Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ESTABLISHED EN" 11 MEETS AGAIN. The Senera! Assembly of South Carolina In Session AND IS HARD AT WORK. legislature WiU Visit Winthrop Sat urday, Going to Rock Hill by Spe cial Train?Lee's Birthday to be Celebrated by Scions at the Col lege?Two Judges hip Races Grows Interesting. The General Assembly convened at Columbia at noon on Tuesday and each house was In session only a short time, as there was no business to be transacted beyond swearing in ?new members and reading the an nual message of Governor Ansel. The members spent their time Tuesday ^Setting their stopping places and settling down. They lingered, iiowever, in the lob bies after the adjournment of the two houses and mingled in the ho tels, talking about the prorpects in the races for the two Judgeships. There is much interest in the race for the place on the Supreme bench held by the Hon. E. B. Gary, for ?which the imcumbent and the Hon. T. P. Cothran are the candidates. The race for. the position 01 Judge of the 2nd circuit is also attracting a great deal of interest especially among the members from that cir cuit. The candidates are the Hon. Ttobert Aldrich, Senator Bates and Solicitor Davis, of Barnwell, and the "Hon. Claude E. Sawyer, of Aiken. The General Assembly will not be in session Saturday, as an invitation has h en accepted to visit Winthrop College, and the trip will be made on a special train provided by the board of trustees. It is usual to ob serve Lee's birthday* January 19, as a holiday, but the date falls on Sun day this year, and the 18th will be observed instead and there will be appropriate exercises at that time at "Winthrop. Proceedings in the House. The House of Representatives was called to order at noon by Clerk Haraer, who called the roll by coun ties. When the clerk announced that a quorum was present, Speaker Whaley took the chair and the pro ceedings were opened with prayer by the chaplain, the Rev. R. N. Pratt, who prayed for Divine guidance up on the work of the House. Mr. Sharpe announced that Mr. N. P. Wannamaker, elected to succeed the late J. M. Epting, of Lexington, was present and ready to be sworn 3n. Mr. Von Kolnitz announced Mr. P. M. Bryan, o? Charleston, successor to the Hon. John Marshall, present. Mr. Clary announced Mr. N. W. Harden, of Cherokee, successor to the Hon. W. F. McArthur, of Cher okee, present. Mr. Yeldell announced Mr. J. M. Major, of Greenwood, successor to the late Jas. White, of Greenwood, present. Messrs. Wannamaker, Bryan, Har den and Major presented themselves at the bar of the House and took the oath of office. A message was sent to the Sen ate by the clerk that the House was yeady tor business. A committee consisting of Messrs. Nicholson, Bank3 and Beattie was sent to in form the Governor that the House had met and was ready to receive any communication might wish to make. The Governor's message was shortly presented by his private secretary. Hon A. J. Bethea, and was immediately read by Reading Clerk Withers. Dr. Saye, of York, presented the invitation of the Winthrop board of trustees to visit the College on Sat urday, the board furnishing a spe cial train for the visit. Dr. Saye moved that the invitation be accept ed and a committee of two be ap pointed to make arrangements for the trip. This was agreed to. Proceedings in the Senate. Sergeant at Arms Schurapert came up the main aisle of the Senate and placed the "sword of State" on the reporters' table. Then the Lieuten ant Governor, Mr. T. G. McLeod, called the Senate to order and ready for business. .'Gen. Robert R. Hemphill, who has for years called the Senate roll and been its official clerk, called the roll. The Rev. Alex N. Branson delivered the opening prayer and then Lieuten ant Governor McLeod in a brief talk wished the Senate and the State well; spoke with feeling of the companion ship and good that resulted from the meeting of the members. He spoke of the panic and viewed the present situation with favor. Mr. McLeod made the appointments for the present session as follows: Journal Clerk, G. E. Moore, Honea Path. Bill clerk, the Rev. W. S. Stokes, Spartanburg. Secretary to president, J. T. Mee han, Columbia. Doorkeepers. Peter Sanders.C en tenary, S. C: M. E. McDonald. Col ombia; J. G. Prown, Chester. Mail Carrier. N. O. Pyles, Colum bia. Pages, J.' P. Deerham. Jr., Green Lea: Carl A. Dreher. Lexington. Laborers. Jack Pressley. Edge field. :Robt. Caldwell, Newberry, and Abe Foster, Laurens. The usual exchange of messages be veen the House and Senate and the WAS HELD UP A Columbia Man Assaulted by Two Bold Highwaymen. Before He Knew He Was in Danger He Had Been Robbed of All He Had. The Columbia State says as Mr. Kiah Dent, Jr., of that city, was going at five o'clock Monday morn ing to open up his meat market he was held up and robbed by two un known men. The amount taken from Mr. Dent was $19.50, the money being in one $10 bill, nine one-dol lar silver pieces and a half dollar. There is absolutely no clue to the identity of the two men and Mr. Dent himself does not know whether they were white or colored. Mr. Dent was going to his work as usual and was on Lumber street within one and a half blocks of Main street. As he was walking with his hands in his overcoat pockets he was suddenly approached from behind and before he could realize what was happening he found him self on the ground with two men up on him. As the wind was very high, Mr. Dent did not hear the approach of the men. ?When he did realize what had happened he felt one of the men sitting on his head and the other holding him down by the feet with one hand and going through his pock ets with Jhe other. As Mr. Deiit's head was buried on one side in the mud that had accumulated on the street from the recent rains, he could not see either of the men. As his pockets were being rifled the coat was torn off of Mr. Dent's back and the sh'rt he wore was torn in several places by the men in their haste. When the men had taken the money and a bunch of keys from the pockets of Mr. Dent they picked up his hat that had fallen off and made away as fast as they could. For a few moments Mr. Dent was unable to collect his thoughts sufficiently to get up and when he did he could not see the men as his eyes were blinded with mud. Mr. Dent was unable to see in which direction they had gone but a gentleman who was coming up street at the same time saw the af fair from a distance and said that the two men turned up Assembly street With no clues to work on the police have been unable to catch the highwaymen who committed the as sault upon Mr. Dent. A FINE COURT HOUSE * [But the People Have to Pay Well For It. Mr. T. H. Tatum, member of the Legislature from Lee County, gives notice that he will Introduce at the present session of the Legislature a bill to issue bonds for the comple tion and furnishing of the Lee coun ty court house. This bfll, in all probability, will provide for an ad ditional issue of $35,000 to complete the court house, which will then be a building costing, in the aggregate, about $75,000 and will be one of the handsomest and most modern cou^t houses in the State. The advalorem tax, which will probably be provid ed in the supply bill for Lee county, will be about five and three-Quarter mills. EIGHT MURDER TRIALS Will Take Place at Anderson This Week or Next. The spring term of general ses sions court convened at Anderson Monday with Judge Klugh presiding. True bills were returned on eight indictments for murder as follows: Will Guyton, Press Lewis, Tom An derson. John Dill, Houston Tribble, O. B. Barnes, Theodore Walker and Way man Norris, all negroes. Nine other true bills were returned, two of which were for housebreaking and larceny, two for assault and bat tery with intent to kill and five min or charges. GOLD RUSH BEGINS. A Tent City Springs Up Near Valu able Strike. A great rush is on to the new gold strike near Manvel. San Berdino, county, California, where employers of Tex Rickard on Christmas day opened up surface ore that assayed as high as $120 to a ton. The strike is just over the Nevada line. K tent city has sprung ur, streets have been laid out, corner lots sold, and water supply arranged tor. The town is only three miles from the Sante Fe tracks. Five Suicides. A Boston dispatch says a number of suicides were reported in Massa chusetts Sunday following a day marked by stormy and depressing weather conditions. Five persons, including four men and one woman, took their lives. A sixth death was caused either by accident of violence. Governor were had. Senator Raysor thought, that con ditions had changed and that many bills had been rushed on the Calen dar without full consideration, and suggested that all bills on the Calen dar be reconsidered. The committee could hear arguments if they thought best. OKANGEBTJ] ANNUAL MESSAGE Of Governor Ansel to the Legisla ture Now in Session. A STRONG DOCUMENT He Gives the Genernl Assembly In formation Upon the Departments of the State Government With Comments and Suggestions Gath ered From Close Observation Dur ing the Year of His Administration. Gov. Ansel's annual message was read to both houses of the General Assembly on Tuesday. He begins his message by saying: "It gives me pleasure to say that we have been signally blessed the past year, at the hands of the Al mighty, with health, with peace and with plenty?our people have been spared from famine and pestilence and from storm and cyclone; and; while during the past few weeks, there has been some scarcity of mon ey, yet our barns and cribs are full and no panic is threatening." He then impresses upon the mem bers of the legislature that "the highest of all honors is to make laws to govern the people. This honor has been conferred upon you by your constituents, and I beg that you bring to the duty assigned you your best knowledge and judgment." The Governor then makes the fol lowing recommendations concerning the different interests of the State: 1. An extra two mill tax for State purposes for the next two years to pay the obligations of the State as they mature, so that hereafter it will not be necessary for the state to bor row money to meet its current ex penditures, but to "pay as we go." 2. A special tax sufficient to pay the deficiency of several thousand dollars in the revenues this year to meet the appropriations made by the General Assembly at its'last session in excess of the ' revenue derived from the last year's taxe.->. 3. The adoption of "the inquisi torial plan" in the assessment, of all property for taxation. He says more care should be used by the county auditors in receiving the returns of the tax payer. The oath should be administered and the party fully in terrogated as to his or her property and the property valuation thereof. When this is done publicly the neigh bors who may be present will know whether the valuation is correct, and the "tax dodger" will be required to answer correctly or take the con sequences. 4. The adoption of a stringent Act providing for the y-'Trishment of both! landlord and laborer for violations j of labor contracts, and making it j "misdemeanor for one person to em ploy a laborer who is under contract with another; svich a law having been rendered necessary by the de-j cision of the United States Court de-, claring the present law relating to I labor contracts unconstitutional." 5. The repeal of the lien law, which "has long since accomplished the purposes of its enactment," and for the reason that its repeal would he "better lor landlord and tenant." G. The amendment of the Carey ICothran Act regulating the sale of j liquor in this State "so as to provide that not more than one county dis I pensary shall be allowed in any j county where liquor is allowed to be 'sold, except in those counties where there are cities with .i populaton ex ceeding 25,000," such an amend ment being, in the opinion of the Governor, "in the interest of tem IQ, S. C, FRIDAY, JAN" THE CALL TO DINNER. perance," and minimizing "the sale of liquor in the county dispensaries and in the State." A farther amend ment of the Act "providing that when an election is held in any county under this Act, and the re turns show that a majority of the voters cast their ballots to prohibit the sale in the said county, that the dispensaries shall be immediately closed and kept closed until the mat ter shall finally he determined by the County Board of Canvassers, the State Board of Canvassers, or by the Courts if resort be had to the Courts." Further amendment of the liquor law will be recommended by the Governor by special message during the session of the Legisla ture. 7. The passage of an act provid ing for new registration books in the several counties of the State, and re quiring the Commissioners of Reg istration in the several counties to revise the lists of mUaes of the quali fied voters of the State. 8. The careful consideration of the educational needs of the State, and proper provision for the support of the several State institutions as re commended in the reports of the State Supeirntendent of Education, and the Board of Trustees especially charged with the direction of these establishments. Among the other specific recomemndations made by the Governor upon this subject Is the building of another dormitory for the Winthrop College for Women, encouragement "In every way possi ble of Clemson College," and by in ference, liberal appropriation for the South Carolina University and the South Carolina Military Academy. 9. "All needed appropriations for this institution," the Institute for the Deaf and Dumb at Cedar Springs, S. C. '10. Proper support for the Color ed State College at Orangeburg. 11. The consideration of the De partment of Immigration as a ques tion of "great moment to our mater ial and Industrial life," the best so lution of the labor question being the "bringing in of. home-seekers, home builders and desirable workmen." ! 12. The necessity of better accom modations for the Supreme Court of the State, the erection of a neat and commodious brick building on the State House grounds for this pur pose," and the appointment of a com mission to ascertain the cost of a building suitable for the purpose, such commission to report its find ings to the General Assembly at its next session. 13. A liberal appropriation for the needy "Confederate veterans." 14. Favorable consideration of the needs of the military establishment of the State, and of the recommen dations made by the Adjutant Gen eral and the adoption of the amend ment to the militia laws as suggest ed by him. 1"). A liberal appropriation for the mpinienar.ee of the State Hospital for the Insane. 1?. The appointment of a State Health Officer who shall give all of his attention to the work of caring for the public health. 17. A sufficient appropriation for the building of an industrial school at Florence in accordance with the recommendations made by the Board of Trustees of that institution. 18. An increase in the salaries of State officers and of Judgesof the Su preme and Circuit Courts "to at least what they formerly were." "My ac counts." says the Governor, "will show that it. costs me more than $1. 000 a year over and above my sal ary to pay the expenses of living and of providing for such entertainments and receptions as are necessary to the dignity of the position of Gov ernor of this State." 19. The appointment of a commis sion to report to the General Assem bly at its next session for the purpose of int,.tiring into the probable cost jand the feasibility of erecting a new Executive Mansion on the present executive lot, the present building, I having long since served its pur L7ARY 17, 1908. ?Berryman in Washington Star. # SAME OLD TALE. The Old Dispensary Winding Up Board Springs a Sensation. j LYON WIELDS PROBE. _____^ Scheme to Collect Claims Laid Bare by an Enquiry Brought by Letter Written by Whiskey House Agent. Names of T. "M. Mordecai, E. W. Robertson, August Kohn, P. H. Nelson and W. D. Melton in Case. The commission to wind . up the f affairs of the old State Dispensary sprung a dreaded sensation in Col umbia Wednesday. The commission held an open session at. which was read a letter from Mr. W. D. Roy, representative of a liquor concern, to creditors of the State dispensary, which was the subject of an investi gation by the commission. Mr. Roy was present * with his counsel, Mr. P. H. Nelson, and made a full statement in regard to the letter and its meaning. Mr. W. D. Melton, who was mentioned in the matter, was also present and made a frank statement of what he knew about it. Letters from the officers of the Na tional Loan and Exchange Bank were also put in evidence, and the matter is probably not yet ended, Attorney General Lyon said that he would be glad to have an opportunity given other gentlemen, whose names are mentioned, an opportunity to appear before the commission and make a statement also. The names of Messrs. T. M. Morde cai, of Charleston, E. W. Robertson, August Kohn, P. H. Nelson and W. D. Melton, of Columbia, figure in the case, which grew out of a scheme to collect the money owed to whiskey houses by the old State dispensary. Mr. Roy is the agent of the whiskey houses and he wan seeking assist ance in the collection of the claims. Col. August Kohn in a signed card disclaims any improper motive or act in what he did in the matter. He said Mr. Roy voluntarily came to see him and he gave him such sugges tions as he could, all in a legitimate way. In justice to Col. Kohn we will also state that Mr. Roy in his testimony said that Col. Kohn was not to get a cent for what he did. The matter created a great sen sation in Columbia and caused much talk about town. The prominence of the parties whose names are men tioned in connection with the case enhances the interest of the public. We shall publish on Tuesday a full er account of the case. poses. 20. More power to the Railroad Commission for the purpose of com pelling the railroads to comply with the reasonable orders, rules and reg ulations made by the Commission. 21. The adoption of measures that will provide for the estalilishment of a system of drainage in each of the counties of the State: there be ing 4.S79 square miles of overflowed and swamp lands in 3outh Carolina, which could be reclaimed and made healthful and arable by a well de vised system of drainage. In concluding his most admirable message, Governor Ansel reminds the members of the General Assem bly that "if South Carolina is to con tinue in her great prosperity much depends upon the laws you enact and the provisions you make for ihn ad vancement of all her interests." Tiie above is a short synopsis of Gov. Ansel's admirable message, but it gives a fair idea of what he re commends to the General Assembly. We are indebted to The News and Courier for it. WANTS BIGGER NAVY? The United States Should Have Two Great Navies Says .Tastice Harlan, Who Predicts a Groat Conflict Soon Between the Yellow and the White Races. A great conflict between* the yel low and the white races was the prediction made by Justice John M. Harlan, of the United State's su preme court, in an address at the third annual dinner of the Navy League of the United States at the New Willard in Washington recent ly. Justice Harlan said, in part. "If I had the opportunity I would vote lor an appropriat'jn of $50, 000,000 a year for a period of ten years for a larger navy. The great importance of a navy is si.own in the constitution, which restricts the appropriation for the army, but sets no limit for those for the navy. There is no such thing as friendship be tween nations as between men. Na tions oiake no sacrifices to preserve friendships, and don't forbear to do certain things because it does not meet with the approval of another nation. "I don't care how large a navy we have, but I want to see a navy large enougii to take care of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and our ports on those oceans. "The trend of immigration of the white people in the past have been from East to West. There has been none from the West. Just across the water there is a country with an im mense population, whose commerce we are seeking. We refer to the people of Asia as the yellow race. There are 400,000,000 Chinese, as good physically and mentally as we are. There is over there another nation whose people are progressive and ambitious. We may some day see a skilled army of Japan of 5,000, 000 to 10,000,000. They will say: 'You claim Europe as your country. This is ours. Get out!' I don't think they have any such idea now, and we have no hostility toward them. But there will be a conflict between the yellow race and the white race that will shake the earth. When it comes 1 want to see this country with a navy on both oceans that will be strong enough. DISPENSARY COMMISSION Makes Its Report to Governor Ansel on Its Work. The commission appointed by an act of the legislature to wind up the affairs of the former State dispen sary has made its report to Governor Ansel. It is shown that the total as sets now on hand, including realty amount to $888,048.16, with liabil ities of $612,968.66. The total amount charged against the counties is $6,533.10. (The report condemns the purchase of supplies in that bonds were not required and gross overcharges are admitttd by representatives of the various whiskey houses dealing with the dispensary. The commission also turns over to the Attorney Genera' the names of parties said to be guilty of misdeeds in their connection with the dispen sary. An account of the Richland Distilling company of $1,500 said to have been owing was afterwards charged up $5,700. '.The report also shows that the accounts of the State dispensary are in a chaotic condition, some entries being transferred to make balances. /DBACK HAND MURDER. Confession of One of the Slayers R<> i veals Hidden Crime. Revealed by the confession of one of his five slayers, the body of Jos eph T. Ritlco, a young Italian, was exhumed on a truck farm near Lake Charles, La., where it had been bur ied over a month ago. Four Italians are under arrest charged with the murder and the police are in pursuit of a fifth. Riclto had been accused of rob bing a Southern Pacific freight car, While in jail he notified five other Italiens, members of a Black Hand society and alleged to have partici pated in the robbery, that he would turn State's evidence unless released. The Italians secured his release and killed him. DOUBLE KILLING. .Vcgio Shoots Woman of His Own Race and Himself. |A1 Columbia Wednesday night Simpson Henry, colored, chief cook at the Union Station dining room, shot and killed Grace Wate, a col ored woman, and then shot and kill ed himself. So far as the police know there were no others Involved in Hie trouble. No reason is as signed for the killing. Henry went to the Wate house, on Lincoln street, shot the woman and then shot him self . Both died wRhin a few min utes after the shooting. Hold Up Shot Dead. At Los Angeles. Cal., while cov ering with a revolver the passengers on the Rcdondo electric car late .Monday night, Charles Fray was seized by R. O. Wirlliams, a plucky passenger, and was hot dead by Con ductor John C. Greer. The hold-up's companion jumped from the car and escaped. 0 $1.50 PEE ANNUM. DIED IN FIRE. Many People Are Cremated In z Small Playhouse. LOSS OF LIFE GREAT. Indescribable Scenes at the Fateful Fire in the Little Town of Boyer? town, Pa., Where Many Women and Children Were Trampled Down and Were Afterwards Burn* ed to Death. One hundred and sixty seven per sons were burned to death Monday night in a fire which completely des? troyed Rhoade's opera house in Boy? ertown, Pa. The opera house was crowded with members of St. John's Lutheran Sun day school, who were attending a. benefit performance given for the church. While the show was in pro gress, a tank exploded. The actors endeavored to quiet the audience, but in their anxiety to make themselves heard and to avoid the awful stampede of the women and children the coal oil lamps which were used as the footlights were ov erturned, setting the place on fire. The flames, fed by the oil, shot al most to the ceiling and there was a wild rush of the 700 persons to es cape from the burning building. Scores of women and children were trampled upon and several who es caped being burned to death, died after being dragged from the opera house. In many cases, It Is said, entire families have been wiped out. The scene which followed the explosion is indescribable. Scores of persons who were in the balcony at the time of the explosion occurred jumped from the windows and sustained fractured limbs and skulls. To add to the terrible disaster, the fire apparatus became disabled and the structure was left entirely to the mercy of the seething flames. It Is almost certain not a vestige of the bodies of the unfortunates who were overcome by the smoke and perished will ever be found. Assistance was asked from Pottstown, but before ther fire apparatus from that city reached the place the entire centre of the structure was a roaring furnace. Had the women and children heed- ? ed the warning of the cooler heads in the audience the horrible loss oC life might have been avoided, but there was the usual panic and stam pede which invariably follows at such a catastrophe. The flames, spread rapidly and communicated to the other parts of the theatre. Men. women and children rushed for the many exits, and the weaker sex and the children were trampled and maimed in the mad rush to gain the street. Assistance waB at once asked of both Reading and Pottstown, and special trains were rushed to the scene of disaster. Every home within a radius of half a dozen blocks of the opera, house was made a temporary hospi tals, where the wounded were rushed by carriages and other means of con veyance. Boyertown is a borough with a. population of about 2,500 and is lo cated about midway between Potts town and Reading. THE DEADLY AUTO. Newspaper Man Killed by Collision With Street Car. At Houston, Texas, on Monday, in an endurance race in which sixteen automobiles participated over coun try roads covering 112 miles, an ac cident occurred on the final round in which John Trentem, sporting editor of the Houston Post, was killed by a collision with a street oar, Brown Hotts was injured internally and Ray Weiss, general sales agent, of a Iqm her company, was badly injured. Trentem was in a car which had lost, a tire. The wheel without a tire caught on a street car track and the automobile was thrown ? against an oncoming car. Trentem was in stantly killed. The others were in? jured by the car being turned over. CHINESE SAILORS MUTINY. Leave Steamer But Are Forced by Police to Return. At Philadelphia. Pa., on Monday more than forty Chinese sailors on hoard the Hritish tank steamer Ches apeake, lying at Point Breeze, mut ined because they declared Capt Wil liam Gray had not furnished proper clothing and food on the trip from Singapore to that port. The men clambored over the side of the steam er to the pier and the officers sent a call for the police to a nearby sta tion. A squad answered the call and the troublesome Chinamen were sur rounded and driven on board the boat. An agreement granting some of their demands was signed by the. captain. The Wily Japs. The award of bids for material for the fortification of Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, ha.: been held up for tho reason that it is believed the low est bidder is a dummy for Japanese* contractors. It is probable that all bids will be rejected and that tho. war department will conduct the work.