The Lancaster news. (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, December 01, 1916, Image 1
[, The Lancaster News
i VOL. 12, NO. 15, SEMI-WEEKLY. LANCASTER, S. C., FKJDAV, DEC. 1, 191(>. ' *1.50 A VEAK
SHERIFFS SLA)
?ants Attempt to
umber Shot Otfii
In SelfYork,
Nov. 28.?All testimony In
the ease of the State against Ernest
iBenhower. Jesse Morrison and Jas.
T. Hawls charged with the murder
' j of Sheriff A. D. Hood in Winnsboro
? on June 14. 1916, was finished tonight
at 6 o'clock, and tomorrow,
following arguments by the attorneys,
the case will go to the Jury.
Judge Mauldin has limited the arguments
to one and one half hours
for each side. Solicitor J. K. Henry
and Thomas F. Mellow will present
the State's side of the case and Cole
L. niease, J. W. Hanahan, A. L. Gaston
and John It. Hart will speak in
behalf of the defendants.
Court will convene in the morning
at 9 o'clock, half an hour earlier
than usual, and it is thought that the
case will be in the hands of the Jury
by 1 o'clock. Among the State's
witnesses this morning were J. A.
Scott, Jr., and K. A. Finley, special
deputies of SherilT Hood.
Scott testified that as the sheriff's
party entered the court house yard
Clyde and Ernest Isenhower tried to
get ahead of them and attempted
to get close to the sheriff. As the officers
were going up |he stairway*
witness testified that Clyde Iseohowet
ran quit kly to the side of the
steps and declared that Morrison,
one of the defendants, called "Now
is the time." whereupon Clyde Isenhower
fired one shot at the prisoner
In the fusillade that followed witness
said* he saw Morrison shoot and saw
Efl?&st Isenhower with a pistol in hi*
hand.
Finley testified that he saw Clyde
Isenhower aim through the bannister
of the stairway, whereupon sheriff
Hood said to him, "we won't give
hfftr uti:"~TfmttWTtf[WSne> this re
mark Clyde Isenhower fired. Witness
declared he was positive that
Sheriff Hood did not return the fire
until after he had been wounded.
This afternoon Rawls Morrison
and Isenhower in the order named
took the stand in their own defense.
Pawls testified that the reason hewas
in possession of a pistol on theday
of the tragedy was that a borrowed
weapon had been returned to
him after he reached town. He
said Clyde Isenhower fired the tlrsi
->ii(ii in ine aiinir wnien was i??11??v
ed by a general fusillade. Witness
declared he turned his hack as Show
ift Hood attempted to draw Jiis pisto'
N
Morrison said that he was standing:
outside the Court house yard
when the sheriff's party rode up.
and followed the crowd inside where
he saw Clyde Isenhower shoot the
negro. Hood returned the fire, he
claimed, and he went to Clyde Isenhower's
assistance after the latter
was wounded. Witness declared
that he had no pistol and that the
only part he took in the affair was
to render assistance to Clyde Isenhower.
Ernest Isenhower said that following
? conversation with Solicitor
Henry about the approaching trial h
reached the court house yard just
after the sheriff's party had entered
the enclosure. He saw his brother.
Clyde Isenhower. point his pistol
through the banisters and shoot the
COLUMBIA WILl
SOLDIE
Columbia. Nov. 28.- -Columbians
are preparing to give the men and
officers of the First regiment a rousing
welcome when they return to
South Carolina. City council has ap
proprinted $1,000 for the entertainment
of the soldier hoys. The entertainment
will in all likelihood taK<
the form of an old fashioned harberue.
The regiment is now rolling
hack to South Carolina and is expected
at Camp Moore early Wednesday
morning. Three special trains
^are being used and the trains ar<moving
over the Southern route.
Arrangements are being made foi
a big military review in Columbia
and It is expected that thousands of
South Carolinians will come to the
capital for this event. The troops
will pass in review before Gov. Man
YING DESCRIBEE
Prove Only One of Then
cial And He Fired
Defense.
negro Jule Smith and paid Hood Inv
mediately returned the fire. Witnesi
said that Clyde Isenhower shot at th*
sheriff after the former fell wouno
ed. Ernest Isenhower went to hii
brother's assistance. He declarec
that Raleigh Boulware, one of th<
deputies who lost his life in the af
fair, shot at him, the bullet strik
ing his coat, whereupon the witnesi
stated that he returned the fire, dis
cnarging one snot only. Ernest Isen
hower declared that the only shot hi
fired In the affair was in self
defense.
The defendants have endeavoret
to prove by their own testimony, an<
that of their witnesses, that Sherif
Hood and the negro Jule Smith weri
killed by Clyde Isenhower and als<
that after shooting the negro Isen
hower did not fire on the sheriff un
til the officer Had wounded Isen
hower.
All day a large crowd filled tin
court room, scores of persons fron
Fairfield and Chester counties beinj
in the audience. The outcome o
the trial is being awaited with keei
Interest.
ISK\IIOWHH, MOItlllSON \\l>
It A WI.S \C<J!ITTK1
Verdict Itetnrned in Afternoon \ftc
Onl> lirief Tiine Spent in
Ifelibernt ion.
York, Nov. 2k.?"Not guilty" wa
the verdict returned at :t o'clock thi
afternoon by the jury in the case o
the State against Ernest Isenhower
Jesse Morrison and James T. Itawls
charged with the murder of Sherif
Adam 1). Hood on the steps of tin
Fairfield county court house a
Winnsboro on June 14, I1 .">. Tin
case went to the jury at 1 o'cloci
after which court adjourned for tn?
noon recess. The verdict was re
turned immediately upon the recon
jvening of court for the afternoon scs
sion.
The verdict which marked thi
ringing down of the curtain on tin
nfterniath to the wioely known Fair
field tragedy was heard in silenc
by the hundred or more person
present in the court room there he
ir.g no semblance of a demonstrate^
flf any kind. Since the beginnini
of the trial Monday morning then
had been few times when the audi
torium was not tilled with spectator
but when the finding of the jury wa
rend by the clerk there were man;
empty seats due to the fact that hun
dreds who had followed the progres
'of the case with unflagging interes
had not yet gathered in the coiir
room many thinking that the verdic
would not he rendered until later ii
the afternoon.
All the testimony in the case wa
finished yesterday afternoon and a
fi o'clock this morning the argument
, began each side being allowed on
and one-half hours for this purpose
Thomas P. McDow of York made th
opening argument for the State fol
lowed by ('. L. Blease of Columbia
.1 W. Ilanahan of Winnsboro am
John R. Hart of York for the de
fendants. The closing argument fo
the State was made by Solicitor J. 1<
Henry.
I GIVE
RS A WELCOMl
ning. members of his staff and othe
prominent men of the State. Ar
rangements are also being made t<
bring the men of the regiment to Co
lumhia for the Thanksgiving I)n:
game between the University o
South Carolina and the Citadel. Th
ramP 1" in good condition for tlie re
turn of the troops. The water sup
ply has been inspected and th<
pumps placed in running condition
Maj. Frank VV. Glenn, quartermaster
has placed an order for the sup
plies. It Is expected that about 1?
days will be required to muster th>
men out. This means that they wll
return to their home stations earlj
In December.
No prediction can be made as t<
when the Second regiment will be or
dered home.
\
> TREVINOSHORT
. - OF AMMUNITION
STILL SEEM HOPEFUL.
'
. Declare Evacuation of Chihua
* hua if it Has Occurred, is
Only Temporary Move.
s Juarez, Mex., Nov. 28.?For th>
1 first time since the report gained cir
9 culation a Carranza official here ad
- mltted late today the possibility tha
* Gen. Trevlno had been forced ti
3 evacuate Chihuahua City because o
- a shortage of ammunition. This of
- flcial declared that a retirement t<
p Sauz, if made, was for military rea
- sons only. He added that Trevin<
would move southward as unnn ?
1 Murguia reached the scene of action
1 Carranza officials exhibited a tele
f gram dated November 2 7 as proo
e that Trevino was in Chihuahua Cit;
i yesterday.
According to the ofhcers in charg
- ot Carranza headquarters here Gen
- Francisco Gonzales will have 2,.r>oi
men when the garrison troops ii
northwestern Chihuahua, which havi
, been ordered to move immediately
t assemble at Sauz. Gen. Gonzale
f was expected to arrive at Sauz a
, noon and to lead the movement ti
Chihuahua City at once. He was a
Lnguna station. 29 miles north o
Sauz this morning, according to i
message received over the fedora
* line, which is in operation to Sauz.
\ garrison of approximately SOi
t men was said to have been stationei
at Sauz to operate against the rov
ing bands of Villa bandits. With tin
4 00 men Gen. Gonzales took fron
s the garrison here and the force:
s | f rom western Chihuahua and tin
f [stations between Juarez and Sauz
. the Jurez commander will have ;
. war strength brigade of approxi
i mately 2,500, with machine guns, a
t*'least two field pieces and plenty o
> ammunition, according to Carranzi
r* officials.
< 1 ' A trop train arrived over th<
f Mexican Northwestern railroad fron
Cas Grandes late last night with tin
loo Carranza troops stationed theri
on board. There is no unusual ex
citement in Juarez today and then
r. was no troop movement after the do
r parture of Gen. Gonzales* specia
train. Rumors here and in F1 Pas<
of bandit forces appearing at Sam
c aiavuca. near Innro? :inil nf r?tv>?
places during the night woro denioi
n at military headquarters. whom i
[? was stated no bandits were known t
r> bo north of Chihuahua City. Th
report that Villa was moving nortn
v whieh was in circulation here las
? night and caused many to go to th
y Amerhan side, was not substantiate;
. by developments today, it was stated
^ Wlbsox \N|> AMKHICVXS
, ATTACK Kl> IIV TKITOV
n Wilson "Can Never lie Suitable Me
diator for Peace," One Newss
paper Decliiirs.
t Berlin. Nov. 20. via London, Nov
s 30-.?The Merlin papers print prom
e inently a summary of the Associate*
>. Tress Washington dispatch of No
e vember 10. which was greatly (le
laved in reaching them. Where com
. ments are made it i;* evident tha
ri the attitude of the American gov
- ernment has created a bad impres
r sion. The papers fail to see thi
'grounds at this moment for sudden):
'alleging that the l.usitania questioi
remains unsettled.
Moth conservative and Liberal or
pans agree in condemning the arti
tude ascribed to the American gov
I
^ ernment respecting German suhnia
r rine activities on the American coa<-t
' They point out that Germany is full>
complying with the American tieT
mand that submarine operations fol
low the cruiser provisions of Th<
!> Hague convention, even refraining
- from firing torpetloes while undoi
water. The papers also reject th<
''assumption that the cruise of th<
IT-53 had the character of a block
* ?(le of American harbors and fail tr
see justification for regarding it a;
p "offensive."
I The post pronounces this charac
* terization as "far fetched and rathei
* clumsy."
' The Morgen Post says that !
President Wilson takes the stand In1
dlcated by the dispatch he can nevei
k be a suitable mediator for peace and
that his intervention could only make
> the situation more dangerous and
place new obstacles in the way ol
peace.
CLOSES IIS CASE
I AGAINST WATSON
PASSAGE OF INTEREST.
- Excitement When Ex-Populist
Charges Persecution and
Prosecutor Retorts.
e Augusta, Ga., Nov.^28.?The gov
eminent rested Its case late today in
- the trial of Thomas E. Watson of
t Thomphon, Ga., after the session developed
into what Judge W. W. Lanif'dln,
presiding, termed a "school in
-.Latin." Watson is being tried in feoyeral
district court on charges of ha\-iing
sent obscene matter through the
r? mails, portions of which were in
k Latin. The latter part of the morn,
ing and all the afternoon were devoted
to translations by college prof
feasors and students and cross-examy
illation of them by counsel for th?
defense.
r> As soon as the government finished
, its case Watson sought to put in ev'l?
d< nee his "literary character" and on
i objection of the prosecution it was
r? decided to await until tomorrow to
. argue the point. When Watson was
? tried here last year on the same
t charges introduction of this was al,
lowed.
t Karlier in the day passages between
f Watson, who is acting as his own
i leading counsel, and District Attor1
torney Donaldson had been followed
by an admonition trom Judge Dnini
din that "counsel must not make peri
sonal remarks t?? eai-li^other." Dis
trict Attorney Donaldson had the
jury taken out of the court room to
i give him an opportunity to announce
s that if Watson continued to charge;
f before the jury that "the Roman
, Catholic church" was connected with
\ the case, despite "repeated rulings
- or the court," he would ask for a
r mistrial. Watson in reply asserted
r that "this is a most infamous persei
cution." and reiterated liis charges.
Judg<\*Lamdip held that there was
p nothing to show that such was the
i case and before the jury had been
p recalled he warned Watson that if
p he could "not control himself" he
- could no longer act as his own conn
i? sol. During the discussion which
- preceded the judge's admonition Wat
1 son suddenly turned to a man in the
[ court room and said, "This man
- Move lias twice attempted my life."
r S. M. Move, a United States deputv
1 collector of internal revenue, half
>\ rose to his feet and murmured a re
> ply which later was said to he: "1
<- did not."
I _\ ,\ flirthnr tuonlion ?? .?? "" -1 *
,, iiicimiwii n ?in imiu*' ??i
i this and Move was again a spectato'r
r? ia the rt room during the afters
roon. His only official connection
I. with tho case has been to aid court
officers at times in handling the
crowds which have sought admis*
sion.
- IIKMIY I OKI) l?l.lv\SKl>
WITH SI'AltTA N CITY
Automobile Maiiulart ui-cr Visit-South
Carolina to See Cotton
, Mills in Operation.
i- Spartanburg. Xov. 20. Honrv
- Ford, the automobile manufacture"
- of Detroit, who is spending several
t weeks at Asheville. X. (V. came to
- Spartanburg yesterday and spent the
- night in this city. The purpose of
p .Mr. Ford's visit to this city was to
/ see a cotton gin in operation and to
1 visit some of the cotton mills situated
here. Today was the first time
- the famous automobile manufacturer
- had ever seen a cotton gin or a
- Southern cotton mill.
While in the city Mr. Ford commented
on the fine hospitality of
f the Southern people and on the re
election of Woodrow Wilson. He
- said that some day he hoped to
p make his home here in the South,
r "where the people think less of the
r dollar and more of the finer things
> oi me.
- TIIKKK MII.LS <;i\ K
> INTHKASK IN WALKS
Augusta, Ga., Nov. 28.?The Graniteville
Manufacturing company, op
orating three cotton mills in South
t'arolina just across the river from
Augusta, today announced an int
crease of 10 per cent in the wages of
>ts employes, effective yesterday. The
payroll is $2f>0,000 annually. The
I Granitevllle properties are in the
> hands of receivers and are undergoI
ing a reorganization which will leave
' them in the possession of the stockholders.
STRIVING TO A
About to Make Renewed
lin Against Deportt
to Work in
Washington, Nov. 28.?New repre-|
sentations are about to be made to
jthe German government by the
United States concerning the deportation
of Belgian civilians for labor
in Germany. What form they shall
fake has not been determined, but it
became known tonight that the adI
ministration is seriously exercised
|over the matter and is preparing for
jitR next step with great deliberation,
'hoping to make it effective without
straining the relations between the
two countries. American Charge
Grew at Berlin recently took up this
question informally with the German
foreign office, and at the state
I department's direction said that a
I most unfavorable impression was be- j
Hng created in neutral countries. |
(particularly the United States. Hisi
effort was unavailing, however. Thej
foreign office, in a note now on its!
way to Washington, replied that de- |
portation of the Belgians was a mil-!
itary necessity and was being carried
on in accordance with international
law governing the treatment of pop-'
illations in conquered territory.
The charge's preliminary report,
the latest appeal for aid from the
Belgian government and other information
in the hands of the state de
partment were discussed tit today's
cabinet meting and Secretary Lansing
remained with the President for
nearly half an hour after the other
members left. Ambassador Gerard,
here for final conferences before returning
to Berlin, and Col. K. M.
WVAItltS rovrit.\< TS
fob un it iu<; ships.
Daniels l.etv out Work of < 'nn^l fueling
t.Uiarteito of Battlecraft
and Twenty-nine Submarines.
Washington. Nov. J'.t. ?Secretary
Daniels awarded contracts today for
more than $66,000,000 worth of new
fighting ships for the navy, including
four battleships, $11.000,00i) cnli,
two tleet submarine-; at approximately
$1.1 fin.una each, and -7 const submarines
at from $094.onu to $098,000
each.
1 These vessels comprise the balk of
the great building program of 60
craft of various types appropriated
for by the last session of eongresv
Bids for four battlecraft cruisers
win i>?- received uecenmer ?>. next#
and f<ir three scout cruisers on January
:l with the hope of completing
the task of putting all the ships under
contract within the six months
limit set hv congress. Already the
house naval committee is at work on
the 1 ;i 18 hill and early in the spring
the department must tind building
jfacilit es for at least three more battleships.
one battle cruiser and a proportionate
number of other craft re
maining on the three year construction
program. The bill to be put
through this winter for the navy will
[carry a total of nearly $40o.ooo.000.
JURY CONVICTS
POLITICO
i
Huntsville. Ala., Nov. 28. David
I>. Overton, former clerk of the Madison
county court, one time chief of
police of Huntsville and prominent in j
political circles in north Alabama, to-;
day was found guilty of murder in!
tlio first (legrep on a c harge of having
killed Probate Judge William L.
Lawler, his political opponent, here
last June. The jury recommended
that the death penalty by hanging he
inflicted. The former clerk wan sentenced
to die January 12 but on motion
of his counsel for an appeal
Judge Miller suspended the sentence.
Before pronouncing the sentence.
Judge Miller asked the prisoner if he
had anything to say.
"Mot guilty," was the reply in a
voice that was hardly audible.
Overton was removed to the countv
jail, where he will remain pend'ng
further action by his attorneys.
The case was given to the Jury at
0:20 p. m. yesterday, and the verdict
returned at 11:3(1 o'clock this morn-!
irg \fter deliberating until, shortly
sftor 10 o'clock last night, the jury
Retired. The 12 men arose this morn-^
SSJST BELGIANS
Representations to Berition
of Thousands
Germany.
House also talked over the plight ot
the Belgians during visits to the
White House and the state department.
It was said later that this situation
had made such a profound impression
that for the present at least
i? had displaced in interest the submarine
issue.
Ambassador Gerard did not see thePresident,
but at Mr. Wilson's request
deferred his plan to leave for
New York and will see him tomorrow.
Regardless of whether it is decided
to instruct Charge Grew to act furthur
immediately in the Belgian
matter, the ambassador will be given
the President's personal views on
that subject as well as concerning
the latest developments in submarine
warfare.
State department officials admit
that the government is proceeding
with the greatest difficulty in endeavoring
to help the unfortunate
Belgians. They say that virtually
the only basis for representations Is
the broad ground of humnnitv nnr?
that it almost impossible to establish
an uncontrovertible statement of thefacts
in the case.
The refusal of the British government
to grant safe conduct to fount
Tarnowiski. the new Austro-Hungarian
ambassador to the United
State-, also was brought up at today's
cabinet meeting and dissatisfaction
was generally expressed. Any
step that may be taken by theUnited
States will be delayed until
full consideration has neen given the
British note on the subject.
Contracts for two battleships each
were awarded today to the New York
shipbuilding company and the Newport
News Shipbuilding & Dry dock
company. Secretary Daniels announced
that the company had agreect
to the department's . specifications.
calling for turboelectric propulsion.
It was this point which delayed the
awards.
Three of the new submarines will
be built by the California Shipbuilding
company of Long lleach, Cal., 18
resist and one 8a0 ton fleet submarine
went to the .'electric Moat company
of New York and the remaining
six small boats and one 850 ton boat
went to the Lake Torpedo Moat company
of Bridgeport. Conn.
The new battleships will be sister
ships to the California and Tennessee.
now under construction, except
that they will be lilted to carry eight
1 tj-inch rifles instead of 12 14-inch.
They will displace about 82.500 tons.
The two fleet submarines will be of"
the socalled 800 ton types and similar
in size to the German l'-53,
which called recently at Newport. K .
I before making a raid on allied
commerce of Nantucket. A thijrd'
boat n?" ihia ui vo i.? l-i-i ? -
... ... .i 111 u\; itiiil U1JV> U ill.
?he Portsmouth navy yard where the
1,-8 is nearing completion.
The coast submarines will range
between 4 7 4 and 550 tons, acco -ding
to design.
ALABAMA
iN OF MURDER
ir.g about 8 o'clock, had breakfast
and immediately resumed deliberation.
When the verdict was read there
was a noticeable expression of surprise
on Overton's face. The Alabama
law provides for an alternative
penalty for first degree murder,,
death by hanging or life imprisonment.
Judge I.awler's body was found in
a slough of the Tennessee beneath
the Whltesburg bridge, ten miles
imm nore, June 17 after he had been
missing from his home three days.
His body was weighted down with
railroad Iron. There were abrasions
on the head and a bullet wound was
found. Shelby Pleasants, a Huntsville
attorney, and Sheriff Robert
Phillips of Madison county shot and
killed themselves three days apart,
the next week. They left word they
could not bear suspicion which they
believed was pointed to them in connection
with the killing.
Overton testifying at his trial admitted
he shot and killed the judgeon
the eight of Jure 14. but declared'
it was in self-dnlenao. jj