The herald and news. (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, July 22, 1919, Page TWO, Image 2

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

OFFICERS DISCUSS PLANS FOR CHECKING LAWLESSNESS State's Recent Homicide Recorc Shocking?Illicit Stills. Multiplying?Patent IV* Jicines Give Trouble?Negro Soldiers Problem. i Columbia, July 17.?Tightening uj of the machinery of the law, closei cooperation between the people anc their peace officers and a more stringent prosecution of and curb pul on venders of certain extracts containing large percentages of alcohol were advocated and a solemn warn'ing was issued against vagrancy among the members of the negro race and the carrying of obscene pictures, principally" by return negro soldiers, by speakers at the convention of sheriffs, solicitors, magistrates and foremen of grand juries here yester day. The convention, which was called some weeks ago by Governor Cooper in order to'discuss the lawlessness throughout the State and to enact plans for a more thorough law enforcement, was representative and was attended by peace officers from every section and county of South Carolina. Governor Cooper, who opened the convention with a speech telling of its purpose, said that there was about one homicide in South Carolina for every day of 1919, and that something had to be done to ameliorate such conditions. The various speakers voiced an earnest desire to assist the Governor in maintaining law m the State and there was a concensus of opinion that should the people give proper cooperation crime could be stamped out. Lots of Moonshining The question of prohibition occupied a deal of the time of the convention and there was plenty of evidence on hand that the State was being overrun with illicit distillers, but that the sentiment for a rigid- enforcement of the prohibition law was growing hourly. The thing that gave the peace officers the most concern, they claimed, was the'sale of Jamaifa ginger and other extracts with a high percentage of alcohol, and a resolution was adopted calling on the fed eral authorities to investigate the manufacture and sale of these socalled medicines. Another question which gave the peace officers a deal of concern was the'disinclination of the members of the negro race to work. Solicitor E. C. Mann, of the First Judicial Circuit, said that the government* in drafting the negro into the military service had succeeded in making a vagrant out of him after his discharge. Solicitor Homer S. Blackwell of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, said \ , that a paper published at Baltimore had been circulated lately in .Laurens county and that one issue of this paper, which he read, had advised the negro that, as they could not get justice, to get a dubble-barreled shotgun, 200 rounds of' ammunition and ' proceed to "get" the members of the white- race, as the negroes are in the majority in the South. Governor Cooper called attention to the frequency with which negroes, principally returned soldiers are being arrested with obscene pictures on their persons. Various speakers issued a warning that unless the carry ing of such pictures is stopped serious trouble will be experienced. The convention was presided over by J. K. Henry, of Chester, solicitor + 11 ? - i-i- T?J ~ OI me CrtXin duaicmi circuit, as uiaii' man, and J. Wilson Gibbs, of Columbia, clerk of the House of Represen tatives, was elected as secretary. . . Charleston's Fine Record, i Following the opening speech of Governor Cooper Capt. J. Elmore Martin, sheriff of Charleston county, said that without the sentiment of the people behind him, thhe sheriff could do nothing. ' Frank J. Simmons, foreman of the grand jury of Charleston, said that Charleston was never cleaner before in its history, that the grand jury was doing its duty without discrimi nation and that an indictment meanx something. He said that the laboring people?and he is one of their leaders?were desirous of a proper enforecement of the law, for it meant proper protection to them and theii families. Too Many Technicalities Solicitor L. M. Gasque, of the Eighth Judisial Circuit, said that the proper enforcement of the law means the success of Governor Cooper's administration and the success of al] government, and he thought that tKe present convention was momentous, in that it would make more cohesive the law's machinery in South Carolina. "I was shocked," he said, "when the Governor stated that thert was about one homicide in South Carolina for every day in this year There is a cause, and I believe I know what it is. I mean no criticism wher I make this statement: I believe gentleman, that the fault lies in the technicalities of the law as practicec by my profession." The speaker then told of various t rexperiences he had in his circuit t with venders of various compounds | which produce drunkenness but which I are sold as medicines. In this connection, he introduced fVio -frkllnwincr resolution, which was ' unanimously adopted by a rising vote: "Whereas the State of South Carolina is being flooded with so-called ' patent medicines, known as 'Jamaica ^ginger," 'beef, wine and iron,' bitters 5 and various and sundry other concoc'jtions which contain a large percent ; age of alcohol and are sold as a bevl .erage ;and. ' I "Whereas, the manufacturers of all ' {these so-called medicines is beyond ! the law of the state, being situated in I '^Richmond, Va. fcnd, other places; ; and. ! "Whereas, the sale of such in our state is not only prohibited by law, ,' but is a menace to good health, mor, als and society; i "Therefore, be it resolved by the solicitors, sheriffs and other peace officers of the state of South Carolina in convention assembly by the call of the Governor, the federal authorities be requested to investigate the manu- | facture and sale in our state of the j !aforesaid concoctions by whatever! I name known and see if the same in i- nnj.kA,'f ! jtnis state can ue prumuncu auu, uc ib| : resolved further, that a copy of these; resolutions be furnished District At-! * tomeys Francis H. Watson, of Colum-j 1 bia, and J. W. Thurmond, of Edge- j j field, to each of our members in con- j igress, and that a copy be given to the fcress of the State." Influence of Movies. G. Croft Williams, secretary of the State Board of Charities and Corrections, gave the convention some^ interesting statistics to show that crime was on the increase. One regretable j thing, he said, was the increase in juvenile crime. "I am satisfied," he 'stated, "that the increase of juvenile q Tviflov n-T tVio mntinn nip VIUUV XO U XVAAVA VTA. WAV ?~ ~ ^ J ture, with its 'blood and thunder' ele- j I men*, its killing and other technical j j incidents which excite the imagina- j tion of the growing boy and also 1j am confident that the increase in the number of homicides is but a by-pro-1 duct of war, for history shows that j following every war there is an increase in killing." Mr. Williams said that the boys in j the Florence school had been examin-1 ,ed and 15 per cent, had been found, I to be mentally deficient and that of j the women imprisoned by the United j States government for crimes against j , morality, whe~ examined 30 per cent, j | of them were found to be below the j ; normal standard m mentality. Solicitor Blackwell of Laurens said jthat the law passed at the last session of the General Assembly prohibiting the sale of extracts, bitters and other high percentage alcoholic compounds for beverage purposes was an | absolute nullity, but that vendors in .these so-called medicines could be 'prosecuted under the prohibition law. That Abbeville Lynching. He told of the recent lynching of a negro in Abbeville county. He was shot to death and thrown into. the Savannah river. After a few! days his body came to the surface, j lit was then cut up and the pieces thrown back into the river. Although the sheriff and the coroner's jury: have been investigating the killing] (and have inserted advertisements in j .the newspapers, they have not suc-^ jceeded in getting a shred of evidence, j ' I When he goes before the Abbeville, ' grand jury, he said, at the next term | of court, he cannot get a bill for he j ,has nothing to go on. At this point. Solicitor Blackwell told of a Balti-j more paper being circulated in his! county. He said he inquired at the j or?/1 oyo Tiro a S5 snharrih CA11U ISAXWAV f* MM W , :|ers in Laurens, and probably it en-| ; joys a large circulation among the negroes of the State. Sheriff Cannon Blease of Newber-! ry said that )ie had no trouble in pre- j : venting the sale of extracts in his - county, because he had prosecuted ; several merchants and they had been j j fined and had ceased carrying the compounds. When he finds that a -'merchant has a larger stock than he thinks is necessary for medcial pur jposes, he seizes it and takes the mat i tpr intn the euorts. i >) "If I find a negro in my county ' I taking one of those papers referred | to by Mr. Blackwell," said Sheriff Blease, "I am going to stop him. Of !j course, if they ^end it free, I can't J j help it. That's no kind of paper for J a negro to read anyway. If every sheriff will do likewise, I don't think I we wilt have any trouble from negro - papers." . . > , Don't Want to Work. "South Carolina is faced with a proposition it has never had before," , | said Solicitor Mann, "it must handle J an army of discharged negro soli diers, who think that because they have seen military service they must r.be given a-voice in the government." t j He then called attention to the ab, solute disinclination of the returned I i negro soldier to work, a spirit, he [.said, which has nermeated tbe other members of the race, and this idle> iiess will inevitably lead to crime. He f ~ * regretted to say that the United , I States government had made vag-! rants out of the negro men when uni-; 'forms were put on them. He called 1 attention to the statement of the | governor that many arrests are be-1 j ing made of negroes carrying ob- > leninn rvinfnr/ie rtn +Vioir norCATIC "I hope that whenever a negro is i (found with obscene pictures on him he will be arrested," said Mr. Mann,! "and when a white man is found with j them he will be tarred and feathered^ and run out of the community on a,' rail." I; Juvenile Courts Endorsed. A resolution was adopted memo-j rializing the legislature to establish ;j juvenile courts in each county when 'needed. I _ _ _____ 1 | Sheriff John C. McCain of Kich- j land county, said that the negro sol- i, |dier has returned from overseas with ^ | exalted ideas of social equality and ' < ithev seeih determined to force the': I * j J : issue by trying to ride with white j people on the street cars, demanding , to be served at white soda fountains, 11 etc. He saw in this attitude great: i danger. ^ County Investigators Needed. ] Solicitor George Bell Timmerman j of the Eleventh judicial circuit, sug- j gested that investigations by proper j men in each county would save the < State money and would insure more 'i convictions, because solicitors would L be in possession of more facts when! ] the cases came to trial. Many cases' ] go to trial, he stated, without the! j State having all its witnesses, which ' T condition would be obviated by hav-j] ing investigators in each county to 'j work up the major cases. A motion was adopted for the j chairman to appoint a committee to l. draft the convention's requests, wViirh will he Dresented to the eren-!* eral assembly by Governor Cooper, h Governor Cooper thanked the j( peace officers for coming to Colum-P bia to the conference, which, he be- * lieves, will be of benefit to the offi- j * cers and the people. He said he felt j ^ greatly encouraged. J i As to the Negro Situation. ? Solicitor Henry, chairman, in closing the convention, referred to the various remarks made about the negro, and said that the situation can be handled, but what he thought was ^ needed was a greater determination I on the part of the white people to en-1 force the law among themselves, j Right there, he stated, is ^he danger, j He said that he is not as much afraid of the negro as of the white, people, | who have been growing careless and are allowing their standards to become lowered. ' Mr. Henry suggested that when the sheriffs return to their counties they call a meeting of their deputicjs, the magistrates, constables, etc., and take the matter of law enforcement in hand and arouse public opinion, i along which line each sheriff should 1 be a leader in his own county. After the f convention adjourned ! the sheriffs held a meeting. 1 1 BATEMAN DIES OF HIS WOUNDS State Constable Shot by Distiller Passes Away at Hospital. News and Courier. Columbia, July 18.?J. Fletcher Bateman of Camden, State / constable, who was shot yesterday in raiding an illicit distillery in Kershaw county, died on the operating table at a local hospital here this afternoon from the effects of his wound. " i -x. -Li 1. -L-L - j.: I Jtie was snot inrougn txie intestines. His body will be taken to Camden in the morning, and the funeral services will be held there when his son arrives from Texas. Mr. Batesman was brought to Columbia today from Camden. I The dead officer had a high repu'tation for probity and regard for jduty, and he was a man fearless in the performance of his duties, so 'much so that his superiors often had jto caution him to be careful of his personal safety. He was a constable 'under the former Governor D. C. Heyward and was chief constable un' der former Governor Martin F. AnI sel with headquarters at Charleston. I i -i -i. ii- _ .-xL | "l am deeply grievea at me aeawi j of my friend, Mr. J. F. Bateman," I , said Governor Cooper tonight when j | he was told that the officer was dead, j j "He was not only a good officer,' fearless and efficient in the discharge | J of his duty, but was a good citizen i devoted to the welfare of his State. jHe possessed the traits which go to ' make an ideal. He was brave and ! j, I was a gentleman, and'in a very in-: jtelligent manner went about the dis-1 charge of his duty. He has served . during several administrations as a, I State officer, and never have I heard anything derogatory to his character or to his work. | "The State can ill afford to lose , such a man. He met his death in the i line of duty, met it while he was; .doing all in his power to afford to so- j : ciety the protection of the law,! without which our social fabric would ; become chaotic, and our heaviness! 1 . 4 .. and, ?ecunty be iost. \ *v? 1 TWO NEGROES DEAD S FOLLOWING THREAT < i Carroll Mobley and Henry M. Ray in Serious Condition With Ralph ; Thompson Less Seriously Hurt. The StateDenmark, July 17.?Two negroes were killed and three white men J A J 4-?IT/\ /\ "T AWt y-3 n ^ AIAY1A11 r?l I wuuuueu, iwu ui tucju uaugciuusi;, i in a shooting scrape here late this j afternoon between a white man and I i one or two negroes. The dead are Agent Brown and George Stevens, negroes. Carroll Mobley, white, about 20 j years old, has two bullets in his I breast and a third in one of his arms j and is not expected to live through ! the night. I Henry Murray Ray, 22 years old, j son of Sheriff S. G. Ray, was shot j through the neck and is paralyzed from the waist down. His condition j is also critical. , J. Ralph Thompson, white, 25 years of age and unmarried, had an arm shattered by a bullet. His condition is not ^erious. All three of che young men will be taken to a ; lospital in Columbia on the early morning train. Thompson is an em- j ployee of the telegraph company. | m The trouble arose out of a case ii. i i ;ourt between the two negroes. In ;he trial Stevens was charged with stealing some watermelons from Brown and Carroll Mobley was a wit- eu less for Stevens. When court ad- j 25 joun.^d this afternoon, with the trial an anfin:?h^d, Brown and his brother-in- jsp< aw, Ozeii Ariderson, left the court oom first and one of the negroes vas heard to remark, "We'll get him ? fet." In the court room were 35 or 10 white people. These came out ifter the negroes, and Mobley crossid the street toward the negroes, O vhen Brown opened fire. Mobley lashed back toward the street, with Brown continuing firing. Mobley, stu ;ook refuge behind a tree and drew j lis pistol and shot Brown dead. Injpe< he meantime Brown had shot Ray! ?! Thompson and Stevens. Anderson is he; nissing tonight, but is being search- jua id for, as eye witnesses claim that . Anderson had part in the shooting, coi Both of the negroes were middle tged, each being about 35 to 40 Itiv rears old. Stevens was employed by he American Telephone company. th? as First Thot?They have taken .the bej rranks off the front end of most I < nakes of cars now. Second Thot? jtio \.nd put them in the seats of many, j R ?Wichita Eagle. 0 j Conder The Nation m T * INewbe From report t Showing Condition RESOURCES t J 1 t Loans ana mvrcjimcuia Liberty Bonds and Treasury Certifc 0 rates of Indebtedoess . . . Doited States Bonds .... Cash and due from Banks and United States Treasury . . . JM THE NATIONAI B. C. MATTHEWS, President. * State, |Count Member it" Save Yoi & V FRUIT JARS, JAR TUMBLERS. THE BEST JAR Ri CALL ATH THE WHAT YOU NEED Maves' Rnnk ^ WW V The House of a ' BARBECUE AT POMARIA. There will be a first class barbee given at Pomaria Park on July , 1919. A good dinner and a pleast day is promised to all. Some good seches are expected. M. 0. Livingston, G. Euston Richardson. SUMMERLAND COLLEGE FOR WOMEN ffers These Superior Advantages An ample and capable faculty. Genuine interest in the individual ident. Modern buildings splendidly equipi. Ideal location. "Summerland" is I althful as well as beautiful for sit-! I tion. Fine air and pure water?all the iditions conducive to good health. A. Christian atmosphere ^nd posie Christian teaching. Moderate terms, in order to place ?se advantages within the reach of j many as possible. Next session *ins September 18. Catalogue furnished on applican. Inquiries should be addressed to.' EV. P. E. MONROE, President, j Leesville, S. C. , 1844 ised Stat OF al Bank of rry, South (Ja o the Comptroller of tl at the Close of Busi 1,020,518.48 Capital Stock . Surplus and Undr HAT (11 /\ AA Circulation ?MlyL 1U.W Deposits . . 100,000.00 Dividends unpaid Bilk Payable (sc Bonds) 126,697.79 .. Bills Payable an( 1,454,426.27 . BANK OF NEV T ir lAUXTCTAMr l. rv. juniuiuiiJL, Cashier. y and City [Federal Reserve . tr Fruits 9 Arva fo kl ac VCUIUU1VO CAPS AND JELLY UBBERS 10c DOZ. BOOK STORE rOR ? Variety Store Thousand Things (m< |i ::: We Do It Right x:, : | ~r~~ . Specialists on repairing alt + - j i ?j- .makes of Automobile Radia* i " i | CI I tors. We make them as pood T-1 III as new. We abo repair fen- ltl| ?* , ders, tanks and rn^ke racing ~r~j i 1 sea:*. Ship us vour radiators, -j--.' j ^r1- PISCOUN'T TO DLALERS 4jj| T_f 1 ? O w.K.nanin a cro. 1815 Main St., Columbia S.G. * V ^ _> IT'" 4WT I AsKYoufDealerfljfjup : I RZ%>ktor ?{ I Grand Prize A Rreafms Ammunition &M c \ "Write for Catalogtief rel \ THE REMINGTON ARMS UM.C. CO. INC. ' Pjj J ! wninmiiut mmtomCrrr ement Newberry rolina ie Currency iness June 30, 1919 i / i : LIABILITIES $ 100,600.00 I rided Profits . . 28,294.10 96,800.00 770,083.35 \ r*i j 5,052.0ft | cored by liberty . : . . . . 192,000.00 I I Rediscounts . 262,196.84 $1,454,426.27 BRY S. C. 1 W. W. CROMER Assistant Cashier. Depository Svsfem I