Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Otto, ,O-MINO10.NEWBERRY. S. 0. FRI DA.Y, DEOEMBFj"R 14.1I9041T6O EK.$.0 EJ A UIWANIZATION A1ONG NEGRO ME STORY OF NEWBERRY FIRE BR B GENERALLY DIS OUEDITED. Lewis Burton's magination.-Accus ed Negro Ras old Various Sto ries of Those Said to be in Oonspiracy. The State. Newberry, Dec. 11.-The only or ganization among the negroes, in thf neighborhood of Mr. P. N. Boozer whose barn and mules were recentl burned, is one among the women -which owns a hearse, and has for ib purpose the giving of decent burial t< its members. An organization of fir< brands is all fol de rol, according t( the best testimony, although there ar( 'some who believe that such an organ. ization dogs exist. But so far as youi correspondent could find such an or ganization existed only in the af frighted imagination of Lewis Bur ton. The fire occurred last Saturda3 morning at about 4- o'clock. Burtor was arrested at about 8 o'clock. Since then he has given a continuous per. formance of different stories. As sooT as he would finish one version, h< would commene-) telling an entirell different one, with innocent disregare of any conformik. When first arrested Burton swor( that he and'a white man, and tw( other negroes had -done the burning A little later he declared that .on of these- had anything to do with it but that two other negroes were im. plicated. Almost immediately there. after, lie declared that the two lasi named hadf nothing to do with it, bill that two others did. The two negroes lie first -name were Ernest Burton and Levi Ebaugh They were arrested and are now ir jail. The two negroes that he lasi named are Henry Clary and San Pinson. Clary has been arrested anc is now in jail but Pinson has not yei been found. Lewis Burton's Story. Lewis Burton was seen in his col in the Newberry jail by your corres pondent today. He talked freely and his latest revised'story was as fol. lows: Ie had been a cropper with Mr. J L. Connelly for the past year. Hai made a very poor crop, all of whici he had gathered and sold. He ha< been unable to pay out. Now he wa: engaged as fir6man for the ginner, engine belonging to Mr. Boozer. 1Goinj home about 8 o'clock last Wednesda: from the ginnery lie met Henry 'Clar; and Sam Pinson in the big road, abou a hundred yards from Mr. Boozer' house. They passed the time of day and then they told him that the: wante(k to see him on Friday night a Mr. Boozer's store, which is near hi house, but on the opposite side from the ginnery. According to appoint mont he wvent to tihe store on Frida, night at about 8 o 'clock. He founI Clary sitting on tihe piaza of thle stor( Clary went with him to the road some distance from the store. Clar: talked to him about things in general but nlothling in particular. Very sooi Sam Pinson. joined thlem and asked thley were going to do whiat 110 want ed them. .Clary replied that lie wa just beginning to talk aboilt it. Clar; said Mr. Boozer had charged him .13 for a pair of shoes which lie had stol en, anId lie intended to get even wvit him. Pinson said he .was to be in too, but (lid not say ho0w they woul even scores. They asked Burton whal time he went to ,the ginnery. He 'tol thema between 4 and 5 o'clock in th morning to make the fire under th engine. They told him they woul meet hliml there the next morning, bu did not say what they intended doint Hoiw it Was Burned. Tihe next morning lie went to th ginnery at his regular time, and ver soon after Clary came up, and Pinso did too, a little later. Tile three o them then went to the barn whie Was some distance from the ginner and in the rear of:th'dwehlling housa Chary said he intondeti burning tbi born, and went into the loft and lit match and set tile lhay ont fire. Clar and Pinson then left dnd Burton wpr back to the ginnerq. As soon as the flames broke through the roof he went to the dwelling and woke Mr. Boozer, telling him that the barn was on fire. Mr. Boozer told him to go and let the stock out. He then ran to the barn and tried to get the mules out, and did get two out. But could not get out the others. Seventeen head of stock, fifteen bales of cotton, the barn and its con tents were destroyed. The loss is about $5,000, insurance $400. Asked why, upon being arrested, he had said that Ernest Burton and Levi Ebaugh had joined him in burning the barn, lie replied that Clary and Pinson each had proiised him $5 to lay it to Ernest Burton and Levi Ebaugh. Asked why lie had changed to other parties, he gave no reason at all, but replied that Clavy and Pinson were the two others implicat ed and that his last story was the true one. He had said at. one time that the plot had been laid at a fish fry some time ago, but that lie was -not at the fish fry. It has been learned that lie and Clary and Pinson did attend- a fish,fry on Thanksgiving night, nine days before the burning. -He denies this part of the story now. Telephonic communication in the neighborhood of Mr. Boozer's home gave the information that all was quiet there today, and so far as could be learned no other arrests have"been made. Sheriff. Buford is deserving of the highest commendation for the task anV skill with which lie managed the whole affair. When lie arrived on the scene of the burning Saturday after noon about fifty men had gathered, Burton and the white man accused by him had been caught and searching parties were .out looking for the other twQ negroes. The greatest excitement prevailed. But the sheriff succeeded in getting all of his prisoners to jail without mishap. The white man was not arrested, as lie succeeded in prov ing an alibi immediately. F. 11. M. Mr. Creighton's Statement. The general expectation of Metho dists was that the committee would find 'Mr.. Creighton guilty of ''gross immorality.'' That general charge is misleading. It i' unfortunate that the church could not imitate the militia and modify their charge so as to make it ''conduct unbecoming, a minister.' But gross immorality is a term gener ally applied to conduct much worse than Mr. Creighton was charged with. Tt is very certain that, if the ''Golden Rule'' had dominated the whole con ference, the bishops included, and an overpowering love had filled all hearts, the trouble would have beer settled long ago. In the Christiar Appeal Mr. Creighton says after the trial: ''We are not vindictive, we en tertain no malice, we have taken up a fight for liberty, right, justice, free dAm of speech and constitutional Methodism in SouthI Carolina; in suech a fight we knew the danger to bc great; wve ran great risk and we ae j cept wvhiat has befallen us as our pari ,of the price which every true mar ,must pay, who stands for conviction, , liberty, right, justice, freedom ol ,speech and constitutipmah Methodism We are still a Methodist and wvill con. f tinue to remain loyal and true to hi .. policy, dloctrines and constitutioni. W< s will now return to the ministry ani e' prieach as a layman wherever we havt 3 the6 opportunity. The Christian Ap. - peal will be published as long as ow i health permits and the p)ublic sup t ports it.'' 1 tMurphy and Murphy the popuham purveyors of Irish comedy iil be seen this season as usual in their pohtu l ar farce entitled ''The Irish Pawn. brokers'' which has been wvritten witi ta view to fit their personality. Thal * the author has succeeded in an estab hished. It is a 'story of Irish lif4 e in New York City apd the complica y tions follow in rapid order.. As n 'laugh producer it is a wonder. Many f strong specialties wvill be introduce Ii lby the different members of the comn y|pany. 0 Stake the average man to a drink, square meal, anid a good cigar and hi creen iiot how wvags the world. OUR WASHINGTON LETTER. The. Work of Mr. Spencer of the Southern in Developent of the South-The Boll Weevil. Spocial Cor. Herald and News. Washington, Dec. 12.-A shadow of gloom has been cast over the entire Southern. conmunity in Washington by the tragic death of Mr. Samuel Spencer, President of the Southern Railway. Personally, Mr. Spencer was a lovable man and Southern ien' of prominence in national affairs were proud of his friendship. Mr. Spencer never forgot the section in which he was born; first and foremost he was a Southern man. When lie was work ing for railroads in other parts of the country and acquiring the experience liat was to place him in the front frank of the great railroad men of the country lie was planning the crown ing work of his life the building up of the South and the development of Southern industries through the in strumentality of a great railroad sys tem. His opportunity came when he was able to interest capitalists in the plan which lie had worked out for the amalgamation into the Southern Rail way of the disjointed lines of which it is now composed. Overcoming al most insuperable difficulties lie suc ceeded in bringing the Southern- sys tem up to its present state of effi ciency and was steadily carrying out plans that if continued by his succes sor will give to the South railroad accommodations second to none in the United States. The keynote of Mr. Spencer's success as a railroad man was his realization of the basic truth that a railroad can only succeed as a result of the proseprity of the terri tory traversed by it. The splendid advancement of the South. in recent years is in large measure the result of the practical application of this principle. Considerations of immed iate revenue for the road were always subordinated to the policy of enab ling Southern products to reach com peting markets on favorable terms. The establishment of n6w industries was constantly facilitated and the in vestor looking for an opening or the man looking of capital for the devel opment of an industry could always count on the ready and effective as sistance of Mr. Spencer and the Southern Railway. There are many prosperous establishments in the south today that owe their present success to the personal efforts of Mr. Spencer to secure funds with which to tide them over financial difficulties. It is no exaggeration to say that in the death of Samuel Spencer the South has lost the foremost champion of its material advancement. Because of the belief of the en tomologists of the Agricultural De partment that the Mexican cotton boll weevil will eventually spread oker the entire cotton belt of the United States cotton growers everywhere are inter ested in the work that is being done to combat this pest. Secretary Wil son 's annual report shows that the Department still believes that reli anice is to be paced chiefly on improv ed cultural methods and the planting of early varieties. The Guatmalan ant which wvas expected to be of great Iassistance in fighting -the weevil seems to be a complete failure as it has been found that it can not sur vive the wvinters even~ in the southern part of the cotten belt. Insect parasi tes are still being sought in the coun tries from which the bool weevile spread northward, but without" any positive results up to this time. It has been discovered, howvever, that some native insects in that part of Texas first infested have become par asites of the weevil and are very destructive. The Department will en deavor to develop these parasites and introduce them in other parts of the infested region. Secretary Wilson announces the success of the Depart-. ment in developing a variety of cotton that matures earlier than any that has heretofore been cultivated. The seed of this variety will be0 distributed in the infested region anid it is hoped that cotton growvn from it will dovelon so early that the greater' part of the cr.op will be matured each season 1)0 ,fore the wveevils multiply sufficently to be most destructive. James 8, McCarthy. THE NEWS or PROSPERITY. The Oarnival Starts Next ilonday Marriages of Happy Couples Business Changes. Prosperity, Dec. 13.-Many of our tores have a Christmas appearance. A. Z. Counts has opened a grocery store in the old dispensary building. G. A. Maffett will open a grocery store in the building just completed on the lot where Steele's shop former ly stood. The skating rink club lhas organized with twenty members. They are ex pecting their skates every day. They have purchased the very best roller bearing adjusable skates. A number of the stores have very itttriictive show window displays. A number of our young men have organized a minstrel troupe and will give their first performance in the City hall Friday night.. The proceeds will be given to the Lutheran church funud. Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Wise are in Charleston for a few (lays. The carnival will arrive next Mon day, the 17th, and remain for one week. Our city fathers have secured the Smith Greater shows, one of 'the largest. and best carnival companies, to furnish the amusement. . Dr. G. Y. Hunter spent a few days in Charleston this week in attendance upon the Grand Lodge of Masons. The Ladies Aid Society, of Grace church, celebrated its first anniver sary meeting last Thursday afternoon at Mrs. M. 0. J. Kreps. Dr. T. F. Littlejohn, of Pacolet, made a short trip to our town the early part of the week. The Woodmen of the World at their meeting last Thursday night elected the following officers: , J.. P. Wheeler, Con.-l Commander; R1. C. Counts, Adviser Lieutenant; T. A. Dominick, Clerk; W. W. Wheeler, Banker; J. A. Counts, Watchman; A. Z. Counts, Escort.; J. S. Wheeler, and M. S. Domnicik, -Aanag,ers. Ahey will Nvc a fish and oyster supper tlie fir-st 'lhu rsdIy night in January, at whichii tie the above of ficers will he inst ailled. Hymen on last Sunday laid claim to three couples in the same niegh borhood. Sunday morning Simon Miller, Jr., and Miss Gssie liedenlbauhli, and Augustus 11. Hawkins and Miss Juli ette Bedenbaugh wer-e married at the St. Lukes parsonage by Rev. S. P. Koon. Both the young ladies are daughters of 'Mr. M. W. Bedenbaugh. Sunday- afternoon at St. Lukes par sonage, A. Killiam Epting and Miss Jeanette Bedenbaugh, daughter of Mr. H. K. Bedenhaugh, were hap pily united by Pastor Koon. We ex tend congratulations. The Smith Carnival Company will open their week of fun and frolic here oil next Monday, December 17. This company comes with the endorsements of the highest orer from all thie towns where thley have given exhlibi tions. It is a clean showv with no gambling schemes.. There is a bigger thing on hand now in Prosperity than the Smith Carnli val, and that is the removal sale of the S. S. Birge Company. They have put the knife deep) into the prices and the people are reaping the benefit. W~heth)er you attenid the carnival- or not, do not fail to attend the show at Birge 's. Mr. Oliver Bobb is spending a week or two at hlome. The Knights of Pythias will have their annual election to-night, Thurs day. They will also confer tIle Esquire and Knight rank. The lodge is contemp)lating a ibanquet and puiblic inst allation in January 07. Come dowvn and enjoy tihe good things with us, Mr. Editor, Mr. Sam Cannon, of Columbia, is viidtng his sister in town this week. Mrs. R. T. Pugih and children hlave gone on a visit to hier parents in Geor gia. Mrs. D. WV. Boland has gone on a v'isit to relatives in Macoil, Ga. Mr. and( Mrs. E. B. Luther, of Co lumbia, have been on a visit to Mr. Luther's p)arenits. The William'Lester Chaptei? of the Daughlters of the Confederaey met with Mrs. 0. Y. Hunter Wednesday. The SRmoin will moee. with Miss Blanche Kibler on Friday December 14th. Miss Marion Leckie, after a very pleasanit visit to her sister, has re lurned home in Chester. Mr. Allen Caughiman, of Newberry, ias been on a visit to our 'burg. F. R. Hunter, the real estate man, avas in town Wednesday. W. B. Rikard, the watchman, was i town Wednesday looking as pat "iarchial as usual. There is a general shaking up go ig on among the movers at this time. rhere will be quite a difference in lie way of doing bisiness another vear. The hard year may be a bless n1g after all. Capt. Rice, supervisor of the C., N. 2 L. railroad, was in town Wednes lay. We hope that he will see that some arrancemet is made to move 1he congestion here in cotton. BUSY CAREER or w. W. FINLEY SOUTHERN'S NEW PRESIDENT. Atlanta Journal. From a stenographer, thirty-three y'ears ago, to the presidency of one of tie great railway systems in America, if not in the world, with a salhry of P60,000 per year-such is the interest ing career of William Wilson Finley, who has been selected to succeed the late Samuel Spencer as president of the Southrn railway. W'hen the nev president begins his duties he will know every detail of the immense work that lie is expected to carry .out. He will not only be able to execute, but lie can devise new plans for the great system, for lie has worked his way up, through every department, from the humblest rail road clerkship to the new oflice in which he will control the affairs of the Southern system. He is fifty-three years old; in the very prime of his experience; for of the 53 years, 33 hiae been spent in the most. active railroad service. Not only ha.s lie semved in tle various cap aeities of many systems, but 11e has been also identified witi a mnumber of railroad associations and which con stitilted them. A Southern Man. I will he a southern maln who will take charge of a southern railway. The officials of other roads have al ready acknowledged his capabilities and every remark concerning his pro motion has been the most complimen tary. Local officials of tle Southern railway as well as the road's diree tors have all expressed their pleasure over his selection. ''Mr. Finley will be able to operate the Southern railway on a systematic basis,'' is tle concensus of tle state ments that have been made. The fact that he is a native of the south, has spent most of his time with railroads in this section and has stidied south ern conditions, is one of the strong est recommendations givenl him.'' His long service inl the traffic and operating departments has, so his friends say, insured him against any failure in his newv office. Mr. Finley is a native of Missis sippi, having beenm horn in the little town of Pass Christian in that state, September 2, 1853. lie received a grammer and high school education, and entered the office of the vice president of thme New Orleans, Jack son andl Great Northern railr'oad as a stenographer on May 1, 1873. lHe served three years as a steno graphler'. Until March 1, 1883, lie wvas connected1 with the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern and the Chicago, St. Louis and Newv Omr heansa roads, HIe rose from a steno grapher to a secrtaryship to the re ceiver, lie hlcd this position for nine months, lie wvas then appointed secretary to the agent for the trustees of the road. One year later lie was appointed a clerk in the general freight depart ment of the Chiengo, St. Louis and Newv Orleans road, lHe acted in this capacity for four years. Hie was then1 made assistant general freight agent which position lie held for three years, Promotions Were Rapid. Leaving' the Chicago, St. Louis ani New Orleans March 1, 1883, he wan appoin ted assist ant gemneral freigh neent of the Tpexas and Pacific divi sion of the Missouri Pacific. Hie re mained in this capacity for two year and afterward was nppoint rd assist nnit trenoral freirhi nrenf. for t.he re ceiver of the Texas and Pacific rail road. When the road was reorganiz ed lie was made general freight agent, which office lie filled from July, 1886, to September 15, 1888. He was then appointed general freight agent of the Pan Handle Route, comprising the Fort Worth and Denver City; Denver, Texas and Fort Worth; Fort worth And Denver, Ind Texas and Gulf lines. His rare ability as a traffic manag er stood inl his appoint.ient as chair man of the Trans-Missouri Traffic as sociation, with i headquarters at Kansis City. He sorved from May, 1889, to October, 1890, when lhe was, elected chairman of the Vestern Pas senger association at Chicago. Hie wias (lhe head of Ohis organization for over two years, resigning to accept, the pos ition of general traffic manager of tle Great Northern and Montana Central railways. le served with this road from May, 1892, to April, 1895. Moved to Atdanta. In April, 1895, Mr. Finley was ap )ointed commissioner of the South eri States Passenger association, with headquarters inl A tlanta. His services while here are well remembered. His offices were in the E(Initable building and the local railroad officials who were here then tell many pleasant reminiseences of the time. Mr. Finley accepted the position with the association wihen the policies of a number of sonthern railroads were said to be exceedingly slack. He was described as ''coming into office with a black snake over his right shoulder which lie used to whip the discomfited roads into line.'' ''Mr. Finley was rigid,'' was the opinion expressed at that time. Yet among those who are gratified over his appointment as president of the Southern railway are a number of the former officials of the reproved roads. Goes With Southern. Mr. Finley be;ran his connection withi lie Montleirni railway in October, 1895, when lie resi-ned from the Southern l'assen.-er assoeiation to ac eept tile thiird vice presidency of the Soiutliern system. A shorl~ lime after lie went withte Sountlern railway he was offered tle position of second v'iec-presideit of lie ("reat Northern railway, whclih was con(rfilled by J. J. lill. Mr. Finley was urged to nece)t the ofTer, and when he expressed some liesitancy, Mir. lill reqewst.ed ihim to name his salary at whatever lie de sired. Mr. Finlly did so, anid Ihis proposi tion was aecepted. ie served as seeond vice president of the Great Northern from May 15, to September 15, 1896, when lie was offered the second vice-presidency of the South ern railway. In offering the position to Mr. Fin ley the salary consideration was nam ed at a considerably higher figure than that which Mr. Hill, of the Great Nortlhern, had agreed to. As soon as lie was made second vice p)residlent of the Southern Mr. Finley was placed ini charge of all the operiat ion of the road and the entire tiraffie department was undi(er his sup ervision. Next to President. lHe stood iiext to the president of the Southeirn Railwvay. All of the vice presidents and officials belowv him re ported to him, and lie reported to President Spencer. His great capa b)ility as a maiiager of the operating depaitment of the road stamped him as one of the greatest traffic men of any iroad in the United States, aiid he may lie saidl to have virtually bore the responsibility of the ophrating de part meiit. While in this office many import ant changes were inade in the operat ig department, of the road as his sug gestion, and the most modern methods were introduced. Every change that Mr. Finley recommended was success ifully carried ouit. IIt is this experience that has caus ed the odirectoirs of the iroad to select him as president of the mammoth system. 'The career of Mir. Finley is almost analagonus to that of Mr. Spencer. Both of the officials wer'e burn in the south. Mr. Spencer was a Georgia man ; Mr'. Finley has been an official in Atlanta ; both of the men rose thmroini"h hwi r own peri'd~ ent efforts toi the hiighe'st oiffice of oine of the larc'ct eroas