University of South Carolina Libraries
$?n%& s: VOL. II. NO 25. CAMDEN, S. C., THURSDAY. JULY 20, 1905. S1.50 Per Year. CAROLINA AFFAIRS Occurrences of InttrMt In Various Parts of ths Stat*. Qsnsal Cotton Market. Galveston, steady 10% New Orleans, steady 10% Mobile, easy 10% Savannah, dull * 10% Norfolk, quiet 10% Baltimore, nominal 11.00 New York, quiet 10.80 Boston, quiet 11.36 Philadelphia, quiet H-05 Houston, easy .11.00 Augusta, quiet 10% Memphis, quiet 10 13-16 6t. Louis. quiet 10 13-16 Louisville. firm 10% Charlotte Cotton Market. These figures represent prices paid to Wagons: Strict good middling 10% Good middling 10 6-16 Strict middling 10% Middling 10% Tinges 5% to 9% Stains 7% to 9.00 Died on Engine. Aiken, Special. ? Mr. W. E. McCar ter was found dead on his engine at Bath Wednesday night about 7 o'clock. The engine was moving in the direc tion of the chalk beds, to which it ran, when Mr. McCarter was found. Some negroes, saw the engine moving, and thinkipg that there was no one on it, jumped on and found Mr. McCarter lying on the floor dead with a slight bruise on his head. It is thought that his death was caused by heart disease. The bruise on his head is supposed to have been caused by falling. Mr. McCarter was about 70 years of age. He was an engineer on the old Augusta, Columbia and Georgia railroad for a number of years, and only left it a few years ago to take charge of an engine running from Bath to the kaolin bcrfs, situated near there. He has been living at Bath for a number of years. He was a Confederate veteran and a memboj' of the Barnard E. Bee camp at Aiken. He was also a prominent member ol the Masonic lodge. Th? Dargan Case. Columbia Special? Tho coronor's Jury in the case of It. Keith Dargan, the former president of the Indepen dent Cotton Oil dmpany, of Darling* i ton. .who committed suicide Monday, Teturned a verdf<it that the deceased came to his death by taking carbolic acid. It was developed at the inquest that Mr. Pegram Dargan. the brother of the dead man. was in the room with the suicide when he took the poison, and stayed with him until ho died. This brother was placed on the stand, | but declined to make a statement, saying that, the note left by Dargan would explain all. This inoto was road, and In it tho doad roan said that although he had mismanaged he was not a coward. The physician who was called to the dead man's aid testified that Pegram Dargan said that he bought the acid nod saw his brother drink it. Pegram Dargan mado no reference to this, however in his testimony. The parents of the suicide are ill. suffering from shock. Charged With Assault. Spartanburg, Special ? B. A. Ix>we, a white Baptist minister living at Ixdo. has taken out warrants for Robert Gossett, superintendent, and Dan Moore. Ed. Tanner and Jack Gaines, operatives of the Valley Falls mill, charging them with assault and bat tery on his person. The warrants were Issued by Magistrate Kirby, of this city. 1-owe alleges that on July K Gossett struck him on the head sever al times and subsequently on the some dav the others encountered him on the highway. The trouble appears to have arisen from Ix>we writing an official of the cotton mill in Columbia that. Gossett was not a fit person for the management of the mill. The case will be Investigated In Magis trate Klrby's court. New Enterprise*. The Secretary of State Issued sever al charters and commissions Thurs day. The Colleton Cotton Warehouse Company received a commission. This concern will have a capital of $.1,000 and will be located at Walterboro. The corporators are: W. B. Oruber, J. W. Hill and G. W. Wray. .. .The Southern Realty and Invest ment Company is a Columbia concern, with T. C. Williams, F. H. Weston and J. P. Matthews as corporators. The capital will be $50,000, Tho Sumter Colored Dry Goods Com pany received a commission, the capi tal being $5,000 and the corporators being R. H. Richardson, E. G. Jones. Z. E. Walker, M. J. Frederick and W. T. Andrews. The Lynchburg Mercantile Company received a charter, the capital being $5,000 and the officers being J. W. Tarrant, president; E. D. 8mlth, vice president, and J. F. Mcintosh. Jr., ses retary and treasurer. Died While Plowing. Union, Special. ? A special from Cross Keys In this county says: A tragic death occurred near here when Andrew I^amb, a farmer about 75 years old. dropped dead while plow ing alone In a field. His fall fright' ened the horse, which immediately rAn home. The family, thinking some thing must be wrong, sent at. once to Investigate, and found the old man, who had apparently been feeling well when leaving borne, lying dead In his tracka. SOUTH CAROLINA CIQP BULLETIN Weat^sr Conditions Glvon Out by tho Department Observer. The week ending 8 a. m. of the 10th( had a mean temperature slightly in ex cess of the normal, although there was some complaint of too cool nights near the close of the week, from the western portions of the State. The extremes for the week were a maximum of 100 de green at Columbia on the 3rd, and a minimum of 62 degrees at Greenville on the 8th. There were destructive high | winds in the western and central coun ties accompanying thunderstorms but the damage was confined to small areas. There wasjnore than the usual amount of cloudiness, especially during the af ternoons, with mornings and nights generally clear. The average precipitation waa some what in excess of the normal, with, however, many places In the east cen tral and northern counties that had lit tle or no rain and where the drought was intensified and is now very detri mental to all growing crops. In Oconee, Anderson, and parts of Pickens and the central Savannah valley counties there were very heavy rains that washed lands, flooded bottom lands and re tarded cultivation; over the greater portion of the State the rainfall was wholly beneficial, though scarcely suf ficient for the needs of crops. There was a general improvement In the condition of cotton, confined largely to clayed soils, while on sandy lands there was Improvement In spots only. The .plants have grown too fast In the western counties, and generally under sired elsewhere, though healthy. Rust has appeared In Anderson county, and "black root" in Clarendon. Sharp shooters have done considerable dam age in Anderson and Pickens counties. In sections where the rainfall has been deficient, and the plants are in conse quence small, they are blooming to the tops. In most places the plants are fruiting normally. The rains came too late to benefit old corn, wjilch is poor in every part of the Stato, while young corn has become very promising, except on bottom lands, in a few counties, where what is left after the floods has ? become very grassy. Tobacco curing has made fair prog ress, but tho crop Is a light one. Rice is doing fairly well. A large a eage of cow-peas has been planted on wheat and oats stubble lands, and they have come up to good stands. Gardens are poor, in places ruined by the drought. Pastures have Improved recently. Mel ons are plentiful. Peaches scarce ex cept where raised on a commercial scale. ? J. W. Bauer, Section Director. v/ Ben Bennet at Liberty. Hampton, Special. ? News came here early Monday morning announcing the fact that Ben Bennett, a whito man convicted of wife murder and sentenced to five years in tho penitentiary or on the chaingang, and Sam Jenkins, a ne- 4 gro serving on the chaingang for kill ing another negro, whose sentence was four years In the penitentiary or on the public works of tho county, have es caped. The escape was made by filing a large ring. They left with their shackles on them. There were nine convicts at work near Hickory Hill. Webb Thomas was the only guard in charge on this gang at the time. Romy Bowers, the other guard having gone to his home on Saturday. Nothing was known of the escape until daylight this morning. Supervisor Snider will do his best to have the convicts captured. It is thought that Bennett has gone to i Savannah or Charleston. The State House Case. Columbia, Special. ? Col. Robert Ald rlch of Barnwell and Mr. H. A. M. Smith of Charleston are here to repre sent the State of South Carolina In the 'prosecution of the case against the State house contractor and architect who are responsible for the dome on the capltol. The complaint charges con spiracy to defraud the State and the suit is for $150,000 damages. It is prob ablo that the trial of the case will be very Interesting. There la some feeling on both sides, as was evidenced on the floor of the general assembly on more than one occasion, and the attorneys on blth sides are very determined men. Mr. T. Yancey Williams of l^ancaster was also delegated to assist Col. Ald rlch in prosecuting the ease. 8erious Shooting Affair. Union. Special. ? Word has just reach ed hero of a very serious shooting af faIMn this county, near .Tonesville, at a negro church, In which one Jim Glenn is fatally wounded and three other ne groes are seriously, but not necossarlly fatally shot. Tho name of tho negro who did the shooting could not bo learned. He is still at large. A Large Deal. Conway. Special.? Few larger deals have been made in Horry county than the transfer of the stock of the Conway Coast and Western railroad. As an nounced previously, the road has changed hands. Messrs. James H. Chad bourn. Eugene I'. Schulken and C. P. Bolles of Wilmington. N. C.t being the purchasers of a majority of the stock. The directors Is composed of Messrs. Chadbourn, F. A. Burroughs, C. P. Bolles, B. G. Collins and E. P. Schul ken. with H. H. Cbadbourne as presi dent and E. P. Schulken secretary and , treasurer. Ship Lies In Harbor Bottom. KustenJI, Roumanla, By Cable. ? The announcement that the battleship Knlnz Potemklne sailed with Rear Ad miral Kruger's squadron Monday even ing turns out to be Incorrect. Before leaving the Knlak Potemklno the mu tineers opened the seacocks and flood- | ed her hold. She Is now lying at the bottom, but, It fa expected, will bo re floated In time to leave for Sevastopol July 12. ; TIE S. C. PRESS ASSOCIATION Th? Editor* Had a Good Time, and Much Bualneaa Waa Transacted. White Stone Springs, Special. ? The thirty-flrat annual meeting of the South Carolina Press asslciatlon is perhaps the largest In attendance in the history of the aaeoclation. And In point of In- ] terest It Is second to no other. The pa pers presented ? have been remarkable for their force, breadth of thought and patriotism. MrBlngham's paper on "The r Press and Morality" and Mr. Jordan's plain, practical talk on the business side of a country newspaper were the features Wednesday. Thursday Mrs. Virginia D. Young and Col. Jas. T. Ba con painted bright sketches which were amusing and at times touched a chord of patriotism and sympathy by their references to matters close to the heart of all South Carolinians. Rev. Dr. Ja cobs made an address of great power and Rev. Mr. Witsell read Mr. Brlce's paper on ethics. At the night session Senator J. E. Purifoy read Senator Christensen's papers. The association was very much amused at the embarrassment of Col. Jamea T. Bacon wfcen Mrs. Youn? made some bright sallies of wit at his expense, and when she told the asso ciation that she wanted to show them a new picture of the colonel the mem bers were convulsed with laughter. But Mrs. Young hastened to explain that the photograph was not given to her by Col. Bacon. Mrs. Young's paper brought out the fact that while many South Carolina men have been distinguished poets, authors and journalists yet they re ceived their inspiration from their mothers, intellectual women. She also gave the names of intellectual women of South Carolina who had written. By the time she had concluded the asso ciation was ready to agree with her that man is but secondary. Mrs. Young's beautiful references to the dead editor of The State made a profound impression, which provoked applause. Her tribute to Carlyle Mc Kinley also gave great satisfaction to his many friends and admirers. Mrs. Young was given a vote of thanks and was asked for n copy of her paper to publish in the minutes. A very interesting paper was read by Mr. St. Klmo Masscngale of Atlanta on the subject of the relation of the ad vertising agent to the newspaper pub lisher. Mr. Masscngale's paper will ho published in the minutes. There were three places put in nomi nation for next year's session and tho vote stood, White Stone 16. Isle of Palms 14, Harris Springs 1. The- vote was close. Mr. Kohn, of Blgham and Mr. Freo man spoke in behalf of tho Ise of Palms. Mr. Knight of * Bamberg thought the change every years would he pleasing. Mr. DeCamp nominated White Stone. Mr. Banks. Mr. Galloway and others spoke in favor of Whlt^ Stone. % TUB OFFICERS. The following officers were electel: E. H. Aull, Newberry Herald enl News, president; William Banks, The State, first vice president; Dr. J. C. Mace, Marion Star, second v'ue presi dent; C. C. l>angstont Anderson Intel ligencer. secretary; August Kohn, The New? and Courier, treasmer; Rev. W. P. Jacobs. Our Monthly, chaplain; Kd H. DeCamp of Gaffney Ledger, C. M. Galloway of The State and W. W. Hall of The News and Courier, members of the executive committee. Mr. P. H. Flke, chairman of the committee on reports of officers, re ported with lecommendatlons to the effect that the executive committee be empowered to select a permanent badge ami that the minutes from the year 1888 to 1894 inclusive be collccte 1 nr.'l printed. This was adopted. At morning session, the first paper' read was by Mr. P. II. Flke on the subject "(letting the News." This was followed by the paper by Mr. Wiiliam Banks on the "Lights and Shadows rf a Reporter's Life." These papers wore ordered printed In the minutes. Mr. Fike is city editor of the Spartanburg Herald and his paper was full of In c. est. The committee on the memorial on the life of Mr. Carlyle McKinley re ported the following through Mr. Ban'te and on motion of den. R. R. Hemp hill the report was spread on the min utes: "Resolved, by the Press Association of South Carolina. That It Is due to th? memory of Carlyle McKinley thnt \v, Inscribe upon our minutes a tribute to his memory, a memorial all too In adequate. for words cannot f ame e presslon for the measure of usef !r.e;j; of this man of giant soul. "Fearless reporter In the days of po litical fury, student, teacher enl scholar of wonderful masterly ;rtin 1. stored with only the choicest tluTihts of the world's best literature: editor of power, spirit, loyalty to country nnd iovo for all mankind; poet whore fu gitive verses, all too few. will rank him In sentiment If not In fecundity with Hayne, Lanier and Tlmrod? It Is to bis memory that the Press association of South Carolina will pause at this moment from its sessions and will put upon record a declaration of faith In the woiks and a declaration of rever ence for the spirit so tender and yet so true, so strong and so brave. This we do. knowing that though n-n a member of the association, he had ten der sympathy for and keen human In terest in the labors and in the wclfa e of h >?. fellow workers of the press." At the afternoon se?slon the sHec Hon of a place of meeting wvi held and Mr. Hardwlck'r. addr^m war. lie ml | with great pleasure, the association be ing assembled in the routuuda. ? Wll- i Ham Bo- Irs In Columbia State. New Enterprises. J The Secretary of State has chartered the Yorkvllle Hardware Company wit'i a rapltal of $8,000. The officers are VV. J 1. Withers, president; VV B. Moore, vice-president.- and George W. Brown, secretary and treasurer. A commission was Issued to the J Anderson Farmers' llnlon Warehouse Company, which will have a capital of $20,000 and the corporators nre J. B. Douthltt and B. Harris. TOBACCO STATISTICS The Government Will Withhold Then Pending Investigation TRUST AGENTS IN DEPARTMENTS Numerous Charges From Southern 8ources Lead Secretary Wilson to Begin an Investigation in Deference to the Sentiment That the Depart ment's Figures Were Wholly lncor< rect ? Special Agents Sent to Ken tucky and Tennessee ? Statistics Partly Held Up Pending the Inquiry. Washington, Special.? Through the receipt of numerous communications from the South and statements In the press at various times that the statis tics of the Department of Agriculture on tobacco were being manipulated in the Interest of the so-called tobacco trust, Secretary Wilson has begun an inquiry into tho subject. Pending the investigation; the publication of the tobacco statistics of the several dis tricts will be held up. although the regular monthly figures by States will be given out Monday next. It was stated at the Department that special agents have been sent to the dark tobacco districts of Tennessee and Kentucky for the purpose of veri fying or correcting the Department's figures. This action Mr. Hyde, the chief statlstian, said, was in deference to the sentiment which had been en gendered that the Department's figures were wholly Incorrect. Mr. Hyde has been given direct charge of the investi gation, which, it is expected, will be concluded within two or three weeks. 1 New Directors. New York, Special.? Twelve new di rectors were chosen, and the resigna tions of two old directors and one re cently elected were accepted by the board of directors of the Equitable Life Assurance Society. The directors who resigned were: General IxmiIs Fitzgerald, former president of the Mercantile Trust Company; Horace C. Demlng, who is now president cf that institution, and Frederick G. Bourne, who was chosen atjUp last meeting of the board. The Mercantile Trust Com pany is controlled by the Equitable So ciety. The full list of the newly-elect ed directors follows: To fill vacancies in the term expir ing December 31. 1903. Wallace L. Pierce, of Boston; Daniel A. Tompkins, of Charlotte; Thomas S. Spratt, of Og denshurg, N. Yj; JjouIs Stern, of New York; Frank S. Witherbee,? of New York; James McMahon. of New York. For term to expire December 31. 1906; Williard p. McCook, of Philadelphia; Congressman Charles E. Llttlefleld, of Rockland, Me. For term to expire De cember 31, 1907: Nevada N. Stranahan, collector of the port of New York; D. Cady Herrick .of Albany. For the term to expire December 31. 1908: Nicholas Murray Butler, president of Columbia University; Charles H. Zehnr der, of Philadelphia. No Grudge Against Wilson. New York, Special. ? President Wal ter C. Hubbard, of the New York Cot ton Exchange sent the following com munication to the Associated Press: "Permit me to ask you very kindly to correct a misapprehension of the press in regard to my letter to Presi dent Roosevelt concerning the disclo sures in the Departemnt of Agricul ture.. "I have never written to Secretary Wilson and my letter was not the se quel of nny correspondence with him conducted by my brother. Samuel T. Hubbard, when president of the New York CDtton Exchange. "My note was prompted simply by the recent revelations and had for Its purpose solely to make a clear state ment of the attitude of our exchange." Will Aid Investigation. Washington, Special. ? Richard Cheatham, secretary of the Southern Cotton Association, was in lengthy conference with District Attorney Beach and Mr. Moran, acting chief of tho secret, service division, regarding tho recent cotton investigation. Mr. Cheatham proposes to remain hero for some time, and will assist in the preparation of evidence upon which possible criminal prosecutions will be based. Telegraphic Briefs. M. Serglus Wlttc has been appointed chief peace plenipotentiary for Rus sia. It is stated a German Swedish alli ance Is probable. In the House of Commons Premier Balfour stated no further negotiations had been had regarding President Roosevelt's call for a second peace con ference at The Hague. Twenty-four leaders of the Odessa j riots were hanged. j A violent scene occurred in the I French Chamber of Deputies during a | I debate on the Amnesty bill, which was i | killed. j Premier Balfour stated in the. Hous* : of Commons that conscription would not succeed In the British Army. j District Altorney Jerome, of New j i York, has fomally asked for a copy of , Superintendent of Insurance Hendricks' report on the Kqnitable Life Assurance I Society Investigation. Edwin S. Holmes, the dismissed Gov J ernment statistician, is said to have left I Washington. I Statistics of manufacture In Mary | land were made public by the Census Bureau. WITTE NAMED FOK ENVOY Cur Became Convinced That Nego tiation* Might Fall If His Appointee as Chief Plenipotentiary Went to Washington and Now Conssnts ts Replace Him by Russia's Great Con structive Statesman, Long Out of Favor. ffc. Petersburg /Special. ? Ml Mlura has resigned His position as chief peace plenipotentiary, it may be re garded as practically certain that he will be replaced by M. Wltte, president of the committee of ministers, who all along has been considered the Rub- j slan statesman pre-eminently qualified to undertake the difficult task of nego tiating peace with Japan. Though the Emperor on two previous occasions has flatly declined to accept M. Witte, he has now indicated his readiness to make the appointment. The commission, however, will not be actually signed until Foreign Minister ? Lamsdorff, who throughout has been Mr. Witte's warm supporter, has had an audience with the Emperor. M. Witte's selection will undoubtedly be hailed fis a practical assurance of peace. While it would be a mistake to denominate him as a "peace-at-any price" man, M. Witte earnestly believes that the struggle should be ended and should be succeeded by an understand ing between Russia and Japan which would insure peace In the Far East for half a century. Indeed, he is person ally believed to be in favor of a Russo Japanese alliance. M. Muraveift's retirement, ostensibly owing to reasons of ill health, is In reality due to the ffcet that the Em peror became convinced of the fact that the negotiations might be jeopardized if he went to Washington. M. Mura vlefT himself, upon consideration, quite frankly recognised his lack of diplo matic training and his want of ac quaintance with the questman in volved, and with equal frankness ex pressed satisfaction that he had been relieved. Train Stalled In Tunnel. Asheville, Special. ? A special from Andrews, on tho Murphy branch, says: Heavy rain, practically a cloudburst, caused numerous washouts, flooding the track over two feet for a half mile near Topton. A number of trestle sup ports were carried away, paralyzing traffic. Train No. 19 stalled In a tun nel five miles east of Andrews. Over a hundred were on hoard all night. The trestle at I lie east, entrance of the tunnel gave way on the passing of the rear coach, and ditching was narrowly avoided. The train was brought to a stop in the tunnel. Investigation ahead revealed another washout bridge 50 feet from the west, end of the tun nel. The train is still unable to pro ceed either way. Tho coaches were packed with people, two in a seat, some standing all night. Many women and children attending the Topton bar becue were aboard. A majority of the passengers walked' to Andrews over the flooded tracks for breakfast. Tho wires are crippled. I Growers Sue Tobacco Trust. ? Clarksvilie, Tenn., Special. ? Suit was entered by a committee from the executive committee of the i>ark To bacco Growers' Association against the American Tobacco Company and buyers, who arc alleged to have boy cotted the association, for $250,000 al leged damages. The suit is brought on behalf of 7,000 planters who are members of the association, and is based on an alleged action of the de fendants in trying to break up and destroy the association. In restraining competition, and also for the alleged boycotting of the association's tobacco in the Clarksvilie market, In Bremen end in other foreign markets. Other Disclosures Likely. Oyster hay. Special. ? It Is regarded her?? as probable that other sensation al developments may grow out of the leak In tho cotton crop report, which Secretary Wilson, of the Department of Agriculture, Is Investigating. Noth ing definite has reached the President regarding possible future disclosures. In fact, hy direction of the President. Secretary Wilson is conducting the in quiry along his own lines with a deter mination to sift the matter to the bot tom. Attorney General Moody will de termine finally whether criminal prose cutions are to be instituted hy the government, against any one of the al leged conspirators. Hubbard's Letter Endorsed. Augusta. Ga., Special. ? The cotton exchange through its president, J. H. ' Walker, wired President Roosevelt In j fupport of the action taken bv I'resl dent Hubbard, of the New York Cot | ton Exchange. Tho telegram says that the Augusta exchange heartily en dorses the letter of W. C. Hubbard, I recently sent you, and solicits prompt I co-operation In stamping out. and ex- I posing the corruption developed In the bureau of statistics." Lawson Leaves Omaha. Omaho, Neb., Special. ? Thomas W l.awson. after a five hours' sta/ Ir. j the city, left for Missouri Valley, la., where he Is to address tho Chautau qua Assembly on the "System." Ills ' coming has been extensively heralded, and a largo number of persons gath ered at the station to see tho famous t antagonist of the Standard Oil Com- | pany and tha Copper TrusL SECIESAIY WILSON REMAINS FIRM 8scretsry Wilson Declares That Un less There Are New Developments Regarding the Cotton Leak He Will Abide Result 80 Far Attained. Washington, Special. ? Unless there are new developments In connection with the cotton leakage investigation, Secretary Wilson said Tuesday that he proposal to stand on the report of the secret service officers. He expect ed, however, that the investigation would give rise to various rumors and stories of irregularities in connection with the Department's reports on other products, but that where there was the slightest tangible evidence to work upon he would go to the bottom of every complaint and publish the re sults of his Investigation. Already, j he said, the allegation had been made that the tobacco figures had been manipulated and the matter would be looked into. But for the present he had nothing further to say. The new system of preparing the monthly crop report, devised since the cotton investigation began, was put In force Tuesday. That report was made public late Tuesday even ing and the Secretary believes that the steps taken to safeguard the fig ures were well-nigh perfect. Early in the day Assistant Secretary Hayes, Chief Statistician Hyde and* several experts of the Department were placed in a room under lock and key and they were not to be permitted to come out until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The telephones in the room were dis connected. and a carefui scrutiny was kept of the windows to avoid the pos sibility of a leak through private sig nals. No communications of any sort have been received from Mr. Price or his attorney, and the Secretary believes that so far as the cotton investiga tion report is concerned it is a closed incident The Czar's Friend Murdered. Moscow, By Cable. ? Major General Count ShuvalofT, prefect of police here, and formerly attached to the Ministry of the Interior, was assassin ated Tuesday morning while receiv ing petitions. One of the petitioners drew a revolver and fired five times at tho prefect, who fell dead. The as sassin was arrested. The assassin awaited in tho ante room of the prefecture till the other petitioners had been received and then entering the audience room, he advanced towards Count ShuvalofT. firing five shots at close range. The bullets passed through the body of the prefect. The assassin, who was dressed as a peasant, has not. been identified. Ho was recently arrested as a political suspect, but escaped from the police station beforo his examination. Dargan Commits Suicide. Charleston, S. Special. ? A special from Darlington says that It. Keith Dargan, formerly president of the In dependent Cotton Oil Company and the Darlington Trust Company, com mitted suicide by drinking four ounces of carbolic acid. Dargan was talking to his brother a short while before the deed was done and seemed in good spirits, although the failure of the mills and the closing of the trust company's doors were naturally weigh ing upon his mind, lie left a note whiel, the coroner has taken, in whl.'h it is known that he mentioned the financial troubles, and stated that ho intended to kill himuelf. The oil company was capitalized at $1,000,000, and if i/? rur.ioied that the deficiencies may reacn $700, 0U0. Declines Railroad Passes. Washington, Special.? It is stated at the Navy Department that Secretary Bonaparte has outlined his opinion in reference to accepting passes for free transportation on the railroads, by re turning passes that have been sent to him. with thanks for the courtesy, but stating that by reason of public posi tion which ho occupies lie feels un able to avail himself of such considera tion. Killed Convicted Negro. Jackson, Miss.. Special. ? Davis Col lins, a negro who was convicted of attempted criminal assault on Miss Hogg, at a special term of the Copla county court, and sentenced to ten years In the penitentiary, was killed on the way to prison by Mr. Dickev, a brother-in-law of Miss Hork. The killing occurred at Crystal Springs. Mt. Dickey boarded 'he train at Hazel hurst. When it stopped r.t Crystal Springs. Dickey walked into the coach where Sergeant Dodds was MMinr; with the prisoner, and drawlnc a pis tol Dickey fired three shots into the j negro's body. Death was in&tsntan j eous. Dickey surrendered. Railroad From Norfolk to Beaufort. ( Raleigh, Special. ? A special from j Elizabeth City says the Carolina Coast ' Railroad Company whs organized there ^ to build a railroad from Norfolk to ' Beaufort, N. C. President, W. B. Roper. | of Norfolk; secretary, W T. Harris. I Norfolk; directors, W. B. Rodman, j Thomas Duncan, W. B. Roper, W. T. j Hsrris and W. C. Rodman, are nil j stack subscribe os. COAL MINERS KILLED 1 26 Human Lives Suddenly Snuffed Gut By Accident WATTSTOWN, WALES, DISAS1EI The Force of the Explosion Wrecked the Machinery at the Mouth of the Shaft and Cut Off All Communica tion With the Interior. * CardifT, Wales, By Cable.? An explo sion of (ire-damp in No. 2 pit of the United National Colliery Company at Wattstown, In the Ithondda Valley, the center of the great Welch coal fields, Tuesday morning is believed to have resulted in the loss of at least 126 livee. The explosion was followed immediate ly by the belching clouds of smoke and dust from the pit shaft, in which 130 men were working. Tho force of the explosion wrecked the machinery at the mouth of the pit. All communi cation with the doomed men in this direction is completely cut off. No. 1 dinft, adjoining, has ordinarily afTord ?d communication with No. 2. Tho 800 men in No. 1 and tho few who escap ?d from No. a^were drawn up. A rescue party descended, but lta work was seriously impeded by the foul ?ir and the falling masses of earth iislodged by the explosion. Altogether VJ bodies have been recovered. Heroic efforts have been made for hours to reach tho entombed men, hut late Tuesday night the absence of all sound from the interior of the mine told the talo of tho worst disaster that has taken place in South Wales since 1894. The news of the explosion spread rapidly and hundreds of women and ?hlldrrn and thousands of men throng ed the bend of the pit, seeking infor mation. The mountain roadways were ?rowded all the afternoon, and there ire now streams of people In the neighborhood of the mine all contribut ing to the pitiful scenes. Efforts at rescue were still in progress at mid night. and currents of fresh air were still being driven through the shaft, but the rescuers are now working without hope of reducing the list of fa talities. Three Miners Killed. Birmingham, Ala., Special. ? Three men were killed and Ave injured by the raving in of a rock at Sayreton mines, north of Birmingham. late Tues day afternoon. The mines belong to Alabama Consolidated Coal and iron Company. Rescue Efforts Fail. Portmund. Prussia. By Cable.? Ef forts to rescue I be Ihirty-nine men who were cut 'off by lire in the Borussia coal mine Tuesday have been without suc .?os-*;. and it is feared that they have perished. Big Dam Gives Way. Asbeville, Special. ? The dam recent ly completed at the Asbeville School, near this city, creating a large arti ficial lake, broke Tuesday evening at 7 : 30 o'clock, releasing the entire body >f water into the French Broad Itiver it Hominy cree't. At midnight the wa ter In the river had risen more than live fret and w*?s still rising. The break was caused by the excessive rain fall for the past few days, which in creased the pressure on the dam to KUch an extent that it. gave way. Effort to Rescue Cargo. Norfolk. Va., Spe.dal.? After having remained buried i". the sand beneath In feet of water for five years, an ef fort i : now to be made to rescue tho ? nrgo of the schooner Mitmie It. Ber ',cn, which was wrecked near Chieo ilioco. N. ('. The cargo consists of J00 tons of steel rails, a locomotive and other machinery. Captain .John Wheallcn. of Washington. N. ('., will l?til!d a wharf out to the wreck and My the use of a sand pump remove the sand and save the cargo. Another Japanese Victory. Toklo, By Cable. ? The Navy Depart ment has received the following report from Admiral Kataoka: "Two cruisers and four torpedo boats left Karasa* korsk on July 10 with soldiers on board for the purpose of landing and occupying Cape Notoro. After somo bombardment the place was taken. The lighthouse and buildings were left undestroyed. Four prisoners were taken." Nlkolalevsk, Asiatic Russia ? Tho J a pane. ho have already landed over 1 2.000 troops fit Korsnkovsk. Island of Sakhalin. Alleged Spy Sentenced. Tokio. By Cable. ? Tho Judgment In the cave of Captain A. K. Bougouln, the Frencij resident who was sen tenced to ten years' Imprisonment at 1 aid labor on the charge of being a Russian spy. declares the accused war. cngnged In searching for and report in* artillery secrets-. The conn's allesre that Bougouln reported the move n?cntr. of Japanc^o troops, to Captain Delahry at Farts nnd to a Farls news paper. Bloody Encounter. Warsaw, By Cable.- Three bloody encounters between troops and strik ing shoe makers, in whleh about 2t? persons were killed or wounded, oc curred Tuesday. The strikers were marching through the city from house to house demanding the lowering of rents by 20 per cent. Many proprie tors out of fear compiled with the de mands of tho strikers.