Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE CHRONICLE Strives Te Be a Clean News paper, Complete, Newsy and Reliable. " ' /***>* •' % te- mmmmrnmmm If Yen Don’t Read THE CHRONICLE Yon Don’t Get Tim News. VOLUME XXIV CLINTON, S. C., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25,1924 NUMBER 40 TWO TO DIE IN _ ELECTRIC CHAIR Kina and "Harrell Pound Guilty In 30 Minutes of Slaying Officer. Nov. 21 Set for Electrocation. Chesterfield, Sept. 23.—Following a swiftly moving trial replete with dramatic momenta, Mortimer N. King and Frank Harrell, young cot ton mill workers, were given death sentences late today in circuit court here for the murder of Major Samuel H. McLeary, United States army of ficer, July 2, which they had both ad- niitted in signed confessions. Judge C. C. Feaf’lerstone, presid ing, set November 21 as the day when they should be electrocuted in the state penitentiary at Columbia, advis ing them that he was giving them ample time to repent of their “most horrible” crime and to make their peace with their Mastery Mrs. McLeary, who was made a widow by the crime for which the youths were tried, was not in the court room when sentence was pass ed: She had been the first witness called by the state and was present throughout the progress of th% trial Aintil the jury retired. She was dressed in deep mourning and at times could not restrain her grief, breaking into tears when some developments in the trial touched Closely to the memory of her late hus band. Mrs. Bonnie McLeary Kramer, a sister of the murdered officer, sat with Mrs. McLeary throughout the day. She, too, was dressed in black and wore a black veil, and like Mrs. McLeary, she wept silently at times. Taking the stand as the first wit ness for the defense, King produced one of the dramatic moments of a day that kept the little court room packed and jammed with humanity ailent by drama being enacted. The 83 old defendant, after kvo effort to conceal te down and sobbed.' mercy to both hi he ANNUAL REPORT HOSPITAL WORK ndv«r bad a wife, with a baby boat ago, depending into fatal automo- the the of- pocket hand when be fixed two the army offie«|| effect ~ bile of MaWr two bad been ficer. Harrell went back at his di* rection, the defendant said, to turn the engine of the car off. Several automobiles had passed while they were robbing the major in the woods. King testified, and he decided to have the engine of the officer’s car stop ped to lessen the chances of detect ion. Throughout his story he maintained that the murder of Major McLeary was not planned in advance. After they had forced the officer into the woods, he declared, he did not intend to kill him but planned to tie him ap with a tow rope in the rear of the id to make off with the mach- rotestibg that he did not real- he was doing, King said he &r Major McLeary had struck sad reached toward his own as if for a weapon. He told a story of weeks of wan dering with Harrell in a vain search for employment in explaining why they decided to “stick up” some trav eler. “I had not eaten a bite for a day and a half when Major McLeary pick ed us up,” he declared. „ King showed less emotion during the course of the trial than Harrell did, although the latter while on the stand did not break down, and told his story in untrembling, but weak voice.' He insisted that he had no knowledge that his companion plan ned to shoot the officer and that he was not aware that King intended to sob Major McLeary until King pro duced his pistol and ordered the of ficer to step the car. He himself had no weapon, not even a pocket knife, he swore, and he did not see King fire either of the two shots that kill ed the officer. Several times during the day Har rell appeared to be on the verge of tears. He licked his lips often as if they were dry and at frequent inter vals his lips moved as if he were talking to himself. Both King and Harrell refused to look at a photograph of Major Mc Leary when it was held before their eyes by Solicitor J. Monroe Spears, conducting the prosecution. King covered his eyes with his hands and sobbed, “Don't make me look at it.” Harrell, after once refusing to look at it changed bis mind, glanced at file photograph and said it was a likeness of the major they had rob bed and killed. Whep the death sentence was ac tually passed upon them, neither King nor Harrell, standing up before Judge Featherstone, showed any agi tation. They were asked the usual Question as to whether they had any- (Continued on Page Two). Hospital Association Maintains Free Beds For Deserving Cases at local Institution. The annual reports of officers of the Hospital Association show a year of fine activity and splendid work. Dr. S. C. Hays’ report covers a period of 12 months, and shows that the number of occupants of free beds in the hospital during this period is 60. The report of the treasurer, Mrs. W. J. Bailey, covers a period of 18 months, and shows that a free bed has been maintained by the associa tion beginning April, 1923, which cost the association $50.00 per month Four beds have been maintained, one by the Good Samaritans, one by Lau rens county, one by the Clinton Mill and one by the Hospital Association. The outstanding work of the past year for the purpose of raising funds was the Bazaar last November, at which time $1,362.00 was realized. Mrs. Bailey’s report is as follows: Receipts $1,692.02 Expenditures: Dr. Hays for bed ....$900.00 Expenses of Bazaar and banquets 117.65 $1,017.65 Balance in Treasury Sept. 15 $574.37 At its recent meeting, the board de cided that a Chrysanthemum Show and Turkey Supper be held early in November, and also asks for the pri vilege of serving the supper to the Commercial Club on “Ladies Night.” Also, the ladies will sell bulbs this fall, and a canvass will be made of the town at an early date. They will have in stock a large and fine as sortment of Single Hyacinths,, white, pink, blue and yellow; Darwin Tulips, pink and red; Paper White Grandiflo- ra Narcissus and White French Ro man Hyacinths. Dr. Hays’ report on the free beds lor the past twelve months, as sub mitted to the ladies organisation, that of the 281 patients ad- during file year, 60 were ad- *the use of free beds, which _ 28 per cent Of the 2010 total days lor all patients for the same period, 771 were free beds, or 88 per cent of the total usage of beds mid hospital accessories were paid for by the Hospital Association’s work. The work of the association is somethnig to be justly proud of. MALCOLM GANDY KILLED ON HUNT HELD FOR MURDER IN NEGRO’S DEATH Orphanage Children To Attend Circus Management Walter L. Main Circus Throw a “Red Letter Day” Into Lives of 375 Boys and Girls. Through the kindness of the Walter L. Main circus, the children of the Thornwell Orphanage will be their guests at the afternoon performance of the big show here on next Tues day, October 30th. When Mr. Char les Bernard, advance advertising manager, was in the city last week, upon learning of the orphanage here, he voluntarily offered an invitation to the entire population of the institu tion to be their guests next Tuesday. The invitation has been accepted and the young people are looking forward to the occasion with unusual inter est. Wednesday, October 1st, being Founders’ Day of the institution, is an established holiday. The change of the holiday has been made from Wed nesday to Tuesday in order to allow the orphanage family to attend the circus and at the same time avoid two interruptions in the school work. Goes to Richmond To Enter Seminary Robert Matthew Lynn, son of Dr. and Mrs. L. Ross Lynn of this city, left Tuesday for Richmond, Va., to enter the Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a ministerial student. At a meeting of South Carolina Presby tery held in Laurens on Tuesday, he was received under the care of the Presbytery. Mr. Lynn is a member of this year’s graduating class at the Presbyterian College. During the summer he has been working at the First National Bank and as he goes to Richmond to enter upon his minis terial training, the best wishes of his large host of friends in the city will follow him. New Owners For Oil Mill Property The property known as the Clinton Oil Mill, formerly owi^d by the American Agricultural Chemical Co., of New York, has been purchased by the Kershaw Cotton Oil Co., of Ker shaw, and one of their representa tives has been in the city the past few days perfecting the changes in cident to the new ownership. The ginnery is now being operated, and cotton seed products handled. F An announcement affecting the future plans of the new owners will-soon be made, it was stated yesterday. Brother of Miss Helen Gandy, For mer Teacher Here, Meets In stant Death. * The many friends in the city of Miss Helen Gandy, for several years a member of the Clinton high school faculty, will regret to learn of the death a few days ago of her brother, Malcolm Gandy, at his home at Dovesville in Darlington county. The following account of the deplorable happening is taken from a Darling ton paper: “Malcolm Gandy, 15-year-old son of W. C. Gandy, of Dovesville, was fatally shot Saturday morning upon his return from a hunt with Theodore Williamson, a colored boy of the same age, and Williamson is in jail pend ing investigation to determine wheth er or not the killing was accidental According to reports the body of young Gandy bore bruises and evi dence of foul play, and the stock of the, gun carried by Williamson was broken. Williamson admits the shoot ing but claims that it was accidental It is said that he told his mother that he had killed young Gandy, and it was not until two or three hours later that the distressing news reach ed the Gandy home. Williamson was carried to Darlington, it is said, by his mother, who turned him over to the authorities. “According to the story told by Williamson, he and young Gandy were resting near the home when young Gandy decided to return to the house. The negro lad declares that as he was rising he accidentally discharged his gun, the shot striking young Gandy, killing him almost instantly. The ne gro boy’s story is incoherent, with varied versions, according to the in vestigators who are examining it fur ther. “The coroner’s jury rendered a ver dict that the killing was due to gun- shot wounds inflicted by the colored lad, but did not absolve him of any blame. He is being held at the coun ty jail. His case is continued to, the next term of court, according to ac tion taken at the September terra Monday, - “Young Gandy entered the H^s- ville city schools when they opened last week, and was a most likable young fellow, and popular with those Mr. Howard Gandy, who h Training School returned to Hartsville to make his home.” NEXT TUESDAY IS CIRCUS DAY Leslie DeVore, Foreman of Chain Gang at Greenwood, Is Convicted - and Placed Under Bond. Greenwood, Sept. 22.—Leslie De Vore, foreman of county chaingang No. 1, was bound over to the present term of general sessions court today, under bond of $1,000, to answer a charge of murder, in connection with the death Saturday afternoon of Mel vin Payne, a young negro convict. Coroner P. T. Faulkner announced that he would take no further action in the case after the inquest yester day, when a jury rendered a verdict to the effect that Payne came to his death “from causes unknown after a severe punishment by E. L. DeVore.” But Solicitor Homer S. Blackwell is sued a bill of indictment upon the convening of court this morning and the grand jury returned a true bill this afternoon. Payne was sentenced to serve three months by Judge Henry C. Tillman in county court last week for stealing an automobile and was sent to De- Vore’s gang Friday n\orning. Testi mony at the inquest showed that the negro was not forced to work in the afternoon, when he complained that he had “cramps” in his left hand. But he returned to work Saturday morning, apparently in good physical shape, the guard stated, after he had given him 120 drops of spirits of am monia in two doses. The foreman whipped the prisoner for disobedience some time after din ner, the evidence at the inquest show ed, and about 3:30 o’clock the negro quit work and sat on a ditch bank for about ten minutes and a few minutes later fell several times as he attempt ed to walk. In ten more minutes, according to the testimony, he was dead. Dr. John L. Marshall, county phy sician, who performed an autopsy, testified at the inqueat that he found Payne’s heart and stomach slightly enlarged but said his lungs were nor mal. Dr. S. W. Page testified that he examined the negro before he was sent to the chaingang and found him to be in good physical condition. The icians also testified that they several ’’discolorations” on the man’s hipa. Posters Every where Tell of Coming of Walter L. Main’s Big Exhibition September 30th. Hey, kids, the circus is cornin’. With elephants, lions, tigers, clowns, red lemonade, an* everything. The kid population of Clinton hap already developed a sudden feveru 1 1 interest in the news that the “city of tents” is to make its magic appear ance here on next Tuesday, Septem ber 30th, arriving at the crack-of- day from Monroe. Everywhere one looks, the work of the brush and paste bucket is in evi dence heralding forth the tidings that will bring a thrill to all kids—from six to sixty. And—while all the kids will be there, it begins to look like the grown-ups that wait too long to ar range a date with some little boy or girl to take them to the show—will be left alone, out in the cold. Because—you see, its like this. A grown-up must have an excuse for “goin’ to th’ circus” and there is none so good as that old standby— “Well, I gotta go to carry the kids.” Laurens Hospital To Governing and At the Orphanage Department for Orphanage Workers Is Established Similar To That At Barium Springs. Co-operating with the Westminster Teacher Bureau of Louisville, Ky., the Thornwell Orphanage has decid ed to give training to a limited num ber of women in institutional work. These workers will be recommended by the Bureau and will take up their temporary residence in the institu tion to gain practical experience, such as work in child psychology, in child health problems, in Bible, es pecially in methods of Bible instruct ion for children. At the conclusion of the period of instruction the orphanage will fur nish to the Teachers Agency a can did opinion of the fitness of the indi vidual for work of the character done. The agency is then in a position to act with grreater intelligence in locating these workers, and vacancies occur ring in the institution’s staff of workers will be filled from this eli gible list. This type of practical training for workers is now being done by the Presbyterian Orphanage at Barium Springs, N. C. With the new depart ment added at Thornwell the two in stitutions will work along the same lines and the work to be done will prove quite helpful to both. Board of Ten From Business Civic Leagues Take Over Institution Laurens, Sept. 21.—The Laurens hospital has been placed under the control of a governing board compos ed of five members from the Laurens Business league and five from the Woman’s Civ$c league. The first meeting of the board was held in the Community hall Friday night, at which time George M. Wright was elected as chairman; L. G. Balle, sec retary and treasurer, and other pre liminary organization business trans acted. The hospital is well equipped! and it is understood that Dr. Black, former manager, has tendered the use of certain equipment and the differ ent religious and civic organizations of the city have agreed to make cer tain donations, which will guarantee the expenses of continued operation. The institution had a very good year, according to the annual report, and its continuation is now assured. The governing board members are: George M. Wright, A. C. Todd, L. G. i Balle, G. H. Blakely, and W. P. Thomason from the Business leage and Mrs. R. H. Roper, Mrs. M. L. Smith, Mrs Weston Bruner, Mrs. H. S. Blackwell and Miss Lint Jones from the Civic league. State Takes Over -Highway Project The State Highway Department has taken over for maintenance the sections of the Calhoun highway from Clinton to North Creek and from Clinton to Garlington. The’Sus annah Long Branch bridge on the Calhoun highway, also the Bush River bridge, have been finished and traffic is now moving over the for mer. The Sand Creek bridge is now under construction. The route from Garlington north east towards Whitmire on the Cal houn highway has been staked off by Engineer Patton in a direct line to wards the Hill place, the Newberry county line, this reducing the dis tance by a mile or more between Whitmire and Clinton. DAVIS SAYS SIGNS POINT TO VICTORY Returns From West Confident of Success—Says People Have Re sponded Nobly to Cause. New York, Sept 21,—Returning here tonight from a 5,000 mile cam paign through the West, John W. Davis, the Democratic presidential nominee, declared that “all signs point to a sweeping Democratic vic tory in the coming election.” “I return to the East confident of success.” he said. “Privilege has won its last battle. We are laying our cause before the American people and they are responding nobly.” Mr. Davis said everywhere he went in the West all those with whom he talked brought the same message— “thart the great silent vote, that vote which has turned every election in the past when the American people came to a cross road, has made up its mind this year to turn to the Democratic party as the only possible avenue of relief.” u “The people fully realize,” he said, “that, the choice lies only between continuing the present discredited Republican regime or installing the Democratic adminstration in its ^tead.” Asserting that in all the states he had visited—West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana. Wyoming, Nebraska, Colora do, Kansas and Missouri—he had found the Democratic party intact and undivided, Mr. Davis said its members were working together in an “absolute unity of purpose and with an interest I have never seen surpassed in any campaign.” “Everywhere that I have been I have heard the same story,” he added and it has come to me from men re gardless of previous party affiliation —it is that of dissatisfaction with the service rendered—or rather denied, by the government during the last three and a half years. “The fanner resents the de ception that was attempted by the Republican party in placing an utter ly ineffective tariff duty on his prod ucts; he realizes the artificial in crease in the price of all things he buys and he is convinced that there is no sincere purpose on the part of the Republican party to take relief measures for hhn. “The laboring man 4a no longer de ceived by the cry of Republican pros perity and feels keenly the rising cost of living. “The exposures of corruption in Washington made a far deeper im pression on the public mind and the moral sense of the country than the leaders of the Republican party are willing to admit. They have not been forgotten and will not be forgiven. “I found, moreover, that in the Mid dle West—contrary to the impression which prevails in some quarters—the people were deeply interested in the foreign policy of the government and entirely out of sympathy with the timid and evasive course which the present adminstration has pureued. “They fully realize, moreover, that to accomplish any reform whatever the legislative and executive branches of the government must be in com plete and entire sympathy. The lack of leadership and coherence which the Republican party has exhibited has made a deep impression. “Unquestionably the people of the West are in favor of disarmament and opposed to any militaristic scheme. Nevertheless they are resentful that our navy has been permitted to fall in strengh in comparison with other powers, a fact to which I called at tention in my speech at Cheyenne. Wyo., September 12. They regard the navy as the first line of defense and are determined to maintain it as such. I do not think they will be impressed with the belated interest shown in the recall of Secretary Wilbur from his speaking tour on the Pacific coast.” BIGHAM TRIAL BEGINS TODAY Florence Man to Agam Face Chargo of Fratricide. State Disinters Body of Mrs. Biffhaas. City Buys Lot For New Filter The City of .Clinton has purchased the C. W. Stone lot on South Sloan % street and will shortly begin the con struction o*f a sedimentation basin for raw water, from which the water will feed by gravity into the new fil ter. DOCTORS HOLD MEETING HERE Monthly Meeting of' Laurens County Medical Association ‘ Offers Interesting Program. The monthly meeting of the Lau rens County Medical Association was held here Monday at noon with the president of the association, Dr. R. E. Hughes, of Laurens, presiding. The attendance was not as large as usual due to the rain and the bad condition of the roads of the county. The members assembled at the Mary Musgrove Tea Room where a delightful luncheon was enjoyed. Later they went to tfte Commercial club rooms in the Masonic Temple where an interesting program was carried out. •. Dr. Robert W. Houseal of New berry, was the guest of the associtf-. tion and was on the program for a paper on, “Bacterial Endocauditis,” which showed considerable thought and was highly enjoyed by the medi cal fraternity. . . The association meets monthly, al ternating between Laurens and Clin ton. Dr. J. W. Davis of this city, is the secretary. Conway, Sept. 22.—Trial of Ed mund D. Bigham, Florence county farmer, for the second time in a charge of slaying one of the five murdered members of his family, it scheduled to open here Thursday morning in the Circuit Court of Hor ry county. Judge H. F. Rice, presiding, today signed an order directing the sheriff to go to Florence where the prisonet was held in the county jail and trans fer him to the Horry,-jail. Solicitor L. M. Gasque, following his previously announced plan, asked for a postponment of the trial until Thursday. The court agreed to the request, although defense counsel were against the poetponment. Bigham was convicted in March, 1921, and sentenced to death for the murder of L.. Smiley Bigham.. He oc cupied a cell in the death house in the state prison at Columbia for two years while the legal battle that be gan with his first trial progressed. After several appeals had bees refused by the Supreme Court tho court remanded the case to the CfiL cuit Court for the hearing of a motion by the defense for a new trial based on • after-discovered evidence. Fol lowing the hearing a new trial wan granted by the Circuit Court judge. The motion that resulted in the defendant’s receiving a new trial ’han based on the ground of after-discov ered evidence, part of which was a letter alleged to have been written by Smiley Bigham, which indicated the writer’s plan to kill other mem bers of the family. The state de nounced the letter as a forgery. The crime for which Bigham wan convicted was committed about the middle of January, 1921, at the old Bigham home near Pamplico, in Flor ence county. Mrs. M. M. Bigham, mother of the defendant and widow of a former state senator; her moth er, Mrs. Marjorie Black, and two small ^adopted children of the latter, John and Leo McCracken, were found shot to death at the Bigham home. A few hours later L. Smiley Bigham, a brother of the defendant, was found dead in a nearby clump of bushes with a pistol clasped in his hand. Edmund Bigham was arrested shortly after and charged with prac tically wipihg out the Bigham fam ily. Protesting his innocence he de clared that Smiley had killed the other members of the family and had committed suicide. The prosecution contended that Edmund Bigham had committed the crime to obtain pos session of the family estate. < Mendel L. Smith, former circuit judge, and recently elected to the House of Representatives, from Ker shaw county, and A. L. King, of Flor ence, are representing Bigham. Soli citor Gasque is conducting the case for the state. During the past few months Big ham hae b^en confined in the Flor ence county jail. His second trial was scheduled for the spring term of court in that county, but a change of venue was granted on motion of the j defense, which contended that the de- ! fendant could not get a fair trial in ‘ Florence county. It was learned here today that a party consisting of the coroner of Florence county and physicians of that city had left the city to disinter the body of Mrs. Bigham, over three years under ground, in order to as certain at what angle the bullet en tered her body. The action taken by the coroner is understood to have been at the instance of the state. Bigham, accompanied by deputies, arrived here tonight The officers said he appeared to be in good spirits. The only reference he made to his trial, the deputies declared, was that it would soon come off. Bigham brought with him a tin covered box and a lot of bed cloth ing. When jailer W. J. Johnson be gan to search through his belongings Bigham told him, “You may look through them, but there’s nothing in there.” Solicitor Gasque will have associa ted with him in the prosecution of th* case, P. H. Arrowsmith of the Flor ence bar, while Bigham will be de fended by A. L. King of Florence, Mqndel L. Smith of Camden, and Sherwood and McMillan of the Con way bar. NEWBERRY SALESMAN JOINS CLINTON CONCERN . George C. Hipp of Newberry, h**,. accepted a position with the Milling Grocery Company of this city. Mr. Hipp is an experienced salesman in the grocery business and is highly esteemed by all who know him. Al- ready he is making a number of friends in the cif$ and receiving a cordial welcome.