Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL. 8i NO. 6 JOHNSTON LETTER. Death of Mr?. Keesee. Week of Prayer Observed. Rose Show to be Held by U. D. C. Mrs. Lucy Keesee died on Snn ??day at ll:30 o'clock, at tho home of her son, Dr. P. N. Keesee, and in her death all have felt saddened that" this sweet christian woman, a mother in Israel, had passed away She was 73 years of age. Mrs. Kee see was a native of Virginia, hav * ing come herc a few years ago to make her home with her son and during this time she has endeared herself to all who knew her. For years she had been in frail health and during her residence here was seldom able to go bevond the home. Her life was centered in those around her, her very presence being a benediction. Her chief character istic was self-forgetfulness and for titude, and the gracious influence ^ of such a life will continue like a ministering spirit. She enjoyed a tender and beautiful affection by her family and she was well worthy of the love and honor bestowed up on her. She was a saintly christian, a member of the Presbyterian .church. The interment took place here on Monday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock at Mt. of Olives cemetery, by Rev. E. C. Bailey. Three chil dren are left to mourn her, Mrs. J Smith and Mrs. J. W. Mish of Virginia and Dr. P. N. Keesee, Mrs. Mish having been here with her mother for about three months. Mr. David Ouzts of Rock Hill is spending a few days here with the home people. The high school has elected Miss Annie Stokes and Mr. JchnC. Watson as declaimers on Field Day( at Edgefield. | The past week was observed by > the women of the Baptist church I as a season of prayer for h..me missions and a special thank offer .fc-^-lOif was given. Five meetings' were held and each one was sweet and spiritual and uplifting to all who attended. Each program lasted an hour and was filied with good things, talks, readings, special prayers and song messages. There are about 50 meraber8 in the socie ty, Mrs. Lucia Latimer being presi dent and she has served in this ca pacity most faithfully and well for 2b' years. The leaders for these meetings were Mesdames W. J. Hatcher, O. D. Black, W. S. Mob ley, J. A. Lott and P. N. Lott. At the first meetiug there were present Mrs. Mamie N. Tillman, president western division W. M. U., and Mrs. Alvin Etheredge, superintend ent of Ridge association and both of these made excellent talks. Mrs. Pendleton Jones brought greetings from the Edgefield missionary so ciety. It was a sincere pleasure to all to have these interested workers present When the envelopes were gathered in a splendid offering was the result. Mr. Auburn Moyer has returned to Washington, D. C., after a visit to his home people here. Mrs. Warren Paul of Edgefield spent last Monday here with her mother, Mrs. George Hubbard, who has been sick. Mrs. J. W. Stirnen was the guest of relatives and friends at Edgefield last week. Mrs. R. A. Griffin of Augusta and Miss Mamie Stansell of Green ville. have been guests of Mrs. Wm. Lee Coleman. It is a source of regret to all to learn that Mrs. M. E. Walker has pneumonia, a trained nurse having been called in to attend her. Her symptoms are favorable and it is hoped that ber illness will not be of so long a duration. Mrs. Walter Hendrix of Lees ville spent the latter part of the week here with her aunt, Mrs. J. M. Turner. The woman's society of Rose Spring church (colored) was much stirred up last ?week when they found out that the $300 which rep resented three years' effort on their part to raise, had been spent by their joint-treasurers, Emanuel Jackson and Gus Clark. They were making the money to remodel their church. The way they learned of the appropriation of the funds, ?vas by one of the organizations wishing to borrow from them and upon go (Continued on Fifth Page.) Joe Grant Convicted of Murder and Given Death Sentence. The largest crowd ever seen in the Edgefield court room assembled Thursday to witness the trial of Joe Grant, who killed Jesse T. Durst in the town of Johnston in April 1906. About four-fifths of those in attendance were white people. The unusual interest in the case was aroused through the publicity eiven Grant during the stubborn fight which he made in the courts of Pennsylvania resisting being brought back to South Carolina for trial. Through his attorneys he fought the requisition of the gov ernor of South Carolina upon the ground that he would not receive a fair trial and that he would be violently dealt with. Notwithstanding the conge?ted condition of the court roora the or der was perfect. The state estab lished the killing of Mr. Durst by Grant through two eye witnesses, one a white man and the other a negro. Several other witnesses also testified for the state. George W. Nickerson, who at the time of the homicide was a boy 14 years of age and resided in Johnsen, being now a resident of Columbia, testified that he saw Grant in charge of the policeman and Mr. Durst near Giant's barber shop and that Grant pulled loose from the men, fired two shots at Durst and ran. The negro, who was also an eye witness, testi fied as did Mr. Nickerson. Mr. Durst died within three days from the effects of the wound, j Joe Grant and two other witness es testified in his behalf. He stated that Mr. Durst and his brother came to his barber shop and de manded the payment of a debt and that they thrust him out of the shop, threw him down on the sidewalk and in the struggle he fired bis pistol at random in order to extri cate himself. He at once made his escape, believing bis life to be in danger. Gr ant went first to Augus ta for a week and thence to Wash ington, D. C., for three weeks, go ing finally to Philadelphia where he has been for the past nine years. Both sides completed the evi dence Thursday afternoon and Fri day morning four arguments were made to the jury, the solicitor and N. G. Evans speaking for the state and S. McG. Sirakius and S. M. Smith for the defendant. Judge Moore charged the jury as to the law bearing upon murder and the jury retired to the room about two o'clock, returning a verdict of guil ty of murder in the first degree about 3:30 o'clock. The counsel for the defense gave motion for a new trial but this was overruled b.: the court, the death penalty being fixed by Judge Moore. Friday, April 14, was fixed for the electrocution of Grant, which will be the 10th anniversary of the homicide. Late Friday afternoon Sheriff Swearingen and Deputy Sheriff Branson carried Joe Grant to Co lumbia in an 'automobile, placing him in the penitentiary. While en route to Columbia he talked freely with the officerii. He stated several times and to different persons that he preferred the electric chair to being sentenced to life imprison ment at hard labor. He also stated that he will not appeal to the su preme court but accept the verdict of the lower court as final. Joe Giant had lil2 on his person when be was carried to Columbia and he gave that to Sheriff Swear ingen with the request that it be seul to his wife in Philadelphia. Howard Chandler Christy, illus trator,, was walking down the street when he was overtaken by a dog that began to snap at his heels. Its mistress made no effort to call it off, so he turned and gave the dog an admonitory kick. "Brute! cried the woman, to kick a little defenseless animal! That little ere nure is a pet and is not accustomed to such treatment." "I beg your pardon, madam," replied Mr. Christy. I did not mean to hurt your dog. But you should have called him off." "He would not have hurt you, replied the woman in a grieved tone. He is a pet." "I did not care to be bitten by him, nevertheless, madam, returned Mr. Christy. I am somewhat of a favorite at home myself." HARDY'S HAPPENINGS. Many Visitors Come and go. Bridges Need Attention. Families are Moving Away. Sunday was a lovely day but real cold all day. Mrs. Dr. R. L. McKie carried a car full of her children and Mrs.' Julia Townes to Augusta to attend the musical concert of Senor Ando negui. Mr. Drew Mealing took bis fami ly to Corryton Sunday afternoon to visit his father aud sisters. Mr. and Mrs. George Townes and baby visited her parents. Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Barker of Curryton, also Mr. and Mrs. Milton Barker and Mrs. Luta Bay non and Miss Lilla Bunch were visitors at Mr. Evan Barker's Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Milton Barker, Mrs. George Medlock, Mr. Martiu Medlock and Mrs. Frances Townes attended services at Sweetwater Sunday. We were glad to hear Mrs. Julia Hammond of Augusta has improv ed sufficiently for her sister, Mrs John Mundy, to leave her and go home Saturday last. We visited Mrs. Hammond the Sunday before and was glad to find her up. We met our friend Mrs. Adjie Tirnmerman at Mrs. Ham monds' as well as Mrs. Mundy. Wt are always so glad to see these la dies and Sallie Hammond, so pretty and jolljT,also Miss Lucile Burkhal ter, another sweet young lady. Mr. and Mead Hammond and baby visited Mr. and Mr?. Harry Bunch. Mr. Henry Medlock and Henry J.j spent the week in Edgefield. Mr. Medlock was on the jury. Mr. Geo. Medlock, Mr. Henry Cooper and Mr. Herbert Bunch went over Stevens creek Wednesday and found the mud too deep and sticky tor Mr. Coopers machine. The rain on Tuesday made plenti ful. The roads are pretty bad so many holes that are deep and large. There are 3 or 4 bridges in a dangerous condition with some of the boards broken and gone, leav ing large holes which might be the cause of a broken foot or leg of an animal and that might cost the county more than the repairing of them would. We are jealous over this sid? after hearing so much about what grand work has been done on the old Plank road. There [are very few cars that risk trying to travel this way now. I wish we could have such beautiful roads as Richmond county Georgia. They are so wide, and straight aud so beautifully graded and drained. Mr. Will Briggs and family have been so sick with chills they have decided to move this week down near Belvedere on Mr. James Adams' place. We hope they may improve and get over the malaria. Mr. Ivy DeLanghter has been very ill lor the past two weeks witb dulls and has been taken to North Augusta to his sister's, Mrs. James Adams, where Dr. Walden can see him each day. Hardy's. Approaching Marriage An nounced. Miss Gladys Rives entertained Saturday morning in honor of her sister, Miss Maud Rives, and on this very delightful occasion the approaching marriage of the latter to Mr. Bently Ward of Georgetown was formally announced. It will take place in the Baptist church here on April 12, Saturday morning the hostess entertained with bridge, live tables being arranged. The parlor and dining room were beautifully dec orated with cut flowers and ferns. The most expelt player Saturday was Mrs. J. H. Tompkins who was awarded the first prize. A prize was also presented to the bride-elect. At the close of the game, the guests were invited into tho dining room, where a four-course luncheon was served. The place cards contained a miniature hand-painted bride. After leaving the dining room ail enjoyed the musical numbers that were beau tifully rendered. Miss Rives' charm ing hospitality will afford pleasant memories for her gnests for many years to come. We carry at all times a full sup ply of coffins, caskets and burial robes. 13. li. Jones. |3EED CORN SELECTION. County Demonstration Agen Lott Gives Method of Test ing Seed Corn. Other Good Advice. The system of turning pea stubb! in jibe fall of the year is not th most economical for two reasons Fi^t turning pea roots, bringini th^tn near the surface, in decompo siti?n of the nodules the nitrogei jesowjpesand goes back to its nat ural element the air. 2. The shat tered grain would make a wintei cov$r crop, keeping down erosior and^producing green organic mat ter ?jfhich when turned would in iti decomposition form a gas tba would nnlock the latent potash tha soili?ontains. All soils have potash unavailable from 15 to 35 tons pei acre seven inches deep. If the far mef..>. feels he must break his pe? stuople in the fall of the year or gel delayed in his plantings, by al meajjs cover the land with some grain, rye, wheat or oats to disc aodj?jtnrn in the spring. In soil preparation the disc bar row^ one of the most importan) tool&to use. Every aore of land the ^farmer expects tu plant he shotted apply the disc (cutaway] harrow first. A thorough mulch ol the surface is equal to a coat of ma nure. Seed Corn Testing. When a farmer plants his corn without testing the germination qualities, he is guessing and if he fail?||n his crop he will lay all the blame on the seasons while his guessing was the cause. Test don't guesj?> One ot the simplest ways is to make a box 36x24 inches 4 inches deep,*fill box 3 inches with wet saw dustji?se warm water, firmly pack sawdust, use a brick, take 2 yards bldftohing, mark into 2 inch squares, number the squares, select your com, ?ag ears to correspond with uurrvJ?7-s on checks, tack cloth. ;tO boi ?t each end to hold in place, us? the extra attached yard of cloth to cover corn after you have taken 6 grains from each ear, two from each end, two from middle on opposite sides, but not off same rows, be ginning with number one and so on io last check. After spreding the extra yard of bleaching with some kiud of thick cloth, old piece of quilt or guano sa^ks and spread on the corn, put in some place where corn will not chill, your cook roora is a good place, don't allow it to be disturbed in four or five days. No tice too if the cloth has dried out, if so wet in warra water. In about ten das s you can see the kind of corn you should plant. Testing is about the only guarantee you have of a crop, when you guess you have none. With the assurance that your seed is ali right your hopes should be higher. It is a small job compared to its importance. After you have enough tested seed to plaut your crop, save ten ears for your breeding patch This system was the means of saving the northwest from bank ruptcy a few years back. The corn growers of that section found that corn would vary from ten to forty bushels to the acre. The same rule will apply to our corn growing, test and breed your corn to a higher standard. With the ten ears plant ten rows, one ear to row. This plat you will have to drop by hand to get as nearly as possible the same number of stalks on each row. Not necessary for any better soil or extra attention, but we insist that you give it a fair showing by leav ing the fodder, don't ruin it by bleeding the stalk at the critical period of its maturity. When corn is dry gather aud weigh corn on each row separately, save the heaviest for best seed. As we write we are wondering how many farmers in Edgetield county are going to put our sugges tions into operation. Well we have already counted them. Our Edge field people are not by any means scrubs, but there are some charac teristics among our farmers that we cannot understand. For years I have talked and begged for a re spective number of boys for the corn and pig clubs, it is beyond me why the fathers of these bright boys don't want them known outside the front gate. It is just as important for the boy to know practical agri culture and stock raising as it is mathematics, history, geography, grammar or any other study. Af Use Powdered Borax For Fly Prevention. Clemson College-A pint of pre vention in the form of powdered borax is better than a hundred fly swatters when the aim is to relieve the world of as large a number of houseflies as possible. Experiments made by the federal bureau of en tomology established the value of powdered borax in fly prevention, and Clemson college advises the people of this state to use it. Horse and cow manures are the principal breeding places of flies and the fisrht on the horse fly should begin there. To every eight bushels of manure apply a heaping pint measure of two cupfuls of or dinary commercial borax, especial ly about the outer edges of the pile, using a flour sifter or any fine sieve. Sprinkle two or three gallons of water over the manure when it has been treated. This borax treatment should be given to fresh manure, immediately after its removal from the stable. Flies lay their eggs in fresh ma nure. When the borax comes in contact with the eggs, it prevents them from batching. The maggots congregate at the outer edges of a manure pile, so that most of the borax should be applied there, These directions apply especially to horse manure, but the investi gators advise the same treatment for fly eggs and maggots in other ma nures aud also suggest applying powdered borax to garbage and other refdse. Water should be add ed after borax is applied. Every house, especially every farm house, should have screened doors and window.?. The use of the fly trap is another good measure. But trying to prevent flies with screens and traps it is pointed out, is like potting buckets of water un der the holen to catch the water when a roof is leaking. The only effective method of ridding a place of flies is to cut them off at the source, which will in most cases "be found to be the manure pile. Price Advancing. Prices on practically all agricul tural implement are advancing by leaps and bounds. Messrs. .Stewart & Kernaghan announce m their ad vertisement that very soon a con siderable advance will be added to the price of binders and mowers. However on all orders placed now they will make the old price, sub ject to countermand and too the implements will not have to be paid furuniil they are needed. What better offer could farmers ask? Bet ter see tnese popular hardware mer- j chants at once. Appreciated Kindness. Joe Grant, the negro who was convicted of murder in the first de gree last week and who is to die in the electric chair April 14, gav?* Mr. S. W. Nicholson, the Edgefield jailer, his gold watt h and chain, as au expression of appreciation of the kind treatment which he received while incarcerated here. ter all, it is not what vie know, but what we can do. We want twenty boys in the corn and pig club, and we hope the fathers of these boys will keep us in this work. We ho^e some time this fall to have a dis play of what our boys and girls can do. We hope to hold these meet ings at several school houses in dif ferent communities. We will have judges to judge the corn, the pigs, the girls' needle work, canning, poultry &c. We hope to hear from every in terested man aud woman in the county on this very important sub ject. P. N. Lott. P. S. The variation in the germi nation of your corn is very apt to surprise you unless your corn is of a high type, well developed and sound. You are liable to find some ears you thought sound, perfectly dead, just swelled a little, others with short roots and long sprouts, some with long roots and short sprouts. Neither of the above will do to plant. Your short roots and long sprouts will make a big stalk with no corn, long roots and short sprouts will produce a dwarf stalk with a nubbin, roots and sprouts almost the same length is the kind lt will make corn and if everything is fovorable a record crop. " TRENTON NEWS. Dance in Wise Hull. Music by Bearden's Orchestra Miss Day Entertained in Honor of Mr. Vann. On the evening of M ireh third the young- men of Trenton gave a lovely dance in Wise'* Hall, Bear .len's orchestra furnishing the music. Not only did the young men and maidens trip lightly to the strains of the exhilarating music, but most of the chaperons, old and young, welcomed the return of the waltz and two step with such enthusiasm, that it was hard to realize that they too wpre not of the "younger set." Prior to the dance Miss Kate Day gave an elegant dinner for ber nephew, Mr. J. M. Vanh The in vited were Misses Maude Moore, Mildred Scott, Beatrice Stevens, Annie Tiramerman, Fannie Miller, Orrie Miller, Sabe Miller, Messrs. Walter Stevens, P. B. Day, Jr., Al fred Day, Julius Day, J. D. Mathis, Jr., chaperoning the party for the dance and assisting Miss Day in dispensing hospitality was Mrs, Wallace Wise. Mr. Bob Smith and Mr. J. D. Mathis are in Rock Hill for IT. S. court. The Woman's Missionary Society of Horns' Creek held its monthly meeting with Mrs. S. B. Mays. When all business had been dis patched; a delightful lunch was served. Miss Beatrice Stevens from Sweet water has been a welcomed visitor among us. She was the guest of Mrs. D. R. Day. Misses May and JCarrie Harrison entertained a number of their friends at a lovely supper party on Thurs day of the past week. Mr. and Mrs. S.*B. Posey, Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Crouch, are at home aftei having spent several days at Louisville, guests of Mr. aud Mr*. very attractive visitor from North Augusta during the week in Miss Mildred Scott. On Friday evening Miss Miller complimented bet with a beautiful auction party, sixteen players enjoying the game. At the conclusion a delightful salad course was served. After having entirely recuperated from a recent sickness at the home of bis brother Dr. S. A. Morral!. Mr. Gadsden Morrall has returned to Savannah, lie was acuwmpauivU to Augusta by Dr. and Mrs. Mor rall. Mrs. Miller Ford from Columbia was a week end visitor to Mrs. Julia Holland. Mrs. Randolph Swearingen enter tained very delightfully on Tuesday evening for Miss Bell Privetteand Miss Lizzie Cooper. Miss Emma Bouknight has re turned home from Richmond after a lovely visit to relatives there. Judge Ernest Moore came down from Edgetield to spend the week end here with his daughter Miss Maude Moore. Miss Kate Day, Miss Beatrice Stevens, Mrs. Wallace Wise, Mr. Julius Yann and Mr. D. R. Day enjoj'ed a motor trip to Augusta on Thursday evening, to Aiken in the afternoon to wituessa Polo game. A little 5-year-oM McCordsville miss has a stepfather of whom she is very fond. One day the stepfather suffered from a violent headache, and his wife went to the kitchen to prepare some domestic remedy. Lillian waited quietly for some time for her mother to return and relieve the8uffeier. Losing patience, she went to the kitchen door and ener getically called out: "Mama, if you don't hurry up you're going to have another hus band to bury." A person entered an inn with a dog, and an Irishman asked what breed it was. The owner looked the questioner Insolently up and down, and then replied with a drawl: "It is a cross between an ape and an Irishman." "Faith, thin, we're both related to the beast," was the ready retort. Women's National Weekly. We have all the new weaves and patems in wash fabrics, just what you have been wanting for some time. Come in and let us show you the pretty spring merchandise. J. W. Peak.