The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, January 08, 1904, Image 1
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V#MEXIV.
X
R1VT
LU\
CAMDEN, S. C.,' FRIDAY, .1
550 Vicl
MEN OVf
Dead I -'on *
tixploj
Iroquc^-]
of Deal
and Many Others
>sly Injured
? #
BY AWFUL SIGHT
i;^:
CJreat Pllea?Terrlflc
rcedea the Fire?The
ilro Wan the Sceno
Ohiea
pie werei
In tho
And, an r
make it, e
(Sstfmato
Vtti'jr. Tij
*? 536. %
uers j8 5'
Peoplo injj
Jtority of
nmcng aft
<l?o varMiP
wnts. )4i|
boon posvi
era tiro b
A fo\^
turned I
fctlffOCtttO
Hampledo
followed t
frlghtener
It will to
'tor of <1#
many daj
identified'
tlio <lox?i
in tlio potefi
pi'tais fr?
that cqvI
tllOSO Wi
Their ci^lj
?'d to litie,
boon c
IHilp bytef
tmmplodfe
lal. ? About 660 peo
In about 10 minutes
Theatre, tho newest
human power could
est theatre n Chicago.
,the dead and injured
e account of tho dead
iroate of the newapa
idea this there are 55
at midnight, the raa
i aro very probably
d in the morgue and
ndertaking establish
ix of the dead have
Identified and 02 oth
to be injured,
lie unfortunates wore
h by fire, many wero
gas, and scores wero
ath in tho panic that
mad plunge of the
lence for tho exits,
hours before the num
accurately known and
[ore all of them will be
4te aro bodies lylug by
the undertaking rooms
ations, and in tho hos
lch nearly everything
eal theli identity to
w them best is gone.
fiB torn to rags or burn
nd their faces have
rito an unrecognizable
els of tho cro^vd thai
down pb they lied for
|j>ke out during the sec
:Bluo Board, Jr." which
ramatic production pre
Ulieatro sinco its erec
Ipany, which was very
'.to the streets In safo
thcm, however, being
^ifleo into the snowy
streets clothing but their
safety.
The fin
oiui actjf'
was the jjg<
rented1 lit
tion. Th<
large, ci
'ty. nearlj1
tompolleil
;;v
Ktago cosarnea. A few members of
the compry abstained minor injuries
but noftetertff&erlously hurt.
of tho origin of the
ng, and none of them
the best reason given
ic wire near the lower
drop scenery sud
was grounded. The
y toward the front
.using the members
io yyere then engaged
n6e, to flee to the
earns of terror. The
to this time was not
sibly could have been
tho asbestos curtain
i soon as the flre was
> Foy, the chief com
pany shouted to lower
thig was immediately
ded about half way.
The flre thutf-vwoa
a flue through wbjch
as settiflg in. With a
1 the flames shot
ing, over the heads
first floor and,
first balcony,
them to
edltely fol
s. there
Ion, which llftedf"vT'ite'?1
the theatre from its
Tho?%wi
fire aro ?
are certafr,
?i". is that a
part of
denly b
flre spr
of the
of the e
?fir tile
wings
flre in
Forious,
vhecked,
foiled to
discove
edlan of*
'' tho cur
vlone.
... and thee
given p
a Stro&g
raor and
thj-o
or
reaching
caught
death
lowing
came an
entire
walls,
' to fraj
As 8
beyond
__abau
audlen
tot
plosion
ing i
of the
Will
said,
peop
-had
flre.
l08t/|
? the
four
tfiell
- the
still
the flrel
which
curtain^
As
present
in the-"'
were o|
the great skylight in
le flames first appeared
tain, a man la the rear
Fire!" and the entire
is*one person and made
It Is believed the ex
ised by the flames com
wlth the gas reservoir
cousins them to burst,
taneger of the theatre,
-catastrophe. that if the
iained in their seats and
excited by the cry of
life would have been
>w$ver, contradicted by
0 the firemen, who
r of people sitting in
r faces directed toward
the performance were
It was the opinion jof
these people had been
ice~by the flofe Of gas
behind the asbestos
; be estimated at the
1,100 pepple were
jree hundred of these
floor, the iwiance be
lug in the two upper iMtlconiea and In
the hallways back of thorn. The the
atre is modeled after the Opera Co
miquo, lu Paris, and from the rear of
each balcony there are three doors
loading out to passage ways toward
the front of the theatre. Two of these
doors are at the end of the balcony
and one In the centre. The audience in
Its rush for the outer air seems to
have, for the greater part, chosen to
llee to the left entrance, and to at
tempt to make Its way down the eaB.
tern stairway leading Into the lobby
of the theatre.
Outside of the people burned and
suffocated by gos, It was In these twq I
doorways on the first and second bal*
conies that the greatest loss of life oc
curred. When the firemen entered, the
dead were found stretched In a pile
reaching from the head of t%e stair
way at least eight feet from the door
back to a point about five feet In the
rear of the door. This mass of dead
bodies in tho C6ntre of the doorway
reached to within two feet of the top
j passage way. All of the corpses at this
j point were women and children.
The fight for life which must have
taken place at these two points is
something that la simply beyond hu
man power adequately to describe.
Only a faint idea of its horror could
be derived from the bodies as thy lay.
Women on top of these masses of dead
had been overtaken by death as they
were crawling on hands and knees over
the bodies of those who had died be
fore. Others lay with arms outstretch
ed in the direction toward which lay
life and safety, holding in their hands
the fragments of garments not their
own. They were evidently, torn from
others whom they had endeavored to
pull down and trample under foot as
they itiadly fought for their own
lives.
As the police and firemen removed I
layer after layer of dead In these doo?<4
ways, the sight became too much even
for them, hardened as they arc to such
harrowing sccnea, to endure. The bod
ies were in such an inextricable moss
and so tighny were they jnmmed be
tween the sides of 'the door and the
walls that It was Impossible to lift
them, one by one, and carry them out.
The only possible thing to do was to
seize a limb or some other portion of
the body and pull with main strength.
Men worked at the task with tears
running down their cheeks, and the
sobs of the rescuers could be he^rd
even in the hall below where this aw
ful scene was being enacted. A num
ber of the men wero compelled to
abandon their task and give It over to
others whose nerves had not, as yet,
been shnken by the awful experience.
As one by one the bodies were drag
ged out, of the water, soaked blacl % -
ed mass of corpses, the spectacle be
came more and more heartrending.
There wore women whose clothing
waa torn completely from their bodies
above the waist, whose bosoms had
been trampled Into a pulp and whosej
face vrere marred beyond all power of'"
identification. Bodies lay in the first
and second balconies in great numbers.
In some^places they were piled up In
the aisles three and four deep, where
one had fallen and others tripped over
the prostrate forms, and all had died
where they lay evidently suffocated by
the gasV OlTjers were bent over backs
of scats, where they had been thrown
by the rush of people for the doors
and killed with hardly a chance to rise
from their seats. One man was found
with his back bent nearly double, his
spinal column having.beciK fractured as
he was thrown backward.,; A woman
was found cut nearly ^rv half by the
back of the seat, she havMjafaHen ovet
face, down.
''The fire began }n the middle *>f the
second act," said Mr. Foy. "An elec
tric wire broke, y?8 grounded and thf
flames were started in the rear of the
stage. The stage 4s unusually wide
and thero is so great a. draft the flames
spread rapidly. They soon had attack
ed all the scenery in the rear of th<
houso. I never believed It possible foi
fire to spread so quickly. When it
first started 'I went to the foot-lights,
and to prevent alarming the audience
said that there was a slight blaze anc
that It would be better for all to leave
quietly. Then I stepped back and call
ed for the asbestos curtain to be low-.
erecT^^hlB when about half way down
refused t& further, and thus an addi
tional draft w?s created. This swept
and I knew that tfre^ theatre was^ doom
ed. I hurried backMfl,. the 8$ftge and
aided In getting the wdTirr^ membere
of the company Into the aU&x. Some
of them were -in their-dresBlnf^oome
and were almost overcom# by smoke
before they could ^et dowjp t, o the stage
and to the doors. The sjJhple fact that
the curtain did not descend entireij
was what saved the livss of the com
pany, although it cost ?ich a hovribli
catastrophe in the frontkof the house
The curtain had refuse? to descend
there came the explosiAi of the gaf
tanks, and with the cuiwain down all
the flie and Kas would Ave been con
fined between the rear v#*ll of the the
atre and the flre-proof certain Infftront
Tinder these clroumstJmces it would
not havb been po^le for a slngU
member of th? company to escape aliv*
unless he or sly* hod been standing
immediately In front of the door lead
ing into the alley. Aa It was the
draft ca tried ihe flames out from th?
curtain and company was saved al
though th<fir salvation was the death J
of so roanf poor people in front."
Alt .QMoago was deeply stirred by
the terfbUi disaster and awful loss ol
life "work of rescue wsb vigor
ously - and
: city hosstats were fille* th?
i dead aadTdyini
Ark.. BpmKI.? It l?
hat the prompted of
( Jockey Cl?b hUre do
ion plana already ex
tleed for a midwinter
a laatead offer
%inTTHnt to
tat *0 days.
kE Mil hi hi Mil If (1
?M " ?*? W?w?
Hot
r?*iiort?
0;fi H<
( x No Necrft Troops.
AugUfcUt, BpOclUl. ? At * meeting of
the ^ieoutive committor of tho Mill
tary Officer* Aftaoctation of Georgia.
In ^arannah. a bill was framed for
jx-tesenUUoa to the State advisory
'^be^Stat^BeSS?1 every
white o&eer la the 8tate la ??M to
be behind the movement. A reaoltt
lion w111.be adopted oppoaia* uay at
tempt at the fonaft&m of * national
MANY TltEATLRS CONDEMNfP.
Chicago Oifdois Trying to Avoid
Future Disasters.
Chicago, Special. ? Mayor Carter 11.
Harrison Friday took steps to pro
vide as far aspos&lblo against a repe
tition of Wednesday's horror at the
Iroquois Theatre. As a result of an
Investigation made nt his orders and
lasting hut 'a f<?w hours, 19 theatres
and museums were closed, some of
them being among the leading and
most popular play houses of the city.
'I he act of the mayor was based on a
Blngle violation of the ordinances
which are Intended Jo protect the pa
trons yf the theatres from Just such
an occurrence at> that which cost so
many lives on Wednesday. This was
that every one of those 'places had
omitted to supply an asbestou curtain.
The theatres ordered closed are:
Howards, Alhambra, Avenue, Bijou,
Chicago Opera Jtfousc, Columbus
8toek, Thirty-first Street, Criterion,
Piegeubaum's, Milwaukee Avenue,
Oarrlck & Glickmsn's. Jn addition
to these (ho London Globe Muceum
and the Clark Street Museum were ;
also compelled to close their doorj. ;
The Chicago Opera House and the
Olympic ? Theatre are vaudeville
houses of the highest class and prob
ably do as much as business In point 1
of numbers as any one of the theatres
In the city at single performances.
1 ney givo, however, a niutlnoc every (
day in the week, and it is stHdom that#
seats can be obtained for any per
formance after tho time of opeuing.
In addition to this they have been
accustomed to selling large numbers
of tickets for standing room, and as a
general thing more people are within
these places of amusement at an av
erage performance than can bo found
at any other playhouse in tho city.
The Garrick Theatre* which was or
dered closed, is a small playhouse on
the northwest side of the city and
should not be confounded with the
larger theatre of the pame name situ
ated on Randolph street, one block
west of \he Iroquois.
Tho inspection ordered' by the may
or was carried out by Building Com
missioner Williams and Chief of Po
lice O'Neill. Tho scope of tho inves
tigation included no other feature
than asbestos curtains. Tho mayor
instructed Commissioner Williams to
report to him promptly at tho con
clusion of his investigation, declaring
that it was his Intention that no thea
tre should be allowed to open its
doors in Chicago hereafter unless It
was provided with an asbestos cur
tain of standard quality that would
work at all times and under ail con
ditions.
"It may not be possible," said May
or Harrision, "to prevent loss of lifo
when audiences rush for the door
ways, but 1 have determined to sco
that every precaution is taken to pre
vent such occurrences as will alarm
the people and start them on a rush
for the exits. It is all very well (o
say that tbp loss of life in the Iro
quois was due to tho fact that tho
peoplej/lost their heads and crowded
into the doorwoys and aisles, like
maniacs, but tho fact remains, and
It cannot bo denied, that there would
i?wm n.? pan,c ,f the apparatus
In this theatre, which, Judged by all
ordinary standards, was tho best
equipped playhouse in the city, had
rhOiJ? proper working condition.
rw. Is no getting beyond that fact.
From all the evidence now in hand
.Qle*r, that W the asbestos cur
2* Is theatre h*d been in tho
.condition it should^havo boon. * hero
Would have been no loss of ilfo, com "
paratively speaking."/
?rwIiLTrt u f DuI1*,nK Commission
er Williams showed that the Academy
2 000 hi* a seating capacity of
2,000 had a curtain of burlap- tho Al
2 son ?h 'L1111 a seat,n? capacity of
cfi Avenue 600. tne Bijou 1,300,
Finn Museum- 270, Criterion
inn m Senbaum's 40?. Howard s
am' ^lOVie 1'300' New American 1,
4W, ha u curtains of linen. The
wan ? K ithe Ch,ca&? Opera House
nalnt ^?re(l wlth flrQ Procf
K! o?^ a Coh,mbuB Stock Thea
tre, and in Sam T. Jack's it was of
T5e,D1ymplc. with a seating
canvas i,60()' has a curtain ot
8ai7hrnmmf?re4 other glaring defects,''
w i nS 8 ?ner Williams, ?fyhich
w w d ,n 80me of the houses,
attention WtorethnDt pay'ng Particular
them and the theatrical Sagorswm
L9 Cp?o? l? remedy them as soon
Pannma Company.
Paris, By Cable. ? Owing to recent
events at Panama the annual meeting
of the Pabama Company, which be
gan Wednesday -afternoon, developed
unusual Interest and cxcitemcnt.
Prior to opening efforts were made to
seat proxiei to overrule the existing
management of the company, which
were favorable to the sale of the
company's properties to the United
States.
Meeting of Histotl:al Society.
New Orleans, Special. ? Pre?. Dun
ning, of Columbia University, pre
sided Wednesday over the meeting of
the American Historical Society in
Tulane University. lie announced
that the object of the session was to
show' the college professors of the
North the conditions in the, South
with respect to all- Important ques
tions of teaching history. Prof. W.
E. Good, of Randolph-Macon College,
of Virginia; Prof. Fortler. of the
Louisiana Historical Society, and
Prof. Lillian W. Johnson, of the Uni
. veraity of Tennesson spoke.
. " ' 9
Jamestoirtt Exposition. ?
Newport News, Va.. Special.? At Fri
day night's meetings in the Interest of
the Jamestown Exposition movement,
held In Newport News. Norfolk, Hamp
ton Portsmouth., and Berkley the sue
cms nf the movement Mas... assured
Subscrpitlons made at these meetings
to the capital stock ran the total of
stock taken to $i4lPQJ??. To a?*e-the
<$*rtfr obtained toy the company It
was necessary to shoi# tafyp-npiiaii*
amounting to ?< .mMct&jiL.
DAYS Of SORROW.
Chicago Recovering Slowly from
Shock of Great Fire
ARfc FUNERALS ON fcVERY HAND.
The List of Head Still Orowlng ?
Sunday Was Day of Universal
Mourning.
Chicago Special, ?The total number
of dead In the thoatre lire has been def
initely established at 687, of which but
12 remain uul den titled.
Hells tolling at noon suspended busi
ness activity, and long lines of funerals
making their way to tho outlying dis
tricts where tho cemeteries are situ
ated ? these circumstances evidenced
Chicago's outward grief for tho vic
tims of the Iroquois Theatre disaster
Saturday. Priests and ministers of tho
Uffferent churches were kept busy, as
they will be for some days.
The unidentified dead will be kept
as long as possible at the morgues. If
no one comes to lay claim to the bogles
they will bo buried at tho cities ex
pense. lly common consent of tho
clergy, "Lead, Kindly Light," the great
hymn written by Cardinal John New
man, Is being sung at all the funerals#
When It was 12 o'clock tho chimes
of tho North Side Church tolled a dirgo
and tho northeast wind wafted It over
tho city. Before tho first notes had
died away, another chime, farther
south, sounded a mournful Intonation.
Thon a hundred bells broke forth In a
mighty diapason, whose Iron moans
seemed to reach the gray clouds and
echoed back again in solemn accord.
A snow storm which prevailed added
to the solemnity. An Intenso quiet
ness In the. atmosphere itself, tho ab
sence of all holiday appearances and
tho numerous funeral oortejjc^, as they
slowly moved through tho snow-storm,
while the church bells were tolling,
combined to make the occasion ono as
peculiarly cheei^ess .aa It was solemn
and Imprgsslv^r
The ?lty hall, except tho absolutely
necrssary departments, was closed to
day. The board of tarde closed an
hour earlier than usuqj, and a number
of mercantile and manufacturing estab
lsihmentB also closed earlier. The big
State street department stores closed
their doors at noon. Tho purpose of
tho proprietors had been to afford fa
cilities for the bereaved thousands to
secure mourning goods by keeping tho
stores open.
Thirty-four teachers in tho public
schools are known to have lost their
lives In the fire, and the schools wero
ordered closed Monday In their mem
ory.
Chicago; Special. ? Sunday was a day
of funerals in Chicago and fo? the first
thlme itt tlL6 history -of. tho-dty all ot.
tho people who desired to bury tlielr
dead were unable to do so. Tho un
precedented demand for hearsed and
carriages would havo been enough In
Itself to task to the utmost tho re
sources of the undertakers, but tho
heavy snow that has fallen during the
last two days has Increased their dif
ficulties enormously. All of tho cet*$
terlcs In Chicago are miles from the
business centro. Arrangements wero
"?ads by the undertaker* to have as
many funerals as possible held In the
early part of the day in Of dor to allow,
If possible, the use of the hearse for a
second funeral In the afternoon. In a
number of cases this was done, but
there were instances where tho fami
lies who were to wait for the return of
the hearse were disappointed and were
compelled to defer the burial on their
dead until tomorrow.
The cemeteries were compelled to
keep men at work all through the
night digging graves, and In some of
the larger cemeteries they barely man
aged to make them at sufficient speed.
At one time this afternoon, 14 burials
were In progress in Rose Hill Ceme
tery and all of them were the intor
ments of vlcitlms of tho fire.
In the rooms of ono undertaker on
the south side of the city a fraternal
organisation held services over flvo
members of their ordor~at tho same
time, and all of them wore buriod side
by side In Waldhelrn Cometery. The
funeral services over tho remains of
Ella and Edyth Freckeltoo, sisters,
were held In Boulevard Hall at Ffty
flfth and Halstead streets, fully 200
persons being In attendance " and 500
more stood outside in the wind until
the funeral had departed for Oak wood
Cemetery. ?> I J
T*i +V? a ? V. vmITIIaviaIi** manii.
?u vuw uwui v v * v**v v ?***??* y
facturer, Ludwig Wolff, on Washing- '
ton boulevard, was held the quadruple
funeral of his daughter. Mra. Wm. II.
Oam, and her thjee children. A crowd
of more than 1,000 people ?unrcHinded
the house and tho police were im
pelled to open a passageway for the
pall-bearers, _
A funeral conducted In a humbler
manner was held a few aqua res from
the Wolff residence. N It that of
Mra. Mary W. Holt and her three vhll
dren. all of whom died In the Ill-fated
second balcony. Fully as many people
were around the amaU fnuaa church
In which this funeral waa held as were
gathered outside the preteotlowa-W ol ff
mansion, and here, aa In front of Mr.
Wolff's residence, the police were com
pelled to open a passage way for the
oaaketa aa they were >?rno u> the
hearses. ;
LIST OF DTCAD TNCRBASUD TO 688.
The Hat of dead waa Increased to 688
by the death of I>eroy Rain bold, a boy
of fonr years, who was severely burned.
Of the 10 bodies at the county morgue,
fonr were Identified today. They were
IVprthy *Lem<hieg*r, 18 year*; Bmma
R^^fta'red^w nnmher J-f
rhfch there la any record, aithough the
number xzt tt!:q "Hght
Ty wd*SW *W?I thla number greatly.
AGAIN IN SESSION.
Mouse and Smote kcansefiible Alter
tile Holiday*.
Tho Senate's first KOStilon wah de
voted entirely to tho Panama situation
President Roosevelt's message oa this
subject waa received and read with
great lntoreHt. Discussion continued
throughout tho day? speeches being
made both in defense of and against
tho policy which had been pursued.
Hov. Wdward Halo, tho newly-elected
ehaplain of tho Senato, clad In flowing
black silk robeH, offered a stirring In
vocation. ilia prayer was u plea, for
the wisdom of heaven In the affairs of
tho government. Ho referred briefly
to tho Chicago calamity.' Hla Invoca
tion was preceded by a short scrip
tual lesson, and concluded with tho
IsOtyl'H prayer.
Mr. McComas strongly defended tho
President's action In tins Panama mat
tor. Ho maintained tho President's
recognition of Panama would be up
held by tho courts.
Mr. Culberson questioned the right
of tho lCxocutlvo to make such recog
nition, but Mr. McComas maintained
positively that tho Kxecutlvo had
such authority, and ho could bring to
tho attention of the Senate two in
stances In which the same power had
been oxerclsed.
Mr. Tillman wanted the instances
cited, and Mr. McComas promised to
present them later.
"But I want to know," broke In Mr.
Tillman, "whether tho Senator con
tends that tho Kxecutlvo without in
sructlon of tho Congress can employ
tho army and navy to defend his exe
cutive action by warning away and
preventing Colombia from asserting
her supremacy anywhero except on
the Panama Railroad."
In answer Mr. McComas referred
Mr. Tillman to tho closing statements
di tho President's message.
Mr. Racon asked several questions
In an effort to bring out how long tlie
new republic would last should the
sustaining power of the United Suites
be ever withdrawn.
"For many years, f replied Mr. Mc
Comas. He added that but for the re
straining power of tho United States
tho Independence of Panama would
have been established long ago.
"Will tho Senator stato the respec
tive populations of Panama and Co
lombia?" asked Mr. Bacon.
"Panama has about 300,000 and Co
lombia 4,.r>00.000," was tho reply.
"And yet the Senator thinks the 300,
000 could maintain themselves against
the four and a half millions," agaiu
injected Mr. Bacon.
Such things wero frequent events In
history, was tho reply. Pressed by
Mr. Bacon for instances, Mr. McComas
mentioned the suooessfql contest of
Japan with 35,000,000 population
against China with 400,000,000; also
Montenegro's contest of two centuries.
Senator Stewart endorsed the course
of the administration and severely cas
tigated tho BoggOta government for
its selfish action in preventing tho
construction of tho canal, referring to
it as a band of robbers,
Mr. Morgan said that his colleagues
frqm tho South oould not fall to see
that the President's attitudo was to
force them to vote for the Panama
route. As for himself he was npt op
posing the President on slight ground,
but because he believed the course of
the President to be such as to threat
en the integrity of tho United States.
He argued that aoordlng to precedents
the -de faeto government of Panama
has no right to transfer teritory, but
he declared that the President knew
that by his recognition of Panama
alone could he acquire a concession
there. Indeed, he aserted that In the
prospect of securing this ju^ulsition
was found the only motive for the
President's recognition. Ho declared
that President Roosevelt's interference
in Colombia's affairs was unjustified
by the constitution. For one he would
not vote lo ratify tho wrong donVvky
the President. Tho President, ne
said, desires this ratification to Justi
fy what he and tho Panama Junta
have done. "And for that purpose,"
wild Mr. Morgan, "he wants tho assis
tance of three Democratic Senators
to what he and his party cannot do."
Ho predicted that a canal would bo
built ultimately, along the Nicaraguan
route, because of Its accessibility.
The House met today after the holi
day recess. The vote on ordering the
previous question resulted lu a tie. the
minority supporting Mr. Hay, and de
veloped no quorum. At ? this point the
House adjourned.
.Situation Unbearable.
Berlin, Ry Cable? The local paper,
Anzeiger," without reserve says:
"Japanese government lias Informed
representatives of the powers at To
klo that the situation at this moment
Is unbearable and that Japan must
strike If Russia does not accept the i
proposition Japan has submitted as
Japan can no longer wait for the
final decision."
Tragedy at a Dance.
Greensboro, N. C., Special. ? It la re
ported her? that Miss Mary Martin,
who was shot at a dance Saturday
night, near Mayoden, Rockingham
county, died today. John Gana, who
was deeply enamored, and who had
been drinking, asked the young wo
man to dence^'wlth him. She declined,
and, without warning, he shot her, the
tall passing through her cheat. At a
preliminary trial' thl? evening Gang
was sent to the Wentworth jail. Re
ports from there indicate that, for fear
of. lynching, the prisoner will be
brought to jail her*.
New# In Notes,
The Administration is said to con
template energetic action In Santo Do
mingo, with the object of restoring or
der In the island and protecting Amer
ican interests.
lty of action h? the Maryland L??l*la
tare to enable the Ad?M to register
and vote in this State.
Cotton prices dropped ebowt $1 *
bale in New Tor*.
MYSTERY UNSOLVED.
Mai (ling kumors of a Hoy That
Disappeared Prom Columbia,
Oolutn bla, Special.? --The mystery
surrounding the disappearance of
younK Stephen Howoll of Assembly
street has not been cleared. The po
lice are unable to lead others to con
?? I n<l??. u? they have done, that It is a
commonplaco matter. In spite of
their disdainful and somewhat impa
tient solution that the boy had simply
run away, the disappearancu of tho
ia<l has excited much interest, and
wild rumors ? which get started In
some strange manner ? are given a
ready ear*.
No disappearance easo lift# ever ex
< Ited more general Interest here. And
tills 1? duo to the prominence of tho
principal, but to the out of tho ordi
nary features of tho ease. Columbia
t(K) large, to,, busy and too cosmo
politan a city for ap ordinary Inci
dent of the kind to attract general at
tention for any length of time. It Is
seldom that the interost keeps to the
point, where false rumors gain any
general currency. Hut tliie feature is
developing In this caso now.
For each of thy last three days the
report has been running that the body
of tho boy hud been found In the wood
with his head split with the axe which
has been missing. This report starts
up frosh a I mow oh quickly as It is
denied In print. Tho State received
several phone calls yesterday to know
if tho report was true. There is not
even one fact on which to base such
a rumor, not yet such a fact to sup
port that other report which gained
currency yesterday afternoon to . the
enect that the head and not the body
had been found.
Next to the remarkable fact that no
body has boeiy^tiblo to identify, find
or name the mysterious negro who
went to the country with tho boy?
although this negro from all nceounta
was not only not n vagrant hut was aik
parent |y in good circumstances ana*
must havo had acquaintances hero ?
is tho positive and confidant way in
which Mr. lien Johnson tells of seeing
he boy in front of J. M. Green's store
in Main street Saturday afternoon
rills was five di?ya after tho boy's
family had been looking for him, but
on the day before the story of the ^Ir
appearance was published in Tho
State. That publication was tho first
information Mr. Johnson had that tho
boy was missing. Mr. Johnson, who
runs a fruit store on upper Main
street says that he cannot be mistake,
mat he is sure and confident In his
own mind that ho nnw Stephen How
ell. who had worked Tor Johnson si*
weeks. Ho saw the boy from the on
poHlto sidewalk, but got a good look
at him, saw his face well and was in
?,LHm qf rfl,3'nK h'? hanfl to saluto
Howell when the boy turned his fact)
and looked down. His cap was pullod
down over his oyes, as ho generally
wore It. ^ ?*v.?ciuiijr
After reading the newspaper ac
count of the dlsappcaranoo Mr. John
son remembered that Howell woro- a
black overcoat, a pair of gray trousers
and a cap, but being a careful man
Johnson first repeated this to a
!nSn*. W two went t0 the mother
and .asked hdr to describe the clothing
the boy woro the morning he left
home. The description blocked out in
dependently tallied In the. smallest de
taii, and .aftorw*r4 -etW details trwq
: leealled. The supposition that Mr.
JohJison was mistaken seems unrea
bnv ho'i nrd ycf the thSory that the
boy had beeu wandering about the
8ti eets so long and escaped the no
tice of every body else? when he was
being looked far? Eeems impossible tb
accept even If^lt Is granted that the
'iUt atronK which In
timation from the police his mother
Indignantly denies...
???!." ?V1^ of *'l? w,flespread Intoroat
which tho case has elicited and the
consequent demand for Information
on the subject, a reporter of The,
state made another tour of Invcstiga
turn yesterday, iir the courao of which
ho again interviewed the boy'g moth
w?nii 5Ll^?l,n9*',rles of Mr. and Mrs.
Phillip Epstln of Gervals street who
had employed the boy and tho negro.
Mrs. Howell is one of those persons
who accept quiotly the trials and sor
of n?/11^0^6 1. d,8qu,et,ng '"Alienees
? ^ 0 believes the boy has been
murdered and thinks the police
should at least find the negro. The
boy has had a running soro In his ear
since he was an Infant, caused by a
case of measles settling in his hoad,
but though she has never had this
attended by * physician, because she i
feared stopping it would prove in
jurious, sh*? never had any reason to
suspect that this or anything efts o had
arretted his mind. Though of violent
temper at times, he was a timid boy
who wan always at home when he was
a? em W?hrk'.?n(I K h e can no? -thecef ora
$c< ept the theory that he has run
?,W?a?' J. . Was afra,(I to Ko to bod with
out a light. ?
Thirty Persons ln|ured.
n'oouurlu^e.^i. J., Special. ? An ex
plosion wrecked (he hotel and halt of
Joseph Gallalda, and more or less seri
ously Injured 30 pereons at Keasby,
four mile* from here, while the St.
John's Benevolent Society was cele
brating ita anniversary by a dance.
There were about &00 in tbe hall Mid
one of the two exits was closed hy {ne
wreckage. The ^people became panic
stricken and fought to get out, many
being tramped on and seriously in
jured. It is believed (hat some "fl* with
a grievance against Gallalda or the so
ciety used dynamite. The walls' of the
building were blown apart and immo
diately collapsed.
Mot Badly Damaged
Washington Special.? A dispatch
receiyed at the Navr Department
Sunday from Roar Admiral Sands,
commanding the training squadron,
uiya the torpedo. Mat destroyer I*w
renco. which waa rammed hy thG OTT
?elt# at Kay WOet, Is not deemed dsK
*Jrahie^to he seat to nNorthorn ns?i
yard for repel ta. board oC tomtiMk
Hon will datomUa whether that sMUl
be <k?? oo whether the rw*rswM Jml
wade at Kay Wort. J
fllnor Event* of Ibe Week In a
Brief Form.
Accidentally Killed.
Spartanburg, 8. C., Special. ? A dis
patch from Laurens says that while a
small' bou of M. A. Chapman, "of Oosk
Hill, was loading a parlor rifle on
Saturday afternoon the weapon wa?
accidentally discharged and Instant
ly killed his three-monthold sister,
who had been put in bed a few min
utes beforo.
Palmetto Brief# ' n
Mr. Jomws B. Caskey, a young man
of T<anra?ter, was fatally shot 1* rlday
morning by Mr. C. B. Skipper, super
1 1) Undent of tho Lancaster Cotton
mills. In front of IMyler & Dean's store,
In the mill village. The weapon need
was a shotgun, tho load striking Mi.
Caskey in the neck and he died Friday
night. Mr. Skipper was placed In jail,,
as were also a book-kcepeT\ Mr. G. B.
Barron, and a mill machinist named
Clayton, tho two latter being chai&'^d
aa accessories to the Hilling. The homi
cide, It seems, was the result of some
trouble the night before between Mr.
Skipper a\)d Mr. Caskey at a dance,
Tho coroner's Jury exonerated Barron
and Clayton.
Monday morning Frank Morrell, the
14-yenr-old son of Mr. H. W. <MorreU,
a well-known farmer of Wellford ac
cidentally shot and killed Gua Ham
met t, a colored farmer on his father's
farm lands. Morrell was bantered to
shoot at a rock thrown in the air,
When the rock was' thrown up the
firearm waa accidentally discharged
and the load took offcct In the body
of Hammett, Inflicting t wound from
which ho died a few minutes after
wards. The verdict of che jury waa
that the deceased, Gus Ilammeii,
enme to his death by a gunshot wound
made by Frank Morrell, It being an ac
cident. There was no malaco what
ever.
Julius Fisher, o young white man,
on last Thursday night shot and des
perately Vounded his < uncle, a Mr._ ..
Fisher, who llveB on Pacolet river,
Ave miles below Cowpens. The wound
ed man Is about 65 or 70 years of age
and Is a well known farmer of that
county. He was shot twice, - receiving
the contents of "two barrels of a shot
gun In his chest, abdomen aud lege.
Immediately after tho shooting Julius
Fisher disappeared and has not peer*,
arrested.
Tho booze artists and the boose
grafters had an Inning on Thursday^ ;
December 24, at tlj& dispensaries |n
Spartanburg. Th^ pefcf??~throhg?d in
and out of the two dlspenaari*s In that
city until the close on ^Thursday. At
dispensary No. 2, of whlpb Mr. J. W.
Harmon Is dispenser, the sales Jor
Thursday, Christmas eve, nnimmwd to
$1,766. The proceeds from dispensary
No. 11 were not far behind this figure,
(Hymida~^otton " mills in ^Columbia,
was killed at the Lincoln Jtreet crdss
Ing of the Seaboard Air Line roadm
that city Monday afternoon. He wja
talking down the tiack when two to*
glues moving In opposite
neared him. He became confused and
made an Ineffectual effort to cross tlie
track. No blamo is attached to any
one for the accident. .a
WMle a little son of Mr.
Chapman of Cfosa ?*??,
county, was loadlng a parlor rine ^
urday afternoon last thogun wasac
eld en tally . dlsearged -
months-old sister w^o had J?**
put in his bed in the roomafew
ments before by the motlwr. It WW
a deplorable tragedy &
pathy is felt for the afflicted toW
Mr. George A. *StU|.
the town of Blackville, baa written
the governor, to ask that a
offered for the opprehenslon_of James _
Walker, who is wanted tor the killing
of a negro woman, Minnie. WUljams.
The crime occuired two months ago -
on the Dubllc atreets of Bl^KVill^ ^ . -
In the United States Circuit Courl
In Charleston Thursday an order waa
nied in the suit of Leonard Pblnsey
and Alice Hul\ against the Olympla
Mills of Columbia, wherahy-tbfl' ml''B *
pre requested to execute wlthlxr fifteen
days a bond to the plaintiffs securing
them to tho Mil o t th?lrlnt?e.tunt
n complete hearing -
iu merits ean he- held, ^he decistOTt
for the petition for receiyerahlp Is re- ...
BerveJl untlltha Th? WOW".
Izatlon of property may now proceed .
The state constables Monday prer
ecnted Chief Constable TL .
ruott wiih m nanosume J51?2S^5
cane bearing the name or that offical
and the date of presentation. Mr. cuii^.4
of Columbia formally preswited^ ^ ;
tribute of esteem tn a neat and ap
propriate speech.
On Christmas day while tfee^WJ*
room of Rowe 'ft RoWS, w
?. ,"th ?? "<"? ?a 11 "
gold mounted. ? -
Telegraphic Brtefa.
SWSSSjI"
West Point, Va., of M.1W in^li^and
? waiidaratte sum in casb. - ^
tiScE^ittcSell* 1
Riley Saonders wai
port News. charged
aad robbing^C. F. H