Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Lancaster News LEDGER 1852 REVIEW 1878 ENTERPRISE 1891 VOL. I. NO. 43. SE Ml-WEEKLY. LANCASTER. S. C., MARCH 3. 1906 omrc?ciue I Statement from Solicitor Henry. The Good-Natured Pros-! ecuting Officer S tops Gardening Long Enough to Split Hairs?His Version of What his Testi^ mony was Before Judge Gage in Morrison Case. .J Dear Sir: By accident today, while gardening, I ran across The Lancaster News, containing your editorial entitled The Hunter-Henry matter. I'roperly read and understood there is no difference between my testimony and published statement, nor does Sherifl Hunter's article contradict what was meant; but. if need be, cor roborates it. He may have misunderstood the matter. The only help or aid any one can give the Solicitor is to furnish him evidence or clues to evidence, and circumstances. None of Sheriff Hunter's acts and dol *nf?s?although he was doing his duty?aided or helped me. My answer in part (to show what was meant by that lull answer) was ''He has never brought me any evidence." What he could ? have done I don't know. Sheriff Hunter did all that he claims in \ his published article. 1 had re ferred to this before. He brought me certain persons to examine; that is so. He brings witnesses to the court for the State, at every session. He brings witnesses to the court at every session for the defendants. He is doing his duty. Who is he helping in this, the Stale or defendant's counsel? It could not be charged that he was helping either side lie is do-j ing his duly without reference to either side. If the question had been "Did Sheriff Hunter do anything with reference to the Kershaw lynching?" the answer would have been "yes." His acts, as advertised, would have been mentioned. The question was asked by a most intelligent lawyer for the information of a most intelligent and > impartial judge. I answered truly and tried to answer intelligently. That 1 might do no wrong (and there is nothing else I (head so much) I wrote to Judge (lage asking if my testi mony reflected on Sheriff Hun ter He says unqualifiedly that it die! not, although tie says t-ha' * he was impressed that the ten dency of the crows examination was to lorce me into that at tit 11> de. You may have his letter if k you want it. Let me say once for all that I have no personal interest in this matter except to do right; nor / have 1 any interest in Lancaster ' county, except the maintenance of the supremacy of law; to protect every individual in the en joyment of lite, liberty and pro Ak. perty, that her people may eeSlid?' i ?- ^1/IL ?iA( li * ?i- ' cutely live, be happy ?tnl p:opperotiP. In iiese L haw. an in tense and nbi bug interest Now, Mr. Editor, I leave this matter where I f nn.i it, with Hie re cord. Judges sometimes nap while lawyers wrangle; lawyers while judges decide; preachers while the choir sings, but who yet has ever caught an editor napping or caught him napping ever had him to admit it. We'll see. Good-bye. I am going back to my garden?an important matter to a family of twelve. Yours very truly, . ? J. K. Henry." Chester, S. C. Feb. 27, 1906. Jumped Into a Well To E sc a p e a Mob?Lee "Wright, After Murdering His Sweetheart and ShootHer Uncle and Aunt, Tries to Get Away. Cartersville, Ga., Feb. 28.? Charged by a mob, bent on lynching him lor killing bis sweet heart and fatally wounding her uncle and aunt, Lee Wright leaped into a well sixty feet deep and received injuries which will probably cost him his lite. Besides the in in map onotuino.i UUOVUUIOU from the headlong plunge into the well, Wright was shot twice by the pursuing mob. Wright would have been left to drown in the well but lor the arrival ol the sheriff, who, by displaying pistols and threatening to kill, quieted the mob and forced some members ol it to help him draw the mutderer from ihe well. Wrigh't crime was due to insane jealousy. Because of his drinking Annie Mclntyre, his sweet heart, refused to marry him af ter the wedding day had been lixed. Wright then procured a shotgun, returned to his sweet heart's residence and shot her dead. The girl's aunt denounced him and Wright, shot her. Meanwhile the girl's uncle procured a gun and attempted to arrest Wright, but the latter slmi t tw. I uncle. Both uncle and aunt will probably ciie Wright il d, pursued by tlio mob. The mur derer, seeing capture inevitable, leaped on the wall of tho well and deliberately threw himsell into its dep! hs. Narrow Escape from Horrible Death. Mr. Joseph Helms, who works in the Monroe Oil Mill, had a very narrow escape from a lmr rible death a lew days ago. A set screw on a pi. ce of shaft ng umlaut uis overall nickel aiul tore 1 it off with the exception ol the left sleeve, winch was beini: rap. i< 113" whirled areund toe shafting, drawing the unfortunate man to it, John Medlin, a colored laborer, wiili rare presence of mind, pulled out a pocket knife and u?e*l it in cutting the jacket. It was quick and line work on the part of the colored man.?Monroe Enquirer. The Hasty Trial. Former GafTney Hotel Mar being Tried on One of the Indictments Against Him for Murder. By William Batiks, in the Co lumbia State : Gaffney, March 1.?There have b^en some dramatic periods in the trial of George Hasty foi the murder of Milan Bennett it this city on the 15th of last December. The prisoner is not being tried lor the murder ol Abbott Davidson, the actor, foi it was decided to m ike separate trials on the two indictments The prosecution has brought out some very damaging evidence to day and the delense has failec to snake the witnesses. The sympathy of the people ot the city of Gaflney was mani fested today, when the couri room was filled with applause alter one of the attorney's un successful attempts to break down the witness, Miss Verne1 Sheridan, who was to have beer married to Milan Bennett. The little woman refused to be scared by counsel's tirades or b> the alleged evidence against hei moral character, which he indi cated that he would produce.? The little woman stood the orde al in a very remarkable manne! and is admitted to have made t fine witness. Iler testimony wai unshaken aiwl M? V tU III JJ1' *v weaken her evidence by comparing it with what she had said ai the inquest resulted in her state ments on the Rtand being strength enevl rather than otherwise. Once when Solicitor Sease wa examining hei% he told her to tel all she knew ot a certain part o the affair. "And don't let's havt any play acting," said one of tin attorneys for Hasty. At this Mr. Sease seemed to be a liitle vexed and he declared vehemently that his witness w?h not acting, bui was telling the truth. Atanoihtr time defendant'! counsel was trying to break dow i the witness with reference to th? position ol (Jeor^e liasty's arm: when he was trying to lorce him self in'o Miss Sheridan's roon through the transom. In orcln to illustrate he called Hasty ovei to him. (,Come here, George,' he said, and as the sallow youth v\ ho had shot lo death the yopn? in ?n to whom she was to he mar ried, approached the witness, ji tremor ran oyer her frame and she said to the c oirt stenograph er brokenly, "I cannot touch this man." But she was not required to do so. She was game ?ii ii.? - * .... .no nay UllUUgll Hie lO!Tlt)le inquisition at the hands 'of de. leridunt's count-el and gave just as good as was sent. Aflor the first demonstration of applause Judge Memminger declared thai he would clear I he room upon a repetition. Bui there were fre quent suppressed signs ot ap. proval when Miss Sheridan would, with ease, parry u thru, from the jilted attorney. The defendant's allorney aske' ( questions which are hardly per ! missible in print and the youni woman never flinched. If th 1 charges were t rue, her candor am Irankness stamp her as a ver; clever actress. If they were un true she is an artistic actress jus the same, lor she never showe< by wincing that she suffered.? 5 Many who went into the cour ? room prejudiced against her cam away impressed with her woman ' liness. t Senator Tillman. r ) . Comments By aLeadinj t Tennessee Paper on th? New Honors of the Senio Senator of South Carolina ) An esteemed subscriber of Th - Lancaster News residing ii t Clinton, Tenn , lias sent us th j following clipping from a recen . iscue of the Knoxville, Tenn. Sentinel : ) For the second lime ^Senate i Tillman makes the report fror > the senate committee on inter > state commerce. First he re ' ported the bill for an investigs r tion of the railroads in their re . lations to coal companies, no\ - he is to report the great railroa - rate regulation hill. As Mi r Aldrich truly said, it is really i democratic measure. The Sout j Carolina senator says it is no > an honor he sought or desired - hut he will do his best to secur t the passage of the bill. Won1 it be gall or worm wood, how ever, for the republicans to hav the hated S >uih Carolinian rep * resent the president on the tloo 1 of lhe senate in leading the figh t for ihe measure which the presi jjdent has most urged? At tin 5 ?anie time Mr. Tillman is doin , such great work lor his countr 1 at Washington his enemies ar seeking to undermine him a L home, lie, however, has tli opposition pretty well scotched ^ A state which has a man will l great influence at the capita 3 m ?kes a grievous mistake t * turn him down. A United State - senator, with a good record, am i holding important comniilte r places, is worth a dozen re pre r sentatives. New Dispensary Board nc in Charge Yet. J Toe S:ate, March 2nd : Yes I terd iy was the time lor the ne\ board ot dispensary directors t i tat%e charge of the business of th institution but they did not i This, however, was not thei i fault, as they had 110 comtnis sions, Gov. Hey ward being ab sent from the city. The nev I hoard will wait until next week i when the duel executive returns , and then take ollico. in tin k meantime, there is nothing to the old board to do but to sit am wait until the time to go out o i office comes around. I I V l? \yl_n I J I'CM tUl' * . 'TheColored Farmers' Com i . ference. ~ Success of the Recent Meete j ing?Business Organization y to be Effected, to be Known as the Colored Farmers' Bank and Supply Co. I Reported for The News : e The Farmers' Convention and - Conference of Feb. 22, was beyond doubt, the most, successful meeting ii the history of the organization. Meeting was not so largely attended as in former years, but the interest, zeal, and enthusiasm were much greater. y =? Greater interest will be manifest? ed in the diversifying of crops.? r A union o! the forces nf the ?ni t ored people was urged by the leaders of Hie meeting. It was 6 decided that the negro has plen11 ty of religion, churches and e schools, and a lair knowledge of ' books, but what he now needs is * more business enterprise. In view of this fact, the conference r organized a board of stockholdQ ers known as the Lancaster , ^ Farmers' Association. The object 1 of tins association is to establish l* what shall or will be known as 1 the Colored Farmers' Bank and v Supply Co. The officers and members cf the Association areas lol lows: j1 Jaryis Cunningham, president; U. B. Mobley, vice-president; M. ' D. Lee, secretary; Jno. Dye. ' treasurer. Members: F. R. Mapsev, S. M. Massey, Henry i'erry, L. O. Collins, M. Blackmon, F. e Frazier, /. English, Moses Black' ir.011, D. 1. Ingram, J. Y. Crawr ford, S. I. Stover, I. I). Davis, ^ Robert Truesdell. l* it was decided that as a race B we should try to develop our ^ capacity along all business linen. ^ These men above named, can L vouch for property value as a ' backing ol a least thirty-five 6 thousand dollars, besides, sulli" Jcient honesty already establish J eri to 'guarantee a ten thousand dollar business in Lancaster o , cou nt v. 8 , Seeing the need of my people, 1 have encouraged this step, as an indication ol the lact that it \ shall not bo our object to lloat from county to county, state to state, but to build up our Own t home by encouraging the c >lored people to stay 011 the farms and have something worthy and noticeable. v () Stockholders will have thoir 0 meeting the second Saturdp,y in March at eleven o'clock. It hue j. been decided to have two classes of -shares, one hundred dollar shares an 1 fifty dollar shares, v Hooks will be open for subscription aR soon i.H i he company procures its commission from the Q Secretary of the State, after _ March 10.^ Yours, , ; M.D.Lee. f ? Subscribe for The News.