Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL XLIII. NO. 16- NEWBERRY. S. C. FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 23. 190'CWC EK.$.0ArA WITH FORTUNE NEAR SHE LIVED ALONE STORY READING LIK :ou MU TUAL PRIEND" BROUGHT TO LIGHT. Miserly Old Woman Deposited Her Money in Bank and Eforts Are Being Made to Recover from her Obligations of Uncle of Whom She was Heiress. W. H. McCaw in Augusta Chronicle. Columbia, S. C., Febriary 20. The proceedings whieh have been instituted before the judge of probate here holding up a deposit of $50,000 in the National Loan and Exchange bank by Mrs. Sallie A. Gibson until the result can be determined of ef forts made to revive an old judg ment for $60,000 seeured against Mrs. Gibson's uncle, old "Squire'' Levi- Met, will reveal a pictursque story of an old woman worth perhaps $100,000 living in a tumble-down old house in an alley alone for years with a fortune in cash in an old greasy gip sack. One of the most disastrous bank laftres this state has known was that of the old Commercial bank here about 15 years ago. This was or -ganized -by C. J. Iredell, now living in Virginia, and associates, who are now prominent in Columbia business and social circles, upon the wreck of Ahe banking firm of Metz and Iredell. .-The <ebts of the . Metz :and Iredell pneern were paid out of the \ new ank, which held a Aumber of worth ess claims besides notes signed by -1edell as manager of the old firm. Suit was broughtagainst Metz as the idy AnaMcialn* responsible member of the frm, and jadgmient was obtain --ed against him for $60,000. -Metz, a thrifty Jew from the Duteh r6Ik stion of Lexington county teross the Congaree river from this unnty,-at one time owned perhaps a dozen plantati6ns -in this and Lexing ton and Newberry counties. When Swas 'taken up in supp!ementary *roceeding there was practically no ~tp~ ty in sight to pay the jutdgment he slawyers got fat fees. Fi nally tejudgment was comnpromised for about $4,600.. *About a year ago Metz died and his neice, who had lived alone with *him in ths alley where she now lives, broughts in this will drawn ten years ago by Attorney Andrew. Crawford, and had it probated, paying the fees in niekles and dimes: ''First I give, devise and bequeath to my niece, .Sallie A. Gibsopi, all of my estate of'any riature or kind what ,soever and wherever the same may be, whether it consist of realty or per sonalty or ehoses in action, or 'claims which no.w may be dbrmant but which' later .may be developed against the Commercial bank of Columbia or other corporations or persons, or per sons against whom I may have claims or demands. "And, secondly, I nominate, con stitute and appoint my said niece, Sallie A. Gibson, executor of my will with full powers hereby vested in her 'to settle, compromise or liquidate any and all demands which I have against others or which others have against me. "In testimony whereof I have here-. 'under written my name and affixed my seal at Columbia, in said state, the 10th day of December, 1897. "Levi Metz.' The wvill is witnessed by Judge Crawford, John A. Civil and Judge Duncan C. Ray. About -six months ago, Mrs. Gib son, on the advice of her attorney, de posited in the National Loan and Ex -change bank over $10,000) in cash, gold and silver. A few' weeks ago a city salesman cealled on her to sell her some sup plies for a new frame house she was building. "You look like a young man I could trust with a secret,'' she said to him in a confidential mood, after finding out that he was a single man. "I will show you something that looks good to a.poor man.'' She dragged out that old grip sack ad poured the ontents out on the bed in front of his startled gaze. He helped her count it. There was $38,000 of all in bank notes, in de nominations up to $500. The young man then dutifully set about to persuade her to deposit it in the bank. He told her how she might be murdered and robbed and how safe and reliable the bank was. She had had what she considered a bitter experience with banks and was at first opposed to changing the hid ing place of the treasure. Finally. after several days. visiting. her and talking to her the young man induc ed her to put the money in bank. Then the story of the big deposit got out from the bank, and the lawyers got busy. Mrs. Gibson has lived in a very try ing atmosphere for many years, and being naturally of a nervous temper ament, this suit over her money will probably completely derange her. "When I carried that money to the bank," she said to me, "one of those bank-men tried to nip out a $500 bill with one of those X-rays. He got one bill and ran behind those bars -before I could catch him..People used to always be after my money at home, reaching through the ceiling after it with those X-rays.'' Mrs. Gibson protests that this is all her own money; that she had mon ey and property before she came to live with her uncle. She does not hold Mr. Iredell in tender -memory. She rails against him and his associates claiming that they have done her uncle out of a fortune of $290,000. A year ago she appealed to' the railroad commsion to force President W. G. Childs of the C. N. & L. road to give her a pass to Newberry, 60 miles from here. Several years before Metz mpde his 'will he had Chief of Police Rateliffe and a private search his premises for $11,000 he had lost. While the chief was'qnder the house scratching about among the cobwebs, getting dirty and bdmping his head, the private was going through the things above him with Mrs. Gibson accompanying him. Finally, when he had about given up hope he spied an old dusty broken pitcher sitting on a narrow Iddge above a window. ''What's in that pitcher?' ''0, nothing at all, that I know of.'' ''I guess I'll have to see for my self." Further protests that it would be useless excited his suspicions and he went up after it. He had not laid hand1s on it before he realized its weight told a story. The pitcher was full to the rim with gold and silver, which was poured out on the: bed, as the private called to his superior to come up. *Mr. Metz came in and Mrs. Gibson confessed and got down on her knees to him begging him to forgive her. He finally did forgive her. These are the facts connected with this incident as they were told by Mr. Rateliffe. Pointed Paragraphs. Everv time one man loses .his tem per another gains his point. No matter how often a man 's heart is shattered it is always good for an other break. A man may believe that he is better than his neighbor, but his neighbor never believes it. Perhaps the longevity of most ac tors may be due to enforced walking as a means of exercise.. Wise politicians climb into the band wagon rather than risk being knocked down and being run over by Somehow a talkative wife never takes advantage of the many oppor tunities her husband gives her to uit.. After a woman has been married about so long she ceases to pay any attention to rumors about men neg leting their wives. A woman seldom has much to say about the good qualities of her hus band until after he is in the hands of the undertaker. Signatures with a lead pencil are valid. The more men a girl thinks she has been in love with, the harder it is go ing tohiMt her when it really happens. SENATOR TILLAN ON THE CAMPAIGN WILL NOT PERMIT ANTI-DIS-'i PENSARY FORCES TO UNITE He Proposes to Fight for Repeal of the Brice Law-And for the Dis pensary to Remain. The following is from the State's Washington correspondent: 'It is up to tpe people now," says Senator Tillman concerning the dis pensary situation, "and there will be a hot time next summer," he de clares. The senator. who has been ill for the past several days, got out of bed this morning, contrary to advice, and went to the capitol. He seemed to be loaded up, not on the product of the dispensary and the distilleries, but on the subject of both, for he he tually got up in the senate during the pure food discussion and. -gave a lec ture on good whiskey and bad whis key, and how to make it and how to secure its blessings to ourselves and our children. But it was in his office that he talked very freely and with his usual fire and vim upon the South Carolina situation. ."The campaign will be three cor nered," says he. "There will be three distinct elements-at least I propose to make it that way if I can and I think it will have to be that' way. There will be the' advocates of the state dispensary and these, of course, want the Brice law repealed. There will be those who want local option of either county dispensary or prohibition. Then there will be those who want a third option, either dis pensary,.prohibition- or highlicense._Y - "And *here'do you stand-" "I stand," he answered severely, "just where I have always stood, squarely for the dispensary, for the state dispensary, but if any county does not want a dispensary, .if the majority of people vote against hav ing one, I am not in favor of forcing, one on them and never have been only this, I or anybody else who be lieves in having things done honestly and squarely don 't want any such law as the Brice law, which disfran hises one-third of the people.'' The senator was asked how the is sue would be so narrowly defined. "Why every man who offers him self for the legislature ought to be forced, and he will be forced, to come out squarely and daeclare himself one way or another and, mind you, when he does declare himself I want him to stick to it like a man and like an honest man. If he is a prohibitionist and wants to down the dispensary, let him stand up for his convictions and not be entering into dirty bargains with high license men; ahd vice versa, if he is a highi license man. 'I respect a high license man if he is honest and open and above board, but let him stick out for high license and not be dickering with prohibitionists. I want some straightforward, honest open and above board politics in South Carolina and I want the people to de ide this matter themselves." A Card. I desire to say to the public in jus tiee to Mr. J. A. C. Kibler that be fore my election to the office of beer dispenser I did not make any trade with him, I did not promise anything, and lie did not ask me to pg nor intimate that he expected anything.! After my election and when it ap peared that there would be a* contest, the members of the county board were summoned to Columbia by the state board and Mr. Kibler wen to Columbia. He afterwards told me hat he had reason to believe that an attack would be made on his conduct ad he therefore employed an attor ney to go to Columbia with him, and1 e had to pay his expenses as well1 s those of his attorney. After he1 went to Columbia, and without any olicitation from him, I gave him $50 s a present and to help reimburse!i him, though at the time he was not1 willing to accept it and I had to forcei him. So far as he was concerned there was no bargain and no sale1 f the office. Respectfully, ZACH cGREE DEFENDS HIS NATIVE STATE RESENTS WHAT HE CONSIDER ED A SLUR ON S. C. Congress on Uniform Divorce-Pub licity In All Matters Relating to Divorce is Favored'by the Delegates. Washington, February 21.-The 6ongress on uniform divorce laws for the several states and territories to day expressed itself in favor of all hearings and trials in divorce cases in open court. It was declared that such ,public hearings would have a ten dency to do away with collusions be tween parties to the suit for divorce and. thatepuhlicify would tend to de erease applications for divorce by people. who would- shun publicity. Other resolutions adopted follow: "If conviction of a ctime be made a cause for divorce it should be re quired. that such conviction should be foNlowed by two years' continuous imprisonment; a decree should n6t be granted a vinculo for insanity arising after marriage; desertion should not be a cause for divorce unless persisted in for at least two years; a divorce should not be granted unless the de fendant has been given full and fair opportunity by notice brought home to him to have his day in court when his residence is known- or can be as certained: any one named as co-re spondent should in all cases be given an opportuiity to intervene." It was decided by a considerable mjority of the delegates that not less tlin two years' residence should be rOiired on the part of a plaintiff wi as-ehanged his. or her state domicile- since the cause of divorce arose, where jurisdiction depends on the residence of the plaintiff. A warm discussion was-precipitated over the. following: "'An innocent and injured party, husband or wife, seeking a divoree, should not be compelled to ask for a dissolution of the bonds of matri mony, but should be allowed at his or her option to apply for -divorce froni, bed and board. Therefore, di vorces a mensa should be retained. where already existing, and provided for in states where no such rights ex ist." A number of women left the room when Miss Fanny Leake Cummings, of the state of Washington, declari-ng that the resolution would put a pre mium upon vice, produced a number of statistics ih support of her argu ment. The resolution *was fimally adopted with an amendment allowing the innocent party -to apply for di vorce from bed and board ''at any time." Zach MeGhee, of South Carolina, the only state.-having no divorce law. resented .what he called a slur on his state when it was said on the floor of the congress that South Carolina has ~a^law limiting the amount of money a man may leave to a concu . Shirked a Plain Duty. Spatanburg Journal. In our judg-ment the South Caro lina leQislature has shirked a plain duty and betrayed the trust the peo ple imposed in it by failure to abol ish the state dispensary system. The pportunity was afforded the body. md particularly the senate. to enact egislation which would wipe out the vil, eliminate the possibility of the lispensary issue in the approaching ampaign and thus save the people he unpleasant duty . of soiling their . ands in a struggle with dispensary olitical ring. The people of the tat.e are certainly determined to get he commonwealth out of the whis ey business and there is not a legis lator at Columbia who does not know bhe sentimient of the people he repre ~ents is against the system. We say, if the legislature had done its duty the dispensary would have). >eenl abolished at this session and the: eople of thies tate would have been iee to give their time and attention : matters of higher andI ne-r worthy ow1~. but as the situation is left they? vim hae to stop t il l the snake. j BACHMAN CHAPEL NEWS. Painful Accident to Mr. Long-Suit1 Against Southern for Killing a Dog-Personal and Other wise. Bachman Chapel, February 22. Your correspondent has been confined to his room this week with grip, and doesn't feel very much like writing this morning, so I hope you and your i readers, Mr. Editor, will excuse our i short comings. A few nice spring days the first of the week started the plows to running and it begins to remind u! that the time is drawing near to begin to seed. The Bible tells us that where ever our treasures are, there our hearts will be also. I have felt this to some extent this week. - If my treasures are anywhere, they are in the field or on the farm. And I would have liked very much to have been in the field *hen the boys were turning the soil the few beautiful past days, but it isn't a very good idea for a man to feel his importance too much. There always has been and al ways will be, somebody to take care of these things. Let our avocation in life be whatever it may. After we die, the world is going on just the same as if we never had been born. I am glad to say that I feel consid erably improved, and if you had been with me for the past few &ys, you would agree that. Dr. Dunn is by no means stingy with his pills. Sheriff M. M. Buford came by yes terday and stopped a few minutes with us on his way to Mr. M. M. Long's to deliver to,him his cross of honor. Mr. S. A. Rikard, of Long Lane, visited his brother, Mr. B. B. Rikard, of Jolly Street, last Saturday night and spent part of Sunday with us. We are sorry to learn that Mrs. G. S.." Livingston is still yery siek with grip. - The -oats erop looks quite promi inc, anc we think it is now out of all danger from .the. winter freeze. Mr. and Mrs. M. L.. Long, of John stone Academy, visited their brother, Mr . M.M Long last Saturday. Several of our young people to ether with a part of our string band, went up to the county home on Sat urday night to be with Mr. Epps and family, and entertain the inmates of the home. Supervisor Wicker has had the holes in the road this side of Mr. W. H. Bobb 's filled up ,with roek, and there is no -need of future trespass ing through Mr. Crotwell 's field. Mr. Julius Koon entered-suit before Magistrate P. B. Ellisor against the Southern Railway company for dam ae to the amount of $100.00, for- the train running over and killing one hound dog. The case was heard lastj Friday. Col. 0. L. Schumpert- apf peared in defense of the- R. .3. .and the case was nullified. 'We are sorry to hear that there is a probability of some of our R. F. D. mail routes being discontinued. It is beyond a doubt that this is one, >f the greatest conveniences that has ever struck'the country. It will soonI be seven years since our route was es tablished, being one of the first that was put onl trial, not only in the coun tv but in the state, and the strong pport of this route, together witht a few others was the means of estab-t ishina- free mail .in South Carolina. The United States mail department is s o play thing, she is going to know just exactly what she is doing. She 9 ouldn 't run~ her business on any oth er principle, so if you want to keepv p your mail route, there isn't but; ne way to work it, and that is pat- i onize it, give it something to do. Our carrier, Mr. R. A. Sligh, tells uss that he handles over three thousand J pieces of mail a month. A young white woman who goes byft the name of Mary Beard, who lives in g the Jolly Street section, was assault ed by a young white boy last Monday a evening at the bridge near W. W. Kinard 's near Curl creek. It is re- f orted that the,. young woman was v on her way home when the ho-; ap- 3i .roached her with a shot gun at d told her to stop). This she failed L do. [ e then lc-ed his gun down on her t< telling her if she didn 't stop .he would shoot her, but she ran on. He then threw down his gun and ran af ter her until he caught her. In the -neantime a young negro man by the e name of Will DeWalt came by and the boy fled. We withhold the name. >f the white boy until further inves digation, if there be any. .It is very anfortunate for the girl that she. is of i dissipated character. If Dr. Cromer enters the race for the senate, he will make it hot for ancle Ben this summer. Dr. Cromer is one of the ablest speakers in the-, 3tate. Thank you, Brother Kay, for your kind words of endorsement. I have. aever yet felt my importance so much L to lead my mind to -any aspirations :f a state'house nature. Mr. Simon P. Long met witb quite a painful misfortune on Thursday the 15th, while at Newberry. He had bought a. young.mule, and while put ting on the harness to 'hit6h him to the wagon, the mule became frightene, running over Mr. Long, and broke his eg just above the ankle. We are sor ry. to learn that he isn't doing well. Mr. .J Noland Epps has about re 3overed from his fall, and returned to his work with Mr. Suber. His broth er, Edwin, accompanied him home last Saturday. T. J. W. OVER THE TETXPHONE. Government to Keep Telephone Com pany's Office Supplied With Information. Washington, February 19.-The farmer living within reach of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone company's lines may now get his weather fresh from the weather b reau -every mornig. An agreemerif ges into efet today whereby the subscribers -of that eon pany and all subsidiary -lines WiR get the weather report of th6 current day by calling the nearest eential 'offee any tine'after 10 -o'clock in the-morn ing. The operators will at once furnish the text of the report issued to cover the forecasts up to 8 o'clock in the evening of the next day. This gives nearly thirty-six hours' forecast. The benefits of this arrangement will extend to more than 5,000 sub-' scribers of the telephone company, ocated mostly in the rural districts of Maryland, from the seashore to the mountain top. The bureau mailed last ight notices to each of these inform ing them' of the installment of the aew service. This telephone weather service has been in operation in other portions of~ the country for several years . with ~reat success. In Ohio.the system is very extensive. .Fully 200,000 farm ers there receive . each morning by* telephone, shortly after 10 o'clock, he weather forecast for the following ~hirty-six houp.s. In New York, P~ennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Mich gan. and Iowa the service is nearly s extensive. The telephone company will place n its directories a notice of- the ser Vhat She Was Doing With Water. ''It happened in a little town up in he Northwest, the last time I was up here,'' remarked Arthur Cunning am. ''A lady came down from up tairs and asked the manager of the otel if she could get a glass of water. 'Why, .eertainly, madam,' said the aanager, filling up a glass from the rater cooler. ''Two minutes later she was back a the office again. '''I don't like to trouble you,' she aid, 'but could I get anlother glass of rater?'' '''No trouble at all, madam,' said. lie manager, handing her another lass. ''Two minutes' later she appearei gamn. '''Certainly, madam', said the af able manager, 'but could I inquire 'hat you are doing with so muck -ater?' '' 'I know you '11 just scream when tell you,' said the lady; 'I 'm trying > put 'out a fire in my room.' '' an Francisco Chronice.m