PUBLI SHED THREE rJ WAI TS LIGHT CoL Felder tails en Gov. Blease to Ton i;i.a More Lig&t BE RETURNS THE CHARGE Felder Says That When Blease Has Explained His Coarse in Senate and .Execu tive Office There Will be 1 Some Further Queries As to His Conduct. ' The State has permission to print ' the following letter from Thomas E. Felder of Atlanta to the Charleston . News and Courier, the same being called forth by an inquiry from the Charleston paper whether Felder had offered Tow?l immunity from prose cution for $5,000. The Atlanta law yer takes the occasion to propound a number of questions to Gov. Blease: Charleston News and Courier, Charleston, S. C. Dear Sim: I received last night the following T. D.: "'Reporte ! you offered Towill im munity from prosecution for $5,000. please wire reply: "News and Courier." To whicli I replied: "Statement that I offered Towill or anybody else immunity from prosecution for 000 or any other prosecution for $5,000 or liny other amount, a base and unmitigated lie." I beg to confirm this answer and to say that the next report, I take it, will .be to the effect tha tTowill de clined my offer on "advice of coun sel," the advice coming from the gen eral counsel of the plunderbund, Cole L. Blease. On yesterday I mailed a communi cation to'you for reproduction In the columns of your paper. Ab I recall, 1 stated in. the article that I wouiu not further trespass upon your space until after the lapse of 30 days. Upon reflection, !t feel that I should with draw this proposition, so that I may give to the people of South Carolina through the columns of your paper some reasons why "His Fraudulen cy," Cole L. Blease, should, approve the joint resolution creating a com mittee to investigate the conduct of the late wmding-up commission and the agents and attorneys thereof, to gether with the conduct of all other persons wlf.o have had relations with the winding up commission of the . late South Carolina dispensary. The people of the State are entitled to know all the facts and the om> possible way for them to acquire this knowledge Is through the medium of this investigating committee, but fearing that the governor might ob ject to the investigating committee turning the .searchlight upon the con duct of Attorney Blease, and that this consideration might impel him to veto the joint resolution, by way oi emu lation of his example in having re course to the public prints, as the proper means for ventilating these matters, I wish to propound to him a few questions which, if they should fail to impress him as being pertinent "and relevant, will doubtless have a contrary eKect upon the public mind. They are as follows: The Questions. 1'. During your incumbency as a State senator, please tell the peopvt of South Carolina what vote you cast against and on what occasion you spoke in opposition to any measuvt, pending in that body, aimed at the regulation or abolishment of the old State dispensary as an institution, or inimical to the interests of those who managed Its affairs? 2. Why did you, as a senator, op pose all measures pending, in that body, having for their object and pur pose the investigation of the conduct of the affairs of said institution and the honestly of the management thereof? 3. Why did you, as a member of the committee, created by joint reso lution, charged with the duty of in vestigating the affairs of the said in stitution and the conduct of the of ficials thereof, use every artful means and cunning device to stifle the inves tigation and thwart the objects there of. 4. Why did you, pending the ses sions of the aforesaid committee, meet daily and nightly during the re cesses of said committee with the dis pensary officials, whose conduct was under investigation, and discuss with them and their friends who attended said caucuses ways and means for se curing for them a whitewash? Is it not true that said caucuses were at tended by divers liquor dealers, who participated in your deliberations; that at said caucuses the course to be pursued by you as senator was agreed upon and followed by you to the let ter? Senator for Grafters? 5. Is i~ not a fact that wnen the resolution was pending carrying au appropriation of $15,000 to be used by the attorney general in the prose cution of grafters, you opposed the passage cf the same by youi >.%te and influence, that in your opposition you spoke frequently against it and re sorted to every parliamentary device to compass the defeat of the same? If you should answer this question in the affirmative, then I would ask if the course you pursued in relation thereto was not the result of au agreement that you made with the representatives of certain liquor houses, who were on the ground re sisting in every way possible the passage of said resolution? Did you TMES A WEEK. SOUND AND GAGGED WHILE HER HOME WAS ROBBED BY A NEGRO ROBBER. The Bandit Enters the Home in the Heart of Charleston in the Early Evening. The Charleston Evening Post '-ays a negro entered, the residence of J. E. Truluck, in Queen street, near Meeting Tuesday night at about 7 o'clock, bound and gagged Mrs. Tru luck, and proceeded to ransack their fist. He got off with two gold nugb, but nothing more, it is reported. Mr. Truluck came home two hoars later, and found his wife helplessly bound. Fortunately she was not injured by the intruder, who seems to have had only robbery as a motive for his visit. Detective Brennan was sent to the residence of (Mr. Truluck as soon as call for help was sent to the police, and he obtained a description of the negro. No arrest had been man* Wednesday afternoon. Mrs. Truluck was lighting a lamp in her flat, when the burglar suddenly seized her from behind, bound a handkerchief over her mouth, r?nd tied her hands viith a necktie. Her feet were BPCifsd with a small chain, and she wa., raised before the first primary and how much between the first and sec ond primaries? What liquor houses or dealers, corporations or the agents i of corporations, contributed tnis, money? If you should answer' (which I do not think you will, be cause it is the truth) that very large sums of money were raised, kindly' to_ OKANGrEBT JUST FELT GOOD Goy. Blease Granted Several Pardons to to Hake Others Fed Good, PARDONS ALWAYS READY Oar Genial, Good Feeling Governor Says He Thinks Everybody Should be Happy, and He Wants Only a Reason From a Convict and He Will Make Him Happy. "I felt so good wlten I came down town this morning that I decided to grant three pardons." This state ment was made Wednesday morning by the chief executive and be later extended clemency in two other cascb. Since January 17 he has extended his power of pardon to over three score prisoners. He says he likes to make people happy and that If a pris oner can show any kind of a reason tl at he will be pardoned. Gov. Blease said Wednesday that he would dismiss the members of the State board of pardons but for tu*, fact that it might humiliate them. "The members of the board are of no use to me," he said, "but If they will resign I will appoint another board and I will submit cases to the men I will appoint. For the purpose of restoring his citizenship Gov. Blease Wednesaa> pardoned T. D. Mitchell, who was convicted some time ago in Lexing ton county on the charge of conspir ing to defraud in a municipal elec tion held in New Brookland. A fine of $75 was imposed on Mitchell. The pardon was granted upon a let ter addressed to Gov. Blease by Mitchell, which read: "I was convicted in Lexington county several years ago for conspir ing to defraud at a municipal elec tion in the town of Brooklana ana was fined $75 for thin offense, which fine I paid. I now have the honor to petition your excellency that you do grant me a pardon in order that my citizenship might be restored to me." Charles Holloway, a negro, serving a life sentence from Edgefield after conviction on the charge of murder, was paroled during good behavior. The negro was recently transferred rrom the State penitentiary to tnt Edgefield county chaingang because of his health. He was convicted lt? 1905 with his brother, Arthur Hollo way, for killing Alex Barnes, another negro, at a church row. Arthur Hol loway was pardoned by Gov. Ansel and died soon after leaving the pen itentiary. S. McG. Slmpkins of Edge field appeared in behalf of the negro. George Robinson,1 serving a five year sentence from Marlboro for manslaughter, having been convictea in 1909, was paroled during gooo i>c bavior by the governor. Geo. Robinson killed Sam Purvis. Robinson's wife bad left him and had gone to the home of Purvis, who had married a sister of Mrs. Robinson. It appeared on the trial that Robinson had been convicted In Chesterfield county for larceny of live stock from a woman and had served his time. IM. S. Taylor, serving a sentence of five years from Spartanburg, having been convicted in 190S on the charge of assault and battery, was paroled during good behalor. A pardon was refused to George Moody, serving a life sentence from Darlington county on the charge of murder. He was convicted in 1S09 for killing Henry Jones in a general fight on the public highway. The crime occurred in 1892, Moody escap ing. He afterward returned to the State, gave up, was tried and convict ed of murder with recommence, nv. to mercy. The death sentence imposed upon JacksoD Cunningham by the Green wood county court was commuted to life imprisonment by Gov. Blease. The commutation for the negro was granted upon the recommendation of the jury and well-known citizens of Greenwood county. state whether or not it was us'.d to debauch the electorate of your state. In conclusion: You honored the State of Georgia recently by paying her an official visit. What ex-dispen sary officials and liquor dealers en tertained you in the city of Atlanta and in the city of Augusta? What conferences, if any, did you have with them with reference to your future official conduct? Lastly, why don't you approve that joint resolution that you demanded? I understand that you say that the senators appointed on the part of the senate as members of the committee are not satisfactory to you. Wouid you be willing to approve that reso lution if the names of all the 3eua tors and all the members of the house should be put into a hat or box and shaken up and the names for mem bership on the committee be drawn therefrom? When you have answered the above and foregoing, T have a few more ?;uestions to submit for your consid eration. Yours very truly, t. b. Felder. Refused to Make Statement.. H. H. Evans of Newberry, former chairman of the old State dispensary board, was in Columbia yesterday, but refused to make any comment on the Felder-Blease controversy. u? said that later be might have another statement to give cut. JBG, 8. C. ?A1UKDAY. M HORRORS OF PLAGUE rHB FANTASY OF THE ORIENT ALS HELP SCOURGE. Missionary Describes Ravages of Dis ease and Crude Superstitions Brought Out to Combat It. Oriental fantasy that evolves weird cures In the face of the mystery of. sickness, holiday migration and sheer Ignorance are given a& causes for the spread of the plague in China by Rev. Charles A. Leonard, a Baptist missionary of Louisville, Ky., with headquarters at Laichow Fu, China, in a letter which he has. written to friends here. Mr. Leonard's letter, posted Feb ruary 8, at the height of the plague's spread throughout Manchuria and northern China, reviews the progress of the deadly disease, then sets forth a proclamation by a Chinese official In which is contained Imperial advice for balking the malady. Here is one of the choice recipes for avoiding lethal sickness at plague time in that part of the Orient: "After the opening of spring, boil turnip juice and any kind of creep ing bean vine. It is recommended that all the family, large and small, drink It when It Is warm. Thus the plague will be avoided." Here is rule No. 3 of the official list of preventives: "Take one piece of horse bone, wrap It in red cloth, put In small bag and wear it on the side of the body, men on the left and women on the right." It is to be supposed from the tone of receipt No. 5 that the plague has no chance at all. It follows: "Use of the thunder pill. Ingredi ents: Take rhubarb, gold leaf flakes, cinibar and alum in about equal quantity, all ground fine and made into pills. Take with water. Dose, one-fifth of an ounce." During the reign of Kien-Lun (this was in 1850), the plague devil was driven out by thunder pills Into hid ing in Klangsu and Chow-Fu, dur ing the Chu Pu's magistracy. An who gave the prescription were able to avoid the plague and those who lived by it were beyond numbering. Mr. Leonard mentions these re cipes, among others, apparently in qualification of his declaration that "officials are bound down by heathen religion, superstltltlons and customs until they are wiiolly unprepareu, spiritually and Intellectually, to cope with such a crisis as is now on." Mr. Leonard's assertion of the seriousness of the plague and the pit ifully inadequate measures resorted to as a means of checking it might be taken to indicate danger to Euro peans and Americans in north China and Manchuria. The missionary goes on to tell, however, that all missions which are surrounded by walls have set up a rigorous quarantine and that danger to Occidentals has been re duced to a minimum. Mr. Leonard in his letter says that the plague began its ravages in north western Manchuria. The germs took up their abode in the fur of a small animal, much like the marmot. Toe disease was passed on to the Chinese and Russians. Just at this stage of its development there came the ex tensive traveling from working place to him, incident to the Chinese new year, and by this means the plague spread with remarkable celerity. The letter describes deplorable conditions. It tells of hundreds of corpses piled in indescribable con fusion in innumerable towns and cities. The plague's fleadliness Is ap parently pictured in the statement that all hospitals were quarantined against It. GIRL KILLED BY MULE TEAM. I Took Fright From an Engine and Ran Away in Columbia. The State pays struck by a runa way team Wednesday in the western I section of Columbia, Annie May Har iris, a negro girl, 12 years of aye, was ! killed. Jule Robinson, a negro driv ? er for the Palmetto Fertilizer com pany, left a two-horse team steading 'in front of the fertilizer mills In j charge of his son, Moses Robinson, i The animals became frightened at a ! passing railway engine and ran away. The girl was in the road and i the team ran over her, breaking her neck. The negroes were taken to the i police station, but Tuesday night the ! desk sergeant declared that they were . not locked up. This probably means Itheir release, as it was brought out I that the boy tried to stop the team and was not to blame, according to Coroner Walker. Postofficc Dynamiters. Bloodhounds from Lancaster wen early taken to Gahanna, Ohio. Tues day morning to attempt to trace the five robbers who early Tuesday dyna mited the postoflice safe and secured a small amount of money and seven ty-five dollars' worth of stamps. No trace of blood was seen Tuesday fol lowing the battle with a posse of cit izens during which it was thought one of the robbers was wounded. Further Experiments. The further experiments to be made with the ship will be confined to attacks on the armor belt and tur rets No effort will lie made to raise the San Marcos. It would cost sev eral hundred thousand dollars to float the ship and restore her to her orig inal condition and she is not worth it. [AUCH 25, 1911. WRONGJIGHTED Ao Old Veteran's Petition Tamed Down and Brand, d as False. WANTS HIS PENSION A. S. Salley, Jr., State Historian, Writes an Article in Which He Cites His Unbcanded Faith in the Honor of the Gallant Old Confed erate Soldiers. Confederate veterans .ought to be chary indeed about disputing claims made for pensions by others, more especially when their only reliance fer such action is upon their mem ories, after the lapse of nearly half a centur; So thinks Secretary A. S. Salley, Jr., of the State historical commission, who cites a recent n stance where the State board of pen sions, guided wholly by the personal recollections of a member, disap proved an application for a pension, when examination of the records showed the applicant to have made a statement entirely truthful, even to have undervalued his own military service; for he did not mention in his papers the fact that he was cap tured and kept for several months in a Federal military prison. The applicant was Private J. W. Crook, now living near St. George, who claimed that he served In Com pany H, 11th South Carolina Volun teers. After his application had been disapproved, a member of the boaid who served In the 11th regiment hav ing declared he remembered no such man in that command, Mr. Salley wrote to Washington for informa tion and was advised that such a person had been a member of the company and regiment as stated In the application. In reference to the pension contro versy, the following signed article has been given the preBS by Mr. A. S. Salley, Jr.: As the Confederate records of this State are in my custody as secretary of the historical commission of South Carolina, and as I am engaged in working them Into shape for practi cal use, I feel that I should have something to say in the matter of the controversy now going on in the newspapers, over the condition of the pension rolls. It has been alleged that there are men drawing pensions I who did not render service in the commands whlc* they claim on their pension papers io have served in. In every case officers or men who are known to have served in those com mands swear that the applicant did eo serve. Therefore, if the claim Is false the appllrants have perjured themselves. I do not believe thai such is the cas*. No evidence bui the memory of individuals sustains the charge. I have been engaged in historical study now for over tweni> years and for over 12 years historical work has been my chief business oc cupation. . My experience teaches me that the memory of man is a very treacherous thing and that the hu-l man mini rebels at accuracy. An old soldier can not possibly remember a man as being in his own company if that man was not in that company, but if the man was in the company and one of his former comrades does remember him then that feat of rnem-j j ory is a much more reasonable feat | of memory that that of the man who | does not remember any such com-; rade, yet is willing to assert that no such man was in his company or reg- j iment. I have Just done a little In vestigating on a case that came to i j my attention when the pension board! met last week and the result of It is I an excellent illustration of the frail-j ty of the human recollection of such j matters. A member of the pension' [board for whom I have a strong per sonal liking came into my office with an application for a pension from J. W. Crook of Dorchester county, and said to me: "Now, here Is a man from Dorchester county who sayss he was a member of Company H, Elev-, enth regiment, and I will swear that ; there was no such man in that com-' ; pany, for 1 was a member of that re