The Bamberg herald. (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, March 24, 1921, Image 1
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$2.00 Per Year in Advance BAMBERG, S. C., THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1921. Established in 1891
Evans Confesses t
Robbery
With as much unconcern as if he
were relating an every-day occurrence,
Preston Evans, alias John
Evans, Friday confessed to the robbery
and murder of Tobe Williams,
the negro man whose body was found
In the run of Lemon Swamp Monday
afternoon of last week with his
throat cut and face slashed. The
confession of Evans came as a climax
to a chain of circumstantial evidence
that was damning in every detail,
and pointed to the guilt of the
accused man. At first Evans staunchly
denied any connection with or
knowledge of the crime, and in an insolent
manner confronted the officers.
He denied that he had ever
seen the dead man before he was
carried to the guard house to view
the remains of Williams. On the
.arrival, however, of two gentlemen
from Harleyville, thought to have
been the home of both men, he gave
in and confessed the horrible and
sordid crime in every detail.
Evans was arrested at the instigation
of Sheriff Ray by the police of
Branchville Monday afternoon, a few
hours after the discovery of the
"body of Williams in the swamp by
some white boys who had gone fish~
T T - 1
ing in Lemon swamp, ne was strewing
to make his get-away, and came
very near accomplishing it. But for
the hasty and unerringly piecing together
of the few circumstances
known at that time by Sheriff Ray,
Evans would have been many miles
away, doubtless, and his apprehension
a matter of grave doubt, as no
one in Bamberg even knew the negro's
name.
The Bamberg officers cannot be too
highly commended for the manner in
which they handled .this case. The
fact that both the criminal and the
/ dead negro were utter strangers in
Bamberg, both without friends or acquaintances,
did not deter the sheriff
in his efforts to bring the guilty
man to the bar of justice.
When the last issue of The Herald
went to press, Evans was in the county
jail, charged with the robbery and
mnrripr of An unknown ne?ro. All
efforts to identify the murdered man
had been unsuccessful, even his name
had not been ascertained. Some of
the local colored people, though, had
an idea that both had come from
Harleyville, Dorchester county. The
authorities at Harleyville were communicated
with and arrived in Bams
berg Friday, after Williams, hadj
been buried in the potter's field here.
i
The magistrate at Marleyville, F.
A. -Gross, and C. E. Parler, a business
man of the same place, on their;
arrval here requested that the body
be disinterred for identification, and
this was done Friday. The dead negro
was identified without doubt as
Tobe Williams, who had worked for
Mr. Parler at his planing mill at
Harleyville. The accused man was
likewise known to both parties, and
it was ascertained that he worked in
Harleyville as Preston Evans, though
he had given his name here as John
Evans.
When confronted by these gentlemen,
Evans decided that he wrould
confess all. The two Harleyville men,
in company with Magistrate Dickinson
and a number of other persons,
visited the county . jail and sawEvans
about 2 o'clock Friday afternoon,
when the whole story was related
to them in detail. Evans did
not attempt to justify his terrible
deed. He readily acknowledged that
the crime was committed solely for
the purpose of robbery.
Evans stated that he and Williams
had been in Bamberg on Saturday
before the killing; that they
went to Harleyville to spend Sun
day, and came back to Bamberg
Monday morning on the 11 o'clock
train. They had been working during
the previous week for J. H. Dixon
at the latter's s^w mill near town,
and upon their arrival here started
back to the saw mill, after some intervening
time spent in Bamberg.
As they approached Lemon Swamp,
which they must cross to get to the
saw mill. Evans says lie suggested to
Williams that they could save some
distance by taking a near cut through
the swamp and crossing the creek
where the killing took place.
While on the way to the mill,
Evans says he saw Williams pull a
roll of greenbacks from his pocket,
and then and there decided upon killing
Williams and robbing hipi of his
money, though he did not admit that
he lured him into the swamp for that
purpose, suggesting, however, that
to go across at that point would save
o Murder and
of Tohe Williams
some distance. He had made up his
mind, he said, before reaching the
swamp that he would murder Williams.
As they were crossing the stream,
with Williams in the lead, Evans
said he hit Williams on the head
with a gum stick he had picked up
for th? purpose, knocking the negro
into the creek and stunning him.
He immediately went after Williams,
he says, with his knife and slashed
at his throat and face. He then emptied
the contents of the pocket, he
states, and took therefrom $27 in
currency. Asked why he did not
get the silver money in the other
pocket as well, he replied that he
wmiT^ hnvp done so had he known
Williams had it. The silver money,
about $2.00, was in another pocket
than the one in which the dead man
was carrying his paper money.
Evans says that when he left
Williams the latter was not dead.
H? came back to Bamberg, and, as already
related, went to the store of
Milton Shapiro and bought trousers,
leggins and a shirt, giving the merchant
a $20 bill in payment. This
was part of the money of which he
had robbed Williams. After buying
the clothing. Evans said he went 'to
the home of a colored man here and
changed his clothes, afterward hiring
the transfer to take him to Branchville,
where, he said, he intended
taking the train to his horn? at Harleyville.
Evans said his crime worried him
that afternoon, but that he has not
been worried since. He appeared
not to be concerned over the matter
at all, inquiring of the officers when
he will be released on bond.
Mr. Parler, for whom Williams had
worked, says that he was a good
I workman, quiet and peaceable, and
had never been in trouble, so far as
he knows. Evans, on the contrary,
ha9 a reputation that is not good.
On one occasion, he stated, Evans
was suspected of having been implicated
in a crime at Harleyville.
Later, the negro attempted to implicate
a Bamberg negro in the murder,
but the officers attach no importance
to this, as in his first confession
he acknowledged the crime
in every detail and described to
Magistrate Dickinson the knife he
used.
The apprehension of Evans and
his confession have been the topics
of conversation in Bamberg, among
white and colored, for the past several
days. Under the law in this
state, no person can plead guilty to
murder. A jury trial is necessary.
It frequently happens that where
there is doubt in the mind of the
solicitor of convicting a prisoner of
; murder, the prisoner is permitted to
| plead guilty to manslaughter. It is
not likely that a plea of manslaugh-'
ter would be allowed in a case of
this kind, however, where the prisoner
had confessed to murder with no
other motive than robbery.
Identical.
J The other day a clerk in a Jewish
J mercantile house completed a quarter
[ of a century'9 service with the firm.
Schmidt, the senior partner, handi
him in the morning a sealed en
velope inscribed:
"In. memory of this eventful day.".
The clerk gratefully accepted the
envelope without opening it, but on
the gracious hint from the chief he
broke the seal.
Inside he found a photograph of
his employer.
"Well, what do you think of it?"
inquired Schmidt, with a grin.
"It's just like you," was the ambiguous
reply.
Fixing the Blame.
There had been an affecting scene
in the woodshed, at the conclusion of
which Harry asked his father, between
sobs:
"Did your father whip you when
you were little?"
"He did?when I was naughty,"
said dad.
I
"An (lid his father whip him when !
* i
I he was little?" continued the culprit.
"Yes. Harry."
"And was he whipped when he'
| was little?" further questioned the
j lad.
"Yes," said dad.
There was a momentary silence,
and then Harry exclaimed:
"Well, who started it, anyway?"
I
?mm q m**
Renew your subscription today.
i
LARGEST CROP SINCE 1914.
South Carolina Repoit Shows 1,039,.
470 Rales.
Washington, March 21.?The largest
cotton crop since 1914 and the
sixth largest in the history of the
country was grown last year. Ginning
statistics for the 1920-21 season, announced
today by the census bureau,
show a total of 13,365,754 equivalent
500 pound bales comprise the 1920
crop. That is about 2,769,000 equivalent
500 pound bales less than the
record crop of 1914 and is slightly
smaller than the 1904 crop.
The census bureau figures of cotton
actually ginned, which are accepted
as the final production statistics,
show the crop to be 378,754
halod mnrp than pstimated bv the de
partment of agriculture last December
in its final forecast of the year.
More Than 13,000,000 Bales.
Washington, March 21.?Production
of cotton exclusive of linters,
amounted to 13,937,775 running
bales, counting round as half bales,
or 13,365,754 equivalent 500 pound
bales, for the 1920 crop, according
to the final ginning report of the
season issued today by the census
bureau.
The 191D crop was 11,325,532
running bales or 11,420,763 equivalent
500 pound balfes, and the 1918
crop was 11,906,480 running bales or
12,040,532 equivalent 500 pound
bales.
An estimate of 12,987,000 equivalent
500 pound bales for the 1920
crop was forecast by the department
of agriculture last December.
Included in the 1920 production
are 211,893 bales which ginners estimated
would be turned out after the
March canvass. Round bates included
are 206,534 compared with
114,305 for 1919. American-Egyptian
included was 91,965 bales, conipared
with 40,437 for 1919. Sea
Island included was 1,725 bales
compared with 6,916 for 1919.
The average gross weight per hale
for the crop, counting round as half
bales and excluding linters, was
506.4 pounds, compared with 504.2
for 1919 and 505.6 for 1918.
Ginneries operated for the 1920
crop numbered 18,426 compared with
18,815 for 1919.
Alabama 670,721, Arizona 104,853,
Arkansas 1,177,095, California 77,443,
Florida 19,194, Georgia 1,446,577,
Louisiana 388,655, Mississippi
397,733, Missouri 74,332, North
Mr. Dickinson D
Sale of City
Editor Bamberg Herald:?Will
you allow me space in your next issue
to endeavor to explain the nature
of the petition being circulated
at this time asking for your signature
petitioning the city council tc
order an election (to be held at the
time the new city fathers are to be
voted for as well as three commissioners
of public utilities), whether
the freeholders think well of selling
their power and light plant tc
private parties, or company, or not.
Having been called upon by numerous
citizens to explain to them why
this is advisable, I take this means of
giving my views.
First, your signature does not
mean you consent for the actual sale
at this time, but to legalize it should
a purchaser be available.
This contemplated sale, of course,
to embody the protection to the consumers
of both water and light, as
would be incorporated in the sale,
coupled with the state law governing
same,- and guided by many municipal
transfers to private parties which
have been made in recent years.
This transfer, .further, would not
be definitely ratified until it was
fully passed upon by the taxpayers,
either in mass meeting or by actual
vote.
My contention is that under private
operation, you would not only
secure "better service, but be in position
to demand it, and for the lowest
rate consistent with efficient and
satisfactory service.
Further, in disposing of the property,
the bonds originally sold and
unredeemed, together with the unexpended
portion of the recent sale
I of bonds, would revert back to the
i treasury and reduce taxes.
Bamberg is no longer a hamlet,
and it becomes increasingly difficult
to secure competent men to supervise
the maintenance, and economical operation
of the plant without compen
TRUE BILL AGAINST BIGHAM.
! !
iJudge Memminger Denies Motion fori
Change of Venue.
Florence, March 21.?Edmund D.
i Bigham will in all likelihood be called
to trial Thursday morning on the
! charge of murdering his mother, Mrs. j
M. M. Bigham, his sister, Mrs. Mari
gie A. Black, his brother, L. Smiley
! Bigham, and John and Leo McCrack;
en, two adopted children of Mrs. j
j Black. This afternoon the grand
j jury in the Florence county court of
I general sessions returned true bills
j against him in five separate counts,
charging murder. Bigham was im.
mediately arraigned and entered
| pleas of not guilty.
A. L. King, attorney tor mgnam,
then presented his motion for a
Change of venue which was refused
j by Judge ^emminger. The attorney
! for the defense gave notice of a mol
| tion for a continuance and this will
j be heard tomorrow morning. It is
i the general expectation that the case
j will come to .trial Thursday if coni
tinuance is refused, the defense in:
sisting upon the usual days between
i arraignment and trial. The court
; room was packed when Bigham api
peared this afternoon and every eye
j turned toward him when he stepped
j lightly into the dock. He was clean|
shaven and looked younger and in
j better health than he appeared to be
! on the day following the murders at
i the plantation home near Pamplico.
He displayed no emotion when the
solicitor read the indictments to him
! and pronounced the words "not
i guilty", in a strong and steady voice.
T^ii rinnr + Vi/-* orornmontc fnr onrl
JU ill 1115 Cil^ a 1 ^uujv/iito ivi uAivi
against a transfer of the case Bigham
kept his eyes first on the solicitor
and then on his attorney. Occasionally
he turned his gaze toward
the judge. He appeared to be totally
unconscious of the presence of anybody
else in the court room except
the attorneys and the judge. In dismissing
the request for a transfer of
the case to some oFher county in this
circuit Judge Memminger declared
that he believed the defendant could
secure just as fair and impartial a
trial in Florence county as he could
in any other county in the state.
"The court will see to it," he said,
"that he is fully protected in his
rights."
Carolina 936,582, Oklahoma 1,287,689,
South Carolina 1,629,470, Tennessee
313,747, Texas 4,130,197,
Virginia 20,844. All other states
112,673. 1
iscusses Possible
>er and Light Plant
I sation. The city is growing and nec
essary 'demands more and more of
one's time, and to secure men with
civic pride and experience who can
devote this required time from their
regular vocation, is a problem.
The operation of the plant for the
1 j past few years without building a
1 j sinking fund, and segregating the inI
come and (outgo of the plant from
| the city, with regular fixed charges
.' for lisrhts and water to the city' in
t f my judgment was unwise, and should
I never have been resorted to, as each
. | department should stand out either
j as an asset or a liability, and not be'
ing able to determine under the
| method pursued, is the reason for the
; present condition of the plant.
11 The situation approaches the critil
cal stage, and unless the plant is
j put first in good physical condition,
, and maintained on a practical busi.
ness basis, within a few years by
i j reason of the above mentioned caus,
es, will again become a liability.
: I have no axe to grind, and am
looking forward to the election in
. May, when the new board is elected
to relieve me of the very strenuous
; duties which I assumed temporarily
[ in an endeavor to try to assist in
, straightning out the matter. In my
humble opinion, I believe it is the
only wise solution of the problem,
. and having pointed this out, you can
decide the matter for yourself and
I either look up your city clerk and
.! treasurer who has alreadv waited on
_
,! you and sign the petition, or not,
just as you see fit, or allow the mat.
ter to drift as we have become in the
| habit of doing and meet the emerg.
I ency when it is right around the
h corner. Thanking you for the valui
able space granted me, which I do
not remember having requested of
, you before, I leave the matter to you.
; Respectfully,
i G. MO YE DICKINSON,
Chairman Board Public Utilities.
Bamberg, S. C., March X8, 1921.
Great Revival Me
Trinity
Sunday morning a great revival
was begun at Trinity Methodist
church, with Rev. Luther Bridges,
an evangelist of the Methodist general
board, doing the preaching, and
Mr. Jenkins fn charge of the singing.
The first services Sunday were attended
by large congregations, and
it was apparent from the start that
the meeting was going to be producive
of great good in Bamberg.
Two services are held daily, at l 0
a. m., and 7:45 p. m. The morning
service is confined to one hour, in
order that business men and women
may attend the service. The stores of
the town have agreed to close their
places of business from 10 to 11 each
morning during the revival. The
night service begins with a song service,
which has proved a most attractive
and inspiring feature of the
revival. Mr. Jenkins is a song leader
of remarkable power. He possesses
a fine voice and is not afraid to
use it. The preacher, Mr. Bridges,
is likewise a singer of note himself.
All visitors to the services will certainly
appreciate, the singing if they
like the sweet music of gospel hymns.
'Sunday night the Baptist congregation
called in its service and joined
in the revival services. The
church was almost filled, and it was
rpmarkpd that this was one of the
largest audiences that ever attended
a revival on its first night's service.
The attendance since has been excellent.
Mr. Bridges used the first night's
service as a preface to the revival,
outlining what was desired to be accomplished
and some of the means
of doing it. He used as a text, Habakkuk
3:2, and delivered therefrom
one'of the strongest sermons ever
heard in Bamberg. This service
was directed to Christians primarily
in an endeavor to get them lined up
for the performance of their part in
making the revival what it ought to
be in Bamberg. He pleaded with
all Christians of Bamberg to enter
into the revival with a unity of spirit
and purpose that the entire town, not
merely the Methodist church, might
THE CABINET.
*
Short Sketches of President Harding's
Advisers.
Edwin Denby, whose appointment
as secretary of the navy was announced,
enlisted as a private in the U. S.
Marine corps at the outbreak of the
[ European war and was sent to Paris
Island, S. C., the recruit training
camp for the eastern section of the
country. Completing the regular
"boot" trailing given all marines, he
was transferred to the non-commissioned
officers' school, where he won
corporal's chevrons. He proved an
efficient drill master and rose through
the rank of sergeant to second lieutenant.
Lieut..Denby was made morale of,
ficer and for months delivered a daily
lecture to new recruits immediately
after they took the oath of allegiance.
i Denby's "lecture" will be remembered
by thousands of marines as one
of the most impressive events in their
. military service.
Harry M. Daughtery, of Columbus,
Ohio. Lawyer, born, Washington
courthouse, Ohio. Age 61 years. University
education. Practiced law,
\ Washington Courthouse 1S81-88.
Elected state legislature in 1888,
serving five years. Chairman state
' republican executive committee of
1912, also twice chairman state republican
central committee of Ohio.
Campaign manager for Harding at
Chicago convention.
James John Davis, of Pittsburg,
Pa. Labor leader. Born Tredegar,
. Wales. Age 47. Went to Pittsburg
' with parents at age of 4 years. At
> 11 began work in steel mills becoming
a puddler. Removed to Elwood
City, Ind., 1893. Held city and county
. offices there. Chose in 1906 to reor'
ganize Loyal Order of Moose of which
| he is now the head. Member of Amal|
gamated Association of Iron and Steel
Workers and always has been active
i in union affairs.
I . '
Albert Bacon. Fall, of Three Rivers,
New .Mexico. United States senator.
Born Frankfort, Kv. Age 59' years.
Educated in country schools. Worked
as farmer, rancher, miner,, lawyer.
Served in New Mexico legislature and
as associate justice, New Mexico supreme
court. United States senator
eting at
Methodist Church
. .,
be revived and that the work of God
may be manifested here in a marked
degree.
In reviewing conditions prevalent
throughout the world today, Mr.
Bridges gave his hearers some startling
facts. He told briefly of conditions
throughout Europe for ten years
past, the forgetting of God and the
awful consequences of sin; of the
present spirit of unrest all over creation.
This condition, said Mr. Bridges,
can be remedied with only one
thing, the Word of God. He pointed
out that there is no other possible
solution to the many modern
.problems, and the quicker the peo- :'
pie get down on their knees to God
the sooner the world will be restored
J to a peaceable basis.
The earnestness of the preacher is '
one of the striking things about him.
He began his talk Sunday night with
the assertion that he believed unqualifiedly
in the Bible; believed every
word just like it was written;
he believed in God, and believed that
God stands ready to redeem every
promise that He has made to His
people. The only trouble with the
people now is that they have gotten
far from God. fie begged for the <_
prayers' of all the people that he
might be the instrument of God in
Bamberg during his stay here. He ;
#
said that he firmly believed that he
was sent here by Divine providence,
and related the circumstances of his .
coming. ' ' * ... v*i||
A few days previous to the meet
ing he had wired Mr Cantey, the pastor,
that he would be unable to come,
acting on the advice of his physi
cian. The more he thought over
the matter the more he became con- .
vinced that he ought to come anyway,
and finally wired Mr. antey
to disregard his former wire. And,
then he again wrote Mr. Cantey a
letter telling him he would not come,
and could never gain his own con- ..
sent to mail it. The letter was never
mailed. He pleaded for the full < . Jj
cooperation of all people to make
this a big general revival of all the |
people.
TWELVE YEARS IN EEl>.
Man Has Grown Two Inches?Bones T;|jj
Brittle and Scales Develop.
After twelve years of lying in hed
in a West End London hotel, a manotherwise
normal, and comfortably
fixed financially, now resents being
annoyed with questions regarding
his strange case and says: "When
London is really civilized, people will
be able to do as they please without
exciting comment."
Twelve years ago, when he was '
about forty years old, handsome, with m
square shoulders and bright eyes?
the nicture of health and vigor?he
walked into a hotel in a quiet district
and engaged a room. He has
been there ever since. The day fol-lowing
his arrival a letter came for
him, whereupon the visitor retired
to his room without giving any excuses.
He is well connected and no clouds
seem to hang over him. Occasionally
his puzzled relatives visit him and he
receives much correspondence. He receives
his callers in bed and also an- *
swers his mail, and reads much withI
out leaving his bed. He has the newspapers
sent to him daily and orders
new books as they come out. Once a
month a barber comes and cuts his
hair and trims his scrubby beard.
"I am quite contented," he said.
"What could I do if I were up and
about?"
11? iT- 1 UnA '
iNaiuran v uie iuug icat uao uau ii?
effect on his body. The doctor says the
bones have become so brittle through
inactivity that it would be necessary
for him to move carefully if he changed
his mode of living. His skin seems
normal when the hand is passed down
! his arm, but a reverse motion reveals
a rough, scaly surface, which is a re|
cent development and which the docj
tor cannot explain..
"Perhaps it is not correct to say
that I have been in bed twelve years,"
j he said. "I go to my bath every morni
ing while my bed is being made, and.
: on two occasions I went down-stairs
| to the bar."
He takes two meals a day, which
' ? _ J ^ ? nri*Artm
! are served in oea. ana uc uao giunu
| nearly two inches during his twelve
j years of rest. '>
! since 1912, present term expiring in
j 1923. ' .
Will H. Hays, of Sullivan, Ind. Law(Continued
on page 5, column 1.)
. ' ' ; it*