Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL. XVI. MANNING, S. C. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1901. NO. AGUINALDO CAUGHT By General Funston and Carried to Mar i14. BETRAYED BY TRAITORS, And Taken Prisoner By Min He Thought Had Surrendered to Him. H. w It Was Done. A dispatch from Manila says: "Gen. Frederick Funston's daring prvjeot for the capture of Aguinaldo in his hiding place in the province of Isabela, Island of Luzon, has proved completely successful. Aguinaldo was captured there March 23. The United States gunboat Vicksburg, Commander, E. B. Barry, with Gen. Funston and Agui naldo on board, arrived here this morn ing." Upon landing from the Vicksburg Aguinaldo was taken befor Gen. Mac Arthur at the Malacanang palace. He talked freely, but seemed ignorant con cerning recent events. He appeared to be in good health and was very cheer ful. He lunched with the efficers of Gen. MacArthur's staff and was then escorted to the Anda street jail. Agui naldo's capture was attendeu with con siderable difficulty, an insurgent major being killed at the time of the event. Twenty rifles and a number of import ant papers were captured. HOW IT WAS DONE. Gen. Funston made the following state mot concerning the capture of the Filipino leader: The confidential agent of Aguinaldo arrived February 28 at Pantabangan, in the province of Nueva Eoija, north ern Luson, with lette rs, datea January 11, 12 and 14. These letters were from Emilio Aguinaldo and directed Baldor mero Aguinaldo to take cemmand of the provinces of Central Luzon. sup planting Gen. Alejandrino. Emilio Aguinaldo also ordered that four hun dred men be sent him as soon as possi ble, saying that the bearer of the letter would lead these men to where Agui naldo was. Gen. Funston secured the corres pondence of Aguinaldo's agent and laid his plans accordingly. Some months previously he had captured the camp of the insurgent Gen. Lacuna, in o;dentally obtaining Lacuna's seal, of ficially obtaining Lacuna's seal, of ficial papers, and a quantity of signed correspondence. From this material two letters were constructed, ostensi bly from Locuna to Aguinaldo. One of these contained information as to the progress of the war. The other asserted that, pursuant to orders re oeived from Baldormero Aguinaldo, Lacuna was sending his best company to Presidente Emilo Aguinaldo. His plans completed and approved, Gen. Funston came to Manila and or ganiad his expedition, selecting 78 Macabeses, all of whom spoke Tagalog fluently. Twenty wore insurgent's uni Iorms and the o.hers the clothing of Filipinos laborers. The Macabebe com pany, armed with 51) Mausers, 18 Bemingtons and 10 Krag-Jorgensens, was commanded .by Uapt. Russell T. Hasinard of the 18th U. S. volunteer cavalry. With him was his brother, Lient. Oliver P. MI. HLzard, of the same regiment. Capt. Harry W. New ton, 34th infantry, was taken because of his familiarity with Casiguran bay, and Lieut Burton J. Mitchell, of the 40th-infantry, went as Gen. Fuanston's aide. These were the only Americans accompanying the expedition. With the Macabebes were fcur ex insurgent offiers, one being a Spanish and the other three Tagolos, whom Gen. Funston trusted implicitly. Gen Funston and the American cffieers wore plain blue shirts and khaki trcusers. They carried each a half blanket but wore no insignia of rank. The Maca bebes were carefilly instructed to obey the orders of the four ex insurgent .ff cers. Onuthe night of March 8th the party embarked on the United States gunboat Vicksburg. It was originally intended to take cascoesfrom the island of Polillo and to drift to the main land, but a storm arose and three of the cas coes were IeLt This plan was aban doned. At 2 a. m. March 14 the Vicksburg put her lights out and ran inshore 25 miles south of Casiguran, province of Principe. The party march to Casigu ran. The Americans had never gar risoned this place, and the inhabitants are strong insurgent sympathizers. Having arrived there the er insurgent cffiers, cstensibly commandirg the par ty announced that they were on the way to join Aguinaldo between Pauto bagan and Baler, that they had snr prised an American surveying party and that they had killed a number, capturing five. They exhibite d Gen. Fuaston arnd the other Americans as the prisoners. Tne insurgent presidents of Casi guran believed the story. Two of tl~e Lacuna letters, previously ct ce e ed, were forwarded to Aguinaldo at Pala nan, prcvince of Isabela. Gen Fain ston and the others we.re kept im prisoned for three days, giving orders at night. On the mornirg of March 17, taking a small quantity of cracke I corn, the party started on a 90 mile march to Palaman. The country is rough and uninhabited, and provisions eauld not be secured. The party ate small shell fish, but were almost starved. Wading swift rivers, *lim' ing precipitous mountains and pene trating dense jungles, they marched seven days and nights and on March 22 had reached a point eight miles frc m P'alanan. They were DOW so weak that it was necessary to Eend to Aguin aldo's camp for foc d. Aguinaido dis patched supplies and directed that the American prisoners be kindly treated but not be allowed to enter the town. On the morning of March 23 the ad vanec' was resumed. The column was met by the staff cffcers of Aguinaldo and a detachment of Aguinaldo's body guard, which was ordered to take charge of the Americ ins, While one of the ex-ineurgent s.ffio~r-s conversed with Aguinaldo's aiae, another was sent as courier to warn Gen. Funston and the rest who, with 11 Macabebes were about an hour behind. Having received this warning Gen. Funston avoided Aguinaldo's detachment and joine the column, avoiding observa tic-n. The Tagalogs went ahead to greet Auinaldo and the column slowly followed, finsily arriving at Palanan. Aguinaldo's party had troops, 50 men in neat uniforms of blue and white and wearing straw hats, lined up to re civa the new comers. Gen. Funston's men crossed the river in small boats, formed on the bank and marched to the right and then in front of the in surgent grenadiers. The Tagalos en tt red the house where Aguinaldo was. Suddenly the Spanish officer, noticing that Aguinaldo's aide was watching the Americans suspiciously, exclaimed: "Now, Ma.cabebes, go for them." The Macabebes opened fire, but their aim was rather ineffective, and only three insurgents were killed. The reb els returned the fire. On hearing the fi-ing, Aguinaldo, who evidently thought his men were merely celebrat ing the arrival of reinforcements, ran to the window and shouted: ' S-op that foolishness!--quit waisting ammuni tion." HiVlrio Placido, one of the Tagalog officers and a former insurgent major, who was wounded in the lung by the fire of the Kansas regiment at the battle of Caloocan, threw his arms around Aguinaldo, exclaining "You are a prisoner of the Americans." Col. Simeon Villia, Aguinaldo's chief of staff, Major Ah mbra and others attaoktd the men who were holding Aguinaldo. Piacido shot Villa in the shoulder, Alambra jumped out of the window and attempted to cross the river. It was supposed that he was drowned. Five ottter insurgent officers fought for a few minutes and then fled, making their escape. When the fight ing began Gen. Funston a;sumed com mand and directed the attack on the house, personally assisting in the cap ture of Atuinaldo. The insurgent body guard fled leaving 20 rifb~s. Santiago Barcelona, the insurgent treasurer, surrendered without resistance. When ctptured Aguinaldo was tre mend cusly excited, but he calmed down undcr G-n Fanston's assurance that he would be weli treated. Gen. Fan ston secured all Aguina'do's correspon dence, showing that be had kept in close touch with the sub chiefs of the insurrection in all parts of the archi pe'ago. It was also discevered that Aguinaldo, on Jan. 28;b,had proclaimed hiaelf aiotator. He had been living at Palanan for seven months, undis turbed except when a detachment of the Sixteenth infantry visited the town. On that o( c ision the entire population took to the mountains and remained there until the troops retired. Aguinaldo admitted that he had been near to being capitured before, but he asserted that he had never been wounded, adding: "I should never heve been taken except by a strategem. I was completely deceived by Lacuna's orged signature." He feared he might b. sent to Guam and he was quite glad to come to Ma nila. Palanan was guarded by numer ous outposts and signal stations Dar ing the fight none of the Macabebes were wounded. The expedition rested March 24 and then marched 16 miles the following day to Balanan bay, where Gen. Funston found the Vioks burg, which brought him to Manila. Commander Barry, of the Vicksburg, rendered Gen. Funston. splendid asbis ance. Aguinaldo, who talked freely of past events, said he supposed Gen. Traias would proclaim himnse lf dictator, e vsn not knowing that Triaq had sarren iered. He behaved courteously and gave no trouble. Gen. Funston says Aguinaldo is abcva the average in in telligerce and has preposessing man ners. Killed About a Bicycle. The recori for manslaying is not be in- diminishedin any way, and Green ille county is s till t be the atre .f opera tions 'l hh z egroes Eeem determined to maintain the record, if~ the whites are not so active and aggressive as formerly. John D.xon shot and killed James Bannore on the farm of T. A Ashmore rursday afternoon, and the cause of the quarrel was a b'cyele owned by one of them. Tbe killing took place near Lendeim i, 10 miles south of the city of Greenville and the two negroes were at work in a field not far from the Ash more residence. Both men have been in the employ of Mr. AshLmore for several years, and they l ave always been friendly until this difficulty, wuich arose with out any signs of previous trouble. The culmination of the quarrel was when Dickson drew his pistol and Bannote picked up a rock. Dickson fred his pistol and Bannere fled for his life, with Dickson pureuing him and firing as he went, until Bannor fell to the ground and the climax was over. Bannore was dead and Dickson was the slayer. Coroner Black helid an inquest and the jary rendered a verdict in ac cordance with the facts giren. Dick son was arrested at once and has been placed in Jail. A Tempest at Sea. Bittere d by ie-ce seas and tossed about by ternic g alt s, size Frt nch Line steam r La Gasc~oc arrived Wednes day at Ne v York fr~r a Hvre, 48 hours overdue. The liner 1left H av:E ou llarch 16 and uutil Marchi 20 had very fine weather. On the morning c-f the 21st the wind came up from the northwest and the gales !aited throughout thse fo' lowirg three days, and several times the steamer was obliged to turn tail and run before the fury of the blast. Great seas bro'ke over the starboard side with enormous farce., the lifeboats on the upper deck were wrenched from the davits and smashed, the davits being bent almost double. Two of the life rafts were lifted bodily from the upper deck and dropped d rvn upon the upper structure, smashing skylights and yen tilators. The rafts were stcved in many places and damaged beyond repair. Fortunately none of the passengers was hurt. - After the Czar. An attempt was to be made to blow up the palace of theemperor Nicholas at Tarskee Sels, seventeen miles south of St. Peterstourg. A mine filled with the highest xplosives was acci dentally unearched. Had the mine been expoded, the palace would have been blown to atoms, and every one, includ ing the emperor, killed. Several offi cials are implicate d in the plot to assas sinate his majesty. The arrest of several important personages are expected to day. The Russian presa is forbidden to publish news of the discovery of the plot. BETTER WITHOUT. What An Ohio Judge Has to Say About Divorces- - Ev'dence continually multiplies that South Carolina's lack cf a law works better than divorce laws in other states, even though thoy be not very liberal. One day last week, Judge Frank E. Dellenbaueh granted seven divorces in the divorce division of the common pleas court in Cleveland, 0. In grant ing thle seventh, he said: "The number of divorce cases coming before this court is appalling." Hunting for an ex plantion, he said: "Two-thirds of the divorce cases that come before me are due to early marriages. I believe that the same wou!d hold true in all divorce courts. Young people :narry before they are old enough to form sensible viewa on matri mony or on they character of those they marry. There have been young wives here weeping for divorces who oust have been so :oung at the time they were married that spanking would have been more approrriate. Young men are as great fools as young women. There is another class of foolish mar riages in which matrimony is contract ed before the parties have been acquaint ed long enough to know each other thoroughly. These hasty and unfcrtu nate marriages are usually contraced by very young persons, so that it comes back to the same profosition of too early marriage. When the irjudicious marriage has been made there is noth ing left but a life of misery for each of the parties to it or the divorce court, and as the divorce record show keeps growing. It is shameful, and the lessons of the divorc ecuurt ought to teach young people who are in a hurry to get married to go slow." It seems to The Record that the Ohio judge beat around the bush for the real and palpable reason for the condition for which he was seeking a cause If in Ohio, as in S>uth Caro lina, divorces were prohibited, there would not only be no divorces, but the marriage c.ntract would have greater sanctity. Knowing it to be binding, people would not so lightly enter into it as they do where they know that should the marriage fetters prove gall ing, it is a very easy matter to get a judge to remove them. Worse, if a pereon after marriage meets some one whom he or she fancies more that the first partner, the divorce court offers a ready way of defying the divine com mand, "Whom God hath joined to gether, let not man rut asunder," and so making it possible to gratify the fancy. From all such evils South Caro lina is free, and may she ever be free from them.-Oolumbia Record. The Quarrel Over Manchuria. In unmistakable terms Japan has given notice to the powers of her strong objection to the treaty regardirg Man churia, wh-oh Russia desires China to sign. Consul G-eneral Goodnow, at Shanghai, cabled Scoretary Hay today that the proposed treaty had again been subuitted to the Chinese emieror, and Russia had demanded its signature. He added the suggestion' that the United States join aith Japan and Great Bri tain to protect the Chinese government. Mr. Goodnow's suggestion will not be adopted by the president, as it has no intention of feroibly interfering in China, but it is learned that Japan con temp'.ates making vigorous opposition to the ratification of the Manohurian con vention. To meet the objection of the powers, Russia modified the treaty in several important particulars, but even as modified the convention is not satis factory to Japan, nor is it. acceptable as shown by the exohanse of notes that has occurred between the Tokyo and other governments, to any of the nations approached. A Noble Act. A dispatch from Jackson, Miss., to the Atlanta Journal says John Carey, a white e-nv.'t, sent up from Lauder dale county ror burglary, and who is now serving a term of twelve years in the Mississippi penitentiary, will in all prbability be pardoned by the governcr in a few days, because of his heroc ao tien in giving warning to a passenger train and thereby saving it from wrt ck and pe rhaps a number of lives. Carey was upon Okley plantation, in Hinds county, and being sick he was allowed to take a short walk down the railroad track. He saw that one of the steel rails was broken, and knowing it was about time fcr the passenger train to pass, he ran up the tra ck as far as he had time and flagged thie train. The passengers on board the train, whose lives be probably saved, have gotten up a petidon asking that he le pardoned, and after the pardon is i-ece mnmended by the bcardl of control it will be pre seated to the governor, and it is thought he will grant it. A Narrow Escape. Little Francis Stanfield, the seven year-old daughttr of Mr. 8. H. Stan fie.d, or1 &me, Ga , came very near being drowned during the storm. F ancis was on her way to school when vertaken by the deluge of rain near the c~metery. The little girl was swept off the sidewalk and washed into a large gutter atd the child sped along I y the swift current to the mouth of a sewer. The g'rl's screams attracted attention of several children, who rescued her from a horrible death. Aside from a few bruises, Francis was not injured. Cattle Killed by Storm. Thousands of dead cattle, sheep and horses strew plains of Western Nebraska and Eastern Colorado as a result of the blizzard. In hundreds of ravines and dry beds-of creeks, the animals crawled to be covered with drifting snow while other countless numbars struggled against the blizzards to reach shelter out perished on the ridges. Incoming passengers over the Burlington and Union Pacific say that in every gulley are seen the carcasses of animals and that the bodies are seattered over the plains in every direction. Blind Leading Blind. The Atlanta Jcurnai says the civil service commission is now ready to hold examinations and receive applications for positions in the government service in the Philippines. Thus we will begin to send over thousands of young men, who never before set foot outside of their native states, to help govern a peo ple about wh< m they know little and care less. "Manifest destiny," for aaorot -manifest arrogne!l AN AMUSING LETTER In An Answer to a Want Ad. of a Merchant. In the Columbia State of Tuesday, March 26, appeared the following ad vertisement in the want column: "Wanted-A bookkeeper to post a light set of books. Can be done at night. Remuneration $1.00 per week. Address 'Z Z ,' care The State," The business man who put in this advert-sement did not think for a mo ment of how it would sound to the gen eral public. What be wanted was to arrange with some bookkeeper who, after his regular work was done, would stop by for not more than 15 minutes each evening and post up his day book for him, something that boekkeepers commonly do for some six (r eight firms each evening, not only here, but everywhere, at about the price indi cated. The way the advertisement was understood, however, is shown by the following anonymous response received Wednesday by the merchaat referred to, which he enjoyed as an excellent joke on himself: Box 6085, Columbia, S. C., March 21, 1901. Dear Sir: In reply to your advertire men; in today's State for a bookkeeper, I beg to offer you my services.. I am a young man 22 years of age, having had a business experience of eleven years, and feel eonfident if you will give me a trial that I can prove my worth to you, I am not only an expert bookkeeper, proficient stenographer and typewriter excellent operator and erudite college graduate, but have several other ac complishments which make me quite desirable. I am an experienced snow shoveler, a first c'ass peanut roaster, have some knowledge of removing superfluous hair and clipping puppy dogs' ears, have a medal for reciting 'Curfew Shall Not R ng Tonight," am a skilled chiropodist and practical farmer; can also cook, take care of horses, crease trousiers and repair um brellas. Being possessed of great physical beauty, I would not only be useful, but ornamental as well, ler ding to the sacred preoints of your tifice that de lightful arhustic charm that a Satsuma vase ore stuffed billygoa-' would. As to salary, I would feel that I was robbing the widow andi swiping the sponge cake from the orphan if I were to take advantage of your munificence bo accepting the fabulous sum of $1 00 per week, and I would be entirely will ing to give you my services for less, and by accepting 33 Bents per week would give you an opportunity of not only increasing your donation to the church, pay your butche:r and keep up your life insurance, but also found a home for indigent fiy-raper sa'esmen and endow a free bed in the cat home. Should my application meet your ap proval, please write me at the above address at your earliest convenience, and you will greatly oblige, Youra very respectfully, All Around Man. Gold Brick Men. A special dispatch to ths At1anta Journal Goldsboro, N. C , says, ' The hief of police is in receipt of a letter from E M. Jones, of Athens, Ga , say ing that the description of the three gold brick swindlers confined in jail ere fits the men who recently robbed a citizan of that place of a conuiderable sum of money. He asks for photographs and full descriptions of all three, D. H. Wheeler, of Neiwberry, 8. 0., arrived last night and identfied the prisoners as the men who a few week ago swindled him out of $7,000. They ave him the same nams as they oper ted under here and worked the same sceme on him that they attempted at this place. He was approached by the miner, who made a proposition to take him into partnership. The gold bricks were exhibited and the assayer certified to their genuiness. Latter the Indian became dissatisfied, and Mr. Wheeler was persuaded to purchase his interest for $2,000. Then, when the men had gone and it was too late. he discovered that had been buncoed, A bulletin just issued by the detective committee of the American Banker3' Protective assooia tion contains a splendid ricture and a good desaription of one of the swindlers in jail here. Howard, alia; Thompson, alias Foller. The bulletin says his home is in Brooklyn, N. Y., and that e is a painter by trade and a bank burglar, gold brick swindler and coun tefeiter by occura-ion." Boss Platt Defied. Senator T. P. Platt, "the easy boss," and heretofore the dictator of the Re publican pa-ty in New York state, is in a figbt for his political life. His op poment is Governor B. B. Odell. the man whose political fortunes Mr. Platt has helped to make. The outcome is problematical, but many disinterested observers believe they see the beginning of the end of Mr. Platt's political career. In New York Mr. Plati made a political statement that breathes de fiance of the governor and a determina tion to kill him politically if he votes a police bill which will remove from New York city control of the police force. From Albany comes word that Mr. Odell stands by his ultimatum that he will veto such a measure. Al bany also has it that Senator Platt has backed down and will not pre ss the bill. overnor Odell is being prsi-ed by his supporters for the stand he has taken, and the first skirmish of what promises to be one of the greatest political battles in the state has awak ened universal interest, irrespective of party lines. Blowed Himself. Samuel Hagerty, e, prosperous and wealthy farmer, living three south of Plymouth, Ohio, committed suicide in a most shocking manner. He took a :uantity of dynamite and went to the field, announcing his intention to blast stumps. Later a violent explosion alarmed the neighbors and on investiga tion they found a few scattered rem ants of the despondent man. Esquire Rubin was called and held an inquest which disclosed the faot th'at the de eased farmer had placed seve ral pounds of the explosive in a large stump, sat thereon and deliberately lighted the fuse. Despondency over the loss of his wife i. thought to be the cause. THE COTTON MARKET The Holders of Spots Can Con trol Situation. NO REASON FOR DECLINE High Time fir the Scuth to As sert its Irdep'rdence of Speculators Who Depress Prict of Cotton. That the prevent depression in cot ton in due entirely to manipulation is the positive opinion of some of the best informed men in the trade. The Au gusta Chronicle says it is pointed out that there is no more cotton in sight than neccessary for con sumption and it is urged chat the south hold an to the staple until a more normal condition of the market has again come about. SMALLEST STOCKS ON RECORD. Mr. Alfred B. Shepperson in his re view of the season of 1899 1900 and the preslect for 1900 1901 says that at the close of the European season on Sep ten.ber 30 the stooks of cotton of all growths in European markets were the smallest recordea in fifty-tight years, with the exception of 1863, when in consequence of the civil war the Euro pean stocks were reduced to' 250,000 bales. The stocks last September were not enough for two veeks' censumption of European spihners. The consump tion of American cotton last season by American and foreign mids was about 11,000,000 bales. My frierd, ir Thomas Ellison, of Liverpool, calls it 10,990,000. being 566,000 bales more than the estimate publishes by him at the beginning of the season. In his ciron lar cf Oct<ber20he e stimated aredue.ion this season in American and Japanese consumption of 373.000 bales, and an increase in European consumption of 90,000 bales and with the expectation of larger supplies than last season from countries other than America stated tht an American crop of 10,382 000 bales would be requ'red in order to keep the st:cks at thb end of the season from falling below the limited supply at the co mmerncement. WILL BE NO SURPLUS. So we see that the leading experts agree that a crop of more than ten mil lion bales is neccessary to meet the re quirements of the spinners and yet Mr. Shepperson's estimate of the crop made in December is 9,900,000 bales. Allow ing for a wide divrgence there is not any more cotton in the wcrd than the i trade needs. NO RELIEF EOR SPOT MARKET. Again Mr. Shepperson says: "it is most likely that there will be a considerable increase in the cotton 1 acreage in this country next spring. 1 While this fact would doubtless depress to some degree the prics of "future deliveries" for she next crop, it would not relieve the market for spot cotton. i I fully agree with Mr. Filison that there would not be any plethosa of co ton even if the crop should' exceed 10,750, 000) bales, as the distribution would be spread over such a wide area that there] wculd be no gre at accumulation of stocks anywhere." Allowing for all the adverse condi tions in the cotton goods outlook and the rumors of trouble in Asia there is no reasan why the south should throwi her holdings of cotton on the market.1 The Souta must assert her indepen deree. "The south," said one gentleman, "cannot afford to play into the bands of the manipulators who would rob this section of the honest fruits of toil, There never was a more opportune time fcr this section asserting its indepen dence. It is in their power to sacrifie the remnant o:f the crop that is here." *And this is not merely a view from a southern staudpoint. In the Atlanta Journal of Wednesday is a letter ad dressed to Com'sioner 0. B. Stevens from a promicent New York cotton fac tor who urges Mr. Stevens to continue his efforts with the farmers not to in crease their cotton acreage. His letter follows: New York, March 19, 1901. Hon. 0. B. 8&evenus, ConujniSsioner of Agriculhure, Atlanta, Ga.: Dear Sir-I have observt d that what ever has come from you in regard to cotton has carried considerable aeight, and I want to say that unless some thing is done that the southern farmer will be confronted with five cet t cotton again next fall. The idea prevailing that it will take years for the staple to go back to that price is all wrong. Cot ton in January s yld at 12.75 and today, next January sold at 7.40, a decline of about 4 1 2 cents per pound in six weeks. This condit.ion has been- I brought about by the mills absolutely refusing to r ay the price, and a combin ed effort on the part of the Mills, dry I goods people, cotton factors and specu lator. Should the acreage be as large as last year, mills all over the world will buy from hand to mouth until the new crop is made, should conditions bei f.veraible As every well posted personi knows we could have easily made 12 1 2 milliocs last ye ar uit favorable seasons. ] Should the aerage be increased to any considerable extent and conditions re-] main good for the growing crop with present irade ecnditions six cents wille kok Ligh for eotton next November. The only hope the farmer has is tot cut his crop, ard not plant all cotton, but corn and other things. Should farmers cut their catton crop one-fourth this year, they would get a big rrice for cotton now held by themi. Alko, for the next crop, and in the event the c next crop is increased they will sell a what they now have cheaper than they 1 stould and next at the most ruinous c price,.considering the cost of labor, t provisions, etc., we have ever seen. Every body is against the price of cotton e except the southern farmer. Consider- e ing 7 to 8 cents a big price, the only a hope the south has now is to curtail t scrage in cotton and raise plenty of ~ everything the uses at h ome. t Please take this matter up and aik every secretary of agriculture in the t south to help you to increase this im- I portant fact of plantingless cotton. Af- C ter the crop is once in the ground the a south is helpless with good seasons. I Providence will not interfere every ( years it did last. Yours very truly, L. It Darlien. t SEVEN BOLD BANDITS Raid an Ohio Town and Blow up a Bank Building. Seven bandits partially wrecked the State bank of Somereset, Ohio, early Wednesday by exploding a heavy charge of nitro glycerine in the vault doors, Peoured $5,000, app'opriated two livery rigs, held a posse of citizens at bay, md escaped in the face of a hcavy fire. Bonds and securities to the amount of 630,000 and $5,000 in gold coin were Dverlooked by the bandits. 'Ihe bank was fully insured and its business will not be interrupted. A heavy explosion in the bank build ing shortly before 2 a m. aroused cit isens living in the vicinity of the Bank )f Son erset. John Hayes, whose home is opposite the bank building, raised a window and quietly observed four men stationed in trout of the bank. He saw that the whole front of the two story brick building in which the institution was located had been shattered, and believing he could frighten away the men who, it was evident, were much hlarmed by the strength of the explo 'ion, hastily donned his clothes and sal lied forth. When he reached the side. walk he was challenged and, under the influence of four rifles pointed at his bead again mounted the stairs and se sured arms. Meanwhile many other persons began to appear inthe darkened straets of the village, Wm. Lovett >pened fire on the bandits with a rifle, but his aim was not of the best and his shots only served to draw the fire of the robbers. The shooting soon became general as the citizens crept toward the Dank from all directions, and the rob bers evidently began to think of es cape. At a sign from the four on guard, three others emerged from the bank, bearing several sacks in which they had burriely placed their loot. The rob bers were under good discipline and their leader gave his orders like a military leader: 'All ready, forward, march." 3inle file they marched under the ihadows of the trees which lined the idewalks, turned a corner, climbed in to wo rigs and drove in a northwesterly lirection. Citizens took up the chase nd at 4 a. m. found the rigs, deserted long the roadside. The sheriff of Perry county had been notified by tele hone and arrived at daylight with a ,ack of bloodhounds, which were used n the chase. The robbers were sue ,essfully traced around town by the rounds. It was found they had broken >pen a blacksmith shop to secure tools, mud then had taken the rigs in which hey escaped from a livery stable near lhe bank. Tom Reed's Plain Talk. E Speaker Thomas B. Reed has a nind and a tongue of his own-a very >right and well-stored mind and one of he sharpest of all the tongues 'that are tow wagging. Mr. Reed does not like he present national administration mud does not mind saying so. He was n Baltimore a few day s ago and The !1eas of that city has this to say of the nanner in which he unbosomed him ielf while there: "Oa the great ques sions now before the people Mr. Reed iaa deeilj opinions, and does not iesititateo express them. He reaffrm td most emphatically his opposition to the imperialistic policy of the adminis ratfon. In his opinion, Dewey have ailed away from Montejo's fleet, lear ng the government of the islands to lie Filipinos. Cuba and Porto Rico, co, should be left to their own devices, rhe present policy towards Cuba he regards as piece of hypocrisy. Mr. Reed ike the late ex-President Harrison, is in ardent friend of the Baeri. 'I sym athise with any people on earth,' said le, who are' strugglig for freedom.' asked whether he thought the Filipinos sapable of self government, he said:1I ;kink every people is capable of self government. It may not be the kind we have or want, but it is the kind that s satisfactory and sameiient for them." MIr. Reed is treading dangerously near he verge of "treason," according to lie imperialit definition of that crime. btlanta Journal. A Plucky Governor. When Thomas C. Platt entered the T. S. Senate in 1881 he was so over inadowed by his illustrious colleague, doscoe Conkling that he was dubbed "M Too." Since that time Piatt has >eome the most powerful and most ar itrary boss his party has in New York mnd has his own "Me Toes," a brigade >f them. in this number Governor )dell was generally included until a ecent date. It was said that he was ioominated at Platt's dictation and it was expected that as the chief execu ive of New York he would be little nore than Platt's tool. Governor (Jdell as proved, however, thatthjis was 00 iow an estimate of him and hat he is no man's man. He has latly refused to recommend or sign a tate polies bill though Senator Piatt as thrown the weight of his infla noe in favor of that measure and as done his beat to make gover or Odell pull with him for it. His ndependent and courageous couse as won the respect and praise of )emocrats as well as Republicans ud Odell is now a bigger man that 'att in New York. 'The firm baand he as taken will probaly bohange the ourse of Republican politics in the tate very decidedly and many mark he beginning ef Boss Platt's over hrow.-Atlanta Journal New Trials Granted. The Kentucky court of appeals Thurs ny granted new trials to Caleb Powers nd James Howard, sentenced in the iwer court to life imprisonmenm and eath, respectively, in connection with he shooting in February, 1900, of Gov. Vm. Goebel. in the Howard care the ntire court concurred, but in the Pow rs decision Judges Hobson, Paynter od White dissented. The decision in he Powers case holds the Taylor par on invalid, but orders a new trial on be ground of erroneous instructions to he jury and admission of incompetent estimony. The Howard case is reversed ecause of erroneous imstructions, in ompetent evidence admitted in the trial nd other minor points. The trial of 'wers probably will take place at leorgetown, in May. Howard's case robably will be passed until the fall HE EAT 48 BANANAS. Gus. Keller Satisfied a Great Craving for a Noble Fruit. Charlotte Observer: Mr. and Mrs. Gus Keller, mill opera tives, visited the store of Severs & Lawing, on North Trayon street, last re cently, and while diicussing the mayor a!ty election and divers other topics, Mr. Keller's eye rested fondly on sev eral fine bunches of bananas. He ob served that he was something of a banana fancier and had never in his life satisfied a craving for that fruit. How many did he think he could eat, he was asked. "Oh'bout four dozen," he replied. Mr. H. F. Severs, of the firm, then told Keller that he would give him four dczsn bananas if he would eat them then and there, but if he failed to eat that number he would have to pay for what he ate. Keller accepted the prop osition. Mrs. Keller remarked that she, too, had never soothed the inner yearn ing for bananas, and asked that the offer made to her husband be extended to her. Severs was not averse to this, but stipulated that Keller should first enter the contest. Keller went at those bananas hke a man who had fasted for days. He ate one dozen while a peaceful smile illum ined his face; he ate two dozen and said liis appetire was still on the im prove; he ate three dozen, u-lcosened his waistcoat and began to look seri oue. Commencing with the 39th ban ana it was up hill work with Keller. He no longer smiled and prespiration gathered on his brow. Bat he shook himself, sat down and laboriously stuffed one banana 'after another down his throat. His heart was no longer in his task and he commenced to "swell visibly before the raked eye." Wten he had, within 20 minutes from the start consumed his 48th ban ana Keller's wife who had been watch ing him closely, said she believed she did not want to repeat his experimnt. She called upon her worthy spouse to and go home with her, but he could not rise from his chair. He.grew quite sick had to be our ed home. Heroic remedies wtrd resorted to, but when last heard from Keller was too still fiull for comfor table utterance and mst ushapy man. A UDER MYSTERY SOLVED. A Cruel Man Chained His Wife in a Dungeon. Workmen removing a cellar wall un der a delapidated building ;ust north of the bridge that crosses Fair Haven river, a quarter of a mile above Carver's Falls, Vermont, have apparent ly unearthed evidence which solves the mystery of a murder which ocurred 70 years ago. The discovery was male by accident, the laborers having fallen into a pit while trying to lift some heavy stones. The pit was about eight feet deep, with a solid stone wall about 20 inches thick surrounding it. In the center of the pit was set a solid iron post attached to which was a heavy iron chain and an old fashioned pair of handcuffs. Nearby was a heap of hu man bones. Inquiry disclosed the fact that in 1831 Perry Borden, a young French man, brought his young wife to Poult ney to live in the house which the workmen are tearing down. She was witty and vivacious and attracted con Bidelable attention. In a short time Borden became jealous of her and for bade her visiting a certain tavern near by. The wife would not submit to be dictated to. One night in February, 1831, she was at the place when at about 10 o'cleck Borden called for her. She left the place with him. She never was sen by hot friends after that. Mr. Bor den said his wife had deserted him and fed to Canada. After a year Borden went away and was not heard of again until 1882, when he suddenly reappeared in town. He said he had been at sea for the 50years he had been away. His mind seemed shattered. He wont to the little house and remained two years, neighbors sup plying him with provisions. He finally took sick and the town took charge of him. He died in 1887 and was buried in Potter's field. The discoveries made by the work men ha've led every one in this vicinity to believe that B,,rden chained his wife in the under ground cellar and lefc her to die a horrible death. Daring Kidnappers. A daring attempt was madg to kid nap .Eiward MeAvoy, 11 years of age, of Welkespane, Pa., Wednesday. Two men picked him up in the yard of his ather's house, carried him to a surrey, placed a handkerchief, saturated with chloroform over his noose and drove away. The child beame uncanscious from the drug and when he survived !ound himself on the back seat of the vehieoe which was then jarring over a iountry road. Young MoAvoy jumped from the carriage. One of the men ran after him tnt the youngter's cries ittracted the attention of the occnpants af another carriage which was passing it the time and the kidnippers becom ng scared, whipped up their horses and litappeared. Hits Us Hard. Oar consul at Chefoo reports that ~he decline in exports from the United tates to China following the Boxer ~utbreak does not nearly represent the oss in trade which this country has in arred oni that secount.; for large mounts of merebaudise since exported ~rom the United States are piled up in .)hinese ports and are yet to be sold or orked t ff. The losses to the American totton trade alone he estimates at $3,. 100,000. At some of the Chinese ports, giuhwang, for example, American rade was practically annihilated. This shbad enough to fight about. Bat our Washington government has evidently oncluded it will not pay to fight; in act that it will not pay to do anytning t all. Shall we let it go at that?-Co umnbia State. In the market reports of almost any f our newspapers you may read, Country produce scarce and prices trong." You may also note that the rice of catton is steadily declining. rh Gaffney Ledger very traly says hese short statements are more elo jent than sermons, and that farmers vho is not impressed by them is in a tate of blind infatuation. SOME SIDE LIGHTS On the Pacification of the Philip pino Islands. HUNTING THE FILIPINOS. How Our Soldiers Kill and Are Killed. An Americen Offi cor's Narrcw Escape from Amigo Bullets. An officer of one of the New York volunteer, regiments in the Spanish American war, who is now a first lieu tenant in the Tweaty-sixth United States Volunteer Infantry in the Phil ippines, tells, in a letter to his former colonel, now an officer on Gov. 0dell's staff, of the tactics pursued in hunting the Filipino band on the Island of Panay. His aeeount, under the date of January 29, throws a remarkable sidelight on the Manila cable dis patches, which announce that the is land of Panay has been pacified. The writer was stationed, at the time the letter was written, near the town of Zarraga, and he states that active operations were being pushed against the natives. "With the exception of the first two weeks after lanaing at Iloilo," the lieu tenant writes,. "I have been almost constantly in the field, so much that I have not been able to say what 'shack' or 'sa' was mine to call home. Field work began on November 10, 1899, when, in command of my company, I was sent to drive in the enemy's out-. posts, before the advance of the Eigh teenth United States Infantry. This we not only accomplished, but had the brunt of all the fighting that day. But with all my experience sincethen I believe today I have as mortal a fear of a bullet, at the beginning of a', 'scrap,' as any man in or out of the service. After the first few rounds,. however, one gets one's blood up and does not mind it. I have had manua tight shave, and in some of them Iam not ready to believe it was no jluok, but rather Providence. "On one occasion recently;I had charge of several small pueblos, and was sleeping in a convent .at one of them. Near my bed on a shelf was a picture of my wife and the boys. At night about 300 of my 'mueho amigos' (Filipinos) got through the outpost and pasta patrol to within200 yards of the convent. Knowing, perhaps, theex act location of my room, abouthalf a dozen of them climbed a mango tree and took a few shots at my room be fore the general shooting began. One Mauser bullet went through the pie ture of my wife and the boys, four more struck my bed, and one puno tured a pocket. in my trousers, which were under my pillow. "Then began as good a scrap' as ever I got into. I only had forty men, and it was very dark, but we had them on the run in less than three-quarters of an hour. When it was overt found that I had one man killed- and two wounded. Their loss, I was .tald, amounted to thirty. None of them could be found when daylight came, not even an empty shell. Both of my lieutenants, Fernal and Wagner, have since lost their lives, one of them - drowned and the other killed in am bush. I have also lost eleven enlisted men, which isthe highest oompay loss in the emnt "Since the election ofMcKinley, we - have been pushing the insurgents hard and fast. Orders are very open now, so that you are not afraid of being re called from a icrap before you could get into one, as was many times the case before election. I have been in the field since election day, and until recently I could run into as many as three or four scraps aday, but now dry weather is coming on, and together with McKinley's electioo and our hit ting thei hard all around, things are more quiet. You have to hunt for a 'ra'now. 1 have been given a di, tries to clean up, and have a detach ment of forty-five men together with some native scouts. Workhere is quite hard from the nature of the ground, and the fact that you begin your day's werk in most cases at 1 a. mn., and cover from eighteen to twenty-six miles' a day; y et when you find a "strike" you forget that you are tired until it is all over. That was a pretty good 'hike'. we had together down in Virginia, from Camp Alger to the Gap, but this is of a different color. We are not troubled with stragglers here. They keep up without warning, for they know their fate if they drop behind, and fall into the hands of the blo men. "Men out here in the volunteer ser vice who are anxious-to get a commis sion in the regular army, think it is 'hr lines' to be compelled to stay right on here two more years without going home. A person staying here two years without a change cannot stand it without serious results. I have got along pretty well'-native fever twice and dysentery once-losing about one month in the hospital. "The other day I ran downa chef of a notorious gang called the Polahans, whom I had been after for more than' three months. I surrounded his barri cade with ten men at 2 a. in., and waited for daylight. When it came, it took us half an hour to force our way inside, and then we could not find our man. We were about to give up, when we saw a pile of tbamboo, and upon in vestigation it was found to cover a bole in the gr ound which led to an un dergreund hat, out of which we smoked the chief, also forty-three members of his gang. He fought hard, and two of his men were killed before he surren dered."-New York Evening Post. An Unstable Jury. There is no telling what a jury will do. On March 6, in Spartanburg, a jury found Matthew Burke guilty of violating the dispensary law. He was sentenced to three month's imprison ment or to pay a fine of $100. The next day the jury got together anii decided that Baike was not guilty, after all, that the circumstantial evidence upon which he was convicted was insufficient and that he had been convicted more on suspicion than proof. A petition for his pardon was promptly prepared and as promptly granted. Burke is 67 years old and was a onfederate soldier.