The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, April 09, 1902, Image 1

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THE BATESBURG ADVOCATE. VOL.11. BATESBURG, S. C., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1902. % NO. 12. 1 TWO MEN SHOT DOWNI In Brosd Daylight on the Highway by Negro Highwaymen. ONE KILLED AND ONE WOUNDED. They Were on Their Way Home V Prom Augusta in u IIiikk)' ^ When the Assassination Took IMuce. \ Mr. \V. L. Collins, farmer, of Edgefield county, S. C., was assassinated Wednesday at 2 p. 111., at Fox's Creek, Martinsburg road, Aiken county, five miles from Augusta, by negro highwaymen. Mr. George "Wood, a farmer also of Edgctield county, S. C., a neighbor and a friend of Mr. Collins, was shot slightly in the right hip and left shoulder. The negroes names are l not known. They are at largo, eseap| ing after the assassination. They atI tempted to "hold up" the farmers, |i\ who were returning to their homes I from Augusta, where they had been transacting business, and the "hold ? up" was resisted. 3 The Augusta Chronicle says the farmers were riding in a buggy. One negro appeared by the roadside, with a pistol in each hand, and commanded the men to throw up their hands. Mr. Collins was unarmed. Mr. Wood quickly drew his pistol. The negro tired, the ball from one pistol striking Mr. Collins in the region of ttie heart, the ball from the other 'pistol striking Mr. Wood slightly in the right hip. Mr. Wood tired on the highwayman, ibut does not know that lie struck him. Another highwayman, from the bushes, tired with a rillo, the ball I :striking Mr. Wood very slightly on t lie left shoulder. Five shots were tired. The negroes escaped into the woods. Searching parties and the law authorities are seeking them. ^ TKIKD TO GAMHLE WITH THEM. Having concluded their business in ' the city, Mr. Collins and Mr. Wood, riding in a buggy, started to drive to their homes, which are some distance over the Aiken line, striking the river | in the vicinity of I'lum Branch. Af ter crossing the North Augusta bridge and having proceeded a short distance they were accosted by two negroes, one a mulatto and the other black and sliiny. They had some sort of a match box gambling device, and. accosting the travellers, sought to engage their attention to the game of chance. As certaining what was desired of them the travelers declined to participate in the alleged game of chance and pror~ ceeding on their way, going ahead ^ "quite leisurely. When they had arrived in the neighborhood of Fox's Creek, their atten tion was suddenly arrested by a man the mulatto?springing from the bush, a pistol in cither hand, and commaiulA ing, "Throw up your hands! Your money or your life!" As stated Mr. Collins was unarmed. Immediately Mr. Wood sought his pistol. As he drew it, the negro tired from both pistols. Mr. Wood returned the tiro twice. The black negro was hiden in the bushes, lie tired one shot from, apparently, a rilie. STRUCK A VITAL I'AKT. The mulatto was quickly back in the bushes. Mr. Wood was in the act of springing from the vehicle to give pursuit, wljen Mr. Collins said, "Keep on driving.* His voice was weird and full of distress. "Hut, he has shot me! complained Mr. Wood. (Mr. Wood at th" ?'me did not know how badly or sligutly he L was hurt.) A "He has shot me, too," replied Mr. ; Collins. Mr. Wood detected then , that Mr. Coilins was badly hurt. lie was turning pale and evidence of great pain was portrayed on his features. "Are you badly shot, do you think!" said Mr. Wood. "He has killed me," replied the unfortunate gentleman, and lie was then in the throes of Peath. "We will drive fast to Dr. Hounds," said Mr. Wood, forgetting all else then except the distressed condition of his friend and neighbor. All this occurred very quickly. A very short distance had lieeu traversed before Mr. Collins dropped over in the I buggy and life was extinct. SUMMONED IIELI'. There was no one near at hand. ILeaving his dead friend, Mr. Wood went as quickly as possible for assistance, llrst reaching the home of Mr. William Harnett. Immediatel that i attention could tie given the lifeless body and the neighbors around could I be notified, Mr. Wood took the pro* ft per steps to send word to the family of the deceased and to notify the authorities. Mr. Wood quickly reached Marshal Getzen and with that of tieer and >Ir. Herbert Hunch and other gentlemen, rode into the city t to confer with the authorities here and to as their assistance to aid in sectoring Ihe highwaymen in case they should come this way. The; party met Chief of Police Norris and Mr. I Wood gave to him what description W of the negroes that he could, lie had paid very lettle attention to them * when they had tirst accosted them and I had not charged his memory as to 1 their appearance. He described the I inen as best he could and the police and county authorities will, of course, exert every possible diligence to the end that the men l>o taken. It is the belief, however, that the bandits are still on the Carolina side. ' The search for them l>egan in twenty minutes after the assassination. Ity night fall passers from Ijoth Aiken county and Edgefield county wenbeating the woods for them. It is stated that men from the Georgia side had also joined in the search and the opinion was expossed that it would he utterly impossible for the men toescape arrest. All sorts of reports have been reaching town, but nothing of a definite nature is secured. HOLD-UP OK TUESDAY. Near Clearwater Tuesday morning a well known colored man. Hob Mcrriwether, was hold up by a mulatto and black man robbed of a pistol and money. Meriwether reported the hold-up-to Marshal Getzen and gave a very excellent, description of the men The authorities arcsutistied that the assassins of Mr. Collins are the same men who held up Merriwether and tlicMerriwethr description will be ;J of much service to them in identifying the bandits. Mr. Wood is positive that he will l>e able to identify the men or either of them, if they are brought before him. The excitement and indignation caused by tlie assassination are in- , tense, particularly in the neighborhood where Mr. Collins lived and among the people in the vicinity adjoining the scene of the crime. THE CHARLESTON EXPOSITION. ( rout ('rowilH Arc Now (<oiit(; to ( VlHlt It. ! t The Charleston correspondent of the ( State says Wednesday was the great- ' est day in the exposition's history so ] far as crowds are concerned. The: ( same correspondent, writing on Wed- i liesday say for the last .'hi hours the j ] railroads have been pouring people i ' into Charleston by the thousands. | Every train entering the city has lieen . loaded to overflowing and the trainsj, have been divided into sections of eight awl ten coaches each. At this ' time it is impossible to estimate how : ' many have come within that time hut J it is certain that Charleston now has ' within her nates the largest crowd of ' the exposition. Today the grounds ' I were for once animated. The people * were so nunierousas to delight and in- ' spire the folks who have been for ' months explaining and describing ' their exhibits to the casual inspector ] or to each other. Today there were plenty of visitors to talk to and the ( concessionaires were joyous. The ' , crowds have come chielly from South \ Carolina. Educational Week and the I rock bottom Tuesday rates have ' brought them. A number of colleges ' and schools are here and many pupils are accompanied by their parents. ? Teachers and fathers and mothers 1 were today escorting the children ; around the grounds and an occasional I weeping spell was indulged in liv the > youngsters too tried to do more sight - 1 seeing. The difference in the eharac- . ter of the crowds now here and the 1 visitors on earlier occasions is most noticeable. The Yankee, the silk hat l man and the silk lined woman, have t given way to tlie wool hat Carolinian | and his wife and family. The gold ] headed cane and the silk umbrella are l replaced by the lunch box and the ha- ' by's bottle. The virot hats have been supplanted by the product of the small town millinery shop, with a bunch of not inconspicuous ribbon and a red or yellow Mower. The rural bride and her rust ic crooni?a l/roon waist, red shirt and a fur collar betraying the bride's happiness: striped trousers, a red tie and new wool hat giving away the groom's precious se- ( cret?the are here, imagining t hemselves the admired of all admirers. The manager of the Northwestern railroad the miniature concern thai traverses the grounds never fails to spot this happy couple and immediately he announces that the "Honey- , moon Special" is about to start. Shot Itoi't's I.ike Ituhltils. The London Morning Leader publishes the alleged story of the crimes which led to the courtmartial and execution of two Australian officers in South Africa which is just now exciting keen indignation in Australia. The newspaper asserts that several officers of this particular irregular corps shot Itoers like rabbits and that they are even suspected of murdering men of their own command. The incident which led to their courtmartial was the cold-blooded "execution" by these officers of ten Hoers supposedly having 20,000 pounds, who were journeying to Petersburg to surrender. The Australians stopped the liners, tried them by mock courtmartial and ordered all to be shot. This was done by a squadron of the soldiers after some of the non-commissioned officers had refused to carry out the death sentence. The officers then ransacked the lifter wagons but found the 20.000 pounds was in Transvaal money. Lieutenant Hancock, one of the Australians concerned, fearing a Herman missionary would divulge his information. shot the missionary dead. A Wleril Story. A Strang case is being tried in a Montana Court, it was reported that a man named .L C. Paulsan had commit ted suicide in March, 18t>7. The body was at once placed in a receiving vault by his wife, who had refused to admit anyone to the house to see the body. An insurance company which carried $(5,000 on Paulson's life became suspicious.nan a local agent investigate the death, and he saw the tody in tlie vault, hut said t he face of Paulson was veay lifelike. The insurance, however, was paid. Mrs Paulson started fordermany with what was supposed to lie the body of her hushand, and is now living in some island province of that country. The insurance agent and his attorneys and witnesses at the trial declared their lielief that Paulson is not dead, hut that he feigned death afterwards made Ids escape and is alive today. Fired tin* l.ast Sliot. ('apt. S. If. Itarton, 0. S. A. who is said to have tired the last hostile shot in the rebellion on the plains of lira/os. Santiago. Texas, May id, 1 s?;r?, is now living in l>el Kin, in t hat State. It is said that among his neighbors Is one Ncy. a comrade on that occasion, who claims to be a descendant of Napoleon's marshal of the same name, who tired the last shot In Napoleon's retreat from Russia, ('apt. Itarton j says that a young man who fell by his side was undouhlly the last man killed in tlie civil war. A Fatal Accident. A sad and fatal accident occurred in Charleston on Friday, (his Itooney ; of the crew of the I'nited States cruiser Cincinnati which is now in Charleston harbor, was run over and 1 killed by a trolley car on the Meeting street extension Friday night, lie j was horribly mangled, lie endeavored to jump on the front of tlie car while jit was in motion and was knocked j down and run over. THE DEMOCRACY. Meeting of the State Executive Committee in Columbia. SENATOR TILLMAN ATTENDED. Some Wanted the Convention Held in CharlcHton, hut the C?>iniiilttee Decided to Meet in Columbia. The State Democratic Executive Committee met in Columbia Thursday light and tixed the date for the State xmvention. Twenty-six out of forty ounues were represented. senator Cillman was present by virtue of his position as member of the National Jommlttee. Col. Wilie Jones, chairman of the committee, presided, and Mr. U. X. Hunter, Jr., tire secretary, ivas also present. The members present were: A. \V. Fdnes, Ablieville; W. W. Williams, \iken; J. i'erry (Ilenu, Anderson; S. fJ. Maytleld. Itamberg: (1. Duncan I?elinirer. l'.arnwell; S. (I. McCoy, Iierielcy; W. F. Stevenson, Chesterfield: Louis Appelt, Clarendon; 1,. J. Wlllauis. Edgefield; T. II. Kitchens, Fairield: lb II. Traxler, Florence: M L. 1 tonaldson. (Ireenville; 1). II. Magill, 1 recti wood: M. I). McSweeney, dampon: J. A. MeDermott, 1 lorry: 1>. (I. Itichards, Kershaw: J. II. Wharton, Laurens; I). .1. Critilth. Lexington: W. I>. Evans, Marlboro: Cole L. Itlease, Newberry: W. J. Strihling, Oconee: W. b Tutmn, Orangeburg: Wilie Jones, Itichland; 11. 11. Watson, Saluda: Altanont Moses Sumter; J. C. Wilborn, i'ork: F. X. Hunter, Jr., secretary: It. li. Tillman, member of the national Detnocrat c executive committee. There was considerable discussion caused by the introduction of a resolution l?y Mr. Magill that no member be illowed to vote unless that member iad been regularly elected. This was aipported by Mr. W. I). Evans, and Mr. I {lease. Col. Wharton and Mr. Altamont Mosses opposed the motion. Senator Tillman said In reply to Mr. Moses triat it is sometimes the case hat members of tlie national Democratic committee are represented by proxy. It was decided to let members present, by proxy or otherwise, participate in tile proceedings and in the rotes. INVITATION KltOM CII.VULB8TON. When this matter was settled. Col. tones announced that the committee had received a request that the meeting of the State convention be held in Charleston, lie read a telegram from Maj. .1. C. Ileinpliill, manager of the department of promotion and publicity, offering the convention the use i?f an auditorium and assuring the members of a warm welcome. There was also a telegram froin Capt. F. W. Wagener, president of the exposition, in which lie asked Senator Appelt and Mr. .1. ('. WillHirn to use their inlluL'licc to have the convention meet in Charleston. in accordance with these invitations. Col. Wharton offered a resolution that the May convention of the State Democratic convention be held in Charleston. In supporting his resolutions. Col. Wharton spoke in glowing terms of the exposition and stated that the railroad fare from most of t lie towns in the State would lie lower to Charleston than to Columbia on account of the exposition rates. The matter had been discussed among the members of the committee during the afternoon and it was pretty well understood that there was no serious objections to calling the convention to meet in Charleston. Hut the proposal was fought by a number of members of the committee. Mr. Hlease offered a substitute for Col. \\ barton's resolution. The resolution tlxed Columbia as the place for meeting and the 21st of May sts the date, in supporting his resolution, Mr. Helasc spoke in highest terms of Cliarleston and the exposition, but it would he contrary to the spirit of the constitution of the Democratic party for t he meeting to be held outside of Columbia. Mr. L. .1. Williams said this would he a very radical step for the convention to meet in Cliarleston. The railroad fare might lie cheap, hut there were other evnen^vs to ooiwidor Mr. Itellingcr contended that tlie lirst tiling to consider is whether or not it would henetit the Democratic party for convention to meet in < 'harleston. Mr. Wharton a^ain spoke in favor of Charleston. The constitution of t he party is silent on the place of meeting. and this very silence shows that the wisdom of ttie members of the committee is relied upon. Mr. Appclt also favored Charleston. Mr. Wllhorn explained how he had received a telegram from Capt. Wagoner. Senator Tillman asked If Mr. Wilburn had been fishing for an invitation. Mr. WillMtrn then prodded Senator Tillman, lie spoke in warmest terms of praise of the exposition and said that he felt his State pride drop a little when he looked upon this magnificent exposition and saw how piwuiv ii i* ociiig pai romzcu. ny Holding the ('(invention there, the State Democracy would endorse the exposition. lie referred to the light which Senator Tillman and the other congressmen had made for an appropriation fur the exposition. Mr. I'.lease And Senator Tillman gOt it, t(K I. Mr. Wiltiorn (Sot it in the neck, i Laughter. I Mr. Wilhorn then went on to say that it had never heen explained why St. Louis got $.*?,000,000 and Charleston could not get a few thousands. The reason of it is that we are Democrats down here and they are Republicans there and that is why he would like to see the Democrats of the State endorse the exposition. Mr. \V. .1. Stribling of Walhalla said that the fare from that place would really he ."?U- cheaper to Charleston than to Columbia, hut the other expenses would offset, this difference. Furthermore the members of the convention might fall into the / I hands of the Philistines?the blind timers. Mr. Ketchins of 1 "airfield remarked banteringly that as this invitation had not come unsolicited, it had better not be accepted. The motion was put and Mr. Hleas'es substitute to hold the convention in Columbia was carried by a vote of 21 to 7. The seven were: Cunningham, Appelt, Traxler, Magill, Wharton, Watson and Wllborn. As there are 400 members of the convention, they would have had a lively time together in Charleston, and Columbia could spare the convention for once. There seemed to be a hidden reason for objecting to the proposed change in the place of meeting, probably some expect matters affecting the organization of the party to come up, and think it l>est for such matters to be disposed of away from the enchanting music of the midway spielers. One of these matters of party policy is tlie attitude of organized Democracy toward the socalled "Commercial Democrats." Mr. lilease last night introduced a resolution to the effect that the committee advise the convention to add a new section to tne oath to oe taken by candidates in the State primary, so that they would be bound tosupport the platform of the national Democratic party. Hut he withdrew the resolution at the suggestion of Col. \V. I). Evans, who declared that it would be somewhat like arrogance for this committee, which now goes out of existence, to make any such suggestion to the convention.?The State. A DASTARDLY OUTRAGE. Four Negroes Does to a Dcntlciunii'M (tonne to ANNaKNliiute Him. On last Sunday night week there was committed near Cameron an outrage by several negroes that merits the severest punishment, and we hope the rascals who committed it, and who are now in Jail, will Ik* made to feel the heavy hand of the law. About eleven o'clock of the night above named four negroes went to the home of Mr. .1. M. Stalllngs, who lives a few miles from Cameron, and called to him tocomeout. Mr. Stallings. .mowing that there, were several persons in the yard, declined to go out, and asked what was wanted. The negroes made some insolent answer and began throwing bricks and other missies into the house through the window, in the meantime Mr. Stalllngs had his pistol and was endeavoring to get a chance to shoot some of the scoundrels. The black brutes remained sometime in the yard, cursing and yelling, but finding that Mr. Stallings was ready for them, they finally left. My some means It was ascertained that a negro by the name of Ilussell was in the gang that committed the outrage, lie was taken in custody, when he give the whole thing away. He confessed that he and three other negroes had gone to Mr. Shillings for the purpose of assassinating him and then robbing the place. Had Mr. Shillings came out when called he would have been shot down, and then the ladies and children of the family would have lieen at the mercy of these fiendish, black brutes. We shudder when we think of what might have happened had it not been for t le forethought of Mr. Shillings. No doubt every one in t he house would have been murdered and the house set on fire and burned to the ground had Mr. Stallings came out and been assassinated as the plotters intended. The names of the three negroes implicated by Russell, is Caleb Hampton, Meter Dantzler and Isiah 1 lanes. All of them lived in the neighborhood of Cameron, and are well-known to the people of that section. All of them have been arrested and are now in jail. It is reported that others are concerned in the plot, and we have no doubt but that is true. If so. we hope they too will be apprehended and punished to the full extent of the law. The people in the section where the outrage was committed are determined that an example will be made of these rascals, who, really, deserve hanging. as they fully intended, by their own confession, to commit murder. and possibly a blacker crime had opportunity offered. This outrage should be a warning to those people who live in issolated sections. Let them all prepare for such emergencies as confronted Mr. Stallings. It is a pity he. did not have in his house a good Winchester ride. Then he might have given these scoundrels what they richly deserved.? ()rangeburg Times and Democrat Major Micati tlcnkina, A dispatch says Major Micah Jenkins. of South Carolina, famousas the principal ligure In the South Carolina sword episode, is likely to be appointed a retired captain, with pay, in the regular army by a special act of congress, the favor to Ik; bestowed at the request of his friend, President Roosevelt. Major Jenkins appeared before the house committee on military affairs to ask the appointment and the committee will report in his favor. He will draw eighteen hundred per annum for the balance of his life. If he lands. Major Jenkins was in Roosevelt's rough riders and made a distinguished record. Roosevelt asked MeKinlcy to put him In the regular army, as captain, but the request was not granted for some reason. Theodore Roosevelt, when he liecame president, gave his approval to a plan to have congress pass a special bill to put the major on the retired list, disabilities sustained in the Cuban campaign rendering him unfit for active service. To Almllnh Slavery. Representative Patterson of Tennessee Wednesday Introduced in the ; house a bill to abolish slavery in the : Philippine islands and to Invalidate I the treaty between (Jen. Rates and , the sultan of the Sulu islands. Tills will embarrass the Republicans, as they sanctioned the trade made by '(Jen. Rates with the Sultan of Sulu. A l'nt uI kiploNiun. it is now certain that not less than thirty miners lost, their lives by the I explosion in the coal mine near Day| ton, Tenn. Fifteen bodies have Ijeen I recovered and buried, and the others j are to Ik* taken out as soon as they I can i>e reached. MEMORIAL HALL. What Capt. B. H. Teague Says o Present Status OF THE FUND BEING RAISED To Itulld (lit; llaidr Altltry it i Richmond, V?.? Which to Preserve Helices of t'onl^drrato Soldier. To the Editor of The News ant] Courier: As the South Carolina Division of the U. C. will not meet in Reunion until after the Dallas Reunion, and as it is proper that the Veterans of the State should he informed as to the status of the Confederate Memorial Association ftlw so-called "Kouss Hat tie Abbey Assn elation,") allow ine through this correspondence to give tlicm such information as I possess. At the Louisville Reunion it was shown that subscriptions hud been obtained in amount to cover the $100, 000 offered bv Mr. Kouss. At the Memphis Reunion it war shown that a sufficient amount from these subscriptions, and what wa-s deposited in different hanks and held in the hands of camps, etc, would warrant the belief that the $100,0U< to Ire raised by the Association was at hand and needed only to he collected and put in the hands of the treasurer, Mr. Geo Christian, at Richmond, Va, this city having been chosen as tlu location of the Memorial Hull. The soliciting agent. Gen Underwood, was therefore instructed to get these sums together and deposit them with the treasurer. At the.same time, according to agreement and contract. Gen UnderwcxKl was instructed t< draw the amount due and now payable to him since the $ioo,ooo was practically In view. Gen Underwood had not up to the time drawn or had beer paid anything from the amounts col lected. The amount drawn by Under wood was $2~i,023, and was paid ti him from a deposit of $.V.?,44M in bank at Covington. Ky, leaving on deposit $:{4.42.">, subject to tlie order of th? treasurer whenever tlie full amount ol $100,000 would be collected. Tlu sundry amounts were as follows: On deposit with t reasurer at Richmond, Va $ gi Exposition fund on deposit at Nashville. Term 0.020 '.? Collections by Underwood on deposit at Covington. Ky, 50,448 81 Sums in the hands of camps, etc 5,740 01 X ~ j otai ^ $7?,9U(5 t'.< These sundry amounts were con sidcred suviolently good by Mr. Kousi as t(? prompt him to place an approxi mate amount of $<50*000 in the hand of the treasurer. Now of the subscriptions one o Mr. Marcus Daly was for $4f>,000?livi thousand of which was paid by him The ba'ance was considered as good a casli. hut unfo innately the donor diet before it was paid over to the collcc tor, and since then the widow refusiti) to pay it, suit was entered into ti obtain t lie balance, and by legal ad vice a compromise is alxtut to lie effect ed, by which this balance is reducet to $20,000. There are other subscriptions amounting to $ 1,550 0< Add Marcus Daly subscription 40,000 0 And amounts on deposit 79,90(5 (Ji The total is shown of ..$121.45(5 <>' The actual cash though, was $79, 90(5 (50. Now. after the payment of (Jen I n derwotxl and the unfortunate ltold-u| of the Daly subscript ion, the cash o the Ass(M'iation shrinks to $5l,S8,'l <;n If the Daly compromise is etTecte< there will then have to he raised stiI some thirty thousand dollars to mee the balance of Mr. Kouss's fund. The heirs of Mr. Kouss assure tb Association that the last payment o his fund will Ik; made whenever th full amount of the one hundred thous I and dollars required by the \ssocia tion is on deposit . it will be seen that the full amouu in cash realized by the Association after more than a year of effor through individuals, camps, chapters etc. in the length and breadth of th South previous to the employment o j (Jen ITnderwtMwl, was $20,457 71. 1 will also Ik> seen that had the mone; been realized from the Daly subscrip tion the board of trustees would havi Im'iii ill I'onHit tun til limn ml Inn ?t? whole <4 the Rouss fund and worl would 1:1 vc been going on now on II) Memorial Hall. The iroaid of trVslce of the. Association has recently in; full and harmonious meeting, in At lanta, (la, at much expenditure o time and money to themselves, gon thoroughly over tiie situation and wil at the Dallas Reunion present a ful report. The members of the boan are enthusiastic in their faith in th ultimate erection of the Memoria Hall. It. II. Teague. MvinixT for South Carolina of tin Itoard of Trustees C. M. A. Aiken, March .'<1. Money Making Scheme. The Columbia State says Thursda I morning there was an interestiii| scene at the old union depot, reeentl. abandoned. The work of tearing u the tloor was commenced. There wa no trouble in linding laliorers wh wished to take the work olTered. w it I the chance of what they could get And they were wise men. Man have often remarked iliat when th old lloor eame up there would lie ricl finds. So it proved yesterday. A1 kinds of money, ranging in size frot dollars to one cent pieces were foun by the workmen. A large numljer c pocket knives were also found, an other articles of more or less value The workmen needed no urging t make them tear up the tloor in | hurry, hut once a board had been ir moved it. was difficult to get him t tear up the next. There was a interesting scramble all the wa t hrough. < A LABOR PAPER WARNED. . Orders from Washington About its f| I'm- of tfie Mails. The Augusta Herald says l'ostmater i Smythe. of that city, has received instructions from the postoitice department at Washington to exc. tde the "Voice of Labor," a local weekly pub1 lished in Augusta from the United States mails if it continues to publish in its columns inllammatory articles, as have appeared in several recent kuiioc The paper has not yet been shutout I from the mails, but tlie editor. Mr. . .John Allen Mette. has been cautioned by I'ostnuftiter Sinythe that the pos1 tal laws would be strictly adhered to. and these laws cover the sending through the mails of such literature . as the "Voice of Labor." Kditor Mette went to Mr. Smythe's oilloe. and asked by "what authority did the department want to keep his i paper out of the mails?** Mr. Sinythe j replied that he was only carrying out i i tlie laws of the postal department.! and cited these laws to Mr. Mette. The latter then wanted to know who were the parties who had notified the 1 departmental Washington of the pa per being in the mails. The postmaster told Mr. Mette that he knew, but did npt consider it necessary to inform 'I Mr. Mette. Mr. Mette was anxious to ; i know, but was nut informed. "The Voice of Labor" published several articles in late issues t hat were ' rather "warm stutf." to use a slang I phrase. The headlines glowed with ' | strong statements such as: "Consti tut,ion of I'nitcd States a Damnable | Document," "Civil War," etc. The '! last issue, that of last Saturday, eonj tained an article, denouncing the municipal government. A Columbia Mystery. The Columbia State says Wednesday morning while some workmen ' were excavating for the foundations of Mr. Allworden's new building opposite the Independent engine house a gruesome find was made. Portions ' of a skull and some Itoncs were uncovered, all very old and in a very dry and decomposed condition, almost ' crumbling to pieces at the touch of ; the human hand. The skull when 1 carefully examined seemed to Ik- that ' of a negro, the receding forehead being easily recognized when the portions were titled together. How old the 1 tones were no one could venture to say. The skull may have belonged ' to a pre-historie man who was wont to roam about the forests attired only ' in a goat skin petticoat and a smile, or mayhap upon it once rested a Fcd' eral soldier's cap. The hones may have been carefully laid away by lov' ing hands or they may have had buried with them the black secret of foul ' nnuvlnr \ n #?v1 l.anwn xt.iuvi. 4111 ?m? iiuuih; nu?l?u UYUl LiiU spot where the skull was found until s torn down for the present work. S Columbia's Sky Scraper. The Columbia State says the bids ^ for the big twelve-story Robertson ofe lice building had been opened and the contract awarded, and that the work s of tearing down the Kendall building, ' on the site of which it will stand, * will begin on the morning of June 1. -r As soon as this building has been [) taken down work on the new struc" ture will begin. The contract was " awarded by Mr. Robertson to M. T. ' Lewman Co., of Louisville, Ky., a well known building firm. The big building is to be t welve stories as orig' inally designed, and will be 50 feet deep on the Washington street side, " running on the front, however, the width of the present Kendall building and the two ine-story structures adjoining, extending to the wall * of the Parlor restaurant. Will Visit Charleston. P Admiral Dewey has announced in f letters which he lias written to ' Washington friends that the condi1 tion of Mrs. Dewey, who has been 1 sojourning in Florida for his health, t has much improved, and is in everyway much benefitted by her trip. The (> letters state that she has almost comf pletely recovered from the throat ditlic culty from which she has been a suffcrcr for several years. The admiral - and Mrs. Dewey have left Palm Reach. and will return to Washington leisureI ly and by slow stages, visiting many Southern cities en route home, includt ing Jacksonville, Thomasville and Ceorgift point, the Charleston Expos!c Hon, and a few |>nints in North Carof Una. t l- lircaks Out Al'rcsli. The fire that has been smouldering for 20 years in the old No. 2 coal mine p of the I'nion Paeitie at Carbow, Wyo., * has broken out afresh, and a force of e men is now engaged in walling up tlit* s mouth of t lie fan eliaft through which 11 the smoke and flame are issuing. * Twenty years ago, wnen the tire start* 'etfrthe company, being unable to con'' trol it, walled up the shaff. At in' tervals of two or three years the tire ' lias broken out In new places and for ' five consecutive years it has burned steadily. The lire has undermined the ' country for a radius of half a mile and | miners say it will probably burn for an indefinite period, e llllten Oy a >la<l l>og. Mr. I,. M Ifarrellson. a prominent farmer of the Walnut < J rove sect ion of Spartanburg county, has encountered V a seriesof misfortunes recently atlrib* utahle to a shepherd dog lie owne<l, V which went mad several weeks ago. I' | This dot; hit a cow, several hogs and a s i valuable horse all belonging to Mr. " llarrcllson. before being killed. Asa result, the cow and the hogs died * shortly after the dog hit them, and y Wednesday the horse died. e h I'roslH ill llic Son III. Frosts were general jas^ week in (j Tennessee, portions of Mississippi, lt- Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas. ,1 The frost was heavy at Nashville, Charlotte and Wilmington, and se0 vere at Knoxville. Reports from ;i Macon. Savannah, Augusta, Charles' ton Memphis and Meridian are to u the effect that the frost was light. n The damage to the fruit crop in v Georgia if any was slight, a strong wind prevailing throughout the night. AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT. Wliy Htnte Pensioner* Have to Ho Somewhat Patient. The following otliclal statement for the benefit of the pensioners of the State was issued Wednesday from the State pension department: ''Every year almost as soon as the legislature adjourns and the appropriation for pensions becomes available, such questions are constantly sisked, as "When will the money be paid out".'" "Why should the poor old soldiers and widows be kept waiting so lonj; for their money, when they need it so badly?" etc., etc. "These and various other questions can host, he answered by a simple statement of the amount of work necessary before this fund can lie disbursed. "The various county pension boards are supposed to meet on the third Monday in January of each year, to pass on all new applications and revise the old list of pensioners. It is necessary in every county to have several meetings before they can get their reports in proper shape to send in to the State pension hoard, and even, after they are received hero, every mail brings in belated applications from the chairmen requesting that they tie added to their rolls. This is not the fault of the boards, but is due to the fact that the applicants for pensions often are unacquainted with t lie time the board meets, or have had ditticulties in getting witnesses, etc.; in many cases the hoards held their reports back purposely hoping to get all : the applications in at once. The State board requested that all tho re- ' ports should tie In by March 1, but | the last one has just oonio in, and therefore it was impossible to eall a ' meeting of the State pension board before. "The State pension board when It ' meets lias to consider each new application, which is necessarily a slow and tedious process, and also hear appeals. etc. It is quite likely they will be in session several days this year as the number of new applications is very large. After their work is over, the pension clerk then has to prepare the pay rolls for the clerks of court of each county, and as there arc over (5,000 names, this of itself takes some little time. "It is tlie desire of the State pension Isiard to pay the pensioners Just as simhi as possible as tliey who are in constant touch with them, know Just how great Is their need this help, and every expedition possible is used."' Crop Condition*. The Unitod States department of agriculture for the South Carolina section in the crop service of the weather bureau has 5? sued its weekly crop bulletin. In writing of South (Carolina conditions the reports says: Preparations of lands, and spring planting are about as late as they were last year, which is to say about ten days later than the average season. Slow progress was made over the western counties where the farm work is backward and the season very late. Here some corn lands have been prepared and a little corn has been planted hut planting has not become general. Over the eastern and cent ral counties the upland corn planting is well under way and some early planted is up. Ground is too cold, however, for favorable germination. I'sually cotton planting is well under way over the southeastern counties by the tirst of April, but this year cotton planting during March has been contincd to southeastern portion principally to Beaufort county, where about one fourth of the contemplated acreage has been planted, mostly of the Sea Island variety. Lands have l>een largely prepared and arc awaiting suitable planting weather over the eastern and central counties, where by April 10th it is expected, work will become general. In western counties preparation of cotton lands is backward and planting will be late although during the latter portion of March work of preparation advanced rapidly but planting will be delayed until ground becomes warm enough for favorable germination of seed. Itryun In ItiKtil. Hon. F. A. Ilood of Chattanooga, Tenn., president of the Itryan club, i Wednesday received a letter from I Hon. W. .J. Bryan in response to an inquiry for an opinion on the proposed campaign issue. In his letter Mr. Bryan s.Jd: "1 am afraid that so long as I live 1 will he accused of having ambition; however, the fact that 1 am editing a paper and exposing the recoganizers ought to convince the people that I am not planning for personal preferment. While I t>elievc that the Democratic, party would quite generally be in favor of the taking care of the Confederate graves along with the graves of lTnion soldiers, I am satisfied that if it was put forth as a campaign issue it would a-osuse a bitterness which might delay reforms far more. With the southern people the taking care of the Confederate graves is a part riot ic duty and one that the southern people would not be willing to have entirely turned over to the Federal authorities and there are certain great reforms which are of great value to the people of the south and which might Im> lost sight of in a condition that long ago ought to have been forgotten." Married in tlio Tombs. Lawyer Patrick, who was convicted a week ago of murdering niillonaire llice in New York, and sentenced to Ik- electrocuted, was married In the Tombs on Sunday to Mrs. Addie M. Francis, with whom he boarded up to the time of his arrest. Eleven Drowned. Eleven men were drowned in the English channel on Tuesday night as the result of a collision between the steamer Alba and the British ship Cambrian Princess, in which the latter was sunk. llaiiK?(t lor Murder. A dispatch from Manila says Private Ilealv, of the Twenty-seventh infantry, was hanged Friday for the murder of Sergt. Moreland, in April, 1901. The murder occurred at Manila. d.J? , I SHOCKING CRIME. A Negro Murders His Employer and Her Daughter AND WOUNDS ANOTHER CHILD. j Tin* Negro Thinking All Were Dcud, Hi* I{iiI)h tin* House anil Flees, liut Is Cu|?turecl mid Con lessen. Fearing that lie would lie arrested for theft, William II. Lane, a colored butler, shot and killed his employer, Mrs. Ella J. Furbush, her 1 years old daughter Madeline, and probably mortally wounded another daughter, Kloisc, aged seven years, at their home, (if>2 north Fifteenth street, Philadelphia shortly before noon Wednesday. Lane, who is 2.*> years of age, escaped from the house and four hours later w:?v; innlHwil 1)1.: 1--l-.i-t- - - - ...... wj i iiuaueipuia uei/CO tivcs while waiting in Camden, "N. J., to Ixard a train for Bridgeton, N. J. lie was immediately carried to Philadelphia was identified by little Elolse, and confessed his crime. The murder was one of the most cold blooded that has l>oen committed in this city for sometime. Mrs. Furbush lived with her two daughters In a tine four-story house. Lane had been butler since Christmas, and besides him she had another colored servant, a woman named Agnes. Recently Mrs. Furbush had been missing small amount of money and finally she informed the police, who began an investigation which was still In progress when Wednesday's tragedy was enacted. Suspicion fell on Lane and a warrant was sworn out for his arrest. According to Lane's confession, ho saw Mrs. Furbush on Monday night counting a large roll of bills. Knowing where she kept the money, he bided his lime and at an opportune moment late in the evening he stole $70. Tuesday morning Mrs. Furbush missed the money and questioned the colored man. but he denied all knowledge of having seen it. Expecting that the theft would be placed on him and that Mrs. Furbush would have him arrested, Lane planned to murder the mother and her children, rob the house and disappear. At 11 o'clock he went to the third tloor and found Mrs. Furbusli in one of the middle rooms. Me instantly shot her twice, 4 once in the breast and then through the heart. She died instantly, Elolse, who was in another room, hearing the noise, entered, and Lane shot her m in the abdomen. She fell and be^^^L I thought he had also killed her. With-^^^^^ I attracting the attention J the otln-r .-..-i van; iiB^ * the out-kiUT .o, Lane went to the * front door and called Madeline, who * r was skating on roller skates on the sidewalk, lie told her that her mother wanted her on the the third tloor, and without the slightest suspicion of the tragedy that was being enacted, and that she was going to her death, Madeline climbed the stairs without removing her skates. She went into a room adjoining that in which her mother lay dead. Lane followed her and as she cheerily called her mother, the negro shot her through the heart, Ullin.r Via "W.?..h UVil I I IDCiAl I L 1J . Lane, in his confusion, says he then proceeded to rob the house. He quickly found *130, two watches and a pocketbook, and while he was searching for the jewelry he was interrupted by the arrival of two special policemen who had a warrant for his arrest 011 the charge of larceny. They asked to see Mrs. Furbush and Lane showed them to the dining room on the second lloor and said he would call his mistress. Recognizing one of the men as an otlicer, Lane hastily put his overcoat on and escaped by the rear of the house. All was quiet in the house and the policemen hearing a moan, statrted an investigation and on the third tloor hallway found little m Eloisc. To the policemen she said: "William shot my mother and my sister, and tried to kill me." I she was immediately sent to a hos- J pital. Lane was traced to the Penn- I sylvania railroad station at Camden, I where he was recognized by one of " the policemen he had admitted to the house. The ortlcers hustled him on a ferryboat and out of the jurisdiction of the state of New Jersey and took 4 him to city hall. He wore new clothes, j and his old suit of clothes he sent to Ids - - - --J sister's home in Burlington, N. .1. At w the Camden station he telegraphed ^ another sister at Itridegton that he was coming to see her. At the police station Lane said he was sorry for what he had done. lie was surprised to hear that Eloise was alive and said lie always liked her and hesitated to kill her, "but it was necessary to do so." "Now that 1 have been caught," he added. "1 hope she will live. 1 am also sorry for Mrs. Furbush and Madeline, but poverty tempted me to do it." Later Lane was taken to the hos piuu, ?iicre raoise nicniinca mm. Lane corroborated evertything the child said. Lane is the son of a preacher who lives In ltridgeton, and lists served a term in the Mount Holly, N. J., jsiil for larceny and has been contined in the Huntingdon, Fa., reformatory. What I'lnrly Will Say. General Fitzhugh Lee, who distin guished himself in the Confederate service and is now on the regular army retired list as a brigadier general, recently went on a visit to West Vir- I ginia. While there he met an old com- ' rade in arms whose reception was somewhat frigid. "Well, what's the matter?" said General Lee. "Oh, nothing much," was the non- jkI committal reply. fl "There is something wrong," per- ju sisted the general. "Out with it! ^k What you want?" fl After lieing strenuously urged the sS| old comrade said: V "Well, 1 want to die at least half ?? an hour before yon do. 1 want t<< be in tlie other world when you arrive there, Just to hear what Gem ralJubal Early saya when lie sees you in a blue uniform Jtk JH