Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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X. XT c bVNNDA Sv f55 4 18.NO. 6 TOBACCO C LTtURE. THE GOLDEN WEED THE TRUE "PEARL OF THE PEE DEE-" How the rlanters or This Section Out strip Their Fellows-Two "Btreaks" in Florence-Facts and Figures on Tobacco Culture. FLOREcE, S. C., Aug- 29.-There is now no longer the shadow of a doubt that South Carolina soil is among the best adapted in the world for the cultivation of fine tobacco and that The State's advice so often and emphatically given, that unprofitable crops be cast aside and that attention be given to the cultivation of tobacco, has been taken. The ball has been set in motion; the Pee Dee section is now recognized as a valuable tobacco raising country, and the record made this year is calculated to astonish the natives. I wish the horde of South Carolina cottontots could have been here today to witness the "break" the opening of the season-at this city, the natural heart of the tobacco grow ing section of the State. Tobacco is a new commodity in South Carolina. For years it was thought that it could be raised on South Carolina soil, and the present condition proves this surmise correct, but its cultivation was attended by so many peculiarities, the tobacco plant being very tender, that no one dared experiment. Finally about ten years ago, Mr. F. M. Rogers, the tobacco farming pio neer of South Carolina, a planter iv ing ten miles from the city of Darling ton, began toexperiment with tobacco, hoping to find a staple crop that would take the place of cotton, for cotton's prices were rapidly falling off. His experiment proved that the soil of the Pee Dee country would produce a to bacco said to be finer in color, charac ter and texture than any section of the bright tobacco belt of North Carolina or Virginia; that no tobacco was finer for smoking purposes, though the "mahogony" tobacco needed for plug manufacture was not forthcoming. He had not solved the problem of: cheap production, however, and the farmers were chary of embarking in the cnlture of the weed. They did not wish to cultivate anything at a loss. Mr. Rogers lost money. But the seed was sown, and in 1889, when a plant er, Mr. D. M. Smoot, plantedfive acres, the culture of tobacco took a fresh im petus, the proper method of cultiva tion, drying and curing by heat, hav ing been hit upon, and in the last few years the growth of the tobacco indus try in this section has been without a parallel in the history of the State. When all the talk came about the re duction of the cotton acreage the farmershereabouts remained quiet and instead of talking only quietly plant ed tobacco. The principal towns in this section have been recognized by the American Tobacco Compny and other big con umpa loale imarkets-particular this place,w w ist uting market on account of its loca tion and railroad facilities-and they ha-e stationed buyers here to. conduct their leaf transactions. In j uly 35, 226,005 pounds were bought in Dan ville, and it seems strange, but this market is close behind the noted and established one. The American Tobac co Company has even erected here a three story leaf factor, where its pur chases are stored, gaed and shipped bytecompany's efficient manager, Mr. W. F. Car. There are upwards of thirty buyers here now, and ten other leaf factories are open for the use of these buyers. They have been ds hard at work for several days in Darlington, Timmonsville and Flor ence as so many Trojans, with coats discarded. I am told that between ten and fif teen million pounds of leaf tobacco will be harvested and put on the market in the Pee Dee tobacco region this season. The average yield per acre is said to be very nearly 1,000 pounds, while the average yield per acre in North Carolina and V irginia is about 250 pounds less. The per cent. of increase in the tobacco crop this year will be enormous in Florence county. It is a noteworthy fact, so tobacco growers from other points say, that a town that is a tobacco market . quickly increases in population, and when it becomes the market of a sec -tion, the population quickly double. Florence seems certain to become in short order the central distributing market for the Pee Dee sections for the reasons given above. In the Pee Dee tobacco raising section are the coun ties of Florence, Darlington, Williams burg, Marlboro, Clarendon, Marion, Sumter and Horry. There is in the warehouses today, tobacco from five counties and some from ontside the State. Florence is the very centre of the district, and at least two-thirds of the territory is tributary to it. In other words, that much of the crops must pass through Florence to gain any market at all. Florence has two magnificent tobac co warehouses. It should be stated that all leaf tobacco sold to buyers in a local market has to be placed in a pile on the floor of such a warehouse, and sold at auction. When a ware house has been stocked and opens' its businetss for the-season, the opening day is called a "break" and thousands of pounds of tobacco are disposed of. This was what Timmonsville has had for two days, and what Florence has had in her two big warehouses today. It has been a kind of gala day here in consequence. The two warehouses here were erect ed by stock companies of citizens. Ex pert tobacco handlers are placed in charge, and tobacco auctioneers ex perienzced in the business conduct the sales. One erected three years ago, is known as the Farmers' warehouse. It is a handsome structure, having a floor space 60 by 100 feet, and this is lighted by twenty large ground glass skylights. In front is a two-storyv brick structure, 40 by 50 feet in size, containing the otlices. It has large sliding doors on all sides and is equipped with the latest improved trucks, etc. It is managed by Messrs. Ellingtor & Miles and Mr. A. J. El lington is the lightning auctioneer. The Florence warehouse is the name of the other one recently erected. It has a floor space of 50 by 225 feet, be sides offices and rooms. It is managed byMessrs. Hill and Hodges, and Mr. Hill is the auctioneer. lie comes from South Boston, Va., and has had 30 years experience in his business. He is a man of means and comes here to stay. He says he has the greatest confidence in the future of Florence. Messrs. ElHington-and Miles are stock holders in the Farmers' Warehouse Company. These managers deal with the buyers. acting as middlemen, and pay the farmers their money. It is difficult-to get closely estimated figures as to the acreage in tobacco in the Pee Dee section. but below will be found what is considered a fair esti mate: Acres. Darlingwn..... .......... 3.575 Florence....................... 3,800 Marion...................... 1,500 Clarendon, Williamsburg, Hor ry, Marlboro, Sumter........ 6,500 Total........................15,385 It is estimated that this acreage should average 850 pounds to the acre at least, thus giving for this year a production of 13,067,70 pounds. It is possible that it will go higher, but the most conservative men place the total crop at not over this figure. This crop, taking a minimum average price of 12 cents a pound, ought to bring to the farmers $1,569,130. It is estimated that the average cost of production of the tobacco is only $45 per acre, in which case, taking the acreage as giv en, the total cost of production of the crop will be $691.875, leaving a profit to the tobacco farmers of $876, 225. It is easy to see what a handsome profit per acre these figures allow. Some of the best farmers tell me that they do not think the average profit per acre will fall below $25, under any circum stances whatever. If cotton were 8 cents a pound, they tell me, it would be hardly possible to make more than $6 per acre. The difference speaks for itself. In Florence county there are 300 to bacco farmers, who are members of the county tobacco growers' associa tion. There are about 600 altogether engaged in the culture of tobacco. The following shows the number of warehouses in the section, not includ ing the storage warehouses used by the buyers: Florence..............-..... 2 Darlington.................. Timmonsville............... Lake City Williamsburg)......... 1 Sumter.......................... 1 Mullins........................... 1 Total.......................... 8 All these are similar to the ware houses described above. At Darlington there is one large factory for the manufacture of smok ing tobacco- -the only one in the Pee Dee. It is known as the Darlington Tobacco Works, and is run by Messrs. Burch & Burch. Its capacity is 500 pounds a day, put up in pretty packa ges. The factory is well equipped. I had the pleasure of going through it and it was a revelation to see the speed with which the packages are turned out. The crude leaf, flavored with rum, is ut in the machine and the best grade of tobacco, "The Pride of Darlington,'.' is as pretty as, and very much resembles, the "Marburg Pickings." The grades of this facto rv's output have, however, already been described in The State. The pro duct of the factory is finding a ready place on the market. The first "break" today was at the armers' Warehouse. All of the for ty pi es litobacco, -averaging about ninety.five pounds to the pile, were brought in during the twelve hours preceding, straight from the barns of planters in Williamsburg and the Indiantown section. The farmers had had no time to select it and con sequently a large number of tags were "turned,"' which means that the to bacco was withdrawn in many instan ces. It was to a laro'e extent damp, and the buyers couki not do much. All the same Timmonsville' highest price, $2.05 a pound, was beaten, $2.25 being paid per pound for some choice tobacco. Eighty cents was paid for another lot. The warehouse present ed a beautiful scene. The people were up and doing bright and early. At 10 o'clock the warning horn blew, and at 10:30 Auctioneer Ellington began his work. The average price per pound was quite low. Scores of ladies were present in the warehouse, moving about among the golden leaves, and some were to be seen sitting' on the piles of tobacco, watching thie lively scene. The "break" at the Florence ware house began after dinner. The same amount of tobacco was on hand to be disposed of as at the other warehouse. The tobacco came from around Flor ence and Marion and was of -a much better grade. Though $1 was the hig'h et figure paid for a pound, the entire sale, it is said, averaged up 14 or 15 cents per pound. which is better than the usual average of the "breaks" at Danville, Durham, Winston and the other markets of Virginia and North Carolina. Only six tags were turned at this warehouse. It was a most suc cessful "break." At the first "break" the planters who had but lately begun to plant to bacco showved their experience, by putting superb leaves along with small ones, not knowing that the buyers bid according to the smnallest leaves. The best prices usually paid are 35 to 50 cents a pound; the average is 12 to 13 cents. An experienced planter who spends about $75 per acre in raising his crop, usually gets about $130 an acre for it. Truly today was a great day in fair Florence, the future central tobacco market of South Carolina, and in those golden tobacco leaves she dis played to the world the the true "pearl of the Pee Dee."--State. Con fess' t o Arson. CArTON, Ills., Aug. 28.-Oscar Baughnman, alderman, Ellis Brown, ex-city marshal, and Chas. Henry, ex-night watchman of the City of Lewiston, have been arrested charged with the burning of the court house of this (Fulton) county at Lewistbn on the nio-ht of December 14, last. All have ma(7e confessions and all have been bound over to the grand jury. Bauhman was arrested in Chicago andlxis arrest caused a rumor that he had been kidnapped. lHe was brought here this morning. Fen fromz, a WVindow. LENIN(;TON, Ky., Augr. 28. -- Arthur Master, son of Lord Arthur Master, of London, fell from a second story win dow at Middlesboro. Ky., this morn ing and was fatally injured, lHe is a cousin of the Marquis of Salisbury. Arthur has been in Middlesboro live years, having come to Kentucky with a number of other E-nglish capitalists when the famous Middlesboro b~oom began. ________ Possessed~ ofI the Devil. Mc -o> . Neb., Aug. 26.-William Tate and Archibald Carhart, promi nent men, met after church services last night to settle an old quarrel with knives. Tate used his knife with fatal effect, Cathart dying this morning. ONE DAYS WORK COMPLETES THE BUSINESS OF THE STATE ALLIANCE. President Evan's Address - Hon. Joseph L. Keitt Elected Prenident After a Hot Contest-Resolutions Adopted and 011i cers Elected. COLUMIA, S. C.. August 29.-The annual convention of the State Alli ance was opened yesterday at noon in the Senate Cham ber, President W. D. Evans presiding. Several counties did not have delegates but there were representative Alliancemen present from most of these counties in their capacity as officers of the State organ ization. The committee on credentials re ported the following delegates: Abbeville-J. G. Graves. Aiken-R. H. Timmerman. Anderson-J. W. Bowden, J. S. Weeks. Chester-T. J. Cunningham. Clarendon-D. T. Bradham. Colleton-D. M. Varn. Darlington-W. H. Lawrence. Edgefield-W. J. Talbert. Fairfield-T. P. Mitchell. Florence-J. W. King. Lancaster--W. G. A. Porter. Laurens-Jno. M. Hudgens. Lexington-Dr. Eargle. Marion- F. R. Stackhouse. Newberry--Dr. W. E. Lake. Orangeburg-Dr. J. W. Stokes. Pickens-Jno. T. Boggs. Richland--E. P. Whitman. Spartanburg---W. F. Brown.0 York-W. H. Edwards. Chesterfield--F. P. Taylor. Horry-James A. Lewis. Marlboro--W. B. McLaurin. Oconee-J. B. Pickett. After the organization President Evans delivered the following ad dress: To the members of the South Caro lina State Alliance and Industrial Union: There never was a time since the first organization of the F. A. and I. U. when there was more urgent need for us to keep up this great union of the industrial classes. Many of our profoundest thinkers believe thati this country is on the verge of revolution, peaceful it may be, but revolution there will be. It is my own convic tion that this revolution will come, and that it will be settled through the ballot box. How important then that the large army of voters, who have so much at stake of common interest, should have an organization through which they can make their combined influence felt by the political parties striving for supremacy. Though non-partisan, yet the Alliance is political to the care and should redouble its energies to educate the masses in the science of Dovernment, for it is only through e intelligence of the citizen and his knowledge of the relation of the Gov ernment to finance, commerce, agri ,ulture and transportation that he will be able to protect his interests by his ballot. You cannot trust to political pa Lies the keeping of such vital interests, for ll parties are sooner or later controll ed by the politicians, whose guiding star is policy, and not principle, so it is absolutely necessary to have such an organization as the Alliance is to heck parties and politicians when they go wrong as well as to give sup port to those who are right. There are other important reasons set forth in our declaration of purposes why we should keep up this organization, which I recommend to your careful aonsideration, and in conclusion ap peal to every one who believes in the prciples and demands of the Alli ance to stand by and push for ward the organization, so that we may reap the general benfits of organization as wel as see to it that some political party shall enact these demands into [aw. There will be reports from the com rittees in charge of your State Alli nce organ, "The Cotton Plant," your Business Exchange and other branch as of Alliance work, upon which I miay have something to say during the session. After the reading of the address the onvention went into a discussion on the good of the order, much interest being manifested. Among those par ticipating in the discussion were Pres ident Evans, Congressman Talbert, Mr. Pickett, Mr. J. WV. Bowden, Mr. Edwards. At the close of the discussion a re :ess was taken until 8 o'clock. The followide are the oflicers in at tendance: President, W.D.Evan'., Yice Presi lent,J. L. Keitt;Secretary,J. W.Reed ; reurer, F.- P. Taylor; Lecturer, J. a Sligh; Steward, k. B. Taylor; Ser reant, D. Mi. Varn; Assistant, J. B. ~lkin. NIGHT ,ESSIoN. At the night session of the State. Farmers' Allilance a resolution was adopted petitioning the constitutional convention th it in the framing of the new Constitution, nothing be done in relation to our election laws calculat ed to lower the senses of personal re sponsibility, to blunt the conscience or dethrone man within God's soul. The following resolution was adopt Inasmuch as ignorance is frequent ly the mother of poverty and the fruit ful source of crime; and inasmuch as a well educated and intelligent citizen ship is a chief factor both in civil prosperity and social purity, therefore Resolved, That it is the duty of the approaching constitutional convention to make provision for the establish ment of a complete and thorough common school system which shall be vigorously enforced throughout our State. Resolved, That in the ap~propriation of the necessary funds for common schools, while 'liberal provisions be made for the colored race, that due re gard be had for the excess in taxes paid in for this purpose bj the whites and that such a ratio of divisions be adopted as shall best show justice to the needs and rights of both races, The following was also adopted: Whereas, the freight on guaiio to the farmer being much higher per tun ttan on cotton seed to the fertilizer factories, be it, Resolved, That we ask the Railroad Commission to equalize those rates so that the injustice to the farmers be ree Columbia was chosen as thme pl-ace for the holding of the next meeting on the fourth Wednesday in July, The election of officers resulted in the choice of the following: P resident, dent and State Lecturer. J. C. Wil born of York: Secretary and Treas urer, J. W. Reid of Spartanburg: Ex ecutive committeeman, W. N. Elder, Xork; delegate to the National Alli ance, J. W. Bowden, Anderson. A resolution of thanks was adopted directed to the Columbia Alliance and its friends for the cordial treatment accorded the members while in the city. Several changes were made in the State Constitution, most of them ni nor ones. The most important one was the abolishment of the oflices of Treasurer and State Lecturer and de volving the duties upon the Secretary and the Vice President respectively. After the installation of oflicers the Alliance adjourned about 1 a. m. sine di,. --Register. A Sickening Crime. )Ew YonK, Aug. 2.-One of the most atrocious murders that has occur ed in New York for years was com mitted about 10:30 o'clock today at515 East Thirteenth street. when a jealous husband, crazed with rage because, as he claims, his wife wronged him, but chered her with a knife. The murder ed woman was Annie Postalka. forty five years of age. The murder is Char les Postulka, a butcher, who married hertwo years ago when she was a window with six children all of whom are still living. The eldest is Lizzie, nineteen years old, who assisted her mother in running the Cafe Waldorf, at 114 East Fourth street. The murder er's explanation of the his act is that he went home unexpectedly and found a strange man in a compromising po sitioD with his wife. He asserts that he saw sutlicient to convince him that his wife was not a proper women and was unfaithful to him. le picked up a small butcher knife and slashed her until she was left a mangled corpse on the floor. The woman's hands were cut to pieces where she grasped the knife with which hier death wounds were inflicted and struggled madly with her murderer for it posession. The frenzied man drew the weapon across her throat from ear to ear. Then he shoved the blade down her throat and drew it across her cheek, so that her chin was almost entirely cut away. Not satified with this, he jabbed the knife into the unfortun ate woman's back and cut out a large piece of flesh. The murderer was ar rested while calmly seated at a table in his wife's cafe. An Heirloom of Disease Germs. - Infected beds are a menace to the health, but an exchange says the most unsanitary of all household arti cles is the feather bed. Quite too fre quently it is an heirloom which has come down through many generations past, and at times it proves to be a genuine Pandora's box of germs and malodors and other unsanitary things which have accumulated during the several generations in which it has done service for all sorts of people a n der ali sorts of conditions. In the larger cities, convenient renovating establishments afford facilities for the purification of feather beds, pillows. etc., which to some degree remedies the evils of which we complain,but by do means altogether, for the feather bed, at best, contains a considerable amount of organic matter clinging to the quills and feathers, which, absorb ing the waste of the body, is always ndergoing decomposition, throwing Dff poisonous gases ino the air anid affording food for myriads of pestilen tial microbes which are ever in readi ness to seize a favorable opportunity of infecting a weakened body, setting up suppairating processes and intensi rying the effects of specific germs of arious sorts whleh may become act ive in the body through contagion. ometimes, also, a feathered bed be comes infected by the contagious ele Enents of scarlet fever, diphtheria. measels, smallpox or other maladies, and constitutes thereby a most efficient vehicle for these dangerous disorders. All Want Offleb -CoLmBmI, S. C., Aug. 28.-Now that the constitutional convention is almost in sight there are hundreds of hungry office seekers wanting jobs and they are making life miserable to some people whom they . think have numbers of positions to deal out to the faithful. For instance the Attor ney General has received between s;aty-five and one hundred applica tions for positions in the engrossing department of the convention. Really there is no such thing. No provision was made for any such department and the Attorney General has abso lutely nothing to do with it and hence has no positions to give. If applicants will bear this in mind they will save themselves trouble and disappoint ment. If there is to bc an engrossing department the convention will have to provide for one and how the posi tions shall be filled. The Attorney General, in speaking of the engross ing department, said that he had al ready two hundred applications for positions in that department during the session of the Legislature. There are only twelve to be given out and out of Ithe batch of two hundred there are exactly one hundred and eighty eight people who are going to get left. A Duie1 in Dar~n;:rtofn. D~xauxA-roie, Aug. 29.-A fatal duel between Ambrose Adams and Dorsey Atkinson, with dlouble barrel shot guns occurred in the Swift Creek neighborhood a few miles distant from this city today, in Adams was killed and Atkinson mortally wounded. The cause of the difliculty was some rude ness by Atkinson towards the wife of Adads. Both had armed and they li ed on each other on sight. Adams was for several years a polieceman in this tow~n. lie on one occasion had, his bowels emptied on the ground by a knife slash in the hands of a negro. Adams is about 45 years old and At kinson was between 18 and 2'4 years old. The above facts are all that could be learned of the fearful duel up to this time. Another report is that Adamn s w~as father-in -law of A thin son. Both men fired si mulaneously. A tkin son was shot in the hieart and Adams received the load in his abdomen. The trouble was caused by Atkinson striking his mother-ini-law. The men are well-to-do andl respectable-tate. A Sensible Duzke-. Pauus, Aug. 28.--The newspaper Echo de Paris today announces that the Djuke of Or-leans, who upon the death last year of his father, the Count of Paris. became the head of the Roy alist party .in F-rance and claimant to the throne, has become convinced of the futility of further fighting the re publican. lie has, therefore, decided to abandon the Royalist propaganda in France, cease the payment of sub sidies -to Royalist newvspapers and abandon the oflices in P ar-is occupied SUICIDE IN PITTSBURG. Solves a Love Tangle by Going Out of the World. PITTsBURaG, Pa., Aug. 26.-W. W. Kettle, of Washinoton, D. C., shot and instantly killedlimself at the Ho tel Willey, 6th street, at 8.55 o'clock this morning. The suicide stood in front of a mirror in his room when he fired a bullet into the base of his brain behind the right ear. Saturday even ing he mailed a money order for $100 to G. W. Ket.tle, Bartow, Fla. He was connected with the war depart ment at Washington. A note, bearing the signature of 0. A. Wylie in a lady's handwriting, was found in his pocket. It reads: "I hereby promise that I will never ask you to take me anywhere as long as I live." Washington, Aug. 26.-W. W. Kit tel, the Pittsburg suicide, was a clerk in the record and pension division of the war department. This afternoon some -of the details preceding Kittel's leaving here were learned at his board ing house. Here he formed the ac quaintance of Miss Wylie, the twenty ty-year-old daughter of the landlord. Kittel was almost constant in his atten tionto theyounglady from the firstand they were engaged to be married. The wedding day was fixed for last Satur day, all arrangements having been made to have the ceremony performed in Baltimore on that day. Mr. Kittel surprised his sweetheart Friday night by telling her that the weddingwould have to be postponed for a short time, because he was broken down in health and had obtained a sevea days' leave of absence from the office and intend ed going away for a short time to try and recuperate. The young lady pro tested at first, but seeing her entreaties were without effect she reluctantly consented to the proposed trip. He left Washington Saturday night, go ing direct to Pittsburg, and the sad news o! his suicide in that city was the first word Miss Wylie has received of him since his departure. He is about 30 years of age and it is under stood that his parents are in Florida. Our Woman's Room. COLUMBIA, S. C., Aug. 30.-Below is given a list of the women in every county seat of the State who have been appointed by the chairman of the South Carolina Woman's Room at the exposition, to take charge of the col lection and forwarding of exhibits from their county to that room. Tags will be furnished them with which to label the boxes and insure their free transportation to the Woman's build ing at Atlanta. All women having exhibits to send will please confer with their county agent, who will re ceive and forward the exhibits. Abbeville-Miss Ma--7 Hemphill. Aiken-Mrs. Eliza Legare. Anderson-Mrs. P. K. McCully. Barnwell-Miss Hattie Manville. Beaufort-Mrs. Waterhouse. Berkeley-Mrs. S. Porcher Smith, Mt. Pleasant. Charleston-Mrs. Thos. S. Hey ward, Savage street; Mrs. Samuel Wrao-- Legare street. Co71'eton-Mrs. Allen Izard, Wal terboro. Cl1rendon-- Mrs. Abe Levi, Man ning. Chesterfield-Miss Harden, Cheraw. Chester--Mrs. Paul Hemphill. Darlington-Mrs. F. C. Norment. Edgefield--Mrs. J. E. Bacon. Fairfield-Mrs. Ulysses DesPortes. Florence-Mrs. T. P. Kershaw. (Georgetown-Miss Fraser. Greenville-Mrs. Win. Wilkins, Jr. Hampton--Mrs. Gen. Moose. Horry-Mrs. C. P. Quiattlebaum. Kershiaw-Miss Emma Reynolds, Camden. Laurens-Mrs. J. W. Ferguson. Lancaster-Mrs. Nat. Chafee. Lexington-Mrs. W. P. Roof. Marion-Mrs. C. A. Wood. Marlboro-Miss Breeden, Bennetts ville. Newberry-Mrs. Nat. Gist. Oconee-Mrs. Senator Stibling, Se neca.. Pickens-Mrs. J. E. Boggs. Orangeburg-Mrs. Mort. Dantzler. Richland-Miss Earle, Miss Lynch, Mrs. Clarke Waring, Columbia. Spartanburg-Mrs. Montgomet y. Sumter- Mrs. John Kershaw. Union-Mrs. M. F. Schaife. Williamsbur y-Mrs. G. P. Allen, Kingstree. Yorkville-Mrs. B. N. Moore. Rock Hill-Mrs. Sam'l Reid. ' It is hoped the women of the State will now make ready and ship to the Woman's Room their exhibits of skill in the various departments of art and woman's work. All the papers in the State are re quested by the lady management to copy this list at once. some War Reiics. PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 28.-Two of the old United States navy monitors, the Lehigh and the Catskill, are now at the Leauge Island navy yard, hav ing been towed up the river yesterday by the tug boat Luckenbach. Both the old monitors have been in the dry dock at Norfolk, Va., where they had their bottoms cleaned and painted. Their hatches and other deck openings were made water-tight for the ocean trip. Thre old monitors had been lying about two and a half miles below Richmond, Va., since 1880, when they were taken there from City Point, some distance below, on th'e James River. These monitors, some of the few remaining naval vessels built dur sels during the rebellion, will be most attractive for Ph iladelphians to visit, for they bear evidence of the fire fr-on tile Confederates. Both the Caitskill and the Lehigh have a number of shot indenta tions in their turrets aiid some in the low sides of their hulls. The Lehigh went aground during the war near ]"ort Moultrie, Chrarleston harbor and received a heavv fire before she was pulled offI of the'shore. The Catskill was engoagred in the attack on F'ort Fishrer,. N. C., in which she took a prominenrt prart. The other monitors whrich are to come to League Island all show the inrdenrtations made by shot, either in their turrets or hulls, excelpt tire Ajax. They H ave Graich~-ilirenz. J1v sosN, Miss., Aug. 28.-lIon. L. F. Childs. deputy sheriff of 1Iinds county for twenty years and mayor of the city of Jackson for the last ten, years has created a sensation by filing a suit of divorce against his wife. The~ grounds on which a separation is asked are yet secret. Mr. and Mrs. Childs hrave grandchildren about whom it is said they have quarrelled. All Were Drowneel. PORT IIUlloN, Mich., AUg. 2-. I)uring the prevalence of a squall and hrard r-ain last evening on the St. Clair river near Barysville, a rowboat con t.aining fr persns we-- drowned. A YOUTHFUL SWINDLER. THE GAME A YOUNG MAN PLAYED ON A NURSERY CONCERN. He Forged Orders Right and Left-Started H is Work in Edgefield, but Ended Up in Columbia, and is Now in Jail--How He Worked It. CoLLM)1A, S. C., Aug. 30.-A young white man. about 19 years old, who says his name is T. A. Dean of Edge field County, was sent to jail yester day by Trial Jusice Troy on the very serious charges of swindling and for gery. Very little could be learned as to the young man's connections in Edgefield, but he is a good looking boy, well dressed and appears to be very intelligent. He has started on his career of crime quite young and he did it in such a clumsy way that he was bound to be detected. Sometime last spring Dean saw an advertisement of the Southern Nurse ry Company of Winchester, Tenn., which wanted agents to represent it in the State. Young Dean answered the advertisement under the name of "J. H. Dean" and was appointed an agent. According to the terms of his contract he was to get ten per cent. of the amount of the order at once and thi-ty per cent. more when the trees or seeds or bulbs should be delivered in the fall, thus getting forty per cent. in all. Dean went to work with a will, at least the company evidently thought so. for orders erme in to them at a great rate and no doubt they believed they had the star fruit tree agent of the country. Dean collected his ten per cent. with great regularity and kept on sending in orders until the whole amounted to about $700 from Edge field County alone. He was ajpparently not satisfied with confining his operations to the towns and villages of Edgefield County, so he came to Columbia and put up at Mrs. Davis' boarding house on Ger vais street. He wrote a letter to the nursery company from this city ask ing for an agency under the name of J. M. N. Zeigler. He got the agency and an outt and went to work. He sent in order after order to the home concern until they became suspicious at so much business being done in fruit trees in Columbia. It appeared to them as if the whole town was crazy on the subject. The outfit sent the agent consisted of a blank order, which was to be signed by the person ordering the trees. Dean or Zeigler, as le called himself, didn't do any canvassing, but that was a small mat ter with him for he sent in the orders any way. Without consulting certain gentlemen ia this city he signed their names to orders himself, often order ing enough to set out a whole orchard for them. Among those whose names were thus used were those of Dr. Talley, Dr. Murray, Mr. W. A. Clark, John Fitzmaurice, R. S. Desportes, J. L. Mimanaugh and a host of others. In all his orders amounted to about $1,000 from Coulmbia. That made the firm ver-y suspicious, but Dean in sending in the orders always referred the firm to Bradstreet's as to the fin ancial standing of the "signers" of the orders. Mr. A. H. Hasting, the manager of the nursery., wrotes to some of the gen tlemen and asked them about their orders given to Zeigler and was in formed that they had not only never ordered any fruit trees but had never seen or heard of Zeigler. The company then determined to catch him. If Zeigler's orders had been genuine the company would have owed him $50. Not suspecting that the company was aware of the game he was playing, Zeigler or Dean wrote to them for a check in payment of what what was due him. In answering they stated to him that Mr. Hastings, who was on the road, would pass through Columbia soon and would hand him the amount due. Dean didn't want anthig like that and wrote back that he had an engagement in the lower part of the county to sell some trees and he was sorry that he would not have the pleasure of meet ing Mr. Hastings. The latter could,. however, he wrote, direct a letter to him containing the check, drop it in the postotfice and it would be all right. Mr. Hastings got here Wednesday and immediately went to see Judge Troy and swore out a warrant for Dean's or Zeigler's arrest. He dropped a letter in the postoffice directed to Zeigler and awaited results. Justice Troy kept the whole thing a secret and sent a special deputy,Mr C. F. Brown, to the postoflice to watch for Zeieler. The deputy remained there a~l day and still no Zeigler came. Finally about dark a young man came in and called for mail for Zeigler and among other things got the letter directed to him by Mr. Hastings. As soon- as lie did Consta ble Brown arrested him. Zeigler at first made an attempt at bluffing the constable off, but he was taken before Trial .Justice Troy. Judge Troy sp)oke to him and called him Zeigler,~but the prisoner said that was not his name, but that it was J. H. Dean, Judge Troy asked him why he called for Zeigler's mail and the pr-isoner replied that he had met Zeigler on the streets, who asked him to inquire for his mail. He said Zeig her was a medium built man of dark com~lexion and had a black mus tache. He said Zeigler had left town. He didnt know where he boarded, lie being only an acquaintance of his. Justice Troy told Dean that he would have to hold him as a witness until Zeigler could be found and ac cordingly sent hinm to jail. Yesterday morning lie went to Deans boarding house and found a vase in his r-oomn. but there was no key to it. Going to the jail lDean was asked by the justice where the key was and'hie replied that ne didn't know, that he hadl probably dropped it in his room or lost it in the streets. A pocketbook, which was in his pocket, was taken and on opening it the valise key fell out, it being the only thing in the purse. Dean then acknowledged that lhe had been going under the name of Dean and Zeigler and had forged the orders for the fruit trees. His valise was opened and two complete sets of orders were found one for Dean and the other for Zeigler. Yesterday morning Justice Troy held him in $1,500~ bail for Is a~pearance at court and the young mans first experience in a career of crime was brought to a sudden stop. Letters have been sent to Ed(getield to see if anyv of his relatives live in the county and advising them of the sit A DEEP DYED VILLIAN. The Chain of Convicting Evid ence About Complete Against Holmes. INDLtNAPOLIS, Ind., Aug. 27.-In dinapolis will claim the right to try H. H. Holmes for murder. This claim will be based upon the horrible developments of to-day, which in clude the finding of the charred re mains of nine-year-old Howard Piet zel and evidence which before any jury in the country would convict H. H. Holmes of having murdered him and then partially burned his body in a stove. Detectives Geyer, of Philadelphia, Richards, of Indianapolis, and Inspec tor Gary, of the Fidelity Insurance CoMnany have been at work for weeks hunting for traces of the boy's body. He was traced here with Holmes and disappeared. The -city was scoured, and work began in the suburbs, hunt ing for a house rented by Holmes on October 10, 11 or 12 of last year. This morning the detectives went to Coy ington, a pretty suburb of the city and the seat of Butler College, and before they had been at work an hour their attention v'as called by a local real es tate dealer to a small vacant cottage situated in the woods at the edge of town and far from any other dweling The party went to the house, and a few minutes later the officers founds beneath the side porch the miss ing trunk which was taken from the side door of the Circle House in this city, October 10, by H. H. Holmes, which was thought to contain the body of the boy. Great excitement followed, and hun dreads flocked to the scene as soon as the discovery leaked out, although the officers endeavored to keep the matter a secret. The house was guarded and work began searching for additional evidence. Developments followed thick and fast, and the chain of evi dence is damaging. In a barn connected with the house was a large stove of cylindric shape, of the same pattern as Holmes brought in Cincinnati. He rented the house under an alias. The stove had been moved from the house to the stable by the owner of the house after Holmes vacated. It was at once concluded that the body had been burned in the stove, and search began for the re mains.- Dr. J. F. Barnhill's attention was called by a small boy named Walter Jenny to the stove hole where where the stove had been. It was filled with refuse. This was pulled out, and the remains of the boy we fouud. Physicians and dentists were there, and in this pit of refuse hundreds of peaces of charred bones were found. The teeth showed that the body was that of a boy between eight and ten years of age. All the other bones con firmed this. All were charred and pieces of flesh clung to some of them. The skull bones and pelvis added to the same convicing truth. The body had evidently been burned in a cob fire and in the huge stove found in the barn. Howard's overcoat was found at a grocery store near by, where Holmes had left it, saying the bov would call for it. He never came. Owners of the house recognized Holmes from the picture shown them. All identify him as the man who last October rented the house, with the same story he told in Toronto and other places. He came with the body and the big stove, washstand and bed, stayed two days and then disappeared. Several people havre identified him and aldoubt is removed. Other developements are expected tomorrow, and with this evidence In dianapolis will demand Holmes for trial. Hanging Too Good for Him. ATLANTA, Ga., Aug. 29.-A special to the Constitution from Tallulah Falls says that Seymour Keener was convicted today at Clayton and sen tenced to be hanged on October 18. Keener killed his two cousins, Leonia and Arizona Moore, on Sunday after noon, June 23 last.- Keener had once proposed to his cousin, Arizona, and she had refused him. That was three years before. Keener threatened to kill her.but one or two of her sisters al ways accompanied her, Keener built blind on the Moore farm and would hide behind with a gun, hoping to get a shot at the girl al'one. On the day of the double tragedy Arizona, Leonia and Laura Moore, all sisters, went on a visit to a neighbor's house. Keener saw them go and when they returned he sprang out from behind a rock and shot Leonia first. Laura seized both his hands and held them while her sister, Arizona, ran away. Keener fnally broke loose, however, and pur sued and killed Arizona. lie threat ened to kill his-sister, who tried to save the girl.- There has never been a legal hanging in Raburn County. For Unrequaited Love. NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 27.-A Chatta nooga, Tenn., special to the Daily States, says: Perrin W. Barton, a popular Southern Express clerk, is be ing guarded by oflicers at his room in Tschopik Hotel, violently insane, as a result of unrequited loved. lie has been in the city two years and was a popular favorite in society, but seem ed to be affected with an 'unusual sus ceptibleness, and has proposed to a number of young ladies without sue cess. A few weeks ago he bought a diamond ring, paying $100I for- it, and ofered it to Miss Lillie Belle Dodge. as a token of love, asking her to mar ry him. She took the offer as an in suit and called her mother who eject ed the young man from the house. Yesterday he, rushed from his room in his night clothes, threatening to kill himself, lie is violently insane and it is feared that the will commit suicide. Barton was generally the centre of attraction at all social func tions lie attended and has hosts of friends throughout this section. His brother will arrive tomorrow afte noon from Lexington, Va.. and will take the unfortunate man to the \ ir ginia State asylum for treatment. Reducla~g Salaries. CoLI.mai, S. C., Aug. :I'.- Ia ac cordance with an intention a nounce some time ago the State Board of Con trol has begun cutting down the sala ries of certain Dispensers. The object is to get the salar-ies on a basis comn mensurate with the work and it was announced yesterday that the salaries of several of them had been materially reduced. The names of these unlucky fellows were not given for p)ublicationi. -Register. A Hadly Huiilt Boat. BERLuN, Aug. 29.-The German tor pedo boat, S. 41, capsized and sank in the North Sea yesterday.-Thirteen of her. rw were downed. A DEADLY DRAUGHT. WADE GEIGER DRINKS FOUR OUNCES OF LAUDANUM. His Dead Body Found Under an Unoccu pied House Near His Home-He was an Asylum Employee and Trouble There Caused the Rash Act. COLUIBIA, S. C.. Aug. 28.-W. J. Geiger, an Asylum attendant, was found dead yesterday morning under a small house within about fifty feet of his own home at Huger and Blossom streets. He had been dead for several hours, how long it will never be known and a four ounce vial labeled laud anum lying under his-hand on the ground told the story of his self de struction. What reason the young man had for taking his own life was for a time a mystery. Neither his father or his mother or his wife could assign any reason for his desperate act. Geiger was married only last Sunday to a Miss Kelly and the last she saw of him was 5:30 o'clock Tuesday evening when he kissed her and went up street saying that he would be back at eight. He never came and as the hour passed by the young wife became more and more alarmed instinctively fearing that some harm had befallen her hus band. She never slept that night and early in the morning her worst fears were realized when the daughter of Ste phen Frazier found the dead body of Gegier under the house. The Coroner was notified and had the body removed to the house of Mr. Ross on Marion street, who was his friend. There was not much light th.own on the reasons that led to the suicide from the testimony at the in quest. The following note was found in the dead man's pocket addressed to Mr. Charles Daniels, another attend ant at the Asylum: "Dear Charley take care of my wife and treat her well, you did not do it neither did she it was my own that did it. Please pay R. J. Ross $3.50 for me-tell Sallie she did not do it' I love her I found her a Lady--W. . Geiger." This enclosed in an envelope and was addressed "to C. A. Daniels" and just under this w s: "W. J. Geiger is my name." Another note was found in his trunk which read as follows: "Dear Mother and Father: Please be kind to my wife for she is a Lady for I know it. W. J. Geiger." Mr. W. J. Geiger, father of the un fortunate man, testified as to the find ing of the body, the notes and $5.90 and a piece of tobacco in his son's pockets. He could assign no reason for the rash act. His son had resigned his position at the Asylum. The notes were written in his son's handwriting. Mr. Daniels was an attendant at the Asylum and got married on Sunday at the same time his son did. Mrs. Geiger, wife of the deceased, said that on Tuesday at 5:30 Geige r told her goodbye and kissed her. e went up street and seemed to be in cheerful spirits. After he got out the gate he looked back and smiled -athis wife. He gave her his watch and also. got $5 from her berfore he left and said he would be back at 8 o'clock. She did not nctice athing strangs about his behavior, although he had seemed worried the day before and when asked what was the matter told her not to ask him about it. Dr. Owens testerfied that no marks of violence were found on the body. These facts were all the light thrown on the case at the inquest. It nas learned that the deceased had purchsed a four ounce vial of lauda num from the Murray Drug Company. Buying the drug in such large quan tities no one would suspect suicidal intention. The laudanum was bought about 2 o'clock on Tuesday and Geiger evidently had his plans well arranged beforehand. When he left his wife it is not known where he went but some time after that he re turned, crawled under the unoccupied house and drank the deadly draught. The verdict of the jury was that the deceased had come to his death from an overdose of laudanum. As has been stated Geiger was an attendant at the Asylumi and had been there for a number of years. He was one of the most efficient men about the intitution and had charge of the epileptic ward, one of the most diffi cult to fill. He had a knack of getting along splendidly with the patients who all appeared to like him. Quite to the surprise of Dr. Bab cock, he resigned on Tuesday. Before that some charges had been made against him which shocked the offi cers of the Asylum, who had the great est confidence in him. The charge was that he had taken some jewelr belonging to a patient. Dr. Babcc asked him about it; but he denied it. The attendant who knew the circum stances was in Chester and he was to have arrived in Columbia Tuesday night and Dr. Babcock made an ap pointment for Geiger to meet him at his ollice at 9 o'clock yesterday. Un fortunately the charge against Geiger was well founded and he knew ex posur-e would soon follow. It is more than likely that lie did not have the courage to face the disgraceand grow ing desperate determined to take his own life and rid himself of the igno miny that would attach to him in the eves o&f his fellow men. No doubt too hfe thought of his bride of but three. days and what she would think. If the poor fellow had only acknowledged his wrong doing, he had friends at the Asylum who would have willingly paid thie money for the gewelry even though it had amounted to $100. He would have necessarily been dismissed but lie might have started life over again. repiairedi the wr-ong as far as po:sib~e and lived lmppily thereafter. So far as could be learned he had no marital t roubles in his brief experi enee. though it is said some of his reltives wereC opposed to him marry in- -Reister No woneleI&r' S )TI 1i:N>. Ind., Aug. 28.-For sv;era! vears 3ishawaka, a small place three miles east of South Bend, has been visited annually by conta gious diseases; causing many deaths. About three months ago an epidemic of diphtheria broke out which quickly spread over the entire village with nany fatal cases. Workmen engaged on an- electric plant shut ollr the water to drain the large pit, or reservoir, from which the water mains of Mish awka are supplied. The bed of the pit was covered with dead Ilesh, snakes, dogs, cats and other dead ani mals. Workmen who attemp~ted to clean the pit were overcome. All of the water used in 3Iishawaka was drawn through this mass of decaying animal matter.