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Hrr ''''1 1 Site Hamburg Ifmtlb j Established 1891 BAMBERG, S. C., THURSDAY. JUNE 1,1911. One Dollar a Year f||| COUNTRY NEWS LETTERS SOME INTERESTING HAPPENINGS IN VARIOUS SECTIONS. News Items Gathered All Around the County and Elsewhere. Ehrhardt Etchings. Ehrhardt, May 29.?It was a glad at Aft Pipasant. last Thursday. ascension's day. From all over this section about 800 people gathered together with the Mt. Pleasant Sunday-school to celebrate, according to a time-worn custom, an annual picnic. The weather was fine, the order was good, and in every respect the day was a grand and successful occasion. Beautiful songs were rendered by the school. Rev. W. B. Aull, the Lutheran pastor of Fairfax, delivered the address of the day, and fitting was his subject, for he discussed education in a broad sense. T> *.- ? TT* A HfnUnnroll +Vi?k Ranticl 1\C V JLi n. iuvl/V/ n Viij tuv/ i^u^/v4w mi lister at Ehrhardt, was present and was called upon for a few remarks, which he made very aptly. An interesting feature of the day w a>- the immense dinner that was served on the grounds. Bountiful were the provisions, and every one feasted sumptuously on the good things and drank to their heart's delight of cold lemonade. The afternoon was spent pleasantly. Many young people will look back with keen pleasure to the occasion and say it was good for us to have been there. In fact the whole crowd was happy notwithstanding the dust. "Behold how good and how nleasant it is for men to dwell to gether in unity." JEE. SHOCKING CRIME CHARGED. Deaf and Dumb Girl Alleged Victim of White Man's Attack. Spartanburg, May 29.?Charged with attempting to criminally assault a deaf and dumb girl, 20 years old, who is also partially unbalanced^mentally, Jake Bostin was lodged in the county jail here Sunday afternoon to await a preliminary hearing on % Tuesday morning. The warrant against Bostin, who claimed both fialiehnrv and Old Fort. N. C.. as his home, was issued before Magistrate Kirby and was sworn out by Jailer Wilson, in whose keeping the men who captured Bostin placed the prisoner. The alleged attempted assault was made at a point midway between f Rock Cliff Springs and Drayton Mills. The girl, after spending the afternoon at the amusement rendezvous, was on her way home and Bos* 1 tin, it is said., followed, and on reaching a secluded spot, he accosted her. Her assistance arrived almost miraculously. J. P. Wilson, E. Hemory, Wallace | Belcher, Walker Allen and J. W. Bolton, all residents of Drayton Mills, say that they saw the strange character about the parks Sunday afternoon, and also noted that he seemed to be following the poor, unfortunate girl. Their suspicions being aroused, these men quietly followed the girl and the-man. They state that when the girl had been thrown to the ground they rushed upon Bostin, who at once fled; a sensational chase ensued, and within an hour he was captured. When the man was finally caught he was carried to the county jail. The atrociousness of the alleged crime was multiplied by the fact that if the intended victim is a powerless idiot, without the power of calling to some one for assistance, and this only lends a more hideous aspect $ to the deed. Arrangements for the preliminary hearing to-morrow morning, before Magistrate A. H. Kirby, are being made. C. P. Sims has been appointed to defend Bostin. Major Kirby refused to grant bond to Bostin pending the outcome of the preliminary, and he will remain in I jail until arraigned. Th case is a most revolting one, and should the evidence be sufficient to bind the defendant over to the court, he will be given a trial at the next term of criminal court, which convenes the first Monday in June. Attempt at criminal assault under j the South Carolina Code carries with t it a penalty of death. Although unfortunate in being a mute and mentally afflicted, the intended victim of Bostin is said to be J a pretty girl. Bostin Acquitted. Spartanburg, May 30.?J. H. Bos - tin, the white man who was arrested on Sunday afternoon on a charge of attempting a criminal asasult on a young woman who is a deaf mute, was to-day fully acquitted of the charge on the testimony of the young i woman herself. I HEWLETT GETS VERDICT. Awarded $788.25 Actual Damages in j Suit Against Seaboard. Barnwell, May 26.?After completing the case of J. H. Hewlett vs. Seaboard Air Line Railway Company at an early hour last evening, the May term of the court of common pleas for Barnwell county adjourned sine die. The case was a suit in which the plaintiff sought to recover $788.25 actual damages and $10,000 punitive damages, alleging that his business had been ruined bv the failure of the defendant company to transport promptly a car of cotton seed from Ulmers, this county, to a point in Mexico. After deliberating about two hours the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for the amount of actual damages asked. The counsel for the defendant immediately made a motion for a new trial, which Judge Devore refused to grant. It is understood that the railroad company will appeal to the supreme court. Pleasure Resort Burned. San Francisco, May 29.?Two men are believed to have perished in a fire that destroyed the chutes, San Francisco's largest amusement resort, early to-day. Occupants of an adjoining lodging house which caught fire, were roused from their beds to find escape cut off. Before the firemen arrived Delia Alviso, a 19-year-old girl, and John Peist, jumped from a second-story window. Both were / dangerously hurt. William Williams, an employee of the resort unable to prevent Miss Alviso from jumping, attempted to catch her as she fell and suffered a broken arm. Mrs. Ida McFarland, who was sleeping hi a room with two other women in the lodging house, awoke to find her companions hysterical and unable to move. She dragged them to a window ledge and held them until the firemen arrived with ladders. John Boetinger and another man whose name is not known, who were sleeping in the lodging house, are believed to have perished. The theatre of the chutes, which was built of concrete, is the only building w-ithin the resort saved. The loss is estimated at "$250,000. NOW NO DEFICIT. First Time in History of Department, It is said. Washington, May 28.?For the first time in the history of the service, it is said, the deficit in the postoffice department has been entirely wiped out and $1,000,000 surplus for the current fiscal year ending June 30 next is in the treasury to the department's credit Postmaster General Hitchcock has signed a warrant returning to the secretary of the treasury $3,000,000, the last of the amount set apart from the public funds to assist in defraying the expenses of the postal service for the present fiscal year. Refarms in the field system, it is said, have made the refund possible. Train Goes Through Trestle. xr rt o o a vuanutttr, . u., ?o, xv double header coal train plunged through a burning trestle two miles east of Bostic, N. C., about 6 o'clock this afternoon, killing both engineers and firemen and seriously injuring other members of the train crew. The reported dead are: R. M. Green, engineer, Monroe, N. C.; J. M. Lindsey, engineer, Monroe. N. C.; Roy Dooley, fireman, Monroe, .N. C.; Early Lewis, colored, fireman, Monroe, N: C. Seriously injured: Lon Neely, colored, brakeman.. Capt. Frank Howell, of Charlotte, was conductor of the train and meager reports at hand do not mention his fate. Fifteen of the 29 loaded' steel coal cars crashed through the fire eaten woodwork of the trestle into Watkin's creek, piling up.on the two engines, and burying the helpless victims in a mass of wreckage. The heavy train was loaded with coal from the Clinchfield mines destined for the coast and was picked up by the Seaboard at Bostic. The engineer of the foremost locomotive did not discover the half burned trestle until too late to avert the disaster. The State league of the Building and Loan associations of South Carolina will meet in Chester June 14 th and 15th. TVia fiirl nroo hrnbon fnr uiou uii 1/ nao MA Greenwood's $12,000 hospital on Friday. The contractor is E, M. Guest. IN THE PALMETTO STATE SOME OCCURRENCES OF VARIOUS KINDS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. State News Boiled Down for Quick Reading?Paragraphs About Men and Happenings. The South Carolina Goods Roads association will meet in Spartanburg in August. Tom Staley, colored, was arrested in Anderson on Tuesday on the charge of poisoning his wife. The Bank of Mountville, at Mountville, Laurens county, has been commissioned, with a capital of $25,000. J. W. H. Dukes, who has been mayor of Orangeburg for several terms, has announced that he will not be a candidate for re-election. Plans are on foot for the building of a new dormitory for Wofford college, Spartanburg, to have 75 or 80 rooms and to cost $40,000 to $50,000. A verdict of $300 was given Manning Williams by a Spartanburg jury on Tuesday against the Pauline oil mill for the loss of three fingers while working in the mill. He sued for $o,000. Orangeburg is the next place in South Carolina to get a postal savings bank, the order to this effect having been issued last week jy the postmaster general. G. G. Holman, a young white man, shot and killed Mike Suash, colored, at Ridge Spring on Tuesday. It is said the negro was advancing on the white man with a pistol when he was shot. The city of Orangeburg has already paved a good portion of its business street with vitrified brick, and now it is proposed to extend the paving to the Southern passenger station, which will be done shortly. ' The two-year-old child of Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Peace, of Greenville, died Friday from drinking carbolic acid, having drank the contents of a bottle obtained from a bureau drawer without the knowledge of the mother. Mrs. James Snow, of Reidville, Spartanburg county, committed suicide on Tuesday by taking enough Paris green to kill three hundred persons. She had become despondent because of long suffering with rheumatism. Ernest Feaster was killed on Saturday at Leeds, Chester county, by Arthur Brown?both colored. Brown cut Feaster's jugular vein with a knife, causing him to bleed to death in a few minutes. The cause of the trouble was a irine. Fourteen prisoners were released from the State penitentiary Monday, all being pardoned or paroled by the governor. Twelve of these were released on the advice of the prison physician, and the other two were turned loose out of the kindness of heart possibly of the chief executive. The five-year-old daughter of Congressman Legare was killed on Friday at the home of a neighbor by the falling of a large flower jar upon her. Mr. Legare got home from Washington just about the time the child died, not knowing of the accident that had befallen his little daughter. W. T. Jones, the wealthy white man of Union, convicted of murder ing his wife and sentenced to a life sentence in the penitentiary, has issued a statement saying that he will submit to the sentence without delay, and will begin to serve his sentence this week. He stated that as he was innocent he used every means to be relieved of the sentence, but as the courts had decided against him and the governor had declined to interfere, he would enter upon his sentence. Jones has been confined in jail at Union ever since his conviction. George Nichols, a white man of Illinois, was convicted at Lexington a short time ago, along with three negroes, of the murder of Paul Williams, a young white man of Columbia. The killing occurred on the circus train of the Hagenbeck-Wallace shows between Columbia and Augusta. Nichols and the negroes were with the circus as employes. His relatives are now endeavoring to ob ni" Vlio nord/in and it is PYnPfltftd taiu 1110 yai uvu) *w -w v?rw? ?- ? that the governor will act on the case this week. Judge Gage and Solicitor Tiramerman have both declined to recommend the pardon, and the judge says that under the testimony Nichols might well have been hanged. The prison physician says Nichols is in good health. His sentence is for life. . .. vv - . - . ; v ? * ' *-< .1*4- aT - ^ PAYS DEATH PENALTY. For Attempted Assault Negro Hanged at Spartanburg. Spartanburg, May 26'.?Paying the death penalty, to which he was sentenced on March 26, for attempting to criminally assault a well-known 1 ii /I it r\f Vii'p niti' r?n PohTliarv u i ic iau > ui lino wtj vu * vw* 26, Gary Gist, colored, was to-day hanged in the county jail by Sheriff W. J. White, of Spartanburg county, assisted by Sheriff Poole, of Greenville; Sheriff Owens, of Laurens, and Sheriff, Thomas, of Chero kee. Gist ate heartily last night. He read the 9th and 10th chapters in the book of St. Mark. He arose early this morning and told Jailer Wilson, who carried him his last meal, that he was ready to meet his God. No other person saw him today, except the Rev. R. S. Truesdale, pastor Central Methodist church, ' and the Rev. J. S. Earle, a colored minister, who offered prayer and spiritual comfort. Dead in Eleven Minutes. A great morbid crowd gathered in front of the jail, but few were admitted. The death trap was sprung at 11:15, after Gist had stepped on it without a quiver. Passing by the Rev. Mr. Truesdale, in the corridor of the jail, the pastor said to him: "God bless you, Gary." "He will, and I am ready to go," the negro replied, and the black cap covered his face. His feet were bound and his hands were cuffed. The trap fell. in eleven minutes pnysinans pronounced him dead. His body was turned over to his parents for burial. Before dying Gist gave out the following statement to the press: "Whiskey brought me to this. I got. my whiskey from Ed Johnson; I used a pint between 12 and 1 o'clock on that day. and didn't know anything until I came to the jail. Tell mother to meet me in heaven, and all my relatives to be good. Tell all the young men, both colored and white, that my death should be a warning to them. And that it is best to live good lives. Good-bye, God bless everybody." (list's Crime. A wire was received from Gov. Blease at 10 o'clock stating that as the young lady upon whose person the attempt was made refused to sign the petition for an extension of time that he could ont interfere. Gist's mother and father were both too sick to see him. Gist, it is remembered entered the home of a white woman and pushing her over and also throwing her 1-year-old in fant to the floor, was prevented irom accomplishing his purpose only by her screams, which brought assistance. He was captured, after an exciting chase, and placed in the county jail, where he has since been confined. Gov. Blease States Position. Columbia, May 26.?Gov. Blease this morning refused finally to interfere with the death sentence imposed upon Gary Gist the Spartanburg negro who was sentenced to death for an attack upon a white woman in that city. Gov. B lease's position in the matter was that the negro had been given a fair trial and the jury had not deemed him worthy of any mercy. For attacks of this kind Gov. Blease has repeatedly stated his stand. In his inaugural address he referred to the matter. A few days ago at the penitentiary when several negroes, who are imprisoned for assault upon white women, approached Gov. Blease ne told them that it was no use to present any petitions for pardons in cases of this kind. In the Gist case overtures had been made to Gov. Blease by Attorney William McGowan. While out of the city Thursday more requests came to Gov. Blease over the wires. To-day, following a conversation with Dr. Turner, of Spartanburg, here, Gov. Blease gave out his final statement to the press to the effect that he would not interefere with the sentence of the court in the Gist case. Board Arrests Murray. Columbia, May 31.?Dr. W. J. Murray, former chairman of the State dispensary commission, was taken in custody this afternoon by Marshal Wilson, of the present commission, under a ruling for contempt. Dr. Murray, by his counsel, refused at a morning session of the commis sion to turn over certain vouchers demanded of him and the arrest folic wed. Habeas corpus proceedings have been instituted before Chief Justice Jones, and argument will be had on these this afternoon. ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION. COMMISSION SWEARS OCT WARRANT FOR FELDER. Charges Attempt to Bribe H. H. Evans.?Felder Sends Characacteristc Letter. A warrant charging T. B. Felder of Atlanta with "offering and attempting to bribe a State officer and with conspiracy to defraud the State of South Carolina, was sworn out Monday at Newberry by B. F. Kelly, secretary of the new dispensary commission. The warrant was sworn out before J. C. Sample and was placed in the hands of Sheriff Buford of that county. It is not known whether an at tempt will be made to secure extra-, dition papers. Mr. Kelly when asked I if extradition papers would be secured said, "that is a bridge that we have not crossed." The warrant against Felder was sworn out following the adoption of the following resolution by the new dispensary commission: "Whereas, certain information having come into our possession, which we are advised is sufficient i upon which to secure a conviction, "Be it resolved, that the secretary of this commission is hereby instructed to immediately swear out a warrant for the arrest of one Thomas B. | Felder for offering and attempting to bribe a State officer of tbe state of South Carolina and for conspiracy to defraud the said State." No Official Statement. The commission has given no official statement as to the State official Mr. Felder is charged with attempting to bribe. The swearing out of the warrant follows sensational counter charges on the part of Mr. Felder and the governor of South Carolina. The governor recently made public a letter purporting to have been written to H. H. Evans, former chairman of the State dispensary board of control, by T. B. Felder, offering to "frame up" a deal A T A A AAA m ?,, IOT lilt: letter iu qutstin was signed "T. B." This letter was secured from H. H. Evans by the governor. Just what kind of information the commission has against Mr. Felder is not kno^n. The commission met.in Columbia Monday. Several weeks ago an order was issued requiring Mr. Felder, a member of the firm of Anderson, Felder, Wilson & Roundtree of Atlanta, to come to Columbia on May 28 and tell what he knew of the acts of the governor as private citizen, State senator and chief executive in connection with the dispensary situation. Mr. Felder did not come to Columbia. The commission accordingly adopted the resolution directing that a warrant be sworn out against him. Mr. Welder sent a letter to the commission in which he explained his position. The letter of Mr. Felder follows: Felder's Letter. "May 26, 1911. "Mr. James Stackhouse, Chairman, and Mr. B. Frank Kelly, Secretary, State Dispensary Commission of South Carolina, Columbia, S. C. "Gentlemen: "Receipt of your valued favor of the 19th instant is hereby acknowledged. I have been absent from the city for the past week or 10 days, conducting some investigations on my own account anent. the matters referred to in the second paragraph of the series of resolutions adopted by your commission at a meeting held in Columbia on the 19th instant, a copy of which you caused to be transmitted to me here. "After mature consideration, I have reached the deliberate conclusion that if 'your governor' could with propriety create a commission who are 'all friends of mine and personal supporters' to investigate the members of the old commission, the attorney general of the State of South Carolina and the agents, attorney and employes of the old commission, and to make 'a rigid investigation of all of my (Blease) acts as State senator, private citizen and governor of the State,' I could with eaual Dronrietv resolve myself into a committee of one to make investigations as to the said Blease, his allies and affiliates. I think it will be conceded that my jurisdiction is equally as broad as yours; that I have the same authority to subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, and to give evidence touching the premises, as you possess; and I feel that I may say, without undue arrogance, that my 'findings of both law and fact' will be just as binding and carry with them the same degree of weight and respectability as yours. Extensive Investigations. "In conclusion, permit me tic say * BURNED AT STAKE. ( /. American Superintendent of Railroad ?] in Mexico Rejected Demands. t San Francisco, May 29.?Refusing >f|l to comply with demands for money by a band of bandits at Ajuno, Micho- 4^ acan, Robert J. Sweasey, an American, superintendent of the Central railroad of Michoacan, was burned ' at the stake on May 16, according :<Mm to the story of Joseph Hansfelder, j one of the refugees who arrived here j yesterday on the steamer Newport* from Manzanillo. Hansfelder says that the bandits had made demands for money of ;J||M every American in the district. Some .jyjjS complied but Sweasey refused to g pay. Hansfelder declares he made his way to Sweasey's house; three miles distant from his own, on May 16, and found the house burned to yyjgg the ground and Sweasey's body lashed to a post in the midst of the burning embers. Mrs. ?weasey naa aisappearea aua is believed to have been taken prisoner by the bandits and held for rffijfl} ransom. Fearing his own house would be :^fji attacked, Hansfelder, with his family; -J ^ made his way to Manzanillo and took passage for the United States. Sweasey is believed by Hansfelder to have been a former resident of San Diego. Aged Editor Passes Away. ^ Laurens, May 29.?After a four- ipa week's illness from heart trouble and; |S ^ complications, Col. Thos B. Crewa^^^H-; the oldest editor in South Carolina, passed away on Saturday night at the home of his daughter, Mrs. John - ' ' j?j F. Bolt. The funeral services were held yesterday afternoon, being con-, ducted by the Rev. L. P. McGee, pastor of the First Methodist church, of which Col. Crews has long been - ^ an active member. At the grave the JgjjH ceremonies were performed by the Masons, a great concourse being jjn gathered to pay the last tribute " respect, Senator Tillman, Gov. Blease, Col. James A Hoyt, (Jen. Wilie Jones and other well known people coming from a distance to attend the last sad rites. t. Col. Crews was editor of The Latl- ' rensville Herald. He had been a Confederate soldier, member of the Jss3' legislature and postmaster of this ;:3?B town. He was twice married, first to Miss Eugenia E. Nance in 1856, three sons and a daughter surviving ^ ' them. For sixty-three years, -CoL ^ Crews was connected continuously with newspapers, having begun as apprentice in 1848. He was vew'^iwBonfitra (n AQmnolorn in ftiA ctl 1?I*incr ''fSSBI av/tiv^ in tut *u vuv K^W** * ***0 days of the '70s to wrest the State / IS ; government from the control of the r carpetbaggers, scalawags, and blacks. J*3R. During his residence in Atlanta, < Col. Crews joined an expedition to Cuba to assist in attempting to overthrow the Spaniards. Col. Crews v was a charter member of the State /||| Press Association, serving as presi* dent for several years and contribute ing a number of very interesting pe? //slflj pers at annual meetings, his retni-. niscences being particularly inform that my investigations have been quite extensive, thorough, exhaustive i-r| and most satisfactory to me, and when made public will, in all human probability, disqualify for service some of those now seeking to pass J||s official judgment upon the acts of ~S|!j my associates and myself. To some of you this statement may prove enigmatical, while to others it will be most clear. "It does not suit the convenience |8|B of my committee to meet with yours at the time and place indicated, but if we can mutually agree upon a dif-. ferent time and place, for an inter- &|S change of views, information and confidences, I feel quite safe in saying that the result will be most pleasr ing and profitable to the people of the State of, South Carolina, if not to you and 'yours.' "While making no unconditional . promise to do so (for I must in these matters consult and largely yield to the wishes of others more vitally in- ' terested in the outcome of this controversy than I can possibly be, and I may add, whose views have de- r\ terred me from doing so heretofore,) 'VhS still, if unrestrained, it will be my ^ pleasure to deliver in the not distant future a veritable 'broadside.' ; "With assurance of my most distinguished consideration, I have the honor to be "Yours very truly, T. B. FELDR. "Chairman of the Anti-Blease In- ^ vestigating Committee." Several matters were discussed at ^ the meeting of the dispensary com- ^|1 mission. The secretary announced & that it has been decided to employ - :l ^ Holman & Holman of Charleston as attorneys for the commission.