The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, July 09, 1909, Image 1
VOL XLVIJ NO, 54 NEWBERRY2 SoC.. FRIDAY. JLY . 1909 T
CONSTABLE SLAIN.
C. P. Fishburne Is Killed by John W.
Messervey.- Deputy Con
stable Wounded.
Ravenel, July 6.-One man dead,
another probably mortally wounded,
and a third at his home where it is
feared that ihe will never be taken
alive, is the situation at midnight fol
.lowing a shooting affray here at 7:30
o'clock t,his evening, when Constables
C. Pincknev Fishburne and J. D. Alt
man attempted to prevent John .W.
Meservey from taking from the rail
road station here a keg of whiskey,
which was alleged to be contraband.
Fishburne. the dead man, was the
regular constable, and she had called
Altman to his assistance, when Mes
servey, standing in his wagon body,
shot them botih, using a Smith & Wes
son revolver. Fishburne was shot in
the breast and died about an hour
later. while Altman was wounded in
the abdomen, the ball ranging down
ward. Physicians have been attend
ing him since soon after t1he shooting,
and his condition is regarded as very
eritical, the intestines, it is said, be
ing perforated.
Fishburne was about 50 years of
age. a id is survived by a wife and
severa ohildren. Altman is nearly 81
ea. .f age, but has a wonderful
constitution.
Immediately after the shooting
Messervey left- for his home, and up
to this hour, (midnight) has not been
arrested.
WHO ARE SONS OF VETERANS?
Commander Timmerman Answers
Query of Correspondent as to Eli
gibility to Membership.
An extra effort will be made this
vear to increase the membership of
the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
There have been quite a good many
voun, men who have signified their
willingness to join the organization,
but failed to qualify.
Tere has been more or less in
quiry as to what constitutes eligibili
tv to membership, and a few days
ago the question was referredSo Geo.
Bell Timmerman. commanding the'
South Carolina division of the U. S
C. T. In response to this inquiry Mr.I
Timmerman writes The State as fol
lows:
Mr. Timmerman's Definition.i
"Some days ago, I received the fol
lowing .communication:
" Please answer through the press
what constitutes eligibility for mem
bership in the Sons of Confederate
Veterans.
"' 'One 'Who Is Interested.'
"You will observe that name of
the party making the request -is un-!
known. I shall nevertiheless under
take to answer the inquiry of 'One
Who Is Interested,' and trusi that
you will answer for the benefit ET
will be kind enough to publish the
answer for the benefit of all who may
be tinterested.
"Artiele 4. section 11, of the con
stitution of -the United Sons of Con
federate Veterans says: 'All male de
scendants of those who served in the
Confederate army or navy to the end
of the war, or wih.o died in prison or
while in actual service. or who were
killed in battle, or who were h6nor
ably retired or ddi-scharged. shall be
eliiole for membership in the camps
of' this confederation, provided no
member under 16 years of age shall
have the right to vote. Provided no
member shall be admitted under 12
years of aze.' The constitution of
the SQutih Car'o-lina division expresses
he same thing wit-h a slight variation
"While the above language seems
perfectly clear, there have been some
who inaccurately thought they were
eligible for membership upon the rec
ord of an unele. This is not true.
Thre ;hare been others who inac
curately t-houghtt they could only join
if their father had been in the war.
As a matter of fact a person may be-*
come a member upon the record of
his father's father or his mother's
father.
''To gestate it, a person can not be
cme a member upon the record ot
an uce, but he may become one
nn tn.e record of his father, grand
+a h:e:. or great grandfat.her. Of
e se it must be understood that the
- e Moi' record must mneet the re
quiremeits of tie constiution as
above quoted.
"I ask for tie publication of this
article with the earnest hope that it
may be of interest and benefit to some
one. (eo. Bell Timmerman,
"Past Commander South Carolina
Division, U. S. C. V.1'
SYLVIA SPEER DIVORCED.
Atlanta Girl Who Married Her
Chaufer Freed Through Efforts
of Parents.
Atlanta, Ga., July 6.-In spite of
the attempts of the parties concerned
to keep it a secret, it is learned that
Mrs. Sylvia Speer Thomas was grant
ed a verdict of divorce in the supe
rior court yesterday.
It was last September that Miss
Speer, daughter of W. A. Speer and
prominent in local first-family eireles,
elopled with iher ebauffer, Russel J.
Thomas. The parents pursued the
couple, had them detained and carried
off the bride of a few hours.
She was spirited to New York and
thence to Europe to escape t-he search
of the husband. The latter brought
suit against the fatther-in-law for
alienating his wife's affections.
A statement signed by Mrs. Thomas
was read to the court and the jury,
in which she said that Thomas made
love to her. but she resented .it. Next
he told her that unless she married
him he would kill her father. She
averred that upon the day of the
elopement, September 28, Thomas' fa
t,he.r telephoned her that unless she
came to Marietta and married his son,
her father would be killed. She went
to the place agreed upon and was very
nervous. The elder Thomas, 9he as
serts, gave her a tablet and, after
swallowing it, she claims she did not
remember what happened except in
a dazed way. She believes now that
she was drugged and while in this
state she went through the marriage
eremony.
SALUDA COURT.
Proceeds With its Business Regard
less of Busy Season on Farms.
Saluda,t July 6.-The summer term
of sessions court convened Ahere yes
terday with .Judge Robert Aldrich
presiding. His talk to the grand jury
after that body was organized was
wolesome and along the proper lines.
He referred to the fact that he had
married a lady whose ancestors were
for long years prominent in the af
tars ot state and who were citizens
and residents at the time of what was
then known as thbe Salauda section of
old Edgetield and it was for that rea
son he had so great ani interest inl the
new county, and desired to see the
law upheld and enforced and good or
der prevail that there might be peace
and prosperity.
Owing to the busy season a num
ber of attendants on the court sug
gested to Judge Aldrich that he con
tinue all business so that t.he farmers
ould get back to their crops. He sub
mitted the proposition to the grand
jury and assured that body that their
ounsel would receive due considera
tion. To tihe great surprise of many
the grand jury reported that in their
opinion the court should go on with
its work inasmuch as the expense of
onveni'ng it iha-d been incurred.
The first case tried was Dony Glov
er, a negro woman charg6d with whip
ping a small negro boy. Sh was ac
quitted. Practically all the cases save
three homicide cases have been con
tinued.
It is probable court will now last
until Thursday evening.
Stopped a Cock Fight.
Gov. Ansel yesterday~ wired Sheriff
McMillan to stop a cock fight at Dy
son, in Greenwood county. It was
learned here -tahat the fight would be
on and Gov. Ansel promptly ordered
that the same not take place. There
is a State law with a heavy penalty
attached. prohibiting cock fighting in
South Carolina.-The State.
UneleCh Sam's anlOnouneet about
his) verdrawn bank accounit would
hiVe exeited a mo)re sympDathetic in
re!e had it been mad'e just after the
(ihrs- m as holidavs.
SHOOTING NEAR TRENTON.
Six Men Returning From Horse Race
Involved.-Albert Busby Shot
Down,
Edre'-eld, S. C., July 5.-Y-esterday
afternoon late, there was a very ser
ious s-hooting serape just below Tren
ton in this county, in which Jesse Rip
ley, Ab Jackson, Bob Murrell, Er
nest Jackson and Albert Busby were
part(i,cpants, with another man whose
name cannot be learned.
Mr. Busby, who is the fireman on
the Edgefield-Aiken branch of the
Sout-hern Railway. was not in the row,
He was acting as peace-maker, yet he
was badly shot up. He was shot three
times.
There were races at Trenton on last
Sunday afternoon and all of the par
ties had attended them and at the
time of the shooting were on their
way home. It occurred just south of
Tren.ton.
It seems that Jesse Ripley and Bob
Murrell had some misunderstanding
about a -horse race when at the track.
On the way home, it was renewed by
Ripley attacking Bob Murrell with a
i ife. Albert Busby stepped in as
peace-maker and had separated the
men when Ab Jackson came up and
knocking Busby's hand from the arm
of Ripley, cursed him, drew his pistol
and opened fire. The first. ball struck
Busby in the back just above the left
shoulder blade and ranged across to
the right shoulder w.here it came out.
Busby fell and Jackson kept up his
shooting, one ball passing through t1he
left arm near the shoulder and an
other entering the same arm at the
wrist and passing to and coming out
at the elbow, shattering a sma.ll bone.
While his wounds -are painful, his
physician, Dr. John G. Edwards, of
this place, is of the opinion that they
are not serious unless some complica
tions set in. His wounds were dressed
at Trenton by Dr. S. A. Morrall. He
was brought to Edgefield th.is morn
ing on the 9:30 train and taken to his
home. He is the only one of the par
ties that lives here. He does not own
a pistol and .had no weapon at the
time he was shot.
After Busby fell, the shooting was
I rapid, it seems. Ernest Jackson sihot
Bob Murrell in the left side several
inhes below his waist line, the ball
lodging somewhere in his back. The
extent and seriousness of his wound
is unknown here. The Jackson brot-h
ers then left, making off as fast as
possible in t,heir buggy toward their
home. As they made off Bob Murrell
.emptied both barrels of :his shot gun
at them. It was reported that ,be had
wounded one of them, but the report
could nto be verified from any quar
So far as known no arrests have
been made, but it is presumed that
there will be -to-morrow morning.
Jesse Ripley, the man who is said
Ito have started the row, escaped un
touched, for which :he is indebted to
Albert Busby, who kept him and Mur
rel apart.
The foregoing facts are gathered
'through parties who were present.
Your correspondent called to see Mr.
Busby this afternoon, but he was un
der the influence of morphine to ease
his pain and could not give 'his ver
sion of the affair.
EDGEIELD'S SOLDIER BOYS.
Col. Jomes T. Bacon Tells Them Of
Happenings at Home During
Their Absence.I
In the last issue of the Edgefleld
Chronile, Col. James T. Bacon, theI
editor, writes thle following letter to
Edgeield 's soldier boys encamped at
Columbia wit<h t.he 2nd regiment:
Edgefield, July 1st, 1909.
Dear Boys :--Are you well this
morning, and is Ridgewood water
agreeing with you? Strikes us you
are sorter tired in this warm weather.
You are four miles from town, but
there are the street cars, obliterating
time and distance. Do they, let you
go into town to the vaudeville shows?
We hope so. for tahe vaudeville shows
'in Cout~ bia are beautiful. and all for
Iten cents. Have you good food. or do
you long' for home grub)? Have you .
peaches? Here. at home we have loads
of fine p)eaches.
Boys. we miss you awfally. The old1
and Lizzielulianna and Marvliianna
and Oralina and Cleorianna and Max
ninina and Crraeianna and Rhettorina
and Ravenoija and Virginialina. and
Jo.ephina, and Katelinda and Susi
marvanna and Mattianna and Jennie
anna and Sallyanna and Virginiadda,
and Aileenianna and Sophianna and
Lurinna, and Pauline and Maude are
all desolate and weeping. Julian Key
and Cornelius Holmes and Vivian
Mims and Eddie Cheatham and Ed
wa-rd Lynch and Jamie Peak and
Richard McCreary and Johnnie Bates
are utterly failing to keep them up.
Richard McCreary is making migibty
efforts to comfort the poor girls, but
poor Richard, you know. is one of the
many men wlhose spirit is willing but
whose pluck is weak. The poor girls
are sighing for the "touch of a van
ished hand."
:Miss Mabel Kenner left us this
morning for .her home in Virginia;
and to-night we sit up wit)h Paul Cog
burn and Artie Eubanks and Robert
Scott. To-morrow we will bury t.hem.
Meanwlile Josey Hollaind, in Vir
ginia, will get. or resume, "the in
runnient.
Yes, boys, it is very dull without
you. This morning when we came to
our office, the only person on the
streets anywhere, was Tirapp McMa
nus' sucking colt that had strayed
awav from its mother, hitched in
front of the Timmons drug store, and
was eating grass in Ramsey & Jones'.
Horde Allen was not in the Bank. We
can get along if we are only sure that
Horde is there. So we ran in Dorn
& Mim's, and cried out, "Allen! Al
len! Allen!'" (others are uttering the
same cry) but echo gave no answer.
And Mr. Horace Dorn was sitting
dead in his chair.
Dr. Penn and Mrs. J. D. Holstein
and Mrs. Charlie Griffin and "Bud
dy'' went to Augusta in the npw
''Reo'" yesterday. They went in an
hour and a -half, and came in an hour
and a half.
News ;has come from Greenville,
authoritative, that dear little Carroll
Cogburn is engaged to be maried to a
beautiful and wealthy little girl
there-wealthy!
Dear Boys, when you get home next
week, you will have only ten days to
gird up your loins for the Hussar
picnic. For this occasion, your trous
ers must be two yards across the seat,
and your socks must be bright green
dashe -with yellow. If you haven't
such thiings as these, go to Kinard 's
at once and get them.
We 'hear that several pretty young
girls have been dowvn here looking for
Homc Williams and Frank Logan.
Boys, there is one thing we know:
You have the most splendid-looking
Captain in the 2nd. Il va sans dire.
.Boys, it is eleven o'clock now, and
we have just been for our mail; and
st.ill we do not se.e a single soul on the
streets but Trapp 's sucking colt.
Richard McCreary told us that Jen
nyanna and Marylilianna and Lizzie
loulianna and all other "annas'' and
"inas," including Maude, had al
ready been to the office, weeping and
wailing and gnashing their teeth.
Hurry home just as soon as you
can, dear boys. As we have been asked
to sit up with Paul Cogburn to-night,
and as it will sap our strength to,
manage Paul in his present frame of
mind, we must now ring off.
Yours Lovingly, dear boys,
James T. Bacon.
P. S. Our petition for the pardon of
Ab Clark has proved successful, and.
wrong and injustice are at an end. Ab
is again wit.h us. Boys, take good eare
of little Jimmie Lamb for "Mary's"'
sake. J- T. B.
P. S. No. 2. Will Penn says it seems
to him that under present circum
stances you might need a little Tal
c-um powder: and if so, hie would be
glad to send you some. He says that
after a heavy drill or a long march,
you would find it comforting. And
Maude says she has a box of it that
h~ would gladly send to Percy Byrd.
Since the ball team had to go, we
are glad that it went to Tennessee.
Out there they need all the counter
rritants tihey can get just now.
News and Courier.
The issue in New York appears to
have been the Police Commissioner or
NEWS OF PROSPERITY.
-0
Prof. Thornwell Haynes Chosen
Principal of Central Schools.
Personal Mention.
Prosperity. July 7.-Dr. T. F. Lit
tlejohn made a business trip to our
town over Sunday.
Miss Annie Lee Langford, of Spar
tanburg, is spending her vacation
with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. P.
L. Langford.
Mr. Caper Kreps. of Augusta, came
up to spend the fourth with his par
ents.
Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Werts returned
Friday from a short stay with rela
tives at Ninety-Six.
Mr. and Mrs. Leland Schumpert, of
Savannah, are spending a week with
his home people.
Miss Rawl, of Lykesland, is the
guest of her sister, Mrs. Morris.
Mr. George Harmon and -his niece.
little Rebecca, have gone to Green
wood for a few days.
Mr. George Bobb. of Columbia,
spent Sunday and Monday with his
..parents near Johnstone Academy.
Mr. Olin Bobb spent Sunday at
home.
Mr. Harold Craig is home from the
Porter Military academy at Charles
ton.
The many friends and parishoners
of Rev. Ira Caldwell will be pained
to learn that he is ill and will not be
among them for some time.
Mrs. Aoseoe Shealy and little son
have returned from Pomaria.
Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Black and Miss
Leila Groselose returned Tuesday
from a visit to friends in Le'esville.
Mr. Thornwell Haynes, late consuf
to India, has accepted the superin
tendency of theCentral schools. At the
time of his appointment to Rouen,
France, eight years ago he was prin
cipal of these schools. Central is to
be more than congratulated on ob
taining so learned, travelled, and ca
pable a gentleman to instruct its
youths. Mr. Haynes is an unusually
fine instructor, not confining himself
merely to the text, but enlarging upon
tihe various subjects in hand, and en
couraging and inspiring the ehldren
to outside work and reading. He is a
graduate of Wofford college and
Vanderbilt university.
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Wheeler re
turned to Columbia to-day, after a
pleasant stay with relatives.
Mr. and Mrs. Buch, of Columbia,
made a week-end visit to Dr. J. S.
Wheeler's family.I
Miss Seybt, of Pomaria, has been
H. & N.-NO. XXIV.
visiting Miss Lillian Hair.
Mrs. John Neill, who became sud
denly ill Sunday morning with some.
affection of the brain, is improving
somewhat.
Mr. L. C. Craig has gone to Wal
halla and Lancaster for several. days.
Miss Lena Lester spent several days
of this wek in Columbia with iher sis
te, Miss Annie Laurie Lester.
A letter from our young townsman,
Mr. John Pat Wise, at the University
of Virginia, gives a very gratifying
account of the position the South
Carolina students occupy there. In
their "Pagan Parade,'' in honor of
the glorious Fourth, t:he Palmetto
State was first as to the originality,
beauty and skill of their decorations.
Thy represented "Marion's Men"
72 of them. T-hie men were striking
in red and white and the women wore
white dresses with rakish hats cov
ered with grey moss, which ha'd been
sent from Charleston for the purpose.
Not only th~e spectators, but the press
united in giving the palm to our
State, which always leads when there
is any movement of importanIce on
The game Monday between Pros
perity and Pomearia resulted in 6 to 4
in favor of our boys.
About half a -dozen of our boys
went to Newberry Tuesday night to
witness the Citadel Minstrel's. We
were more thani pleased to hear that
our representative. Mr. Allen Lester,
acquitted himself with honor and
Mr. Stuck. who was formerly in
charge of the stock exe'hange here,
was again on our streets Tuesday.
Don t foruet the barbecue at
oing's (Grove on Saturday. July 24.
A good cause and a good dinner
h,ul beh drawing cards to all.
MRS. BUSH DIMS.
Edgefield Woman, Shot by Her Hus
baud who Killed Himself, Passes
Away.
Edgefield, July 6.-The death of
Mrs. George Bush, which occurred at
1 o'clock this morning, and the death
of her husband by 'bis own hands,
forms the closing chapter in the aw
ful tragedy enacted in the Rehoboth
section of the county yesterday, an
account of which has appeared in the
News and Courier.
Early. Tuesday morning Bush ap
peared in the neighborhood where his
wife was residing and told the citi
zens that he was hunfing for an es
caped convict. He secreted himself
near the house occupied by ihis wife
and, according to her ante-mortem
statement, as she was peacefully go
ing to the spring, appeared from be
hind a tree and, halting <her with a
pistol in hand, demanded that she re
turn to him and upon her refusal ex
claimed, "Well, you shall die," and
immediately fired two shots into her
body. As sbe lay prostrate and bleed-.
ing upon the ground, begging for her
life, he shot her twice more. He left
her for dead and broke for liberty.
Like wild fire the news of the trag
edy spread and soon a hundred irate
citizens were upon the scene and on.
Bush's trail. The county bloodhounds
being called into reqisition, he was
soon run down while entering a wood
some six miles from the scene of his
bloody work, and seeing that the
crowd would soon be u'pon him, and
knowing that his life would be de
mnanded, -he turned his pistol to .his
temple, fired and ended his existence.
When his .body was reached he lay
with his ,pistol in one hand, the other
across his breast. He was buried on
the side of the road by the county
chain gang and, it is said, without a
coffin or a prayer being offered above
ihis grave.
Never before was a comnanity
more outraged by the act of any one
and Bush's conduct towards this wife
had been such for years that he had
lost all respect and consideration of
his neighbors. The verdict of the coro
ner's. jury was that he came to his
death by his own hands. 'Mrs. Bush
was buried this afternoon and a vast
oncourse of people followed the
body to the grave.
NEGRO SUICIDE.
Ideni.fied at Denmark as Josh Crews,
Wife Slayer.
Aiken, S. C., July 6.-A party of
Aiken men returned late last night
from Denmark, where they tent to
identify the negro, who was killed by
the train there Saturday, and who
was supposed to have committed
suicide. They found that the negro
was Josh Crews, who foully murder
ed his wife, or paramour, at Warren
ville, last Thursday afternoon. The
identification was perfect, and there
remains no doubt about the negro be
ing the, one who was wanted in this
ounty for this murder.
Sheriff Raborn was one of the par
ty, and two of the near relatives of
the negro were with him.
They report that it was surely sui
cide. They say that the negro delib
erately made .himself a pallet or tem
porary bed upon the railroad track,
upon wihich he la'. down, to await
the coming of the train. It is not
known whether it was his consciene
wreaking vengeance upon him for the
crime he committed or the fear of
speedy retribution at the hands of
stern justice.
It is stated. here that the negro had
killed two persons previous to this
killing. It is said 'he was wanted in
Alabama, for killing a wife previous
to this one, and also that he had kiill
ed another negro somewhere in Geor
mia. It was doubtless the fear of hav
ngngto stand trial for one or all of
these crimes that caused' him to end
Knoxville is not the only place that
a. gold brick has made happy.-News
and Courier.
ll is the wind that blows no good.
The passing of base ball in Charles
ton may work for the promotion of
trufunes among-the office boys.