The Bamberg herald. (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, September 30, 1920, Image 1
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^ $2.00 Per Year in Advance BAMBERG, S. C., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30,1920. Established in 1891
f CORBETT ACQUITTED !
OF MURDER CHARGE
L JURY BRINGS IN VERDICT LATE
B MONDAY NIGHT.
\ Returns to Jail.
1 Other Cases, Growing Out of Killing*
? To Come Up Later.?Jury
Out Five Hours.
| Orangeburg, Sept. 28.?Carlos Corbett
was today found not guilty of the
murder of Bryan Salley, the jury
bringing in a verdict of acquittal at
11:45 o'clock last night, after being
out exactly five hours.
Corbett was returned to jan anu
will be tried at the next term of court
on a charge of murdering one of the
other two men, who were killed along
with Sallev. Attorneys for the defense
announced that they would ap- .
jply for his release on bond.
Corbett shot and killed Bryan Salley,
Hugh Fanning and Jule Cooper
and blinded Jones Salley Saturday,
March .26, the shooting taking place
in front of Corbett's home. Corbett's
defense was that he shot in self defense
and in defense of the castle,
claiming that one of the men who, he
testified had previously set fire to a
pile of cane pumice near his house,
opened fire on him, endangering his
^ life and that of his wife.
The jury early this morning left for
"the scene of the tragedy, about 20
? miles from Orangeburg. Only the
P sheriff and his deputies accompanied
the party. The jury returned at a
quarter to 12, and addresses by counsel
were resumed.
The trial of Carlos Corbitt, who is
alleged to have shot and killed Bryan
Salley, Hugh Fanning and Jule Cooper
and to have blinded another man
by a shot, Jones Salley, near Salley, i
I was placed on trial for killing Bryan
ThnrsdflV. All I
| saney ill viauscuuij, ^ ~ ~ ?.
of Thursday was consumed in cleart
ing away preliminaries and securing
the jury. The taking of testimony
was started Friday morning, and Saturday
afternoon, after the completion
of the state's case, the court was adjourned
until Monday morning, when
the defense began its case. The following
summary of the evidence is
from the daily papers.
/ ____
The first witness was Rudolph
I Schoenberg, who testified to a lay
of the premises in the vicinity of the
I Carlos Corbitt home, as displayed upon
his plat. Dr. Mcllveen testified
as to the gunshot wounds and the position
of the three dead bodies, those
of Brvan Salley, Hugh Fanning and
Jule Cooper, in the road just in front
.of Carlos Corbitt's home. 0. B. Rosenger
explained the pictures he took
of the location of an automobile, reputed
to be where the auto stood on
the night of the tragedy, and of the
road where the bodies are said to
have fell, boards indicating the bodies.
f A leading witness for the state was
I Henry Salley, policeman at Salley. He
stated that he was the first person to
L reach the scene of the killing. He
r told where he found the bodies and
k stated that the pictures showeu tne |
( exact fcpcation and testified that he
was at the scene 15 minutes before
he stepped across the road to the au*
* to in which Jones Salley was groanI
ing. He stated that he knew it was
f Jones Salley from his groans, having
heard his groans many times before.
He remained with the bodies during
i the entire night.
| Arrived After the Killing.
r Fred Fanning and Raymond Salley
ttold of their arrival on the scene after
the killing and of the position of the
bodies in the road, but that Henry
Salley was there when they arrived.
Alderman Pooser told of removing a
i .38 calibre special bullet from the
l right rear door of Jones Salley's car
? on Sunday morning after-the killing
i on Saturday night. Jim Curtiss and
Nat Yon. tenants on Howell Salley's
farm,- told of being 854 feet away at
Curtiss's house and hearing all the
trouble, stating that Corbitt halted
these men after they had passed his
house and gone down the road and
came back, and then shot them.
The main witness and the last witness
Friday was Lewis Salley, one
of those who were in the automobile.
He testified that the party, consisting
of Jones Salley, aged 66; Hugh Fanning,
aged 28; Jule Cooper, aged 24;
Bryan Salley, aged 21, and himself,
aged 17, left the town of Salley on
Saturday night at about 8:30 o'clock,
to go down to Four Pines church,
j.
+
which is eight miles distant, far divine
service. After the service the
party went in the direction of Corbitt
Mill to Jim Williamson's place for
some whiskey, the witness testified.
When Jones Salley and Jule Cooper
got out to get the whiskey, they returned
without any.
Car Stuck in Bog.
The witness stated, however, that
in going from the church their car
stuck in a bog at the side of Corbitt's
house; that two of the occupants got
out and with their pushing and the
engine running, the car pulled out
and they went down to Jim Williamson's;
that on their return later they
saw a fire in the road near Corbitt's
house, where they had been stuck.
It appears that there was some cane
pumice in that place and it was afire.
They were then halted by Carlos Corbitt,
who inquired who had started
that fire. He got out of the car, Mr.
Salley said, turned off the lights, but
left the engine running, and that
Hugh Fanning, Bryan Salley and Jule
Cooper also got out of the car, and
that he endeavored to reason with
Corbitt, and that the other three had
gone at least three steps to the road,
and that Corbitt was standing on the
edge of the road in front of his house,
and with an oath stated "he was going
to clean up the bunch,'' and commenced
firing. Cooper, Fanning and
Salley fell. The witness said that
he also fell to the ground between
the first and third shots, remaining
there until Corbitt went into the
house. He then got up and ran up
the road, and when he had got some
distance heard several more shois. At
this stage the court adjourned.
The state rested its case Saturday
following the testimony of Jones Salley.
Mr. Salley was one of the participants
in the car on the night of
trio fotol chnAfino- o ivd Vi o VintVi pvps
Li-LV^ 1U IU1 OilV/UtiJUQ C4.XA A_I.C4.VA wvi/i*
shot out, one being put out it is
claimed by powder. He further
charges that after Corbett had shot
the other three men that Corbett then
shot him while he was in the automobile.
Lewis Salley, who was driving the
car, finished his testimony early Saturday
morning and testified in substance
that, upon his return by Corbett's
home, after fire, had been set
to sugar cane pumice, he and Julian
Cooper, Hugh Fanning and Bryan
Salley got Qut of their car and that
they were met by Corbett, who cursed
them and started to fire upon
them. Lewis Salley. further stated
that between the first and third shots
that he fell to the ground as if shot
and when Corbett returned to his
home he ran away and after leaving
heard further shooting.
Testimony was resumed Monday
morning at convening of court at
9:30 o'clock with Mrs. Carlos Corbett
on the stand for the defnse. Mrs.
Corbett testified that on Friday before
the shooting on Saturday night,
ber husband had hauled five one-horse
wagon loads of sugar cane pumice and
placed it in a washed place in front
of their home. Saturday, she said
they drove in their buggy over to
Salley to do a little shopping where
she visited relatives for a short while
in town and then they drove home
about an hour of sun, had early supper
and retired.
Awakened by Big Light.
About 11 o'clock, Mrs. Corbett stat
ed, she was suddenly awakened by a
big light and thinking the premises
were afire she aroused her husband,
told him to take the pistol and fire to
enlist assistance from neighbors.
When she went out, the witness said,
her huband told her the pumice in the
road was a fire and she drew water,
while Corbett carried it to the scene
of the fire, which was in the road just
in front of .their house. She soon
gave out drawing water, she said, and
Corbett told her to go to the steps and
rest, as she said she could do no more
if the whole premises burned down.
About the time she was seated at the
front steps. Mrs. Corbett continued, a
car came up in the road and she heard
some one speak in vile terms, she giving
the exact language in court, and
saying also "there he is now putting
out our fire, we will give him hell and
set it again." They then drove the
car around the fire and turned in toward
the yard, the witness said, and
stopped the car, all getting out after
each other and started toward her
husband, firing a pistol. Mrs. Corbett
stated that she did not know how
many shots were fired before her husband
opened fire and she then went
into the house. Later her husband
came into the house, she said, and
told her to get his best clothes, after
which he went out with a flash light.
When he came in the house, the witness,
said, she asked if he was hurt
and said she thought they had killed
him and that her huband had told
her he thought he had killed three of
them. Corbett, his wife said, then
dressed and left to surrender and she
spent the remainder of the night in
the barn.
Carlos Coi'bett oil Stand.
Carlos Corbett testified deliberately
and calmly, giving his version of the
killing. He corroborated his wife as
to his putting the pumice in the road
on Friday and as to their activity on
Saturday. He was aroused by his wife
about 11 o'clock, he said, and was told
the house was on tire. He jumped into
his overalls, Corbett said, took the
loaded pistol from the bureau and
about three or four cartridges nearby
and ran out of the house to tire the
pistol to alarm the neighborhood, but
found that the fire was in the road
and did not shoot. Putting the pistol
in his right pocket and balls in left,
he and his wife began fighting fire as
Mrs. Corbett testified, the witness
said. While his wife was sitting 011
the steps and he was fighting' the fire
with the water in the tub, he said he
heard an auto coming. He also heard
the statement testified to by Mrs.
Corbett as coming from the auto,
Corbett said. The auto came on up
around the fire, the witness continued,
and stopped in front of his house
with one wheel about to his front
yard, the car broadside to him, whers
the occupants got up and began to
get out. He thought he recognized
the voice of James Salley telling the
boys to give him liell, "the witness
testified and then three or four jumped
into the road, he said, and were
making for him, one shooting as he
came. He opened fire, Corbett said,
and immediately reloaded and emptied
what he reloaded with, since
after he reloaded two more men were
coming toward him from toward the
back of the car.
Shot in Self-defense.
Hp shnt in self-defense and de
fense of the castle, Corbett testified,
as the shots from the advancing
crowd were going to where his wife
was, too. Mr. Corbitt said that he
did not know who the parties were
at the time and that he went into his
house and upon inquiry told his wife
he was not shot, but thought he had
killed three or four men, that all fell,
except one, who ran off. He told
how he asked his wife to get his
clothes and got his flashlight and
went out to where the bodies were
in his yard near the road. Later he
returned to his house and then went
to a neighbor's, asking her to go and
stay with his wife. He testified that
when he went out with his flashlight,
he found a pistol lying about equal
distance between two of the dead men
but did not search them, that he
brought the pistol back with him and
gave it to his wife, with instructions
to hold same until trial. A pistol
was opened in court by the sheriff
with difficulty, the cartridges were
removed, and some were empty, having
been shot. Mr. Corbett stated that
he got some one to carry him to Columbia
and he surrendered to the au*u+of
tvio nonitonHarv Hp. told
LilUI 1HCO au iuv
of an interview he had with some
newspaper reporter at the penitentiary,
and that Mr. Bleasejvas present
at the time and that he was merely
talking to the gentlemen present
and did not know he was giving any
statement to a newspaper and did not
state fully the facts of the shooting.
Columbia Newspaper Man Testifies.
The defense in reply put up W. J.
Cormack, of Columbia, to testify that
Corbett did not tell him of any ot
the parties advancing upon him having
any pistol, when interviewed at
the penitentiary. The sheriff and coroner
were put upon the stand to contradict
Mrs. Corbett's testimony concerning
some statement she made tc
them the next day. Both the sheriff
and coroner testified that Mrs. Corbett
was very nervous and about down and
out at the time.
***************
* *
* $1.00 FOR BEST NEWS *
* *
* The Herald would like to *
* have every interesting item *
* of news that happens in the *
-* county. To stimulate the *
* sending in of such items of *
* ruews The Herald will ^pay *
* $1.00 for the best news story *
* received for publication no?:;:
* week. This may be some hap- *
* pening in the community, or *
* the story of some freak, but it *
* should be something that has *
* not been published heretofore. *
* There a n conditions to this *
* offer. bu( h stories should not, *
* ordinarily, take more than 200 *
* words to tell them. *
* *
***************
MISTRIAL IX RRAXT-CONE CASK.
Jury in Allendale Fails to Agree in
Double Killing Affair.
The session of the court of general
sessions continued through Saturday
of last week, the following cases being
disposed of: John and Earl Brant,
charged with murder, mistrial; Julius
Smith, violation of the prohibition
law, guilty, sentenced to one year on
the chain gang with eight months of
the sentence suspended during good
behavior; Halcott Ash, assault and
battery with intent to kill and carrying
concealed weapons, found not
: n ... m n -11- ? i ? i.:
guniv, ^uauuier ?mans, viuiauun ui
the prohibition law, not guilty. The
case of R. W. Youmans was called but
was continued upon motion that he
be committed to the insane asylum
due to his condition and as recommended
by Dr. Williams of the state
hospital, who stated that in his opinion
Youmans was insane.
The case of Joshua Williams charged
with murder was also on docket
but was continued on account of the
condition of the accused.
The trial of the Brant case consumed
about. three days and was
probably the largest attended and the
i most interesting case ever tried in
this county because of the prominence
and large connections of the
. accused and the two men they are
alleged to have shot. The defense
set up a plea of self-defense, also
alleging that John Brant shot both
the Cone men, Earl Brant not shoot!
ing, in reply to the state testimony
! that John Brant shot Aubrey Cone
and Earl Brant shot Allie Cone.
A week's session of the court of
>->m r\?i nlooe era n r?n A T n n rl ?) V
iAi JJJ.W 11 pi^ao Uii ..... v ^
with Judge Peurifoy presiding. Cases
i of interest that have come up are:
Bennet vs. Bates, et al, verdict directed
for defendant by Judge Peurifoy;
Moody, et al, vs. H. A. Moody,
et al, non-suit ordered by judge.
This is the last week of court. The
docket of civil and criminal cases is
by no means cleared, however.?Allendale*
Citizen.
^ mi ?
"WET PROHIBITION' PARTY."
_ ?
Ehrhardt Glee Club Holds a Convention.
Ehrhardt, Sept. 24.?The "wet
Prohibitionist party" met in convention
here today. The party is considered
a product of the almost universal
unrest prevailing at present.
Delegates were present from all sections.
The main plank of the platform
advocates giving all factions
their several desires, as the only remedy
for the present abnormal condi.
tions. The main plank of the plati
form is as follows: "We indorse the
. absolute W. J. Bryan prohibition with
: a reservation of unlimited privileges
to those persons using alcoholic beverages
prior to January 1, 1900."
Ao inetifiration of the foregoing
, , XJLO J l/A AA VW- w V - _
plank, the wet Prohibitionists point
out that the same method was used
by the baseball commisson with almost
complete satisfaction, m dealing
with .the spitball delivery.
The most unusual aspect of a convention
without candidates, was pre,
sented. No one man could be found .
to serve who represented all issues.
, The I. W. W. was the chief stumbling
block. That was finally done
away with without protest, as the
I. W. W. were thrown out of the convention.
This was rendered easy by
the fact that they had neglected to
. send a delegate.
After the purging mentioned above
Vernon Stanley's name was mentioned
as a possible candidate for the
Presidential nomination. The motion
( was immediately seconded. His
> chances are regarded as good, for he
is assured of at l ?ast three votes in.
eluding his own.
At this point an adjournment was
voted to allow the local police force
I to add to their collection of firearms
: and to give the delegates an opportunity
to pay their respects to the judge.
The date of the next meeting, to
: conclude business, will be decided
when it is known whether the vaca;
tions granted will be for thirty or
sixty days.
So a; not to cause hard feelings
; among the Republicans there is talk
! of offering Mr. Harding the nomina.
j tion for vice president.
You have always wanted a nice
player piano. We have one in fine
condition, slightly used, which we are
offering at a big bargain for a quick
sale. W. H. Chandler.?adv.
^ i ? ^
Records for all makes of talking
machines always on hand. All the new
records received regularly. W. H.
CHANDLER.?adv.
i
SHOE POLISH CAUSES ILLNESS.
Strange Case of Poisoning Reported
From Milledgeville.
Milledgeville, Ga., Sept. 27.?
Young E. B. Smith, Jr., son of Mr. j
and Mrs. E. B. Smith, residents of this
city, is now recovering from a peculiar
illness wrought about Tuesday
morning by the application of polish
to his shoes. The boy, who is twelve
years of age, before going to school
early in the morning, took occasion
to use a tan colored polish on a pair
of white canvas shoes he was wearing.
The polish soaked the coarse cloth
af ..rVii/ili +Vi a c- Vi aqp uroro maHo a n r?
VJ L ? i 1 1V/11 Li:c OULTLO IIV/IVj lllUUVy uuu
the poison contained in the polish was n
taken up externally into the system.
Shortly before ten o'clock the same
morning while sitting in the class .
room, the child showed signs of becoming
ill. Paleness of the face was
noticed by the teacher and within a
few minutes of recess the little fellow
fell upon the ground in a fainted condition.
A physician was summoned
and treatment administered.
Later in the day the mother of the
child, after he was taken to the home,
conceived the idea that the child had
not responded to the treatment given
him. The physician was again summoned
and found the child confronted
with difficult respiration and an abnormal
pulse.
Upon further investigation the physician
took notice of the fact that the
child's feet had been stained, which
discovery led to the cause of the
serious illness. The conclusion was
soon reached that the little fellow was
suffering from being poisoned by the
absorption of benzoic acid contained
in the shoe polish.
Until today the child was held un
der steady treatment and confined to
his bed and the peculiar cause of the
illness has caused much comment by
local physicians and others here.
MRS. G. E. HUTTO.
Estimable Christian Woman Died at
Home Here Monday.
Mrs. G. E. Hutto, a most estimable
Christian woman, died at her home
on Railroad avenue, Bamberg, Monday
afternoon at 6:30 o'clock, following
an iirhess of several weeks.
The remains were carried to Clear
Pond Tuesday afternoon, and interment
took place at the Folk burial
ground at the old Lutheran church
location near Clear Pond. Rev. Geo.
P. White, of "Bamberg, conducted the
funeral services, which were attended
by a large number of friends and
relatives.
Mrs. Hutto was about 70 years of
age. Her husband died in 1914, and
shortly afterward she moved to Bamberg
to reside. She was a member of
the Bethesda Baptist church. Before
her marriage she was a Miss Folk,
and she is survived by two brothers,
Tom Folk, of Estill, and James Folk,
of Branchville, and one sister, Mrs.
Rosa Jones, of Walterboro. One son,
John H. Hutto, of Bamberg, and one
adopted daughter, Mrs. John Schwarting,
of Bamberg, survive her.
Ehrhardt Etchings.
Ehrhardt, September 27. ? Business
is slow, though the cotton
gins are kept busy. Not much of
the fleecy staple was made hereabouts.
Tobacco crop was not as
good as usual.
Vernon Stanley has returned from
Atlanta, where he has been taking
a course in pharmacy. He has resumed
his old position with Ehrhardt
Pharmacy.
Dr. Harry Hiers, of Roper hospital,
Charleston, has been in town for a
week visiting his parents.
Mrs. Herschel L. Morningstar suffered
a painful accident Thursday
when she broke an arm while attempting
to crank her auto.
Junior Smoak, a negro boy from
"Branchville, was kicked by a mule
Sunday morning. The boy died wifch~?
?- ? TVioro -rriic nn snar.
in a 10w iiimuit;s. xu^iv w ,
death being caused by a blood vessel
breaking internally.
Our new depot is about completed.
It is by far the best structure of its
kind in the county and the number of
those in the state that can compare
with it is not large. I. M. K.
Multiplying Difficulties.
The teacher, a lady of questionable
age, was having a hard time getting
Johnny to memorize the names of the
kings of England.
"Why, when I was your age," she
finally exclaimed, exasperated, "I
could recite the names of all the kings
forward and backward."
"Yes'm," replied Johnny, unimpressed,
".but when you were my age
there wasn't nearly so many kings."
PLAYERS CONFESS
TO SELLING GAME
?
INDICTMENTS AND SUSPENSIONS
BREAK UP WHITE SOX.
Cicotte and Jackson Confess
_____
Veteran Players Tell Cook County
Grand Ju**y of How Games
Were "Thrown."
, #|
???? ; Z jff
Chicago, Sept. 28.?Indictments
vere voted against eight baseball stars
today and confessions obtained from
two of them, when the Old Roman,
Charles A. Comiskey, owner of the
oftime champion Chicago White Sox,^.
smashed his pennant chasing machine
to clean up baseball. The confessions
told how the White Sox threw last
year's world championship to Cincinnatti
for money paid by gamblers.
Seven White Sox regulars and one
fomer player comprise the players
against whom true bills were voted by
the Cook county grand jury and the
seven were immediately suspended by
Mr. Comiskey. With his team only
a game behind the league leading
Cleveland Indians the White Sox owner
served notice on his seven stars
that, if they were found guilty, he
would drive them out of organized
SSTJErJ
baseball for the rest of their lives.
Officials of Chief Justice Charles
McDonald's court, desirous of giving
the national game the benefit of publicity
in its purging, lifted the curtain
.
on the grand jury proceedings sufficiently
to show a great hitter, Joe
Jackson, declaring that he deliberately
just tapped the ball, a picture of
one of the world's most famous pitchers,
Cicotte, in tears, and glimpses of
alleged bribes of $5,000 or $10,000
discovered under pillows or on beds
by famous athletes about to retire.
McGraw Awaits Call. > j
Around the court room at one time
or another were some of baseball's
greatest leaders, among them John J.
McGraw, manager of the New York
Giants, awaiting a call to testify tomorrow
and John Heydler, president
of the National league, who went before
the grand jurors this afternoon.
The exact nature of the information
Mr. Comiskey put before the grand
jury was not disclosed. The men
' * '
whom the jury involved as a result of
testimony uncovered by their owner
-were Eddie Cicotte, star pitcher, who
waived immunity and confessed, according
to court attaches, that he took
a $10,000 bribe.
Arnold Gandil, former first baseman.
""1 ' Tn nlrnAn Vl r.OT7T7 Vl 1
SUUeieSS J UtJ iidtnouu, uca ? j u<v
ting left fielder.
Oscar "Hap" Felsch, center fielder.
Charles "Swede" Riseberg, shortStop.
Claude Williams, pitcher.
George "Buck" Weaver, third base- >
man.
Fred McMullin, utility player.
While the grand jurors voted their
true bills, the Old Roman, seated in
the midst of his crumbling empire
out at White Sox park, issued the
telegram suspending those involved,
paid off Weaver, Cicotte and Jackson
on the spot, and announced that
checks for pay due the others would
be sent them at once. With his voice
trembling, Mr. Comiskev, who has
owned the White Sox since the inception
of the American league, said this
was the first time scandal had ever
touched his "family" and that it distressed
him too much to talk about it.
Cicotte Weaps in Court. '?
The rush of players to bare their
part in the affair, started today when
Cicotte appeared at criminal court
it -j ~ ^ norm icainn tn t PS
UUilUillg ct-uu aoacu Vw - ?
tify. Cicotte wept, court attaches
said, and exclaimed in anguish his
sorrow for his two small children as
he told how he did his utmost to lose
rather than win the 1919 world series
after he had "found" $10,000 beneath
his pillow where it had been placed
by professional gamblers.
He said he lobbed the ball to the
plate so slowly "you could read thej
trarfa mark on it" in the first game at|
Cincinnatti when he was taken out off
the box after three and two-third innings
had been played.
Last year's world series records
show that in the first inning of the
first game, he started by hitting
Rath, the first Cincinnatti batter, in
the back. Daubert followed with a*
single over second base that sent Rath,
to third and he scored when Groh
flied to Jackson, Rath beating Jackson's
throw to the plate.
^ w?
New Victor records every month
at G. A. Ducker's.?adv. 10-14
-:4
, mm