The Bamberg herald. (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, September 15, 1921, Image 1
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$2.00 Per Tear in Advance. BAMBERG-, S. C., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15,1921. Established in 1891.
NEGROES LYNCHED
IN AIKEN COUNTY
TWO KILLED FOLLOWING ATTACK
ON WHITE WOMAN.
\ ________
WIFE OF AIKEN FARMER.
Death of Victim Expected From
Wounds Made With Axe and
Hoe?Negroes Riddled.
Ail-on Qont r?Twn nesroes were
AXIV^U) Mv^vt v ?. - w _
lynched near Montmorenci, five miles
from Aiken, early tonight following
a murderous attack on the wife of a
prominent farmer, late in the aflernoon.
The negroes robbed the house
after beating the woman into insensibility
with a hoe and an axe. The
injured woman was living at 11
o'clock tonight, but physicians say
her chances for recovery are exceedingly
slight. In addition to being
chopped in the head with a hoe, an
axe was used, crushing in the skull
and bruising the face and shoulders.
She is between 30 and 40 years of
age.
A tremendous crowd gathered and
Charlie Thompson, Georgia negro, between
25 and 30 years old, and Mansfield
Butler, Jr., about 15, who worked
on the plantation, were taken into
custody. Butler had also been in
Georgia. When the crime was defi
nitely placed on these negroes, they
were shot to death a few hundred
yards from the house they had robbed.
Sheriff H. H. Howard and his
deputies were on the scene and did
what they could to prevent a lynching,
but their efforts were futile with
the crowd swept into ar passion by the
crime.
The husband of the victim of the
attack was at his gin on his farm
at the time.
Aiken, Sept. 8.?Mansfield Butler
and Charlie Thompson, negroes, were
" lynched by an Aiken county mob tonight
about 7 o'clock following an
attack on the wife of a prominent j
Aiken county farmer. The woman
was struck about the head and shoulders
with an axe and a hoe, and will
probably die. She regained consciousness
a few minutes after the
attack and implicated Butler, who,
when caught in his cabin on the farm,
made a full confession implicating
Thompson. Both negroes were taken
to a corn field and shot to death
being tied with a rope about the
wrists.
Sheriff H. H. Howard, of Aiken,
immediately on learning of the attack,
wired Governor Cooper for as4
sistance, but upon his arrival at the
scene found that the negroes were
dead and the mob had dispersed.
Aiken tonight is quiet and no fur
ther disorder is anticipated.
The attack occurred on a farm near
Montmorenci. Both negroes were
employed on the farm operated by.
the victim's husband and both are
said to be from Georgia.
FOX, GAPPINS, KIRBY TO DIE.
Sentenced to Die October 21, Between
10 and 2 O'clock.
Lexington, Sept. 13.?In solemn
tones, amid a deep hush, Judge
Thomas S. Sease this afternoon at
5.2o o'clock pronounced the supreme
mandate of the law on S. J. Kirby,
C. O. Fox and Jesse Gappins, the
" "* * ? ? ? * X ^ m n or
three uoiumoia men conviuieu uuim&
the day of -the murder of William
Brazell, youthful taxi driver of Columbia,
when he sentenced them die
by electrocution at the state penitentiary,
Tuesday, October 21.
Kirby's case went to the jury this
morning at 10.24 o'clock and a verdict
of guilty was returned in thirtyfive
minutes, and that of Fox and
Gappins, who were tried jointly, was
given to the jury at 4.34 o'clock this
afternoon and a decision was reached
in forty minutes. There was much
stoicism in the demeanor of the three
condemned men when their fates was
pronounced. There was merely a perceptive
quiver around the mouth of
Kirby and Fox appeared to be unper
turbed. Gappins, tbe youngest of tne
trio, turned livid, but he did not
quiver.
It was quite the reverse among the
I relatives of the three men. Mrs. Kirby,
wife of the condemned man, and
his young child, who were in the audience
sobbed aloud, while J. S. Fox,
aged father of C. 0. Fox, laid his head
upon the back of a chair and quietly
cried. The mother and sister of Gappins,
who left the court house before
sentence was pronounced.
ARBUCKLE HELD ON
MURDER CHARGE
LOCKED UP IX CITY PRISOX
PEXDIXG HEARIXG.
XO RAIL IS ALLOWABLE.
Death of Movie Actress, After Party
in His Room, Causes
Action.
San Francisco, Sept. ll.-r-Roscoe
Arbuckle, motion picture actor, was
booked on a charge of murder late
last night in connection with the
death Friday of Miss Virginia Rappe,i
film actress, following a party in Arbuckle's
suite at a hotel here last
Monday. Arbuckle was locked up in
the city prison for the night.
Arbuckle was charged, according to
Assistant District Attorney Milton
U'Ren, under the section of the California
code providing that life taken
in rape or attempted rape is considered
murder.
Captain of Detectives Duncan
' " ' ' ' i -a -1 3
Matneson saia ine eviaence sau^eu
that there had been an attack made
on the girl.
"On Monday a formal complaint
will be filed against Arbuckle," Matheson
said.
He added that Arbuckle expected
to make a statement.
The complaint against Arbuckle
was made following examination of
Dr. M. E. Rumwell, Miss Zey Reiss
and A1 Seminacher, motion picture
manager for Miss Rappe, and others.
No Bail Allowable.
Under the California'Penal Code
no bail is allowable to a person charged
with murder. If District Attorney
Matthew Brady returns to the city in
time the case is expected to be pre"
A ^ ^ ^ i AtVt AnwAnt *1 4 Or V? f
SCiiLCU tU til*? JU1 V tUULlUl I U W
according to Mabheson. An inquest
will be held Tuesday.
Miss Rappe, who died Friday, was
removed from Arbuckle's rooms in a
'hotel last Monday in a critical condition,
after the party at which five
men and four women were present.
Autopsy surgeons said death was due
to peritonitis, superinduced by an internal
injury.
Accompanied by his attorney, Arbuckle
came here by automobile last
night from Los Angeles and went at
once to police headquarters. He was
questioned by detectives for several
hours, but on advice of his attorney,
refused to answer. At midnight Captain
Matheson ordered ihim booked
for murder. Arbuckle lost his iusual
jaunty manner and as he posed for
newspaper photographers, who asked
him to smile, he said: j
"Not on an occasion of this sort."
All of today Arbuckle persisted in
refusing to answer questions of the
police and his attorney, under whose
instructions ihe was acting, declined
to discuss the case.
Miss Rappe was 25 years old and
was born in Chicago. She attracted
attention in that city in 1913, it is
said, by advice to young women to
create original methods of making a
living. She was then making $4,000
a year as traveling art model, she
said. Miss Rappe came to San Francisco
in 1915 and for a time designed
gowns and wore them as a model.
She began acting in motion pictures
at Los Angeles in 1917, and took
leading parts in several.
CROSBY OClTOF^TROUBLE.
\
Warrant Withdrawn Which Charged
Criminal Assault.
uorDeii urosoy was reieasea rrom
jail the latter part of the week, the
charge against him heing withdrawn.
It will be recalled that
Crosby was placed in jail August 27
on a charge of criminally assaulting
a young girl in his neighborhood,
i The warrant was sworn out before
Magistrate Pellum and served bySheriff
Ackerman. ^Corbett was
placed in jail and in a few days the
girl and her mother decided to
withdraw the warrant, or rather
they announced that they would not
appear for prosecution, nor attend
the preliminary which was set for
Saturday of last week. Magistrate
Pellum, having no alternative was
obliged to withdraw the warrant, and
order the release from custody of the
defendant. The defendant claims
that the matter was greatly exagger
ated, and that he never assaulted the
girl at all, but was engaged in friendly
play with her. The affair is regretted
by him very much.?Walterboro
Press and Standard.
Renew your subscription today.
( COURT PR
SAM SINGLETON GUILTY.
Recommended to Mercy and Gets Life
Sentenc on Public Works.
The trial of Sam Singleton, Jr.,
charged with the murder of Nevy
and Jesse Kearse, consumed a day
and a half of the general sessions
court last week. The case was conconcluded
Friday afternoon, when
the jury returned a verdict of guilty
of murder with recommendation to
mercy, which carries with it a life
time sentence. Sentence (was imposed
Saturday morning on SingleVktr
Tn r? era Chinn This wofi thA
tUU IJ J UUU^V X U4W f* MW V**W
last jury case before the court this
session, but Judge Shipp remained
over Saturday to hear equity matters.
There was more interest attached
to the trial of Singleton than in any
case involving negroes heard in the
Bamberg court house, in years.
Throughout the trial the court room
was crowded with wihite and colored
people. Singleton is a man who is j
said to have a good character. Forj
the last fourteen years he has farm-|
ed on the plantation of Wade Mitch-1
um, a well known farmer of that
section of the county.
It will be recalled that the two
Kearse brothers were shot at Ebe
nezer church, while a district preacners'
meeting was in progress. The
shooting occurred almost at the
chruch door, as the congregation was
returning to the church for the afternoon
service. Nevy Kearse was
shot once in the head, and he was
killed instantly. Jesse Kearse was
shot, it was alleged, four times, and
he died nine days later.
The prosecution endeavored to
show that the Kearses were peaceably
attending the meeting; that duri
ing the dinner hour they were at the
i water pump and that just before the
I killing occurred they were coming
! to a place near the church to eat
| dinner. The state charged that as
| they approached Sam Singleton, Jr.,
opened fire on them, killing Nevy
instantly, and mortally wounding
Jesse. Some of the state's witnesses
testified that fahev saw a pistol in the
hands of Jesse Kearse when he was
on the ground, but all of the state's
witnesses agreed that Nevy Kearse
did not have a pistol. There was
j a difference of testimony whether
j Jesse Kearse ever fired his pistol or
not. It was also testified on the part
of the state that Singleton shot Jesse
Kearse twice as he lay on the ground
exclaiming "Oh, Lord," or something
to that effect.
The defence sought to show that
the Kearse's had hounded Singleton
i with threats on several occasions, and j
! particularly the,day before the kill|
ing, and he was told by a friend that
j the Kearses intended to kill him on
I sight; that Singleton had consistent|
ly^ avoided the Kearses on all occa|
sions since last December. The defence
contended that Singletonn had
avoided the Kearses on the church
| ground, and that they charged on
j him from the pump three strong,
I with some friends thrown in, and!
opened fire on Singleton, some of the I
defence witnesses testifying that
both Nevy and Jesse had pistols
| either pointed at Singleton or had actually
fired, while others swore that
Jesse only fired, all the defendant's
witnesses swearing, however, that
f A TZ aa roAft a y% Qiti orlof An
V/i-iU \j L LLLTZ ncaioco UXCU UU UlU&ittVAi
before he shot them down.
The case was hard fought throughout,
there being an array of counsel.
Four speeches were made by counsel
in arguments before the jury.
Car Breakers Sentenced.
A very interesting case in the
court last week was that of the state
against W. A. Walton and James Anderson,
charged with car breaking
nrt To of m o i?lr T) nf ^ ofh
auu lai tcu; at x^^uuiai rv, uulu
white men. The case was started
Tuesday and concluded Wednesday
afternoon, resulting in a verdict of
guilty.
In passinng sentence, Judge Shipp
asked the men if they had anything
to say in their behalf. Anderson replied
that he had nothing to say, and
Walton begged the court for as light
a sentence as possible. The judge
sentenced Walton, who escaped from
tho iail sr?mp mnnthe: ncrn of fihp same
time the negro Evans, alleged murderer,
escaped, to serve two years on
the public works. In passing sentence
on Anderson the judge told him
that he would give him the benefit
of the fact that he >had been an exemplary
prisoner. He received a
sentence of one year.
OCEEDINGS J
MISTRIAL IN DONALD CASE.
Hard Fought Case; Jury Fails to
Reach Agreement.
The case of the state against B. D.
Donald, charged with violation of
the prohibition laws, attracted considerable
attention in the court last
Thursday. The case originally in
eluded Jack Smith, but it is said that
Smith was not placed on trial because
he preferred to plead guilty. Mr.
Donald is a prominent citizen of the
Midway section of the county.
Mr. Smith, on the witness stand
for the state, acknowledged his part
in the making of liquor and stated
that he and Mr. Donald were in partnership
in the deal. Mr. Donald denied
any connection with the liquor
making apparatus.
After remaining in the jury room
for several hours, the judge ordered
a mistrial.
Reverses the Mayor's Court.
An interesting appeal heard last
week was that of George Wilson
and Carrie Jackson from
/Conviction in the mayor's court of
Bamberg. It will be recalled that
some weeks ago they were found
guilty by Mayor Thomas for violation
of the liquor law, it being alleged
that Wilson was making wine of
huckleberries. The specific charge
was storing liquor. The appeal was
made on the ground that the city
ordinance was null and void at the
time of the conviction because the
seal of the city had not been placed
on the same.
Judge Shipp 'held that the state
constitution clearly stated that a city
ordinance was of no effect until the
seal had been placed on it, and the
testimony showed that the seal was|
placed on the ordinance at a time
later than the alleged violation was
committed; in consequence of this,
fact it was held by this honor that at
the time of the alleged violation thej
city of Bamberg had no legal ordinance
forbidding the making or storing
of liquors or wines.
For Check Flashing.
I
Ed Rivers, for giving a check without
funds in the bank, received a
sentence of sixty days on the public
works. When Rivers was called up
for sentence Judge Shipp asked him
why he gave the check, and Rivers
replied that the had some money in
the bank but that it was not enough
and that he simply could not raise
the money when the check was hand-!
ed in. This statement impressed
his honor, who told Rivers that he
! was going to give him an opportunity
to pay the check. He was told that
the sentence would be suspended for
ten days, during which time he could
get the money up and pay the check,
in which case the sentence would be
suspended entirely.
Jaspes Howell Pleads Guilty.
Jasper Howell, charged with the
| murder of his step-mother, Mattie
j Howell, entered a plea of guilty of
| manslaughter in the general sessions
or>/4 TT7Q e* aantonpoH tfl SPTVP
I WU1 L ClUU It UO OVM wuvvvk wv w* ?
, three years on the public works.
The solicitor had requested the
! court to impose a light sentence in
this case, as he was convinced of the
fact that in killing the woman Howell
had not committed murder. It was
apparent, the solicitor stated to the
court, that Howell had not intended
killing her when he fired, and accordingly
Judge Shipp imposed a
three year sentence.
Hold Over Grand Jurors.
The session of general sessions
court last week winds up the court
duties of the present grand jury.
Consequently the names of six of the
grand jurors were drawn to serve
for the next year. The following
gentlemen were notified that they
would be the hold-over grand jurors:
J. F. Jennings.
* G. M. Neeley.
H. A. Stokes.
M. W. Rentz.
R. F. Lee.
J. R. Black.
"What is. the matter, daughter?"
"Tom and I have quarreled and
Vioro norto/1 frtrorop f "
"Well, that's good. He'll probably
not be here for a couple of evenings,
then, and you can get caught up on
your sleep a little."
.. I
FINE FOOD CROPS
ALL OVER STATE
FARMERS RAISING MUCH CORN
THIS YEAR.
HOG AND HOMINY.
Commissioner Harris Says People Are
Beginning to Live at Home as
Well as Sleep There.
r
Enough corn will be made by South
Carolina farmers this year virtually
to run the state next year, and other
food crops will be larger this fall
than in manv vears Dast. according to
Commissioner B. Harris, who has
been in close touch with the farmers
all year. ,
In speaking of the general food
crop situation Mr. Harris said that
he was confident South Carolina
would come nearer feeding itself
next year than at any period in the
last 25 years. "Oats have fallen!
short this year, but' the corn crop
will be a great deal larger than in
1920 and we will come very close to
making enough corn to run the state
next year," Mr. Harris said.
"The largest acreage of wheat ever
sown in South Carolina will be sown
this fall and I believe this will also
apply to oats," the commissioner said
yesterday. The hay crop has turned
out well.
Farmers are prepared to "eat at
home as well as live at home" next
year. Mr. Harris thinks, and he is
of the opinion that more hogs are
being raised in the state this year
than in all past 'history. More ribbon
cane and sorghum for syrup are also
available than in a number of years,
and these with other crops will place
the farmers in better condition than
they have been in a long time.
"Regardless of the boll weevil the
farmer of South Carolina in the next
two years will be in a better financial
condition than he is now and
this applies to the entire south. For
25 years all the cotton raised has
been sold by the farmers in order
that he could buy 'his supplies such
as fertilizers, flour, corn, hay, bacon
and mules and horses, all of which
^ould have been raised for half the
cost right here in the state. There
is no use for such a condition and we
I are getting away from this policy,"
Mr. Harris says.
''Now is the time for making preparations
for the sowing of oats. Seed
sown on ordinary land the latter part
of this month until October 15 will
insure a good crop. Most oat crop
failures are due to late plantings and
the winter freezes striking the crop
while it is young. Wheat in the
Piedmont section should be sown
from October 15 to November 1," the
commissioner says.
Mr. Harris urges the farmers to
sow at least one acre of oats, wheat
and vetch mixed to even- horse and
mule on the farm. The best mixture,
the commissioner says, is one-half of
a bushel of red May wheat, one and
one-half bushels of Appier oats and
12 pounds of hairy vetch to each
acre. If this is sown in good land
by October 15 it will make at least
two tons of the finest hay obtainable,
Mr. Harris says, and will give the
best results if cut in the dough stage.
The mixture is recommended because
all three plants ripen about the same
time and furnish the farmer needed
| food for his animals in May when
I other foodstuffs the running low.
FEWER BODIES TO CUT.
Prohibition Blamed for Scarcity of
Paupers.
1 /
Qont 8 Prohibition was
JLV/lUUtV) k;wf/v* v* ? * w ?------ ?
blamed for the scarcity of bodies furnished
to medical colleges for dissecting
purposes by Dr. J. B. McCurrich,
professor of anatomy at the Universi-j
ty of Toronto, in an address today by
the Canadian Embalmers' Associa-j
tion.
Since prohibition, Dr. McCurrich
said, men belonging to the class that
formerly died paupers through indulgence
in liquor, were now leaving
money enough to give them a regular
burial, and colleges rarely obtain
any bodies from that source. He ap-l
pealed to embalmers to assist as much I
as possible in furnishing bodies to bej
used in the scientific studies and re-!
search of the medical schools.
Some people consider it wrong to
^ ?- ?/> 11 vMinlafara
marry ior muiiej?jcl an mwioiti &
do. i
John J. Pershing now holds the
title of "General of the Armies, Chief
of Staff."
?
- ?* "-r&. . _? * > ''
SUICIDE FOLLOWS
SEIZURE OF DRUGS
CHIEF RAIDER SUDDENLY TAKES
OWN LIFE.
NO REASON FOUND.
Spectacular Affair in New York Ends
in Death of Frank
Fitzpatrick.
New York, Sept. 9.?One of the
most spectacular drug raids New
York has known ended today with
the mysterious suicide of the chief
raider. * .
Frank J. Fitzpatrick, head narcotic
investigator, led 13 agents in
a gallant charge up the gang plank . ^
of the Greek steamship King Alexander
and engaged in a hand to
ihand fight in which volleys of shots
were fired, five seamen were wounded,
$100,000 worth of drugs and
whiskey seized and nearly 325 men
aboard the vessel rounded up for
examination.
The raid over, Fitzpatrick stepped
into a wash room on the Brooklyn
pier where the King Alexander was
tied up. Two shots rang out. Fitzpatrick
was found dead, both bullets
in his heart.
The suicide completely mystified
the raiding party. Their only theory
was that their chief, who they said
had been worrying over his health,
suddenly had become demented in
the excitement of the fight. Tonight
they were awaiting the arrival from
Washington of Col. O. G. Forrer, executive
assistant to the chief of the'
narcotic division of the internal revenue
bureau, ordered to New York
to make a thorough investigation.
The raid -had been elaborately
planned by Fitzpatrick.
Throuah stool Diaeons he had ar
w * ~ .7.--.
ranged for purchase of $20,000 worth ,
of whiskey and drugs, which were
to be delivered through a porthole.
Preliminary payment of $1,300 to a
ship's officer and $300 to a watchman
were alleged to have been made.
Bright and early Fitzpatrick and
his agents showed up, approaching
the vessel in launches. But the suspicions
of certain members of the
crew were aroused and they opened
fire as the motorboats drew near.
Landing under fire, the raiders
rushed the gang plank. The fire
continued as the party jumped on
! to the deck. Then the fight started.
Finally reinforcements arrived. It
took some time to subdue those who
resisted but at last 15 men were
arrested on suspicion of being ring - j
leaders of a smuggling gang.
Later United States Marshal Power
ordered all members of the crew '\
brought to the federal building for
examination and 30 deputies and 20
policemen were assigned to the task.
The five wounded were taken to
the Long Island College hospital.
It was while he was returning to
his headquarters that Fitzpatrick
startled his men by committing sui
ciae. mey naa no warning 01 ms
act, for he seemed in high spirits
after the raid and congratulated his
men on their courage under fire.
Smoaks Trustees Elected.
Smoaks, Sept. 7.?As a result of
an election for trustees in Smoaks
school district, held yesterday, Dr.
H. M. Carter, I. M. Maxey and Percy
M. Berry were elected. This election,
was ordered several weeks ago by
, the county board of education in re
spuuse to a ueuauu uu tuc yait ui mo
patrons to permit them to choose
their trustees. At the last session
of the legislature an act was passed
giving that district the right to elect
their trustees, and specifying the
time the election should be held. On
account of conflicting opinions as to
the act, the election was not held
when ordered, but the old board having
resigned the county board decided 1
to permit an election to be held. The
vote was light on account of the fact
that many of the electors did not
have registration certiflcates. The
vote stood as follows: Dr.' H. M.
Carter, 47; I. M. Maxey, 29; P. M.
Berry, 27; W. H. Varn, 21; J.
Hiers, 13; J. B. Smith, 11; I. A. I
Ranlfl 11- TV F. Carroll. 3: A. C.
J Padgett, 2. -j3
! The new board will be commissioned
as soon as the official report of the !
election is received by the county
superintendent of education.
'After August 1st I will sell only j
for cash. I will have no books and j
will not charge anything. G. O.
SIMMONS.?adT. J