Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ESTABLISHED IX 1S< BLACK I?-KL?XIX YOKE. NEGROES BANDED TOGETHER FOR ROBBERY AND MURDER. The Unearthing of a Secret Society, Whore Object was to Steal, to Kill Any One De tecting: Them, and to Clear Accused Members by False Testimony. Yokkville, December 15.?About two weeks ago, or on the night of No vember 30, John Lee Good, a little son of Mr. W. E. Good, who lives in the western part of this county, was bru tally murdered. The News and Courier has published several very meagre ac counts of the horrible affair, from which it has appeared that about forty y negroes in this county have banded >~iogteher to rob and plunder and mur der ail persons who might detect them in their lawlessness. The coroner's investigation of the } murder of little John Lee Good has re vealed a most alarming state of affairs in that section, showing most con clusively that a stupendous conspi racy had been formed among the ne groes, the object being robbery and murder. An innocent child was the Lrst victim of the fiendish miscreants, liut developments have proved that othu.- murders were freely discussed and pumed, and that only recently members of the gang lay in wait one night for a prominent citizen, knowing he would pass a certain point on the evening named. The concession of one of the participants in this affair is corroborated by the gentleman himself so far as to place, action of his horse, &.C., and a day or two alter the occur rence he mentioned it to a friend, but without the leiist suspicion that by a fortuitous circuinstonce, either lack of courage of the man on watch, or be cause he had fallen asleep, he was saved from six murderous bullets. Trial Justice J. Y. Blair, acting as coroner, summoned a jury of very dis creet men of the neighborhood, and in conducting the inquest they have dis Slayed considerable tact, and, under the ifficult circumstances surrounding them, have by practical investigation brought to light the astounding facts which have placed the Broad River section in a state of terror and spread alarm throughout the county. Circumstances pointed almost con clusively to Mose Lipscomb, Dan Rob erts and Bailey Dowdleas the perpe trators of the deed, with perhaps another accomplice; and after the close of the first day's session they were com mitted to jail." On the second meeting of the jury, on the 3d .instant, after taking- testimony, circumstances und statements of some of the witnesses pointed^to Priudly Thompson as anoth er concerned in the murder, and he was also committed. ? -In-the c::a:.-L-!:itiou of. so mauy wit nesses vague utterances by first one and another of "the club" :'the clan" "the society." the witnesses' member ship and similar expressions gave a clue which was successfully worked up, and the result is that now twenty-six ne groes ranging in age frsm l? to 5<J, are inmates of the jail, their offence being murder or aiding therein. These pris oners are Mose Lipscomb, Dan Roberts, Bailey Dowdle'and PrintUy Thompson, principals, and the following, any of whom will no doubt find it difficult to prove their innocence as accessories, by reason of the combination or conspira cy they formed, and which by evidence so far adduced has been sufficiently sustained : Giles Good, John Good. Les Wood, Dick Thompson, Win. Craig, George Jamieson, Scott Thompson, Wadis Bankhead, David Wilkes, Moses Roberts, Wi 11 Met 'limey, Wallace Reid. Sam Thompson. Owens Moore, Allen Good, Bub Smarr, Squire Thompson. Brown Robins, Jack McCluney, Sac. Good. Wm. Washington. Of this dark cloud of prisoners Giles Good and Wal lace Reiil figured prominently in the murder for which Columbus Crawford was hanged eighteen months ago. Wal lace, turned State's evidence, and Giles, who has always been regarded as the instigator of the deed, though Colum bus admitted or. the gallows that he tired the fatal shot. Giles is a mulatto, probably fifty years old, crafty and cunning, and has the power to lead the people of his race, over whom he has exerted a strong influence. No attempt to overdraw the picture, or to add a word to increase the excite ment this affair has produced, is neces sary after a recital of the bare facts. After the coroner's jury obtained the clue as to the supposed conspiracy, they devoted the third day of the investiga tion, lasjt Friday, to that branch of the case, and the following is a specimen of the sworn testimony : Wm. Roberts: i am a member of this clan. 1 was received by Jack Mc Cluney in August. 1SSI5. i know who he said belonged to the elan Allen Good. Wallace Reid. Frindly Thomp son, Bailey Dowule and Mose Lips comb. Jack said he had very good men as members, ami he wanted me to join, lit said that the elan was a good thing. If a man caught a member stealing the club was to make him sur fer. I did not attend '?heir meetings regularly, but ! said to them once: "Boys, we must swear together. Though 1 have never been with you, you have got my name, und I will" stick to you. We will stick together." I did not take the oath. Me and Allen Good, Dave Wilkes, Wallace Reid and Jack Mc Cluney met. I knew that they were members, and the move was made that if any one was caught stealing we would make the man that caught him suffer. Our purpose was to go two or three together to a man's house, and if he detected us we would mob him right there. The meetings were-to be all at Jack MeCluney's. and on Wed nesday nights. They "said one Sunday a month ago they wanted to make a raid pretty soon. 1 do not know of any other clul?. I would not have told about that meeting if it had not been pulled out of me. If I had told thev would have mobbed me, 1 was afraid. The understanding was that they would form clubs all over the country. He said they were good things, and he wanted to iret them up all over the country. They were good, he said, be cause we would have plenty of good; _Vol M Glover Jan 1, 'St?_ 30. OR7 things, whiskey, &c. When articles were stolen everything was to go to the head man, Jack McCluney. Meat was to he hid in gullies and caves. When we met after the killiug we talked only about it, and let other mat-| ters go. John Cole testified that he belongs to a club over the.iiver(in Union County.) He said: ''The nature of the order is callled a strike, and members have told me that we could take or steal all the provisions we might need.'* Adam Thompson. Henry Bailey and Amos Smarr all gave lengthy testi mony, acknowledging their member ship," and giviiig names of members. Adam Thompson recognized Giles Good as the head man of his club. He said: The object of the club was to take whatever we wanted. If detected we were to kill the person who detected ?*. Whatever Giles Good said to do was to be done. If not the man who failed to do it was to be executed. The object was to kill white men. They were going to kill Elias In man and Clinton Good. They have guns and pistols and ammunition, and they were kept by the head man Ciles Good, in his j cellar. On one occasion, he said, he and ! others waylaid the road to kill Elias In man. Henry Bailey said he was made a member of the club about two weeks ago. The object of the club was to make a living by misdemeanor?to take ! that which don't belong to you. If we were caught by any one we were to do away with him. Giles Good was cap tain and carried his gun. All that was stolen was to go to the boss man, Giles Good, to be distributed among the members pf the club. Amos Smarr testified as to his mem bership and his knowlepge of the so ciety. With their testimony the coroner's in quest was adjourned until to-day, but on Saturday a jury of investigation heard testimony of members of a known se cret society in the neighborhood. This is called Rising Star Lodge, No. 24, of the Grand United Order of the Nation al Laborers' Aid Protective Society of North America. The printed laws of the Order and the charter of this lodge were produced. The charter emanated from Charlotte, X. C. bears date De cember, 1881, and is signed by S. M. Fharr, supreme 3cribe. These docu ments reveal only benevolent and fra ternal features of the Order, and sever al witnesses were examined, their testi mony bearing out this state of facts, though the jury, in their verdict, regard the lodge as a nuisance to their neigh borhood. The proceedings of the day closed with the testimony of Adam Thomp son, a colored youth 16 or 17 years old, of medium intelligence, who revealed the following startling episode of this eventful chapter, he having on a pre vious examination confessed to being a member of the clan: Examined by Trial Justice Blair: Prind Thompson made arrangements to waylay Mr. Elias Inman, which was to take place after dark- about 8 o'clock ?on a Friday night. I think it was Friday night, because there Avas but one day between the time and Sunday. Those who waylaid him were Prind j Thompson, myself, Giles Good, John Good. Wallace Ried and Bailey Dqw dle. The reason for waylaying him was because they did not like him and I because they thought he bad money. I do not know when Prind lirst spoke to me about waylaying Mr. Inman. The last time he spoke to me about it he said if I did not go with him they would kill me. Giles had a club or or I ganization formed of men whom he j controlled, and who were to go when j he gave the word. (Witness again re i peatcd the names of the members as given above.) They did not say what j they would do with Mr. Inman alter killing him. I was posted nearest the : road, and the others were secreted in j the woods at different places about j thirty steps from the road. It was not long from the time we were posted un til Mr. Inman came along. I was lying down on the side of the road ami saw : him ride by. The moon was shining, ; but 1 did not see him until he had passed by. I was placed near the road . to watch for him and was to whistle as I a signal of Ids approach. When Mr. Inman rode to where I was his horse (suddenly gave a jump and started off in a trot. He soon came to a bend in j the road and was out of sight. They ' were a gn at mind to kill me for not giving the signal when Mr. Inman ; came up. They told me to go along, i that they did not want to see me any more. By Mr. Sims : 1 belong to Use organ ization, i'rind notified me to go that ; night. 1 was then living at .lohn Moore's, i du not know the. month, ? but it was about, three months ago. , The object of waylaying Mr. Inman ?was to get money. The place was hu j t ween Mr. iu man's house and McNeill's . store mi the high-road leading from McNeill's to Ionian's house. The horse trotted off from where we were. Noth ing was said about what we were go ing to do with him. L?v Mr. Rush: 1 joined the club at Hopev.ell Church. It was appointed in meet at the church. We did not go in side the house. On the night ! joined Ciles Good, John Good, I'rind Thomp son. Win. Thompson, Wilson Bailey, Wallace Heid, and .lohn Cond were I there. I went by myself, i wen! for the purpose ol joining the club. I too!; no oath, and they did not tell r.ie any thing] was to do before 1 join?M|. only that it was a good tiling. They also spoke of killing Glean (bind and ''Rill" (Win. E. Good.) inn did not set any time, nor did not say that these men should .be killed before Christmas. On the night Mr. Inman passed 1 stood by a big hickory tree up the road. Prind Thompson said thai he had seen .Mr. Inman changing money at l he store on Friday, the .same day of the night we waylaid him. lie was'riding a red-look ing horse. About the time Mr. Inman passed, Prind jumped up and broke a stick. Prind was about twenty steps i from the road. They saw him,and ran ! towards the road. I was not scared, j There were six pistols in the crowd. | Xo other arms. Giles Good brought' the pistols there. Giles Good and they j all met at the church. I furnished my | LNGEBTJIiG, S. C, THTJ] own pistol. Giles Good was captain of the company. This statement was corroborated by Mr. Inman himself, as to the occur rence at the place described, abd no doubt is entertained as to its correct ness. Adam was committed to jail and the investigation was adjourned. On Monday Prindly Thompson, con fined in jail, made the following con fession to John C. Ashe, member of the jury of inquest, and Mr. Good, father of the murdered boy, in the presence of the sheriff: On being interrogated he at first de nied any knowledge of the affair, and said he did not belong to any club, nor know anything about a club. Finally he said that the other members of the club had told him in the jail that if he said anything about this murder they were going to kill him. He then con tinued : 1 went with them (to Mr. Good's field) after the cotton, and left them there. Bailey had the little boy by his waist. I had him by the legs. Mose choked Mm. Dan carried the stones with which he was beaten. "We then all went away by the pasture field. Bailey first struekthe boy with a rock as soon as we got hold of him. Dhn was the first to see the boy, and he said : "Boys, yonder is Lee." Bailey hit him first, and Dan next. Mose jumped on his bowels. The boys in jail told me that in making a confession Iliad brok en my neck. I said : "Boys, I am'going to toll the truth." They replied : "You I and Dan have done told everything." They said to me and Bailey: "Don't tell anything." If any one belonged to the club and was to reveal anything.be was to be murdered or run out of the country. When we pot caught in a stealing scrape the balance were to swear him out. We were to take the cotton to be stolen from Mr. Good's field to Levi Wood, who was to bale and sell it, and then we were to divide the money. Since in jail they have put me through a preliminary trial, and told me that I would never come out except to lie hung. I am nineteen years old. He then gave names of members of the club as follows: Giles Good, head man; John Good, Sam Good, Bud Darby, Owens Moore, George Jamieson. Other prisoners were given an oppor tunity to speak, but they would make no confession. The jury of inquest has not yet con cluded its investigation, andpending it excitement remains unabated. The confession in the jail, of 1'rind Thompson, on Monday, which was given to the. coroner's jury yesterday, rekindled the slumbering indignation of the people, and at about 7 o'clock this morning a body of nearly a hund red mounted men approached the jail. About a dozen entered by the frontdoor and from the corridor proceeded to the third story and commenced battering the woode'n shutters opening to the grated door. The noise aroused Sheriff Glenn, andlto lkstily proc^e^i^ttiV third tloor and asked the meaning of the demonstration. The reply was; I "We want the four murderers." The sheriff assured the men that they were not in the jail and opened the doors to pive them an opportunity to examine. Being satisfied that the men wanted were not in the jail the would-be lynch ers all rode away. They were all white j and unmasked. They conducted them selves quietly and orderly, but were evidently disappointed in not finding the men wanted. The sheriff, appre hending danger to the prisoners, had procured an order last night from Judge Witherspoon, transferring Moses Lipscomb, Dan Roberts. Bailey Dowdle, Pnnd Thompson. Giles Good and John Good to Riehland jail, and they were started for Columbia via Gaslonia. N. C, thus preventing the lynching of at least four guilty wretches. w. i. I PERSON EL OF ~THE LEGISLATURE. j Some It rainy Young Fellows Who Are Go ing to Sinke Their Mark. Editor M. L. Bonham, Jr., of the Ab* I bevilie Messenger writes as follows to j his paper of the personel of the General I Assembly : "There are in this present ; General Assembly some brainy young fellows who are going to make their i mark in legislation. In the House are ! Hyde of Charleston. Gary of Edgefield, Mel I ugh of Charleston. Xelson of Ker ! shaw, Abney of Columbia, Douglass of i Winnsboro, iiaysor of Orangeburg, Dantzler of Orangeburg, Wilson of 'Sumter, Guess of Barnwcl! and Con , ners of Lancaster. I These are, with one exception, new I men, and full of energy ami work, and j the State may expect good service from them. Aldrich of Aiken, Ansel of i Greenville. Anerum of Kershaw, and ' quite a number of men about the same ago. have bad more legislative experi ence and are most useful members. In tin- Senate are Rhamc of Clarendon, Siukler of Berkeley. Murray of Ander son, Moise of Sumter all new in the Senate, ami strong men. If 1 had time i would like to give you a sketch of each id' them, of their personal qualities, and of what they do and say. Perhaps! I will do si> soon. But don't let it be ! understood that I mean to say those whom 1 have mentioned are the only bright young fellows in the House and senate. It so happens that I have been brought more in contact with ami can better judge of them." A Family <>r l'i\,> Murdered. Atlanta, December 17. Thursday morning, after midnight, the house of John Swilling was burned down. In side were Swilling, bis wife and three children, all of whom were burned to death. Francis Sunders was arrested and confessed that be had crushed in the skulls of the sleepers, saturated then- ? Ii.this witli coal oil, applied a match, and left. Citizens seized the murderer and carried him off to lynch bim. Kuril on t lie (.room. A Detroit bride received some dia monds and a check for $-10,000from her father as wedding presents. "The dia monds are enough, dear father; let the cheek be burned." she dramatically ex claimed as she thrust the precious paper in the gaslight. The gossips, whisper that the touching scene had! been prearranged for effect; but what: must have been the feelings of the bridegroom? j South Carolina Collcsro Appropriation In creased?Five Thousand Dollars Grnnted to the Medical College?Lunatic Asylum Appropriations Passed. Columbia, December 21.?To-day's .session was characterized with a series of bitter fights in the House between tfte extreme reformers, whose numbers are daily growing less as the members became familiarized with the methods and wants of the State Government, and who' were, as a result, badly bea ten on every side. The casus belli was the general appropriation bill, which appeared early in the morning, with the amendments and riders at tached to it in the Senate. The first fight occured on the University section of the bill. The appropriation had Deen raised in the Senate from ?15,000 to ??JlT.OOO, and the skirmish was opened Jvy Br. Pope, who, as usual, expressed the. hope that the House would not 'c-v.cur.' He regarded it as singular t!;ulthis increase was not asked lor un tirxhebill had reachpd the Senate. "?Mr. Hutson, chairman of the educa tion committee, and Mr. Picken, acting chairman of the ways and means com inHttee, explained this omission. The Tdfoase refused to agree to the. amend |?he next amendment was the tuition rfiEr tacked on to the section by the Senate and embracing substantially ithArovisions of the tuition bill passed by3hat body. The House, unani mously refused to concur. a also refused to concur in the t amendment striking out the .310,000 appropriated for the completion of the central building of the Penitentiary. rThis agWnst the protest of Mr. Archer, 'Who remarked that as the Senate seem ed'to incline slightly to the principles of economy he thought it ought to be encouraged. Then the Canal rider was reached, an amendment appropriating !?8,000 for the, work on the Canal, mainly to furn ish water power to the Penitentiary. This reopened the Canal debate, in vjjhich a dozen or more members took pas. Col. Thomas, of Richland made a very earnest but brief appeal. He sail!'he supposed the members would y?fe as their convictions dictated. He bOffid, however, they would vote to concur in this amendment, if lor no other reason than to give the Richland delegation the consolation of having done something for Columbia. Mr. Davenport, of Greenville, who .seems to be constitutionally opposed to alPHppropriations, opposed this little ditch. Mr. Davenport made the broad I assertion-that nine-,tentb.s of the mem $8&I">f the^Koufitt'.were unable to pay iiiTiTjust debts. They must not;' be cause they were.here in Columbia living like rich men, forget what they were. Every year these appropriations had to be made. If members continued voting [appropriations this way they would vote the shirts off their backs, j After discussing the matter for an hour Mr. Cappelmann called the pre vious question, which ended the debate. The House, without a division, refused to concur in the amendment. All the amendments in reference to I the Lunatic Asyium were agreed to. j except that reducing the per diem of j the regents. At this point Mr. Picken moved to i reconsider the vote whereby tin; House I refused to agree to the amendment in I creasing the College appropriation ! from S15,0(XJ to 817,000, stating that he did so in order to give Col. Haskell, ' who had been indisposed and who had ? just entered the hall, an opportunity to [explain the necessity for the increased j appropriation. j Mr. Haskell explained that the in crease was needed mainly in consequ j ence of the increased popularity in the 1 College of the school of applied me chanics and the agricultural depart i inent. Dr. Pope and the Rev. Mr. Archer fought the amendment bitterly. In j striking contrast were the remarks of ; Mr. Tindal of Clarendon, the president of the Farmers' Convention and the re presentative of that body. He had been, he said, opposed to free tuition in the College, but he could never consent to starve the institution nor cripple its j usefulness by niggardly appropria 1 tions. After some further discussion the motion to reconsider was carried by a large majority and the Senate amend i ment agreed to without, a division. The amendment appropriating SI7? j for the repair of thenrsonalat lleau ! fort gave Mr. Milier the opportunity of making a speech -an opportunity which ? the member never neglects. Mr. Miller earnestly hoped that the bill would not ; pass. As a taxpayer and a reprcsciitu ; tive of taxpayers he entered his solemn i protest against it. This building was simply used as a pleasure hail by a 'military company, who also rented it out to travelling shows, Aic. "'he amend ment was agreed to- ?!'.' to 30. The Senate increase in the appropria tion for public printing from *?l"i,0tX) to 615,000, and that in the legislative ap propriation from 88,01)0 to 810,000 were not concurred in. Tin; Senate amendment appropriat ing $5,(I0U to aid m I he rebuilding t he State Medical College at Charleston seemed to have stirred up the most direful wrath of the reformers, who once more rallied and made a desperate light against it. The first opposition came from Dr. Pope, of Xewberry. who said that the College had no right to call upon the State for this aid. Mr. Hyde, of Charleston, made a stronge speech in favor of the College, and was followed on the same side b;, I>r. I.ee. also of Charleston. Mr. An.iel, of Greenville, said thai this was not the first lime this Colicge bad appeared here begging tor aid. It was a bail precedent,and as a reformer Mr. Ansel intimated that he was not in favor 01' setting bad precedents. Mr. Haskell spoke earnestly in favor of the amendment. Mr. Norton, of Marion,interrupted the speaker to ask if he would be will-1 ing to vote for aid to any of the de-1 18S6. PEICJ nominational colleges if they applied for it. Mr. Haskell promptly replied that if any useful institution had been de stroyed by a great and extraordinary calamity and appealed for aid he would have no hesitation in voting for it. Dr. Thomas, of Union, who like Mr. Davenport, of Greenville, and Mr. Archer, of Spartanburg, seemed hereto fore to have been constitutionally op posed to all appropriations, surprised the House and gladdened the hearts of the Charleston delegation by support ing the amendment in a stirring and eloquent speech. The Rev. Mr. Boozer, Lutheran min ister of Edgefield. announced the start ling fact that the physicians of the State were responsible for a great deal of the privation and suffering that now prevailed in South Carolina, mainly through their exorbitant charges, and cited as an instance the fact that in Ids section 815 was the least fee charged for a "midwife" case. Col. McKissick. of Union, said that when reformers from Union voted for the bill he thought the parsons from Newberry and Spartanburg and the re form lawyer from Greenville might cease their opposition to it. Five thousand dollars, he said, would do no more than buy a ginger cake and half a glass of persimmon beer for each man in this Legislature. The Rev.Mr. Archer, of Spartanburg, as usual, bitterly opposed the appropria tion. Col. Thomas, of Michlund, spoke in favor oE the amendment, and, a vote being reached, the amendment was agreed to?yeas fill, nays44. The opposition came principally from Spartanbunr, York, Edgefield, Marion, dewberry, Lauren* anil Abbeville. This completed the list of amend ments, and the bill was sent back to the Senate. A committee of confer ence will deal with it in future. CURIOUS PHENOMENON. A Strange Occurrence In Snath America? Testimony of an liye Witness. To the Editor of Scientific American: The following brief account of a re cent strange meteorological occurrence may be of interest to your readers as an addition to the list of electrical ecentricities: During the night of the 24th of October last, which was rainy and tempestuous, a family of nine persons, sleeping in a hut a few leagues from Maracaibo, were awakened by a loud humming noise and a vivid, dazzling light, which brilliantly illuminated the interior of the house. The occupants, completely terror-stricken, and believ ing, as they relate, that the end ot the world had come, threw themselves on their knees and commenced to pray, but their devotions were almost im mediately interrupted by violent vomit ings, and extensive swellings com menced to appear in the Upper part of their bodies, this being particularly noticeable about the face and lips. It is to be noted that the brilliant light was not accompanied by a sensation of heat, although there was a smoky ap pearance and a peculiar smell. The next morning the swellings had sub Sided, leaving upon the face and body large black blotches. Xo special pain was felt until the ninth day, when the skin peeled off, and these blotches were i transformed into virulent raw son s, i The hair of the head fell off upon the side which happened to be underneath when the phenomenon occurred, the same side of the body being, in all nine cases, the more seriously injured. The remarkable part of the occurrence Is that the house .was uninjured, all doors and windows being closed at the time. Xo trace of lightning could afterward be observed in any part of the building, | and all the sufferers unite in saying that there was no detonation, but only', the loud humming already mentioned.1 Another curious attendant circum stance is that the trees around the; house showed no signs of injury until the ninth day, when they suddenly j ' wither* d, ahm st simultaneously with : the ileve!oi)!iie::t of the sores upon the , bodies of I he '.?.jilpanls of the house.; ? This is perhaps tum n: coincidence,but J it is remarkable that th- same suscep tibility i i electrical effects, will: the 'same lapse of time, s!:o;:!;l be ohsi i'Veti in both animal and vegetable organ isms, i have visited the sufferers, who ' are now in one of the hospitals of this ; j city; and although their appearance is ; truly horrible, yet it is hoped that in no i case will the injuries prove fatal. WAItXKK COWOH.!., IT. S. Consulate. Maracaibo. Vene zuela, Xovemb.ir IT. I-SSlj. UoblMtl of Her Hair. liEADixo. Pa., December 15. Missi [ Delia Wentzel, aged eighteen, a pretty i I brunette, is the belle of Boyertowii,! this County. Her pride was her luxn j riant dark brown hair, which Ml in ? I heavy wavy tresses down her shoulders j four feet in length. \\ Idle her mother j and father were away this morning.j [and Miss Wontv.el was linishing her ' toilet in her bedroom.standing in front i of the mirror, she saw in the reflection a middle aged bearded man wearing a slouch hut. He hud entered the house, making his way up stairs. Shegavea little sen-am. when tin- man made a ' grasp for her and held a clot h su! united with chloroform to her nostrils She I swooned away, and when she recovered half an hour afterwards she was horri fied to find that her beautiful hair had , been cropped olT close to her head as if with a sharp shears, she had suffered no other violence, .sin- gave ' henhirm. and lifty men started out to search for ! he villain, but he had jumped on ??> passing freight train and escaped. I'e eeiitly Miss Wentzcl was offered j*:?K) for her hair by a wealthy Philadelphia lady, but she refused the offer. * An example. 1 Mr. < harles J). I'iiiJpot.a young far mer residing mar liogausville. Ca., seis aii example .vorthy of imitation. With an eight-horse farm this year Mr. I'hiipol's proiits Acre enough to pay on land lie piirci;a-;cil las; Fall 82!u40, for mules .?-". >, cimt iugent ex penses for running his farm $480; amounting total S2,iKj(). and he has! twelve heavy bales of cotton yet to sell,' with ample supplies of corn, fodder, oats, etc., to run his farm another year, j E ?1.50 PEE ANNUM. -/ AFTER THE TAX DODGERS. A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR THE EQU ALIZATION OF TAXES. Property to be Assessed by "Three Intellt ijenl and Discreet Persons"?A Measure which Promises a Good Return to the State. Columbia, December 18.?One of the most important measures introduced in the House this session is the bill, which received its second reading this morning, to amend Sections 253 and 254 of the General Statutes, relating to township and county boards of equaliza tion. The bill was framed by a sub committee of the ways and means com mittee, consisting of Messrs. Hyde, Tindal and Moses, in response to a re quest of the Farmers' Association, and will, it is said, restore a considerable quantity of land to the tax books. The bill provides that the county auditors in the several counties in the State shall be required, before the time fixed for the assessment of property for the purpose of taxation, to appoint in and for each township or tax district of their respective counties three intel ligent and discreet persons, who are to assess the value of property in their township or tax district for the pur pose of taxation. As soon as organized the county auditor shall lay before the several boards of assessors the returns which have been received from their respec tive townships, and the said boards shall proceed to examine the same. It shall be their duty to ascertain the names of all persons in their township or tax district who have failed to make their returns or who have not made full returns, and to report the names of such persons to the county auditor. They shall endeavor to discover all lands which arc not upon the tax books, taking a description of the same and its location. The boards have the authority in the year fixed by law lor the valuation of property to raise or reduce the value of real and personal property returned. In the years other than the year fixed by law for the assessment of real property these boards shall take cognizance only of personal property, and shall not alter the valuation of real property as established for five years; they shall examine the returns* of personal pro perty, and shall raise 6r reduce the value of any item which, in their opin ion, is returned at less or more than its true value. And in all cases where they know of their personal knowledge that a party hits not made a full return of his personal property they will add the same to the return, but in all cases where any increase has been made in the amount or valuation of property, real or personal, it shall be the duty of the chairman of the board to at once notify the party making the returns of said increase, with''the- information that the county board ivili meet on the second Tuesday in March for the pur pose of hearing grievances. The chairmen of these township boards constitute the county board of assessors, who "shall meet on the second Tuesday in March of each year, at the otlica of the county auditor, for the purpose of hearing grievances against the action of the township assessors. In the year in which real estate is assessed they shall consider till complaints of over-valuation by the township assessors, and it' liieyare-con vinced that any tract, lot or parcel of land has been assessed at more .ban its actual value, or at more than its rela tive value, a.s compared with other binds in the neighborhood, they shall reduce the same to what they believe to be its jlist valuation. lint any parly failing to appeal to this board at the proper time shall have no other redress; and the board shall not be called to gether alter adjournment for the pur pose of hearing grievances. Any per son whose property has been or may be assessed above its true, value, who can not secure relief from said board, shall have tht.- right to appeal to the comp troller general. _ A MAD MUTE. lie Tttices S.'i- lli'lrtitticit In l?de?The Cn.tole Fail to Kctin n. IIai.i:ic:ii, N". c. December :*".-- Fri day morning Walter Ringham, a deaf mute and a sou of William Ringham, formerly it prominent educator, hired a horse and buggy here, and took Miss. Turlington, also a deaf mute and matron in the State institution for Hit Deaf ami I ?umband the 1 ?lind, appear ently to ride. II" was engaged tobe married to Miss I'urlington and pro cured a license here. The couple did not return, but took the road to Durham. Thev ?viv seen riding together on Fri day'afternoon within eight miles of Durham. That evening Ringham ahme took lim r.i D;uham, nr. I >?;; the tram inquired Hie limeof ..? arrival at Atlanta and NYw Orleans. I'oul play out after Uiiighaui. and <?i1h ers from this eii, are 1:. ? ? arch of tin? lad v. A t"!egraiu r cciv-l lo-daj says that Ringham was in Curmniisvillc. N. V'.., upper part el Xcv. VorU city <.a Sun dav: thai w:~> era/.) and had disap peared, lie was ??; violent temper. Miss Turlington w is remarkably dis creet-and intelligent, it is feared that li'ingbam m>!.-aet! "ii an immediate marriage; Ilia! Miss Turlington de murred, and in a hi at uf passion he killed in r a h ti near 1 ?iirhaui. Mi-s Turlington did not know that Ring ham had ! Ii ? iie< use. She hu i promised to marry him next Summer. Uoth par ties arc uf age Miss Turlington is of Wilmington; Ringham oi (lakes, Chatham County, Ringham has never heretofore beim thought L>> he oi un sound in tit* i. lioih parlies are highly esteemed 'v their .'re nds. [linghamis about twenty-live years old and sire feet high; :;:<.'? black hair, brown eyes, sunken li?#.se. and is intelligent and well cdticat'd f ?;? a deaf mute. llanxri!. CiiAUi.iisra.x, S. ('., December 17.? Rob Jeter, v ilotvd, was hanged at Spsii tauburg to-day. He broke down on the scaffold, and th? scene was a most pitiuule one.