Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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If You Don't Rond THE CHRONICLE You D6n't Get The New*. * oik Ollttttnn THE CHRONICLE Strives To Be n Clean Nows* W paper. Complete, Newsy and Reliable. VOLUME XXV clinton, s. c., Thursday, January 29,1925 NUMBER 5 UTILE WORK YET DONE BY GENERAL ASSEMBLY \ ■■■■■.■■.■■I ■■■ Lack of Coordination Hampers Efforts of Mem bers. Solution of Highway License Fee Prob lem Now Being Considered. TERM WILL BE FOR ECONOMY Columbia, Jan. 26.-*-With all or ganization preliminaries compfleted, the inaugural ceremonies done with, the two messages of the governor heard and all elections held, the gener al assembly of South Carolina might last week have begun its labors in earnest but did not. Comparatively few bills have been introduced and of these the great ma jority are jthe-.work of only A few Representative John W. Jen nings, of Richland, being to date the leader with an imposing , list of new measures, both local and state-wide, to his credit. This fact itself might be turned to considerable advantage and an earlier adjournment promoted should such a condition prevail at the time of the introduction of the annual state supply bill, but such now does not seem likely. The senate last week rejected the proposed two weeks’ re cess plan and with the list of new bills growing daily both houses are expected to find themselves with heavy calendars by the time the ap propriation and new revenue meas ures may be .introduced. Both houses appear yet somewhat disorganized and the members uncer tain as to what they desire; lines have not been drawn. The senate Thurs day passed and sent to the lower house a concurrent resolution look ing toward the state’s acquiring com plete control of Clemson college; Fri day the resolution was recalled from the house, the senate reversing its ac tion of the previous day by a vote of 24 to 9. In the lower house the lack of organization has been chibfly dis played in the otherwise surprising lack of influence on the part of the house committees; measures, reported unanimously unfavorable, have never theless been placed on the calendar and in two instances have been adopt ed by the house by heavy majorities. Only with reference to the highway construction program does sentiment appear to be forming. The “pay-as- you-go” road act makes no provision for the construction of county high ways except by increased county levi es and the increased motor vehicle license fees, carried in the law, have raised a howl of protest not altogeth er anticipated by the legislature of 1923. To remedy these two putitive defects and at the same time to insure to the state highway department in come sufficient to construct the plan ned state highway system has been the problem set before the two houses and after divers starts both seem now to be moving toward substantially the same solution of the problem: a com promise motoi^ vehicle license fee and increased gasoline taxes. The prog ress, so made however, may in the end prove only an illusion as opportunity has yet to be given for a test vote on the plan in the two houses, either one of which may reject the proposal and so set at nought the labor toward a solution of the problem. In the senate, there is pending on third reading a bill, introduced by Senators Alan Johnstone of Newberry, James G. Padgett of Colleton and Thomas C. Duncan of Union, provid ing for an additional two cents a gal lon tax on gasoline, the proceeds from which are to go to the construction of county highways. The bill was not contested in second reading but comes up for final consideration with notice of general amendments and the likeli hood of no little debate. In the house two measures have been introduced—one by J. O. Wil liams of Pickens, to reduce the motor vehicle licenses to the 1924 level and to allocate one half of the receipts from such license fees to the counties for local road work; the other by T. F. Brantley and J. A. Smith of Or angeburg, carrying a less drastic cut in the license fees. Both measures have been referred to the ways and means committee, which in turn is preparing a measure to reduce the license fees to a schedule begin ning with $9 instead of $12 and to in crease the gasoline tax to five cents, of which one cent is to be given the counties. This compromise measure, it is estimated, will allow the state highway system approximately the same amount it is now receiving for state roads and will give the counties approximately $775,000 annually for county highway work. • In the house also, and referred to the judiciary committee, is a joint resolution fathered by A. G. West brook of Chester, to allow automobile owners who have not yet* paid their license fees an additional 30 days in which to make these payments. With in thta 30 days, beginning Fegruary 1, it is ^jcpected that the general as sembly may decide upon a new fee schedule and the time extension would soi«ct to make unnecessary refunds, except to car owners who have al ready procured licenses. ^Continued on Page Four) Farms Need Planes gefe recffYnmendations far exp»ndtturer ior on the chain " ghng iiT Lexington Godfrey Cabot, Pres, of The Na tional Aeronautic Ass’n., tells Con gress that airplanes should be de veloped for agricultural uses, pointing to the recent spraying of 66,000 acres of cotton to kill the boll weevil, as to possibilities. HESTERS TO DIE IN ELECTRIC CHAIR Three Greenville Men Guilty*of Mur der and Sentenced To Electrocii** tion On Feb. 27th. Greenville, Jan. 24.—Jerry, Charlie and Claude Hester were found guilty of first degree murder at 5:45 o’clock this afternoon, in connection with the killing and robbery of J. Ed. Thacks- ton of Montague last December 20. The jury deliberated two hours and four minutes, j ■ .. A motion by defense counsel for a new trial was refused by Judge Hayne F. Rice, who then proceeded to sen tence the three men to die in the elec tric chair February 27, between the hours of 10 in the forenoon and 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The court room was thronged to overflowing when the verdict was re turned, the crowd remaining while the jury was out. The eldest Hester dis played slightf signs of nervousness be fore and after the verdict and during the sentence, but the sons were calm. Charlie, the older, seemed weighted down by the burden of his trouble, but Claude, the younger, steadfastly chewed gum and gazed around the court roomr Jewry Hester’s wife, pale of face and wan of countenance, sat by her husband. Judge Rice in passing sentence, told the defendants, he hoped in the event they were not guilty, the truth would be known before the execution. If they were guilty, he added, the crime was a most brutal one and the pun ishment fitting. The Hester case has been distinct ive in two ways. It was the first time dictaphone evidence had been admit ted in a South Carolina cou^ so far as local officials know7ihd-4t also, so far as they know, was the first time three members of one family have been sentenced to die. Judge Rice re marked upon this latter phase of the case in passing sentence. POULTRY CAR THIS MONTH County Agent Arranges For Poultry Car From Several Points In County. Arrangements have been perfected by Fred P. Abbott, development agent of the S. A. L. railway, J. P. Smith, f eneral manager of the Southern rpduce and Commission company, and County Agent C. L. Vaughan, for another carload shipment of poultry from this county on January 27, 28, 29. The car will take poultry at Fountain Inn, Gray Court, Laurens and Clinton. Mr. Smith, speaking of the car load shipment, stated that his com pany had large plans on foot for as sisting in the development of the poultry industry in this section. A large plant has been erected at Ham let with the view of providing a regu- J lar outlet for poultry and eggs from i this section of the country. If the proper cooperation is received from the farmers, he said, his company plans to make regular shipments of poultry amd eggs from this vicinity so that farmers may have a ready mar ket at all times. He said he hoped that the farmers would go into the poultry industry on a larger scale, as he believes It one of the beat aud surest mo:.ey ci^ps tnat the farmer can have. President Coolidgq In Speech Dedi cates Period In Office To Costs Production. Washington, Jan. 26.—The four years of administration upon which President Coolidge enters MarA 4 were dedicated by the executive to night to a reduction of the tax bur den, a decrease in federal expendi tures, and “continuing pressure for economy” within the government. Speaking before the regular semi annual meeting of executives and ad ministrative officials of the govern ment, Mr. Coolidge declared that if congress sustained the current bud- he would be able next fall to pro poses further cut in taxes. The pre sident expects a surplus of $373,000,- 000 in the fiscal year 1926, and on that basis, he asserted, further tax relief should be granted He warned, however, that any new and unneces sary expenditures would upset the plans of the treasury now seemingly assured of success. The president also told the offi cials that hereafter there must be a policy within the government of get ting more work done with fewer work ers. He said there could be no cut in the compensation of the workers and that the only hope of reducing a payroll that last year aggregated $1,680,000 was to reduce the number on that payroll. An increasing cost of government through natural expansion of the na tion, the president regarded as obvi ous. He declared, however, that the increases in governmental Cost must not advance “dollar to dollar” with the increasing revenues assumed to come from increased business and em phasized that the increasing load on the government could not be used as the excuse for added expenditures ex cept where absolutely necessary. The proceedings of the meeting of federal officials, including the presi dent’s address, were broadcasted by radio from ten stations throughout the country. BOY SLAYER GIVEN LIFE SENTENCE Asbury Weasinger, 14, Faces Life time Behind Prison Bars Follow ing Verdict of “Guilty.” Lexington, Jan. 23.—A life-time be hind prison bars faces Asbury Wes- singer, 14-year-old youth of New Brookland, following his conviction here on a charge of murder in connec tion with the slaying last September of his aunt, Mrs. Lina Wessinger. After one hour’s deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of “guilty, with recommendation to the mercy of the court.” Judge J. Henry John son sentenced the boy to serve his life time either in the State penitentiary BELOVED WOMAN CALLED TO REST County. , . Young Wessinger displayed no emo tion when the verd : ct was read. He looked about the little court room, first at his father, then at the presid ing judge, but said nothing. His moth er, who had colapsed earlier in the day, was not in the court room when the sentence was passed. The trial, which began yesterday afternoon, consumed less than .two days. Mrs. Wessinger was slain on the hfternoon of September 10, at her home near New Brookland. At the same time her three young children were attacked and though each was seriously injured, they recovered. Young Wessinger, questioned imme diately after the tragedy, declared that a “tall, black negro,” committed the crime. A posse was organized and throughout the night a search was made for the “tall, black negro.” The following day, the youth, again questioned, confessed that his story of the tall negro was a hoax and that he, himself, had fatally injured his aunt with an axe and attacked her three small children. Questioned as to *his motive for the slaying, he told the o....cers that he “lost his temper” when he failed to find a knife, which he said, he had lost while visiting the home of his aunt. v Shot Her Mother HEAVY WEEVIL CROP EXPECTED • # » Director of Control Fear* Destructive’ Army If Weather Favors. Im munity Cannot Re Expected. j Q-—’ . Dorothy Eliingson, 16, of San Francisco, who shot and killed her mother in a quarrel because of ob jections to her night life. Dorothy admits she is a “Jazz Maniac” and shows no remorse at her act. The night she killed her mdtjier she went to a dance. Two aiays later she was located in a cheap room- ink house. Her father and brother advocate hanging or life imprison ment for her. ALL PLANS FAIL TO REOPEN BANK ASSAULT SHERIFF AND LEAVE JAIL Mrs. Gertrude King Passes After a Long Illness At Residence of Her Daughter. * Mrs. Gertrude King died at the resi dence of her daughter, Mrs. E. L. Chandler, lasl Thursday morning, after a long illness. She was 84 years of age, having been born in Rye, N. Y., April 1, 1841. The funeral was held Friday morning at eleven o’clock and interment took place in the Pres byterian cemetery, the service being conducted by Dr. D. J. Woods, of this city. All that loving hands and the care and attention of a kind physician and faithful nurse could do, were done for her, but God saw best to call her “Home,” and she passed into the Great Beyond calmly and peacefully. She was kind and gentle and, highly esteemed and loved by all that knew her. Notwithstanding the fact that she was bedridden for nine months, she was always cheerful and greeted everyone with a smile, until she suf fered a stroke of paralysis last week, after which she was never fully' con scious. She was not/ only a beautiful character, but a sincere Christian. The news of the death of Mrs. King will be received with the most sincere regret, and the sympathy of her friends is extended to her rela tives who mourn her loss. She is survived by a number of grandchild ren, and the following children: Mrs. Carrift L. Stone, Atlanta, Ga.; Mrs. T. D. Ramage of Laurens; Messrs. M. T. and C. M. King of Newberry, and Mrs. E. L. Chandler of this city. MUST REPORT TAX RETURNS ON TIME Collector of Internal Revenue An nounces No Extensions For Filing Income Tax Reports. Major John F. Jones, collector of internal revenue, announces that he wishes to call special attention to the fact that under the revenue act of 1924 collectors no longer have any authority to grant extensions of time in which- to file income tax returns. The commissioner of internal revenue at Washington only is authorized to grant an extension and only then when application thereof is made be fore the date prescribed by law for filing the return. Collector Jones said that in the past his office had granted hundreds of ex tensions on account of sickness, ab sence from the state and other legiti mate causes rendering inability to file returns by Mafch 15, and that since the new law carries no such provision' he desired to bring the matter to the attention of the taxpayers that they might take such precautions as tp avoid incurring penalties on account of failing ^to Lie retarn within the time required. Three Escape Prison At St. Matthews And Lock Sheriff Frank Hill Inside. St. Matthews, Jan. 26.—Officers of Calhoun county conducted- a wide spread search today for three prison ers who last night knocked Sheriff Frank Hill unconscious and locked him up in the jail wjth his own keys. Sheriff Hill had recovered today and was able to join in the search, which, he stated, is expected to place the men again behind the bars. At the call of one of the prisoners, who had feigned illness, the sheriff went to the jail about nightfall with food taken from his own kitchen for the prisoner. When he entered the door of the jail a companion- of, th* reported sick prisoner struck the sheriff with a blunt implement. They then disarmed the officer, and are thought to have liberated a negro prisoner in another compartment. The escaped prisoners are Lawrenct 1 Reed and Banton Bosh, both of New York, who were held for larceny of an automobile, and Dockey Wilson of Cameron, Calhoun county. The sherfif recovered consciousness shortly after the escape, and gave the alarm. It required some time to find keys that would open the jail door, but at length the sheriff was a free man. Throughout the lught and through the day the search continued, with neighboring cities and towns warned against the escapes, who were characterized as dangerous men. SAYS PROSPERITY RESTS ON FARMER Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Says That Agriculture Is Back bone of Nation. Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 26.—That the prosperity of the farmer is very close ly linked with the prosperity of the nation was pointed out here today by Hon. J J. Brown, Georgia’s commis sioner of agriculture, in referring to the fact that the “Great American Farmer” becomes again a command ing figure in the business situation. So long as the farmer can produce large crops and get good prices for them the country will move forward toward general prosperity, the com missioner said. It is important, there fore, the commissioner showed, that the farmer has every opportunity to get along. “He is the backbone of the nation’s business as well as the chief support of the nation’s breadbasket,” declared Commissioner Brown. There are years when the farm in dustry suffers, when crops fall off, or pests Jake the major portion of the crops/or the price manipulators cut the farmer out of his . just due, or drought or floods do damage, accord ing-~to the commissioner. These are the lean years for all, he asserted. Abbeville Institution To Go To Re ceiver Following National Bank Examiner’s Report. Abbeville, Jan. 25.—All plans for reopening the National bank here have failed and the institution will have to go into the hands of a receiver for liquidation, according to a state- ment issued this afternoon by E. F. Roerbeck, chief national bank exami ner of the Fifth federal reserve dis trict. Mr. Roerbeck believes pros pects are excellent for a substantial dividend to depositors. L. J. Bailey, examiner in charge of the bank since it closed, has been rec ommended for appointment as receiv er. “Although,” Mr. Roerbeck says, “the comptroller of the currency may have other plans. I can not tell and will not know until I reach Washing ton and talk matters over with him. A receiver may be appointed tomor row or it may be two or three days. At any rate the receivership will not go to a local man,” concluded Mr. Roerbeck. Mr. Roerbeck left at 5 this afternoon for Washington. The Abbeville National bank, the oldest bank in the county, J. Allen Smith, Sr., president, closed its doors about two weeks ago after a run had been started by large depositors fol lowing the resignation of Lewis Per rin, cashier, and his departure for Florida on a prospecting trip. When Mr. Perrin was notified by his friends of the turn of affairs in the bank had taken, he returned without delay to help restore the confidence of the peo ple. The statement of the chief examin er is as follows: “All plans for reopening the Na tional Bank of Abbeville have failed and its liquidation under a receiver ship will be made. The prospects for a substantial dividend to the deposi tors are excellent and even under a receivership they will undoubtedly receive a very substantial percentage of their claims.” It is reported deposits amounted to nearly half a million dollars. Rumors that the Planters’ bank would serve as receiving agent have been found to be false, though it is understood efforts were made on the part of the local institution to be per mitted to act in this capacity. CLOSING OUT SALE IS ANNOUNCED Adair-Sumercl, Well Known Ladies Wear Store, To Quit ‘ Business The well known firm of Adair-Sum- erel announces the opening this morn ing of a closing out sale that promises to attract interest throughout the county. This is a quit-business sale on the part of the firm and it is an nounced that the sale will continue until the entire stock is sold. The stock of goods is thrown on the market at prices that will attract peo ple and compel a liberal buying. The story is told in a page advertisement in- today’s papey and will be read with interest, at the same ti|ne carrying regret on the part of many that this popular store plans to soon liquidate and retire from business. New Orleans, Jan. 24.—The boll weevil will emerge from hibernation to develop into a destructive army if the weather in April, ^ay or June of 1925 favor weevil development, and the drought of the summer of 1924 will not assure freedom from weevil menace to cotton this year, it was de clared tonight by Director Outsey, di rector of the National Boll Weevil Control, after a visit to the United boll weevil experiment station at Tal lulah, La. The statement follows: ‘ “Contrary, to a popular impression which seems rather widespread, there is no good reason for cotton farmers to expect in 1925 immunity from the boll weevil. Last year’s conditions were happily unfavorable to weevil development and favorable to cotton growers. It is about one such experi ence in thirty years to assume that it would be repeated in 1925 is to make a very dangerous gamble. On the other hand by the practice of the cul tural methods now thoroughly tested and demonstrated in every cotton state by the practice of the presses of control by poison fully tested and widely demonstrated, the cotton belt by intelligence and industry need have no fear of being able to control the boll weevil, provided only that the farmers do not trust to the luck of weather, but make the most of the information which has been gathered for them by painstaking research and confirmed by the best farmers in every cotton community. “After a visit to the United States Department of Agriculture’s experi ment station at Tallulah, La., and con sulting the records there, I find there has been a variable crop of boll wee- vills going into hibernation. In typi cal regions in the West of the cotton belt, the number is rather small in some sections and about average in others. East of the Mississippi river the numbers are much larger and in some parts of the Southeast are very large. “Observations of survival to this date show variable results. Generally speaking,, the survival is no larger than in the years for which records have been kept; that is, from 1915 to 1924. For example, it varies from sixteen at Tallulah, La., to 104 a ton of moss at Washington, La., for the period of late October to the middle of December. At St. George, S. C., at the middle of December it was 192 and in the region of Valdosta, Ga.. it was thirty-eight. These figures merely indicate the varying circum stances of weather and of local candi- tion. “It remains to be seen at the close of the winter, that is about the last of February or the first of March, how many weevils will finally emerge for the spring attack upon the cot ton crop, but there is not the’ slight est reason in the experience of thirty years nor in the minutest observa tions and records of the scientists to believe that the”weevil had been era dicated or been reduced below the point of danger. Whatever the num ber df weevil in hibernation and what ever percentage of emergency, all ex perience teaches that enough weevils will merge to develop speedily into a destructive army if the weather in April, May, and June favors weevils development. “In most of the cotton belt, except the Southeast, present conditions, if followed by average February cold and by average March and April weather, promises a bottom crop. That is to say, unless there is abnor mal emergencies or abnormal weevil development, we may expect in most of the cotton belt enough squares to be put on in the early part of the growing season to mature a few bolls on the bottom of the plant. But a bottom crop is not a crop. It will hardly pay the cost of planting, much less the cost of cultivating. “In all the regions under review which promise the best results on the records of hibernation and survival there remains the deadly menace of a rainy May and June which will de velop weevils fast enough to prevent the setting of bolls sufficient for a normal crop.” FEBRUARY MEETINGS AT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH The Billy Sunday meetings for the month of February will be held in the First Presbyterian church, the hour being two o’clock every Sunday after noon. For next Suqday, Dr. T. L. W. Bailey has been announced as the leader and will address the club. IN ATLANTA THIS WEEK Dr. L. Ros» Lynn has been spending several days this week in Atlanta in the interest of the Thornwell Orph anage.