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VOL XLIII. NO. 21. NEWBERRY. S. C. 1UESDAY, MARCFIH 13. 1908. TWICE A WEEK, $1.50 A YEAR THE DEAD CHIEF OF THE ASHLEY CLAN JOHN MARION ASHLEY LEADER OF FAMOUS FAMILY CL4N. The Coroner's Inquest-Policeman White Will Plead Self Defense for the Kiling of the Giant Ashley. Lewis G. Wood, Jr., in the State. Honea Path, March 9.-John Mar ion Ashley, leader of the famous clan >f Ashley, lies dead here today. He has gone to his last sleep, but his memory lingers, for his cohorts are gathered and are still loyal. He was killed yesterday by Chief of Police White of this town in a case of self defense, if ever that maltreated term of the law can be employed in South Carolina courts. The streets of this pretty little town were thronged with people this morn ing. Upstairs, over the Citizen's Bank, the physicians were conducting the autopsy on the body of John Mar ion Ashley, while on the streets below moved scores of his relatives. When I was in Abbeville last month for the expe6ted trial for the lynching of Allen Penleton I thought that there must be 50 Ashleys living in this see tion, but now that I am here at Honea Path, I am convinced that there must be fully twice that number within but a few miles. There are many differ ent families, but they all seem to be connected in some way or other. There is no race suicide among the Ashleys, for John Marion Ashley leaves about 13 children, while Jesse and Citizen Josh each have about as many. While related and intermar ried, all of the families are not law Iess, for it seems that Jesse Ashley and his children are more law -abid ing than the others. The same char acteristic manners and cunning seem -however to pervade all, for Cal Ash ley, a son of Jesse, interrupted me today while I was "picking" Bob Moor, with the remark, "I wouldn't say n1thin' unless I had to." ,It seems strange that in a civilized community; such conditions as are "known here can exist~: Honea Path is a peaceful, thrifty 'and law-abiding community, and it is said that almost every one of the disturbances which occur can be traced to the Ashleys. There must, as has been said, be 100 of' this. name. When sober and at home, the Ashleys do -'iot seem to be bad citizens, but when liquor' gets in its work, Hlonea Path is the goal and a general "cutting loose"' is in order. John Marion Ashley was essentially the strong and .dominating leader of the clan. A gentleman- said today that the fact that the Ashleys surrounded Honea Path on all sides was what in terfered materially with th~e idea of forming a new county with the town as the -county seat. "Now, half are in Anderson, half are in Abbeville, but if all were in one county, what could we do with them?'" he asked. The Pendleton Case. It is of course remembered that some of the Ashleys and connections and friends were implicated in the lynching of Allen Pendleton, in Sep tember of last year. John Marion Ashley was accused of being the ring leader. He died yesterday and his guilt-if real-may never be proven. If it is, one may well think of retri butive justice when one remembers the negro dragged to a swamp, a trace chain about his neck and shot to pieces like a dog. Thursday's Tragedy. From the best' information and from the testimony at the coroner's inquest, it seems that Josh Moore, (who, by the way, is one- of the men under indictment for the Pendleton lynching), John Marion Ashley, Jim Bob Ashley (the dead man's son), Jap Ashley and Charlie McClain were coming from a livery stable yesterday afternoon and turned the corner of the street near Holliday & Trayn ham's store. The Ashley faction de ny that John Marion had been drink ing, yet it is freely said that he had been. He had come into town about noon, with a number of his clan, all benton nioving the lustrouns pleas ures of the Barkoot Carnival com pany 's shows. Just in front of the store, Police man White met the man. He (White) had with him Charley Moore, a negro, and asked Ashley why he had hit the negro. From the testimony of Char ley MeClain and Bob Moore at the coroner s inquest a short colloquy en sued, at the end of which White ad vised Ashlev to leave town as he was drunk. The officer seemed more bent on getting him out of Honea Path than on having trouble. "He won't have to leave until he wants to," put in- Jim Bob. It has not been fully developed for what cause, but just here, White attempt ed to strike thes peaker. At this mo ment the shooting began. Some of the most reliable and sub stantial citizens of Honea Path, who will be witnesses later on, say that John Marion Ashley reached over Jim Bob Ashley-there seemed to be a small crowd congregated-and shot downwards at White. This must have been the shot which grazed his hand at the intersection of the forefinger and thumb, and which split his billy. These gentlemen say that as Ash ley reached over, White stuck his hand around Jim Bob and shot the older Ashley twice. The Ashley stories differ from this. McClain testified that when White tried to strike Jim Bob, the latter knocked the billy from his hand, and that as John Marion caught hold of his son the policeman fired and that White ran to the store door and shot twice as the other man lay on his back. Josh Moore testified practi cally the same. This testimony maintains that two shots were fired at Ashley as he lay on the ground, but how this can be is hard to see as there are but two bul let holes in the corpse and if so-what made him fall? Josh Ashley said to day that his cousin made a dying statement to this effect. The "Citizen'" seemed very much broken up by the event. As he stond in the wagon yard outside the little red brick- jail, where the inquest was being held, the glow of the sunshine beneath his wool hat gave his ruddy and healthy face the look of a man of 45 instead of ,57, as he told me he was. These Ashleys are a sturdy stock, living close to the soil and out in the open. John Marion Ashley was a physical giant, for he weigzhed over 275 pounds and stood over six feet in his knit socks. His eyebrows and1 moustache were white and his hair was very, very gray. This, coupled with his ruddy face, gav'e him a pe culiar appearance. He towered above other men. But this is a #igression. Fired After, He Fer.i After Ashley fell, it is said- by some witnesses, that he, stru~ggling, turned and fired over his body. -This may have been the shot which struck Bill Ricketts, an innocent bystander,. and cut one of the latehets from his shoe. Bill wore the same shoes to day and was quite 'a-hero as he sat on a bench on the street with the foot stuck prominently in view. The witnesses at the 'coroner's in quest say that White shot as he stood in Holliday & Traynham 's store, but an eye witness told me that the po liceman stood with his back against the store wall, probably expecting a further attack, and that Policeman Haynes, who ran up, got him inside and the door was then closed. Once inside, White went to the back door, but as he opened it, someone shot at him. The bullet hole is in the door. Who fired this shot cannot be definitely stated, but it is said that a close kinsman of the mortally wound ed man was the one, and that he ran from the front of the store to the back. It is said White wanted to come out of the store and face the music, but that he was persuaded to go into a closet. He remained in the store un til the Palmetto Riflemen, 40 strong, with Capt. P. K. McCully, Jr., in com mand, arrived and escorted him to the special train. He is now in the An derson county jail, but will undoubt edly be bailed out very soon. He is from Ninety Six and bears the highest reputation here for courage an:d re spectability. He is well thought of by everyno..-everynme ave the Ash VV levs and their followers. These latter claim that he has long been their en. emv. and Charlie McClain ,went so .far today as to testify that he had "heard White say that he vould kill J. W. Ashley. John M. Ashley, John MeGaha, Ed Johnston and Ed. Banis ter and laugh to look at them die." This sounds rather woolly. John Me Gaha was a.ringleader. so it is said, in the fusillade, one August night last. year, when some members of the clan of Ashley came in to have a good time -at the expense of the citizens' nerves. On this occasion White en deavored to quell the imarauders. A Dying Statement. After the chief of the clan was shot, bystanders ran to him, among them Bob Moore, to whom the wound ed man said: "I am shot and I'm go ing to die." He was carried upstairs to the office of Dr. Payne and soon his relatives arrived. He lived about four hours-the shooting was at 5:30 o'clock. in the afternoon-and he was in a more or less comatose condition throughout. At Josh Ashley's re quest, a notary who was present, ask ed why,White had shot him and the dying man said: "For no cause what ever and -kept on shooting." The statement is unsigned and unsealed. The scenes at the death bed, as the soul was leaving the giant body, were said to be very affecting. A number of his family, including his wife and Citizen Josh, were present. After the shooting, the Ashleys were satisfied that White was inside the store and several threats against his life were heard. It is said that Jim Bob Ashley was one of those who made the threats. Word was sent to other members of the family and some of those in Honea Path went home to return with their Winchester rifles. It was four of these armed men whom' Sheriff Nelson R. Green saw after he had been summoned by telephone from Anderson. It is not certain that there was to be an organized lynch ing, but the probabilities are great that one or more of the infnriated Ashleys would have killed White, could they have approached him. The sheriff had a telephone conversation with Governor Heyward and as a re sut the Anderson troops were called out on a special train. There were two wounds, one in the right breast, the bullet passing through the body, and another almost vertically below-the bullet passing through the stomach atnd lodging in the vertebrae. The coroner's jury rendered a.sim ple verdict in accordance with the facts.. A Morbid Crowd. The autopsy was being condneted this' morning when the train arrived in there waa tatk of nothiiig but the homicide.- The scene was much more grish than pathetic. An ever mov ing croyd of morbid countrymen filed up and down stairs to the autopsy and stood on chairs to get a better view of the surgeons and their grisly task of exploring the .wounds. The jail where the testimony was being taken was packed -and. jammed, and countrymen were in every imaginable spot on the streets. Down stairs in the Citizens' bank were the women of the clan. In the streets the carnival was in full progress and the music of the band mingled with the voices of the bark ers and the jangle of a cowbell, as a Ifakir urged a try at his cigar babies. Whenever a stranger, or two well known citizens, stopped for a conver sation, members -of the clan passed by with curious glances and open ears or pushed themselves in, while -others stood about retailing information in the lime light of publicity. The young soldiers from Anderson had nought to do and were kept quar tered in a hall, except for breakfast and dinner, until they marched to the train this afternoon. It is said the timely appearance of this fine looking body of men had a very salutary effect last night. The Ashleys left Honea Path, with their dead late this afternoon. The body wrapped in a blanket was car ried in a country wagon and it was aid that such was the clan 's antipa thy to Honea Path that they refused to buy a coffin there. This, however, proved untrue, for they did later or der a case frmm a local dealer. The funeral will be held tomorrow morning froim the celebrated Keowee church. in the lower part of this couniv. There will be a gathering of all the clan in Anderson and Abbe ville. to hear the funeral sermon and to participatei n the hymns and pray ers. To his children and wife John Mar ion Ashley leaves a farm of some worth, although there is a mortgage on it. His life was insured to the ex tent of several thousand dollars in fraternal orders. Lately he made his will and was reputed to be worth about $12,000. The Ashleys have engaged W. P. Greene of Abbeville and say there will be other counsel. Capt. H. H. Wat kins of Bonham & Watkins of An Iderson wil represent White. Letter From Mr. Wm. V. King. The following very interesting let ter from Mr. Wm. V. King, Superin tendent N. Y. Cotton Exchange, was received by Mr Richard Cheatham, Secretary of the Southern Cotton as sociation: Mr. Richard Cheatham, Secretary, Southern Cotton Association, Atlanta, Ga. Dear Sir:-Your favor of the 19th instant is received. Thanks for Pres ident Jordan's cotton statistics, etc., which give the facts clearly and in telligently. In my opinion the coming planting season will prove to be the most try ing if not th.e most critical in the ex perience of southern cotton growers. Trying because so many believe because there are many who believe 10 or 10 1-2 cents will prove so serious a temptation to the planter that he will put every available acre in cotton. Tis opinion is not confined to this section of the country alone, but is endorsed by many of the good people of the .south, not planters of cotton I am glad to 'say. It will indeed prove a critical sea son for the planter and for the entire south should the temptation to Over Plant in cotton be carried out. The years of splendid work of your asso ciation together with that of others who have co-operated, will be swept away. and a condition of servitude for the planter will be reenacted with its consequent 6 cents or 7 cents for cot ton. This is not an extreme picture. It is certain to occur unless the planters stand solidly together and for their own protection diversify the planting, putting in a moderate aereage only in cotton. If the planters will not pro tet themselves in a matter of such vital interest, to whom can they look forhelp? Certainly not -to.the buyer and the consumer. To sum ip the matter, the situation for weal or for woe, for 7e or for 12e .isrntirely in the hands of the planter. In a brie~f interval of time the World will know whether he has proven false to himself or has had the courage and manliness to resist the temptation which now threatens to wrest from him the control of the situation. Yours truly, Win. V. King. WILL ABANDON STAGE. Miss May Bishop, One of State's Wit nesses Against Hasty, Will De vote Life to Nursing. Spartanburg, S. C., March 7. Misses Verne Sheridan and May Bish op, the members of the ''Nothing But Money' theatrical company, who fig ured as leading witnesses for the state in the trial of George Hasty at Gaff ney, have returned to their homes in New York. They were accompanied to the train by a large party of Gaff ney friends who affectionately said good bye. Miss Bishop stated to ac quaintances that she has decided to abandon the stage and devote her life to nursing. She will at once enter a training school to prepare herself for the duties of her profession. The plans of Miss Sheridan are not known, but it is probable that she will continue her career as an actress. Sometimes a man is unable to make both ends meet because he keeps them adedin oppose. directions. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION. Next Convention of National Educa tional Association to Be Held In San Francisco in July. The next convention of the Nation al Educational Association, which will be held in San Francisco from July 7th, to July 14th, is destined to leave pleasant recollections with all who will attend, for the rest of their ex istence. The people of California and of the whole Pacific coast vie with each other to extend to the visitors a cordial and generous welcome and make them wish to come again. San Francisco has earned the reputation for lavish hospitality and, with the aid of leading men and women of the coast, will strive to maintain that reputation with the teachers. There is perhaps no other city on the American continent so well adap ted for entertaining visitors, for out door demonstration, for decorating and illuminating at all seasons of the year, than is San Francisco. Its cli mate, even temperature, complete ab sence of rain during the greater part of the year, make it a suitable place for large gatherings. The city has ample accommodation to comfortably house all who will come, as has been demonstrated on sever,l occasions during the past few years. The rates for rooms and board are as reasonable as in any city in the land, and more reasonable than in most other places; nor are the rates ever advanced on any occasion. Foodstuffs of all kinds, and the choicest, grow in California in such abundance that it can easily feed ten times its population, and fruits and vegetables grow and ripen from January 1st to December 31st. Nine-tenths of the surplus is export ed to the East and across the Atlantic and Pacific. A trip to California will be a most valuable object lesson to the teachers of the whole country, and furnish them enough material- to speak about for years to come, and will be an ed ucation to the rising generation. Cal ifornia is a vast empire in itself with almost inexhaustible resources. But for California to tell the tales of its wonders and glories to the people across the continent, may be taken with considerable allowance. Let teachers come to California, as many as possible, let them see and ehold and return with the knowledge gathered personally. It is but a few days travel and the fare is very low, the cost of living most reasonable. In fact the whole expense will be but little more than going to some summer resort or to the seaside nearer their home, and it will prove a valuable ex perience and a lesson to those whom they teach. The rates of travel are one fare for the round.trip from all points and the $2.00 membership fee added. The following are the rates from the prin cipal points including the $2.00, .with stp-oe privileges-.and go.od for re turn until September 15th. From St. Iaul and Minneapolis, $91.90; Chi cago, $64.50; Cairo and Memphis. $61.15; New Orleans and St. Louis, $59.50; Houston, $53.15; Omaha, Council Bluffs, Kansas City and Dal las, $52.00; Denver and Cheyenne. $47.00; El Paso, $42.00: Salt Lake City. $33.50: Ogden. $32.00. Tribute of Respect. "Forasmuch as it hath pleased Al mighty God in His wise providence to take out of this world the soul of our deceased brother,'' Mr. D. P. Haw kins, of near Prosperity, S. C., a mem ber of St. Luke's church council be it Resolved 1st. That while we deep ly feel the loss of our brother, we bow in submission to the* will of God knowing that He doeth all things well. Second, That we extend our sympa thy to the bereaved wife and children and pray that the Holy Spirit com fort them in their sorrow. Third, That these resolutions be re corded in our minute book. Fourth, Thit a copy of these reso lutions be sent to the bereaved family and that the Lutheran Church Visitor, The Herald and News and the Observ er each be furnished with a copy for publication. Jf. E. Monts, Sec.-tar St.n ue Church Council. A SUCCESSFUL COMPANY. First Annual Meeting Security Loan and Investment Company Showing Satisfactory. The first annual meeting of the Se curitv Loan and Investment company was held at the office of the company on the afternoon of March Sth. The report of the president and the sec retary and treasurer showed the af fairs of the company to be in excel lent condition. The company paid a six per cent dividend in January, and at ithe annual meeting carried to the surplus account four and one-half per cent. The stockholders were thor oughly satisfied with the showing made, and the old board of directors, consisting of George S. Mower, D. C. Heyward, John M. Kinard, 0. B. Mayer, G. W. Summer, George Y. Hunter, W. H. Hunt, J. L. Keitt, T. B. Stackhouse, S. T. McCravy, and C. D. Barksdale, was unanimously re elected. Mr. W. H. Hunt is president of the company. Mr. John M. Kinard vice president, James N. McCaughrin see retary and treasurer. The executive committee which passes on all loans consists of the president, vice president, George W. Summer, 0. B. Mayer and Z. F. Wright. This company is doing a prosperous and conservative busines. News From Excelsior. Excelsior, March 12.-Grain in this section is still growing nicely. Some few visitors were out at the sehool house Friday afternoon to hear the pupils speak. We have had good rains and the weather eontinues a little eool, how. ever, our farmers have afready doner a good deal of plowing and fertilizer hauling. Little Misses Mary: and Ruby Wheeler of Prosperity have been visiting Misses Alderra and Nannie. Wheeler. Mrs. H. S. B. Kibler, of Newberry, has been spending several days with her mother, who has been confined-to. her room sick. Mr. J. I. Sease 's little, son has been confined to the house a few days with a painful .ut on the foot by handling an axe. Mrs. J. J. Singley spent last week-. with her mother's family in Newber ry. The farmer's association will meet in the school house Saturday after noon at two o'clock. Mrs. J. D. Stone and children are visiting her fatther's family. near New berry. Sunday was a lovely day for church going and i the afternoon we drove down to Bachman Chapel church and heard a good sermon preached by the pastor Rev. J. C. Wessinger. This. eongregation has* made quite an im provement o'n~their church recently which speaks well for pastor and peo-. pe. . . Sigma. Advertised Letters. Letters remaining in the postoffre at Newberry, for week ending March 1L, 1906. B-Susie Barnes, A. Boozer. C-Millie Cannon, Alice Chalmers, Forest Clemors. D-Alice Davis. Foster Day, J. F. Denson. G-Ellen Giheatt, N. J1. Gilliam. H-Lules Hair, Elizzie Henderson, D. H. Holt. J-Belt Jones. M-Wm. S. Matthews, Lilly Bell McKinzy, Miss Minnie Miller. R-Ida Rutherford. S-Win. Sanders, M. Sanny, Kier Smith. W-Geo. Walton, Henrietta Wal lace, S. W. Williams, Ruthie Wilson, Normal Williams, Soffie Willierton, Lizzie Woods. Y-Finny York, Dell Young. Persons calling for these letters will please say they were advertised. C. J. Pureell, P. M Nowv the second attorney is won drnif his friend who told the inr wasone of those who ran out of