Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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V TRIPLE MURDER James McMahoo Slayer of Two Sisters and Brodier-'in-Law. THE CRIME LONG PUNNED liiftblo to Hold His Tongne He Tells the Police and Says H< Will lie Able to Sleep Lu I'eace. Murders Committe<l oil Kanu Near Kansas City. James McMahon has confessed that he murdered his sisters, Miss Rose McM&hou and Mrs. Alonzo Van Royen and tho latter's husband, Alonro Van Royen, on a farm near Kansas City, Kans., last Tuesday. A long standing family quarrel caused the tragedy. McMahon killed Van Royen in a wood and later went J to the Van Royen home and shot his i titers. Fearing mob violence by a throne: that gathered about the couuty jail ' after the confession became known, .. the sheriff rushed the murderer and his brother, Patrick McMahou. and Patrick Lamb, a farm hand, who are held as witnesses, to the penitentiary at Lansing in automobiles. McMahon's inability to keep his secret caused him to be arrested. He told a friend where he had hidden a revolver with which he did the killing, and several articles he took from Van Royen's home. As Sheriff Ilecker was preparing to arrest James McMahon the lattei walked into his office and announced ? he was ready to holp work on tie case aa he had been doing since tlu tragedy. Sheriff Becker immediately arrested him. Prosecutor Taggart and Sheriff Becker sweated McMahon fo> two hours. Then McMahon eonfeasoi all. "Yes, I killed my two sisters and brother-in-law and I was crazy when I did it," he shouted, rising out ol his chair and pacing the room. "It took me three months to plan and execute the crime. I waited until ^ 1 knew my intended victims would be in the right positions lor me to kill them and get away. On Tuenday Rose went to visit at Van Royen's and I*on went to the woods. 1 found him and shot him in the head. - He fell and I fired six shots into his back. I always hated him. "Then I walked iuto the house and found my sisters. My first shot probably killed Mrs. Van Koyen as: she sat on a chair. She screamed and fell. Rose started up to speak to me and I shot her dowu. "With the two women virtually dead, I was free to tak* my time. 1 fired two more shots into the body of Mrs. Van Royen and five more Into Rose's body I did not hurry away. I was not unduly excited. It was the culmination of my only thoughts for months. "I searched the house and found aome rings and other valuables. I took all of them and my revolver and hid them la a corn shock, Hater it dawned on m<o that I had committed a criino. I tried to keep it ? a secret. Ilut hour by hour something told me that I must tell all. Tonight I'll sleep In peace." The confessed murderer had boon severely cross-questioned by the police many times since the murder, but he skillfully extricated himself from the few compromising positions into which ho had stepped. Ho was taken at one time to the 6Cene of the murder and forced at midnight under the glare of a llash^ light to rehearse his story. He did It unflinchingly, swearing lie knew V SUBS! > liHihiiaii?iiaiiiif 11 "fa m'Mdtf iin? ly baking powder Crape Cream of Tartar ie from Crapes? ^L) Finest, Purest Food W ogtail kaKiiUf f >owd?r Js. tolutely Pura^^Pp^) VfMw % BURNED TO DEATH III'SHAM) l'OI"lillT V.AIM.Y To KXTIXUI ISII 1 LAMMS. Kauc?T ot Liniment W'Tiirli Mrs. Magni? w vi'u*v .... ? 1 I'lh', Igniting Iter t'lollies. The Atlanta Journal bays Mrs. Maggie Rooks, 'J'J years of ag\ thi wife of John M. Rooks, ot IT. C-n tral avenue, Atlanta, after suffering excruciating agony from burns received Monday afternoon, arose in her bed screaming for water, and then fell back lifeless. Mrs. Hooks' death occurred a' 8 o'clock Tuesday morning at '. he (Jr i* dy hospital, whither she was taken within a few minutes after she rtctived her burns. Mrs. Rucks never for an Instant lost consciousness. On account or | her serious conditio!! no soothing ! opiate could be administered, and for 15 hours the young woman suf| fered agony with groat fortitude. In a room at her home, 9si* Central 'avenue, about G o'clock Monday afternoon, Mrs. Hooks was heating In a china aaucef, a liniment containing turpentine, which she was in th. habit of applying to her husband's back, which'was injured while he was at work some time ago. She had placed the saucer on the hearth .near the lire, and was waiting until the liniment would be hot enough for use. Mr. Hooks expectorated into the fire causing a number of sparks to fly into the liniment which was ignited instantly. Not thinking of danger to herself, Mrs. Hooka sel'/anl tb?- saucer, and with a light cotton apron, which she was wearing, attempted to extinguish the blaze. Part of the flaming linim m was spilled on the tloor aud her apron was so<?u in a blaze. In a second the entire apron was i ttaine and other portions of her clothing caught. Not for an instant losing her selfcontrol. Mrs. Hooks ru>hed from the room to the baefr porch, crying to her husband to tear off the blazing garments. In fear and excitement Mr. Hooks began Louring and ripping oil the clothing, but oven in the f?w seconds tho work necessitated, his wito received burns which proved Intnl. Tho husband was aided by Maudle Lumpkin, an aged uegresa, living in the basement of an adjoining house, who hearing the screams was the lirst perbQQ to come with assistance. Mr. Kooks himself was suffering from serious burns on his hands and in his throat caused by hi* swallowing a part of the flame. The negrees gently placed Mrs. Kooks on the floor of th?* porch, and running into the room tore a sheet from the bed, with which she covered her. Found Dying In Hoc Kooin. A dispatch froru Jacksonville, Fla., says, with her throat cut. Mrs. Mabel A. Deaucham, of Dost on, was found dying in her room in the Aragon hotel Tuesday mofning by h.-r private physician, I>r Kaker, of New York, who occupied the rooju across the hall. Hho died a short time later. nothluR of the crime. l.aier he offered $r*00 reward for the arrest of the murderer. The quarrel between the Van Koyen and the McMahons is .->aid to have started over the desire of the senior Mrs. McMahon to Rive part of her property to Van Koyen. Hose McMahon was friendly with the Van Koyens. This caused James McMahon to dislike her. iRIBE N( ?. a \. ... SHOT HIM DEAD Prince Hirobumi Ito, the Great Japanese Statesman, Assassinated AT RAILROAD STATION A Korean Fanatic, Fired With Resentment for Heal or fancied Wrongs to His Country and to Himself Slew the Aged Statesman l?y Shooting llim Down. A dispatch from Harbin, Manchuria, snya Prince Hirohmni Ito, former Japanese president general of Korea and probably Japan's foremost statesman, was assassinated there Tuesday afternoon by a Korean who had followed him there for the express purpose of k'lling him. The, motive of the assa ssiu was revenge. I The assassin was arrested. Almost immediately on h's arri-l val there, and just as Prince Ito hdl the railroad ear at the station, an I attack was made upon him. i'h? \enerahle statesman, accompanied by I the Russian minister of iinanee, was starting to inspect the guard of honor drawn up along the platform, when a pistol shot was hoard. Several more shots wore fired in quick succession, the bullets striking the prince in the back. Prince ito fell mortally wounded. Three of the prince's party were wounded, bullets striking Japanese Consul-General Kawkan, General Manager Tannaka of the South Man-I churian railway and Prince Ito's prl- I cute secretary. Consul-General Kaw-1 kan iy badly but not fatally wounded, it is believed. The assassin was promptly seized. I On being questioned, he said that he I was a Korean. "I came to Harbin for the sob* I purpose of assassinating Prince Itol to avenge my country," the slayer I told his captors. He also said that I he had a personal account to settle! with tin* great Japanese statesman, who during his stay in Korea had ordered the execution of several persons closely connected w ith the as- I sassin. That the assassination was the out-1 come of a well organized plot is in-1 dicated. Had the shooting occurred I a moment earlier, the lives of a number of foreign consuls would! have been In danger. A C1JCVKK KW1MU.K. | Seventy-five I at borers Ileal Out of rat<< ?. ?? uij x ' 1111 r,(It'll. The story sent out from Fayettevill??, N. C.. a few days ago to the effect that 'the American Pressed Steel Kail Company had closed a deal for a water front site on which it would erect a plant giving employment to five hundred men, turns out to be a clever swindle. Two men representing themselves as William Searing, chief engineer, and J. P. Jones, superintendent of construction of the Pittsburg concern, well dressed and smooth, selected the slto and prepared to sign deeds. be excavated to be sure of solid founbe excivated to be sure of solid foundations. Advertisement was run defer the laborers of every description at high figures and each was requit ed to pay fifty cents for his ehech with name and number. The two iii.-n uisuppearea, leaving unpaid hoard, livery and numerous other hills, and seventy-live laborers are each out ft fly cents and two days' work. TFI.LS OF CANAL WOllK. Charleston inn Thinks Panama Pitch Will l>e Contplete<l in f> Years. Hoinitiick Cherry, a civil engineer engaged in work on the Panama canal. Is in Charleston on a visit to relatives, this being his first visit home in two years. Mr. Cherry was given six weeks' vacation and in a couple of weeks he will have to return to New York and take a liner for the isthmus. Mr. Clv-rry reports great progress in the work of construction and h< says that it is the general impression down there that the canal wili be completed in about live years. The work on the locks has been begun and is being actively prosecuted Mr. Cherry is a graduate of Clemson college. He graduated in civil engineering a littlo over three years ago and almost immediately afterwards he stood an examination and seen red a position with the government. IW TO *o THE TARE ON COTTON CAI SKS TIM)I KM: AM()\(i Till: IllYKKS AM) SKLl.MUS. The Furmei-s lU'fiisv to Accept the Hates of Cotton Buyers and the Union Takes a ltaml. The State says there Is dissatisfaction in the Farmers' I'tilon ovei the tare rate 011 cotton. This matter is rejwMted to have been con I sUlered at recent meetings of the county union in Kiehland. It seems the foreign shippers allow a tare margin of HO pounds on a 500-pound bale to the buyers and shippers. The buyers and shippers are said to have formed an agreement among themselves to allow only lit pounds to the bale. In this connection the Farmers lotion has issued a circular letter in which the grievance is presented to the farmers with a view to taking some action relative thereto. Some action was taken at the last meeting, but just what was done has not been dellnitely stated by the State Farmers' Union. In the issue of The Farmers' Union Sun of Angus 27, was published the text of the agreement ot the buyers, together with a reply by A. J. A. IV rritt, president of the South Carolina State Funnels' Union. The articles in question follows: ! Agnnunent ot' Spinners and Cotton ltuyers of Columbia, S. C., Territory: We find It necessary to take some steps relative to the excessive amount of bagging and ties that Is now being put on cotton at the gins. The excess bagging, and ties put on itt the gins is increasing, and it is now the custom of many gins to use an unnecessary amount of bagging and ties in covering the cotton. The merchant is billed back by the spinner with the amount of excess bugging and ti?'S, and. in view of this fact, It is necessary to take steps to protect ourselves against this loss. All domestic mills and Kuropean buyers are deducting for excess bagging and ties, and we, the undersigned, will be forced to do likewise; therefore, on and after September 1, 1009, we will deduct for excess tare as specified below. On all cotton carrying more than six yards bagging, we will deduct two pounds per yard for each yard in excess of six yards, and for bands in excess of six bands, one pound per band. We reserve the right to reject cotton containing a palpable addition of excess tare. I). Crawford & Son. .1. 10. hatham's Agency, Per. It. I). Thomson, Mgr. H. 15. Ford & Co. Olrardea u; L. V. nibble, Frost & Lipscomb, M. C. Heath At Co., May bank At Co., W. C. Mullins, Mgr. It. II. Jennings & Co. President Perritt on the Action of the Columbia Cotton lluyers: If correctly inionnod there is a tare of 150 pounds deducted from every bale of cotton sold by the planter. If the planter puts on every bale six yards of two pound bugging and six ties, all of which weighs ii I pounds, then there is a total loss to the planter of nine pounds per hale. As there seems to be a desire on the part of many of the buyers of cotton to join hands with domestic mills and Kuropean buyers to make additional deductions at their discretion, the executive committee of the Farmers' Union of South Carolina urges the necessity of setting in motion the forces that will legally maintain the rights of the planter, allowing a tare for the actual weight of bagging and ties on each bale of cotton. We further urge that this matter be taken up by the national union, which meets early in September, and such action he taken by that body as is necessary to protect the inter<*sts of the planter. We deem the action of the cotton buyers of Columbia, S. C., as threatening in its character and detrimental in its purpose to the farmer. and we urge wlae and determined resentment on tho part of our planters to any such action. A. J. A. Perritt, President. S. C. State Farmers' i'nion. Lamar, S. P., Aug. IS, 1909. Tho following statement was issued by J. Whitner Heed, secretarytreasurer of the South Carolina State Farmers' I'nion: The attention of the county and local unions is called to the above agreement of Columbia cotton buyers regarding IgiKging and ties in excess of 21 pounds, and what President Perritt says relatives thereto: Evidently some action should be THE HI ; OVER SCORE LOST Steamer Hestia Wrecked Off Seal Cove, Grand Manan, Bay of Fundy. I A CRASH AT MIDNIGHT Xuvigator Vnable to Pick Out Safe Coury in Terrific Storm?Only Six of Forty Persons Known to l He Sjiv<sI?Ship oil Its Way to Tills Country. The North Atlantic's annual toll of llvey and vessels received the llrst tithe of the winter season from its tributary? the Hay of Fundy Wednesday in the loss of at least i score of souls and the destruction on a shoal, inside of Old Proprietor's Ledgo, off Seal Cove, Grand Munun, of the Donaldson Line steamer 11"Htia, bound from Glasgow for St. John and Baltimore. Four of the victims?young Scotch ladies were passengers on the ill-fated steamer and the others wore members of the crew. Captain Newman and twenty or more members of th?> im-i.u. last sern in a ship's boat whleh was being toss?*d 011 a stormy sea. Of the forty persons who wore a boar tltho steamer wbon she piled up on the shoal, at 1 o'clock Wednesday morning, only six are positively known to have been saved. They were forced to cling to the wreck, shifting their precarious positions often as the steamer was tossed by the great seas. It was not until 3 p. nr. that life savers were able to man their boats and reach the stranded vessel. When rescued the survivors were in a weakened Htate after their 1 4 hours ordeal. Those known to be saved are: Third Mate Stewart, Second Knginoer Morgan and Seamen Keen, McKenzic, Smith and McVickar. A he-avy northeasterly gale is believed to have been responsible for the Hestia's fate, although It is su|>posed that a mistake of the man at the wheel in believing he hud picked up Gannett Rink Light while really discerning the gleams or the light house on Mnchias Seal Island (several miles southwest) carried the ship many miles off her course. The sailors of the middle watch had been out of their bunks an hour and all others excent the naviirat ing officers, were stowed In bunks or hummocks, when the crash came an hour after midnight. In the belief that he was leaving Grand Manan on the port tack, and following thy usual course to St. John, the navigating officer sought the distinguishing marks of that route. Hut they were not to be seen. Instead the steamer was heading t'or Seal Oove, between Gannett Hock and .Vlachlas Seal Island, over seas which barely coveted a treacherous bottom of shoals. It was on one of these, just inside Old Proprietor Ledge, that the vessel's nose became Impaled. taken by the county and local unions respecting the matter, as in all probability cotton buyers throughout the State have entered into a similar agreement. If so, and nothing is done to counteract their action, it means a loss to the farmers of the mihtc. i ne nuyers, it W ill be obw^rved , claim that they imiHt protect themselves against the action of the spinners, foreign and domestic, who deduct 3d pounds tare, and yet it has been stated that cotton buyers In the State increase the amount of hugging ut the compress on cotton Intended for foreign shipment and endeavor to make the farmer pay for It by deducting as tare all in excess of 21 pounds, although th> foreign buyer allows 30 pounds. As a matter of fact the home buyer.suffers no loss for excess weight of bagging over 2 1 pounds, or he would not put additional bagging on compressed cotton, thus doing what tie would not allow the farmer without penalty who claims that he has the right to use bagging and ties up to 30 pounds weight at the gin which the buyer uses at the compress withOld )/?!-' J TKo ff, J 1 - .1111. iiypo. I UU 1411 I 1 1?- I n t'UIIM'llllOIl IS that ho should not bo made to pay a price t'or complying with th? standard of wo'ght for bn g g I n g and ties tlxed by the foreign spinners. If the buyer wishes to robalo cotton for shipment to foreign ports, that is his affair, not the farmer's. It is requested that the county and local t nlons consider this matter and take some action in regard, to same, either at tho next regular I meeting or a meeting called for the purpose. I J.' Whitner Reid. Secretary-Treasurer. South Carolina I State Farmers' Union. Columbia, S. C., Aug. 31, 1009. IRRY HE \ ? CHARGED WITH MURDER DETECTIVES THACK HCSPKCT ,\\l? A Kit EST HIM AT HOME. Apprrlionsimt of the Man (lie Skeleton of WIioho Itriile Was Keeently Discovered Near New York City. The arrest of Frederick Gebhardt, or Otto Mueller as he was also known. In New York, was the culmination of an exceptionally competent piece of detective work. Th-? skeleton of tie? body of Anna Latter, who had been married more than a year ago to Otto Mueller, revealed a murder; the bones showing two bullet wounds. A gold watch found near the body bor* the initials "A. L." and there were also memoranda indicating that purehases bad been made in a small town near Hamburg, Germany. The German police were acquainted with these facts and they quickly d1 Hoovered that the purchases indicated in the bills h:wl ?? -v ? It IIIMIIV7 by Anna Latter, who a short time before had been married to an Otto Mueller in this country and who was then on her honeymoon with her husband to her old home in Germany. The Hamburg police informed the detectives here that when Mueller and his bride returned to this country Mueller brought wit* him two dons of the variety used for police work. The local detectives work Inn on the case, investigated the records of the German steamship Ilium and found a memorandum of a passenger who had reached here about that time wtlh two such dogs. Through an express man the dogs were traced to a house in the Astoria part of New York City. it was there that the Otto Mueller, now under arrest, was captured as he was entering the house where he was known as Frederick Gebhurdt, and where he was living with the wife he had married four years ago. through a matrimonial bureau, and with their two children. According to the police, Gebhardt, which he says Is his right name, admitted that he had temporarily left his real wife t<? ???? ? i * . ? ...... t j /limit 1 Ai I ter. that ho had gone to Germany with hor, as d'ticribed, hut that she had loft him without explunlng a fow days after their arrival la this country. N KAH NTAItVATlO.V I*i*<'sicjent of (irewt Northern Hum Another Trying Kxperience. Louis \V. Hill, president of the Groat Northern railroad, has undergone a second trying experience, being compelled to live four days sole-fc ly upon elk moat. While automobiling from Helena, Mont., to Great Kails, Mont., he was mistaken for' a trump, when his machine broke down, and he was compelled to sleep in a haystack, a farmer refusing him lodging. Hill, who was visiting the proposal v.." ... v.. x, .?? ?-! .muoiiai iarK with a photographer and others, got separted from the party. He met a hunter and engaged his services to escort him out. Neither had any food, but found an abandoned camp and secured some bread. The hunter killed an elk, and for four days this was their sole ration. Finally they reached Helton, where Hill was picked up and carried to I.lbbey, Mont. Died in Cotton Seed. William Fields, of Goldeshoro. N. 0., was recently smothered to death by cotton seed in which he was playing falling on him and covering him. The little fellow, who was only five years old, was playing in the seed with some companions when the fatal accident happened. ? IK)IM HKSTKU 1M>\11D NAMKU Those Keoommend4?d by the County delegation Appointed. Gov. Ansel has appointed O. B. Dukes of St. George, A. K. Thrower of Rldgeville and W. W. Way of Dorchester as members of the registration board of Dorchester county to take the place of the old board which was dismissed by the governor several rlnvu ocm f??~ ~i * n i<p,u, > nt; imi ooa r 1 was composed of Messrs. Kllas Dorr. It. M. Limehouse and A. W. Humph. When the charges were made against the former hoard Gov, Ansel ordered tlve members to appear before him and show cause why they should not be removed from ofhee. On the day set for the hearing only two of the members, .Messrs. Limehouse and Dorr, were present. Mr. Humph having previously resigned. The appointment of the new t>oard was made by the governor on the recommendation of the Dorchester delegation. RALD