The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, March 16, 1911, Image 4
A MURDER
(New Yoi
There is a man living today who
(has gone through the whole thrilling,
horror-filled experience of killing a
man in the clouds. The marks of
grief and woe on his face and his
chattered nerves tell the whole story.
Robert F. Scanion was known
through the Middle West as one of
the most daring and even foolhardy
aeronauts and parachute jumpers in
all the country. Rarely was a day
too windy or a district too dangerous
for him to make his ascension according
to contract and on time.
Then in a day, in an hour, it was all
changed.
It was during Fair Week at Cahokia,
111. People from all the sur
rounding country and towns had
come in on the last day of the week
to make merry when Scanion was
billed to make a balloon ascension
and parachute leap.
He himself superintended the Hiring
of the :i>alloon with hot air and
coal gas by throwing light wood and
coal oil 011 the fire in the furnace a
few yards from the balloon. The
gas was sent into the canvass bag
through a tunnel and a pipe, the
month of the balloon over the opening
The gas bag began to expand,
jiufilng up in little lerks almost like
began to life its head off the ground
the beating of a great heart. As it
the people packed in closer and shout
ed out in excitement. Around tne
Walloon like a fringe were rows of
of bags of sand to weight it down,
and in addition, men from the crowd
were pressed in to cling to the guy
ropes that the last possible mitre of
gas might be got in before it should
the released for its shoot up into the
air.
The Halloon is Inflated.
Slowly the balloon rose until its
tail brushed the ground bearing itself
for a flight like some groat creature
of the air. Scanion in his tights
and spangles ' had to keep running
from one side of the balloon to the
other and then out to the furnace to
give orders to his assistants. It was
hard work and the delay of a second
meant that something might go
wrong and that the asension might
be a failure. Little hy little he or
dered the men standing around the
ballon, their arms upstretched holding
the guy lines,to slack their ropes.
'As the great bag tuged the men would
be lifted off their feet, the balloon
rolling from side to side as thougn
drunk.
Stretched out on the ground was
the parachute fastened to the bag of
the balloon so that when the balloon
?hot up it would be swinging directly
tinder it, fastened only by one rope.
A cord led up to a knife so that when
.the aeronaut wanted to descend he
:would but have to jerk the cord, cutting
the rope and float down to earth
and safety. Under the parachute the
trapeze bar was hanging, a bright
brass rod on which Scanion was to
hang and go through his gymnastics
while being wafted to the clouds.
As the bag straightened up it began
to tug so that the farmers and
townspeople swinging on it for bal\st
began to grow afraid and anxious
o release their hold.
"lley, Mac," he called to his as'?tant,
"throw in another chunk!'
Mac knew what that meant, and
on the fire tossed a small bucket of
coal oil. A blaze of fire leaped
through the tunnel and the b.v'uon
tore itself out of the hands of the
ballast men. The balloon wobb.ea
up.
A muttering shout ran around the
crowd for the tension was at its
height, and a man lrom their midst
was about to he whisked into tht
heavens. Women threw up their
hands and shouted out words of
warning.
"Hold on tight," called out an old
inan leaning on a gnarled cane for
support.
"Oh, I know he will be killed, '
sobbed a woman, turning away her
eyes.
"Let Co, or Von Will he Killed!**
Hut all this was met with at every
performance and served in no way to
unstring Scanion's nerves. All his
mind and energies were bent on
clearing the buildings and treetops.
"Lot her go, hoys," he called out
over the exclamations of the people
and the cracking of the fire. "Cut
loose."
Running back Scanion picked up
the brass trapeze rod and seated
himself on it, one hand on each rope.
Then as the balloon slipped up into
the air he ran forward under it, the
long-folded parachute tugging him
gently, thus saving himself from being
dragged over the ground. Titers
had not been a hitch, the weather
was perfect, he was getting a goou
Start. The ascent seemed no different
from a dozen others he had
made.
IlUt tnere IB whbi-b U1U riBiv ui n
balloon jumper comes in. lie never
knows what moment something will
happen.
Suddenly a drunken man burst
through the crowd and threw hi*
Arms around Scanion.
He was a big muscular man, and
In his dazed eyes was the look of an
Intoxicated man who cares not th<
least what happens. Scanion had t<
grasp the ropes on the ends of tin
ir to be kept from being pulled of
IN THE AIR
rk World.)
I
i
backward.
The parachute bar was just being
lifted off the ground, and Scanion :
had no way to fight back except by I
kicking. I
"Let loose, let loose," he yelled !
frantically, but the man only tightened
his grip and buried his. face in
ffr-nnlrm'a snanerles. afraid to look i
? ~ -*?"?' I
down.
For a moment the crowd stood too j
horrified to move, then several of the (
men coming to themselves rushed out
and sprang wildly at the drunken T
man's dangling feet. But they missed j
and in a second more the baioon had
risen above the tops of the trees and
the two men over the heads of che g
people. ^
"Let go or you vrill be killed, ' \
cried Scanion, squirming in the man's
grasp and kicking as best he could, e
But the man held on grimly without
answering a word.
The horror of it all flashed through 1
Scanion's mind and made him fight t
now resolutely. Here he was sitting n
on a brass rod twenty feet under I
* -? 1 1 ? l... t U C/N M
the haiioon, ruling a uaiuuu uuhl iui
ouly 150 pounds, plus the weight of s
the parachute, and he himself was t
over weight by ten pounds. The man i
clinging to his arms must weigh at F
least 170 pounds. a
To make the ascent this way would *
i
be absolute folly. So he redoubled
his energies toward kicking off the s
unwelcome passenger. Letting go of
one hand he clung to one swinging, 0
bending rope and with the free hand a
tried to tear apart the man's fingers ?
kicking him madly on the thighs with
his heels.
v
"Drop, drop, you can make it yet," s
called out Scanion, almost out of
breath.
But the man paid no heed, holding n
on as grimly as death itself. Catching
hold of one of the man's hands
Scanion tore it away. The man freed a
his hand again and fastened it in an- j
other place. Surging back and forth, g
Scanion tried to wriggle out of the n
man's grasp, the combined weight t
sending a wave clear up to the bal- p
loon like a quick jerk travelling along c
a rope. Breathing with quick in- b
takes of breath, partly from exhaus- b
tion and partly from the effect of the r
liquor, the man clung to Scanion t<
without speaking a word. One idea b
was firmly fixed in his mind, and that fi
was that he must hold on tight, and 0
with the grip and determination of a b
drowning man he carried out his n
idea. , d
Working his hand up the man's v
hack Scanion got it against the man's ii
face by a quick surge and pushed a
madly and blindly, but the man bur- t
ied his face in the other side of
Scanion's l>ack and the short ad- b
vantage was gone. s
Rapidly but with stately dignity f
the balloon rose into the air each 11
second adding to the distance that s
one of them must fall. Scanion's e
hands sank deep into the bar ropes 11
and they came down almost to the v
level of the bar, his head was pulled
back until he could see nothing but *
the drooping skirts of the parachute v
and the bulging sides of the balloon 0
over him. Squirming and kicking, 1
he struggled till his breath was al- 1
most spent, fighting against time, "
knowing that each moment the bal- ^
loon was getting higher and higher. *
Finally, twisting his head around, ?
Scanion says that they were fully five ^
hundred feet high and that a drop ^
meant instant death. He could see
the crowd standing almost as he had
left it, scarcely making a sound, all v
faces tense and set, silent watoheis g
of the struggle for life in mid-air.
A Single Chance of Esca|>e. d
Suddenly the man gave a lunge
and flung one arm over the bar, then j
in spite of all Scanion could do he i
swung*back and hooked a knee over }
it, like an acrobat in a show. a
Scanion looked down Into the y
man's face. It was wrinkled Into a
lines of fear and determination. His r
eyes were wide open and staring, but [
afraid to look down. There was not t
the slightest, sign of drunkenness [
about the face, the terrible struggle
had completely cleared his mind. e
Scan ion could see that the man was i
possessed of but one idea and that (
was to hold madly to the swinging j
bar. His whole strength and his f
whole mind were set In carrying this ?
out..
As Seanion looked down at the
man ho turned over every possible
chance to escape. ,
To drop meant, destruction. The
parachute was built to carry only one
man. Possibly one of them might go
down in the parachute and the other (
ride the balloon down by waiting till 1
the night air chilled the gas. It was
a straw, hut worth seizing.
| "All right?It's too late for you to
/irrm off now." said Scanion gruffly. 1
1 "Swing yourself up on this bar.
I The man looked up at him more
like a wild animal than a hpman bcl.ing,
like a dog trying to understand
| just what his master means. So
; firmly fixed in his mind was the Idea
i that he must cling to the bar that ho <
could not comprehend what Scanlon '
I meant.
l "Climb irp, damn you!" growled
> Scanlon. "We've got to stick it out
> together." ,
3 The Mgh-t of understanding broke
rjtato the man's eyes, and with rigid, <
trembling muscles he drew himself
up on the bar and wound his arm
around the supporting rope. The
two sat crowded shoulder to shoulder
facing, with scarcely enough
room to move.
"Don't hurt me, whined the man,
speaking for the first time.
"Shut up and don't shake the balloon,
snapped Scanion.
The man kept his eyes on Scanion,
afraid to look toward the earth. "Is
[t very?very far?"
"You'll think so going down.'"
Scanion shot back.
The Fight for Jdfe.
The man whimpered and shrank
ihe rope without looking down.
"What are you going to do about
t?" demanded Scanion, taking this
ihance to punish the intruder. The
langer now did not seem so immi*
^ * i a a. ~
lent, ana so ocanion was uuunu iu
mpress on the man what he had
lone.
The man whismpercd and shrank
iway from the aeronaut. The fight
vas gone out of him; he dreaded the
lpbraiding more than the kicking.
"What made you do it?" demandid
Scanion.
"I thought?I don't know"?
A slight ripping sounded over their
leads. Scanion became electrified,
>ut to the unwelcome passenger It
neant nothing. Scanion glanced up.
lis worst fears were confirmed.
One of the ropes fastening on the
ides of the balloon and supporting
he parachute had ripped down a few
nches and the gas and smoko were
louring out. The bar rocked baca
,nd forth again and the rent enarged.
In a moment it might tear
arger and the two would go rocking
wiftly downward.
The only chance for safety was for
? " f t /-? crr\ In fho nn ra nil 11 f u
lit? Ul (.Ilt'Ul IU Hy/ *** tuv |/Iii UUMUW I
nd self-preservation is the first law ,
f nn.t'.1 re.
"Don't rock the balloon," shouted
icanion fiercely, although the man
iras sitting quietly enough. The man
aid nothing.
"Why don't you look down?"
emanded Scanion with all the fierceess
that fighting for one's own iife
rings up in one.
The man watched Scanion humbly
moment and then turned his eyes
own. Wrapping his legs together,
icanion lunged at the man and tore
ladly at his fingers gripped around
he rope and the end of the bar. Siently
the two fought, their breaths
omings quick and fast, their nails
ringing great gashes on each other's
ands. The bar and the parachute
ocked to the struggle, but that alone
old the story of the struggle to the
irds. Finally Scanion got the man's
ngers loose from the rope, and In
ne surge of strength pushed him off
nnlrit/or^ TVl Q hilTlH f)f thP
C* V_/ XV TT U X Ui A 4* v A/v*?s/? w.
ian, gripped around the bar, unoubled,
and without a sound he
fent whirling through the air, turnng
grotesquely, his arms striking out
s if they expected to catch on sornehing.
Fascinated, Scanion could not keep
lis %eyes off the whirling body. So
quarely under him was it that but
or the turnings it did not seem to be
noving. It seemed to be resting in
pace. As it got farther away it ceasd
to struggle, falling like a dead
nass. A sparrowhawk darted toward
it curiously, then turned away.
Then the body struck the ground?
n a small pasture lot. The sound
rhich travels upward more easily
ame to him with sickening clearness,
t seemed as though he was only a
ew feet away. But look as he might,
Icanion could not see where the body
ind struck. It seemed to have buried
tself in the ground.
His courage almost gone, Scanion
>ulled the rope that severed the par.chute
from the baloon and dropped
o the ground. When the people came
unning up he was so weak that ho
ould scarcely stand alone. That evning
he was arrested, and later
tood trial for the man's death, but
vas acquitted on the ground of selflefense.
But it was Scanion's last ascension,
le is now afraid as death of a baloon,
and will scarcely look at a flyng
machine in the air. His nerves
ire completely gone, and as he talks
le keeps moving his hands aimlessly
iround over his lap and knees. He
nakes his living during the summer
11 small towns and during the wilier
in vaudeville by doing high divng.
"It's the nights that make me miserable,
he said, buttoning and unbutoning
his coat. "I can stand the
laytime pretty well, for there's peoovnu
11 <1 than Hut the nichts! I
ilways see something falling, falling
ind waving its hands."
After All.
"I have been a drudge all my life,"
10 complained.
"Well," the unsympathetic old
bachelor replied, "it's largely your
iwn fault. Why did you ever get
married? I^ook at me."
I'm Innklmr at. vou. That's
what reconciles mo to my condition.
After all, there are worse things
than drudges in the world."Chicago
Record-Herald.
?
Doesn't Need the Coin.
"Five hundred dollars a night for
100 nights," was mi offer telegraphed
from a lyceum bureau in San Francisco
to Representative Cannon, of IIInio,
the retiring Speaker of tne
IlouRe Tuesday. "Too busy,' was
in substance the reply telegraphed
l>ack by Mr. Cannon. The offer prescribed
that Mr. Cannon could name I
his own speaking dates on the circuit*
CLASSIFIED COLUMN
XX5COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCCFor
Sale?Pure King Cotton Seed at
Poultry Yard, Darlington. S. S.
For Sale?Pure King Cotton Seed at
$1.00 per bushel. Address, J. J.
Llttlejohn, Jonesvllle, S. C.
Money Muker Cotton Improved and
selected by T. J. Klrven Is the
best. Seed at $1 per bushel. T. J.
Kirven, Providence, S. C.
For Sale? Eight hundred bushels selected
Red Rust-proof home raised
seed oats, at 60 cents bushel. J.
IVl.OUUllI'UlIO) 1UV/U1I V T tllV) V/
Buff Wyndottes; S. C. White and
Buff Leghorns, Stock and eggs at
bargain prices also O. I. C. hogs,
W. E. Carroll, Normandy, Tenn.,
Route No. 1. }
For Sale?Jig Saw, cost $90.00, will
sell for $40.00. Six inch Moulder,
cost $300.00, will sell for $140.00.
Best condition. J. H. Cole, Randleman,
N. C.
For Quick Salo~Six million feet fine
unbled long leaf timber. Prices
and terms right to party meaning
business. McCallum Realty Co.,
Sumter, S. C.
For Sale?S. C. R. I. Reds, White
and Brown Leghorns, Black Lang
shang, Plymouth Rocks. Eggs for
setting, 15 for $1. M. 13. Grant, ,
Darlington, S. C.
Eggs in incubator lots or single sittings
from S. C. Reds, $1.50 per
15; $8.00 per hundred. Nice cockerels,
$2.00 each. Eugenia Hammond,
North Augusta, S. C.
Cabbage Plants?G5c thousand, for
balance this season; oldest grower
here; Fishel White Rock eggs, $1
per 13, from beautiful birds. Tlios.
W. Blitch, Young's Island, S. C.
For Sale?On account of consolidation,
will sell large or small Steel
Screw Door Manganese Bank Safe,
also Vault Doors. Best condition.
The Peoples Bank, Randleman, N.
C.
The Little Tell Tale which tells the
Truth. A complete egg record of
the day, the week, the month, and
the year. Price 10c. Address,
Mrs. M. B. Roberts, Dade City, i
Fla. (
Right.to ten dollars week made, spare
time, man or woman, each locality,
attend advertising material,
make reports, represent us. Exchange
Agency Brokers, London,
Canada.
Girl or Woman?each locality, good
pay made acting as representative,
address envelopes, fold, mail
circulars, material, stamps, furnished
free. Rex Mailing Agency,
London, Ontario.
For Sale?Whippoorwill Peas, $2.25
per bushel; Clay Mixed Peas, $2.10
per bushel; Ripper Mixed Peas,
$2.10 per bushel. Write for prices
in large quantities. F. A. Bush
Co.. Preston, Ga.
Dropsy C ired?Shortness of breatn
relieved 'n 3 6 to 4 8 hours. Reduces
swelling in 15 to 20 day J.
Call or write Collum Dropsy Remedy
Company, Dept. O 512 Austell
mat" Atlanta Da.
IJobbs' Single Comb Rhode Island
Reds and "Crystal" White Orpingtons
win and lay when others
fail, stock and eggs for sale. Send
for mating list. G. A. Dobbs, Box
R. 24. Gainesville, Ga.
Wanted?Men and ladies to take
three months practical course. Expert
management. High salaried
positions guaranteed. Write for
catalogue now. Charlotte Telegraph
School, Charlotte, N. C.
Wanted?Men to take thirty days'
practical course in our machine
shops and learn automobile business.
Positions secured graduates,
$2fi per week and up. Charlotte
Auto School, Charlotte, N. C.
*
Reds, Both Combs?First winners
at the greatest shows in the United
States, 1st cockerel in class, 127
Reds, Silver cup for best cockerel,
in show. Medal for best cockerel
of all breeds, 1910, Tennessee and
Indiana State fairs. Catalogue.
iMrs. Emily Gibson, Portland, Tenn.
Iianoy's Improved Cotton Seed?Plant
the best. Won first prize from
Planters' Phosphate Company, ol
Charleston, S. C., and State Fair
Association for largest yield. Small
varioty, very early. 4 0 per cent
lint. $1.00 per bu.; 10 bu., 90c.
R. B. Laney, Rt. 1, Cheraw, S. C.
Seven per rent prime cotton seed
meal, car load fifteen ton minimum
car at $25.50 per ton car Augusta,
$26.00 Savannah or Charleston.
Above any quantity from one to
twenty cars. Let us quote you
hulls delivered your station. The
Flash Hunter Com. Co., Atlanta,
Ga.
For Sale*?Selected Marlboro Prolific
Seed Corn, first at Georgia experiment
stations tests last year, and
the blie ribbon variety for many
years past. Bushel, $2.00; half
bushel, $1.25; peck, 76c. Pure
LEE'S HEADAC
NEURALC
Safely Surel;
Cures Headache and Neuralgia n
ous testimonials on file in our office t
Read the following:
I have been a constant sufferer i
could not get any relief until it had
I tried Lee's Headache and Neuralgi a J
lief.
I heartily endorse it as the best tl
(Signed) H.
Sold everywhere. Price 25c and 50c. ]
Burwell & Dunn C
V
No. 14 McWk
Fertilizer D
will distribute in two furrows from
side and top dress growing crops, or
I n /? / B
Price f. o. b. Factory
$35.00.
Other machines both larger and smal
selves in the saving of labor. If you
do without this distributer. Order
W. M. Patrick, \\
Money Maker Cotton Seed at $1.00.
J. H. Myers, Sumter, S. C., H. F.
D. No. 4.
For Sale?1,900 acres fine land,
1,2 00 acres open; good six-room ;
house, 35 tenant houses, $10,000
worth of personal property goes
with tho land. Price $40,000,
terms easy. Take this and double
your money. Rent for 1911, 75
bales cotton. P. B. Williford,
Americus, Ga.
Good Live Agents wanted in every
town to sell a meritorious line of
medicines extensively advertised
and used by ever family and in
the stable. An exceptional opportunity
for the right parties to
make good money. Write at once
for proposition to L. B. Martin,
Box 1 1 0, Richmond, Va.
If you want more money for your
cotton crop, plant "Acme Upland
Ivong Staple. Very productive
superior staple Two bales (1023
lbs) this variety sold in Boston,
Nov., 1910, for $281.32. Seed
$1.50 per bushel, 10 or more bushels,
$1.25. Address A. M. Huggins,
Lamar, S. C. Reference:
Merchants & Planters Bank, Lamar
s n
Eggs?Barred Plymouth Rocks, Buff
Plymouth Rocks, Rose Comb R. I.
Reds. Acknowledged to be the
three best general purpose fowls
yet developed. Our pens are composed
of the cream of last year's
stock, ali selected with the view
of keeping up our wonderful egg
yield of the past. Our birds carried
off a long string of prizes during
the past show season and we
can give the best quality to be ~~
found. Eggs for hatching, $2.50
per 15. Send in orders now for
future delivery. West Raleigh w
Poultry Farms, B. M. Parker, Mgr. di
West Raleigh, N. C. tc
pi
Tim Primitivo Mini. in
"Jones is so dreadfully primitive!" ^
"What's his latest?" tr
"Why, we were at the opera house tl
the other night and a stage hand re- T
moved a table and Jones yelled,
'Supe, supe!' We wero dreadfully
mortified."
"I was at a dinner the other night u|
and Jones sat next to me. When he ei
saw the row of spoons and forks and k
knives beside his plate he beckoned al
to the waiter. 'Say, boy,' he hoarse- b<
ly muttered, 'I guess you spilled the al
spoon holder!' " m
? ? u
Marries Chinese. ft
At Vancouver, B. C., Miss Anita n
Deschontz, actress, aged 22, was married
to Lew Ling, a wealthy Chineso
merchant of Hoqulam, Wash. The (a
girl is of Spanish descent and her f<
home Is In Pittsburg, Pa. y<
;he and )
11A REMEDTft
y Speedily
o matter what the cause. Numerjear
us out in this statement.
from headache for 12 yeax*-4|(&
run its course or take morpbitm.
Ftemedy and found permanent rek
kino. T Viotr** flvor
llllifs> 1 UUf V V ? v.
A. OANDY,
Hartsvllle, S. C.
Manufactured by
o.f
Charlotte, N. G^,
lorter Horse
istributer
3 up to 5 feet or more wide,
broadcast perfectly 6 feet wide
Hopper capacity
250 lbs. fertilizer.
Her. They soon pay for them
i use fertilizer you can't afford to
today. Address,
roodward, S. C.
DON'T SUFFER WITH
Rheumatism
It is the most distressing and
discouraging of all' troubles.
Nine cases out of ten can be
cured by Noah's Liniment.
Where there is no swelling
or fever a few applications will
relieve you. It penetrates?
does not evaporate like other
remedies?requires little (
rubbing.
- /
Noah's Liniment Is tho best remedy for
Rheumatism, Sciatica, L&mo Rack, Stiff
Joints and Muscles, Soro Throat, Colds,
Strains, Sprain;, Cuta,
Bruises, Colic, Cramps, ~IZZTj^M
Neuralgia, Toothacho, ^^B
and all Nerve, Bono ry33&?^Ti ^^B
and Musclo Actios and llftSEgaKwl
Pains. Tho gonulno has | ^^B
Noah's Ark on every | 'l.,|
package and looks llko HMffn
this cut, but has RED |l ||i1||M
band on front of pack- IkiVIfllMj
agj and "Noah's Lini- ||nf|?|4l|l |^B
ment" always in RED UimJMUmIb
Ink. Bowaro of lmltatlons.
Largo bottlo, 25 W> mw Ot MAST i
cents, and sold by all MMiama 1
dealers in xncd! c 1 &c. r?r ^Ktrp - Guaranteed
or money f
refunded by Noah mmmTcmms
Remedy Co., Inc.,
Richmond, Va.
Killed by a Teacher.
At Tennille, Ga., Dr. T. J-. Kelley
as shot and instantly killed Thurs*y
by Nathan L. Johnson, superinmdent
of Tennille institute. The
inishment of I)r. Kelley's son at the ^
istitute, it is said, led to the trou- a*
le, the culmination of which was ^
hursday's tragedy. Friends had
led to settle the trouble, but when
le disputants met on the street
hursday the killing occurred.
Shoots His Friend.
Failing to give the countersign
pon being signalled, William Stephns
was shot Tuesday night and
illed by his friend, Rambert B.own
t Natchotoches, La. Trouble had
een feared and a guard was placed
bout the sawmill property where the
len worked, the employees agreeing
...1
pon a countersign. way
tiled to respond to the challenge It
ot known.
Now is a good time to clean up
ronmd the yard .and whitewash
inoee and out houses. It may tare
tm a ease of sickness or two.