The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, January 10, 1924, Image 8
PAGE EIGHT
—
THE CLINTON CHRONICLE, CLINTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1924
WIFE OF SUMTER DOCTOR
CHARGED WITH HIS DEATH
Dr. Archie China Found in Bathroom
With Bullet Holes in Head
Sumter, S. C., Jan. 7.—Mrs. Lou
China* middle-aged society woman,
will be charged with the murder of
her husband, Dr. Archie China,
wealthy physician, banker and dairy
promoter,- as soon as she recovers
from the apparent coma into which
she lapsed shortly before the finding
of Dr. China’s'dead body in his bath dition this afternoon was considered ithS, at Clinton, during the summer
room this morning. “The case for
the State is complete,” Chief of Po
lice John M. Barwick declared late
today in making this announcement.
Dr. China had been dead nearly
twenty-four hours before his body
was found, Chief Barwick asserted.
The pistol with which, according to
the officer’s theory, Mrs. China shot
her husband twice in the head some
time before noon on Sunday was
found after several hours’ search to
day in the woodshed in a next-door
neighbor’s yard.
Discovery of the tragedy came
early today after Louise, eleven-year-
old daughter of Dr. and Mrs. China,
found her foster mother lying % on a
bed* apparently unconscious. - -The
child ran next door and called a nurse,
in, went to the bathroom to get a TWO CONFERENCES
towel for Dr. H. M. Stuckey, who OF PRESBYTERIANS
had been called in to attend Mrs.
China. The body was cold at this Prominent Members of Congregation
time and death had resulted several
hours previous, according to indica
tions. It was thought by the physi
cians, that Mrs. China had taken poi
son''and a stomach pump was used
and her stomach thoroughly washed
out Her condition at that time was
very critical and she has been uncon
scious ever since, although her con-
somewhat improved.
Dr. China’s body was party cloth
ed. He had on his underclothing and
trousers, the coat and vest to match
being on a hanger in his room. There
was no blood on the floor of his room
or the dressing room. One bullet en
tered near the crown of the head and
ranged downward where it flattened
against the skull, it was said, while
the other entered the left forehead
just below the line of hair and above
and back of the left eye, and went in
ward and downward. His watch was
in his pocket and had stopped at 1:56.
Shortly aftet the arrival of Dr.
Stuckey, Dr. Burgess came in, and
he was followed by other doctors and
neighbors, wha-heard eL~the killing.
A search was made for the gun, but
W^ReSsif : ---founda~*«ter tba.-*** ^i ass -WOTr*&nd d«iv?f addresses at
to the China home. The nurse called
Dr. H. M. Stuckey. After his arrival
Dr. Stuckey requested Miss Murray
to get him a towel out of the bath
room. It was when she went to fol
low out his instructions that she
found the body.'
Chief Barwick advanced the the
ory that Mrs. China shot her hus
band while mentally deranged be
cause of jealousy, but he declined to
give his reasons for his opinion.
Chief Barwick said that he regard
ed the chain of circumstances leading
to the discovery of the revolver as
the strongest link in the evidence
upon which he plans to base a mur
der charge - against Mrs. China.
Members of the family of W. S. Fish-
el, who live next door to the China
home, reported to officers today that
they had seen Mrs. China go to the
woodshed in the rear of their yard
about noon Sunday, and suggested
when a thorough search of the home
failed to show any trace of the revol
ver with which the banker-physician
was shot to death, that the woodshed
be searched.
^ Hidden back of a trunk in a cor
ner of the shed, Chief Barwick and
other officers came upon the pistol
with which they believe Dr. China
was shot. It is a thirty-two-caliber
weapon of standard make, and appar
ently new. The exploded cartridges
and one empty chamber were in the
pistol.
The circumstances of Mrs. China
having been seen in the Fishel wood
shed Sunday about noon is said by of
ficers to bear out the theory that her
husband was slain before that hour.
Another reason they advanced for
setting the time ofhis death air Sun
day morning was the fact that blood
had penetrated the floor of the bath
room and dripped to the floor below.
Coroner W. J. Seale was notified
, and impaneled a jury shortly after
discovery of the body. The formal
inquest would be much later, it was
announced, probably after Mrs. Ch'inr
recovers from her collapse. _
Dr. China was fifty-eight years old
and had lived in Sumter, virtually all
his life. Mrs. China is somewhat
younger. They had been married
more than thirty years, but had no
children except Louise, the daughter,
who was adopted in her infancy. He
was graduated from the Citadel in
the first class after the reopening
of the institution following the civil
war. Both Dr. and Mrs. China had
been active in social affairs. She was
known among members of the soci
ety set as “Aunt Lou.”
Little Louise was hysterical today.
She declared she knew nothing of the
tragedy until its disclosure this morn
ing.
« A theory of suicide was advanced
when Dr. China’s body was found,
but the absence of the weapon with
which he was shot and the nature
of the wounds caused the authorities
to abandon this theory. Two thirty-
two-caliber bullets were taken from
his head at the autopsy. One had
entered the left side of the face, in
front of the ear, and ranged back
ward and downward. The other was
found in the top of his head. It did
not penetrate but was flattened out,
indicating, Chief Barwick said, that it
had probably been fired with the miz-
sle of the pistol pressing against the
top of his head. The other shot was
fired at close range, it was said, as
powder marks were plainly visible on
the skin.
Body Found by Nurse.
Sumter, Jan. 7.—Dr. Archie China,
a prominent citizen and physician,
i£as found dead in the bathroom of
his home on Washington street this
morning about 9 ©clock’, with two
bullet holes in his head. A wounftj
in the left forehead is said to have
caused instant death.
The body was found when Mrs.
China collapsed, when Miss Bessie
Murray, a trained nurse and next
4eor neighbor, who had been called
/ > »■ , ■ * * 1 -
To Address Meetings To Be
Held In Clinton Next
Snmmerx
Columbia, Jan. 3.—Some of the
most prominent men of the Southern
Presbyterian church are on the pro
grams of two state-wide Presby
terian conferences, to be held at the
Presbyterian College of South Caro-
of 1924, according to announcement
made here today by Rev. R. A. Lap-
sley, chairman of the committee in
charge of the two gatherings, which
met in Columbia and adopted the
program.
Tbere will be a young people’s con
ference beginning the evening of
June 17, and ending at noon June
24. Young people from all Presby
terian churches of the state, between
the ages of 16 and 26, inclusive, will
be invited to attend this gathering.
There will be a daily schedule of
class work, for the mornings, with
organized recreation, for the after
noons and inspirational gatherings
for the evenings.
Among the speakers whom the
committee has invited to lead the
rival of the coroner and the body was
removed, another search was made
but without results. Nowhere in the
house could the weapon be found.
Later in the day, Chief of Police Bar
wick, acting on information received,
visited a neighbor’s woodhouse and a
search revealed a thirty-two caliber
hammerless revolver, practically new,
in the woodshed, behind some old
trunks. W. S. Fishel, the neighbor
who gave the information to the po
lice, stated that Mrs. China had been
seen in his back yard Sunday morn
ing and had been seen to enter the
woodshed. -It was also stated that
Mrs. China had endeavored to get
Mr. Fishel to come over Sunday
morning to call Dr. China, but he had
declined, and another neighbor had
come over, at Mrs. China’^ request,
but upon a telephone report that he
was at the hospital, he had left the
house. The last communication with
the dead man, so far as know, was
when Dr. Burgess made an appoint
ment with him at about 9 o’clock, to
come to the hospital at 10 o’clock
to administer an anesthetic, which
Dr. China stated he would do, but
failed to come.
Coroner Seale was one of the first
to reach the residence this morning
and he empanelled a jury with Ho
race Hardy, an attorney and city re
corder, as its foreman. This jury
viewed the body and was present at
the autopsy. It was not until Hie
autopsy was held that the bullet
wound in the top of the head' was
found. Drs. C. J. Lentmon and H.
L. Shaw performed the autopsy.
Coroner Seale stated tonight that no
arrangements had yet been made for
holding .the inquest as. he was
the young people’s conference are Dr
J. M. Wells, of Columbia; Miss Nancy
White, of the Presbyterian home
mission office in Atlanta ;ReV. Dar
by Fulton, of Japan, who is now in
the state on furlough, dividing his
time between Columbia and Spartan
burg; Wilkes Dendy, of the Columbia
Theological Seminary, former field
secretary of the Christian Endeavor
organization; Miss Claudia Fraser, of
Great Falls; Rev. H. G. Bedinger, of
Hartsville; Rev. John McSween, of
Clemaon college; Dr. Flournoy Shep-
person, of Chester ;Governor McLeod,
and Rev. R. A. Lapsley, of Columbia,
who at a similar Conference last year
began an important series of lectures
fundamentals.
Dr. M. R. Turnbull, of Richmond,
Va., and Mrs. R. H. Askew, ,of De
catur, Ga., are to be asked to have
charge of the Bible periods of the
conference.
A Bible conference for the adults
of the Presbyterian churches of the
state is to be held Junfi 26-29. Among
the speakers selected for this con
ference are Dr. Chas. R. Erdman of
Princeton Theological Seminary; Dr.
S. M. Glasgow, of Knoxville, Tenn.;
Dr. Felder Smith
Optometrist
MODERN SERVICE
Specialist
Jacobs & Company Building
Phone 29
Dr. J. B. Massey, of Hampden-Sid-
ney College, Virginia; Dr v Dobyns, of
St. Louis, Mo.; Dr. R. A. Lapsley,
Sr. t of Richmond, Va.;Dr. H. W.
Boggs, of Spartanburg; Rev. R. A.
Lapsley, of Columbia, and Mrs. An
drew Bramlett, of Columbia.
Dr. R. F. Kirkpatrick, of Ander
son, is to he manager of the young
people's conference and Mr. Shepper-
son is to manage the Bible confer
ence. Rev. J. B. Belk, of Clover, was
elected song leader, and Miss Virginia
Taylor, of Greenville, pianist* for the
two conferences.
NOTICE
When you have Repair Work you
want it done right. I do all kinds
and do every job right, guaranteeing
satisfaction. Let your wants be
known.
B. L. CHANDLER
(Rear of John T. Blakely's Store)
Clinton, S. C.
2-7-Stc
Cook bv wire.—B.
PARROTT.
4 »♦ 1 l-H-H » Hl**+»-1141»++»4
H
The new Hupmobile drives
with delightful ease. It is *
V ■ . . ' V ‘
like a flask-in get-aways-
ELLIS MOTOR CO.
Hupp Cars and Hood Tires
v
ing on Mrs. China’s condition, but
it was probable that a decision would
be made tomorrow morning of the
time when the inquest will be held.
Dr. H. M. Stuckey stated tonight
that while Mrs. China’s condition
was somewhat improved she was still
unconscious and had Keen. all day.
He said that while no analysis had
been made of the contents of her
stomach, it was probable she had
taken poison, although he was not
positive about it. He stated that she
had not recovered consciousness all
day and'had not made any statement
relative to the killing.
The news of the killing spread rap
idly and created the biggest sensa
tion which has occurred here in years."
Everybody on the streets was talk
ing about the killing and speculating
upon' developments in the situation.
Dr. China’s friends and police officers
are investigating all possible clues
for further light on the matter, and
it is probable that new information
will come out at the inquest. Dr.
China had a large practice, was a
man of very charming personality
and had many friends throughout the
State. Beside his practice, he was
interested in numerous local affairs,
and had considerable property. His
large and prominent connections, as
well as those of his wife, have added
interest to the killing.
NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR
CHARTER
Notice is hereby given, that the
undersigned will apply to Hon. W.
Banks Dave, Secretary of State, for
a Business Charter of J .L. Carter and
Co., located at Cross Hill, in County
of Laurens in said state, with the au
thorized capital of |8,000.00 divided
into 80 shares of one hundred dol
lars each. The books of subscription
of said capital stock will be opened
at store of J. E. Leaman at Cross
Hill, S. C., on January 14, 1924, at
10 o’clock a. m. s ,
The nature of the business of the
proposed corporation is to conduct
a dry goods and shoe business.
J. L. CARTER, '
J. E. LEAMAN.
DO YOU LOVE HER?
Clearance
A Clothing Sale For Men and Boys
t v • .
Men’s Suits : Men’s Overcoats : Boys’ Suits : Boys’t Overcoats
We are Giving 14 off on our Entire dothing Stock
*
MICHAELS STERN, STYLEPLUS, MICHAEL AMBACH AND J. FRIEDMAN MAKES
FOR MEN
. r*- * •
$10.00 Suit or Overcoat 7.50
$12.50 Suit or Overcoat 9.38
$13.50 Suit or Overcoat 10.13
$14.00 Suit or Overcoat 10.50
$15.00 Suit or Overcoat 11.25
$16.50 Suit or Overcoat ..... ...... 12.38
$17.00 Suit or Overcoat ...?. ~12.76
$18.00 Suit or Overcoat 13.50
$20.00 Suit or Overcoat 15.00
$22.50 Suit or Overcoat 16.88
$25.00 Suit or Overcoat ...... 18.75 .
$30.00 Suit or Overcoat 22.50
$32.50 Suit or Overcoat 24.38
$35.00 Suit or Overcoat 26.25
$37.50 Suit or Overcoat . 28.13
$40.00 Suit or Overcoat 30.00
$45.00 Suit or Overcoat 33.75
SUNNY BOY, FITWELL AND CLEVELAND WOOLEN MILLS MAKES FOR BOYS
$5.00 Suits and Overcoats 3.75
$6.00 . Suits and Overcoats 4.50
$7.00 Suits and Overcoats 5.25
$7.50 Suits and Overcoats 5.63 _
$9.00 Suits and Overcoats 6.75
$10.00 Suits and Overcoats 7.50
$12.00 Suits and Overcoats 9.00
$12.50 Suits and Overcoats 9.38
fir
$13.50 Suits and Overcoats 10.13
$15.00 Suits and Overcoats 1L25
$16.50 Suits and Overcoats 12.38
SALE PRICES STRICTLY CASH—NONE SENT OUT
ON APPROVAL.
e
CMtM*.
SonnyBoy
cumin
-Stone
“The One Price Store”
Clinton,
South Carolina
• * j
■>
if -'4