The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, July 01, 1904, Image 1
ESTABLISHED 1965 NEWBERRY. S. C.. FRIDAY JULY" 1. 1903 TWICE A WEEK $1.50 A YEAR
THE NEWBERRY OF THE
DAYS THAT ARE PASI
INTERESTING LETTER FROM
TEXAS.
Judge Crosson Writes of the Days
of His Boyhood and Manhood
Spent in Newberry.
Woodville, Texas.
'Days of my youth, ye have glided
away:
Hairs of my youth, ye are frosted and
gray;
Eyes of my youth, your keen sight is
no more;
Cheeks of my youth, ye are furrowed
all o'er;
Strength of my youth, all your vigor
is gone;
Thoughts of my youth, your gay
visions are flown..
Days of my age, ye will shortly be
past:
Pains of my age, yet awhile you can
last:
Joys of my age, in true wisdom de
light;
Eyes of my age, be religion your
light;
Thoughts of my age, dread ye not
the cold sod:
Hopes of my age, be ye fixed on your
God."
I was feeble when in Houston and
hence did iot write to you. but since
my return to this place I am in the
condition of an old hard-shell preach
er friend of mine when he said to
me, "I'm hearty as brandy, but not
so well beliked."
The School Boys.
In my last I was with the school
boys, "a howling horde of undiluted
mischief." I forgot to say that Mr.
Divver. good old man, would occa
sionally turn us loose in his fine or
chard.. much to our enjoyment. I
had also forgotten Daniel Brooks, of
whom O'Neall writes so kindly in the
Annals; also the b'eautiful grove
where Joel Stevenson lived when I
first remember. and afterwards Mr.
Vashti McCracken. I was surely
like the old darkey said of the Patri
archs of old-the forgetfullest peo
ple on the earth-"for." said he, "Abra
bam forgot Isaac. Isaac forgot
Jacob. and Jacob forgot a whole lot
of boys."
Quote an ancient sage. "Boys will
be boys." Dr. Bobo, notwithstand
ing his fine sense. was as eccentric
in manner and appearance as a
..comet's blaze" and very full of odd
ities. Near by the school house he
started to build a house. He had it
framed. weatherboarded and covered.,
but no doors nor window shelters
nor chimneys: he had a few rough
edlge plank on the sleepers. It was
so standIing rough and dlingy in the
tortiles. I lere the "howling horde"
had so me fun. Ag gntie, kind-heart
ed old fellow <we will not name him)
oiln hi, ccasion;d visit s tothe ei!age
wVri' camp in' :he R.'o bo ose and
rise up arly in the mi-ning to fl
i w ,:r' ng drink and'l he wvould
pr ,iml:i..yIC catch'ywith itat the
man of whom I wa speaking wtv i:
retire to the Bobo hous" and sleep
on tfie rough-edge. At 're time th e
boys discovered him fast a-i ep.
'11iey bombarded him with cob-.
slowly at first and then in shower-.
When he roused up he was greatly
:mnced :and hr 'ke .. 'i:n a jolly
lagh Te thiic'k'r the cobs dew the
1..nder latnghedt he. Finally a rock
smote him in the breast and the more
hilarious he became. WVhen his pro
tracted spree was over he returned
home and threw his hat in the house
andl if his wife kicked it out he
wouid return to the Bobo house and
interview Julius. This gentle, kind
hearted man has long since crossec'
ever the great divide.
Passing along Harrington street
we reach Caldwell street. and going
north we pass N. A. Hunter's gin and
blacksmith shop and then John El
more's wagon shop. He was an in
dustrious. quiet. sensible citizen.
His daughter. Fannie. was a quiet,
pleasant girl.
Newberry's Haunted House.
Every village had its haunted
house; why not Newberry? They
have a strange, subtle fascination.
The >ld spell of superstition still lin
gers and most persons are supersti
tious in the dark. While no one be
lieves in ghosts, yet we do not feel
comfortable in a house reported to
be haunted. It seems to be uncanny
-and wierd and inspires a superstitious
awe. In old times, before the days
of spirit rappings. a good, honest,
old-fashioned ghost was generally
thought to haunt some old mildewed
house in a retired spot or the scenes
of some gloomy graveyard. In a
two-story house across the street
from Elmore's shop lived a widow
and her daughter. The upper story
was the chosen place for a ghost to
make its intangible pres -nce- heard.
The ladies -were much alarmed and
reported confused noises, eerie
sounds. the air filled with phantoms
wandering in haste and moaning as
they went, and other tricks of culti
vated ghosts. Various parties visited
the house to unravel the mystery,
but could never see the ghost. Prob
ably the darkey's idea explained it:
"See a ghost? You no can see 'em
'cause you no believe in 'em." Have
you ever had a vivid impression of
seeing an object, which impression
was not due to a physical cause? I
was sleeping in a room in which
there was a man whom f was de
fending for murder and distinctly
saw the devil talking to him. Was it
a dream? Christie Murray relates
that, when writing a book, a hal
berdier. dressed in red and black and
with an axe, appeared behind 'him
threatening him. He thought it was
nothing and would soon go. But it
did not go and it was with him from
morning to midnight in his work. It
was with him a month and then
vanished. Was it a dream or an ap
parition?
Good People of Old Newberry.
On the corner opposite Wicker's
candy shop: as I first remember. was
John Holman's store. The Holmans
were among the early and prominent
citizens of the village. O'Neall, writ
ing-of him and Stewart. says: "They
deserve everything which honesty.
perseverance and virtue ought to ex
pect." He was a prosperous citizen.
remarkable for his industry, vigor,
sound judgment and common sense.
He always in ved with a conscious
energy. His wvife. Catherine. was also
full of spirit, energy aind industry.
Of his three sons Robert narried
Fanny. a (daughter ri General \inard,
ne.I'm y wh. wee he eah *y
eter,ne r abeauiin wr: mar- T
red E Y. McMorriez. a gentle, man
v man, a mo.st lavable character of
reat intelligence and kindness.
Opposite Drayton Nance's old
Ih'me was a house built and occupied
by HTolman, and another was on the
Across the street was the home of
Mathias Miller. who, like all the
North C4rolinians in the village, was
,-n industrious, energetic and pros
perous man. He married Miss Whit
mire. who. like all the Whitmires.
was full of energy and spirit. I re
member their two boys, who had
the qualities of their parents. They
were in my Sunday School class in
the A. R. P. church.
In the Lone Sar State.
Every day I see my friend. Sam
Kennerly. who is still expanding. He
is a candidate for county judge with
a good chance of election.
In Houston I met a few people
from Newberry. At church I saw
Prof. C. W. Welch. a typical south
ern gentleman. with the vigor and
bon hommie belonging to that char
acter. I saw also R. A. Welch, an
earnest and successful business man;
Housen Kenner, jolly and fat, and I.
G. Martin, pleasant-faced and pleas
ant-voiced, with a touch of the
Scotch-Irish look and accent; Dr.
Hayne Leavell, an intellectual man,
a leader in the councils of the church
and now a delegate to the Pan-Pres
yterian Council; Mrs. Maggie Tar
rant and her daughter. Mrs. Smiley.
We all had a delightful meeting. We
remember Mrs. Tarrant when she
xas a sprightly little girl. Now she
s a dignified, elegant, intellectual
matron. My wife was much pleased
ith Mrs. Smiley. She has spark
ing eyes with attractive sweetness.
Her husband is the principal of the
Houston high school, a gentleman
xho by his learning, intelligence and
mnergy is well adapted to his respon
;ible position. One of our grand
:hildren, Helen J. Miller, attends that
;chool.
This visit recalled to us vividly
ol. J. R. Leavell. his amiable wife
nd large and interesting family. I
vas proud to know that Col. Leavell
vas my friend. 'I remember him well
is a handsome, neatly dressed. ele
antly-mannered young man. He was
i type of the pure Christian man, of
i rich and graciou's nature; he was
is unwavering as the pole star in the
>ath of duty. I had the pleasure of
neeting him twice: once many years
igo while he. his eldest daughter-a
-nost interesting and lovable young
ady-and Rev. Thomas H. Pope, who
vent to school to me, were attending
t Baptist convention; and again at the
-onfederate reunion in Houston.
rhese are bright stars in my mem
>ry. We thought, too, of Mrs.
Leavell. who was a friend of my wife.
3he was gentle and kind and had the
ine qualities of her father, that
Zrand Christian gentleman, Dr A.
W. Chalmers.
In my next I'll take an excursion
nto the country among the Ren
Nicks, and then return to the village.
Wonderful to think that "by these
savs we used to walk we shall not
xalk again." When T think of my
>oish companions this stanza comes
nto mv' mind:
fh! for one hour of my youthful
Give ba~ck'm chx-eild-like' 'pring:
-a rather laugh a brighti-h airedl hoy
Than2i reignr? a gr'ay-haired kofi'."
Go. d-hve.
J. M. Crosson.
His Dear Wife's Comment.
- '. Evening Times.
Tie art.-t wa lio th :impressio~n
sc hio. he: had j2-i ven the last
*chi.- ti a purple a~:nd hNe cantvams'
heni hi; wife camae imo.t the stui:o.
'My '.ear."' said he. "this is the landl
case T w2med2 y.2 to s2ggest a
it!e for."
"Wh n call it 'HIome?' "' after a
!ng look.
"Plecauise there's no place like it."
shec replied meekly.
This higher life is not found on the
JUDGE SPEER SCORES
CHAIN GANG SYSTEM
HAS NO PLACE IN POLICE
COURTS, HE SAYS.
He Says That Under American Sys
tem One Man Can Not
Judge Infamy.
United States District Judge Speer,
of the western division of the south
ern district of Georgia, will this
week render an opinion of far reach
ing importance. involving the author
ity of municipal courts all over the
country to sentence violators of mu
nicipal ordinances to local chain
gangs. The case came before Judge
Speer on a writ of habeas corpus ap
plied for by Henry Jamieson. a ne
gro. for release from the custody of
E. A. Wimbish. superintendent of the
Bibb county. Ga.. chain gang. Judge
Speer in a lengthy opinion decided
that the superintendent was without
authority to hold the prisoner and di
rected his immediate release.
In passing upon the case Judge
Speer called attention to the fact that
the comnetient from the recorder's
court "was a sentence and nothing
more." and that there was no find
ing of guilt or innocence by the re
corder.
-The que-tion involved," said
Judge.Speer. "is whether the record
er of Macon can. without any sort
(f criminal pleading and without
the intervention of a jury, convict a
citizen twice for the violation of a
municipal ordinance and sentence
him to seven months at hard labor
on tle public chain gang. the pun
ishment to be suffered in a branch of
the penitentiary." Continuing, he
said:
"Can it be maintained in the light
of the constitution that one man,
under any form of procedure devised
or to be devised by legal legislation.
can consign men, women and child
ren to a chain gang for such trivial
offences as are within the jurisdiction
of a police magistrate?"
Invective Indulged.
judge Speer severely scored the
chain gang method and said:
"Indeed it may be with entire ac
curacy declared that the voluminous
a::d exhaustive preparation of the
city attorney and the subsequent ex
amination by the court has evoked no
shred of r.-thority. either American
or English. where a sentence by a
police magistrate to a public chain
gang. with the igntminous accessor
ics o ietters. the stripes, lash and of
the degradation of convict life has
been sustainedI or even palliated.
Under the American system the
chain gang has no place in the juiris
d'Cie:n at.lnr 'rced:-re of no!!ce court
where trial : jur:: : not a ri..hs I'f
' e -ekr- h etneo
the rcorde wh fr want ni dkue
e.o, her c ever] held the
litnn -car tl ' t :he c plin xi the
huu:>leandthelowv. If. he ai
furhe. "the praye r' peitn
lirmsce den<cied then tihe autem
authorizing thec United States courts
:and( the judges thereof to issue the
writ of habeas corpus to protect the
rights of the citizen guaranteed by
been successfully nullified."
The Color Line.
Judge Speer declared that the ar
g*:-rert had been advanced by a road
commissioner and that while a sen
tence to the chaingang would forever
ruin a white man previously respect
able it had no such effect an a re
spectable negro. He held that such
considerations do' not appeal to a
court charged with the equal enforce
ment of the law, and he did not be
lieve they met the approbation of the
best people of the southern states
nor were they conducive to the wel
fare of the south or hopeful for its
future.
Judge Speer concludes with an ar
gument made by him 20 years ago
and which he reaffirms. In this he
said that "though the color line ex
pert may so declare, this is no color
line case. It is a negro today. It
will be a white man, aye a white
child and a white woman tomorrow.
In this court the law is equal and for
all."
A SALUDA HORROR.
Unsuccessful Attempt to Burn Three
Negroes Asleep In Their
- Home.
One of the most villainous at
tempts at wholesale mlirder that this
section of the country has eyer
known occurred in Saluda county at
about three o'clock Tuesday morning.
A negro tenant house on the prop
erty of Mr. Jacob Long, about three
miles from the steel bridge on the
Kinards Ferry road to Saluda, was
soaked with kerosene and set on fire
when the three inmates were suppos
ed to be in bed and asleep. A negro
woman, Sallie Ready. was living in
the house with her blind mother and
a small child. One of the women
was awakened by the blaze in time
to summon aid and check the hed-"'
way of the flames before much dam
age was done. On investigation it
was found that the murderous
scheme had been carefully planned
and that only good fortune prevented
the death of all three inmates of the
h..ise. The building was solid. well
put together, and very small, having
a single room with one door and one
window. The door had been
thoroughly saturated with oil and
sacks of shavings had been placed
outside of and under the window.
These shavings had also been soaked
in kerosene and the stuff was poured
over the structure at other places.
At about three o'clock this completed
death-trap was set on fire. From the
facts of the case it is evident that the
woman must have been aroused by
the very first sound. She scattered
the shavings. called for help. and the
ragedy was narrow'ly averted.
Ver. early Tue,day' mnorninlg a meet
in.rf the white men ,f the commu'nity
w'.as h'id at Mr. Long's and the en
tire sect ion was arous~ed. They tel?
phoned! for blhI :':ndis hut- because
the gro'nord w'am too "ny 'r themr M
heC of "s hi-y were noAt sent. S'.spi
m-m amedCorric. Green and later
ha' m'in he~W wa- taken inmo cus
*y :ui cairied t' 'Sal:slt and
Week End Rates From Newberry.
C.( & .. I ar:e no o n'' t a ie every
1::ra.go to return :he fo llowv
' ivTesa at the' fo!! wing rates:
Fr :n Nwher-: to
(r- Ili!. '. C.. ... ... ... ...2.00
(-nn Springs. S. C.... ...... 2.10
Gree vill. .. .. ... . .. ..2.10
Il'.e of Palms. ... ... ...-.. -.- -5.15
Sr.artanhurg. S. C.... .... .. . 2
Sullivans Island- -. - . - - . - --- . 51
Waterloo. (Harris Springs) ... 2.oo
For further information in regard
o ti'-kets or schedules apply to J. WV.
Denning, agent.