated: "C. 0. Smith, member of county board, asked me how much expense I had been pat to (to secure electior) and upon my telling him he said that was very cheap, that it would cost me more than that to be elected again Mr. Sims here objected that this com mission, having been created by a concurrent resolution must stay strict. ly within the meaning and words of the resolution. He contended that under the resolution the committee did not have the right to come tc Spartanburg and get Mr. Smith or Mr. Henry or any one else up not con nected with the State dispensary. Mr. Lyon artd Senator Hay mnade short work of Mr. Sims' objection, it being stated that the commission had discussed the matter and with but one dissenting vote had decided at a meeting in Sumter in Miarch that by "State dispensary" is meant the dis pensary as run in the State of Soutt Carolina and that there is no distinc tion so far as the law is concerned be tween county and State dispensaries. Mr. Lyon tried to fiad out from Mr Sims how mmny clients he represente( in this matter. Mr. Sims continued t4 object to the testimony, but the chair man, Senator Hay, declared that thb investigation Is not a trial and that i trying) to get light tbe committe< would give great lattitude to the wit ness. THE MORRIS AFFIDAVIT. After further argumnents Mr. LyoI proceeded with the reading of the af fidavit of Morris given last A pril. It read: "I did not know positivel: what C. 0. Smith meant, but suppos ed It meant that I would have to pa: the county board of control sometini~ for my reelection. I inferred this be cause ex-Beer Dispenser B. L. Tolant told me that he had to pay C. C Smith $275 for his election beside the beer and whiskey he gave him. I: addition to this W. F. Lanford told me that J. P. Thackson had to pay about $450 for his beer privilege to C. 0. Smith, chairman of county board. (Objection by Mr. Sims.) Toland and Land ford told me that the $275 men tioned above was deposited in the safe of J. W. Huseman, beer dispenser there. These are a few of the reasons I had for supposing that I would have to pay some of the members of county board for my privilege to sell beer. Later upon asking for a book of in structions for running my dispensary, Mr. Smith said, 'Don't mind instruc tions, make every dollar ycu can, you will need it for your next election.' About the middle of March last, short ly before my time for re-election, C. 0. Smith came to my place of busi ness, and asked me if I wished to be reelected. I said I did. He said I had better get busy and go to Atlanta with him and make a trade with Jeff Dunwoody. If I did not, the other fel low would. Dunwoody is the gentle man who represents the Atlanta Brew. ing Company. DUNWOODY COMES IN. "In August, or previous to that, in July, I received a car 3f stale beer, and had a lot of it sent back on me,. and a lot of my customers quit me, and I told Uharlie Smith, and he said I would have to handle that or none. He said. 'You know Jeff Dunwoody gave you $125 to help you build your ice box.' I said, 'I will just pay him $125 and buy from somebody else, I can't sell that.' Smith says, 'You can sell that or nothing.' That was previous to March, in August or July. I prefer red to go, that if it took that to get the beer dispensary I did not want it. Smith came back to me.a week later and said that he could have the brew ery to pay enough to satisfy himself and Mr. W. M. Avant, without my having to pay anything, if I would go to Atlanta with him and obligate my self to handle their beer." Q "That was that stale beer?" A. "Yes, sir, when I obligate myself I would have to handle anything they put on me." Mr. Lyon, continuing affidavits: "We did not go to Atlanta and saw Dunwoody. Dunwoody came to me and said that he (Dunwoody) had been told that if I were reelected beer dis penser that he would have to come to' Spartanburg and get busy if any of his beer were sold there. Dunwoody told me that I would have to give $1 a keg so I would satisfy the boys." There was more of this kind of evi dence in the affidavit, all going to show that Morris, while dispenser, was 'told that C. 0. Smith was master of the situation in Spartanburg county, and that a member of the State board had told Jeff Dunwocdy that Smith would remain on the county board un til after the election of beer dispen sers. The affavit continues: "The result of the whole matter was that-I lost my position. -I attribute this to my re fusalto follow Dunwoody's and Smith's advice. No charges were preferred against me, and I called this matter to the attention of Mr. H. H. Evans in a letter which I had Mr. C. P Sanders write for me, but I have never received a response from Mr. Evans." A letter was read from Mr. Morris to Chairman H. H. Evans of the State board, protesting against his removal without cause. He asked Mr. Evans to have his removal investigated and for fair play. To this, letter he stated he received- no reply. There was noth ing special in the letter, except a re quest for fair play. THE NEWSI'AFER FUED. Mr. Lyon continuing afflavit: "Re cently a petition was put in circula tion here for the purpose of having an election on the dispensary for this county. When the petition for election was circulated J. W. Harmon dispen ser, came to me and said that The Evening Journal would take up our fight for $300 and that my part of this would be $25. I gave Mr. Harmond a check on the Merchants' and Farm ers' bank for $25. Before subscribing this I saw 0.0O. Smith and W. N. Avant about it, and they said it would be all EIght to give it. These men were members of the county board. "Afterwards Smith came to me and said to keep quiet, that Dunwoody would give $50 for this purpose, and that Joe Hotaseman had collected from representatives of whiskey houses in Columbia about $285, after House man's expenses had been taken out, and that he, Smith, had received a check from Fleischman for $25." Q. "Did 0. 0. Smith represent Fleischman & Co. as selling agents at that time?" A. "I thing Mr. Smith represent ed them at that time; I won't be pos itive. Probably Mr. McGordy could tell you all about that, because he seemed to act as Mr. Smith's private secretary at that time." Mr. Lyon continuing affdavit: "I saw this check- It was payable to C. 0. Smith. He said this check was to go to Dispenser McGordy, part of the money ta be paid to The Journal." Witness: "As for Mr. Henry, I never saw him in my life as I know of, and whether it was to go direct to him or not, I don't know. I paid it to Mr. Harmon, I told him $25 was all I would give and after Mr. Harmon told me that $25 would be enough. Huse man and Reibling, beer dispenisera, came down and said Mr. Henry said we had better give more." Q "What was the object in giving The Journal this money?" THEY ALL CAME ACROSS. A. "They said all the rest of them were giving them money to fight the prohibition movement and wanted me to come across and I told them I would." IQ. "You did not have any agree meent to put In any advertising mat ter in The Journal?" A. "No, I don't know whether it went to The Journal or not, but when I asked the board about It, I asked them why they didn't get The Her al's influence, tnat Mr. Henry had been fighting the dispensary all along, and they said, '0 we can't get The Herald,' and doubtless if they cculd get Henry, but if I would give it I would be elected again." -Mr. Lyon continuing the atlidavit: "Shortly after I agreed to Mr. Har mon's proposition to pay The Journal $300, Mr. Reibling and Huseman, beer dispensers, came to me and said, 'Let's get Henry, the newspaper ma.n of The Evening Journal; that he Swoul take up the fight for $500.' I rection, which cost me a whole lot 01 money, did everything I could for the men he said were his men. He said that anybody who was in favor of the dispensary he wanted elected, and those who were not he didn't if he could help it, and he also told Jess Mahaffey, 'You remember what you did for me in Columbia and I will not forget it.' " Q 'Did Mr. Mahaffey tell you what be did for him in Columbla?" A. "He said when he was wanting to be elec'ed as chairman of the State board he had in his room nearly as much whiskey as there is in a whiskey di. pensary, and he would just invite pecple in there to take drinks, and he said he stuffed several $20 bills in his (Mhaffey's) pockets." Q "What do you suppose Mr. Ma haIhy did with those $20 bills?" A. ''1 don't know, sir, unless he got drunk on them." Q "Did Mr. Mahaffey tel you he was pretending to be opp.>sed to Mr. Evans?" A. "Yes sir, he said they way he worked it, he went on to brag, he said that he would get In with a crowd working against Mr. Evans and pretend he was going to be against him and find out how they were going and size up the certain members he could get for Mr. Evans, and he woul'd report t> Mr. Evans and Mr. Evans would tell him how to manouver." The witness here reqiested that he be allowed to wait unt.il Mr. Mabaffey could be present before testifying fur ther along this line. He was asked if Mr. Mahaffey did not rather brag about having some of that money in the legislature where it would do good. The witness replied, '"Yes sir, but I would rather he would be here.' He was told that an effort would be made to secure Mr. Mahaffey's at tendance. C. 0. Smith, the member of the board, of whom so much was said, is in Hendersonville, N. j. Mahaffey could not be found when Mr. Schum pert, the marshal, went for him. BUB IN EVIDENCE. On Wednesday it was only after being reassured repeatedly that Ma haffey had been sent for and was "non est inventus" that Morris re samed his testimony. He said: "After Mr. Evans came here and told Mr. Mahaffey and myself to do all we could to get all the candidates elected who favored the dispensary law, and he said, 'You fellows can af ford to spend some money, as I will reimburse you," I asked Mr. Mahaffey if he reckoned he would do it, and he said yes, he knew Hub, and he was all right. I asked him where he knew him and he said he knew him in the legislature, and then he went on to tell about his working to have Evans elected as chairman of the State board and he said if he didn't stick to him he ought to, and I asked him why. He said he had gone into the com mittee room with those who opposed Hub Evans and found out what they were doing, and had gone back and reported to Evans." Q. "Where were these committee rooms?" A. "In Columbia." Q. "In the State house?" A. "I don't know what house they were in: I never aiked him." Q. ."Youi say he just said the com mittee rooms, and that was during the session of the legislature?" A. "Yes, sir." Q. "When Mr. Evans was running for member of the State board of di rectors?" A. "Yes, sir." AT EVANS' EXP'ENSE. Q. "What did Mr Mahaffey say in regard to that matter ?" A. "He said that Evans had of fered him-he didn't have to pay for anything. He went to the opera shows and suppers and various other places in Columnbia at Evans' expense, and got all the whiskey he wanted and brought a satchel full home, which he got out of Mr. Evans' room." Q. "You say that he brought a satchel of whiskey away from Mr. Evans' room every night he went there?" A. "Yes, sir." Q.. "What else, Mr. Morris?" A. "Well, he went on to state, which I suppose maybe a lot of peo ple In this court house heard on sev eral other occasions-Hub Evans was asked on one occasion in his room what was the salary of the State board of directors, and he went on to say that two of them received a salary of $400 a year. Evans was asked what his salary was and he said he couldn't tell until his term was up." Q. "Didn't Mr. Mahaff-y tell you at tihe same time that he put some of these $20 bills in the pockets of mem bers of the legislature?" A. "Yes, sir." Q. "Tell us exactly what you know." A. "He went on to state who he gave the $23 bills to, but I can't recol lect the names; al .don't remember them." Q. "That was in the Interest of having Mr. E vans elected a member of the board of control?" A. "Yes, sir." Q. "Do you see any gentleman in this room who heard Mr. Mahaffey make that statement?" A. "Mr. Blackwood there I think heard it." Q "Look around and see if you can see any others around here who you c.n recognize as having heard it." A. "Most anybody heard it whc ever loaf ed around the beer house and he made the statement so frequently and bzfore so many people it looks as if it would be a very easy matter tc get just any body." Q. "Do you recollect anything else about the transaction that you could tell us?" A. "Not just now, I don't, Mr. Lyon." HIE SOLD WHlISK~EY. Q. "Do you recollect a statement made .by Mr. 0. 0. Smith in regard tc his going to Charleston to sell whis key to a certain dispenser down there and the dispenser refused to buy, and the transaction that took place?" A. "Yes sir, that was on Saturday before my defeat on Monday, I believe about the 8th of April, Mr. Smith wai talking there in the beer house it the presence of Mr. Farley, myself anc others. Q. "What did he say Mr. Mcrris?' asked the reason of the increase, a Mr. Harmon had just said that $30C was the price. They said that Henry had gone up, that he had said $300 was not enough, as he would lose sub scribers to his paper and his influence, as he had been lighting Zn the other side." Witness said that was what they told him. Mr. Lyon centinuing affidavit: "Huseman and Reibling told me my part would be $50, but I declined to give this much. Mr. Harmon came back and said $25 was enough for me to pay. That they would try and get Lalance from whiskey houses. "Representing the combined dis pensaries here and as secretary for C. 0. Smith, J as. P. Mciorty, dispenser, wrote letters to whiskey houses for Smith to get contributions to pay Toe Journal. I saw McGorty writing some of the letters at Smith's dicta tion. The letters referred to the movement to abJlish the dispensary, and asked for aid to resist it. I rec ollect that the Richland Distilling company was mentioned as subscrib ing one of the largest amounts to this fund. I think U.lman was anothFer, and Mallard's Distilling company and i. W. Keily & Co." Witness: "I really saw the list but I forgot the names. That is the part of them. It was shown to me in Mc Gosty's wiskey dispensary. Smith and McGorty went over it and said Joe went over it. I don't know how much the amounts were." Lyon continuing affidavit: "C. 0. S.nith said Hub Evans would also contribute." Witness: "I believe he said he had already contributed." Mr. Lyon continuing affidavit: "I have seen 0. 0. Smith drunk on the street and in my place several times. One time I saw him try to cut Harry Thompson with my meat knife while he was drunk, but I took the knife from him. Smith is a notoriously disorderly person and gets drunk fre quently." Witness: "Mr. Huseman saw him too when he had the knife after Har ry Thompson." REFUSED 'TO PAY. Mr. Lyon continuing affidavit: "Re ferring again to my re-election as dis penser, C. 0. Smith told me that'I must put up a bonus of $250 cash, be ides what he could get from the brewery, which he said would be $200, making $450, the same amount paid by Thaekston and Reibling each for heir privileges." Witness: "The same man who sold tale beer to me." Mr. Lyon continuing affidavit: "He then said to arrange the matter with Dunwoody; to let him charge $1 extra n each barrel of beer and pay it over o him (C. 0. Smitb) as the beer was >rdered- I refused to do this." Q. "Are these statements careect?*' A. "Yes, sir, correct." Mr. Lyon then read a number of Letters from Dunwoody to I. C. Black wood, Morris and"others. The first Letter was to Mr. Blackwood In March >I last year in reference to the estab shment of the beer dispensary for which Morris was .afterwards elected lispenser. Dunwcody told that he would assist Morris to get the job if the latter would use Dunwoody 's beer. r. Blackwood is a former member of he legislature and appeared as one of . 0. Smith's attorneys. At the conclusion of the reading of hese letters, Mr. Lyon read to the wtne.ss an affdavit given several weeks after the first one. What hap ened between the time of the giving f the two affdavits related to the atter between Morris and Senator Bease, the author of the resolution ausing the investigation and a miem er of the commission. The following are extracts from that affdavit. Q. "Mr. Morris, since Mr. Chris ensen and myself were here the last ime, were you consulted about the ispensary situation by Senator Blease f Newberry?" A. "Yes, sir. He came to see me bout a settLement between the At anta Brewing company'and myself." Q "Who did Senator Blease rep resent?' A. "I thought the Atlanta Brew ing company, from the way he talked. Ee did not say who he represented, but from the start took it that he represented the Atlanta Brewing Co. or Dunwoody." Q. "Did he have a bill?'' A. "N~o, he did not have a bill, I had the bill and he asked me for it." MR. BLEASE COMES IN. The witness then stated in the aff davit that he gave his bill to Blease, who carried it over to the Argyle ho el to get Dunwbody to receipt it. Morris declined to accept the settle ment when Blease came back with the receipted bill until ne ciuld see his attorney, Stanyarne Wilson. Accordingly in the presence of Mr. Wilson and Mr. Howard Carlisle, Blese tendered $15 to Morris in pay ment of the bill for $13 35. The pur pose of this testimony was to show that Senator Blease a month after having been appointed on the investi gatin commission had acted for Dun. woody. The receipt, in Bleae's hand. writing, was placed in evidence as was a riote which Blease wrote when Morris had complained of having been forced to contribute $25 to the Spar. tanburg newspaper fund and that Mr. Bleaee offered to try atd get his money returned, or to go and get it himself, and that he vcoluntarily wrote an order and suggested that Mr. Mor rs send It to Mr. Harmon. The fol owing is a copy of order signed or sent, Morris turning It over to the investigating committee, as he could not be comforted for the loss of hi: job. Spartani urg, S. C., May 4, 1905. Mr. J. W. Harmon, City. I paid $25 as my part contribution to the paper to help In the dispensary tight, on condition that I would be re-elected; as I have not been re spectfully ask for the return of my money. Please send same, and oblige. POCKETs FULL OF MONEY. Mr. Lyon then called Mr. Morris attention to anoter affdavit which he had made as follows: Q "Did H. H. Evans tell you anc Mr. Mahaffey some time about last August to put up $200 or $300 on thi election of legislators In favor of thi dispesary and he would make it good himself?" A. "Yes, sir." Q. "Did you do it?" A. "TIdid all I connld in thatrii A. "How come the conversation to come up, he had told me about some sales of whiskey he had made in vari oas places in other towns, in New berry; he said he had sold some right there in Hub Evans' own town; at least he had had dispensers to order some of the brands of whiskey from the houses that he was representing. He had the dispensers to order whis key from the Srate disrensary, the brand of whiskey he was represent ing." Q "In other words Mr. Smith rep resented whiskey houses and he went to local dispensers and asked them to order from the State dispensary the whiskey he, S mith, was selling; is that it?" A. "Yes sir." Q "Go ahead and tell the rest of the conversation." A. "I asked him what kind of buiness did he do in Charleston. He said he sold more to blind tigers there than to dispensers. He said he sold 12 blind tiger people, and had the privilege of cursing out one dispenser." Chairman Hay: "Was that while Mr. Smith was a member of the coun ty board of control?" A. "Yes sir. He said he went to some dispenser there in Charleston, don't rember his name; he said he was a big, fleshy fellow and asked him to buy some whikey from the house he was representing, and the dispen. ser asked him what there was in it for him, and he told him not a cent, he wasn't one of them kind that had to pay a dispenser anything to tuy his whiskey. He said he had friend on the State board who wculd put them out of business if they did not buy it and sid the next m~rning -that night that fellow come to his room at the hotel and waked him up-he come to his room, probably before he *ent to bed-and gave him the biggest order he had ever received from any dis penser." Q "Mhat was af er Mr. Smith bad told him about this friend he had on the State boar-' of directors?" A. "Yes sir." Chairman Hay: "Did he say who that friend was?" A. "No, sir; he didn't say." On Thursday Mahaffey took the stand and denied telling Morris that Evans had given money or whiskey to him for any purpose. MONEY FROM DOGS. The Tax This Year Will be Over Forty Thousand Dollars. The scbool fund this year will be increased with something like $40,000 as a result of the dog tax. The dog tax was passed by the legislature two years ago, but it did not become oper ative until this year and as it stands now every owner-of a dog must pay a state tax of 50 cents in addition to the regular valuation tax. Particular attention was called to this in circu lar letters to the auditors last year and it is expected that there will be an increase in the returns. Last year there were 71,713 dogs reported in this State, having a valueof $483,194. By counties the returns as to dogs and value showed as follows: Counties. Dogs. Value. Abbeville..........1,646 88,250 Aiken...........2,451 24,515 Anderson... .......2,855 14.420 Bamberg. .. ......1,301 13,010 Barnwell..........1,736 17.360 Beaufort..........2,477 24,755 Berkeley..........1,787 9,127 Charleston.......... 413 2,195 Cherokee..........1,587 8,290 Chester...........1,646 8,225 Chesterfield........1,515 7.590 Clarendon . ..... ...2264 22 640 Colleton..........2927 14 635 Darlington .........1,317 6.585 Dorchester.........1,056 5,280 Edgefisld.........2396 11,980 Fairfield .. . ........2,236 11 370 Forence .........1..,879 36,540 Georgetown..... ....1391 13 910 Greenville....... ...2 595 13.975 Greenwood . ........1,681 8 405 Ha-mpton........... 807 32,280 Harry....... ... .2,022 10,110 Kershaw. ......1,108 5 585 Lancaster.........1,609 8,035 Laurens............1,818 9,090 Lee...............1,279 12,790 Lexington .... ...... 635 4,550 Marion..............1,674 8 370 Marlboro.. .... .... .576 2,880 Newberry...........2,020 10,345 Oonee......... ...1,268 1,966 Oangebarg........3650 19,025 Pickens.. ............527 9,526 R.chland........... 646 z3,230 Salado............1,318 6,620 Spartanburg..... ...2,615 13,075 Sumter...........1,871 18,710 Union.............. 629 3,310 Wiliamsburg......3,239 16,195 York.............2,257 11,465 Totals...........71,713 $483,194 The Dispensary in Georgia. Col. T. Larry Gantt in speaking of the dispensary says it is the best solu tion of the liquor qu astion in South Carolina if the graf t is eliminated. He said that there were some counties in Georgia which had made a great suc cess of the institution, and cited Ter rell county, which has macadamized every road in the county, and has built a thriving county; in' the county of which Athens is the county seat, they cleared $42,000 last year-but they are freed of the corruption which "heaquarters" like those in Colum bia give._________ Killed the Marshal. Mike Aspinwall, city m ,rshal, was assassinated Thursday by A. J. Chest nut. Chestnut was pursued by 25 armed citizens who left their places of business to prevent his excape. He fired twice on his pursuers and was shot through the left side with a rifle ball. He was brought back and lodg ed in jail. He said: "Blind tiger liquor has brought me to this." 3hest nut had a street fight Thusday after noon with Luke White, who had best ed him. City Marshall Aspinwal] in terfered and the shooting followed. Wipe Ttitm Our. The mosquito never had many friends and since it has been estab lished that he is a sort of rural free delivery for yellow fever he will iose any that he may have had in the past. If the whole breed can be ex terminated and the seed lost it will do no iniury to humanity. THE OTHER SIDE. Senator Cole L. Blease Makes a Personal Statement. POLITICAL ENMITY He Says is Responsible for His Name Being Connected With the Inves tigation of the Dispensary Affairs. An Interesting Incident in the Hearing. At the session of the dispensary in vestigation at Spartanburg Wednes day Senator Blease, who is a member of the Legislative committee investi gating the dispensaries made the fol lowing privileged statement: "I h.ie heard my name brought into this inatter in this manner for malicious political reasons until I am tired o' it. Toland had no conversa cion at all with me about this com mittee or its examinations. Mr. To land came to me at the hotel Tues day and said, 'Where Is Charlie Smith?' I said, 'I don'S know, sir. I have not got anything to do with Charlie Smith.' He said, 'if Charlie Smith will give me $100 I will not appear befcre this committee.' I said, 'I have nothing to do with Charlie Smith or you and don't care to have anything to do with you.' He said., 'Neither do I want to have a God damned thing to do with you.' I turned and walked into the Argyle hotel and that is every word Toland has spoken to me in the last four or five years. "While I am on my feet I want to make a statement in regard to the Morris matter. The two gentlemen who are conducting this division of this investigation are political ene mies of the deepest sort of mine." Mr. Lyon: "I wish to most em phatically deny that statement." Mr. Blease: "I can prove it by the records of the house and senate." Mr. Lyon: "There is absolutely no foundation for it. My relations with him have been pleasant and I have held him in very great esteem until I found out about his conduct in Spar tanburg and sirce that time my opinion has changed very materi ally." Mr. Blease: "Any man that says that my conduct was not that of a gentlemen is a liar and I am willing to take care of. myself." Mr. Christensen: "I presume that while we were in the senate together we did not vote alike on all bills or take the same position on all ques tions, but that does not mean any political enmity." Mr. Blease: "I zan prove what I say by the record. The indorsements given by the people of my own county are sufficient for my reputation with out getting It from that class of peo pe." Continuing, Mr. Blease said: "I came to Spartanburg to the May fes tival. I stopped-as I have always been doing since Mr. Hester has been runnino the Argyle-with him. Some time d aring tbe week, I don't remem ber the diay, Jeff Dunwoody came Into the hotel nearly or fully crying. I met him in the offce. I said, 'Hello, Jeff, what is the matter?' I saw he was very much worked up about something. He said, 'I have never been treated as badly In my life as I was awhile ago, I was cursed and run cu of a place of business down here by a man called Morris.' I had never seen Mr. Morris nor heard of him before. "The next morning Mr. Dunwoody came Into my room. He said, Mr. Blease, will you go cdown here and make a settlement with this man Morris for me as my attorney?' I said, 'Yes, sir, I will' I asked him of course what the situation was and he explained it to me. I went down to Mr. Morris' place of business. I had never seen him in my life. There was a young gentleman in there cleiking for him, named Farley, sit ting at adesk I think, or came in shortly after. I asked him I? Mr. Morris was In. He said he was up stairs. He had not come down. I presumed from that that Mr. Morris was living over his place of business. I waited a while and directly Mr. Morris came in, or the man who was said to be Mr. Morris. I was intro duced to him as Mr. Morris. I said to him I came there as an attorney for the Atlanta Brewing and Ice com. pany to have a settlement with him. He told me he was glad to meet me and invited me to go back and take a bottle of beer with him, which we did, and we sat in Ghe back of his place and drank a bottle of beer and I hink Mr. Farley joined us. I would ike to have one now. "We then talked over this business. I said to Mr. Morr 5, "I have got the money here to pay ;'our bill and we will pass receipts and have no more trouble about this matter.' He said, 'What about the $125 that-Jeff Dun woody gave to build the ice box?' I said, 'Let that go. Let's you and I settle our business.' He said, 'All right.' He said to me, 'I don't want to sign any papers until I see my at torney.' I said, 'You are right if you have got an attorney, let's go to him." "Is that right, Mr. Morris," said Mr. Blease, turning to Mr. Morris In the court room. Mr. Morris: "Yes, sir." Mr. Blease: "I would not advise any man to settle where he has an attorney, because I1 know what pro. fessional authority is and I have always practiced it different from some people, I am sorry to say. Mr. Morris stepped to his 'phone and 'phoned to the offce of Stanyarne Wilson. Mr. Wilson 'phoned that he was there. Mr. Morris and myself went out and got in a hack and drove to Mr. Stanyarne .Wilson's offce up here on Main street, I suppose about the most public place we could go to. f I ha been doing- dirty work I don't suppose I would have carried him there. Mr. Morris asked Mr. Wilson to 'phone for Mr. H. B. Carlisle, a gentleman I had not seen up to that time, or if I had 1 do not remember it. Mr. Carlisle came. After discussing the matter thcse gentlemen advised Mr. Morris to sign the receipt and ac cept the money, which Mr. Morris did. I think I handei three $5 bills to Mr. Wilson, I think Mr. Morris is right in that. I gave him my receipt and he gave me his. We walked down the steps together, Mr. Morris insist ing upon my going back to his place of business with him. In the mean time Mr. Morris said something to me about $25 wnich he had paid for some newspaper business, I don't remember what it was, and that be paid with the understanding that he was to be re-elected. I said to Mr. Morris, 'Did you pay that money with the promise of being reelected?' He said, 'I did.' I says, 'Then you were treated damn dirty, and if I were you I %ould de mand my money back.' " Mr. Farley, witness: "I would like to make a statement to Mr. Blease. Sz far as my feelings toward you are concerned they are of the kindest. The conversation between me and Mr. Cathcart Wednesday night was when he said Mr. Toland had seen you and knowing yon as a member of the com. mittee I quit trying to persuade him." Mr. Bease: "I am glad you told him. I honor you for not doing the dirty work some people are trying to do." Mr. Blease, continuing his state ment: "Mr. Morris said, 'I don't know how to get It.' I said, 'I will write an order for you,' and I wrote the order in my-own handwriting with nothing to conceal from any man' political ene my or otherwise. I gave it to Mr. Morris. I did not ask Mr. Morris at any time for any papers or letters in connection, with this -Investigation, but only such as were to be used in this settlement between him and my self as attorney for the Atlanta Brew ing company. Mr. Christensen and Mr. Lyon were not mentioned by me to Mr. Morris nor by Mr. Morris to me at any time. I may have said to Mr. Morris, I don't remember, that 'you boys have talked too much,' but if I did it was in relation to the diffculty between him and Mr. Dunwoody and not in relation to this committee or any subdivision of it. That, so far as I know. is my entire conversation in the Spartanburg investigation. I have never.advised any man not to come be fore this committee. I have never ad vised to testify before this committee, I have never done aught by word or act other than to help on this investi gation and any man who says so or intimates to-the contrary is a liar." TO KILL NUT GRAS. a Farmer Says Cowpeas Sown Thick ly Will Do It. 0. W. Blackwell, of Vance County, N. C., in answer to an enquiry In The Progressive Farmer as to how to kill nut grass says: "While my tests are not yet conclusive, I believe that cow peas will kill it. Plow and harrow the land as thoroughly as possible; about June 20th harrow in at least two bushels of cowpeas per acre broad ast. A plow covers tioo deep. Put them in with disk harrow. If the soli is poor apply a liberal quantity of stable manure or fertilizer rich In ammonia as you can afford. If the season is fairly favorable for peas, and a dense growth of vines cover the land, the nut grass will, I am convinced, be killed. I smothered it out In sev eral places last year that way, and can so far find none. But the growth of vines must be dense, and the summer not too dry or a second or even third crop must be grown in sub:.equent years. I have proved beyond question that the densest growth of wire grass can be killed by one good crop of pea vnes. But it must be a good one. If I had the choice of two farms of equal natural fertility, one free from wire grass, and one so densely matted with it that you could not put a plow in it except in winter when the ground was at its wettest, I should take the lat ter farm. I should take it because I know that the wire grass had greatly enriched it, and that I could kill it at will. In winter I should put 4.n a two horse plow and turn that wire grass sod bottom up. This sod I should cut up well with disk harrow, and broad cast peas in June as stated. Then I should be pretty sure to have a good farm, for wire grass permits no wash ing and improves land rapidly." Speedy Murder Trial. All records for speedy trial were broken at Ashville Tuesday, when Ab Dugherby, colored, was sentenced to the penitentiary for 12 years within 24 hcours after killing Mose Williams, also colored, of which crime he was convicted. The homicide occurred near the city late Monday afternoon. The corner's inquest was held the same evening and at 3 o'clock in the morning the carnorer's jury returned its verdict, implicating Dougherty. He was already under arrest and was brought to that city and tried in the superior court that afternoon, the grand jury having found a true bili that morning. The man pleaded guilty of manslaughter and was sen tenced Immediately. Good Friends, Baroness Rosen, wife of the new Russian ambassador, and the wife of Japanese Minister Takahira ar close presonal friends necessarily kept apart until a treaty of peace shall have been ratifiad. The baroness met Mrs. Tak ahira when her husband represented Russia in the Mikado's capitol. A warm friendship sprang up and was maintained at long distance by cor respondence until the outbreak of tro'ble, in Korea. When this cruel war Is over doubtlees they will meet in the boudoir of one or the 3ther for "a good, long talk." A Good Way. Sir John Madden, the new chief justice at Victoria, has hit upon a new way of making things interesting for 'old offenders." He adds up up all thier previous terms in jail and give them the total as their sentence. The other day he sentenced a criminal to nine years and ona month, his aggre ate record POORLY BUILT. Many People Crushed to Death by Collapse of a Store. DISASTER IN ALBANY Over One Hundred Men. Women and Children Buried in the Rains. Be tween Twenty and Thirty Were Killed, Many Injured and Fifty Entombed. At Albany, N. Y., the middle sec tion of the big department store of the John G. Myers company on north Pearl street, collapsed early-on Tues day of last week, carrying. down wi it over 100 persons. Caught in a chaos of brick, plaster ana wooden beams, between 20 and 30 men, women and children met death. Twelve hours' frantic work on thepart of rescuers disentangled 50 people, six - of them dead and many of the rest badly injured. Three bodies were In sight at a late hour Tuesday night, but many hours' work will be required to get them out. Anything like a complete list of the killed and injured will be unobtainable until the workers have made their way to the very bot tom .of the mass of the wreckage. With few exceptions those caught in the ruins were employes, a large ma joripy of them girls. Tne catastrophe occurred shortl after the opening hour when barely a score of shoppers were In -the store. A clock found in the debris had stopped - at 12 minutes before 9, showing when the crash came. The best account of the event that probably caused the ruin is -given by the head of the crockery, glass and drug department, which occupies the basement. "The workmen were sawing at a wooden floor beam," said he,."which runs underneath one of the central - pillars in the middle of the store. Ex cavation for the cellar was going on about the base of this pillar, and. I. believe that jarring of the beam be neath it displaced the foundation of the pillar. The first thing I knew, two of the counters near the place where the men were working began to sag, and several pieces of glassware slid off Into the foor with a crash. "I yelled te my clerks torunforthe front of the store. The words were not out of my mouth when there came a creaking and everything around us began to fall. The wreck came slow y, however, and I think everyone in my department escaped as well as the workmen." The pillar which drew away sup ported the ends of two giant girders, md when it fell, the main support of he central part of the building was one. With a noise that could be deard blocks away and which shook the adjoining buildings, nearly half the great structure, from cellar to roof, and extending from oneside wall to the other, came grinding down. [nto this cavern fell scores of em ployes who were working on the four iors above and lacked the warning which enabled those in the basement r~o escape. Some, however, were ap prised of the danger by fallng plaster md saved themselves by rushing to rhe front of the store or to the fire scape in the rear. Clouds of dust whichshot out of the front entranc3 caused those outside to blieve that the store was afire, and a tire alarm was immediately turned In. When tne fire department arrived they had plently to do in. rescuing th se who were pinned under the top wreckage. They were joined by soores of volunteer rescurers and within an hour 15 or 20 persons were carried out, oOr! of them fatally injured. a 3. hort time the city's entire hos pit: . and ambulance force was on the scene, aided by half a hundred doc tors from all parts of the city. The volunteer rescurers and the fremen continued the work until ex tausted, when thleir places were taken by a wrecking force numbering 300 men from the New York Central and Delaware and Hudson railroads, These delved In the ruins all night, but the work of rescue progressed slowiy. When darkness came It was estimated that nearly 50 persons still remained in the ruins and that not more than half of these could survive the weight pressing upon themn. Fortunately the wreckage did not take fire. Some 100 persons are still unaccounted for, but 50 of these are cash boys, of whom the firm has rorecord and the loss of the payroll makes It difficult to get any thing lire a complete list of many otbers. In all the company has 400 employes, but 50 of these are away on vacations. The building which collapsed stands In the heart of the shopping district at Nos. 39 and 41 north Pearl street. It is owned partly by the company and partly by the estate of the late David Orr. The loss to the company Is esti mated at between $200,000 and $300, 000. The building was a very old one, but until now considered perfectly sound. Exteilve repairs were un der way when the catastrophe took place. After the death of Its foun der, John G. Myers, two years ago, the business was.conducted by a com pany consisting of George P. Hilton, H. King Sturdee, Edward F. Hackett and Robert M. Chalmers. Mr. Chal mers was taken from the ruins with slight injuries. About a month ago the firm was incorporated as a stock company. iFasa1 Uolaston. A head on collision at Norfolk be tween electric trains of ths reenview - division of the Norfolk Railway and Light Co.'s system Wednesday even ing resulted in the death of motorman Sydney Thomas, formerly of Lynch burg, and the slight injury of Robert Talt and wife, of that city, Charles Gbbs, of Berkeley, and yohn Grim. asead, all passengers. The railroad authorities say the collison was due to disobedience of orders. Both trains we bal amaged.