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* I I i i (Jljr Hamburg Jjmtli $2.00 Per Year in Advance BAMBERG, S. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1920 Established in 1891 MURDEROUS SPIRIT j RUNS OVER STATE WILLIAMS SAYS FIGURES SHOW HOMICIDE DAILY. Also Many Thefts ninety-four Commitments for Homicide in 38 Counties in Three Months?Other Statistics. Crimes of the graVest nature have shown a marked increase in number in South Carolina during the quarter ending December 31, 1919, according to a report issued by the state board of charities and corrections. Ninety-four commitments for homieide were issued in 38 counties. The report as given out- by the board of charities and corrections is as follows: / "The state board of charities and corrections has completed its analysis of the crime statistics of South i Carolina for the quarter ending December 31, 1919. This analysis shows reports from 81 per cent, of the counties. There are no reports from Calboun, Darlington, Georgetown, Horry, Lexington, Marion, Pickens and Richland. "A startling condition of affairs exists in this state. The gravest crimes have had a marked increase over the preceding quarter. It was expected that crimes would--.decrease in the face of prosperity among people and because of the leadership of the governor and his helpers for a diminution of felony. However, despite the efforts of the constituted authority and the vigorous protest of the press, life and property have been violently assaulted. The last quarter shows 94 commitments for homicides in 38 counties. This is more than a homicide a day. Perhaps in no other part of the civilized world, where war and tumult does not exist, is there so high a percentage of homicides. During the | quarter immediately after the war, whop passion was running high and the war fever had not abated, the ^ number of homicides in this state was 81. Popular interest was kindled by this revelation and great anxiety about the condition of affairs was ehown. Now peace seems to have settled down on the state, and yet a murderous spirit is running uncurbed through the land. Were all those that were killed by their fellowmeu tn South Carolina in the peaceful year 1919 stood up in Main street with their hands stretched out touching one another the line would extend , from the Jefferson hotel to the State house. Were the coffins of these people that were killed at the hands of their fellow citizens piled one upon Another, the grewsome stack would be over twice as high as the tallest , skyscraper in the state. Property Suffers. "Not only human life has been held lightly, but property has also faired ill ai the hands of the lawless. The number of those committed for larceny was 304. The highest number committed prior to the December quarter was 204, which were com initted in the June quarter. Burglarly %has also thriven, the report shows that 96 commitments were made for this'crime. The increase of thieves and rogues can not be accounted for on the grounds of want, for the state ? was never more prosperous than it is now. There is plenty of vwork to be had, and at good wages too. "The violations of the proh'bitron law were 45. The officers of the law have pursued with great energy those who distilled alcoholic liquors, but it seems that wherever a rabbit can exist a still is set up. Every brush heap is an object of just suspicion. Gives Other Statistics. "It may be of interest to know that "besides the crimes enumerated in the preceding paragraph there were 32 * commitments for forgery, 139 forr assault, 86 for vagrancy, 81 for fraud, seven for arson and sixteen for rape, j There were 1,765 commitments; not! an excessive number, yet composed ^ of such ugly elements that its evil j cnaraeter startles us. ! "The underlying cause of this evil; state s the utter contempt that many j of our people have for law. They j do not feel that the state of South' Carol na has any power to curb them in the'r evil passions or the r nn-j i rigktQovs yreed. The courts of justice are challenged, the sovereignty of the ste+e *s footed, and the prote tion of life Rod property is menaced." ^9 n rrn ? am Waterman Fountain Pens always at Herald Book Store. OX BEING A FELLOW GUEST OF FEI1SHIXG S By W. C. Patrick. ^ In one respect, at least, they are all alike?the shoe drummer from St. Louis; the motor car magnate from Detroit; Abe Kohn w.th his,last word in ladies' ready-to-wear from New York; the suave oil promoter from the southwest with his welldressed person upholstered with fascinating stock certificates, a drawl in his voice, a cast in one eye, and a manner far smoother than the oil which his high-class properties seldom, if ever, produce; the rich, rotund and retired Mississippi Delta cotton planter whose chief object in life now is to be known as a citizen of Memphis and a permanent guest of the Chisca hotel; to say nothing of the flock of small fry grocery drummers whose purpose in life is to make home by Friday night or Saturday noon, take the weekly "bawling out" from the boss, get a good, hot bath and a little rest and renew contact with civilization for a fewhours?they all have an abundance of curiosity. \ On Saturday* the Commercial Appeal heralded his coming on Sunday and accented for every hour of his short visit in detail, but aside from a characteristic remark or two from an ex-doughboy here and there, carefully deferred until assured of his freedom from the despised saluting ?and making it "snappy" every shave-tail among the seemingly countless horde, there was not a ripple of excitement to indicate that on the morrow John Joseph Pershing, commanding general of the armies of the United States, would honor Memphis with.ihis presence. Contrary, however, to the usual Sunday morning custom of hotel guests, there were few late sleepers and the breakfast room at the Chisca was well filled at a tolerably early hour with guests who quite frankly gave the "double O" to the morning paper whose front page displayed a good sized picture of General Persh ing alongside a column and pjore of details of the day's programme. I read it from force of habit and with hardly'more than passing interest until out from the printed page leaped the words "?will lunch today at the Chisca hotel." Funny, isn't it, how a few little words like that can arouse a personal interest, or, am I curious, too? At any rate, I soon knew that I was gett'ng excited and what's more others seemed, to have contracted the same malady, even though all of us tried strenuously to suppress the symptoms. What was a general any way, couldn't a fellow hop over the Mexican border a few miles and find every third male inhabitant wearing that rank as naturally as he ' wore his sombrero? "Sure," said a wise one from the mid-] die west, "I've seen that bird many a time." But I noticed that he did not lock himself in his room when the hour scheduled for lunch approached. | To one without knowledge of the impending occasion there would have been little in the appearance of the rather numerous lobby-loungers who comfortably filled the hotel's commoduious lobby and occup'ed all the available "chairs, unless it might have been the tenacity with which they clung to seats likely to be points of vantage, until along about noon there appeared a fussy little bald headed, Dow-ieggea muiviauai wnn a muuui of such comfortable size it was not hard to see that it had been designed in the good old days of the full, dinner pail. His apeparance on the scene, accompanied by the clearing away of all obstructions in a fairly good sized, quadrangular space close to the niche into which I had fitted my person, and the marshalling of numerosu chairs into irregular groups which refilled the aching voiu, seemed to be the cue for letting down of all restraint and a general buzz of conversation immediately indicated the first sign of felief from the strain. The chairs, it came out pretty soon, were to seat the local musicians ,the most of whom, it seemed, had come to blow General Pershing to a good time, and after the customary jockey'ng for position by the^e embryo Arthur Pryors and John Phillip Sousas, the crashing of the band into a patriotic air disclosaA + V?o fo t tliot TPV fripnd of the generous mouth in laboring manfully over the bass drum was endeavoring to beat his fellow musicians to it. There was a sudden dry'ng up of the streams of guests which flow so cont'nuousiy from all directions toward that magnetic marble device known as "the desk," addying and purling awav serenely after contact with the dignitaries entrenched behind it whose k'nd words give back APPROPRIATION TO FIGHT THE WEEVIL SOUTHERN MEMBERS SUCCEED IN RESTORING MONEY. 4 Active Part by Byrnes Enough Republicans Come Over to Democrats to Reverse Action of Committee. Washington, Feb. 14.?Southern members of the house today succeeded in restoring an appropriation in the' pending agricultural bill which wuuiu euauxe me uepai luicul ui agriculture to conduct experiments in Carolina and Georgia in the arsenic treatment against the boll weevil. This treatment has proved highly successful in Louisiana and Mississippi but needs to be tested more thoroughly in the Georgia-Carolina section. The item of the agriculture bill for investigation of insect pests affecting Southern field crops was reduced to' the extent of $25,000 by committee of the house. The $25,000 rncluded the amount which was to have been used especially for the boll weevil investigation in the southeast. On motion of Representative Byrnes, of South Carolina, a vote was taken on the item by the house today and enough Republicans came over to the Democrats to reverse the action of the committee of the whole and put back the $25,000. the stream in peaceful ripples or who dash it into fury with a cold eye and rude reply; the room clerk suddenly ceased to inquire "have you a reservation?", the mail clerks or female persuasion forsook their posts and in company with the telephone girl sought high ground in the bookkeeper's mezzanine office above, while below the hotel's guests had become so numerous that standing room was scarce and the sitters were forced to stand in order to see beyond the human walls surrounding them. The balconies above were draped and decorated with many varieties of femininity. Close to where I stood on the lobby floor, half concealed from general view, there was a motherly old lady whose benign countenance was the evidence of the purity of her soul and whose ready smile might have betokened an impaired hearing. She had evidently heard in part, at least, the statement of a neighboring spectator that "Pershing is a full general" when a pained expression came into her eyes and I heard her rather haltingly say: "Dear me, I? I didn't know he drank!" How fortunate that I was hidden! Suddenly there was a commotion " ^ ^ iVi w/nta rr /\r? fVtA a f tVlQ (tlllUilg UiO 1111 UUg UU buc giue ui i.uv lobby opposite my position and 1 knew by the sudden climbing onto chairs and the scattered shouts out near the street entrance that the man who led the men who made the fight that broke the power of the Hun was close to us. Directly, in company with the reception committee and members of his staff, General Pershing made his way to the hotel's register where he boldly inscribed a page which has now become a part of the history of the hotel and community. While this wa sbeing done I was making a desperate fight to peer out from behind the wall of humanity that had suddenly sprung up in front of me which, owing to my shortness of stature, was being accomplished slowly and with difficulty when my view was suddenly obscured by the skirt of an overcoat and I realized that I was becoming, against my will, the base for a human pyramid very much the same as that shown in the circus's "strong act." It was the wise one from the middle west. T'p to the time when my interest in other things began to exceed my interest in him he had been seated beside me in an arm chair apparently oblivious to his surroundings and engrossed in the newspaper which he held, but no sooner had the first leather lunged shout of "hurrah for John Pershing!" been uttered in starting the waves I of cheering and calls for "Black j Jack" and "Jack" which followed, | this wise one from the middle west found that the arm of his chair d d| n't raise him h'gh enough and he i proceeded to climb onto me, even though he had "seen that bird many a time." Extricating myself as hastily as possible from the foundat'on of the human pyramid I also climbed upon the wise one's chair and was just in t'me to see emerging from the densest portion of the crowd at a brisk pace a grizzled haired man of health INTEREST CENTERS ?IN SIMS'S REMARKS BYRNES* SPEECH STARTS SOMETHING AT CAPITAL. Whaley Takes Hand mi turn In Letter From Sick Congressman He Goes Even Farther Than Others. Washington, Feb. 14.?The effort on the part of the Republicans to use Admiral Sims in attacking the navydepartment under the Democratic administration has been seriously crippled at the outset by the speech of Representative Byrnes. Admiral Sims at first testified that he did not remember meeting the congressmen in Europe at all. Later he said that he did not tell them that the American army had broken down in its line communications necessitating the granting of the armistice but that when he told them this he | told them it was not true but was I mere propaganda that they might I hear and should correct. Congressman Whaley who had been sick wrote the committee, making j statements even stronger than those made by Mr. Byrnes. Among other things, he said: "In October, either the 30th or 31st, 1918, Mr. Glass, Mr. Byi\ies and I called upon Admiral Sims at the Hotel Crillon, in Paris, in response to an invitation extended to us over the telephone by him. During our conversation with the admiral the I mioQtirm porno nn ahmit the errantmST f w ^ of the armistice. He was asked why it was necessary and his reply was, that the American transportation had broken down, that ammunition and supplies could not be gotten up to General Pershing and that the Americans could not be advanced any farther. This astounded us all as we had been down to Tours some weeks before and had been informed by General Harboard and General Hagood, his chief of staff, of the splendid work of the S. O. S. There was no intimation by Admiral Sims that this was propaganda by anybody, but was a direct, concise statement of facts by the admiral and was made to us for the purpose of giving us the inside information as to why the armistice was being made." Mr. Whaley then detailed how as a result of this conversation he and Mr. Byrnes went to Tours the following day to learn the details of this breakdown of the army and General Harboard and General Hagood convinced them that it was absolutely untrue. As to the conversation with Admiral Sims, he wrote: "During this interview he made the statement that America* should not go into the merchant marine business and should get rid of its merchant ships and allow England to control the merchant marine. I did not take part in this conversation to any extent except to listen with astonishment to his statements. Mr. Byrnes, however, did ask many questions on this line and my recollection is clear that he was very emphatic in hiL opinion that America should not go into the merchant marine business on any large scale. "I am told that Admiral Sims has made the statement that when he told us about the*'breakdown of our line ful, ruddy complexion and clear eyes, a strong, clean-cut jaw most often described as the steel trap tpye, and a physique so splendidly proportioned that he looked every inch a soldier. The smole on his lips plainly told that the cordiality of his reception had pleased General Pershing and my discovery that his line of j progress lay directly toward me also | pleased me. Being in close proxim: ity to the elevator whoch was soon ta | bear him aloft to the banquet hall in which luncheon had been prepared for this guest of honor I was able to get a close-up of a real, live, full | general! I'l say he's full, too! Full; | of "pep" and vigor, and evidence of j clean living, a man whose deeds havej been erreat and whose modesty equals ! ! h's deeds. | After all the Irish are lucky some ! times, and the one who writes these I | 1 ~2s feels that he has been unusually ! j fortunate in having been a fellow ] guest of the greatest general of the I world's greatest country, whose j i ereatest work in the world's great-! ! j est war was furnishing the finest j j body of men to make the strongest j I fight in breaking the power of the; | world's greatest menace?Kun m:"li- j j tarism. j Memphis, Feb. 15. L. M. KEITT SCHOLARSHIP. Awarded Old District, Inc luding Bamberg County. Dr. W. S. Currell, president of the 'University of South Carolina, has received a check for $5,500 from the estate of Miss Anna N. Keitt, of St. Matthews, which under the terms of Miss Keitt's will is to be used to establish a scholarship and orator's medal at the university. The check was signed by J. S. Wannamaker and J. A. Merritt, executors. As provided in the will the interest of $5,000 of the bequest will be used to found a scholarship to be known as the Lawrence M. Keitt scholarship after Lawrence M. Keitt, father of Miss Keitt. The scholarship will be bestowed upon some student from the old district which her father represented in congress. This district now comprises Orangeburg, Bamberg, Barnwell, Lexington and Calhoun counties. The interest on the remaining $500 is to go to offer an annual medal, to be known as the Lawrence M. Keitt medal, to the best orator in the university. The details of the contest are to be decided by the university debating council which will set a date and arrange eligibility rules for a contest at an early date. All students of the university, including graduate and law students, are expected to be allowed to compete for the trophy, the first contest to be held some time this semester. Rules governing the awarding of the scholarship other'than those specified in Miss Keitt's will are to be decided by the university faculty. Such details are to be considered at an early meeting of the faculty and announced immediately. ^ ? > m FOR LACK OF CHILDREN. Marriage Annulled in Italy on Unusual Grounds. The annulment of a marriage has been obtained solely on the grounds that it was childless, says a Mil&n, Italy, dispatch. This decision is expected to be followed by numerous applications for annulment on similar grounds, for there is no divorce in Italy. The action of the tribunal is endorsed by the Ital'an press as a whole, and the socialists have gone so far as to prepare a measure for the introduction in the chamber proposing that marriages shall be compulsorily annulled if no children result from them. of communication back of the American army, that at the same time, he advised us this was propaganda that was being circulated and he wanted to warn us that it was incorrect. I desire emphatically to say that this is absolutely untrue. Had Admiral Sims told us any such story it would never have been misunderstood by all three of us, nor would we have, at great inconvenience, traveled 150 miles in order to ascertain the details of this alleged disaster. Had Admiral Sims told us it was propa ganda we would never nave reported I it to General Harboard and General | Hagood, and I am absolutely clear in my memory of the conversation with j Admiral Sims that it was a direct | statement and charge aga'nst the American army and his explanation now of the matter is simply an afterthought in order to avoid his statement which reflected disastrously on the American army in France." Senator Glass corroborated the statements of the two South Carolina congressmen in every particular. ! He stated that it did not impress him that Sims was wilfully trying to discredit the army, but that it impressed him that Sims was telling them what he believed to be true. He said that he told Sims that Pershing imI pressed him as being opposed to an armistice at that time and Sims said in reply that it made no difference whether he was or not, that it had | to be granted because of the break-| ! down of the line of communication I of our army. He was most positive I that Sims did not tell them that this I was propaganda or that he did not believe it. Senator Glass declared that he remembered the conversation in reference to the merchant mar ne just as did Mr. Byrnes and Mr. Whalev. There has been much speculat'on as to the motive of the attack by Adm'ral S'ms on the secretary of the navy. While it is stated that Admiral Sims is bitter against Daniels because Dan-'els refused to give h'm the assignment asked for last summer, it is also bel'evel that Admiral S'ms enterta'ns the hope that the Republican party, if sue essful next fall, will prove grateful and that the custom of appointing a civilian as secretary of the navy will be temporally J suspended. i I SECRETARY STATE LANSING RESIGNS MEMBER OF CABINET LEAVES AT ONCE. Suggested By Wilson Executive Not Satisfied With Course of His Chief Aide in Calling Meetings of Cabinet. Washington, Feb. 13.?Robert Lansing ended his career as secretary of state today after President Wilson had charged him with ursurping the powers of president by calling meetings of the cabinet during Mr. Wilson's illness. Mr. Lansing denied that he had sought or intended to usurp th? presidential authority. He added, however, that he believed then and still believes that the cabinet conferences were "of the best interests of the republic; that they were proper and necessary because of the president's condition and that he would have been derelict in his duty if he had failed to act as he did." As the record stands Mr. Lansing tendered his resignation and Mr. Wilson accepted it. The resignation was offered, however, only after the president, under date of February 7, had written asking if it were true that Mr. Lans'ng had called cabinet meetings and stating that if such wer*> the case he felt it necessary to say that "under our constitutional law and practice, as developed hitherto, no on? but the president has the right to summon the heads of tho executive departments into conference." Mr. Lansing answered two days later?last Monday?saying he had called the cabinet conference because he and others of the president's official family "felt that, in view of the fact that we were denied communication with you, it was wise for us to confer v * informally together on matters as to which action could not be postponed until your medical advisers permitted you to pass upon them." Ready to Resign. The secretary concluded by saying that if the president believed he had failed in his "loyalty" to him and if Mr. Wilson no longer had confidence in him he was ready to "rel'eve you of any embarassment by placing my resignation in your hands." The president replied last Wednesday that he was "much d'sappointed" by Mr. Lansing's letter regarding "the socalled cabinet meetings." He said he found nothing in the secretary's letter "which justified your assumption of presidential authority in such a matter," and added that he "must frankly take advantage of your kind suggestion to resign." "I must say,"-.continued the president, "that it would relieve me of embarrassment, Mr. Secretary, the embarrassment of feeling your reluctance and divergence of judgment, if you would give up your present office and afford me an opportunity to select some one whose m'nd would more willingly go along with mine." Strong Man Retires Prom Police. New York city has lost one of its famous "strong arm" pol'cemen today when Patrolman Selg (Ajax) Whitman, retired after a picturesque career of twenty-six years, says a recent New York dispatch. The fifty-six year old veteran, who was known nationally as a strong man, was injured more than a score of times in halting runaway horses and received official commendation for his bravery seven times. He will receive an annual pension of $950. He was chosen ten years ago to form a "strong arm" squad to break up the notorious "car barn gang." The gangsters landed either in jail or in the hospital. "Ajax" gave exhibitions of hia strength on a tour with th e late John L. Sullivan before the boxing champ'on. fought "Jake" Kilrain. Among his noted feats were pushing a loaded freight car weighing more than twelve tons, and l'fting by his teeth a hogshead of water upon which stood several men. He was credited with lifting a 1,030 pound dumb bell with his teeth and also with successfully w'thstand'ng the efforts of a s ore of men pull;ng a long rope, one end of which he held between his teeth. <o> ? Wh'te Spanish Peanuts for seed, also North Carolina, King early big boll cotton seed, early Dent seed corn, any quantity. S. W. Copeland, Ehrhardt, S. C. 2-26a ' _ /