University of South Carolina Libraries
VOL. II. NO. 50. . CAMDEN, S. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 1906. _? u vrji , . ? i ; r .. ' ' . ? ? ' S1.SO Per Y t LITTLE MAKE-BELIEVE OR A CHILD OF THE SLUMS. BY B. L. FAHJEON. PART IX. nouox. CHAPTER VII. . 'r Adolescence. With the majority of human beings i the period of adolescence la the mostl uninteresting portion of life. pretty ways of childhood have tuny their tender nud fascinating course, and there Is a long wait, aa at tho rull in the act-drop in the drama. To this rule, however. Little Make Believe was an exception. life was full of color, and every' J Bay that dawned brought with It the neoasslty of action. This struggle for the bare necessftr life, this fight for food, waa re* * kind WiUl Iutere8t* albeIt of a Painful Y#t from her inner being. In which Jay. a well of purest sweetness, she crew a wondrous compensation for jniiety and suffering; her gratitude Cor trifles was so great that it might, jvith some semblance of truth, be said that the pleasure of her days was bom of the pain thereof, and would have been of a lower quality had her need been less. She had found a friend, however, but Tor whom she might have succumbed, tho world was so powerful and she so Rveak. f These last words have nothing of ex, ?Miration in them, for the world was ber enemy. Ruled by social laws which of very necessity might have compelled Little Make-Bel lev e to drift into wrong do ing, in the eyes of the world she was ? sore blemish, for which none but th6 narrow-minded could have condemned Bfeppily for her, of this exceedingly From that night upon which he was ? mi Bpectator of own funeral in Para else Buildings he became her friend. In a small way certainly. To tho ex . i J>ro^ably, of three or four pen ??? in the course of a week, bestowed ?pon her a penny at a time when ho met her in the streets. It was little enough, but It was a belp. The wonderful godsend of three bright shillings from his hand to hers iwas not repeated, but that was hardly to be expected. The occasional pennies were a wind rail which often sent Littlo Make-Be lie ve home rejoicing. 8a ranne grew stronger and more Beautiful, and, accepting as her right tho cheerfui willingness to provide for ber which was Little Make-Believe's chief rule of life, did no work herself ?ven when she was. old enough for it. But It Is hard to say what she could nave done had sad fortune deprived her of her supporter. Slio knew nothing, had learned noth ing, and was easily discouraged, Whereas Little AJakc-Believo fought doggedly against tho heavy odds, and aomctlmcs ^exclaimed (sometimes in the midst of billet* tears), "Never say die." During the years tliat intervened be-) twci'ii childhood and womanhood tho sisters became acquainted with three' persons who were destined to play im portant parts in their histories. Two were gentlemen, one a boy of the people. Where this latter came from no one In Clare Market knew. Borne said ho had dropped from the Clouds? an euphemism, for he more likely sprang from the gutters. . Ho %aa utterly wild, ungovernable ?nd untamable and seemed to bavo gypsy blood In him. Questioned about his parent*, his re ply was that ho "didn't know noChlnk about 'em." Ho had Htert anyhow, from hand to mouth, as the saying is. Where lie slept, how he managed to live, wbcro ho came from, and if there existed a human being in tho world ?With whoiu ho could claim tho smallest tlo of kinship? thes* were questions .which nono could answer. In somo odd way ho bccnino ac qualntcd with Little Makc-BeUcvo and 8a ramie, and would sometimes sit in tho cellar with tho ono and stroll through tho streets with the other. A bad companion In every way, but they were not In a position to chooso their associates. ? Whatever fell to their share, they "were compelled to accept, whether for good or 111. From the policeman, Thomas Dexter ?who had seen tho lad with Little Make-Believe, and was curious about him? received his character. A bad lot, sir. Been locked up a dozen times, at least. When he's charged no 0110 comes for'ard to speak up for Mm. When he's asked In courf whethv fte doesn't belong to some body or whether somebody don't Be long to him ho sarces tho magistrate * add tells hfm to mind his own. A regular bad lot, sir. Is Foxey." Tbh was tho name by which ho was know u, . : A personal experience of Thomas Dex tor's was confirmatory of the char acter given to Foxey by the police man. He had bought some odds and ends at auction, which lie engaged a mau to wheel home In a borrow. 4'ox?.y, cOaalug on tho scone whllt too gooas tv ere DCTng conveyed lntc the shop, appropriated an old-fash ioned mirror and made off with it Thomas Dexter, whose back Tor the moment was turned, detected Foxey In Without assistance Thomas Dextci might have run to the land's end with, ont catching "Foxey, but n woman caught and held the lad till Dexter Teached 1dm. Then the lad. twist in* himself out of the woman's grasp, da/slied the mirT ror to the ground, silvering It to gtece*_and dodging between Dexter'4 legs, made lils escape. Thomas Dexter picked himself up, and gazing ruefully at his destroyed property, returned to his shop. He declined to charge Foxey with the theft, having a horror of police courts, but when he met the lad and Little Make-Believe in the street, ho laid liia hand upon tho girl's shoulder and do. tained her. "You shouldn't be seen," ho said, "with that young thief. He'll make yer as bad as ho is himself." '?Here, stash that!" cried Foxey, while Little Make-Belleve looked from one to the other in fear and trembling. "Jest you mind yer own business, and let Make-Believe mind her'n." ' "You know I'm yer friend," said Thomas Dexter, still addressing Little Make-Bclicve. "That little villain there stole a mirror from me, and when he was caught shivered it to bits." Foxey laughed loudly and malicious ly, which caused Thomas Dexter to exclaim, "I could have hod him locked up for it." ? "Well," retorted Foxey, defiantly, . why didn't yer? I don't care for being locked up. x'ou're too uiuch of a sneak, thatls what you are. Yah I I gay, gov'ner, how much was that bit of glass worth?" , "It was worth half a sovereign, you rascal." ' * "It would have paid yer to give me a bob. rather than have it broke, wouldn't "Yes; it would." "Why didn't you say so, then? AN ways agreeable, gov'ner, to take any- I think that's give to me. go's Make- I Believe, ain't yer?" *rB,Ut ?etweou 111680 two stools Little Moke-Believe was too frightened to speak. "I ain't good enough for Make-Be lleve, ain't I? Oh, no, not a bit of it There s a bobby. Give me in charge? I don't care! You ain't got the sperrit of a mouse, that's what you ain't got Look here, Make-Believe, I'll git a silk hat and welwet westcut, and then I shall be good enough to walk along side yer. Crikey! what a honor!" And ofT walked Foxey, imitating tho gait of members of fashionable circles Before another twenty-four hours had passed over his head, Thomas Dex ter had a further experience of Foxej'. He missed a smal! piece of Ivorj' carved into the hideous unlikcuess of a human being-one of those Chineso monstrosities Which many persons, who Should know better, believe belongs to high art. He could not imagine where It had got to. It was on his counter for a few luinutfe, during which no suspicious person had been in tho shop. While he was hunting about and per plexing himself over his loss, lie saw l-oxey grinning In his shop windows. Ho went to tho door to hunt the scamp away, AVhen Foxey, touching his cap with mock respect, said: 1 guv'nor, does yer want to buy a reg'Iar keurJoslmosity?" '?? wlth yer, yer vagabond," cried Thomas Dexter. "Don't bo so uppy; I ajU't gammon ng, s help mo tater. It's the rummesl bit of ivory you ever sor"? Thomas Dexter pricked up his cars? "with ? faco a good deal uglier nor mine, and ears as largo as his head. Come, now whot'l! yer give for it?" "Have yer got it about yer?" "Not me! A particular friend of mine found it in a dust cart. Honof bright and shining! Will yer glvo half a dollar for it?" "I'll give yer a shilling," said Thomas Dexter, not doubting that the article wns his own. _ 'A bob! Weil, you are a mean cuss I But you shall hove it. I say, honor among thieves, you know." "Bring It to me, and you shall have your shilling." Foxty departed, tuid in tho course of au hour returned with the ivory tarv Ing, for which, in a state of great in dignation, Thomas Dexter gave him a shilling. This kind of persecution might havd developed into something serious for uextor, had not a stop be-on put to it by Foxey being taken into custodv, f P"1 "P?n ?>!? trial for an unblush' Ing theft committed on a tradesman, who was less tender of pollco courts than the old curloslly dealer. Foxey > proceedings at his trial were tl?e cause of a great mauy leading arti cles In tho newspapers. He conducted his own defense with extraordinary impudence and shrewd ness, and pleaded that he stole tho goods for the simple purpose of pur chasing "a silk hat and a welwet west out," so that he might "cut o reg'lar ?troll." I Am a farther proof of his effrontery >aad absolute reckl?s#Qa*s, h a called TJmmas Dexter ar a witness of char acter. rf^th as ha was, Thomas, Baxter *cas compelled to appear In the witness box and tell all he knew of Foxej, his evidence being enlivened by the pris o&?r*f running commentaries. f? some I such effect as the following: "Oh, what a whopper!" "Where do you expect to, go- for runniiig" down a Innocent chap like that?" *Do yer kflow^thf ' meaning of a oath?" "Oh, you out and-out aid sinner." i V ' ' The trial was orte of these tfhich are occasionally mado the medium of an interchange of much small wit be tween bar and bench, and Foxey's re marks were provocative of convulsive laughter, in which the hardened young criminsl joined. with hafd labor, and two yen fa' police supervlaion at the end of that time. It. disturbed Thomas Dexter some what to see Polly Oleaver in the body of tbe court during the trial, and when it "was over he found himself once more face to face with her. "A good day's work, Tommy." she said, glaring at him. Her fsce was flushed, and there were tears in her eyes. "Yer miserable old skinflint,- yer'll live to repent it!" He hurried from her, but her words rang in his ears for many a day after ward. He was both angry and pleased angry that he had been innocently in strumental in the boy's conviction, and pleased that he was rid of the pest, and that Little Make-Believe now stood in no fear of contamination from the* society of the young thief. The gentlemen who were destined to play an important part in the lives of Little Make-Believe and Saranne were Mr. Dccpdalc and his son Walter. The father was a gentleman of inde pendent means, and one of Thomas Dextcr's best customers; Walter was' a handsome lad of sixteen. ? They lived alone ? the father being a widower and having no other children ?and were inseparable. Mr. Deepdale had one love and one hobby? big love was Walter, his hobby was the antique. An easy, credulous manr whose lines of life had been'cast In pleasant places, ono great grief had aflilcted him? the loss of his wife. One great compensation for a sorrow which otherwise would have been un bearable was given him. Uls boy was all in all to him, verita bly the apple of his eye and the heart of his heart, his solace, his comfort, his Joy. And when to this was added the means and opportunity of indulging in a passion for old china, old carvings, old enamels, old anything, it will be easy of belief that his life was one to be envied by the toilers and moilers of tbe world. The truth must be told. He had about as much knowledge of art as the man in the moOn, but whether an article belongs to the fourteenth or the nine teenth century is really of small con sequence to the possessor If he derlvo pleasure in the possession and if his faith be not disturbed. Thus, Mr. Deepdnle was an easy prey to the dealers, who fooled him to the top of his bent, to their protit and his gratification. Having received a letter from Thomas Dexter informing him that he had a service of Old Derby for sale, he and Walter hustened one night to Clare Ala ike t to secure it. Hie month Was August, and oysters were in; also grottoes. On their way tlicy were attracted to three children, who had formed them selves into a company and had launched into a speculation. '?I heir stock in trade, the value of which was nil, was represented by oys ter shells, but they had an available | asset (which, however, was consuming itself and eating itself up, ns it were), In the shapo of a penny candle. Tho firm consisted of Little Make. Believe, Saranno ond another child, whose visions of wealth-conjured chiefly by Make-Believe ? wcro of an fin trancing nature, the crowning glory of which was to bo an eel-pie supper. Tho grotto they hnd built was more artistic and ambitious than most; the candle was alight and tho children were ready for business. But whether it was owing to the strikes in the north, or the scareity of meat, or the high prices of coals, or over-population, or tho disturbed stato of Ireland, or the rlso of a half-penny in tho four-pound loaf, certain it whs that trade did not flourish with Little Make-Bellevc's firm, one of the mem bers, at least, of which worked hard for nearly a couplo of hours without obtaining a copper. "Please remember the grotter!" was first launched merrily and saucily at tbo passers-by; at tho end of tho first half-hour there wos no light-hearted ness In tho appeal; at the end of the sccond It bocauio pathetic; at the end of the third, mournful; at the end of the fourth, despairing. Nsranuo was the first to give way cold looks chilled her, and she left the' battle to her two partners, of whom Little Make-Believe was the active worker. Two-thirds of their only asset, th( /candle, were consumed, and tho eel-pic supper was an airy imagining, not at all likely to be erallzed. Saranne was crouching sullenly on the ground, the light of the caudle shining on i,,.,. f?ro; fl|) jm patient Ktifieror ? tin* very reverse ol Little Make-Believe, who was, merci fully. endowed with n fortitude rarely excelled even In men engaged In the highest struggles fcr humanity's sake To be coulinucd, ^ASSEMBLES | j Bott i . Both the Benate and House of ReDDMentatfves re-convened on Jffn ^ir^Ith/lSthiii? wm a done on Thursday, however, beyond meeting . aud adjourpmtefii, a jg<jod many mem bers being* absent from tlAeir seats. ."plWM^jVk D?ocr?cr?." "Cfliamp Clark Democracy" was expounded to the delight and enter tainment of the House for three BW^idiW>/Mr. park, of Mis*| souri, And c||b?titutcd the feature of | tlio debate oil the Philippine tariff bill. ..Mr. ^lark's speech took a wide range ami during its progress he labeled his political beliefs as above in answer to a question as to what kind of ?emocrat ho really was. Ho talked of-Ubc Philippines and fa vored the ptildiug bill; he discussed the general taftff question and in par ticular the German tariff situation, lie ascribed future greatness to what he termed the great 4 4 stand pat" disciples ? one i of these, Secretary Shaw, whose faeord as Secretary of the Treasury included, he said, classi fying frogs' legs as poultry and ponies as "household articles" for the collection <of revenue, was a logi cal Hepubliciui Presidential inabil ity unless the mantle should fall on "the gray and grizzled Speaker, Uncle .loo Cannon." DINNERS' ASS'N SAYS 9,694,096. Estimate of (jetton Ginned to Dec. 31?98.6 Per* Cent. Pickcd and 97.3 Oinned. ?, Dallas, Tex., Special.' ? Following is the compilation of the reports trom cotton giuners over the South, by tho National Qinncrs' Association. Figures following names represent, respectively, total, ginned, per cent, picked, and per cent, ginned: Alabama ? 1,17b, Tiki, 99.3, 79. 9 ; j Arkansas? 506,870, 96.8, 92.9; Flor ida? 71,464, 99.4, iM> ; (leorgia? 1,667, 682, 99.6, 99.1; Indian Territory? 292,153, 96.8, 94.2; Louisana? 454, 440, 99.2, 95. 4; Mississippi? 1,016, 073, 98.2, 95.U -/Missouri? <15,646, 97.0, ,95.6; North Carolina ? 627,559, 99.2, 97.7; Oklahoma ? 279,597, 95.0, 93.8; South Carolina ? 1,081,800, 99.6, 99.1; Tennessee? 243,956, 98.2, 98.7; Texas ?2,224,143, 97.5, 96.6; Virginia and Kentucky? 15,971, 99.4 98.0. Total, 9,694,041. The report is of cotton ginned to Dec. 31, and shows the total per cent, picked as 98.6, and total ginned as 97.3. The amount ginned from Dec. 13 to 31, inclusive, was 402,041 bales. This, added to the last census report, makes 9,694,041. . Loss at Albany, Ga., $150,000. Albany, Ga., Special.? The property loss caused by the tornado which struck this city and section is con servatively estimated at $150,000. The Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company is the heaviest loser, the damage to their plant being estimated at $50,000. The Georgia Cotton Oil Company, the Artesian City Ice Company, tlie Cen tral of Georgia Nailway Company the telephone and telegraph companies were heavy losers. It was near noon Thsursday before normal conditions as to wire communications with the outside world wero restored. Two dead, four seriously injured and a large number slightly injured are in cliulod in tho revised casualty list. All tho dead and seriously injured are negroes, Went to Sleep on Track. Danville, Special. ? A young man named lless, whoso residence is un known, was killed by a train near Ruf tln, N. C. He had been employed as a flagman and had been sent out to flag a train. While waiting he fell asleep on the tracks and was run over. The body has not been called for, aud it is being held for orders. McCall Pays the $236,000. New York, Special. ? John A. Mc Call, president of the New York Life Insurance Company, has paid to the company the $235,000 advanced to An drew Hamilton an so far not account ed for by Mr. Hamilton. Thomas P. Fowler, chairman of the company's investigating committee splinted by tho board of trustees, received a check from Mr. McCall for $85,000 and note for $150,000. A meeting of the board of trustees was called and it was ac cepted as a fact (hat Mr. McCall V resignation as president will be then presented. By Wire and Cablo. An order for 20,000 freight cars placed by t ho Herman Government is to mean that preparations are Win: made to move troops to Hie frontier as an answer lo similar action on the part of France. Charles Edwards, a wealthy retired rhemist of New York, was mystcrous ly shot while sleeping in the homo of his Wot?ier-in-law, Charles A. Hiller. in New Haven, and died as a result of tho w^und. KILLED BY TORNADO Serious Loss of Life and Prop erty ft Albany, Georgia r . ; : , * t ? . , , . SEVERAL DEAD AND MANY HURT # f ' ? V 1 f T ? Havoc Was Wrought Over Portion! of a Dozen Blocks, Largely in Ne-. gro Quarter, and the Fact ThatJ \?corcs Were Not Killed Outright is Amazing View of Wreckage Left. ' X Aibauy, ha,, tornado of terrific force passed ov\r Alb nay at 1:30 o'clock "\Y?$ducsda5* afternoon coming from n soutl^csterly ^irtfw^ion ) and spreading ruin th^d desolatuxn over portions of a dozen flocks. Sev eral persons are dead and others will die as the result of injuries, ami many are more or less seriously hurt. Viewing the wreckage left hy the tor nado, it scenes a miracle that scoria were not kiled outright, the trihuU claimed in the way of human lives be ing astonishingly small. The known dead are: Hen Jones, a negro machinist in the employ of the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company. Jake Johnson, a 0-year-old negro boy. Among those whose injuries will, in all probability, prove fatal are: Lulu (Madden, Jessie Davis, Annie Davis, ami Jessie Woodall. The list is still incomplete, owing to the fact that much of the destruc tion wrought was well beyond the city limits. Reports from (lie tornado after it left Albany have not been re ceived. Humlrcds of -negroes in the city are homeless and many have h?sl all their household effects. The in jured are being cared for ami efforts are being made to secure shelter for all. This is dillicult owing to the scarcity oY all kinds of dwelling bouses in the city. Under direction of Mayor Rawson. relief will be se cured and promptly furnished those in the greatest distress. It is difficult to estimate the prop erty h?ss. The Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company b. the principal sufferer, its destroyed buildings and machinery having been worth prob ably $00,000. It is safe to say that the total loss will be found to .exceed $150,000. Very little of the de stroyed property was protected hy tor nado insurance. # The Southern Hell Telephone Com pany is among the heaviest sufferers. Its lines were down in several parts of the city. Some little apprehension is felt for Prcoria, in the southwest ern part of the county. The tornado camo from that direction, and as the telegraph wires are down, nothing can be heard from there. To Settle Virginia's Part. Richmond, Va., Special. ? John H. Moon, chairman of the Virginia debt commission, who has charge of the settlement with the certificate holders of West Virginia's part of the Slate debt, left Richmond Wednesday with Secretary Button for New York, where the final papers in connection with the controversy will be submitted to the certificate holders. These holders will accept as full payment whatever may be awarded by the courts in adjudicating the matter, re lieving this State of all their part of the debt. Suit will be brought in the name of Virginia. Orders 8,729 Freight Cars. Atlanta, Gn., Special ? The South ern Railway has just placed orders for 8,720 freight ears, involving an outlay of more than $3,000,000, The delivery it? to begin in March in ear lots of 500 and will bo increased each month until all shall bo received. Southern Colleges Invited to Rich mond Track Meet. Richmond, Va., Special ? The Rich mond Intercollegiate Club has sent out invitations to the colleges throughout the South to its first annual inter colegiatc track meet, to be held here, in the arena of the Immsij show build ing, Saturday tiighl, February 50. Great interest is being taken in the event. Gives Bond on Fraud Charge. Baltimore, Special. ? J. Bernard Scott, fromer treasurer of the Mary land Trust Company and one of the three officials that "orporat ion who were presented by the grand jury on charges of fraud, appcan-d in flu Criminal Court Wednesday and gave bond for his appearance in the sum of .$10,000. llenry J. l'owdohi, for mer vice president, was arrested and gave a similar bond. The other official presented is J. Wilcox Brown, former president, who resides in Vir ginia and has not vet been arrested, but v ho, his friends say, will appeal and xive bond in a short time. New Lino From Gulf to Mtxico City Tampico, Mexico, Special. ? Richard Honey, of Mexico City, has been granted a concession for a railrom' connecting Tampico with thescapital of the country. It is expected that when completed the line will reduce the trip between twelve and fifteen hours. A day will be saved to passen gers hound to Mexico City from tin United Stales by water and from Kan Antonio about six hours. Engineers ore already in the* field. TERRIBLE MINE HORROR Terrific Explosion in Remote Depth* of Immense Operation of Cooper Mine Company, at Coaldale, While Mines Were Crowded With Men, ' Claims Many Victims, Nearly All Americans. i ' Roanoke. "Va., Special.? Twenty one miners were hilled in an explo siop mf mine gas in the shaft of the Cooper Mine Company at Coaldale, West Virginia, at noon Thursday. Up to midnight, only one hotly had been recovered. Immediately follow ing the explosion which was heard foi several miles, rescue parties set to work to explore the wrecked shaft. Coaldale is a mining town situated in Mercer county on the line of the Norfolk & Western Railway and is 15 tnilcs west oi' Bluefleld. ? Rut once before in the history < f t lie Pocabon*.?s> coal lie I?1 has there been surh a /'earful disaster as that in the C>>i*l<lule (fal Company's shaft. Tin ^viriitns <>f other disaster sleep ttj ilio eemetervV^.t Pcahontns. At noon, w.."!.e\ the mines were crowded will .nen, there was a sudden and heavy rumbling a mile and more in the depth of the mountain, and through the mjlcs of passages and air shafts of that immense miue^Jie shock was felt. He fore the detoiu^ tions had died out, Bank Boss Thome s Williams, who was a long . distance from the explosion, staggered to hi feet, and feeling his way to a mine telephone, tailed to those on the out side that r eve had been a terrilic cx plosion of mir.c gas and asflfcd for help. Gathering about the entrance, hastening^crowds urged by cool heads and anxious hearts hurried to prepare for the rescue of the missing ones and an examination of the wrecked work ings. At 4 o'clock the remains of one man was brought out. He was II. C. Conrad, aud his body was literally torn to pieces, llis el tilling wa< bang i?,g in shreds. Up to "i late hour at night, no bodies had beeu lecovered. Thcic was con siderable smoke and pis in the en tries, and notwithstanding the fact that the big fans were in good order and weer working with full capacity, .the gas and smoke were not being driven out very fast. The following arc the dead, and their bodies are still, with the ex ception of Conrad, buried in the mine: J. W. Larne, W. Lnrn\ Jim Sluss, Laraz Aladar, Hungarian; Anthony Bruce, Pole; II. C. Conrad, Silas White, John Patterson, Cms Harris, W. T. Sullivan, William Price, Wil liam Ward, Walter G. Winn, Siph Gray, Sterling Williams, Albert Bar num, Nathan Hairston, William Cur ry, Silas Harris, Juno Kelly, Lee Price. The Coaldale corporation is owned and operated by the Cooper Broth ers, who are also the owners of the Mill Creek and McDowell Coal and Coke Companies. The Coaldale plant is considered one of the best ojiera tions in the Held. Edward Cooper is on the ground supervising the work of rescue. Mr. Grady's Home Burnod. Fredericksburg, Special. ? Mr. Duff Grady, of Spottsvlvania county, lost his rcsidenco by nro Sunday, A part of tho furniture was savod. Loss, $1,000; no insurance. Bouth Atlantic League Meets. Savannah, fin., Special. ? The annual meeting of the South Atlantic Base ball Lenjnie was held here this after noon and Charles W, Boyer was re elected president. This was upon his announcement that he would sell the local franchise. The salary of the president wn? made $1,500 n year, to include the dis charge of the duties of secretary. $500,00 Fire in Kansas City. Kansas City, Mo., Special. ? Fire in the retail quarter caused a loss of $50,000, dsorloying the three-story brick building of tin- Columbus Buggy Company, in Walnut sheet, cuai Tenth, the adjoining building occu pied bv the Kimball I'iano Company and the Hettinger Brother's Manu facturing Company and damaged the Commerce Building, occpied partly by the National Bank of Cemraeree. Th?* bank's loss was confined principally to an addition which it built to the Commerce Building about a year an No Reprievo for Patrick. Albany, X. Y., Special. ? Governoi HiguiiiH announced that he would de ny the application for a reprieve for Albert T. Patrick, the lawyer, who js confined in Sing Sing prison undei sentence to die in the week begiuin January 'J2, for the murder of tin aged New York millionaire, Wil liam Marsh Hice. HE SHOTJOjKllt South Carolina Physic&n Bent on Murder A SAD TRAGEDY AT LA CASTER A Serious Difficulty Eea |u From Seemingly Trival Matte ? W ound ed Man Popular. Lancaster, S. C., Racial.? J. Hasel Witherspoon, t lie popular inpmager of the Lancustcr Mercantile Company, . of which Col. Lcroy Springs is pres ident, was dangerously shot Saturday by Dr. E. S. McDow, a practicing phy sician of Lancaster. The difficulty occurred in front of the company's store and the particulars are about ab follows : Mr. Witherspoon wes standing talk ing to Mr. Samuel Roberts, a fanner, from whom lie had just bought some cotton, when Dr. MeDow walked up and asked Mr. Witherspoon something about the company's refusal to send him a lamp which lie had ordered. Mr. Witherspoon replied that the doctor had not treated them right about a baby carriage, referring to a previous matter. l)r. MeDow struck at Mr. Witherspoon over the shoulder of Mr. Roberts, who was standing between them, knocking off Mr. Koborts' hat. W. McD. Brown. a clerk in the store, rn.i up and struck Mr. MeDow, knock - iii. : im down. As the doctor arose he ht'^n shooting with a revolver which lie hud drawn, tiring th roe shots. 1 wo of the bullets st i tick Mr. Wither ?|k>oii, one in the body, entering the lungs, and other ^ hit ting him on thle wrist. Out' bullet struck Mr. Brown 911 the linger. Mr. Ueorge Heath, manager of the Heath .lout's ( '?it::|ianyi anti others ran up and stopped the shootim?, Mr. Heath placing? luius-lf i:i fronw*f Mr. W it herspoi ?; i and hedging Dr. MV'Dow lot to shooi I; i in again. Dr. MeDow tvjis a nest ( <1 and taktrt. *,o jail by Shori$Jl miter and police lien. The sherilfVtirst tlisarmed the leeti?r, who hud t\vt\l>isiils. As soon is a conveyance coiilo^* stvnrod Mr Witherspoon was carricaMo i is homo. Ir addition t(? a local physician he is >eing attended by Dr. Pravor of ( :nes eraud Drs Fennel and Stevenson of Itock llill, the latter having been jrought to Lancaster on special trains The physicians regard Mr. Withe r-^k ipoon 's condition as being extremely ^ critical. They Bay there is feome hope for him, however, if pneumonia does lot set nor abseesr. forms around the 3ullet, which, they think, lodged in the lung. The shooting has caused intense ex citement here. Mr. Witherspoon is >ne of the most popular young men in Lancaster, being a universal favorite ind the entire community anxiously lwaits tidings from his bedside. Dr. McDow Is said to be a brother }f the late Dr. T. B. McDow of Char-, lesion, who shot ("apt. F. W. Dawson, ?ditor of the News and Courier. Double Suicide. Raleigh, N. C., Special ? Violet Page, one of Raleigh's tenderloin wo men, and W. II. Hood, a well konwn young man of this city, committed suicide together Sunday by taking laiidniim and died in a close embrace, I he deed having been done in a house in a ?|iiest ionablc <|Uiirtcr of the etiy, owned by a negress, Jane Beasloy. Hood rented the room Satunlay night, and later took Violet there. The wo man who owned the house noticed nothing unusual until about noon when her attention was attracted bv heavy breathing in tlio room. S!io knocked at the doors and window* butt received no response. She then telephoned for policemen and relatives of Hood, Members of the police force responded at once and broke open the door to find the woman dead nnd the man drawing his last gasp*. Nino empty lauduum bottles on ? table in (lie room told the tale; they were two ounce bottles and bore the label of a Greensboro drug store. Be sides the empty Iadnum bottles, on the table was found a note from Hood to his wife, enclosing a ling nnd a wnt ch for his two little piils and a +2.000 life insurance policy for her self. The not gave no reason for the terrible deed. Big Steamer Blown Ashore. Pensneola, Fla., Special. ? The big coast steamer F. J. Thistlowood, from Tampa for New Orleans, is on the rj ill f he;?rh -0 miles mst of I'ensncohi bar. where she wys blown by the pre vailing gale. The vessel is reported in a dangerous condition, but little informal i< n could lie obtained Wed nesday retarding her. Tugs loft bore at once lo go to her assistance, stop piuu 'lie life-saving station to take on board (lie life-saving crows there, in order that the new might be res '?urd witli 'f.-s danger. Affd Widow of Fromlcnt Vtrgint* Baptist Minister Dead. Roanoke, Ya., Special. ? Mrs. Su sanna V irginia Cocke, widow of the late Rev. Charles 1. Cocke, D. D., died at Holiin Institute, near Roanoke, aged years. Her husband was for fifty year* president of Hollins In stilule, and was widely known as a Baptist preacher.