The Barnwell people. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1884-1925, March 30, 1916, Image 1
"Just Like a Member of the Family”
Volume XXXIX
BARNWELL, S. C, MARCH 30, 1916
Number 31
WOMAN MURDERED
BY UNKNOWN MAN
MARCH TERM OF COURT.
Many Cases Have Been Disposed of
Since The People’s Last Issue.
Mysterious
Assault in
County.
Barnwell
LIVED ALONE IN HOME-
With Pieces of Cloth as Only Clues
Officers Search for Murderer.
One of the foulest murders in the
annals of Barnwell County was com
mitted Wednesday night in the. Boil
ing Springs section, twelve miles be
low this city. The victim wa#a white
woman about 30 years old, whoseTiody
was discovered early Thursday morn
ing by a negro in the employ of the
Kendall Lumber Company, of Donora,
which has a camp in the neighborhood.
He gave the alarm and in a short
while Sheriff J. B. Morris, his deputy,
Coroner J. Staff Halford and a phy
sician were at the scene of the crime.
An examination of the body disclosed
the fact that the murdered woman had
been ravished before she was choked
to death by her assailant. The victim
lived alone in the otd family home
stead in a desolate part of the county,
the nearest neighbors being negroes.
An investigation | of the premises
showed that the party had effected an
entrance through a window in the
front part of the house. The woman
was evidently aroused by the noise
and escaped in her night clothes
through a rear window. She probab
ly eluded her pursuer in the darkness,
as only her tracks were found for a
considerable distance across a held
She was, no doubt, screaming fpr help,
and her cries, in all probability, led to
her apprehension, as the first evidence
of a struggle was found at a point
about six hundred yards from the
house, to which the tracks of a man,
whose feet are supposed to have been
wrapped in hemp sacks, led from the
bouse. ,
A short distance from the scene of
the first struggle the officers found
part of the dead woman's clothing, a
piece of hemp cloth and a small piece
of white cloth, which the woman had
evidently torn from her asaailant. It
was at this spot, it is thought, that the
ilant accomplished his purpose, as
by was found a bloody pine root,
which he had used to beat his victim
into insensibility. After choking her
to death the man dragged the body
about four hundred yards, near the
place where the lumber company's
men are cutting timber, and attemp
ted to conceal it under some tree tops
When discovered the body was practi
cally male.
Only one arrest was made Thursday
that of a negro, and it is said
that the evidence against him is by no
means conclusive. He is unable, how
ever, to satisfactorily account for
himself during part o? the night and
he was brought to Barnwell and
lodged in t^ie county jail for safe
keeping. The only clues to the mur
derer are the pieces of hemp and cot
ton cloth found near the scene of the
crime, an<l so far no person with fresh
ly torn clothing has been located. The
people of that section are naturally
highly enraged and there is fear that
the perpetrator of the deed will be
summarily dealt with if caught.
Sheriff Morris and a posse have
been scouring the western part of the
county since Thursday, with the result
that five suspects, in addition to the
one arrested Thursday, have been
rounded up and lodged in jail.
The following cases have been.'dis
posed of since the last issue of The
People.
Ellie Bradley, charged with assault
and battery with intent to kill and
malicious mischief, was convicted of
assault and battery of a high and ag
gravated-* nature and carrying con-
celed weapons, and acquitted of the
charge of malicious mischief. He was
sentenced to pay a fine of $100 or
serve nine tnonths at hard labor on
the chain gang or in^the penitentiary.
BrC.~CTemens" pleaded guilty to the
charge of violating the dispensary law
and was sentenced to six months at
hard labor on the chain gang or in
the penitentiary, sentence being sust
pended during good behavior on pay
ment of $25.
Eleazer Daniels pleaded guilty to
the chfcrge of murder and was sen
tenced to five years at hard labor on
the chain gang or in the penitentiary.
Joe Stoney pleaded guilty to violat
ing the dispensary law and was sen
tenced to six months at hard labor on
the chain gang or in the penitentiary,
sentence being suspended on payment
of $25.
Chris Williams .was found guilty of
the charge of assault and battery of
high and aggravated nature and
sentenced to pay a fine of ffiO or serve
nine months at hard labor on the
ham gang or in the penitentiary.
Snelling News.
Special to The People.
Snelling, March 25.—The farmers
this section are very busy getting
their corn in the ground.
Quite a number of peo'ple from here
visited the Augusta, fire.
Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Birt were the
guests of Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Cook on
Wednesday.
Miss Sina Birt entertained a few of
her friends Monday evening at a birth
day pound party in celebration jai her
17th birthday. At 10:30 o’clock de
lightful refreshments consisting of
fruits,; ^candies, chocolate and old
fashioned pound cake were served
Those present were Messrs. 0. D
Moore, G. L. Hill, W. B. Parker, J.
PRESENTMENT OF GRAND JURY ENGLAND DOMINATES AMERICA
Recommends Permanent Improvement At Least, That’s What Brann’s “Icon-
of Roads.—Liquor Agents.
oelast” Says in March Number.
The following is the presentment of
the Grand Jury at the March term of
the Court of General Sessions:
To the Honorable George E. Prince,
Presiding Judge, March term, 1916.
We, the Grand Jury, having com
pleted 'the term of duties and investi
gation of the different offices amkoth-’
erwise, and advised ourselves of the
conditions of the county and its af
fairs generally, beg leave to report to
the Court as follows: *
1. That the Grand Jury commends
Your Honor for the admirable way in
which the Court has been conducted
and more especially for the magnifi
cent change given to the Grand Jury
as to its dutiqs. The Grand Jury paid
special attention, to that portion of
Your Honor’s charge with respect to
the schools of this county and of
South Carolina, and cpmmends Your
Honor for the impressive way and
manner in which you suggested and
recommended to the Grand Jury that
special attention should be given to
the advancement of the public schools
of this county. The Grand. Jury ap
preciates the fact that good schools
are the basis for a more moral citizen
ship, a more prosperous county and
a more moral people.
2. The Grand Jury recommends
that those in charge of the public
roads in Barnwell County push all
work of improving the roads as fast
DEATH OF MRS. PATE.
U. S. DAUGHTERS OF 1812.
Estimable Barnwell Lady Died Friday
-—‘ 'Evening.—Funeral Saturday.
All Eligibles Urged to Join.—Officer*
Elected at Williston.
that after said permanent roads are
made those in charge of said roads see
that these highways which air daily
used by the people of this county are
occasionally dressed or dragged in
order that they may be kept in good
condition.
S. The Grand Jury recommends that
the IV legal ion of the General A
bly make some way to reimburse the
Sheriff for expending the sum of
$89.95 in the employment of a detec
tive and furnishing money for the ap
prehension of the violators of
liquor laws for the reason that in or
der to apprehend such violators it is
necessary for the officers of the la'
to expend some money for the pur
pose of securing arrest of those who
violate the liquor laws of the State
We urge all officers to properly en
force all of the laws,- and more es
Alex Holmes pleeded guilty to the , aa practicable, ami all roads be made
charge of violating the dispensary J Wlt |, afK j
law and was sentenced to six months
at hard labor on the chain gang or in
the penitentiary, sentence being sus
pended during good behavior on pay
ment of $25.
Ollie Brabham pleaded guilty to
the charge of larceny and was senten
ced Jo one year at hard labor on the
chain gang or in the penitentiary.
Thoe. Cave pleaded guilty to the
charge of violating the dispensary
law and was sentenced to oay year at
hard labor on the 4km gang or in
the penitentiary, sentence being sus
pended on payment of jail costs.
Paul Allen eras found guilty of ob
structing a public road and sentenced
to pay a fine of $25 and open the road
through his place, or serve six months
at hard labor on the chain gang or in
the penitentiary.
Will Hayes pleaded guilty to the
charge of violating the dispensary
law and was sentenced to six months
at hard labor on the chain gang or in
the penitentiary, sentence being sus
pended during good behavior on pay
ment of $25.
James Cave was convicted of re
ceiving stolen goods and sentenced to
pay a fine of $50 or serve six months
in the penitentiary or on the chain
cm-
James Washington was convicted
of grand larceny and sentenced to six
months in the penitentiary.
Viney Hay was acquitted of the
charge of murder.
A mistrial was ordered in ,the cas#
of Gordon Owens, charged with slan
der, the jury having failed to agree on
a verdict after deliberating all night.
Otis Gibson and Ernest Duncan
were acquitted of the charge of rob
bery and larceny.
Charlie Lewis pleaded guilty to thq
charge of violating the dispensary
law and was sentenced to pay a fine of
$3ft,or serve three months at hard la-
borron the chain- gang or in the peni
tentiary, sentence being suspended
during good behavior.'
Herbert Hunter, charged with as
sault and battery with intent to killand
carrying concealed weapons, was con
victed of assault and battery of a high
and aggravated nature and carrying
concealed weapons.
Extra Venire.
The following extra venire of petit
jurors was drawn on Monday:
L. A. Cave, C. B. Lazar, K. Dia
mond, 0. ’C. Baxley, E. G. Bolen.
At the request of a very good friend,
The People takes pleasure in publish
ing the followihg article from the
March number of Brann’s '“Icono
clast,” although the views expressed
therein do uiot coincide withh those
held by thi^ paper:
Judged by the prevailing attitude
of the daily press in the United States,
the men who signed the Declaration
of American Independence made a ser
ious blunder.
It appears that time has at last vin
dicated the Tories of 1776 and utterly
discredited the patriots.
While Great Britian failed to whip
the obstreperous Washington, or sub
due the erratic Jackson, she has al
most completely won back the loyalty
of the American people. *
Of course there are a few who still
honor the memory of Washington and
revere the gallant deeds of Jackson.
They worship at the shrine of Inde
pendence and glory in the memory of
heroes who fell at Bunker Hill and
New Orleans, but, judged by senti
ments expressed in the daily press,
their numbers are rapidly growing
less.
The statue of Nathan ftkle and oth*
er men who died for liberty call for an
apology, while Washington’s monu
ment stands more as a relic of the fol
ly of our fathers than as a tribute to
his greatness.
We are making history. The great
war now raging in Europe has re
vealed a condition in America that few 1 j
imagined could exist.
Seizure of United States mail on
the high-seas by England meets with
a feeble protest from Washington, and
these seizures continue with impunity.
American citizens are forcibly taken
from neutral ships and cast into mili
tary prisons. Our President objects—
in a mild way—and for answer Eng
land repeals the performance to show
her contempt for our authority.
At the beginning of the war a num
ber of German and Austrian ships
were interned in United States har
bors. When Uncle Sam proposed to
purchase these and add them to our
merchant marine England called a
halt and we kbandoned the project.
The Allies'have interfered with our
trade with neutral nations and all
After a lingering illness of sever
al weeks, Mrs. Sarah Hopkins Pate,
relict of the late Mr. M. J. Fate, died
at her home in Barnwell Friday even
ing. The news of the death of this
good Christian woman carried grief
into the homes of the people among
whom she had lived for so many
years, endearing herself to high and
low, rich and poor, by her many gra
cious and womanly traits of character.
Mrs. Pate was born February 8th,
1852, in Lynchburg, Va., having just
passed her 64th birthday. She was a
granddaughter of Judge Reuben Hop
kins, of Danville, Va., and a niece of
the Hon/ Arthur Hopkins, Judge of
the Supreme Court of Alabama. She
was graduated from Roanoke College,
at Danville, on June 5th, 1868, and on
August 18th of the same year was
married to Mr. M. J. Pate, -of Salem,
Va. Their union was blessed with 12
children, nine of whom survive, as
follows:'*'Mr. C. A. Pate, of Washing
ton. D. C; Mr. C. W. Pate, of Kline;
Mr. A. D. Pate, of Burlington, N. C.;
Mr. G. T. Pate, of Savannah, (la.; Mr.
M. J. Pate, of Wilson, N. C.; Mes-
dames C. A. Best and G. M. Greene,
Miss Sarah I-oui»e Pate and Mr. Gor
don Pate, of Barnwell.
On Saturday afternoon the weary
body waa tenderly laid to rest in the
Barnwell Baptist Churchyard, the fun
eral aervicee being conducted by her
pastor, the Rev. W. L. Hayes, assist-
ed by the Revs. A. E. Evison and S.
W. Henry, of Barnwell, and the Rev.
K. Goode, of Blackville. A large
concourse of sorrowing relatives and
sympatetic friends gathered to pay
their last tribute of respect to the
memory of the beloved dead, the many
beautiful floral pieces attesting to the
esteem in which she was held by all.
The bereaved family have the sym
pathy of the entire community in
their dark hour of gnef.
penally the law pertaining to the Und* Sam can do is to pocket hia loaa.
Lyndhurst Items.
Special to The People.
Lyndhurst, March 24.—Miss Clau
dia Bailey, of Barnwell, was here for
the week-end, the guest of Miss A1
leen Fowk^--.-,
Dr. R. CffKirkland, of Barnwell,
was here for a few hours Wednesday
on professional business.
M Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Gaunt are re-
W. Cook, Allen Hill, Norman Folk, ■ ‘
„ „ ' , , „ ’ ct jving congratulations on the birth
Gary Cook, Chester Woodward, Hei^ 1 ^
liquor law enacted by our General As
sembly.
4. Wr have visited the County Poor
Yard ami report same in good condi
tion, but recommend that the houses
be repaired and that single iron beds
and new bedding be furnished in place
of the old pnes now being used. We
understand that one or more of the
jonutei of the pour farm are not en
titled to assistance from thp county
and we recommend that they be dis
charged.
5. We also visited the County Jail
and found it in a sanitary condition,
but in need of some repairs. We rec-
commend that the necessary repairs
be made fo the jail, and especially that
the roof be painted and that the jailer
be furnished with a suitable convict
from the county chain gang and that
a telephone be installed in the jail for
the convenience of the officers. We
certainly appreciate the condition in
which we found the jail and the ser
vices being rendered by Mr. Main, the
jailor.
J 6. We understand that some of the
express agents and messengers are
acting as agents for liquor houses and
otherwise assisting in the procuring
of liquor, and we recommend that this
matter be brought to the atention of
the express company wih the request
that they discontinue this practice.
In conclusion, we beg to thank your
Honor for the courtesies extended the
Grand Jury and also the Solicitor for
his assistance in the performance of
our duties and we trust'that you will
be spared to return to Barnwell and
dispense justice in the very admirable
manner in which your duties have
been characterized in this term..
All of which is respectfully sub
mitted. v
Arden A. Lemon,
Foreman.
March 22, 1916. ~
man Cook* A. M. Sanders, H.- L. Har
ley, Wofford Tarrence, Qtis-Cook and
L. L. Birt; Mesdames L. L. Birt, and
Lesaie Cook, Lena Tarrenre, Thelma
Creech, Emma Jean Hank in son. Ag
nes Hill and. little Katherine and
Alice Burt.
boy.
Mr. J. C. Fowke paid a flying btui
ness trip to Augusta Friday.
Farmipjf liptraltofll- ha>a
Advertised Letter*.
grin and bear it
England placed an embargo upon
cotton and many other America prod
ucts. Our statesmen at Washington
entered a protest but were met with
firmness and meekly yielded. The
newspapers and magazines even made
them like it.
At the beginning of the war Ger
many’s proposition to borrow money 1
in the United States met with open
opposition by our President, who de
clared that such a loan would violate
our neutrality. Time went on. The
war raged with unabated fury, and
when J. Pierpont Morgan, backed by
great newspapers of the country,
sought to secure a $500,000,000 loan
for the Allies, President Wilson saw
his error and repented. They got the
money, and will get more.
The ICONOCLAST has always
stood by President Wilson and his ori
ginal protest against the action, of
Germany in sinking the Lusitania
without warning. We do not believe
that innocent noncombatants should
become victims of this terrible war.
In one of his numerous notes, which
this sad tragedy inspired. President
Wilson suggested that no passenger
or merchant vessel should go armed.
Germany, taking this cue, has.agreed
to protect the lives of all passengers
and crews where merchant and pas
senger ships discard guns ordinarily
carried for self-proectibn, but has an
nounced her intention to regard every
armed vessel as an auxiliary cruiser,
and, after March first, will attack and
destroy them if she can.
When this proclamation was first
issued the administration at Washing
ton expressed approval and announced
that it would warn all American citi
zens to refrain from sailing on any
armed vessel. The attitude of Presi-
Lrttsrs remaining in the Barnwell,
South Carolina Post Offics sad adver
tised March 27th, 191$.
Mala
Burni* Butler. T. M. Barnes. Tom
Dison. Bishop Davis, Pearl Holiday.
Dan Kelly.
Female
(Bee Barker, Annie Lou Creech,
Rosa English, Rachel Sanders, Siller
Williams. 1
From Dead Letter Office.
Maggie Duncan, Sami Gantt.
Persons calling for these letters
will please say advertised and give
date. .
Chas. E. Falkenstem,
Postmaster.
Williston, March 25.—At a recert
meeting of the members of the United
Daughters of 1812, held at Wiliston,
the following officers were elected:
State president, Mrs. R. Mi -Mixson,
Williston, S. C.; 1st vice president,"
Mrs. M. F. Weathersbee, Williston, S.
C.; 2d vice president, Mrs. J. Henry
Johnson, Allendale, S. C.; treasurer,
Mrs. Quincy A. Kennedy, Williston,
S. C.; auditor, Mrs. W. G. Thompson,
Williston; historian, Mrs. Theodore B;
Hayne, Greenville, S. C.; registrar,
Mrs/ Guy Vaughan, Spartanburg, S.
C.; secretary, Miss Erma Mixson,'
Charleston, S. C.
The history of this war has never
been fairly written, neither has that
prominence been given to it that its
results justify. This was the second
war for freedom, and if it had not
been successful the results obtained
by the Revolution would have been
lost. Miss Mildred Rutherford, his
torian general of the U. D. C., says:
“The history concerning the war of
1812 has always been most unjust to
the South. Henry Clay, John C. Cal
houn, R. M Johnson and other South
ern men saw the necessity for that
war; Southern men planned it; South
ern men urged it, and Southern men
largely fought it. • • • I have re
cently read an article, “The Divina
Purpose of the War of 1812, written
by Frank Allaben, editor-in-chief of
the Journal of American History. It
is fine. Read it for yourselves if you
can. The writer said that the things
we fought for and the gains we stipu
la ted arc not even mentioned, much
less included, in the Treaty of Ghent,
which ended this war, but in spite of
that they are written in golden fire
across the face of Heaven. By
war God taught England that wo
were free. She did not seem to know
this before. • • • By that war God
preserved the Union from being dia-
solved, for you remember that the
New England States at that Hartford
Convention were planning to secede
and an agent was there arrangu* far
an alliance with England again.’*
This Society. U. S. D. U12. was or
ganised to help preserve the truth ef
history; therefore, it behooves every
daughter of those men of 1812 to join
the organisation. Mrs. Robert M.
Mixaon, State president, Williaten, S.
C., will be glad to receive applications
for membership.
furnished more guns, more money and
in fact rendered a greater service to
England than allher colonies combined
Still Great Britain is not satisfied.
We have gone jupt far enough in her
cause te win the hatred of Germany,
but not far enough to command the
love of England.
'We have gone so far in support of
Great Britain that we really have no
valid excuse for not going the limit
If it is right to send money and mu
nitions of war to uphold the conten
tion it could not be wrong to send an
army to fight for her.
If England is really fighting the
battles of civilization, as Roosevelt,
Lodge and many American editors
insist that she is, then we ought to be
ashamed to shirk our djity to help
preserve this priceless boon. To re
main safely at home while the softa of
France-, Italy, England and Russia are
dying for us is contemptible coward
ice. To receive the profits and bene
fits derived from this struggle with
out qffering to sacrifice our lives in de
fense of civilization will cause the
whole world to brand the American
people as ungrateful poltroons.
If- the unneutral press of the coun
try correctly state the case against
Germany—if they represent the true
sentiment of the American people—
we should not only send an army with
Mr. Reuben Rountree, of Willistea,
was in the city Tuesday to attend Um
meeting of the Board of Equalizaion.
“My Country, Tit of Thee," and wa
can soon become accustomed to the
new words and royal sentimante.
England is .to be congratulated upon
her success in winning the support at
American newspapers and magazines
If these friendly ^tuMications repgo-
sent the true sentiment of our peoyln
a proposition to acknowledge the sov
ereignty of Great Britain over thrsa
United States would win by a big Ma
jority. The ICONOCLAST believes
that every people in the world shooU
have the kind of government they
want. If the American people regard
their experiment in national inde
pendence . as a failure they have a
right to retrace'"their steps. To pre
tend to have independence after tha
spirit has departed is absurd, debas
ing and hypocritical. The right of
self-government implies the right ta
have a King and a President or any
form of government a majority of tha
people desire.
A return to the British fold wouhk^
put an end to Presidential elections,
which have ever been a disturbing
factor. The throne can select our
Governor-General without any excite
ment or bother to us. When local
legislators in the various provincea
pass laws that seem good to them, but
foolish to the mother country, she oq
annul them by the stroke of a pen.
The very fact that so few En
glishmen who come to this country
Mr. W. H. Vogel.
greased welt in this section and the
farmers are all taking advantage of
the bright days to finish planting their
Mr.'W. H. Vogel, who made his
home in Barnwell for several months,
died in Columbia on the
.Mi. Vogel aaa
As ad. ■ The Ffcuflt FAYS.
There was eoaMderahle wuad here'
Wednesday hut aa
has beta nyrtsdl
' . — 5
year of his age. He served during
War Between the Semens as a teem-
her at Ga. C. let Rcgtmra*. S. C. Vsl-
aateera He had Many friends fa
Bsrumll ah* anti I
with amtan regret.
our money and munitions but take a
dent Wilson aroused much fury among upon the proposition to abandon
editors who support the Allies. Eng- an y further attempt of National inde
land held up hands in holy horror, and P«ndence and once and for all repudi-
Senator Lodge, a loyal Tory from ate the f 0,, y °f our f»thcrs in break-
Massachusetts, sprang into the arena ' n * awa y f ro . m British Empire,
waving the British flag. The adminis- »hould upon bendad knees humbly
tration saw and jnstantly surrend- j *** England to receive this nation as
ered. After a lapse of a few days, at * repentant prodigal. Canadians
13th inst. this writing, the papers announce that wo *dd be delighted to have the United
An-l'-ta ada,t..ilrai.on u ah.nil to ra. Sutes_anncxed to the Poptmon. ^
* is—* j t i* embarrassing at first,
i appear to he a)• but we coaid gradually
aramay *n*h Ffcg. aid load marks. W%Ue
at Amsriraa nil- tear jlawa am mna—eats, forget pa-
fightiag uadsr the tvtaUg swag* sad Wat the stars at
free*, hat we ha*« i**a tha Kiac* » aaag ta
become American citizens |s not only
proof of their loyalty to the British
flag, but evidence that they consider
the British system of government tha
best in the world. The best is nona
too good for the Americab people.
Would not such a union insure tha
greatest possible glory? Following
the annexation of the United Stataa
to the Dominion of Canada, Mexkd
could soon be “induced’* to follow our
example and thus place both Amari- 4
cas under one flag.
gust 19th, 1844, being, in the 72nd verse itself again.
the As a aatiea, u
ia roatpfcte