The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, July 08, 1927, Image 1
MM1 |'|^K liKANTKI) BOND
and Mr*. Willi* Under
indict'meat lor Murdtr
reenville, -inly lll('
W {)( |3,000 each was this afterEn
granted by Associate Justice
[p. Cothran t<A Mrs. Ethel Gray
lillih and Henry 8. Townsend,
L^ged with the murder on June 11,
Ifgheriff Sam D. Willis.
I Arguments were not made by either
L defense or state after the last
Uftdavit, that of Mrs. Willis herself,
jus read this afternoon. Col. A. H.
Oean of counsel for the defense said
ie thought the bond should not be
00 high, adding that "in all my ex-1
>erience I have not seen a weaker J
nurder case."
Mendel L. Smith jumped to his feet
;q reply, saying it was not so regarded
)>y them, and that before the case
gas over he believed the state's position
would be vindicated.
Mrs. Willis was released from jail
shortly before 5 o'clock, soon after
the hearing was concluded.
Mrs. Willis* affidavit, read afs the
concluding testimony of the defense,
said the sheriff "had implicit* confiidence
in Townsend and loved him as
U brother."
1 The Townsend family and our
IlMflly," "h? said? "were absolutely
Vfoute, cordial and perfectly friendly
it ill times, but there have been
ajiidue intimmatices between the
Mjsnent and Henry Townsend apd
Aponent indignantly denies the many
Unwarranted and untrue slanders in
Ais regard."
A detailed account of her moveents
on the day and night of the
ime was given by Mrs. Willis. She
Id of going with Mrs, Townsend
to in the afternoon to bring the
puty home from a hospital where
had undergone a minor operation,
d later of going shopping to buy
rtain food at the request of her
sband for what proved, to be his
it meal.
She "saw" the sheriff lor the last
ne, she set forth, at his bfflce, to
uch she had taken him in her auto>bile
about 9 o'clock on the night
the slaying adding that, "throught
the whole afternoon and evening,
ere had been nothing but the ut3st
love and affection in all of our
ovements."
After hearing the shots and seeing
e stranger run away, Mrs. Willis I
id she ran into the yard barefooted |
id in her night clothing. On findg
her husband lying near the garge,
she said she screamed and ran
ack into the house to telephone a
octor and the sheriff's office.
'i did not see Henry Townsend
iit night after leaving his house
(tout 8 o'clock until he came with
% father and his wife after infor?bn
had been given them of the
dooting which I gave Mrs. Townsend
,ortr the telephone," she continued.
I "I did not go inside the garage
that night after I left my car and
after the shooting. I was not in
that garage at the time the shooting
Kcurred. Deponent has on many oc- j
ittions been driving in the car with
Henry Townsend, on many of such
Jccasions having been sent out by her
tusband who had implicit confidence
the said Hebiry Townsend and
loved the said Henry Townsend as, a
bother and trusted him absolutely."
Townsend, deputy sheriff ana longtime
friend of the slain officer, did
sot leave his home on the night .of
Mturday, June 11, until after he had
bon told by telephone of his chief's
border, according to affidavits )iy
!bs. Townsend and other members
f the family* read jfcst before the
ithe defence had*' an affidavit by
*ri. Ethel Wiins, Sl-year-old mother
Tfour young children, jvhlch had
pt been read.
|*?Uher Mrs. Willis nor Townsend
ip the court room, the^" former
N in the county Jell, while the
fbty remained in the state penitenS
at Columbia whither he was
fluted after his arrest.
. state's ease, as made public tapped
allegations that Mrs. Willis
Townsend had been in each
***r*s company very often for
Months before the murder end on thf
aft?TTtoon of the tragedy. There was
direct testimony concerning the
*ta*l shooting of the sheriff at his
where he fell'with four birt *ts
In hjg bodyj.
r. Bramlett, deputy under
^iHis, swore that fog tt months the
ywganu had beyi. togei&iFjfr?gently.
About two months before
2.Wordert his affidavit said, Town5*
wlstlons with a married 4aMa
And declared he was going to put an
end to it or he would get shot but
did not name the woman.
Besides bringing out testimony
bearing on their robbery theory, de- j
fense counsel began the reading of
affidavits to support Townsend's
alibi claim.
The state, with former Judge'Mendel
L. Smith of Camden, making the
argument lost the first round when
Justice Cothran refused to sustain
Smith's contention, this being ahabeas
corpus proceedings, it was incumbent
upon the petitioners, mean-'
:ng the defense, to bear the burden
of proof. i
Alvin H. Dean of defense counsel
demurred declaring that the state's
proceedings in the entire base had
paralleled because there had been no i
coroner's inquest, and no intimation
had been given of the nature of the
evidence against his clients.
Concurring \p the defense position
that the simple denial entered was
sufficient reply to warrant, based
| upon information and belief* Justice
Cothran declared.
"It would be unreasonable to require
more than a denial in the absence
of proof by the states The
state is calle<f upon'to shov? its hand,
for the defendants cannot foe required
to shoot in the dark. This is not a
game of push pins. The state has
nothing to hope for* except justice,
and a plain, open handed policy in
my opinion, is not only best'font Comports
better with the dignity of the
state."
Affidavits from Miss Grace Williams
and Coroner John L. Parks,
told of seeing Mrs. Willis and the
deputy alone together in a room at
the Willi* home in the hours following
the'shooting* and Mrs. Ellis Hand
swore she saw Townsend kiss the
widow good night Sunday* while her
husband's body still lay in the house.
Coroner Parks''.affidavit, as well as
those of other officers, said the
woman's foot ^prints found at the
garage* where the sheriff was shot
down* were apparently of a size to
fit Mrs. Willis' foot. The coroner
said one of her shoes fitted the tracks
exactly. The prints of a man's foot
were declaxtod by the same witnesses
to be the same as the deputy's.
In reply the defense submitted
affidavits by Mrs. J. T. Roe and
Betty Ro?, next door ^neighbors, saying
they had been at tli* scene* imtne-;
diately after the shooting, and had
stepped within the garage* whfere the
prints of a - woman's foot were reported
to hare been found.
Testimony that Sheriff Willis had
been concerned over reports linking
the names of his wife and Townsend
Iwas given in an affidavit by Robert
Lee Goings* who aqyved during the
war in the company of which the late
7$fffe*r was captain* and who is
in. jail here jjT connection, with an alleged
plot to assassinate Carlos A.
Rector, present sheriff.' Saturday n
Week before the slaying Goings re""""
lated, Willis asked him if lie * had
heard any rumors about Townsend
paying too much attention to . his
wife; td . which the witness said| he
replied In the affirmative.
- The defense having won a preliminary
. victory- w)jen Justice Cothrap
required the prosecution ta .present
its case first, began its replyearly
this afternoon wi$h the reading
of another series of affidavits, tending
to build up a theory that the
officer was shot down by a robber,
and, and attempting to show that the
woman's, footprints at -4he ?fei.e of
the tragedy were made by tpecaiois
who rushed to the spot ps?soon as
they heard reports of the. four shots
that kilted the officer..
1 * '
..., A-?uir ?r
MII^TTA 4JOYK AT CAM I* ^
I-J
Camden Company at Camp Jackaon
For Fifteen Day*
Company M, 118th Infantry of the
South Carolina National Guard, left
Camden on Sunday, July 8, to be encamped
at Camp Jackson for fifteen
days. The roater of the company
I leaving here ahowa the following men
| in camp:
Captain Alfred M. McLeod, First
Lieut. M. M. Reasonover, Second
Lieut. Brevard Boykin, First Sergt.
W. B. Whaley, Mess Sergt. H. F.
Evans, Supply Sergt. C. 11. Yates, Jr.,
? Sergeants R. G. Goodale, Edward
B. Lorick, Jr., E. C. Rush, F. B.
Haynes, Purvis L. Sanders, Wade L.
Stokes, Jr.
Corporals T. T. Flowers, H. C.
Hardy, 3rd, C. P. Lorick, Jr., Arthur
; V. Smith, J. T. Haynes, J.- C. Rush,
T. P, Brown, Jr., Hoyt S. Trapp.
Privates Ward B. Hough, Albert
Anderson, Thomas K. Baxley, William
C. Biasell, Burnett A. Brannon, Connor
Britton, James W. Brown, Jr.,
John F. Evans, Sam , Chewning,
James S. Clifton Parley Crolley,
Clarence Davis, Thomas S. Dunlap,
William Goodson, Leonard Elliott,1,
Charlie D. Hinson, Broadus Horton, J
Lewis L. Hunnicutt, Roscoe R. Hor- j
ton, Nick Langley, Clyde H. Love,
.Walter M. Love, J. B. McCoy, Jr.,
John S. Nettles, Lucius B. Ogburn, j
Jr., Christie Rogers, Hdbron Radcliffe,
J. E. Ross, Jr., Charles H.'
Sawyer, Frank P. Stevens, Carl F.!
Stoke3, Oline Stokes, John Story,
Willie Stokes, Arnold S. Trapp, (
Julian Tidwell, Elwood Williams, T.
L. Willingham, Jr., James Taylor. j
KENDALL MILLS (KLEBKATE
Moilohon Mill at Newberry Furnished
Flayyround for Organization
F ?
A ( hrofljjcle niun had the pleasure
of enjoying the annual field day
event* of the Kendall Mills organisation
held this year at the Moilohon
Mill village at Newberry on Monday,
July 4.
Several hundred representatives'
from the Wateree Mills and , the
ihiift Manufacturing company at
Paw (,reek, N. C.. went to New*
bony to take part in the day's festivities,
und it was estimated that p*
crowd of around fifteen hundred from
all of the Kendall units enjoyed the
duy. Mr. Henry P. Kendall of Boston
was present and mixed with the
crowd and personally saw to It that'
things ran smooth. Mr. Paine, Mr. ]
Hallett and Mr. Llewellyn were also'
present and mixing with the crowd.]
Mr. Hollis Cobb was there too. Mr.
Hallett had charge of the sports con-!
tests.
The pleasure of the day started off j
at 9:15 with a baseball game between
Wateree and Moilohon, and despite
the fact that the Wateree team had
to rise early and make the 77-mile
trip they were the victors in a hard
fought seven inning game by a score
of 11 to 10. The game was tied tjp
at several stages but the Wateree
team pushed over two in their half
of the seventh and Moilohon failed
to score when last at the bat.
From 11-30 to 1:00 the field events
took place with all the mills participating.
These contests consisted of
100 yard dash for tuen; potato race
for boys; 75-yard dash for girls; obstacle
race for men; 75-yard dash for
boys; 75-yard dash for second place
girls; three-legged race for girlB.
At one o'clock the band concerts began
with the following bands participating:
Wateree Mill band, Oakland
Mill band, Thrift Mill band, Moilohon
Mill band, and all bands in unison.
. In the afternoon addresses were
made as follows: Welcome to Moilohon,
by Mr. George W. Summer; welcome
to Newberry by Mayor Z. F.
Wright, and a talk bv Mr. H. P. Kendall.
At 3:30 there was another ball
game between Oakland and Thrift
Mills of Paw Creek.
Then came the presentation of
prizes, and at night -fireworks display
and band concert.
All in all it was a most enjoyable
day, for both homefolks and visitors.
The Kendall Mills organization puts
on a field day of this kind every year
at one of their plants. It is in the
nature of a get-together spirit between
employer and employee and
they are all made to feel- that they
are a part and parcel of a great organization
ofwiill workers. Mr. Kendall
does not like to be referred to
as the "Big Chief." He tells us that
he wants every one of his employees
to feel that they are big chiefs and
this spirit seenVs to pervade the organization.
The magnificent lunch served at
midday whs prepared by the ladles
of the Newberry County hospital auxiliary
and we were told that Mr. Kendall
paid the ladies $500 for preparing
and furnishing the eats. iW fireworks
cost \juit|^j?ifcum of riidhey.
but it is money , well spent in keeping
such fm. organization on happy terms,
getting the best there is in them for
the benefit of the corporation.
Aside from the large -number of
.mill people who went, to Newberry
for the day, several Chmden people
were there for the celebration,tinclud*
ing Dr. and Mrs. S. F. Brasington
Mr. E. J. Lewis, Dr. and Bftrs. S M
McCaskill, MrJehh S Ltddsay, Mr
and Mrs. J. Nettles Lindsay, Mr. and
Mrs. A. S. Llewellyn, Mr. and Mrs.
R. W. Kirkland, Mr. H. K Hallett,
Mr C. M. Coleman, Mr, ?John R.
Goodale, Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Niles.
_L.. 1_ .. I., '. J I n i?
OLDEST TRIPLETS CELEBRATE
* ?
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Tell Tales
f on One Another
Knoxville, Tenn., July 4.?AbraUato,
Isaac aud Jacob Warner, of i
'Maynardville, near here, celebrated !
their seventy-first 'birthday in Knoxville.
'i hey claim to^be the world's
oldest triplets. Each is a farmer with
* family. All have children. And all
re happy.
L While here they spurn yarns about
thalr early days. They said that until
they were forty years old there
wasn't two pounds difference in their
weights. "That made the scraps interesting,"
observed Abe.
Ike added that village bullies in
"picking on" one found that they had
a trio to combat. '
I heir love affairs were also exciting,
and often complicated. Like
Ike nnd Mike they looked alike. Jake
told this one:
"Abe had a date with a girl, and
j it seems, offered her a dollur for a
kiss. He had to take it on credit
[ The next week, when 1 went to see
I the girl, she dunhed me for the doli
lar."
[ Abe grinned. "Yes, and you had
i to pay the dollar because you had
I stolen my date and didn't want the
girl to know it was you and not me,"
: he retorted.
j "Yes," answered Jake, "and you
j still owe me the dollar."
I ."I didn't aslc you to pay her for
j me, <Jld I?"
| "No, but I did"?
"Well, try and collect"?
The near-beer glasses were drained
in unison.
! 1
, Here in Private Car
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest L. Woodward
j of LeRoy, N. Y., Mr. and Mrs. Harry j
j D. Kirkover, Mr. R. W. Pomeroy and
i Mr. Harold Olmstead, all of Buffalo, j
i N. Y., came down last Friday in a
private car, "Constitution," of the
' New York Central lines, the car being
parked at the siding at the end of
West DeKalb street. They are stop-1
ping at Holly Hedge recently pur* j
chased by Mr. Woodward. They are
here looking after their recent pur-1
chases of real estate and hunting preserves.
Good Colored Woman Dead
Mary Robinson, a worthy colored
woman, was found dead in her bed
last Thursday morning. She had
been sick for some time and her
death was not unexpected. For many
years she was the faithful servant
in the home <^f the late Mr. and Mrs.
Oscar McCreight. She was considered
a fine laundress and for many years
had served many of the homes in
Camden in that capacity. She is a
sister of Celia Robinson, who is remembered
here as a registered nurse.
Barn Destroyed
Fire early last Thursday morning
destroyed a barn on the premises of
Mr. N. C. Boykin, just north of the
city. The barn contained a lot of
feedstuff and some farming implements.
The keeper of the premises
was at breakfast when he noticed
smoke issuing through the roof. Huri
riedly opening the door the barn burst
into flames, and good work kept it
from burning the keeper's cottage and
garage combined. It is not knorilM
how thd fire originated.
i Club To Meet
We have been requested to announce
that a meeting of the DeKalb
Ifome Demonstration club will be
. held on Tuesday, July 12; at 4 o'clock
j in the afternoon at the residence of
Mrs. N. B. Workman.
l __
Killed Large Battler
Mr J. & L> Brannon was. ip our
office Saturday and was telling us of
the killing of a large rattlesnake on
his place nine miles east of Camden.
The snake met death at the hands of
EM Grooms, a negro, and if measured
five feet long and had eleven rattles
and the usual button. It was killed
op July 1. Mr. Brannon fells us that
they are supposed to be numerous1 in
his section but that this it the first
MM there this year.
j * ?
I* Waterec Was The Winner ,
The Wateree team was winner in
; an interesting game last Saturday afternoon
on the Wateree diamond over
the strong Sumter team. It was a
leal fine exhibition of base ball and
greatly -enjoyed by the fans. Th<=
score ended 7 to ft. Both teams pu.
up real sports ma nl:ke ball.,; n J tht
beauty ol iLwas there wa? no wvang
i -ling or . disputing o? decisions, being
an earned victory on the part of Wat
i eme and the Gamecocks took theii
defeat gracefully.
ONLY MINOR CASKS I1KAKD
| _
Viututlun of Prohibition l aw Feature
<**? ? in Court This Week
I
The July term of court of general
ioiih ht*H been on this week with
only minor cases being heard. Judge
W. H. Tow'naend of Columbia is presiding.
The case of Elmore Joffera,
charged with the killing of Kirkland
at Blancy on last electio/i might, has
been continued until another term.
The cases disposed of, together with
the presentment of the grand jury
and the report of the sheriff's office
to the grand jury, follows:
O. B. McNaughton, white, plead
guilty to violation of the prohibition
law and was sentenced! to serve one
yeur with ten months suspended dur-?
ing good behavior.
Manning Belton, negro, plead guilty
to violation of the prohibition law and
-was sentenced to Berve six months
with four suspended.
Luther Braizael, white, plead guilty
to violation of the prohibition luw and,
was sentenced to serve nine months
with six months suspended. Braizael
plead guilty to a second charge
of violating the prohibition law and
received a similar sentence but this
will run concurrently with the first
sentence.
Charley Cly.burn, white, plead
guilty to violation of the prohibition
law and was sentenced to serve six
months with five months suspended,
John Thompson, negro, was found
guilty of violating the prohibition law
and received a sentence of eight
months with four months suspended.
Rufus Waters, white, was found
guilty of violating the prohibition
law and was sentenced to serve one
year with eight months suspended.
William Mosele?, white, plead
guilty to violating the prohibition
law and was sentenced to serve one
year with nine months suspended.*
Curtis Patterson, negro, plead
guilty to assault and battery of a
high and aggravated nature and was
! sentenced to serve two years with
eighteen months suspended during
good behavior.
Lucas Blackwell, white, plead guilty
to violation of the prohibition law
and was sentenced to Berve nine
months with three months suspended.
Evans Brown, negro, was found not
guilty of house-breaking and larceny.
Jesse Carlos, negro, plead guilty to
assault and battery of a high and
aggravated nature and was sentenced
to serve two -years with eighteen
months suspended.
: Jimmy Joye, plead guilty to violai
tion of the prohibition law and was
, sentenced to serve six months with
four months suspended.
Ambrose Belton, negro, plead
guilty to violation' of the prohibition
law and received a sentence of six
months with five months suspended.
' Frank Belton, negro, was found
guilty of violating the prohibition
law and was sentenced to serve one
year with six months suspended.
Frank is out on bond of one thousand
J dollars pending appeal.
! Mancey Jefferson, negro, plead
guilty to violating the prohibition
law and was sentenced to serve six
! months with four months suspended,
j Jesse Carter, negro, plead guilty to
, violating the prohibition law., and was
^ s?nt?pced to serve six months with
four months suspended.!.: .. ..
: Robert Truesdale, negro, plead
guilty to violation of the prohibition
i law and was sentenced to serve four
i months with three months suspendedCharley
Dixon, negro, plead guilt?
to violating the prohibition law and
received a sentence of six months
; with four months suspended.
John Adams, negro, plead guilty to
a charge of larceny and was sen
ttnced to serve one year. ?? =??Presentment
of Grand Jury
The presentment of the grand jury,
> signed by J. B. Cureton as forman, is
\ as follows:
" To his honor, Ji&ge W. H. Townsedn,
presiding judge of the July
brm of court for Kershaw county:
We have passed on all bills handed
us by the solicitor.
' We recoinm^nd that'the proper ajl'thoiities
arrange the jail so that
, 'vhtre an<j colored be kept in separate
cells. We ask that white and colored
. be worked on the gangs separated
. f < m each other, if only at a short
, M^tsnc* apart. We think that the
I .' rgulathm stripes should be worn bj
1! niisoners at all times.
; -We wish to commend the sherifl
- d his fbue of co-workers for th<
>tK:k that th^y have accomplished li
I '.he enforcement" of" the IswfT, ty
-| We recommend that the proper an
r thoritie#.visit fill camps in this count:
| where livestock If worked and t*
I after their condition and that they be
properly cared for.
I - A committee visited the jail and
finds same to be in very good corf-'
ditlon.
| Complaint has reached us that the :
condition of the bridge over Spear*
I.Creck is in bad condition. We.rl?sk
that proper authorities see after this
at once, and also;recommend that the
I Knight's Hill Road be worked at once
J as it is in Very bad condition to travel. \
I The foreman of the-grand jury has
I witnessedT the annual settlement of
I the county officials. /
We wish to thank h$s honor, the
I judge, solicitor apd all court officials
I for the courtesies extended to us, all 7
I ef which we submit. t t-Sheriffs
Report
I Under provisions ot the law where1
by the recent rural police system, of
I Kershaw county was created it is reI
quired of the sheriff .to'make a reI
port of his .office twice each yea\
I J. H. McLeod is as follows:
I. Fifteen stills' have been captured.
I Ninety-fiVe galldns of whiskey has
1 been captured.
I Five thousand six hundred seventy
I gallons mash or beer ; has been destroyed.
I twenty-three arrests for violation
II of the prohibition layr has been made.
.1 Sixty-eight' arrests for other vioillations
have been made,'
ri Nine cars have b?en capturedThree
cars have been sold for
I #31*7 50. V"
f| Two cais have bs*n redeemed by
II parties for $125.00.
iffpjfcd caV>
-1 o^aaiwho were not driving carf. 0 J
fl Two cars a:e now undtr poss? ssion
el ?f the sheriffs office.
KKKSHAW CO I'NT Y WAS FIRST
To Make Annual Settlement With
Comptroller Ceneral'a Office
Mr. K. C. Rhodes, from the comptroller
general's office, whs in Camden
on Wednesday and made his annual
settlement with the outgoing and
incoming treasurer for this county.
Mr. Rhodes says thut Kershaw county
is the first county in the state to
make a settlement for the year. Mr.
8. Wylie Hogue assume^ the office of
treasurer on July first to succeed
Mr. O. J. Smyrl, who was appointed
to the office.
While in the treasurer's office Mr.
Smyr] made an excellent officer and
his affairs were kept in the very
beat shape. He proved himself
capable, courteous and accommodating
and made many friends as temporary
treasurer. He was popular with
court house officials us well as the
general public and his friends regret
his departure.
Mr. Hogue enters the office under
most favorable conditions, with everything
In order and his friends predict
that he will give'general satisfaction.
He sturts off with a cash bulunce on
hand of $36,446.IK).
An abstract from the settlement
made on July 5 shows the following
figures:
Total balance all sources; State,
$48,417.38; County, * $263,436.71;
Schools, $491,031.06.
Paid to state to July 1, $49,858.18;
over-paid state, $940.75.
Paid county claims, $265,271.64;
over-paid county, $1,835.13.
Paid school warrants, $451,808.38;
cash balance to schools account, $39,J
223.67.
Cash balance all purposes in hands
of treasurer July 1, 1927, $36,446.99.
Not Known Here
A press dispatch from Union, S. C.,
under date of July. 3, says; "Mrs.
John Brown, of Wateree mill village,
was instantly killed and one of her
children thought fatally injured, while
her husband and two children were
badly injured when their car collided
here with another car at 7:30 this
afternoon. Mrs. Brown was about
thirty*five."
Inquiry at the mills here failed to
locate a family of that name and it
is thought there was some mistake
as to her residence.
Base Ball Saturday.
The Wateree Mills management ,
promises another good game of base
ball on the Wateree diamond Saturday
afternoon at 4 o'clock when they
play the strong Sionoco team from
Hartsville. This will undoubtedly be
the strongest team they have gone up
against this season and real base ball
is promised. The Wateree team has
been goinfc good with its victories and
have been play}ng jam-up base ball.
A small adnqrissioh as usual will be
charged and the mill b6y? are expects
ing a good crowd to~theer them oni - J