Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL, III. MANNING, CLARENDON COUNTY, S. C., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1888. NO. 22. -fHE LAW AMD TH1E LY CLIERS. A DISPASSIONATE DISCUSSION OF A )IFFICULT SUBJECT. The Opinion of a Conservative Carolina Journal-The Case Considered in Differ ent Aspects. (Editorial in the Keowee Courier) The opinions of the press, in different parts of the State, on this startling o^"ur rence, differ widely. It is generally con ceded that the act is the natural result of a precedent established by the whites in like cases of offence. As a conse quence some condemn the act and all acts of lynching in the abstract. Others, winking at such summary vengeance, when. prompted by a pure and high pur r rous women fronm orst than death, favor a thorough investigation in this case as to whether this act was the outcome of an -outraged sentiment or the offspring of prejudice and imitation. Others take the bold ground that if deceased was guilty of the crime with which he was accused, he deserved the fate he met, and the perpetrators deserve commenda tion rather than censure. We find others, who neither in terms approving nor con demning the lynching, tind in the occur rence a pregnant text for discursing on the inefficiency of the adminieration of I the criminal law by our courts and juries. No law abiding citizen will deny but lynch law is wrong in itself and danger ous to society. While this is true, there are crimes so revolting to man's moral nature, so destructive to society, so awful in their consequences to individu als and by sympathy to communities, that neither human.nor divine law ever has or ever can stay the hand of venge ance in their punishment. Of these crimes fiendish and brutal violence to I respectable women is the highest, and we hardly think, in such cases, any earthly power could stay the avenging hand of an outraged community. The certainty of the conviction and punish ment of the guilty party cannot do this, and the divine command, thou shalt not kill, has proved equally powerless. Respect for woman, pride in her ele vation and protection is a striking char acteristic of Anglo Saxon civilization and the crowning glory of Christian progress. Summary punishment of a brute, black or white, who assaults a pure woman, we eanno', condemn, and yet we cannot deny it is a dangerous precedent, not only tending to abuse for the commis sion of the nameless crime charged1 against deceased, but as growing and ex tending to less horrible crimes, until no limit being fixed, the written law be-' comes a dead letter, and for it the ex cited and partially informed opinion of a mob is substituted. In some cases the highest good of society, its preservation and the protection of the mothers and daughters of our State, will eenstitute an acceptable excuse in the public mind for lynching. While we hold this, we think every case of lynching should be thoroughly investigated and on the trial of parties charged with it, we feel sure our juries would convict or acquit on their honest judgment from the facts, whether the lynching was prompted by the single motive of vindicating virtue and pro tecting society, or by a spirit of race re venge and imitation. Even in the most excusable form the enforcement of lynch law is playing with fire, and if ever justitied asto the ac rs the justification should be based on e honest coiviction that it is the best, the1 safest and the highest preventive of an irreparable wrong and a virtual necessity to the preservation of society. In the abstract, lynch -law meets our and public condemnation, but circum stances may exist, such as the character of the assilant and assailed, the nature and extent of the injury, which may ex-1 cuse if not justify it. Row do they stand in the Central lynching?I Waldrop is reported as being a half witted person, by some as a person men tally irresponsible. This should in his case have stayed summary purishment. It is further stated by some that his guilt was a matter of cdoubt, and that he denied it to the last. This should have led to inquiry in any case before the death penalty was enforced. And here lies the great danger in lynch law, that upon excitement, growing out of an ag gravated crime, passion usurps reason and men act without proper inuiry as to the crime and the guilt of the party charged. Again, in such cases the standing of~ the assiled should be considered. Has the negro race established by t1 b'- life and conduct that high mosas easacter, that reputation for virtue which makes such a wrong to their race irreparable, the life of the victim a living death? We maintain they have not. They marry1 and intermarry with little regard to past chastity and neither their education nor habits lead them to value th~e reutatiena of their women, as do the whites. We do not deny but ev citizen, m-de and female, white and blaci, ax entitka to and should receive equal a. impartial protection under the .taw, but we deciy, or strongly doubt whethert a criminala uault on a black woman canu or shaid, under the character of the race, arouse that just feeling ot indignation, that iirmn and noble resoive, coupled with genuine excitement, which a Lke assault on a white woman by a black or white man necessarily does from l 3bit and educa tion, and which alone, if any excuse be allowed, stands as an excuse for past acts of lynch law by white men. Both races have their recourse for protection to the law and both here, we think, would get justice. Here both should seek it, but with the whites there is an innate as well as habitual purpose to vindicate purity and preserve society at all hazards. Tuney annot await the slow process of the courts. Is the negro instigated by the same motive? Has he by Lait the same inborn principles and purp'ses? Each reader must answer for himself. Again, the demoralization of the negro from sudden emancipation and elevanion to citizenship and from pohitical powcr from 1868 had made him arrogant, eve-n beyond citizenship, and led him to fre quent acts of criminal assault on reputa ble white women which threatened, in its inceasing tendency, to subvert our social fabric unless promptly checked. TM tataof thinen ledltolyIvneh law for that one crime, and in a few instance: only for aggravated crimes has it been pursued by the whites in other cases. On the other hand cases of criminal as sault on negro women by whites have been of rare occurrence, in fact, the case of this half-witted man at Central is the only one we can call to mind. In this respect this case of lynching differs from others by whites, in its excusatory char acter. The security of white women, traveling or dwelling unprotected, was in constant jeopardy and demanded prompt if not extra-judicial acts of pro tection. The security of the negro wo man has never in the same way been in jeopardy. Again, this case assumes importance in view of the characteristics of the two races as to citizenship and property. The white race, as a rule, is intelligent, moral and habituated by training and interest to obey law. Even in exception al cases of violations of law, by taking the law into their own hands for the protection of virtue from fiendish and brutal outrage, the whites have moved quietly as an organized citizenship, bent rather on the prevention of similar crimes than on revenge. Owning the property of the counr y, their interest in its preservation, having families, their respect for them and their safety, oper ated to check any spirit of general law lessness, tending to _:narchy. Handling fire, they moved c..., iously, checking its spread to other than the object in view. On the other hand, the black race, as a rule, is ignorant, immoral and often dishonest. They are besides an impul sive people, who, under excitement, are not subject to the control and direction of reason. Owning little property, no motive of pecuniary interest operates to check excesses, but rather to stimulate them. There are some striking excep tions to the rule and we hope these may increase. From these facts, lynch law, always dangerous and never defensible in morals or strict law, is in the hands of the negro race a widely different thing from lynch law in the hands of the whites. The latter have always used it as a cor rective and preventive of the highest and most revolting crimes, and even then in a decent or orderly way. The latter, once adopting it with impunity, from their nature and training are likely to use it for revenge or a spirit of reckless lawlessness. While each race is entitled to equal and impartial protection under the law, still all cases of lynching, as violations of law, should be viewed in connection with the persons concernedI and surrounding circumstances. As the Central victim of outrage died from her injuries, the perpetrator would have been found guilty of murder and executed, if mentally and morally rc sponsible. If Waldrop was the guilty party, assuming him doli capax, he suffered only the fate the law would have allotted him, though in a cruel'way. It is not the guilt or innocence of Waldrop or the lynchers that so much concerns society, as this new advance of lynch law, bath in the actors and the surround ing circumstances. There is far more in it than the simple fact that A. was ly lchecd fer . ?ameless crime on B. It is an exception to past acts. Lynch ing by whites for this crime has not been confined to negro perpetrators, but has been inflicted on whites and blacks pro miscuously. With the whites it has been and is based on the vindication of virtue from brutal violence. It is a principle of preservation. On the other hand we do not call to mind a case where blacks have lynched a black for such a crime on. their own r.ce, though our court calen darscontain numbers of charges for such crimes. Tis-; departure by the blacks from past p~recedent, and1 that, too, on a white man of known doubtful sanity, suggests other motives than those here tofore actuating white men. What was the real motive, and what was the prompting incentive in this view, be comes material and demands full inves tigati'~n, apart from the act in itself, as, all other like acte, being a very high violation of law. The investigation and trial of the parties charged may result in the partial, if not entire suppression of lynch law, to which end all citizens anxiously look. "Go Sout h, Youna Man." One of the stirring business men of New York is James S. Lewis, who is connected with a rock drill company, and has occasion in the course of the year to visit many parts of the country. His opportunities for comparing the relative growth of the different sections are excellent. Within two or three years he has become impressed with the "New South" as a growing field of in dustry to an extent amounting in' the eyes of some of his friends to Southern fever. Mr. Lewis remarks: "There is no fever in my views of the South. It is the simple result of observation. If Horace Greely was alive to-day he would say, 'Go South, young man.' The secret of Southern groweh is easily un derstood after a few vists. The war left the young men of that region impover ihed almost to ti.. verge of starvation. They became inured to privation. They learned what their fathers with big plan t:ations and droves of slaves had never dreaming of learming. They learned to labor and save their earnings. They have beco me money-makers and money sa.vers. They know the value of wealth by the bitter experience of lack of it. They will earn and save a dollar where, we at the North will spend five. The wa.- left us up here in a stimulated pros perity. It left them on bare bones. Tiiey had to do or die. They decided to do and not to die. "-New York Tribane. PAroos AMn OBAus. We are prepared to sc ll Pianos and Organs of the best make at factory prices for Cash or easy Instalments. Pianos from $210 up; Organs from $24 up. The verdict of the people is that tney can save the freight and twenty-five per cent. by buying of us. Instruments delivered to any depot on fifteen days' trial. We pay freight both ways if not satisfactory. Order and test in your own homes. Respectfully, N. W. TRUMP, * Columbia, S. C. The dumb ani'n ds are in our keeping, and we owe it to them that all their wants are promptly sup >lied. If we cannot do this, we should promptly relinquish our charge of them. LAWS OF THE STATE. some of the Work of the Recent Session of the Legislature. An Act to amend Section 2,482 of the General Statutes of South Carolina, Relating to Housebreaking. That Section 2,482 of the General Statutes of South Carolina, relating to housebreaking, b- amended so as to read as follows: "Section 2,482. Every person who shall break and enter, or who shall break with intent to enter, in the day time, any dwelling-house or other house, or who shall break and enter, or shall 'reak with intent to enter, in the night time, any house, the breaking and enter ing of which would not constitute bur gla:y with intent to commit a felony or othe: crime of a lesser grade, shall be held guilty of a felony, and punishable at the discretion of the Court by impris onment in the county jail or penitentiary for a term not exceeding one year." TRTAL JUSTICE FEES. An Act to prohibit Trial Justices who receive Salaries charging or receiving any Fees in Criminal business. Section 1. That from and after the passage of this Act it shall be unlawful for any salaried trial justice in this State to receive any compensation for their services in any criminal causes other' than his salary, or to receive for his own use any portion of his constable's fees or salary in any criminal causes whatsoever, whether said causes are actually tried, compromised or transferred for investi gation to the Court of General Sessions. Section 2. Any trial justice who shall violate the preceding section of this Act shall be deemed guilty of a raisdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than fifty dollars, and not more than two hundred 'dollars, or im prisoned not less than thirty days, and not more than six months, or both fine and imprisonment at t discretion of the Court. OBSTRUCTION AND NAV; \TION. An A ;t to prohibit the 0' truction of Navigation by Bridges over and across Rivers in this State. Section 1. That no persca or persons or corporations in this State, shall keep or cause to be kept, pra or caused to be placed, any bridge over and across any of the navigable rivers within this State so as thereby to injure or obstruct the free navigation of said rivers, and every such person or persons or corporation so offending shall forfeit, for each and every such offence, the sum of two hundred dollars for each day that such bridge may be so kept, or remain as an obstruc tion to said Tree navigation, for the use of the State. Section 2. That any railroad company or other corporation in this State, which may now have any bridge over and across any navigable river in this State too low for the purpose of free and un obstructed navigation be, and they are hereby, required to remove the same, or to so construct and manage draw spans in said bridges as will secure safe and unobstrucied navigation of said stream, 1 which said spans shall be not less than sixty feet in width in the clear, and shall be properly located with referrence to deep water and the convenience of navi gation, and shall be provided on both sides of the span with strong and suita ble binders extending not less than one hundred rnd fifty feet above, and not less than eighty feet below the bridge, and rising above ordinary high water mark to within rot less than one foot of the lower cords of said spans. And upon failure to do so, said railroad company or other corporation shall forfeit for each and every day that said bridge may remain too low for free and unobstructed navigation the sum of two hundred dol lars, for the use of the State; Provided, That this Act shall apply only to such' as are now navigable by steam boats or may hereafter be made so. Section 3. That this Act shall go into effect and become a law within six months after the approval of the same. Section 4. That Acts and parts of Acts inconsistent herewith are hereby re pealed. TENANTS NOT TO INJURE PROPERTY. An Act to amend Section 2,485 of the General Statutes of the State in rela lation to Burning or Cutting U~nten anted Houses. That Section 2,486 of the General Statutes of this State be, and the same is hereby, amended so that said section when amended shall read as follows; "Section 2,485. Whoever shall malici ously, unlawfully and wilfully burn orf cause to be burned, cut or cause to be cut or destroyed, any untenanted or un finished house or building of any frame or frames of timber of any other person, made and prepared, or hereafter to be made or prepared, for or towar.?s the making of any house or houses, so that the same shall not be suitable for the purpose for which it was prepared; and any tenant or tenants at will, for years or for life, who shall wilfully and malici ously cut, deface, mutilate, burn, de stroy or otherwise injure any dwelling houise, outhouse, erection, building or crops then in the possession of such tenant or tenants, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, anid upon conviction thereof shall be punished by fine or im prisonmiet, or both, in the discretion of the Court." FoRiDIMNG CoCK-FIGHITlI An Act to punish Cock-fighting within three miles of any chartered institu tion of learning in this State. That it shall be a misdemeanor for any; person to engage in or be present at cock-fighting within tL* miles of any chartered institution of learning in this State, and any person fox d guilty shall be fined not exceeding on mndred dol-I lars, or imprisonment :. t exceeding thirty days. TO~ PUNISH SNEAK T1UE~vES. An Act relating to persons entering or concealing themse les in any house with intent to steal or commit any other crime. . That any person who shall hereafter enter without br ehing, or attempt to enter any house whatsoever with intent to steal or c ommit any other crime, or shall conceal himself or herself in any house with a like intent, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon con viction thereof shall be punished in the discretion of the Court. CHANGE OF vENUE IN TR.IAn JUsTICE CAsES. An Act to amend an Act entitled "An Ant in amend Sentinn 84Q of the (ien eral Statutes, relating to cases tried or examined before Trial Justices," ap proved December 26, 1884. That an Act to amend Section 840 of the Gr: ral Statutes, relating to cases tried or examined before trial justices, approved December 23, 1884, be and is hereby amended so as to read as follows; "Section 840. Whenever a person charged with crime, to be tried or to be examined under Section 829 hereof be fore a trial justice, or whenever either party to a civil action which is to be tried before a trial justice, shall make and file before the trial issuing the papers an aflidavit to the effect that he does not be lieve that he can obtain a fair trial or ex aminution before the trial justice, the papers shall be turned over to the near est trial juttice of that county, who shall proceed to try the case or hold the ex aminatin as if he had iced the papers: -Provided, That such aflidavit shall set forth the grounds of such oelief; that two days' notice of the application for such transfer shall be given to the ad verse party, and but one such transfer shall be allowed to each party in any case. This section shall not apply to trials before the judicial trial justices of the City of Charleston." TO REGr LATE SEED COTTON TRAFFIC. An Act to regulate the traffic in seed cotton in the counties of Abbeville, Aiken, Sumter, York, Edgefield, Berke ley, Kershaw, Richland, Orangeburg, Charie. ton, Chester and Union. Section 1. That the traffic in seed cot ton by purchase, barter or exchange, in the counties of Abbeville, Sumter, York, Edgefield, Berkeley, Kershaw, Richland, Orangeburg, Charleston, Chester and Union. within the periods hereinafter named without license is hereby pro hibited. Section 2. That the Clerks of the Court of Common Pleas for the counties in this State respectively named in the first section of this Act be, and are hereby, authorized and empowered to issue licenses to trafilc in seed cotton by pur chase, barter or exchange, within the period beginnig the 15th of August and ending the 15th of December of each year, to such person or persons as shall file with said Clerks respectively a writ. ten application therefor, the granting of which shall be recommended by at least ten land-owners resident within the township wherein said applicant intends to do business. Such license shall specify the exact place whereat the said business shall be carried on and the period within which such traffic is per mitted, and shall continue in force for the space of one year from the date of issue; and for such license if granted a fee of three hundred dollars shall be paid by the applicant to the county treasurer for the use of the counties respectively, except in the counties of Berkeley and Charleston, where the license shall be fifty dollars. Section 3. That any person who shall hereafter traffic in seed cotton by pur chase, barter or exchange, without first having obtained license as above pro vided, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction, shall be punished for each offence by a fine of n-t less than one hundred dollars, or by imprisonme:'t, of not less than one year, or by both fine and imprisonment, within the dis cretion of the Court. Sectiou 4. That every person to whom License to traffic in seed cotton may be granted shall keep at said place of busi ness a book in which shall be entered the date of every purchase, from whom purchased and the quantity purchased, which book shall always be open to inspection of persons applying therefor; and any person to whom a license may be granted, as herein provided, failing to comply with the requirements of this section, shall, on conviction, be liable to the penalties speedfied in dection 3. Section 5. That nothing herein con tained shall be construed to repeal or in anywise miodify- the provisions of Section .,518 of the General Statutes. BzRNING* HAY, GRAIN OR STRAw STAcKS, OR KIrjNS. An Act to amend Section 2,484 of the General Statutes, relating to the burn ing of ricks, ac That Section 2,484 of the General Statutes be, and the same is hereby, amended., so that said Section shall read: "Section 2,484. Whoever shall in the night time maliciously, unlawfully and wilfully burn or cause to be burned or destroyed any ricks or stacks of hay, straw or grain, or kilns, shall for every such offence be punished by hard labor in the penitentiary for life or for a period not less than t wo years, accord-' ing to the aggravattion of the ollence." LIsTING FORFEITED LANDS. An Act to Allow Unimproved Lands Which Have Not Been on the Tax Books S nc 1875 to be Listed Without Penalty. Section 1. Bc it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina, now met and sitting in General Assembly, and by the authority of the same, That in all cases whecre ump~rovcd lend which has not ben uuon the tax books since the fiscal year couummeicing November 1st, 1875, and which are not on the forfeited list, shall at any time before the 1st day of October, 1888, be returned to the Coun ty Auditor for taxstion, the said Auditor he, and he is hereby, instructed to assess the~ same and to enter it upon the dupli cafe of the fiscal year commencing No vemaber I t, 1887, with the simple. taxes of that year. Section 2. T bet all such lands as may be retumned to m:e Auditor for taxation betweent the first day of October, 1888, and the first day of October, 18H9, shall be assessed and charged with the simple taxes of the two fiscal years commencing respectively on the first day of Novem ber, 1887, and the first day of Novem ber, 188. Section 3. That as soon as practicable after the passage of this Act the Comp troller General is directed to furnish a copy of the same to each Auditor in the State, and the Auditors are required to publish the same in each of their County papers once a week for three months daring the year 1888, and for the same period of time during the year 1889; and the cost of such publication shall be paid by the County Treasurer, upon the the order of the County Commissioners, out of the ordinary County tax last col lected. Approved December 19, 1886. Women are not allowed to sing in Mexi can churche ONE MOMENT TOO LATE. The History of a Confederate Military Execution. (From the Philadelphia Times.) The scene of my tale opens in a little cabin in the All:ghany Mountains, in West Virginia, twenty-five years ago. A woman was anxiously bending over a sick child tossing apd muttering in the unrest of fever. Every now and then the word "father" escaped the child's lips. "The child grieves powerfully after her father," said one of the neighbors who had come to help the mother nurse the ill child. "That she does," replied the poor mother, with a weary sigh. "He always set a world of store by her. it almost broke her little heart when he went to the war, and since she has been sick she has begged for him the pitifulest you ever heard." "Can't he come to see her?" asked the neighbor. "No," replied the woman; "his colo nel said he couldn't be spared now. He had a furlough last summer. If he just had known about this and waited. Seems to me she might get well if she could just see her father, and it wouldn't fall so hard on me, either, if he was here." Several days went by, and little Sallie, the sick child grew worse. At length the mother wrote an urgent letter to her husband, out of the agony of her heart, imploring him to come home at all costs if he wished to see his little daughter alive again. Once more he asked for a furlough, and again he was refused. An engagement was pending. The enemy's force was greatly superior to ours, and not a man could te spared. John Ball was a brave man; he had proved that in many an engagement. Nothing could have tempted him to swerve from his duty as a soldier, except his frantic desire to see his child once more. Under this pressure he left the camp against orders, and fled to his rude cabin among the Alleghanies justin time to see little Sallie's face light up once more with a gleam of joyful recognition, and to receive her parting kiss. To do this he had incurred the brand of de serter, and had taken his life in his own hands. RETURNING TO THE BANKS. Scarcely were the child's remains in terred than he, without waiting to com fort his sorrow stricken wife, started back to camp, intending to throw him self on the mercy of his commander for exculpation of any offense committed under so overwhelming a pressure; or, if the worst came to the worst, to meet his fate like a man. But a new compli cation had arisen. During the few days he had been absent the men on the other side had changed their position like the figures on a chess board, and the enemy's troops had come between him and his command. He traveled through a cold, drenching rain, sleeping at night in a forest to lessen the risk of falling into the enemy's hands. He began to feel a strange stupor creeping over him and was just able to drag himself to the house of a friendly countryman, who took him in and kept him for the next few weeks, during; which time he lay ill of pneumonia. Just as he was beginning to convalesce, and before he had had time to volun tarily give himself up, he was arrested as a deserter. His wife followed hila to camp and pleaded for him, telling the cause of his desertion with all the elo quence that strong emotion could dictate and taking all the blame on herself, In vain; he was tried and condemed by every rule of war as a deserter. The commanding officer, however, made this oncession to the agonized wife-he1 would defer the execution b r three days, so as to give her time to go to Rich-i mond and implore the clemency of President Davis, which was now the sole hope for the prisoner's life. GOIN~G TO PLEAD FOR HE.R HUsBAND. Like Jeanie Deans going to plead be fore the Queen for her sister's life, the. simple mountain woman went to the Confederate capital and' pleaded her husband's cause before Jefferson Davis. She had it in her power to prove that he had shown hirmself a brave soldier, that he had not Lit the camp from cowardice or from defection to the cause, but from his overwhelming love for his dying child and his intense desire to see her once more before she passed away. Davis finally granted the man's pardon, and drew up a paper to that effect, which he gave to a messenger, directing him o take the next train and carry the dis atch to the prisoner's commanding officer. He moreover gave the woman a' duplicate paper to make her husband's release the more certain. Joyfully she started off with the pre cious document that was to carry life and liberty to her beloved husband. The cars seemed all too slow for her burning impatience. The train was always heavily loadca in those days; there was so much traveling to and Iro, so much shifting of the troops from one point to another. From hard and constant use during the war thle railroads got into very bad order, so that accidents and detentions were quite frequent occur rences, especially toward the close of the war. On this fateful tuip one of these frequent accidents occurred during the night. It was not a very disastrous acci dent, but still it occasione~d the deten tion of the train until day before the necessary repairs could be made. NEAING CAMP. It seemed as if "the stars in their courses fought against" the condemned prisoner. His wife wrung her hands ~ith frantic impatience during the de tention, but there was no help for it. She had to endure it, though each mo ment seemed to her an hour. At length she was speeding on her way again, and in a few hours more she reached her destination- She and D~avis' messenger stated together in a wagon for the camp, urging the driver on to almost frantic haste. As they neared the camp the sound of a volley of guns made the poor wife shiver and turn pale. They reached the camp. She could1 not ask a question, but the messenger requested that they should be conducted to the commander's tent. Silently she handed him the Preisident's paper. He took it, read it with white face and lips and silently turned away from her. It was too late; the terrible truth was borne to her without a word being spoken. With a heartrending shriek she fell in sensible on the ground. Tenderly the brave but stern men around her lifted her up and ministered to her, and tears stood in many a veteran's eyes over the sorrow-stricken woman. The commanding officer had deferred the execution three days, and even late into the afterhoon of the third day. Then thirteen men from another regi ment than John Ball's were chosen, and twelve of them were given muskets, though only one of these muskets had shot in it. The thirteenth man was held in reserve in case of the first shot not doing its work efft ctually, and to render the scene more harrowing this actually proved to be the case, so the thirteenth man was called on to give the death wound to the ill-fated John Ball. This man declared afterwards to a friend that this was the most terrible moment of his life, and that he would rather have un dergone death himself than to be called on to fulfill such a task. I have given a fictitious name to the prisoner, but in all other respects I -have adhered to facts. THE WIFE'S FATE. When the wife recovered from her swoon her brain was so deranged by the terrible blow that she seemed mercifully unable to realize or clearly recall the tragedy that had befallen her. Alternate fits of wild excitement and gloomy apathy succeeded each other. She slipped out of camp and instinctively found her way back to her humble cabin, and after pining there a few weeks she was one morning found lying dead on the grave of little Sallie. GOVERNOR MARMADUKE'S DUEL. Kiling a Fellow-Onlicer While the Enemy Were A dvancing o , Their Troops. (From the St. Louis Republican.) General D. M. Frost has been ac quainted with the deceased ever since the opening of the Rebt llin, and gave a Republican reporter an account of the duel between the deceased governor and Brigadier Genei"i Walker, of Tennessee, last night. At the time the duel was fought, General Frost was in command of a division under General Price before Lit..le Rock, and, as General Price was in Memphis at that time, General Frost was-practically in "ommand of all the Confederate forces at Little Rock. Gen eral Frost relates the story or the duel in this manner: "Both of the men were excellent gen tlemen and there was no necessity for a duel. Everybody knows that Governor Marmaduke belongs to an excellent fam ily. Both bore the title of brigadier general, and Marsh Walker was con nccted with the best families of Tennes see. He was related to the Knox and Folk families of that State, and his own family was of high standing. There was some jealousy existing between the two men on account of rank. Walker was Miarmaduke's superior in rank, but in some manner or other jealousy arose be tween them and General Marmaduke made some reference to General Walker in conversation. It was not long until Marmaduke's remarks were carried to Walker's ears by busy-bodies. Walker demanded that Marmadake make a re traction, which the latter refused.to do. Walker then sent a challenge to General armaduke to fight a duel, and he could not do otherwise than accept the chal lenge. The duel was fought while Steele was making advances on Price's com mand, and our pickets were actually en gaged with the enemy at the time Pistols were the weapons resorted to, and only one shot was fired by each. General Marmaduke's bullet pierced Walker through the kidneys, and he died after lingering for several days in great agony. General Marmaduke escaped unhurt. The unhappy occur rence was a source of much regret to him even up to the present time. He never spoke of the duel, but I know that he has always lamented that it ever took place. I have never read any of the cor respondence which passed between the two generals on the subject, but I have always thought, and the army generally believed, that the duel was the result of bad management on the part of the sec nds of both men. They passed through my camp as they went out to fight the cuel, and bad I known what they were going to do I would have placed both of them under arrest, and thus the duel might have been averted. It was no time for an occurrence of that kind, any how. The enemy was advancing on our works, and we needed all of our men for fighting purposes. "I think he was at one time engaged to be married, shortly after the war losed, to a young lady of Memphis, hut I am not positive as to that. He was very attentive to the lady and they had a quarrel, and if an engagement ever ex isted it was broken off as a result of the garrel. Afterwards the lady married some gentleman in the South. The Governor was a worshipper of little children and ahvays seemed happy in their presence." Fortunes of Circus Men. (From the New York Evening World.) E. B. Colvin is worth $40,000. John B. Doi is 'worth $20,000. John Robinson, of Cincinnati, is worth about $250,000. Eaton Stone lives in New Jersey, where he owns a small farm. James Robinson, the circus-rider, has saved about $100,000 and owns a nice farm. Dr. Thayer, the noted circus proprie tor, is said to be in the same condition as Dan Rice. James E. Cooke, the horse-rider and athlete, is driving a street car somewhere in the South. Adam Forepaugh has from $200,000 to $250,000. He owns a number of dwelling-houses in Philaddlphia. P. T. Barnum is worth from $1,000, 000 to 8-5,000,000. W. W. Cole and James A. Bailey each have a fortune of $2,000,000. James E. Cooper is worth $500,000. As soon as he makes a few extra thou sands he erects a row of little cheap cot tages in Philadelphia. James Hutchinson has amassed the sum of $1,500,000. Ten years ago he did not possess $150. All his money was made in the circus business. Dan Rice, the man who used to get $1,000 a week, the biggest salary ever paid to any circus man in the world, is now said to be worth a few thousand dollars less than nothing. Knows the ropes-The anan. TOO MUCH MARRIED. An Atlanta Fireman Charged with Having Four Wives, One of Them from Pickens and Another from Anderson Connty. (From the Atanta Journal.) Benjamin Burton, a supernumerary of the fire department, was arrested and locked up at police headquarters this morning on a charge of bigamy. This morning a lady called at police headquarters and had a private talk with the chief. She introduced herself as Mrs. Benjamin Burton, of Homer, Ga., and stated that she married Mr. Burton about two years ago and separated from him after learning that he had wives elsewhere. Before marriage she was a Miss Lizzie Kirklt y. The lady had a little girl with her of whom Mr. Burton was said to be the father. It was at the instigation of this lady visitor that the chief arrested Burton. This afternoon Mrs. Burton, of Homer, will swear out a warrant charging the prisoner with bigamy. Last August Burton married Miss Delia Wilson, daughter of Mr. Riley Wilson, in Atlanta, and if what Mrs. Burton, of Homer, alleges is true, this will make the fourth wife that he has living. He will be charged with marrying the following ladies: Miss Lizzie birkley, of Homer, Ga. Miss Lula Rubartson, of Easley Sta tion, S. C. Miss Lula Hall, of Anderson county, S.C. Miss Delia Wilson, of Atlanta. Barton cant to Atlanta three years ago, and worked under Sanitary. Officer King for two years, and since last Au gust has served as a supernumerary in the fire department. The prisoner was seen by a Journal reporter and asked what he had to sy about the charge of too much wife, and he replied: "Why, I have only one wife and never had but one, and that is the one that I married last August, Miss Wilson. I have never lived in South Carolina, nor in Homer, Ga., and never married any body in either place." "How old are you?" "Twenty-two." "You must have'marriedvery rapidly." "Yes, it seems so from the charge against me. But I am not the man wanted by the alleged Mrs. Burton, from Homer. She has simply made a mis take." "Where does your family live?" "I don't know. I was born at Powder Springs, and my people went from there to Elbert county, and I have not heard froni them in several years." "And the four wives are not yours?" "Only one of them is. Can't you send word to my wife where I am?" "Which wife?" "I have told you that I had only one." Inquiries were made of some of the members of the fire departmnur - Barton's antecedents, but no one seemed to know anything about him. At 2.30 o'clock Mrs. Burton, formerly of Homer, Ga., and working in Lynch a tailor shop, called at police headquarters and confronted Burton in the presence of the chief of police, the Journal repor ter and others. A stupid stare was all he could give the woman. ''I don't know you. Who are you?"~ he stammered out. "Oh, it is a great pity you don't," re plied the little lady, and she proceeded at once to give him a piece of her mind. Burton, according to the woman's statement, married first in South Caroli na; then married her; returned to South Carolina, married again, and then came to Atlanta and married again. Mrs. Burton No. 2 did not know of Mrs. Burton No. 4 until yesterday after noon. ASLEEP FOR SEVEN YEAES. - A Farmer's Curious Affiction Which Fol lowed an Attack of Fever. A Utica (Minn.) telegram says: Her man Haines has slept almost continually for seven years. He has been treated in a dozen different ways, but no one has been able to break his protracted slum ber. Powerful electric batteries have been applied to his body, the only effect being a contraction of the muscles. Haines is now forty-nine years old, and ten years ago was a prosperousfarmner in St. Clair count, fI. At that time he. was hale and hat, his weight being 1877 he was stricken with fever and as ue, and in the spring of 1880 moved to St. Charles, Winona county, whence he was brought to Utica. A few months after his arrival in this State he fell asleep, and he has lived in this strange condition for more than seven years. In the summer of 1884 he awoke one morning, arose from his bed, put on his clothes, and went about his work. When tbld that he had slumbered four 'ears he grew indigL ant and would not believe that he had slept more than a night un til led before a mirror and shown his long black hair and heard and sunken cheeks and eyes. For a morth his health and habits seemed perfect. He went to bed at the usual hour, slept through the night, and arose with the lark. In August, 1884, his wife became very ill, and Haines was obliged to deprive himself of needed rest. One night, while taking her a cup of tea, he suddenly fell asleep, dropped the cup, sank' to the floor, and had to be taken to his bed, from which he has never since risen. He lies on his back, breathes naturally, and suffers little pain; but is wasting away. His weight is now less than ninety pounds, and he is no longer able to move himself in bed. About 11 o'clock every evening .he awakes for five or six minutes, during which time he is hurriedly given a soft boiled egg, a little soup, and a swallow or two of coffee, his only daily nourish ment. He is extremely nervous during his brief waking intervals, but his con versation indicates that his mind is not beclouded. No medicine has pasdhis lips for two years. His c hren are bright and healthy. No Trouble to Swallow Dr. Pierce's 'Pellets" (the original "little liver pills") and no pain or griping. Cure sick or bilious headache, sour stomach, andl cleanse the system and bowels, 25 ets. a vial. Getting up with the son is a common practice where there is a teething boy baby in the family.