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-- The Camden Chronicle '-VOLUME XXXVIH. ^ CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1826. NUMBER 30. I, I ..... I I III II III ' ? THE AIKEN LYNCHING Editor Kerr, of Telle of Contributing Causes In a letter to The Columbia, Editor James Edwin Kerr, of Aiken, gives some lights on the lynching at Aiken hitherto unpublished and?gives the "other side" of the affair. His letter ||;v is as follows: To the Editor of The State: I have read your epjendid editorial of October 11, and Alao the statement of L G. Southard of Spartanburg, BL ?ne of th? attorneys for the defense in the Lowman trial,- and I am writing |?give you a "close-up," or what we newspaper men call a "low down" of the lynching story, and you will, #|<h Rgg the other good citisens of the state, Iff" agree with me that, awful as the "butchery" of the three negroes was, . there is another side to the,story. At the court house in Aik&'bn hour following the brutal murder of Sheriff Henry H. Howard, April 25, 1925, "a' crowd of fully 2,000 men gathered clamoring at the gates of the jail for the murderers. Sheriff Robinson, then deputy for Howard, with , the blood streaming down his face from ? wounds made by Bertha Lawman, and his right arm twisted and lacerated, held back the angry crowd by his appeal for law and Order, "Let the law take its course,' do not disgrace our county and Wtate," He pleaded". "I beg of you, men, in the name of the dead sheriff, who d ied uphbldlhg^tHe law, go back to your homes and let the law prevail!" That crowd, one of'the largest that ever swept the streets of Aiken, almost immediately dispersed. Is that.abiding by the law? The deputy with a few guards conl_ veyed' the negroes, iflfrren ^ gnjL Demon Lowman, to the penitentiary, along a rot*d whereon at any .point fifty men could have dragged the prisoners from the car aud lynched them. Not a man followed the prisoners. Is that abiding by the law? Negro societies in the North raised fwnd * for the defense of the Lowmans, who, they claimed, were "defending their castle." A new trial was sought for the three prisoners,! after two had been sentenced to death and the: woman to life servitude; and1 the trial was greintedr During the" second trial there was no bhow of disturbance. Scarcely a frown in the! crowded court room, until X. G.' I Southard, attorney for the Lowmans, exultant over the refusal of the court to .admit evidence of finding , liquor at the Lowman home a day following the murder, termed the trial "nothing but another one of these dirty liquor cases." He further' said in . open court: "I have nothing but contempt for the Volstead act, and i dnly wish" someone would buty a quart of liquor in my yard." He termed former Solicitor Robert L. Gun tor "au old grandfather, who has been at the bar for 46 years." Of Solicitor Berte D. Cartfr and Julian B. Sal ley, attorneys for the state, he said: ^Aiken sent forth her most eminent lawyers and th^y were booted out of court." In the de* nunciation of the Volstead act he was taken to task by Judge Lanham,-but bis words had the effect of creating unrest among the, spectators. It was believed that he was insinuating that Sheriff Howiigfd was on a "dirty mission" when killed. Attorney Southard then moved tpiat a verdict of acquittal ? be directed for all of the Lowmans. His assistant in the case, N. J. Frederick, negro, attorney of Coliitgfoia, followed in a speech in which he stated: "There is not one scintilla of evldenee against these prisoners, and H. te.l||^3^nden duty of the eoiiri to direct a verdict." Now, over a thousand citteena viewed the spot of Sheriff How*aft murder. They saw him lying dead I with 98 shots in his back. They saw, the door of the Lowman house splintered^ with bullets when Demmou Lowman engaged Deputy Robinson and Deputy McElhany * in, battle, shooting first at "one and then at thf other. They saw the bleeding hand of Robinson, with ,an ounce chunk ef feis flgsh torn away by Bertha Lowman In her effort to kill him with the dead sheriff's pistol, which she had taken from .his cold hand. Yew could not tell these people that the Lowmans were not guillyTDem mon, they said, fought the deputies to keqw them from elding their chief, Jjllewwtii. ^Dcmmon wms t: W char eter. Only two weeks prior to the deoth of Sheriff Howard he had been ."JlJ^led by white dtisens^r his beBwptist cburv.h near the home had Written to the sheriff to I stop the Lowmana from selling liquor to his congregation, that he was to I have a bi^ rally at his church on the] Sunday following the killing of Sheriff Howard, and wanted, the Lowmans raided. In the face of this At-i torney Southard said: "Berth* Lowman was in her yard where she ,h*d a right to be, and the officers, as they appeared with a defective warrant, had no right on the premises." Throughout the three days of the trial Attorney Southard's demeanor -y ' *> . was bordering on the insolent. He blustered,, spluttered andv shouted in A cock-of-the-walk manner. He eVeiv tried to have Solicitor Carter agree to free Bertha and Dcmrmon and Accept a plea of manslaughter against Clarence! On the streets he boasted that "not a hair in the head of Clarence would be tduched." ' It is really a marvel that he was not taken out from his hotel and yrhipped by indignant citirens. The negro attorney appeared much more, refined than his white companion, and appeared to show?resgect for the crepe draped widow and little children of the dead sheriff, who sat within a few feet of them. ' As to jifc-BoatSard's talk to the : jury trying, the ease, that they were ready to acquit Bertha and Demmon, that statement is pure "bunk." Out of the twelve men nine had, made up ; their minds to have the three Lowmans electrocuted, the other three not giving an opinion. The decision was mede following the testimony of the officers and before the jury had left their seats, so strong was the evidence o: the three Lyowmana assisting .-.e murder of the sheriff. It Is a pity that the awful affair has occurred to slain Aiken county*-*? we are not certain that Aiken citizens did the killing of the Lowmans?and the people generally deplore the viotent deed. But had Attorney Southard need discretion in handling the t defense, feeling that he was on delicate ground, it ia my belief that then : would have been ne; lynching. Hii Miuhui in court, his assertion* on Hm vuivuiffte in vwui w? nviig vu ?n street, his insulta to the widow aik children of *Vh? dead Henry Howsrc SEABROOK ACQUITTED Dry Agent Had Been Charged With Accepting Bribe Money Charleston, S. C., Oct. lfl.?Alonio B. Seabrook was acquitted by a jury in the federal court here last night of bribery charges after the jury had deliberated for one hour and forty minutes. The fate of the suspended prohibition agent had been placed in the hands of tljie jury at 5:45 o'clock. Seabrook had been on trial since Tuesday morning. He. had been arrested on the night t>f September 4 at his home in North Charleston by federal agents while 100 other agents swooped down on the Hell Hole swamp section of. Berkeley county and made wholesale arrests qjalleged -moonshiners. His acquittal followed a bitterly fought legal battle, climaxed yesterday afternoon by arguments of the attorneys which often savored on the dramatic. The trial of the accused dry agent came to a dramatic climax with fiery arguments before the jury by the prosecution and defense counsel. Louis' M. Shimel, assistant district attorney, opened for the prosecution. Mr. Shimel,. speaking* throughout the allotted time of one hour and ten minutes, pleaded with the jujy to realize that the United States government had no spite against the defendant, j and that his. prosecution was the re-1 rult oj a' deli berate effort to'atampj out the liquor business in Berkeley} and Charleston counties. He erapha-} sized that Seabrook was one of many j caught in the spectacular Hell Hole clean-up on September 4 and 5. ! Launching the argument for the defense. Edgar A. Brown, of Barnwell, told the jury that it was a case of believing a man of good family, and reputation against what he called a crowd of "bootleggers, schalawags, and perjuries. Mr. Brown inferred that the prosecution of Seabrook,! whom he characterized as an innocent I man, was the result of discordance} among agencies of the government} which had to do something to have! somebody arrested. Ho said "it is a1 pretty pass when decent people can't control the government/' \* Nap on silk-bets often cdmes from the fiber of milkweed. [__ '* I " .. NEGRO KILLED SUNDAYI Jn?k Scott Shoot# Lewi# Murphy ToI Death in Wf#t Wateree. Lewis Murphy was shot and almost instantly killed Sunday at his home on the Mobley place, a few miles northwest of Lugoff, being a victim of two I bulhpts fired from a piatol in the hands ?f another negro, after) they hia. engaged in an ' argument, bcotj was arrested soon, after and brought to Camden jail where'he is) wing held on a murder charge. Coroner W. R. Russell went to the) scene of the murder Sunday afternoon and held an innest and from tea-1 timony heard from several witnesses) ordered Scott held for the killing. ' | ?According to the testimony of Henry Ray, a white man* who was 40 eye J witness to the affair, he had gone to) the house of Murphy about 11 o'clock) and found Lewis Murphy, E. R. Ray, George Neal Ray. A few- minutps afterward John Taylor, Jess Hay and Jack Scott came. The three Hay boys and Jack Scott went to, the river and came back. We set awhile and the) Ray boys and John Taylor left. After Jack Scott came back he and Lewis Murphy got into an argument Jack j Scott went home and ^eame back in a few minutes He is quoted as saying j to Murphy that he had come back to J kill him. Murphy's reply was for hfm| to go back and not have any foolishness.. And askedL others if they reck- J oned Scott Had come there to run htm j away from his house, Scott then put j his hand in his bosom and* pulled out! a pistol. Witness... stated that he asked Scott to give him the pistol, and walked toward him when Scott walked toward the wpll. Murphy got up to get! out of .Scott's way. They were only! about ten feet-apart and Scott had his pistol in his hand. He raised the! pistol and shot and Murphy fell. Scott walked up ig)it over him and stood] there awhile. The witness stated that Scott exclaimed, ''God dam him I aM going to shoot him again." And he | did shoot again.. Witness felt satis-[ fled that Murphy was,dead whan Scott shot him the last time. Scott is then said to have walked away with the pistol in his hand. f. ' ' " Dr. J. W. A.. -Sanders made an examination of the dead man ami found where two bullet wounds had taken effect. One had gonp thrqggh^ his neck and through the back of the head. Another had gone through the body near the ribs. . f Club Met With Mrs. Gettys. The members of the Lugoff Home Demonstration Club held their October meeting at the hqme of Mrs. J. Team Gettys. After discussing plans for the Lugoff community booth at the State. Fair, the .club took j??p the planning and planting of a garden to supply the necessary quantity of green vegetables during the winter months. Miss Floyd, the nutrition specialist from Winthrop College, ijf -instructing leaders froin the club in the proper selection of food for?health and during the next few months this club will give special attention to the Food Selection Project, with the help of Miss Alma Bufgess, our agent, and Miss Floyd. Jkf the October meeting two new members 0were enrolled, Miss Chavis and Miss Fuuderburk. Always the club welcomes any one who is. interested in the work and invites all Women and young ladies of. the community to meet with them: whenever possible. f jiL . Juors For Second Week Civil ?ojurt. Jurors drawn to serve at the second week of court of ^common pleas for the second Monday in November were as follows: M. L. Raley, Camden; C. C. Gardner, Bethune; J. F, Williams, Kershaw; E. D. Dabney, Camden; TxP. Bookman, Blaney; J. W. Young, Kershaw; D. D. Truesdale. Westville; John K. Lee, Lugoff; J.. H. Osborne, Camden; J. H. Watson, Kershaw; L. R. Yarbrough, Bethune; Andrew Branham, Lugoff; James ^orris, Camdfcn; C. B. Smith, Camden; F. B. Branham, Lugoff; G.F. Watts, Lugoff; G."A. Rhame, Camden; J. T. Rabon, Blaney; Rufua Binson, Lugoff; J. E. Coats, kershaw; J. C. Ford, Lugoff; J. G. Catoe, Shaw; Sam Davis,.Bethune; R. A. t McDowell, Camden; Q. W; Phllllpe, > Kersaw; S. W. Horhsby, Camden; Claude Belt, Kershaw; Berrell Dofeey, 1 Lugoff; Austin Arkdge, Camden; R ? L. Jones, Bethune; S. L. CroDey, Cam > den; O. D. Outlaw, Bethune; 1 Truesdell, Boykin; Lewis BnabM 1 lO*"1 W. T. Staith, Camden; J. 1 ' Will BREAK PRACTICE Small Boya Cause Annoyance To Trainmen at Seaboard Station l For quite a Ion? while small negro boys have caused annoyance to trainmen at the local Seaboard passenger station and city police have bean instructed to break up the practice of. scrambling for coins thrown them by passengers. The following correspondence from Superintendent W. G. Jones, of Hamlet, to Mayor C. P. DuBose, shows the ? danger of such practice and why they are requesting the aid of tb? poiloet "When our .passenger trains are standing at the passenger station in Camden there are quite a number of small negro boys that congregate I around the trie in requesting the passengers to throw them coins, and in turn they will give them an exhibition of the Charleston dance. This has proven quite hazardous as the money thrown off frequently falls under the train or nearly bo, and the boys in scrambling for the coins, frequently get under the train. Unless this practice is broken up, soqyer or later we will kill some of these boys. "We have ' sent our special agents to Oamdenr and when they are around the station, the boys stay away, but when they are not around, the boys congregate around the trains, and I am appealing to you to assist us in breaking up the practice of these boys I hanging around thp Station, especially while the passenger trains are there. With your assistance I believe this practice can be easily broken up." A later letter from Superintendent Jones reads as follows:Mj appreciate very much indeed your kind letter of the ,19th offering your assistance to break up the practice of small negro boys congregating around our passenger trains while at the station. I have instructed our ticket agent, Mr. Puilen, to notify you promptly should he experience any further trouble with regard to thesd negro boy* hereaftfefc." McGhee audTMcGirt Get New Trial. The case of the State against Charlie McGhee, a barber, of Columbia, and Herbert F. McGirt, a negro attormy of Camden, was decided on appeal by the State supmjpse eourt in a decision handed down last week. A I pew trial has been ordered. The case was heard by the court last Tuesday. McGhee and McGirt were charged with arson, alleged to have set fire to a house on Clyburn street, the property of McGhee, which was under mortgage to a local building and loan association. The men at their trial pleaded not guilty, and the case waa hard fought. Solicitor^Spigner waa! I t assisted by City Attorney fc. A. Wittkowsky and Attorneys M. L. Smith i of Camden, and C. T. Graydon, of Co* lumbia, represented both defendants. Quite' an array of witnesses were heard?many of them being prominent men of Columbia who came over as character witnesses fo* McGhee, who conducts a barbershop in Columbia. The Jury brought in a verdict of guilty and Judge J. K. Henry, presiding, sentenced each to serve from four to leight^years at hard labor. A motion for a new trial was refused and both I defendants were released on $1,000 bond pending the appeal to the su| preme court. ??-?j?? . . ,| Rhame Making Goqd. > Claikson Rhame, of Camden, who is 1 seeing his first year at the Citadel, Is {la protecting member-of the [football team, playing full back and I the News and Courier of Tuesday had {the following to say of him: | "Rhame, of Camden, is a big fellow 1 who plays fullback for thqj&ps Apd I Rhame has the weight and just about I everything else needed to make a good I man. He is one of the punters for the 1 squad and should be good. Rhame | starred for the powerful Camden High I eleven last season., H% U an e*cep^ I tlonally good prospecT3 in that his {weight is sometMhg badly needed by | the Cadet team. Rhfme has many | friends in this section of the State and la large following is expected at floretWe, November 11, when the Pup? (meet Barney Early's Wofford ffcmhllim ? r.r'^r: m ? >B.n. - ? ' /uV . i Hospital Waate a Book-Keeper. ,L The Camden Hospital wants a book {keeper to start about November 1st {Applications ca nbe filed with Mr .fMannes Baruch, the treasurer, and b* 1 or any member of the executive com Jpdttee can give any particulars 4^ I *** ' * AGREED TO DISAGREE : , H Inttr^ting Term of Court 1h Staffed I -.'V' ' Iu Pickens County By Staff Corroapondont Columbia, Oct. 18.?-For a time b(^ fond whkh the mind of man runneth not to the contrary there has been a grey-bearded joke about Juries an-1 nouncinff to the bailiff at the door of their room that they had agreed,t and then coming into court and announcing thdt they had "agreed to disagree." But reports coming to Columbia are that at the recent term of court in Pickena county, where the mountain dews are fresh and strong, a jury actually did that very thing with regard to a sealed verdict which was left with the clerk of court. It was all regarded at but another repetition of the old, old joke until the Pickens Sentinel came along and in its report of the court's proceedings bore it out. * The case seems to have arisen from an alleged injury by a piece of lumber said to have been protruding from one of these well-knoWn lumbar trucks. Will Wilson was suing the Eatley Lumber company, and he said that he was hit by the piece of llffittr | bar while the truek was passing him on the Pickens-Easley highway. The jury took the testimony under solemn consideration, hnd while they were skill deliberating the court pdjourned for the day, and the Jury was given the usual instructions that if~they | agreed the foreman should write, the j verdict upon the summons and com-, plaint, seal it in the envelope hunric 11 him by the court, and then the jury; might disperse and be back in their^ seats upon the reconvening of court j next morning, when the verdict would be published by the clerk in the pres-j ence of the jury. In the meantime [ they should say nothing outside as to I what their verdict was until it was published in court. Sbme time later the jury knocked* on the door and announced that they had agreed. Sheriff Craig naturally -supposed that by "agreement" thr jury' meant they had reached a verdict and allowed them to disperse. However, it was later discovered, through the "grapevine" that is usually ennrnnnd a court, and - over.. Which pretty accurate messages are usually received, that the jury which[ had voted to make a mistrial. Of j course it takes au unanimous vote for, a jury to reach an agreement?and this vote upon a mistrial was unanimously In favor of the mistrial? When this startling discovery was made the jury had already dispersed and gone their respective wgys. Messengers I were hurriedly dispatched for them, and it is stated; Jhat one'juror had I reached his home several miles away [before being found. However, they I were all got together, but then, lookI iiig the situation coldly in the face, I it was seen there was. no use to send [the jury back for any further-delibI erations, and the jurymen worg again j released and next morning a mistrial was ordered by Judge S. W. G. Shipp, I presiding. I Two interesting caseg involving damages claimed -by, running new ( J highways through property were de{ elded by juries at this same term of I court, and in both cases the juries decided th*t-the owners of-the property I had been benefited more than they 4 bid been damaged, and rendered ver? Tdicts accordingly, >Mrs. Addle Ansel, 1 wife of Former Governor and now | bounty Judge Martin F. Ansel, asked I damages against ^Ictoena county, alleged to have been done her property j by^ocatingrjflaa new [highly through her lands nef?pib-; | crty. - The jury held by its. verdict [that the road improved Mrs. Ansel's I property $2,000 more than it damJaged it, and returned its verdict for 1 the county. In h similar case brought I by Q. F. Finley the jury held that Jihe plaintiff was already Mty doUari j better off by putting the road through 1 his property and found for the county. I In Mrs. Ansel's c#se she was repreI tented by her husband, Former Govpernor Ansel, and by her son, Harry ' I Harris, who gave notice of motion for I [new trial. The county was repre\| tented by Hon. W, E. Findley. p it was an interesting c6urt thfft j Pickens staged. .I?v .. 1 Missionary Circle To Meet. Circle No. Three of WolnaU'i II Baptist Missionary Society will meei -Ion Tuesday, 9cteb4r 26, at 4:00 p. ?? -U **.* ? * Jon )fgR street. ; - . CROP SUGGESTIONS Extension Agent* Held Meeting Bearing on Agricultural Situation. ' Extension workers of South Caroli- ? na met at Columbia on October 6th, and made the following suggestion* relative to the agricultural situation now confronting the farmer* of South Carolina: "With nearly fifty million acres of ldnd now being planted annually ., to cotton in this country, the South Carolina land-owner is faced with the necessity of making some definite change* in land management. It Is - -Jj useless to expect that tenant farmer# will bring aboyt the changes necessary as they are not able, and they move too often. It is squarely up to " land owner* ami to those- who extend credit in any way for farming, "With a climate and soil that permits growing nearly all the food and feed requirements except sugar and coffee, it is no longer common sense *i| to expect success by depending on cotton for everything, especially as there are yet millions of acres of land in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, which may be put into cotton where . .~:r$ prices are sufficiently high, "We cannot hope to compete with this Western territory on an all-cotton . Ma basis, owing to their larger production per man without the necessity of using fertilizer. "To meet this situation there must be a more general adoption of a syjh tem of farming which is safe over a period 'of years with a more definite delcOmination to stick to such a system. There has been too much plung wg from one crt>p to another without taking time and pains to perfect the p/oduction of new crops. "Nbxt, there must be an increasing number of farmers who?sell?some ? farm product besides cotton. Whether this Shall be fruit or truck crops, peanuts, potatoes, melons, asparagus, tobacco small grkin, hay, cowpeas, soybeans, velvet beans, lambs, milk,.cream, butter, eggs, chickens, honey, " ' Mai turkeys, hogs, cu/ed hams, wool, pecans, beef cattle or whether it shall be some more specialized product, such as pure improved planting seed, registered livestook for breeding, or fa hey packed farm products for. a " fepefcial trade, will depend on the special'abilities of the individual farmer, his location And other factor*.-JBtirely ' from the list of crops in atwiriorito cotton there are one or more that every farmer can bring to marketr- In this connection we ihust remember - that: No crop is profitable to all who grow it; no crop iB profitable every year; no erop is profitably grown on poor land.; "This is true of cotton as well as of other crops, though we age..prone to forget these facts with ;cotton and tor.:emphasize thera with other crops. "Coupled with the production of these additional sources of income must go a suitable organisation of local business and farming interests1 to provide markets and outlets for* surplus products. Such local arrang- * ments have already been started orj a satisfactory basis in a number pf, ' "Pinaily the average farm lands are too poor in fertility and too much In need of humus to produce/ and ' withstand short droughts to which we J are subject. Commercial fertilizer*, ?a alongpaside from the cost involved, do not solve this problem. The oflly so- ^ lution is to plow in some crop grown for the .purpose and so builct up the sag humus content that thu.-uott-wiH tain more moisture and fertility, and Wj| feed the growlngrfcrops which follow; Hundreds of demonstrations have proven the truth of' this so that even the most Ignorant should now understand it. Land owners will have tp j? furnish the seed for soil building crops and see that tenants plow them in as their contribution to soil im-, provement for mutual 'benefit. As* quickly as possible each farm should produce its own seed, but in the be ginning the landlord ^ Will^ probably plying seed of suitable soil buiMlng# crops. We emphasize rye at a winter | cropr because the coat of seed is very, reasonable and the crop will grow gn almost any land. As soon as the land is in condition and the farmer has a little experience we recommend adding'Winter legumes. More cowpeas, soybeans or velvet beans should be planted in the summer. . "When tSe^e things are done there will cease to be the oft recurring cottorf panics that wipe out the profits of favorable years. The burden of responsibility for bringing about a new syBteipjDBfits on land owners and bankers who extend credit for farm^fThe' extension - service ^suggests that bankers, famers and merchants who see this situation clearly, join In" J. calling county meetings la cooperation twith the county home and farm jagentef to work out sound programs ' for the future of each county.-t and | that such urograms shall start by the -ia ;ac2din*f7dr3arg|t crop.^ of? fall-sown K? a?ni^:dWl?rev?nt^hcre is a need fot<\ * it, as evidenced by those calling these meetings making request* for^assia| with auch meetings.1*5