Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL. XXV S. C. WEDNESDAY. AUGUST DENIES CHARGE Goveraer Blease Says He Was Not Rude to Young Lady at Belten SAYS THE EDITOR LIED . -- Editor Willis Comes Back With Af fidavits Substantihting What He Published About the Matter, and Intimates that the Governor and Not the Editor did the Lying. There is now a row on between the Editor of the Beiton Times, who is Hon. J. Archie Willis, a member of the Legislature from Laurens county, and Governor Blesse. The trouble was started by an article, which appeared in the Times on Fri day morning, August 4, charging that Governor Blease had been rude to Miss ary J. Rogers, ticket agent of the Southern railway at Belton, while buying a ticket to Columbia from Belton. The following is an extract from the ai-rle published in The Times: Article froffi The Times.. The Blue I$dge railway's train comes into Belton in the afternoon at 5:25, just 10 minutes before the train coming from Columbia gets in to the station here. At 5:30 the Anderson trolley car comes in. Both the Blue Ridge railway s .iaiu and the Anderson trolleys bring a great er or smaller number of people who want to buy their tickets and board the train from Columbia going to wards Greenville, and when the n-um ber is unusually large, as it was Sat urday afternoon, Miss Rogers, the ticket agent had difficulty in selling tickets to all who apply for them. The train going to Columbia from Greenville gets here at 6:20 in the afternoon, and passengers who come over on the Blue Ridge lhave 55 min .utes in which to buy their tickets. "Saturday afternoon when! the Blue Ridge train pulled in at 5:25 and the trolley car followed at 5:30, somethng like a hundred people, men and women rushed into the station to get tickets for points up the road. There were numbers of ladies stand ing around awaiting their turn to get a ticket for some point north of Belton. A tall, black-haired man walked up to the window, handed Miss Rogers, the accomodating tick et agent, two mileage books that were nearly used up and asked for a ticket to Columbia. There was not enough mileage in the two books so he asked her to tear the mileage out of both books, subtract it from the number of miles to Columbia and he would pay the difference in cash. Miss Rogers very kindly ask ed him if he wouldn't wait until she had sold the tickets for those ladies and gentlemen who were going to catch the north-bound .train. She ex plained to him that he had -until 6: 20 to get his ticket. "Instead of giving place to those who ought certainly to have been given place at the window, the man straigthened himself, and in a most insulting manner informed Miss Rog ers that she 'must not know who she was talking to." He further inform ed her that 'I am Cole Blease, the governor of South Carolina; I've got a right to buy a ticket any time 1 call for it, and you've got to sell it to me.' He took occasion to tell he! /that if he didn't have to, he would never had ridden on 'her old South -ern road.' He also informed 001lse Rogers that he was going to 'write her up' to her Superintendent. Mir. James G. Harris, of Belton, one of Governor Blease's friends and supporters, 'vrote and asked him if the article was a true statement of the case, and the governor replied in a most positive manner that the ar ticle was not true. Here is what Governor B'lease wrote Mr. Harris in reply: Blease Denies Charge. Aug. 5, 1911. "Mr. James G. Harr'is, Belton, S. C. "Dear sir: Your letter of the 4th just received In reply I beg to state that on my way home on Saturday. July 29, I walked up to the ticket office window at Belton, laid down two mileage book cov'ers, with some strips left, but not enough to bring me through to Columbia. I did not know at what time either train ar rived at Belton, but was of the opin ion that I made close connection. When I presented the milegae books I asked the young lady for a ticket to Columbia. She replied, 'I have not time to wait on you now.' I said. 'Well, I want to go to Columbia and I want a ticket.' She said, 'I have not get time to compute this mtil eage and make the calculation.' I smiled and said, 'Very well. I will tell you who I am and you will please remember. I am Cole L. Blease.' (1 did not say 'governor of South Caro lina' or mention the fact that I was governor'. I told her who I was be cause it was my intention to get on the train without a ticket, presenti the mileage and state why I di~ not have a ticket, and if the conduc tor declined to accept the milea;'e I was going to sue the railroad foi damages. and I wanted the young la dy as a witness, to remember that] had applied to her for a ticket. pre senting the mileage and that sh< had refused It. When I told *hea who I was, I said. 'I will report thi! matter to your superintendent.' Sh4 then took my mileage, quickly mad~ the calculations, told me that thern was 70 cents due, which I paid ver: promptly. She handed me back th~ ticket with the two vacant slips anc said. 'thank you.' I said, 'I am ver much obliged to you; you may keel the two old covers, as you may wisl to send them in.' She said, 'No, yet inight need them to show the con ductor when he asks for your tick et.' I replied. 'All right, and picke them up and walked away. "r showed no discourtesy whatev er to the young lady; only was ex ercising my right as a passenger oi the road and told her who I was, a I have stated, for the piurpose I hav stated. I showed no discourtesy, bu treated her the same that I woul have if every relative of hers in th world 'had been present. There wer two young men sitting behind he in the office at the time and an ol( Confederate veteran standinLg by me with badge on. The conversatiol did not even attract their attention which shows that there was nothing whatever about the matter to hav( caused anyone to write a lie abou1 it, such as has been written by th( dirty scurrilous little editor of thi Belton Times. I do not know whc he -is, have never seen him, but froin this article I am satisfied that he i; only another pimp of the newspape combination that is continuously ly ing about me. "I thank you for your letter and for this opportunity of explaining the matter. Very respectfully, Cole L. Blease, Governor." The Editor Bits Backs. Editor Willis, when shown the ar ticle published in the Anderson In telligencer, which included Gov Blease's letter to his friend, 'Mr. Har ris, he proceeded to get the proof that the article pablished in Thf Times was true in every respect. H( secured the sworn affidavits of peo ple who witnessed the conduct of the governor that his paper's article was absolutely correct and wrote Gov Slease the following letter enclos, ing the affidavits: Belton, S. C. Aug. 8, 1911. "Hon. Cole L. Blease, Governor oi South Carolina, Columbia, S C. "Dear sir: I ihave just read copy of your letter to James G. Harris, published in this morning's Ander son Intelligencer, in which you ac cuse the editor of the Belton Time with having lied in the published ac runt of your ungentlemanly con duct in the railway station here oi Saturday afternoon, July 29. As tc the remaining contents of your let er, you have called so many edi tors in this state 'dirty, scurrilous little editors that it must appear tc you the joke has grown rather stale. "The facts in the article referred to were published precisely as stated by tihe young lady of whom you '>ought your ticket, and I am inclos ing you herewith her sworn affi davit to the effect thnt the article was true in every respect. I am go ing to the further trouble to accom ,nodate your excellency, and am in closing you also the sworn affidavit of James M. Alexander, the well known superintendent of the Pelzei mills, who witnessed the incident, that the incident happened exactly as reported in the Belton Times. Sc with'this evidence in your -hands, it must appear very plain to you that you must go further than accusing the editor of The Times with having lied, if you want to prove yoursel: innocent of the charge which the young lady has lodged against you. You must do that which no gentle man 'having the high sense of honor which you claim to have would do, and must accuse the young l'ady with having perjured herself. At the same time, my dear sir, you mui rove the sworn statement of the entleman whO witnessed it, and whc has made sworn affidavit that the article published in the Belton Time! was a true account of what happened to be a lie also. "And now, my dear sir, out of re spect for the governship of my State, a member of whose general assembly I have the honor to be, I refrairl from telling you what I know you are, and put it up to your constit uency to judge as to wnetfler or no' you are the one who has lied about the matter. Very respectfully. J. Archie W ilis, Publisher of the Belton Times." The Affidavits Sent. Inclosed with the letter Mr. Wil 11$ included the affidavit of Mis! Rogers, the ticket agent, and alsc the affidavit of James M. Alexander superintendent of the Pelzer mills The following is Mr. Alexander's af fidavit, which he sent to Editor Wil The controversy between Gov. Cole Blease and Miss Rogers as arinted in the Belton Times, is cor rect. I was present trying to get ticket for the train going to Green le and heard the conversation. Would not have known the man i he had not said, 'I am Cole Please overnor of South Carolina.' etc. (Sgned' "Jas. .M. Alexander,' "Sworn to before me this 8th da: f August, 1911. (Seal). 3. H. Sierritt, "Notary Public South Carolina." The following affidavit was giver Editor Willis by Miss Mary 3 Roger the young lady to whom it wa! charged the governor was rude to: To whom it may concern: This is to certify that the accoun of Gov. Blease's conduct in the Sou then railway waiting room at Bel ton Saturday afternoon, July 29 whih the Belton Times publishe< Friday morning, Aug. 4, was a tru< account of what happened. (Signed) Miss Mary J. Rogers. Sworn to and subscribed befori me the 8th day of August. 1911. (Seal) John A. Horton, Notary public South Carolina. Witness: J. 0. Meredith. Editor Willis after seeing the let ter of the governor published aboyi stated that since matters had take' the turn they had, he would produc< the evidence, which he has done 'i the affidavits .published above. ta prove that The Belton Times' state ment was correct in every respect and that then the people of the Stat might judge as to whether Go' Blease had stuck to the truth in de nying the correctness of the article The Belton Times has in its p0! session other affidavits to sh~ow tha the governor did treat the young la dy at the ticket window discourte ously and further affida.vits statin that the article published in Th -Times wyas a true account of wha LIhappened. What They Say. BIG WORKS BUM Southern Wood Predacts Company Planl at Cenway Destroyed. A SPECTACULAR BLAZI Without Warning, Explosion Fol lowed by Rapid Spread of Flames Results in Serious .B3urning of Several Employees and Total De struction of Valuable Property. A special dispatch from Conway tc The News and Courier says as a re sult of a serious fire, the causes of which are unknown, which suddenly broke out Thursday night in the plant of the Southern Wood Products Company, the day foeman, M. David W. Tisdale, lies in a critical condi tion, several other employees are in jured and the large new plant of the company is a complete mass of char red ruins. All of the. employees were at their posts and the work was proceeding, seemingly, in perfect order when there was a slight explosion and the flames flashed and spread over the whole building; all materials .con tained therein being highly inflam mable and there was no hope of sav ing the factory. In the explosion and first breath of the fire, Mr. Tisdale was com pletely enveloped in the gas-laden flames. A negro workman, near at hand, received serious burns and oth er minor injudies. Except for the coolness of other a.mployees, who, recognizing their danger and the ne cessity for prompt action, seized those who had been most seriously burned and plunged- them into a tank of water, the results would have been far more serious. Mr. Tisdale, who was almost crazed by his ,burns, broke from his friends, and closely followed by a burning negro em-ployee ran all the way to Conway, a distance of nearly a mile where he was given medical attention. His condition is now con sidered critical, while the others who were burned are out of danger. The fire was very spectacular, the rays of the flames being accentuated by rapid explosions of tanks of ben zine, oils and other explosives, the products of the company, that shot -upwards immense columns of fire and smoke, which were visible miles away. The heat was so intense that nothing could be saved from the fac tory, although by ueroic efforts the old factory nearby, the office building and the residence of Mr. AMagrath were saved. A number of railroad cars on a nearby siding were burned. Mr. L. D. Magrath the superin tendent and general manager of the works, when seen, stated that hie loss would probably exceed $40,000 with no insurance to cover, as the in surance companies have, on account of the nature of the business, refus ed the risk. Mr. Magrath had no statement to make relative to the plans for rebuilding nor of the prob abilities, as u-p to this time no ad vices had been received by him from the New York offices. The company's lightwood timber holdings were extensive, suf ficent to run the plant for twenty years, and they were continually ad ding to their possessions. This comn pany the oly thorou;gily suc cessful process for the extraction of tupentine, rosin and other prod ucts from lightwood, and the burn ed plant was the pioneer factory op erating undler the new process invented and perfected by Mr. Geo Walker. of New York City, presi dent of the company. It was reviv ing a rapidly declining industry oi this section of the State. that of tur pentine distillation. The first plant built by Mr. Walke1 and his associates was erected here six years ago. After a few months of successful operation it was burn ed, bu~t was immediately rebuilt Since that time an entirely new proc -ess having been discovered the op eration of the plant already in exis tence has been discontinued. WorlI was begun on thle new factory a li te over a year ago, and the factor: has just been completed, althouigl portions of -it have been in operatiol for several months. Some Corn Eater. Hammany's corn eating contes in New York, was won by Jame Dugan, who ate 57 separate ears carrying off 1911 championshlip ani a purse of gold coin. Dugan's near est competitor ate 46 ers. State says J. H. Mterritt, superinten dent of the Pelzer Manufacturinh ompany's mills. Nos. 1, 2 and 3 t Pelzer, said over the telephon Thursday night that he received thi letter revoking his commission o: Thursday afternoon. Mr. Merritt said thlat he hac nothing whatever to do with th incident at Belton, that he was no in Belton at the time. His connec tion was merely taking the affidavi o f . M. Alexander, who was present : Mr. Merritt said Mr. Alexande ame to him voluntarily and aske hat he swear him and accept th ffidavit and that be complied witl .hhe wish and that the affidavit wa -forwarded to the Belton Times. . 'MT. Alexander, who is supermr ttndent of mill No. 4, of the sam company at Pelzer, said over th hone Wednesday night that he wa present at the time Coy. Blease pu chased his ticket from the lady a telton; that he voluntarily went t Mr. Merritt and asked him to swea him and take the oath and that M: Merritt complied. As to any statE m nent further he hadl nothing to sa ,tther than that he would how t the will of the governor. He ha ~ eevdhsletter of dismisse WILL BE IN THE RACE I GOVERNOR BLEASE WILL RUN FOR A SECOND TERM. Says He Will Ask RerElection On - His Record.-Criticises State Col leges and Attacks Lyon. The State correspondent says the picnic at Easterville Wednesday, e under the auspices of the Literary C club, drew 1,500 people from Fair- il field, Chester and Union counties and t many from Columbia. The feature a of the day was the speech of Gov. C Blease, who was the invited guest 0 of tha occasion. Gov. Blease criti- . cised the work of the State colleges, i4 advocated lynching for one crime, and took occasion to announce that 1 he will run on his record for another t term as governor. W. C. Clayton presided over the u meeting and introduced the govern- 1: or. The governor complimented the Y community on the opening of the t club. Touching on education, the f speaker mentioned the higher State t institutions of learning, saying their t support was becoming a burden, ow- ( ing to what he called extravagant B appropriations by the legislature, I and stated that they were favored I at the expense of the rural schools. s He compared them to the denomina- I tionil colleges. He declred that the 3 denominational colleges were fur- b nishings the judges and, the men in I high office in the State. b He said he wat not opposed to the I State colleges, but was in favor of f more money being given to the rural b schools. He stated that he had not I gone through college himself, but P that after he had fought the world, - the bcsh and the devil for 20 years the people had honored him with the -b office of governor. He cited this as an example to show that it was not necessary for a boy to have a college cducation to succeed. e Touchmg on his pardon record, the governor said he had no apolo gies to make for the ciemency he had exercised. Referring to the t paroling of Otis Hilton, the white 9 man from Chester, who was sent to C the penitentiary -for life for killing- t a negro;. he said that he had affida vits from men whose word he did not I doubt concerning the facts in the d case, and that both from these and I from the testimony he did not hesi- 0 tate to .parole Hilton, and he would s always do the same where a white 2 man is involved with a negro. -He B der-lared his busine-s was to take b ere ol the white Ptople; that he t was not an enemy to the negro, ,but that the negro must stay in his e place. Turning to lynching, he said he favored lynching a negro when- P ever he committed the nameless crime against a white woman, and r that if this was standing for lynch I law he stood for it. He denounied the hosiery mill in the State penitentiary, calling It the "tuberculosis factory." He said his enemies were saying he was opposed to "Yankees" because the promoters of the hosiery mill were Northern men. He said he was not opposed to Yankees, but was trying to rid the State of this "tuberculosis factory," and relieve the poor wretches from1 their position. The governor referr- C ed to J. Fraser Lyon, attorney gen eral. saying that if Lyon wasn't ~ wanting to be governor himself he ~ would have stood with Blease in his fight against the hosiery mill. "Let him run for governor hirrzelf E and I will give hi-m political tuber-. culosis." said Gov. Blease. After . this Gov Blease announced that he would be a candidate for re-election to the office of governor; that ho ex pected .to run on his record, and that if be could not be elected on this he would be satisfied. Gov. Blease spoke more than an hour, and he reiterated many of his prey iously stated sentiments. GAVE HIM A B3LOWV. c A Preacher Knocks Out a Pickpocket in First Round.C The Rev. H. G' Garland or union H{ill, N. J., took a ride .up Avenue.t A Wednesday in New York on an open car. He thought he felt a hand in his hip pocket, where he keeps his pocketbook. First making sure that the suspected hand was a masculine hand, he punched its own ers solar pleus half way through to his spine. When they brought the man around, she said he was Solo mon Smith, a painter, 24 years old, of 30S East Ninth street. He was locked up charged with attempted -grand larceny. He thought he was struck by lightning. Made Happy at Last.] Columbus Spradley, of Aiken county,. S. C., the young man who was held up and beat Wednesdayt -last, and Miss Gussie May Holstein, he young woman whom he swore to marry in spite of the protestation of father, brother and cousin, were married at 6 o'clock Tuesday after -noon at Rev. A. D. Echols, pastor tof Asbury afethodist church. rA Big Whale Sighted. A Portsmouth, N. H ., dispatch says passengers on the steamer Mun ~natauket from the Isels of Shoals SWednesday saw directly in the steamer's course and only a few feet -away a whale flo-under'ing in the erewll and 'haring the appearance of a large piece of wreckage in the fog. SThe whale was not less than thirty -five feet long. rWas Painfully Hurt. Guerdan Tarbox, whlile making a fligrht with his aeroplane Wednesday ymornine. came down in the marsh1 aon Richmond plantation and w'as s;painfully injured about the face by .1Jthe guide wires as the machine struc the mud and inrned turtle. JRED TO HOLD COTTON LDDRESS IS ISSUED BY SUMTER COUNTY UNION. rgument by Committee Giving Rea sons for Sending Appeal to People of South Carolina. In an address issued to the farm rs of South Carolina a committee f the Sumter County Farmers' un >n -urges the holding of cotton un il a higher price is obtained. The ddress is prepared by a committee onsisting of E. W. Dabbs, president f the State Farmers' union, and J. Y. Brogden and S. N. Welsh. It as follows: "To the farmers and all the busi ess interests that are affected by he price of cotton: The Sumter County Farmers' nion at its last meeting unanimous v directed us as a committee to call our attention to the serious condi [on that confronts us in the outlook gr low prices for this crop of cot n. Thirty or forty days ago cot n sold in Sumter for 15 1-2 cents spot). Today a holder who would ot. then sell was glad to get 2 1-2 cents. These are actual sales. V~hat has brought about such a. lump in this short time after cotton ad held steady for nine or 4en onths at 14 to 15 cents? They say ecause there is a prospect of over 4,000,000 bales. It is not more ecause the world, judging by the ast; thinks it ican stampede the irniers and the merchants, and buy elorw 10 cents before Christmas. he ;men who are predicting such rices are working with might and iain to bring about 10-cents cotton y 'telingll.,Jddl lxzfiflf ,.:;? ( y tellinzg their farmer friends that de crop is the largest on record. Tou' ought to sell as fast as you an, for cotton is bound to go low r.' Apparently not knowing that is is the very way to bring about a >wer level of prices. "Now we have no quarrel with he Noithern and foreign spinner rho wants low-priced cotton. It -is nly a part of his business .to get ie raw material at the lowest pos ble price and It is also part of his usless to sell his finished pro uct at the highest possible price. ut thow any Southern man, even wners of mill stocks, can wish to e low prices for cotton, or can In ny way give aid and encourage ient to the enemy by joining in the ue and cry that 'prices 'are bound go lower,' is past our comprehen ion. For every business man and very cotton mill in- the South is in vitably bound up in the general rosperity of this section. If Southern mills, would seek out ew markets for the manufactured oods, and learn from the successes f foreign mills to cater to the de ands of the -world's trade in the abrics the world wants, put up in hel kind of packages thel world rants, they could join hands -with all he ;business interests of the South nd fix and maintain the highest pos ibe price for cotton and cotton oods. "That the mills will not do this Sabundantly proven by the history f recent years when our own mills :ept out of the market while the armer was falling over himself -to ell his cotton, and later paid more or their stocks than the foreigners. ith freight and other charges add d. We may expect the same thing o happen this fall. Hence we leave he Southern spiriners o~ut of the ount. "But we do call on every mer hant .and every fertilizer manufac urer and every banker and every ailroad man to join with the Farm rs' union in urging every farmer o hold back his cotton until the vorld is willing to pal'y a living >rice for it. Such a. eturse can Lurt no one, and it will help every ne; the merchant by giving him ash customers for 'his goods, the ertilizer plants by increased use of heir goods, the banks by larger de >osits on more imported goods than ur people will have the money to >uy, and every pro-fession, and call g by the increase in the ciroula ing medium brought about by the arger flow of foreign gold in all he arteries of commerce. "There can .be no question that his will be the result of 'higher >rices for cotton. If it were not rue, from whence comes the present rosperity of the South? It is 15 :ents cotton that has done it. As urely as the sun rises in the east Ld sets in the west, just so surely vrill there be stagnation and want, Hstressi andij bitterness, in thous unds of homes in the South, and they v'ill not all be farmers' homes, if te let this crop of cotton sell for 0 cents or less. "With the world's stocks of cotton ilmost depleted, with the automobile ire industry alone taking hundreds >f thousands of bales of cotton an iually, increased consumption on very side, 'this crop can be market dd at 14 or 15 cents per pound just 1.s easily as last year's crop was, if ve but hold out for it. This is not nerely our opinion, fellow farmers, )ut it is the opinion of as shrewd yusiness men as the ones who tell 'u that cotton will go lower. Be >ides 'there's many a slip 'twin the i~d the lip,' and the drought Is not ret broken over large areas where :otton is b-urned up; in other sec :ions the young crop can not make a ialf yield under most favorable con litions. And all of it has to run he gauntlet of excessive rains, if hey ever start, and of the many nsect pests, and climatic changes hat make a late crop so uncertain. "'In conclusion your 'committee woould urge, with all the Insistence >f calm and deliberate judgment. 'hat every one who can do so hold rais cotton off the market either in tls own strength. or with the assist auce of his creditors and the banks. BLEASE WRATHY The Governor Revokes the Commissions of Three Notaries SLAPS AT THE EDITORS The Removals Made Because One of the Notaries Made An Affidavit Against the Governor and the Oth er Two Attested Affidavits Made by Others. Publication of affidavits corrob orating the charges made by the JBel ton Times of rudeness on the part of- Governor Blease toward a young lady, employed as tic'- agent in the So-uthern railway staa..,n at Belton, was followed on Thursday afternoon by the summery revocation by Gov. Blease of Notaries Publics J. N. Al exander, J. H. Merritt and J. A. Horton, all of Belton. The crime for which Mr. Alexan der was removed was making affi davit that the article in the Belton Times concerning the Governor was true, and the crime for which Merritt and Horton were punish ed by decapitation was attesting af fidavits in the same case. To each of the three notaries Governor Blease sent the following letter: "Some time since you were com missioned a notary public by me, under the constitution and the laws (during the pleasure of the gover nor.) Your commission is hereby revoked, and any further act per formed by you as such offficer will be illegal and in violation of the law. A copy of this letter has been filed with the secretary of state, and al so with the clerk of court, who has been requested to cancel your com mission." The Columbia Record says Gov ernor Blease was asked what moved him to revoke these commissions. He said he had not intended to volqun teer any statement, but in anticipa tion of such an inquiry had dictated to his stenographer an expression on the subject, and had the copies be fore him. Ie said he wished it un derstood that his language applied only to the "editors of the newspa pers that have taken part in this business." The statement was as follows: "I have no further comment to make on the Belton matter, at this time. What I stated in my letter to Mr. Harris is absolutely correct. I was perfectly sober; feeling good; had just left a large crowd of my friends, was on my way home in the best of spirits and remember very distinctly what took -place. Any man or woman whb lives in South Carolina that does not know that I am governor is indeed in the lowest mire of ignorance; hence, when i reelected in spite of their lies. Watch me!" The Columbia Record says Mr. Al exander is understood to be super intendent of one of the Pelzer 'Mills at Pelzer. He was commissioned on the recommendation of Senator Geo. W. Sullivan, of Wiliamston. Mr. Merritt was commissioned on -the . Belton Watson. Mr. Horton who is mayor of Belton and president of a bank there, was commissioned on the recommendation of Representa tives J. W. Ashley and 3. W. Jack son. The owner of the Belton Times is Representative J. Archie Willis of Laurens. - say to anyone that I am 'Cole L. Blease,' it is absolutely useless to add that I anm governor of South Caroina and I did not say so on that occa sion, if my enemies do swear to it. "I have cancelled the commission of the three notaries publics taking part in this dirty transaction and some other people will hear from It later. Everyone who nas known me from my childhood up, both men and women, will certify to the fact that I have at all times and on all oca sions been polite and courteous to everybordy, and particularly so. to ladies; and this is .the first time In all my life that I have ever been chrged or accused of showing the slightest disregard to any lady, and I am satisfied that my friends do not believe that I was aisrespeotful on this occasion. "My enemies, of course, will say they believe it, even if they don't, and the liars who are editing the newspapers of South Carolina will endeavor to use it to injure me, be cause they will go any depth in the filthy bog holes of vituperation and abuse to do me harm. However, the people know me and I am gover nor, the pimps and shunks, who nse the pens for newspapers to the con trary, notwithstanding, and I'll .be Pellagra Spreading. TIhe spread of .pellagra in the mountain country of eastern Ken tucky has become so alarmin~g and deaths from -the diseases have be come so numerous that a State--wide meeting was held at Corbin, Tues day, participated in by medical ex perts, who discussed the best way of stamping out the disease. At the eastern -Kentucky insane asylum alone there have been 30 deaths from pelagra. away under shelter dry. And If you must borrow money on it, do not borrow more than 25 or 30 dollars a bale and for not less than six months. Thirty-day cotton loans and loans close up to the market value are worse than seling out right. We call on all the unions in the cotton belt to join us In this fight. Shut down on cotton now and for the next 60 days and the fight Is won. Paper contracts do not run mills. "Yours for Southern prosperity, "E. W . Dabbs, "3. MI. Brogdon, "S N. Welsh, "Committee." CLASH UF WURDS SHARP PASSAGE BETWEEN UN DERWOOD AND JAMES. Both Withdraw Remarks and Then Peace Once More Settle Down in the Democratic Camp. 'Democratic harmony in the house was momentarily ruffled Wednes day, when 0. W. Underwood, Dem ocratic leader, and Ollie James, Who have been close friends, became in volved in a heated exehange of words in the discussion of a bill providing for the improvement of Black War rior River, in Mr. Underwood's dis trict. Both men withdrew remarks, and the incident was amicably clos ed. The bill provided for the building of a dam to improve navigation on he river. The construction of the dam would create a large amount of water power, the rights to Which, under the 'bill, would be leased for 50 years to the Birmingham Light and Power Company. Mr-James and others opposed this provision, as serting the term of the lease was too long. Mr. Underwood, declaring that he cared nothing about the water power feature of the bill, but. was much interested in the navigation featuie, said that if the bill were held up work on the Black Warrior would go ahead as originally contempla ed at an expense of nearly $250,000 more than the proposed dam would cost. Mr. James asked if it was fair to argue that unless the house passed the bill, giving a half century lease to a coporation without limitation of its charges to consumers, certain work would be done costing the gov ernment $200,000 than if the right were given away. "My friend from Kentucky," re plied ftr. Underwood, "has just come out of a successful campaign foT senator where a play to the gallery has purchased votes, but I will sa3 to him that to claim water power Is a monopoly, to answer me with the proposition thet I am pleading for a monopoly, Is not fair to -me." .3r. James responded that he would have expected "a statement more considerate of the people of Kentucky among whom the kentle men (Mr. Underwood) was born." Then Mr. Underwood, explaIning that he spoke under provocatien, withdrew his remarks, Mr. Zunes withdrew his, too. The :house ad journed without acting on the bill STEAMER GOES TO BOTTOM. Nearly One Hundred People Goes Down With Her. The French steamer Emir found ered Wednesday five miles east of Gibraltar and ninety-three persons were drowned. The ship sailed at three o'clock Wednesday morning for Morroco. An hour later in a dense fog she collided with the British steamship Silveton bound from Newport, Eng land for Taranto, Ita-ly. The Silverton's crew was rescued and twenty saved of the Emir's crew and passengers. The Silverton later put in here with her starboard bow stove in and her fore peak full of water. The Emir was floated in a few mintes after the collision. Sixty nine passengers and twenty-four of the srew went down with the ship. Fifteen passengers and twelve of the crew were saved. All passengers were French. *T he Emnir was a ves sel of 1,291 tons owned by Com pegnie de Navigation Mixte at Mar seilles. STEEL COMMITTEE BACKS DOWN Decides Not to Force George WV. Perkins to Answer. George W. Perkins, director of the United States Steel Corporation, and former partner in J. Pierpont Morgan & Co., was not ordered be fore the bar of the House by tihe House Committee of inquiry into the affairs of the Steel Corporation. Neither will he be. After a heated executive session of the committee Wednesday, in which was discussed the refusal, on advice' of counsel, on Mr. Perkin's part to answer questions regarding contributions of corporations to campaign funds, the committee reahed an understanding whereby all threats were waived. The committee, in executive ses sion, was induced by Representative Ittleton to reconsider the action of Tuesday, in which .the Chair was sustained in ordering that the wit ness answer questions as to his per sonal campaign contributions. Another Bale New Cotton. The first bale of new cotton for Lee county, and the second bale of this season's crop to be harvested in South Carolina , was sold in Bish opville Wednesday by W. W. Wheel er of Lee county. The cotton was graded as strict middling, and was purhased by O'Donne11 & Co., cot ton buyers. The bale weighed 490 pounds and brought 12 1-2 cents. Wagon Driver Killed. Sm Anderson, a negro log driver for the Betts Lumber Company, was killed in the Black River Swamp, umter County, where he was haul ing logs on Monday, by being hit by the tongue of the log wagon while he was loading a log on it. Cat Down His Corn. andals, supposed to be moonshin ers, went into the field of a farmer in the Dark Corner of Greenville ounty a few nights ago and cut down every stalk of his corn. Raiders 'had suspected the farmer of informing KUIk UARDi By His CosdSence and Confesses to N lie That BeHeld Up Jah. SAY HE CANOT SLEEP He Told the Officers That He Had Robbed the Manage of a Broad way Restaurant at the Point of a Pistol and He Wanted to Be Lock ed Up. "I want to see the man In charge bere," said a well dressed young man as he approached LIeut. Man ian's desk In police headquarters at 11 o'clock in New York iWednesday night. "I happen tc, be In charge of part' of Police Headquarters," replied Manian. "I'll attend to anything you want." "Well," the man answered, "I want to. be arrested for a robbery I ,ommtted three years ago. I have never known a good night's sleep ince, and my conscience has driven me to the police. I should be sent to prison for what I did and am wil Ung to go." Manian thought the man was :razy and looked him over carefully. rhen he motioned to a polieeman #t mome forward. "What -robbery did you commit?" asked the lieutenant. "I went into a Broadway-'resistr ant three years ago-I - nk it wi In September, 1908. I held up the manager at the *ont of a revolver and rifled the ,cash drawer of $30. Is not that a prison offense?" "It certainly Is," Manian replied "Now, tell -us who you are." The man said that* he Is FredeV j ick J. Hall, .twenty-eight years'old, - married, and that 'he lived at No 160 West Thirty-sixth street. "'I am willing to take my medIae in any sort of dose. MY conscience Is killing me," he. continued. J prison I can learn a trade and whoa I come out I will be able to-*arn W living for myself and wife." "Have you no trade now?" Mai an asked. "No; hut I'm a clerk and a good - one," was the quick answer. I could earn a fine living were it not for this conscience." He refused to tell where -he was employed and Manian began to look up the records of 1908. He found that on the night of Sept. 7, that year, 2, youang man had entered a restaurant at No. 2245 Broadway, and after holding up Antonio Cas sara, the manager, at the poiit of a revolver, had taken $30 from the cash- drawer. "Is that the trick you .pulled off?" Manian asked. "I suppose it is," Hall replied. Hall was locked 'p charged with robbery. BLACK HAND'S THREAT. -4-. Will Send Boy Back in Box if Mon. ey Is Not Paid Soon. Antonio Mareno, of Chicago, whose five-year-old son was kidnap ped by "black hand" blackmailers, received a third letter from the kidnappers -late yesterday. The writ ers made a direct threat to kill the Mareno boy if the ransom is not paid before daybreak today. "if you don't send us the money." read tlhe grim letter, "we will send the boy home to you In a box, salt ed." Fully believing that the blackmai1. ers wi-1l carry oct their threat te kill his little son, Mareno begged'the police to use all possible e'aste In running dcown the gan~.. The letter adds that lf Mareno does not prodruce thne money 'de manded he and his family will bes done away with. All available detectives with the. entire Italian squad of the division have been .put to work on the-case, but no arrests -have been made. Mareno is a poor man, although h-is deposit of $1,000 Sn -the banzk brands him as something of a pluto crat among his people. Mareno's troubles began two years ago when, in self-defense, he shot and killed Modesto Barons, long suspected -by the police and his neighbors of being a leader in Ital ian blackmailing outrages. From time to time he received letters threatening revenge, the seies culminating in the kidnapping of his ' child last Saturday. Young Man in Trouble. Charged with forging his father's name to two checks, a young man named Fairey, said to be a son of a prominent business man of -Denmark, . C., was placed under arrest In the office of the Wanteska Trust and Banking Company, at Henderson ylle, N. C., While preparing to offer a third check for payment. Pend ing advices from his father, who is expected to straighten out hils finan cial difficulties, the young man Is in the custody of the :police, but has not been placed in fail. Fairey, it seems, had already secured $1I5 up on checks bearing the forged signa ture of his father. The warrant was sworn out by Cashier ,T. Mack R'hodes, of the First National Bank. Huge Peach Crop. The peach crop in Connecticut will "be so large this year that a. special train will be added to the Hartford-New York schedule dur ing the harvesting season to shipthe daily output. Six Persons Bit. A dispatch from Spartanburg says six persons who were bitten by a mad dog at that place Wednesday left the same day for Columbia to