The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, February 22, 1894, Image 1

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VOL. XXII. PICKENS, S. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1894. NO 23 W1BEtt'8 WRONG-DOING, WHILE SCHOOL^ COMMISSIONER 0 CHARLESTON COUNTY IWe Forged and Dea~nsled.A Life of MUO' Promiso Bimasted-The SuperIr&tideE (of Educaiinas Damning R.p'arr-Th Amnnut ot'Shcrtage.. COLUMBIA, S. C., Feb. 15.-Last sun mer Mr. John D. Weber of Charlestot who had been living in that city fc many years, engaged in editorial wor on the News and Courier, was electe, to a chair in Trinity College, Nort Carolina. He resignedf his position a school commissioner of Charlestoi County and his position on the New and Cotirier and left Charleston stand ing lilgh in the estimation of all th people of that city. He was known t, the world as a high toned, honorabl and high cultivated man. He was we] known throughout South jarolna an every one was sorry to see him leav though all were glad to know of hi rise In life. It did not take long, however, for th terrible blow, whibh like the sword a Damocles, hung over the young man head, to fall. About two months ag it came with crushing force, when I became known to the State authorite that something was wrong in the of flee which Mr. Weber had vacated. A investigation was started and soon th + worst was ascertained. The facts hav been known to the press for weeks, bu they have been waiting official actiot before giving them to the publii About a week ago Mr. Weber returne to the State and went to Charlesto upon the advice of his triends. Yet terday Superintendent of Educato Mayfield, who has been investigatini -the matter, returned to the city an submitted to Governor Tillman the fo: lowing report,which the Governor gav the press for publication. It tells th story of Mr. Weber's downfall in di tails: State of South Carolina, Executive Do partment, Office of State Superinter dent of Education, Columbia, 8. C February 13, 1894. Gov. B. R. Tillman, Columbia, S. U. Dear Sir: Under the law count school commissioner are required t report to the State Superintendent c Education by the 1st day of Octobe of each year, among other things, th amount of money collected and expet ded for schools during the year. On tt42 3rd day of October, 1893. Joh L. Web , as school commissioner f< Charleston county, filed his aunual r port with me, which showed the ex penditures for the year to be in excei of the receipts. Being diasaitasfed wit the report, I sought an explanatioi Mr. Weber has resigned and left tl State to accept a position in Trinit College, loceated at Durham, N. C., an F. Horton Colcock has been appointe by you as his succeksor. Mr. Colcoc was unable, from the records in h: office, to explain the discrepency. therefore, prepared blanks and ser them to the school trustees of the county for the purpose of obtaining th desired information. In making u these reports, a discrepency was discoi ered in ene of the school warrants. I have made a personal examinatio of the school commissioner's office, an find that this particular warrant hv been raised from $7 65 to 897 65, by if serting the figure 9 in the margin I front of the figure 7, and writing th word ninety in front of the word seve in the body of the warrant. I alsi Lin other warrants that have been raise4 and others tbat were issued for labc not performed, and for school suppit and turniture that were not furnlshe< The warrant for $7.65, raiPMed to 9 65, above referred to, is made payab] to "1saac H ammond or order." Tit correctness of the claim is sworn to I him before the chairman of the boar of school truster-s issuing it., and bot of themi say the warrant was issut . bor $7.05, and that that amount wi -an'ually due. Isaac Hammond is merchant of good financial standic and reputation, and engaged in bus ness on Broad street, in the city< Oharleriton. He say s that he turne the claim over to Mr. Weber to 1 countersigned by him as scbool con missioner,and that Mr. Weber brougl his $7.65 in cash, the amount due hir The warrant was certainly raised bl fore it was presented to the couni treasurer, Geo. H1. Waiter, for paymet for it was paid by him with a chec drawn in favor of "Isaac Hammond< order" for $07.05. The check was pr< sented to and p aid by the Charleste -Bank, Isaac Hammond's name heir endorsed on the. back of the checi The teller of the bank, who paid LI money endorsed on the back of LI check in blue pencil that he had phtid to John L. W eber. Mr. Harmmonj says that the endorsement of his niat on the back of thie check is a forgei and the experts in the bank say it not his signature. The changes in tl warrant appear to beo in the handwrl ing of Mr. Weber. There was itsut payable to "Isaac H1am mond or orde1 ianother school war'rant for $6.00 whit was raised to $08.50. This warrat took very much the samie course as tI Sother above referred to, and LI ~hanges in it appaar to be in Mr. Wel 4ts hand. Mr. Weber ran an acc'oun with Me era. Walker, Evans & Cogswell c which he had charged the articles I purcbased for his own private use, ar also those he purchased for his ow use as. school commissioner, and aht those he purchased for the use of ti public schools of his county. On Apr 9, 1892, he owed on tis account for a purchases $100.50, and on the same da the account was credited with 000.51 This credit of $06.50 was a school wa rant isrued to Walker, Evans & Cogi well originally, for $0.00, but raised I $06.50. The changes a ppear to be I -Mr. Weber's hand. Walker, Evans Cogsweli collected the money. Fu chases were continued, arnd on Apr 20, 1892, had increased $8.01, makin the whole account 8108.51. On Li same day, April 20, 1892, a secon school warrant for $89.25 was issued them and the account credited with tl full amount of the warrant, they pa' ing Weber $47.24 cash, the differen( -between the amount of the two wa rants and the amount of the accour balancing the account. This wa warrant was not raised, but wi issued for more than the amount< th purchases by reason of a muistal in te bill rendered. Purchases wei continued and on November 15th* 189 Weber owed 825.02, and ein thai de his account was credited ... 8. the amount of a third school warrant issued to Walker, Evans & Cogswell, and they paid him $00.00 in cash,wlhich they charged to him on the account. There is no way by which I can decide whether this warrant was raised or not, the igures and the body of the a warrant being In Mr. Weber's hand. t This left 29 cents due them; the ac count was left open and purchases con e tinued to June 17, 1893, the additional purchases amounting to $51 21. Ad ding the $25.92, the $00.00 and the $51.21 together we have $137.13, the 1. amount (f the account. In the mean. r time he paid $10.25. On June 17 a I fourth school -warrant was issued to I Walker, Evans & Cogswell for $41.88. 1 Adding the $85.00, the $10.25 and the $41.88 together we have $137.13, exact ly balancing the account. There is no i way by which I can decide whether - this warrant (841,88) was raied or not, the figures and body of the warrant ) all being in Mr. Weber's hand. P'ur. B chases continued, and on August 1st, I 1893, the account amounted to 88.60, I This credited with 86 50, the price of a , school c mmissioner's book bought of 3 Walker,Evans & Cogswell and charged to Weber before the $41.88 warrant was e issued, but suLsequent to that time f paid for by the county commissioner. s Walker, Evans & Cogswell getting the D money and crediting Weber a account t with tne amount. The $0.50 taken s from the 83.60 leaves Weber due $2.10 on the account, no other payment hav n ing been made. e .rh four warrants collected by Wal e ker, Evans & Cogswell and the price of t the school commissioner's book, paid , for by the county commissioners, ($66.. . 51, $89.25. $85,00, 841.88, 56,50) make a tctal of 8589.13 of public funds paid to lk them. The total amount of all articles I- charged on this account, including the a school commissioner's book, that were 9 purchased for the public schools, and : for which they received the benefit is $84,75. From the 8289,13 take the $84.75 e and there is left 8204.38 paid out of the e public funds to Mr. Weber's private ac count. It is, perhaps, but proper for me to say, in this connection, that Walker Evans & Cogswell do a very large busi * ness, and that these transactions oc curred in the.orinary run of their bus iness, and that they are wholly innocent y of any wrong intention or corrupt 0 dealing, having had confidence in Mr. f Weber s honesty. r The county board of examiners of 0 Charleston and Berkeley counties t- agreed to hold a joint teachers' insti tute for white teachers in the city of n Charleston in the month of July 1892, r each county to bear one-haif of the ex penses; and thecounty boards of exam - iners of the counties of Charleston and is Berkeley and Colleton agreed to hold a h joint teachers' institute for colored 1. teachers, to be held during4the month .e of July at Summerville, each county to y bear one-third of the expenses. Mr. d Weber drew $200 from the School fund d of Charleston as allowed by the law for k this purpose. 1, D. C. Porcher, school S commissioner of Berkeley county paid , over to hi 805 from xbe public Made t of that couh ty drawn as provided for t by la w. I sent L. E. Parler, school com e missioner of Collton a check for $30 P on the Peabo iv education fund in my hands for insitute purposes, which he turned over to Mr. Weber. I sent Mr. a Weber a check for $60 for Charleston d and Berkelev, on the sane fund. These 8 anounts, (8200, $05, $30, $60,) make L- $355 in Mr. Weber's hands for institute a purposes. The cost of the white,, insti e tute was $155, and that of the colored n $60, aggrewtating $215. which taken d from the 8355 leaves 8140 in Mr. Weber 1, hands unaccounted for. r In 1893 the county boards of examin a era of Charleston and Berkeley coun I. ties agreed to hold, during the month -of June, in the city of Charleston, a e joint institute for white teachers, and a alsu one forThe colored teachers. From y the public school funds of Charleston d county was drawn $200, and A. II. De h I~ay, school commissioner of Berklev d county, paid over to Mr. Weber $115 is from the public school funds of his a county, makldg $315 tn Mr. Weber's g hands for institute purposes. The 1- white institute cost $135, and the col f ored $95, making $230, which taken d from the $315 leaves $85 in Mr. Webers e hands unaccounted for. 1- In October 1891, Mr. I, eher drew it from the public school funds, on gen 1. eral account,$186. I can find no vouch .era showing for what purposes this y money was expended. it In August, 1891, a warrant on the k school funds was issued by the trustees ar of school district No. 1 to Minus Black - for $0 for labor. This warranit was n raised to $10, and the changes seem to g be in Mr. Weber's hand. <- In February, 1892, a school warrant .e was issued by the trustees of school e district No. 3 to one D). A. Bell for $9 it for school supplies. The supplies were d never furnished and the warrant was Le raised to $98.75. y In February, 1892, a school warrant Is was issued by the t.rustees of school die e trict No. 2 to one D. A. Bell for $6 for t- school supplies. The supplies were d never furnished, and the warrant was '" raised to $09.45. hb In February, 1892, a school warrant it was issued by the trustees of school ie district No. 1 to one DL. A. Bell for 8 ae for school supplies. TIhe supplies were D- never furnished, and the warrant was raised to $80. s- In February, 1892, a school warrant n was issued by the school trustees of dis ae trict No. 4 to one 8. A. Cunningham d. for $0 fcr school supplies The supplies n~ were never furnished, and the warrant 0 was raised to $063.50, a I cannot find either D. A. Be~ll o0- 8. iiA. Cunningham, nor can I find any one Iiwo knows or ever heard of either of ). The changes in these last four war r- rants appear to be in Mr. Weber's hand ;. and it also appears that he collected o the warrants after the had bee n raised, the three Bell warrants being aidy thetreasurr in oneuh kl, No. I Mr. Weber told them he had purchased g these supplies and that they would be e sent out to the schools. d In November, 1892. a warrant Was o issued to Prince Brown, for $9, for e making desks and benches, by the trus. !- tees of school district No. 4. The war. e rant was raised to $97.50, and the chan r- ges appear to be in Mr. Weber'4, hand. it In April, 1892, a warrant was issue -. to Henry Wilson for $0 for repairs on 5 a school house, by the trustees of school f district No. 4. and in Septemaber 1892 e the trustees of the same district issued ea to him a warrant for $49 75 for repairs i, on school houses and furniture. The amounts in the body 6? these warrants appear to have been written by . Weber. There are only two schools in this district. Inspection of one of the schools, and information as to what work has been done, and furniture fur. nished to both, indicate that these claims are without merit, the work not having been performed.. A warrant has been sworn out against Weber, charging him with vio ating the laws of the State, and he was arrbted in the city -f Charles'on on the 6th day of January, instant, and gave bond for his appearance to auswer any charges that may be preferred against him in the court of General Sessions for the county of Charleston. Not being a collecting oficer, and having no power to recover the money that has been thus wrongfully taken from the public schools, I, therefore re spectfully ask that you direct the prop. er steps to be taken to recover tne mon ey. Inquiry elicits the fact that Mr. Weber's bond is good. The amount to be recovered and turned into the treasury for the use ol the public schools is $1, 237.83, and tli amount recovered should be distribute among the districts in proportion tc their losses reepectively. While it is foreign to the issues here in involved, I beg to here call your at tentien to the fact that the amount ol poll tax collected ia Charleston county while very much in excess of th( amount formerly collected, is still ver5 much less than it should be, and te urge that the law be enforced, if possi ble, against those persons liable tc this tax. Respectfully submitted, W. D. MAYFIELD, State Supetintendent of Education. The Work of Fiends, HOUSTON, Tex., Feb. 9.-L-ist nigh at the high bridge over White oak 13 &., ou train wreckers removed raIls and 'ist plates on the Missouri, Kansas au Texas railroad. When the pa3senge train came along the englue passed sale, ly over, but the baggage and mail carr jumped the track and rolled down th( embankment, followed by the smoket which landed on top of them. The wrect presented a frIghtful appearance. Jo< Elliott, brakeman, was sent back to flit the freight train, soon due. le had no proceeded a hundred yards when a vol ley from ambush was fired up*u him Four bullets took effect in his body The crew In the meatime, aided by pas sengers, were at work extricating met buried in the cars and feared to go to thi flagman's assistance. Heo, however crawled, bleeding and wounded back t the train and now lies dying. In th mail car was Low Morris, agent, badl braised with several bones broken. 1i first, thought was of his mail and he re queseted a reporter to go to the postol flee and notify them that he had a bi run of reelstered mail. H. Hatton, ei press messenger, was found in his cc with his ribs broken and in a critlei condition. J. W. Carter, baggage ma ter, injured about the head and internall' A relief train was made up here an sent to the scene. The wounded wer brought in and taken to the hospital Posses are now on the scene and grea excitement prevails. The I, .mance of an Orpinavat. SPARTANBURG, Feb. 10.--The sud den death of Mrs. Joseph Jennings, th founder of the Jennings Orphanage caused sorrow and regreat thrOughout our county and town. Her history is ai unusual one. She was the daughter o Mr. Monsel Jennings, who died at hi home near Cedar Spring a short tim ago While very young she married her husban being killed in the vai She was eighteen years of age whe left a widow. A few days later sh married Mr. Joseph Jeuningn. LIe health was wretched, but a little chili was sent to brighteni the househoiC God soon claimed it again however, an< despondency seIzed the mother. Oai day she heard of an orphan babe in forlorn condition being at Glenn'Sprin1 She persuaded her husband to take he to see it. They found tbe little outcaas sick, dirty and scantily clotyrd. Afte a short consultation Mr. and Mis. Jon nings decided to take the baby hionm with them. It soon filled the place i their hearts of their dead baby. Fret this time Mrs. Jennings gathered thli little waits into her heart and home until there were fifteen at the time- o her death, and from this time, the Ir valid of years standing, was a well wc man. Her little cottage had only fly rooms but they were kept in spotlei condition, and a neater set of childre is not to be found in our county. WVh will fill her.place ? She was big-heari ed, strongc-minded and affectionate I. manner-she was a hiumanlfarian. State. _______ A liehop en Trail. LINCOLN, Neb., Feb. 9.-Fdr th first time in the history of the Ujatholi church a bishop was arraigned before I civil jusice of the peace to answer t the charge of criminal libel preferred b: a priest. Thomas Bonacum Is th bishop, and the charge against him wa founded on a letter sent to the parish a Palmnyra, notify ing the congregation tha Father Michael J. Corbatt had beel suspended and warning all Catholhc not to hold communion with him Bishop Bonacum Was represented by large array of attorneys, while with lb state attorney sat, Father David 8. Phe lan, of 8t, Louis, editor of' the Watch man, and famous as an ecclesiasticai lawyer. Oa a motion to quash, Fathe P'helan, after expounding the canoniena law, turned to Bishop Bona umi and1 pointing his finger at him, said: "Bu what we want to show is that this bishoi has lied. It was a lie in that he hai never suspended Father Cor bott." Ir this strain Father Phelan continued fo half an hour, hurling invective after in vective at the bishop, who e->loredI al each thrust. A i- pansary conveniton. CHIESTER, b. C., Fob. 13.---Chatri Jaggers andl Gus lRichards, who wera arrested here Saturday niuht by Police man Williams for bringmii liquor iat< State were tried today bfre TIrial Jis tice Leckie. Assistaint Attorney Gen oral Barber for the Stale, an i Pau Ilomphihi for the defendant~s. The caisi lasted about six hours and tihe jura 5tayed in ten or fitteen minutes anc brouight a verdict ofguilty for Gus IWeb ards, poop!e hero wvere niot surprise< at the ve1tdict as Jargers claithcd thi tMauk which contained the 11qu or an<( gave the sheriff' the key to open it. 111ii sentence was to pay a inoto $100 or g< tojail for thirty dais, Hie was taken t< iail tn serve hi M. ene...jun HERE ISA ME SS detins as it The State Tox Maoblaery ParalTzed. COLUMBIA, S. C., Feb. 14.-So1 bungling has been done by the last L islature, It. seems, which is liable to cai the State serious trouble. It looks n to a good many who have made a m careful examination of the county g ernment act, passed at the last sees of the Lsgislature, as if It has cause paralysis of the tax machinery of State gover.ment, as far as the mak of assessmenta for taxation are c corned. The man who drev up the b Mr. John Gary Evans, it is suppos as far as now appears, has made it re so that after January 1, 1895, all present laws on the subject o1 inak assessments, etc., conflicting with i new act shall be considered repeal and the duties of the officers made aw with be devolved upon a county supei sor and a county board of road comn sioners. Of course existing laws h good until the date mentioned. So so good. The man who prepared the law. b ever, goes on down to Section 6 v says that all the duties, powers, ei of the present township boards of ass sore are "now and hereby abolishe There have evidently been some seri omissions, and the interesting situat is presented of all this ground work machinery - being abolished "not while no other provision is made fore other scheme until January 1, 18 And in Section 7 the county boards equalization share the same fate. Ti again It conflicts with it wlf wher provides for the election of a c)ui supervisor and fixes this election at next general election; requiring in meantime that the new county boat which the Governor appoints, taking powers of the abolished boards, can do anything unless he is present. There is only a short time remain before the township boards will have act and it Is now a serious question gre ly puzzling the State officials to kn what to do. There's no way of gett the Supreme Court to decide upon matter, and unless that body she consider the repealing clause, in matter of time, as applying to the wt act, every taxpayer could rush into ci and play havoc with the governmi A prominent man, whz is N a much concerned in the mat said yesterday, that it appea to him that the only remedy was for Governor to appoint the new boa but then would come the trouble rete to about the supervisor. It Is thought that Governor Till r is for once in his life badly puzzled Li does not yet know what steps to t Every one seems to be completely al . as to what construction to place u d the garbled act, and all the officials a e afraid to act, for they cannot tell % . will happen if the matter is carrie t any taxpayer to the courts. It me everything to the State government is a vitally important matter. The Sherif Killed. WHARTON, TEXAS, Feb. 9.-N has just c)me to town that Sli Hamilton Dickson was killed ab town at3o'o.lock. In company 3 Sheriff Townsend, of Columbus Deputies Hope, Hearatt and Wells I had located Braddock, the murdere: 1 Constable Townsend at Weimar, W 3 entering a thicket on the east sid the river, about three miles be I R cho Grando, Braddok was sudd ly discoverc& Hie began drning at cl quar tors upon Sheiril' Dickson, who killed instantly. Immediately one of posse made short work of Bradd< SThe murderer was shot and killed I: instant. Mr. Dickson was'married o ra toew weeks ago. B3raddcck, the d . desperado, had been arrested for ti e robbery and killing two negroes, r elea -cd. A lew weeks ago he was a oil an execrsion traln'and fired inti ibfo which he was locked up at Weii When Constable Townsend went to i him Braddcck cut him to pieces escaped. Constable llearartt retur at, 10 o'clock to-night. lie reports 0 when HI. H. Mo)ore, who had been h inmg Braddock, was called on to sari de(ir he fired on the offioers, hut witi Seffect. They returned the fire, kil Moore. The negro who has been i plying Braddock with f.od was bro. im and jailed. Judge Brawley Qutma Orngregu, WAsH INCTTON, Feb. 9,-J..f SBrawley has served his last day in 53d1 Congress. Hie is going home night, and lhe will send his resigna as member of the 1st district to 'jo, nor Tillman from Charleston. Yes Sday and to-day Judge B'awley has;1h Sengaged in taking leave of his mni warm friends in the House. The vete Judge Hiolman took an affectionate ft well of the Charleston member, thr< . ing his arms around his neck and say! "Brawicy, I sincerely regret that ; -are going to leave us. I have not .ways been able to go with you in all measures you have advocated, bu have takeni a strong fancy to you, an 1wi~h you God-speed always."~ Iit resentatives Mc~reary, Bourke (Jo ran. Chairman Wibson and, in ft nearly all of the leading members bo1)th sides of the Ihouse are perso friends of Judge Brawley, and 11 parted with him with profound regi Hie has been regarded as one of stan~chest Administration men and1 a member of the select committee fifteuen known as the "steering coma toe" in the ihouse. Judge IBrawley qialify andi~ ontor up~n his judicial I ies at, once. Deah of Representative Je f lee. - JONESVILLE, Feb. 10.-Ca p t, John JTeffries died here this morning. Cv ,Jeffrie~s has been to Columbia to atti a meeting of the board of trustees Slemison College, and was taken a here on his return, lie suffered inti sely for a week with blood poison, ce traictedI in nursing a sick son after h lng a finger hurt on a wire fen Capt. Joefre was a member of Legislature from this county, and St lecturer of the Farmers' Allian Many old soldiers in Kershaw's bi ade wilirecollect him from Manassas Annnm attarx THE FARMERS' ALLIANCE. is-_____ IT WILL BE KEPT OUT OF POLITICS IN FUTURE. no Return cfisecretary iDuncan F.omn the ISO DW Meling of the N % I n ali Aliance at To Dot Pekh-The Co'idition of the 0 dr I a )V. On South Cal ol-ia. a COLUMBIA, S. C., Feb 14.-Col. D. P. the Duncan, the secretary of the National Farmers' Alliance, has just returned ig from the annual meeting of that body ad, at Topeka, Kan., and he gives much in ad formation about the meeting and tne he general condition of the order,sas shown og by the reports presented from the dif he erent States. ed The most interesting feature of the information afforded by this oflicer ay yesterday was the announcement of the exact strength of the Alliance in s' this State, as shown by the oilleial re Old port. The Alliance has all along been far considered an important factor in South Carolina politics, and it will sur w- prise a great many to know that the nd president of the State Alliance report c., ed that there were 15,000 members of e1. the order in this State who had kept 3,in their dues paid up to date. le further Mu reported that the entire membership ion of the order in this State, as shown by the rolls, was 38,000. ,, Col. Duncan says that twenty-four States in the Union were represented ny at the national gathering by thirty-filve )5 delegates, and several States sent in of full reports. North Carolina reported 'en a membership of 26,000 paid up men. it Col. Duncan says there has been no ity real increase in the membership of the the Alliance, viewed as a national order, the during the past year, but that it has ,do, held its own better than they thought the it would. A great umny had gone into not it expecting a hasty business revolu tion. lie says the Alliance is now pretty strong in the following States: l North and South Carolina, Virginia, to Georgia Louisiana, Mississippi, Ala. at- bama, lexas, Kentucky, Tennessee, OW Pennsylvania, Oniio, New York, Indi ing ana, Michigan, Colorado, South Dako the ta, California, Iowa, Missouri, Nebras uld ka, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah and Illi the nois. The secretary says it is in a Lole much stronger and more healthy con ourt dition in the South than anywhere else. mnt. He says this is due to the fact that in a ery large measure that the Alliance did ter, not in the South leave and go into the red Populist party, as it did in the North th a West, Some States thought that d it was an order for political purposes rds, only, but now their ideas have beer !red changed, as is shown, he says, by the following address issued to the Alli man ance people of the country by a com and mittee on the good of the order o ake, which the new president, Marion But sea ler, of North Carolina, was the chair ipon man: Dam To the members of the N. F. A. an< rhat I. U., and'to all whom it may con y cern: 'by Since the Inception of this wrand or uas ganization there have been those who and thought that when soen political par ty championed our political demands that then the mission .f the organiz I tion was ended. This belief is based 3we on the belief that a political p:arty will . take care of the interests of the farm eri ra. This is a fatal mistake. Basides ove itis proven by the acts of every other rith class of citizens (except politicians) nd that they do not rely on parties alone hey but organize for iniluence on any and ot all parties. bile Every wealth producer of Amrimca a of should ever keep the follo wing truths low before him: en-. First-That sooner or later all pohlt ose ical parties are controlled by politcians. vas Snecod-haolican never serve ick. ense of justice, but aiways through an Therefore the class of citizens reprea uly sented by the Farmers' Alliance and ead industrial Union can never hops for or 'am secure rellet or justice from any polit but ical f.arty, not even from one that mit, claims to champion and endorse itt it, every principle and demand,unless i hey nar mamntain an organization that will ever 'od stand as an effective support to the' and man and tihe party that darest t~o do n18( right, and a-constant menace to thos' ntwho dare trifle with the rights ane d-liberties of the people. Hiene the Supreme Council solemnny warns thos 01who are true to the principles of thi out Alliance that they would make a most hing fatal mistake if they give uip the or mip- ganision which is thme only power that aht can force these reforms through any political party, and if indeed we were living under a perfectly just govern ment today, the organization would *ige still be absolutely necessary as a great temoral force to keep it so. to. But our Supreme Council calls upon ~iyou to ever remember that the organ nization has a great mission perform per- outside of political reform. ter. If the wealth producers of America een are to keep place with the march of my oivilization they must do it through ran social and intellectual contract. We re- have not only gro wn in mind and heart >W. bysuch association and contact but we ug: pool our intellect for the mutual ad fou vancement of oar best interest. We de al sire political reform to enable us to the carry out the mission. t i Therefore, in couclusion the Supreme Council appeals to every one who be lieves in the principles of the Alliam~ Sto stand by and extenti the organmzation -not only to secure thme benelits that jet, come fronm organiz itioni but iais o to 0n make certain that some political party nal shall enact their demands unto law. icy Col. Duncan says that the Ailiance is et. much stronger in South Carolina th ai Ihe anywhere else, owing to the ex was cellence of the work of the cx of changes, Hie says the exch anges have it been doing better work in these two vml 8tates than any other in the United u- le says the Alliance, as at body, ini tends to keep clear of politics. Alli ancemen, Col. D~uncan says, intend to vote for the best men-that is men who -~ favor their demands an:J measures pt. which they think for the best inltent s1s dof the country at large.-State. Lck nialli. - CHAT1TANOOUA, Tenn., Feb. 14 SJustcs Gillespie rendered ai d~cisiou to day-m the p.-eliiInary trial cf George he N. Hlenson, charged +ith the rmurder'or at Jacob B. Wert. The justice admritted ee the delendant to bail, lplacmng '.Lhe bond 1g. at $10,000. The banker p.romptly exe to cuted the bond and was released from cuntwdy SOLVING THE QUEST ION. Attrney Osneral'd Orinlon on the Tax Muddle. COLUMBIA, S. C., Fab. 15.-The trouble referred 'o yesterday in regard a to the bungling of the new county gov. ernment act, created quite a stir among the StAte officials at tue capitol. The seriousness of the condition of affairs was not exagnerated, and it is still a matter which is causing the Governor considerable worry. l1e yeaterday morn. , iug officially requesLed the At torney r General to give him an opinion in re- u gard to the matter and that ofloial did ff so. This. however, is simply the opin- u ion of the State's attorney in the omtter, P and of courae I that opinion would not effect the decision of the Supreme Court, tt if the matter ever reaches that body in L the proper form. It 18 the custom of 9 the couri, however, as shown in past , decisious to look at the general objects b 01 the legislatures in making a law, and t no doubt it would be construed as the i Attorney General construes it. II) - 0 ever there is plenty of jurisdiction for a the court to render a dieision oi the L other side, and then there would be a a serious state of allairs. Here is the opin iou of the Attorney General, and it speaks for iselif: eis Excellency, G~varnor B. Rt Tdl- it Mil 0 .Daaa Sir: Your note asking if the a st g approved January 4, 189 1, c mtemplate 0 the immediate devolution of the duties ! of township tud district boards of asses sors upon the olilers me.ntioned in s act, received. In reply would say that 0 if section 6 be taken and c )ustrued itself, g a meic cursory exa'niation miht leave M the impression that a hiatus exists, but ti an examination of the whole act giving effect to every section, regarding the ii- c ter-depondence of every provision, wil n slow beyond all doubt that the act con templated the change "from and after v the first day of Janu iry, 1895," as myi. 0 tiotned in section I providing for the ap. pointment of county supervisors. Section 7 provides for county burJs of commissioners, and section 8 declares that "tlhe county supsrvisor, ozether with the chairman of the boairds of com. missioners in the several townships, ap. pointed by the Governor, shal enasti tute the county bardof commissioners, of which said board the coutity supsryi sor shall be chairmtn. It is to be remarkeI that there can not be a county board of conmission era without the appom',meat of a coun ty suparvisor. S- there coming into existence as such board is to be incas uned by and coexistent with the time of his appointatut-beginning at the same time. -I )w let us see the time of his olec - tion )r appointment, and the beginning of his duties. Section 2 declares that he shall be elected at the "next, general election thereafter, whose term of of dIco shall be two yeArs and until his sue cessor shlil have been elected and quali fled. Section I provides for the abolition of the oflices now known as county comn nislioners, devolviig their duties upon the county supervisors, etc., from an( after January 1, 1895. Now, it is very plain to be seen that such county boarit created dependent upon the eleotion of a supervisor, cannot come into existence until af,,er the nexi general election, at, which general election he is to be voted for. The term of the boards of town. hip commissioners by section 5 ts made conterminal with that of the Governor by whom they aire app~ointed, and such sec tion is also to be read mn c munection with sectioni 2, shoinig their appomutmxnt, for thbe same tcerm. As a result of thim construction I have tile honor to rep~ort that, ii my judgment these officers do not come into existence until after t!he next general election Un til which tiic thbe presenlt, machinery of cou'n. government contmunes. Riespectililly, OSMUND) W. BUCIfANAN, Aitorntey Gesnerai. i"%nnd1 a M1[ilgoni. SAN FRiANCi8CO, Feb. 10.-1f the story told by ,John F. Rtyan, a subman rino diver, is true, the steamer lBrother ,Jonathlan has att last been found, after F being almost 30 years at the bottom of 1 the sea. The lBrother JIohnathan was lost oin a July 3, 1865, aboiut 10 milles northwestt of Cresenit City, with 147 passengersr and crew and $1,000,000 in treasure on i board. Numerous unsuccessful at-t temlpts have been made to locate her. c Ryan's story is alpparently substantiat-t ed by the produiction of one of the sli p3 & fixtures bearing tihe name Brother ,Jon.. athian in brass letters, which he picked f up on the deck of the wreck. ".Several yearas ago, while captain of ap steamer running oni l~nget Sound," s tys c Ryan, "an 0old man named G. WV. Hill1 a told me that lie Was a passenger on thc f Blrother .Jonathan when she foundered r and wvas one of the 19t survivors of the t disaater. lie said(1 he couild take me to ij the scene of the wreck, andl~ was sure he r could locate the exact spot whore she a went down. A few weeks augo he came t, again and I accepted his offer. a 'After arriving in the vicinity of 'j where the ship wont dowvn we located t her in a remarkably short time in soy- e eratl hundred feet of water. I went 11 (towni to the vessell aiid walked across a her deck and all around her. There n wasi not light enough for mue to see, and t, I had to feel my way everywhere. Ap. parently the Brother Jonathan Is in ex. cel lent condition, an-i I have hopes of raining hor.t 1Freom what I learn, the gold in the n ship1)li locked up in different parts of 1 the vessel, andl with the aid of light I la anticipate no difficulty in locating it. v In the spring I shail make preparations 11 to recover the lost treasure." - -------t 16u00me Tax (Pppasadi. CH ARL ESTrON, Feb. 13,-Th., Ch'.rl-es- C ton Chamber of commerce celebrated I its 110th auniversary today Wvith a hand. 1 some banquet. At the meeting in the '. morning resolution was unanimously < passed requesting the Senatora of South I Carolina~ to oppose the income tax cla- 1 use of the tarif bill, unless by doing sot the passage of the whole bill should be s jeopardized. Th'le chamber also appoint ed a special committee to take suitable r action in opposition to ,the Pattersonit bill, amending the interstate con~merce I act, and to attempt to secure some t charge in discriminations in freight e rates ngainnt the Southern ports. IYST ERY OF TH E SWAMPS. GHASTLY AFFAIR WHICH PUZZLE8 THE CORONER. 'inding of the Doad 1ndIy of ai- Uk'l-wa White MnU Nea- the O:ty-A- Uaav1n. Aug Seaurch Yesterd ay j COLUMBIA, S. U., le. 12.-&t noon 04terdiy a negro girl named Ellie Mey. -s. accompveied by another named Car. e Jefferson, came to Police ofil .er Jones pon the atreets apptren,ly very much ightened, and told him they hal walked , the Atlantic Coast Line ,rack trorn a :>at ubout five miles iroam the city. hey told- him that just bayond, the astle, at Hampton's pond, about tweu. ,-live or thirty feet distant from the ht, side of the trestle, ithey had found ie body of a white man lyin 1 [a the *'ar patc'i near th3 water. They fic r stated that his pants ware off, but a still had his shoes and other clothins a. They said thut he looked like tram p, ba had evidently been dead for )veral days, .j sdging from tie swollen ppearance ot his face. Ofler Jones otiled Chief of Polica Iidcliffsi, and to chief of police forthwith notidlad oroner I0ac'. In a short tin the ews sprea' over the city, and consid mable excitement was caused. It was nerally supposed that the mn was ao o' the desparadoas who, iAI rb a:1 1e houses oil the H ampton placa dur. ig the early portion of list weak. [t 'ill be ro'mbared that this patty E desparai oes was fired into and ths aneral belieC was iCat this man was 'ouuded and crawtledl ofl int-m the swamp Abiat 2 o'clock Cero-se Ruabh, ac >mpanied by Deputy Pollock and D:. 'rank Greci and several ' newspap3r ion, departed in the rain to hold a s in estigation. They drova t) the scene r the supposed trauble anl bagan to 3arch for the reualins of the mina. This earch was very complets, and coatinad )r several hours in the pariug rain, but iltho.igh several miles of the swamp nd was gso over by the searchers, ever a trac3 of the alleged dead mxn ould be found, Coroner, 1bawh, at'er ctting wet througjh to thn ski-a, stated 'hat it was tha tieat timxi in htis expari-. Buco as coroner that he had ever had to search lor a devl ba ly. Hs~at tore, ha savs, the exact location has al ways been pointed out to him, After a search of about three hours, the coro'er and those assisting him 1lnally gave up the search and returned to the city, reaching here at about 6 o'clock. Upan his return to the city Coroner It)ac' who, when h- left, had no fur ther information th ai that given him by the c'iel of p->hee, a mzht 0:lher Jones and obtained1 from him the whereabuts and names of that oiber's inform-.nts. This morniug the coroner will take charge of these witnosses an] carry them (own with him for the purpose of locat img the body. Ie is determined to solva the mystery, let it cost what it may. HXe tieleves that the body Is to be found, Und if I" is not some one will very lIke. [y be made to suffer for tihe chase which the oflicers ot the law were campelled to lead yesterday aftern )on in the puring lown rain. The coroner and all others who heard Lhe story of the two women are inclined a the belief that this dead man, about *hom there is so much mystery at pre eant, is one of the desperadoes refbrred o above. There wore some vary amusing mci enuts at the search yesterday afternoon, nd, not tha least was the disappoint. nut of the newvspaiper men, who wasted iearly all of' the day in such a fruitless ear th as was shown by the statements nde at the vary damp conference held mider a dripping tree at tbe completion dl the so arch tar the purpose of deciding vhiether to return to the city or resume lie search untiI dat knees fall. Every nan in the crowd was pretty wet, and Lot a single one wished to remain longer, Vr even accompany the coroner back this Iiormng.-f8Late, _____ A Mountatu,.v~,(detta). ( R ENV ILLE, Feb. 14.-Another kill. nig hasi occurred in the D~ark Corner. >tyO Ihoward, a brother of the cele Iratedl Big Hill1, who died with his loots on), killed Uly Pittmsan on 'sunday .ternooni near the house of' John Rec or, Gin Glassy Mountain. On Sunday norning J.ittmann who is a young man, ad a fight with old Shack [Howard, but he two were seperated before any amage was done to either. Later in he day Mitchell Howard, a son of hack, and the two went out to hunt 19 Pitiman. About 4 o'clock they oundi Plttman and his brother Ander on). Steve Ho ward and Uly Pittmsan ot Into a fight, and as they fought the thier two stood with drawn pistols to ecuire fair play. Howard and Plttman all in a clinch, and while down Pitt san dIrew his pistol. howard twisetd hie pistol out of his hsandi, and they oth rose from the ground. As they ose Ilo ward putlled his own pistol and tot Pi'ttmnan twice, the first bullet en 3ring his arm, the second entering have the eye, and LPIttman fell dead. 'rial Justice Mitchell commenced an aquest oin Monday. Howard was pres eb at the Inquest. More blood will ow, as the Pittmani family are fighters ud this Is the locality where twenty son have bean killed (luring the past an years.-News and Courier. W ITJwsnARRw, Pa., Feb.13. 'a ex. misive cave in occured at the Gaylordl line of the Kingston Coal Company at 'lymouth this morning, A large numn or of minors and laborers were at rork under a section of the roof which as for some time been considered weak vithout ony warning whatever, the oof, consisting of rack and coal, fell In. t is not known as yet whether any f the men were killed outright, but It e known that thirteen of thems are emmed In in one of the gang ways. 'hse air supply is now shut off and the hance of living for any length of time S very small. An army af rescuers are ard1 at work trying to reach tihe en ombted men. TVha relatives of the men hut In the mine are gathered about the 'lace and their lamentations ,re pitiful. The section of the mine, 10 vhich the men are Imprisoned, 1a a ortlon of the Baltimore vein, whiah at his point is very thick, and they were ngaged In placing large timefd' a rap and support for the roof.