The Manning times. (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, January 07, 1914, Image 6
SAVINO Bill FIGHT
MEXICAN FEDERALS AND REB.
ELS MEET AT OJINAGA.
ARE IN DEATH iRAPPLI
Federal Troops, Though Outnumber
ed Battle Desperately for Theii
Capture Means the Execution o:
Many of the Officers Whom Vilb
Has Ordered Gen. Ortega to Slay
The battle between 5,000 rebels
under Gen. Torbio Ortega, and th,
northern division of the Mexicai
Federal army, entrenched aroun4
Ojinaga, Mexico, across the borde
from Presidio, Tex., still was in pro
gress when darkness . fell Tuesda:
night. No bullets came across th,
border. The forces had been engag
ed for 36 hours and many 'had beei
killed and wounded.
Gen. Ortega, executing a series o
flank movements, steadily kept o
the offensive, gaining foot by foot th
approaches to the Federal strong
hold. The Federal forces, cripple
and disorganized by the first rebE
onslaught, clung to the hillsid
trenches, where their leaders had dc
cided to make a last stand.
They rallied somewhat from th
panic that seized many of them wit
the first volleys of the rebels whe
daylight disclosed the position of 01
tega's men, and put up -a pluck
fght against heavy odds, althoug
their losses were heavy from wound
And desertions. Many wounded an
deserters waded waist deep throug
the river to the American side.
It was impossible to even approx
Inate the number of dead and woun
ed. Fifteen Federal wounded wb
waded the river were allowed to r4
mn and. were cared for by Unite
States army physicians, but sever.
score unwounded 'Federal desertei
were disarmed by the United Statt
border patrol, under Major McName
and sent back across the border.
Army officers were convinced thi
casualties had been heavy and Re
Cross representatives sent reques
for' more help and hospital supplie
They also requested permission I
cross the border to attend the woun4
ed on the battlefield. Neither of tl
opposing forces is provided with ho
pital facilities and wounded ha'
been left on the hillsides where the
fell. Although 5,000 rebels were el
gaged, much of their fire was ineffe
tive In the early hours of the batt
because of the position they occupif
below the village.
Ojinaga, a cluster of adobe buil
ings, stands a mile from the bordi
at the top of high hills which line ti
valley through which the rebels ai
vanced. When the day .dawned 0
tega's men had gained the foot of
hill three miles from the villag
'where the Federals had planted
fort to command approaches to tV
town. They spread along the hil
sides and opened a fire which wa
maintained all day, and which we
supported by 10 machine guns th<
* had dragged across the desert fro:
Chihuahua.
*-Foot by foot the rebels approac1
ed the Federal trenches, until the
fire became too severe for the d
tenders, who retired until. as darl
ness fell, all Federals who had n
fled were huddled in the shelter
the town itself.
A small Federal force made a ga
lant stand in the custom hous
which stands on an elevation midwi
between the village proper and ti
plain. They swept a hail of bulle
icrnss the main approach to tV
town, and for a time held the reb
forces in check. As the day wore oa
however, the sputtering fire from ti
loopholes of the custom house grai
ually diminished and finally cease
entirely.
When their last cartridge had be4
fired the little handful of Fedora
deserted the building and scurrie
acrioss the mile and a half separatix1
them dfrom their comrades in ti
town. -Their retreat gave the robe
-an additional advantage of positioi
have imuch advantage, the outcort
-of tlie struggle was not clearly dofil
ed. That the Federals will surrei
der- Is Improbable, because Gen. 0:
toga has explicit orders to execui
the so-called volunteers and the
commanders, Gens. Pascual Orozc<
Ynez Salazar, Antonio Rojas, Bb
Orpinal, Lazaro 'Alanis and Roqi
Gomez. Eighteen hundred volu;
teers also come under the sentence<
death Imposed by order of Gen. Vill:
That the Federals with all their go:
orals, except perhaps Gen. Francisc
Castro, Gen. Jose Mancilla and Geo
Manuel Landa, of the regulars, wi
be forced over to the United Statt
in case of defeat, was thought on tl
American side to be most likely.
The land which slopes down to tI
shallow and muddy PRio Grande-oc
American side all day presented ti
busy aspect of the roar of an army
action. Cavalrymen of the borde
patrol galloped along the water
edge ready to send back any Mexica
soldiers who attempted to cross or t
stop a possible general rush of th
whole Federal army across the boi
der. Only wounded soldiers wer
given assistance. A few civilians wh
dared remain in Ojinaga until th
last came across unmolested.
FIYID BODY IN STREAM.
Bethune Citizen Disappeared Fror
His Home on Friday.
The body of 3. M. Watts, who dis
appeared from his home in Bethun
Friday about 12 o'clock, was foun<
Sunday afternoon about 3 o'clock i
the middle of Lynche's river, abou
one mile from his home. He wa
tracked from the house to the river
Parties had been looking the com~
munity over since early Saturda;
morning. Mr. Watts had been in bat
health for over a year. He leaves
wife and several children and a hos
of friends. He was a highly esteem
ed citizen of this community.
Burned to Death.
Mrs. James Coyle, 35 years old
fell into a fireplace at her home nea1
Cowpens Monday morning and was
burned to death. There was nobod:
else In the room at the time. It is
snpposed she failed.
BLOODHOUNDS CATCH HIM
NEGRO WHO ASSAULTED WHITE
WOMAN CAPTURED.
4. -
Wife of Confederate Veteran Attack
ed in Her Home During Her Hus
band's Absence.
On Wednesday about 12 o'clock
Buck Hill, alias Buck McLeod, a ne
gro, assaulted a white woman while
she was at her home near Brown's
chapel, which is ten miles southeast
of Columbia on the Leesburg road.
The negro was trailed by the blood
hounds from the State penitentiary
and captured about 4:30 o'clock by
Sheriff McCain, Coroner Scott and
the members of a posse who left Co
1 lumbia in automobiles at 1 o'clock
I Wednesday for the scene of the
r crime. The negro was lodged in the
- Richland county jail that night.
V The negro's victim, who is about
e 35 years old, is the wife of a Confed
erate veteran, a man of excellent
I standing in his conmunity. She was
alone in the house at the time the
f crime was committed. Her husband
a had gone to Columbia on business
e and did not leave for home until
about 2 o'clock. He was informed
I of the affair after I e had gotten a
4 few miles from Columbia.
e There were threats of violence
against Buck Hill after he was cap
tured. While Sheriff McCain talked
e to the crowd which had been aiding
h In the man hunt, the negro was put
nL in the automobile of Coroner Scott
.- and carried to Columbia. The
Y crowd, which grew rapidly as the
h news of the crime spread over the
s Brown's chapel section of the county,
d was not difficult to handle, but Sher
h iff McCain took the precaution of get
ting the negro away from the scene
as soon as possible.
- The unfortunate woman is said to
0 be in a serious condition as a result
- of the negro's assault upon her. She
d was badly bruised about the face and
a neck, while one of her hands was
s hurt in the struggle with the negro.
Is The sheriff's office was notified by
9, telephone of the crime about 1
o'clock by Mr. Gaston, the principal
Lt of a school near Brown's chapel, who
d was one of the first men to go to the
ts scene. After getting the dogs from
S. the penientiary Sheriff McCain left
:o immediately In aa automobile, tak
- ing Guard Robbins, Officer Henry
ie Dunning and Dr. J. E. Heise with
5- him.
re The bloodhounds readily took the
Y negro's trail away from the dwelling
- house in which the crime was com
c- mitted. The dogs followed the tracks
le for some time, then became confus
d ed by cross trails, but after a little
they carried the tracks to Hill's
I- house, which is only a mile from the
?r 'cene of the crime. The negro Hill.
Le -lias McLeod, was found in the house
I- with several other negroes. He was
r- arrested and taken before the woman
a on whom the crime was committed.
e. According to Sheriff McCain, the wo
a man positively identified the negro as
ie the one who committed the assult
1- upon her.
is When the negro was arrested at
is his house by the sheriff, he Insisted
ry that he must be allowed to change
mn his clothes and shoes before he left
home. He was taken before the wo
i- man dressed just as he was. It Is
ir said that the shoes he wore were of
e- the same size as the footprints lead
C- ing away from the scene of the as
ft sault.
GIRL KILLS BABY BROTHER.
1
e, Greenville is Scene of Pathetic
leChristmas Accident.
ts
SLittle Edwin, the three-year-old
el son of Mr. and Mrs. Childress, of
SGreenville, was accidentally shot and
Sinstantly killed by his 9-year-old sis
. ter, Flora, on Christmas day. Bailey
d Childress, 16 years old, had run a
rabbit into a stump hole, and leaned
his shotgun against the stump in or
n der to get the rabbit out. His young
ssister and brother were looking on.
dFlora picked up the gun and acci
identally discharged It, the load strik
eing Edwin in the head, tearing away
sone side of his face and the top of
'his head. The children picked up the
obody and bore it to their home near
te by, whlere the father was awaiting
the return of his wife from William
ston, she having gone there to pur
rchase gifts for her children.
r
3, FIRECRACKER EXPLODES.
1s
te Allendale Lad Narrowly Missed
1
>fDeath in Firing Cracker.
Little Warren Reeves, the 11-year
oold son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert
SReeves, of Allendale, was seriously
1injured by the explosion of a "can
Snon" firecracker Wednesday at his
e home. An iron pipe stuck into the
ground was being used for holding
the crackers. A very large one was
e dropped into the pipe, and discharg
ing beoethe litefellow could
e move out of range, struck him in the
nlower part of the stomach, inflicting
r a errblewound, just as the dis
s charge from a gun might have done.
nThe doctors say the wound is not
0necessarily fatal, but very serious,
erequiring a number of stitches.
e Autoist Kills Child.
e Although his automobile had fatal
ly wounded a little girl, who was re
turning from a Christmas tree cele
bration Thursday, Judge Cassolli, an
engineer of San Francisco, did not
stop. When arrested he said he saw
a no reason why he should stop.
Sentenced to Walk 76 Miles,
SEdward Leo and John Nolan, 17
e year-old boys of New York city, who
:ran away from home, were arrested
a at Middletown, N. Y., on a charge of
t illegal train riding. They were re
s leased on their promise to walk the
76 miles back to their home.
Rebels Repulsed.
I After four days of fighting the Mex
E ican federal garrison at the seaport
t of Tampico reinforced by the arrival
-of gunboats with troops, amunition
and dynamite Sunday drove the at-1
tacking Constitutionalists cut of 1
of their guns.
Killed at Wedding.
SWednesday afternoon Fred China,i
ra negro, shot and killed Jacob Dar
; gan, another negro, at a wedding on1
i TRUNK MYSTERY
EW YORK POLICE FACES PUZ
ZLING MURDER CASE.
[RUNK CONTAINS CORPSE
[wo Men Rent Push Cart in Which
They Carry the Truznk, Dumping
It on the Sidewalk, - hle They
Walk Off, Ostensibly to Return for
it in a Few Minutes.
A murder mystery, which promises
lo rival the famous barrel murder of
a dozen years ago, was brought to
the attention of the New York police
Aonday when a boy notified them
that for half an hour he had watched
a trunk which two men had unloaded
from a push cart and left in the gut
ter street, on the East Side. When
the trunk was opened at a police sta
tion the still warm body of a man
about 40 years old, shabbily dressed
and emaciated, was found in it. The
body was later identified by Joseph
Molloy, a former room mate as that
of John Kremen, a Russian Pole, for
merly employed in a coal mine at
Charleston, W. Va.
According to the coroner, death
had been caused by strangulation. In
forcing the body into the trunk, the
man's neck had been broken. Stout
ropes held the head and neck to the
knees and feet. A large bandanna
handkerchief had been used as a gag
and a woman's petticoat had been
wrapped about the head.
About 10 o'clock Monday morning,
Joseph Cooper, an employee of a
"push cart tables" on Sheriff street,
nearby, rented a cart to two men an
swering the description given by th(
boy who called the police to Piti
street. One of the men had askec
the boy to take care of the truni
after it was dumped into the gutter
Cooper said one of the men was
tall and well dressed. The othe3
man, a little shorter and dressed In z
dark sweater and cap, wheeled th(
cart, and is believed to have beer
merely the employee of the wel
dressed man. When the cart reachei
Pitt street the tall man gave his com
panion a coin and then helped hin
unload the trunk. After this the mar
in the sweater returned the pusi
cart to its owner, while the othei
asked the street urchin to watch th
trunk.
By drawing in the net of investiga
tion begun Monday when the bod
was found in a trunk on the Eas
Side the police are confident th
identity of the murderers will be pos
itively established. This is the thir<
trunk murder mystery in four years
The two previous mysteries have re
mained unsolved.
The police also hoped Tuesday t(
gather in a number of men answer
ing the description of the two wh<
dumped the trunk containing the
body from a push cart onto the side
walk at the Pitt street tenement en
trance. One of the men, evidentl:
the employer of his companion, was
tall and well dressed. He directe<
the unloading of the trunk and em
ployed a boy of the neighborhood t<
guard it. promising to return in
few minute.s The man who pushe<
the cart wore a dark sweater and cal
and is described as shorter than thi
other man.
Both disappeared after disposini
of the trunk, the well dressed mai
hurriedly, while the other trundle<
the push cart down Pitt street an<
later returned it to a cart yard in the
vicinity from which it was rented.
To identify the body the polici
placed it on view in a police statior
and more than 4,000 residents of the
East Side-men and women-passes
by it before Mike Molloy, proprietol
of a Polish boarding house, declares
that it was that of John Kremen,.
former coal miner of Charleston, ~W
Va., but more recently employed ir
New York city by housewreckers an4
as a stableman.
Although Molloy was positive ir
his identification several headriuar
ters detectives were inclined to be
lieve that he might have been mis
taken and that the trunk victin
probably followed a higher vocatior
than that of a laborer. Molloy'
statement was borne out In part b:
the calloused hands of the dead mar
and by his stature and muscular de
velopment that such work would
make possible.
The trunk, which was used to dis
pose of the body, was 22 inches wide
22 1-4 inches high and 34 inches
long. It was manufacturer, accord
long. It was manufactured, accord
ined it by the Petersburg Trunk and
Bag company of Petersburg, Va. Bu1
for the tin corners, which were
slightly dented the trunk was comn
paratively new. The tray was miss
ing and detectives hunted for it Tues
day.
One of the unsolved "trunk mys
teries" was the murder of Moses
Sachs, a jewelry peddler who was
killed June IS, 1910. Just a year be
fore the murder of Sachs, Elsie Sie
gel's body was found in a trunk ina
room occupied by her Chinese Sun
day school pupil, Leong Lee, a Chi
nese who disappeared, and was ac
cused by the police as her slayer.
Another unsolved trunk mnystery
was the murder of Meyer Weishard,
whose body was found in a trunk on
Pier 11. East river on January 16,
1901, after the trunk had remained
there for a day.
Two Brothers Are Killed.
William and Robert Russell,
brothers, of Petros, Tenn., were shot
and killed early Thursday, and
Beecher Holmes and his younger
brother, charged with murder, are
mprisoned. The Russels had testi.
ed against the Holmes in a liquor
selling case.
Tried to Sell too Cheap.
When Jim Jackson offered to sell
i Greenwood horse dealer a fine mule
or $100 Saturday -he was at once
:aken into custody. Sunday the own
er a farmer, turned up and claimed
:he mule which ha been stolen from
ii plantation.
Artist Kills Herself.
Mollie Chatfield, an artist, was
ound dead In her studio at New
iork Monday afternoon with a steel
>aper cutter driven through her
lea Apparently it was suicide.
FOR AN HONEST PRIMARY
LEGISLATOR CALLS FOR BILL TO ]
PREVENT FRAUD.
Would Provide Penalties for "Irreg
ularities"-Present System Leaks
Like a Sieve.
The St. Matthews Record will pub
lish a few articles on primary reform
written by a member of the legisla
ture. They are strictly non-partisan
and are designed to point out the
changes necessary to eliminate frand
without taking the ballot away from
any South Carolina Democrat. The
articles are In no way inspired by
any candidate for office, and none
know of their preparation. They are
designed solely to assist the mass of
Democratic primary votes to clean
house. Bills to this end will be act
ed on In the next legislature and
South Carolinians are of course in
terested in the subject at this time.
Every lover of pure democracy
must rejoice in those features of our
primary system that give every true
Democrat in South Carolina the right
to vote whether he be rich or poor,
learned or illiterate. Perhaps no
where else in the world is there such
universal white *manhood suffrage.
The problem Is te make the vote
pure as well as free.
No matter who the voter is he does
not want his vote killed by the bal
lot of some repeater or outsider.
What use is it for one county to be
honest when some other practices
wholesale fraud? or for you to vote
once when others are voting twice,
To decide on a remedy we must
Freedom has to be guarded.
first find exactly where the trouble
lies. I am going to cite some in
stances. See if you do not agree that
the fault is twofold, first with you
and ne and the rest of the rank and
file who have been unwilling to be
put to the trouble of obeying even the
loose rules we have, and then with
these rules which are so poorly ar
ranged that the most conscientious
election managers are helpless where
voters set out to cheat.
Tammany Methods.
"There may have been some minor
irregularities in this county, but we
k believe that it was a fair election so
far as county is concerned,"
reported one county chairman to the
investigating committee a year ago.
He adds, however, "I found that the
club lists had disappeared. Our com
mittee has been unable to locate
them."
Over night some one stole the
record from the ballot boxes. A
familiar device of Tammany thugs in
the good old days practiced right here
in a farming county of South Caro
lina. The chairman was honest and
sincere, though, when he called this
a "minor irregularity", for every one
- of us who has anything to do with
our election management sees rules
Sso violated on every hand that on-ly
downright bribery is considered se
rious.
Early or Not at AII.
In another Important county It is
no uncommon thing for a voter to
find on going to the polls that some
one has cast a ballot in his name.
Friends who had this experience
laughed to me about it as a part of
the regular order of things. remark
ing, "Next time we must be at the
polls when they are opened." The
State executive committee called on
the party authorities from that coun
t y for a report on the election and
Ithe reply was "no Irregularities
found". There so mild a term as
"irregularity" is too harsh a name
for the most flagrant frauds and
everything goes.
Why Rules Among Friends?
In still another big county the
local executive committee found
among other "irregularities" that:
Men were alloged to vote whose
names were not enrolled on the club
lists.
At one box 128 names of those
who voted were found after a most
searching examination to be ficti
tious.
The average of the poll lists of all
the county boxes showed from 10 per
cent. to 15 per cent. that could not
be identified.
At other boxes 340 names of actual
persons were found to have apparent
ly voted from two to five times, and
after making allowances for a pos
sible proportion as proper, a large
number were seen to be repeaters.
In a very few instances was the
"lub roll certified to.
Bystanders were called In by man
avers to assist in counting the ballots,
one of whom did destroy or attempt
to destroy tickets.
Managers of election were not
sworn and other voters took no oaths.
Yet this committee In summing up
- poke of these things as "numerous
irregularities", but found no evidence
of fraud.
Summarized in Another Way.
Managers omit to take the hon
esty obligation oath the party rules
require.
Regarding the rules, they allow
men to vote whose names are not on
the poll lists.
These voters and others cast their
ballots without swearing as to their
qualification, though the party rules
demand the oath.
Uncertified poll lists with dead
men's names by the score and scores
of other men who had moved away
written on loose sheets of paper and
in old books years ago were used.
But mind you, the party rules require
that each list be certified to by the
officers of the clubs.
"Where We Are at."
These Instances might be multi
plied. but sufficiently illustrate the
free and easy condition we have
reached, when the most glaring in
fractions of party rules are held In
the highest Quarters to be merely Ir
regularities that do not impair the
integrity of an election.
Don't blame the managers. All of
us are to blame. For years we have
shouted from the housetops, "It Is
better that ten dishonest men should
vote than that one honest man be de
prived." We have tolerated and in
sisted on these lax rules and laxer en
forcement until any man can vote, be
he resident or non-resident, over age
or under age, whether he has voted
before ten times or not at all.
- A Remedy.
noea It not seem tn von that the
HOOTS MAN TO DEATH
KLLING IN LOWER EDGE OF
- BARNWELL COUNTY.
Plain Man Said to Have Been Climb
ing Fence Despite Warning When
Fired Upon.
Angus L. Main, a prominent cit
Een and farmer who lives near Jen- 3
ays in the lower edge of Barnwell
county, was shot and mortally
wounded at the home of W. H. Mix
son by the latter's daughter, Mrs.
Susie Mizelle, about 7:30 o'clock
Wednesday evening. Mr. Main died
about three hours after beinf shot.
The Mixson home is about six miles
from Fairfax, and Main, who was the t
last customer at the dispensary at I
Fairfax Wednesday afternoon, was t
on his way home in a buggy, having t
with him a negro named -Calvin I
Johnson. When they got to the Mix- c
son home they drove the buggy into I
Mr. Mixson's lot. Mrs. Mizelle, hear- 1
ing them using profane words and f
not knowing who they were, called,
"Who are you?" The answer came
from Main: "It makes no difference t
who I am; I'm coming in."
She warned him not to come any
farther, telling him she would shoot
him if he did, and In the meantime
calling to her little brother to bring I
the gun. Main did not heed the
warning but started to climb over the I
fence between the horse lot and the I
residence yard. As he was almost I
over the fence about 25 feet from ,
her she fired the gun which was I
loaded with bird shot. The load took
effect In the left side of the face at
the base of the neck. Main fell back
across the fence, his feet being on
the inside of the yard, and remained
in that piosition until nearby neigh
bors who heard the alarm came and
removed him.
Mrs. Mizelle and her husband,
Robert Mizelle, and their child had
come from Estill, where they live, to
spend the holidays with Mrs.
Mizelle's parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. H.
Mixson. Mrs. Mixson was sick in
bed. Mr. Mixson and Mr. Mizelle had
gone to pay a visit at the home of
friends about two miles away when
Main and the negro arrived at the
Mixson home.
Magistrate L. H. Williams held an
inquest and the jury rendered a ver
dict that the deceased came to his
death by the effect of a gunshot
wound inflicted by Mrs. Susie Mizelle.
Main, who was the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Walter Main, was about 35
years old. He leaves a wife and six
children. He was an inoffensive man
when sober, and his act Is undoubt
edly attributable to his being unbal
anced at the time. If he had told
Mrs. Mizelle who he was she would
not have hurt him, for she knew him
well. It is probable, however, that
he did not know where he was when
he stopped at the Mixson home.
TAiAEN TO JAIL.
Chester County Man is Arrested on
Murder Charge.
Frank Grant, charged with the
killing of Sidney 3. Ferguson Friday
afternoon in the Capers Hill com
munity of Chester county, was ar
rested Saturday night and is now in
the Chester county jail. The arrest
was made at the home of Sam Varna
dore, Frank Grant's uncle, where the
young man was said to be in hiding.
The Varnadore home is about three
miles from Chester.
Late Saturday afternoon Sheriff
Colvin received word that young
Grant would be at his uincle's home
that night. He got together eight
well trained deputies and with sev
eral of them surrounded the house.
w~hich was formerly the colonial man
sion of Adam T. Walker, and a very
large house.
After the house was well sur
rounded between 7 and 8 o'clock one
of the deputies saw some one light
a cigarette in the gable of the man
sion. Immediately it was thoaght
strange that anybody should be in
such an add part of the house. Sher
iff Colvin and several deputies then
went to the house and asked Mr.
Varnadore if his nephew was there.
and he said, according to the depu
ties, that he would not tell a lie
about it, that he was up in the gable.
He led several of the deputies, It is
said, to where he was, and the youth
was arrested.
Grant. it is said, claims that Mr.
Ferguson came to the barn and ask
ed where his corn was, and not get
ting a satisfactory response is said to
have cursed young Grant and threw a
hammer at him, which grazed his
coat. Grant, it Is alleged, said that
ho .jumped into the colt barn and
shot Mr. Ferguson through the
cracks of the door.
NEGRO CONFESSES.
Jeff Leans Tells of Slaying of New
berry Negro.
Jeff Leans, a negro of Newberry,
confessed Tuesday that he killed
Jack Toland, another negro. whose
body was found last Saturday in a
house on the plantation of James
Renwick, about eight miles from
Newberry. Leans said that with sev
eral other negroes he had been gam
bling at Toland's house last Tuesday
night.
After the other negroes left, he
and Toland had a dispute about some
money, and he struck Toland in the
head with an axe while they were
nuarrelling. Leans reported the dis
covery of Toland's body to the county
authorities last Saturday. Evidence
gathered about the crime indicateds
that Leans had been implicated in it.
Hie was placed under arrest and
Tuesday confessed.
Comes to See Wilson.
John Lind, President Wilson's per
sonal representative in Vera Cruz,
left there Monday night on board the
scout-cruiser Chester for the Louis- ~
|ana coast. He is to confer with the t
president.
t
time has come to replace this loose r
system that leaks like a sieve at
very joint by a law that will be
short,'simple, definite and carry pen
iltes?
I have no bill of my own to pre- f
sent but later will further describe TI
the way frauds are carried out so you s1
an see how to stop the leaks. i
Tegislator. n
IIDEN FOR YEARS,
tATH Of NEW YORK LAWYER
RLVEAL HIS LIFE'S SECRET
LIVED A DOUBLE LIFE
'o One, Not Even His Wife, Knew
That His Affinity Lived in the Se
cluded Room in the Rear of His
Place of Business, a Willing Pris
oner of His.
The Esther Gobseck of Balzac's fic
ion, transplanted from the romantic
Warisian setting of the early Nine
eenth century, came to life in Mon
icello, N. Y., this week when Melvin
I. Couch was found dead in the law
Iffices he had long occupied in the
Iasonic building, in that city. Mem
ers of his family, entering for the
irst time the inner room of his office,
rhich he had always guarded so care
ully from intrusion, found hidden
here a frightened, tearful woman
t stranger to them all. Yet this wo
nan-Adelaide M. Brance-had lived
n that inner room for three years,
nd not a soul but her and Couch
:new of It.
If the woman went out at all it was
ate in the night, when all the vil
age was asleep, and if any "night
iawk" ever chanced upon a strange
voman slipping out of the Masonic
uilding the story never reached the
rillage gossips. For three years she
iad endured her voluntary imprison
nent for the sake of being the secret
ompanion of this man, and so suc
essfully was her presence there con
ealed by the man himself that the
members of his own family never
?ven guessed it.
Dread of discovery grew with the
passing of every month, and in the
last year she had ventured out of the
affice only once until one day this
week when she ran from the building
to the office of the nearest doctor as
her lover lay dying of heart disease
Dn a cot in the office. Couch was
lead when the doctor arrived and
when the latter looked around for
the woman she had disappeared.
The wife and daughter of the dead
man were summoned to his office.
rs. Couch, after giving directions
for the disposition of the corpse, at
tempted to enter the mysterious
inner room of the office, but found
the door locked. She asked one of
the men to climb over the partition,
but as he tried It he was halted by a
woman's voice that came from the
darkness beyond.
"I'll come out if you don't harm
me."
There came the sound of the key
in the lock and the woman stepped
out into the office, stood for an in
stant at the foot of the cot where the
body lay, glanced at the dead man,
then looked up and saw his wife and
daughter. She made as if to speak,
but suddenly sank to t~he floor in a
swoon.
Those present looked long and
hard at the woman's face as they
lifted her and one or two recognized
her as one whom they had in years
past seen frequently in Monticello
and so frequently visiting Couch's
office that there had been some gossip
for a time-gossip that stopped, of
course, when the woman had appar
ently disappeared from the town.
Miss Brance was revived, and the
unique story was told.
She gave her name as Adelaide
Brance, and her home as Goshen, N.
Y. She said that she had known Mr.
Couch for 1 5 years. One day she had
gone to Monticello canvassing for
subscriptions to a book. She had gone
to the office of Mr. Couch and had
tried to sell him the book. That was
their meeting and the relation which
they formed began then. For years
it was a matter of an occasional visit.
Business would seem to bring her to
Monticello and she would manage to
spend some time with the lawyer.
The visits became more and more
frequent, and more and more they
tended to stretch from a night at a
time to a week at a time. It was
three years ago that the two decided
there was no reason why the secrecy
hey had been able to maintain for a
week could not be maintained for a
ear or for a lifetime.
The woman told Couch she would
iome to Monticello, take up her quar
ters in the Inner office, and never
tep out in the daylight again.
An oil stove, a table, some chairs
nd iron bed were put Into the inner
oom. Miss Brance came there under
over of darkness. Couch announced
it his home that he had become so
rippled with rheumatism-trouble
-eturning to a foot from an injury he
-eceved while running as a boy
hat It would be out of the question
or him to mount every day the long
till leading to his home. Hereafter.
e said, he would live at the office.
leen at the office, eat at the office.
Once a week, with the coming of
unday noon. he had walked labor
ously up the hill to, the Couch homei
tnd dined In state with Mrs. Couch.1
o that made It possible for him to1
ive at his office, and to take thIngs 1
rm the grocer's and butcher's to
is office without arousing the gos- 1
ips of the town to any suspicion of
he truth.
With all the precautions it Is re- 1
marded as little short of marvelouF
hat this secret could have been pre- (
ervedi with almost every moment of-a
ering the risk of discovery. For thet
isonic building in Court square ist
n the heart of the village, and ten
ther lawyers have their offices In the
ilding. Only constant vigilance.
h" determination of the woman her
elf never to pass a window where she
ould be seen from the street. and1
ever to go to the street except when
11 the villnge was asleep made pos
ihe the keeping of this secret.
Two Horses Are Killed.
Two young me 1, sons of Mr. 3. S.
mith, living in thL Carolina section.
n miles above Dillon. were riding
i a tournament on Friday, when
h~eir horses collided, killing both
nimals and seriously injuring both
iders.
Tragedy at Still.
Jordan Will was shot, perhaps
tally, and his wife killed outright
'hursday afternoon at a turpentine y
ill near Marlow, Ga. Deputy sher- s
fs are in search for the supposed d
Absolufc
Cakes, hot biscuit,
other pastry, are i
in the Amerlean fai
Ing Powder will ir
digestible, wholes
No Alum-No Li
KILING ON STREET
POUR SHOTS FIRED INTO MAN AT
CHARLESTON.
Evidence Seems to Show That Man
Acted in Fear of Serious Bodily
Harm.
Isadore M. Acosta, of Memphis,
%onday shot and killed Edward J.
%eehan at Charleston, better known
n the sporting circles of that place
s "Mickey". After examination by
the coroner's jury Acosta was ab
olved, on the grounds of justifiable
.omicide. While the verdict practi
ally means acquittal, friends of
Aeosta put up $1,000 bond for his
,ppearance before the grand jury
ext February.
The evidence showed that Police
man Bowick, who was standing at
Narket and Meeting street Monday
morning when he heard four pistol
shots. He started down Meeting
street to investigate and met Acosta
ear the Circular church. He said
that he asked him If he had heard
the shots. Acosta replied, stated the
oliceman, that he did the shooting,
and supposed that he had killed a
man on Chalmers street. Officer
Bowick then informed Acosta that he
was under arrest and took him to the
scene of the killing. As they neared
Chalmers street Officer Bowick said
that Policeman Slattery came from
around the corner, holding a pistol in
his hand. He called to his brother
officer not to fell uneasy, as he had
the man who did the shooting.
The next witness was Officer Slat
tery, who stated that he rn to the
cene on Chalmers street from his
ost on Broad street, and found Mee
an lying dead on the north side
alk, a short distance from Meeting.
The body was lying face down, and
artly under It was a pistoL. He
picked up the weapon and found that
its contents were Intact. He rushed
around the corner and met Officer
owick and Acosta coming down the
treet.
At the police station the prisoner's
ame was taken and he was charged
ith shooting and- killing Meehan,
whose name was given then as Ma
on, because Acosta did not know the
an well, and the police had not
ime to find any one to identify the
ody. He was lodged in a lobby cell
nd was held there until the inquest.
Acosta was asked at the inquest If
e wished to make a statement, but
as told that It was not compulsory.
n a calm manner he related the de
ails that led up to the shooting. He
aid that Meehan had followed him
o within a few steps of his boarding
lace, on Chalmers street. At this
oint Acosta said that Meehan asked
im for $30 and threatened to kill
im If he did not give him the money.
Acosta said that he refused to give
the money, and when Meehan whip
ped his weapon out of his pocket he
urriedly d-ew his pistol out of his
right overcoat pocket and fired four
hots. He said that he believed that
his life was in danger and that If he
had not acted as he dId he would
ave either been killed or seriously
vrounded. He said that he hated to
kill the man, but that he was forced
to do so.
When questioned by a juror he
said that he met Meehan about the
irst of the month. He related that
about two or three weeks ago Mee
tan followed him and on Meetina
;treet, near Chalmers street. demand
d at the point of pistol that he give
im $1 00. He did not give him the
oney then, he said, but the next day
save him $60. He was approached
igain, he told the jury, and this time
rave him $20. According to his view1
f the affair Meehan was blackmail
g him. He did not propose to give
sim any more money, he said, and
,ought the weapon with which he!
~iled the man. He also stated that<
feehan was a drug fiend of some <i
rind and that he did not care to take
LUy chances with him.
A dispatch from Memphis says that<
mdore M. Acosta of that place. who I
hot and killed E. 3. Meehan at
harleston..Is well known there.I
~here he has extensive property in-<
erests. He resides with two daugh
ers and is known as a quiet, peace
le citizen.r
Auto Runs Down Couple.
While crossing Broadway at Sixty
fth street in New York early Fri
y Richard Lee. a Brooklyn mer
hant, and his wife were run down
r an automobile. Both were ren
ered unconscious and Mrs. Lee died a
chile being taken toA hospital. p
Clogged by D~ead Rody. e
When his car refused to respond to e
ll current at an early hour Thurs
y morning Motorman H. A. Strong,
fTampa, Fla., was horrified, on ex
nination, to find the mangled re- F
rains of a human being clogging the 'F
Lnning gear. si
Newly Wed Takes Life..
Charles Candler Rowe. a wealthy
oung business men of Calbert, Ga.,.
iot himself through the heart Mon- a
y morning. His bride of a week S
nd his bodl.
rAL
POWDER
lyPure
hot breads, and
laily necessities
nily. Royal Bak
aake them more
)me, appetizing.
toe Phosphates
fEWER LYNCHINfS
INLY FORTY-FOUR ARE RECORD
ED FOR YEAR 1913
INE VICTIM WAS WHITE
Philadelphia Paper Prints Abstract
Showing That Lynchings Decreased
During the Year-Two.Credited to
the . North-Deiense of Spartan
burg Jail is Noted.
"Only 44 lynchings known to be
uch beyond doubt have occurred In
the United Sta-.s this year,'' accord
ing to . dispatch from Chicago to
the Philadelphia North American,
"and this is the lowest number for
many years, more than 50 being re
:orded last year and as many as 253
[n some previous years. The decrease
ie lynching in Southern states Is at
tributed largely to efforts made by
governors,, sheriffs and prominent cit
izens to- prevent mob violence.
"A notable example was set on
August 18 by the sheriff at Spartan
burg, S. C. . In spite of the fact that
dynamite was used, he prevented a
mob from lynching a negro who was
accused of assaulting a white wo
man. Later the negro was tried be
fore a white jury and found not
guilty.
"The record shows decided im
provement in. other respects than in
numbers. So far as the newspaper
accounts show none of the victims
was burned at the stake. Nor were
any of the lynchings accompanied by
the so-called race riots; which always
added to the -number of victims and
intensified ~antagonism of the white
and black races.
"Harrison, Miss., furnished the
nearest approach to a 'reign of mur
der', when two drug-crazed mulatto.
boys, on September 28, ran amuckh
and started a riot, in the course of.
which three white men, four negro
men and one negro woman met
death. As the two boys met death
while resisting capture the case can
not strictly be classed as lynching.
"In the 44 lynchings the victims of
all but one were negroes, and all but
two occurred in Southern states.,
"North Dakota and Montana- were
the two Northern states in which
lynchings occurred. At Ray, -N. D.,
Cleve Culbertson, a white man, ac
ased of the murder of three per
sons, was taken from jail and hang
ed. At Mondak, Mont., In April. ,T.
C. Collins, a negro, who
killed the sheriff and deputy sheriff
of the county, was hanged by a mob.
"The States in which lynchings oc
eurr~d and the number in each were
as follows: Alabama 2, Arkansas 1,
Florida 4, Georgia 8, Kentucky 1.,
Louisiana 4, Mississippi 8, Montana
1, North Carolina 1, North Dakota 1,
South Carolina 1, Tennessee 2, Texas
6. There w~as at least one lyn'ching
for every month in the year, August,
thie hottest month, leading, with
ight.
"'Double lynchings occurred at
Blanchard, La., Cornelia, Ga., and
Pauls Valley, Okla. At Houston.
iiiss., two negroes were lynched a
lay apart, being accused of complic
ty in the same crime. At Drew,
iiss., a negro was lynched by mem
ers of his own race after he had
~hot and' killed two negro women and
wo negro mon.
"As in previous years, murders of
vhlte persons and crimes or alleged
rines against white women caus~ed
nost of the summary executions. The
nurders were in the big majority.
mnd cases in which attacks on women
vere charged showed a decrease.
"Nineteen of the victims of the 44
ynchings were accused of the mur
br of white men. Four wereci
d with murdering white girls or
vomen. Attempted criminal assault
s on record as responsible for nine
>f the lynchings. Two negroes were
ynehed for frightening white wo
non, one for insulting a white wo
non, and another for being found
oncealed under the bed in a wo
nan's room. Two negroes were lynch
d for shooting or assaulting white
en, one for robbery and shooting,
ne for assisting a negro murderer
o escape, and another for horse
tealing. In one case the crime
harged was not stated."
Trying to Catch Him.
Investigations are still being made
t Calumet, Mich., in an effort to ap
rehend the identity of the stranger
-ho yelled "Fire!" at a Christmas
?!ebration, starring a panic which
iusd 72 deaths.
Killed by Train.
Jim Gibson. a nearo of Poston, in
ronce county, was killed by a train
riday. It appears that the negro
:epped on the track to cross just as
ie train, backing, reached the road.
Tried to Lynch Him.
An effort was mode by a mob of
med citizens at Chestertown. Md.,
sturday night to enter the jail and.