Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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. Ti VOL. 11, . .No. 40, SEMICONGRESS FEARS CRISIS IN AFFAIRS OF NAFION Question of Armed Merchantmen Absorbs Attention of Both Houses. DEMOCRATS DECIDE TO MAKE CANVASS win sound Sentiment of Body and Report to President With View to Securing Expression on New Decree of Central Powers. Washington, Feb. 23.?Agitation in congress for action warning Americans off armed ships of European belligerents suddenly grew to such proportions today that the Democrats of the \ foreign relations committee voted to canvass the sentiment of the house on several pending resolutions of that nature. Sentiment in the senate in favor of some such action also was openly expressed, but at the end of a day of surprises, tension and agitation such as had not been seen in congress in some time, the word came that President Wilson still was unalterably opposed to any such action Dy congress and believed that he would only be embarrassed thereby in the negotiations with Germany. To widely circulated suggestions that the situation had reached a point where the president would lay it before congress, that Secretary Lansing might in some way define the attitude of the government in a communication to Senator Stone and that a time had been fixed within which the United States would expect Germany to signify her intention to abandon the announced plan to sink armed merchant ships without warning the statement was made officially that nothing has been determin. ed upon, and that the situation, though grave, still was a waiting one, that no final position would be announced until Berlin was heard from. The sudden developments at the capitol brought surprise to the * administration leaders. While confronted with the pos siibility of congressional interference with all its aspects ranging from a defection from the administration policy to downright embarrassment of the pra^ident and the secretary ot state, the leaders were confident they could control the situation and leave the executive branch of the government fre^to carry on diplomatic negotiations with Germany. At no time today did the question come out openly on the floor of either the house or the senate, but about a score of congressmen who announced they were in favor of warning Americans, even if it involved a repudiation of'the administration policy, if thereby they thought war would be averted, kept both houses in a state of tension that practically blocked business. All the demonstration was in the Democratic ranks and there was no open show of sentiment among the Republicans. It was indicated, however, that Republican Leader Mann sympathized with President Wilson's policy and that any outbreak would have to reckon with his forces. From apparently authentic sources came statements tonight that the president was determined that the dispute pending with Germany be settled without prolonged delay. He continues to believe that the breaking off of diplomatic relations with Germany means war, and there will be no undue haste in handling the situation involving such a possibility. The administration view is that a broad and important. nrincinl<? ia invnl*/o/l t? , av a>? * VITbU 111 tllU right of Americana to travel on belligerent merchant ships and that right must not be abandoned. Developments are expected momentarily. Tomorrow may bring Germany's reply to the request of the United . States made Rust week through Ambasaador von Bernatorff for "as 4E L WEEKLY. SCORES ON MAN HUNT IN SOUTH MOUNTAIN I Charlie Mace of Burke County Shoots Wife and Then Disappears. Morganton, N. C., Feb.' 23.? Another horrible tragedy has been added to the already large list of the South Mountain section of this county, the wife of Charlie Mace having been shot to death by her husband, after he had driven his terrified children from the home Monday night. Scores of men are hunting Mace for whom a reward is offered. As usual, the news was slow in coming in from this section. The children, it iis said, spent fne night out of doors and a neighbor was told Tuesday morning by Mace that his wife had killed j herself. Asked why he had not notified anyone, he is reported to have said that he didn't "want anybody to know it." The neighbor, however, notified others and the officers were informed. Sheriff Berry, Deputies Hallman and Pipkin went to the scene. Mace, seeing them | .approach, armed himself heavily : and left. A little later his doc I was placed on his scent and Deputy Pipkin caught sight of Mace 1 and fired on him once, but the (officer's ffim wan nf UcrVif o caliber to be effective at the distance. Mace then disappeared over a ridge and was gone. The coroner's investigation showed that the wound wa? caused by a gunshot fired from a greater distance than would have been the case had there been a suicide and that an attempt had been made to fill the bullet hole with flour. It was also in evidence that Mace had threatened tc kill his wife, and the children i said that they had heard a scuffle and a shot, although they did not know that their mother was dead until the next morning. Sheriff Berry sent an automobile back to town for more officers, organized a small posse nnd searched all of vestordav for the fugitive. Last night lookout? were posted on elevations when" knowledge might be gained i1 Mace built a fire. At midnigh! Sheriff Berry returned to Mor. > canton for more men and enrh rooming organised a ross< of about 80, according to 'phone messages. , CITIMMINS'S HAT IV '.I THE RINO Candidate for President on Re publican Ticket. Des Moines, Iowa, Feb, 23.? 1 United States Senator Albert B ( Cummiins, of Iowa, today filer affidavit with the Secretary of , State as a candidate for thr , Presidency of the United Statej , on the Republican ticket. . similar affidavits will be filer , in Minnesota, Nebraska, Soutli ; i Dakota, Montana, Oregon anc Colorado. Local politicians received word today that the nam* of Senator Robert M. Lafollette of Wisconsin, will not go before ; the Republican primary in this I i State in April. "NO BILL" FOR DR. MADDOX 1 Union Doctor as Charge*} With Manslaughter. Union, S. C., Feb. 23.?The grand iury here today returned a "no bill" in the case of Dr. Theodore Maddox, recently charged with manslaughtr for alleged failure to properly attend young Hurley Stoddard, a boy accidentally shot by a companion. surances that the notice of intention to sink armed merchantmen without warnings after February. 29 does not nullify previous* pledges given in the Arabic and Lusitania negotiations. Official advices from Berlin have indicated that Germany will reply that previous assurances will not be affected, but that they apply only to unarpied shins, find nrnKnhlv , m r ?mar linn Vile American government for its i definition of defensive armaI ment which may be carried by a merchantmen without sacrificing its peaceful character. LANCASTER, S. C. CHOSEN TO HEAD COKER COLLE Dr. E. VV. Sikes Elected Pr dent. NOW AT WAKE FORI New Chief of Girls' Schoo Hartsville Has Splendid A1 tainments as Scholar. Hartsville, Feb. 23.?At meeting of the board of trust of Coker College in Hartsville , day, Dr. E. W. Sikes of W Forest, N. C., was unanimoi , elected president of this inst , tion. Since the death of Presid Howard Lee Jones, last Sept ber. the trustees and friends i the college have beer caref ' | considering the problem of j curing a worthy successor to 'this important place. W many names of competent , distinguished men have b ! suggested no one has been of ed the position until the elect | of Dr. Sikes. Some of the friends of . Sikes knew that he had recei visited Hartsville by invital , and had spoken at the First F tist church and in the coll auditorium and had made a n ! pleasant impression on the j I pie. It was suspected that was one of the names under < , sideration and rumor that it t , Dr. Sikes had been elected [ had accepted the presidency , fore the trustees met and t { definite action in the mat I The action of the trustees to ( gave reality to what was be1 j but rumor. \ Dr. Sikes was graduated fi , Wake Forest college in 1891 \ I the M. A. degree. He afterwf I ] continued his studies in Jo , Hopkins university, and in 1 received his Ph. D. degree fi I that institution. In 1898 he cepted a position in his a , mater as professor of politi . economy and has held that p .tion now for 18 years. Dr. Si ' is also dean of Wake Forest j lege and is not only one of most accomplished and valuj men of the faculty of that , stitution but very popular v , the students. Dr. Sikes is i , popular with the people of native State, and has been member of the North Caro senate. He is a prominent j influential layman of the I tist denomination and is . I much demand for lectures addresses on Christian edi ; tion, Sunday school work .; the Laymen's Missionary mi . ment. 1 It is understood that Dr. S f will assume the responsibili ? of his new position soon a ; | the close of the present ses: 1 of Wake Forest enllpcro Tr? ??" I meantime the work of Coker i lege is being carried on i I highly satisfactory way by . present faculty under the i pervision of the executive c mittee of the board of trust ; The work on the new buildi i; is progressing rapidly now the future of the institution 'bright with promise of incri ing success and prosperity. 1 VETERANS TO GATHER IN ROCK HI j Gen. B. H. Teague, for Old I diers. Accents Invitation c The "Good Town." J Rock Hill. Feb. 23.?The ited Connederate Veterans . South Carolina, will meet in 1 city, the invitation of the R Hip Chamber of Commerce. U. D. C. chapters and citiiz in genersl having been accer jby Gen. B. H. Teague in bel I of the Veterans. Lste in A or early in May will be the ti the exact date will be fixed i short time. Blease Will Be Candidate Agi Columbia. Feb. 22.?Cole j Blease, former governor, nounced definitely today that will be a candidate for gover Ith's summer. He issued a statement, wh is very mild, reiterating his policies. ? m i . 4 ^STER FKBKUAKY 25, 1916 CAN T ALLOW ?GGE KIENT OF SIGHTS; esi- Wilson Makes Clear Position on Sub ieet. 5ST STANDS FOR LAW WITHOUT CHANGE 1 in U President Tells Congress America Must Be Ready To Uphold Rules. ; a tees Washington, Feb. 24.?Presia^ke <*en* W^son? ftt the en(* ?t two ls]y days of agitation in congress for itu- action warning Americans off lent armed merchant vessels, wrote a em- letter tonight to Senator Stone. ul?y chairman of the senate loreign se_ relations committee, stating that i fill he could not consent to the hile abridgment of the rights of Amand -ican citizens in any respect, een "The honor and self-respect of tion the nation is involved," he said. "We covet peace and shall pre-' serve it at any cost but the loss' 1^.]v of honor." j.j0'n The president expressed hope lap- that explanation of the declared ege intention of the central powers lost t? sink armed merchant ships leo- without warning would put a dif leient aspect on a situation on- which now seemed to present insuperable obstacles. "We have an(j had no reason to question their be- good faith or their fieldity to ook their promises in the past." he ter added, "and I for one feel conchy fident that we shall have none in fore the future." The letter was in answer to rom one written late this afternoon vith by Senator Stone outlining the irds situation existing at the capitol, hns where since yesterday morning $97 persistent demand has been rom niade for some action which ac_ might lessen the possibility of lma war between the United States icaj and Germany. The president's osj. statement will be repeated to1]<es morrow to Speaker Clark, Repcol resentative Kitchin, majority leader, and Representative ^bi0 Flood, chaiman of the house in.i foreign affairs committee, who yjtb late today asked for an engagealso iment in order to explain the his position in which the house finds a | itself and asked the president lina for a statement of the adminand istration's views. lap in PROTESTS AGAINST and FEDERAL ACTION uca and Germany Claims Appam ExDve empt From Proceedings. ikes Washington, Feb. 23.?Formtjes al representations were made to the state department today by sjon the German embassy against the ^he Proceedings brought in the ^,Qj_ federal court at Norfolk to ren a turn the captured British liner +jje Appam to her owners. su_ In a note presented by Count om- von Bernstorff, the German amees bassador, it is contended that n ' many precedents as well as the and ! ^erms the Prussian-American ; treaty provide that no legal aceas t'on can against the Appam, | held by a German crew as a prize of war, nor against Lieut. Berg, her commander. It is also j contended that inasmuch as ILL Lieut. Berg has extra territoric . al rights no legal action can lie ^ol" against him. ! The note suggests that when i the case comes up in court, .j March 2, that the state departun" ment inform the court of the ?> terms of the treaty. this ock Home Celebrates Anniversary of the Washington's Birth, ens Rome, Feb. 23.?Washing,ted ton's birthday was commemnr lalf ated in Rome by the decoration Dril of the leading hotels with Amme, erican flags, although the visitn a ?ng Americans at present number only a few hundred, whereas-at this season many thoua:n sands of them usually throng ' the city, t L.! A reception was held by an- Thomas Nelson Pag?, American he' ambassador to Italy at his resinor dence, the Plazzo del Drago. Tt was largely attended by the dilich , plomatic representatives of Chile old Argentina and Cuba being among those present. ne> CHARLESTON JURY BEGINS INQUIK Investigates Shooting in Cor mittee Meeting. Charleston, Feb. 23.?In ban ing to the grand iurv in tl court of general sessions th morning the indictments again Henry Brown and E. R. M Donald, charged with assault ai battery with intent to kill, So citor Henry told the jury th during the shooting occurring the city Democratic executr committee room at the time tl defendants are charged wii having committed assault ai battery with intent to kill, life was lost and he advised the to take up an investigation 1 the more serious crime first, fi ing, if possible, the respon? bility for the death of Sidney Cohen on some person or pe sons. After an exhaustive i vestigation of the more serioi aspect of the affair the solicit* told the grand jury to then tal up the cases in which assault ai battery with intent to kill charged. .juuge ivjcL-eocl charged tl jury with reference to the affa and stressed the need of tl grand jury doing its full dut He said the court would give i possible assistance and ai necessary protection. Forem; Leland Moore of the grand jui suggested that the jury mig need a stenographer in this i vestigation and was told by tl court to go ahead and get all a sistance needed. Foreman Moo also said that the jury wou want the complete records of tl testimony taken at the inque that followed the killing of M Cohen. HISTORIC HOUSE BURNE "Dundora" Built by Thomas .Ic ferson. Destroyed. Richmond, Va., Feb. 23. 'Dundora," a home built ne Monticello, by Thomas .Toffersn for his nephew. Peter Jeffers* Car, and latterly occupied by tl family of the late John P>. Moo was destroyed by fire at an ear hour this morning. The cause the blaze is not known. Mrs. Belle Maury and Miss Esther, Mary. Sallie. Agnes ai Ann Moon, members of the fai ily who occupied the house. < caped with only their clothin JANUARY COTTON EXPORr I Decreased Forty Per Cent Coi pared With January, 1915. Washington, Feb. 23.?Cott exports for January decreas more than 40 per cent compar with January, 1915, and whe ; exports dropped nearly 50 p ! cent, while exports of meat a dairy products increased c preciably. Department of coi merce figures made public 1 day show that compared wi January, 1915, exports of cott [decreased from nearly $60,00 1000 to $34,000,000; wheat frc $33,000,000 to $17,760,000 a: breadstuffs from $55,000,000 $37,000,000. Meat and dairy pi ducts increased from $18,00< ,000 to $21,000,000, and minei oils from $8,700,000 to $11,70' 000. BLOOD CIRCULATION SHOWN BY MOVIl Microscopic Films At Last T ken After Several Months of Effort. Battle Creek. Mich.. Feb. 23. AT;Cvo?cor>ic moving pictur showing blood circulation in h mans have been completed at | sanitarium here under the d ection of Dr. C. E. Stewart. Ralph Devol. official sanits ium photographer, superinten ed the making of the films. The pictures, said to be the first their kind, will show how t blood is circulated through tl body where how ip'1 why o I ^fractions arise and the metho rye treating poor circulation, i It took several months, und most tryng circumstances, produce theses pic+ure<- Th? ?re said to be exceptional cVar. and will be used in ill us mating health talks througho the country. - &' . vs $1.50 A YEAR. v GERMAN CROWN PRINCE " LEADING MIGHTY FORCE d-.j f ? - le i* uncus engagement on Westjs! ern Front With Great Fort-' ' ress of Verun Probably Teuton's Objective. c-l id FRENCH ADMIT GERMANS li- HAVE MADE BIG ADVANCES Italians Admit That at One Point Austrians Succeeded In ve Penetrating Their First Lines. th id ^ Troops belonging to seven m army corps, under Crown Prince ()j. Frederick William, are engaged along a twenty-five-mile front north of Verdun in a desperate V i effort to drive back the French ' * jdefending forces, probably with the capture of the great fortress "'of Verdun in view, y I There had been very heavy fighting for a considerable per, iod in this district of the French / i war zone, but within the last few ls,days the attacks of the Germans I j'uive taken on added strength. . . The battle line has been extendII ed and now reaches from Malanie . i court, on tne west, to retain, on *jj j the east, with Verdun in the cgn! tre. only a few miles southward. I The Germans claim to have made important advances, and to . \ some extent these are admitted by the French war office, which , ~ describes the battle as one of increasing intensity. The German preparations were ,, extensive and the bombardment ,'4 of the French positions with V thousands of shells was interrS rupted. As the French had forer" seen this battle all their availble guns were called into action D and responded to the heavy * | shelling of the Germans. While at some points the French were unable to resist the onslaught of the attacking ? forces, along much of the front, ar according to the Paris comrnum, nication, the attacks were well an sustained and very heavy losses he were inflicted on the Germans, m. Another British steamer, the Iv Westburn, has put into port tlyof ing the German flag and with a German prize crew aboard. This es vessel h:is reached Santa Cruz, nd Teneriffe. She has on board 206 n- prisoners taken from various ?s- British vessels sunk by German ig. raiders. In the British Parliament Premier Asquith, in reply to questions concerning the posm' sibility of peace, reiterated his former pronouncement that on there would be no peace until efj conditions previously set down e(j were njet. These included the ,al restoration of Belgium and Ser ier ma ana tne overthrow ol "Trusn(j sian militarism." ,p_' While President Wilson is de? rn_ clared to be unalterably opposed! 0_ to any action by Congress with respect to warning Americans on ofT armed merchantmen of the 0 _ belligerent nations of Europe, (r^ agitation in Congress in this dinf]j rection has grown to marked proportions, and Washington 0. advices say that the Democrats 0t_ of the foreign affairs committee had voted to canvass the senti0,. ment of the House on pending resolutions bearing on that question. ? ? * The Administration leaders 3S at Washington, it is further declared, are confident that they 'a- will be able to control the situation so that the executive rancn ot the Government may ? be free to carrv on diplomatic es, notations with Germany, u- On the Russian and Austrian a fronts there has been considerir able fighting, and the Italians admit that at one point the Autr strians succeeded in penetratd ing their lines, so No late advices have been reof "pved from the Caucasus, where he the Russians are continuing lie their pursuit of the retreating b- Turks. d? 1 Judge Peurifoy Sworn In. er to Columbia, Feb. 22.?James E. ?v j Peurifoy was tod~y commission ly ed as judge of the 14th judP'M it- circuit. He took the oath o i*u+|fice before Associate J "t:ce ^'Hydrick, of the suprerr: -o >rt.