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DRAWS BIG CROWD ? L TRIAL 01 HUGH LONG FOR MURDER OF P. N. GUNTER > ?.? WHAT THE STATE SHOWS The Wife of the Accused and the ^ Wife and Children of the Deceased Are Present at the Trial, Which Excites Great Interest Among the People. The Hon. Hugh Hong, legislator from Aiken County, and erstwhile country newspaper editor with a permit to practice law, is on trial at Aiken, charged with the murder of Mr. Pickens N. Hunter, president of the Hank of Wagener, farmer and well known Aiken County citizen, the homicide occurring during a personal encounter in the town of Wagener between the defendant and the deceased on about the 8th day of last September. The case was called the first thing Tuesday morning when the Court of General Sessions began its second day's session. Some time was consumed in drawing the jury, every man presented being placed on his voir dire, and both the prosecution and the defence excusing, or objecting to, quite a number, but finally the necessary twelve men were empanelled with das. R. League, of North Augusta, foreman. Twenty extra veniremen had been drawn Monday from the "seven-mile box" to meet any difficulty that might have arisen Tuesday morning in their selo^l inn WMmn ',/> -5...... " .w. ,, in ii i m- jui^ ? lis ritiuplotc the panel had not been quite exhausted. When it became bruited abroad that the trial of the famous Long case had begun Individuals began to flock into the Court House, and soon every seat and available space had been taken. Interested spectators were Mrs. Long and her sister; while the wife, children and more distant relatives of the dead man sat about. One of the dead man's daughters, a j pretty little miss, apparently about fourteen years of age, wept silently during the exhibition to the Jury of the clothing worn by Gunter at the time he received the injuries that brought death on October 1. Judge Ernest Gary is presiding. Messrs. Croft & Croft and C. E. Sawyer are counsel for the defence, while Solicitor Itobt. L. Gunter is being assisted by his law partner, the lion. Herbert E. Gyles, mayor of Aiken, and the Messrs. Henderson, Col. D. S. Henderson, of the last named firm, having conducted the examination of witnesses for the prosecution. The session is scheduled to adjourn definitely Thursday evening, and there will be exerted every possible effort by both State and defence to give the case to the jury before that time. The first witness was E. R. Jackson, who is cashier of the bank of which the deceased was president, he having been associated in that capacity with Mr. Gunter for the past three years or more, during which time, witness stated, there bad sprung up between them a mutual warm regard. With slight variations and contradictions as to minor details, the prosecution, from its witnesses, presents the following epitomized version of the tragedy: Long was standing on the sidewalk with a newspaper in bis hand; Guntor mm inrr tnwai-H lilm Tuot ... 2-? m tit vi 11 i 111, v u -?! ur.iui the latter reached him, Long, it Is claimed, half turned and dropped his paper toward his pocket. CJunter collared him, spun him around and knocked him out into the street, falling on top of and astraddle the prostrate man, pinioning his arms. In some manner Long managed to free himself, possess himself of his revolver and fired, which first shot, it is alleged, inflicted no serious wound. It seems then that almost simultaneously with the first discharge, Haves Hunter, a cousin of the deceased, and indicted with Long as an accessory, rushed from his store nearby, ran up to Pickens Hunter's back and, throwing his arm about Hunter's neck, began to choke him and drag him away from Long, the latter firing the fatal shot after Hunter was clear from him and while Hunter, it is claimed, was absolutely helpless. Clearly, and it has been so admitted to this correspondent by one of the attorneys for the prosecution, the prosecution endeavors to establish the fact that when the fatal shot was fired Long was free of Hunter, while the latter was helpless in the grasp of one of his kinsmen, under which conditions, they contend, there was no > warrant for the last and fatal bullet. Two witnesses have stated that tho deceased a few hours after he was wounded gave essentially this story: Gunter said that he was coming down tho street and saw Long; that as he npproached Long tho latter dropped the paper toward his pocket, turned toward him with an indescribI able contortion of the facial muscles and muttered some imprecation that he did not catch. Gunter did not know what Long was going to do; might have intended to shoot so far as he knew, and from that point the general thread of the story is parallel with that of eye-witnesses. One'witness, E. B. Jackson, affirmed that ho % ! did not believe Mr. Hunter was arm ed at the time of the encounter, and based his assumption upon the fact (hat on the next day he, (the witness) found a revolver in Mr. Hunter's private drawer at the bank. On the cross-examination the defence unsuccessfully tried to have witnesses testify that Hunter went to several campaign meetings last summer and was very active in his opposition to ttie candidacy of Long for the House of Representatives, but with one exception they denied absolutely any knowledge of Hunter's political likes and dislikes. One witness, however, did have a faint recollection of Hunter having gone to a campaign meeting a short distance away from Wagener. The prosecu-1 tion seems to have a tendency to oh-1 ject to tho admission of testimony that may savor of the political. One of the State's most interesting witnesses was Benjio Baldwin, who, under the Long administration?for Long was mayor of Wagener at the time of the homicide?was chief of police. He followed Long to the house of one Mr. Gardner, next door to his (Long's) own home, to And Long barricaded at the head of a narrow stairway and armed with a Winchester rille and a .38 calibre revolver. Witness said lie stood at the foot of the stairway and Long at his end, and they discussed the case. Baldwin said that he asked Long what was the trouble with him and Gunter, when the latter told him: " 'Pick' got me before I knew it, and I just pressed my gun against him and shot him off." The witness continued that under the orders of the district magistrate he stayed guard with Long, to protect him from the mob outside the house, until the sheriff and his posse arrived on the scene. On cross-examination the witness admitted the presence of men, (lie was uncertain that they were armed) around the house; and after a little persuasion 011 the part of counsel he even admitted that he heard unite a number of shots fired (luring the night. Counsel then had him testify that ho made 110 effort to arrest the parties, nor did he ever prefer any charges against any of thein. He did claim, though, that he made an unsuccessful attempt to And out who smashed up and fired into the printing office of Long. C. K. Lyhrand testified that he heard Long toll a friend, who was accompanying him home: "1 intended all along to kill the? anyway." This statement created a little ripple of surprise, and counsel for the prosecution had the witness repeat his statement. N. G. Schual admitted that he lay outside the yard that night with his gun loaded, waiting to see, he said, that Long was not removed, and with him were numbers of others. Counsel for defence, on cross-examination wanted to know if witnesses didn't see several guns around there with the tags of "Jake Lyhrand" on them. Lyhrand was a political enemy of Long's, and it is known that he fought him bitterly during the campaign last summer, hut the witness said ho did not remember to have seen any such guns. At Fit 45 Tuesday afternoon the prosecution rested without having, it would appear, made a very strong case against the defendant. Wednesday morning the defenco will offer testimony in support of Its plea of self-defence. One of the most Interesting incidents of Tuesday afternoon's session was the spectacle of witness and attorneys stretched out on the floor of the Court room with Long's revolver, re-enacting the tragedy. TAKES CHIME ON HIMSELF. Confesses a Murder for Which Another Was to Die. "I alone am guilty of the crime for wnicn urea isyo is under sentence of death. I fired the fatal shot and planned to rob iMiller. Nye knew nothing about it," declared David Everltt, in a written confession to District Attorney Strouss. Frederick Nye is under sentence of death for the killing of Henry E. Miller, at Sunbury, Pa., last year. Miller was found dead in his pool room with a bullet holo in his neck. The corpse had been robbed of $90. Nye and Everitt were arrested and at their trials each blamed the other. Nye was sentenced to be hanged, and Everitt received a sentence of manslaughter for the crime. The case was taken to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania which declined to interfere, and an appeal is now pending before the pardon board. In his confession, Everitt said that he could not sleep at night "because it worries me so to think that another boy is to dies for a crime I alone committed". Grasshoppers in Kansas. In a bulletin issued the Kansas Agricultural College has warned the farmers of Kansas that the grasshoppers are likely to cause serious damage in that State this year. The open winter left 00 per cent, of the grasshopper eggs uninjured; the bulletin stated the pests already are at work in some parts of the State. Brother Booker says: "We did not know before that there was a mint bed at the White House but then we are not so awfully familiar with the White House surroundings any way." \ YOUNIi MAN DROWNS i PROMINENT AIKEN LAWYER LOSES LIFE AT ISLAND. ? ? i WENT TO CATCH CRABS Cut OUT on Reef by ltising Tide Not { Knowing Safe Hot rent, Steps in ' i Deep Water.?Cries .Mistaken for s Calls to llis Dog. The Charleston Post says Charles i Ashley, a prominent young lawyer of s aikoil, who was Bpeiuiing a low (lays l at Sullivan's Island with his mother, i at station 2 8, was drowned Wednes- i day afternoon off station 29, when, i cut off by the rising tide while on a s reef extending out from the beach, he i attempted to return to the shore by ) the shortest route, and stepping into < deep water, lie perished, his cries for i help being mistaken for calls to his i Ittle dog who had accompanied him t n a crabbing expedition. i Mr. Ashley loft his boarding house i about one o'clock Wednesday affrnoon, taking with liini a crabbing ( net and basket, planning to catch a mess of crabs for supper. His pet dog went along with him. Friends in 1 cottages along the beach watched his 1 progress toward Breach Inlet, and 1 saw him go out, the tide being low, s along a reef that is notably treadier- * ous. lie waved his hands to watchers from time to time and was apparently 1 enjoying the novel excursion. Meanwhile tide had come in. shut- ( ting from sight parts of the sand reef, ' and when Mr. Ashley discovered that ' lie was being cut off, he turned shore- * ward. Unfamiliar with the safe course to take, he tried to wade back v across intervening waters, and suddenly found himself over his head. 1 Unable to swim, and being physically ' weak, Mr. Ashley called for help, 1 his voice reaching children playing \ on the beach, but they misunderstood ' his calls, thinking he was command- 1 ng his dog to follow him, perhaps. ( The unfortunate young lawyer dis- ( Ippeared from sight and his bady has lot been found, although diligent liligeat search was made hy organizyd parties, who went as far as the . Isle of Palms, thinking perhaps that he had succeeded in getting out of . the water's grasp, and had continued his outing across Breach Inlet. His , iog made its way to the shore safely, , and later the crab net and basket , were found on the beach. , There is deep gloom at the Laird cottage, known as Aiken Den, at station 2S, and in tlie neighborhood where Mr. Ashley and his widowed mother were staying. Mrs. Ashley is ( overcome with grief. He was an only , son, his brother meeting death some , time ago from fatal burns. Mr. Ash- . ley had visited Sullivan's Island before, enjoying a large circle of friends , who admired him for his genial dis- . position and charming manner. , For the past year or two the reef j where Mr. Ashley met his death has i been considered dangerous by those j using it for bass fishing. The shift- i ing sands in this section have chang- \ ed the character of the beach, and < now a long r^ef runs off from the ] shore, that is covered by water, when i P'e is high, although any one famil 'ar with the lay of the land can make ] lis way hack safely to the shore hy i lollowing the course of the reef care- i 'ully. I However, Mr. Ashley did not take ; this fact into account, and made the mistake of coming straight in from where he was stationed when he ^ found himself cut off hy the rising , waters. lie was not a good swimmer, ( and when he sank over his head he j must have been practically helpless. , He was several hundred yards from ] his cottage when the accident happen- ( ed, but in sight from the shore, his ( movements being followed through | opera glasses. i.vir. Ashloy was in his early thirties, and unmarried. Deep sympathy is extended to his bereaved mother. RATS WERE THE THIEVES. Huilt Xest Costing $50 Wortli of Hostage Stamps. A Yorkers Dispatch to the New York Herald says the baffling mystery of who stole $50 worth of postage stamps from the Y^rks post office three years ago has been solved after postal inspectors and detectives had given up their efforts to find the thieves and clerks had to make gogod to Uncle Sam the missing stamps. Workmen on an addition to the office found a quantity of the stamps chewed to bits and made into mice nests under the floor. The fragments will be sent to Washington and the government asked to reimburse the clerks. , When the Democracy was defeated in 1908 the Atlanta Constitution advised that the Democrats r?f ttm 1 I South join the Republican party as it i was in power for all time. This sen- i timent was endorsed by a few other ] papers in the South, but as the people were true, it fell flat and the South em Democracy remained true to prin- ' ciple. Some of these papers are now ' trying to run the Administration. < NEEDED REFORMS * M)IXTK!> OCT \\l> liu.i:i) HV JOHN J. M'M.MI.W. <egul SafcKUHnlinK of Primary and Protection of ltullot Principle One to be Considered. All other political reforms wait on he legal safeguarding of the primary deetion. The protection of the bali\t to t lwi f/>?.?wl.?* " C r wv ?o nit- iw UIHIUI llMl 1)1 I DM' KOVOrilnent. A fraud, or an error, knocks somebody out of his vote. Using a dub roll containing names of absences or dead men, affords opportunty for false voting and "repeating", sometimes pursued by professionals lired for the purpose. Dishonest or aruless preparation of tiie club rolls nay disfranchise voters by errors of nitials or spelling or by entire oniisdon of names. There is no safety in lepending on messages to see that rour name is put on the roll. The >nly certain method is to go personilly. Allowing votes to be cast by ninors and non-residents may change he result. As long as the rules' pernit these practices, there is no assurances of the will of tiie majority ? tiie rule of the people. Democra y is turned into a farce. People learn little except by experence. The man who before an evil s upon tlie country perceived the endencies that will bring it, and lrges a changes from the prevailing system while yet there is time, can irouse no following. Noah foresaw he flood but could prevail 011. 110rody to join his family in being sav.1 ? mi. aiosl people see only tip* iminelinte present and are deaf to the ippeals of the pioneer reformer, lence most of the sufferings of mancind, most of (lie horrors of history affording ample lessons if we vould hut apply them. Thomas Jefferson advocated gradlally freeing the negroes and transporting them to Africa. The race problem was then generally unseelble and unbelievable. In their enioyment of the negro as a slave, the people could not se.e the misfortune pf thus excluding the development pf a sturdy laboring white populaion, nor could they foresee the inevitable final emancipation with its ittendant train of dangers, including he menace of social equality and ulimate amalgamation. After the primary last August here was a general realization of the prevalence of irregularities in the noting and of opportunities for fraud \nd the probability that there had tpeon serious frauds. Whether or not there had been enough frauds to change the result or whether frauds pn one side had been offset by frauds in the other may be merely a matter pf personal opinion or bias. Whether the irregularities and frauds had tpeen more numerous than in previous primary elections or whether they were simply more closely criticised because of the greater interest Is likewise a matter not beyond controversy. Rut certain it is that the unusual interest throughout the State concentrated attention upon the laxity of our primary rules and methods and the need of reforming them. Never before had the weakness of the voting system, the absence of safeguards, been so brought home to the people. They now saw the danger of "repeated" ballots, wmi padded rolls, duplicate enrollment and no restriction of tlie voter to bis locality. Suddenly waking to these things, they may have magnified in their minds the extent of the actual practice of the frauds which were so possible under the rules. Yet the same situation had been previously apparent in spots in the State? in heated and close contests pver an important county oflice and in warm races for township commissioner or for magistrate. How often lias a magistrate been elected by voters from an adjoining district? The candidates and their supporters have been frequently alert and active to place on the club roll the names of friendly neighbors across the line. The rules of the party have not forbidden it. Similarly, many a voter has his name habitually on two or hree or four club rolls and can take iiis option as to the one at which he will vote?he may bo dishonest enough to vote at all these boxes or lis name may be used by others who 'repeat" in voting. These are plain frauds, but are facilitated by the tiles permitting the duplication of lames on tlve rolls. These things have stirred neighborhoods and counties, but the reports had made no impression on the mass of our citizenship because the vil seemed too remote. Hast stunner the whole State became aroused. liv. u iiiuHu on ui(? winning side admitted the appearance of evil and the locessity of avoiding it in future. A -eform of the primary seemed at last, n siglit?the good that conies out of wil, nature's compensation in the long run. But by the time the legisature met the keenness of public interest had worn off. The bills for the remedial legislation were postpone?l to the next session upon the irgument that there would still he imple time before the next general primary election, and that it would be well to give the matter longer consideration. And so the reform was sidetracked, while interest further cools. This is the standard patent for defeating reforms?putting * jVEKY QUEER USE I FATHER'S SPIRIT CALLS TWU AS D ONE DIES ? i WAS TALK OF THE TOWN ? Two Ilrothers Named Freedrnan at New Itriinsulrk, X. J., Have Kxartly the Same Dream, Neither One Telling the Other, ami Shortly After One of Them l>io<l. The death dreams of Joseph II. Freed man and Max Freedman, brothers, of New Hrunswick, N. J., followed by the passing away of Max, were discussed with awe in that city by many people for days. Ten days ago Joseph dreamed vividly that the spirit of his dead father appeared and begged him to join him in the grave. This dream nelthhe, his wife nor any other member of the family told to Max, who was dangerously ill of a kidney disease. Hut his wife told Joseph's wife ol a dream the sick man had had and Mrs. Joseph Freedman was startled nearly into hysterics, for in every detail it was the same ghastly dream that had come to her husband a week before. Not merely did each man dream of the spirit of his dead father calling him, but the words spoken by th? spirit were the same on both occasions. Joseph Freedman is a produce wholesaler at 11 Hurnet street, New Hrunswick, a man not given to superstition. Max was equally practical. One morning about ten days ago Joseph came to the breakfast table, looking so pale his wife asked if he were ill. He told her he was still feeling the effects of a dream. A gray, gauzy apparition had appeared to him, had stretched out entreating hands and had said: 'Tome with me, Joe. Come and we'll lie down together up there under the grass, where we can sleep and not know or care what the striving men are doing in the world. Learn with mo the wonderful things that have come to me since I have passed to where knowledge really is." Freedman said he told the appari tion that ho did not want to die, as it would bo cruol for him to do so and leave his wife and children unprotected. When that plea was made the ghost vanished. Max Freedman became very ill a few days later and Joseph and his wife went to (Max's home in Cedar street. To the consternation of Mrs. Joseph, Mrs. Max began weeping violently and said: "It is hopeless. Max is going to doe! That can only be the meaning of the dream he had two nights ago. lie saw his father's ghost and the old man urged him to join him in the grave." Lobby Should he Kxposod. The New York World says every member of the United States Senate should know that an investigation of the lobby is always in order. In truth, the attitude of a legislative body properly actuated toward those who would swerve it from its most conspicuous pledges ought at all times to be one of inquiry, if not of ' suspicion and hostility. 1 The lobby now active at Washing ton represents interests which for ! many years have ovorteri o? influence upon government. Those interests have grown rich, powerful and insolent upon their ability to tax ! the people. They have shackled our i industry. They have corrupted our politics. They have filled the land with class prejudices. They have given to monopoly and graft the dig nity of an economic theory. 1 It was these conscienceless inter' ests that were voted down last Nov1 ember. If they appear now by agent and attorney in the National Senate it is not because they have any misgivings as to the nature of the verdict that was rendered against them, but because in that body the force of 1 their popular condemnation is ex1 pressed in the feeblest terms. The majority against them there is small. On that weak spot in the people's defenses they naturally concentrate their efforts. The lobby which to-day assails the Senate is looking first of all for . weak men, but it will be content, no doubt, if it can find corrupt men. All that it asks is that by unscrupulous and narrow bargaining and cozening, three or for Democratic Senators shall nullify the will of the American people. Its purpose is treacherous and treasonable. Can there be any doubt that, given an opporunitv. its mptluwk ? , ...u.iu OIKISIUI1 will bo equally desperate? A great conspiracy against representative government is under way at the capital. It contemplates the betrayal of a Nation. It is not politics. It Is not business. It is crime. Every Senator whose vote is dependon upon to consummate tills perfidy knows it is crime. It is crime that never again should go unpunished. Why not investigate? them to sleep. John J. McMahan. Columbia, May 31, CREATED A SENSATION ? SI KI HAGFTIK THIKH TO ITOVjD H? A KIOltKK. \Y a.m Dragged Home Distance and IVhm Seriously Hurt by ller Foolish Act. At Epsom, England, Thursdey's race for the Derby, the "blue ribbon" of the British turf, was one of the most sensational on record. It was made memorable by a daring militant suffragette outrage, in which a woman was terribly injured whllo trying to stop King CJeorge's horse, Anmer, when he was running at full speed around Tattenham corner; by the disqualification for bumping of Cfflirflnoiir thr? fnunrlhi nf(?? hn r, - V/ ? w a v? t ?* ? VV * I * IKVll finished, first; and by the award of the rare with its stake of $32,500 to Aboyeur, a 100 to 1 shot. King C.eorge, Queen Mary and a large assembly of royalty were witnesses of these exciting incidents. While interest in the classic was at its most tense point, just as the fifteen horses were turning Tattenhain corner into the stretch, a woman rushed out of the dense crowd and plunged in front of Anmer and another horse, Agadlr. Apparently she hoped to interfere with the progress of the rare by seizing An titer's reins and placing not only herself in danger but also the two Jockeys. The horses were at the end ol the string or the consequences might hnvo been more serious. Agadlr, ridden by Jockey Karl, passed in safety and unhurt, but the woman managed to cting to Anmer's reins and brought down both horse and rider. Jones, the king's jockey, received injuries necessitatitig his removal in an ambulance while the woman was thrown under Anmer's hoofs and kicked. She was taken unconscious to a hospital, suffering severe injuries to her head. Suffragette papers tire said to have been found in her possession and a suffragette flag was bound round her body. Her name was given as R. Davison. Jones, the jockey, suffered from a cut in the head but his injuries otherwise were not serious. ? ? Wil l, no Mi en A (VanliiK-lp Conference to !>o Held Soon A conference for South Carolina along the same lines us those covered hy tho Conferenco for Rdueati a in the South, recently held In Hichmoitd, has been advanced and promoted hy the leading Carolinians and educators intereateir in the welfare and prosperity of the State. This idea was first presented to the pu-blic by Prof. W. K. Tate, and it had hearty welcome. In furthering the plans a letter has been addressed to a number of persons believed to he interested in the general good of the commonwealth, inviting them to meet in Columbia and map out a program for the conferences. This letter is signed by Prof. W. K. Tate, 10. W. Dabbs, president of the State Farmers Union, 10. J. Watson, Commissioner of Agriculture, W. K. (Jon/ales and Dr. William R.' Weston, president of the State Medical Association, and is in part, as follows: The coming summer seems especially appropriate for the united effort. The movement must bo absolutely free from politics, and must have as its aim the advancement of the welfare of the people of the Stato rather than the furtherance of personal ambitions and political aspirations of any individual. This is, in a measure, an off-year in politics. Matters relating to tho nil U W* tifol fn 1 ~ a? " .v. n^iKUD may u? iroeiy and frankly discussed, and public issues will not bo obscured by their association with the personality of men who are seeking office. We may now give every man an opportunity to state his grievances and may discuss the needs and remedies with open minds. I It has heen suggested that tho j State conference should either bo preceded or followed by county conferences and by public discussion in the press of the State. Such a program requires careful planning in order to prevent dissapation of effort. It is our opinion that we should select for discussion one fundamental topic from each domain or interest or a few subject of most vital concern to all and that we should not attempt to cover the entire field. In order to prepare this program this committee has invited many representative men and women who havo the welfare of the State at heart to meet with its members to discuss and formulate tho program. The preliminary meeting will ho held at the P. M. O. Auditorium, Columbia, at 12 o'clock on Tuesday, June 10, and It is desired that the meeting will be fully attended. The movement to in fulgurate such a conference or conferences as proposed is in every way desirable and commendable. The Times and Democrat hopes that the bill introduced in the United States Senate to raise the salaries of the rural mail carriers will soon become a law. They are an important lot of officials, and are entitled to better pay than they are now receiving.