The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, April 05, 1920, Image 1
Abbeville Press and Banner
f _
Established 1844. $2.00 the Year. Tri-Weekly. Abbeville, Monday, April 5, 1920 Single Copies, Five Cents. 76th Year.
GOSSETT TRW
COM
Grand Jury Brings
Kenneth and John
. x * n
With Kape- 1V1<
of Veni
> The grand jury brought in a true
bill in the case of Kenneth and John
Gossett, charged with rape, Monday
morning, being out only for about
an hour. J. S. Morse was foreman
of grand jury.
The case of1 the two Gossetts,
charged wih criminal assault on two
younjr girls here Sunday March 14,
was called at 10 o'clock at a special
i nrtni-r Judex' T. S. Sease,
term ui w
Spartanburg, presiding. The court!
room was crowded with people. '
Proctor Bonham, of Bonham and
Price, for defense, moved a chancre
oL venue, and Judge Sease will
probably hear the motion argued
Tuesday morning, though / no
definite time was set for the hearing.*
Court was adjourned at 12 o'
i
clock and the petit jurors excused
until Wednesday morning.
#?
In making his motion for a
Rr.nVi?m men
change of venue, -?n.
tioned among his reasons for asking I
the change that a request for militia
has been made. Judge Sease said I
that he had made no request fon
militia and that such action should
have been initiated by him; that in
fact none but the court had the
right to make request for a military
company. He further said that had a
military company come to Abbeville
that he would not have allowed it to
come ino the court room.
On being asked by Mr. Bonham as
to his attiude about making a re~
V* P+
quest for militia to guaru
mob violence, Judge Sease said that
it was his inclination not to bring
militia to Abbeville, but that he
would come to a definite decision on|
that point after he had heard the
argument on the motion for a
change of venue and had read affi-J
davits from citizens from various
I
sections of the county as to the prevailing
sentiment about the case. It
is proposed by attorneys for de-|
fense to secure affidavits to show
that a fair trial cannot be obtained j
for the two Gossetts in this county. |
In making his motion for a
change of venue attorney for defense
said that the motion was,
j_ i ? -pr,;? onr) imnflrtial
maut; uecauac a 11*41. ?x
trial could not be obtained in the
county; that the family connection
of witnesses for the prosecution was
prominent, while the two Gossetts
were strangers in the county; that
the jury would be awed by a show
of military here; that defendants
had been unable to obtain local counsel
in the case, but the prosecution
had been able to secure tne services
of one of the local bar, asserting
' that every member of the local bar
had been approached, but that all
had declined to represent defendants.
It was brought out that no order
has been issued by Governor Cooper
or the adjutant general for militia
to be sent here during the trial.
At the request ot tfonham ana
Price, attorneys for defense, Kenneth
and John Gossett were taken
from Columbia to Gi-eenville and
placed in jail there last Monday.
Solicitor H. S. Blackwell, of the
Eighth Judicial Circuit, George Bell
Timmerman, solicitor of the Eleventh
-circuit, and J. Howard Moore,
Abbeville, are in charge of the
prosecution. iniiiiieiiiiuii nu*
been employed in the case and is not
acting in his capacity as solicitor
Bonham and Price. Greenville, are
counsel for defense.
"One of the affidavits, seru-e 1 front
.T. S. Mor?e, foreman of the grand
iL
MENCED HERE
in True Bill Against
Gossett, Charged
3tion for Change
le Made
ury, relative to the possibility of a
air trial in JSSbeville, is appended:
tate of South Carolna, \
'ountv of Abbeville.
The State
vs
Kenneth Gossett and John
Gossett
Defendants
Personally appeared before me
oel S. Morse, who, on oath says that
e is foreman of file uranu Jury ior
Abbeville County. That he has lived
n Abbeville all his lif(T, knows the
eople of the County well and is'
amiliar with local conditions. That
e has heard discussed the case
gainst the above named defendnts,
that in his opinion it would
ot be safe to bring them back to
Abbeville County for trial. That he
elieves in the interests of justice
nd of all parties concerned, the
enue of the trial ought to be
hanged to sflme other County in
he Circuit. That in his capacity as
oreman of the Grand Jury, de onent
wrote Governor Cooper to
he effect, that he thought it would I
e best not to bring the defendants
ack to Abbevile County for trial.
Joel S. Morse.
LOND ISSUE ELECTION
CARRIES BY 82 VOTES;
The bond issue election Saturday
o decide the question of $450,000
tond issue for top soil roads in this
ounty was carried by a majority of
2 votes, there being 309 votes for
nd 227 votes against.
A very small vote was cast showng
the little interest that was maniested
in the election in all parts of
the county. The vote in Abbeville
was 90 for and 62 against.
Three precincts voted against the
ssue; Central, 6 for, 40 against;
Calhoun Falls, 19 for, 43 against;
Lowndesville, 36 for, 39 against.
There were no votes cast at
Keowee.
I The result by precincts follows:
For Against
Abbeville 90 62
Gilliams Gin 16 4
)ue West 26 19
'Antreville 76 10
[Central 6 40
(Calhoun Falls 19 43
Donalds 19 9
T J ...Ml ? on Oft
sijwiiuedv IUC O\J ou
Rock Springs 5 0
Keowee 0 0
1 ..evel Land 22 4
Total 309 230
i THE WOMANLESS WEDDING
I
| Rehearsals of the Womanless Wedi
'ing are being held every night and
Miss Miller, who is directing, anI
lounces that the cast is being whip|
ed into shape rapidly.
The public is promised a treat in
Mr. Fred Cason as bride and Sher^
i r* i.
ff ISurts as tiower giri. uapv. jaw
'Perrin as mother of the bi'ide will
I lso prove a drawing card.
I The show will be given in the
")pera House Wednesday evening at
i :30 o'clock. Admission, 50, 25, with
! eserved seats at 7G cents. The proeeds
of the show will go to the
library fund.
Professor Peterson to Speak
Prof. Vord Peterson, professor of
agricultural education at Clemson
nd state supervisor of the teaching
of agriculture unrlor the Smith
Hughes law will address the Abbeville
County Teachers at their mectrir
Saturday.
Expect a Definite
Military Policy
In a Short Time
j Washington, April 3.?The Senate
cleared the way today for consideration
of exchange proposing the
establishment of a definite military
policy. Debate on the army reorganization
bill framed by the Senate
military committee is to begin
Monday and its passage in about
ten days or two weeks is predicted by
Senate leaders.
The bill differs radically from the
CT...AA A r> MomVi 1 Q
nuUSC nicaouic paootu uu avau-jvu jlv
in that it provides for compulsory
military training, consolidation of
the national guard, regular army,
and reserves, composed of trained
men into one citizens' army and also
tor a general staff eligibility system
similiar to that in the French army.
The House bill left the compulsory
military training issue for "separate
legislation and retained the general
feature of the present army organisation,
with general features of the
present army organization with provision
for a regular establishment
Df 300,000 enlisted men and 17,000
i officers, as compared with 280.0Q.0
and 48,000 respectively in the Sen1
ate bill.
CoJby Makes His
New Broom Sweep
Out Cobwebs
| Washington. April 3.?Restoration
: of the State Department's diplomatic
room, scene of many important international
events, has been ordered by
Ilainbridge Colby the new Secretary
of State.
I Demand for office space during the
| war necessitated conversion of the
; room into three offices equipped with
j desks, book cases and filing cabinets.
By the new secretary's order the
\ war-time partitions will be removed,
the room decorated and again be used
; for formal diplomatic events such as
j the exchange of treaty ratifications.
Admiral Wilson
Will Be the Next
In Naval Row
! Washington, April 3.?Admiral HenI
ry B. Wilson, commanding the Atlantic
fleet, will testify Monday berore
the naval board investigating Rear
Admiral Wm. B. Fletcher's removal
from the Brest command by Vice Admiral
Sims. Admiral Wilson was
Fletcher's immediate successor at
Brest in October 1917 and held thar
command throughout the remainder
of the war.
Convoy operations of Fletcher's command
"might have been improved" if
the admiral had laid down a general
doctrine in writing, Commander H. D
Cooke, commander of one of the
yachts of the Brest squadron, testified
today. He added, however, that only
one or two important elements of operation
covered in the doctrine later
promulgated by Admiral Wilson nad
not been prescribed in verbal conferences
during Admiral Fletcher's adThousands
Put On
Big Demonstration
In Copenhagen
Copenhagen, April 3.?Enormous
crowds are gathering outside the town
hall and marshalling into columns to
i march to the roval nalace. Amalien
berg castle, carrying a resolution asking
the King's help to prevent the
calamity ot a general strike.
The demonstration is headed by the
town councillors. The resolution also
demands the formation of a ministry
I comprised of men not responsible for
jtiie present crisis and who would be
likely to obtain parliamentary surporT.
Kiiur Culls Conference.
Copenhagen, April 3.?The King, ci
I consequence of the visit today of a
deputation of town councillors, accompanied
by crowds numbering many
thousands, has called the leaders of
all political parties to a conference at
the palace tonight.
General Wood
Winds Up Ohio
Columbus. Ohio. April 3.?General
! Leonard Wood, candidate for the Re!
publican nomination for President,
! wound up his first trip into Ohio in
I the interest of his candidacy by adj
dressing a mass meeting at Memorial
'Hall?his fodrth speech of the day
! here?at S o'clock tonight.
j In his speech before the Columbus
j colored Republican Women's clubWood
said:
"Government of the people, by the
people, and for the people, courts untouched
by politics, no class legislation.
a square deal for everybody. <1
; strong foreign policy, friendly rein"tions
with all nations, arbitration boIf......
naunKl Ir. fnvnn crnnov'i 1 nn vfrifi.
i pal ion in politics by women. businest
'progress at home and abroad, a sount
public school system with adequate
> pay for teachers, regulation of immijgration.
development of a strong Amlericai!
mercliant marine and foster
ji?K of the back-to-the farm move!
MK :.f there "rrx '!if> things for whicl
I the United States should be working
iTHIEll PURPORTS
:l to inininr nnTn
I MM IS
ON PEACE MEET
Dwells at Length on What He i
Terms the "Question of Sil- |
ence"
' 1
j Paris,. Apr. 3.?Captain Andre Tar- Jdieu,
one of the French delegates to,,
|the peace conference, in another of,
his articles in Illustraiton dealing '
iwith the peace treaty of Versailles, 1
i dwells at length on what he terras I
(the "question of silence" and gives
! some interesting sidelights on the ,
peace conference.
Captain Tardieu recalls how the' j
press placed great hope in the first of j
i President Wilson's fourteen points j
; which demanded that conventions be j
I prepared with the knowledge o? the j
' general- public. But. Ive says, its <
'hopes were dashed when itrf became (
known that President Wilson* himself ;
declared this did not mean the mak-! |
ling public of negotiations, but refer-'.,
i red only to making public the de- ,
i bates on engagements made before ]
I they became definite. Former Prem- ,
! ier Clemenceau is declared by M. i
Tardieu to have been the greatest
i advocate of publicity, but asserts that ^
j Clemenceau's efforts in this direction j
i were not endorsed by the allied governments,
which are said to have re-'
fu&d even his proposal to make pub-:
i lie the terms of the treaty when it t
i was ready to be handed to the Ger!
mans. They permitted only a summary
to be published before the,/
treaty was signed. .
Quotes Clcmeiice.nl.
i Contain Tardieu ouotes M. Clem- '
cnceau as having said: j'
"There is a general expectation '<
among the public, which desires that <
i all the subjects of our deliberations
J be known. It is to our advantage to
show it the results of our work." 1
Difficulties begin at once, which ]
continued 'to be multiplied for the ,
next six months, comments Captain
jTardieu. "If the conference had not (
ibeen held in France ,the French gov-j
jernment would have been accused of
i defending French rights, but France's i
position was complicated by the con- ^
ference being held in France. The .
I press and delegates alike considered;1
j that the hospitality received from \
France imposed on France the special j
duty of protection for their benefit." j
Capiain Tardieu declares that to 1
prevent the conference from pursuing j
its heavy task with excess indiffer-1
ence, A. J. Bairour, Britisb represen-('
Itative at the conference and Stephen t
Pichon, one of the Trench delegates,^
received the newspapermen, but saysj
that in March when the conference I
;was considering certain much debat-i,
ied points, the supreme council asked '
j them to abandon these receptions. |*
To the suggestion that if the pub-; I
I lie had been informed on peace con- ]
iference doings, France would not
ijiave been obliged always to yield to,^
jthe allies, M. Tardieu replied: "It is (
'false that France always yielded.!
!Generally, on the contrary, she obtain-jed
satisfaction." !i
He then gives a list of points pro-1^
I posed which France succeeded in1
A fViam wore '
jiicivniH wnaugcu. Lu^nt ?u.w|
:immediate admission of Germany to']
[ the League of Nations, no inter-allied j
occupation of the left bank of the j
Rhine, no French occupation except|?
| for eighteen months, France to pay 1
! Germany for all state property in!(
'Alsace Lorraine, no cession of the *
jSarre mines to France and no special i
[regime for the Sarr population. !(
i'
A Cold Easter is
Forecast for the jj
South Generally!
i n
TT"-_ : o A nnlfl Paslor
V> aaunigiuu, o.?MUMW. :
is forecast for the south generally,I'
the weather bureau announcing to-'<
night that cold wave warnings have'^
been ordered for Kentucky, Tennes-j
see, Alabama, Mississippi and ex- 1
treme Northwest Florida. L
The southwest disturbances, cen-^
itral tonight over Eastern Oklahoma,!'
'tis of profound type, the report said, 11
jand indications are that it will ad- ]
vance east-northeastward and be at-'
tended by cloudiness and rain in the!
, states east of the Mississippi river
! during the next 36 to 48 hours. The1,
! disturbance has already been attend-j
led by showers and thunderstorms in,'
<tho ennihwust and Tennesse.e. i
A decided fall in temperature is!,
, foretasted for Sunday afternoon and
j night in Tennessee and the east gulf 1
J states and Monday in the Atlantic
states.
J I
NEWSPAPER MEN HERE |l
FOR GOSSETT TRIAL'
|
Tin. mon ;irn
; here ''covering" the Gossett case, (i
[i " ;
L. Mell Glenn, Anderson Dailyj;
-Olail E. P. Eideman, Index-Journal;:'
" E. M. Henderson, Greenville Daily
. Xews, J. Ivby JCoon. Columbia State i
1 and W. J. Cormack. News and,
'Courier. i
Plant Life Defends
More On Air
Than Temperature
Washington* April 3.?Government
agricultural experts have discovered
that plant life s^fems to depend on j
light rather than temperature for'
nourishment and may be controlled by
regulating the hours of light and darkness.
The principle is revolutionary; but
it rests on actual , experiments in
which it was demonstrated that plants
subjected to alternate periods of light
and darkness, in carefully determined
proportions could be brought to maturity
at any time of year.
"Greenhouse experiments" says an
announcement by the Department of i
Agriculture, "prove that the flower-1
ing and fruiting period of practically;
any plant can be made to take place
at any time of year by darkening the f
green house in the morning and even- j
ing if the day is too long or by length-1
?ning the day by artificial light if the
rlnv tnn ?hnrr
"Spring flowers and spring crops
happen to be spring flowers and
-. :rin<T crops because the days at the
season of ibeir flowering and fruiting :
bare the proper number of hours of
daylight."
MEGRO LYNCHED
BY LAURENS MOB
Laurens, April 2.?After an in- ^
nerval of nearly seven years, a Laurens
negro had been executed with)ut
due process of law. Joe Steward,
iged 25,. who'has been employed for
i year by a local coal dealer, was
ast night about midnight, as near
is can be ascertained, taken from a
:tation house cell, carried to the
foot of Cemetery hill and hanged
from the North Harper bridge over
Little river. The rain soaked body'
vas cut down and taken to an un-i
lertaker this morning.
Upon the arrival of the coroner,!
nquest proceedings were started;
.
,vith Solicitor Blackwell represent-1
ng the state in the examination of j
vitnesses. After four or five men;
lad testified, including Chief of Po-j
ice Blakely and Sheriff Reid, onj
notion of the solicitor, adjournment j
vas taken until a future date with!
;he view of ascertaining, if possible,'
idditional evidence in the case.
Dr. W. D. Ferguson, who ex-J
imined Steward's body, testified)
hat five stab wounds were on the
>ody and his neck had been broken.
Death was due to hanging and the
vounds were not serious in his!
. . I
>pimon.
The lynching of Steward was the;
esult of a fight earlier in the night
vith a party of young white men,
;hree- of whom were more or less
gainfully cut with a knife wielded;
jy Steward. The fight occurred onj
i back street near Harrison Pun-j
;er's shop. The negro received five |
>tab wounds from which he bled I
freely until medical attention was
fiven him.
It is said that the fight c?me
ibout by Steward taking up for another
negro, who, it was alleged, ofended
a young white boy by crush-j
mg against him as the negro was>
leaving the opera house about 7 o'clock.
The boys, it is said, started
?* il-- roam when
I/O KCL me uiicnuiiig *? w0?w
they encountered Steward, who
challenged the boys and used abusive
language which led to an immediate
fight. All wounded parties J
had to have the attention of doc-|
tors. Up until 11 o'clock everything!
appeared quiet and most people j
went home. Chief Blakely and an-j
other policeman were on duty. Thej
officers left the station house for ai
I
short time and when the chief re-j
turned the negro was gone. He had j
been removed from the cell, the!
door of which was forced open, am!
taken out through the rear of the;
building. So quietly was the work j
clone that no one has been found j
who heard any unusual noises about
the station at the alleged time of ;
Steward's removal from his cell. It
il 1.4 f!,?
was nui wiuuK'ii iicu-.>^ii v uj niv. v/?
ficers to place the neprro in jail as
everything was apparently quiet and
there was no apprehension of further
trouble.
?
TEN PERSONS MEET
DEATH BY DROWNING
-!
Ferry Boat at Harpers Ferry Breaks
Cable and Upsets, Throwing
Passengers in Swollen Stream?
Une ioung man oaves
Himself
Ten persons were drowned while
crossing the Savannah river on a
ferry at Harpers Ferry, four miles
west of Lowndesville, Sunday
evening at 6 . o'clock. The recent
rains had swollen the river and
when the ferry boat got out into the
swift current the cable parted, upsetting
the ferry boat, throwing the
passengers into the river. Only one
of the passengers, Thomas Bradshaw,,
managed to reach shore and
save himself.
The drowned are: Lucy and Allie
.ftiay tfradshaw, Alice Meschine and
Charles Meschine, Mr. and Mrs. Lester
Watters, Albert Sutherland and ,
three sons of Walter Manning.
With the exception of Mr. and
Mrs. Watters all of those drowned
were children. Mrs. Watters had
only been married a month and was
a Miss Scoggins before her marriage.
She was a school teacher.
Alice arid Charles Meschine were
children of E. C. Meschine. Albert
Sutherland was a son of X. B. \
Sutherland, a juror in the Gossett
case.
The ferry boat with its load of
passengers was going from the South
Carolina side to the Georgia side of
the Savannah river at the time of
the accident . The drowning was
witnessed by only a few people and
the river was so swollen that no help
from the shore was possible in time
to do any good.
None of the bodies had been recvered
at noon Monday.
It is understood that Thomas
Bradshaw, who saved himself, swam
out first to the Georgia side, then
plunged back in the swollen stream
and swam to the South Carolina
side.
County Teachers Meet Saturday
Announcement is made that the
Abbeville Couny Teachers Association
will hold the last meeting of the
session at the court house ,Saturday
afternoon at one o'clock. Refreshments
will be served just before the
meeting and all the teachers are requested
to assemble in the court
house in time to have their lunch be
fore the hour of meeting, rroi. vera
Peterson, of the State Superintendent's
office will talk to the teachers
on the teaching of vocational
agriculture and Misses Mary Burton
and Georgia Ott of the city schools
will have some of their pupils give
recitations in reading in the primary
grades.
This being the last meeting of the *
session a full attendance is desired
Rained Out at Long Cane
On account of the heavy rain
there was no preaching and congregationaF
meeting at Long Cane
Church Sunday. It was announced
however, that services will be held
next ^Sunday, the Rev. H. C. Fennell
in nhnrcp. Afterwards there will be
held the congregational meeting
scheduled for last Sunday. Dr. Fennell
will preach at Warrenton at 4
o'clock in the afternoon.
COTTON MARKET.
Spot Cotton ...... -ll.no
> --- .m ?-,
.vi;i> - -
July - - ST.72
tV.oV !* ' "4.71
P ___ 1.04
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