Fort Mill times. (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, February 20, 1908, Image 1
THE FORT MILL TIMES. J
16TH YEAR FORT MILL, S. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1908 NO. 46 9
M " 11 ? --
MANY KILLED
1 c
And Much Property Destroyed by
a Destructive Cyclone.
SWEEPS TEXAS TOWN
Two Known to Bo Dend ud Many
Fatalities Aro Feared?Buildings
Flattened nnd Wire Lines Prostrated?Tornado
Visito Mississippi Wiping
Out Three Towns, Destroying
Iiife and Property in Many Places.
Tyler, Texas, was swept by the
most disastrous tornado i its history
before daylight Friday. Coming
from the southwest, the storm swept
over the main residence quarter of
the city, leaving a trail of doath and
devastation.
The known dead are C. A. Francis,
agent of the Dallas News, and his
wife and baby and a negro, Mose
Lee.
Francis's body was found a hundred
yards from his wrecked home.
The body of his child was found in
the street. Mrs. Francis was in the
wreckage of the building.
Six seriously Injured persons are
reported. They are Irwin Franklin
and his wife and four children. One
of the children may die. The Franklins
were caught in the wreckage of
their home.
Wires are down in all directions
from Tyler, but reports from farmers
are that fnrm houses along the
lines were blown down. It Is impossible
to ascertain the loss of life
in rural regions, but it is known the
tornado swept everything elean for
a distance of five miles.
Three miles from the town the
wind demolished the home of Irwin
Franklin, severely wounding Franklin
and his wife and four children. The
tornado tore a path through Tyler
100 feet wide. Buildings, telephone
and electric light poles were laid flat
in the Btorni's path, while great damage
was dona in other parts of the
city.
CYCLONH IN MISSISSIPPI.
Six People Killed uud Three Knell
Towns Demolished.
A dispatch from Meridan says 3
mall towns were practically demolished
by a tornado Friday. Reporta
of the number of the killed range
from six to ten, with the smaller
number probably correct.
Mossville, Service and Soao are the
towns destroyed. They are all in
Jones County and all are very small
being merely a handful of scattered
dwellings.
The tornado struck them about
noon, and in most instances is reported
to have carried buildings in its
path completely ofT the lots on which
they stood. Nearby fields were covered
with wreckage, and the branches
of several trees were littered with
small household articles.
L. S. Norrison, a resident of Mossville,
said that, he was out of doors
during the blow and was compelled
to grasp a wire fence to keep from
being blown away. He said the dead
at Mossville nre Alexander Windham
and wife, negroes.
Near the town he said four white
persons had been killed, a man and
his wife and their two children,
whncn nnntou hn H M nnt Innrn Tho
seriously injured at Mossville are J.
W. Robinson, Mr. and Mis. VVni.
Campbell and Minnie Campbell.
Near Service one child of Ike Ho!
loway is reported doad and also an
unknown negro. The tornado was
accompanied by a torrent of rein,
which caused a sudden rise in the
creeks and washed away several
bridges.
YOUNG MAN SLAIN.
There Was No Immediate Provocation,
Hut Old Grudge.
A. J. Cline, a young lumber dealer,
formerly of Hristol, Va., was shot
and instantly killed by Luke banner,
sixty years old and a wealthy
merchant at Banner Elk. N. C. There
was no immedinte provocation for
the killing, but. it is said, was the
result of an old grudge. Cline, it is
nlleged, was shot down without warning.
Banner escaped on horseback,
and is still nt large, though he was
o ao u I n t o r no'i r Vfnniavnmu honvllv
armed and fleeing. A posse is in
pursuit. *
STEPPED ON LIVE WIRE.
And Itoth Horse ami l.ml Were Instantly
Killrd.
At Thompson. t?a.. Willie Richards
the eighteen year old son of John H.
Richards of that county, was killed
in a most, horrible manner Thursday
afternoon. The electric wire
leading from the electric plant to the
Smith Manufacturing Company (ell
to the ground, and was still on the
ground when young Richards came
up the road, and the horse's (eel
struck the live wire, killing both the
horse and rider Instantly. _ *
FAKE WHISKEY FIRMS
Whiskey Was Bought From Houses
That Never Has Existed.
ARvuiarkabltt
Testimony ? to Dispensary
Creditor* Brought Out at the
Hearing in Columbia On Thursday.
It having been established before
the dispensary commission that the
address given as headquarters of the
alleged liquor firm of Belair Distilling
Company is in a fashionable residence
of Baltimore, it was brought
out at the hearing Thursday that the
address given at the Washington
brunch of the Belair concern was the
same address of Richard & Co., 480
Pennsylvania avenue.
From letter heads of both concerns
it was shown that J. S. Richard,
a member of the firm of Richard &
Co., was also president of the 13elair
concern, and then it was shown that
Richard is a brother-in-law of M.
M. Goodman, the agent of Ullrnau &
Co., who is now under bond on
churges of conspiracy to defraud the
State.
The Delair Company, it appeared,
began to do business with the dispensary
after 1905, when Ullman &
Co. were put on the blacklist by the
Hay committee. It was then stated
by Mr. Felder that Goodman had put
in bids for Ullman & Co., tlio Anchor
bistllllng Company, Strauss & Co..
Richard & Co., the Commonwealth
Distilling Company and the Belair
Distilling Company, all of which got
suciness from the dispensary, and all
of which according to Mr. Felder, belonged
to the "Ullman family." It
was shown that Goodman In 1903
had put in a bid as president of the
Commonwealth Company, though in
his recent testimony he said he left
the Commonwealth Company before
that year. The old dispensary law
prohibited one concern putting in
more than one bid.
The commission passed a judgment
finding that on account of overcharges
the Belair concern was indebted to
the State in the sum of $ 10,492 to
which is to be applied the amount
of the claim. $6,386.41. Rut if the
Belair concern is a fake concern
what is the judgment worth? To
show that it is a fake concern, Felder
said no record of its charter
could be found in any State; there
was no response to a notice sent by
registered mails no one had appeared
for the concern and the house could
not bo found in Baltimore by a collection
agency. During the investigation
Mr. byon suspected that the
iioiaii LUULCI 11 n ao a. pi j ui
Flelschman & Co. He was 011 the
track, but did not get the game.
Evidence was also produced to
show that J. W. Kelly & Co., and
King & Co., both of Chattanooga,
was oue and the same concern and
both had put In bids on Silver Spring
corn liquor at prices 2 0 per cent,
higher than Kelly & Co. had charged
other customers outside the State.
The claim of King & Co. amounts to
$6,395. *
SAME OLD STORY.
Nine Men Killed in n Mine Explosion
in Kentucky.
Nine men are dead and one in a
dying condition as the resmt of an
explosion of gas In the White Mine
it South Carolton three miles north
of Central, Ky. Ten men were at
work in a shaft 180 feet deep in a
room apart from the rest of the mine
ind three more were in a different
>art of the mine. Suddenly they
heard a terrific explosion and all
vote hailed to the ground. Recov;ing,
they rushed to the rescue of
their companions, only to find the
room filled with fallen coal, and t
bear the cries of the dying.
FORAKKit BEATEN IN OHIO.
Roosevelt's Man Friday Cleans Him
I'p All Over Stntc.
The net result of the Republican
primaries held throughout Ohio was
for \Vn>. If. Taft. Four delegates
it large and 22 district delegates to
the National Convention in Chicago
md a delegate to the State Convention
to be held March 3, which will
be unanimously in his favor, were
elected. Actual voting for delegates
to the Stat? Convention was carried
>n in but thirty-five out of the total
if 88 counties in the State. The
Taft delegates in 52 counties having
no opposition, thelu name were simoly
certified as having been elected.
I*001t, YKT RICH.
A Wealthy Man I(ios in a Hovel Willi
#ino,ooo.
John McMillan, aged R. (lied in a
hovel on the outskirts of Chattanooga,
Tenn. Thursday. For years h?
lived in apparent poverty. After his
death It was discovered that he was
worth $150,000, which he carried
with him in a basket. 4
i
i Six Hunted to I tenth.
I Lawrence Ilaake's wife and sit
i children, ranging from a new Itori
? Infant to a girl of 13 years of age
were burned to death Wednesday li
i Mieir shack at New Liskard, north o
1 Cobalt, Cauad'a. _ '
LYON FLINGS LIE
At Editor Koestor of the Columbia
Evening Record
WHILE HE IS IN COURT1
A a Witness, Whera H* Had Rwn
Summoned by the Attorney-General
to Give His Reasons for Asserting
That the Attorney General Has
Been Trying to Convict in Dispensary
Cases with Bought Testimony.
During the session of the dlspen- .
sary commission Thursday after- 1
noon. Attorney General Lyon de- '
nouneed Mr. George It. Koester, edl- :
tor and manager of the Columbia
Record, as "A most infamous and
dirty liar." Mr. Koester, who was
present, asked for the protection of 1
the Court, and arose from his chair.
The situation was tense and Commissioner
Patton also arose as if to step 1
between Lyon and Koester. Mr. Lyon 1
warned Mr. Koester not to approach (
and dramatically told him he (Lyons) 1
walked the streets of Columbia and
was personally responsible for what 1
he said.
The incident grew out of an edi- c
torial in the Record Wednesday nftorial
in the Record Thursday af- 1
brought into the room while the com- 1
mission was in session and the at
tention of Mr. Lyon was called to
the editorial. Mr. Lyon had Just
come into the room. He at once re- quested
the commission to summon 1
Mr. Koester. This was agreed to, 1
and Mr. Stevenson, drew up the sum- |T
mous, which was signed by Mr. Mc- f
Sweon. The marshal of the commis-|'
slon was given the paper and within
a half hour or so returned with Mr.
Koester, who had come very willing- '
ly. He was examined under oath by '
Mr. Stevenson, the regular counsel 11
for the commission.
Mr. Koester Questioned.
The ofllcial record Is In substance s
as follows: '
Q. Mr. Koester, the attention of r
the commission has been drawn to
this paragraph in this afternoon's I
daily paper as follows: s
"The llecord has been asked why it
assails Attorney General Lyou and 1
seeks to hamper his attempts to have e
"grafters" punished. The insinuu- 4
tlon in the question is that the Record
is in sympathy with the "grafters."
The insinuation is too contemptible
to notice. g
"Explanation of the Record's attt- c
tude toward Mr. Lyon is wanted. It f
is easy to give. If there has been a
graft the Record, as much as Mr. I
Lyon or anybody else, wants it ex- a
posed and the guilty punished, but
the methods employed to bring about
that desired result should bo clean d
and honorable and command respect, q
It is Mr. Lyon's methods to which
the Record objects. Wherever the
Anglo-Saxon civilazatlon has spread t
a common maxim of its Courts has \
been that it is better for a thousand r
guilty men to escape than that one
innocent man should be pnnished.
"Similar in spirit is the Record's (
belef that it is better that all dispensary
grafters should escape than
that an attempt shonld be made to |
secure convictions with bought, testi- ?
mony. And that is* the game Mr. c
Lyon has been playing first as a member
of the investigating committee
and now as Attorney General. If
there were no political phase to the
matter he could not hope to secure
conviction with bought testimony,
and it is only the political phase of
the case that beeps his attempts to |
buy testimony from meeting the universal
execration they d -serve."
The commission wishes to know ^
who Is responsible for the editorial jf
department of your paper. A. I am. L
Q. The commission being partly i
charged with getting this testimony.)
and the work which Mr. Lyon has :
done in that line being through the
commission, the commission want* i
to know what information you have
about the purchase of testimony? j
A. Nothing but what has been published.
Q. Does what has been published
justify the charge that they are buying
testimony? A. Well, all this Is
very sudden. I have not got it at
my fingers' end. but Mr. Hermann,
who is the president of the Augusta
Brewing Company, testified that he
(had paid rebates or commissions and
that an order was passed by the old
investigating committee ordering
payment of his claim, which I believe
j was the first and the only one paid
up 10 mm unit'.
Q. Let us got that straight, That ,
was when Mr. Lyon and another com|
mittee was investigating the dispensary.
Those who composed that committee,
I believe, were Mr. Lyon, Mr.
1 Hlease, Mr. C'hristensen, Mr. Spivey,
' and some others. Those gentVmen
' you charge, together with Mr Lyon,
' with having purchased testimonv.
' j Is that the basts of your charge:
''of the purchase of testimony? A.
' i That is. offered to purchase testimony,
yes. ,
Q. That is the basis of your charge,
that the old investigating committee
ljdid that? A. That they offered an in.
.ducement for getting testimony.
i | Q. I want to know this; what
f ' evidence nave you that there has been
' | a purchase of testimony since the or
in any way anything you Bald about
myself, I want to make this statement
as having been very active In
tho prosecution of these claims before
the commission, that not the
slightest inducement has been held
out to any niun to come hero and
furnish eveldnce. Tho commission
passed a rule requiring all claimants
to produce their books and produce
tho representative that conducted
the negotiations with the
South Carolina dispensary, which related
to these sales. And when their
books are produced and their agents
are produced and examinations are
made, the commission then, without
offering any reward, taking these '
claims as they present themselves in 1
the books, making deductions as they |
did iu tho Paul Jones claim of the
amounts that their books show to
ganization of this commission? A.
1 don't say there has been a purchase.
?
Q. Do you mean to Bay there has
been an effort to do so? A. I mean
to say. if 1 bo correctly posted, that 1
I have got a right to infer that If '
parties to whom claims were due, or
who allege that amounts are owing
to them by the dispensary, will come 1
forward uiul give testimony that 1
there claims will be paid. There was 1
a report iu the paper this morning of
a claim paid on yesterday.
Is that the publication you refer
to, the publication in the State this !
morning? A. Yes, sir.
Q. Then you state that all you *
base your charge on is what was *
published in the paper? A. As to this 1
present commission. '
Q. Is there any publication that '
you base your charge on A. No. '
Q. The publication in the State this 1
morning? A. Yes. '
Q. With reference to the Paul 1
Jones Company? A. Yes. The first 1
claim said to be paid was the Paul 1
Jones Company, which was of exces- '
sivo volume, but on account of mat !
ter behind it, it is stated that the
payment of the claim was ordered (
immediately after obtaining testi- {
mony by them. 5
Q. How do you conuect Mr. Lvon
with that action? A. I don't know t
lhat I rightly connected him with 1
that action; but at the same time. I 1
considered him as adviser of the '
commission. 1
Q. You don't hold him responsi- (
jle for the action of the commission I
n aujudicating the Paul .Tones *
claims? A. Not directly. *
Q. Or that this charge that he is f
purchasing testimony at the present t
itne is based on that'J I understand
rou to say that the only basis of
our charge at the present time is i
'rom this article in the State. Now. r
on admit that you cannot hold him 1
ssponsible for that. Then you have J
10 basis foi* the charge thnt he is
low purchasing testimony? A. No. I
lir, I can't say that I draw that in- ?
erence. , *
Mr. Pat ton: *
q. Is that the only boui-co of lnbrmation
you have, what you saw in p
lie State? A. That is all I based my cl
irticlo on. a
Q. You stated that you had infor- i
nation about to-day. Is what you c
iaw in the State to-day all the in- \
ormation you have? A. That was t
ill. t
Q. Answer by question? A. Yes,
said, except ns to the old coiumis- f
ion. r
Q. You have no further informa- a
ion of the purchase of testimony,
lYPPht wlinl nnnpnrfl in t hn A c
s'o, sir.
Mr. Lyon Enters Discussion.
Attorney General Lyon: (,
I wish to make a statement in re- '
;ard to this matter. I regret, ex- n
eedngly, that it becomes necessary x
or me take any action or to notice r
inything that may be said or done 0
>y this creature-(pointing his finger
it Mr. Koester.)
Mr. Koester
If this be a legal proceeding, 1 '
lesiro that that gentleman bo reluired
to use proper language.
Mr. Lyon: ,
I wish to say that as far as shown
bis afternoon that the man that ^
vrote that article in the record is a '
nost infamous and dirty liar.
Mr. Koester:
I ask for the protection of the c
Jourt.
Mr. Lyon:
I will be on the streets of Colum- '
>ia, and you need no protection. 1 '
ay, Mr. Chairman, that I regret ex- 1
leedingly that 1 have to notice that )
harge. It has come to my notice
hat ho has written and published '
u his paper a tissue of infamous and v
icurrilous l^es. I have not seen tit '
o notice them, and I would not have s
loticed this now, but it comes before 11
his commission in an official way. I c
limply wish to say that he has prov- 8
;n himself a self-convicted, infam>us
liar. And I want to say to you,
itr, (Indicating Mr. Koester,) that I
im personally responsible for what I *
my, and 1 dare you to resent it.
Mr. Koester:
Now. Mr. Chairman, in regard to
his matter. I have nothing further f
o say in regard to this editorial fur- <
her than to sn.v that I did not mean i
o charge any personal dishonesty on i
he part of any one of the present t
:ommission. It seemed to me a mat- t
er of policy that an editor had a t
ight to criticise and condemn. If s
t was the policy of the commission t
o withhold the payment of claims 1
until parties came forward and gave <
estimony implicating others, that it <
ivas a wrong policy. I stated it and
itatu it again.
Mr. Pat ton: Who said that was the
policy of the commission? A. I in- '
ferred it from the action of the commission.
, ,
Mr. Patton: And furthermore we
passed judgment yesterday on a
claim and nothing was said about ,
that and a half a dozen today.
Mr. Koester: I was not aware of
that when I wrote that article. I
distinctly disavow the intimation of
any disrespect against any member
of the commission. It was a matter
of public policy, and if that was the
policy of the commission that a
claim would not be paid unless parties
came forward and implicated the
officials, then that was a wrong policy.
One member of this commission
I have known for years. Mr. Henderson,
and T would not for the world
say anything against Mr. Henderson
personally.
Col. Fehlcr .Makes Statement.
Col. Felder: Without indicating
the policy of jour paper or resenting
-A rK >
L>e overcharges, purging the claims (
is the evidence demanded, have glv- <
211 judgment for tho balance. I am
icquninting you with that because .
under your statement you say you
want to be perfectly fair, not only to
:he commission but to all tho parties 8
it interest. 1
Mr. Koester: I must absolutely
ilsavow any intention to reflect
igainst. any member of the commission.
1
Mr. Stevenson: Mr. Chairman', 1
here is another suggestion I would e
ike to make. Mr. Koester" states x
hat it was tho policy of tho comnission
he was criticising when he
nade (his charge about tho Attorney 1
3eneral. This commission would '
irefcr to have the criticism made 1
igninst it in its own proper person '
iiid not against the Attorney General *
ind I would like to ask Mr. Koester (
i few questions. 1
Stevenson (Jut-Minns Witness. '
Q. Mr. Koester, the member of the 1
nvestigating committee to whom you v
eferrer, it was the realizing of Mr. '
iermann's account you referred to in
our paper? A. Yes.
Q. Do you mean to charge Mr.
lay, Mr. Mease, Mr. Chrtstensen, Mr. ^
>pivey and Mr. Gaston with buying
ividence? A. I don't remember who
oted for it or anything of the sort.
Q. Mr. Christensen and Mr. Lyon |
vero then on the committee? A. I
Ircw the inference from tho fart that (
ill claims were held up and ordered *
lot paid, but that when Mr. Hermann '
ame and testified that he had done 1
vrong, immediately on his doing
hat his claim was ordered paid the ''
irst. one.
Q. This cricicism was directed 1
irst. at the old investigating comnitt.ee
and secondly as this conimision
and tneir actions? A. Yes.
Q. But Mr. Lyon was made the ;
ole target?
Mr. Patton: There is another in- n
imation made by you. That this "
ommiseion is being handled by tho
Attorney General; if you were here, !l
is the other newspaper men are, you
trould know that this commission is "
lot handled by the Attorney General s
ir by anybody else.
Col. Felder: Although Mr. Her- v
nann came here and made the full- r
st statement in regard to this mater
this commission has not ordered u
lis claim paid. '
Mr. Koester: I did not refer to 1
vhat this commission had done. ^
At tho conclusion of this Incident
nenibers of the commission assured
dr. Koester in the kindest way that
te had been laboring under a mis- 1
ipprehension in regard to the pro
edure of the commission, and that
hey invited the fullest scrutiny of
heir official acts in regard to these A
laims; that their sessions were open I
o the public in considering these c
natters and that newspaper men were p
velcome to attend and that others 'I
tad attended constantly. Mr. Koester v
vas informed that the commission i
vould be glad to have him present s
o see for himself what the comrois- a
ion was doing. With theso assur- a
inces the matter was closed and the v
:ommission took up other matters, i
idjourning soon afterwards. * g
s
MANY VICTIMS c
t
>f Hydrophobia Heing Treated in
New York City.
n
The New York health authorities P
idmit that there are at least fifty
ases of hydrophobia being treated ;
n New York. There has been an i
inusual number of cases of this dis- (1
jase in the city for the last two years
md while just at present there seems
o be a smaller number than usual
dnce the outbreak of the epidemic, s
here are many more cases than were 0
(Down at any time previous to the j
ipldemlc which has been on for two s
years. c
v
FI'SIIjADK OF S\()\VHAM,S f
! r
Causes the Death of an Old .Man in | s
New York.
v
In New York on Wednesday boys c
returning from school snowballed an 1
old man who tottered along Green- ?
wich street. He sank down on the t
steps of an old houso beneath a fusllade
of snowballs. His tormentors
were preparing more missiles when
a policeman appeared and it was
learned that the man was dead. He
was recognized as Thomas Thomas,
once a wealthy man of good famil;
whose fortune was swept away years <
ago. ' ;
Mysterious Shooting.
Frank Ilrettrell, a young real es-1 tate
operator, was shot and killed in !
the apartments of his sister in thej:
St. Georgo hotel. Brooklyn,, under
circumstances which have caused the
polico and Coroner Brewer to Instl-: i
,tute the strlckest investigation. jj
WAS NOT REPEALED.
The Senate Voted to Repeai Lelr
Law and Then Changed,
rhw Seunta Drill lie* to Follow thf
House find Kills tlia Richards Lien
Law Rill.
The State Senate by a vote of ter
:o seventeen passed a bill on Wedasdny
repealing the lien law. The
following was the vote:
Against repeal: Bass, Bates, Bivjns,
Black, Clifton, Graydon, Holliay,
Laney, Otts, Smith?10.
For repeal: Appelt, Brooks, Car>enter,
Chrlstensen. Crouch, Earle,
fillrd, Gibson, Hardin, Harvey, Johnson,
Kclley, Mauldln, McKelthan,
Rogers Ravsnr Tnnin?i t
Tho Hydrlch bill, prohibiting the
nortgaging of crops until they wore
ip, was then taken up and killed by
i vote of 16 to 17. Lieutenant Gov>rnor
McLeod giving tho deciding
rote against tho bill.
Tho I.ien Law Stands.
On Thursday tho State Senate
tilled tho Itlohards Loin law bill,
laving first voted down all amendments
to carry out tho provlsons of
ho Hydrick House bill, which was
tilled by the Senate Thursday. The
Crouch Senate bill similar to the
ticliards bill has also been killed.
Thus tho Senate declines to follow
he House with result that the session
vill close with absolutely no change
n tho present law.
DERELICT SCHOONER
Vhlch is Hound for the Port of Missing
Ships.
Somewhere out on the Atlantic,
roasting wintry seas and with some
f her canvas set, is the four-masted
chooner Edward J. Berwind, abanloncd
and beating up the tracks for
ho Port of Missing Ships.
She was sighted at sea on Februiry
7, by Captain Scott, of the steainir
Marnvel, now in New York, from
iranada.
Tho schooner's decks were awash,
nd there was evidence that the crew
tad left In haste. It is possible that
hey were picked up by passing craft.
When sighted the schooner was
bout 4 70 miles east of Charleston,
1. C., and although water-logged, was
tiaking about two knots and heading
.way from (ho shore.
Her storm foresail was set and the
uizzen under two reefs. Her head
ails had been carried away, and the
panker was in ribbons. Towing
vns not feasible on account of the
otigh weather.
The Berwind is likely to prove an
igly menace for navigation for she
s under fair headway and running
hrough the nights without a light
iisplayed.
I.NFIKMAKY Bllifi IWSSKl).
louse Kndorses Brooks Measure and
Sends it on To Governor.
In the House Tuesday night Mr
feldell called up the bill of Senator
Irooks to establish an infirmary for
Confederate veterans, the bill having
ieen passed over on third reading
"usday morning. The fight which
vas made on the bill on second readng
was at onco renewed when Mr.
lellers moved to recommit tho bill,
nd the ayes and noes were called
nd bv a vote of 4 7 to 55 the motion
I'as lost. Tho bill was then passed
is the bill has already passed the
ienate it becomes a law upon the
Ignaturc of the Governor. The 1)111
arries an appropriation of $12,000
o establish an Infirmary on the Walace
land adjoining the State Hosplal
for tho Insane. A commission to
uanage tho Institntion is to he apiointed.
ACCIDENT ON A CRUlSElt.
:iie St. Louis Enters San Francisco
After an Explosion.
A dispatch from San Francisco
ays the big cruiser St. Ixiuis went
nit through the Golden Gate leaving
n her wake a hospital ward full ot
raided and burned sailors and slgnf
if a rigid governmental nvestlgation
vheh may explain why a warship,
resh from dry dock and the work oi
eparing, could have an almost fata"
iccldent in her boiler room on the
ive of target practice. Just as she
vas about to leave the harbor, some
>f the boiler tubes blew out, filling
he engine room with a cloud oi
iteam and scalding terribly four o'
.lie men who were at work there.
KILLED IN WRECK.
VIisundcrsfundiiig of Signals Caused
the Death of Two.
Tn a head-on collision between the
dierr.v tree accommodation train
ind a freight train on the Cresson
and Clearfield division* about a mile
and a half-from Cresson, Pa., two
were fatally injured, six were slightly
hurt, three locomotives were demolished
aud two baggage cars and
four loaded steel cars were wrecked
A misunderstanding of signals. It h
said, was responsible for the arcl
dent, ^
: ' " .... .
SERIOUS CHARGE. 11
i Senator Blease Said to Havo Rap- .
resented a Liquor House.
' AN AFFIDAVIT READ.
t Mr. L. \V. Barker Swears Tlut S. J.
Lanahnii Told Him That He Had
>
Employed Senator Hlen.se to Ho- .
present His Firm Before the State .
Hoard of Control.?Ulen.se Head nil
Aflldavit from l.analiau Denying It.
Testimony which the Legislative
Investigating committee of 1 906 declined
to bring out was developed by
me commission to wind up the
affairs of the State dispensary
at Columbia on Thursday when
Messrs. Lewis ',V. Parker and Ellison
A Smyth were put on the stand and
related a conversation with Mr. S.
J. Lanalian. of Paltimore, in 1905, i
in regard to the employment of a
"prominent politician" to represent
the Lanalian Arm before the State
board of control. Mr. Parker said
that Lanalian in a prior conversation,
when Capt. Smyth was not present
hail said that lion. Coleman L. I
lllease was the agent referred to.
It. is understood that Mr. Please,
who is now and lias for four years
been State Senator from Newberry,
and who was candidate for Governor
year before last, has an affidavit
from \Ir. Lanahn.il denying that Mr.
Lanahun made the statement attributed
to him. Ho said that he had
read it during Hie eampalgn last summer
on the stump at Union, and that
It was published at that time, lie
showed the original affidavit, which
lie has kept pinned in his inside
pocket.
Those familiar with the dispensary
investigations will recall that two
years ago the Legislative committee
to Investigate the dispensary summoned
Mr. Parker to appear and lie
realted In substance the conversation
with Mr. Lanalian, but when pressed
by Mr. Lyon to give the name of the
prominent politician he declined to
do so. As Mr. Parker challenged the
power of the conunitto to make him
answer, a case 011 habeas corpus proceedings
was brought in the Supreme
Court and the Court decided that
the committee had the authority to
require Mr. Parker to answer Its
questions. Hut tlio commit tee decided
not to exert its authority and Mr.
Parker did not answer the question.
It lias boon common knowledge,
however, that the suppressed name
of the alleged agent of .I.anahan was
that of Senator Please, and this
knowledge evidently reached Senator
Please himself, as he took the precaution
to get an affidavit from Lanahun,
and it is fortunate that lie did.
since Mr. Lanahan died about two
weeks ago. The commission to wind
up the State dispensary had already
summoned Mr. I.anahan.
When they testified Thursday Mr.
Parker and Capt Smyth made it plain a
that they did so unwillingly and on- ,
ly yielded to the recognized authority
of the commission, which has tho
same authority as the Legislative
committee as decided by the Supreme
Court.
It is not worth while to say who
Messrs. Parker and Smyth are; they
are the leading two cotton mill men
in South Carolina, and their characters
and reputations need no bolstering.
The fiunnhnn Affidavit.
Following is the affidavit read by
Senator Blouse at the campaign meeting
in Union on August 71, 1906.
State of Maryland, City of Baltimore.?Personally
came before me
Samuel J. I.anahan, who, being, duly
sworn, says that he never told Lewis
W. Parker, or any other person, that
Cole L. Blease was in his employ
to look after his interest in the whiskey
business In South Carolina, and
sir a matter of fact, he did not. have
U01G Li. mease sso <mii |iut> t-u.
Augustus W. Bradford,
(Notary Seal) Notary Public.
Mr. Blenso also read at the llr.iou
meeting affidavits from Jodie M.
Itawlinson. John Black, Jos. B. Wylie,
II II Kvans, John Bell Towill and
\j. W. Boykin, dated either August
J, 11)06, or August 4, 190G, and each
of which stated that during the affiant's
term of service as director of
the State dispensary "Cole I,. Blease
neither directly or indirectly solicited
business or asked that purchases be
made from Samuel J. Uanahnn or any
other person engaged in selling whiskey
or other articles to the State dispensary.
*
MADK A (?OOI> IIAlIi.
Five Cracksmen Itoli a .Missouri Bank
of Big Sum.
At Rirhhill Mo., robbers dynamited
the Farmers and Mechanics bank at
12:30 o'clock Saturday morning, demolishing
the building and entering
the vaults which they looted of $23.000,
There were five of the bandits.
When last, seen they were riding
north at breakneck speed. Citizens
of the town heard the terrific explosion
and hurried to the scene. When
they saw the bank in ruins a posse
was immediately organized aad pursuit
started at once.