y ' 1 !?f V* ?'?** ? CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1917 VOLUME XXIX. NUMBER 36. ty'AB ON AUSTRIA lion Hou* By Vote Of, 363 To L . htnfftou 7*^ 7.? War strfi.-- '?"? Au?trltt-Hqu^?ry * ' nimllv declared today. y the Hoih* 803 to t. Representative Jjon Z the New York Socialist, casting the only dissenting vote. A few mlu ~T later, Vice President Marshall aud Hneakor Hark had signed the doou a,?d *M>t It to the White House, !bere President Wilson attache* hla -mature with Secretary Tumulty and Ajglsttnt .Secretary Foreater aa the aly witnesses. In accord with President Wllson'a auureatlon action In respect to Turkey ind Bulgaria, Germany'# other allies, were left to the future* Widespread demand in Congress for their lnclvlelon (o the declaration was ludlcated in fcoth Senate and lloiwe debates, but whesj tbe roll ui I is came, the President's ad iice wus followed In a demonstration of American unity and harmony; iter iwentative Londoa, who cast the ono negative vote, explained his opposition by dating that he was pledged to that course by the Socialist party. IH'hate In both houses wsh Unex pectedly brief. lasting only an' ..hour In. the Senate and only rwo hours arid forty minutes In the House. Also* In ?hnrp contrast to tbe discussion Which preceded the war declaration against Germany last April It was almost de toIiI of spectacular features. v * Senator Stone, who had charge of the resolution, nnd Senators . (Siphon, yprrls and Vardaman, who alf& voted "apiiOKt tho German declaratloil^oday joined the majority. A fifth/former Senator Lane, of Oregon, ha? since died. Senator Iji Follette, w)xo also op posed war with Germany, was absent i-hen the roll call was taken and did ?ot vote. Necessity for cooperative military teflon of tl>e Allies was the priudpal roason advanced in debate for 'im mediate passage of the Austrian reso lution. Senator Stone said American troops might soon face Austriai^forccfs through extension of the western front to Italy by the inter- Allied war coun cil. I'rglng unanimous endorsement of the resolution and deploring any ac tion which might embarrass the Pres ident or any effort to amend the res olution to include Turkey and Bul farin, Senator Ixxige, senior Republi can member of tho foreign relations committee, gave reasons why, he said, a majority of the Senate favored for mal declarations against. Germany's other two allien. H6 Indicated the Turkish fJovernment as a "curse" to aodern civilization and expressed hope for its extinction. At C&ss&tt School. 'Little Jack Homer sat In a corner, Kntlnc a Christmas pie; He put in his thuhfo, and pulled Qpt, a plum, And sb Id "What a good boy am I." On Thursday evening, December 20th at 7 :30 o'clock the public Is -cordial ly invited to attend the Christmas tree and exercises at Cassatt Rural Graded SchM. Kach girl Is requested to briiur a "custard pie" which will be so' i to t ho highest bidder. The "Jack Horner' tfrho purchases t-bf custard pie will have the privi lege of sharing it with Ills fclrl. The proceeds of e?tb IViiuKy Itrfore Ver dict Whs Marie Public. V' 4 - tfan Antonio, Texan, I)oc. 11, \ Sampled clearing in a lonely me* quite thicket on the government ros Vvatlon hew, except for the ashes Of two huge ln?n tires. showed no. sign toulght that it was the execution place of thirteen negro soldier* of the Twen ty fourth Infantry today. The negroes .evicted of participating in the riots | ut Houston, Texas, August 23, last, were hanged at one minute before sun rise. After dark last night, motor trucks earned the lumber for the scaffolds and a company of engineers to the clearing. The scaffolds wore built by firelight. Motor trucks shortly after five o'clock this morning carried the condemned negroes and the officers and military guard to the place of ex ecution. The trucks inter carried the bodies to a place as Indistinguishable as the execution site whore the burial wok place. Then they hauled back to *ort Sam Houston every piece of lum ber used in the Bcuffold so that the was clear before formal announce ment of the executions had been Is sued by the southern department head quarter*. The condemned negroes had known of their fate since Sunday, Twelve of them sought spiritual council of army Y. M. O. A. workers. The thir teenth whose name has not been dis closed gave no inkling that he knew. Outwardly all were stalcal. They did not know the date of the execution, but last night they were taken from the cavalry guardhouse where they have been prisoners more than a m6nth, placed In separate barracks, -y Aside from less than a dozen ofllcerH of the southern department and the sheriff of Bexar county, no one In the city or the army camps know of the execution, date or place. The other defewlents were Ignorant of the fate of their companions until after the formal announcement had been made. The condemned men were aroused this moming a few minutes before regular army reveille. The military guard had been summoned silently *nd no sound was heard in the camp where nearly 40,000 men were sleep ing, except the purring of the army truck, motors awaiting their loads. The ijegroes dressed In their regular uniforms as carefully as for inspec tion. They displayed neither bravado nor fear. They rode to the execution sing ing a hymn, but th^ singing was that of soldiers on the march. Arrived at the clearing the song ceased, the men, shackled were helped from the trucks to the scaffoldR and seated on chairs. A low "good-bye boys' addressed to members of their military guard who had boon In charge of the negroes since they were brought here from Fort BMss, was the only expression from any of the negroes. The men's feet were hound. An army chaplain offered, prayer. An of ficer called "Attention", ans as on pa rade the negroes stood erect. They stood qulely while caps and nooses were adjusted and then stepped on the traps.. The major hi charge of the execution gdve. a signal and .sol diers sprung the traps. The negroes plunged nine feet to instant death. No announcement hns been made when the forty^one negro defendants given- life sentences by the court-) martial will be taken to Fort Leaven worth. . Ttje men hailed, all enlisted men of the 24th infantry, were : Sergeant >William C. Nesbitt, Corporals Larnon J. Brown, James Wheatley, Jesse Moore, and Charles W. Baltimore; Privates William Brackenrldge, Thom as C. Hawkins, Carlos Snodgrass, Ira B. Iiavls, James Divins, Frank John son, Rlsley W. Young, and Pat Mac Whorter. Of the others four were sentenced to dishonorable discharge from the army, forfeiture of all pay ? A Correction. We were In error la*t week In stat ing tt\a? Mr. Geo. II. Dunnell had re turned to Camden to manage the Kirk wood stables for the Reason. He has rented the old Latham stable* on low er Broad Street and will operate them for the season, The Starving Armenians. The Committee of Relief gives us so many Incidents of suffering that some concejrtion of the need must after a while stir us to action. We are told how tender hearted American women have been compelled to steel themselves against the sight of child* ren in the street dying for lack of food ? to pass by without helping, hav ing no resources to warrant adding one more to the number already being fed. The following contributions thlJ week are gratefully acknowledged : C. J. Shannon. Jr. ..U.. $5.00 Miss Sarah Boykln 4.00 From the boxes: !" Rank of Oamdeu 1.10 O. C. Bruce 1.00 Shebeen and Bro ,92 First National Bank 00 Phillips & Co. .30 Candy Kitchen .. 25 Lang's Grocery .J 10 W. R. Zemp ..., At 05 Previously acknowledged 140.63 Total 4...: $159.95 ?All contributions pent to me will l>e acknowledged in the Chronicle and forwarded to the National Committee, v F. H. Harding, Local Com. BIO HAUL OF WHISKEY Two Large Trunks Seized at Seaboard Liu* Thursday Night Sheriff r. p. Hough, Chief of Police A. G. Whitaker, and policeman L. T. Stewart last Thursday night seized two large trunks pot off a passenger train at the Seaboard station here. H6w the officers got on to the ship ment coming here they wonid not say, but the contents of the trunks showed they were not wrong in seizing them. The trunks were shipped through from Jacksonville abd had evidently been packed by some one who knew his business. The total haul amount ed to 21 gallons and one quart, mak j ing the largest haul yet made anywhere iirtbi* section. ' ? ? - Figured at the retail price of booze asked by the blinds at the present time ? $6.00 per quart ? It would run Into a money value of around $500. The officers are practically certain they know who the booze belongs to, but they have not obtained evidence enough to make any ai rests. Up to the pres ent time no one has come flinMud to dalm the trunks or the boose. ~ ? 1 ^ . . V - ^ ^ KKCOKD FOOD CROPS WhwU iuhI (lorn Show Inrre?M Bui Cotton Fall* Hhort. WashlnKton, l>*s\ ? Food crops generally with the exception of wheat established records lit production thin year uiul their value far exceeds that of other years. Cotton, however, caught by an early frost, suffered a sensational loss of aproxliuately a mil lion baleM from early estimates. Cotton production this year Ih esti mated at 10,049,000 hales, a reduction of more thsn a million bales in the cotton crop fno m the last estimate made of the country, as shown In the llnnl estimate of production issued today by the Department of Agricul ture. A killing frost before tht\ middle of Octol>er, several weeks earlier than usual, was the cause of the mllllou bale decrease from the October esti mate when the department forecast a crop of 12,047,000 bales. Lateness of planting, because of dry weather, and the shortness of the season, due to early frosts, curtailed production of many crops. Final estimates announced today by the Department of Agriculture show tbe great corn crop to have l>een dam aged to tho extent of about thirty two million bushels by frost. Never theless, com production established a record this year with 3,160,494,000 bushels, while its value, also a rec ord, is $4,053,672,000. The wheat crop shows a decrease of about 0,000,000 bushels from pre vious forecasts. This year's crop is estimated at 050,828,000 bushels and its value at $848,372,000. ^ Oats is a record crop with 1,587, 280,000 bushels and a value of 1,061, 427,000. The potato crop is the largest ever grown with a total of 442,53^,000 bushels, valued at $543,865,000. Other crops whose production estab lishes records are: Hye, sweet pota toes, beans, onions, cabbage and to bacco. Kut ledge County Defeated. Kings tree Dec. 12. ? Complete returns from the seven precincts In Williams* burg County voting yesterday on the proposition of cutting off a portion of tho county for the formation of Ilut ledge County give a total of 323 against and 214 favorable to the proposition. The necessary vote to carry the elec tion for the establishment of the new county was 358. The proposition is de feated in Williamsburg County by a substantial margin. KKHSHAW NEWS NOT Km lutmdllig; Items Gathered From The Km of Thai I'lwf. W. It. Gregory Iff t yeaterda.v ,for Charleston to attend the sessions of tho Grand Ix,*lge of Ancient Free Ma sons of South Carolina an a represen tative of the local Masonic lodge. Mrs. ICugene Varn, of Omaha, Nob.. In visit in>c Iter friend ami former ool iCge mate Mrs. S. O. (injury. The little son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Jumtne A. Barrett. of the l^moiutcr Cotton Mill village died at the home of his parents at that place Friday night of last week. The remains were inter ml at the Laurel Hill cemetery near Kerahaw, Mr. A. S. Karesh, who has beeu engaged irt the mercantile bushiest* In Kershaw for the past three yearn, has sold Ills Interest in the business ami will leave today for San Antonio, Tex as, to witer the aviation service of the United | States Army. Miss i/oube Crouch, oif Iieeaville, the former beloved and iuo?t highly respected teacher of the Abney school was married in Columbia November 17 to Mr. Wlldan Sadler, of Camp Se vier, Greenville. Her marriage was quite a surprise to her many friends and was witnessed by only a very few of her intimate friends. On lam Thursday the boys of the Kershaw High School defeated the basRet ball team of (the Flat Creek school by a score of 18 to 9. On Fri day afternoon a team of girls from tho Kershaw High School was defeat ed by a team of girls from the Camden High School by a score of 4 to 0. I)r. W. C. Mcl>owell, T. K. Fletcher, R. L. Bell and Frank McDowell went to Atlanta to a tit end the Sunday ser vices at the "Billy" Sunday taber nacle. A number of Kershaw people went to Cainden Monday night to witness the "Birth of a Nation" at the Opera Hpuso In that city. Born to Mr. and Mrs. I^eroy Hicks, Atlanta, Ga? Thursday November 0, 1917, a daughter, j Mrs. Frank Abel and daughter Mrs. I/Cdter Youn# of Savannah. Oa . sre visiting tho former's mother Mrg, Watt* at this place. Mrs. A. Karesh, of Camden, spent several days here this week with her son A. S. Karesh. Attention Registrants. Beginning with December 15th and for the next twehty days thereafter (excluding Sundays and legal holi days) 112 questionnaire* will be mail ed out each day. The men receiving them had better go at once to some member of the I^egal Advisory Board for Kershaw County, or else to some citizen in their community who has been designated to assist the Advisory Board in the filling out of the?e ques tlonalrres. The members of the I>egal Advisory Board are Mr. Thos. J. Klrk land, Mr. L. A. Wlttkowsky, and Mr. Daurens T. Mills. Below are given the dates and the order numbers of men to whom ques tlonalrres will be mailed ui>on such i dates. They must be back in the hands of the Ix>cal Board within 7 days from I the date of mailing, or el^e the i>er I son to whom mailed will be placed In , Class 1 and thus in the first class In order of liability to service. Anyone receiving a qucstionairre had best Im mediately have filled out and return. The fact that a questlonalrre Is not received makes no difference so every one had better observe closely the date t on which bis number Is posted. I Saturday Dec. in, 1917, 1 to 165, both Inclusive. Monday Dec. 17, 1917, 107 to 323 both Inclusive. Tuesday Dec. 18, 1017 324 to 447, both Inclusive. Wednesday Dec. 19. 1917, 448 to 571 both Inclusive. Thursday Dec. 20, 1917, 572 to 083, both inclusive. Friday Dec. 21, 1917, 084 to 795, bofh Inclusive. Saturday Dec. 22, 1917, 790 to 907 both Inclusive. Monday Dec. 24, 1917, 908 to 1019 both inclusive. - Wednesday Dec. 20? 1020 to 1131 both inclusive. Thursday Deo. 27, 1917, 1132 to 1243 both inclusive. . Friday Dec. 28, 1017, 1244 to 1356 both in elusive. Saturday Dec. 29, 1017, 1350 to 1467, both Intrusive. Monday Dec. 31, 1917, 1468 to 1579, both Inclusive. Wednesday Jan. 2, 1918, 1580 to 1691 both inclusive. Thursday Jan. 3, 1918, 1602 to 1803 both inclusive. "Triday Jan. 4, 1918, 1804 to 1915, both inclusive. Saturday Jan. 5, 1918, 1916 to 2027, both inclusive. Monday Jan. 7, 1918, 2028 to 2139, both inclusive. ? Tuesday Jan. 8, 1918, 2140 to 2251, -bo^h -inclusive. ' Wednesday Jan. 9, 1918, 2252 to 2367, both inclusive. Can Get IMhwy Twwdty. Member? of the first National Bank Christmas 8a rings Club are requested to present their pern books at tfcls imnk on Tuesday, December 18th, or an j time after that date and get their BMXMJ. J no. T, Idackey, Cashier. FROM NKW YOKK TO MIAMI Over Capitol Highway as Surveyed by O. M. Well*. From New York run through New ark. Kll*al>eth, Railway. and Met uc hen to New Brunswick, thence the ^'*u" bury Turnpike In followed to IUght* town From lllghtstown run to \UuJ nor, disregarding tbe'Trentou to turn right, and continue straight on to u macadam" four corners; turn right and run through Rotoblusvllle and Mer cervllle to Trenton which provide* all hard surface road in good condition. From Trenton to Philadelphia the high way I* also in good condition. From Philadelphia to Wilmington the road Is hard Hurfaced and in fair con dition. lU'twwn Wilmington and K?k ton. at the present time, there are a few short detours made necessary by bridge instruction. These detours, of course. will ?>e oil mln a ted as the im provements are completed. Motorists (Min obtain a chart over the beat road by applying to the clerk at the Hotel Ihil'ont In Wilmington. From Klktou througft Baltimore to Washington the road is all open ami in good condition. From Washington, through Alexandria, Accotlnk and I/or ton to three miles boyond Occoquan, the road Is improved surface hi good condition. From that point to Dum fries there Is an eight-mile stretch or very narrow, rough road. That por tion of the road from Dumfries, Cro?s-| lug the Chappawamslc Swamp has tieeu somewhat Improved toy tilling In, but Is very narrow and apt to t>e slip pery In wet weather. The (l^virnuiWit is now working on a four-mile stretch of new concrete road, leading to the Marine Camp at Quant lea, and with out doubt they will also ttnd it neces sary to make repairs on the Cluipt>a wntnsic road as well as the Dmufrles Occoquan road, before the heavy truck-, Ing can be carried on between the trunk - line and Quantlco. The remainder of( the route through Fredericksburg to Richmond is In very good condition, j The twenty-nfjlle stretch between Richmond and Petersburg i? full of hole and in such a poor condition that the Kprlngmakers on *ach end of the route are doing a rushing buslues*. It seems a shame to have, a road con necting two large and important cities such as Richmond and Petersburg, lu a condition of this kind. Of course the ubove section has become badly worn during the last three months, due to the heavy traffic to the Mili tary Camp at Petersourg. From Pototwburg through Dlnwlddlo and South Hill to Clorksville, is a graded clay road with a sand-clay top dressing whtfh is in folr condition with the exception of A few gullies. Prom Clarksvllle through Oxford to Durham, N. C., is fair going with the excepts of a few rough and rutted stretches. From Durham through Oary, 8unf I trouble. From that point to Jacksonville there are two or three places which are apt to l>e troublesome In wet weather, although much improved since last year, as convicts have. been working for the past six months 'filling and grad ing. The H<>ft dirt where the fills are being made, is apt to cause difficulties to the motorist In wet. weather; how ever, the teams which are being used by the convict* arc available For haul ing out the car in case It becomes stuck. From Jacksonville to St. Augustine, is all good brick, with the exception of four miles at the and of Duval County, which ia now under construc tion and when finished will make sev enty miles of brick surface between Jacksonville and Paytona. The last live teikp before reaching flfihnnf , is somewhat rough and worn but pa* sable. The twenty miles of beech from Ormond, down the coast, is also good at low tide. From that point to Miami, the entire east coast is in food condition ; Palm Beech county having finished Its section during the summer, makes it All herd surface. The new hrldg* now nndar oon*trno> tlon et Stewart, crossing the 8t Loci* (jfCHMANS MAKK ATTACK h{h(hix Now Cambrml Continued For Many Hours. 1 Atmloit, IHk\ 12. ? A tierce mass at taok was (initio by the (IcntmiiH t inlay ana Inst I ho elbow lit the bond of tho British lino between itulleoourt ami Quoaut (about 10 tulles west of Oana braU nays tho Router correspondent at llrltish headquarters In France. Their Intention wws to overwhelm their opi>onents by shwr weight of numbers. Owing to tho staunohneeH of tho British opposition, tho attack only on a hied the Germans to get a footing In alsmt ftOO yards |t>f tho lfrltlsl) front line, when tho attack \v?* arrested. Thus the ontlon t says "What apparently was Intended an a determined (German attaok upon tho sector of our Huo east of Itullo court was dellvored shortly after dawn, and, owing to tho staunchness of our troopN, was rodueed to the limits of a wry small local success at the most. Tho spot tho onomy chose was tho elbow In tho bond of our line Iwtween Dullecourt and Queant. "The Germans opened an Intense bombardment as tho tlrst Htreaks of a frosty dawn were paling the oast oru sky. Our artillery promptly re plied with a barrage put down be tween the opimslng trenches, In order to catch any Infaivtry advance. "Assaulting waves of Bavarian roops came over In close formation, t was tho manifest intention to throw groat pressure upon tho front of the attack and ovorixnvor tho defenders If possible, by sheer weight of num bers." "Fierce fighting ensued, but.lt is too early to get details since commun* Ion* Ions are always difficult during engagements. So far as I can gather, the Germans managed to get some sort of a footing In nbotit 500 yards ^>f our front line trenches before their i?tt>ock was arrested' "Tho artillery duel continued until about 10 :lf) oVlock, when it died down, but the constant rattle of ma chine guns suggested that some fight ing was still in progress, and it is quite possible that we were counter attacking. "This is t-eally ?1! there Is to tell. It seems reasonable to believe that the Germans failed in their project, whatever it was, since the extent of thoir gain was so smnll and so In* definite in point of tactical achieve ment that it is difficult to regard it gl representing any complete seam of operations. "The weather remains fine and dry, so that open warfare is still possible it a time of the year when normally < both sides would be settled Into win ter quarters." i The Show tomorrow Evening. Bright lines, blithe dances, funny situations, melodious tunes to say noth 1 11 K of pretty girls galore, forms the '?oinhlnatlon wh'eh mukes the big mus ical success "The Beauty Shop", the attraction billed at the Oj>era House for tomorrow, matinee and night a show worth while. - The piece was written by Channing Pollock and Hcnnold Wolf, two well knowi^ Journalists, who also contribut while the tuneful scores which ^contains at least twenty- real song hits was 'Com posed by Charles J. Ocbest, who waji also responsible for the musical num bers of the above play*. The company presenting the play numbers sixty, mostly girls, and the production and costuming is said to be equal to any seen on Broadway or 111 fact any other place. The Opera House will Ik? well heated and free from smoke. Appointed District Deputy. ? 4t~ the recent meeting of the Grand Ixxlge of Ancient Free masons of South Carolina) held at Charleston, Mr. L. T. Mills, of Camden, was ap-~ pointed district deputy for the four teenth district. This office was for merly held by Mr. J. .B. Wallace who has moved to Beaufort county. River, will not t>e finished for another year which makes It necessary to use the ferry as heretofore. From Daytona, crossing the penin sula through Orlando and Klsslmee to Tampa, the road is mostly in good condition, with the exception of a few places now under construction, the poorest stretch being from Auburn dele to Lakeland. From Tampa to* Petersburg the road is largely of brick and in good con dition. Pleasure touring through the South, depends entirely on wtatber conditions, as unimproved. roads especially those of red clay become hqpvy and slippery after long rains. Hard rains help te improve the send roads as the send pecks whso wet