Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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CAMPEN GOTTON MARKET HIGHER THAN OTHER TOWNS. MARKET YOUR COTTON HERE The Camden Chronicle VOLUME XXXVI.. CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1924. NUMBER 26. 4 CRIME, LEXINGTON I.ad Till? Story of Negro'* Deed, But Later C'onfease*. Columbia, Sept. 20. ? Making his way out of the woods and creeping through weeds that grew near the Wessinger farm an unidentified negro ' early tonight attacked Mrs. Lina Wessinger, 25, and her three small children with an axe, causing injuries of which the woman died three hours later tW hospital here. The children Newman, Carles Rufue, and Azallee, aged 4, 2 and 1, respectively, were present when their mother was struck do*wm in the yard by their an sailant, who then 'foljowed them into the house where he beat them into r unconsciousness A foui ten jrear old nephew of the woman, Asbury Wessinger, was chased by the negro, but escaped to tell his father, Banks K. Wessinger, a farmer who lives near New Brook 1 land. After spreading the alarm, Mr. Wessinger- with? the~?id of- a neigh bor brought t% woman and children ^ 1o Columbia forme<|ical attention. ? " The attack on the Wessinger fam ily occurred, about 6:30 o'clock this evening, while D. V. Wessinger, the father who is employed as a sales man in Columbia, was away from home. He did^not learn of the. trag edy until several hours later when he was called to his wife's deathbed. There were no available eye-wit nesses tonight in the attack upon the Wessingers. When B. K. Wessinger arrived at his brother's home, he stated, he found the body of the woman lying near the cows she had been milking, when struck down. The unconscious forms of the children were found just, inside the door of the house. Farmers in the neighborhood arm ed themselves and a search of the woods was begun. Sheriff E. A. Roof of Lexington county, and his deputies arrived on the scene and headed the searching party. One suspect was atrested on circumstantial evidence and lodged, it was stated by officers, in the state penitentiary here for safekeeping. The belief was express ed that he was not the negro wanted. Feeling was said to be high in the | N.ew Brookland section of Lexington county tonight, with the people high ly incensed over the crime Columbia, Sept. 2f.? Asbury Wes singer, 14-year old lad living; near New Brookland, a Lexington county suburb of Columbia, is in jail at j Lexington,' charged with the killing | of his aunt, Mrs. Violet Wessinger, j who was brutally done to her death ! '.vith an axe wielded by the lad last night, and in a hospital here are Mrs. ?\ essinger's three young children, zpo* one, four, and six, the two old *->t at death's door, all three attacked ? y the same 14-year old lad. The two oldest children are suffer r-g with fractured skulls and are un i'?nscious. The baby has concussion 1 the brain. All three had their, '"'?ads horribly crushed by the axe; ? i'H-h the 14-year old slayer used. ! The boy and his aunt had had some 1 ? ds about a pocket knife. Tht; lad' looking for the knife in the back J ?aid of his aunt's home, while Mrs.} ?\ ? linger was milking a cow a short, >"? '**ance from the house. He got the I went to the lot, felled his aunt, '?':d then returned to the house and i "acked the three children. He then to his father's home a hundred J . ?rds away juid_ told a story of aj "range neg^o who had visited his! nu's home while he was there,1 '"reatening him. 'he fathers-went to the stricken i *n i 1 v t u. find all four lying in pools) ' blood. Hundreds of men scoured the , '<ods all night long last night, inj 'aich of the supposed negro mur- 1 r, r. Two negroes were arrested and ?ung Wessinger was taken before: m, but he declared that neither of ' ' * m was the man who had threaten-1 - him. Cnder the strain of cross exaniina ?ns and investigations the lad gave ?'?>', and this morning he told offi c of Ix-xington county that he had emitted the deed, following a quar "? with his aunt about the knife. Mrs. Wessinger'* husband works in ??umbia and he w?? in the city at. ?"'<* time of the tragedy. .When his young nephew had re '?'rted the tragedy, Banks Wessinger 'ather of the guilty lad, rushed Mrs. ^ essinger and her three children to a hospital in Columbia. THo attack x>n the four occurred en 7 and $ o'clock. Mrs. Weaain Ker died at 10 o'clock last night. It is FAIR TO HAVE CARNIVAL Council ConBiders Attractions Neces sary To Secure Attendance. At a meeting of the Camden City Council held Tuesday evening a peti tion signed by numerous citizens of Camden was presented protesting against a carnival attraction in con nection with the Kershaw County Fair to be held in October. The council received the petition, but a contract had already been made >Vith West's Greater Shows, said to be one of the best aggregations of its kind on the road, and the carnival will not be barred from the city. It will be tented on the Fair grounds near the old court house and those seeing the carnival will also have to pay ad mission to the fair grounds. Members of the fair committee have addressed letters to nearly all of the county fair associations thtougout South Carolina asking their advice as to holding a fair "without" some~ourside attractions and in nearly every instance the replies have been that from an attendance standpoint it is almost useless to at tempt a county fair without the car nival attractions. The following letters have been re ceived and are published at the re quest of members of the fair com mittee:, Dillon County Fair. / Sept. 22, 1924. Mr. E. J. Trotter, Camden, S. C., Dear Sir: ? We have your favor of the 20th instant and are pleased to give you the benefit of our experience in the fair game. Holding fairs is not a money-making proposition. If they are well managed and the pub lic given an attractive display of ex hibits and. a good program of enter-: tainment they can be made self sustaining. Unfortunately the car nival cannot be dispensed with. You will find that 90 per cent of the pub lic is more interested in the enter tainment program than they are in the more substantial features of the fair. A fair without a carnival will s^all flat and I would not advise your undertaking to hold a fair without a good program of entertainment and our experience has been that nothing will take the place of a good carnival. It adds the smce and pep that is necessary to m*ke it go. Yours very truly, C. L. Wheeler, \ Secty. Orangeburg County Fair. Sept. 22, 1924. Mr. Ed. J. Trotter, Secretary, Cam den, S. C., Dear Sir:? L have your favor of September 20th. Orange burg has never held a fair without having a carnival in connection there with. We realize from the carnival, concessions, etc., about one-half as much as we do from admissions. In 1923 our sale of tickets was some thing over, twelve.. thousand dollars and carnival, concessions and space was something over six thousand dol lars. The carnival is also the life of the fair and a fair without a good clean carnival would, in my opinion, be a very tame affair. I" certainly would not attempt to hold a county fair without a- good clean carnival unless one could not be secured. Yours very truly, .J. M. Hughes, Secty. Taking Advantage of I'm. 1 ho editor of The Chronicle re ceived the following annonymous communication through the mail a few days ago, and as we believe we know who the guilty party is, wo are breaking our rule and publishing the same: Mr.: "I'm sick of walking the floor all night with this kid." Mrs.: "Ought to be glad you don't live in Alaska, where you'd have to do it six months a stretch." * stated tonight that the two oldest Wessinger children, Newman and Charles, have little chance of recov ery. The baby, Azalie, may survive. Asked for an interpretation of the South Carolina law with respect to juvenile cases, Solicitor A. Fletcher Spigner summarized it as follows: "The law presumes that a child under seven year? of age is not re sponsible for his acts and therefore can not commit a crime. "Between the ages of seven and 1 1 the law also presumes that the child can not commit a crime. However, the presumption is a rebuttable one; that is to .-ay. the state is required | to offer .sufficient evidence to rebut ! the capacity of the child. If it can be proved that the child is account able then he is subject to the full penalty of the law if convicted. "If the child is over 14 years of age and is found guilty then he has no presumption in his favor and must take whatever penalty is imposed, the same as a man Who is of affe." Astro ry Wessinger was 14 years of KIN (J AND HARREL1. TO D1K Chesterfield Jury Takes Only Thirty Minutes to Avenge Officer's Death. Chesterfield, Sept. 28.-r? Following' a swiftly moving trial replete with diamatic moments, Mortimer N. King and Frank Harrell, young cot-^ ton mill workers, were given death sentences late today in Circuit Court here for the murder of Major Samuel H. McLeary, United States army offi cer, on July 2, which they had both admitted in signed confessions. * Judge C. C.- Featherstone, presid ing, set November 21 as the day when they should be electrocuted in the State penitentiary at Columbia, ad vising them that he was giving them ample tifne to repent of their "most horrible" crime and to make their peace with their Master. Mrs. McLeary, who was made a widow by the crime for which the youths were trie(|, was . not in the eourt room when sentence was passed, She had been the first wit ness called by the State and was present throughout the progress of the trial until the jury retired. She was dressed in deep mourning and at times could not restrain her grief, breaking into tears when some development in the trial touched closely to the memory of her late husband. Mrs. Bonnie McLeary Kramer a sister of tht* murdered offi cer, sat with Mrs. McLeary through out the day. She, too, was dressed in black and wore a black veil and, like Mrs. McLeary, wept silently at times. Taking the stand as the first wit ness for the defense, .King produced one of the dramatic moments of a day that kept the little court rloom packed rind jammed with humanity silent by the drama being enacted. The twenty-three-year-old defendant, after making a brave effort to con-* ceal his emotion, broke down and sobbed. Pleading fW mercy to both himseff and his companion, ' he at tempted to take* the entire burden of the crime upon his own shoulders. Harrel, he declared, has never had a chance, and had a wife, with a baby born just six days ago, depending upon him for support. Harrell, he admitted, was not at hand when he fired two bullets into the army officer's head, with fatal effect, but was back at the automo bile of Major McLeary, in which the two had been given a lift by the officer. Harrell went back at his direction, the defendant said, to turn the engine of the officer's car off. Several automobiles had passed while tFey " were robbing the major in the. woods, King testified, and he decided to have the engine of the officer's car stopped to lessen the chances of de tection. ~ ' ~~ Throughout his story he main tained that the murder of Major Mc Leary had not been planned in ad vance. After they, had forced the officer into the woods, he declared, he did not intend to kill him, but planned to tie him up with a tow rope which was in the rear of the car and to make off with the niachino. Protesting that he did not realize what he was doing, King said he shot after Major McLeary had struck at him and reached toward his own pocket as if for a weapon. Ih' told a story of weeks of wan dering with Harrell in a vain search for employment in explaining why they decided to "stick up"' some trav elf r. "I had not eaten a bite for a day and a half when Major McLeary picked us up," he declared. Harrell, while on the stand, did not break down, and told his story in un trembling, but weak, voice. He in sisted that he had no knowledge that is companion planned to shoot the officer and that he was not aware that King intended to rob Major Mc Leary until . King produced the pistol and ordered the officer to stop the car. He himself had no weapon, not even a pocketknife, he swore, and he did not see King fire either of the two shots that killed the officer. Several times during the day Ilar rell appeared to be on the verge of tear?-. FTe licked his tips often as if they were dry, and at intervals hi" lips moved as if he were talking to himself. Both King and Ilarrell refused to look at a photograph of Major Mc Leary when it was held before their eyes by Solicitor J. Monroe Spears, conducting the proaeratioto. King covered eye* with hit bands and, sobbed, "Don't make me look at it" Hurrell, look ELECTION CALLBP To Vote on Kxclusion of Mill Prop-' erty October 2Ut. Ai a meeting Tuesday night the mayor and city council, acting on a petition signed by a majority of the resident freeholders of Camden, called a special election to be held October 21, 192-1, to decide the ques tion of excluding the Wateree Mill property from the city limits. Regis tration for this election will be nec essary, and the books will be open from October 1st. to October 10th in clusive. ? The petition presented to the coun cil was signed by the property owners some time ago at which time sentiment seemed to be overwhelm ingly in* favor of the exclusion of the mill property. There has been no change in the plans of the mill Owners toward the making of exten sive additions to their plant, in the event of the election being favorable | to exclusion and it is hoped that i every freeholder signing the petition w,ill register and vote in this election. ' ? Richmond Wins Pennant. Richmond, Va., Sept. 20. ? The Richmond Colts won the Virginia league pennant today, finishing the season with a one game lead over Portsmouth. The Jocal team lost a 5 to 2 game today to Wilson but in creased their lead over Portsmouth ft one-half game when the Truckers lost two games, one in the morning to Norfolk and another in the after noon to Rocky Mount. The above dispatch will be read with interest in Camden where the Richmond team got their spring training. Nearly all of the Richmond players were, known to Camden fans and they furnished some good exhibi tion games in thjs city. - " ' ' Purchased Three Bloodhounds. "Messrs. D. M. McCaskill, Henry McLeod, J. A. Moseley and W. C. Scarborough went to Newberry Wed nesday where Mr. Scarborough pur-! chased three well trained bloodhounds! from Mr. Thomas Teague of that | place. The dogs are said to be well < trained man hunters and Mr. Teague has used them in chasing many crim inals. Mr. Scarborough expects to have them at the call of anyono at short notice. ' " Death of Mr. Wilson. Mr. Thos. J. Wilson, a life long resident of Camden, died suddenly at his home, corner of Fair and York streets, Sunday morning at nine| o'clock. Mr. Wilson was 82 yea^p of i age and up to a short while ago, was an active man for his age. He was I an honored Confederate soldier, serv- J ing throughout the War Between the States. In early life he was married to M iss Anna Wright, of Wedgefield, and to this union was born the fol lowing children: Mrs. L. T. Stewart, J. Harry Wilson, Miss Mamie Wilson, Tom Wilson and Mrs. Lang Amnions, all of Camden. One son, Howard Wilson, died a few. years ago. Mr. Wilson was married about four years ago to Mrs. Hattie Bullord, who survives him. Tho burial took place Monday af ternoon, at 4:30, at the Camden cem etery, funeral services being conduct ed by Rev. W. H. Hodges, of tin* Methodbt church. A (Jet-Together Meeting. All tnfe members of the Baptist Church and all Baptists of the com munity are invited to join in a get together meeting at the Baptist church, Monday evening at eight o'clock. There will be a musical pro gram and a good time is in store for all those who attend. at it, changed his mind, glanced at the photograph and said it was the likeness of the major they had robbed and killed. Whejp the death sentence was ac tually passed upon them neither Kin#: nor Harrell, standing up before ? Judge Featherstone, showed any agi tation. They were asked the usual question as to whether they had any thing to say, and King replied imme diately, "Nothing." Harrell stood mutfl while ? his attorney replied, "Nothing more than has already been said." Several of Barrel!'* relatives were present when Judge Featherstone pronotmced sentence. Two young women wept quietly and kissed him as he flat in the prisoner's docket. They than broke into ^weeping and sobbing that was baard throughout the court. ? -?? ?; , t rfjj ^iTir'rrT ^ CAMDKN HOYS ON TEAM _ ?* To Take Part in Came in Columbia on Saturday. Columbia, Sept. 25. ? Two of Cam don high school's former football stars will possibly be seen in the initial contest of the University of South Carolina's 1024 football eleven to bo staged herC Saturday. These men are Norwood Hall and Laurens Mills who did valiant work for Camden in past years. Should they be put in the game they will acquit themselves to thet entire satis faction of their former records. On paper the Gamecocks have a very good team this season but re ports from Due West indicate that Erskine likewise has a team that fs to be feared. The game Saturday will be one of the hardest fought battles that Columbia has had in many seasons. The attendance at this should be particularly large for an opener* for with the good loads that surround Columbia it is ex pected that many fans ffom Camden and other 'surrounding towns will motor over. The contest . will be called on University field at <1 o'clock sharp/ Tom Sim* Is Acquitted. ? Lancaster, Sept. 18.? Tom Sims, who shot and killed, it is alleged, E. It. Jenkins and Frank Sims, promi nent citizens of the I'rimus section, on the night of August 5, was ac quitted in sessions court here this afternoon. The case has created intense in terest, hundreds of people being un able to get in the court house. Judge \ JBonham ordered the aisles cleared and good order was maintained throughout the trial. The killling of Jenkins and Sims was the outcome, it is stated, of a visit by citizens of the community to Tom Sims' home to protest against the alleged immoral life he was lead ing. ? Sims opened fire on the party. Frank Sims being killed instantly and Jenkins died ten days after wards in a Kock Hill hospital. Catholic Church Services. Services at the Catholic church on Sunday, September 28th, wil be at 7 a.m. All are cordially invited to attend. To Play Sumter Today. . The Camden High School football team will go to Sumter this after noon where they will play the high school team in that city. An Explanation. Some explanation seems to be nec essary concerning the acceptance of high school children from outside of district number one when the school is already crowded to overilowing. The explanation is found in Section 11-A of the' G-0-1 law as passed by the last gene/al assembly. It reads as follows: "That any accredited high school receiving support under this Act shall enroll any eligible high school pupil, the child or ward of any citizen of the State. That aliy pupil enrolled from outside the high school district shall be liable- to no fee or charge; etc." . It will be noticed that the word may is not used in the law but the word shall is used in every instance. J. G. Richards, Jr., Supt. Winthrop Teachers. The Johnsonian, published at Win throp college, has sent out a ques tionairre to find out where recent graduates from Winthrop are now teaching. Tho*e from this county are Miss Helen M. Boykin, of Boykins, who will teach home economics in the Kingstree high school, and Miss Phoebe Richards, of Liberty Hill, who will teach this season in Darlington. Masonic Meeting. A .sptcia.1 communication of Ker shaw Tx>dge No. 29, A. F._ M-, will be held Tuesday evening, September 30, jiiuxupt ly at ft o'clock at which time the third degree will be conferred upon a class of candidates. W. F. Nettles, W.M. M. Hillings, Secty. To Preach at Florence. Rev. M. J. Reddin, of the Catholic church of this city, will go to Flor ence Sunday after his morning aer vice here where he will preach at a special Thanksgiving service in that city where member* of the Catholic faith will gather from Charleston, Florence, Cheraw, Bishopville, Ben netterille, Sumter and Camden will, ?Utihfar to take pert in the service. 1 i. . y bkthune nkws notes. Happenings Interent Am Told By Our Correspondent. Bethnne, S. C., Sept. 21. A recep tion was given the touchers of the Bethune school including tlu> consol idated schools ? Timrod and Sham- . , rock ? Friday evening under tho aun( , pices of the School Improvement As Sociation. The reception was held at ,the homo of the president, Mrs. ,A. B. McLaurin. The lower lloor was thrown ensuite and charmingly dec orated in ferns and cut flowers. Tho guests were greeted at the door by Mesdames Forbis and Ward and ear ! ried to Mrs. McLaurin, who received at the head of the receiving line. Mesdames LatTitte and Truesdell then conducted the guests to the punch bowl over which Mesdames King, Morgan,' Oliver and Cjyburn preside ed. Music, both vocal and instru mental, was furnished by Misses Blakolcy, McChesney, Bethune and Mrs. Loring l)avis. There were fif teen teachers and about seventy-five guests present. , Mrs. Christian Davis, an elderly lady was taken to Columbia hospital Saturday morning where she had her foot amputated. Mrs. Davis had been suffering with the limb for sev eral years. The operation was suc cessful and she hopes to return home in a few days. John Baker, son of L. J. Baker, met with the misfortune of breaking both bones in his arm just above the wrist Sunday morning while cranking his fathers car. Mrs. Maud Watts, two sons and daughter, Miss Ruth Watts, motored to Matthews, N, C., to spend the week end with Mrs. Watts daughter. Misses Lois Stogner and Bertha Arnold left Sunday morning for Louisville, Ky., where they will en ter training for Home Mission work. Miss Glise Hook spent the week end in Columbia with her sister. ? Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, of Pollock, were guests of the hitter's brother, Mr. I). M. Mays Sunday. Miss Beulah Taylor was the week end guest of friends in Camden. Move to Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Turner and daughter, Mrs. Emmie Bobbins, left Wednesday of last week to make their home in' Jackson," Tenn., where Mr. Turner will be associated with the Southern Paving and Construc tion company at that place. Camden friends of these excellent people will regret their departure, but will wisn them all success in their new home. (lets .Life in I'en. Dillon, Sept. 15. ? Tracey Powers was sentenced in court here last weeK for the murder of Earl Harrell, young farmer whose body he burned. Publicity Needed. With winter resort advantages equal to any place in the South, the lack of sufficient funds for adver tising purposes keeps Camden far be low many other places, in number of winter visitors. Many of these places are not endowed with the natural ad vantages of Camden, but with thous ands of dollars for scattering abroad their story, every winter finds thous ands of visitors in these resorts. For the present we cannot compete with them in amount of advertising, but we must have something to send to those inquiring about Camden, and to tourist and publicity bureaus over the country. To this end we aie having a new booklet printed, similar to !?>>?? "Beautiful Camden" booklet of some yea** past, which have been exhausted. We want sub scriptions to this booklet, in any amount, and ;f you are interested in helping give your town some needed publicity, the Chamber of Commerce wirt be glad to bear from you. Midway School Preparing Exhibits. News from Midway School, near Cassatt, is that the people of that community are working on fair ex hibits, and that a splendid showing will be made by them at the County Fair, November 19th-21st. This kind of news Is encouraging, and the sec retary of the fair, Mr. J. W. Sanders, will be glad to have other communi ties report progress. As in all county fairs, the rural communities must bo depended upon to make the exhibits creditable, and it will take county wide work and lots of it. The out look now l? bright -for the best fair in years, and with town and county with a unity_ of e* will becoai * ? - - 3 reality.