University of South Carolina Libraries
A CROWDS ATTEND Reunion of Survivors of Red Shirt tteartrs in the > HAMPTON CAMPAIGM Fifteen TliouNuid Tlsilora ?l Anderson Wednesday to Witness and Participate in the First State Reunion of Men Who lad Democracy to Victory in *7fl. A nnntnl itiKnuto K to The News rv O ^,'V V ll? ? ?- ? and Courier Bays fifteen thousand A men, women and children came to to Anderson today, some to take part in and the others to witness the great Red Shirt parade, and to hear the orators of the day. The line of march was formed shortly after 9 o'clock Wednesday morning, and at 11 o'clock the parade moved under Commander J. C. Stribling, passing in review, and witnessed by thouF-ands on the street, sidewalks, in the windows, balconies, etc. IPour thousand men and ladles wearing red shirts, some mounted and the others on foot, formed the parade, which was more than a milo long. After the review the line marched to lUiena Vista Park, weher, under the large and shady trees, ex-Governor John C. Sheppard, of Edgefield, and Senator Tillman spoke to five thousand persons. Col. K. W. Simpson presided over the meeting. Governor Sheppard was the first speaker, and his remarks were entirely of matters pertaining to the Red Shirt men. He recited personal experiences during the campaign of 1 876, and most interestingly told of tho deeds of the brave men who wore the shirts of red. He recited their history and explained to the young folks in the audience why the Red Shirts organized and told what they accomplished. Hie remarks, last ing nnarly two hours, were brimful of Interesting facta of the campaign made necessary to take the rule of the State from the negroes and carpet-baggers. Senator Tillman was the next and last speaker. He opened by hurling ^ compliments at the newspapers and ridiculed their editorials about his leaving Washington during the tariff session and going out West to make addresses. He sarcastically raked the newspapers over the country about their 'barking at my heels just because I have made arrangements to leave my lecturing tour to come to South Carolina to make five or six speeches." Ho declared that President Taft Is "the tool of a great political nuii oh in p." and that the nresident's ? appointment of census enumerators in the South is but a furtherance of A his efforts to break the "Solid South." He said the "machine" is preventing Mr. Taft from carrying out his intentions as expressed in his Atlanta speech. Senator Tillman warned the peoplo of the State against compulsory education, saying that it would prepare the negroes for the ballot and might in time result in their controlling ejections in South Carolina He told how he blocked the Senate in the Crum matte \ and said that nothing pleated him better than getting money from the republicans for making two-hour lectures, in which he would tell them they were fools and idiots He slapped The News and Courier and the St: te. He said that Deacon Hemphill was advocating the organization of a commercial party, which is nothing shoit of Republican. He then spoke of the days of *76. His speech in full on this subject is printed elsewhere. Read it. Senator Tillman was given an ovation when introduced, and throughout his speech there was considerable appaluse. The audience was With him from start to finish, and every utterance, especially when sarcasm was used or when an attack was made, brought forth yells upon yells. He spoke for nearly two hours. iWhen Senator Tillman concluded a picnic dinner was served in tho grove to the Immense crowd. The day passed off pleasantly. Good weather prevailed and few arrests resulted. There were no appreciable delays in carrying out the program of events and the first Red Shirt Reunion has gone into history as a grand success. Convicts K scape. At the State farm at Goodland, Va., Wednesday, Guard A. H. Pamp1 in was attacker by Patrick Hyatt and Charles Goode, while convicts, who took his gun away from him and ** made their escape, taking with them the two bloodhounds to prevent the v prision authorities from using the animals on their trail. The convicts experienced little difficulty in overpowering the guard. No trace has been found of the fleeing convicts. Selfishness is one thing no person can be selfish enough to keep entirely to himself. mmmm .vmmmmmmt m\i i .? ? <*w\ t?-u ?> trmmmmmmmrnmmm THE DRASTIC LAW TO IIAVK L1QUOH 18 ALSO INHIBITED BY ITS TEHMS. la Ifoa-dinpeinMkry Countioa the I'o? etwioa of Intoxicant*; in Any Qaantlty Said to be Vuluwful. if - ? / \ it. .1 f .. ?r\y n man tor womau) living 111 a South Carolina county which is without dispensaries have in possession a gallon, pint, or gill of whiskey or other intoxicants without violating the provisions of the criminal code and subjecting himself (or herself) to a lino and imprisonment or both?the penalty for a second offense being imprisonment without alternative? The Stato says good lawyers and perhaps judges are answering the question "no," but it is only during the last few days that the people seem to be awakening to this drastic construction of the law. There are those who hold that the Lexington or Sumter or Bamberg lady who has "in possession" a quart of cooking sherry Is no less amenable to prosecution and punishment than is i a "Mind t itrnr." In other words, the former dispensary acts were aimed at tho manufacture and sale of intoxicants and not at having them in possession. The act passed at the last session of the general assembly and approved March 2, 1909, after declaring alcoholic liquors "which if drunk to excess will produce intoxication" to be "against the morals, good health and safety of the State" proceeds to say "That it shall bo unlawful for any persons, firm, corporation of association within this State to manufacture, sell, barter, exchange, receive, give away to induce trade, deliver, store, keep in possession in this State, furnish at public places or otherwise dispose of any malt, vinous, fermented, brewed or other liquors and beverages, or any compound or mixture thereof which contuins alcohol nnd is used as a beverage, and which if drunk to exceai will produce intoxication, except as hereinafter provided." In the act it does not appear to bo thoroinafter "provided" that any person may "keep in possession in this State" one drop of any alcoholic liquor of a a iture to "make drunk co'tie" when inured to excess, except In counties having dispensaries. The penalty for violation of the act contained In section 11 and declaring; violation a misdemeanor la a line of from $100 to $f?00 or imprisonment at hard labor of from three to 12 months and for any second or subsequent offense, upon conviction, imprisonment of from one to flvo years at hard labor without any alternative lino. At a picnic in Zarline in Anderson county a few days ago Messrs. J. U. IIlake of Greenwood and Legislator Josh Ashley among others wero speakers. The story goes that Mr. Ashley spoke with his accustomed fiery eloquence and pith for prohibition, and Mr. Illake later uttered sentiments somewhat to the contrary. Mr. Blake then read from the act already quoted. Mr. .Ashley, In his gentle way, questioned the accuracy of the inhibitions as contained in the print read by Mr. Blake. "Do you 'keep in possession within this State' any intoxicating liquors?" inquired Mr. Black of the llonea Path delegation. The lionea Path delegation, it is said, admitted that the jug might not be wholly dry, whereupon Mr. Black read again the stern, inexorable condemnation of the law. Whether or not the Law and Order League in the dry counties will see to it that all the kitchen closets ?l,nll I 1 ?--- * ? oiici11 i)\z itcttrunuu uy cousindigs ror cooking sherry and brandied peaches remains to 1)0 seen?or it may be that astute lawyers will prove that to "keep in possession' any intoxicating liquors "within this State" is not the law as it is written. Had they "to keep in possession" provision of the act been discussed before the elections, how would it have affected the voting? Was the law understood by the voters? Was it understood that to give away or "to receive" n toddy in a dry county would bo a misdemeanor? Fatal Fx plosion. George W. Drinkwater, of Jersey, City, second engineer, was instantly killed and three other men were fatally injured Wednesday by the exoloHtnn r?f o ten* A A , u iv/ru "II Lilt* lUR" boat Bee, In the East rivor. Peter Barltn and John Jacobs, firemen, and Albert Cardoll, the cook, were scalded by escaping steam and were unconscious when dragged from the engine room by the crew. Fatal Explosion at Itevard. A chemical fire engine, at Brevard, thirty miles from Asheville, N. C., exploded Wednesday, killing J. P. Aiken, a negro, and Injuring four firemen, including Fire Chief J. A. Galloway, J. W. Chapman, president of the Electric Light Company, of Vrevard, and C. B. Wilson. DUTY WELL DONE Sanator Tillman to the Rtd Shirt Survivors. SOME STORMY TIMES Hocalhtl as tho Stiiriig I>ays of lU'dcmptlon Are Passed in lieview?What the Older People Did to lUtlwm South Carolina in the Hampton Campaign. Several thousand people heard and frequently heartily cheered Senator Tillman in his address at Anderson on Wednesday before the convention of the survivors of what is known as the Red Shirt organization, which supported Gen. Hampton in the dangerous undertaking of redeeming the State of South Carolina from Republican rule and Reconstruction in 1 87<?. Senator Tillman was particularly interesting 'in his Remarks touching that memorable period in the State's history, and what he had to say was listened to with the closest attention. Ho appeared to carry vivid pictures in his mind of that time, when he was young and impressionable. What he hod to say is also of interest from the viewpoint of his own political history and personal character. lie spoke for the most part in the high pitched Vnii'P Vio pl)!l runt ??riut lr? r? f liim speaking on a topic near to his feelings. He said: There has been more or less discussion lu the papers of the State recently about the origin of the red shirts as the Democratic uniform in 1 87 6. I shall leave it to others to sift the ovidence and determine if it can bo done, just where the credit lies. 1 want to tell what I know about the bloody shirt and its effective use in that memorablo crisis. In my story of the Hamburg riot I have mentioned the drumhead court martial which condemned and executed,prisoners aftor the lighting or tiring had ceased. The last man selected to be shot was a notorious thief by the name of Pomp Curry whom I had known from boyhood. He had furnished the names of all whom he recognized to District Attorney Stone and this evidence caused warrants to be issued against practically all the members of the Sweetwater Sabre club and a few others who were not members. We were charged with murder and conspiracy to murder and the sheriff of Aiken county was ordered to make the arrests. Like a wise and prudent man he did not attempt to execute the warrants, but communicated with Col. Butler, our captain, and by common understanding all of the men thus charged assembled at Lower Cherokee pond, a place near Col. Butler's home, and started for Aiken. The procession was led by the sheriff in a buggy, followed by the so-called prisoners, armed to the teeth, and accompanied by baggage wagons with supplies for horses and men, cooks and a full camping outfit except tents. ltev. William Shaw who owned a plantation two miles west of Aiken, the dwel15114* tlOIIUO fill urhi/.li 1 1 uu ' ii iv. 11 n tin iH'CUJIK'd, had kindly offered it for our use. We reached this place some time before sundown, took up our quarters for the night. Court was to convene two days later and we were thus early on the ground in order to give the lawyers who had our case in hand opportunity to draw up the papers and prepare for obtaining bail if we were to be allowed to return home. Gen. Butler, who was under indictment, Hon. George W. Croft, Hon. I). S. Henderson of the Aiken bar and Maj. William T. Gray were acting as our attorneys. Among those whose interest had induced them to accompany us was my L rot her, lion. George D. Tillman, who had been nominated as a candidate in our congressional dis trict. He had been in correspondence with Gen., afterwards Senator J. Z. George, of Mississippi, the man whose constructive statesmanship in devising means to safe-guard South ern civilization by the elimination of the negro vote will cause his name to shine for all time as a great constitutional lawyer and benefactor of the South. It was under him that Mississippi led off in disfranchising the negro and practically every Southern State has followed suit. Mississippi had thrown off the carpet-bag yoke two years before that and (Jen. (Jeorge advised my brother to have the South Carolinians impress the negroes both as to our strength and the purpose of the whites hv nsinf? n an?/>Jo/>n1oK "--"O ? W|'VVVW\yUU?| UIHform ami urged the parade of long processions of armed white men through the country. The Hamburg riot had caused such a furore throughout the North and the Republican press of that section was waving tho bloody shirt with such frantic energy that Mr. Tlillman 'suggested .to Col. Rutler that we, though then assembled as prisoners, should wave the bloody shirt in reality as a token of defiance. The idea was seized upon by all of us and Luther Ransom and myself wore appointed a committee to visit Aiken, confer with the Democratic authorities, and see if we could induce them to help us in securing shirts to be donned as uniforms. Col. George W. Croft, then county chlrman, entered into the scheme with groat seal, and guve us an order for the necessary yellow home- ! spun. Having obtained this, Hansom who knew nearly all of the ladies of Aiken, accompanied me in my buggy and wo distributed the bolts of cloth among the ladles, with the request that they make us forty homesnun shirts iust as soon as (everything having been done In possible. As I remember, the cloth was distributed one afternoon and the next morning we drove into town from our camp and gathered up the garments, obtaining a good supply of turpentine oil and Venetian red at the same time. I had telegraphed to a friend in Augusta, Tom Henry, to send me without fail two negro paper masks or doughfaces and a kinky chignon. I had ordered a carpenter to make a large tlag staff in the shape of a cross and I got one of the ladies to make an enormous shirt bigger than (Joliath of Oath would have worn. This shirt was turned into a flag with the arms outstretched over tin? cross pieces. The negro faces were takced to the top back to back so as to make a grinning .negro {head Prom either side and the chignon was nailed on top of these. Satan's appeal to the fallen angels: "Awake, arise or he forever fallen," had been emblazoned in largo black letters on one side and my ! hf/v? ItMK nii(V(Y<xnt<w1 t f.. ~ j 111 ui m i r* u ^ 1 I'll i iH! iin/uu iin I III* other side: "None hut the guilty need four." The shirt was made bloody with the marks of bullet wounds in red, and when the work of making the unique banner was completed, Hansom and others making suggestions, it was surely a most ghostly object. The yellow homespun shirts had been put on and every wearer stained his shirt with artificial blood according to his own fancy. Some used poke-berries to make the color more fiery than the Venetian red and turpentine, and vary the tine. Everything in readiness about 4 o'clock the day before court was to convene the Hamburg rioters to the number of forty, uniformed as no men have ever been before or since, rode into the town of Aiken in coi UQiu of two's. The flag, which wan in itself not very heavy, required a very strong and muscular man to handle it when wj cegan to gallop, and Milledge Horn was selected as flag-bearer. He was six feet high, weighed over 2 00 pounds and was correspondingly muscular and had lost five brothers in the Confederate army, a sure guarantee of his courage and daring. As soon as we reached Aiken we rode quietly by every house where the ladies had been at work cm our shirts so as to let them see us. Then | stringing out in column of file, male- | ing a line nearly a quarter of a mile long, the order was given to gallop, and for half an hour at break-neck speed wo paraded through every street. It being dry we soon picked up a great mold of dust while all the men in the town, as well as the women and children, lined the spaces in front of their houses and waved handkerchiefs and cheered us. Not a negro did we see. Having shown how little terrified we were to thus beard the lion in his den, we proceeded in column of two's to Coker Springs where we consumed an hour or more in washing the dirt off our faces and out of our eyes and ears, and watering mir tir.riiCB At that time there was stationed at Aiken a company of United States regulars. These were encamped on the bluff overhanging Coker Springs. The strange and unique appearance of this new uniform and the men in it caused all of the soldiers to line up on the bluff and watch us with great curiosity and interest. When all our men had finished washing and we were again in our places military style, one man holding three horses with linked bridles while the other three washed at the horse trough, Col. Butler gave the command: "Fours left, left dress." j This threw us itno line facing the i bluff whore the Yankees were gath- j ered, some sixty yeards away and about forty feet above us. Then the order was given: "Three cheers for the boys in blue," and if there was ever a "rebel yell" it must have leaped from the throats of those determined and desperate men. As soon as the cheers were given the com inana followed: "Four loft, left by two's, march," and we started off back up the hill briskly towards the town. Almost as if by magic the Yankee soldiers who were all In uniform received the order from someone: "Fall in, right dress." As they were already in line it took them only two or three seconds to get In military formation and without counting off the order was given: "Three cheers for the men in white." Tho answering call of the Northern white men to the Southern white man was hearty and vigorous as our own defiance had been. I will say in passing, that, while I some of these same men marched sixteen miles to Rouse's Bridge to stop the Ellenton riot, some weeks later, and were held along with a largo number of other troops in the disturbed region?one whole regiment btiug sent to Rdgeflekl court bouse In October?none of the soldo >s e\ei displayed any other than the most friendly and kindly fee' ing and they had no stomach whatever for the dirty work they had l.etn scut Into State to do. Yto y obeyed orders which Is the duty o( a soldier, but they never showed any feeling other than good will and sympathy for our people. Hut while the Sweetwater Sabre club and Its successor in Meriweather Township, the Democratic Fighting club, came in contact with the troops on several occasions, afterwards they were never permitted to cheer us again. The rioters in their bloody shirts returned to their quarters. In tills parade the shirts were worn as blouses over the pants with pistol belts outside. Some of the men wore them home, and one young man, John Crawford, I think, caused his sister to become dreadfully j frightened because they thought he was wounded. I carried tlio Hag io my nomc and I have always re- | gretted that, it was destroyed by fire when my residence was burned soiuc three years later. It was a unique scene in the court room when Judge Maher ordered bail to be granted, fixing the sum as I recall it, at $1,000 each. The argument of the case had delayed action far into the night. Lamps had to bo brought in and as the restless "prisoners" would pass in and out of the court room and take their seats the thud of the barrels of their revolvers could be heard as they came in contact with the benches. When court was adjourned the men began to make inquiry of the clerk of the court .as to when tlmy could tile their bonds. lie in a rather petulant .and irritable manner, which was natural, became he must have been very much fatigued, replied: "Sometime in the morning." Just then I overheard Sheriff Jordan whisper to him: "You had better let these men get. out of town tonight, else they may burn it and iiuiik juu ui'ioru morning. ' in a nice manner the clerk changed an 1 he liogan to hand out blank bail bonds to be signed by all the applicants and their sureties. We all went on each other's bonds, and It became a joke, causing great amusement, that Walker Matlieny, who did not own ten dollars worth of property, had signed bonds to the extent of $20,000. In trutti the whole performance was a perfunctory and in many respects a laugh- I able travesty on law, for if they had attempted to put ub in jail, I am sure, few or none of us would have acquesceded and we would have probably killed every obnoxious radical in the court room and town, and gone to Texas, or some other hiding place. In an hour we had departed and gathering up our camp followers were 011 our way home. We had In truth waved the bloody shirt in the face of the Yankee bull and dared him to do his worst. It io iiwmusi 10 say iniB daring act on the part of the whites served to intensify the dread of the negroes. While among the whites the hand of race drew us closer closer together. It was "all for one, 0110 for all,"' and the State's motto: "Animis opibusque parati"?ready with our lives and fortunes?pulsated as the sentiment in every bosom. SMASHES ALL ItECOKDH. I'utilliaii Flies Further and Longer Than Wright. Another sensational exploit was added to the marvels of aviation week at Rhemis Wednesday when Paulhan t - ?1_. ~ V, i I C I Ull iivitlior, broke tho world's record In a wonderful night of two hours, fifty-three minues and twenty-four seconds. During twenty mlnues of the time Paulhan had a heavy rain and wind storm to contend against. The pervious official record for time in the air was made by Wilbur Wright at Le Mans, December 3 1, two hours, twenty minues, twentythree and one-fifth seconds. Paulhan's new record for distance was about 134 kilometres, or eightythree miles. He made thirteen circuits of the course . As he was coming down the home stretch for the last time the dirigible, Col. Renard, appeared to the westward, ploughing its way majestically through the smoke of tho city of Rhemis. STAVS SINGLK TO OET FORTUNE. Philadelphiaa Agrees to Terms of a Unique Will. In order to comply with his brother's will, which required hlin to remain a bachelor, William Taggart, of Philadelphia, Pa., announced Wednesday that he would give up Mil ' marriage and will thereby receive a legacy of $7 5,000, and valuable ranch lands in California. Taggart made the announcement after he had received word of the bequest from an attorney in Calejo, Cal. Tho estate originally belonged to an uHcle, who died many years ago, leaving the property to David S. Taggart, a brother of William, on condition that he remain unmarried. The brother died last week at Calejo, and he passed the estate to William, provided that the matrimonial restriction was observed. SHOT HIM HAD I A Family Row Catses Killing at H Johnson, S. C. H A PHYSICIAN SLAiN I ? l>r. Tltwell Killed by His Ilrotfwrin*ljAWi Mr. May?Mrs. TIImtaII Mad Lett tier Home and Gone to May's II tint', WIdtc She was KoU I lowed by Her Husband. Dr. Charles Tltwell was shot and |H fatally wounded by his brother-lnlaw, Mr. Yancey M. May, at John- l^fl Mlon Thursday morning, about 9 q'clock. The weapon used was a shotgun. Dr. 'liiwell received two wounds, one a little to iho left of the backbone on the lft side, and H the othor In the shoulder. He lived I about thirty minutes after ho was I shot, and it is said that ho rnado an ante-mortem statement to Dr. li. H I.. Allen, t>ut what it was has not I been disclosed. 11 From the testimony taken at the I in<inest It appears that the deceased I and his wife had had some trouble H Wednesday, during which ho chas- m tised her. It was alleged that she left and went to the home of her brother-in-law, and that her litis hand went there and endeavored to ^ hnr f *\ ? **# ? ?* ?1 * * .r ?* i ? i HI II UUIIIC, WHICH StlO refused to do. \ It Is stated that during his stay Mr. May and the* doctor not Int.o an altercation, during which tinio Mrs. Tit well left and went to a neighbor's house. The deceased then came hack info the street, and was going In pursuit of his wife, when Mr. May appeared on the scene with a shotgun, the contents of which he emptied Into the body of Dr. Titwell. The shooting occurred some distance from the house of Mr. May, nnd as yet it is not known what the deceased was doing at the time bo received his mortal wounds. } Tit well Is from Newberry county, and has only lived in Johnston a nnd unavoidable. Mr. Mnv has snirendered to the sheriff, and will apply for l>tii 1 at once before Judge Oevore here. Tltweil's remains were sent to his home In Newberry. The said affair is deeply deplored by all. HOMKHOIIY'H HLUNDKIt Came Near Causing Tragedy at Kilos Institution. At Albany, C.n., during an initiation in the Kilts' Lodge Wednesday night, Cleve Cox, a prominent young Klk, who was helping conduct the initiation, was shot through the fleshy part of the leg with a 3 2-calibre ball, from a cartridge that was ? > I Iiuiihiil lU III! lilillliv. The floor of the lodge room Hhowff the marks of several bullets fired' during the initiation. An investigation after the accident revealed the fact that In some unaccountable manner some cartridges of the kfmb used in shooting galleries had become mixed with the blank cartridges used In initiations. Three doctors were hurridely summoned to the lodge rooms to attend the injury to Mr. Cox. The shooting gallery cartridges responsible-for the short while. May is one of Johnston's best citizens, and claims that the killing was entirely justifiable, accident looked so much like blank cartridges that the difference could scarcely be distinguished. The accident caused much excitement in the lodge room and put an end to the initiation exercises. Tit AMI' WAS KILLED. Voting Lid Slays Man Whom He Found in His Kitchen. At Dover Dam, near Asheville, N. C., an unknown tramp was shot and killed by Den Morris, aged 17, late W (wtnnoiln tr * " ' ... i(ij ui^oiiiuuii. aii me members of the Morris family were away from home except young lien, and when he returned to the house, after a temporary absence, he found the tramp in the kitchen. The Ich truder warned him to keep out, and threw dishes through the window, and then held the door against him. Young Morris went around to the front door and seizing a shotgun, went to look for the tramp. The c.oiup mei nun nourishing a raaor, young Morris says, and grappled 1 with him. After seufllling a while Morris managed to break away far enough to fire the gun. The charge hit the intruder in the face, and he died almost immediately. South Carolina the Fastest. The battleship South Carolina finished her official trial runs off the Delaware capes Friday and the <*? sensns of opinion of the exports that she is the fastest and most economical in coal consumption of any battleship in her class. On the fonr hour endurance run the South Carolina consumed one and four-tcath* pounds per indicated horsepowet^J* '? ' I