The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, October 05, 1933, Image 1
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VOLUME XXXIII
CLINTON, S. C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1933
NUMBER 40
SCORES PERISH '
IN RAVINE FIRE
Cigarette Carelessly Tossed Into
Brush Starts Flames In Los
Angeles Recreational Center.
Thirty-Three Burn To Death.
Many Injuredl
Writes About Poultry
, Los Angeles, Oct. 3.—Thirty-three
men, workers on a county unemploy
ment relief project, and possibly 20
more, died late today in a box-!ike
canyon, turned into a flaming inferno
apparently by a cigarette carelessly
tossed into a tinder of brush by one
of their number.
Between 160 and 200 othe* men
were injured, some of them prbbably
fatally. Most ‘ of them were burned
and a number suffered fractui'es of
arms and legs and the backs of a few
were broken as they fell in a frantic
flight to safety.
The charred bodies of 33, their iden
tity erased by the flames, were taken
to a temporary morgrue, and fire of
ficials, advised that others were in
the area, expressed fear possibly 20
additional men had been cremated.
The tragedy, “hell broken loose”
a.s one smoke-blackened survivor de
scribed the scene of horror, occurred
in the southern end of the low-lying
Santa Monica mountains in a city
area known as Griffith Park, Los Ap-
geles' largest recreational center.
Shortly before 4 p. m., someone no
ticed fire had started in the chap-
Cuban Battle
Still Rages
Many Shot Down As Troops
Bombard Hotel. One American
Killed By Stray Bullet.
Fuller D. Baird, noted poultry nu
tritional expert, beginning today, will
contribute a special article to The
[Chronicle each week under the title
of “Success With Poultry.” All own
ers of poultry will find this series
very - -
Havana, Oct. 2.-7Bullets still spat
tered Havana’s streets at nightfall
failed to bring anjend to battling after
the bloodiest day in the city's his
tory, and while official estimates of
the dead were unavailable, few be
lieved the total would be less than 75,
including an American.
Snipers and soldiers exchanged
shots over the width and breadth
of the city in a renewal of hostili
ties after attempts at truce in the
beleaguered and shell-tom Nation
al Hotel had failed.
The American, Robert G. Lots-
peich, of London, Ohio, manager of
Swift International, was shot^ fa
tally in the chest as he stood in an
apartment building near the hotel
watching the battle.
The building of the Ford Motor
M. Luther Roper
Dies In Laurens
company adjoining the scene oT Tibs-pleair has ded^aiwd unirohstitn.
Had Been In Business Since 1890
and Was One of County’s
Widely Known Citizens.
services
Laurens, Oct. 2.—Funeral
paral-covered sides of Mineral -Wells I were conducted at a local funeral home
canyon and a group of men, employed j^his afternoon at 4:30 o clock for M.
in the area on road projects, was sent Luther Roper, popularly known Lau
down the steep canyon to extinguish
it.
As they threaded their way through
the thick brush, dry as kindling wood
from a near record heat wave of re
cent days, one among the inexperi
enced fire-fighters saw the danger of
becoming trapped.
A warning was shouted and the
men started to rush back to safety,
meeting, as they clambered upward,
another group of men coming down.
In the moment of confusion the
flames overtook them and they stum
bled to earth before the intense heat
smoke, where they lay uncon
scious as the blase licked at their
bodies.
The scene resembled a battlefield.
The blackened earth was swept clear
of all growth and upon the smoul
dering ashes men lay sprawled on
their faces dr backs, arms and legs
flung wildly in the throes of death
Those who succeeded in escaping i associated with' the Davis-
rens citizen who died Sunday evening
at the Laurens hospital after an illness
of about two weeks. The rites were
concluded at the graveside in the Lau
rens cepietery. The servfces were in
charge of his pastor, the Rev. William
D. Spinx of the First Baptist church.
Others taking part in the rites were:
the Rev. E. D. Patton, pastor of the
First Presbyterian church, and the
Rev. G. H. Hodges, pastor of the First
Methodist church. Music, which in
cluded the singing of favorite hymns,
was led by Mrs. L. S. McMillan.
The'active pallbearers: C. A. Pow
er, W. S. Blakely, W; P. Thomason,
T. B. Sumerel, T. C. Owings, C. H.
Babb, and E. 0. Anderson.
Martin Luther Roper was a son
of the late L. Hudgens Roper, and
Caroline Mahaffey Roper and was
reared on the farm in the Rabun
Creek church section of this county.
Coming to this city at his ipajority, he
were nearest the top of the canyon i Roper company and this firm’s sue
and made a slow and painful flight | oyer a period of more than
through the heavy brush before the
pursuing flames.
The terrifying scene was described
by W. R. Woods, a county worker,
who escaped with several others.
“They didn’t scream,” Woods said.
‘They were syiffocated before the fire
caught up with them.
forty years. He had been affiliated
with the First Baptist church during
these years and a member of'the choir
and the men’s chorus of t.He church
for a long time.
Mr. Roper is survived .ly his wid
ow, the former Miss Mamie Nelson,
tilities was struck by a shell intend
ed for the hotel.
The best obtainable estimates of the
dead included 36 to 40 soldiers, 10 of
the officers of the hotel, and the re
mainder students and passers-by were
struck by stray bullets.
There were hundreds of wounded
and the city’s hospitals were swamped
since a few hours after the battle at
the hotel began at dawn.
■ The truce at the hotel, which lasted
only while a white flag was displayed
from the roof, seemed to precipitate
the spread of the battle over an un
determined area of the city.
All uptown business places cldsed
their doors as snipers fired on soldiers
from roofs and housetops. The sound
of machine guns was clearly heard.
Heavy firing was reported in the su
burbs.
An unconfirmed and unofficial re
port said the, ABC secret society had
started a revolution.
Of the casualties, there were 10
dead soldiers and 16 wounded at . the
Camp Columbia military hospiUls and
others scattered through Havana at
hospitals and clinics.
Two officials in the hotel were
killed and an undetermined number
w’ounded on the resumption of furUnto
firing after the shortlived truce.
!of Laurens; one daughter, Miss Gla-
We were all coun y wor ers Roper, teacher in the Elloree
gether and we • high .school; two sons, Frank B.
to fight the fire. We dug and worked Chester, and Fred N. Ro-
with our shovels to ma ea ire rea , Laurens. Three brothers also
when suddenly the flame.s were upon ^ Houston Roper, Uu-
us.
rens; the Rev. L. M. Roper, D. I).,
•I ran down hill with a few others j,. | j Roper,
and barely jot around the fames.,
When I looked back I saw 40 or more
6chers" running up hill.
“They kept dropping one by one as
Fountain Inn.
Dr. Roper arrived from New York
Sunday about noon, having been ad
vised of the critical condition of
the smoke caught up with them. Thenij^.^ brother, h'riends and relative.s
they would crawl a little way and lie Columbia, Andei •son, Green-
still. And then the fire wou ca c Spartanburg, Augusta and other
them.” I j u ipoint.s in and out of the state were
MfeO ^liu escaped-aalatnd bftw funcrah
fellow workers had rushed into the
burning area and attempted to beat
Will Not Intervene.
Washington, Oct. 2.—American of
ficials who have feared for weeks
that Cuba’s troubles would flare into
open battle met the crisis coolly today
and i-efused to make armed interven
tion even by the distressing word that
an American had been slain by a stray
bullet during fighting in Havana.
Secretary Hull watched the Cu
ban situation closely througout the
day and gave particular attentiop to
guarding against loss of life among
the 3,000 Americans Wsiding in the
capial city. ^
Definite assurance that no change
in policy toward Cuba is in contem-
' plation was given by Secretary Hull
as news of the battle in Havana and
the killing of Robert Lotspeich, a rep
resentative of Swift and Company,
gave rise to conjecture as to whether
armed men from the American war
ships encircling the island wiuld be
landed.
Lymphatic on this point, the Secre
tary took occasion to urge that Amer
icans take all possible care to avoid
endangering themselves unneces.sarily.
Grand Jury
Deplores Action
Says It Is Waste of Money To
Tak4 Clerk of Court’s Case To
Supreme Court.
Wister A. Hairy.
I» Laid To Rest
Laurens, Sept. 28.—In its final pre
sentment for the term of general ^s-
aiona court held thia week, the Lau
rens county grand jury makes several
important r^ommendations and one
or two caustic deliverances in regard
to cdunty official affairs.
Wen Known Citizen and Member
of City Cpuncfl Succumbs Af
ter IDness of Few Hours.
After recommending that an audit i plot
Funeral services for Wister A. Hen
ry, 52, were held last ’Thursday after
noon at five a’eloek wt the gfraveside
in the Presbyterian cemetery, conduct
ed by Dr. D, J. Woods. Dr. Dudley
Jones, and Rev. H.lO. Chambers. In
terment followed in the family burial
of county officials’ books be made as
early as practical, and that all court
witnesses be required to report
promptly, the grand jury “deplored”
the recent action of the legislative
delegation in authorizing an appeal in
the fee system case which had been
decided adversely to the delegation’s
act as applied to the office of clerk
of court. The paragraph covering this
point is as follows:
“The grand jury has taken cognii-
ance of the fact that the court of corn-
tlonal the recent act of the legislature
abolishing the fee system in the office
of the clerk of court. It is deploi-ed
that our delegation in the general as
sembly has seen fit to authorize an
appeal of this ca>se to the supreme
court in view of the fact that the su
preme court has already declared sev
eral similar acts unconstitutional. The
grand jury deems this ^ction furile
and a u.sele.ss expenditure of money,
and hereby requests our county attor
ney and board of county commission
ers to abandon the appeal.”
Ck>ntinuing, the i^eport concludes
with this “caution”:
“The grand jury also has informa
tion that the sheriff of the county has
been told by the senator from the
county to retain the fees collected by
him on tax execution.s, and that pro
vision would be made by an act at the
next session of the general assembly
to ratify this retainer. It appears to
the grand jury that all officers of the
county should be treated alike under
the law in reference to ^eir lawful
compensation.”
J. Ed Philpot has served this year
as foreman of the body.
.J
Howard To Play
P. C. Here Friday
OReninR Home Game Tomorrow
Afternoon At 3 P. M., With
Fast Birmingham Eleven Fur-
^ nishing^ the Opposition.
Mr. Henry, who had been in his ac
customed health, suffered a stroke of
apoplexy shortly after six o’clock
Wednesday afternoon while at work in
his flower garden adjoining his home.
His condition was found to be most
critical, the sad end coming about mid
night following the attack, and as a
great shock to the family and friends.
At the grave a large concourse of
friends gathered to pay a last tribute
and the large number of floral tokens
attested the genuine and widespread
tow m wh^ he waa. held hy
who kntm him.
Mr. Henry was a native of this
place, a son of the late B. M. and Ad-
die Henry, one of the community’s
well-known and b^oved families. For
a number of years he was employed
as a railway mail clerk but was forced
to give up this work on account of his
health. Later on he was associated
with his brother, H. D. Henry, in the
mercantile business, and for the past
few years had been connected with the
StuU-Hadfield Silk corporation of this
city as night watchman.
la 1988 Mr. Henry was elected a
member of city council as aldermsn
from ward one. and since that time
had discharged the duties of the office
faithfully, always mahifeating m in
terest in the city’s affairs.
Mr. Henry was a quiet, modest gen
tleman, a member of the First Pres
byterian church, a man who lived an
upright, Christian life, and who was
admired by many for his character
and sincere qualities.
The deceased is survived by five 8i8-_
tern: Mrs, W. J. Henry, Mrs. T. Hsmp
Holland. Mrs. J. Will Dillard, Miss
Arva Henry, all of this city; Mrs. J.
O. Garrett of Lanford Station, and two
brothers, H. D. Henry of this city, and
John C, Henry of Greenville.
Lynn Announces
New ‘Y’ Cabinet
SMITH CALLS
FOR INFUTKW
South Carolina Senator Ditup-
pointed That Administration
Has Waited So Long. Believes
Conjfress Will Pass Mandatoiy
Currency Expansion When R
Bledls JanuaryT ^
Washington, Oct. 2.—Senator Smith
today predicted that when congress
meets in January it will pass manda
tory currency expan.sion legislatioa
unless by that time President Roose
velt ha.s exerci.sed the powers gives
him in the Thomas inflation amend
ment to the farm adjustment act.
“By the time congress meets it will
be a clear-cut iss ue as to whether oui
hanking and currency .system will be
left as it is or whether the law shaR
be so modified as to make manda
tory to {expand the currency ’ because
of domestic conditions,” the senior
S<rath Carolinq senator said tonight
just before returning to his home at
Lynchburg.
Senator Smith came to Washington
today to make one final appeal before
Secretary of Agriculture Wallace to
suspend the processing tax. He ap
peared at the hearing called to con.
sider the question of levying a com
pensatory tax on silk, jute, rayon,
paper and other competing cotton pro
ducts to balance the processing tax
now paid by cotton mills.
Smith stated at the hearing that if
the department would suspend the pro
cessing tax he would sponsor a bill at
the \next session of congress to reim
burse the department for the money
spei^ in the plow-up campaigm
rnterviewed late this afternoon, the
veteran solon was not at all optimis
tic over economic conditions in the
South as a result of the failure of the
farmer to secure a parity price for
cotton. The parity price, in view of
the rise in things the cotton farmer
has to buy, is now 15 cents, which is
six cents above the market price.
Smith' said the plan of the depart-"
ment to advance 10 cents ^ pound on
cotton would do little good to the dis
tressed farmer because he has already
been foi*ced to market most of hi»
cotton.
While not ojienly, criticizing the ad-
ministnition, the senator is obviously
disappointed over the failure of the
administration to announce a curren
cy expansion program in time to in
crease cotton prices tiefore the pro-
Robert D. I.ynn, president of the duct leaves the farmtM ’s hand.
Presbyetrian college Y. M. C. A., hasj “Under the constitution the issuance
announced the cabinet for the coming [of currency and the fixUng of its value
, • # . [year. Several changes have been made|is the .sacred right of congre.ss,” he
Presbyterian colleges opening foot-tenUtive appointments were j said. “Congress should meet its duty
Johnson j^^t spring. iwith legislation dealing di.cct with
ball game of the season on
field will be played Friday afternoon
at three o’clock with Howard univer
sity, of Birmingham, Ala., furnishing
the opposition. The whistle will sound
promptly at three with a big crowd
ejipected. The admi.ssion will be one
dollar and tax.
Coach Johnson has recovered from
his illness of the past week and is
again directing the activities of the
team. Hard practice is being gone
through each afternoon with the How
ard plays run by the third stringers, j
Tomorrow’s game should be a close,
exciting gridiron exhibition. Howard
university will bring an eleven here
of which little is known except that
Auburn had a tough time beating
them last Saturday. The Birmingham
elev.^n is a new opponent for the Blue
’The new cabinet is made up of the
following:
Program committee: Walker Combs,
chairman, C. R. Johnson.
Deputations: 1^. A. McCall, chair
man, George Dunlap.
the subject.”
Senator Smith indicateil tjiat the in
flationists aC the next session would
ask passage of legislation retiring
quite a large portion of the nation’*
bonded indebtedness by issuing cur-
' down the flames with sacks,
a few seconds their retreat to safety *
Pays
To Serve Term
had been cut off by the roaring fire,
The danger was increased by a
strong wind which swept in,from the,„ ~ -
ocean and added to the spread of the Convltted of Manslaughter In
National Bank
5 Per Cent Today
Religious activities: Powell Free- rency to take the jilact* of the borids.
The game Friday will 1)^ffie fTVst"
S. I. A. A. engagement of the Blue
flames. ' I
Most of the dead were burned be-;
yond recognition and the bodies were
taken to the county morgue. .
Here .a crowd of friends and rela-
Slaying of Gwinn and Given
Seven Years. Father Freed.
l.aurens, Sept. 29.—A circuit couj^
lives ga*Jre7“seeking'ru;b;nds'.'nd>^^y I-*** convicted Talmedje
lives jjaiw— iUcin ihp Sorgcc of manslaughter in connection
fathers. Many the persons in the
crowd were near ys . • acquitted his father, B. E, Sorgee, who
was charged with being an accessory.
^1*a'judge C. C. Featherstone sentenced
IYITCLE younger Sorgee, who is 27, to
W. Scott Farley, receiver of the
First National Bank of-this city, an
nounced Monday that a five per cent
dividend,' aggregating between $10,-
000 and $1*1,000, will be paid today to
the depositors of* the clo.sed institu
tion. 'Hie-dividend will be paid from
j funds acquired by the receiver in the
ordinary course of liijuidation.
! The 5 per cent now being distrib-
Ho.se and they are determined to put
up a stiff fight in an effort to take
the initial S. I. A.^A. game into camp.
Aveleigh Church Is
Host To Conference
man, chairman, C. F. McCutchen
Publicity; J. H. Vi.ser, chairman,
R. R. Potter.
Hi-Y work: Charles <'arson, chair
man, T. T. Fowler.
Social; H. S. Odom, chairman, T. H.
Wingate, Ernest A mold.
Music: H. J. Montgomery,
man, Henry CalverL
Increase Made
.4^-:
We must find a means by which the
tremendous interest on bonds can be
eliminated,” he. ileclaituL .
'Ihe proposal to retiie bonds with
currency is gaining in siipiiort. ()ver
six hundred million in bonds will soon
be due and it well known that the
chair-1 President has been considering the
proposal to retire at least half of the
obligation.s with new money and ^here-
by lower the nation’s ilebt and .>ave
interest to the taxjiayer. If he fai!.-> lo
act.the proposal will come before con-
gressr —
Senator Smith said be came to
The enrollment of the Clinton
Washington today for two |)uipo.,e.s.
schools at the close of the first month j one was to ap|>ear at the iM'oces.sing
ending Sept. 29lh, reached a total of'tax hearing and the other to “lielp
1,541, divided 1,207 white, coloreil.'.some of my friends in the deparl-
In the high school there are 277 pu-inients.” He will return l«i Washington
pils; Florida street .school, 432; Acad-1 next week.
emy Street, 339; 1‘rovidence, 1.59. J —
In th. col..r«l s.h,.„l. livil Strv..t.gQ DeatlW
has 311 enrolled, Ik'thel .school 2;i.
Newberry, Oct. 1.—Aveleigh Pres-:
byterian church of Newberry was host!
to the group conference No. 4 of the
South Carolina presbyterial which con-
uted to depositors is the fourth to bejygug^ ^ere Friday. The program was
paid by the bank, bringing the total gg follows: devotional, the Rev. C. A,
/
TtlCBCtftV years in the state penitentiary.
j The jury deliberated for four hours
; . , land 20 minutes. Sentence was passed
The October meeting xif the Cham- young Sorgee after the diefense
her of Commerce will be ”®*^Ubandoned a notice, of intention to ap-
Tuesday evening at 7:30 at the Maryip^^j ^
Musgro>^ Tea Room. Following Gwinn, who waa 17, waa shot last
usual dinner a business session June 12 imd his body put out of an
be held with an invitation to all mem- automobile on a country road. ^
to 70 per cent. On July 22, 1031, the
first dividend of 50 per cent was dis
tributed, followed nine months later
on April 22, 1032, w'ith an additional
10 per cent, on Jan. 2, 1033, by an
other 5 per cent, and now with an ad
Calcote, pastor; welcome, Mrs. W. O.
Pitta; miasionary address, Rev. S. P.
Orphanage Family
Gets Holiday
Blamed Oh Aiitos
Following a long established cus
tom, Monday was obsei*ved at the
Thorn well orphanage as a holiday.
Washington, Sept. 30. — Motor vt-
hieJe accidents raused bU fewer deaths
in South Carolina last .year than in
1031, a summary released today by the
hui'eau of census shows.
The number of deaths for 1032 is
Fulton, of Japan; Bible hour, Missall departmont-C iven as 337 a;, compared with 307 for
Irene Hudson, Ixiuisville, Ky.; meth-'al and school work. The celebration the previous year *^aml 301 for 1030.
bers to be present.
CLINTON BOY HONORED
The Chronicle is in receipt of the
following item from Clemson college:
By virtue of his proficiency in mili-
tary science and tactics and his ca-; he shot Gwinn in self defense after the
parity for leadership, Cadet R. |L! latter had threatened him with a rock.
State witnesses testified that both
father and son were searching for
Gwinn before the shooting and one
that Talmadgre Sorgee killed the
youth because he had kept “my sister
out last night.’' ^
Young Sorgee denied this, but said
dHional B per cent as of Oct. B, 1933,
which is going forth today to the de
positors.
Williams To Conduct
Revival At Laurenk
Steer, of Clinton, senior student 'at
iClemson eoUi^i has been commission
ed a saeond lieutenant lor tlm current
■anion. Cadet Steer is a etndsnt in the
The ’elder Sorgee said he and his son
looked for Gwiimr blit abandoned it.
He knew nothing of the slaying, he
said, ontU Talmaidge cane hom$ and
Laurens, Oct 1.—Announcement is
made by the Rev. £. D. Patton, pastor,
that the Rev. John R. Williams, one
of . the evangelists of the Southern
Presbyterian church, will hold a sarias
of servioes with the First P{e|byterian
church here, beginning Sunday, Oe.
tober 22. Mr. Wiliiamt was f^merly
pastor of tlM PrsebyterUn ehureli of
ods, Mrs. P. M. Mann, synodical presi
dent, Abbeville; devotionals, Mrs. A.
M. Copeland, Clinton.
County Ginnings
Show Decrease
was “Founder’s Day” of the institii- The death rate declined to 10.3 in
lion which opened its doors for the 19J2 from 22.K in 1931.' Ln 1030 it wa*
admission of children on di'tober 1,;22.5.
187.), with the late
Jacobs a a founder.
William Pluiuer
Cotton ginned in Laurens county
through September 16 was consider
ably less than for the same period last
year, according to the report made a
FRIDAY
Furman vs Erskine at Greenville,
few d^ys ago by the county’s new col-] Presbyterian vs Howard at Clinton.
\
lector of cotton statistics, Mrs, Mattie
flalle Sanders.
tlirough Sept. 16th a total of 2,837
bales had baen ginned from the 1933
crop, against 8,388 Mvering the same
peiisd for last yaar. This is a decrease
THIS WEEK’S
GRID MENU
Automobile accidents, txclu.sive of
collisions with railroad trains and
street cars, cost 329 lives last year,
380 in 1931 and 370 in lOSO.'iCollisians
of automobiles with trains caused six
deaths last year, 14 in 1981 and 19 in
1930. Two deaths were caused by mo-
'toreycle accidentsin each of the years,
1930 and 1932, and three in 1931.
SATURDAY
Clemson vs N. C. State at Clemson.
Wofford vs DavklBon at Spmrtan.
burg. I
Newberry vs Citadel at Newberry.
JBooth Cmrelina vb ¥iBa Nava at Ca-
DOCTORS TO MEET
The ponual meeting of the Third Dia-
triet Medical aaeociation will*bc btid
today at the Conntry club near baiaL
An intereating j^ragram has baen ^
rmngad by, the aoaunlttea in ebar^
■i!