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' V . ^ II????1 I L Camden Chronici.f . 1 ?-? ? camden, south carolina,^riday. june 3 .?? ~ ? number 10 Iirder and Suicide Incurred Wednesday /rustic incompatibility and the t of a woman to leave her ed mate for another man is be] to have been the culminating r behind the tragic passing id noon Wednesday of Sidney J. g, :19, and his wife, Mrs. Mary K. s, 4d, at their home on Rutledge t in this city. The shooting ocd, it is said, when Watts entered igh a rear door at about the same hi.s wife entered the front of humble ho/ne, e double killing was shrouded in cry until physicians examining body of Watts expressed the on that his skull was crushed a pistol bullet fired at close e and not beaten with an axe or instrument as it at first ap. d. Following the theory that Watts had been killed by her and, and that he in turn had apntly been fatally dealt with by nknown assailant, officers placed y Watts, eighteen-year-old son he couple, in the city prison for tioning. Here the young' fellow ed freely and said, even before he w of the death of either parent, t he believed his father did the oting. yhefl questioned young Watts ed that he knew of no enemy his ?r had unless it was a man named ey who, until his departure from :iiy earlier in the week, had d here as a trader of horses, iatts, the youth declared,- had strangely for several days but L'ver made any threats toward The couple entered into an ent Saturday night during according to the boy, Mrs. threatened to leave her husAt other times the youth said his mother had threatened to go away ;vith Huskey and recently had men;ioned going to Washington. The two blood-drenched and hor! mangled forms of humanity? vith bullet wounds in her right dor and left breast and another his skull blown open?each red out within a hand's grasp of thcr. The couple leaves survivbesides the son who has been ?ed from custody, two daughters fifteen and seven, and a wide highy respected family/ connecinquest before Coroner W. F. e!l was held in the mortuary of V. Evans Wednesday afternoon a jury empannqlled as follows: R. Hough, foreman, I. M. Mctill. David Wolfe, W. H.' Pearce, I. Kelly and W. F. Nettles. Their pit verdict which in effect was r-' a murder and a suicide was ceded by the taking of testimony eh was given by two physicians a number of witnesses. r- A. W. Humphries, being sworn ified at the inquest as, folows-r? was called in to examine the I of S. J. Watts and Mary Watts, *'ife. Sidney J. Watts had a bulwound on the right side of the 1 about one inch behind the corner he right eye. The skin wound about two irtehes long and an 'ir.g in the skull about the .'size bullet. On the left side of the I begining about one and oneinches behind the left eye was trently the exit. The skull being lured about three inches with a al groove for a bullet on the t segment. The bone to the ' of the skull was movable. The 1 "f these wounds were evidently ^ suit of force caused by explosThis wound was sufficient to < death. On the left hand befi the thumb and forefinger were ier burns. There were apparently owder burns on the head. I know s* a gun shot wound. 4ary Watts had a bullet wound ring below the left shoulder e about two inches from the fll column. = On the front between second and third rib about one to the left of the breast bone apparently the exit of this bullet, the posterior surface of the left 8 ?ulder about three inches from the toP was an opening apparently the entrance of the bullet. On the arm of the left side was apparently ( exit of a portion of the bullet and out two inches higher up on the *rni pit was a wound of similar f Ure> The left arm was broken tit two inches from the shoulder tnts. TJjere was a wound of eni*nce ?n ^ right shoulder blade ut inches from the shoulder joint. Did not find exit for this. The bullet passing through body was sufficient to cause death." Harry Watts, sworn, testified as follows: "1 was up to the cafe eating dinner. This cafe belongs to Mamma and Papa. 1 heard the report of a gun but thought that it was the back fire of an automobile. I went out on the street and heard someone say that a woman was dead. I went down and saw Mamma lying inside the front door. Mamma and Papa had a fuss thift morning. She said she was going to leave him. They quarreled for about one hour. They never came to blows. I do not know what caused the fuss. I never heard him make any threat to kill Mamma or himself. I drove Papa's ice wagon this morning and was going up the country with Mamma after dinner to get some wood from Blake Kelly, a brother of my mother." The funeral and burial of the unfortunate victims of. this tragedy occurred Thursday afternoon at three o'clock in a family burial plot neai Flint Hill church where several infant children of the deceased couple are buried. Negroes Wreck ( ur I wo iicgio nun uiid otic woiiiun (ami- to grii-f late Sunday night when the car they were driving failed t?? niukf a turn at the eastern end of Laurens street. The ear was said to he going at a pretty rapid rate und was the culmination of a wild party. The automobile went over the curb, striking a water meter, and crashed partly through the wire fence sur rounding the Court Inn yard, striking a tree and came to a stop with the front part badly damaged. Police officers came on the scene and after looking the party over decided to run them all in and at recorder's court Monday morning a fine of $10 each was placed on the men. The car remained tangled in the fence until next morning when it was removed by a wrecking crew from a local garage. The accident happened within forty feet of where a young white man from Sumter lost his life about a year ago while making u rapid turn at this corner. This is the fourth auto accident to occur at this coiner within one year and in most all cases was | the result of wreckless or careless driving. Bar Association To Meet The Kershaw County Bur Association will have a meeting on Friday, June 3, at 10 o'clock at the county court, house All members are rej quested to attend this meeting. Police Court Fines A total of $110.00 was collected at recorder's court Monday morning from various offenders. The fines ranged from $10 to $35 and included drunks, traffic violations and drivers operating cars while under the influence of liquor. One young whiti,1 man drew a fine of $35 for the last offe use and had an additional charge of interfering with an officer. Southern Changes Schedule A change in schedule has been made in arrival and dipaiture of the Southern railway trains and went into effect Sunday. Train 114 going North formerly arriving here at 8:50 a.m. now arrives at 9:50 a.m. Train 117 southbound formerly arriving at 10 a.m. now 'arrives at 9:50 a.m. Train 118 northbound leaving Camden formerly at 2 o'clock, now leaves at 2:10. Train 113 formerly arriving at 3:15 p.m. now arrives at 3:25. This latter train makes connection at Kingvillc for points toward Charleston with a wait of about forty minutes. The northbound trains make connection at Rock Hill for trains to Charlotte and the north. The Spirit of Co-Operation The Wateree Baptist church will call off their evening services to attend the revival that is to begin at the Hermitage Baptist church Sunday, June 5. Rev. Mr. Morris will preach at the morning hours at the' Wateree Baptist church. The Sunday School outing of the two Sunday schools of the Wateree and Beaver Dam churches last Sunday was pronounced a-great success by the many who attended. The Camden Ice Pure The City Board of Health has recently sent off samples of the Camden Ice company's product to be analyzed and the chemist's report states that the ice is pure and free from contamination. Large Brick School House For Negroes The Woman's Home Missionary So* e t y of the 'Northern Methodist Wiurch has let the contract for a modem brick school building to be erected on their property on DeKalb and f ampbil! streets in tlus city. ihe new building will take the place <>f drowning Home and Babcock ( hapel, which will be torn down and moved away. It will be three stories with basement, containing gymnasium, chapel, domestic science department, sewing department, dormitory for gills arid rooms for teachers, reception rooms and parlors and will accommodate one hundred girls. The contract has been let to ('. C. Wilson, a Columbia contractor, and calls for completion by September U28. \\ ork has already commenced in moving the laundry building, but Habcock ( hapel and Browning Home will remain standing until the new building is completed. I he school had outgrown the anti-' quated buildings and the Missionary Society had to order the erection of the larger building which it is estimated will cost around one hundred! thousand dollars. The Missionary Society has in operation several other negro schools in the South, but also has a school o? this kind for white children at Boa&, Ala., Meisenheimer, N. C., and still another for whites in Mississippi. They also operate two schools for Japanese children and one for Chinese1 children in California; one for Italians in New Orleans; another in Boston and New ^ ork. They also have an orphanage in Illinois and an orphanage in Nebraska. * Miss I.ouella Johnson, the secretary' in charge of the work here, left for her home in Ohio where she will spend the summer, returning upon1 the opening of the school in September. Third Payment From Late Bank Messrs. G. A. Rhamo, W. F. Nettles and Dr. A. \V. Humphries, of the liquidating committee of the late Peoples Bank of Camden, announce another 2.) percent payment to depositors. 1 his makes the third pay1 ment from this bank and this news will be gladly received by those wh > had money deposited there. Depositors are requested to call at the furniture store of W. F. Nettles and get their check. Watcree Won From Mollohon The fans who witnessed the baseball game last Saturday afternoon between the Mollohon team of Newberry and Wateree team of Camden certainly got their money's worth. It was a full dollar's worth of baseball for the small admission fee of twenty-five cents. Jones was patching for Mollohon while Attaway was catching. Clyde Baker and Hawkins was the battery for Wateree. The score was tied in the first inning but Wateree made one each in the next two innings. In the fourth inning Mollohon made two runs and again the score was tied. In the seventh Wateree made another run hnd in the eighth Mollohon made two runs and forged ahead. In the ninth with two out and two strikes on Fagan he lined a drive through deep center who misjudged the ball and the score was again tied. The game then went into eleven innings when Wateree made another run mainly through errors in fielding and the score stood Wateree 6, Mollohon 5. Both teams played good baseball and the fans enjoyed every minute of the game. The Wateree team goes to Columbia Saturday to play Columbia Mills. Oakland Mill team of Newberry will play in Camden the following Saturday, June 11. Death Chair Law Declared Illegal Montgomery, Ala., May 28.?Alabama's electrocution law is held unconstitutional in an opinion by the attorney general's department. The question arose over an appeal by Clyde Reese Bachelor, sentenced to hang for hiring a negro to kill his wife's father. The defense's appeal held that no provision had been made for resen fencing condemned murderers wher ' the new mode of execution became ef" fective March 1, 1027. > One negro and one white man have i already been electrocuted under* th< new law. \ Section of Sand Hills Suitable For Grapes LAdV/r h"V" h, ? " n'1' 'v?'<l from ,ikt office of J. V McHrule, general , Agricultural agent. Seaboard Air l.,ne Hallway ul Savannah. that the development department of that rail'fad will inaugurate ln the late suman extensive campaign throughthe Carolina Sandhills the >n|^TRl of growing. Fred I'. A^bbott. development agent. with I office at Hamlet. N. ( .. was in Camu-11 ur',a-v? accompanied by Mr V Mc oy of McBy? in the intereat ol the grape campaign and it is understood that this campaign is the result of experimental work in grapes at tht Seaboard has been quietly condoling for the past several years. f,'w >'ear? "Ro. it came to the attention of the Seaboard that European grapes were not cultivated on a commercial scale anywhere in the United States except in California. t, the industry is so firmly established in that state that in the nited States the common name applied to^ the vineferous or European ilTrape i> ' the California grape." Upon jnoeavoring to determine the reason Ifor confining the European grape industry within the state of California H appeared to he the general conaanlKus of opinion that soil and climatic Renditions prevented the culture of th,s crop in other states of the Union. > uch urr explanation did not appear plausible and representatives of the development department conducted an exhaustive study of the European K'ape industry determining the requirements of this crop. Dr. George Hussman, viticulturist of the United States Department of Agriculture. became interested in the effort* iOf the Seaboard to prove or disprove .their belief that European grapes ,Could be successfully cultivated in the fraandhills of the Carolinas. I)r. Hussman secured indirectly from Europe a number of vines of a great many vaneties and these together with a number of American or domestic varieties of grapes were planted at MeBee. S. C., in the spring of 1023. The test planting was made in co-operation with Mr. W. 1, McCoy, one of the leading farmers and business men of the McBee section. Tht iesuits of the test vineyard have been watched very closely. Some of the vines bore fruit in 1924 and all the vines produced fruit in 1925 and 1926. The results gained iji-tftis work have astounded all those who are intimately acquainted with the giape industry and have proved beyond a doubt that European grapes can be successfully produced in the Sandhills on a large-.commercial scale. A great future for these giapes in this section is predicted by those who are well informed in the industry of grape culture. The vines are even more prolific than in California, while the size of the berries and bunches, together with the flavor and quality, are said to surpass the California grown European grapes. With the eastern industrial centers i being the largest consumptive markets for European grapes and taking into consideration the fact that the 'entire Sandhill territory is Jqgg than one-third the distance to these mar ket? as compared with the California grape growing centers; one can readily visualize the possibilities the Sandhill territory holds for grape culture. The six southeastern states, al though large* consumers of botl European and domestic grapes, pro iduce less than six-tenths of one per jcent of the grapes gfrown and market led'annually in the United States ; During the year of 1020, 77,585 car; of grapes were consumed in th< (United States, with California pro ducing 63,549 cars or approximate!' 85 per cent of the total yield for thi I United States. The grape industr; ; in the state of California alom amounts to a ?52,000,000 buaines annually. A representative of the de velopment department of the Sea board was sent into the larger mar kets of the northeast and middle wes to investigate the marketing possibil ties of Sandhill grown Europeai grapes. The results seem to indicat that, such grapes would receive ' hea'^ reception from the produc trade and consumers. 1 Realizing that it is not possible fc all the people of the Sandhill terr tory to visit the experimental vim ! yard at McBee and believing that th possibilities of grapes are of vital ii terest to *11 those concerned wit "[agriculture, it has been 0 decided to " j carry the results of this work to the | people in their own communities. Ar? *: rangements have been completed for s the operation of a special grape train ": over the Seaboard rails from Columv | bia. S. C., to Sanford, N. C. This e i train will be equipped with an^ exy hibit car which will clearly picture e 'he possibilities of European grapes * It is expected that this car will con tain exhibits of grapes, packed in the * several Containers recommended foi this commodity. It is further plannec t to have entire vines of severa " varieties of grapes,, together wit) n their fruit on exhibit, and also a num c bcr of other exhibits, charts and pic a tures. It is planned to stop this trail e a day at each of the principal town in the Sandhills, at which time th ,r tfeneial public will be invited to visi i- ihe car, look over the exhibits, liste ?- to the discussions and secure what ir IC formation they may desire in conne< tiop with, the culture of Europea h and Ameiican grapes. ZZC-Llii.-a*' 'its, I W ?? ItomlHIlK Ships \ ImI t |(s l'w" g- 'limn:! |1 If . t.f tfit- \lnr tin hwmh.i.g t>(n u : :i i aild IIH'II 1111' li*?i?l^ ^ ill n! .. iij 1 .tllldl li having bei-n foiled to tutu bai k upon ciicoujiU'i?11k sti?nn> at a point tvsnit\ miles northeast .if this nty yu.nterday I he nmsMVi plain s are powered by two motors nil h. I hey have a wing spread of about seventy-five feet, u cruising sped of ninety-five niies per hour and in addition to their full loads of men and hnggitgi* are eaeh . capable of carrying two thousand pounds of bombing material. Landings were easily effected at the Springdale Field which, accordting to the flight commander, is the lieat and safest non government field along the entire route from San Antonio, Tex., to Langley Field. Va. | I he planes are under command of \( apt. < . F. Rust who has in his possession a chest of candy valued at ' one thousand dollars which hi* will personally deliver to Mrs. Fvnngelino .Lodge Lindbergh, mother of Amer! tea*K New York to Runs flyer, us a i gift from Virgil Hollingsworth and j the citizens of Augusta. j Other officers and men accompanying are ('apt. 11. S. Steenberg, Lieut K. N. Walker, Lieut. R. L. Williams, Sergeant Peters, Sergeant Arnold and Private King. I The ships represent the last of the Langley Field fleet returning to their ' home base from manouveurs at San Antonio and are trailing 'as the last guard of honor which remained in . Augusta following the fatal erush of four airmen of their company while in that city last Sunday. Jurors For June Term 1 he following jurors were drawn Tuesday to serve for the summer term of court of common pleas to report for service on Monday, June 20, with Judge W. 11. Townsend of 'Columbia presiding: L. M. Taylor, B. C. Truesdale, G. S. Rodgcrs, S. S. Clyburn, H. H. Holland, H. L. Robinson, R. H. Young, W. F. Nettles, A. M. Rodgers, Joe Fletcher, 11. C. Hardy, L. J. Baker, J. L. Vincent. John W. Truesdale, J. I). Bailey, Lewis Rahon, E. W. Croxton, I). L. McLaughlin, .J. W. Young, L. L. Truesdale, J. L. Goff, Harry Ross, L. 1). Holland, C. B. Smith, Lewis'' Gardner, Joe Coats, .1. C\ Horton, J. G. Heath, S. L. Crolley, L. C. Shaw, C. F. Munn, W. T. Truesdale, W. B. Branham, J. J. Campbell, A. R. Catoe, I). H. Coats. Graduates at Winthrop Among the three hundred and forty-seven young women to receive their diplomas from Winthrop college on Tuesday night were the following from Kershaw county: Arts and science course with bachelor of arts degree: Ethel Cor belt DePass, Camden; Mildred Ann Richards, Liberty Hill; Annie Heighten Rich aids, Liberty Hill; Mazie Mildred RolH'rts, Camden; Ernestine Taylor, Kershaw; Martha Boykin Workman, Camden. Home economics course with bachelor of science degree: Annie Marie j Baker, Kershaw. II Two-year business administration course: Elizabeth Clarke, "Camden; : Harriet Lipscomb, Camden. 'j I HfefJ. Gassoway of Winston-Snlcm, N. ( .y drove his closed automobile off i, the roadway near Ix-xington Sunday i ; afternoon and the car tumbled into !, the water in an old abandoned quarry, -! some HO or 90 feet deep. Mr. Gassoj way managed to break a glass-out of i the car and escaped .He was assisted II out of the quarry by passing negroes. Charlotte Thompson Held Commencement 'f"iu ; !i annual * lunnu'iu ? nicnt of tin- < hailotte Thompson High school began on May 22 with the hue(uluureatc sermon, which was delivered by l)r. \V. A. Alexander of the First Baptist chureh of Book Hill. 1 he l'isguh chureh was crowded to its capacity with patrons and friends of the school who hoard l>r. /Alexander preach a masterful wrmnii Uo the giaduutes. SjH'cial music wii/ rendered by Mr. A. C. MeKain of (linden and a number was also sung by tho high school quartet. ( lass day evrclses were held at the school < 11 Wednesday evening at which time the following program wus van icd out: Piano solo, Mae Burgess; ulphubet, Clyburn Bruce; roll, Luclle Smith; census, Hoy Baker; history, Idolene l)avis; piano solo, Sura Bruce; prophecy, VirginiaA&wcns; poem, Mae Bi tC-. urges*; Jokcs,?JvpPh "^Scarborough; will, Alexander ( lark.son. The exercises came to a dose with the singing of the Alma Mater. On Thursday afternoon, in the natural setting of the beautiful gardens of the Terraces the pupils of the grammar school presenter! a pageant, the primary department presenting "The Wind Flower," and the intermediate department "Ceres and Per sephone." The ease and finish which characterized the carrying out of this program was just another indication of the efficiency and finesse which makes Charlotte Thompson an outstanding school of tho state. The closing exercises took place in the gardens on Friday afternoon and brought to a close the most successful year in the school's brief but crowded history. I he daisy chain procession which was carried out by the seniors and juniors was beautifully executed in a series of drills, after which the ovcrgreen chain was given to the rising junior class that they might Farry on the traditions and school spirit of their Alma Muter. A scholarly and forceful address was made to the graduating class by Mr. A. Stanley Llewelyn and state high school diplomas were awarded the graduates for the first time by the superintendent. The following program was carried out: Invocation, Rev. Moultrie Guerry; piono solo, Pollye West; salutatory, Mae Burgess; student orator, Thomas McLeod; piano solo, Mrs. R. E. Rembett; address to graduates, Mr. A. ' Stanley Llewellyn; piano solo, Eva It by; awarding me<lal, Mr. E. M. Workman; awarding state high school diplomas and certificates, ?Supt. N. M. Huckabee; announcements; valedictory, Alexander Clarkson; benedie tion, Rev. Cook. ' *: The class roll is as follows: Roy Frank Baker, Sara Anne Bruce, Clara Mat' Burgess, Mary Idolene Davis, Virginia Lee Owens, John James Scarborough, Lorena Lucille Smith, Alexander Garden Clarkson, Jr. Prof. X. M. Huckabee,'after being with Charlotte Thompson since its tn^ ~ ception in 1923, leaves next September 1become principal of the high school at BatesburgnLeosville. He will be succeeded by Mr. B. B. Knight, formerly superintendent Travellers Rest, a successful schom man and an excellent athletic coach. As Charlotte Thompson has always endeavored to present a well-rounded, balanced program in all school activities, the trus- > J tees feci that under the new superintendent the, school will continue to grow and prosper. The medal awards and early report follow: The scholarship medal which is " awarded that pupil of the eleventh grade making the highest average for the four years of high school is won by Alexander Clarkson with an aver1 age of 93.25. The English medal given by Mr. <J ! M. H. Heyman of Camden to that pupil of the high school who makes ' the highest grade on English for the 5 year is won by Eva Irby of the tenth r grade with a grade of 98.2. This be- xh 1 ing the third year this pupil has won 1 the English medal it becomes her 1 permanent property. The orators' medal which is given by the teachers of the high school to the best speaker of the Cleveland 8 Literary society and determined by e open competition is woft by Thomaa [i McLeod. The American Legion Auxiliary medal given by this organization in Camden to that pupil of the eighth n grade who writes the best essay oft-v-sV"" (Continued on I^ast Page) ; s ; *'"3 g M