Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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.. ok ee j~ yt -~ caW aD VOL XB04,?A or,S 'N's' VOLXIV.. NO.7. NTEWBERRY. S. O. TTUM80DA.T. JAMUA.RY 22, 1907.4W0 EK,$ 0AYA HE STATEMENT OF IRS. BLAH STIMONY TAKEN AT HEI BEDSIDE. s That Blair Was Drunk and tha e Struck Her and Used Threat ening Language-The Evi dence in Fuil. ollowing is the testilony of Mrs Cl B. Blair, taken at her home a 2 Marion street last night b, 'oner Walker before the jury o uest: ' rs. .Blair, being sworn, said: '' M band came home drunk yesterda; kt 1 o'clock as' he had so ofte1 e before. As sooni as he came i w he was drunk. After a whil began cursing so , asked hin t that I had boarders in the hous they would leave; that the geu an would take his wife and g( th profane language he said le go. I told him he could not curs und the place that way and ru lioarders away; I had to make ig and support my children; tha helped ie very little. He sai i our living, that he could liv ether we did or not. I got so nej s that I went into the dining root get soie coffee, but was so nei s I could not drink it. I went mt . Neal's room and must hav ted. When I camne to, Mrs. Net standing over ine. In a fe, utes Mr. Blair came. in, caug, of my hand and jerked me t side. He said 'Did you faint?' I suppose I did. B slapped me on tAhe shoulder an id: 'I will kill you before the su er sets tonight. .1 want to be frei L.want to -pend my money as lease. Take the -6bildren.'" id, "Mr. Blair be careful.' He ast me if I had paid a bill. I said -w iu came and took all your mone sterday and knew I didn't have nt, you took every cent. He sai , he'd spent it as he pleased. B id he didn't care if I ever had an ing, ie was going to kill me. Wit at I got up and started in here an e started too. It was which woul et here first. I knew if he got t he pistol first he would kill me as'i ad attempted to do so on three oti r occasions. ''A pistol had been on the manti since we had been housekeepinl which has been three years. It belonl ed to my nepihew. I was by myself ei ery night and had to have protei ion.'' SCoroner-Wlo was present wh' te toll you to take the chibiirk!n1 a;1 o? A. No one. * Q. Whlo wNas preseit whilen lie sai te wN'11ld kill you? A. Not any one. ''1 said. ''Mr. llair don't pitt yot Innd, on me. dont -trike ma 'au nmore.' le said, 'I'll kill you.' I] eachedl flor the p)istol but. I got irst. (* Wi~ho was present ? A. I couldni ell you whether my niece was presel r not. Don't think Mr's. Neal wvt ere. ''lIe grabbhed for the pistol too. as standlity~ by the dresser. I saji Mr. Blair don 't put your hands e e and I'll not shoot. ,I thought ould bluff him away with that. ''He caught at my hand and ru e up in the corner and grabbed ni liawd. He pushed me over to tl oor and grabbed my throat. I had h ands and we scuffled over it ut we got to the mantel post. ''After I got to the door and I l~d one hand on the pistol and I lha ne, the pistol went.off. It wasi his room. 'We 'went through that roonm. TI or into hall was closed. We wet to the rear room. He had hold tol and I tried to get. it awvay froi .I twisted it in my apron. My niece said, 'Aunt Ethel, ii take it.' She had her hand c tiying to get' the pistoj. I toa pistol .out of her hand at tI post, ran and .t wvrhitotue ET. post, ran and threw it out tle w into the yard., pouldn't tell Wvhether any or reen during the souffle. Mr eod to get him away. He thre liea off and said, 'Damn. you, shoot.' Don't think any one was present when the shot was fired: Didn't know. Couldn't tell whether pistol went off after we left the room. I knew that if he got it into his hand I would have to die. Know nothino ibout a pistol mid had never shol I one .but, once. Yesterday was nol first time he had tried to kill me Never saw him tilke a drink yesterday but smelt it on his breath. He hm1 brought whiskey hone with him ever day . and kept it inl the bath room t. Witness recognized hottle shown bi I coroner. Saw it ill his hands. Whik E lying in Mrs. Neal's room lie wenl in bath room twice. Bottle was full when I saw it first yesterday. Mr i Blair was not drunk every day. Oi i day lie would be sober ats a ju(Ig< i and the pext day lie would stagger a Never drank until he got off duty. I ) I went to depot to meet him he wou4 3 come home sober but if lie came alon( - he would coie drunk. Made a roun - trip every day. Caine in 10.30 ir t morning and left at 5.20 in after D noon. He took Chaniberlain's coli< * and diarrhoea cure ever since hI a cane from Knowlton 's infirmar t three years ago. I have seen him tak4 1 too many drinks of that but it wa e certainly different from whiskei drinks. He would he down and go t< a. sleep but when whiskey drunk hi would try to take it out on me. D "No gentleman was present. N4 0 one was present. No one else couh I have drank the whiskey but Mr B Blair.'' t By Solicitor-Why did your. lus 0 band want toj,ill you? A. Becaus, I lie said lie didn't love me; lie wante< e to be free. Pistol was my nephew'i ai Claude West. i Solicitor-You and your husban . were in Mrs. Neal 's room and it wa I a race to get the pistol. You starte< I first? A. No; lie started fkist and got by him: I knew the one that go ) the pistol first would be tlie luck; Y one. If lie got it first lie would kil a me, but I didn't inteud to kill him. d Q. Where was lie standing whei e you got pistol? A. By the stove. -Q. What were you doing with pis hT toll A. Nothing. d Q. Don't you remember your hus d band sitting on this trunk? A. Nc 0 sir. e Q. If your niece said she saw hii - on the trunk would you say lie wa not? A. I didn't see him. Q. Wasn't lie shot sitting down , A. No, sir; most emphatically not. H pushed me to the door. Q. Didn't you shoot him sittin! dowin and then lie grqbbed you an ,you scuffled to the door? A. No, sh D l)idn't I tell you it was while w d were seuirflingl' I didn't say I sho him at all. The fatal shot was firei d when we were scuffling. Ile was try iig to take my hands ofT the pisto r and get it. away from me. We hai y our hands below the waist. Don e know hIow many shots were fired. t (Pistol -produced and identified. Q. l)o you know where ay ball t look effect, in roonm? A. I do not. t have been on my bed ever since. S Q. Howv did you know a half-pin of whiskey was ini bathroom ? A Wheii lie left the room lie went int Ibathroom with it. It is like the botti, ' lie had in his hand in here. Q. It has been testified lie said yo wer.e fussing about man named Armi A. The man Arms was not mentioned n We niever~ had any words about huii yThere was brotherly feeling betwvee SQ. Was Mrs Neal in roomi when yo all were over here. A. Mrs. Neal wa in room only once that I know o] e whiei lhe threwv her one hide and said a "Dain you, shoot,'' Mrs. Neal wva Sstanding at side of me and Mr. Blai in front. My niece was not in thi e room at that time as I know. Mi iBlair~ came home about 1 o'clock an< this happened a.fter diinner, I au: n pose half past 2 or 3 o'clock. Q. D)o you remember when Mi y Woodward camne in here. A. Yes, sii n Q. Where wvas the pistol. A. In on ehands. SQ. Was it in vest pocket? A. Nc e sir. Q. Didn't he have you by bot! e hands? A. No, sir, lie baa his hand . on tL.e pi';tol, lie. didn't have hi v hands on me at-all. Q. Did he strike you any violei blows yesterday. A. -He struck n twice, once on left shoulder and on oin the back, on right hand side. . Apron introduced and identified i apronl Worn by 1Mr1s. 3lairlat tinl of shooting. M1-rs. Neal, recalled. Q. Where did you find this flask. Lrs. Blair told her Iiece to go hathlrooml and look whlere hier unw kept Iiis wliiskey. Sie returned wi the flask. M1iss Wvest, recalled. Q. State what you know about ti latsk. A. I found bottle and whiski niderneath bat I room. Mrs. Bal told me to look for it. Never saw before. AMERICANS ORDERED TO LEAVE KINGSTO: Admiral Davis is Informed That E Presence is Not Desir ed. Kingston, Jamaica, Jan. 19--Re Admiral Davis' inission of merey stricken Kingston come to an abru 1111d painful, conclusion today in co equence of Gov. Swet tenliam's obj( tion to the presenee of American sa ors engaged inl the ,,ork of clearil the streets, guairding property ai snccoring the wounded and sick, e minating in a letter to the admit preemptorily requesting him to I i embark all parties which had be landed. Admiral Davis was greatly shock - and pained and paid a formal visit (Gov. Swettenham toany informi I him that the United States batt ships Missouri and Indiana and t gunboat Yankton would sail this a I ternoon. 5 . To the Atisociated Press Admii I Davis said that immediate compliRi [ with Gov. Swettenham's request %, t the only course consistent with t dignity of the United States. I Beginning of Friction. The friction between the goverr i and the admiral began with the'ar val of the American war vessels, whi - the governor objected to the firi of a salute in his honor on the grou - that the citizens might mistake I , firing for a new earthquake. He so declared there was no necessity I i American aid, that his gov,ernm< s was fully able to preserve order, te the wounded, and succor the homele i Rear Admiral Davis, however, lai e ed parties of Blue Jackets who p rolled the streets, cleared the debi rIzed the ruins, attended many of I I wonnlded, receiving high pralise fr< citizen.s and military oficers for i 2 cellent work. I Relief Work is Suspended. I New York. Jan. 20.-The -atleri - of supplies hcre for the Kinlgst I -artlquake sufferers by tie Kinist 1 relief committee, it is expected, V I be discontinued tonmorrow for tle ti beinw at least, inl view of tihe refu ) of ille gov n Io2 of Ja1 tmaica to s aidl from American war vessels. It [ quite probable that the supplies nm on the way to Kingston on the steai t ers. Alleghany and( Pinz7 JToaneh .will never reach that port. B<i > steamer's have been ordered to call e Port Antonio and there await furtl instr'etions. i A sp)eial meeting of the relief co -imittee .will b)e held tomorrow wl -the situation wvill be gone over a -definite action taken. Ramon Pina, the newV 1!panish m ' inster to the United btates :s 47 yel a old and has beCen in the Spanish ~plomatic service since lie was 22 ye. Sold. It is understood that this a pointment to WVashington is a rewi r for' his services to the government a secretary to the 'Alegeires (inferenf HuIIidson Maxim, t inventor, I concluded evperiments fro'h which aserts that the range of naval tori does wvill be doubled and naval w: fare revolutionized. The invention r a self-propelled torp)edo, which driven by steam generated in 1 , burning by explosives carreid wit] the torpedo in concentrated form a There is hardly enough mo'ney s: the world to make it up to somne IT for the names their parents gave ti it BEAUFORT IS SWEPT e BY DISASTROUS FIRE. Loss Estimated at Five to Seven Hun Is dred Thousand Dollars.-Losses e One-third Covered by Insur ance. A The State. 20ti. to l3ealort. .Jan. 10.---Today at. half le past i1 o'clock 1ire hwoke out in the Ih Iarn and stahles of 1,. W. Seliper on Bay street and witl a stif soiitiwest brceze it resulted in one of the most, ic disastrous calamities that has ever )y visited tie towin. ir From tlhe commencement the fire it departnicit was powerless and soon the raging fIlamiles took possession of the large grocery store of the pro prietor and lapped the large three N. story, building in the basement or lower floor, where was stored a large is stock of groceries and supplies, and the People's hank, of which Mr. Seheper is. president, was totally con sutimed witi it's Contents. nr The ban11k 's papeis aid property to were saved. including the large fre I)t proof safe. Adjoining were a row of 1- stores oin the same side of tile street, C- anld lp to tie corner were all con il- siied. g Tie fire vcosed tle street andi the d large and well stocked hardwaie and il- paint store o1 Messrs. N. Christensen -al & Sons siared a like late and half a e- l)Iock behind it was totally IIrned. ei The fire crossed the next street and consumed the law ofice of Mr. Thos. ei Talbird andl the ro wof small house" to thatl he owned, extending to the mar 1g ket, whicli was burned entirely. Then he- it. crossed the next street and the te town ball and eounsil chamber were if- a total loss and the adjoining houses between it and the Methodist church were burined. ce During the prevalence of the raging 'as aid fuhious flames the .sparks were he blown in :a northeasterly direction and several smaller homes, including the /residence of 'ir. W. F. Sanders about or one-eighth of a. mile off caught and 'i- from it the large and ancient, mansion en of the Talbirds, owned by Mr. Thos. ng Talbird, was totally consumed. The id house on the opposite corner of the le street occupied and owned by Mr. J. l- N. Wallace, recently handsomely re .or paired, was burnled and ntext. (oor to nt it tile residence of Mr. W. J. Tioias nd aid his two renited houses, to the S* back, were consumed. d- Mr. James M. rofut 's store adja .t- cent to Mr. Ch1ristelnsen's store be i ame a ilass of uins, id tie ] next I store. that of Mrs. J. Levinl, also was m11 nearly Nconsumled. - At -lie fimle it looked as if tie whol0e town wmu( have been conson ol hv the muereiless at devouing Oil Thc !4)sses ar-e e-tilliated rouhl as o11 e1ua1 io about $506,<tt (Ir $700,ooo, ill upon which t,hieire is n)l mnoie tihan ie erhap one-tilird ilnl.1lea'. a1 1 r. Scheper is pretty well insured, 'pt it. is slid. 15 Me- rs. Chr istensen('l, Thomas Tii5 al 'w bird and1( Jaes MC ~. ( roflI have n1o n-l iinranice whatever anid thir losess mare very great. Mr.. Thiomias, it is re Ith port ed. is par'tiailly iinsure'd. at Tlhis has beeni onei oft thle mo1(st ecr fri'zhtfill calamities that has ever vs ' ted lteaufort. nU- The flames are still visible at, a en gr'eit dhistancie. To add to the difficul nd ties t ho water suplply failedl andi thei p)ipe, were deficient and incapabIle of. doiner muich good to subdue the in- flames. i The piping of fresh air to cities is 110n longer a dream of scienitists. It has p.been pra'cticlly t,ried, in anl experi rdmental way, in thle c'rowdedl W~hite schapel *district of Lond1on, under the( e supervision oif Dr. T'. G. Lyon, one 'of London's most. eminent scientists. The air is sucked into p)ipes lby power uas ful suietion p)umpsl from someIi high lhe elevation where the sanlitar'y condi .e tions are perfect and( forced into large ".' storagie tanks simialar to gas tnks. !s Whein stored in these tanks under 1s pressure, the pure air is distrib)uted lie in p)1ipe leading inito diffeireint houses. 11n Thle air can be dastrib)uted through ppes upwar'~id of fity to one thundred( miles in length iwthiout losing any of in its purity. Biy opening a switch the en ceustomer gets his daily supply of aw fresh ar in his rooms, while the foul air is allowed to qeape through with drawal dU.its TROOPS GUARD BEAUFORT. Dompany Sent From Fort Screven at Intendant's Request.-Blacks Have Quieted Down. The State. Beanfort. Jan. 20.-Murmuring-s of nlegiros to(lay eallsel alpprlehelisionl of ani iprising aid tihie aut11horities at onlce sollg ht( to seeure military pro tection l'or the city. The intend(ant, telegaphed Col. 1U. W. lattersonl, in COMIaid at Fort Ser-even, On., ask in". for at eompaliv of1 re(Iollalll troops to he diialltcIhed hier-e for the preser vation of ordel. i response, at 8.35 o'elock (onigit, 4-5 men fully aried anid el01ippeld for' service, arrived unl der eomuianl of Capt. Joseph Wheel e'. Tie' (lettchelinit came on1 the tug Gibbons, and immeldiately guards Wei established and patrols foIell(l. The liscontent among the negroes, which it was fearel might be fanied into a1 filry, was calused by the killing of William Benlnett, Colored, by a 114ard at 1 o'clock this moInllg,. The IegO was ldiscoverel hanging around the iIins of tlie Pepople's 1)1111k, one of tle biiildinps (etroved by mne dis asruis tire of yesterday. To the Cliai lengte of, thle uard oll du1ty there nio sat isfactory responlse was mlia(e, it seemls, and thle guailrd fired. An il i<iest was hld th(l is morning over the hbdy 4f, tle niegrIo. There was dloubt ats to which or tihe1 guard1-(Is had shot tile mai. ie ver(dict returned was that he hadt(] com1)e to his death at tihe hands of parties uinkniowin to the .jlry. The arrival of ilte Uniited States troops relieved the apprehension of the Citizens. The Iegroes, impressed by the presence of the regulars. have Ceased their hostie deonimist rat ions, and the military apparently have the sitiationk will ill hand. Their arrival was. welcomed .by -the citizens who had been standing guard over valu ables save(d from the flames, and who had been prepared to resist as they might have been able any outbreak on the part of the iegroes. Naval Militia Ordered Out. Rumors of trobule with negroes in Beauifort as a result of the destrue tive fire there Saturday were receiv ed here yes-4erday il tie form of at telegram from Intenaint Townsend to lov. Ansel asking for authority to call out tie naval imilitin iaeserves to protect property. (lov. Aisel at tihe time the telegram was received was Mn his way from Charleston it Co hillbill Ind as sooll is he ar-rived.] re peate(d thi telegram ..ent a erlier by Secretar.y ilietiea. Ti 1 tlgrams weie as folllows: "Wirev Imle cr Lieti. ""h11epet. aIth (rity to Call oult nvlmilitin I'mr pat 411 duty bcaulls of, paltial lestrnle tion of town by ir.Thr-eaits of)1 vio elev bel" 111mde by Ilegr 'nws. IC. C. Tliwnsen(l Secretary lilea a1 once sent tie foIllowinig reiply: c'ond'bilit 1olls warrai'llt sllCh action41 preven'li. acts5 of v'iolenice to ci tizenis " Al. . .)liet hfa.' Late 4G'ov,(~. A nsel dec(idedl to ord'4er 1LIiut. Schleer to1 re0port tob Inutendantl TownsVl3end( if ordered'C( to1 dio so by the latter'. A GIlasgowv steamerCl waIs lab)orinig in a hleavy seaI, thei waIves sometimei sweepinig her (leeks, but1 the o)fficer'! alsured thle pallssenige1s that11 L,here wan (ca1lmi with ii he except Ii ofI (one meek-l appearing lif tie man, who, every fen Iminuites, would4 approach an officei and1( aniiXously ingn11ire if' lhe thought the ship) wol1d foul(er. ''No, I tell you!"1 on (ie (If them fin ally exclaimed with imfpatienlce " What is the matter wuithi you]? Looli Iat those other people-thiey areo noi scared~' to death.'" "'Oh, I'm not scar'ed,"' the man r'e plied, "'but if the ship was going t< founder I wanited to know a littI< ahead (If time." shrid....i..,.,,,.,.,, shrdl u shridlu shrdiu "O,wanited fo tell youri frieiid gooid-bye anid all that?"' "Well, not exactly," the man said hesitatingly; " the fact is, my moth er-inl-law is along with mii anld if thel ship was quite sure to sink I wanted to say a few things to her."-. .............. REPORT IS MADE BY MR. I'DOIALD WINNSBORO ATTORNEY'S rIND INGS REGAR)ING BOARD. Goes Into DetaiSs Concerning Pur chases of the rormer Dis pensary Directors. Mr. . fe. Mcl)onald of Winnsboro, Who was employed Some time ago by the state board of dispensary diree tors to investigate the legality of the purehases mae(le by the 1'ormer board, had his report made publie yesterday. The report was submitted some time 'ago by Mr. McDonald but the board did not give it out to the press at that time. The report. says: To the Honorable the Board of Di rectors of the State Dispensary: (lentlemei: Pursuant to the reso iutions hereinafter set forth, I res pectfully beg leave to submit the fol lowiig report: At'a njeeting of your board held on the 6th day of March, 1906, the fol lowing resolutions was adopted: "Resolved, That there appearing that there has beenl a 'Very large stock of goods ship)ped to the state dispensary to tle 1aloulit. of several h11un11dred thousand dollars of high priced goods, there being no suffici eut storale room for same, thus ex I)osing a large amount. of such goods to the weatiher, goods that, there is very little sale for, an(] would pro bably take years to dispose of at that price; and it appearing that there is no legal record of the plr clase, or that, same was not ordered shipped in accordance with law, the clerk. is hereby instructed to notify the members of the old board, Messrs. Evans, Boykin and Towill, that we in entering upon the duties of such of fice do prot6st against the locking up in said high priced goods. so much money of the state; and that it is our intention to employ the best legal tal ent available to look into the legality of the purchasing and ordering of such goods, and in the event that they were not purchased by the en tire board and ordered in as the law requires, an(] that we are so advised by our.attorieys that tile shippers of these goods be notified that their goods are here subject to their or ders and the same must be removed ait oice if bvinlig Ile inleitioll of the1C present board not, to assumle the re s)onlsibility of (his business inl such slial)v witioi teril.. ourll protest; aid tle clerk is i ist v-neted ( lo pub HiSh the omoini of oods ivill by liteui. filie n:'lify :uid, prive of vach, iha l o Ill. of heal ai nd, so will sm. ilhe ::7 ir1s of, thew State dlisjenisar t h m Ilie first of Marclh. 1906.111 "lHesolved (1), That inl pul rsian lce o I!-, resolutition of the stale board of f Winnsbori, S. C., he, and lie here by is, retained a1s the iaitorneiy ofi thle stilte lioard of (Iirecltors for thle parm Pose of ascer'ta in ing anad advising the lbiaird whethlier or not the alle.ged purchases of' all liquors areferred to in saidh resolut 101n were Jegally made, whethIier or' anot such al leged pur chiases constitute valiid liabilities against said board. ''Resolved (2), That an adjourned meeting oif the state board of diree tor's be held at the office of the board, Columbia, on Tuesday, t,he 17th day of April, 1906, fotr the puirpose of affording a hearing to all parties in initerest wiho may come to ilt tendl such 'aeetinig. Ini puirsuance of the powler' and an thorit.y confeirred upoin me by thec res ohutioni of Ma rch 28, 19061, 1 proceed ed to investigate thle facts relating to thte alleged Hales of liquors referred to ini youri resolution of Mairch 6, 1906. Thtere beiang lit tic accessible data in thae .r'ecords of' the state dis p)ensary, upon which I could base an Opinlion, I wrote to the following per sons, firms or corporations in refer.. eneec to the liquors shlippedl by them to the state dispensary, Columbia, S. C., b)eing the liquaors covered b)y the aforesaid resolution, to wit: Anchor Distilling company, Cincin nati, Ohio. S. Grabfelder & Co., Lonisville, nC.