Show BISPENS AHY CROOKEDNESS TheSystem Proves a Bonanza to Those Having Charge of I REBATES FROM WHISKY HOUSES I i Commissioner flixson and His Sen Implicated Governor Evans Stirs Up the Biggest Big-gest Scandal That Has Occurred Since the Days of Negro Rule in the South MLxsons Son PeW Guilty but the Commissioner Says He Is as Innocent as a Lamb COLUMBUS S C Sept 6ne of the I biggest state scandals that has occurred since the days of negro rule in South Carolina was sprung last night by Governor Gov-ernor Evans I his statement is correct cor-rect the dipensary system seems to have been a gold mine to those in charge of it Governor Evans it seems has been In possession of the information he has given for a long time I was entirely unexpected unex-pected and it appears that the governors exposure was due to the fact that ho had been goaded for not denying a charge made on the stump in his campaign for the senate that he said that Tillman had lined his pockets with liquor rebates This tiling had acted so strongly upon the former friends of Evans and Tillman that defeat threatened the former in the race for the senate The election comes off Friday Evans held off until 1 oclock this morning when he came out with a denial of the statement state-ment He explains that he held back the denial upon bad advice and then proceeds to make his revelations Commissioner Mixson and the commissioners commis-sioners son an ofllcial court stenographer stenograph-er are to be the objects of his ire The governor asserts that presents were sent Mixson by whisky houses and that Mix sons son had also accepted valuable presents He had called Mixson up he says when it wa first discovered and warned him that the dispensary would he killed if any scandal was ever connected connect-ed with its management Then he says Shortly afterwards Mr Scruggs the bookkeeper reported to me that from letters he had received and opned in Mixsons absence in the course of business and other SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES he was satisfied that Mixson was dealing I with certain whisky houses exclusively and was obtaining rebates In consideration I thereof I replied to him that he was a state officer a well a Mixson and Tomp klns and that if he saw anything going wrong that it was his duty to inform me and to secure the evidence to convict them Mr Scruggs reported to me that he was satisfied that he could secure the I evidence to convict these men if I would I allow him to leave the state I replied to him that he could go whenever and wherever pleased on such a a After telling of his discovery that Mix I son was paying higher prices to one house than other houses offered the goods he proceeds to tell of a visit of Mixsons I son to Cincinnati where he was entertained i enter-tained by whisky people Then he proceeds I pro-ceeds thus But to return to the efforts of Mr Scruggs to catch the guilty parties Mr Scrgg proceeded to Cincinnati and returned re-turned with evidence as he assured me to convict Mixson of having received re bates from the Live Oak Distilling com pal Upon his return he saw Mixson and Secretary Tompkins before he did me and they immediately came up to the mansion and stated to me that Scruggs had been to Cincinnati and had RETURNED WITH EVIDENCE that Mixsons son had received thousands of dollars from Peebles Co and the Live Oak Distilling company and asked me what to do I told them if Scruggs had told them that he had evidence to substantiate i the best thing to be done was to see Mixsons son and get him to tell the truth They left with this determination de-termination and the next morning Mr Tompkins came to my ofllce and wrote on a slip of paper that the boy had con fessed everything and had gotten the money Mixson soon called upon me and stated that the boy had confessed but that he Mixson was n innocent a a lamb He produced a letter from the boy in which he confessed and deplored the fact that he had brought disgrace upon his father and family and had left home never to return I was mcved with sympathy for them and told Mixson to see the boy and not let him run away That i Mixson was innocent the boy had been overreached by whisky drummers I was called to New York on business for the state and stopped in Washington and told everything to Senator Tillman Till man suggested that Mix on should resign re-sign I returned and told Mr Tompkins what Senator Tillman had saId and we agreed upon that policy but thought It best to wait until further developments Mixson came to me afterwards and stated that he was innocent and his friends had told him not to resign I replied to J him that the board of control could only REMOVE HIM FOR CAUSE and that If he could show his innocence that we could not remove him I saw Mr Tompkins and he agreed with me in this and stated to me that Mixsons friends had advised him not to resign I told Mr Norton that I feared that something was going wrong at the dispensary and I wanted him to stand by me in my action I if the issue came He replied acton I would do so Mr Scruggs has never handed me the written evidence but the boys confession made i unnecessary to require it The meeting of the Jeglsla ture came and I determined in the absence ab-sence of proof direct against Mixson to drop the matter but to take away from him any chance of temptation and recommended re-commended that the entire control be ta ken from his hands and from the hands of state house officers and placed In the hands of a boa consisting of five mem oers elected oy tne general 1 assembly generl Governor Evans says further I may have made a mistake in not giving this expose sooner but I have been deceived by these people and badly advisd by my friends who assured me that the public took no stock in their statements I may I be criticised for not replying sooner but I have injured no one save myself I is with great reluctance thai I do this now because I know how it will b used by the enemies of i eneIes THE DISPENSARY LAW and the reform movement But in justice I jus-tice to my friends who required i and the public who are attempted to be deceived de-ceived I make this statement The pa I ties connected with this matter are not interested in this primary but have another I an-other tribunal to which they cn and must appeal I Tonight Commissioner I Mixson and his j son make statements The latter acknowledges ac-knowledges that he collected for his brother 74050 In whisky rebates from the Live Oak Distilling company but that their father Knew nothing of i j Colonel Mixson In his card accuses I the governors brother of a disposition to enter into the business of which his son is accused and declares that several of the governors statements are false Mix gvernors Ix son in his card also says Now since Governor Evans accuses accuse 4 l il f r me so lavishly of getting the public money will he tell us how he ran up his expense account against the dispensary under the following circumstances In March iSiS while he was in Washington Wash-ington I sent him by express papers too to-o before the Internal revenue collector to have twenty barrels of whisky released which had been seized by the United States government On hlg return he made an expense account of + u < approved It himself and received a warrant for same this The recrds reve te dispensary hoW |