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- ***?> v, '.? ** M* ^ Vf* m? tti 1?' -^Ifrwwuy ^ ESTABLISHED IN 1895. DILLON. SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 25, 1910. VOL. 16. NO. 29. I P. A. BODGES REPLIES TO THE CRITICISMS OF T. ' I. ROGERS. 1 ! A PresentoUon of Hodge*)' Hide of * The Controversy. The Ver' diet is with the People. Editor Herald: Mr. T. I. Rogers has given to the Ik press a letter purporting to touch upon questions involved in the congressional campaign, and 1 am informed that there have been printed for circulation in this dis^ trict 9000 copies of this letter. Thinltlne Dossiblv that this cir cular signed by Mr. T. 1. Rogers J might (all Into hands of parties not ' thoroughly acquainted with Messrs. T. I. Rogers, J. E. Ellerbe and my- 1 self, who might thereby be mis- i led, I will, briefly as possible, give < the public my version of the situa- 1 tion, Whenever I have had occa- ' sion to refer to a circular issued against me two years ago by Mr. < Rogers, 1 invariably stated that 1 1 would not discuss its merits for the ' reason that the party who assumed ' responsibility for its contents was 11 Sot in the race. Have refrained 1 from discussing Mr. Rogers since j i >the campaign opened and even be- < fore. 1 am in no wise responsible 1 for the newspaper reports?never ' saw any of them until they were published. At Dillon, after the ( speeches, I gave the reporter all 1 < my papers and at Marion 1 asked 1 Col. Banks to publish Mr. Rogers' ' letter in full. He copied the letter and told me he would do so. 1 do ? * not think Col. Banks is responsible 1 for the fact that it was not pub- < * lished in full. ' p In reference to circular my ' friends were kind enough to issue |' in my behalf two years ago, 1 ami1 not willing to allow Mr. Rogers, 11 0 astute and adroit lawyer, though I' he mav be. to reari therein o monn_ l ? . ? lng foreign to its contents and pur- 1 pose. Early in the nineties, during 1 the panic, 1 failed in business, as 1 did other honorable gentlemen throughout the country. 1 turned! ,, over to my creditors all 1 had, sotji even retaining a personalty homestead. I went to work and by economy and industry, in two years I had succeeded in accumulating a small capital?sufficient to enable me once more to commence busi- j ness in a small way. I prospered and in five years I was enabled to settle those old debts satisfactory to my creditors. Those who did not accept my assignment and obtained judgment I compromised, but those who held open accounts' and notes against me I paid in full as per my promise to them, and there is nothing in circular issued by my triends two years ago at ? variance with this statement. The Bennettsville Hardware Co., was not a corporation when owned ' by me, and upon investigation it j will be established that the papers ^ conveying this business to Messrs. ' Wellington & Bonnoit were signed by myself, not as agent, but as sole owner. !' The P. A. Hodges Manufacturing '< Co. was a corporation organized to manufacture harness, with a paid up capital of $25,000. and I owned 1 [ $24,5000 of its stock. Through ^ misplaced confidence in the ability of another and through no fault of mine this plant was wrecked. Soon j after I assumed active management of the business I learned that it , was liable for approximately $25.- ( ** uuu in excess of Its capital stock and other assets. It being a corpci ration I, individually, could not be legally held for its obligations, but I felt 1 was morally bound and assumed them and made provisions for their payment. I even caused a i mortgage to be given 011 my home < which was in my wife's name and i 1 bought with her money, for my j ] 'ligations. There was only one ( otilt brought against this company 1: and that was brought by Mr. Rog- 11 ers for a disputed account and in my I' absence judgment was obtained, jt My attorney being of the opinion ! < __ tuai tun uw coma not ue tried at 1 that term of the court I had left 1 |tmd Bennettsvllle to fill important en- 1 gagemenu at distant points in the i state, and though my attorney was < allowed less than 24 hours to com- i V munlcate with me I was unable to 1 reach Bennettsvllle in time for the 1 trial. This was not compromised i v at 60 per cent as stated by Mr. i Rogers but about 70 per cent of the amount claimed was paid, the i emaining 30 per cent being ap- v iroximately the amount of counter u :lalms against the company bring- a ng suit. n The circular issued by my ? 'riends two years ago was distrib- 8 ited in Marlboro county and es- j : secially at Clio on the day of the ? campaign meeting there, which was nearly a month before Mr. j I' ftogere issued his circular. It was ; n printed in Pee Dee Advocate of- > h 'ice?no attempt to secrecy was ; nade?was published in papers all )ver the district was seen by1 t lozens of people in the county be- n tore being published, whereas the v :ircular of Messrs Rogers and El- ; c v> uc .1 no (>iiuicu u? pcrsuus no una 11 :o secrecy?all coaxing and impor- | " :unities failed to get from him an i idmission that the circular had I Been issued. ! 0 If Messrs. Rogers and Ellerbe j d Honestly believed there was merit n in their circular, why all this se- ! o crecy? Why did they wish to a keep it from me, until too late for JI reply before the primary? s The envelope inclosing Mr. Rog- g srs' circular mailed me shows by 1 postoffice stamp that it was mailed r Saturday morning, Aug. 22, 1908, \ when Mr. Rogers knew I was in v Hartsville, having left Bennetts- t irille at 3.30 o'clock Friday after- i noon Aug. 21, 1908 and could not return until Saturday night?too c late to reply and get to the people ! a before the primary the following Tuesday, Aug. 25, 1908. 1 have j Bther evidence that the purpose of j Messrs. Rogers and Ellerbe was to j prevent my securing their circular, t but the above is sufficient. g Now I ask why this persecution? j Why should T. I. Rogers hound me e thus? Mr. Rogers is a relative of j J. E. Ellerbe and connected with him c by marriage. The late Gov. Eller- a be, a brother of J. E. Ellerbe, was a j brother-in-law of T. 1 Rogers. Be- ^ Tore Mr. Rogers' last circular was|c issued, J. E. Ellerbe stated during ; his speech at Nebo in Marion coun- J ty that he proposed to flood that | county with circulars, or words to i that effect. The circulars are being i. distributed. Is this not significant? This is not the first time that ; Mr. Rogers has attempted to be-i ^ Bmirch my business character and ' reputation. Those who know me and are I ? familiar with my business career i have always been ready to bespeak ! ^ their confidence. Was my business { failure in the nineties and the set- | ; # tlement of my affairs in 1894 clean , t and honorable? On account of for-1 mer attacks upon me by Mr. Rogers 1 deemed it right and proper to se- 1 * cure the two letters following: "Bennettsville, S. C., Aug. 20. s 1906. 1 Mr. P. A. Hodges, Bennettsville, |J a c. |8 "Dear Sir:?At your request lj? beg to state that in 1894 when you ' assigned all your property to E me for the benefit of your creditors, it was done after 1 carefully c considered your entire business af- ,c fairs. Owing to your heavy losses 1 by making advances on liens, it :c was all that could be done to pay X up each creditor and guarantee to 1 each one his pro rata share of thej8 assets. You turned over to me at * that time your entire property which was sold and paid to the creditors accepting the terms of v the assignment. There were some 1 wno did not accept and reduced 1 their claims to judgments and s since that time you have paid on all claims and settled all costs in * the courts. In my opinion your 1 conduct was straight throughout. "Yours truly, j* "T. W. Bouchier." * "Bennettsville, S. C., Aug. 20th, * 1906. . a "Hon. P. A. Hodges, City. "Dear Sir:?You request from c me a statement as to your moral ( conduct in reference to your fail- ( ure In business about the year 1894. 8 I represented the largest or some 8 :>f the largest creditors against .a you and was familiar with all the 'c details of your failure and the * winding up of your business, and c there was no fact or circumstance ^ connected with the whole matter Known to me that would the least c tend to reflect upon your charac- t ter as a Christian gentleman. You 1 gave up all your property to your | i creditors cheerfully and it paid a c good dividend on your debts. Those t that did not accept this dividend s were afterwards settled with by you i and the record is clear and honor- i able in every particular. "1 will add that I have had t many dealings with you during the . hole of your business life among s and have always found you fair nd upright, and a true gentlenan. Your administration as may- ro r of our town has been clean and re uccessful, and you have been whol- Wl y impartial in the administration j,r f the law. WJ "This certificate is given you m n a spirit of simple duty, and be nay be used as you may deem th est. Yours truly, h< "H. H. Newton." al Rplnw is u rpnrnrtnptinn it* full ov he circular ray friends issued in M ay behalf two years ago, and m rhich Mr. Rogers has so violently th riticised in his recent circular and >'c n the one issued two years ago: be An Address to the Democratic ft' Voters of the Sixth District ch "We, the undersigned neighbors f P. A. Hodges, Marlboro's candi- ,)r late for Congress, do hereby comuend him to the Democratic voters if the sixth congressional district .8 an able, consistent and loyal Jemocrat, a business man of agacity and ability, a Christian rentleman of high ideals and pure ife, a man who has never proved ecreant to any public or pri- th ate trust, and who, we believe, rould bring honor and prestage to his district as our representative 'e n Congress. h? "Mr. Hodges is a native of this m ounty and has spent his life imong us, and we feel that he is ^ vorthy of our honor that his felow citizens can bestow upon him. > Q ie was four times elected mayor of g( Jennettsville, and he discharged he duties of this office with conpicious ability and fearlessness. I ie dealt justice to all with an * iven hand, without regard to the * inancial or social standing of those * harged with the violation of law, * ind his vigorous prosecution of * aw breakers did much toward * iriving all forms of vice out of the :ity. i * '"Mr. Hodges is a man of recoglized business ability and integ- ^ ity. Several years ago, when he ^ vas just begining what promised ^ u u? a successiui mercantile career, ^ here came a panic and two bad t :rop years, and the failure of those m vbom he had furnished supplies s 0 pay their accounts caused him serious financial embarassment for 1 while; but he was not satisfied or his creditors to lose, and he vent to work and settled every ? lollar of indebtedness against him, ilthough it took him several years o do it. ' '"Mr. Hodges is an earnest and * oyal church and Sunday school * vorker. He has been for fifteen rears a steward and a trustee of * he Methodist church, for ten * rears chairman of the board of * stewards, and for fifteen years * superintendent of the Sunday school. * ie was a lay delegate from this * state to the last general conference. _ "Last winter when the trustees ?f Columbia college were looking ?ver the state for the best man to nake their linancial agent, the," rhoice fell upon P. A. Hodges, alliough no layman had ever before ?ccupied that important and responsible position. He undertook his work with that zeal and gi rnthusiasm which always marks hi* (fforts, and the remarkable success vith which he has met in his cam>a:gn for the college shows that ne trustees made r.o mistake in electing him. "As he would have to be away a] rom Bennettsville most of his c< ime in the interest of the college, ie resigned his official position in 4\l he city and church the first of his year. Should he be elected to Congress, he will have till the assembling of the next Congress, , n December 1909, to finish the ampaign for the endowment of Columbia college. "Mr. Hodges comes from an A igricultural family. He was born ind reared on a farm; his brothers ire farmers; he knows the needs. >f farmers and will work for their Merest, as well as for those of all w ther honest occupations in the 01 listrict. ci "Marlboro sends forth this son ^ ?f hers with the earnest hope that j ft he Democrats of Darlington,> ci Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Mar-'c? nn ana WIIU.-.K.. - - ? m .iiiauiouurK may ai?o re- *1 tognize hia merits and fitness for \ fc he position to which he aspires,, ind join in giving him a sufficient | ti lumber of ballots to ms> ice him our K< lext congressman ; e< "T. 8. BvanB (Parmer and Coun-1 hi y Commissioner) I ai "T. E. McCal), Merchant and b< I .Mail Man Arrested. A Mr. Dickens, carrier on rural 1 ute No. 1, from Mallory, was arsted by Deputy W. A Wall last ?ek upon the charge of misapproiating postal funds Mr. Dickens is given a hearing before Comissioner Stackhouse at Marion and t und over to the Federal court in ? e sum of $200. It is alleged that c s issued postoffice money orders id then failed to turn the money t er to the postoffice authorities, i r. Dickens lost his wife about four ? onths ago and has upon his hands i e care of four small children, the i lungest of whom is blind Hp hue * en serving as carrier on Route 1, t om Mallorv, for about four years t id this is the first time the i arge of misconduct has been 1 ought against him. t OIRL SAVER MAN. aelve Year Old Child Shows <>ood 1 N erve. I Culver, Ind . Aug. 19.?By saving i e life of F. Thompson of Atlanta, i a., while both were swimming in i a.ke Maxinkuskee today, Isabel Ful < r, aged 12, daughter of E P. T'nl- j < r of Richmond, Va., becan. 'he :roine of the cottagers of th< ni-:i er resort. ! i Thompson is an expert swimmer it he was seized with cramps. The little girl, also an adept, was jar him. When she saw he was nking she quickly swam to him an< ipported him until relief came. l * * : Oxer SIYOO.OO (iirtu Away * * I Over >500.00 in valua- * hie prizes will be given * away in The Herald's prize contest. Every contestant * will have an equal showing. * Experts will canvass the county and organize clubs * , M v j umugiii|i. I lit" "" wmtest bcffins Sept. 1st. and * lasts until Dec. 1st. Now is the time to ^ busy. The * handsome piano can tie seen * at The Herald Book Store. ****** . ? : Enroll Today! * j The rules of Democrat- * ic party requi. 'he name of * a voter to be o.. .ie club roll * five days before the primary. j Today is the last day and no * 1 person will be allowed to vote whose name is not on * the club roll by 12 o'clock to- * night. See the secretary of * your township dub and get * your name on the club roll. * * * ? hairman Sewerage Commission "E. L. Hamilton, Merchant and [ember Board Public Works. "P. A McKellar, Wholesale Gro- . ?r and Member City Council. "J. R. Patrick, Freight Agent A . L. Railroad. "J. L. Napier, .V,. I)., Chairman tate Board Medical Examiners. "C. B. Crosland, President B. roslond Company. " A S. Towr.send, M I). "Chas. R. May, M. l>. *H. W. Carrall, Merchant. "O. At wood Matthews. Druggist ml Chairman State Board Pharnia- , mtical Examiners. "J. O. Breeden. Merchant and ember City Council "C. E. Exum, Cotton Buyer. 'L. J. Breeden. Mayor of Ben?ttsville. "R. K. Breeden, Farmer. *"H. H Newton, Attorney at Law "J. K. Owens, Attorney at Law "R. L. Freeman, Editor Pee Dee M dvocate. "T. W. Carmichael, M. D i( "Sam J. Pearson, Jeweler. 1, "J. A. Faison. M. D , "Note:?Friends of Mr Hodges,!' ho got this up during his absence ;, 1 the campaign, could have se-1, ired hundreds of signatures, but', lought it tuperfluous to multiply ] IP wtf TlPMAtt ThfiUP - - ? ? .^.tori.ininc J tizens, representing the various < tilings and professions, are suffi- | ent to establish the facts set i trth." . i In spite of Mr. Rogers' construcon of this letter, not one of the t pntlemen who signed it have ask- ] i to be relieved of the responsl- j 1 llity of its contents or express! < ay uneasiness of their veracity '. sing questioned. P. A Hodges. <;keat is rkkdv ckkkk. r Hull. ,1. I', (iihsor. Visits tin* SprinitK aii'i (iivcs His Impressions ol the Resort in the Marl- L horo Times. ("( The toHowmn is from the pen f Hon. J. P. Gibson who was a ;uest, at Reedy Crook Springs room ly: At Dillon wo woro met at the rain by Mr. and Mrs. J B. Gibson n an automobile and rapidly drivsii to their elegant home on Hamer ivenue where wo spoilt the night. (j< sunday morning , after breakfast, n vo took a spin around town, visited c he race track and made two or p iiree circles on the beautiful half at liile stretch. We scarcely would j( lave known Dillon, we used to visit st ;hat hospitable town quite often, bui ei or the past six years we had not 01 stopped over there, and while we Ittiad heard of the pher.ominal growth p ii.d developmnits of the new city, n ive were absolutely unprepared for M he revelation presented In this t?rlef article we cannot tell our p readers of the many magnificent res- a idences, handsome business bouses tl iiid department stores, elegant u churches, graded school building, 1? cotton mill and numerous industries e We met many c?ld friends, glad to e shake the hand of Dr. Jeihn David, a Bon of our now deceased venerable *' frier.d. I>r. W. J. David; Hector <' McRae who is the honorable "Judge of the city; W. Thad Bethea, Dr Watson Dr. Davis. A. B. 1 Jordan and many others. The fire 1 last winter destroyed the newspaper of our friend, Mr. A. B. Jordan, ed- f itor and publisher of the Dillon Her- 1 aid, but he is now refitted with new A modern presses, type and lias just ' installed a linotype machine which ' places the Herald in the front rank 1 with the state daily papers. ' Mr. J B. Gibson, our nephew, 5 has been in Dillon seven years prac- * ticing law, has a fine clientage, en- 1 joys the esteem and confidence of 5 the people and is doing as well as 1 any young lawyer in the state. Last summer Messrs. W T. Be- 1 thea and J. B. Gihson bought the ' Reedy Creek Springs property, some 1 ten or twelve miles northwest of 1 Dillon, Mr. Bethea being cashier of ' the Bank of Dillon. This splendid mineral spring has been noted for more than one hundred years for f the curative and medicinal properties of its water, and years before ? the war the wealthy planters of 1 eastern Carolina made annual vis- a its to this famous sp< ut, took th? r ' negroes, wagons and carriages ; d " built cheap cottages ww.c they e- r mained during the summer mon is. ^ The civil war. of course, terminated u theEe old time camp visits by the ' rich planters and slave owners. For 1 est fires destroyed the eld hotel and 1 the numerous cottages, but soon 1 after the war a rough hoarding ' house was improvised by tfcc owner. 1 a Mr. Allen. Las: October the ^ present owners advertised a sale e and sold more than sever, thousand 1 dollars worth of building lets, reserving the spring, hotel and many acres ye: unoccupied. During the spring ?:.d summer a (i ten thousand doli.-.r hotel imiMit.i' has been erect til, equipped wit) '(. id and hot baths. long wide porches , and veranders in the midst of a loveiv grove of tti.'er oak. Concrete 1 walks from the spring te hotel and J through the grounds, the sj.-ing surrounded with concrete floors and . walls and three is no finer mineral in the two Carolinas. The hotel is under the management of Mr and Mrs. J. Monroe Rogers, and they certainly know how to make a " stranger comfortable and feel at home. The hotel was opened July ^ 3rd. and daily they are having an ? average of more thai, one hundred visitors. ^ Sunday morning Mr. J B. Gibson, j took Messrs. A B Jordan, \V T ^ Bethea and the writer in his machine over to the spring We went via Little Rock and through some ^ of the finest farms in the state s The ride was delightful, apd greatly enioyed. When avo arrived a* the ^ ipring we found quite a large jolly crowd already there, in fact <niite a n number are registered as regular - W (1 euests at the hotel, and they are g1 *0 mi lit; and going all the while, the g month of A nj.ugt * being the best of a '.he season tp vipit mineral water re- c jorts . g By next season a dozen nice cot- ; ages will be erected, many new improvements made, race track, walks, i 'lower gardens, lawn swings, boul-! r< vards and a shell road from the : jCONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT. ONGRESSMEN FIGHT. IE GIVEN BLOWS FOLLOW. >ini|iaiKn Mtrllng at l.ak?- "ity in Sivth ('(iiiKresKioiutl District ?mIl? in I'i'isonal Knmiint??r H?'tvv? ? !! Congress, man Kll??rbe an<l <'amli?lul?' HimI r lurence, auj; zc.? special: The ongressional campaign meeting for le <">th disnict was held at Lake ity to-day, at which some three undred interested citizens were in [tendance. The meeting was held i the grove in front of McC'lam's ables. During the speaking an neounter between Mr P. A. Hodges [ Bennettsville, and Mr. J. E. El- ^ rbe. two ot the candidates, took lace, resulting in a slight enlargelent of the muscles to the rear of !r. Ellerbes eye In view of the fact this corresondent was not on the grounds, nd in order to give both sides of fie affair to the public, he called A pon both Mr. Hodges and Mr El rbe upon their arrival here this veiling from Lake City and securd trom each of them the following ccount, which, after being taken own, was read by the one giving ut the interview. Hodge's Statement. Mr P. A Hodges, upon replying 0 the question as to the inture of he disturbance, stated as follows: "Near the conclusion of Ellerbe's ipeech I construed a statement that ic made as making me a liar. 1 talked up to him and asked him f he intended that what I said was 1 misrepresentation. He replied by epeating in a loud voice the statement he had just made. 1 then itruck him in the face, and followed it up with several more blows in he face. Mr. Ellerbe then made ?trenuous efforts to strike me, but f he ever succeeded in doing so I vus not aware of it. Don't think 1 .vas struck at all, and that seemed o he the consensus of opinion there Friends then interfered and no furher trouble ensued. So far as 1 iir concerned it is ended." Ellerbe's Side of Affair. .mt. tuierue made the following itatement as his side of the affair: "At Lake City to-day while I was speaking, in reply to statements nade by Mr. P A. Hodges, I said ' my man who says 1 ever wrote a . ine, suggested a line or requested .fi.Voi.e to write a line of any letter ir eircul<*r against Mr. P. A. Hod;es, is a dirty contemptible, wilful nd malicious liar. Mr. Hodges hen approached ine and aSK^d ni' f 1 meant to call him a ligr. 1 redied If you say any of those h in its you are. I hesitated a n.oaent and then started to continue ?y i.iiu t. the audience. Mr. Hod;es struck uie jus: behind the left ye. .rar the temple, while I was iD be attitude of talking to the nulienct i then rushed upon him uid, anile several men interfered, su' > ceded in getting him to the ? ;round, . nd ,.s i raised my arm to -y itrik? Pirn it was caught and we ? vere separated 1 ,.m very glad nut no injury was done to him. 1 lave stood more during this campaign -than ! thought was human!.' I /If. r/?t " ? . ,.w> |.i uyusr IU MIU'V. hem to go any further." Mr Ellerbe went to his home at ilarion ami Mr. Hodges to BennettSilie. Kllerbe Knocks Hinlges Down. Scranton. Aug. 20 ?Special: The eneation of the Congressional camKtign meeting held at Lake City t.-day, a small town, four miles ^ outh of Scranton, was the person1 encounter between the Hon. J. 1. Ellerbe and P. A. Hodges, can- ?, idates for Congress from the 6th J istrict. At the conclusion of Mr. .jfeUlerbe's speech, who was the last peaker, he denounced as a mallious lie the statement of Hodges hat he was in any manner respon- < Ible for the circulation of a circu- jg1 ir letter during the last campaign erogatory to Mr. Hodge's character. ..m Mr Hodges, who was standing f ear, immediately struck EUerbe ? nd Ellerbe ?t onno ? VMw vu. ucu auu f trunk Hodges, felling him to the round. Friends came up and seprated the combatants. Tljere w?' heering for quite a while for Conressman EJllerbe. Hodge's Friends Confident. Bennettsville, August 20.?Special JfjA 'hie afternoon's news dispatches efer to a difficulty between P. A. lodges and Congressman Ellerbe CONTINUED OH PAGE BIGHT.