The Lancaster ledger. (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, September 19, 1900, Image 2
l i . Li\L (*bR.
A> vV
I? ' \ > (i< !i
TV EDS SEI'TKM HER 11), 1900
C .ntest In Kershaw.
Mr Tmnllmm Claims Irrejuilaritics
in KUvtion of VVillwms
!IS ShorilF.
Special to The State.
Camden, S"pt 17 ?The countv
I temocrat executive committee
Ivil no a 1 iliv session over the
she-ill"- contest in this county.
Sheriff 1{ It Williams received in
the primarv onlv ehjht votes more
than .1 S Trantham, who is conto.-iin<;
the election on alleged ir 1
ro-rjil-ii-ities in several boxes A
number of witnesses were exam '
ined today. Both parties were
represented by counsel. Mr
Trnntham heing represented by i
Mr \V I) lYanthain and Mr Will j
iams by M r .1 T I lay
The committee oidered another '
primary for Oct 2 for sheriff.
The Personnel of the State's New '
i i..? ?
I A'^IMIllU I H.
The State.
The returns are all in and the ;
t
results have neen decla.ed in the:
several counties of the State. It ;
is, therefore, possible at this stage ! I
to give aeemate information as to ;
the personnel of the new genetal i1
ussemhlv to be elected in the gen ]'
eral election in November. If in ; '
(ieorgeto vn county the Demo M
cratic ticket goes through that I'
1
election there will he no negro''
member in either branch of the !'
general assembly ? something ;1
that has not been the case for j '
manv a year. j 1
An analysis of the elections in the '
several counties shows s entirely M
J J
new members of the senate this'
year against 10 in 1898. Twelve 11
retiring senators havo been re-if
nominated. In the house there;'
are s2 entirely new members:'
ngaint SO two years ago an<l there j ^
are 42 of the old members to get j "
back as against 44 two years ago. j
There will therefore be 90 new 1
members in both houses as against 11
96 two years ago.
The figures are as follows: <
senate. '
1900 1898 "
New 8 16 *
Renominated 12 4 (
Hold over 20 20
i
40 40 '
HOUSK.
1900 1898
New 82 SO ,
Renominated 42 44
124 124 (
SUMMARY.
1900 1898
Now 90 90
Renominated 54 48 1
Hold Over 20 20
lf>4 164
There is some good new material
this year. A surprisingly large <
number of members who have '
figured prominently in politics in
the hist decade hav? been left at
home this time, and that too do- I
spite the fact that most of them <
stood for re election. A number '
classed in the new list have, however,
at various times in the past 1
served in the general assembly. A
few of the new senators were for- 1
merly members of the house.
CASTOR IA ,
For Infant* and Children. 8
The Kind You Ham Always Bought t
Bears tho SI* S/ C/7 . ^"
Signature of ficcZcJCett <
(
A Tragedy at Rock Hill.
MR HARRY BROWN SLAIN
IN HIS BED.
Mr. Paul Bratton, a Commercial
SiloMimn, i- Locked up in York
County Jail Charged With
M order.
Charlotte Observer, l(>th inst.
Mr. llarr\ (i Brown, a well
known journeyman painter, was
shot and killed, yesterday morning,
be! ween 1 and 2 o'clock, at
Ids home in Bock llill, S C, by a
midnight intruder. The facts in
the case are a> follows: After 1
o'clock in the morning two men
drove up to Brown's gate undone
of them, leaving the buggy, went
in and knocked on the door. Mr
I* A Neal, father of Brown's wife,
responded to the call and opened
the door He found on the porch,
a strange white man, who stated
that he had gone there to see
Brown about doing some painting
at the Victoria Cotton Mill, at
which he was employed, claiming
that the importance of the work
made a call at that hour of the
night a necessity. Mr. Neal protested
against arousing Brown,
who was alcep, but, the stranger
persisting, he went to the former's
room and opened the door. To
his great surpriso the strange
man had followed him in and
rushed into B-own's room. Bo
fore he realized what was
t; in? on the intruder had shot
Brown twice, one hall goin<^
through the left arm and tho
:>ther into the liver. A dim lijrht
was burning in the room at the
Lime and Mrs Brown and infant
ihiId were occupying a bed not
Far iron) the one in which Brown
ay. The murderer tied as soon
is he accomplished his purpose.
Mr N eal tried to hold him but in
vain. When the last shot was
Sred, Brown had not been
;horoughly aroused from sleep.
Lute Friday night two men
Irove into Rock Hill in a bugjiy
ind asked of persons for Brown's
muse. They seemed very much
ixcited and somewhat intoxicated,
several respectable citizens were
..1 1 * - - ? ?
isacu concerning me loeulion ot
irown's residence. One of the
nen in the buggy whs recognized
ih Mr Paul Bratton, of Vorkville.
Before Brown died he told the
lector and his wife that he had
ooked for trouble, and being
Lsked by a police officer who shot
bin, answered that Paul Bratton
lid it. Bratton had been seen at
ho hotel, by men who knew him,
n a drunken condition, some time
H'fore the shooting.
Paul Bratton is a brother of
Mr. John Bratton, of Vorkville.
For some time :t has been known
among Brown's most intiir. .te
friends that he and Mrs. John
Bratton were in lore with each
other and that letters often passed
between them. Brown's wife had
begged him to stay away from
Yorkville, but when slightly under
the influence of whiskey he
wouM go against her will. Last
Thursday ho paid Mrs Bratton a
visit at her home and while there
was faced by Bratton and a tight
ensued, in which Brown came out
victorious.
(Joing back to Itock Hill from
Yorkville Brown tried to persuade
bis wife to let liim have there at
:>nce. lie expected trouble, but
would not tell the reason why. J
Yesterday morning it came and
with it his d*?ath.
Paul Brat ton was arrested yeserday
afternoon, and placed in
i'ork county jail. He declares
hat he is innocent.
Letters from Mr. Bralton to
drown were full of invitations,
taking him to see her. She seems
o have been infatuated with him
The standing ofthe two families
oncerned makes the affair one of
:onsiderahlo interest. The people
of Rock Hill censure Bratton for
the cowardly deed. Brown was
a popular fellow. He was his
own enemy. Whiskey made him
the black sheep of his family. For
a time ho lived in Steele Creek
township. He married thero. At
his trade ho was clever.
Paul Bratson is a commercial |
salesman. He makes Charleston ]
| his headquarters and sells fertil
lzers. The people of Yorkvill? |
ure inclined to side with him.
ItESULT OF" Til E COKON Eli's
INQUEST.
Special to The State.
Rock Hill, Sept 16.?The coroner's
inquest as to the killing of
Harry A Brown was resumed at
10 o'clock today. Only two witnesses
wore examined, one ot
whom was important. In the
evidence of Will Caldwell, c I,
who drovo with Mr Paul Bratton
from Yorkville, the identity of the
other man iu the carriage was
brought out.
Caldwell swore that the men
with him were Paul R Bratton and
j J no S Bratton. That ho .did not
know whut they came for. That
thev drove around town and made
stops at as many as three points
endeavoring to find Brown's residence.
Finding it the carriage
stopped about 100 yards from the
house; that both Brattons went
to the house, in about 10 minutes
heard "two shots." Afterward
tho two men came buck ami got
into the carriage. When asked
if there was anything said about
what had occurred, ('aid well
said: "Mr Johnnie said he had
shot Brown." Caldwell made
this statement twice. After the
shooting ho drove tho Messrs
Bratton back to Yorkville.
The case was given to tho jury
at a few moments after noon and
they reached a verdict in about!
half an hour. Tho tinding was
"That H A Brown catne to his'
death by a pistol shot from the
hands of Paul 11 Bratton and that
John S Bratton was accessory
thereto."
The jury was composed of tho
following: C W Frew, foreman;
.1 M McFadden, S M Cash, .1 B
Fudge, W S Nicholson, T P Koddey,
W \T Alexander, .1 F Isoni,
J N (Jlountz, It A Morrison (i B
Sandifer ond J C Sandifer.
In view of the negro driver's
statement that "Mr Johnnie I
he had shot Brown." the verdict
was somewhat of a surprise to
some in that it made J no S It rat ton
the accessory rather tnan
principal.
The negro's evidence was pos
sibly offset in the minds of the
jury by the evidence of Mr !Veel,
the dead mon's lather in-law, who
swore positively that the man who
<lid t lin uhonl inn uruu n/>"t
- r """ "???
build and wore a whi*e struvr hat. 1
Mr Meal's evidence astowheth
er the man wore a mustache or
was clean shaved was not at all
positive and the jury seemed to (
take close notice of that point.
Tho negro ('aidwell also denied
saying to Policeman Jenkits at;
the hotel a few momenta before
the shooting, that "Mr Bratton
(he had just told the officer that
he had brought Mr Paul Bratton)
had come after Painter Brown
and that he had to see h m tonight."
The officer swore that Caldwell
used the above language. In the
inquest there was no evidence
brought ?nt to establish the ani
mils of the Brattons toward
Brown or any relative of the
cause of the shooting. S> far as
that is concerned I have heard
nothing hut rumor.
Immediately after the inquest
quest Magistrate Beckham issued
warrants for P R and J S Bratton
and Constable J F Winnate took
papers to Yorkville this afternoon.
He also took ihe negro driver,
Caldwell, with him, the negro
being committed in default of the
sum of $500 to appear as witness
Messrs \V Bratton dc Loach,
Win B McCaw and W W Lewi
attended the inquest. Thev represent
the Messrs Brntton and
will at once institute habeas corpus
proceedings looking tmui"'
the release of their clients upon
bail. W. A. P.
JNO. S. URATTON AKUKSTF.l).
Yorkville, Sept 10?Mr. dno
S Bratton was arrested this after.,
noon upon a warrant issued by
Acting Coroner Beckham of Rock
Hill, charged with being accessory
to the killing of II A Brown.
THE STOKY OF TI1K I NEATH IT! ON ()] '
MRS. BRATTON I'OK BROWN.
Charlotte Observer, 18th inst.
Mrs. Brown gave out the fol
lowing storv yesterday afternoon, !
! to ho puhl*shsd in The Observer, i
Sho knew Mrs. John Ural ton as a
, bright, sweet school girl at All
Healing Springs, in 1SN4, after
which time she heard no more of
her nntil several years ago, when
Winthrop College was being built.
Her husband, Mr. Brown, was
there at work. One day, when
Mrs. Bratton and others called to
sie the building Brown acted as
escort, and was kind to one and
all of the party. Mrs. Bratton.
learning that he had married an
old schoolmate of hers,truntoddiiiu
with great consideration, and on
returning home wrote Ins wife,
saying that she had met her husband
and liked him. Nothing
more was thought of her until is
months later, when Brown went
to Yorkvillo to do some paint ing,
lie hoarded with Mrs. Brat ton's
mother. Then she and Brown
were thrcovn togethr frecjuently.
Mrs. Brown was invited over ami
took dinner with the Brattonsund
her hushand, and was graciously
received. Before the jot)on which
Brown wurL'pil unu t!n!^lm<l
.. ? w. .* MU I(1M(7U??I LIIO
ladv with whom he hoarded died.
Mrs Brutton suggested that ho go
to her homo. Her husband consenting,
Brown took u room there
and soon afterward had a ti_?lit
with a lawyer of the Yorkville
bar, from the effects of which he
was laid up several days, during
which time Mrs Brown had but
little news from him.Growing uneasy,
she went over to Yorkville,
and on her first appearance in the
house saw that she was not wanted.
Brown recovered rapidly am]
went home.
From that time on he and Mrs
Bratton kept up a correspondence.
Hast Thursday morning he wrote
to her, saying that lie would see
I
nur linn nielli or (lie lit tlio attempt.
Bratton intercepted the
letter and prepared to hill Brown,
He loaded hi* pistol and shot gnn.
That night he ?lid not gu into his
wife's room, hut left her alone.
He hung his cout near his lied
and placed a pistol in one of the
pockets. Some time during the
early part of the night he heard
some one talking to his wife. He
got up and reached for his pistol,
but found it gone. When he
sought to tind his gun that, too,
had disappeared. Bv this time
he was so desperate that he rushed
out of the house to tind a weapon. |
In passing by the window of his J
wife's room, he came face to face
with Brown who,hearing him rnovo
in the adjoining room, had ?*aised
the window sash and jumped out
A tight for life followed, nrown
received the tirst blow, which
landed in the face, making a considerable
scar, and then, catching
erauon in me inroar, no proceeded
to choke him. nratton called for
help and several neighbor* rushed
to his rescue, iirown was pulled
off and nratton sought his gun a
second time, swearing as he went
that he would kill nrown. The
gun was not found, nrown re
turned to Iiock Hill.
Friday morning he received an
anonymous letter, written >y Mrs
mutton, tellinj him to flv fur his
life or he would he killed, One
following ihe first heur'_i?*d biowd
to ir<> to her rescue, as she was
<;oine to he killed She was ready
to elope with him and Itemed
him to meet her. sa\in?r that she
had *?avcd his life the night before
ut the risk of her own nm
urown did not heed tho cull, for
the time sot by her was Friday
night, and he whh killed Saturday
morning Th*? two anonymous
letters ami three others are in the
possession of Mrs Brown.
The night after Brown was
killed two men drove to his house
in the absence of the family ami
tried to force an entrance It is
now believed that that thev were
two of n 'stton's friends trying to
secure the letters written by Mrs
iiratton to nrown, for since that
time an anonymous letter in the
handwriting of Mrs nratton has
been received bv Mrs Brown, urging
her to send the letters from
her home, or she would he killed
by desperate persons trying to get
them.
Yesterday Mr-nrown, escorted
by a squad of police officers, took
the live letters to the Rock Hill
nank and deposited them there.'
Sh" was afraid to go alone.
Mrs iiratton claims, in one of
her last letters to urown, that on
Fi ida\ mot ning she was made to
confess the whole truth and sign
u?in im r properiv ni ino point or
n pistol ih llio hands of her husIi
is snid 1 hut Mrs liratton was
forced to marry mutton by hor
mot bcr.
The remains of mown wore in
tor'rod at Steele Creek church
Sunday at 1 1 o'clock a m, Rev A
A Little conducting the service.
Mrs mown is a daughter of Mr
1* A Netil, who formerly lived in
Steele Creek. She is well known
in this county.
tciwilT TO I'CjJ l>l E*S
The woman who is lovely in
face, form and temper will always
have friends, hut one who would
ho Mttractivo must keep her health.
If she is weak, sickly and all run
down, she will he nervous and ir
titahle. If she has constipation
or kidney trouble, her impure
Mood will cause pimples, blotches,
skiu eruptions and a wretched
complexion. Electric Hitters is
the best medicine in the world to
regulate stomach, liver and kidneys
and to purify the blood. It
gives strong nerves, bright *v?s
?. > r- -J 1
smooth, velvety skin, rich complexion.
It will make a pood
looking charming woman of a rundown
invalid. Only T>0 cents at
Crawford Bros Drug Store.
One Pitiable Result.
Galveston, Sept 15?The most
pitiable result of the awful tidal
wave which swept this city is the
condition of so many children left
absolutely alone, their parents
and relatives having been killed.
The State is taking care of as
many of these orphans as possible.
at?T7i. inaimMMMKmaH
HORSES I
HORSES!
Wo have just r* oeived a carload of
numberone horses from Atlanta,ever)
animal having been carefully eelec ed
in person by our Mr. Klliott. In the
lot are some of the finest horses ever
brought to this market If you want
a good Saddler, or a good Driver, or a
good combination horse, now is your
time to get it. We now havejuat what
ycu want and need. Call and see for
yourself. We take pleasure in ex*
hihltlng our stock, ao well as Vehicles.
Ill will either sell or swap, and
V'A* ft will sell either for the cash
WW W or good paper.
ELLIOTT &
CRAWFORD
Hast Hake New Ones.
Pensioners and Their Applications.
The New Law.
(Comptroller General Derhmn i?
busv sending to county pension?
oourds official copies of tho newr
pension act passed at the last session
of the general assembly, under
which the pension appropriation
must be distributed this year.
This act comprises tho whole ~>{
tho pension law of the State.
The comptroller has received
several letters asking whether the
former lists of pensioners in the
several counties can he accepted.,
when revised bv county hoards.
The act changes tho entire machinery
and does away with all existing
county hoards.
The comptroller, after carefully*
studying the act, is of the opinion
that al1 applications must he made
out new ami presented to the
county hoards. The law provides
emphatically that before any
soldier or sailor shall receive any
. payment provided in tho act, he
shall make an application, in
writing, through the township
representative, addressed to the
, county pension hoard, setting
' forth i detail the nature of the
'.disabling wound, if any, tho com
I panv and regiment or hatalion in
which he served, and the time and
place of receiving the wound, and
showing that neither he nor his
wife is in receipt of the income
specified, and showing, further,,
the time and place of residence
within tho Stato by the applicant.
Such application shall be verified
by the oath of the applicant, made
before any officer in the State
authorized to administer oaths
and shall be accompanied by the
affidavit of one or more credible
witnesses, stating that they knew
tho applicant was a soldier or
the wife of such, as the case may
be, and believe the allegations
made in the application to bo truer
provided, that the application
shall show that the applicant is not
drawing a penson in any other
State.
Such application shall be verified
also hv ii ri?rf i K.->n to
auditor of the county in which
the applicant resides, showing
amount of tax return, and that hisincotue
does not exceed the amount
stated, and that he is not possessed
of sufficient property to produce
such income; and it shall bathe
duty of the auditor to furnish
such certificates, if he shall so
find tho facts, without fee or
charge.
In each county of the State tho
u 111 >1 ii-n t i< l.o ?
i-ili'MHllCU U?
a hoard composed of four ex-Confederate
soldiers or sailors (to he
chosen as provided) who ahull not
ha holders of or applicants for a
pension, and a regular practicing
p.iysieiun to ho selected hy them,
which live persons shall constitute
tho county ponsion hoar<l. They
shall meet on the third Monday
in January of each year, and sbalt
examine each applicant under
rules and regulations prescribed
by the State board of pensions.
After first being duly sworn,
fairly and impartially to discharge
the duties of their office, and after
' the oaths are duly tiled in the office
of the clerk of court, the
county pension board shall proceed
with the discharge of the
duties imposed upon it, and shall
certify its approval to the State
board of pensions, giving in detail
the reason which influenced
it to grant or oppose each appli\
cation, accompanied by all the
evidences upon which the decision*
were made.
WANTED?ACTIVE MAN of good
Character to deliver mid collect In
Houth Carolina for old established
matiufactoring wholesale house. $000
| a y> ui\ sure pay. Hon eery more than
experience lequired. Oui reference.
I any hank In auy city. Encloee selfmlilrwael
stam|>? I envelope. Manufaoturers,
Third Floor, H34 l)earl?oru
ht , Chicago.