Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE THOAS 3ILLEIZ OF RECONSTRUCTION DAYS Recollections of Days When Every body Toted a Pistol-The Shot That Was Trained for Miller. A. B. Williams in Roanoke Times. Sometimes a single name or a small incident will open floodgates of recol lections of those who have seen and felt things and bring to very vivid life old times and long arrays of dead men. We read in the South Carolina newspapers that T. E. Miller has been removed summarily by the new gover nor from his long held position as president of the colored university at Orangeburg. This is "Canary Miller," quite an old man now and long ago reconciled to white rule and become a good man useful citizen. He was different 34 years ago when he sat in the South Carolina legislature as a representa tive from Beaufort-a short, square built man, seven-eighths white, wear ing a heavy light gray sack suit, with his habit of running his hands into the pockets of his coat and fairly clear in dication of a loaded revolver in each pocket. Other nasty habits had "Can ary." He sat as a member of the last attempt at a Republican legislature in a Southern State in the last year of the Reconstruction era. He sat with "The Ring-Tailed Roarer of the Com bahee," a black negro whose gullah dialect from the, coast of Africa, whose immediate ancestry was so strong that a white maA irom twe up country barely could understand him when he addressed the house; also with the "Duke of Marlboro," an unc tuous yellow scoundrel, representing the very garden spot of the State, who used to rise up and thunder from a broad chest and a wide throat when the house in chorus rendered: "Hold the Fort for Hayes and Wheeler." How it did reverberate, rendered to the air' of "Hold the Fort, for I am Coming," when the South Carolina legislature refreshed itself with song. In the Legislature. "Canary" was not of the group col lecetively known as "The Forty Thiev es," but he was about as full of fight and venom as a rattlesnake. One hundred and twenty-five was the legal membership of the house ,of represen tatives in the year of the mighty up rising of the white people under lead ership of Wade Hampton, the out-. bursting and exploding of a fighting and desperate civilization against a 50,000 negro majority; the law and Ulysees S. Grant in the president's seat. The Democrats had -elected 64 on the face of the returns. By means they kept two or three Republican representatives at their homes; but when their names' were called they answered. "Dummies, ringers," had been put in to answer for them and nc Democrat dared any knowledge thai the realities were not there. Who could identify one lowland corn field negro from another? Then the Dem ocrats, again by means, won over two or three. Tom Hamilton was among them. He must have been a descend ant of a Zula chieftain, because later, when his brethren clamored against him, he ros'e, tall and straight, his skin smooth and sleek as silk, and remark ed that sometimes he went out in his field and killed a rice bird wits. a re volver for his sport; whereupon his brethren whimpered into silence be '. cause thew knew it was so. Men, whites or black, who could drive a pis tol bullet through a rice bird at eigh teen steps were valuable at the mo ment and to be respect:ed. But whet the Democrats gained over recruits the Republicans-"Radicals" every. body called them then--simply went through the formality of declaring seats from some Democratic counties vacant and filed them With any body -who might be handy, wearing any names that might fit, and so retained their legal majority, to be certified tc Washington. So it befell that on a December day the 65 Democrats and their colored allies, sitting in Carolina hall at Co. lumbia, decided to go and occupy the hall of the house of representatives a1 v the State house. They went trooping close behind Lawrence Orr, of Ander son county, six feet and four inche: * high and two hundred and sixty pounds in bulk. who threw his weighi against closed doors and doorkeeper and burst one and overthrew the oth er. Sixty-five and sixty-five and witi their quotas of sergeants-at-arms clerks and attendants. the two hous es sat in the hall three nights and tha better part of three (lays. Gen. Wal ac, S. C:v. AO..7 of Uion unty.he2 zs(' con'nd through all tloso hours of daylight and darkness, every manarmed and ready -with his nerves strung for the desperate fight all be lieved to be inevitable-a light of men shut in, forced to fight until one side or the other was exterminated or somebody surrendered. Under each folder overcoat was a Winchester rifle, in some pocket of every man's clothes a loaded revolver. Four reporters sat at the head of a table at the end of the aisle. Thc-y knew that right behind Speaker Mack ey to his right two white men, chosen and approved killers, were stationed, instructed to shoot him dead at the first outbreak. Mackey knew it, too. but he clear game-that Mackey, Radi cal as he was; and he never moved or flinched or in any way departed from the strict formalities of his asummed office, and now and then his . laugh pealed through the house as something funny occurred. But the r6porters'linew that the moment trou ble began a storm of bullets would come Mackey's way. because Mackey, as a white South Carolinian, of the entire outfit was most hated of South Carolinians, and the first thought of every man was to get "Mackey first." And many men in the excitement would shoot low. A Shot for Miller. Also many of the Radicals, espe cially among the "Forty Thieves," deadliest and bitterest and most cour ageous of all, had it in for the re porter's table. Therefore the report ers consulted among themselves as they smoked, who they would "get" before they were got. One of them had a pistol the like of which never was seen before or since that time, when the ingenuity and most of the thought of men were bent on devices for killing somebody. It was a sec tion o' a Remington rifle sawed off and fitted to a pistol stock, car:ying a ball assigned especially to "Canary" Miller; it was placed in a drawer of the desk and trained on him pressed into the bottom of the drawer during the entire of the night, and kept cock ed, the calculation being that when the fuss was opened the drawer would be pulled out, trigger cocked and "Canary" dropped as he rose in his place on the right-hand side toward the rear. If two or three men hap pened to be in the way it would be all the better. That cartridge was good for an elephant and all of our fellows were clear. All this was be cause' "Canary" rose every fifteen minutes and conducted this colloquy: "Mr. Speaker!" The Speaker: "The gentleman from Beaufort." "Mr. Speaker, I rise to a point of or der." "The gentleman from Beaufort will state his point of ofder." "Persons are on the floor of the house who are not mem2bers of the house.'' "The point of order of the gentle man from Beautfort is well taken. The sergeant-at-arms will proceed to re move from the floor all members who 'are niot members." .A Strenuous Time. This was where the trouble was ex pected to occur. Orders were that when the Radical sergeant-at-arms put his hands on a Democrat or allied member the shooting wc 11d start. Ev ery time he was ordered, the fool ser geant-at-arms would wa?k up the aisle toward somebody and nobo~dy k.'sw whut. with aLI axtra d1-ins or two, or on some signal he ~actually would touch a man. It was trying on the nerves. An outbreak there would mean not only present slaughter, but civil war, because it had not been de cided whether 'Hayes or Tilden was to be next president, and the nerves and temper of the country were at strained tension, ready to be startled to the fighting point by a less thing than wholesale butchery in the State jhouse of one of the pivotal and dis [puted States. By the special mercy of the Al mighty the country was saved from that horror, as by the same gracious means it was saved from so many. The three nights and days the hun dred and fifty odd armed and hatin'g *1 Prize Offers fromxL Book on patents. "Ihints to -Vhy some inventors fail." searchi of Patent Office record~s. AcigCommrissioner of Patent "' ' ~ASHING slept and ate and laughed, and taunted and threatened, and lo' ked in the hall together, passed- and t se blrw that would have such fearful conse quences was not struck. "Canary" Miller did not get his fight or his bul let. Gen. Hampton got notice that the IUnited States troops were to charge on his men and he moved them out, and next day his Red Shirts came in headlong and yelling on horseback, and on the dead run, and yelling afoot, and swarmed over the town by the thousands, and the worst strain of it was over. And "Canary" Miller.: elderly. peaceful and fat, looms up again after all these years. Mad Days and Merry Nights. Mad days and bad days and merry nights these times, with a thrill for every hour and a danger for every step. News paper men did not have to I look for news. They could crowd the wires with it until the wires could not take no more. This was before telephones, or typewriters or street cars. Men depended on their own legs and hands an deyeg and ears and brains, and nobody thought of much food or rleep, or cared much for any live until spring or' that by spring there would 'be any State of govern ment. And all the bright gay men who chronicled that time from day to day, who lived luxuriantly because with peril and excitement their nerves' were strung happily and tense always, who joined in chorus and laughtehr to the rising of many wintry suns or new days of hard work and emergency, there is. so far as we know, but one left. When .the drama was over they scattered to many parts of the world whence they came, and we think they are dead now, but one-and they were young men, too. Here is thanks to "Canary" Miller for recalling a time, 34 years back, well worth living in. STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, County of Newberry. By Frank M. Schumpert, Esquire, Probate Judge. WHEREAS, D. P. Bournignt maae suit to me, to grant him Letters or Administration of the Estate of and effects of -J. Alonzo Bouknight THESE ARE THEREFORE to cite and admonish all and singular the kindred and Creditors of the said J. Alonzo Bouknight deceased, that they be and appear before me, in the court of Probate, to be held at Newberry, S. C., on -the 15th day of June next if ter publication thereof, at -11 o'clock in the forenoon, to show cause, if any they have, why the said Administra tion should not be granted. GIVEN under nmy hand, this 27th day of May, Anno Domnini, 1911. . F. M. Schumpert, J. P.N. C. CERTIFICATE RE-EXTENDING CHARTER. Treasury Department, Office of Comptroller of the Currency,. Washington, D. C., May 6, 1911. Whereas, Dy satisfactory evidence presented to the undersigned, it has been made to appear that "The Na tional Bank of Newberry," located in the town of Newberry, in the County of Newberry, and State of South Caro lina, has complied with all the pro visions of the act lof congress "to en able National Banking Associations to extend their corporate existence, and for other purposes," approved July 12, 1882, as amended by the act approved April 12, 1902. Nnw, therefore, I,''Willis J. Fowler, 2)eputy and Acting Comptroller of the Currency, do hereby certify that "The National Bank of Newberry," located in the Town of Newberry, in the County of Newberry and State of South Carolina, is authorized to have succession for the period specified in its amended articles of association: namely, until close of business on May 6, 1931. In testimony whereof witness my hand and Seal of office this (Seal) sixth day of May, 1911. WILLIS J. FOWLER, Deputy and Acting Comptroller of the Currency. Charter,No. 1844. Extension No. 1033. J5-9-1mo 4 ~adin~g Manufacturers -'ventors." "inventions needed." Send rough sketch or model for Our Mr. Greeley was formerly. s, and as sucTh h ad full charge.ox NOW -- Go To - Gilder & Weeks - And Spend 5 Cents For One - Otto the Great Clear Havana Cigar $5 per 100, $50 per 1000 Excursion Rates via Southern Railway From Newberry, S. C. Atlantic City, N. J., and return, $22.45. Account meeting Grand Lodge B. P. 0. E., July 10-15, 1911,' tickets sold July 7, 8 and 9, 1911, good returning July 20. Extension until August 20, by depositing ticket and payment of fee of one dollar. Atlantic City, N. J., and return, $22.45. Account International Con vention, United Society Christian En deavor, July 6-12, 1911. Tickets sold, July 3, 4, and 5, 1911, good returning July 19, 1911. Extension until August 15, by depositing ticket and payment fee of one dollar. Rochester, N. Y., and return, $27.55. Account meeting Ancient Order, obles of the Mystic Shrine, Imperial ouncil, July 11-13, 1911. Tickets old July 7, 8 and 9, 1911, good re urning July 18, 1911. Extension un il August 15, 1911, by depositing ickets and payment of fee of one dol ar. Knoxvillie, Tenn., and r'eturn ,$8.35. Aecount Summer School of the South, une 20-July 28, 1911. Tickets sold Jne 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, July 1, 8, 9, and 5, 1911, only, good returning to reach riginal starting point fifteen days from, but not including, date .of sale~. Extension until September 30 by de ositing ticket and payment of $1.00 d ditiona]. Kansas City, Mo., and return, $43.90. Acount Worlds Baraca-Philathea onvention, June 10-15, 1911. Tick ts- on sale June 8 and 9, 1911, good returning June 18, 1911. Charlottesville, Va., and return, $11.35. Account University of Vlr-I inia Sum'mer School, J,une 19-July 29, 1911. Tickets sold June 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26 and July 3 and 10, 1911: ood returning fifteen days from, but nt including, date of sale. Extension util September 30 by depositing tick e and payment of one dollar. Sewanee, Trenn., and return, $12.45. Account opening week, July 1-10, 1911, Monteagle Bible School, July 15-25, 911; Monteagle Sunday School In stitute, July 23-August 30, 1911. Tickets sold June 30-July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29-August 11, 12 and 18, 1911. Good returning September 5, 1911. IMeridian, Miss., and return, $20.70. Account Sunday School congress ot the National Baptist Convention (col red), June 7-12, 1911. Tickets sold une 5 and 6 and for trains scheduled to reach Meridian before noon June 7, 1911. Good returning June 14,. 1911. Asheville, N. C., and return, $4.45. Account Summer Student Conference, . W. C. A., June 9-19, 1911. Tickets sold 'june 8 and 9, 1611, only, good re turning June 28, 1911. Black Mountain, N. C., and return, $4.95. Account Summer Student Con ference Y. M. C. A., June 16-25, 1911. Tickets sold June 15 and 16, 1911, only, good returninst June 28, 1911. Philadelphia, Pa., and return, $20.55.: Account the Northern Baptist Con -ention and the Baptist World Al-I liance Congress, June 13-25, 1911.! *Tickets sold June 9, 10, 12, 16 and 19,' 1911, good returning June 29, 1911. Extension until JTuly 31, 1911, by de positing ticket and paymen.t of one dollar additional. ProportionatPly reduced rat0s from other points. Convenient schedules, opero':' service. Prinan cars on all :rugh trains, dining car service. Pe o:-T:ailxd information, call on earest Southern Railway tic:et nagent, or. A. HT. Acker, T. P. A., A' usta. Ga., or J. L. Meek. A. G. F. A.. Atlanta, Ga. FISHING BUSIN HE first need of t for Business is Gc best Bait is Goot The Printer is th terpreter of Ad the Fishing Quality of y ing depends largely upo Bait he puts into your I the Fish you are after b see the Bait? That is 1 question. Every sort of Printi Man uses should advertic -the Card, the Billheac Announcements, as well log and Newspaper Adve piece of printing should h on it that will make tl Notice, Stop and Read. accomplished you are o getting_ More Business. Are not the general Circulars, local Adverti heads, etc., which reach i alike? Do you not rea or, through being unattr throw aside? But here printing that reaches o u to it that Holds your EyE Interest, Compels ou to ] ing Read you Cannot For not Accidental. That Pri pared specially to get Y4 That is the Kind of Pri made Thousands Rich-I Pays. There are as many fectiveness in Printing a shoes and clothing. If yol 'dy Clothes you get them,. how Cheap they are they a Bad Bargain. If you have your Printih our Printer will put Gao Printing- -Original and Arresters, Eye Catchers Attractors. We are eq kinds of Commercial anm Herald am Phone No. 1. 11( JOH DEERE DIVERSE Adapted for almost any ki Two levers, one on each adjustments. All Steel. No you can buy for durability an Es. A. GRIFF] FOR ESS hose who Fish iod Bait. The I Advertising. e ultimate in vertising, and our Advertis n the Kind of 'rinting. Will ite when they the important ng a Business ,e his business 1, all kinds of as the Cata rtising. Every ave something ie Buyer take When this is n the road to run of Cards, 3ements, Bill Tou very much I and forget, active, merely and there the has Something ; Excites your lead, and hav get. This was nting was pre )U to Read it. nting that has vertising that Grades of Ef, s in boots and ai pay for Shod and no matter will always be ig done by us d Bait into the rnew Attention and Business ruipped for all I Job Printing. INews O0 Caldwel St. CULTIVATOR. ad of cultivating. ~ide, allows many wood. Cheapest d service. Sold.by [N & CO.