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VOL. XI. -A-NNING, S. C.. WEDNESDAY, _MAY 20, 1896. NO. 43. SENATOR VEST HITS HARD. HE SCORES CLEVELAND FOR HIS GROSS INCONSISTENCY. Now Federal Office Holitrs Are Manipu lated by the Administration to Defeat the Will of the People On the Financial Question. The following is an extract from a speech recently delivered in the Unit edStates Senate by Senator Test: I have-and it is all I shall say is connection with my personal history struggled to the full extent of my limited ability to prevent the unfor tunate condition of affairs in the Dem ocratic party today upon this currency question. I stood here at the risk of severe criticism from men who agree with me in regard to the free and un limited coinage of silver and begged the Democrats in this Senate not to thrust this issue upon us, if possible, but to hold the party together upon some conservative basis. I went to the President of the United States in person, and to the Secretary of the Treasury, and undertook to show them what would result if it was attempted to force the Democratic par ty to the single gold standard. I told them that it was impossible to hold us together,whatever might happen to the Republican party, in which equal dis sensions existed, but which had theco hesive power coming from being a mi nority party and which might cause them to survive this struggle for a short time, at least, in face of the great issue of protection to which that party is pledged. I stood here, as I have said, upon this floor, and was alienated by personal and political friends upon this side of the Chamoer because I begged my party associates, if possible, to postpone at least this question in re gard to the free coinage of silver until we could adjust other matters and ' the power of the party upon wh lonceived to be its fundamental principles; but I also said, and say now, that if forced to the issue, I nev er would consent to monometallism, either of gold or silver. That opmion is based upon my abso lute conviction that there is not enough of either metal in the world to trans act the business of mankind without oppression to a large majority. I be lieve that monometallism either of gold or silver is a dastard monopoly, which gives into the hands of the few the power to control the interests and the products of the many. But we have comenow tothat position when against all protest, all supplication even, the administration has forced this issue upon us. We attempted when the re pl of the purchasing clause of the erman Act was before the Senate to effect a compromise with the adminis tration upon this subject, and offered to support that repeal against our con victions, provided they would make some concession to silver as a money metal. That compromise was rejected, and we were then compelled either to fol low the money ideas of Mr. Cleve land, the Presidentof the United States -..-adol-the-Seeretary of the Treasury, who gave his adhesion to him-either to follow their lead in regard to this matter and separate ourselves absolute ly from our own convictions and those of our people, or to follow the manly and honest dictates of our own judg ment. In such a contingency no self respecting public man could hesitate for an instant. I am, therefore, not responsible for this discussion or for similar discussions before the people of the United States. Mr. President, this thing has come to that pass when manhood and decen cy will not permit us to stand here and be told that we are in favor of unsound money, that we are advocating snap conventions, and that we are attempt ing to lead the people in the direction of great disaster. -This morning I saw in the papers that our President had extended the civil service to something like 30,000 more employees of this government. This administration, therefore, has pledged the people of the United btates, so far as it was possible, to the civil service reform, of which we have heard so much. One of the first ele ments of that reform is a divorce be tween the patronage of the govern ment and its political action. One of the burning tenets of this school is that the patronage of the government should not be indirectly used for the purpose of influencing the political convictions or declarations of the peo ple. Some-years ago a very dear friend of mine at my instance was made United States district attorney for the West ern district of Missouri; a ma~n of emi nent ability, of spotless character, who stands as high in the estimation of the people of Missouri as any man withmn its broad domain. When Mr. Cleve .,mland was a candidate the second time for President, this gentleman, a Demo crat belonging to the same school with myself, during the session of the United States Federal Court at Kansas City, went at night to the adjacent vil lages within easy access of the place where the court was held and plead with the people to vote the Democratic ticket, which he believed represented the welfare of the country. I was as tounded on picking up the St- Lottis papers upon a certain fateful morning to find that my friend had been re moved from office, without a hearing, simply because while United States at Storney hie had gone out and spoken for the party to which he and the Presi dent and myeslf belonged. I took the train within ten minutes for Washington, arrived here, went to -His Excellency, and asked him respect fully upon what ground he bad per petrated what I considered an outrage upon my friend, an eminent Democrat. He brought out a newspaper para graph from a paper which had bolted the Democratic ticket the preceding summer, and also helped to beat the Democratic nominee for Congress. 7 is paper had charged that Colonel ., nton, my friend, while holding the oi ice of United States attorney had been guilty of pernicious partisanship by advocating the cause of his party. Ihknew the facts and had telegraphed to the judge of the court for a state ment in regard to the way Colonel Ben ton had discharged the duties of his ofilce and whether he had neglected them in order to give his attention to politics. Upon the 3ext day the an swer from the judge by telegraph reached me. I carried it to the Presi dent and said to him that I personally knew the incumbent had not been guilty of any dereliction or neglect of his duty in order make speeches for the party to which he and .L belonged. When the President discovered that there was no basis for his action, that thi newspaer paragraph was simply groundiess and dictated by personal or political motives. 1 will do him the justice to say that he immediately re voked the order: but not satisfied with revoking it he addressed a letter -published tirst in the press of the country-to Colonel Benton, in which he read him a keture and said he re voked the order because he found Colonel Benton had not neglected his duties, but he wished it distinctly un derstood that while any man held otfice under his administration he did not approve to his dabbling in political canvasses or endeavoring to put his opinions before the people of the United States. As I have said, the President of the United States, while he revokea this unjust order, accompanied it with the declaration that under his administra tion of the government nublic officials whilst holdig office should not dabble as he expressed it, with political mat ters. Now what is the conduct of the ad ministration in regard to this money question before the people of this coun try? Mr. President, I say it with deep regards that this administration has given its whole influence all its patron age, all the power of eloquence and of logic on the part of its Cabinet officers to in fluence the opinions of the people of the United States and to influence the snap conventions of which the Senator from Illinois has spoken. There was not long ago -a year ago a Democratic convention tn Nebraska, and ibe next day it was flashed across the country that the people of Nebraska had deeided for honest money, sound money-this the cant falsehood that is used to entrap the innocent and igno rant voters. When tne truth was known it was found the convention was made up of officeholders-post masters, marshals, collectors of inter nal revenue-men who are living upon the patronage of the Federal government, and whose lungs were filled with the air that came from the Treasury of the United States. This was a triumph of sound money! Where, then, was the civil service re form that gives us today 30,000 new incumbents of offices who can only be removed for cause? Why, Mr. President, there has not been a week when there was more than barely a majority of the Cabinet ministers present in Washington to discharge the duties for which they are paid by the people of this country. They have been traversing their re spective States, and even other States, haranguing the people in joint and single debate, denouncing the "silver lunatics," and talking about "unsound and depreciated money." Have we heard a single whisper of censure from His Excellency in regard to these pro ceedings? Have we heard any lecture from him such as was given to my friend when he dared to advocate the cause, of the Democratic party at that time? But more than that. I do not read, as a rule, from newspapers, but I hap pen to have this statement, fortified by private letters, from the Adrian (Mich.) Press, whose editor is a man of high personal character and unques tioned veracity, and who was a dele gate to the late convention in that Sate. The Senator from Illinois talked of snap convention. Let the Secretary read that from an eyewit ness who participated in that conven tion. The Secretary read as follows: "Of the S2S delegates elected to the convention, 723 were present either in person or by substitute, as shown by tne first ballot. Four hundred and ninety-seven were etected under in struitions from their county conven tiops-to vote as a unit for 16 to 1 sil ver resolution. Granting that the 45 absentees were all silver men, the silver cause ought still to have 452 votes in the convention. "As the vote for Judge McGrath (310) was a fair test of the relative strength of the first candidate of the administration gold crowd and the first candidate of the silver, it follows that there were 142 silver backsliders in the convention. "Every mother's son of the 142 is presumed to have acquiesced to in structions of their home conventions to stand by the silver standard to the last ditch, yet they came to Detroit and bolted at the start into the camp of the goldbug administrationists, where they were received with open arms. "Here is where the backsliders came from, together with the number from each county: Barry County, entire del eation of 11 instructed for 16 to 1 and at deserted and went over to the gold bug administrationists. Calhoun, 14 instructed for silver; 13 turned trait ors and voted with the goldbugs. St. Joseph, entire 11 delegates instructed for silver; 9 were backsliders. Muske gon, 7 instructed for silver; all proved to be traitors. Oceana, all 7 instruct ed for the white metal, 4 deser ed to the g old bugs Iosco, all 5 instructed. 4 deserted. ~Lanawe, 23 instructed, 5 deserted. Hillsdale, 13 instructed, 3 deserted. Cass, 10 instructed, 1 de serted. Menominee, 7 instructed, all backsliders. "In other counties w*here no instruc tions were given, silver men deserted as follows : Alpena, 1; Bay 7 ;-Berrein, 5; Charlevoix, 3; Cheboygan, 2; Mar quette, 1; Midland, 1 : Monroe, 1; Sagi naw, 12; Shiwassee, 2; Van Buren, 3; Washtenaw, 4. "The silver men had a list compiled from the returns of county conven tions showing that had every county sent the full number of delegates, and had there been no backsliding, they would have had, counting only in structed delegates, a majority of 161. '"Chairman Stevenson's private fig ures yesterday morning-not the fig ures that were given out for publica tion-showed a majority of SS for the administration." Mr. Vest: Mr. 'President, I caused that statement to be read instead of reading a much more lengthy one from the Detroit Tribune and an other from the Cincinnati Enquirer, giving the details more in extenso; but should not have had any newspaper articles read except for corroborating private letters on my desk, which any Senator is at liberty to examine. I have not telegraphed to the authors for permission to read them in the Senate, and therefore shall not do so; but they are here. They come from men foi- .vhose integrity and veracity I am willing to vouch; men who have held hi gh positions. who were dele gates in that convention, and who are now delegaLms to the national conven tion to be held at Chicago, and who depict a state rf fae's which are dis graceful to Ameican public life. It is stated by one of those gentlemen that t wo thirds-I learn from another source that all except one-of the post masters of Michigan were on-the floor f the Stte convention. I am prepared for the factious re mark that the material for delegates must have been very poor if they could have been bought or seduced after they arrived in the great city of Detroit. Mr. President, those of us who know anything about conven tions kiow how this proxy system can be used to trample upon the will of the people. We know that when money even for travel cannot be ob tained by the agricultural classes of the country there are men holding office under the government of the Ut ited States ready to pay their own way with proxies in the pockets to represent on the floor of the conven ticn a constituency by whom they would be repudiated. This conve, tion in Michigan no more represented the will of the Democratic party of that State than I represent the will of an English constituency to d.ay upon this floor. The statement that the Democrats of Michigan are not for the free coinage of silver is, in my judg ment, as false as to say that the Dem ocrats of the State of Mihsouri are op posed to it. It was stated in Missouri prior to the last convention tl-at the gold men or sound money me:n would control the convention. Out of 800 delezatet there were not one dozen sent there who did not favor the free coinage of silver. Even from the great conmer cial centers like St. Louis and Kansas City the delegates from every ward ex cel.t one were in favor of the free and unlimited coinage the white metal. I am a delegate to the Chicago con vention against my wish, sent there by my people to discharge a duty. I havt: stated, under much criticism in Mia souri,Ithat I was a Democrat under all conditions and intended to abide by the action of my party ; that I way toc old to hunt for a new political home: that I should die, as I have lived, ini the party of Jefferson, devoted to hi teachings and principles. But I serve notice now that if this convention at Chicago is to be made up of Federal officeholders, brought there to over awe and override the wishes of the honest majority of the Democratic party throughout the United States, it is no Democratic convention with me. I shall abide the will of the majority of my party, honestly and fairly ex pressed. I make no threat, but I want no misunderstanding. The Democrat ic party is a party of people, controll ed by an honest expression ot their will, and not by Federal patronage. RAILROAD VALUATIONS. Some Reductions and Some Increases Board to Meet Again on June 2. CoLUMBIA, S. C., May 14.-The Railroad Board of Equalization met yesterday afternoon in the Comptrol ler General's office for the purpose of fixing the tax assessments of the vari ous roads for 1S96. The board consists of the State Treasurer, who is chair man, the Secretary of State, the At torney General and Mr. W. D. Evans, chairman of the Railroad Commission. The board made a few changes in the assessments and will meet again on June 2, when, doubtless, the roads affected will appear and argue their cases. Mayor Sloan and City Auditor Tal ley had an audience with the Board in order to induce them to make the as sessments according to the city's fig ures which, by the way, are what rail road property was formerly assessed t within the city limits. The board onsidered the matter, but lef t the as sessments at the same valuation as The following are the comparative statements, the first figure represent ng the assessment per mile for 1895 and the second for 1896: Abbeville and Spartanburg, $6,000 and $6,000; Ashley River. $7,000 and 9000, an increase of $2,000; Atlanta and Charlotte, $16,000, same this year; Berkelev Railroad, $3.000, same this year; Blue Ridge, $4,000 and $2,500, a reduction of $1,500; Branchville and Bowman, $1,500, same this year; Car lina. Cumberland Gap and Chicago, 4,0uO,same this year; Carolina,Knox ilie and Western, $1,000. same this year; Carolina Midland, $5,000, same this year; Charlotte, Columbi.A and Augusta, $13,000, same th's year; Che aw and Chester, $2,500, same thisI year; Charleston and Savannah. $13, 000 and $14,000, an increase of $1.0O00; heraw and Salisbury, $3,500 and $4, 00, an increase of $500; Chester and [enoir, $3,000, same this year; Cen ral of South Carolina, $8.000, same this year; Columbia and Greenville, $10,000, same this year; Comumbia, New berry and Laurens, $5,000. same this year; East Shore Terminal, $10, 00, same this y ear; Florence Railroad, $15000, same this year; Florense Rail-I road, Latta branch, $3.500 and $4,000. n increase of $500; Georgia, Carolina and Northern, $10,000, same this year; eorgetown and Western, $2,000, same as this year; Glenn Springs, $2,000 and $2,500, an increase of $500; reen Pond, Walterboro and Branch ille, $1,000, same this year; Florida entral and Peninsular, $7,500, same this year; Hartsville Railroad, $2,000 and $2,5b0, an increase of $500; Lau ens, $3,000 and $5,000, an increase of $2,000. This road is now a p art of the olumbia, Newberry and Laurens or has very intimate and close connection with it; Manchester and Augusta $6, 00 and $10,000 an increase of $4,000; Nortneastern, $16,000, same this year; hio River and Charleston (the Three 's), $5,000, same this year; Port Roy al and Augusta, $7,500, same this year; Port Royal and Western Carolina, 6.500, same this year; Palmetto, $3, 00, same this year; South Carolina and Georgia, $15,000, same this year: South Carolina and Pacific, $6,500 and $8,000, an increase of $1,500; South and North Carolina, last year different portions of this road were assessed at $1,000 and $600. This year the whole is assessed at $1,000; Spartanburg, Union and Columbia, $6,000 and $8,000; Wilmington, Chad-I bourn and Conway, $4,000 same this year; Wilmington and Augusta. $10, 000, same this year; Wilmington, Co lumbia and Augusta, from Pe-Re Florence, $15,000, same as last yeai-; Wilson and Summnerton, $3,20u and $3,000, a reduction of $200.-Register. A Mine Explosion. MONONGAHELA City, Pa., May 14. An explosion in Monongahela mine No. 2, property of WV. H. Brown & Sons, today caused the death of XV . Cloughton,a miner,and severe injuries to Frederick Wiles, a coal shoveler. The latter may not recover. Seventy five miners had great difficulty in fghting their way through tne smoke and gas, some being overcome and re moved by their companions. The mine was considerably damaged. The cause of the explosion is not defifinitely known. Cloughton was a widower nd lavwese s mall chilren. JACKSON FOUND GUILTY. THE BETRAYER AND MURDERER OF PEARL BRYAN CONVICTED. He Must Die for His Crime-Finding of the Headless Body at a Beautiful Spot Over 1e-king the City of Cincinnati. NEWPORT, Ky., May 14.-In the case of Scott Jackson. charged with killing and cutting off the head of Pearl Bryan. the jury returned the following verdict: "We, the jury, tind the defendant, Scott Jackson, guilty of murder in the first degree and fix his penalty at death." The Judge had previously annuonced that no demonstration of approval or disapproval by spectators would be permitted. Deputies were placed thrcughout the room with in structions to bring before the cou rt any persons disobeying this instruc tion, to be punished for contempt. Consequently the verdict was heard with silence, but immediately after the adjournment of court the specta tors rushed to the jurors and shook their hands heartily. They also shook each other by the hand, showing a hearty approval of the verdict of the jury. 'Jackson himself received his doom with no manifestation of emo ton except ashen paleness of the face. None of his relatives were present. The abed father of Pearl Bryan and her brother Frederick Bryan were present when the verdict was rendered. The usual motion for a new trial was rade and then Jackson was taken away to jail. he had been surrounded by a halt dozen or innre otlicers when the jury came in, and went nut under protection, although there w is no de uzmoustration toindicate a necessity for so much care. in a Icng interview, Jackson admits his surprise over the verdict and claims that he had proved an alibi. He still maintains his inno cence and says that Walling killed Pearl Bryan. The prisoner is greatly depressed over the verdict and in his interview could not suppress his des pondent feeling. Walling has also been interviewed since the verdict and expresses his satisfaction. He still maintains that Scott Jackson killed the girl and in his interview repeated ly stated that Jackson deserved hang ing. WHO JACKSON IS. Jackson is the son of a Maine sea captain who died years ago. He took his son, Scott. with him on many voy ages. After his father's death, Jack son went west with his mother and settled at Greencastle, Ind. After re maining in Greencastle for some time he went to Indianapolis to attend lec tures in a dental college, and his mo ther went with him. Nothing derog atory to his character there, save the pranks usual among students, is known. It is related, but merely as a curious coincidence, tnat while he was in Indianapolis as a student the head of a woman was found one night on the steps of an undertaker, whose house happened to be across the street from where .Jackson lived. On the return of Jackson and his mother to Greencastle Jackson was a hangeron about the office of Dr. Gillespie, who had given Jackson some professional work. It was while he was-in Dr. Gillespie's office that Jackson became intimate with Will Wood, the preach er's son, and it is said that Will Wood first introduced Scott Jackson to Pearl Bryan. It is charged that Jackson ruined Pearl Bryan and murdered-her to conceal the other crime. There is a strange fascination about the story of this murder. The body of Pearl Bryan, with the exception af the head, which is still missing, was found by a boy, John Hewling, Saturday morn ng, February 1, near Fort Thomas, Ky. SCENE OF THE MIURDER. The spot where the body was dis overed is picturesque. It is on time orthern slope of one of the most ightly spots in Kentucky. Less than 00 yards from the exact spot, on the outh, is the government post of St. homas, established several years ago, wnen Newport barracks were remov d there. The buildings are modern. Northward is the basin, or the cald on, of Cincinnati and is shaded by he delightful cool '-walnut hills" in he background, while east and west he yellow waters of the Ohio river re seen moving slowly, as if they were loath to pass by the landscape on either side. Near this spot is a turn ike road, known as the Alexander ike. It is a fashionable drive way in ummer, and threads its way about he slope and surrounds it. as a rail oad does in crossing a mountain Exactly 200 yards from this turnpike, t a point in sight of the sentries of ort Thomas, within sound of reveille and sunset gun, on a slight- embank ment about which had been planted what is known as prevet bushes, the eadless form of Pearl Bryan was found, early in the morning, by the oy Rewling. The trunk of the head ay downward and to the west; the ody lay in an angular position to ward the northeast. Une arm lay un er the body ; the other was outstrech d upon the ground. There were lood splashes about the breast and he waist; about the place where the runk hung down the emnbaokment, ad upon the bushes near by, and the artn in the same vicinity snowed that t was stained with blood. All of these facts were elicited during the trial and rought in at the coroner's inquest, and it was these facts which caused he coroner's jury to find that the murder was committed in Kentucky, a point which the counsel of the ac used undertook to upset, and came very near doing it, for it is agreed on oth sides that the legal contest of this ase has been skillfully conducted and hat it will forever be~ cited by crimi al lawvyers. A fence of barbed wire stands between the Alexander pike and the place where the body was found. A gate in the fence is almost pposite the spot of the find, but it is always locked. Close to this fence, and ~r the gate, track-s made by . cab tires were discovered that -morning, showing that a vehicle ad.Left the road and turnedi in to ward the fence. Tne owner of the land, \r. Locke, heard of the boy's discov ery and he notified the commander of the post and the coroner and the sher itf, anid the investigation began. The coroner's jury did not return its ver dict until alter the arrest of Scott Jackaon, Alonzo Walling and Will Wood. Tihe latter admitted to the de tectiv'es that he had sent Pearl Bryan to Cizncintiati for an operation, and he was released on $5,000 bond. FIXING THE CRDME. The finding of the coroner's jury in this case was fuller and more detinite than such findings usually are. It follows: 1. That the dead body was found on the farm of John Locke, near Fort Thomas. Feb. 1, is the body of Pearl Bryan, late of Greencastle, Ind. 2. That cocaine had been adminis tered to the woman. 3. That decapitation had taken place while the woman was still alive, and at the place where the body was found. 4. That Pearl Bryan, Scott Jackson and Alonzo M. Walling were last seen together at 6 o'clock on Friday event ing, Jan. 31, entering a cab together at George and Plum streets, Cincin rati, and that the cab was driven out in the direction of Fort Thomas. While the jury of the coroner was at work the detectives were chasing down clews, and bloodhounds were started from the spot where the body was found, and followed a trail that led to the Covington, Ky., reservoir, not far away. It was concluded that the head of the body had been thrown into the reservoir. The reservoir was pumped dry at an expense of $2.000 to the people, but no head was found. The search continued and one theory followed another until everybody in the vicinity grew sick of the mystery. On one occasion a negro who knew Jackson and Walling said the head was buried on a sandbar near Dayton, just above Cincinnati. Thither went detectives, followed by reporters and others who knew of the rumor, and the whole sandbar was dug; over but no head was found. IDENTIFIED BY HER CORSET. Pearl Bryan was one of eight chil dren. six girls and two boys, and was her "father's baby." Her father start ed a little millinery store, which was managed by her sister, Ars. Keller. i t was to be Peal's when she had learn ed the busintss. One of the pathetic incidents in connection with this fact is that a fe-w nights before Pearl went away, never to come back alive, she was at the store. Some new goods had been received. In the invoice were corsets. Mrs. Stanley, her sister, and Pearl marked 'the corsets with cost and selliug price. When, some days later, Mrs. Stanley and her broth ers were called to Cincinnati to see if they could identify the headless bony of a girl in an undertaker's place, where it was exposed. Mr. Stanly identified the clothing on the body as that of her sister Pearl, and one of the articles was the corset, one which Pearl had marked on the night of the incident described The Cincinnati detectives went to Greencastle first in this celebrated case, before the arrest of Scott Jackson and Alonzo Walling, on the strength of a dispatch sent by a Western Union operator. They learned from him that Pearl Bryan was missing. They also learned that the operator was a friend of Will Wood, and that Wood had told him of the intimacy between Pearl Bryan and Jackson, and that Wood had told him that he had a letter from Jackson in which Jackson said Pearl was to go to him in Cincinnati, where he had arranged with a surgeon and a chemist to perform the operation, and that he (Jackson) would take care of Pearl. SCOTT JACKSON ACCUSES WALLING. Scott Jackson was arrested Wednes day, FeJruary 5, and Alonzo Walling was arrested on the following day. The former at his room, the latter on street, and both in Cincinnati. Will Wood was found and arrested in South Bend. Jackson's testimony at the trial just ended was that he first learnd of the finding of the headless body at Fort Thomas when he picked up a newspaper at the supper table Friday evening. Walling was at the table with him. Jackson said he was so horrified at the newspaper story that he could not eat his supper. Waliing finished his supper and then said: "Com'e on, let's go up to the room we've got something to attend to." He finished his supper and then went to the room. Walling had t wo valises and some bundles there. He gave him a bundle and a valise and said - "Jack, get rid of these things quick." The 'witness asked him what the bundles contained. "Don't stoo to ask," was the reply. "Go and get rid of them." The witness was panic stricken and did Walling's bidain g mechanically. "Take that grip and throw it a way," said W alling, "The river's the best place to throw it." Both took bundles and went out. Walling told Jackson to meet him at the Palace hotel, as he had made en gagements to goto the theater. Jack son went to the bridge. While he was crossing the package come open and he saw the contents-some under lothing and a dress. He dropped the package from tne bridge. He had no opportunity to throw the va lise over, as got on a car and took the valise up to Legner's saloon. He then went to the Palace hotel and met Walling aud a party of students, with whom he went to the theater. Jackson testified that when he read the newspaper he said: "Walling, this isn't your deed, is it?" Waling replied, "Don'task any foolish n'e'; tions." When the witness asked hinm wnat he had done with the head he said: "Oh, I threw it overboard. Will that do you any good ?" The conviction of Jackson is but one step in the case. Tne trial of Walling is tne next. The only reasonabie the ory is that the girl was enticed to Cin ionati, dragged, taken in a rockaway to the scene of the murder and there beheaded. The head has never been found and the body is buried in the ittle gr aveyard at Greeneastle. A Disastrous Storm. CHARLOTT5v1LLE, \a. May 13.-A disastrous wind, rain and hail storm visited this section this af'ternoon, ac companied by lightning and thunder. Uouses were unroofed and flooded and in several instances struck by lightning. Hundreds of fruit and shade trees were uprooted or broken off, several partly finished houses were blown downs The streets were turned into rivers and men, women and children were panic-stricken and frightened; some narrowly escaped wih thei rlives. The wind approached the form of a cyclone and tore through the streets while the rain fell in tor rents. Lightning struck the big store of T. J. Willis & Co., the wind lifting the rooC and carrying it many feet. The large stock of merchandise was badly damaged. The roof of the an nex of Wright's Hotel was blown off and deposited in the street. Several other buildings were unroofed and goods damaged by water. Trolley cars and Chesapeake and Uhio Rail road trains were delayed by falling trees. Looted a Miss.ionl. SusaNsA1, May 13.-An attack was made by native rioters yesterday up on the British Protestant mis.sion at Kiang Yin, which was looted and burned by the mob. The missionaries succeeded in makring. their escape. A BRIGHTER OUTLOOK FOR THE DEMOCRACY IN THE COM ING PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. The Columbia State Thinks it has a Good Chance of Winning on a Silver Platform with a Candidate to Match. COLUMBIA. S. C., May 16.-The fol lowing editorial appeared in The State of Friday morning: "The States says that 'it tries to be practical and it endeavors not to waste time in arguing things assured or things impossible.' Does The State mean to say that it regards a 16 to 1 silver vic tory possible? Does it dream that Democratic candidates on a 16 to 1 platform can be elected? Does it for a moment imagine that free silver senti ment will prevail in the two houses of congress or in the White House after the fall elections? Is it 'practical' or 'possible' to defeat the Republican party by appealing to the silverites?" -Charleston Evening Post. We have been waiting for just these questions, and we had the answers ready in ad vance. To begin with, our contemporary, by some effort of the memory, will recol lect that this silver argument was not of our seeking; indeed, that it was forced on us. Up to several weeks ago The State had contented itself with oc casional comments on the progress of the monetary campaign, maintaining, as it had done for over a year, that the silver cause would win in the national Democratic convention. This was on the line of either current information or prophecy, as you please to call it. It was not propagandism. We did not care to argue a question which we knew was settled, so far as this State was concerned, and that we believed was settled, so far as the national De mocracy was concerned-first, because it was useless; second, because it might have looked like a rather cheap bid for popularity. But "Honest Dollar," and The Post and the Greenville News and "Civis" and so forth rained ques tions on us which we felt constrained to meet-and so we were forced into argument. 'I ain't so fond uv bettin'; but I nev er let a banter Bluff me, while I've hoss-flesh that kin walk or run or canter." This disposes of the charge of argu ing a "thing assured." As to the "thin: impossible," The Post asks us if we believe "a 16 to 1 silver victory possible." Certainly! There are few, if any, impossibilities in politics. When the people get an idea into their heads that they are being wronged they re verse their votes with great facility. This newspaper has a fairly success ful record as a prophet of national po litical results. In 1S92 it predicted Cleveland's nomination on the first ballot; likewise-at the time of the convention-that he would carry Illi nois, Wisconsin and other Western States on a "tidal wave," and that the Ohio vote would be very close. It based that judgment on the popular dissatisfaction with the McKinley tar iff. In 1S94 it predicted a Republican tidal wave. Cause. the panic, dissatis faction with Democratic bungling and a reaction toward McKinleyism, as a policy too quickly condemned. A year ago it predicted for this year a sharp silver and gold issue and a sil ver victory in the nationa' Democratic convention, and a bolt; likewise a straddle by the Republican convention. Opinion based on popular disgust at the bond sales, the President's policy of gold monometalism, and the furore for "Coin's Financial School" and other silver literature. We do not assert positively that "Democratic can. didates on a 16 to 1 platform will be elected." but we emphatically assert that this is a year of another reaction and of an enormously increased oppo sition to gold monometalism. The south. which is suffering less than any other section, owing to the increased self-reliance of its farmers and the large profits on the last cotton crop, is for free silver anyhow. -The west is worse off. and is more than ever for the white metal. Even in States heretofore considered as doubt ful, the bad condition of business, the tightness of money, the aisence of all the blessings promised as a conse quence of the repeal of the Sherman act, promocte dissatisfaction with the gold standard and warn us of impor tant changes. The people generally have lost their patience to such an ex tent in the last few years that their disposition is to turn suddenly and fiercely upon the authors of any legis lation which they believe to be inimi cal to their interests. Party ties are looser th-au they have been since Mon roe's day Whether silver will win the Presi dency depends upon several questions. One is how McKinley and his platform can be made to tit each other. lIfthe Democratic convention, as we antici pate, shall declare for free silver and nominate a silver man, and if McKin ley shall hold to his financial straddle and have a straddle platform; then we think that the fanatical gold men, Re publicans and Democrats, will com bine on a ticket of their o3wn, and sil ver will surely win. Otherwise, it is impossible to predict the result with assurance. One thing is certain ; the D~emocrat ic party, with free silver as its issue, will be in far better position than it occupied a few months ago, wnen it had no issue. Its condition seemed hopeless then. Nobody would have bet ten cents on its success as it stood. There could rnot be a safer time, from a party standpoint, for trying an ex periment with it. The Post asks us if we "for a mo ment imagine that free silver senti ment will prevail in the two houses of congress after the fall elections." It prevails in the senate now, anL there it will continue to prevail, as even the gold calculators admit. It is very ikely to prevail in the house. There is a greater probability that the house will be for M.'e silver than that the President wint be. The reasons will readily suggest themselves. And now, to close with a counter question, let us ask The Post where te dickens it could expect to get the votes to elect to the Presidency a Dem ocratic candidate pledged to gold mo nometalism? The Democrat who loses the South loses five-sixths of a cer tainty. Could such a candidate carry the south? Could he carry the west? Could lie carry the east?! What would he do in the east against the Republi cans; in the west against the Populists; in the south against the silver party certain to follo w his nomination ? If there be doubt of the success of a silver Democrat there is a certainty of the failure of a gold Democrat. He would have to reise his army in the A FLYING MACHINE. Mechanical Flight Through the Air Practically Demonstrated. WASHINGTOx, May 14.-The first public statement regarding the flying machine experiments conducted by Prof. Samuel P. Langley, secretary of the Smithsonian institution, for some months past was made recently with the authority of Professor Langley. The well known scientist has for years been a believer in the eventual practi cal use of air vehicles, and for a long period be has been making experi ments with a device of his own inven tion near Occoquan, Va. Much secrecy has been attached to these trials of the aerodrome, and the little that has leaked out has excited it tense interest among scientists throughout the world. Professor Langley has always been very guarded about the experiments, and the accounts of his lattest attempts with the flying machine, embodied in the folowing statement, prepared by Prof. Alexander Graham Bell, the well known inventor, published with the sanction of Professor Langley, therefore will be of great interest to the scientific world generally: DESCRIBED BY PROFFESSOR BELL. "Last Wednesday," says Professor Bell, "I witnessed a very remarka ble experiment with Professor Lang ley's aerodrome on the Potomac river. Indeed, it seemed to me that the experi ment was of such historical importance that it should be made public. "I should not feel at liberty to give an account of all the details, but the main facts I have Professor Langley's consent forgiving you, and they are as follows: "The aerodrome, or 'flying machine,' in question, was of steel, driven by a steam engi e. It resembled an enorm ous bird, soaring in the air with ex treme regularity in large curves, sweeping steadily upward in a spiral path, in the spirals with a diameter of perhas 100 yards, until it reached a height of about 100 feet in the air, at the end of a course of about half a mile, when the steam gave out the propell ers which moved it stopped, and then, to my further surprise, the whole, in stead of tumbling down, settled as slowly and gracefully as it is possible for any bird to do, touched the water without damage, and was immediately picked out and ready to be tried again. "A second trial was like the first, except that the machine went in a dif ferent direction, mc'ving in one con tinuous gentle ascent as it swung around in circles like a great soaring bird. At one time it seemed to be in danger, as its course carried it over a neighboring woodea promontory, but apprehension was immediately allay ed, as it passed 25 or 30 feet above the tops of the highest trees there, and, as cending still further, its steam finally gave out again, and it settled into the waters of the river not quite a quar ter of a mile from the point at wnich it arose. "No one could have witnessed these experiments without being convinced that the practicability of mechanical flight had been demonstrated." STATEMENT FROM PROM PROF. LaNGLEY. Prof. Langley also made public a supplemental statement, giving some important data regarding experiments. He said: "The aerodrome or flying machine has no gas to lift it, as in the case of a balloon, but on the contrary, it is about 1,000 times heavier, bulk, for bulk, than the air on wiich it is~ made to run, and which sustains it somewhat in the way in which thin ice supports a swift skater. The power is derived from a steam engin through the means of propellers, :at, owing to the scale on which the actual aerodromne is built, there has been no condensing appa ratus to use the water over and over. Enough can be carried for only a very brief flight, a difficulty which does not belong to larger machines than the present exam pie, in which the supporting surfaces are but about 14 feet from tip to tip. TIhe distance flown each time was about one half mile. The rate of speed depends (as in the case of any vechile on land) on whether it is going on a level or up hill. In the case of this last trial of May 6,-the machine was ascending. that is 1o say, it was going up hillall the time, and went through a distance of one-half mile or more in one ana one-half minutes, or at the rate of a little more than 20 miles an hour." Jealous of the "Lily whites." NEW YoRK, May 14.-A convention of Colored Republican delegates from nine States of the Soutn was held here to-day. There were forty-three del egates. J. H. Jones presided and Win. H. Tait was secretary. It was announced that the convention was called to devise some means to prevent the so called "Lily Whites" of the South from crowding Gut of the St. Louis convention the colored delegates in Districts where the colored Repub licans are in the- majority. The con vention passed a nuinber of reso'lu tions, among them one petitioning the negroes of the South to unite against the "Lily Whites" of the South. The convention declared the "Lily Whites" to be made up of "Plebs" and dissatis office seekers of the Democratic party. National delegate G. WV. Edwards of Virginia, made tne principal speech. He said the Republican party should come back to the first principles-hu man rights. The colored man was first to spill his blood in the lat-' re bellion. The speaker continued: "The negro saved the Union, and saved the Republican party, and the nation can< only be saved by the nomimation of such a man as Reed. Allison. Morton, 1 Quay or Cullom. The country does] not ~wrnt any Hayes in the White House.- It would have been better for Tilden to have been seated than for, the rights of the negro to have been - surrendered by Hayes." Magnus B.1 Robinson, editor of the Leader, madei a strong speech in favor of the color ed delegates at the national conven - tion. The meeting was secret and] those present are reticent concerning 1 all that transpired. The Race EQuestion. SPRINGFIELD, Ill., May 13.-The sd- I premne court yesterday rendered a de-t cision sustaining the action of a Bloo mington druggist, who refused to sell soda water to a negro on account of his color. The court holds that the i selling of soda water does not consti- I tute the furnishing of lodging, amuse ment or meals as provided for in the the act. An Insane Widow. RIPLEY, 0., May 14.-A widow named Fitzpatrick near here this mor ning hanged her four children and herself. It is supposed that the wo man became suddenly insane.1 CONDITION OF THE CROPS THERE HAS BEEN A CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT. The Encouraging Weekly Bulletin Issued Wednesday by State Weather Observer. How the Crops Feared the Week Just Ended. The following is the weekly bulletin of the condition of the weather and the crops issued Wednesday by State Observer Bauer: This bulletin covers the waather and crop conditions for the week ending Saturday, May 9, and in its prepara tion were used reports from one or more correspondents in each county of the State. WEATHER. Although the average temperature for the past week was just the same as for the preceding, yet, relatively, it was slightly cooler, as the seasons in crease in temperature averages about 2 degrees a week during May. There were several cool nights, and mini mum temperatures of 50 or below were reported from the high lands of the western and northern counties. The minima for the week were 49-at Ridgew ty. 48 at Cheraw and Elloree, all on Friday, the 8th. *rhe maximum temperature was 94, reported from Cheraw on the 6th. The mean temperature for the State, for the week-being the average of 36 weekly mean temperature reports was 69, and the normal for the same period is approximately 69. The high est mean was 73 at Poverty Hill, Edgefield county, and the lowest 64 at Reid, Greenville county. The mean temperature for the State since March 1st has been about 1.5 degrees per day above normal. There were quite general showers over the entire State on the 3d, 4th and 5th, but the rainfall was never theless partial, and in consequences there remain large portions of the State where drought is not relieved, the ground having received only sur face wetting. Over a strip of country about six miles wide, in Pickens coun ty, the rainfall exceeded four inches on the 3d, and was accompanied by large hail that, in the vicinity of Loo per's, destroyed all vegetation in its path and stripped the trees of fruit. The path of this destructive hail was narrow and short. The heavy rains washed lands badly in Pickens and Edgefield counties, and newly planted lands have since then crusted over. Over the greater portion of the era comprised by Aiken, Lexington, Rich land, Sumter, Fairfield, York, New berry. Union, Kershaw, Chester and Lancaster counties, the rainfall re mains deficient. Over the remainder of the State enough rain fell for the immediate needs of crops. The following heavy rains were re ported: Looper's 2 20; Liberty 4.00; Augusta, Ga., 1.75; Greenville 2.34; Florence 1.58; Yemassee 1.76; Trial 1.60; Reid 1.75; Longshore 1.06; Clem son College 2.87; Elloree 1.25; Gillons ville 1.26; Poverty Hill 2.10. Thirteen other places reported amounts from 3.50 to 1.00, and .15 places reported imounts less than half an inch. The average of 41 rainfall reports was 1.03, and the normal for the same period is ipproximately 0.78. The prevailing wind for the week was from the northeast, followed by south west and west. They were gen Ir-ally light and without mateii in Suence on crops. CROPS. Crops, as a rule, made satisfactory progress during the week, except that i few cool nights seemed to put a de :ided check on the growth of corn and :otton, but fortunately the weather ;oon turned warmer. With the ex :eption of the territory already noted, ;here seems to be sufficient moisture *or most crops, but grains 'would be greatly benefitted by more rain. The lanting season is practically over, except for some of the minor crops mnd for the bottom land corn, and this .s making satisfactory progress. The Collowing brief summaries express the general conditions of the various crops named, and when a particular crop is aot mentioned it may be assumed that hie reports on it are in the main fav >rable. Corn continues to do well; is gener Ily worked clean, has good color, md stands are satisfactory. Reports an corn, without exception continue ~avorable, unless that some report it miall for the season, and that cut and ud or heart worms are damaging the tand in a number of the counties. Cotton received a slight check to growth during the few cool nights, ut without sustaining any material .njury. Stands are reported the best tver known in Anderson, Darlington mnd Chesterfield counties, and over he entire State the stands are good. 3ome complaints of grass in Edgefield Ind Pickens counties, where the riound was too wet to work. Cotton .s reiiorted as having a good, healthy ~olor generally. Sea island cotton has good stand and is tnriving. Chop >ing to a stand continues actively,and n places cotton has been plowed the ~econd time. Planting has finished. Peaches continue to drop badly; >ther fruit doing well. Plums ripen ng in southern portions; inferior tuality. Berries plentiful. Grapes >romnising. Melons doing well every rhere, arnd in places are in blossom. Larger areas than usual being devo ed to s weet potatoes in a number of :ounties. Draws plentiful. Gardens yielding plenty of vegeta >hs, although where the rainfall was ightest they continue to fail. solid for silver. NAsHVILLE. May 7. -The Tennessee )emocratic convention met at noon oday. Tne platformnadopted declares nost emphatically for the free and un imited coinage of silver at the ratio of G to 1. During the afternoon Internal lhvenue Collector Bond made an im >assioned speech for Cleveland and was so hissed and harassed that the hair was forced to make many per onal appea'. to the delegates to al ow him to pre-cee I. Bond was, prior o his appo h.men t a free silver man. Teller on Top. PUEBLo, Col., May 14.-The Colo ado Rebublican convention late to ight declared for bimetalism and ,rotection, with free silver the para nount issue. Senator Teller was hosen to head the delegation. No in tructions were given, except obedi nee to his directions. Early in the venling a telegram was received from senator Wolcott declining tO go as a telegate and this simplified matters Lnd averted the expected fight between