The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1901-1982, March 01, 1905, Image 1
I " u i
PUBLISHE WEEKLY. WINNSBORO, S. C., WAEDNESDAY, MARCH i, [905.ESALHD 84
Senator Johns n's Explanation.
Editor The -eus and Herald:
In your aper of February 22
a scurrilo s editorial article ap
peare in which I am called
u to explain my connection
ith the Brice bill, providing for
a new jail and court house and
to bond the county $15,000 there
for.
The art'oie is so offensive in
chaiacter and so unwarranted in
fact as to call for no reply, and
would in the order of things be
consigned to the waste basket cf
contempt were I not impelled by
a sense of duty to my constitu
ency to correct the many palpa
ble misstatements made.
You say "two important meas
ures relating to Fairfield county
have fallen through in the Gen
eral Assembly because of the':
action of Senator Johnson, who
fortifying himself behind that
almost insuperable barrier to,
legislation, senatorial courtesy,,y
bitterly opposed the representa
tives in the house, refusing toll
agree to any proposition. on their I
part that promised the desired j
results." -t
Now, to show how utterly un -
founded this statement is, I w.ill i
only say no propositions what
ever were submitted to me by any t
member of the house delegation ]
to adjust the difference between t
the house and the senate bill, 1
save the bill itself. Instead of
fortifying myself behind senato
rial courtesy, as you charge, just
the reverse is true. When the
house refused to accept the sen
ate amendment, I asked for a c
committee of conference. This t
committee was duly appointed t
and I believe Mr. Brice, the
author of the house bill, was a
member of it. This committee
reported that they were unable t
to agree and asked that a free i
conference be appointed. Sena
tors Melver, Peurifoy and myself c
were appointed on the part of
the senate and Messrs. Cothran,
Niaholson and McCants on the
part of . the houoe. We met in
the finance committee room of
the senate and the two bills were e
read in full before the committeer
Mr. McCants made his statement
in defense of his house bill and
I tried to show that the senate 1
bill was preferable. I think Mr.
M-Cants will agree that after a
hu i discussion of the matter in t
free eGference, the concensus of r
,opinios of both the senate and r
the house 'gnfeiees were largely
a,orable to the senate bill, be
mas I presume they saw at at
glance that the bill or the substi
itake as poposed by myself was
lair andjust to the taxpayers oft
jFairfield cou.nty.
,So much for your so- called
.ee4Lorial courtesy. I will - ay
~fartLer, Mr. Editor, that I ami not
in thie habit of dodging behind
,sbter,iuges. It is more often
t,bose that impugn the motives of b
det2ers who are- guilty of thet
4eriaa~ they imagine in Glhers.
Again, you say the house bill
passed the house early in the.i
aesson and was held up by me j
iathe senake., azd did not getj
back to the house tIjl the dayi
before adjoui-ment when jt was
)o late to make any cleange thi t
.;geXt h iave benponibtle. Are you
~a yorant as you pretend to be,
or ais ist.only your desire to boister7
oip yaar ,4tack at anty cost? Do
Sanot kan~ that the free con-I
jerence coc,iittee could have 1
?nade any chagas in th.e bill they
,desired even if it ha ago the i
\very day of adjournmnen# Da
,ygn~ not know that that is their~
so1e and only duty to adjust dif- 1
ferenrea and disagreements be
itw-een,the two houses to the extent,
,af .earrying inl an entirely new
ibill upon the subjept and it would
.become law the same as if if had
4a.ken its regular course in kh;
tWo houses? I believe your town3
gaan., M, McCants, was among
th fis. if pot the first of the
~free confereaee gjomit tee, when
dit was appare4t that? the majority
w-as at least favorab~e ,t,o as ep
age substitute, to express his a;
ii-r that the bill should be killed
rath.er than accept the senate's
aetion. 1. nmade several conces
sions. Amog them to report th?
bill back and I.l it to remai:a
apa the calendar uni j;ert ses
dioa. and that I was even wm
to incres the rate of interest in
order to get together. Neither
Of these propb.itLOIn seem to be
,wptable and I i'd mt qu
aseed in the motion to diss~
you, r ether statement that I,
iBna 02$$0 as t he w iDimuwt
price for the gi2 a imposing a
r(ondition whidh I k.-v sid
.a new iail and court house. This
is in keeping with your othe
statements quoted above, and:i
say frankly there is not a scintilh
of truth in it. The Brice bil
provided that the jail should bi
sold to the highest bidder, n<
matter what that bid might be
[t is located right in the heart o
our town, and if not wortl
35,000, it is simply worth noth
ing. I venture the assertion tha
Zhe same property in Ridgewa
would command 10,000 easily
Cnder the provisions of the hous<
bill the jail and lot could hav<
been sold for $100, if that hap
pened to be the highest bid
I'ben who of the taxpayers wouk
nriot have had the right in tha
aent to criticise the delegation
,nd justly so, for such unbusiness
ike and unpardonable negligence
,n allowing their property to be
sacrificed and some propective
purchaser made rich at their ex
ense. Bnt N ou say you are not
oing to tickle me for this appa
-ently smart trick. Well, I ar
2ot going to cry, if you don't
or some editors don't help a fel
ow much by tickling him these
lays. They seem to hurt more
ban they help.
Next, you claim that in provid
ng for the election to be held in
3ugust of next year at the same
ime as the general primary that
knowingly imposed a condition
hat would render the measure
unconstitutional. If that is true,
vhich I do not admit, I will say
was only following your bad
xample of two years ago. Then,
f you remember correctlr, Mr.
l<cDonald and yourself can
'assed the entire county previous
o the primary in 1902 in the in
erest of the bond issue and were
)erfectly willing to sabmit the
natter at that primary, and did
ubmit the matter at that elec
ion. After Mr. McDonald's
)rilliant oratory had been heard
t every campaign meeting in the
ounty and notwithstanding not a
rord was uttered against the
ssue of the bonds, yet the ma
ority of the people voted against
t and it was defeated. Why are
ou unwillidg to go to the pri
nary now? Are you afraid to
isk the deaiciou of the whole
>eop'e? Why has such a change
:ome over you? Is it because a
urnt child dreads fire? If it
as constitutional then, it is con
titutional now. Oh, consistency,
hou art a jewel! No, I imposed
o conditio:s th.t would have
endered the bill uuconstittignw1.
)n the other hand, I was honest
m,ough to carefully gnuard against
hat and provided that the matter
bould be submitted to the qual
fed yo4/r.R of thec county and not
othe vote of spy party as yon
:harge. So again the wifl :i4
icions and imaginations of the
viked must recoil upon yonr
>wn head. Will you be manly
mhto admit it?
Then you scome with the bold
tatement, that my chyping the
ime die bonds weie to run tram
60 to 2i0 years was done for'the
urpose ~of making them non
loaable. Not a word of it. My
)nly wish in that respect was, if
majority of the q;al.ified voters
f the county saw fit to i.p;;e
he indebtedness upon themuselvyes,
hey should at least have the
igh to gradually liquidate it in
!9 yer qnd not be burdened to
leath aying jp.terest for half a
:entuiry.
And you think it would tiv
>een more manly for me to have
pposed the bill openly then to
jave resorted to such under
guded measures.
ad Mfr. Editor. I think it
gould a been . l,ittle more
nanly, as well as gentiamr4dy' a
rou to have examined into 'the
cts befor assailing a gentleman
wiith such a tirade of misrepre
;entations.
11 gjy not afraid to trust the
>eople, /M ga are snme u-io are
Lhe people can alwsyg' by e
1ended upon to do the righi
;bing at the proper time. I was
perfectly willing to sub nit the
building of a new jail and couri
;og.se to the people to pass upon
provided gl;yt the matter should
ye voted upor u h 99
primary in 1906(, when a fi~u
rree expression of all the people
ud taxp'yers could be laid
Dold anything have been fairer
p, but you want to have the
stectiou aonit the last of May og
the first of June d; thi vear as
provided by the Price 'bill, whia
every farmer ini the county wouk
b.e t~oo busy to go to the polb
a1 ha~ a forty year indlebted
uess~ of 8-12,UA,0 fastened upoi
the tixpav"rs without th h- ro
Memoirs, Traditions and History el
Rocky Mount and Vicinity.
{ Wrinfn,or The Ncws an(l Hfrar(1r,
by L. f. Ford.)
II.
REVOLUTIONARY TIMES.
The occurrence at Beckham
ville and a similar one at Mobley's
Meeting House alarmed the com
mander at Rocky Mount and he
sent out Captain Christian Huck,
a profane and unprincipled man,
with four hundered cavalry and a
body of well mounted Tories
"To push the rebels as far as he
might deem convenient" He
executed his orders with alacrity.
He destroyed Colonel Hill's iron
works and. burned the residence
of Rev. William Simpson, pastor
of Fishing Creek Church. He
hated the Presbyterians bitterly
and made them suffer when he
could. Well loaded with plunder,
he fell back to Rocky Mount and
made preparations for other de
predations.
Sumter was gathering a little
army together and Hack pro
ceeded to execute his orders be
fore Sumter's approach. He
marched to and -encamped upon
James Williamson's plantation,
now Brattonville, July the 11th,
1870. Shortly after midnight
Colonel Neil and the companies
of Captains Bratton and McLlure
came down from Sumter's camp
in Mecklenburg and cautiously
approached the sleeping enemy
in his encampment which was in
a lane At dawn they fell upon
Huck's party with fury. The
surprise was complete and- the
battle ensued fiercely for about
an hour when Colonel Huck with
Colonel Ferguson of the Tory
militia-were killed and the party
dispersed. The whole patriot
force consisted of 133 men.
McClure and his men, who were
well mounted, pursued the fugi
tives almost to Rocky Mount and
1wjthip four hours the army of
Huck was as iampleLely dis
solved as if they had never seen
each other. Colonel Neil lost
only one man.
These defeats had encouraged
the Whigs and had* the opposite
effect upon the Tories. Many
'oinpd Suier. 4pd he soon felt
able to attack the force a 4jacky
Mount, which was known to be a
third larger than his own. The
post at Rocky Mount at this time
was under the command of Lieut.
Col. Turnbull and consisted of
gbo t one hgndred and fty Neiy
York volunteers and som,e south
Carolina militia. They were
stationed in three log hous;es upon
a slope surrounded by a ditch arnd
abattis and eneircled by open
wood.
1780, Geneg'al Sumted aoimp
anied by Colonels Neil, Ivine,
and Lacy, Captain McClure and
some of the Gastons, appeared
upon an elevation northeasterly
fromn the forts. The British
comm?~ander'gain l;ep .wnyt.1
by a Tory was pr epared to reeee
them, and though the Americans
pour ed some severe volleys upon
the for ts, but .little effect was
produced thereby. They leaped
tib gtg a after three as
saults drove the garrison intg
the houses. They were witholit
artillery and could not dislodge
them with musketry. They en
deavored to burn the houses by
g4roy/inn burL'ing fagots upon
them add thia jaiJed uaso. 4"
old wagon was procured whibli
was loaded with brush and straw
and these were ignited and the
wagon was rolled down against
the houses. The British, seeing
gleir danger, hoisted a flag.
tAppGaing Thgy in ei4o4 l6q Si
render. Sumnter ordered the firing
to cease. Just at that moment a
sho wer of rain fell and extinguish -
ed the flames. The enemy defied
him Having no other means to
dislodge or seriously injure the
A mericans lost the g dlant Coi
onel Neil early in tbhe action, two
white men and a Catawba Iudian
lost th'-ir lives and tc'n were
wounded. The British loss was
ten killed an I ten woun led.
m4-)fram.y of $4e fQuggciNn
of the old foy.ta nay be been te
days The rocks 'behind which
soine of Samrtor's men fought
were bespattered with British
bullets during the fight. During
the digging of the old c unal some
,th;;; rodVs were split no and
uea prcba 14i the f t he
mouth of R~ocky Creek.'
Hopp)ing John Mlillr, one o'f
Samter's par tisane, would get
hwijnd a b~ rock, carefully loatd
-about to shoot, and always after
taking deliberate aim~ utter thae
brief ejaculation as he pulled th
trigger: "May the Lard direc
the bullet."
Some days prior to the battli
William Stroud of Beckhamvill
section borrowed some ammuni
tion of the garrison at Rock
Mount to kill some Whigs, 1
told them. He went into th
battle with Sumter's men an
while the fight was raging h
told the British that he was the
returning his borrowed ammuni
tion. After Sumter withdrew,
Oquad of British went up and
caught him in a neighbor's- cril
shelling corn. He was arrested
carried to the main road, an
hanged to a tree on the west sid<
of the road a few hr:ndred yard:
north of the residence of Mrs
R. B. Boyleston, Beckhamville
and there his body hanged threE
weeks in August with a placarc
attached to the corpse forbidding
his burial under sev>re penalties
But at last a few friends, bold
enough to risk the vengeance
threatened, came at night, dug a
hole under the corpse, climbed
the tree, cut the rope and let the
body fall into the grave. This
young man. during the last
months of his life killed more
soldiers than any other man dur
ing the entire war. Captain Dick
son, York county, cut him down.
Other acconuts state that he was
buried by Sumter.
Some time previous to the
battle of Rocky Mount, Captain
Ben Land was drilling some
patriots near where the Ebenezer
Methodist church now stands,
when they were charged upon by
some British aragoois. The
patriots, having no previous
-iotice of their approach, disper
sed. Captain Land was over
taken and surrounded by the
dragoons, who attacked him with
their broad sword. He defended
himself with his sword to the last
and wounded several of the
enemy severely before he fell.
Soon after his death his widow
gaye birth tq E son, whom she
called Thomas Sumter. in honor
of the American ( !reral. The
grave of Captain Land is still
pointed out on the waters of
Little Rocky Creek.
It is said that the person who
carried the igforrgatiqq which led
to the death of Captain Zand did
not die in his bed. While this
was happening, part of Captain
Land's men were at a neigh
boring shop having their horses
shod. They were followed, fired
Po ap4 ore rtn wia killed,
Te dragoons then erossed Big
Rocky Creek and went to the
residence of Rev. William Mar
tin, took him plisoner, and car
ried him to Rocky Mount, where
was Thomas Walker, who had
been tp.ken p rigqner ;;qre tija
pr'evioas. LMurig the battle of
Rocky Mount these two men were
bound to the floor of one of the
houses. The British had a
wholesome dread of the stormv
eloquence of Rev. William Mar
~ther Gaston and her sister.
in-law, Jane Qast.on, having been
informed c f the expected attack
upon Rocky Mount early ,in the
morning of the day of the battle,
mgounted their horses and llop;
ec$ tovyarg,s the scene 99 act{on.
When nearly there, they met two
or three men coming away with
faces paler than became heroes.
Esther stopped the fugitives,
upbraided thetg witl} egward ice,
~44 entpeated th1rH tc return tq
their duty. While they wavered,
she advanced and seizing one of
their guns exclaimed: "Give us
your guns and we will stand in
your places." The moat coward
ly of me gutst lap 1Men reaged
by swoh a taqu t, Covered with
confusion and for very shame,
these runaway soldiers wheeled
about and returned to the fight
with these two heroines3. During
the action these two ladies were
id le greogatqc., ig alied them
1ele diingently in rendering
wvhatev. r services were required,
assisting to dress the wounds of
the soldiers and in carrying water
to allay their thirst. &. Catawba
Indian~ severely wounded was
succored by 13c' agc4 is last
to thosa who had soothed his
pain and supplied his wants.
For the acconuut of the battle
of Rocky Mount and the Rev
olutionary incidents above men
tioned, I am indebted to, that
1art gf 'Tihe Vorgen of the
Bew,hioni written by Dani&l
s'tinson, Fishing Creek.
(To be continued.)
CA.s OYt. 'V A,s3gi
e
AMATTEROFHEALTH
pOYA
el
POWDER
Absolutely Pure
HAS 10 SUBSTITUTE
GRAND JURY PRDSENTI1ENT,
A Statement from the County Super
visor Showingthe Present Indebt
edness of Fairfield County to be a;
Least $23,500 After All Taxes are
Paid In.
To Hon. R. 0. Purdy, Presiding
Judge:
We, the grand jury of Fairfield
county for the year 1905, respect
fully report that we have duly
considered and passed on all bills
of indictment, handed to us by
the solicitor at this term of the
court.
By special committee we have
examined the poor house and
farm and find the premises in
good shape, and the inmates
properly oared for and the farm
in good condition. There are on
hand all necessary agricultural
implements, 3 mules, 1 bull, 2
milch cows, 3 yearlings, 3 sows,
16 shoats, 14 pigs, 7 bales of
cotton, 200 bushels of cotton
seed, 500 bushels of corn, 8,000
bundles of fodder, 1,000 pounds.
of shucks, 93 bushelq of peas
and 500 p.onds .of cured bacon.
We especially recommend that a
windmill, tank and pump be
erected at once and 250 feet of
hose be provided and that all
chimneys be put in safe condi_
tion, and that one of the jr;ata,
John Howell, he sent to the asy
lIu for the insane.
We repeat the recommendation
made Py several grand juries pre
ceding, urging upon the preper
authori;ies to better secvre fqro
fire risk the recordq c the eounty
offices < 4 m4ra especially those
iin the oftlce of the cleak of coul t
and that a sufficient number of
comfortable chairs be put in the
court and jury rooms.
As matter for public informas
tion we report that l\n 4. 13.
Burley, eg,qrty sigpurvisar, in
igq tlie grand jury that after
much work in his office he has
arrived at what he believes to be
a correct estimate of the present,
indebtedness of this county and
that he puts the same at @,00
that this amo4nt will be reduced
'4449c6 %14 by moneys arising
Ifrom the remainder of the taxes
of 1904 now in process of collec
tion. leaving a net indebtedness
of about $23,500.
We have appointed fr'om opp
number a pornittee ni three,
whq~ with the assistance of an
expert accountant will ex-imine
the record books and accounts of
the various county offices, make a
report upon the same to be snhs
mitted tl the4 cqurt s.t the egse
~uent tejg.
We desire to express thanks to
your Honor for the informaiion
the court has extended to its.
Respectfully snaitted
Q. W. TWo;ds, Foremsn.
Winausboro, 8. C , Feb. 23, 1905.
Bearnthe The Kind You Have Always Bonght
signatar
of
N'9tic o Municipal Elec
Ktionl-rgo5
INOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
tha prsuntto provisions of Article
2' Chapter 49, Volumie 1, of t) e Code
of Laws of the yey 1, n eton
for Mayor Agd ;g Adermen for the
tow X'\\nnsboro wvill be held In
Hall, on the FIRST dONDAY, (the
third (lay) OF APRIL. 1905.
The polls will he openi from 8 o'clock
A. M. till 4 o'clock P. M.
The, following gentlemen are p
pointed ma~nagers to conduct the sal
election: Johni A. ThinnanitkLpnigaareet
Gantt and Roteg BA~TcHed.
Mtd Mayor.
-To Ou
SLaxative Bron
Sevn inon bozes sold In past 13 u
S. ..I
BUY OTHER SEEDS WHEN'
Buist's Reli
for the same money? Our stock c
also a lot of WHITE AND RED O[
Call here for your Garden Seei
Geo. R. Lau
MULES! MI
I have just recei
lot of fresh Kentuc
which I offer cheal
or on one and t,
time with approv
ity. Give me a c
buying elsewhere
please you.
M. W. D
JUST ARR
A Carload of
and Hor:
BE SURE T
THEM.
A. M.Ow
At McCarley's Old Stables.
There is No Bett
ori the rnarket th
==-Crystal Fancy]1
Try It.
Call here for all your Groceries.
Everything for the farm in th<
artdl Gears needed at this season of
A. B. C
. Just ArriP
SEVERAL CARLOADS OF:
pine, good heart) and DRESSED L UI
Also SASH, DOORS, MOULDI)
A full.supply of good H EA RT S]
Call on me for your wants in buildi
J. o.
re a Cold in One Da
10 Ollinmne Tablat.Aa
( l
YOU CAN (GET
able
If these is full, and
LION SETS.
Is.
derdale.
ved a nice
ky Mules,
p for cash
wo years'
ed secur
all before
and I will
~ty
A.y
Mules A
ses.
) SEE
ens.
er Flour
Patent.-=
: way of Ploughs
preparation.
athcart.
red.
ROQUGH (long leaf
dBER.
NG, L A THS, Etc.
-IINGL ES.
nig materials.
BOAG.
c--I.
LnTo .s