Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL. XVII. S. C., WEDNE SOME BAD NEWS. President Roosevelt Has Surgical Op eration On His Leg. INJURY BY A TROLLEY CAR Resulted in the Format ion of an Ab scess on the Lea Which Necessitated Use of Surgeons Knife. President Roosevelt's western trip came to an untimely end in Indianap olis, Indiana, on Tuesday, 23. instant. le was found to be suffering from a swelling in the left leg, between the knee and the ankle, which requirec immediate surgical attention and. in stead of being taken to the train tc continue his journey to Fort Wayr and Milwaukee, he was conveyed tc St. Vincent's hospital, where he was operated on. The operation occurred at 3:45 o'clock and lasted only a short time. Then be was taken to a pri Tate room in the hospital to rest. Af ter taking a light luncheon at 7:30 p. m. he was conveyed on a stretcher tt his train, which had been backed up on a "Y" near the hospital, and at 101 minutes before s o'clock the train left for Washington. The first intimation that anything 'was wrong came in the form of rumors to the great crowd, which was pa tiently waiting near the Columbia club and the Soidiers' and Sailors monument for the president to appear. It was about 2:30 o'clock, half an hour after the time set for the presi dent to leave the city, that a few fav ored ones in the crowd received inti mations that the president was sick and that the rest or the trip probably would be abandoned. These state ments were as promptly denied. as fast as they gained currency, but soon the rumors began to take on a more serious character. "The president has burst a blood vessel," was a whisper that went around among the police otlicers and soldiers. "This cannot be true." said others, "for the president is in the corridor conversing with Senator Fairbanks." Then it was said that the president was sick, that he had fainted, and fi nally a rumor was started that he had been shot. These rumors, however.did not appear to reach the crowd. A hall hour or more passed, and finally it was noticed that a movement of some kind was on. The president's carriage stood in front of the entrance of the club, with Col. Wilson, the governor's pri vate secretary,inside holding the large bunch of-American beauty roses that had been given the president in the hall. The soldiers of the National Guard were drawn up along the street just in the rear. The secret service men and the local police and detect ives crowded the sidewalks in front of the club, keeping back the people. The command was given to "make room," and a path was cleared fron the club entrance to the carriage andl as if in answer to the rumors of his illness, the president, accompanied by Senator Fairbanks, with a quick and sturdy galt, came down the steps anc hastily entered the carriage. Senabo2 Fairbanks, Secretary Cortelyou and -Gov. Durbin took seats in the carriagE with the president. The carriagE -started immediately for St. Vincen1 hospital. Though the carriage was closed, the crowds on the streets cheered. At the hospit al the president .alighted and walked with Senato: Fairbanks and Gov. Durbin up th steps of the hospital. A squad of po lice formed a cordon about the build ing. After the president cntered the op * erating room he sat down and waited for instructions from the physician! and surgeons, watching their prepara tions with a keen interest. "I am awfully sorry I cannot con tinue my western trip," said he "Can't you let me go ahead with il after this thing is over?" Several of the surgeons turned t< him, and one said: "It is my opinion that you- woub be very indiscreet to continue on you feet as would be necessary in you: speechmaking trip after your opera tion. This is by no means a seriou: thing and there is absolutely no dan .ger of serious conseqjuences from it i .you are careful and stay off your fee until the trouble is over. But yoi should by all means. MIr. President discontinue your tri p." "Very well, then, it will have to b that way," said the president resign edly. The operation was begun withou 'delay. The pain caused the presiden to mutter several times in a low voice but he said nothing that was distinct except to ask for a glass of water be ~fore the needle had been removed .After the operation was over, he mad< ~several laughing remarks. After being taken to an upper roon Trom the operating room. the presi tient was served with a light luncheol and chatted pleasantly to those in th room. He made several kind remark to the attending nurses about th trouble he was causing, and shiftei his position several times nervously. At 7:45 P. in.. a white blanket wva thrown around him and he was places on the hospital stretcher and escorte< by a company of infantry, was carrie< to the car a block away by four negr porters from the train. The swelling of the president's leg which made an operation necessary was occasioned by a bruise he receivel at the time of the trolley accident a Pittsfield. M1ass. Besides being injured in the face an' across the eye. the president at tha time received a blow upon the inne part of the left leg, between the anki and the knee, but characteristicailly hi paid no attention to it. ignoring ita being a slight bruise, not worth tali ing about. For several weeks he too no heed of it. but tinally it began t pain him so as to enforce his atter tion. After starting on his wester trip, he determined that Dr. Lung who was aboard the train, should es amine it. The doctor did so and prc nounced it to be a serious mattel When in Detroit, the doctor tinall deared that something oust be dlonE After consultiog with Dr. michardsou another member of the party. it was decided ghat, in order to avoid the probability o blood poisoning. it prob ably would be wise to have an opera tion performed. The president was very much averse to anything of the kind, but nevertheless when Logans p)ort, Ind., had been reached he had been prevailed on to deliver the tariff speech at Milwaukee. and which was regarded as one of the most important of his proposed speeches for the west. At Logansport Senator Beveridge boarded the train and after a consul tatiun with him. it was decided that he should summon several of the best physicians of Irdianapolis to meet the president. When the train pulled into the station the doctors were taken by the senator immediately into the pres ident's car. A\ hen the president rose to acknowledge the reception given him at the hall, and also when he rose to make his address. it was noticed by those near him in front of the hall that he stood with all his weight on his right leg, and the posture seemed so awkward and so much like a pose that it caused comment. When the president was taken to the Columbia club for luncheon he was made the subject of a serious consultation by the physicians. His leg was bared. and the swelling examined. After a considerable time the physicians ar rived at the verdict. Said Dr. Oliver: "In order to avoid possible blood poisoning setting in, it will be necessary for the president to submit to a slight operation," and in this view all the other doctors concur red. The president wished that the operation, since it was necessary should be postponed until he reached Washington, but the physicians again proved obdurate. They gave it as their opinion that tne bruises could not be tritled with in its present condition. and that no one could afford under all the circumstances to take any chances in postponing the needed sur gical attention. Hester's Cotton Statement. Secretary Hester's weekly cotton statement issued Friday shows an in crease in round figures in the move ment of cotton into sight for the seven days of 149,000 over the same seven days last year, an increase of 70.000 over the same time year before last. The amount brought into sight for the week ending Friday afternoon is stated at 371,619 against 222,438 for the same seven days ending this date last year and 301.,707 year before last. The total of the crop moved into sight for the 26 days of the new sea son is 1,017,232 against, 563,829 last year and 714.512 year before last. Receipts at all United States ports since Sept. 1. have been 723,902 against 337,776 last year. Overland across the Mississippi. Ohio and Poto mac iivers to northern mills and Canada 16,653 against 15,107 last year; interior stocks in excess of Sept. 1, 125,197 against 75,546 last year; and southern mill takings 151,500 against 135,400 last year. Foreign exports since Sept. 1st have been 406.682 against 227.981 last year. Tue total takings of American mills north and south and Canada thus far for the season have been 237. 117 against 191,491 last year. Stocks at American ports and the 29 leading southern interior centres have increased 373,453 bales against an increase for the same period last season of 139,948. Including amounts left over in stocks at ports and interior towvns from the last crop and the number of bales brought into sight thus far for the new crop the supply to date is 1232,326 against 923.516 for the same period last year. The Hampton Mounment. The following circular which exi plains itself is now being sent out: To the Hampton Memorial Commit tses. Gentlemen: Having been appointed. authorized and asked "to solicit and receive subscriptions to a State monu ment to Wade Hampton, soldier and statesmnan"-it behooves us to try to do this duty. The State has been blessed with a good year. Food is abundant. The money returns from the market products are at least above the average and comparative prosperity prevails. Now is the time to act. Each of you therefore is re quested to call on the county chair men and they or their local chairman to canvass at once for the monument fund. The prompt collection is urged that the monument may be erected while the memory we hallow is still fresh in our hearts. It is desired that each chairman report and remit by the week. The amount received will be published each week,' beginning with the end of the first week in Octo ber. The public is most earnestly solicited to cooperate with us heart and hand. H anmptonl Memorial Committee, A. C. H askell, Chairman. R I. W. Shand. Secretary. The chairmen of the committcee in Sthe seven congressional districts are as follows. W. G. Hlinson, first: James M. Moore. second: D. 1H. Russell. third: Jas. A. Hoyt. fourth: JTas. F. Hart, fifth: W. E. James. sixth: and :A. C. Hlaskell, seventh. Killed by a Train. The Eastover correspondent of The State says Tuesday morning of last week while the rock train was mo)ving throtigh Eastover, Charlie Sheppard, colored. wvho had brought a bale ol cotton to the gin for Mr. B. W. Hur kett, was instantly killed by the train. It seems that Sheppard was at the gin house. wvhich is about 150 yards frm the depct. and when he saw the train coming ran t-> where the trair wais and caught and swung on to the Iside. ot the cars. As he passed a cross ing at the depot a bridge railing struck his head breaking his skull ir useeral places. lIe fell from the trair an 'd wa very much mutilated. The verdct of the coroner's jury was that he c'ame to his death byv misfortune ad accident causedl by his own care Four Killed. F our stockmen~i were killed and tw.' seio'usly injured in a collisioni On th( urington road near Malden, Ill. eary T hursday. The Burlington pas sengert train crashed into the stocl, trin telesoping the caboose. SHOT DOWN On His Own Doorsteps by a Brutal Negro, WHO IS CAUGHT AND KILLED. The Murderer Was Caught by In censed Citizens Who Sent to Columbia for the Peniten tiary Bloodhounds. The Columbia State says Mr. Jim Irby, one of the guards at the State penitentiary, went to Newberry Wed nesday to assist in the hunt for George Caughman who in fiendish spirit mnrderered a white farmer of that county Tuesday morning. News of the tragedy did not reach Columbia until yesterday, although the blood houndswere wired for Tues day night. Mr. Cole L. Blease, who v:as in the city yes:erday, gave the details of the terrible crime for which the negro is being hunted. Caughman. who is known in New berry city as an impudent negro. had been picking cotton for a Mr. Smith, a farmer who lives near Bush liver church, near the Laurens county line. Caughman's inamorata was also living ou this fan. Monday night Caugh man, while enraged for some cause, administered a wbipping, and the woman, fearing further violence, sent a little boy to tell the farm overseer, Mr. Ed. Adams. As to what followed there is some discrepancy in the reports. Some say that Mr. Adams, accompanied by a Mr. Poe, went to the house and gave Caughman a severe thrashng and ran him off the place. The other account is to the effect that the white men did not whip Caughman but ran him away. The following morning, Tuesday, Mr. Adams was called from his break fast table by the negro Caughman who declared that he wanted a settlement for his time while picking cotton. Mr. Adams went towards the gate and was fired upon three times. Each shot took effect in a vital spot. The first struck him in the left side of the abdomen, the second just below the left nipple and the third entered the brain just over the left eye. Leaving his victim dead at his own doorstep the assassin made his ecape. The surrounding country was soon in the saddle, but the negro could not be found. The house of his wife was surrounded and watched all night and the posse drew away yesterday morn ing confident that he was not in that neighborhood. The woman says that the pursueis had been gone less than 15 minutes when George came for some clothes. Some discredited the wo man's story, thinking she was trying to throw the posse off of the scent, but it was thought advisable to try the dogs. When Mr. Irby arrived in Newberry with his string of blood hounds. he went to the scene of the tragedy, and was accompanied by the deputy sheriff. Mr. Johnson, Mr. Tom Davenport and Magistrate Chappelle. Sheriff Bedford remained in his otice. It was report ed here that the white people were very much enraged and that if Caugh man should be caught it would prob ably mean a case for the coroner. sHOT HISELF. Wednesday night at 10.20 The State received a dispatch from Newberry stating that the negro had been caught "and had shot himself fatal ly." No particulars were given and it is not known whether the negro was caught by the agency of the dogs. A dispatch from Newbarry, to The State, under date of Thursday, gives the following parti'culars of the negro shooting himself: Caughman was cap tured Wednesday afternoon. He was trailed by bloodhounds to a point about 100 yards behind his own home. Being hotly pursued, he shot himself early Wednesday morning,but did not kil himself. When found he was al most in a dying condition. About 100 men on horseback followed the dogs. immediately upon the discovery of Caughman, excitement ran to a fever heat and a lynching was narrowly pre vented. Caughman is at present in the Newberry jail. It is hardly pos sible that he will live more than a few days. In his testimony taken while he thought he was dying he implica ted two other negroes in the crime, who are also lodged in jail. Lives Lost in Coal Mines. The United States geological survey has .iust made public a report contain ing statistics of fatal and non-fatal accidents occurring during 1901 in the process of producing coal in the eigh teen States and territories wherein that product is mined. The total number of lives lost in 1901 was 1,407, and the total number of men injured ws 3.643. The number of tons of coal mined for each life lost varied fromi 426,094 in Marylanil, to 49,424 in Indian Territory. The average number of tons mined for each of the l,467 lives lost svas 188.668. It is in teresting to note that in Pennsylvania the number of tons of bituminous coal mined per life lost was a little more than double the amount mined per life lost in the anthracite mines of the same State. An Investigationl of Cotton. A number of special agents of the United States department of agricul ture have left Washington for the South for the purpose of investigating certain features of the cotton move ment. Statistican Ihyde's estimate of cotton actually grown during the year 190102 and tile report of the census (,tice as to the amount ginned during the year both ditrer considerably from the amount marketed according to comeif al reports. The department bliees the ditrerence is made up lrgely of cotton carried over from precedngr years and or linters and re pcs. No expense will be spared. it is aid in an investigation as to what the commercial crop really amounted to and what it cousisted of and a full statemnt of the result will be made A FIENDISHMAN BRAKEMAN. Brutally Shot and Fatally Wounded a Colored Boy. A dispatch from Spartanburg to The State says a 13-year-old boy died at I o'clock Tuesday morning at the lodging house of a colored man named Adams, near the Southern depot, in that city, from the effects of a pistol shot received Saturday after noon at Melrose on the Spartanburg and Asheville railroad. From ac counts the shooting was an act of wanton brutality and the pistol was tired by a negro, presumably an em ploye of a freight train. The boy, Yank Dooley, and his brother John were walkintg from Mel rose towards Spartanburg on the rail road track. They stopped at Melrose and seated themselves on a piece of sewer pipe about 1 p. m. Saturday. While there a freight train passed by coming this way. As the train pass ed, according to the testimony of John Dooley. at the coroner's inquest a negro brakeman brandishing a pistol in one hand swung from the side of the car next to the cab and fired, the ball striking the boy Yank. The negro then fires1 twice' more. The boy was picked up and it was discovered that he was dangerously wounded. The agent at Melrose tele graphed to Tryon, and further down the line, to have the negro on the freight train who did the shooting captured. The scoundrel had made his escape prior to the train reaching Tryon. He has not been seen nor heard from since. The wounded boy and his brother were carried on a train to Saluda, and from there they were brought to Spar tanburg on the passenger train Satur day night. Yank Dooley lived until 1 a. m. Tuesday and died from his wound. While his brother was the only witness who testified at the coro ner's iquest he gave his testimony in a straigtforward manner, and, if it be true, the negro who did the shooting should be captured and dealt with to the extreme end of the law. SOME SLICK RASCALS Who Swindled Several Farmers in Laurens County. A dispatch from Laurens to The 1 State says recently several farmers in that county have been swindled out of 1 sums of money ranging from $10 to 1 $50 by two well-dressed fellows of 1 gentlemanly bearing who represented 1 themselves as agents of a well-known < supply company of Chicago. H. M. Smith, a good citizen of High < Point. has sworn out a warrant for the men and the warrant has been placed in the hands of the sheriff. < Mr. Smith holds a receipt for $40 signed by B. F. Jones. He was duped 1 into paying this on the promise that a high grade buggy would be shipped to him within 12 days, considerably 1 under the listed prices in the cata logue, etc., which they exhibited. ] At the expiration of the 12 days, no C buggy having come, Mr. Smith pro-< ceeded to investigate the matter and to his astonishment upon wiring the< alleged Chicago house he was advised that they employed no traveling agents and the men were Imposters arnd frauds. In the meantime information reaches here from a point in Georgia that two men answering Jones' and his companion's description had been operating the same scheme there and are badly wanted by the authorities in that State also. They travel by private conveyance and crossed this country t wo weeks ago, traveling east ward. It is said that the same parties worked the farmers of upper Richland county and the Dutch fork of Lexing ton county and that warrants have been sworn out in those counties for the arrest of the scamps. A Bold Robbery. Robbers tried to carry off the safe in the railroad depot at Walterboro one night last week, but were fright ened away by some one who happened to be passing. They had a handcar on the track immediately in front of the door, but left before they could get the safe on it. The safe and the tools were left In the middle of the room. It seems that the robbers forced an entrance in the waiting room and pushed- a boy through the ticket hole who opened the door from the inside. The hat of Joe Teasdale, a negro boy who has been working for Dr. Acker man, was found just outside the door, and Josh is now resting in jail charged with the commission of the crime. Other negroes in town are suspected and more arrests will probably follow. A Good Thing. The novel invention of Prof. Arte mieff gives security to workers In lab oratories using high-tension electric currents. It is a safety dress of tine but closely woven wire gauze, weigh ing 3.3 pounds, and completely enclos ing the wearer, Including hands, feet, and head. The cooling surface Is so great that a powerful current passed for several seconds from one hand to the other without perceptible heating. Clad in this armor, the inventor re ceived discharges from currents of 5-000) to 150,000 volts and handled live wires at pleasure, all without any sensation of electric shock. A Bad Wreck. The worst wreck in the history of the Bessemer road was occasIoned by a head-on collision between two freight trains at a point two miles east of Mercer, Pa.. Thursday, in which four were killed and three injured. The wreck was caused by a cross order is sued for the two freight trains. At present the blame cannot be ascer tained. Three engines and eight steel cars are badly wrecked. The Injured are In the Mercer Cottage Steel hospi tal and will recover. Becomes Active Again. A dispatch from Rome says the vol cano Stromboli island, off the north coast of Sicily, has been active for several days past. A large conical mass has appeared on the edge of one of the craters and a fissure at the cra ter is pouring out lava, and jets of tlme to a heig-ht of 300 yards. DEMOCRATIC HOPES [n Tariff Revision, and Light i: Shining in the West. ROOSEVELT ON THE TRUSTS [s Doing Effective Work ior Demo crats Because of Failure to Suggest Plan For Their Control. "President Roosevelt is our strong ?st speaker in the field " This was ,he smiling remark of Chairman fames M. Griggs of the Democratic ,ongressioual campaign committee, ;ays the Washington correspondent of the State, when asked recently what he ;ought of the president's Cincinnati speech in which the tariff question as t relates to trusts, was dwelt on at ength. "The president is crystalizing the >opular belief which is just at t.his ime electrifying the mindsof the peo le of this country that the trusts should be regulated. At the same ime that the president is crystalizing his belief, he is telling the people in Limost direct language that they can xpect nothing from his party in the way of remedial legislation, at least iot for years. "With this in mind, the people will -ealize that the Democratic party is ;he party, and the only party ready or action now. There is absolutely o ground for the president's warning hat the Democratic party would de troy both the trusts that do ill and he trusts that do good, as he terms hem, as well as the general prosperi y of the country. The Democratic arty will be just as careful in admin stering .its trust medicine as the [epublican party can be. We shall ieither destroy the business interests )f the country nor injure the wage arners. We are as patriotic as the Republican party and we are not op yosed to vested rights or to property ts such. We simply favor giving every nan an equal chance in the race of ife, and whereever the tariff 'shelters he trusts,' as we know it does, we ropose to so modify it as to remedy he evil. "The president admits that the re noval of the tariff from some of the rust products Would be a remedy, and he more the president talks along hese lines, the better will the Demo ;rats be satisfied." In commenting on Chairman Bab ock's confidence of Republican suc ess in the fall elections, Mr. Griggs aid that he could not exactly figure ut Mr. Babcock's philosophy. 'Though he is confident that the Re ublicans will control the fifty-eight ongress," he at the same time pre licts that they will lose some mem ers. Mr. Babcock may know more tbo'ut sliding down hill than I do, but never yet have been able to under tand how a man who begins to slide own can know exactly the point bove the bottom at which he will 01 an stop." WILL ATTrACK THE TARIFF. Mr. Grlggs ascribes no other reasor or Speaker Henderson's withdrawa] rom the race in his home district ~han that assigned by the speaket 1imsel in his declination on the tariff. "I regret very much that it should ave been stated the Democratic cam 3aign managers have been contemplat ng any personal attack on Speakel Fenderson," continued Mr. Griggs. Nothing has been further from ouw ntentions. I believe Mr. Hendersor etired from the race because of the reasons he gave. To believe anything lse, it seems to me, would be a re lection upon his integrity as a mar Lnd his standing as a Republican.] elieve what he says, whether his pro essed friends believe it or not. "This only accentuates the fact bhat tariff reform is coming in spite o0 nything the Republican leaders may l or say. The people are tired ol ostering industries, which, In th( Language of Mr. Pou, 'treat us nol anly worse than they do foreigners but worse than they do savages' b) :harging us higher prices for Ameni ::an made goods than they charg4 liens for the same class of goods. This is creating a strong selitimen1 in favor of a proper revision of thi Dingley tariff law, as it ought to do.' Negroes Not Wanted. Negroes are being driven out o Illinois by the whites. The Adjutant General of the State reports a senou: ondition of affairs at Eldorado, and i1 was found necessary to detail a large1 force, the troops now there being un ible to suppress nightly attacks upot the negroes. Hie says the outrage! tbave extended to the surroundini :ountry and fifty-four negro families some of them owning improved farms have been compelled to sacrifice thel property and leave. He reports that no clew has been found to the per petrators of the outrages, and thal none can be found who is willing tc talk because of fear of violence. Al the request of the governor, Genera Smith has arranged to keep the Mat toon company of forty m~en at Eldo rado for the winter. Seven Sisters Meet. The Columbia State makes note o a remarkable gathering, which tool place in that city one clay last week Seven sisters long separated by marri ge an~d otherwise, met together They were the Misses Aycock of thi famous Aycock family of North Car olina, and are now Mesdames B3. L Caughman, M4. W. Peurifoy. Johi Denny, P. W. Barnes, J1. P. West, anc Misses Lou and Sudie Aycock. Makes a Good One. Mrs. Kenyon of Monoroe, Neb., i employed in the free delivery mai service and makes her daily trip: with promptness. no matter hov much "weather" there may be. Shi is no stranger to outdoor life. Wher only 13 years old she aided in remov ing the Pawnee Indians from Nebraski to their reservation in Oklahoma ang h ond trip on~ horsebak. SLANDERING THIS STATE. Some Resolutions Adopted by a La bor Union In Maine. As a sample of the malicious false hoods circulated in the North about child labor in this state, secretary of state recently received a copy of some resolutions adopted at Portland. Mo., over 1,500 miles away. concerning the working of children in mills. The resolution was unanimously adopted by. the Central Labor Union of that city and a copy of them was 1 ordered sent to the legislatures of 1 South Carolina and Alabama. The Iirst part of the resolutions refers par ticularly to Alabama and is, compara tively speaking. mild. South Carolina, however, is severely denounced for permitting '20.000 children half star ved, too spiritless to laugh and too dead to weep," to work in the mills. The paper goes on to say that the people of this state should be ashamed to permit themselves to be so con trolled by the capitalists, and winds up with the hint that the national government may take a hand in the matter. As a matter of fact, out of 26,000 employees in the cotton mills only about 600 are children; and as a re cent article published in The Record taken from The Tradesman, a South ern Industrial magazine, states, this number will b': much reduced, when the schools open. The resolutions referred to above have been adopted in one or two Mas sachusetts towns, where the competi tion of Southern mills is keenly felt, and it is not likely the Southern oper atives will take kindly to this inter ference from the North. Hanged for Murder. Will Matthis, white. and Orlando t Lester, colored, were hanged at Ox- S ford, Miss., on Wednesday for the murder of Deputy United States Mar shals John A. and Hugh H. Montgom- C ery. The crime was committed No- I vember 16 last, 15 miles from Oxford I at Matthis home, whither the officials had gone to arfest him for illicit dis tilling. Matthls escaped to the t swamps of the Yocona river, where C for three days he successfully eluded a I large posse with blood hounds. He t was flually forced to surrender and Or- t landa Lester, the negro who was work- S ing for Mattis at the time the murder I occured, Bill Jackson, George Jackson C Whit Owens, Mattbis' father-in-law, I and Mrs. Matthis also were arrested 1 charged with the compliesty in the crime. Matthis and Lester made con fessions which they later reoudiated but they were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. Whit Owens l also was found guilty and will be hanged October 24. Waylaid by a Demon. George Bundrick shot and killed John J. Shrouder Wednesday morning < while the latter with his wife was pro ceeding in a buggy to their home near 1 Raines, Ga. Bundrick had claimed i that a negro on Shrouder's place had stolen his pocket knife and had under taken to arrest three of Shrouder's 1 hands. Shrouder offered to pay for the knife in order that his farm force shouldenot be interferred with at this time. Buncirick accused Shrouder of siding with the negroes. Shrouder said he would meet Bundrick as soon as he could take his wife home. They then parted. Bundrick went out on1 the road and waylaid the young mau and his wife, sending a load of buck shot into them. Shrouder fell dead and the wife was mortally injured, the horse running away and throwing the wife violently to the ground. Takes the Cake. The following from the Columbia State takes the cake. The State says "two railroad men were discussing a wreck on a northern road. One of them cited the most remarkable wreck on record. A freight train left the making up point with 26 cars. Ar riving at the destination the conduc tor found that he had but 23 cars. It was a through freight and none but momentary stops had been made. In vestigation developed the fact that a car had jumped out of the middle of the train, at the same time uncoup ling itself from the severed sections. The cars which had been following were not derailed or even checked In speed, but ran into the forward sec tion and in some way coupled up. The truant car was badly wrecked and no one knew it until the search was made.". Disastrous Earthquakes. A dispatch received at Berlin, from Tashkent, capital of Russian Turkes tan, reports a terrible earthquake August 22, the shocks continuing un til September 3. One hundred persons were killed at Kashgar, in eastern Turkestan, 400 in the village of As tyn, 20 at Jangi, while the tpwn of Aksuksitche was completely destroy ed. The disturbances also wrecked many villages in the northern part of the province, the total of persons kill ed being 1,000. There were no pre monitory signs, says the dispatch, but a pronounced rise in temperature fol lowed the principal shock. The tem perature continued to rise during the subsequent days, which were attend ed by a repetition of slight quakes. The dispatch says no Europeans lost their lives. Big Piece of Express. The State says the Columbia ex press oflce Thursday received the heaviest express package ever known in this city. It was a piece of mas sive electrical machinery for the new glass factory, and weighing 2,025 pounds, the express fees upon the shipment amounting to $128. It seems Ithat this one piece of machinery was all that was needed to get the factory in condition tor operation,and the management being desirous of getting it home in a hurry ordered it sent by express. Used Our Flag. A German merchant, who escaped from Ciudad, Bolivar, Venezuela,made a statement to otmcials that the Vene zuelan man-of-war flying the Ameri can ilag recently surprised and bom barded Ciudad, Bolivar. The Navy Department is investigating the re ort. TRUST RIDDEN. Startling Statistics Given by the Democratic Campaign Book. Until the Democratic campaign text book was published it was not gener ally known how great the number of trusts was. In that publication the number is placed at '287, with a capi talization of $6,972,448,951. Of this number it is asserted that at least 16S raving a capitalization of $5,096,894, )12, are able to charge exhorbitant >rices because of the protection they receive from the tariff. Of the rest of ;he trusts it is estimated that at least hirty-eight received more or less ben -tits from the tariff. Under such a ndition of affairs it is not to ie won lered at that there is a strong and )itter feeling against trusts-a feeling ,hat.will certainly show itself at the )allot boxes this fall. There is another matter of interest n regard to trusts and their bold on he people of the country, which, vhile not a part of the subject mat er of the Democratic text book, might 'ery well be considered in connection with what has just been said, and this s the matter of the insurance rates ,hat are charged, about which there ias been such a howl from all parts if a practically impotent country. 'he associated insurance companies have raised their rates throughout the ountry from 25 to 100 per cent. and here is no provision anywhere to reg late them. Insurance business has rown wonderfully during -the past ew years, but the number of compa ies has not multiplied in anything ike the proportion that the business ,as, and there are few reliable compa es outside the combination and no ace for the business that is refused >y the combination. The insurance compan'es, as an ex use for raising rates, proclaimed that hey had suffered heavy losses no less um than $19,000,000 in 1901. But committee of Philadelphia business nen, after examining the books of the ompanies; found that instead of such osses there had been a profit of near y $71,000,000, and that 1901 had been year of profit instead of loss. There eems to be a great discrepancy be ween the statement of the insurance ompanies and the Philadelphia com nittee. What are the facts? It is up o the insurance companies to explain his difference. If they can, and sub tantiate their statement, the public must pay the piper. If the statement f the business men is true, insurance must be numbered with the squeezing rusts. THE COTTON CROP. Farmer Estimates of Its Being Short Confirmed. The following is the weekly bulletin >f the condition of the weather and rops issued last week by Director Sauer of the South Carolina section of he United States weather bureau. It s of special interest as the season is apidly drawing to a close: The week ending Monday Septem >er 22, was decidedly cooler than usual, ith a mean temperature of 66 degress, 1,maximum of 85 degrees at Green vood on the 18th, and a minimum of A degrees at Greenville on the 15th. (here was a general deficiency in sun hine, with more cloudness over the ~astern than over the western half of he State. The winds were light ~asterly to northerly. Over a large portion of the State, Lmd the eastern half generally, there w'as little or no rain during the week, ihile in places over the western half airly heavy showers occurred on the 18th and 19th. The rains were gener l and-did not damage open cotton to my great extent. In the northeastern ounties-there is need of rain for fall rops and to put the ground into con lition for fall plowing. The weather was favorable, on the whole, for harvesting corn, cotton and :ice and for farm work in general. Reports on cotton are very full this week, and cover every section of the state, and they confirm previous es Amates of a comparatively short crop. [t appears that the promising condi ~ion near the close of June was irre par bly injured by the hot dry weather ~rom June 28th to July 10th, which ubsequently caused the plants to shed cust and blight and to stop growing, tnd while some fields in favorable ocalities put on new growth late in ugust that Las since bloomed and ~ruited, the majority of plants did not rut well during August, and most of hem apparently died. Cotton is from Gwo-thirds to four-fifths open, and ach of it has been picked; some fields ave already been abandoned, but in a number of counties pickers are scarce td there a smaller percentage of the 3rop has been gathered. The yields tre estimated below last year's by a najority of the correspondents, al rhough in five counties the yield is stimated equal to or greater than ast year's. Frost deferred until late .n November will increase the crop aterially In places. Boll worms have 1.peared on late unopened bolls in Barnwell county. Sea island cotton is netter than for a number of years, and ears a fair top crop; picking well un ler way. Corn is being housed. Minor crops tre doing well. Truck is in fine grow .ng condition. Suicided. A young white man by the name of [uther Dent, committed suicide on uesday of last week by taking an verdose of laudanum at his home in olumbla. Mr. Dent was 23 years old tnd married. He was the son of Mr. Ihomas Dent, of Lexington. For some time he had been in the employ f the Virginia Life Insurance Com pany. His wife was not at home at he time of his death, having been ab sent for three days on a visit to rela tives in Lexington. Slain by a Madman. Polk Hill, a guard at the Davidson sounty asylum, five miles from Chat tanooga, Tenn., was killed Thursday by Thomas Copely, an inmate of the institution. Hill was about to serve Copely with breakfast when the latter eame up behind and stabbed the guard below the heart with a knife. Hill lie two hou rs later. A QUEER CASE. An Alleged Groom Who Denies that He is Married. OTHE2.S CLAIMS THAT. HE IS. It Is Said That the Courts Will Have to Decide the Mat ter. as the Parties Do Not Agee. For sometime there has been con siderable talk in Columbia about the alleged marriage of Mr. Frederick Schmidt. the proprietor of the Colum bia Steam Laundry, and Miss Nora Martiu, but The State says it has re frained from mentioning the matter understanding that it would be a question for the courts to determine whether the couple have entered into a binding contract. The case is a most peculiar and unusual one, and for this reason has excited much corn ment. The matter came to the pub lic prints by means of the following whic:i appeared in the classified ad vertisement column of The State on Tuesday morning Sept. 23: MARRIED. Martin-Schmidt-September 13, by Rev. W. W. Daniel, at the residence of the bride's father, Miss Nora Mar tin to Mr. Frederick Schmidt. Wednesday morning, also in the ad vertising columns of The State, ap peared the following, which-paused many to wonder: TO THE PUBLIC. The notice in this morning's State announcing the marriage of Miss Nora Martin to Fred Schmidt was in serted without my knowledge or con sent. Notice is hereby given that I deny the marriage and refuse to re cognize Miss Martin as my wife or to be in any manner liable for her debts or contracts. Fred Schmidt. Sept. 23, 1902. These notices being so completely at variance the public- Interest be came intensified, and inquiries were made as to the issue involved. It de veloped quite early in the investigation that legal proceedings were in the air. It is needless to give the various stories that are in circulation. Mr. Schmidt has employed Allen J. Green, Esq., it is said, to represent him in any develop.nents in the matter. Wednesday night when Mr. Green was seen he declined to have anything whatever to say for publication. It was stated, however, that Mr. Schmidt claims that when the cere mony was performed, between 1 and 2 o'clock in the day, that he was not in mental condition to enter into such a solemn and binding contract. The lady in the case is highly es teemed by all who know her, and the matter is much regretted by her friends. Mr. Schmidt has lived here for years and was an alderman of the city. He is well known all over Columbia. On account of the interest mani fested by the public in this strange case, Mr. W. Boyd Evans was asked for a statement of the alleged bride's side of the case. At the door of the office the representative of The State met Mr. Schinidt accompanied by Mr. Jesse Martin, who is alleged to be Mr. Schmidt's father-in-law. They are quite good friends and want the public to let the case alone. Mr. Evans stated that Mr. Schmidt had been paying attentions to the young woman for some time. Recent ly she received a hurt and was under medical treatment. When hei' phy sician, Dr. Kendall, called on the Saturday of the alleged marriage, he found Mr. Schmidt there. The sub ject of marriage was brought up and Dr. Kendall was delegated to go and get the Rev. Dr. Daniel to perform the ceremony. When Dr. Daniel came in he inquired particularly if the ceremony should -be proceeded with and was given an affirmative answer. The minister observed that Mr. Schmidt was in a happy frame of mind but did not appear to be in a state of mental incapacity on account of drugs or such influences. The witnesses were Dr. Kendall and a Mr. Riggins, who boards in the house and is a rural free mail delivery agent. Mrs. Martin and her other daughter would not witness the cere mony and Mr. Martin was in the country. Mr. Schmidt .remained around the house until late in the af ternoon saying that he would be back when he had paid off his workmen at the laundry. He did not come back Saturday night and Mrs. Schmidt be gan to make inquiry. It was then that she was informed that Mr. Schimidit's family declared the marri age a nullity on the ground that Mr. Schmidt was irresponsible at the time. Mr. Evans says that a member of Mr. Schmidts fanuly called at the Martin place, 1414 Pickens street, and con gratulated the newly wedded pair Saturday afternoon.-The State. Trunk Exploded. A trunk exploded in a baggage car at the union station Thursday, and the baggage master has a novel expe rience to relate. Mr. Kirk Robinson was the onicial who was in charge of the car. The trunk was the property of an elderly lady. and she stoutly de nied that it contained explosives, but the odor of powder was unmistakable and the top and the bottom were blown off. There is a hackneyed old joke about baggage masters and port ers handling trunks roughly, but Mr. Robinson's narrow escape from being blown up will no doubt guarantee that no trunks are badly treated around Columbia-State. An A bsurd Story. Mr. Franklin P. Shumway of Bos ton has written the secretary of State asking for a statement as to the truth of assertions that have recently been made in the eastern States that in the cotton mills of South Carolina "there are thousands of little children, many of them not over six years old, who work fromn ' o'clock in the morning till 7 o'clock in the evening," and that when they go "t eat their pittance of a lunch they fall asleep from sheer exhaustionl. This gives an idea of he extent to which the child labor - iatian has one.