The times and democrat. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, January 24, 1911, Image 1
& PUBLISHED THJIEE X
GOT FA? FEE
? ?? '
Ibose Atlanta Lawyers Made a Good
I hing Oat of ihe DisptBsary
9
TflEY WERE WELL PAID
Receiving, i<"ifty Per Cent on Over
Si^ judgments and "Conscience Mon-'.
ey" Collected, AtJlanta Firm Has
Tbis Year Been Paid. Nearly Fifty
Thousand Dollars.
The Columbia corrisspondent of the
News and Courier says while the dis
pensary commission has saved the
. State a large sum of money, the toll
for attorneys" fees has been limmense,
% though, perhaps, not exorbitant for
the class of work done. On over
judgments or upon "conscience mon
?, ?y" !the Atlanta firm got 50 per cent
?commissions, wherever such was col
lected. ~ ? ? ;..
Ab pointed out in The News and
Courier a few days ago the firm got
this year about $50,000, *:he exact
amount being $45,134.75,' as shown
by the official report to the General
Y^^Assem'bly. In addition to this the
firm would receive half of the Bern
helm payment of a few days ago, netr
ting the Atlanta firm $17,000, if paid
under the original contract. These'
are amounts for 1910, and up to the
General Assembly's session in 1911.
The expenses of the commission
for attorneys* fees, ? commissions and
salaries are shown by the official re
ports of 1910 and 1911 to have been
as follows:
Report of 1910: |
Expenses, salaries, in
eluding.attorneys' fees'
and commissions. . .$131,015 44
Graft account, (commis
sions 50 per cent). . 19,750 00
-Total.j.$150;765- 44
Report of 1911:
Graft* account, Atlanta
Ann. . '." . .' . . .$ 49484 75
Grand total attorneys'
fees, etc..$199?950 19
Up to the session of . the General
Assembly in 1910 the following was
the cash paid out during the com
mission term:
Expenses, salaries,, in
cluding attorneys'fees. . ..
/ ' and commissions. . ^$1311015 *44
Supplies/. 16,321 50
.Freights. 1,953 41
Insurance. . ... . . 3,141 55
Graft accounts (commis
sions 50 per cent). . 19,750 00
American Audit Co.. . 7,637 54
Dispensary commission's
mileage and per diem- 7,087 54
Refund, People's Bank
of Union. . .. ... . 674 77
Expenses, J. F. Lyon. . 3,493 49
Miscellaneous (sundry
creditors). ..... 261.57
/Total. ..$191,336 81
Since January 12, 1910,the total
disbursements by the commission for
all purposes was !?'l 78,845.11.
In 1910 the commission turned
over $275,000 to the schools of the
Slats and had a balance on hand of
^80,832.80. .
During the year just passed the
commission put to the credit of the
State in the graft account $30,969.15.
The net profits for the year were
$7,184.63.
SThe commission had altogether a
balance of $120,S10.24.. This, added
to the amount for this year, makes a
profit of $192,094.37.
.So that more than $4 75,000 has
'been saved to the State.
WHITE MAN TO RANG.
Supreme Court Afllrms Verdict in
Bates Cose.
iJoe Bates, a former policeman of
the city of Spartanburg, must pay the
death penalty at some futur date, to
be assigned/ for killing a young
white woman in the city of Spartan
burg more than a year ago. A de
cision, given by the Supreme Court
Friday, affirms the sentence of death
of the Spartanburg County Court.
The opinion is by Associate Justice
Gary. Bates was known as one of
the most efficient .'policemen in the
city of Spartanburg. He shot and
killed a young girl, whom he loved,
after she had married another man.
He is about fifty years of age.
The Umviritten Ijaw.
Frank Richard, member of the
Twenty-third infantry band, with
rank of corporal, was shot and killed
Friday in a restaurant at El Paso,
Texas, by Henry C. Bermaur, a mem
ber of the El Paso police force. Mrs.
Bermaur was dining with Richard at
the time.
Shoots Self While Making a Bed.
Miss Emma Bush, a negress, was
wounded in the leg while making a
bed In a boarding house in Wilming
ton, Del. The weapon had been left
under the pillow by its owner and,
when it fell to the floor, it was dis
charged.
Two Were Shot.
At Danville, 111., J. S. Mead, an
ambulance driver, and Robert Shut,
a veteran at the Soldieni' Home, were
shot and instantly killed by Howard
Tucker, another veteran. The trou
ble between the men took place in
the barn at the home.
Met horrible end
HEARD MAN'S LEG. THUMPING
AGAINST THE WALL.
Investigation Revealed the Fact That
a Colored Man Had Been Caught in
a PuUey.
Attracted. by a monotonous thud,
which occurred with clock-like reg
ularity as the great belt whirled
around its pulleys with tremendous
rapidity in the saw mill of the Bur
ton Lumber Co., Dr. T. M. Schar
lock.residing on Carolina and Com
ing streets, in Charleston, cast his
eyes: .upward as ,. he was passing
through rne room Thursday ? after
noon at about 3 o'clock, and to his
horror' found that the noise Was
caused by the leg of a man beating
against the .wall. Further investiga
tion disclosed the fact that the* whole
body,.ofvthe man was caught up in
the pulley. The machinery-was im
mediately .stopped, and it was found
that life had been extinct some time.
, ^Examination brought, forth the
fact'that the man was Benjamin
Grant, a mulatto, a tender in. the
sawmill: Just how the accident oc
curred will probably never come to
light. It is probable that the negro
had 'died some time before his body
was discovered dangling from the
pulley, because of the horrible
wounds found on his body. Grant
was'19 years "of age and was unmar
ried. \
.Dr. Scharlock had just entered the
Burton Lumber company's premises
after a visit to several patients in
that locality, when he was immedi^
ately -struck by the tact that the
sawmill, though all the machinery
was whirling, was without an atten
dant. He spon became conscious of
the monotonous thuds overhead,
and knowing of the damage a brok
en belt may inflict on the machinery
of any plant, made an investigation.
The belt was found to be working
smoothly, with .the exception of 'the
soft thuds which came with regu
larity from one corner of the room.
It took but A few seconds to find out
the cause of the singular noise which
had first attracted his.attention. Dr.
.Scharlock immediately had the ma
chinery stopped and the body. of. tr.e
unfortunate negro extracted. The
body was suspended about ^en feet
from the floor and was fohnd to be
horribly mutilated. '
? GIRL SHOT BY A BOT. t
Girl Is Seriously Wounded and the
Boy is in Jail.
Carl Haynes, a boy only eight
years old, is a prisoner In the coun
ty Jail at Spartapbur.g for shooting
and probably fatally wounding Lois
Wright, his playmate, just nine years
old, at Drayton mill village early
Friday. The little girl is at' the
Spartanburg hospital; and the phy
sicians say there is little chance of
her recovery. The boy used a shot
gun, the entire load from which took
effect in the girl's left shoulder.,
. The children were playmates, but'
it seems that following a childish
quarrel this morning the boy threat
ened ' to shoot the little girl, and,
though she ran and was in the act of
crawling; under a bed^to escape In
jury, he followed her and carried out
the threat. ?. ,
(The parents of the children are
good friends. Lois is a daughter of
J. Fred ; Wright of Drayton mill, a
niece of J. Walter Wright of the
Wright-Scruggs Shoe Company of
Spartanburg. Carl's father Is W. D.
Haynes who 1b an operator in Dray
ton mills. The children had known
each other for years, and so far as
is known were devoted friends, com
panions day by day while their pa
rents were at their duties, and con
stantly in each other's presence.
Following the shooting the boy was
carried before Magistrate Kirby and
committed to jail. He told the offi
cers he didn't mean to do it."
Every Dog Killed.
Every dog in the village of Durkee,
Ore., was killed by the town's po
lice Friday night. Earlier In the day
a band of mad coyotes charged into
the place, biting many people and
dogs. The settlers armed and waged
war against the intruders for many
hours. They then turned their guns
against the dogs, fearing that the
rabies, which is rampant among the
I coyotes in the district, would spread.
Caused by Gasoline.
At Evergreen, Ala., fire which
originated in a garage Friday night
destroyed every building on the
North side of Court Square with the
exception of an Infirmary. Explo
sion of gasoline caused the blaze. The
loss has not yet been established.
Don't forget that to lose in loving
is better than to gain by self-sebk
ing.
Fired All of Them.
Gov. Blease Friday issued a pro
clamation voiding Saturday the com
missions of all constables and detec
tives in the State appointed by his
predecessors under the dispensary
act. This is a sweeping and striking
action interesting Richland and
Charleston counties particularly.
Forty Lives Lost.
A news dispatch from Sosnowic,
Russian Poland, says that 40 miners
i lost their lives in a fire in the Casimir
j colliery near that place. Three hun
dred and sixty others escaped.
AMOUNT NEEDED
I TO DEFRAY EXPENSES OF THE
STATE FOR THIS YEAR.
Comptroller-G eneral. Gives a Detailed
Account of Money That Might be
Spent by Departments.
A tax levy of five mills will be
necessary for the State government
of South Carolina, according to an
estimate prepared and sent to the
general assembly by Comptroller
General. Jones. This, estimated levy
for this year is three-fourths of a
mill less than the levy for 1910. The
five mills levy will be sufficient if the
estimated expenditures are not ex
ceeded.
The estimated expense of the gov
ernment of South Carolina for 1911
will be -$1,642,000, according to
Comptroller General Jones. This Is
an increase of $94,549.84 over 1910. J
He saysHhat Jlt will be necessary for1
the' State "bo borrow the sum of
$550,000 for running expenses for
1911. i ?
. The following are the estimates of
the various departments of the State ]
government:
Governor's office. . . .$ 16,230.00
Secretary of state's-office 6,820.00
Comptroller general's of
fice. . .. 11,700.00
State treasurer's office. . 7,600.00
Superintendent of educa
tion's office. .... 7,000.00
Adjutant and inspector
general's office. . . .? 16,820.00
Attorney general's office. 7,845.00
Railroad commission's
office. . . . . . ". .. 11,570.00
State librarian's office. . 1,700.00
Public buildings. . . . 45,255.83
?State .geologist. . . . . 3,400.00
Game protection. ? ? ? 2,900.00
Department of agricul
ture. i. . . . . .. 19,220.00
Judicial department. 95,670.00
Health department, . . 16;'200.00
Tax department. 86,833.14
University of South Car
? olina-.fS n . . 5-7.183.19
Winthrop Normal andjn- .
dustrial obliege. :. s. . 113,102.40
South Carolina Military
academy. 25,000.00
Institution, for education
of deaf, dumb and
I blind., . . 29,100.00
South Carolina Indus
trial' and Mechanical
college. . . J. . 19,000.00
Other educational pur
'poses.. . . 68,039,65
State Hospital for In
sane. .. 311,968.56
South Carolina Indus
trial school. . . . . . 6,000.00
State penitentiary. ... 6,550.00
Other charitable and pen
al purposes. 760.00
Pensions. . . . . . . . 264,000.00
Historical commission. . 2.550.00
Interest on bonded debt 295,886.22
Elections.. 13,050.00
Miscellaneous. 62,740.00
Total.$1,642,243.99
blease Announces staff.
Takes Gentlemen From Different
Parts of the State.
Gov. Blease announced Friday af
ternoon the personnel of his official
staff as follows: .
With the Bank of Colonel?Marion
Davis, Newberry; Judge Advocate
General, John M. Cannon, Laurens,
commissary general, Ivy M. Mauldln,
Pickens; surgeon general, J. Wm.
Wessinger* Lexington; chief of or
dnance, Alfred M. Richardson, Barn
well.
Aides, with the Rank of Colonel?
Charles Newnham, RIchland; John
Maxwell Richardson, Aiken; Charles
J. Epps, Horry.
Aides-de-Camp, with the Rank of
Lieutenant Colonel?John P. Grace,
Charleston; James G. Long, Jr., Un
ion; Clarence e. Tolly, Anderson;
John G. Barron, Chester: Wm. A.
Klrby, Dorchester; J. P. Carlisle,
Greenville; B. G. Landrum, Spartan
burg; Taylor Lewis, Marion; Isaac
Appelt, Clarened'on; Walter 0.
Srubbs, Sumter; Graydon Bamberg,
Bamberg; Victor B. Cheshire, An
derson;. J. P. Henagan, Marlboro;
John K. Aull, Ne* berry.
Renegade Democrats Scared.
IThe Montana legislature In- joint
session at Helena Friday condemned
the action of certain "socalled Dem-[
ocrats" In the legislature of Massa
chusetts in voting for the reelection
of United States Senator Henry Ca
bot Lodge, declared that the reelec
tion of Lodge was, on its face, the
result of a corrupt bargain and de
manded rigid investigation of the
method by which Lodge obtcined his
election.
Gets n Life Term.
In the court of general sessions at
Greenville on Wednesday a negro
man, Clee Harris, was convicted of
murder and recommended to the
mercy of Mie court. Judge Gage sen
tenced him to the State penitentiary
for the balance of his life. Harris
killed another negro, Jim Williams,
in Greenville on the Bth of last No
vember.
A Cow Did It.
At Monroe, Okla., four persons
were injured, one seriously, Friday
afternoon when a Chicago, Rock Is
land & Pacific passenger train struck
a cow. The engine was derailed and
J. L. Curry, engineer, badly injured.
Two passengers and the firemen were
slightly hurt.
S. C, TUESDAY. J ANITA
Supreme Coori Decides That Having Li
quor for Pt -rsm\ Use
DOES NOT VJOLATE LAW
In Passing on a Disputed Section of
- the liquor Law the State's High
est Legal Tribunal Reverses a
Circuit and Gives a Man a New
Trial. . j
?Holding that it is not unlawful
to have whiskey in possession for
personal use, and defining the pow
ers of the Act of 1909 with refer
ence to the sale of whiskey clearly,
the Supreme Court reversed the
Spartanburg County Court, in the
case of Elias Rookard, who was con- j
victed for violation of the Act. The
opinion is by Associate Justice Woods
and construes clearly the. several sec-|
tlons of the Act, which have never
before -been reviewed by. the Supreme
Court. .
The defendant was convicted in
Spartanburg County in January of
last year, on the charge of,having
whiskey lh his possession and was in
dicted under the section of the Act
of 1909, which ends: "And which
if drunk to excess will produce in
toxication, except as hereinafter pro
vided." No question as to the con
stitutionality of the Act was raised
in. the appeal, but the defendant con
tended that the Circuit Judge erred
in" his construction of the statute,
when he charged the jury in effect j
that the statute makes the mere'
keeping in possession liquor by
a private individual a criminal
[offense;* and that,, therefore, the
[jury should convict ' if they
found that the defendant had liquor
I in his possession, even if they should
[find that he had not unlawfully re
ceived nor accepted'" it and- had hot
kept it in possession for an unlawful
use.- ?' ? '
The decision of the Supreme Court
says that the question 'is whether the
I Circuit Judge was right 'In holding
the Act of 1909j to prohibit and make
criminal the keeping in possession of
liquor in this [ State under all cir
cumstances, without regard to the
manner of acquiring possesion or
I the purpose for' which the liquor was
ac.q'uired.T "It ^eems clear 'that the
statute cannot be so construed," says
j the opinion. The- Court continues:
"Such a construction would make" the
Act itself destructive, for. other sec
j tions of this Act, as well as portions
'of the dispensary statute of 1907,
I recognized by'this statute as1 still in
! force,'provide for the sale'of liquor
!by the county dispensaries, and cer
| tninly a legal sale and purchase car
ried- the right ;to 'the purchaser- to
ikeep in his possession the liquor he
has purchased, provided he does not
apply it to an unlawful use."
? .-The Court continues that one may
lawfully keep In his possession liquor
purchased for personal' use under the
protection of the Inter-State com
merce clause of the Federal Consti
tution. "Any attempt" says the de
cision, "by, the General Assembly to
interfere with this right would be
futile and the presumption is very
Strong against th'e legislative Inten
tion to make such an attempt In
deed, the right to keep in posses
sion liquor so purchased, is expressly
recognized in Section 28 or the Dis
pensary Act of 1907, which has not
been repealed."
The Court says that it follows that
the provision of the Act of Ift09,l
making it unlawful "to keep in pos
session" in "Chls" State," intoxicating
liquora "except as hereinafter pro
vided," means that it should be a
misdemeanor to keep in possession li-:
quor which had not been unlawfully
obtained, that Is, obtained in a man
ner not recognized-.as lawful by that
Act or the unrepealed provision of
the Act of 1907, or to keep in pos
session for sale or some other use
forbidden by the statute liquor law
fully obtained."
The conclusion Is reached that a
new trial Should b?; ordered.
Both Are Dead.
Mattle Hand las was shot and
killed on the sidewalk at. Gay and
Exeter streetB, Baltimore, Md., Fri
day by Herman Ensor, who after
wards turned the pistol upon him
self, inflicting a wound from which
he died in a hospital an hour later.
Each of the victims was about thirty
years old. A lovers' quarrel is be
lieved to have been the cause.
Fell to Their Death.
At Seattle John Anderson, * a sa
loon proprieter, and Ben Christen
sen, a bartender in his employ, were
instantly killed. The men were en
gaged in a friendly tussle. The room
had been cleared to make way for
them when they suddenly fell to
ward the window, the sash gave way,
the men balanced on the brink a mo
ment and then plunged head first to
the cobbles'ones from three stories
above.
Commutes Sentence.
Governor Blease today commuted
the sentence of death of Jobn Pen
dergrass, who was to have been
hanged in Williamsburg county, to
life imprisonment. Pendergrass was
convicted of the murder of H. Harri
son last ye<ir. Execution was stayed
pending an appeal to the Supreme
Court.
.BY 24, 1911.
DEADLY HOT SUPPER
THREE NEGROES KILLED AND
EIGHT ARE WOUNDED.
Some Were Shot, and Some Others
Were Injured by Running Into
Barbed Wire Pence. \
?? Jerry'Preesly, Will Watt and Alice
Bozeman, all colored, are dead, and
eigh t others are more or less serious
ly hurt as the result of a general row
at negro dance 12 miles south of
Anderson/ The injured Include
Charles Hall, who has a shattered
hip, and Sam CUnkscales, shot
through the leg, just below the thigh.
Both are seriously hurt.
' Several of the others injured were
hurt by contact with barbed wire
fences in getting away from the gen
eral, fusillade of shots fired at tte
house.
The shooting occurred on the plan
tation of J. L. Jackson and seems to
have been due to the presence of a
negro woman from Atlanta. She was
dancing with Jerry Pressly when the
couple was fired on from the outside
and mortally wounded.
The light was extinguished and a
general fusillade of shots followed?
more than 100 shots being fired.
When iho smoke had cleared the
thrse named were found fatally
wounded, dying, the latter two in Ab
beville county.
It is yet impossible to get full par
ticulars of the shooting. A coroner's
jury was empaneled, but was dis
missed until Monday afternoon to
await possible developments.
The house where the trouble oc
curred is riddled with bullets and
shot.
It is understood that one arrest has
been made.
MAKES DEADLY THREAT.
Col. Tillman Issues a Statement De
nying Reports.
A dispatch from Ashevllle, N. C,
to the New York World says exhibit
ing his old time fire and showing that
his bitter hatred has not abated even
though he "is wasting away under
ravages of disease, Col. James H.
Tillman, former Lieutenant-Governor
of' South' Carolina; anil, slayer of N.
G: Gonzales/editor of the Columbia
State, has issued a statement char
acterizing as lies stories ? sent out
from Edgefleld, S^ C.,.that he was de
serted by his family and was dying
in poverty.
"When I have recovered my health,'
then as in the past, no quarter will
be asked and 'none allowed."
From a 'etter from Gov. Blease,
just inaugurated in South Carolina,
Mr. Tillman quotes:
"Don't lose your nerve. Be what
you have always been, a brave man.
Take courage and win your fight.
Get well and come back home and be
here with me in my fteht to redeem
South Carolina from Cuban and ne
gro domination."
Col. Tillman has dlscftarsed Mra~
Mary D. Schofield, a trained nurse,
becasue she made an appeal to his
uncle, Senator Benjamin R. Tillman,
for funds to get necessaries of life for
him. According to the nurse Sena
tor Tillman's letter says: "He is
reaping what he has sown and wheth
er he realizes it or not, Nemesis Is
dogging his footsteps and will to the
grave."
Tillman Is now attended by a ne
gro woman. His physician says he
is Improving somewhat. Within his
reach he keeps a loaded shotgun.
THIRTY DAYS SESSION.
Senator Lide's Bill to That Effect
i
Passes Senate.
At .the afternoon session Friday
I the senate decided for a 30 day ses
sion. Not without discussion, much
of it, for some of the senators, at
least sixteen of the forty-three^ 'do
not want to adjourn sine die Febru
ary 10. After many of the senators
had spoken on the bill the concur
rent resolution, Introduced by Sen
ator Lide of Orangeburg, providing
for a thirty day session' was passed
by the senate and sent to the house.
. ^Senator Appelt moved to strike oiit
the resolving words of the resolution.
The motion was lost by a vote of
twenty to sixteen. The resolution
was then passed. The vote on Sen
ator Artpelt's motion to strike out
the resolving words was:
Yeas?Ackerman, Appelt, Carlisle,
Christensen, Grosson, Earle, Epps,
Ginn. Green. Hardin. Johnstone,
Lawton Stuckey, Waller, Weston,
Young?16.
Nays?Bates, Black, Forrest, Hall,
Johnson, Laney. Lide, Manning,
Mars, MaulUn, McCown, Montgom
ery, Muckenfnss, Snivey, Ralnsford,
Stewart, Strait, Sullivan, Summers,
Wharton?20.
Bull Causes Suit.
Because he alleges he was gored
by a bull owned by the professor, G.
M. Sheppard has entered suit in the
district court at Austin, Texas, ask
ing that L. M. Keasby, professor of
sociology at the Texas State Univer
sity, be required to pay him $40,000.
Insane From Blow.
A raving maniac from the effects
of being struck in the eye a year
ago by a snow ball thrown by a
boy, Herbert Porter, a professional
baseball player, was placed in the
asylum for the Insane at Poughkeep
sie, N. Y., m Friday.
THEY TALI IT OVER
BLEASE'S ACTION CAUSES MUCH
I DISCUSSION.
His Removal of the Notaries Public
and State Constables Was Not Ex
pected by Any.
Governor Blease's action Friday in
"firing" all notaries1 public In South
Carolina and giving notice that he
would also turn out the dispensary
constabulary, waH the subject of com
ment in State circles Friday evening.
Several reasons are assigned as pos
sible for the action with regard to
the notaries public. The first is that
there are a number of negroes who
are notaries public.
Observant persons about the State
House have noted the large number
of commissions Issued within the last
two mouths, In the closing days of
Governor Ansel's administration, to
those wanting to be notaries public.
There have been 'probably 200 no
taries public commissioned In the i
last few months. The frank reason
was given by some that'they "want
ed to get In before the new admin
istration." Governor Blease, it Is
suggested, may have Celt this.
There was an essential difference
in the message of Governor Blease i
and that of Governor Tillman, the j
latter 'having done somewhat the
same thing during his admiuistra-|
tion. Governor Tillman said he
wanted to be rid of the carpet-bag
gers of the lime. Negroes have been
appointed notaries public since the
days of Hampton. Governor Ansel
appointed several. Governor Tin
man's proclamation did not do away
with all notaries public, but oniy
those appointed during certain
years. ''" 1
In the Senate Friday the reading
of Governor Blease's message at first
created some consternation. It was!
read twice and. then, after discussion '
of a few minutes, was referred, to the
committee on judiciary, afterward
being recalled from that committee.
Senator Weston suggested the danger
to many bank officers, of which are
notaries often. The announcement
later to the effect that the proclama
tion would n'ot go Into effect until
February 10 e^sed matters. The
message was received as information.
The fee charged for a notary com
mission is $3.25, although the orig
inal statute made It $3.21. The 25
cents Ib to cover cost of postage, etc.
Thus, for 7,000 notaries, new com
missions would be $15,000, if that
many are reappointed, which Is
doubtful.
ACID. FOR HER CHILD.
Mother Gave Poison When Her Son
Asked for Water. ''
Her desire to become the i Ife of
Howard Kirk, a draughtsman, is be
lieved to have caused Mrs. Edith
Melber, a widow of Schehectady, N.
Tv to kill her five-year-old son. To
day she is in prison in Albany on
charge of murder in the firBt degree
and ?ne confesses that she gave her
child carbolic acid when he asked for
'a drink of water. Asked why she
committed the crime, Mrs. Melber
declared he was In "everybody's
way."
j After being placed in her cell Mrs.
Melber failed to show any grief or
jconcern over the death of her'son,
Geor'gie, who was four years of age.
[She did not desire to see his dead
body nor did she take any Interest in
the funeral arrangements. She did
ask that she be furnished a black
dress. Specialists in mental diseases
who have examined her declare she
Is rational and was rational at tne
time of the murder.
Young Kirk, who had been paying
some attention to" Mrs. Melber, de
clares that ho engagement existed
between them and' that the subject
of matrimony had never been men
tioned.
BLEASE NAMES DELEGATES.
Represent State at Southern Com
mercial Congress.
Delegates to the Southern CoraniPr
clal Congress ro be held lu J "'anta cn
Congress to be held in Atlanta on
March 8, 9 and 10, were appointed
Friday by Governor Blease as fol
lows: Geo. F. Von Kolnitz, Charles
ton; Thomas F. Brantley, Orange
burg; Jas. Stackhouse, Marion; Sam
J, Nichols, Spartanburg; H. Endel,
Greenville; Otto Klettner, Newberry;
Dr. H. K. Aiken, Laurens; Jno. J.
Seibels, Columbia; Thomas B. But
ler, GafTney; C. J. Shannon. Jr., Cam
den; D. S. Henderson, Aiken; Henry
G. Tillman, Greenwood; J. Arthur
Banks. St. Matthews; Jas. P. Carey,
Jr., Anderson; Thomas Wilson, Sum
ter; J. W. Gibbes, Columbia.
Prevent Disaster.
Prompt work by firemen and at
tendants of the Susquehanna Valley
home at Binghampton, N. Y., is
thought to have saved the lives of all
the 155 children inmates when fire
broke out in the boiler room of the
dormitory building at five o'clock
Wednesday morning.
New Food Law.
The enforcement of the Pure Food
and Drug Act has commenced. The
law will be enforced in conjunction
with the feedstuffs law. The en
forcement of the law will be under
the direction of Dr. A. C. Doyle, who
was recently appointed to the posi
tion by Commissioner Watson.
m GENTS PEE COP Y
WILL LOSE JOBS
Governor Bleas e Tains All! the Wotamv
Poblic Oat of OTice.
TELLS WHY HE DID IT
Commissions First Declared "Noll
and Void" January 21, but Gov
ernor Blease, at Suggestion of .Mr.
Stevenson, Makes x'roclamatiott
Effective February 10.
There was much consternation
Friday when the first message of Gov
ernor Blease was sent td the House;
says the Columbia correspondent of
The News and Courier. Under the
terms of the message, Governor
Blease notified the House that he
had issued a proclamation "declar
ing null and void all commissions
of notaries public, within this State,
bearing dates prior to the 21st of'
January, 1911." He then went on
to give his reasons.
There are a number of bank of
ficials and lawyers in the House, and
they immediately took alarm, over
what they considered a wholesale re
vocation of the rights of the notaries'
throughout the State. They felt that"
many notes and other papers might
be protested today, and with a revo
cation of their rights that there
might .be trouble. Some of the at
torneys , for banks were starting to
telegraph their banks to have notes
and other papers protested before'
the Clerk of Court and to have, the
same done as to other notarial duties.
Mr. Stevenson volunteered that'he'
would go down and see Governor
Blease and suggest that this was too
sudden and that some time had bet
ter be allowed to have new commUK
elons Issued. Mr. Stevenson returned'
to the hall and announced that-'he'
had seen Governor Blease and that
he had consented to have the procla
mation go into effect February 10.%
This would' indicate that all ? who'
hold commissions as notaries public
will have to get new ones. The mes
sage of Governor Blease reads: r
State of South Carolina, Executive
Department, Message No. 1.
? Gentlemen of the General Assem
bly: 1'this day issue a proclamation
declaring null and void all commis
sions of notaries public within this'
State, bearing the dates prior to the
21st day of January, 1911.
I desire to call you attention'to
the fact that this is a very important'
position, carrying much more power
than Is thought. There Is no limita
tion to the term of office and gen-'
erally the appointment is made
without'the persoi.al knowledge of
the Governor of the appointee.
I think some' qualifications should
be necessary in order ? to hold this
office, and I also think that some
term should be fixed' by law for the
holding of the position.
I recommend that you pass an Act
along the lines herein indicated. ; f
shall make no appointments for this'
position until I have given you op
portunity to act.
Very respectfully;' ;
Cole L. Blease,
Governor.
The supplementary message" ot
Governor Blease, changing the date,'
reads: Gentlemen of the General'
Assembly: Upon further considera
tion I have decided to make the date
of expiration of all commissions of
nortaries public expire February 10,'
1911, Instead of January 21, as
stated in my previous message of
this date. Cole L. Blease,
Governor..
Columbia, January 20.
Governor Tillman, in his revoca
tion, made these terms: I hereby
declare that every commission is
sued prior to January 1, 1889, shall
expire on January 1, 1894, and said
offices shall become vacant.
New Orleans Win.
By a vote of n'ne to six New ON
leans was selected Friday by the
house committee on' expositions as
the' site for the Panama canal expo
sition in 1915, says a Washington
dispatch. The bill giving recognition
to. New Orleans was referred to a
subcommittee for slight changes. It
Is expected an appropriation will be
granted.
Desperado Lynched.
Oval Pouilard, a negro desperado,
who shot Chief Deputy Sheriff Edgar
Lefleur, of Evangeline parish, was
lynched at Ville Platte early yester
day morning. Officer Lefleur, who
was shot while attempting to arrest
the negro on a charge of discharging
firearms in the town, received only a
flesh wound.
Died at the Opera.
While witnessing the play at lh?
French Opera at New Orleans Mon
day -night, Mrs. Edmund Cabiro, a
member of one of the most promi
nent Creole families in the city, was
stricken by death. The audience
thought Mrs. Cabrio had fainted and
she was carried out as the play went
on.
Check for $1600 Found in Old Desrr.
While cleaning out a desk that be
longing t:o the late Simon W. Greg
ory, in Hartford, Conn., Frank H.
Crygier found a check for S1.60Q.
It was hidden in the crack of a desk
that had not been used for twenty
years.