Fort Mill times. (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, August 29, 1907, Image 1
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A ( .IV A' f.
' ' Pt W f i ?
THE FORT MILL TIMES.
16TH. TEAR. FORT MUX, S. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1907. NO. 22.
WORK OF FIEND.
Farmer's Wife and Her Servant 1
Victims of a Brute
WHO HAD FIRED BARN '
While the Men of the l-auiily Were
Fighting Flame* the Negro Tried
to Pillage the IfouNe, and When
the Women Fame on the Scene
the Itriitc Attacked Them With
An Axe.
The people of the North are faat
timing out the vicious negro, aud in
consequence they are loosng their
sympathy for the whole race. They
must not Judge the whole n.^ro nop
by the black fiends who committed
the crime described below. We are j
glad to say that such robbers nnd t
murderers does not fairly represent (1
the negroes of the South, a large J1
majority of whom are hind walking
honest citizens. Rut still we can't
blame the people of the North for ^
judging the negro race by those who
go up to live among them.
A dispatch from Camden, N. J., ^
savs Mrs. Frances Horner, aged 6 7
years, wife of Edward Horner, a farc
mer on the Browning road near Mer- ^
cbantsvllle, and Mrs. Victoria Napoli, }
a servant, were chopped to death
Wednesday in their home, it is charged.
by Charles Gibson, a negro who
was formerly employed on the farm. *
The assassin first set fire to the
Horner barn. While Horner and ^
Mrs. Napoli's husband were trying to
rescue some of the horses from the
barn Mrs. Horner and her servant
came upon the negro in the act of
robbing the house. The robber attacked
the women with an axe and
practically cut them to pieces.
Mrs. Horner's head was severed c
and Mrs Napoli's head was crushed '
in and her body covered with gashes.
Horner and others, who were at the v
lire returned to the house, found the (
body of Mrs. Horner lying nearby In H
a pool of blood, and Mrs. Napoli still
alive was lying nearby covered with
blood. She died wthout regaining
consciousness shortly after being admltted
to a hospital in the city.
Two gold watches and a sum of
imiiiey m.in ooen ihiicii iroui me
house, and the police located the t1
watches in a pawn shop in Philadel- u
plila, where they had been pledged by c
u negro. The pawnbroker, according a
to the police, identified Gibson as the r
negro who pawned the watches, and v
he was arrested. Tickets for the jj
time pieces were fonnd in his pos- ??
session.
Steven Dorsey, another negro, who i
was with Gibson when it is alleged he c
pawned the watches, was also arrest- f
ed, through the police do not believe t
he had anything to do with the mur- d
dor. Gibson, who was discharged by |
Horner some time ago, applied for t
work at tho farm yesterday and was '|
told he could sleep in the barn and c
start work in the morning. /
Early tills morning the farmers ,,
who were running to the fire declare
that they saw the negro fleeing from t1
the Horner home. Gibson refused to
make any statement regarding the
murder, und his supposed connection
with it, but when uuu ot the watches f
recovered from the pawn shop, and
which was marked with the name
"Horner" was shown to him. and he
was asked if he knew the owner, ne
is said to have replied: "Yes, I'm ^
sorry for him." 1
I
FACED DEATH FOB FAITH. c
A Catholic Girl Defused to Marry a '
I
lTodcstant. t
Faring the suitor who hart given
her the alternative of becoming lib
wife or being murdered, Helen Tiska.
an 18-year-old Hungarian girl and a
Catholic, at New York last week, with
with her gaze tlxed 011 a large crucifix,
rejected James nallog, a Protestant
and was shot twice. It is anticipated
that^-a bullet that entered her
breast will cause her death. Turning ,
' the revolver against his own breast
Haling tried to commit suicide and it
is thought he will die.
The tragedy occured in the home
of Anthony Tiska, the girl's brother, !
1 ST. Fast Seventh street where Haling 1
boarded. Ever since the girl came I
to America two years ago, Haling had <
been trying to persuade her to marry
him. The only barrier between them '
was their difference in religious faith '
and for a long time she had postpon- 1
I'd decision. |
"Say you will marry me, or I'll
kill you," he told her.
"This Is your last chance. If you 1
don't marry me I will shoot you."
On the wall In front of her hung
a crucifix and pictures of several
saints. Looking at them instead of <
Baling the girl tjlecided.
"I'll not marrly you," she told him.
Instantly Baling, who is 21 years
old, drew a revojlver, and fired twice,
the bullets striking her in the right
side of the brekst and In the right
wrist. Mrs. Ju)ia Tiska, the girl's
sister-in-law rushed In and tried to (
wrest the revolver from Ballog.
Roth ftaliog Sand his victim were (
? taken br Bellev ???, the former as a
prisoner, by Policeman Frrtil: Ma
EMERSON ESCAPES
A Thousand Dollars Roward for
The Anderson Murderer.
He Murdered Thus. F. Drake, Who
Attempted to Protect the Honor of
His Home.
A dispatch from Anderson to The
State says J. Alien Emerson, who was
:onvicted of the murder of Thomas
P. Drake at the February term of
:ourt and sentenced to life lmprisonnent,
escaped Wednesday night from
he county jail, where he had been
:onilned pending a hearing by the
nipreme court on an appeal for a new
rial, and has not yet been captured.
The escape had been carefully plan
led and the prisoner had aid from
>utside. Some of his friends had
nade a key which would unlock the
loor to the ceil and after the cell
vas unlocked the escape was made
vithout difficulty.
The sheriff has offered a reward of
1500 for the capture of the escnped
irisoner and the sons of Drake have
>fTered a lise amount. Solicitor Hoggs
ins wired the governor to., increase
he amount.
Emerson is about five feet. 8 inhes
tall, aged 38. and his right leg
i shorter than his left. He is a desperate
fellow and it is thought that
f he is captured he will have to be
illed first.
The killing of Drake by Emerson
aused a big sensation in this State,
or both men were well known and
ioth stood well. The trial of Emerson
vas attended bv large crowds and
here was much excitement. Emerou
killed Drake on the night of Aug.
1. at Drake's own home.
The murder was a shocking one,
Omerson having invaded Drake's
tome for an illegal intercourse with
its daughter. He was discovered by
Drake and Emerson claimed that
Drake was fixing to shoot him when
te fired and killed him.
A strong effort is being made to
apture the escaped prisoner and an
ffort will also be made to learn who
he allies are who made the key and
vho assisted in the escape. The esape
of Emerson has caused a small
ensation in Anderson.
.TEXAS COTTON CROP
laid to tie In a Very Had Shape At
Present.
Private advices received in Savanlah
from Texas confirm the statenents
in Augusta that the cotton
rop in that state is in a very had
hape. East week Mr. P. D. DafUn
ecelved a letter from Meredith Sullian
of Waco, a former resident of
lavvannah. Among other things Mr.
lullivan said:
"I am glad to know that Keorgia
s in such good shape for a cotton
rop. Sorry I cannot say the same
or Texas. We haven't voted everyhing
dry, but we are dry?very
Iry?and and have been for now gong
on thirteen weeks. Cotton is deerirating
rapidly and I don't think
'exas will produce within 25 per
ent. of last year's crop right away,
tbout one half of the crop was plantd
late and this is hurt bad. Central
,nd South Texas have suffered
uuch."
l> l u VLUI* I. VI.'MV
I \?1 111.1 llil.l 11 n ? mi n..? i .
'ecu liar and (.* 11 i<lt*nt ili?>?l Insect l>oI
inn Damage in Arkansas.
A new cotton worm which Is causiik
much apprehension among cotton
danters In Crittenden, Cross and Ct.
'rands counties. Ark., has been dis:overed
within the last ten days.
The insect bores its way into the ,
otton stalk just altove the ground
ind eats Its way to the top through
lie pith, killing the plant
The new post has apeared in a territory
not heretofore affected by the
sill weevil, in Crittenden county, it
s said, as much as one-third of the
lelds lias been killed in some places.
Specimens of the worm will be sent
o the agricultural experiment stalon
at Kayetievllle for examination.
l?OISO.>KI> .MKIiON kl lil-S.
i'oiitli Hies After Itcing Caught liy
Farmer's Trap.
The dead body of an unidentified
young man. apparently aoout seventeen
years of age, was found Tuesday
In Pearl river at the mouth of Halojay's
eanal near New Orleans. La.
The young man had gone into a
farmer's watermelon patch nearby,
where stychnine had been put in the
melons to trap trespassers. The
youth ate part of one of the poisoned
melone and when he went to the
river to quench the thirst caused by
the poison he fell over dead.
DOt'HIjK KILLING
Ohio Man Kills His Wife ami Then
Shoots Himself.
At Colutnhus. O., Clarence Haines,
went to his wife's sitting room Thursday.
shot her to death and then fatally
shot himself. When the horr>rBtrieken
parents of the woman rushed
into the room they found both
bodies on the floor, while the 3-yearold
baby of the couple was caressing
the body of the mother and crying.
Domestic trouble was the cause of
the tragedy.
?>... "
A LAME TALE.
Preacher Who Ran off With a
Man's Wife Says
"THE VOICE OF GOD"
Told llini To tiring Her * Hack To
Her IIoiiio Aftor Being OIT Wit la
Hor Several Days?He Says He
Took tlio Woman Away llooaiiso
Slio Told Him Hor Husband Was
On Hor Nerves.
It Is astonishing the variety of
tales men hatch up and tell to cover
their meanness. One ooniei from
New York that takes fhi> t.w.. o
Is told by a so-called minister of the
gospel to hide his rascality. Here it
is:
The Rev. Ashbury A. VVheedon. a
Methodist minister, aged fifty-seven
years, and Mrs. Anna MofTett, the 18year-old
bride of Charles W. MofTett,
"?f 545 Reraen street. Brooklyn, returned
to the home of Mr. and Mrs.
MofTett at 11 o'clock last Wednesday
night after having been missing since
ast Thursday week.
MofTett had asked the police to
<end out a general alarm for his wife
ind the minister. When the couple
returned the husband was at the Life I
Line Mission in Brooklyn conducting
religious services The minister and
Mrs. MofTett waited in the parlor for
the return of the husband.
"We were ordered by the voice of
Sod to return home," said the Rev.
Ashbury Wheedon, to a reporter.
'We did not elope, as was generally
believed. I took Mrs. MofTett away
because she said she was unhappy
with her husband. She told me he
was cruel to her.
"We have not lived in the same
house since we went away last Thurs;lay,
but we have been within easy
communication of each other. Mrs.
MofTett did not leave her room on
Thursday night as was supposed. For
two nights she slept in an empty
room at the top of her husband's
house.
"She <1 id not wish to be near him.
Then she told me that she could not
it and such a life any longer and asked
me to take her away. I did so,
md am sure I can give a satisfactory
,v ? ? ? ?* -
A|>.auaiiuii iw uti iiuoimiiu Wlljr w v
wont away.
"It was a remarkable thing the
way in which God told us to return.
I called Mrs. Moffett up l?y telephone
ind -told her that God had directed
me to tell her to return to her husband.
She said that God had also
sent a like message to her. I instantly
went to hei, and we have returned."
To a reporter Friday afternoon
Moffett said his relations with his
wife were merely platonic, and expressed
the belief that Weedon's relations
with her were of like cnaricter.
S.MIHl 1X1 ANT
V ltemai'kahle Itescue Ity the Man of
the Throttle.
James Grown, an engineer on the
Italtimore & Ohio road, is being envied
by his fellow employees and congratulated
by his many friends as the
result of a remarkably brave act of
his while on his engine Wednesday.
Grown was going east 011 his train,
and was passing Kanawaha Station,
11' IT.. H,?.
He saw an infant on the track, whistled
for brakes and reversed the big
engine, hut saw he could not stop in
time.
He rushr*! out on the engine board,
down on the pilot and caught the
child in one hand while holding on
with t lie other.
The infant proved to be the twenty
months old son of G. L. Jackson, and
its miraculous escape was witnessed
by its mother and sister. The child
received a hard blow on the head, but
will recover.
Kngineer Brown was entirely unnerved
by his experience, and is under
the care of a physician.
KOGIlHIt Ivll.i-r.D.
Was Caught in a Store and Shot to
Death.
At Pocahontas, Va., Wednesday
morning John Wii..ams a negro, with
several aliases, was shot and killed
by C. A. Howard, Jr., while robbing
a store. The coroner's Jury found
that the negro came to his death by
Howard. Howard was arrested on a
warrant charging him with the kill'inr
unrl sit :< lt-i:tl ticforn t lie notice
justice was acquitted. Howard was
covered with two guns held by Williams
w hen he shot him.
I'AII) TDK PKNALTY.
Fiend Hung For Assault in# His Step
Daughter.
At Asheville, N. C.. James Rucker,
a negro, was hanged in the jail shortly
after noon Thursday. Rucker was
convicted of criminal assault, on his
step-daughter. It is said that this is
the first time in the history of that
State that a negro has been hanged
for such a crime against one of his
*>wn ruco.
FIEND RUN DOWN.
Young Man and Young Lady Attacked
by a Negro
Who Is Ktin llown ami ('nptiiml by
a Ithaxl Hound In a Very Short
Thin*. _
A dispatch from Asheviue, N. C-,
says a posse of sheriff's deputies and
citizens with guns. led by the city's
blood hound. "Hoke," is the after
math of a inodorous assault by au
unknown negro on Charles Sullivan
and Miss Molllc Elkins In the Chiinn's
Grove section near that place just
before dark Thursday evening.
Sullivan's recovery Is doubtful
his skull being badly fractured over
the left eye; but Miss Elkins, who
was struck across the chest with n
stick in the hands of the negro, and
later half choked tx> prevent her
screaming, is not seriously injured.
The assault was made just after
Sullivan and Miss Elkins had eaten
lunch on the pathway leading to the
Cove. Miss Elkins first saw the negro.
and called in her alarm to her
companion, who challenged the intruder.
Sullivan had scarcely spoken when
he was hit full in the face with a
large rock held in the negro's right
hand and fell to the ground. MissElkins
screamed and the negro attacked
her wim a cane, striking her
across the chest and following up the
blow by attempting to choke her.
The girl's cries had evidently aroused
the people in a farm house a short
distance away and their answering
call frightened the negro, for . he
turned aud ran along a pathway
whence he had come.
Sullivan was removed to the farm
house and medical aid was summoned
from the city. The police were
also notified and a posse with a blood
hound was quickly formed. The dog
picked up the trail readily and headed
in the direction of Dlltmore.
At midnight word reached the city
to the effect that the bloodhound was
following a hot trail.
A negro is reported caught near
Ituena Vista, eight miles from Ashe
ville. Talk of lynching If he in
brought back.
LOTS OF IIOOKK SO?.D.
Interesting Figures (iiveu Out l?y
Dispensary Atulitor West.
The total sales for all county dispensaries
during the month of July
amounted to over $200,000 according
to a statement issued by Dispcnsai.v
Auditor West. The statement is an
interesting one in that it shows
Richland county Is still in the lead
in sales by over 100 per cent. This
does not mean, according to Chairman
Cain of the - -and hoard, that
there is more whiskey sold in Columbia
than anywhere else, but that the
law is rigidly enforced, both as to
dispensers and violations of the law.
The Richland board is now busy with
a plan to stop all sales to those who
have been raided by the Richland
constabulary and are suspected of
conducting blind tigers.
The figures given below will be
studied by all county boards and are
of general interest throughout the
State.
Abbeville $ 6.892.26
Aiken .. .. 7,284.24
Beaufort 6,702.60
Bamberg 5,lo-*.?4
Barn wen 10,711.30
Clarendon 3,002.23
Colleton 3,858.80
Charleston 17,092.31
Chester 10,52845
Chesterfield 7,532.58
Dorchester 4,137.46
Florence 11.-222.87
Fairfield 4,374.-6
Georgetown 12,369.80
Hampton 4,099.90
Kershaw 6,418.23
Laurens 8,638.1 1
Lee 3.801.45
Lexington 4,073.95
Orangeburg 12,123.97
Richland 37,041.70
Sumter 10,570. to
Williamsbburg 7,322.98
Total sales for month $204,964.48
THINKS OCT I1ADLY.
Negro Curried from Charleston to
Wisconsin Is liockrd I |>.
A dispatch from Found-du-Lock,
Wis., says a ne0 .w.. years old
picked up in South Carolina during
the Spanish war by Captain Zeeve. of
Hi., U'iL'cnnuIn lnluntrv t.n.1
supporteu l?v the ii'bimoni as a mascot,
and since by Mr. Zeeve was arrested
today, charged with mitning
attacked last night on his benefactor
agtd mother, ano choking her into
insensibility for the purpose of robbery.
BIO I'OWDKIt KXI*l<OSIO\.
One Man Is Killed and Two Fatally
Injured in Itaeine.
At Racine, Wis., Wednesday, in an
explosion in the conning mill of the
Latlin & Rand Powder Plant Norman
Btliups, of West Virginia, 35
years old. was killed, and Walter
Harris and Jno. Noland, fatally burned.
The cause of the explosion U
noot known; the damage to the build
ing is slight. This is the same mill
that exploded several months ago,
killng nine men and injuring others.
AFTER LONG HUNT
Finds His Sweetheart, Marries
and Then Kills Her.
CAME FROM GERMANY
To This Country in Seareli of Her,
Aeeidentally Meets Her in the
Street and Tliey Are Married?
After a Two Mouths llonevnioon
They (Quarrel and He Shouts Her
and Himself to Death.
Insanely Jealous of his attractive
bride of two months Julius Teich, a
silk weaver oi New York Thursday
shot her throug.. the head and -uett
sent a bullet into his own brain.
Hotu died in a few minutes later at
a hospital where they were taken.
Neighbors in the Harlem apartment
house where they lived said the
couple had quarreled violently for
the past few days. When shots were
heard in the apartment Thursday afternoon
|>o]ice were summoned and
when the doors were forced Teich
and his wife were found unconscious.
The couple were married in June.
Teich was 35 years old and his wife
was 30.
It appears that it was after a
search which lasted five years, and
covered 15.000 miles on two continets,
that Julius Teich found the girl
he loved and persuaded her to marry
him, only to kill her after two months
of wedded life, and then, repentant,
to take his ownJife.
Emily Herter lived in Germany
with her parents when she first met
Teich, who was a silk weaver. Teich
fell in love with the girl and wanted
her to marry him, but he was ppsessed
of a violent temper, and Emily
feared hint. Iler parents also objected
to the marriage, but Teich
....a MimDiciu, mi uiiii rjiuuy it'll uei'ruany
secretly to escape him, and
came to America.
This was five years ago. For two
years Teich searched Germany for
her. Then her parents admited to
him that she was in America, but
refused to tell him whore.
Nothing daunted the young man
fame to America and renewed his
search. lie hunted New York for
months and failed to find her. He
then went to Minneapolis, St. Louis,
Philadelphia and Scranton, where he
thought the girl had relatives, but
without result.
He returned to New York two
months ago and accidentally met
Emily on the street. She was living
with an aunt, and in spite of her
aunt's objections, she finally consented
to marry the man who had been so
faithful in his search for her. They
were married two months ago.
Thursday morning they quarrelled
because Emily refused to get up and
partake of the breakfast which Julius
had prepared. There were sharp
I' wwsuo, nuu c* I'lOtUl MIU1 , I llt"Il
pleading words for forgiveness from
.1 alius, followed by another shot. The
police then broke in the door and
hurried the unconscious couple to a
hospital where l>oth died.
FOI'ND AT LAST.
A Cure for Meningitis Discovered by
New York Speeialisl.
A man, a girl and a three-year-old
hoy, all of Cnstalia, Ohio, whose lives
were given up as hopeless on account
of meningitis in April, have entirely
recovered from the disease. Their
health is as good now as a month before
the disease affected them. The
cure was affected by the new serum
discovered by Simon Flexner, head of
the Rockefeller institute in New
York, doctors declare.
A scourge of meningitis swept Castalia
last spring, nineteen cases being
reported. All but three of these
were fatal. Jack Mack, aged twentythree;
Miss Barbara Kratt, aged 16,
and Frederick Wahl, aged three, have
been cured.
i uese ure me iirsi scieuiiuc curex
of the disease. The serum which was
tried at Castalia was obtained from
New York by I)r. George T. Dadd. of
the Wetsern Reserve Medical college
and administered by him in the way
of an experiment.
Within a few hours after the serum
was injected an improvement was
noted. The improvement was pronounced
as the days went by. Within
a week it was almost certain that
J the three patients would recover,
i Meningitis hitherto unconquerable,
had been conquered, physicians announced.
Since then a record of the cases
has been kept and many reports made
to Dr. Flexner. The doctors carefully
watched the development of the cure
to be certain that no other disease
had been introduced by the injection
of the anti-meningitis serum. It is
now absolutely certain that the cure
has been complete.
Freddie Wahl plays with his Mys
just as he used to. Miss Kratt and
Jacob Mack are as healthy today as
they ever wore.
STICKS TO ROOZK.
i llamherg County Refused to Vote Out
The l>is|M>nsHi'y.
itamberg County voted on the dispensary
on Tuesday. The dispensary
won by a small majority, lite
| vote was very light.
MUST HAVE RELIEF.
Judge Brawley's Decision Has
Had Very Bad Results.
The Farmers Will In- Heard at the
Next Session of (lit* State I.egislature
in January.
Judge Brawley's decision, declaring
unconstitutional and therefore
void the statute by which, under
threat of criminal proceedings, the
farmers of this State have managed
after a fashion to enforce fulfillment
of labor contracts, has caused
a revival of interest in measures,
like Representative John It. Richard's
hill to repeal the lien law, which
promises some betterment of the situation.
There is not a farming; community
in the State, however remote, where
the negroes have not. in some way,
learned of Judge Brawley's decision,
and in many cases they are wantonly
"jumping" their contracts, secure in
the knowledge that, thanks to the
federal court, they can not lie brought
to book through the criminal courts.
Deprived of the magistrate's aid,
the planter has no remedy at law. because
the darkies who make labor
contracts own no property, as a rule,
and cannot, therefore, be proceeded
against in common pleas. The situation
is growing intolerable.
Realizing the necessity for some
sort of legislative action, to bring order
out of the chaos into which Judge
Brawley threw the labor regime, the
South Carolina division. Farmers'
Educational and Co-operative union
of America, adopted, at its recent
meeting in Greenwood, a resolution
by which the members of the organization
agreed not to hire or harbor
hands, until the latter had produced
certificates from their last employers,
stating that they were not under contract
to them any longer, but wenfree
to seek work olsewtioro
This resolution, which was introduced
by former Representative .1
Helton Watson, of Anderson, was intended
to minimize one of the most
exasperating features of the sitiffition.
Certain unprincipled and shortsighted
farmers in the several counties
have sought to secure full compliments
of hands, for their own
places, by hiring to their employment
laborers under contract to finish the
year on other plantations, assuring
the negroes that under the Hrawley
decision they could not be prosecuted
This practice has engendered bad
blood among the planters in several
localities and in one lately came near
causing a bloody riot.
The union further decided that the
interests of the farmers of tlie State
demanded remedial legislation ?the
repeal of the lien law, for a starter
and a committee was appointed to
come to Columbia during the next
general assembly and stay on the
ground until the legislation desired
had been enacted. In other words
there will be a "Farmers' Lobby" at
the next legislature.
Former Representative Watson is a
IIICUIUCI ui nun tuiiiiuiiLcc. rui t mpresent
he is doing organization
work, under the direction of the state
executive committee of the union, lie
spoke at Orangeburg Thursday, Hamberg
Friday and at Barnwell Saturday,
returning Sunday to his home in
Anderson.
The Farmers' Educational and Cooperative
union is daily growing in
strength. It differs from the Soutnern
Cotton association in that it is
composed exclusively of farmers and
holds its meetings behind closed
doors. Mr. O. P. Goodwin of Laurens
is state president. The vice president
is Mr. T. T. Work field, of Anderson;
Mr. 13. F. Earle, of Anderson, is secretary
and treasurer and Mr. W. C.
Moore, of Greenville, is business
agent.
IIFI,l> I P AXI> liOltitKP
Almoft in Sight of llis I'lace of
Business.
William ii. Hicks, paymaster for
the Scahonm and Ohlinger company,
texile machinists of Philadelphia was
held up and robbed of $i>,000 within
a short distance of the machine shops
Thursday i?y two nignmen, one 01
whom shot hlni in the right arm.
Hicks, accompanied by Walter II
McDonald, was on his way to the
shop with a satchel containing the
$?,000 when he was waylaid, it is
charged, by John I'osachi and a companion.
The hrghtnen held pistols at the
heads of Hicks and McDonald, and
demanded the satchel containing the
money. Hicks drew a revolver when
one of the thieves grabbed the satchel
and fired at Hicks, the bullet
striking hint in the right arm and
compelled him to drop his revolver.
The shooting attracted a crowd and
men from several mills in the neighborhood
chased Posacni, who jumped
on a trolley car and commanded the
motorman to run the car as fast as he
could but the pursuers pulled the
trolley pole from the wire and stopped
the car, capturing the fugitive.
Later Anton Mojeski was arrested
on suspicion of being one of the highwaymen.
The stolen satchel was
found in a lot. The money was not
recovered.
BADLY BURNED
A Mother And Her Little Son
Horribly Injured by
LIVE ELECTRIC WIRE.
Mi*s. Maude Laugliliu and Her NineYear-Old
ItoJ Fearfully and Perhaps
Fatally Injured?>I<?| her was
Seeking to Heseue ller Child who
llad Caught Hold of a Live Klertrie
Wire.
A dispatch from Florence to The
News and Courier says Mrs. Maude
Laughlin. wife and child of Mr. Geo.
\V. Laughlin. of Florence, came very
near being Instantly killed on Cheeves
street, aliout it o'clock Monday
morning by a live electric wire of the
Florence Light and Power Company.
I tot li mother and son were horribly
burned about the hands, limbs and
feet, and it is very doubtful if either
of them will survive the terrible ordeal
that they passed through. Should
they survive they will be liorribly
disfigured for life, for it will be necessary
to amputate the right hand
of little Lawrence, ami Mrs. Laughlin
will lose her right hand and her right
foot.
The Laughlins live in a pretty little
cottage which they have recently
bought at the northwest corner of
Ravenel and Choeves streets. Monday
morning little Lawrence noticed
that one of the wires that conveys
the main cut rent to the arc light on
the corner in front of.the Laughlin
home was rubbing against the body
of a tree on the streets. lOvery lime
the wire touched the tree it would
sizzle and smoke.
About tt o'clock lie was in the
street playing, and saw the wire
break. Not knowing there was any
danger, he hurriedly ran and picked
up one end of it. As soon its he
touched it the main current passed
through his body to the wet ground
upon which he was standing, ami a
second later he was knocked prostrate
upon the ground.
The little fellow gave a scream that
attracted the neighbors. Mrs. Laughlin
also heard the scream and has
toned from her bed room to the piazza.
As she looked out the front
door she saw her only son prostrate
upon the ground, smoke and Maine issuing
from his body and limbs and
writhing in agony. Site did not slop
to think or to go down the step, but
leaped from the piazza and ran to
save her child's life.
Reaching the boy site en tight hold
of the wire with her hand, ami a
second later she, too, was prostrate
(i j i"' 11 tin- ? n ii in** ?111*1 > 111111\
issuing from her limbs ami body, ami
both her and her child holding fast
to the wire, which neither could nor
had presence of mind to let go.
In this condition both lay there
until Mrs. t\ It. Hani, a neighbor,
seeing their plight, and knowing the
danger, secured a piece of board and
pushed the wire beyond their reach,
though it would jump back ami
forth as it swung down from the
cross arm of a pole nearby. livery
time the wire would move back and
forth it would touch what then looked
to be the lifeless form of Mrs.
Laughlin and her son.
About this time Mr. S. T. Ilurch,
Jr., who was passing in his buggy,
and others, ran up and by means
of sticks and boards managed to remove
the wire far enough away so ;ts
to take the bodies of the two people
from the ground to their home.
Physicians were hastily summoned,
but in the meantime neighbors, who
had gathered, went quickly to work
to resuscitate the two, who wore
then given up as dead. After hard
work both of them began to show
signs of life and by this lime several
physicians had arrived and continued
the work of resuscitation until both
mother and son regained consciousness.
The little boy's right hand is burned
to a crisp, every sinew being burned
and the tlesh burned deep into the
linn<i lie fx Inidlv burned on the
thighs, legs, hack and shoulders, and
it will b?> necessary to amputate the
right hand above the wrist. Two of
the fingers, it is said, were burned
completely off.
Mrs. Laughlin is burned in the
hand, on the arm. shoulder and ankle.
Iler shoe was burned from her
foot. The right band and foot will
be amputated. Mr. I,aughlin is an
engineer on the Florence and Char?
leston run on the Atlantic Coast Line,
and be, Mrs. Laughiln and their son
are well known in Florence, where
they are highly esteemed and are
very popular.
Mrs. Lauglin was Miss Maude Morris.
daughter of the late \\\ Maxtor
Morris, and was married to Mr.
Laughlin about eleven years ago at
Florence. Lawrence, the little fei- J
low, is the only child born to this
union, and both father and mother
are devoted to him He is well known 1
and is a manly little fellow and is
a very attractive child.
The electric light people claim that
the storm early Monday morning had
damaged the wires considerably, and
that after daylight they sent out a
lineman to look after all lines, during
which time the plant was shut down.
As soon as the lineman reported all
O. K. power was again turned on
and it was after this that the wire
parted and fell in ('beeves street.
The Florence Light and Power
Company has been severl.v censured
because of the condition of their
wires, poles and plant. The Light
Company is not alone in being cen- i
sured for numbers and numbers of
people are placing the blame directly
upon th city council for allowing the
poles to remain up in the condition
they are in. .