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> . ' v > .-TV . . % SENATE AND HOUSE I ^.Proceedings of iiie Two branches of ih Genera! Assembly ? MANY JUTIERS OF INTEREST What Oi-r Lawmakers Are Doing Dav Fy Day ?Bii!s That HaVe Become Acts. HOUSE. At the session >!' the general ; assembly tht financial condition of 1 the State .vat brought to the attention , of the lawmakers in such a way as to , make them solicitous as to the future, i The annual expenditures were in ex- 1 cess of the annual revenue. The ap- [ propriations were kept as low as pes- . sible without crippling any departnien. and a commission was-appointed to investigate the situation and report ways and means of increasing the revenue. The commission consisted of Senators Mower, of Newberry and Manning. of Sumpter. Thomas of Richland and Tatum of Orangeburg. Their report has been published already in The State. In accordance with their ' fiinding. Mr. Moses, who is chairman of the ways and means committee 1 of the house, which introduces all revenue bills, has presented four measures to increase the receipts of ' w'~'\ the State treasury. In addition thereto Mr. Jeremiah Siiith has a bill to change the entire system of tax paying. but his bill merely regulates the , f manner of assessment and payment. ] Mr. W. J. Johnson has a bill to pro- , vide for a lranchise tax of one mill ] on the capitalization of every corpora- , tion conducing business in the State. , Mr. Johnson aiso has a bill to provide , for an excise tax or the gross re- ( ceipts of all corporate js (except tex tile mills and oil mills! conducting business within the State. | But the bills to which particular , attention will be given on account of i the semi-official manner of their pre- i sentation are the several measures i coming from 'Mr. Moses of the tax i commission, one of the most experi- i enced. conservative and thoughtful legislators in the State. The bills i vi V* ioK Vio Vi o o ?r> trr\H unn/1 a **/ ? i A bill to require the payment of i annual license fees of corporations i doing business, in the State, and to re- ' quire them to report to the secretary of State. A bill to amend the law as to the graduated tax on incomes. A bill to impose a tax on gifts, inheritances. de\'ises, bequests and legacies in certain cases. ' A bill to provide additional measures and remedies for collection on ' past and unpaid taxes upon certain ! property, which has escaped taxation. ' A bill to amend the code of laws of South Carolina, 1902. in reference ' to the State board of assessors and its duties. A bill in reference to the duties of ' chairman of local boards of assessors and their compensation. WHAT THE BILLS MEAN. The bill last named provides that ( under the direction of the county au- ( ditor the chairman of each township ( lw>arcl of assessors shall make a can- : vas; at a remuneration of $2.00 per | day and shall add such property to ( the tax bocks as has escaped taxation. , The bill in reference to the State < UViil U Ui <*SM.'5SUI? nuuiu UU avtciy y with the board of equalization of one \ .. member for each county, and would ( tuave ont from each judicial circuit in- i stead. The board would also assess banks and railroad property as well as j textile industries. ? The law as the income tax provides \ that $2,500 is the mnimum income i taxable. Mr. Moses' bill brings the c minimum income to $1,000 and pro- i vides that on all incomes over that i amount shall be a tax of one - halft of one per cent. ? TLfe income tax law as it i now stands is a farce. The amended 1 law might be of benefit. ( The inheritance tax bill provides i for an assessment of 1 per cent, on c every inheritance, gift, legacy or be- 1 quest when the same is $10,000 or t more. This includes transfers by will t of <leceas<\l persons, whether they 1 lived in the State or were non-resi- 1 dents. Also "when the transfer is of 1 property made by a resident or by a J non-resident when such non-resident's property is within the State, by deed. 1 grant, bargain, sale or gift made in 1 contemplation of the death of the ( grantor, vendor, or donor, or intend- * ing to take effect in possession or en- * joyment at or after such death." TO TAX CERTAIN ROLLING 1 STOCK. t The bill to "provide additional 1 measures and remedies for the collec- 1 tio'n on past due and unpaid taxes c upon certain property which has escaped taxation," is in the line of the policy of the secretary of State acting as agent for the sinking fund com- . mission. The title is a little mislead- . ing. for it does nof apply to all classes c of property, but to the rolling stock of J shippers of meals, oils. cattle.etc.,who , use their own rolling stock. It is " claimed that such cars have escap- s ed taxation, whereas Pullman cars ^ nave been taxed just as railroad property. ( The bill contains the following defi- , nition: .. ? "That, the cars rolling stock, struc- < tures. works and appliances, of any ? nature or character whatsoever, pro- j vided the same be used in. about. < upon or in connection with any rail- \ read, shall be deemed railroad proper- t ty. and shall be liable to assessment ( as railroad property for any years that the said cars, rolling stock, struc- j tures or works shall have escaped , taxation from any cause." s The secretary of State is authorized < to collect past due taxes on such con- i cerns and to proceed to collect this i tax levy every year by notifying the < companies to submit a statement of t their business within the State. In ' case cf refusal to comply.the secretary 1 of State is authorized to flx a valua- ' t tion which ho dooms fair, and from this thoro can be no appeal. Mr. Moses' bill to require the payment of annual license fees of corporations conducting business in the ??uto. and to require them to report to the secretary of State, is the one which is expected !o be productive of revenue. It provides for a tax of three mills on the gross receipts of the following corporations to be paid before the first of June of each year: Any railroad company, express company, street railway company, navigation company, water works company, power company, light, company, telegraph company, parlor, toning and sleeping car company. Taxation in the House. Sy a vote of X'J to IS the house Thursday night passed the first of the revenue bills submitted by the tax ommlssion appointed by the legislature last year to find seme measures to relieve the State from its financial tringencies which have become annoying of late years. Th<> bill referred to is the franchise tax measure Intro rtuced by Mr. Moses. The result of the discussion was evident from the beginning, but regardless of the overwhelming majority in opposition to him, Mr. Bomar made a strong fight against the hill. His argument on the constitutional ton mills, fertilizer plants, etc.. the franchise will be one half of one mill. In Mr. Jeremiah Smith's bill the fee is $10 per annum for each concern. Another revenue bill not named above Is the measure to license the catching of oysters, clams, terrapins and other sea products, phase was very clear. The presentation of the case by Mr. Moses, and later by W. J. Johnson was very convincing that the pace has been set by ether States, and that the revenue to be obtained by South Carolina will be in excess of the annual deficit of the last three or four years. The bill provides for a tax of three mills on the gross receipts of the following corporations, to be paid before the first of June of each year: Any railroad company, express company, street railway company, navigation company, water works company, power compony, light company, telephone r?r tntopranh rnmnanv narlor. dining and sleeping car company. Upon companies wbic]) are not public utilities?such as cotton mill, banks. Dil mills, and such institutions chartered by the State?the tax is to be Dne-half of one million the capital stock. With the other concerns the assessment is on the gross receipts. With the companies not public utilities the payment of the franchise tax must be made before the first day of April, and with the public utilities the tax of three mills on the,gross receipts of the preceding year is to be paid before the first of June, the time of year when the State is most in need of "ready cash." The work of the house Friday was raried in its nature, and bills of rngny kinds were rejected and were passed, rhe bicycle and automobile bill was sent to the senate; the Charleston Medical college bill was passed; the Lull to give exclusive jurisdiction to the j United States upon certain landed acquisitions was accepted in the original; m:i the bill to establish breweries and ' beer dispensaries was killed. An effort was made to recommit the bill relating to the riding of bicycles :nd automobiles before it got to the senate out tne nouse reiu^eu to siup the bill in its passage, preferring to h.ave any necessary amendments made in the senate. Mr. Moses called attention to the fact that while the bill permits a bicycle rider to get permission :o pass a conveyance, the driver of an iutomobile must get down and stand >eside his machine. And Mr. Cooper lirected attention to the fact that while the bill prescribes punishment or the "first offence" it makes no provision for other offences. The house bought that recommittal would be antamount to killing the bill and the notion was voted down. The following bills passed third readng: Mr. Richards' to increase the scholarships at Winthrop from $44 to 5100 each; Mr. Kibler's to provide for n insurance commissioner; Mr. Maullin's providing for the investigation nto the causes of fires and to provide or the prevention of excessive fire inmranee rates: and the tax commission's bill to require the payment of 'ranch ise tax by corporations. Mr. liauldin's bill was not thoroughly ae eplable to the insurance companies, is has been reported, nor can it be [ nlled an Insurance company bill, for vhile they accept the bill as a whole, he companies were not pleased with he provisions which permit the comnissioner to investigate complaints hat the rates are too high and to nake the companies give rates on the ame basis cs in other States. There was somewhat of a disposition c have a great many bills made special orders and to give the general >rders a chance. Mr. Williams moved hat all the special orders be discharged for the day and that the house proved regularly with the calendar. This vas agreed to and quite a number of )ills were gotten oft the calendar where hey might have remained for some ime as there are special orders enough o keep the house busy for several lays. SENATE An interesting debate occurred Wednesday morning when Senator hm in fpdo to the United vagouaiv o wti* w ? states exclusive rights over certain ands was brought up after the Sentte returned from the memorial exer ises in the House. The bill has been ;ent back from the House with "concurrent" substituted for the word "exclusive." Senator Sheppard moved concurrence with the House amend.nent. and a debate of some fervor ensued. the idea being entertained by ome of the Senators that citizens night not be able to have just the same treatment when tried in United states courts, for crimes and misdeneanors committed on this territory, .hat they would receive in the courts )f the State. Senator Brice wished the bill to be etained in its original form, and read extracts from a Washington correspondent to a South Carolina paper saying that the government would nake no more appropriations for mildings on land not governed exclusively by it. Senator Brice argued hat our representatives in Congress vanted this change made in the State aw. Senator von Kolnitz, Senator J. W. Ragsdale and Senator Walker X spike for the bill in its original forrt Senator Walker remarked that th 1'iiited States courts were practicall; South Carolina courts today to the e> tent that they are presided over It South Carolinians and have Soul Carolina juries. To this Senator Snef pare agreed, but. said he. suppos Judge 11 raw ley or Judge Simontoi should die? No one knows who wculi take their places. The courts have no always been as they are now. It i not many year:; since the Radios judge. Bond, ruled. The Senator c> pressed in no uncertain language th hoo" that no vacancy would soon oc cur in the district bench, and ccrtair ly none during the present administra tion A vote on Senator Sheppard's ra< tion io concur with the house anient menl lesubed in a tie. but the thai voted "aye.' and the motion was cai ried. Spartanburg. York. Florence an Georgetown are the counties most a! fectert. it is said, for the federal gov i rnment is negotiating to put up put lie buildings in those cities. The bi is as follows: "Section 1. That the consent of th Slate of South Carolina is hereby gi\ en. in accordance with the seventeent clause, eighth section of the first ai licle of the constitution of the Unite States, to the acquisition of the Unite States by purchase, condemnation o otherwise, of any land in the State n quired for custom houses, eour houses, postofllees. arsenals or othe public buildings, whatever, or for an other purposes of the government. "Sec. 2. That concurrent jurisdii tion in and over any land so acquire by the United States shall be. and th same is hereby ceded to the Unite States for all purposes except the sei vice upon such sites of all civil an criminal processes of the courts of th State, but the jurisdiction so cede shall continue no longer than the sai United States shall own such lands. "Sec. 3. The jurisdiction ceded sha not vest until the United States sha have acquired the title to the sai lands by purchase, condemnation, c I otherwise, and so long as the sai : lands shall remain the property of th United States, when acquired as afori said, and no longer, the same shall b and continue exempt and exonerate from all State, county and municipt taxation, assessment or other charge which may be levied or imposed unde the authority of this State." The calendar was taken up ir. th hour before the memorial exercises, i the house. None of the special order were taken up. The floor and lobb of the senate were well filled with th lieutenants of the cotton mill and fe tilizer companies and the Bell Tel< phone company. Senator Manning's bill to increas the salary of the Supreme court jut tices, the new road bill. Senate Dean's municipal indebtedness bil were among those read for the thir time. The bill for the completion c the State house was held up on it third reading and it is expected tha there will be a fight over its passag* The calendar was again taken up a a night session and the second rea; ing bills were disposed of. Those rea and passed were Senator William; kill to provide for a jail in William: burg county and his bill to locate th boundary lines between Georgetow and Williamsburg counties. Favorable report was made on th bill to have the attorney genert make a test of the Southern's lease c the S. C. & G. R. R., a bill to provid for the punishment of safe cracker: and the bill to provide for two yea terms for railroad commissioners. The proceedings of the senate we; watched by many affected person Thursday morning when Senator Har clin's bill to put cotton seed meal unde inspection, as iertinzers now are, wa brought up as a special order. The bil was freely discussed and severa amendments offered, some of whir! were adopted and the others deferred Debate was adjourned on the bill unti this morning on motion of Senator Ci W. Ragsdale. The act itself is lengthy, yet explicit It is an amendment to the fertilize bill, providing that the chemist a Clemson college shall examine the <*ot ton seed meal, 25 cents being paid ji each ton as a tax to support this inves tigation. Every bag must have printed on i the name and location of the manu facturer. the number of pounds in thi bog. and the minimum percentage o tho irip-rprtipntc. ciiarantped tn lip rtrcs ent. Also, these bags must be labellei according to grades, of which ther are three, determined by the cfcemica composition of the meal. Samples fo analysis must be submitted to th* State chemist. The specifications for grades, a amended, are more than 6.58 per cent of nitrogen (equivalent to SO per cent ot ammonia), high grade; less thai 6.58 per cent, of nitrogen (equivalen to 8 per cent, of ammonia) and not le& than 6.18 per cent, of nitrogen (equiv aler.t to 7.2 per cent, ammonia) stand ard grade; less than 6.18 per cent, o nitrogen (equivalent to 71.2 per cent of ammonia) low grade; provided however, that this percentage shall no apply to meal made from sea islant cotton, which the board of trustees o Clcinson shall grade. Any person violating the law bj selling grades inferior to the one mark ed cn the bag. or if the bag is 5 pei cent, short weight will be fined for each bag. It was proposed 10 insert instead u section 10 the following: "All sales, or contracts for sale o fertilizers, fertilizing material and cot ton seed meal, in violation of this ar tide shall be void; no title shall pas: by such sale and no person buy ins such fertilizers, fertilizing material o: cotton seed meal shell be bound in an: manner to pay the price cost thereof.' This provoked quite a discussion. It is also proposed to add a nev section saying that the S.ate ma: maintain an action in the court: against violators of the law, as tc grades, regardless of their residences the action to be sustained by lien: upon the fertilizers or meal. If the ac t:on is carried out and the goods sole under execution, their grade shall b< examined by the Clemson college chemist so that a purchaser from the sheriff may know what he is buying Some amendments not yet acted upoi are: Senator Mayfield: That in case-of ai action, any seller may be taken as at agent of the company for the putposi of serving papers. i. Senator Manning: That the ect tak e effect June 1. 1904. y Senator Holliday: To insert in liei c- of section 10: "That any vendor whos v goods fail short of three per cent, ii ti any ingrcd'ont guaranteed to be ther< )- in. shall ft one-half the sal e price." ii Their was discission over the Tool ii special township road tax bill, whic! t came up for o third roaring .but i s came up for a third reading, but i 1 provide for the completion of the Stat house was deferred until the report o e the State house commission shoul >. have been printed and submitted t i- the senate. It was made a special orde t- for Tusedoy. Senator Williams' bills to provide fo >. n iiil in Williamsbure county and t [. cictormino the county line between Wil i- liamsburg an ! Georgetown were sen . to the house. il Although the senate on Wednesda f. concurred with the house in substitu ting "coneurre::!" for "exclusive" i ). the bill giving the United States gov II ernment rights 10 certain lands ii South Carolina yesterday this bod; o reversed itself. Senator Herndon jus at the time of tho adjournment of th b morning session, moved to recons' le the vote token on Wednesday. Thi ri was done and Senator .1. \V\ Ragsi. ! rl moved non-concurrence, which inotici was carried. The senate is in one ;v.j w s'tion aud the house in another as t \ the hill and a committho of conferenc - will probably he appointed. y THE S. C. & GA. RAILROAD LEASE There was an interesting and im portant discussion lost night over th (j bill introduced by Senator Mayfield t e require the attorney general to ente (1 suit to test the constitutionality of th r. lease of the South Carolina and Geor (1 gia railroad by the Southern railwa> e The hill was intended, so the autho (j explained, to bring an end to eonstan (l suits to test the constitutionality o leases of railroads by others. Unde 11 the present law whoever successfull; 11 brings a suit on the eonstitutiona ,1 question is given half of the penalt; ,r which may be imposed. The bill in d tends that the whole matter shall hi e definitely settled by the courts an< . 1 4. t!i! ? o. iu ]ii trm uuiisiaiit llLigiiliuu. .nun ,0 interesting discussion occurred. Sena ,-j tar Ragsdale of Fairfield said thajt h did not understand exactly what wa, ,s intended by the bill, and he thought i ;r best that it should not be acted on a once. He seems to believe that then e might be more behind the bill than ap n peared on its face. The bill was recom g mended by the attorney general, so i v was stated by Mr. Mayfleld and durini g the debate Senator Ragsdale ofFairfieli r. said he did not care what the attor B. ney general ?aid, the question wa whether tfi'e bill was right or not. Mr e Mayfleld and Mr. Dean replied givini s. the fact that the attorney genera simply appeared before the committe I and stated his view's. J The senate began its day by passini ,? over three third reading bills, and in a dulging In a debate over the next which was offered by Senator Mannini ? and asked an appropriation of $2.00 j for the Confederate Home college o j. Charleston. Senator Gaines moved t< j strike out the enacting words. 5. Senator Manning defeated his bil by giving a sketch of the school it " history, and noble purposes. Hi showed that this institution organizet for the education of the Daughters o Confederate soldiers, and later extend .j eel to Include tlieir descendants, was s< (f badly in need of funds that it wai e forced to call on the Senate for help 3 Senator Manning said that it is irn r' possible for the school to be conductec more economically without deprivinj e it of some of the students to whom 1 extended its benefits, in the shape o . an education which they could not oth ~ erwise acquire. This is the only othei s school then Winthrop, said he. when j a girl may obtain her education pracj tieally free. Winthrop is limited in capacity and this school takes the over, j flow. i PROMINENT PEOPLE. ' The Archbhhop Canterbury take< t rank as lirst peer of the realm. T. L. Ilofineyr. for many years leadei a of the Dutch party in Cape Colony . has retired from political life. Dr. E. R. Wilson, professor of zoolog.v t at Columbia University, has been elect . ed a member of .he Academ.' i del Lin e cei, Rome. f Clyde Fitch, the playwright, collect? - In scrap books specimens of the errors 1 foreigners make in dealing with e strange tongues. * Roth tho Queen of Holland and the To Queen-Mother have contributed to the s funds of the Salvation Army in tin Netherlands. 3 Rudolf von Goltscliall, the Germar '' poet and writer, has been endowed ' with an annuity of 1200 marks by tht t city of Leipsie. 3 Emperor William lias conferred dec .. orations upon several scientists wlic . have been experimenting with higt f speed electrical equipment recently it Germany. , King Alfonso XIIL and his mothei ? - 4--?- i. Ar I Will Visit Austria ne.\i summer, e/i 1 the way to Vienna the King will stof f at Paris and be received by President Loubet. k* Dr. Samuel Smiles, author of "Self TIelp." celebrated his ninety-second I birthday recently. A quarter of a mil * lion copies of his well-known book ^ have been sold i.i li.'itain. The Emperor William of Germanj f has ordered from the sculptor Goets statues of Hadrian and Alexandei . Severus, which are to be erected at 3 Saalburg. ? John I). Rockefeller, tt is announced, r intends his new mansion at Pocanticc i Hills as a present for his son, John D ' Rockefeller, Jr., and his wife, who was Miss Aldrich. daughter of Senator Aid. rich, of Rhode Island. German Banks Merge. 1 The Germans are beginning to grasp the idea of combinations and trusts. Two of the big banks have 1 just combined, the united capital ag; gregating $71,000,000. the second ? strongst aggregation of banking cap!? tal in the world, only exceeded by the Bank of England. The union is for 1 thirty years. : \t the burial of a South London e mun'his six dogs, draped in black, followed tho rorteze. \ . I \ WAR CLOUDS DARKEN ] e i ! Latest Advices Indicate That Japan j ? and Russia Will Fight. e Tokio, Special.?A specially called \ e conference of the cabinet, elder states- j h men and military and naval chiefs v/as j t held today at the residence of Premier ' 1 Katsura. The meeting is believed to have been of much importance, d though no details of the discussion j 0 | have been given the public. Possibly ' ( 1 1 it foreshadows energetic action on ac- j 1 r count of Russian procrastination. ' < 0 Although the governments continue ' - reticieut, it is manifest that the situ- J ' 1 ation is of the gravest and that the : ' y crisis is near at hand. The time in - which the Russian reply will continue ' 1 a to be a factor in the situation is nar- 1 1 rowing. v The patience of the government is j : t becoming exhausted and the expected ' 1 e answer is delayed many days longer i ! the issuance of an ultimatum by Jas M v pan will become inevitable. u The Japanese feel that the exist- i - ing conditions have entitled them to a : more prompt reply and are bound to 1 infer that the St. Petersburg govern-1 I. ment is determined not to yield, but - is utilizing the time to advance its ? preparations for war. g Raynor For Senator. Annapolis, Md., Special.?Eighty- 1 ' nine of the ninety Democratic mem ? bers of the Maryland (General Assem f bly met in caucus Wednesday night, | < r and after parleying for more than i J V three hours selected Isidor Raynor j . 1 for the United States Senatorship to i j succeed Senator Louis E. McComas, I a the present incumbent At noon to- | J 1 morrow Mr. Raynor, a well-known Bal- ! 1 stf + .r Iqnrvar Tvhrv nohipVPH an ! 1 UllJVie V?tJ nuv e international reputation as the leading j s counsel for Admiral Schley during the ; t naval court inquiry, will be elcted by , * the members of the General Assembly in joint session to the United States - Senate. t In the joint session of the Mary| land Legislature today's ballot for _ United States Senator resulted as . 3 follows: i Democrats: Isidor Raynor, 37; John 1 ^ Walter Smith, 31; Bernard Carter, 9; j e E. E. Jackson, 8. Republicans: Louis E. McComas, o3. , S Necessary for election, 59 votes. 1 " Honor to a Negro. 0 A special from Portsmouth of recent , f date says: 3 For the first time in the history of 2 the city a white edifice for the recep- \ s tion of white worshipers were thrown ( J open to colored mourners, when Wil- ^ | liam Lliott, 90 years old, and for the last forty-nine years janitor of the j Court Street Baptist Church, was con- i 3 ducted by the Rev. J. M. Armistead. < 3 colored, in' the church auditorium, ( which was filled to its utter capacity 1 " with relatives and friends of Elliott. < 1 The balcony overlooking the auditorl' um was also filled to its capacity with < : the members of the Court street con- ; gregation. The Revs. R. B. Garrett, , pastor of the church, A. E. Owen, pas- , [ lor of South Street Baptist Church, i and W. P. Hines. pastor of Park View < Baptist church, delivered touching eu- ( loeio* of the dead janitor. The chair ? near the chancel occupied during every service in the old and new Court Street Church for the past forty-nine years by Elliott, was draped handsomely by the ladies of the congregation. The deacons of the Court Street Bop1 tist Church acted as honorary pallbearers." Suspect Arrested. Norfolk, Va.. Special.?A negro answering in some respects the description of the Roanoke assailant of Mrs. Shields, was captured beating his way : on a Norfolk & Western freight train : last night near Suffolk by the train 1 crew ai d was brought here for safekeeping pending identification. Torpedo Boats Practicing. Pensacola. Fla., Special.?The tori pedo boat destroyer Lawrence, which L is now at Key West, sailed Wednes; day for Pensacola to join the Whipple and Worden, also of that flotilla. . When this vessel arrives the three , will practice what is known as the ! "flying wedge formation," the only i manner In which this class of boats attack the ship of an enemy, and they , will continue these manouevres until the arrival of the North Atlantic fleet. 1 The Whipple and Worden engaged in ' practice flying torpedoes at targets ' 800 yards distant. Two bari%ls were used as targets, and some good shots j were made. These two boats practice , every Monday, Wednesday and Fri- 11 day. b ; g f Judge Grants Writ. .1 ' Roanoke, Va., Special.?A special | . from Wythesville, Va., to The Times c' says Judge Jackson, of the Circuit g Court, has granted a writ of error in v ? the Chesley Peoples murder case and the case now will go to the State Supreme Court. Peoples is under en- ^ tence to hang March 25 for the killing j, of John Seagle last December. 1 h Murder and 5uldde. Hancetfille, Ala., Special.?J. W. Hodges, a farmer in the southern part of Culman county, was found dead in s . his barn yesterday, hanging from a p rafter, while in the house was disrov- t ered the dead body of h.is wife. The ~ woman had been brained with a blunt ? instrument. Hodges was deeply in n debt, it is said, and was being pressed 1 by his creditors. His mind is supposed r to have been unbalanced. P > ^ ' , *V ^?p? ( 1 . ? eiHHHney?inm??n?nnnnnn?wn? | PALMETTO GIE1K j J m flinor Events of the Week lot g r Brief Form. S , kS1?S0n?S10?ll*SS?S*?MPW Hunting a Criminal. .For two days officers and other iniignant citizens of Bennettsville har? been scouring that section in search yf John Johnson, who is wanted for criminally assaulting the 10-year-ol4 j 1..? _? t?U_ r j?1.? M?r?/>n J align it* i in juuu i iuuivo, aw rhe crime was committed on January 21, but the girl did not make known till last Saturday when she told i girl associate who was working In the Marie cotton mill with her. The news soon reached Mr. Hooks and he found that she hcl been seriously injured. She , said she had not revealed her condition sooner because the negro threatened to. kill her if she told. As soon as the . i rime became known Chief of Police Hays and a posse of citizens started-. ' ' to hunt Johnson but he had just left town by some unknown route. Blood hounds were put on his track and followed him-for several miles, but final-, !y lost the trail. V. I Chocked Her Daughter. About 4 o'clock* Sunday morning Patsy Eiligan, a negro woman living on Mr. Josiah Hitt's place about eight miles from Walterboro, went to the bed of her own daughter, Anita Eligrfn, and clutching her by the throat, choked her until she was dead. There were two other negro girls in the room but they seemed to know very little about the horriblf deed except that they helped carry the dead body ot their sister into the adjoining room at the command of their mother, Anita Eligan was about 17 years of age. Patsy was committed to jail charged with the murder of her own child. She denies killing her child,, but says she has killed the devil and that she did ;o at the command of Christ She la r.o doubt crazy. ; '' ::j I i ,k Palmetto Briefs. While young Cecil McGowan and Walter Rawlinson, son of Col. and Mrs. J. W. Rawlinson of Rock Hill, / were out in a field Monday hunting,' young Rawlinson playfully pointed hi? rifle, of the parlor pattern at his com- ' panion and pulled the trigger. A report ?/\ll UA n? rt O A /Ko/tAVAH lUHUYVCU. nc naa uv/i i iucu ivs vu^w?v? that the bullet had found a mark the shooter little meant. It entered the :i&ht cheek, passed into the mouth^ cutting off a piece of his tongue, knocfc. Ing out two teeth and came ot^ through the other cheek producing?* very painful wound, but the atteni fin*. * surgeon does .not apprehend any se- . . tious consequences. N ,4 The Secretary of State, Tuesday v . f rhartered the Columbia Coco-Cola Bottling Company capitalized at $3,)00. H. D. Crosswefl is president, secretary and treasurer, and J. K. Crosswell vice-president. A charter was also / issued to the Lee County Granger, Company, a general merchandise con- * ^ern of Bishopville, capitalized at $5,>00. and a commission was issued to J the Darlington Dry Goods Company, apitalized at $15,000. The dead body of' Tanday Wilson, ^olored. was found in a tract of woods ibout three miles from Greenville Sat irday night by W. M. Brockman. The aegro had been employed by T.. C. Martin and was engaged in hauling. Saturday morning he went for a load if wood and was not seen again until lis body was found near a tree on which he had been chopping. It is bought his death was caused from :eart disease. The police department of Charleson has seized and confiscated nine slot naebines found in stores about the :ity. under the ordinance forbidding gambling devices, which the departnent is now enforcing. The machines Lave disappeared from the counters tnd show cases, and the dealers in clears are especially feeling the loss of he machines at which men would be ilaying all day long. Randolph Gordon, colored, one of the. rands at the paper mill at Hartsville, ell through a hole in the upper floor >t the digester room Friday night and )roken his neck. It was clearly an acident and the coroner's jury so found. Capt. Ivy M. Mauldin, of Pickens, vho was elected a member of the r\9 Plomcnn PhIIpctp Juaru ui ti uoicco ui set i fled Governor Hey ward Tuesday hat he could not serve in yiew of the act that he was elected under some * nisapprehension. He is under the imiression that owing to a blunder he vas put on instead of Mr. J. E. Tindal, >f Clarendon, although he is mistaken 3 Mr. Tindal is a life member of the >oard, having been appointed by Mr. Jlemson. Accident to the Iowa. Norfolk, Va? Special.?The battleship owa, while testing her batteries on ler way down the coast February 4, lew off the muzzles of both eight-inch ims in her forward starboard turretl 'lying fragments smashed one of the hip's whale boats. Both guns are fracu:c:l botween hoops E and F, and the arrels are badly swollen. None of the row was injured, and no damage outMo thav given was sustained by the cosel. ' . Must Be War, A cable dispatch from London says hat the Japanese Minister in a pubis bed interview declares that unless Irrsia agrees to sign treaty war will e inevitable. Steamer Ethel Sunk. Savannah. Ga.. Special.?The river tcnmci Ethel, oi the Southern Trans'CrtaUon Company's line. Is sunk ia :<? Savannah river, near Gray's Point, >> miles this side of Augusta. The r.cseneers and crew were taken off n ; the cargo is damaged. The steamer n.; loaded with fertilizer and com. he boat struck a snag in the early* "*? 2crn':!ig and had to be beached to re vent tctal loss.