Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL. LII WINNSBORO, S. C., WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 6, 1897. NO. 9. i THE LiQUOR PROBLEM. rtr ? THEEXISTINGCONDlTIONSiN SOUTH o?or\i ima nicrnccpn r- - An Able D-ihrw of ih* Dl?p D9?ry L*w? It? Wo:k?Dg9 Conrr*u?i? d ?i a ilia Former Palo n Sys'em -Bicb LIc thh and Prohibition. Mr. A H. Patterson. of Barnwell, while in Coliunbia recently w?s inter t view# d by a leporter ti tiie Roister ; 1 ,1? r\;? T attt '' 'jn rcicrcuuc iv wjc tt . The following is the inttrvie*' : & Mr. A. H. Patterson of RarttweU was in the city last week Knowing < Hf that he was a 6' m frietid of tbe dis > pensary Jaw, a reporter for Tbe R<?is < ?'~ ter called upon him 1o 2*t his views as T; to present coo iitions and the follow- i v ing was the re suit: "Mr. Patterson, ^hi'ft yoa are not ! dow a member the geoeral a?sem- i hi J, yet as The Rf gis'er is desirous of 1 inowiDP- the seiitiment cf the neoD'e I-J in regard to the dispensary la-v as it ' | now stands wi.'l juu give us ycur fc -views of it ?" i *'I am glad that you ask*d me the < I question, as I am heartilv in favor of < tne dispensary law. and I believe that i <! if it tver had friends that now is the i time lor tnem to apesk out sna men 1 I am not one to desert what I bt-Iit ve i to be a good law under 8re. i ; "The enemies of tbe disper>cRrr hive s^ttematically foush' it. from ine i tiaaeof its creation, a^d, led by some ] of the daily papers of the state, they expect to preach its funeral at the next j . session of the legislature. They are already marshaling their forces, and v.'- are determined, if possible, io have the la<*-repealed before the Ti'Jnaani* Ii<*tinv bill passes congress Erery r influence aid argument wiii be ; -.brought to brar upon the members of . the general assembly between now v - and 3urmg the next session. Onl? a few days ago, the News and Courier addressed the followii.j? questions to r - ihe membys of the legislature: ; '-* " 'Do jou think the disoensary law will stand as at present? If not what is your solution of the matter?'" *'Why this question three months J before trie legislature convenes? Because under the recent decisions of the - federal court and the consequent il*>d t ~ ing of the state with original packages they imagine that they have the dis s penaary in a hole, at>d that now, s while tne tide is high, they will get < the weak-kneed friends of the law ) among the legislature to commit them I selves before they get to the state 1 htuse. "This ru?e, though, appears to 1 have fallen flat, as ? majority of the ' members, so far, have expressed them- < caIccc oc Haiti or favnrftVilA tr? thfl dis 1 r ; penary?to the great discomfiture of J : the News and Courier, judging from 1 v Jts sarcastic head'ines. ; *'The disponsarv is by no meaDS < dead, and those who think so will find ! that it is a pretty lively corpse during ' ths next session of thelegislature, and . "in the campaign of next year. The j - recent senatorial race was a quasi vie 1 ' IftwikA /^c^noai?v ffti* nrt J t - ?W?J UIW ?W{?WUg??J 9 MW have-bg en tl?o?'.dihat-di<? < Br^. ^fibt pledge himself to support the Till- ; JBSL man Latimer biii. Open opposition R to the dispensary would have been the < lB political ceath knell of auv one of the 1 WF candidates in that race. I say 1 his be- ( causa I believe that three fourths of I the democratic voters of this state, re- 1 gardless of factions, are now in favor * of the law." \ 4*XA7V.of tvsm? fVinlr Af TM?Ani. bition movement now being organized - in the state?'' s , 4I think tdat tkey are making a 1 ?reat mistake, and that if successful, < they will real>z3 that pandemonium will reign m tf-is *t>te until the legisla < ture can repeal tneir law. At one time I 1 was strongly in favor of prohibition, J and voted for the Childs' bill while ia 1 the legislature. Since then I have 1 been convinced that prohibition could not be enforced and that the dispensa 1 ry jaw unaer present cmaiuo&s u our state is the best solution of the ' liquor problem. During the two years < that we had prohi&ition ia Birnwell 1 county I was county chairman of the ' prohibition party, and I must admit that the law was a perfect farce. It was violated upon every side and the grand jury would throw out the cases 1 as fast as they were presented. The ! prohibitionists deserve the credit; though, for tne dispensary law, as it was through their agitation that it was passed. I would now be in favor of prohibition if it would prohibit, but it ! virtually means free liquor." "What do you tbink of having a high license law, with the constitutional restrictions?" It would mean a victory for the ; barkeepers and be a curse to the state We would be retrogarding, and all of 1 the work that has been done against 1 the saloon for the pa3t ten years in 1 this state would be lost. Ia a few ' years the constitutional restrictions would be ignored, for experience has taught us that the ?al<">onkeeper will not respect laws that aif jet his pocket , book. We had laws against selling ! to minors, drunkards, sellicg upon : election days and oa Sundays, before tnedispensary law was adopted; jet ' they were violated with impunity. ^ ? 1J 4.1 ? 1 m sucn a iaw wouis not go emurceu, iur . everybody's business is nobody's business ' If it is almost impossible now, . under the dispensary law, to get a ^ reputable citizen 10 testify agaiast a fellow that rims a miserable "blind ? i- u 1 uger," now muse more uiuicuu wuuiu it be coart him to voluntarily report , gfca^a-licensed saloonkeeper for allowing : Wr him to drink upon the premises or selling to him after sundown! Don't " you know that he would not do it? ' Whenever you place tbe sale of y./ liquor in the hands of an individual wnose sole obj ct is to make as great , a profit out of it as he nossibly can, he ! will violate the law. Oa the cantrary, j under the dispensary law, you have a man as disposer who is an officer of the state. He is lesponsible 10 the 9 ~ state for his conduct and if he violates the law his official head is chopped off. tt_ _ - 1 u e j I .0.0 is requireu *u vc auuu ?ji j,ruuu character and temperate. H? is simp-1 ijx ly paid a salary for his services and j therefore has 110 ct j *ct ia persuading and influBncing men to buy liquor. He is uuder a heavy bond for the faithful pefora-ance of his duties and he is ever watered by a state board and by the public. I say the public, because there are plenty of men ever ready to report aoy misconduct upon his part, so as to step into his official shoes; and the enemies of the dispensary are vigilant watchdogs up >n him, so as to bring the law into disrepute, j 4 Another sericu-. objection to high j license, whicn concerns tiae health of; our bibulous citizias, is that they! would bi at the mercy of the barkeep- ! .er as to the quality of the liquors that ^ 1 ihe7 would drink, for it star-ds to rea sod that tbi higher tbe license the poorer tr.e !'quor aud the higher the! price. The poor man would get mean-; er liquor aDd the rich man would bare j to pay more for tbe finer brards It is j awellkno^n fact that nrider tbe saloon sjstero the vilest stuff was palmed off or the poor white TDan and tbe r?egro Upon the other hand. under fiw /^ittu-ncoi-TT Ijtif nr? ia ! 4.U C- Ujcpviico.' J iW" ?V - .V J matfe, but all are served alike, and tbe i }&w r? quin-s that they be furnished , wiih pure liquors. "It is amusing lo spe ll.-ose who were a while back fighting: the dispensary upoa ihs ground that it w*s a monopo'v iO"v advocating high hsense. One is a monopoly by the , slate for the lentfit of its citizens; tbe , other a monopoly by a few individuils ( whose sole object is to make all of the . money out of it tbxt tbey can. Mora] Lv, there is no difference between the ' state engaging in the sale or liqu ir . and receiviug the profits therefrom tban for it to receive the besnse fees from s tioocs. it is a cnoice D?iwf ea two evils, and I choose th* ltsser. "As long <s the slate engages ia the j sale of liquors the pood features of the , dispensary law can be enforced such as . acening and closing at certain hours, j not felliDg less thau a l alf pint, not selling to" minors or drunkards, or ( upon election days or Sundays, not allowing liquor to be drank upon the ( nremises, and the selling for cash. Fhe last requirenect prevents many a ( man fiom buyir-g liquor that the sa- . loon sjsiem dots not. Adopt high lijense, ana ia a lew years aJi of thfsa ( *ocd features of the dispensary law will he a dead letter. ( k 0 jr people are not blind to the , ihange* wrought in our towns since t^e adoption of the dispensary law. rtiey iiave not forgotten that almost - * - ------ L . J * ?very town iu me staie ns*u iour w barrooms wiib gamb'iog den3 atcached, which ran day and night, and , biow th* voune men and boys were ihtir chief patrons All of ihis is ione away with under the dispensary ] law" ~ < "Well, Mr. Pat'frson, what course io you thkk wouid t>e bes1; to pursue ( in r^ard to the law as it now s'ands?'' "I ihink that we should never give , ip the law unless it becomes absolute- , ly nec ssary. I think that it should yd rigidly enforced, both as to the ' blind tiger' and 'original package' itores. as well as against the aispea T tqktt o^mimna chnnlH hn t.illr utqaj auT?vi.-?^v >n of the 'origical p-ckage' stores. No quarter should be shown them, as ] they are ope> ly violating the laws of , .his state. . "I think tbat it is a great mistake to j remove the constabulary at tbis time, | whatever may be the advisability of ( loing so in the future. The dispens * , ry is under tire now from every side and it should not be weakened Once , allow this state to be overrun with j 'blind tigers'1 again (which will be the , ;ase if tbe constables are removed), ( icd it will n q lire the sbe ldin? of blood to suppreso them l "No changes should bs made in the . taw bv the next Legislature, unless to make a few amendments that may be j necessary for the better enforcement if UieJasr. It will be time-encu^h to j ?Jk about jepealing the law ir the Filiman Latimer bill do?s no: pas* ingress and the United Spates s'i- j ^reme court sustains Jadge Simoaton's j decisions. There is no use to a unci ( pate defeat of the Tillman-Luim-r ( oiil. I can see no reisoa way it L ihoold not pass congress, for is m-rj r !v_ confers uyon the states what tse ( wxison ozu luieLara?iae cju"-oj w L'quor when it enters the state. EVary ; ;Ukte in the union will be interesied in ibis bill, for waat is siuce for South Carolia-t is sauc=! for ill of them. (' "The members of the legislature ( ;aa better occupy their minds between dow and the ns-xt session in framing i bill that will knock out the 'original . package' stores instead of being sidetracked by the newspapsis. ; "What is to prevent the legislature from passing a law rtqiiriag every ! 'original package' shipped into this , state to be first analj z d bj tbe state ' demist before being placed on the market for sale? The act of 1897 upon ( this subject only required that a samnlft nf th? licuor intended to be ship ped into the state be anaijzsd. Therefore it was held by Judge Simonton that this requirement was merely a resiriction and could notome under j the head of pDlice regulation, as there Wis nothing to prevent the shippsr from sending a sample of one kind of , liquor to the chemist and a barrel of j another kind to tne importer, i msre- , ly throw out this as a suggestion to the members of the general assembly. "The war is on, and every effort will be made to have the dispensary law repealed at the next session. Therefore the friends of the law in all parts of the state should rally to its support. And unless they do, one of the best laws that this country has aver had in reference to tne sale or liquor may be repealed." Spare the Birds. For tbe information of many who are said to bs using their shotguas al- : ready with deadly effect upon young partridges, the following game laws of the State are give a: It shall not be lawful for any person in this State, ; bet wee a the first day of April and the first day of November, in any year ; bereafter, to catch, kiil or iDjure, or ' to pursue with such inttent, or to sell or ex aose for sale any wild tuik^y, par tridge, quail, woodcock or pheasant. or between the first day of Mar.-h and the first day of August any dove, or at any time duriog the year to catch, kill or i? j ire, or to pursue with such intent, by firelight, any of the birds named in this section. And any per son so doing shall be deemed guilty of misdemeanor, and upon conviccioa thereof shall b3 fined not more than $20 or be imprisoned not more than 30 days Section one of the sc. pass ed in 1893 says it shall not be lawful after t&e oassage of this act to sell or * " _ _ 1 - 4. I - ' 1 expose Jor saie aoy psrinuge, qua.ii, woodcock or pheasant, deer or wild turkey, within the State, for the spsca of five years. Any person so doing shall be deeded guilty of a misdemeanor. and upon conviction thereof shall be ficed not mora than $10; or bs imprisoned not more than tea dajs for each offense. Fatal jsicycio -Acciaen^ S. Jones, a contractor cf Washington, D. C , was killed Thursday ia a bicycle collision with P.. F. Gray. Mr. Jones, who was 83 ye*-rsoldbat exceedingly active and vigorous, had been inspecting the construction of a city fire engine bouse for which be was the contractor, and started acro^ the street on business. He was struck i by the bicycle ridden by Gray a ad ! knocked violently to the rjad way, his head hitting the asphalt. Gray was! arrested. ] " BRYAN IN ILLINOIS. ? IN HISS E?CH HESCORED THE GO-.D STANDARD. He Was ?othDsi&s:lcit)ly Ktc?Jvea by the jfecpi# ana nu i?eiecce ui iuo ei?? Canae Cheered to the Echo. Hon. W. J. Bryan, the next President of the United States, spoke at Rrjcdhouse. 111., recenilv. He was received with tremendous enthusiasm and the great audience cheered his pointed speech wildly. Hs was in fi^hiiog mood, sod scored the gold standard unmercifully. We give some of the coin's he made: Tne Repu'oli cans didn't diagnose the disease right in 1896. They treated the people for an overloaded stomach when they needed medicine for an empty stomach. The par y has fulfilled its campaign pledges by creating, a famine in India and discovmne gold in the British possessions. I would rather have an Eiglish Admiral at the head of our navy, or an Eaglish general at the head of our army than an Eoglish ideaed man at the head of our national treasury. Mr Bryan compared the condition of the country last year with a sick man, asserting that aJl parties agreed during the campaign that the country was sick 4,Ia that cjnditioa," he continued, '"the voter generally goes to his own uarty and asks that it apdIv the remtdv. If t&e wrone tcedi sine is prescrib.-d, the voter, if he imore interested in curing political svi's than in following Jiis party, will et-k a new alliance ?in other word?, will change phjsicians. I believe the wrong mediciae was applied last fill (loud cheers) and if the Republican party will not consent to change the medicine I think the people will promptly change the docto-s. Tha 'rouble was that the Republicans did not diagnose the case rightly. Tney r^atec the people for an overloaded sLomach, when the country really wanted medicine for any empty stomach. (Laughter and loud applause.) Fnese two diseases require different treatment. A large number of people maintaiued ihat we shoull have a 2r.*ater volume of money. The Republicans insisted that more taxation would cure." He didn't deny that a raiss in taxes would benefit a few, but tbe many should be oppressed. He appealed to bii auditors to listen to Senator Mason tomorrow, who would point with pride to the manner in which his par ty had fulfilled its campaign pledges oy creating a famine in India and dis jovering g >ld in the British possessions. Mr. Bryan asserted that the people standing behind the gold conspiracy never fought an open fight. The atti tude of the parties on bimetalism was jounded this way: -When we had bimetallism no party ever denounced it as unjust or un fair. For three fourths ot a century we lived under a double standard,and is was never conaetziutu uy any panjr, *nd nojparty eyer dared indorse it ua iiliast vear,:*wrhen" the Bolting Dimoipits declared it was a good thins:. But look at the verdict of the oeople in that election; some six and one tialf millions declared for bimetallism ! without waiting for the aid or ! j ?nsent of any foreign potentate, and : ;ome seven millions declared for bimetallism by international agr ement. DjLlyab3ut 132 000 declare! for the ijold standard," (Loud and continued ipplause) He q loted the platforms of 1892 and L896, and, acknowledging the defeat jf bimetallism without waiting for the aid of foreign powers, asked if the ?o!d standard had won a victory. "It was won under the mask of bimetal lism," he declared with vehemence. tl ? J -14Ua "it was aaomer irauu 01 hjc pcvyio, a victory on false pretenses. President McKioley had hardly taken his seat until asked congress for a commission to visit other nations and ask them to allow us to have bimetallism ?to cra wl on our stomachs and beg Dther nations to have pity on us!" A.nd the withering sarcasm with which he uttered the words struck a respjnsive chord in the audienca, which bowled and waved paras )!s, L.?- JUauaU?^i Unffi n nrr f hin/V LiaiiU?kCJLi;U.iCJ.at llCfctO aujr V/1U MUiUf; that was handy. Their lungs were working, too. ' There was a time," and the orator paused, uw&ea this nation did wnat it pleased, and what it believed was to the best'interests of a majority of our people, without waiting for the con 5CUI Ui auj umci UJHUU, auu JU. auu j a half mihions of people last fall believed then aad bdlieve now that it bas surrendered none of its rights." He adverted to the fact that England has bad the gold standard for 80 years, and its farmers haveorganizsd, and aie demanding bimetallism. Germany has had the gold standard for 23 years, and its farmers are demand ? ~ ofo lllg luc uiuugbauil/ 9bnuu?iu. "Es-ery time the producers of wealth attempt to do anything," continued Sir. Bryan, "the chambers of com merce, the boards of trade and tbe financiers have m&sstd themselves against the reform List year we were cbarg d with arraying one class against another. Nothing was said of tbe class that was arrajed against the mass of the people, and bent oa carrying out its own selSsb aims. I believe that there were four state concftntinns !a?\t vpflr that declared that it was not only wrong 10 nave free coinage of silver, bat wrong to say you wanted free coinage; that it is wrong to agitate the q iesiion. There must be no interference with the rights and privileges of a certain class. He read an extract from a press dispatch detailing tbe movements of the monetary commission in England, j one sentence closiog: "Bat the "move- j ment meets with the solid opposition j of the British capitalists." "You can't point to a reform ever1 achieved where capital was in power,1' continued Mr. Bryan, impressively. "Every reform tnat has been inaugurated and carried successfully to conclusion has bsen opposed by that class of cit z ms who were driven out cf the temp:e of Christ because they had made it a den of thitvas. (Cheers and applause) To morrow Senator Mason will ' i? - *- - ~?. - i J ? J 2 leu you max, me gcua siaauuru, ausr a trial of 23 years, is a failure, and thai we want bimetalism, and want it badiy; but we can wait an indefinite time f jr it?until Eaglind gets reaoy to give it to us Hi will tell you this because his party platform of last year will com pell hirn to tell it I notice tnat there are sime evidences of a scare among ihe E gl:sh people, caused by our moneiary commission, and I am going to do what I can to increase that ssare. Do ycu know -9 that 10 per cent, of all we o?re England would consume all cur gold? ( After that sail gone there is 90 per! cent, of our debt that would have to ( be paid in silver, and I believe Eog- J land would be as much interested ia ; feeepitg silver and gold at a parity i iinria* CUM ,r?r>ir>f?itir?r!S ?S H,r?T T71AT! in 1 America. Tnev are more interested in silver than gold, if we only realized it. Mr. Brjan expressed his pride at the manner ia which the bimetaJists bowed to the will of the majority Jast November. It showed that tbey bad the spirit of true Americanism. He was Dot so sure that the other side vrould have been so graceful. He be lieved that the president was right in sending the monetary commission abroad and was glad the commission was trying to scare the foreign na tions into adontinp'silver. "The best way to help then," he continued with spirit, "is to hold up their hands. If this fall's elections are cabled across the ocean ss a silver victory I predict that the monetary commission will oe *u:cessful, aod England will aDpoint coommissioners to a conference. It will ba all the same if the message is delivered at TP V. _;il k_? J UJIUUJgUt. IK'iUUgU Ui turui "ill i awake to receive the news. On the contrary, if the news is cabled that J silver sentiment is dying out, the j commission wilJ accomplish nothing, j Oar opponents tell us that the rise in *heat has killed the silver question. Tne question has been buried lime and time again Ic is a poor month wnen the silvfcr question is not buried half a di zsn timt-s. I "Times have reallf be^n so bad sinca.the election that tUe people almost thought I had been elected. I remembered seting in a newspaper last fall, "Only four more days until - - - i r? .i it j;j prosperity arrives.' oai it aiu not ?r- j rive. Thea the date was changed to inauguration; then extended until the tariff law was passed The chairman of the Republican State Convection in Ohio, denied that the Republicans tv~r promised prosperity. A man wrote congratulating me on my election because banks were Jailing and business houses were going into bank ruptcy. "Haven't we read tbe papers and can anybody doubt that Bryan was electtd?" ''This went aloog until they discovered gold. They told us las': fall that we had money enough. Yet as soon as gold was discoved they began to rejoice. If we had enough then, anv more would bs too much wouldn't it? How absurd. We said, "Give the people more money aDd they will be happier, and the first indication of raore money brings more happiness." (Applause- ) ' I noticed in a newspaper that in December, 1894, wheat was 55 cents, and it is now something over 90 cents The same time corn was 37 cants and now it i3 down to about 33 cents. The T> mnvt 4- 4VlA A*TT ! XV^puuuuaua warn* hj biaiuu kuu ^ivij for the rise in wheat. They mujt assume the responsibility for the fall in corn-" (Loud applause.) Mr. B-yan closed his address by an illustration: j "Hitc'i one horse to a sak/ and another to a lu Tiber wagon aud start them around the racs track. When; the horse drawing the lumber wagon j catches up with the sulky, give him the same prmlejees you give the horse j iathesu'fcy- Hi* lone dj you sup- j P03e it will take the lumber wagon j horse to catch up with the other?'' ? S: x K *11 way Giants. Th* South Carolina and Georgia; road will put on six of the largest lo j comotives now in tie bouth. larger ones?in fact, the largest in the world, j will be put on in the South by the! Southern read later on, but until j these G jliaths of the Southern are on the track the Sou :h Carolina and Georgia may safely be awarded the palm. Tneie monsters of iron aad steam are known as the Rsdgers Consolidated four driver engines, and are models of perfection in macainery. The rate of spefd is adopted to passenger and freight, and seventv-five cars may easily bs pulled by them. The largest number of cirs now pulled on the road is sixty. In order to prepare for, these giants it is necessary to place seveaty pound rails on all the curves of the road This is now baing done on the line between Augusta and Aiken. Two of the39 giant locomotives will ba put on the Augusta branch of the road and will ply only between Augusta and Aiken. The other four I will be used between Charles' ton and Columbia. Under the ne?7 arrrangemsnt all freights to and i ru ill vuancBiiuu win uc wuju.iu?.v? in the yards at Aiken. Light engines will take it in sections to points beyond Aiken and the two giant locoI motives wiil taka the heavy traias I from Aiken to Augusta. Tne reason j for this Aiken yard is two faced. | Manufactories at Aiken Junc.ion and stations along toe route have made the business of this twenty miles of j the road a a enormous one and the most convenient point from which to | handle it is Aikea. Taea Augusta ; does nol afford sufficient yard room and tiie Hamburg yards are too j swampy for all available purposes. Aiken Junction, but a few miles fr-.-m Aiken, also presents the best mearss of transfer to the Southern, witb which road the South Carolina has traffic arrangements, and all cost of city transfer s to a considerable extent saved by the use of the tracks at this point instead of ia the city. No Sales In "Dry Towns '' Saveral davs ago the original package store atEiko was ordered closed by the governor and the stuff ssiz;d. This was done because the town of ?Li;Jso is "G ry," me voters naviag ueclared it to b>9 so. Not even a dispen j sary was opened there. The attorney general's office Tuesday received a telegram from Messrs. Mordecii & Gadsden, Charleston attorneys, inquiring why their client's establishment at Eiko had been closed. Reply was made that as Elko was a "dry" to^n no liquor could be sold there. It is expected that a test case will be made of the matter. The le^aladvice of the administration is that liquor in no form can be sold, even under Judge Simontnn's decision, nermittin? the sale of original packages in the state, can be dispensed in "dry towns." i->ead Body Bidden. The ship America has arrived from Prince William Sjund at daa Francisco with a cargo of saimon and stowtd away in a dark corner was thsdead body of one of her Cninese pasaeog-rs. It had been hidden oy tn-o_her Chinese to prevent a burial at sea, whica wouid have rendered it impossible u> l ship ta*; bjdy back t) Caina. Tas ! condition of the body indicated tiiat ' the man had been dead a week. DIPSOMANIA AND MUfiDEB. TR AL CF C. C. STEPHENS FOR KILLING HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW. Th? Colleton Jury Found fclm Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity and he Is Sent to the Agylom?Extraordinary Career of a Man Who Wa% Crazed by Drlrk. The case aeaint C. C. Stephens, indicted for tbe murder, -was ended in the Court of General Session at Wal^rboro on Mod day, Sept. 27, ^ben Judge Townserid s^ned an order instructing the shei-iff to convey him to the State Hospital for the Iasace, at Columbia Toe trial of tbe case was besun Friday moraine:, and lasted un il *7 A^lArtlr Qafnv/lo p ^rrorv ? r> or tha verdict of the jury being that the defendant was "not guilty," as charged, "by reason of insanity." The case was. in some respects, the most remarkable perhaps ever tried in the county. It drew a large crowd that manifested much curiosity, if not interest, in the trial. The populace could not agree, as is usually the case, upon a verdict, and was puzled as to what disoosition should be"made of the man. The jury even went so far as to inquire of tbe Judge upon retiring what disposition would re made of tbe de - J ^ * - i.l_ i. 4.L J ieaaazu in iuc event taoy iuuuu uilh not guily^by reason of insanity. Stephens "bad been "eff"' for some time prior to the day upon wbicb he committed the crime for which he was tried. Although be had really harmed no one, he was considered dangerou3 by the peoDle of at least three townships, and the prevailiog sentiment and conclusion of these a we-struck citizens was that in no event should he be turned loose and allowed to frequent th?ir communities. The D jn O lixotic exDloitsof Ste pbens for the last twenty years were related by numbers of witnesses, and the defendant himself entertained the Court and the assemb'ei spectators Saturday, barring an intermission of two hours for dinner, from 12 o'clock noon till 6 o'clock in the evenin2 with the recital of his career, beginning with his servic3 in the late war and culminating: in his imprisonment for the murder for which hs was being tried. While he talked intelligently enough, his eccentricty or insanity was shown by the particular attention he gave the most trivial events and circumstance occurring in his career The simple killing of a rabbit was of sufficient note with him to be recorded in his diary, which he said he had kept from the time he was 15 years of age. Stephens belongs to one of the best families of the State, and his peculiar mental condition was brought about by drink. He received a thorough education, and in some respects may be even now considered brilliant. According to his own story, which is substantially, if not accurate ly, correct, he joined Hart's Battery the 17th of August, 1864. but left the army to attend the South Carolina Military Asademy, to which ha received an appointment After- his- gratfaation there he relumed hom#\ whera he remained till March 1,187H, when h9 went to Greenville, sludiei law, was admitted to the Bar, and again came home, settling subsequently at Midway, where he Drac;ieed his profession about one year quilting it there and coming to Walt-rboro in M?rch, 137?. Ia May, of the same .year, he went to S:. George, and was i.ncal attorn^v for the South ^ *>? ?- J TN 1 11 tin AAA vjironaa ttiiiroaa. uaaua mi mcayears he sa^s he draak freely, and was not without company. La 1873 he be^an teaching: scbool, which he has folio wed ever since almost continu ously. Stephens notoaly, as he says, drank a great deal of liq lor after acquiring the habit in Greeaviile, but various substitutes, suci as cologne, essence of lemon and tQe like, developing into a dipsomaniac. About two weeks prior to the murder Stephens was re leased from jail upon examination, having heen incarcreated on a writ of insanity. Ha went immediately to the home of his brother-in law. Mr. James S. Bell, a retired merchant and farmer, and remained there until he killed him on the 16>h of January of the present year. He was ably represented in his trial by the Hon William J. Fishburne and Mr. J. Graham Padgett, whose plea of defence was that he was nrt guilty by reason of insanity. The defecdant, himself, however, demurred to such a plea and claimed the killing was ac:idental. W. D. Bennett, C. J. D. Marsh, John Herndon and H. M. Padgett, merchants, testified that S:ephens had purchased cologne and essences from them before and during the week in which the killing occurred, and all had noticed that the defendant was very ''queer" in his actions. Mr. Taomas B:oxton, an old friend of the family, had perceived that the i defendant upon his return from u-reenville showed a ''deficiency of nervous temperament," and was uncontrollable when deer hunting, of which he seemed very fond. A week or ten days before the killing the defendant came to his house, bringing two guns, two dogs and two sticks, and talked incessantly. Ho dined wiih him but would eat very little. Sheriff 0*ens and Deputy Sheriff * A'?aroc TTOyTT Cj-rueil lt?UUOU IrUHb UK{IUGUI nag . j obstrepercus when first put in jiil, and very profane and abusive. It was his desire to have li^htall night in his apartments, aDd wJ quite food of the pursuit of catchihg cockroaches in his cell. He save away almost all his clothing, and cut up and burned his mattress and bedding. He paced the fl af nrison Tasso like, and would not sleep at night. It was his diversion in the dark hours to sing and recite poetry. G?pt. C. C. Tracy and Mr. A. A. Patterson t< s ified as to their experience with the defendant, and bota had noticed, his eccentricities. Drs. T. S. Waring, 0. E. Kinsey and J. G. Saunders described the dis ease known as dipsomania, and it was evident that it was what was the mat ter with StepHens. Stephens himself then, under protest of his attorneys, took the stand and told bis storj. He began by saying his full name was Capers Calhouo Stephens, and, after relating the ups and downs of his life, fiaally came to j tht; culminating paint, tne Kuung 01 bis brother in law. His story bore } every evidence of baingtrue, and was, perhaps, the strongest proof of his un| sound mental condition. He rtiated I with exact miauienttss thtqaarrelsaaj i disagreements had from nme to ti-uf j witn the deceased, showing the txist I - * 1; ~ ~ U * ? Uw.-,?Ua- \ ^ i.? txr . eBCo Oi malice iur uia wvmci iu I The morning of the tragedy Bill ^ho objected to Stephens keepicg bis i dee in the room with hirn at night, ! ordered him to leave and not come back. Stephens fiad arranged a "great" dear hunt for that day. a&d. after borrowine a musket from a ? eishbor, went forth to enjoy the ex ceded ;p?rt. No oce, however, of the numerous party fce bsd invited came to participate in the chase. About 12 o'clock Stephens tired of his solitary watch fcr the "'antlered monar^ " and resolved to go to Magistrate Uirr.er's Court, by request of a friend, >-nd represent a defendant in suit then in progress. In pursuing this puroose he passed Brli's. Upon arriving at the house he bethought him of his linen, an-1 resolved to step in and make a change. T A i_ 1- .--i U_ - ~ ne went 10 iiis su>ier, wu?j * ta> m tuc yard making: sausages. There he saw Bell, whom he informed of his pres ence, ?nd asked Bell what he was going to do abont it. Bell wanted to get his gun, but Stephens would not let him go alon? in the house to get it for fear that Bell would shoot him through the open window. Ia stopping Bell he cocked his musket, but told him he would accompany him and would cot taVo on-jT arftranf-flopk nf him. Mrs. Bell here came between them and endeavored to put her husband in the smoke house He tried to pull her inside the djor while she was endeavoring to shut it. She clasped the door facing with one hand and Bell held the other. Stephens said he put his eun under her aim for tb* pirpose of breaking her hold u?on the door, when it tired and Bell fell. He said it was a pure accident, as he had no intention of killing his brother in-law. Mrs. B*ll ran imnr.^ifttplv flfirrss the road to the J residence of Mr Bill's brother. Steph ens Siid he had reason to fear this brother, so he reloaded his gua in case he had to deferd himself, J??d went immediately to Magistrate Uimer and surrendered and was thence committed to jiii. The case was submitted to the jarv without argument, the solicitor suting the State would be satisfied with a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity: la ob dierce to the order of Court, Sheriff Owens sent Stephens on his way to the Asylum. Stephens said in parting: "Tell Sheriff Owens if he has occasion to s?uid any one else to the Asylum, send them in my care and I will see that they are properly .treated " I The Foil Tax Blatter. "The matter of the collection of poll tax from those who are on the delin quent lists is still a live qaestion, and very soon the opportunity will be afforded some one to test the constitutionality of the statute law bearing upon the subject. It seems that there can be no question as to the lack of jurisdiction of a magistrate to imprison one for his failure to settle, but whether a magistrate has. the right to levy upon the personal goods of a delinquent is open for final adjudication by the suDreme court. The matter has reached the stage now that the delinquent payers feel that they cannot be made to pay; but judging from what Magistrate Clark-ion saidanev lice of procedure will be started. The j magistrate claims that he has a right | to levy upon the personal goods of a j delinquent, and if refusal is then 'made the eff cts will be sold at ' public outcry for the debt. Magistrate Clarkson says that he mj ie-ds to bring out about the cintiai gercy duriag the week- and then the j chance will be afforded for a lest Cise. He stated that he has prominent Co; lutnbians on his list, and because ire j fu.sal to pay bas been msd* in several instances, the personal tffec-s will be levied upon.' There has been Doth iogsaidin all the recent discussion about t:ie payment of poll tax as to tne r;ght of a magistrate to levy upon - ^ -? ? ?" 41 #"? 1 .*. ?*A frt j personal property, i/u<^ Clarkson claims that he is actio# under authority contained in a statute not very Ion* aoo passed by the general assembly." Lire Frog In His Stomach. "Frogs in his stomach instead of consumption" is wnat has jast oeen discovered as the ailment of young Albert Variant, a young man of Rihway, N. J. Within two years numerous physicians have diagnosed his case as pulmonary trouble, and two weeks ago he began the use of inhalants instead of drugs. Thursday he was taken very ill with cramps, and peculiar pains in his stomach," and soon he expelled a live frog four inch6S in length from his throat. The creature hopped about as if glad to be released frum its confinement, and is now in possession of the physician, who is diagnosiDg the case for more I imnnar won snoms HUgO. JLlZg JVUOg, WMU mwwwmv than for a j ear past. It is supposed that the animal was swallowed about two years ago while the joung man was drinking from a small stream cf water. He. was violently ill for a few dajs at that time. The case is being watched with great interest. A Dollar'* Worth of Jesse. The Examiner says that oace when Chief Justice John Marshall was driving, the hub of his wheel caught on a small sapling- gro wiag on the roadside. After striving unsuccessfully forsome moment to extricate the wheel, he heard the sound of an ax in the woods and saw a negro approaching. Hailing hi rn, he said: "If you will cut down this tree, I'll give you a dollar " "I kia git yo' by Jcnout de ax ef dats al yo' want." "Yes, that's all " said the ju Jge. The man simply backed the norse until the wheel was clear of the sapling, and taen brought the vehicle safely around it. "You dou't charge a dollar for that, do you?" asked the astonished chief justice. "No, massa, but its wutn a uollar to larn some folks sense." The quick witted darkey got the dollar wituout further qiesti3ning. No Merc) Oonarabics. In accordance with the proclamation of tne governor all the Dispensary Constables were removed on last Fri day, and the police of the different towns and cities will in future be charged witn enforcing the dispensary law altogether. Qaarreica Ovor ? jr?*?cure. Willis Collins was shot and killed by Z. A. Leg^ett near ilayo, Florida, Thursday. Both men were prominent, 11 Leggett oeiner chairman of the county 1 j democratic esecuti e cocamntee. THey ! quarreled over a pasture. M<*de "?purtoati Jloa?y. j Leopold Irmen vas arrested in LjCmca^o i'hursdiy for counterfeiting [ siivsr dollars. It is bjiived that Iri men is the maker of tue Very da: counterfeit sn ver dollars w^ica n*vt . been put in circulation ail over ^h: , country. SAVED TWENTY-NINE LIVES. I . A N't w Yoi ic I?oi!cPromottd Tor SIR- > I Eai G/iiJsntry. In the October C-ertury tber* is an j ; article by the Hoc Theodore P.oose j j vest, *nt:tW *vT -f; K -1! of Honor of j j lie Aew ii-ric roj ce " in speatiirg < ! of promotions far gallantry. Mr. | Roosevelt says: j Amen? J be first Demotions we j made were two which illustrated the : ! auitude of the bosrc torard cases of j this kird. aac which a sj incidentally j illustrated fsaetly wbat we mean by taking the force out. cf politics"? that is, by ad miuistprias: it on principles of decency, and appointing and promoting tr.ea on th(ir merits, without regard to tbrir political backing. The 6 m cise w^s that of an old iel low. a veteran ci me civu war, who was at one ticn" a roundsman. I happeied to not c; or.e day that he had bA" td >\ 'p.jrii drowning, and had hi-n surrvmontd ih-.t I ?T?i?bt lock into tue The old fellow brought up his record before m*, ai d showed not a liaie iirrvoasnes* and agitation, for it appeared 'hit he had grown gray in the service, had performed feat after feat o? heroism, but* had no political backing of any account. He was a Grand Army man, bat not oce of the "political" type, and so he had not received any attention from the former police boards; mf\ar of loct Via t.h An OfVlt. was a chance for bim. He had been twenty two years on the force, and during that time bad saved some twenty five persons from death by drowning, varying the performance once or twice by saving parsons from burning buildings. Twica Congress had passed laws especially to empower the then Secretary of the Treasury, John Sherman, to give him a medal for distinguished gallantry in J saving; life. The Life Saving Society j had also given him its medal, and so had the police department On examining into his record carefully we found that it was wholly free from complaints of any infraction of duty, and that he was sober and trustworthy. We felt that he was entitled to his promotion, and he got it. We did not knew his politics, nor did we care about them. It is very unlikely that the woman whom he last saved* as he swam out towards har, felt any special interest as to whether he had voted for Cleveland or Harrison, nor. did we. He. had risked his life /reely a2aia and agrain in the performance of his duty; he had conducted himself so as to be a credit to the department, and a credit to the city; ana ws felt that he was entitled to his remard. It is worth while mentioning that he kept on saving life after he was promoted to a sergeantcy. On October 21,1S96, he again saved a man from drowning, is was at mgub, nubody else was in the neighborhood, and the sh:p from which he jumped was in absolute darkness, and he was about ten minutes in the water, which was very cold The captain of the Drecinet, in reporting the case, -said: '*rhe sergeant was cff the bulkhead and into- the r-water after ha maa ; quicker than it takes to say 'Jack j ibbinson." There was no way in | whica the board could reward hin ; fur this, except by telling him that he I was an honor to tae department; for ha had beea'giren all the medals, and : bars to the medals, that he cjuld be LoTven. It was the twenty-ninth per i !soa whose Jif-s h$ had saved 'during | ? his tweaty ihre* years' service ia the ; department, and ha was 55 years old j ] when he saved hiaa. 3 \ A S?asel<?89 Panic. ,| j EvaDincan,ane?ro woman whohas I j been under guard three daysj at Hous; ton, Tex., declired to be a suspicious j case by State Health Officer Swearia-j j ?en, but bv every local physician to : be suffering from dengue and kidney i infliinaiion, is getting better. Ther cotton exchange and board of trade j held a meeting and passed resolutions {requesting Surgeon G-aneral Wyman .to send an exoart to Houston at once *o look at the casa and wire to him. Nobody there believes the woman has yellow fever, bus every town in Texas ha3 quarantined against Houston and the situation is very serious commercially as the loss to trade is a million dollars a day while this ostracism lasts. Two thousand men are out of employmeat already on account of it and tiie list grows daily. It is hopsd that the government will send Dr. Guitcras or j some other man whose reputation will ! send i/r. Guiteras or some ether man whose reputation will be sufficient to allay the fears aroused in t&e interior of the State. The scare is intense in many small towns and accounts of the actions of the rural quarantine officials would be ludicrous were it not for the verj serious effect they have on business and their towns. Had His Neck Broken. A young man by the name of Nolan was killed on Wednesday night while j riding1 on a trolley car in the suburbs of Charleston. It seems that the ycung man had been attending caremonies incident to the opening of a new park about fire miles out of Charleston. Returning he left the oleasure grounds on a City Railway car jxst befoie midnight. The car came spinning down towards the city with a merry party onboard. Just bsfore the Five-mile House was reached young Nolan put his head out of one of the windows, it was thought, to look back towards the park. As he did so ihe car rashed by a trolley pest standing ciose to the track. Nolan's head .struck against it with terrific force, breaking His neck. ChrppcdOfi Two Flngi-ra Karl KarJson, carpenter on the ship j Vavouious on a voyage to Rio Janerio fron Pcus3cjla, Fia., has bjen com- j mitted tojiil for setting fire to the sbip eighteen miies at sea. The evi- j decca against Kirlson was mainly circumstantial, bat it was shown that he was so opposed to going on the voy-1 a^e that he chopped off two of his fiagers the day before the ship sailed. It wasalso in evidence that a?t-.r the vessel, crossed the bar he told the crew they would be back in Pcnsacola in ; another day. Will Ea'orce all Liwe. Mayor Sio&n, of Columbia, has is-! sued an order to Chief of Police Daiy Informixsr l-.im of the fact that the i J ^ coxisiaDuiary rLcta rcuiuvcu, ?uu that the wnoie responsibility of en - i forciu# the dispensary law r?sis i upon municipal authorities. You ; will, thereforr, usa tie great--1 [est dilutee in suppressing tae ' importation and tal-i of illicit !.'i:quors You -will extecd these ia:{sir uclions to i e pohcj force a? d see i that they are properly enforced." V . THOUGHT HE'D NEVER DIE. |J A FANATIC'S MOCK?D FATE, BUT. DEATH CAME. - *'S| :m? Wus Follower of tbe Strsnge Religion of Sheimaniim-Vhtn Djirg He Did Not B?]i-ve.Ti?t He Would Die* Sleeping in death beneath the sod of the old family bjrying ground in Henry county is Mack Dodson, a man who in life believed that he would never die His faith was that he would never see death, yet he is dead. In a .-4; pretty house at No. 1 Glenn street > . .1 1? : & came ine ena xoxnis man s rem?rn?bie career. Ljing almost unconscious in the throes of death, he argued that he would not die. To the religion of a lifetime he was true to the last. Mack Dcdson was a believer in that strange creed called Shermanism. The sum and substance of this weird dog- . re a is that a man who has faith will cever die; that if he will live right, he ^ will some day be caught up to heaven. ia a chariot of fire, just as was Elijah . of ?!d. - . j&gm Shermsnism is without doubt the strangest religion in existence. It has thousands of followers, but none of them ^i-h a faith like Dodson's. He was lue aj?iv? urumiueufc ui tuc uuudreds of Saermanites who inhabit north Georgia. For 5ears he has been an aggressive believer in the religion of Sherman and there has been no more powerful factor in spreading the religion in Georgia than he. He w&s prosperous and could have dressed v 5 well, but; his religion was that a man must have but one coat, so he neyer had but one. He thought that a man should wear his hair long like Jesus a:acL the apostles, and from the time he adopted the eccentric belief he wore bis hair in long flawing locks that fell below his shoulders. Last week while Dodson was visit>?>? hits kvMliav.in.laar af 'Mrt 1 OlflTin street the death which he had scorned , M grew tired of the mockery and took from him that life whih he had sworn should always be his. Just before he died he was told by a brother of the creed to get up and walk and he would be well. The sick man's faith was stronger than all else and he rose up and dressed. In a short while he was dead. It was over ten years ago when Dodson first embraced the faith, which he held to his death. In Henry county he'was one of the most piognaswe ' citizens. About 18S6 a preacher namedSherman came to Henry county preaching a strange, new religion. Dodson went to heir the man tell of his system of religion. He was struck with the force of the stranger's utter- ' ; _ ' ances. Aftrr the sermon, was finished ; ^ he offered the preacher some money. ' I never accept money or pay for m mistering,5said Sherman. The preacher told Dodson that he must go through forty days of fasting acd prayer. For forty days the search- J-jMBnBBM er xot the truth prayed and eat only v_- - ?^ what w.is necessary to keep body ana soul iogelMr. Sherman, with the assistan^jr Dodwn, .soonSecured . ....... ocDer iociowere. m a iew jfwiun established in Henry county and Clayton a large church of his followers Very few people in Atlanta know Sherman or kno w that his religion ex* ist-3, yet in a few miles of the city * there are husdreds of men who believe -they will never die. In north Alabama Safer man has a folio wring estimatmated at 10,000 men. They may not bt: k - o wn as Shermaniles, for frequentIt; iho nnlv nf thei* belief if their quaint way and long hair. The 1 1113 m.#in basis for the belief is found in ^ the eighth chapter of John. This is the passage of Scripture which Dodson said was his Promise: John viii, 51. "Verily, verily I say unto you, if a man keep my saying he shall never see death." / v -%%|? Others were: "Verily, verily, I. say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlrsting life." "Your fathers did eat of that manna in the wilderness and are dead." "This is that bread which cozneth Aswrr-n tViaf a mon matr Aftf tilAFAnf ??Wj '&=% UVTTU buceit (? UJOfU UM*J >MD miw w* not die." |||| "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat this bread he shall live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life "of the .' > MS world." "This is that bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead; he that eateih of this bread shall live forever." Two weeks ago he came to Atlanta' to visit - relatives. He was unwell mhon ha Mma tn-tliA mhr and fivflrv day of his stay he became worse. List Monday he was quite ilL His brethren of ih^faith visited him and encouraged iran to cling to the creed M of eternal Me. Sherman, the man. who had changed the current of Donson's life, came and sat by his bedside. Bugged, bearded and with hair streaming down his back, he looked ? 5?1- TT? nxe some pness 01 a aarK cr?ui>. oe lost one arm in battle and the empty ~ ^ sleeve adds to the grotesqueness of his apearanca. "Have faith: take up thy bed and walk," he said to the sick man. Dodscra rose up and dressed at the bidding of his chief. Qe was hardly able to stand, yet his faith upheld him. Dad son was so weak after dressing that he had to go back to hit bed, despite the urgent request of hif priest to conqaer sickness by faith. ? ' ? 1 1- " TV rue sick man rerasea a aocior. f inally he became so ill that he could not forcibly obj and Dr. Odell was summoned. Tne physician diagnosed the case and said that the patient was suffering with typhoid fevtr. Dodson grew constantly worse. In a few days his relatives saw that death was inev*x 1 - TT. nrAnlil HSOie. xie CUIitrCUUcu uxnii uv nwiuw - ^ 1101 die. He still laughed at death and said that he believed too strongly in Jesus to think he would died. Just before Dodsoa's death a number of the Shsrmanites were with him. After he died they fled like frightened people Use from one who has been stricken by the plague. :'M "He sinned," they cried. It was their religion that a man would never die unless he sinned and they claimed that Dodson had sinned. They would not gc near him after death, for they said they were afraid they would catch the dread contagion of his transgression*. When he was carried to the family burning ground in Henry county not . . a single irfiiermanite followed the bier. "L t the deaa bury its dead," was the quotation of the Shsrmanites. ! Inev said rhat Dodson had sinned and ! vas'iu hell and they did not want to near him. I Tiw fd'.T* nf ? lifetime was devoted and bat it dial's save him from, i. liie inevitable.? Atlanta Constitution.