University of South Carolina Libraries
VOL. XVI. MANNING, S. C., WEDNESDAY.NARCH GREAT SUFFERINGS Of United States Marines on the Island of Samar. A LIEUTENANT'S ACCOUNT. How Remnants of the Famished Par ty Were Rescued. Trickery of the Natives in Time Of Need. The eastern mail has brought the report of Major Walle r upon the fam ous expedition condacted by him across the Island of S:amar. resulting in the Loss of a numb-r ol the marines and hardships and suferinzN on the part of the others beyond anything yet known in thc Philippine campaign. Major Waller's reports are formal and do not go into the details of the move ments of the marines. but the news of the affair is contained in a report from Lieut. W. R. Shoemaker, U. S. N.. who conducted the relief expedition that succored the marines. After de tailing the arrival into the American lines of Capt. Prter and Lieut. Wil liams. with a portion of the men. the report says: "Capt. Porter and Lieut. A. S. Wil iams. in conversation, gave me sub stantially the following account of their wanderings: "On January 1. beir. 'ben on half rations with very little food left. Maj. Waller decided to split the party-he taking 15 of the strongest men and pushing on for Basey. and Capt. Por ter following his trail as rapidly as possible with the main body. On the 2nd a notice came back from Waller with a note, stating that he. Waller, had given up the idea of getting through and would return, and direct ing Porter to make directly for the river and build rafts for the entire party. This Porter tried t( do but failed to find wood that would float. It was raining hard at this time and the river was about 10 feet above its normal leveland running with violence. As Major Waller did not appear. Por ter sent Capt. Bearss to him to ascer tain his plans. then return and report. Bearss failed to return but he reached Waller and went on with him. "On the 3rd. I think, Porter rushed ahead to get assistance with eight of the strongest men. leaving Williams to follow with the crippled and lame as far as the boat, secreted on the way up, to be used in an emergency like the present. Porter reached the boat but found she had been damaged and was unfit for use. So he started on a 25 mile 'hike' for Lanang, reaching there with three men on the after noon of the 11th. Five men had giv en out, but, living on two dogs that had strayed their way. they finally ieached the post. "The relief expedition, under Lieut. Williams, First infantry, on account of the height of the river was unable to get away until the morning of the 14th. Williams deserves the highest praise for his 25 mile fight against the current and up-the rapids, hauling his boat along by hand a good part of. the way. It was not until the morning of the 17th that he reached the starving marines in their last stopping place near the river. Their condition at that time was terrible. For days no -man among them had strength to car ry a rifle. Nine of them had either gone crazy or had fallen by the trail half dead from starvation and expos ure. It had rained steadily for eigh teen days. Lieut. A. S. Williams had made every effort to get them along but had to abandon them. Hie could only save the men who were able to reach the boat by the river, the prob able point of arrival of the relief ex pedidion. H~e got there on the night of the 16th instant, his party having been without food, except roots, the puips of plants, and a very few sweet potatoes, for fifteen days. To fur ther complicate matters, the native bearers, about 30 in number, became sulky, practically refusing assistance to the white men. They would build :shacks as a protection from the con tinual downpour for themselves only. and knowing the edible roots and plants, were more skilful in obtaining food. A time came when no white man could carry a rifle, and those not lost were in the hands of the natives: under the altered condition, it requir ed considerable diplomacy on the part of Lieut. Williams to handle them all. Just before reaching the river two bearers tried to kill Williams, stab bing him about the chest with a bolo. He tried to shoot but had not suffici ent strength to pull the trigger. Then they tried to kill him with his own pistol, but did, not know how to work the weapon. Williams was rescued by *a few of his men who tottered up, .armed with sticks, and the natives took to the bush. No Filipinos were .seen in the region, there being no food. The relief party saw some coming from the direction of Hermane; so it is probable that the insurgents about there got wind of the desperate con :dition of the marines and were hur tying up to take advantage of it. Rle lief came just in time. "It took practically all of January 18 to get the sufferers. 31 in number, including two officers-18 in stretch ers unable to move--across the river and out through the surf to the ves sel. The job was finished at 6.3;0 p. m. and at 8 o'clock we started for Taclo ban direct, as an army surgeon said at Lanang, that an hour saved in transiL might mean an arm or a leg to some. We reached Tacloban at 8.30 a. mn.. --and the worse cases were at once transferred to the hospital. The oth ers, including eight or ten nati'.es, not included in the above total of 31, was~ transported to Basey, meeting Major 'Wailer. Hiis party appears, from the statements of the officers, to have been reduced to nearly the same ex tremity as the other. They had prac tically given up hope when the oppor tune capture of a small boy. the only native seen. restutedi in their getting through to the coast." The shirt worn by Charles I to the scaffold has been auctioned off at 200 guineas at Covent Garden. says the London correspondent to the New York Tribune. WILLIAM J. BRYAN. He Was Given Send-off on Floor of the House Thursday. William Jennings Bryan arrived in Washington Thursday from New York. enroute to Harrisburg, Pa. The fusion members of the Nebraska dele gation in congress took breakfast with him and later he visited the capitol. At the capitol Mr. Bryan appeared in the members' corridor of the house of representatives, and he immediate ly was surrounded by a large crowd of representatives who give him a hearty welcome. For sometime he held an informal levee, most of the Democratic and quite a number of Republican members being presented to him. The' informal receptional lasted some time and during its continuance speaker Henderson caene from his priv ate ottice and Representative Little tield OMaine.) temporarily vacated the chair of the house. in committee of the whole, in order to join in the greeting. When Representative Grosvenor (Ohio,) shook hands with the Nebraska man, there was an exchange of good natured badinage on presidential can didacies. Representative Swanson (Va..) rais ed a laugh when referring to the Re publican controversy on Cuban reci proeity. he said Mr. Grovesnor had beea "infused with twenty per cent of Democracy." Mr. lBryan took lunch at the house wing. Later in the day 'Mr. Bryan paid a visit to the senate wing. He was: there entertained in the marble re ception room and met most of Ie Democratic and many of the Republi can senators. His conferences with them were generally brief and they were a rule devoted simply to an ex change of social greetings. Mr. lry an said that his visit to the capitol was without political significance. Mr. Bryan left the. city at 4 o'clock this afternoon for Culpepper, Va., where he made an address tonight. He will return to Washington tomor row. The Post tomorrow will say that the chief matter discussed by 3r. Bryan with the Democratic senators was the resolution proposing a consti tutional amendment for election of senators by direct vote of the people. Mr. Bryan urged Democratic senators to use their best endeavors to force an early vote on the resolution by the committee which now has it in charge, and that an Issue be made on it. Going to the Exposition. Col. R. W. Hunt, division passen ger agent of the Southern, is pushing the matter of "school week" at the exposition. While the first week in April is the "school week." yet the Southern will give the same rates to schools in bodies of 25 more at any or time. He has received notification that the schools and _-olleges named will be here on the following dates: Spartanburg graded schools, March 26th. Williamston Female college, March 25th. Columbia Female college, March 28th. Wotiord college, first week in April. Winthrop college. April nd. - Ninety-Six graded school, March 27. Newberry graded school, April 2nd. Camden graded school. April 1-8. And the following schools are comn ing for "schoool week:" Leesvile col lege, Furman University. Orangeburg graded school, Union graded school, Clifford seminary of Union. Many others will come and Col. Hunt is anx ious to be notified at once. He will have the trains run into the exposition grounds if requested befored han to do so. The Great Library Give Andrew Carnegie was the chief guest and principal speaker Thursday evening at the seventh annual dinner of the New York Library Club. Mr. Carnegie, on the subject of libraries for rural communities. said: "I have been much gratified by the numerous applications of small communities in the West for libraries. And in this connection I will say that as I knew I would have the pleasure of dining here tonight, I felt I ought to do something to deserve that pleasure. I have dealt with about forty of these applications today and am glad to say that in all, except perhaps two cases, I have seen my way to grant them." After the dinner Mr. Carnegie was asked for a list of the libraries he had endowed but he said he was unable to give it. He said, however, that the application for a library for Albany, N. Y., was one of them, and he thought the amount he had given was 8175,000. Gov. Altgeld Dead. Ex-Gov. John P. Altgeld. of Illinois, died Thursday morning. Mr. Altgeld was the principal speaker at a pro Boer meeting Wednesday night in the Joliet theatre. Just at the close of his speech a sudden dizziness seized hum and he was assisted from the* stage. The meeting proceeded, the audience not realizing what had hap pened. Mr. Altgeld was taken to the door of the theatre. where several vomiting spells seized him. This con tinued for nearly an hour and was so ponounced he could not be removed. to the hotel. Physicians were hastily Isummoned and Mr. Altgeld was car ried to the hotel across the street. Hie retained consciousness and urged the newspaper men to keep the affair quiet for fear of alarming his wife. Short l after midnight he became unconsci ous. Hie remained ini this condition until death. Robbed of His Money. Last Wednesday nighitJ. A. Horme. a farmer living near Rtambo in the secion of Greenwod county had $800 stolen from him. The money was kept in a trunk in his house and hiow. i t was taken out it is not known. It is a singular coincidence that this man is a brother of S. Hi. Horne, who on October 18. 189 had over $t000 dol lars taken from him whikc at a circus here in Greenwood. Both t hese men are hard workers They~ save every penny, dienyin:g themselves every thng except the bare n~ceCMSti(es of life, and the loss of the accumulation of a lifetime goes very hard. in the case of the man who lost his money at the circus. by the aid of an attor nev. F. Barron Grier, he got all of his moey back. The other man will prablya never get his. OUR OLD VETERANS. General Orders Issued by General John B. Gordon TO TEE OLD SOUTHERN HEROES. Calling Their Attention to the Re union of the United Confed erate Veterans at Dallas, Texas, in April. Headauarters United Confederate Veterans. New Orleans. La., MIarch 8, 1902. General Orders No. 271. 1. Thie general commanding an nounces that the twelfth annual meet ing and reunion of the United Confed erate Veterans will be held as stated in general orders No. 267. current ser ies. from these headquarters in the city of Dallas, Texas. on April 22nd. 23rd, 24th and 25th. 1902. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday re spectively. Also, by request of its patriotic president, Mrs. W. J. Behan, the gen eral commanding announces that the Confederate Southern Memorial Asso Ciation will hold its third annual con vention in Dallas. Texas, on the same dates as the U. C. V. reunion. and these "Mothers of the Confederacy" will open the ir convention with ne morial services in honor of .JITfern Davis. in the 2piscopal church in D:l las. Texas. All Confederate organ!zations anid Confederate soldiers and sailors of all arms. grades and department, Daugh ters of the Confederacy, and Sons of Veterans are cordially invited to at tend this twelfth general reunion of the U. C. V.s. FoRM rNTO CAMPs. 2. With pride and pleasure he a'so announces that 1.410 camps are already enrolled in the U. C. V., organization. with application in for over 100 more. Ex-Confederate sol diers and sailors everywhere are urged to ferm themselves into local associa tions, where this has not already bEen done: and all associations. bivouacs, encampments and other bodies riot members of the U. C. Y.. association are earnestly requested to send in ap plications to these headquarters, wi-:h out delay, so as to be organized in time to participate in this great re union, and thus unite with their com rades in carrying out the laudable and philanthropic objects of the Uni':ed Confederate Veteran organization. 3. He heartily approves of the wis dom shown by the veterans in their se lection' of the "Queen City of ihe Southwest." the beautiful and progres sive city of Dallas, in the Empire State of the South, the mighty stite of Texas. the youngest of the glorious sisterhood of southern states, but now the greatest in territory, population and resources. and with a limitless fu ture, as a meeting place for this their twelfth annual reunion. as it is so sit uated geographically, that it is acces sible to a very large number of the . C. V. camps. in addition to this Dallas. and, in fact. the entire state of Texas; is nted for boundless hospitality, anpd for the love and devotion which her golden-hearted sons and beautiful and ccomplished daughters have always bestowed upon the "Old Heroes of the Sixties." who stood for four long years before such overwhelming odds. Once before in the hospitable city f Houston, in 1895, and now again in that state of marvellous growth and ex panding greatness, the lovely city of Dallas; Texas, through her chivalrous sons and glorious women. has invited the remnant of the followers of that mighty southern army, to the valor and greatness of which she con'tribu ted so much through her noble sons and peerless women, to meet once gain upon her soil,-and nenew old ties formed in the camp and upon the bat tlefield, and old friendships made amids danger and hardships, to "drink gain out of the same canteen." to sit again around the same camp fires, and lasp hands in comradeship once again before they all cross over to join Davis, Lee, Jackson and the host of the rank and file of that matchless southern army now encamped upon the other shore. GET READY TO GO. 4. The general commanding. there fore, urges the officers and i'mbers of all camps making the preparations to attend this reunion, to commence now, without delay, preparing for delegates, alternates and as many members as possible to attend, so as to make it the largest and most representative re union ever held; as business of the greatest gravity affecting the welfare of the old veterans, will be transacted during this twelfth annual reunion such as the benevolent care, through state aid, or otherwise, of disabled, destitute and aged veterans and the widows and orphans of our fallen brothers in arms, which will be one cf the most important matters for our consideration. In this connection the general commanding calls especial at tention to the increasing age. multi oed sorrows and corroding cares of many of the gallant old soldiers, who risked their lives and fortunes for what they considered right during the eventful years of 1861l-65. Through the mortuary reports received at these headquarters he is daily and almost hourly reminded that the lengthening shadows of time are fast setting over the old heroes-reaching out already beyond toe allotted span of human life, many of whom had already Passed the age o'f manhood when, over forty years ago. they promptly and nobly re sponed to their country's call. It is ou. bounded djuty and the chief mis sionl of the C. C. V. association that these unfortunate. sick, disabled and indigent comrades and brothers and their widows and orphans should have r attentioni. care and such help in their old age as their more fortunate comrades can procure and give and as their infirmitives and misfortunes re quir. This to him will be a labor of love, and to the carrying out of which le will devote his best eiforts. and in the prosecuting of which sacred work he appeals to all the members of thle U. C. V. association who are able, for thei anest praverful. patriotic help. DTTY TO OLD CONRADES. We must take care of our old com rades; and in doing this he feels con fident that appeals for employment for the old Confederate veterans, who are so rapidly passing away, and sub stantial aid for these old sick, wounded Indigent and unfo.tunate soldiers will not be made in vain to any state, mu nicipal governmentor citizens of any southern state nor to the rising gen eration. themselves the worthy de scendants of heroes. who are alike participants in that heritage of glory so proudly emblazoned unon the his tory of each state by the unparalleled valor and endurance of these aged, wounded and disabled old warriors, as it would be ingratitude without paral lel and degradation without precedent, that any of these should turn their backs upon the old heroes and their ever-glorious records in their old age and dire distress. 5. Other business of the greatest im portance will also demand careful con sideration-such as the care of the graves of our known and unknown dead buried at Gettysburg, Fort War ren. Camps Morton, Chase, Douglas, Oakwook Cemetery at Chicago, Rock Island, Johnson's Island, Cairo and at ail other points; we must care for the graves of "Our Dead," and see that they are annually decorated, the head stones preserved and protected, and complete lists of the names of our dead heroes with the location of their last resting place furnished to their friends and relatives through the me dium of our camps, thusrescuing their names from obliv~tin and handing them down in history: the best method of securing impartial history and to enlist each state in the compilation and preservation of the history of her citizen soldiery; the consideration of means to complete the monument to the memory of Jefferson Davis, presi dent of the Confederate States of America, and to aid in building monu ments to all of the other great lead ers, soldiers and sailors of the south; to make such changes in the constitu tion and bylaws as experience may suggest, and other natters of general interest. ELECT DELEGATES. 6. Each camp now admitted Into the United Confederate Veteran or ganization, and those admitted before the reunion, are urged to at once elect accredited delegates and alternates to attend as only accredited delegates can participate in the business part of the session. The representation of dele gates at the reunion will be as fixed in Section 1, article 5 of the constitution; one delegate for every 25 active mem bers, in good standing, and one addi tional for a fraction of ten members: provided, every camp in good standing shall be entitled to at least two dele gates. Each camp will elect the same number of alternates as delegates who will attend in case of any failure on the part of the delegates. 7. Attention of camps -is called to section 5, article 5 of the constitu tion: "Camps will not be allowed representation unless their per capita shall have been paid to the adjutant general on or before the first day of April next preceding the annual meet ing." S. A program to be observed at the reunion and all the details will be fur ished to the camps and to all vete rans. and also full information, by ap plying to Col. C. C. Slaughter, presi dent executive committee confederate reunion, or Gen. C. L. Martin, secreta ry, Dallas, Texas. 9. The general commanding respect fully requests the press, both daily and weekly, of the whole country, to aid the patriotic and benevolent bjects of the United Confederate e~erans by publication of these orders ith editorial notices of the organiza ion. 10. The general commanding re spectfully requests and trusts that railroad officials will also aid the old veterans by giving the very lowest rates of transportation so as to enable them to attend. 11. Officers of the general staff are directed to assist department, division and brigade commanders and others in organizing their respective states, and generally to aid in the complete federation of all the survivors in one grand organization under the constitu tion of the United Confederate Vete rans. By order of J. B. GORDON, General Commanding. GEO. MOORMAN, Adjutant General and Chief of Staff. The Cabinet Muzzled. President Roosevelt has introduced a new style in administration circles by putting muzzles on the members of his cabinet. This is a step further than any other president has gone, and it is understood that it was brought about by the publication of the story that three members of the cabinet sided with the anti-Cuban re ciprocity Republicans of the House, and were, of course, arrayed against Mr. Roosevelt an'1 the Republican bosses of the House, who instead of carrying out his plans, are on their knees begging the antis to agree to some compromise that will lessen the humiliat ion of themselves and Mr. loosevelt. After the publication of that story-it's the truth that hurts -Mr. IRoosevelt jumped all over the cabinet and forbid the members giving any information whatever about mat ters discussed at the cabinet meetings, saying that he would instruct his sec Iretary :o give out whatever he wished to have published. Think of a scene like tt at, with no cabinet resigna tions. It is surprising that some should think and say that sturdy American self-respect is less general than it used to be? Hats Must Go. The following notice has been phi carded in the entrance hall of Wflrz ~urg U ieriy "onorable .ladies who attend public lectures -are in Ifromed that before entering the lee ure ~room they must take off their hats. In case o.f non-compliance with this notice, they must eipect to have their hats taken awayby force." This is signed by the ja~or. An Unzhealthy Job. The job ofSullan is not a very de sirable sitie. Of the thirty-eight Sul tabro have ruled the Ottoman Empire since the conquest of Constan tinople by the Turks, thirty-four have died vioent deaths. ENDS HER LIFE. A Young Lady in Columbia Commits Suicide. SHE SWALLOWED LAUDANUM. Story of Another Sad Case of Sell Destruction. The Cause Seems to Have Been Despondency. There has been another sad case of suicide in Columbia. The State says Wednesday morning about 7:15 a. m. Miss Sallie Parham, a young lady of about 21 years of age. died of lauda num poisoning by her own hand. The family with whom she boarded on Marion street say that she was fully resolved to end her life, having often expressed that intention during her residence with them. Her brother, F. M. Parham, who is employed by the Southern railway, persuaded her to leave her home in Union and come to the city about eight months ago. She secured a place in Monckton's dry goods store and shared the room of her sist!r, who boarded with Mr. D. G. W. Jamison at 1924 Marion street. After a little while she gave up her situation and began to solicit subscriptions for a book, being engaged in this o.cupa tion at the time of her death. For the last week or two she has acted rather strangely and about ten days ago she took morphine, but fortunately the quantity was not sufficient to do more than to stupefy her. Tuesday morning Mrs. Jamison no ticed that she appeared agitated and watched her more closely on that ac count. Miss Parham made several rapid trips to Main street and the last time she returned the house was emp ty, except for the cook. When Mrs. Jamison returned she noticed in her pantry a glass with some laudanum in it. She immediately went to Miss Parham, who was lying in bed, and asked her if she had taken the opiat. The girl denied it and no more was thought of the matter. About ( o'clock Miss Parham got up and took supper with the family and drank a cup of strong coffee, which it is supposed deadened for a time the eifect of the laudanum. Just before going to bed she went out on the back porch where Wednes day morning two empty- laudanum bttles were found. It was learned Wednesday that she had purchased these two bottles, each from a differ ent druggist, on one of her trips to Main street on Tuesday morning. Between 2 and 3 o'clock Wednesday morning her sister, who sleeps with her, was awakened by her fearful groans and Dr. Guerry was hastily summoned. All that could be done for the unfortunate girl proved of no avail, and she died about 7 o'clock. The coroner held the inquest at the residence at 11 o'clock Wednesday rnorning. Drs. Coward and Fishburne, who assisted Dr. Guerry, testified that :eath was due to opium poisoning. Mr. and Mrs. Jamison were also heard, their testimony coinciding with the story as already told. The jury ren ered a verdict in accordance with the facts. The motive for the deed is hard to ascertain. Those who knew the young woman claim that suicide had been her raonomania since early child ood. Once when very young she saw woman shoot herself and the idea of eath being made easy by self-destruc ion seems to have seized upon her iind. Not long ago, when a promin ent young physician was found dead in his armchair, Miss Parham bitter ly deplored the fact that the accident had not happened to herself instead of to another. Another theory is that she dreaded death from consumption--a disease which has fattally attacked many of her family. The body will be taken to Union Friday morning by the brother and sister. His Ninth Wife. Upon the complaint of his alleged eighth wife, formerly Mrs. Mary A. Parker of Plattsburg, Mo., Christian C. Nelson, alias Capt. A. N. Freeland, alias John Anderson, alias Nelson Porter, was arrested at a hotel at San Antonia, Texas, Friday, while in com pany with a woman, claimed to be his ninth wife-a Mrs. A. E. Milburn, whom he married at Fort Scott Kas., two weeks ago. Nelson admits that he is wanted in several States and it is charged that he has undivorced wives in Los Angeles, Cal.. Portland, Ore., Plattsburg, Mo., Fort Scott, Kas., Salt Lake City, Utah, St. Paul, Mi., and at other points. He is about 45 years old, rather good look ing, well dressed and speaks with a slight accent. The State says this much richly married charmer appears t be the same concerning whose mar riage to a lady connected with Sumter people so much was published a few months ago. Her Weight in Silver. A German paper reports a singular freak of paternal liberality in the mat ter of a wedding dowry. On the be trothal of his daughter Herr Duchat seck had announced that he would give her. as a marriage portion. her weight in silver currency. According ly, on her wedding day, the bride was fomally weighed in the drawing room, in the.. presence of the assembled guess. before proceeding to church. Th bride turned the scales at 140 dunds. a sack was at once tilled with siiver crowns to the same weight. The exact number of crowns was 13,500, about $2,800. They Got Married. A. ID. Rainwater and Miss Melisa Toney were united in marriage at Fairburg, Ga., Thursday, the Rev. F. J. Dodd performing the ceremony. It was a Gretna Green affair, and but few knew that the young couple were contemplating such a stept. The bride is a sister of Editor Toney of the Campbell News. and the groom is employed in the News office. Both of them being compositors in the ottice of the News and being constantly as sociated in their work an attachment olowed. AWFUL TAX ON BAD ROADS. Why it is Cheaper to Have Good Roads than Bad Ones. The following article, showing the awful tax imposed on farmers by bad roads, was written by Prof. W. F. Massey of the A. and M. College, for the good roads edition of the Char lotte News and Observer: It would seem that no argument would be necessary to convince any one of the great benefit to be secured to the whole community, and especial ly to the farmers from the construc tion of good roads. And yet there is no class of the community that more quickly opposes any special tax for the making of such roads than the farm ers. The fact is that the farmers of the whole country are paying more tax for keeping the roads bad than would be required to make the best macadam roads everywhere. The taxes that are worked out in mending the roads and generally making them worse, are but a small part of the tax. The great tax that the bad roads im pose on the farmer are the wrecking of wagons, the wearing out of teams before their time, the awful waste of time in hauling half or fourth of a load when a full load could be hauled more easily on a good road. Add to this the loss of value on the farm be cause of the often impassable state of the roads. A farm on a good smooth road may not be worth a cent more for the production of crops than the one on a bad toad. But the one on the good road will bring several dollars more per acre Is sold, and is really worth more by reason of the less tax on it as shown above. Wagons break down, teams are worn out, time and temper are lost and the money value of these is hard to estimate. We once drove from Raleigh to Durham across Cabtree east of Morrisville. For miles the road was a broad trench >f red clay, and the road menders had just been along as usual throwing more red mud in the middle of the road until it finally got so heavy that >ur team pulled the doubletree in two, and we had to cut a sapling to mend it. On both sides of this red mud trench the fields were macadam zed with broken rocks ready for a road, and in some places the small rock were piled up along the roadside. And ret the road menders threw clay In 'he middle of the road while there vere - rock enough to fill the whole toad two feet deep and to have made t good for a life time. The mending was a tax simply thrown away, for it nade the road worse and increased he taxes the users were paying in wagons and team and time. There is another matter connected with good roads, and this is the get ng free mail delivery. One of the reatest obstacles to the development f the free mail delivery is the con lition of most of our country roads luring a larger part of the year. The ree delivery of the mail daily would put the farmer in touch with the worlds would enable him to have his laily paper and to mail letters more 'requently. But he lives on such a iserable trail called a road that the oute cannot be established, since no. ne would undertake it for the small ay allowed for such routes. Then, oo. there are plenty of business men n all our towns who would like to ave homes in the country to which tey could drive in the evening, but the roads in most places are so bad hat they stay in town and the lands emain unsold and unimproved as the own merchant would improve his ome. Farmers from off the improv d roads of Raleigh township come in o Raleigh with a quarter or half a ord of wood on a wagon, when on the1 ard roads they could easily haul a ord, and I have often wondered if the time of these men Is worth any thing to them. In the city we see the draymen trot ting about with four bales of cotton on one horse wagon, and the horse pulls them easily. Then we see the farmer oming in with a single bale on a one horse wagon or two bales on a two horse wagon. It takes the time of one man to haul a bale where the city drayman hauls four, and the farmer ould haul four if the roads were good. All this tax of wear and tear of team and waste of time has to be paid for out of the cotton, and though he may not seem to feel it at the time, in the long run the farmers pay a heavier tax for having bad roads than it would cost him to have them made good. Down in Mississippi the other day a farmer hauled forty bales of cotton on one wagon, TJ he load weighed 19, 218 pounds and was pulled by eight oke of oxen. On the roads of Mecklen burg a pair of horses hauls ten bales which is one-fourth the number as the oxen in Mississippi. Around Raleigh the farmers off the hard roads would take forty days to haul that forty bales of cotton with one horse or power equal to forty horses on the big Mississippi wagon. The ability to get a big load to market when the price is good would often pay the far mers taxes for good roads for years while he is hauling his little one bale to town on a falling market. There is no one thing for which the farmers of the country pay a heavier tax than for bad roads, and yet they are the last people to realize it. They are in the ruts badly in most of their farming, and we will never have the development we should hnave in farm ing itself until we have good roads to the farms and get business men to make homes in the country and carry with them their business habits to make tbe farms more productive. Good farming and profitable farming depend on good roads more than any other feature, for if we cannot get our crops to market economically there is a great deal of the protit of farming taken off in tax of roads. Burglar Shot and Killed. One burglar was shot and killed and another wounded by policemen at Peekskill, N. Y., early Wednesday. The men had brokcn into the hard ware store of Durham Brothers, and seen by two policemen. The burglars fired two shots at the policemen, one of whom returned the tire. The dead man is Clarence Outhhouse, 31 years old, of Peekskill. His companion, who is under arrest. refuses to give his MURDERED FOR MOEY. The Explanation of the Disappear ance of Fifty Men. John Welsh, a white man, who has been Implicated by allegation by Mat tie Bennett, the negress leader of the gang of robbers and murderers which has been operating at Beaumont, Texas, was carried to Baumont Thurs day, having been arrested at Houston on the strength of the woman's con fession. Welsh denies complicity In the murders. He was an iron moul der employed in the foundry where Benjamin Pearson, one of the mur dered men, worked. 'In jail the Ben nett woman talked freely to a repor ter. She confessed everything ex cept direct murder, and went fully into the details followed by the gang. "The business has been going on for six months," said she. "The men would go out to the saloons and street corners and find men that had money. They would bring them to my house and I and the other woman would give them beer with knock-out drops in it. -Then the men would either beat them up there or rob them or take them out int-> the hobo yard. I don't know how many men I have drugged; too many to remember, and all of them were robbed. "I don't know what them folks that I've told the sheriff about will do to me. I know I am safe in jail now, but if ever I get out they will kill me, it any of 'em are alive and are out of the penitentiary then." The Neches river where five bodies of supposed victims of the gang were found, skirts the town of Beaumont. It is about 150 feet wide and 30 feet deep. In some places swamps run back. A body thrown into the swamps stands small chance of being found. If it is true that fifty persons have disappeared from Beaumont, this may be the solution of the mystery of the missing bodies. The case in some of its features recalls the Bender family murders in Labette ~dounty, KMan., thirty years ago. Riding to Their Ruin. A Washington dispatch says the Democrats are rejoicing over the seri ous threats of disruption in the ranks of their Republican friends. It looks very much as it the Democracy will stand a chance of winning the house in the elections this year. The trouble seems to be that If the party is divided into sections which cannot agree as to whose benefit the government is to be run for. In congress there is a split between the sugar interests on Cuban reciprocity which has lined up the party in two bitterly opposing fac tions and caused a merry riot in the party caucus. In New York there is. a strong feeling against the president for his independence of Wall street, whose magnates have been set at naught. There is a chance of Demo cratic success in the Empire state. Platt and O'Dell are trying to patch up the breach. In all of the western tates there is great feeling against he administration for its pro-British ympathies and imperialistic tenden ies, and the German and Irish vote here is very large. The triist inter sts are mad, the tariff reformers are mad, the "America for Americans" in h north and west are made, there are local fights and disturbances every where, and it looks as if the Republi an party is about to ride to ruin. A big fight will be made by the party this summer to hold the house.. ana big contributions are to be called for. Fired Into a Car. Strike sympathizers at Norfolk, Va.1 threw bricks and then fired a pisto shot into a street car at the line of the city limits at 10 o'clock Thursday night and Private Bailey of Co. M, Emporia, Va., was wounded in the right thumb. The same shot caused a large piece of glass to strike Sergeant Carr, Co. I, Franklin, Va., and cut his face severely, causing the services of a physician to be called in. At the same time the shot was fired, several bricks were trown into the car and Private Burgess, Co. I, was struck on the knee and painfully injured. The car was stopped and the soldiers chased several persons who were run ning away. Five shots were fired and two men in the crowd stopped. They were J. F. Ruth and John Olive. The men were searched but no weapons were found. They were taken to the car barns and kept under guard all night. They will be brought to Nor folk in the morning for a hearing. Coal Miners strike. About 400 coal miners struck at Norton, Va., coal mines of the Vir ginia, Coal, Iron and coak company, Friday. They demand recognition of the union. A posse of deputy mar shalls brought to Bristol William Webber and John Haddow, organizers of the miners union. They claim to be from Pennsylvania and it is stated that they came to this section to or ganize the miners. They - were ar rested on the charge of receivers of the Virginia Coal, Iron and Coke company. The men will be taken. to Lynchburg. They decline to A special from Bristol, Tenn., says: Since the arrest of these men it is believed that trouble with the miners will be avoided. General quiet prevails, but the mines are still being guarded. A part of the mines are closed for the present while others are running light. Paid for His Children. A dispatch from El. Paso, Texas, says M. L. Riddle, the father who lost| three children in the recent wreck on the Southern Pacific, left for Red lands, Cal., in company with his wife and only one child, aged five years, after accepting a check for ten thous and dollars from the railroad company as payment in fnll for his damages. Six Saws in a Pie. A dispatch from A berdeem, Miss., says the Will Lanier case continues to develop interesting incidents. Thurs day night at 8 o'elock, white oticers John Hlarmon and .Joe Pope were on guard, a little girl brought the condemned man a pie from his mother, which when opened by the gurds e eloned six little steel saws. WHO IS IT? A Partly Decomposed Corpse Found in the Edisto River. SOME THINK IT IS WAIREN Envelopes and Weapons Indicate That It is the Bold Express Robber But Proof Is Yet Lacking. The fully-dressed body of a white man was found Friday in the Edisto river below Branchville, one-quarter. of a mile from where the safe was re cently left by robbers. On his per son were found a number of addressed expressed envelopes and two money bags with money in them. Two pis tols were buckled to the body and a cartridge belt with cartridges it it. Bartow Warren's friends who have seen the body say they think it Is his. The body described is that of a man of medium size, 5 feet 8 inches tall, fully dressed and well dressed. The whole body is slightly decomposed, the face not being recognizable. The man had a full set of good teeth except that one of the upper front teeth is gold filled. He had a full beard. Of the express envelopes, one was ad dressed to J. Warren Stratton, Athens. Ga.; one to D. M. Degolia, Augusta, Ga.; one to Booth & Batman, Athens, Ga., and there was some kind of package addressed to C.- D. Dukes, Pregnall's, S. C. There were two pis tols, one a Smith & Wesson, five-inch barrel, the other a 38-calibre Colt's, six-Inch barrel. He had a cheap Ansonia watch. There were two money bags found In his pockets and each contained some money. This money was not described. The body was found by Cornelius Ott at Minus' landing, Oolleton coun ty. There is a difference of opinion as to the exact point where the body was found, whether it was below dr above the spot where the safe was dumped into the river, but the best opinion is that it was one-quprter of a mile below. Those whoknow Warren say that from the articles found upon the body the indications a&e all that it Is Bartow Warren. The teeth, they say, indicate that it was Warren. A very close Inspection of the body and papers has not yet been made, as It was pulled from the river on the Colleton side and left on the bank, where it will have to wait the arrival of the coroner of that county. There were no evidences of death from wounds of any kind. The dates on the postmarks of the letters and, pak-, ages that could be deciphered was Jan. 27, the night of the hold-up of the Southern train, and the taking away of the express safe. One eye and half of the face is gone. The body had on blue coat and vest and dark check pants, and a number six shoe. On account of the decom. position of the body It could not be positively identified, but from what parties say it is almost certain that it is the body of Bartow Warren. If not Warren it isalmost certain thatlit is the body of one of the men connected with the express robbery near Fifty ight on the night of January 27th. The inquest has not been held and a guard will be left with the body ntil the coroner arrives. The most reason able theory advanced is that in cross ing river after dumping the- safe, the robber, weighted by the heavy pistols and cartridges was drowned. rr WAs WARREr. A dispatch from Branchville to The State says the body found in the Edisto river Friday morning was taken out Saturday mor.ning and positivelyiden tified as the body of Bartow Warren, though the verdict of the coroner's jury was that the man was nnknown to them and that he came tobhis death by' accidental drowning. Every one that has seen this body and knew Warren during life, positively identi fied it as being his body. The pistols found on the body were also identified as Warren's property. There was a camp fixed just across the river from where the body was found just large enough for one man to sleep in. This was in sight of where the safe was tied on the night of Jan. 27th. The supposition now is that Warren was at this camp watching the safe when the officers found it, and seeing they were pretty close and fearing cap ture, tried to swim the river and was drowned in the attempt. It was gen erally thought that Warren was at the head of both of the express rob beries which occurred near Fifty Eight. A Ghastly Find. The Greenwood Journal says the dead body of an unknown negro boy, apparently about sixteen years of age was found Wednesday morning under the platform of the C. & W. C. depot. Evidently he had crept under this shelter to sleep and died, either from the cold or some disease, there being no marks of violence any where on his person. No one recognized the fea tures of the unfortunate creature. The boy had been dead, undoubtedly, for several weeks. Smokeless Coal. The Somerset Smokeless Goal and Cake Company has been organized at Harrisburg, Pa. The new company proposes to supply a quality of coal that, when handled by competent fire men, will be almost free from smoke. The company has 125 acres of coal land near Berlin. Pa., and about 300 tons of coal a day are now being mind. The coal is found at 50 feet beneath the surface and is said to be of a dif ferent quality from the ordinary coal. A Brute Hanged. Oliver Greer, a negro boy, was hanged at Anderson Friday for a criminal assault committed upon a white lady near Belton last December. Greer was cool and appeared uncon cerned as to his fate, and talked free ly to all visitors. He acknowledged his guilt and that he deserved his pun ishment. The execution took place in the jail yard at 11.19 and there was a large crowd of both white and black, drawn there by a morbid curiosity. vrthing passed off quietly.