Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VO.X1,MANNING, S. C., WEDNESDAY. APRIL .10.'o 6 VOL.~~~~mmm. XVa_ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ TWO MEN SHOT DOWN In Broad Daylight on the Highway by Negro Highwaymen. ONE XILLED AND ONE WOUNDED. They Were on Their Way Home From Augusta in a Bug.y When the Assassination Took Place. Mr. W. L. Cvllins, farmer, of Edge 'field county, S. C.. was assassinated Wednesday aZ : p. m., at Fox's Creek, Martinrsurg riad. Aiken county, tive 2iles from Augusta, by negro high wayien. Mr. George Wood, a farmer also of Edgetield county, S. C., a r.eighbor and a friend of Mr. Collins. was shot slightly in the right hip and left shoulder. The negroes names are not known. They are at large. escap ing after the assassination. They at tempted to "hold up" the farmers, who were. returning to their homes from Augusta, where they had been transacting business, and the "hold up" was resisted. The Augusta Chronicle says the farmers were riding in a buggy. One negro appeared by the roadside, with a pistol in each hand, and commanded the men to throw up their hands. Mr. Collins was unarmed. Mr. Wood quickly drew his pistol. The negro fired, the ball from one pistol striking Mr. Collins in the region of the heart, the ball from the other .pistol striking Mr. Wood slightly in the right hip. Mr. Wood tired on the highwayman, but does not know that he struck him. Another highwayman,' from the bushes, fired with a rifle, the ball striking Mr. Wood very slightly on the left shoulder. Five shots were fired. The negroes escaped into the woods. Searching parties and the law author ities are seeking them. TRIED TO GAMBLE WITH THEY. Having concluded their business in the city, Mr. Collins and Mr. Wood, riding in a buggy, started to drive to their homes, which are some distance over the Aiken line, striking the river in the vicinity of Plum Branch. Af ter crossing the North Augusta bridge and having proceeded a short distance they were accosted by two negroes, one a mulatto and the other black and shiny. They had some sort of a match box gambling device, and. accosting the travellers, sought to engage their . attention to the game of chance. As certaining what was desired of them the travelers declined to participate in -the alleged game of chance and pro ,ceedi, on their way, going ahead ,quit4- c..urely. When they had arrived in the neigh iborhood of Fox's Creek, their atten tion was suddenly arrested by a man .the mulatto-springing from the bush, :a pistol in either hand, and command ing, "Throw up your hands! Your money or your life:" As stated Mr. Collins was unarmed. Immediately Mr. Wood sought his pistol. As he drew it, the negro fired from both pis tols. Mr. Wood r'eturned the fire twice. The black negro was hiden in the bushes. He fired one shot from, apparently, a rifle. STRUCK A VITAL PART. The mulatto was quickly .back in the bushes. Mr. Wood was in the act of springing from the vehicle to give pursuit, when Mr. Collins said, "Keep on driving." His voice was weird and full of distress. "But, he has shot me: complained Mr. Wood. (Mr. Wood at the time did not know how badly or slightly he. was hurt.) "He has shot me, too," replied Mr. Collins. Mr. Wood .dctected then that Mr. Coilins was badly hurt. He 'was turning pale and evidence of great pain was portrayed on his features. "Are you badly shot, do you think!" said Mr. Wood. "He has killed me," replied the un fortunate gentleman, and he was then in the throes of Peath. "We will drive fast to Dr. Rounds," said Mr. Wood, forgetting all else then except the distressed condition of his friend and neighbor. All this occurred very quickly. A very short distance had been traversed before Mr. Collins dropped over in the buggy and life was extinct. sUMMONED HELP. There was no one near at hand. Leaving his dead friend. Mr. Wood went as quickly as possible for assis tance, first reaching the home of Mr. William Burnett. Immediatel that attention could be given the lifeless body and the neighbors around could be 'notified, Mr.. Wood took the pro per steps to send word to the family of the deceased and to notify the authorities. Mr. Wood quickly reach . ed Marshal Getzen and with that of ficer and Mr. Herbert Bunch and - other gentlemen, rode into the city .to confer with the authorities here :and to as their assistance to aid in securing the highwaymen in case they ;should come this way. The party :met Chief of Police Norris and Mr. Wood gave to him what description 'of thd negroes that he could. He had paid very lettle attention to them when they had first accosted them and had not charged his- memory as to their appearance. He described the men as best he could and the police and county authorities will, of course, exert every possible diligence to the end that the men be taken. It is the belief, however, that the bandits are still on the Carolina side. The search for thenm began in twenty minutes after the assassination. By 'ight fall passers from both Aiken county and Edgetield county were beatinig the woods for them. It is stated that men from the Georgia side had also joined in the search and the opinion was expossed that it would he utterly impossible for the men to es cape arrest. All sorts of reports have been reach ing town, but nothing of a definite nature is secured. H1(LD-UP' OF TU'ESDAY. Near Clearwater Tuesday morning a well known colored man, Bob Merri wether, was held up by a mulatto and black man robbed of a pistol and money. Meriwether reported the hold-up-to Marshal Getzen and gave a verv excileit. description of the men The authorities are satistied that the assassins of Mr. Collins are the same men who held up Merriv.ether and theMerriwethr description will be of much service to them in identify ing the bandits. MIr. Wood is posi tive that he will be able to identify the men or either of them. if they are brought before him. The excitement and indignation caused by the assassination are in tense, particularly in the neighbor hood where Mr. Collins lived an'l among the people in the vicinity ad joining the scene of the crinie. THE CHARTESTON EXPOSITION. Great Crowds Are Now Going to Visit It. The Charlestoncorrespondent of the State says Wednesday was the great est day in the expositiois history so far as crowds are concerned. The same correspondent, writing on Wed nesday say fur the last :6 hours the railroads have been pouring people into Charleston by the thousands. Every train entering the city has been loaded to overflowing and the trains have been divided into sections of eight and ten coaches each. At this time it is impossible to estimate how many have come within that time but it is certain that Charlestcn now has within her gates the largest crowd of the exposition. Today the grounds were for once animated. The people were so numerousas to delight and in spire the folks who have been for months explaining and describing their exhibits to the casual inspector or to each other. Today there were plenty of visitors to talk to and the concessionaires were joyous. The crowds have come chietty from South Carolina. Educational Week and the rock bottom Tuesday rates have brought them. A number of colleges and schools are here and many pupils are accompanied by their parents. Teachers and fathers and mothers were today escorting the children around the grounds and an occasional weeping spell was indulged in by the youngsters too tried to do more sight seeing. The difference in the charac ter of the crowds now here and the visitors on earlier occasions is most noticeable. The Yankee, the silk hat man and the silk lined woman, have given way to the wool hat Carolinian and his wife and family. The gold headed cane and the silk umbrella are replaced by the lunch box and the ba by's bottle. The virot hats have been supplanted by the product of the small town millinery shop, with a bunch of not inconspicuous ribbon and a red or yellow flower. The rural bride and her rustic groom-a green waist, red shirt and a fur collar be traying the bride's happiness: striped trousers, a red tie and new wool hat giving away the groom's precious se cret-the are here, imagining them selves the admired of all admirer'. The manager of the Northwestern railroad-the miniature concern that traverses the grounds-never fails to spot this happy couple and immediate ly he announces that the "Honey moon Special" is about to start. Shot Roers Like Rabbits. The London Morning Leader pub lishes the alleged story :of the crimes which led to the courtmartial and ex ecution of two Australian officers in SoUth~ Africa which is-just now excit ing keen. indignation: in Australia. The. newspaper asserts that several officers of this particular irregular corps shot Boers like rabbits and that they are even suspected' of murdering men of their own command. The int cident which led to their courtmartia. was the cold-blooded ."execution'' by these officers of ten Boers supposedly having 20.000 pounds, ~who were jour neying to Petersburg to surrender. The Anstralians stopped the Boers, tried them by mock courtmartial and ordered all to be shot. 'This was done by a squadron. of the soldiers after some of the non-commissioned officers had refused to carry out the death sentence. The otticers then ransacked the Boer wagons but found the 20,000 pounds was in Transvaal money. Lieu tenant Hancock. one of the Austra lans concerned, fearing a German missionary would divulge his informa tion, shot the missionary dead. A Wierd Story. A strang case is being tried in a Montana Court. It was reported that a man named J. C. Paulsan had com mitted suicide in March. 1897. The body was at once placed in a receiving vault by his wife, who had refused to admit anyone to the house to see the body. An insurance company which carried 86,000 on Paulson's life became suspicious. had a local agent investi gate the death, and he saw the body 'in the vault, but said the face of Paul son was veay lifelike. The insurance, however, was paid. Mrs Paulson start ed for Germany with what was sun posed to be the body of her- husband, and is now living in somne island prov ince of that country. The insurance agent and his attorneys and witnesses at the trial declared their belief that Paulson is not dead, but that he feign ed death afterwards made his escape and is ali'.e today. Fired the Last Shot. Capt. S. H. Barton, C. S. A. whbo is said to have fired the last hostile shot in the rebellion on the plains of Brazos, Santiago, Texas, May 13, 1805, is now living in Del Rio. in that State. It is said that among his neighbors Is one Ney, a comrade on that occasion. who claims to be a descendant of Napoleon's marshal of the same name. who tired the last shot in Napoleon's retreat from Russia. Capt. Barton siys that a young man who fell by his sde was undoubtly the last man kil ed in the elvil war. A~ Fatal Accident. A sad andl fatal accident occurred in Charleston on Friday. Gus Rtooney o the crew of the United States c user Cincinnati which is now in ICharleston harbor, was run over and killed by a trolley car on -he Meeting street extension Friday night. Hie was horribly mangled. lie endeavored to jump on the front of the car while it was in motion and was knocked own anr1 run over. THE DEMORACY. Meeting of the State Executive Com mittee in Columbia. SENATOR TILLMAN ATTENDED. Some Wanted the Convention Held in Charleston, but the Committee Decided to Meet in Columbia. The State Democratic Executive Committee met in Columbia Thursday night and fixed the date for the State convention. Twenty-six out of forty counties were represented. S:nator Tillman was present by virtue of his position as member of the National Committee. Col. Wilie Jones, chair man of the committee, presided, and Mr. U. X. Gunter, Jr., the secretary. was also present. The members present were: A. W. Jones, Abbeville; W. W. Williams, Aiken: J. Perry Glenn, Anderson; S. G. Maylield. Bamberg: G. Duncan Bel linger, Barnwell: S. G. McCoy, Ber keley: W. F. Stevenson, Chesterfield: Louis Appelt, Clarendon; L. J. Will iams, Edgetield; T. H. Kitchens. Fair field; D. H. Trailer, Florence; M L. Donaldson, Greerville: D. H1. Magill, Greenwood: M. Ii. McSweeney, Hamp ton: J. A. McDermott, Horry; 1). G. Richards, Kershaw; J. H. Wharton, Laurens; D. J. Griflith. Lexington; W. D. Evans. Marlboro: Cole L. Blease, Newberry: W. J. Stribling, Oconee; W. 0. Tatum, Orangeburg; Wilie Jones, Richland: R. B. Watson, Saluda; Alta mont Moses Sumter: J. C. Wilborn, York: U. X. Gunter, Jr., secretary: B. R. Tillman, member of the national Democrat'c executive committee. There was considerable discussion caused by the introduction of a resolu tion by Mr. Magill that no member be allowed to vote unless that member had been regularly elected. This was supported by Mr. W. D. Evans, and Mr. Blease. Col. Wharton and Mr. Altamont Mosses opposed the motion. Senator Tillman said in reply to Mr. Moses tnat it is sometimes the case that members of the national Demo cratic committee are represented by proxy. It was decided to let members present, by proxy or otherwise, par ticipate in the proceedings and in the votes. INVITATION FROMI CHARLESTON. When this matter was settled, Col. Jones announced that the cormittee had received a request that the meet ing of the State convention be held in Charleston. le read a telegram from Maj. J. C. Hemphill, manager of the department of promotion and pub licity, offering the convention the use of an auditorium and assuring the members of a warm welcome. There was also a telegram from Capt. F. W. Wagener, president of the exposition, in which he asked Senator Appelt and Mr. j. C. Wilborn to use the r influ ence to have the convention :neet in Charlesbn. In accordance with these invita tions, Col. Wharton offered a resolu tion that the May convention of the State Democratic convention be held in Charleston. In supporting his reso lutions, Col. Wharton spoke in glow ing terms of the exposition and stated that the railroad fare from most of the towns in the State would be lower to Charlestou than to Columbia on ac coant of the exposition rates. The matter had been discussed among the members of the committee (uring the afternoon and it was pretty well understood that there was no se rious objections to calling the conven tion? to meet in Charleston. But the proposal was fought by a number of members of tbe committee. Mr. Blease offered a substitute for Col. Wharton's resolution. The reso lut'm fixed Columbia as the place for meeting and the 21st of MIay as the date. I supporting his resolution, Mr. Belasa spoke in highest -erms of Charleston and the expositioni, but it would be contrary to the spirit of the constitution of the D~emocratic party for the meeting to be held outside of Columbia. Mr. L. J. Williams said this would be a very radical step-for the conven tion to meet in Charleston. The rail road fare might be cheap, but there were other expenses to consider. Mr. Bellinger contended that the first thing to consider is whether or not it would benefit the Democratic party for convention to meet in Charleston. Mr. Wharton again spoke in favor of Charleston. The constitution of the party is silent on the place of meet ing, and this very silehce shows that the wisdom cf the members of the committee is relied upon. Mr. Apuelt also favored Charleston. Mr. Wilborn explained how. he had received a telegram from Capt. Wage ner. Senato:.- Tillman aske:d if Mr. W~ilburn had been ishing for an invi tation. Mr. Wilborn then prodded Senator Tillman. He spoke in warm Iest terms.of praise of the exposition and said that he felt his State pride drop a lhttle when he looke& upon this mgniicent exposition and saw how poorly it is being patronized. By hold ing the convention there, the State Democracy would endorse the exposi tion. Hie referred to the fight which Senator Tillmnan and the >ther con gressmen had made for an appropri ation for the exposition. Mr. Blease-And Senator Tillman got it, too. Mlr. Wilborn-Got it in the neck. (Laughter.) Mr. Wilborn then went on to say that it had never been explained why St. Louis got S5,0O0,00 and Charles ton could not get a few thousands. The reason of it is that we are Demo crats down here and they are FRepub licans there and that is why he would like to see the [Democrats of the State endorse the exposition. Mr. W. J. Stribling of Walhalla said that the fare from that place wold really be $2.50- cheaper to Charleston than' to Columbia, but the other expenses would offset tl'is dif ference. Furthermore the members of the onvention might fall into the hands of the Philistines-the bnd tigers. Mr. Ketchins of Fairfield remarked banteringly that as this invitation had not come unsolicited, it had better not be accepted. The motion was put and Mr. Bleas'es substitnte to hold the convention in Columbia was carried by a vote of 21 to 7. The seven were: Cunningham. Appelt. Traxler, Magill. Wharton, Watson and Wilborn. As there are 400 members of the convention, they would have "ad a lively time together in Charles' n, and Columbia could spare the convention for once. There seemed to be a hidden reason for ob jecting to the propesed change in the place of meeting, probably some ex pect matters affecting the organiza tion of the party to come up, and think it best for such matters to be disposed of away from the enchanting music of the midway spielers. One of these matters of party policy is the attitude of organized Democ racy toward the socalled 'Commercial Democrats." 'Mr. Blease last night introduced a resolution to the effect that the committee advise the conven tion to add a new section to tie oath to ne taken by candidates in the State primary, so that they would be bound to support the platform of the national Democratic party. But he withdrew the resolution at the suggestion of Col. W. D. Evans, who declared that it would be somewhat like arrogance for this committee, which now goes out of existence, to make any such suggestion to the convention.--The State. 4 DASTARDLY OUTRAGE. Four Negrocs Gqes to a Qentlenan's House to Assassinate Him. On last Sunday night week there was committed near Cameron an out rage by several negroes that merits the severest punishment, and we hope the rascals who committed it, and who are now in jail, will be made to feel the heavy hand of the law. About eleven o'clock of the night above named four negroes went to the home of Mr. J. M. Stallings, who lives a few miles from Cameron, and called to him to come out. Mr. Stallings, know ing that there were several persons in the yard, declined to go out, and asked what was* wanted. The negroes made some insolent answer and began throwing bricks and other missles into the house through the window. In the meantime Mr. Stallings had his pis tol and was endeavoring to get a chance to shoot some of the scoun drels. The black brutes remained soet.ime in the yard, cursing and yelling, but finding that Mr. Stall ings was ready for them, they finally left. By some means it was ascertained that a negro by the name of Russell was in the gang that committed the outrage. He was taken in custody, when he give the whole thing away. He confessed that he and three other negroes had gone to Mr. Stallings for the purpose of assassinating him and then robbing the place. Had Mr. Stallings came out when called he would have been shot down, and then the ladies and children of the family would have been at the mercy of these fiendish, black brutes. We shudder when we think of what might have appened had it not been for the fore thought of Mr. Stailings. No doubt every one in the house would have been murdered and the house set on fire and burned to the grou~nd had Mr. Stallings came out and been assassi nated as the plotters intended. The names of the three negroes im plicated by Russell, is Caleb Hlamp ton, Peter Dantzler and Isiah Hanes. All of th-em lived in the neighborhood of Cameron, and are well-known to the people of that section. All of them have been arrested and are now in jail. It is reported that others are concerned in the plot, and we have no doubt but that is true. If so, we hope they too will be apprehended and punished to the full extent of the~ law. The people in the section where the outrage was committed are deter mined that an example will he made of these rascals, who, really, deserve anging, as they fully intended, by their own confession, to commit mur der, and possibly a blacker crime had opportunity offered. This outrage should be a warning to those people who live in issolated sections. Let them all prepare for such emergencies as confronted Mr. Stallings. It is a pity he did not have in his house a good Winchester rifle. Then he might have given these scoundrels what they richly deserved.-Orangeburg Times and Democrat Major Mcah Jenkins. A dispatch says Major Micah Jen kins, of South Carolina, famous as the principal figure in the South Carolina sword episode, is likely to be appoint ed a retired captain, with pay, in the regular army by a special act of con gress, the favor to be bestowed at the request of his friend, President Roose velt. Major Jenkins appeared before the house committee on military af fairs to ask the appointment and the committee will report in his favor. He will draw eighteen hundred per an num for the balance of his life, if he lands. Major Jenkins was in Roose velt's rough riders and made a distin guished record. Roosevelt asked Mc Kinley to put him in the regular army, as captain, but the request was not gra~ted for some reason. Theodore Roosevelt, when he became president, gave his approval to a plan to have congress pass a special bill to put the major on the retired list, disabilities sustained in the Cuban campaign rendering him unfit for active service. To Abolish Slavery. Representative Patterson of Ten nessee Wednesday introduced in the house a bill to abolish slavery in the Philippine islands and to invalidate the treaty between Gen. Bates and the sultan of the Sulu islands. This will embarrass the Republicans, as they sanctioned the trade made by Gen. Bates with the Sultan of Sulu. A Fatal Explosion. It is now certain that not less than thirty miners lost their lives by the explosion in the coal mine near Day ton, Tenn. Fifteen bodies have been recovered and buried, and the others are to be taken out as soon as they an be reached. MEMORIAL HALL. What Capt. B. H. Teague Says of Present Status OF THE FUND BEING RAISED To Build the Battle Abbey at Richmond, Va., in Which to Preserve Relices of Con federate Soldier. To the Editor of The News and Courier: As the South Carolina Divi sion of the U. C. V. will not meet in Reunion until after the Iallas Re union, and as it is proper that the Veterans of the State should be in formed as to the status of the Con federate Memorial Association, (the so-called "Rouss Battle Abbey Asso ciation,") allow me through this cor respondence to give them silch infor maticn as I posess. . At the Louisville Reunion it was shown that subscriptions had been obtained in amount to cover the $100, 000,offered by Mr. Rouss. At the Memphis Reunion it was shown that a sufficient amount from these subscriptions, and what was deposited in different banks and held in the hands of camps, etc, would warrant the belief that the $100,000 to be raised by the Association was at hand and needed only to be collected and put iq the hands of the treasurer, Mr. Geo Christian, at Richmond, Va, this city having been chosen as the location of the Memorial Hall. The soliciting agent, Gen Under wood, was therefore instructed to get these sums together and deposit them with the treasurer. At the same time, according to agreement and contract, Gen Underwood was Instructed to draw the amount due and now payable to him since the $100,000 was practic ally In view. Gen Underwood had not up to the time drawn or had been paid anything from the amounts col lected. The amount drawn by Under wood was $25,023, and was paid to him from a deposit of $59,448 in bank at Covington, Ky, leaving on deposit $34,425, subject to the order of the treasurer whenever the full amount of W10,000 would be collected. The sundry amounts were as follows: On deposit with treasurer at Richmond, Va.. .. ..$ 8,634 69 Exposition fund on deposit at Nashville. Tenn.. . . .. 6,026 96 Collections by Underwood on deposit at Covington, Ky, 59,448 89 Sums in the hands of camps, etc .................5,746 06 Total............ ..$79,906 60 These sundry amounts were con sidered sufficiently good by Mr. Rouss as to prompt him to place an approxi mate amount of $60,000 in the hands of the treasurer. Now of the subsc:.-iptions-one of Mr. Marcus Daly was for $45,000-five thousand of which was paid by him. The balance was considered as good as cash, but unfortunately the donor died before it was paid over to the collec tor, and since then the widow refusing to pay it, suit was entered into to obtain the balance, and by legal ad vice a compromise is about to be effect ed, by which this balance is reduced to $20,000. There are other subscriptions amounting to.. .. .. . $ 1,550 00 Add Marcus Daly subscrip tion........ .. ....... 40,000 00 And amounts on deposit.. 79,906 60 The total is shown of. ...$121,456 60 The actual "ash though, was $79, 906 60. Now, after the payment of Gen Un derwood and the unfortunate hold-up of the Daly subscription, the cash of the Association shrinks to $54,883 60. If the Daly compromise is effected there will then have to be raised still some thirty thousand dollars to meet the balance of Mr. Rouss's fund. The heirs of Mr. Rouss assure the Association that the last payment of his fund wiE be made whenever the full amount of the one hundred thous and dollars required by the Associa tion is on deposit. It will be seen that the full amount in cash realized by the Association, after more than a year of effort through individuals, camps, chapters, etc, in the length and breadth of the South previous to the employment of Gen Underwood, was $20,437 71. It will also be seen that had the money been realized from the Daly subscrip tion the board of trustees would have been in condition to have gotten the whole of the Rouss fund and work would have been going on now on the Memorial Hall. rThe board of trustees of the Association has recently in a full and hlarmonious meeting, in At. lanta, Ga, at much expenditure of time and money to themselves, gone thoroughly over the situation and will at the Dallas Reunion present a full report. The members of the board are enthusiastic in their faith in the ultimate erection of the Memorial Hall. B. HI. Teague. Member for South Carolina of the Board of Trustees C. M. A. Aiken, March :31. Money Making Scheme. The Columbia State says Thursday morning there wa~s an interesting scene at the old union depot, recently abandoned. The work of tearing up the floor was commenced. There was no trouble in finding laborers who wished to take the work offered, with the chance of what they could get. And they were wise men. Many have often remarked that when the old floor came up there would be rich finds. So it proved yesterday. All kinds or money, ranging in size from dollars to one cent pieces were found by the workmen. A large number of pocket knives were also found, and other articles of more or less value. The workmen needed no urging to make them tear up the floor in a hurry, but once a board had been re moved it was difficult to get him to tear up the next. There was an interesting scramble all the way throuh. A LABOR PAPER WARNED. Orders from Washington About its Use of the Mails. The Augusta Herald says Postmater Smythe. of that city. has received in structions from the postoffice depart ment at Washington to exclude the "Voice of Labor," a local weekly pub lished in Augusta from the United States mails if it continues to publish in its columns inflammatory articles, as have appeared in several recent issues. The paper has not yet been shut out from the mails, but the editor. Mr. John Allen Mette, has been cautioned by Postmaster Smythe that the pos tal laws would be strictly adhered to, and these laws cover the sending through the mails of such literature as the "Voice of Labor." Editor Mette went to Mr. Smythe's oflice, and asked by "what authority did the department want to keep his paper out of the mails?" Mr. Smythe replied that he was only carrying out the laws of tIp postal department, and cited these laws to Mr. Mette. The latter then wanted to know who were the parties who had notified the department at Washington of the pa per being in the mails. The postmas ter told Mr. Mette that he knew, but did not consider it necessary to inform Mr. Mette. Mr. Mette was anxious to know, but was not informed. "The Voice of Labor" published several articles in late issues that were rather "warm stuff." to use a slapg phrase. The headlines glowed with strong statements sqch as; "Consti tution of United States a Danmable Document," "Civil War," etc; The,, last issuo, that of last Saturday. con tained an article, denouncing the municipal government. A Columbia Mystery. The Columbia State says Wednes day morning while some worknien were excavating for the found'ations of Mr. Allworden's new building op posite the Independent engine house a gruesome find was made. Portions of a skull and some bones were uncov ered, all very old and in a very dry and decomposed condition, almost crumbling to pieces at the touch of the human hand. The skull when carefully examined seemed to be that of a negro, the receding forehead be ing easily recognized when the por tions were fitted together. How old the bones were no one could venture to say. The skull may have belonged to a pre-historic man who was wont to roam about the forests attired only in a goat skin petticoat and a smile, or mayhap upon it once rested a Fed eral soldier's cap. The bones may have been carefully laid away by lov ing hands or they may have had buried with them the black secret of foul murder. An old house stood over the spot where the skull was found until torn down for the present work. Columbia's Skcy Scraper. The Columbia State says the bids for the big twelve-story Robertson of fice building had been opened and the contract awarded, and that the work of tearing down the Kendall building, on the site of which it will stand, will begin on the morning of June 1. As soon as this building has been taken down work on the new struc ture will begin. The contract was awarded by Mr. Robertson to M. T. Lewman & Co., of Louisville, Ky., a well known building firm. The big building, is to be twelve stories as orig inally designed, and will be 50 feet deep on the Washington street side, running on the front, however, the width of the present Kendall build ing and the two one-story struc tures adjoining, extending to the wall of the Parlor restaurant. Will Visit Charleston. Admiral Dewey has announced in letters which he has written to Washington friends that the condi tion of Mrs. Dewey, who has been sojourning in Florida for his health, has much improved, and is in every way much benefitted by her trip. The letters state that she has almost com pletely recovered from the throat diffi culty from which she has been a suf ferer for several years. The admiral and Mrs. Dewey have left Palm Beach, and will return to Washington leisure ly and by slow stages, visiting many Southern cities en route home. includ ing Jacksonville, Thomasville and Georgia point, the Charleston Exposi tion, and a few points in North Caro lina. Breaks Out Afresh. The fire that has been smouldering for 20 years in the old No. 2 coal mine of the Union Pacifie at Carbow, Wyo., has broken out afresh, and a force of men is now engaged in walling up the mouth of the fan ehaft through which the smoke and flame are issuing. Twenty years ago, wnen the fire start ed, the company, being unable to con trol it, walled up the shaff. At in tervals of two or three years the fire has broken out in new places and for five consecutive years it has burned steadily. The fire has undermined the country for a radius of half a mile and miners say it will probably burn for an indefinite period. Bitten by a Mad Dog. Mr. L M. Hlarrellson, a prominent farmer of the Walnut Grove section of Spartanbu rg county, has encountered a series of misfortunes recently attrib utable to a shepherd dog lie owned, which went mad several weeks ago. This dog bit a cow, several hogs and a valuable horse all belonging to Mr. Harrellson, before being killed. As a result, the cow and the hogs died shortly after the dog bit them, and Wednesday the horse died. Frosts in the South. Frosts were general last week in Tennessee, portions of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas. The frost was heavy at Nashville, Charlotte and Wilmington. and se vere at Knoxville. Reports from Macon, Savannah. Augusta, Charles ton Memphis and Meridian are to the effect that the frost was light. The damage to the fruit crop in Georgia if any was slight, a strong wi;nd preailing throughout the nigrht. AN OFFICIAL STATEMET. Why State Pensioners Have to Be Somewhat Patient. The following offleial statement for the benefit of the pensioners of the State was issued Wednesday from the State pension department: "Eyery year almost as soon as the legislature adjourns and the appropria tion for pensions becomes available, such questions are constantly asked, as "When will the money be paid out?" "Why should the poor old soldiers and widows be kept waiting so long for their money, when they need it so badly?" etc., etc. "These and various other questions can best he answered by a simple state ment of the amount of work uecessary before this fund can be disbursed. "The various county pension-boards are supposed to meet on the third Monday in January of each year, to pass on all new applications and revise the old list of pe:sioners. It is neces sary in every county to have several meetings before they can get their reports in proper shape to send in to the State pension board, and even, after they are received here, every mail brings in belated applications from the chairmen requesting that they be added to their rolls. This is not the fault of the boards, but is due to the fact that the applicants for pensions often are unacquainted with the time the board meets, or have had diticulties in getting witnesses, etc.; in many Qasea the boards held theirTe ports back purposely hoping to get all the applications in at once. .The State board requested that all the re ports should be In by March 1, but the last one has just come in, and therefere it was impossible to call a meeting of the State pension board be fore. "The State pension board when it meets has to consider each new appli cation, which is necessarily a slow arid tedious process, and also hear ap peals, etc. It is quite likely they will be in session several days this year as the number of new applications is very large. After their work is over, the pension clerk then has to prepare the pay rolls for the clerks of court of each county, and as there are over 6,000 names, this of itself takes some little time. "It is the desire of the State pen sion board to pay the pensioners just as soon as possible as they who are in constant touch with them, know just how great is their need of this help, and every expedition possible is used." Crop Conditions. The United States department of agriculture for the South Carolina section in the crc; service of the weather bureau has is sued its weekly crop bulletin. In writing of South Carolina conditions the reports says: Preparations of lands, and spring planting are about as late as they were last year, which is to say about ten days later than the average sea son. Slow progress was made over the western counties where the farm work is backward and the season.very late. Here some corn lands have been prepared and a little corn has been planted but planting has not become general. Over the eastern and cen tral counties the upland corn planting is well under way and some early planted is up. Ground is too cold, however, for favorable germination. Usually cotton planting is well under way over the southeastern counties by the first of April, but this year cot ton planting during March has been confined to southeastern portion prin cipally to Beaufort county, where about one fourth of the contemplated acreage has been planted, mostly of the Sea Island variety. Lands have been largely prepared and are awaiting suitable planting weather over the eastern and central counties, where by April 10th it is ex pected, work will become general. In western counties preparation of cot ton lands is backward and planting will be late although during the latter portion of March work of preparation advanced rapidly but planting will be delayed until ground becomes warm enough for favorable germination of seed. Bryan Is Right. lion. F. A. Hood of Chattanooga, Tenn., president of the Bryan club, Wednesday received a letter from Hon. W. J. Bryan in response to arr inquiry for an opinion on the proposed campaign issue. In his letter Mr. Bryan said: "I am afraid that so long as I live I will be accused of hav ing ambition; however, the fact that I am editing a paper and exposing the recoganizers ought to convince the people that I am not planning for per sonal preferment. While I believe that the Democratic party would quite generally be in favor of the taking care of the Confederate graves along with the graves of Union soldi ers. I am satisfied that if it was put forth as a campaign issue It would aosuse a bitterness which might de lay reforms far more. With -the southern people the taking care of the Confederate graves is a partriotic duty and one that the southern people would not be willing to have entirely turned over to the Federal authori ties and there are certain great re forms which are of great value to the people of the south and which might be lost sight of in a condition that long ago ought to have been forgot ten" Married in the Tombs. Lawyer Patrick. who was convicted a week ago of murdering millonaire Rice in New York, and sentenced to be electrocuted, was married in the Tombs on Sunday to Mrs. Addie M. Francis. with whom he boarded up to the time of his arrest. Eleven Drowned. Eleven men were drowned in the English channel on Tuesday night as the result of a collision between the steamer Alba and the British ship Cambrian Princess, in which the latter was sunk. Hanged for Murder. A dispatch from Manila says Priv ate Healy, of the Twenty-seventh in fantrv. was hanged Friday for the murder of Sergt. Moreland, in April, 101. The murder occurred at Manila. SHOCKING CRIME' A Negro Murders His Employer and Her Daughter AND WOUNDS ANOTHER CHIL. The Negro Thinking All Were Dead, He Robs the House and Flees, but is Captured and Confesses. Fearing that he would be arrested for theft, William H. Lane, a colored butler, shot and killed his employer, Mrs. Ella J. Furbush, her 1 years old daughter Madeline, and probably mor tally wounded another daughter, Eloise, aged seven years, at their home, 652 north Fifteenth street. Philadel phia shortly before noon Wednesday. Lane, who is 25 years of age, escaped from the house and four hours later was captured by Philadelphia detec tives while waiting in Camden, N. J., to board a train for Bridgeton, N. J. He was immediately carried to Phila delphia was identified by little Eloise, and conicssed his crime. The murder was one of the most cold blooded that has been committed in this city for some time. Mrs. Fur bush lived with her two daughters in a fine four-story house. Lane had been butler since Christmas, and be sides him she had another colored ser vant, a woman named Agnes. Re ently Mrs. Furbush had been missing small amount of money and finally she informed the police, who began an investigation which was still in progress when Wednesday's tragedy was enacted. Suspicion fell on Lane and a warrant was sworn out for his arrest. According to Lane's confession, he saw Mrs. Furbush on Monday night ounting a large roll of bills. Knowing where she kept the money, he bided his time and at an opportune moment late in the evening he stole $70. Tues day morning Mrs. Furbush missed the money and questioned the colored man, but he denied all knowledge of having seen it. Expecting that the theft would be placed on him and that Mrs. Furbush would have him arrest ed, Lane planned to murder the mother and her children, rob the house and disappear. At 11 o'clock he went to the third floor and found Mrs. Furbush in one of the middle rooms. He instantly shot her twice, once in the breast and then through the heart. She died instantly, Eloise, who was in another room, hearing the noise, entered, and Lane shot her in the abdomen. She fell and he thought he had also killed her. With out even attracting the attention of the other servant, who was ironing in the out-kitchen, Lane went to the front door and called Madeline, who was skating on roller skates on the sidewalk. He told her that her mother wanted her on the the third floor, and -without the slightest suspicion of the tragedy that was being enacted, and that she was going to her death, Made line climbed the stairs without remov ing her skates. She went into a room adjoining that in which her mother lay dead. Lane followed her and as she cheerily called her mother, the negro shot her through the heart, killing her instantly. Lane, in his confusion, says he then proceeded to rob the house. He quick ly found $130, two watches and a pocketbook, and while he was search ing for the jewelry he was interrupted by the arrival of two special police men who had a warrant for his arrest on the charge of lareeny. They asked to see Mrs. Furbush and Lane showed them to the dining room on the sec ond floor and said he would call his mistress. Recognizing one of the men as an officer, Lane hastily put his overcoat on and escaped by the rear of the house. All was quiet in the house and the policemen hearing a moan, statrted an investigation and on the third floor hallway found little Eloise. To the policemen she said: "William shot my mother and my sister, and tried to kill me." She was immediately sent to a hos pital. Lane was traced to the Penn sylvania railroad station at Camden, where he was recognized by one of the policemen he had admitted to the house. The officers hustled him on a ferryboat and out of the jurisdiction of the State of New Jersey and took him to city hall. He wore newclothes, and his old suit of clothes he sent to his sister's home in Burlington, N. J. At the Camden station he telegraphed another sister at Bridegton. that he was coming to see her. At the police station Lane said he was sorry for what he had done. He was surprised to hear that Eloise was alive and said he always liked her and hesitated to kill her, "but it was necessary to do so." "Now that I have been caught," he added, "I hope she will live. I am also sorry for Mrs. Furbush and Madeline, but poverty tempted me to do it." Later Lane was taken to the hos pital, where Eloise identified him. Lane corroborated evertything the child said. Lane is the son of a preacher who lives in Bridgeton, and has served a term in the Mount Holly, N. J., jail for larceny and has been confined in the Huntingdon, Pa., reformatory. Whiat Early Will Say. General Fitzhugh Lee, who distin guished himself in the Confederate service and is now on the regular army retired list as a brigadier general, re cently went on a visit to West Vir ginia. While there he met an old com rade in arms whose reception was somewhat frigid. "WAell, what's the matter?" said General Lee. "Oh, nothing much," was the non committal reply. "There is something wrong," per sisted the general. "Out with it! What do you want?" After being strenuously urged the old comrade said: "Well, I want to die at least half an hour before you do. I want to be in the other world when you arrive there, just to hear what General Jubal Early says when he sees you in a blue nifrm. 4