University of South Carolina Libraries
I Oittoti KeratH. I ESTABLISHED IN 1895. DILLON. SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY. OCTOBER 14, 1909. ~ VOL. 15, NO. 37 !two year term i for john king Pennsylvania "Swipes" Convicted in Marion. Tried For Latta Burglary Special to The State. Marion, Oct- 7.?Yesterday f morning John King, alias "Penn" k sylvania Swipes," was convicted and sentenced to two years in the |T State penitentiary for breaking into the stoie of John L. Dew at Latta during the night of Febru^ ary 25, 1904. King was acquitted of the charge of breaking the ^afe of the Bank of Latta. For the satne crime three men were corvictcd at Marion in 1904, and subsequently pardoned by i Gov. Hey ward, after the conviction of other men in the United States court ? - - - I he Kobbery. On the morning of February 26, 1904, at Latta, it was discovered that safe blowers had visited the Bank of Latta, the : ore of John L. Dew, and the postoffice, located in the store, the niffht before. The bank vault had been blown open, likewise the outer door of safe, also the safe in the postoffice and the safe in the store of Mr. Dew. Several days later two i store safes at Kenly, N. C., were! I blown open, and about $2,500 taken from one of them. .Shortly afterwards at Smithfield, N. C.t in the same county, H. E. Cun\ %ningham, Leonard Hinkey and George Waring weie taken into custody on suspicion, but the only equipment found in their possession was for painting' signs. A representative of the casualty company which had the bank insured, assisted by a Pinkerton detective, caused the removal of the .. three suspected men to Marion, where they were subsequently tried for the buiglaries at Latta. Three Men Convicted. K f Upon identification by ? some witnesses from Latta and Dillon, who testified to having seen them shortly prior to the burglaries at Latta, they were convicted and sentenced to six |years* imprison ment. An appeal was taken to the Supreme court, which sustained the judgment of the trial court, and the men entered upon their sentence. In December, 1904. at Baltimore, Md., several safe blowers i were captured, including John I King, alias "Pennsylvania I Swipes,*' and James Johnson, 1 ^ alias "Portland Ned.*' The lat^Y-vo were convicted in United Is circuit court at Charleston ifcil, 1905, upon the testimony McCarthy, one of their ^^ rohceSv corroborated by arious other*witnesses, and sentenced to imprisonment in United States penitentiary, Atlanta, Ga^ ''Connecticut Shorty' Caught. ^Thftc their trial was in progress at Charleston John Fisher, alias I "Connecticut Shorty," who was t associated with them in the burglaries at Latta, was captured by a nnooo nonr \AJorl/icKr>.iV? iP L JA700V/ uuai ff auuouviv, v/. He was convicted at Lancaster of i*" the burglary of the Springs Banking and Mercantile company's vault and safe at Heath Springs, and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. Subsequent to the conviction of Johnson and King at Charleston, Solicitor Wells took up with Gov. * Heyward the advisability of pardoning Cnnningham, Hinkey and Waring. Poatoffice Inspector Gregory presented to Gov. Heyward, Judge Watts and Solicitor- Johnson the facts regarding the bur>glarie* at Latta, as obtained ^through the confession of John T. S v McCarthy, the reformed safe blower, and as proved in United States circuit court at Charleston. Pardoned bv Governor. i Judge Watts, after seeing Inspector Gregory, recommended the pardon of Cunningham, Hinkey and Waring, but Solicitor Johnson, prior to seeing Inspector Gregory, had opposed the granting of executive clemency. Gov- ' Hevward, however, pardoned the three men on October 5, 1905Since Gov. Heyward pardoned Cunningham, Hinkey and Waring, juries in Marion county have not been disposed to convict safe blowers. Thomas Nolan, alias "Pat Nolan," and Charles Howard. alias "Texas Dntr-Vi " urpro I ' acquitted at Marion in February. ' 1907, of the robberv of the Eank of Mullins on December 17, 1902, I but they were convicted at Spart- ^ anburg shortly afterwards of burglary of the vault of the Enoree Manufacturing company and sen- 1 tenced to 10 years in the State , penitentiary. The former trial of lohn King at Marion on June 1, * ionn u?a - ?' - ' ' " ' X7V7, icduncu in <1 mistrial, alter he had been brought from Atlanta, Ga., on the expiration of his j sentence in the Atlanta prison. ^ Hooking Alligators. -- \ "Hunting alligators at night with a bullseye lantern and shotgun is tame sport compared with what is called a 'gator hunt in ^ Florida," said an old Floridian who is visiting in New York. "I mean the feat of capturing an alligator alive and then towing the felJow to high ground through 1 mud and water from what is call- i ed in Florida a gator hole. "The gator fishermen first find the hole, which is indicated by an opening in the surrounding grass ' in the midst of a dense growth of 1 vegeuuion, wnere tne ground is 1 worn smooth by the alligator in ] his pulls in and out. Sometimes . these gator holes are in the nature of a cave in the bank of a ( stream and may be fifteen or twen- 1 ty feet deep, and if so it is not an i easy matter to get the animal out. . "The fisher is supplied with a long pole with a metal hook on the end. He takes a strong rope ^ and throws it about the entrance 1 of the hole. Then the fisher rams t with the crooked pole down the ( den and waits and listens. If he finds a gator in the hole he teases the beast by poking him until the 1 gator in a rage finally grabs the t hooked pole and is pulled from the f den. It is with uncertainty that he is dragged forth, for it is not known whether the catch is large 1 or small. The fisher does not i know whether to get ready to run 1 or to fight. Out the gator comes, ( j : 3 ucnvwiu^; aiiu i uarmg" inau. , "After the gator is dragged to ' the surface he in his rage turns and rolls and finally twists him- x self up in the rope or noose that has been previously prepared. With the assistance of the others in the party the gator's legs and mouth are tied and the gator is a t prisoner. ^ "Thj gator is for the most part < caught in marshes where the j ground is soft and slushy and too wet for either horse or wagon to < enter. The fishers are compell- | ed to carry their catch to higher t ground, there to be loaded into , the waiting wagon, and the hunt is ended."?New York Sun. < Drowned in Pee Dec. i is. county convict was drowned ^ in Little Pee Dee near Harllee's i Bridge late Saturday afternoon. 1 The negro was a trustee and was serving a two year sentence on ] the gang. He purchased a string i a fish from another negro who 1 was fishing on the stream and in \ attempting to swim across for the fish he sank into the waters and 1 did not rise again. The man was a good swimmer and it is believed * that he was seized with cramp. y He made no outcry, dut disap- peared under the water and did j not even rise the second or third i time as is usually the cafe with t drowning people. After some t difficulty the body was recovered i with drag hooks near t'v* spot < Dan Hamcr Convicted. Dan Hamer, who was tried at Marion last Friday for the murder of Pate Walker, a son of Mr. ] T. J. Walker w operates a shingle mill < vc * Dee river, has been tounu <u*ity of manslaughter. Hamer was convicted at the last term of court, but an appeal was taken and he was granted a new trial because some of the jury got hold of a l :opy of The Herald containing 5 the testimony at the coroner's in- i quest and an account of the kill- i ing. Hamer, it will be recalled, 1 shot young Valker at the home of 1 I no. E. Creech, a tenant on the ' Marion Wiggin's place over New < Bridge. Hamer and young Walk- i sr had a difficulty over one of Creech's daughters and Hamer 1 shot Walker with a magazine pis- 1 .ui, lnnicung a wouna that proved 1 Fatal almost immediately. Hamer led to Texas where he was recog- i nized by Mr. John Carmichael, 1 who was traveling that state for 1 Pratt's Food, and turned over to 1 Lhe sheriff. Sheriff Dozier went 1 aut for him and he returned home 1 without requisition papers. It is 1 probable that Hanier will serve < his sentence. The sentence imposed on Ha- < mer was three years and five ; months in the oenitentiary. HE GOT WKATHY. fankee Who Wanted to Buy the Hampton ntule, Got Sharp Reply. A gentleman of Orangeburg ( landed us the following interest- , ng item a few days ago: Being an outcome of the pecul- ] iar accident by which Hampton lost his leg, the following incident, , which may be vouch d for by ^ more than one worthy itizen of , Richland, will probably prove of j nterest, especially to the surviy- ( irs of those who served under ^ : h e great calvary leader, as t goes to show with what esteem j ind veneration he was regarded . oy his immortal followers. It j will be remembered, that not very 1 ong after his inauguration as gov- t jrnor, Hampton with several , >ther gentlemen, set out on a deer lunt, a few miles from Columbia, | md that while riding to his stand, j .he mule he bestrode became ? lightened, and leaving the road ( *an away through the thick woods, ^ ina tne oriaie on each side breakng at the bit, the accomplished j lorseman, to save his life, with- j Irew his feet from the s.tirrups, t ind getting both legs >n the same j side of the beast, leaped to the , ground. In so doing, he fract- * ired a leg and it was long ere he ^ -ecovered from the effects of the t njury Shortly after the occurence, a North Western Yankee wrote to he owner of the mule, the late c jeorge W. Davis, of Richland, 4 'who had been "a soldier of the s Legion,") offering him a sum not ] :xceeding $500 for the animal, as t 'big money" could be realized rom exhibiting it as the mule 1 ;hat broke Gen. Hamoton's lev. c ind this was the answer: "Columbia, S. 1876. j 'D?n your Soul: "The mule that broke Gen. Hamton's leg is nor for sale, but x f I thought it would kick out ^our d?d brains, I would make s t a present to you. GEORGE i iV. DAVIS. ; Twix twilight and dark, up near ( Manitou Park, a maiden sat comb- 1 ng her hair, when heated with ] -oaming, panting and foaming, 1 ;here came up and squeezed her i big grizzly bear. It did not 1 iffright her, the bear did not bite ! lcr, she lay back and murmured: 'O Still tighter dear." This ( woke up old bruin, he let off his ' vooing, r.neaked back to t h e nountains and hid a whole year. vhere i t disappeared. The legrro was a nativArrfif Marion and he body wtJ???lt of hi^to his rein- : ives Sunda*' '*1? trmin Je had al- ' * ana fireman 1 nost comple m of im- 1 \ ' a . HURRICANE STRIKES I COAST OF FLORIDA. Reduces Key West to Chaos of Wrecked Buildings and Tangled Wire. Feared That Many Lives Have Been Lost. Key West, Fla., Oct. 11-?As a result o f the hurricane which itruck the southern coast of Florida this morning:, Key West tolight is admass ot wreckage and :he damage to property is estima:ed at $2,000,000. Martial law ?vas proclaimed by the mayor at > o'clock and the Key West guards iff nntmllimr oif t? w., mv. ?_? >. The United States government las been asked to dispatch troops lere without delay, to assist in patrolling the storm-area. Chaos reigns on every hand and few people remain in their homes, hundreds of which have either heen totally wrecked or damaged, it is impossible at this hour to say whether there has been loss of life, but it is feared many lives have been claimed along the coast. It is known that many have received more or less serious injury ind reports are current that several lives have been lost, but tnese nave not oeen verified. The storm reached its height at 1 o'clock this afternoon, when the wind reached an estimated velocity of 100 miles an hour. There was a hard steady blow from 8 a. m. to 3 p. in., when Unwind began to die down and by 4 j'clock the centre of the hurricane had passed this point. While the hurricane is the worst that Key West has ever experienced, the local weather observer announced tonight that the indications are that the entire east :oast of Florida will suffer terribly tonight. Of 100 local vessels in the harbor this morning but five remain it anchor, the others having either 3fone to sea or been washed up on :he beaches. The streets along :he water front are a mass of wreckage. Brick as well as frame buildings :hroughout the city suffered alike :rom the fury of the heavy wind ind many miraculous escapes from leath or serious injury have been reported. Besides the several t-core of resdenees either totally wrecked or Mown from their pillars, nine tacories were partially destroyed, ncluding the Habana-American, Martinez, Nicholas, Rue Lopez, Manuel Lopez, Fleitas Torris, Cor ez and Wolf cigar manufactories. No. 1 and No. 3 engine houses )f the city fire department were lestroyed, the fireman narrowly sscaping, and several of the hories were killed. The top of the ?irst National bank was blown off, he postofficc damaged and two unning gears of the govermcnt :oaling station were wrecked. Every telephone and electric ight pole on Duval street, the irincipal thoroughfare of the city, vas blown down. As soon as the wind had sublided plundering began. The city jolice force was unable to eopc vith the situation and the mayor lecided to take stringent measires to suppress the looting, his j proclamation of martial law resulting. Almost every nationality is represented among the city's population of more 20,000, about one half of whom are employed in the :igar manufactories, sponge fisheries and salvage companies. The barn and stables on the Ellerbe place, owned by Mr. Jas. j H. Manniug, of Latta, were de-1 stroyed by fire about two o'clock 1 yesterday morning. A small; quantity of feed was destroyed alio. The live stock escaped from the building just before it fell in. The loss is about $1000. Dr. Edwards Aquitted. Dr. li. A. Echvards of Lat was tried at Marion last Saturd; for the killing of John C. Kirl last summer. After deliberate a short while the jury returned verdict of not guilty. Dr. E wards, it will be recalled, was a tending Jule Kirbv, John Kirby brother, when the latter came in the sick room and made an attai on the Doctor T h e Doctc while in Kirby's grasp, fired se era! shots into Kirby's btxly whit proved fatal the following da It was pretty generally agreed the time that Dr. Edwards act< in self-defense and the verdi meets with the approval ot tl public. Pcatn of Mr. S. L. Page. After an illness of several wee from typhoid fever Mr. S. Lat n nee Page died at his home Campbell's Bridge Saturd; ; r pi. i ' morning. 1 iic deceased was years of age and is survived by wife and several childien. T interment was made at the fami burying ground near Campbel Hriil.ce Sundav afternoon and w attended by a large concourse relatives and friends of the dccet ed. Mr. Page was the eldest son Capt. Wm. Page, one of the mc prominent farmers of the count and was himself a prominent ci /.en and farmer. He was bo and reared near Campbell's Hrid and throughout his life had beei leader in his community. In 18 he was appointed magistrate Campbell's Bridge which office held continuously up until t time of his d.-ath. He was f; and impartial in his administrati of the law and as a magistrate made a record eoualled by f< and surpassed by none. This w the only public office he ev held. 1 Ie came along at the time wh the south was recovering from t effects of the civil war and did n have the advantages of a colle training, but lie was a keen c server and being a man of mc than ordinary ability he acquir 1 ...1 1 - - ? * k imwieujic rrom me senoOl experience and kept himself we informed on current events, h dovoted his life to farming and that line of industry he was success, lie leaves his wife valuable plantation which w brought up to a high state of ct tivation by his own industry. Early in life he was married Miss Ella I jarlee Moore, a men ber of a prominent Robeson cou: ty family. Of this union the were born several sons and daugh ers who sti'.l survive him: Mr J. K. Page and W. W. Page, Ssnllpre- 14nrKorf V- ?wi U , 4 4Vi wvi V j u^v, Ul VJtU gia; and Miss Nellie and Mr. Ot Page who still live at the hon place. >?> ? PRIZE FISH STORY, THIS. Kcytesville, Md., Oct. 9.* While at the ice pond fishing few davs ago W. R. Sweern noticed a large spider on a lei at the edge of the water th; seemed to be fishing also. Tf spider would put one leg in tl water, shake it a little bit, ar then wait. Hy and by a minnow came ui?l . u~ S LUC LU|; auu ^UIUUCU LUC foot. This seemed to be w)/ j -.M a was waiting for, and wit . ? ^ on* minute s hesitation it spr , . . . under the minnow being carr .1 w never the water several time* _ , j fish unveleasing its hold on . ., . i ^ .e and was til it ceased to stru- , ... , , , . .r hauled its dead, when the sp, , j jvoured at leiprey ashore to be sure. . , , . . ad the struggling In trying to . , * .t- ier would lay hold minnow the s*^ , \ ofaleafora-eeduon J* *' i w Wuth a $800 or s and hang the } u\ iab?r. grip, .and at? aif .nd wept in th ^ ' ?? > & yavit npon him. y s - DEVELOPING ? REEDY CREEK. by IK a Large Force of Hands is at a. Work Under the Direction ^ of Civil Engineers Laying ck off Walks and Avenues, *1 Clearing out Uunder-h growth and Improving at Property for Next Season's Opening. I. _ It wil! not be necessary for the people ot the I'ee Dee to ride hundreds of miles next year to get a fev.- weeks rest at a summer resort. Bv the time the next season opens Reedy Creek will be ready for A~ visitors and after the plans of the of . present owners have been earned out there will not be a more at^ tractive nor more comfortable rea sort anywhere in the state. '1C Announcement was made some *y weeks ago of the fact that Messrs. ' s W. T. Bethea and J. B. Gibson as 'had purchased Reedy Creek and (>t would develop the property into a ls" first-clas* summer resort. No sooner had deeds to the property change"d .hands than they began to 381 plan the development of the propLy, ti ' ... cny. njcy nave planned imtl~ provements on an elaborate scale ,rn and it is their purpose to carry ge out the plans in every detail be1 a fore the next season opens. 91 A force of about thirty hands at under the direction of Messrs. Beatty & Beatty of Dillon, and k? Mr. J. M. Johnson, Jr., of Marair ion, are laying out walks and aveon nues, trimming away the undergrowth, and doing the preliminary sw work to other more elaborate imas provements that will transform er the property into a most comfortable and attractive place. en One of the greatest improve^ie ments will be at the spring itself lot which will be surrounded by a concrete curbing with a wasteway 'h- 1-- - ? iv/i Liic aui pius water. i ne water re will pour into a marble basin at ed the bottom and sides of the spring: and will How into the conerete trough which is laid under* .e ground a few feet from the open111 ing- Another improvement is a li concrete walk which will be built u from the spring to the hotel as steps. The hotel building will be remodeled and equipped with other modern improvements. During ri" the summer season it will be in n" charge of a competent manager re and those who do not own cottalt~ at the springs will have th<-Uvan* s" tage of a first-class fi-'tlery at moderate prices. (Juite a number of r?P^e have *s already signified the-' Mention of ie building cottagest*le springs and there is eve ^ reas?n to believe that Ree7 ^-ree'c will be one of the attracte and one of the most i .. **t-s in the ?tate. popular rei ? Reedy * 1S v sum" a merreso""th* Pce Dec sec" * tion an ' should en>?y a lar?c /V if . next season, patrov ne Dillon Herald $1.50 a ytar le id ""101 ' A Si*n of Prosperity. An old negro of the antebellum type had brought his cotton to Dillon and sold it at a high price. He wanted the cash an one of the banks paid hfm a $100 bill. Late that aftenoon he wanted the bill chaiged, but very few merchants car; to ,art with that much change and the darkey was turned diwn at every store he went to. Finally he got discouraged and talking up to a white man h' presented the bill <*-'Say, Mister, is dis erve e^n- from* I can't get er The pris- avem^ ter change it." A when senhere fro^ ? \^$1.5C a year* >