Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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WATCH THE DATE ON YOUR LABEL WATCH THE DATE ON YOUR LABEL ? i.._ ? p? ? VOLUME XXXV. _ ? CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY. JULY 13. 1?23. ' NUMBER 15 taylok found guilty. Sentenced to Be Electrocuted The Thirtieth Pay of,, August. D. Coburn Taylor, white, was late Tuesday afternoon found guilty of the n under of William Cay son, also white, December 22, 1922, and was immediately sentenced by Judge W. H, Townsend in the court of general .sessions for the Fifth circuit, to die in the electric chair in the state peni tentiary in Columbia on August 30. J. B. McDonald, white, was sen tenced to five years, He was convic ted of being an accessory in the crime. The body of Cayson was buried by Taylor shortly after the murder, if was brought out at the trial, and six days later, Taylor assisted by^aihfirs, he claimed, exhumed the body ami burned it. The trial was taken up in the ses sions cQurt here Tuesday morning and consumed the entire day, golitg to the jury at 0:30 o'clock in the after noon. Taylor was accused of the slaying of William Cayson, a 50 year old white ma??r December 22, 1S)22, and later burying the body and still later burning it to hide his crime. Bill Beeves, negro, Dr. E. Z. Trues dale, G. N. Jones, state detective, W. \V. Rogers, T. Yarborough, W. L. Stokes, J. N. McLnurin, O. CY Gard ner and Bunyan McDonald were put up as witnesses for the state and the defendant was the only one. to take the stand for the defense. Taylor was not a man of means and had no counsel, so the court appoint ed M. M. Johnson and G. G. Alexan der of the Camden bar to defend him. The defense relied on a plea of self defense, Taylor admitting his signed confession made at the time of his arrest, which occurred April 10 of the present year, but qualified his confes sion with a plea of self defense, stat ing that Cayson had snapped a pistol j in his face when he went to sav? Cay son's baby, whom Cayson had taken to the woods ^ith ,the avowed inten- j tion of slaying it with a stipje. Bill Reeves, iiegro, W. W. Rogers, and G. N. Jones were the most impor tant of the state's witnesses. Bill ReeVes testified^ that Taylor had met him and that he had asked him to go with him where he had kill ed a hog, and that when he reached; the spot he found that it was a dead < man and that he fainted and took no j further part in the hiding of the j ?ahody. Bunyan McDonald, also white, who was held as an accessory, admitted his part in the tragedy in that he j helped Taylor make away With Cay son's body. He was sentenced to serve five years in the penitentiary. Taylor on the stand in his own behalf stated that he had never at tended school a day in his life. After deliberating for one hour the jury, with C. P. DuBose of Camden as foreman, brought in a verdict* of guilty of murder in the first degree, andtJudge Townsend, after asking the defendant if he had anything to say why sentence should not be passed, to which question he remained mute, sentenced Taylor to be electrocuted August 30th. Counsel for defense de clared their intention to make a mo tion for a new trial. The court room was packed all day, many of the spec tators being from near the scene of the killing. Park View Inrt Damaged. Fire Monday afternoon about six o'clock badly damaged the Park View Inn on Lyttleton Street, owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Wil liams. The fire originated in the kitchen and damaged a whole wing of the hotel, consisting of about five l ooms. A great -deal of damage was ?lone to the furniture from smoke and water. The fire department reached the scene in a short while and did ? xcellent work in confining the flames to a small area. The loss is variously ??stimated at from $2,500 to $3,000 and was fully covered by insurance. His Father Dead. Mr. W. A. Allred of the Water and I'ight Department, was called to Elba, Alabama, last week on account of the despernte iUne?? of hfs father, Mr. F. H. Allred. He reached his bedside before the end came, his death occur ring on July 3rd. Mr. Allred was 68 years of age and had been ih bad health for several months. He was a visitor in Camden last summer. A widow, and five sons. And on* daughter survive. Catholic Church Services. Services at the Catholic Church on Sunday, July 15th, will be held at 10' a. m. All are cordially invited. ? WITHDRAWS PETITION. I Franklin Think* Spigner** Opposition Too Much For Him. (Prom Saturday's Stat*.) The petitton for thy parole of Le* Roy Robert Yranklin, convict, whose plea for merJy was endorsed by the Rev. WiUian/A. Sunday, has been withdrawn at the request of the peti tioner, who, noting the, opposition of Solicitor A. Fletcher Spigner, has abandoned hope of being released. Franklin is now in the penitentiary serving a five year sentence as a re sult of his pleading guilty in Camden to charges of highway robbery, lar ceny and assault and battery with in tent kill. With two other men, soldiers of Camp Jackson, Franklin stole an automobile and a watch be~ longing to a Mr. Earle, who had been engaged by the three soldiers to carry them to Camden. Mr. Karle, beaten into unconsciousness, was left beside the road, apparently dead. *1 feel that this was one of, the most outrageous and brutal crimes j that has ever been perpetrated in the I ftf .South Carolina," -Solicitor Spigner wrote, the pardon board, and that the petitioner should serve every minute of the sentence imposed." Mr. Spigner as- solicitor was the prosecuting attorney in the case; The petition has novv been with drawn and will not throfore come be fore the pardon board at its meeting July 10. .Franklin in his. letter to Governor Thomas G. McLeod, requesting the withdrawal of his petition for a pa-, role, follows: "After seeing the piece in The State the other day wherein Solicitor Spig ner opposes me being given a chance by yourself and the pardon board, me being a homeless boy from the North, I have decided that there is no chance for me, in spite of the fact that I have learned myself as a man and a Chris tian, since the day I entered this pris on, and have never been in any troble whatsoever, and I ask that the peti I tion and papers, letters, etc., be with drawn from the pardon board. For ' even though such men as Mr. Sunday, Mr. Rodeheaver, Dr. Wells, D. D., and other big Christian people have enlist ed their aid in my behalf and my re lease was being sought on my good behaviour and reformation and not on ' the bigness nor smallness of the misdemeanor which placed me in pris on, I realize that a boy like myself that has Nothing, can not hope for mercy and another chance "from the State of South Carolina with Mr. Spigner fighting me. "But it mystifies me why he should do so in the case of a boy tjhat he never saw before in his life "and who caused neither him nor the state any trouble, for I saved the state ,^he ex pense of a trial by pleading guilty, although I neither IT?Id up Mr. Earle nor committed the assault personally. 'And in view of Mr. Spigner's stand, I, a Northern boy, can't very well expect the governor- to do any thing for me. "I thank you and all the people for all they desired to do for me, for if I could have been released fr<?m here this month it would have meant that I could have joined Mr. Sunday and Mr. Rodeheaver and would have had a chance to prepare myself for the ministry, but there is no use dwelling on hopes that Mr. Spigner's actions have banished. All that I can say is may God bless Mr. Spigner, your hon orable self and all who have tried to lend me a helping hand, even though their efforts have failed." The letter written from the state penitentiary, contained in the ^?cner of the last pag.e a request for a reply, VR. S. V. P." Aviator's Body Recovered. Charleston, July 7. ? The body of Louis H. McGowan, of Quitman, Ga., the daring aviator who lost his life yesterday evening at the Isle of Palms, when the airplane, from which, after setting it afire, he was to drop bji parachute, suddenly got of control, and plunged into the ocean, was recovered before daybreak this morning by a party of six nrten. No water was found in the dead man's tungs, they report, and it is- ijeiieved that his death was caused by the force of impact when the plane struck the water. The remains wil^ be sent to ^lis home city. To Talk to Rible Class. Judge Townsend wiTI make an ad Bible Class of the Camdetir Baptist Church at the court house. Sunday morning at ten o'clock. TTlj Jf>uT)fic| is invited. ; J-YVU. - ? . . : : "#ri *??? Uf^X^srr. , WHIPPING BOBS CONVICTED. Higginbotham Gets Twenty Yearn For Murder uf Tabert. Lake City, Fla., July 7.? ThonUs Walter Higinbqtham was late today found guilty of murder of Martin Ta bert of North Dakota, in the setfttld degree by a jury here,. The verdiet carries a sentence of 20 years. The jury was out one hour and 20 min utes. The former convict whipping boss was accused of having caused ? the death of Tabert, the result of a beat' ing administered while the North Da kota n was serving a term in the Put nam Lumber company con v jet lease camp. The trial consumed 13 days. The death of Tabert finally result ed in an investigation of the whole convict leasing system and its abol ishment by the Florida legislature. That body also' prohibited corporal punishment. Before the Florida leg islature convened, the senate of North Dakota adopted a memorial asking the Florida lawmakers to investigate the death of Tabert. Tluiixi was no -demonstration in the court room when the verdict was re ported. Attorneys for the defendant immediately made a motion for a new trial. The verdict carries a minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. Higginbotham was in court when the jury announced its decision. Higginbotham was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment. ' lie was releas ed on $10,000 bond pending hearing of appeal. ? . During the trial the s'atte charged Higginbotham with having whipped Tabert sor,?everely that it brought about traumatic pneumonia, which re sulted in death four days later. * The defense admitted the whipping, but contended it was 'within the law," basing this on testimony that only from eight to ten lashes were struck. The Florida convict camp regulations permitted administering ten lashes. The defense contended Tabert died from lobar pneumonia... Charges were made by defense counsel that one of the state's wit nesses had been offered a bribe to testify and that a "s|ush fund" had been raised in North Dakota^ to aid in the prosecutio and pamphlets distrib uted among witnesses to prejudice them. ^ ^Tabert was whipped while a con vict in the lumber company's camp, January 27, 1922. The defense claim ed he died February 2. G. Crimson, assistant attorney general of North ,Dakota, investigated the death, spend ing several weeks in Florida. On his return to North Dakota, he submitted his findings to the North Dakota leg islature, then in session, which ap proved a resolution calling upon the state of Florida to investigate the case. The Florida legislature appointed a joint committee and the investigation that followed resulted in dismissal from office of Sheriff. J. R. Jones and County Judge B. F. Willis of Leon county, who arrested and sentenced Tabert. Tabert was arrested for rid ing a freight train and sentenced to three months. Sheriff Jones admitted he had en tered into an agreement with the lum ber company to supply prisoners at $20 each. G. Crimson, assistant attorney gen eral of North Dakota, and Otto Ta bert, brother of Martin Tabert, left here tonight for their homes in North Dakota. Mr. Grimson was silent as to when the suit against the Putnam Lum ber company would be filed. He de clared it was the intention of the Ta berts to file suit for from $50,000 to $100,000 and that it would be filea in a Wisconsin court. The Putnam Lum ber company is chartered under the laws of Wisconsin. I McCaakill Is Magistrate. Columbia, July 5. ? J. K. McCaskill was apointed magistrate in Buffalo Township of Kershaw County today by Governor McLeod. He succeeds A. L. Cook, whose commission was revoked last week by the Governor as a result of the magistrate having been arrested for being drunk and disorder ly. York's Oldest Negress Dead. York, July 11. ? "Aunt" Minerva Wilson, negro, 115 years of age, the oldest person in York- county, died at har honw near York today. All of h^r 13 children are dead, but Rhe is sur ~vTv?3 By" scores ' '/>f gran<Tch Hd re n , great grandchildren and several great-great-grand children. She was alert in mind and agile in muscle up to a few weeks ego. .. . <? - - . * AN AI'PKAL FOK HKI.I'. Tuberculoid* Anaociation Is Short of Fundti for Great Work, Rev. Kirkman ti. Finlay, chairman of the membership of the South C? w olina Tuberculosis Association, has addressed thd following letter to fol low citizens of this state: "When the Cleveland disaster grip ped the hearts of t/ur Wfrtfte State, our first response was an eager desire to express our sympathy by a gift that would help in the alleviation of suf fering. "I am writing you about an even sadder disaster in our state, more pitiable because known to so few. Last year eighteen hundred South Carolinians lost their lives, not by a | mercifully sudden death, but by the slow consuming of their bodies from I within. Homes were shattered, and orphans left penniless on the com munities, in many cases with their bodies maimed for life. Not one, but hundveds- of communities in our state sullrivd. 1 "The ? majority of those who died .\v?jy. young. .. One lad ,wh.p' was work ing his way through college, strugg ling agajnst an overwhelming weak ness, fell in his senior year, still fight ing. He had not recognized/ the dis ease -until terrified by hemorrhages a few weeks before his death. A young girl, just out of school, a mother wttl\ three- little children.... We could tell you of one sad case after another, with many heart breaking fc^nse (fuenees of poverty and social disin tegration. The horror of it is that so much endurance of pain and waste of life was unnecessary. These were our own people killed by a disease that can be cured and that can be pre vented "We are asking you to help us make such tragedies impossible. Last year in our state 5117 lives were saved by the fight against tuberculosis. With your help 'more' will be saved this year. Our work will have to stop fpr a month this summer as our funds are so low. It is our hope that we will have enough memberships and dona tions to keep up the fight until'the end of the year. "Will you send us acheck today?" Young Boy, Injured. Carlisle Worsham, a lad of about nine years was painfully cut about the face and breast Monday morning when an ambulance in which he was riding had to take to the curbing to avoid a collision with another car on upper Broad street. The lad was in the ambulance with his mother who is a trained nurse, seeing after a p&tient when the accident happened. The force of the impact of car strik ing curbing threw him into a shatter ed windshield. H6 was immediately returned to the hospital where his wounds were dressed and he is rap idly recovering. Frank Ford, a pitcher for the Cam den ball club, who had his leg badly hurt in the morning game of July 4th, was the patient in the ambulance, being carried to Columbia for an X ray examination,, but escaped unhurt. Ford was transferred, to a touring car and continued on his journey. The examination showed that he had no bones broken in his leg and he was sent from the Baptist hospital to his home near Gastonia, N. C., to recup erate. Will Try Sheep Kaihing. Henry Mpldrow has launched into the sheep growing industry, having, brought over 150 ewes from the lower) part of the .state. Mr. Muldrow left j here last week for Berkley county for the purpose of selecting the sheep. Mr. Muldrow has set apart about forty acres of land on his farm near Iii<j?ropville for this purpose. Several weeks ago he received two very fine registered rams and now that he has received the remainder of his flock I he confidently expects to ship young lambs early next spring. The sheep, industry in this part of South Carolina has never been given the real test that Mr. Muldrow will give it. Mr. Muldrow's experience in the industry of several years on the western plain#, given to him a pecul iar advantage and there can be little' rioiiht thnl mireeas will crown his ef fort*. He say* that if he finds his first venture profitable he will ex tend the scope of his operations and will gradually increase hi* fioek, ? Bishopville Messenger. -*? Woman Sentenced to l>enth. New York, July 0. ? Wrs. "Anna liuzzi was today sentenced to die in the electric chair during the week of August 6th for the murder of Freder ick Sshneider, a Bronx contractor, with whom she lived eight years, ? - ' ? M-iuu r;j-? "3"*- v TOOK TIIKKK STRAIGHTS, Mollohon Team From Newberry Cap- 1 tured Whole Series From Cnmdi'n. The fust Mollohon team from New berry made it three straight from the Camden team here this week in a series of games. Lack of teamwork and weakness on the ftart of the pitcher* was responsible for the loss of the first two games. The first game went to Mollohon by a score of 12 to tt. Shealy and Lominack featured the hitting for Mollohon, while Hriggs, Camden's new first baseman, featured the hitting for Camden. Hanson and Cromer did the battery work for Mollohon, while Camden used Sox, Nunnamakcr, Smith a fid .Johnson. Tuesday's game was won by a score of 8 to 1. A. Sheaiey and Cro mer, was the battery, for Mollohon; I'ratt and Johnson for- Camden. Wednesday's same was a pretty ex hibition, going 10 innings for a deci sion. Bcnnie Smith, one of the best all round players on the .team was pitted against Sam Mills in the box and held UVB hard hitting Mollohon-, to a tli in t h. ? ninth. The score way ; 0 to ft. Lominaek in right field saved the gamt* for Mollohon in the tenth by a sensational running one hand catch of a long driv+s ' ' 1 he attendance upon these games j have been very small, but now tha: ! Camden has greatly strengthened its team with the addition of several new players, it is hoped the attend ance will pick up. The team played Orangeburg Thursday at Sumter, and will be at home Friday and Saturday for two more games with Orange burg. ? A Worthy Case. A widow with two children, who is striving by every means she can to rear her children and at. the same time keep them in food and clothing needs assistance and will appreciate small or large'gifts. She sews for a livelihood but is not well enough known to get very much of this work. ?See her at 1 202 North Broad street, and any assistance however small will be appreciated by her. Fast Freight Service. Mr. O. G. Donny, District Freight Agent, Seaboard Air Line Railway, visited the Camden and Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce and other business interests last Tuesday and anr\ounced the inauguration of a new fast freight operating between Hamlet, N. C., and Savannah, Ga., through Camden and Columbia. This new train leaves Hamlet at night after connecting with the through freights from the north and east, in cluding Richmond and Portsmouth, and passes Camden about 7:30 a. m. Cars arriving on this train will be ready for delivery by 8 a. m. day of arrrival. This will give 24 hours quicker service to Camden and vicin ity than heretofore. Mr. Donny states that package freight from the Eastern Cities arriving at Norfolk by boat around noon, are forwarded out of Norfolk same night and will reach this territory the second morning, giving four day service from New" York and otKer Eastern Cities and two days from Virginia Cities. This through train will relieve the local trains of considerable work and delay along the line, insuring prompt hand ling and delivery of all merchandise package freight. Mr. Donny also announces the op eration of a merchandise package car from Columbia to Camden, daily, except Sunday, this car to be operated I each day regardless of the amount of tonnage offered for Camden. This car will reach Camden about 9:30 a. m. James I,. Tapp Die*. Columbia, .July 5. -James L. Tapp, i proprietor of the department store i bearing his nairio, died suddenly in i his store this morning of appoplexy. , Hi* was born in what is now Cherokee County nearly sixty years ago. ? Mr. Tapp came to Columbia t wen- : ty-one years ago from Charlotte, N. | C., where he hnt> been engaged in : the mercantile business. He is survived bv Mrs. Tapp and ' three children. Mrs. AIvp Lee Dibble! and James and William Tapp. The J three children arc in the mountains of f North Carolina, having left here Mon day on a visit. Mr. Tapp was stricken in the rest room of his store, where he was con vening with one or two men. He had compiaincd of not feeling well shortly before he fell. . . . Special showing at the M^estic to day of Douglas' Fairbanks in Robin Hood. . . . ?/ SB H I S Wti r* .~T*~7 HBTHUNB NEW 8 NOTKS Happenings t?l Interest Ah Told By Our Correspondent. Hothuuc, S. C.. July M. The fourth was Very quietly observed hero. All place* of business were dosed* Must of the people wont to th<- Big Springs where It was estimated more than two t housand people had assembled. Mrs. C. 0. Terry ?n<l daughter, of Kay City, Georgia, are visiting at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. .1. A. McCaskill. Miss Mary McNaull left last weoV for HandcrsonyiUe where she will, spend a month. Miss Alma Pitta; of Camden, fl vis iting' her aunt, Mrs. W. II. Seogars. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ingram and son of Lilesvillo, N. t\, were in Bo thune Sunday. Mrs. Ingram taught in the school hero several years ag?? and is pleasantly remembered a.-v Mik < Me Daniel. Mrs. Nancy King, b vi-iijjtur. rela tives in Hartsvillo. Eugene McNaull, a student al Thornwell orphanage, is in Bethune for a month's May. Mr. Dwight Loo. of Marshvillo, N. spent the week end with hb sister, Mrs. Eva Morgan, lie was accompa nied home by his little siater, ?Tulia. Mr, .J. 1), La f lite spent several days hi Cope last week. Mr. Edward Sojourner is u[. homo from Columbia where he has been employed ,as a salesman in a depart ment store. - Mesdames Hannah Malloy, .1. U. Laffitc, E. Truesdoll, and VV. M. Stevens spent Monday in Lancaster. Mrs. Craig Best of Hartsvillo is visiting her son, Mr. B. W. Best. Mr. Burrel Seegars and faftily of Ashland spent the fourth with rela t ives here. Mr. and Mrs. Georgo Henderson of Morgantown, Pa., are on an extended visit to relatives here. The two-year-old child of Mr. and ' Mrs. Frank Tolbert, who had been ill for some time, died Sunday after noon from the effects of measles. Neil Truesdell is visiting his cou sins in Lugoff. Mary Beattie of McBco is a visitor in town. 4 Fourth Week Jurors. A. K. McLaurin; Bethune, R. K. Thompkin, Kershaw; Booker Bran ham, Lugoff; E. C. Zemp, Camden; H. T. Mangum, Bethune; N. M. Bill ings, Camdenj W. H. Ratcliffo, Luck now; Newton Kellcy, Lucknow; J. H. Sinclair, Camden; D. J. Creed, Cam den; C. E. Davis, Camden; H. C. Jones, Kershaw; J. C. Kirkland, Ker shaw; Fred T. Bookman, Blaney; E. R/ Peach, Westville; W. H. Brannon, .Bethune; John M. Villepigue, Cam den; E. L. Truesdale, Westville; G. C. Joyner, Bethune; S. R. Kirkland, Ker shaw; Hugh McCallum, Lugoff; Har vey G. Langley, Cassatt; w. C. Young, Ker?haw; J. R. LangforJ, Camden; J. L. Truesdale, Westville; R. L. Moore, Camden: B. C. Truesdale, Boykin; Wilson ? <ce, Camden; Wylie Sheorn, Camden; Yancy Threatt, Camden; H. M. Gardner, Kershaw; Kershaw; D. G. Joy, Camden; E. L. -Moseley ( Camden Joe. Fletcher, Kei - shaw. ? Mrs. W J. Jennings Dead. (Sumter Daily Item.) Mrs. Maria Douglas Jenningn, wife of \V. J. .Jennings, died at her home on North Main street Sunday morn ing at 2 o'clock, aged seventy-three years, sifter an illness of only three days, although she had been in ill health for seven or eight years. The deceased was the daughter of Geo. S. and Mary Douglas and was born in Camden, January 25, 1850. She is survived* by seven living sons and daughters, Messrs. G. Douglas, John K., W. J., Jr., of Sumter and A. A. of Way cross, Georgia, Mi.s:s Ru j becca, Miss Daisy, and Mrs. L. J. 1 I/ennhirth, of Sumter. The fu nviu. M-rv ices were held at Tirzah church. Dalzell, at 5 o'clock Sunday afternoon, of which the de ceased was a member for many years, and the interment was in the family plot in the church graveyard, the body being laid to rest beside1 tho><* of two children who had been buried there. The services were conducted by the Kev. J. P. Marion, D. D., of the First Presbyterian church, Sumter, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Martin of Tirzah church. A large gathering of relatives and frirrwN from Sumter and all over Sumter county wa* pres ent for the service* and to. pay the last sad tribute of respect to the d?*ad. Many beautiful -ilower* wi-ia. laid aa the grrrvf, attesting -the love and es teem' in which thfc deceased Was held. ? . ? ? : ? See Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood at the Majestic toda^ - . . m .<* . ?