The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, October 07, 1915, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

r mm w? M * VOLUME XXX. VERDICT OF INQUEST ? ON DEATH OF COOPER Coroner of Horry County and; Jury of Inquest Enquire Into Death V>t WITNESSES TELL WHAT THEY KNOW Jury Said Death Caused by W^ Falling Boom of Skid*ding Machine. r % ^ 'it c>/? V. D* Johnson on last Sat{ ^i> Q>. * 1^.2 concluded the inquest into the I x^rusc of death of Henry Cooper who ^.vas killed on the timber works of the "onway Lumber Company some days ^ before, and whose death was told ^ about in our last issue. After swearing the witnesses whose testimony appears below, the coroner's jury returned their verdict as follows: We find that Henry 13. Cooper came to his dei..h by a failing skidder boom, while employed by the Conway Lumber Co. 4, V. D. JOHNSON, Coroner for Horry County. (Sgd.) C. M. GRAHAM, Foreman Jury of Inquest. J. M..WATTS, J. G. JORDAN, E. N.J3 ANDERS, N. M. HOLT, I. N. HARDWICK, Jurymen. * T.?e testimony taken follows: "Buck Baxley, being duly sworn, says: ! I was pulling the skidder with the eneine. I was looking back, he motioned me to go slow. I heard some one holler. I looked ahead, then I heard the lumbering of the fall behind me. "When I got there the boom was down' and he was dea l. The skidder was jypt oulling logs. We were moving | the skidder. I was pulling the train as slow as I could to move her, I have been around a skidder about 11 years. Everyone of her type are just alike. W. E. BAXLEY. Isaac Ambrose, being sworn, says: We jacked te skidder down and pullf>H V*or nhnni V\ol^ L? * ? v? mhii. mc icnj^m vi ner. a.\ maple pole caught in the guy that holds the boom up, it lightened the guy and raised the boom. When the poll slipped out it caused the boom to drop and that gave it a jerk and caused the bolt to break. I saw the boom coming, jumped off the wood car and A looked around in time to see it strike rA& jSlr. Cooper. He lived about half minv*ite after I got to him. The boom /I struck him on the right shoulder. The skidder was moving. The pole was lying by the track. It had not been moved. The witness does not know who put the line up that holds the V boom up. * ISAAC AMBROSE. Arthur Holmes, being duly sworn, \ sit's: I was standing on the same car he got killed on, he was standing on right hand side, I was standing in center, I was standing with my back towards the engine when I heard some one holler, look out in that time the pole fell and struck him on the shoulder. When I got up from beMtween the booms. Mr. Cooper was unler one of them ahead of me. All I can say the boom fell on him and killed him, he was foreman of the skidrler. They were moving the engine as slow as they could. He was waving the engine ahead. his ARTHUR X HOLMES mark Albert Rice being sworn says, I saw ^he boom fall and kill him, I was in three (3) feet of the boom when it fell The skidder was moving as slow as it could be pulled. ALBERT RICE, s George Booth being sworn says, We backed up and coupled up and got r^dy to start ahead. We were moving along slow, and a maple pole caught under the boom guy. Mjr. Cooper was standing on the car. The maple pole jerjked t\\e guy up and aa it started back it bwjce.ftnd came down, and killad him. I was on the wood car. He baa been the Foreman ejery since I (Continued on rage Eight) ^ f* ' * "T "TTV'".' Wktt cc GRAND JURY MAKES . FINAL PRESENTMENT Were Discharged From Further Attendance Upon Court .Last Friday Morning MR. NORTON RETAINED BY THE COMMITTEE Attention Called to Tax Executions During Term of * Sheriff Sessions. The grand jury finished up their work last week by Friday morning and the fin ' presentment was read in open court as follows: STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA County of Horry. Court of General Sessions?Fall Term 1915. TERM REPORT OF GRAND JURY { To the Honorable Frank B. Gary,' Judge Presiding: The Grand Jury beg to present to the Court its final report for the term.' 1. We have passed upon all the bills of indictment handed out to us by the Solicitor and have returned them with our findings to the Court, j 2. We will first itemize those recommendations of a public nature upon which we have agreed and will next itemize the presentments for crimes and misdemeanors. I. 3. At the Spring Term of Court, the Foreman appointed Mr. J. S. Battle to act with the foreman as a committee to report to the Grand Jury on the conduct of the County officers and at their discretion to order an investigation of the fiscal and administrative affairs of the County 4. In pursuance of thi^*^' the Committee obtained the sel^^s of Mr. J. O. Norton, who is familiar with the County affairs, to make a full investigation and report his findings. 5. A preliminary report by Mr. Norton is handed to the Grand Jury. This report covers a general statement of the fiscal affairs of the County; but does not include the very important details showing .the working of the Township Supervisor method of road control and supervision, or showing the present condition of school district finances. 6. The investigation made does show that the tax executions unaccounted for by the late Sheriff B. J. Sessions;, to which grand juries have so often called attention, have all been accounted for; and by authority of the Comptroller General the matter has virtually been closed up. The report shows that the settlement sheet of June BO, 1912, makes a total charge against the Sheriff for old executions of $6,9G4.95. The investigation by Mr. Louis S. Searson for the Comptroller General credited to the Sheriff in the settlement for 1913, the sum of $3,023.78 in nulla bona executions, leaving a charge for old executions of $3,941.17. To this amount Mr. Norton's investigation has added some uncharged executions amounting to $74.77, the total charge being $4,015.94. | This charge made on the settlement sheets for taxes of 1914 has been accounted for as follows: Nulla bona for 1909, (an omitted credit) $1.58; Nulki bona executions for 1911 $1,071.86; Nulla bona (old executions lost or destroyed shown to be uncollectible by the Sheriff's and Treasurer's records) $782.04; Cash paid by Sheriff Sessions at the different settlements for executions in 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913 ..$1994.23. This leaves still due by the Sheriff's bondsmen the sum of $166.21. rj iif. i ? ? - - - /. we aesire to quote the following statement for Mr. Norton's report: "I should say for the deceased Sheriff, that there is absolutely no doubt that the sum named as due is entirely the result of erroneous balances in settlements for executions from * to year. No malfeasance in office can be laid to his charge. His shortage was caused by the negligence generally of all the officers connected with the County tax department. The ; present officials have had no respon "HORRY COUNTY AND HER PEOP NWAY, S. 0., THURSDAY, OC suIto ?: ? ft | 1 I I \>.. ! (} / . ' t! ; 5 II %^,r | j| -if* f ' ' V <4 * j| ft.'MM, .? ,,-, .vy"' ~" sibility in the matter." ! 8. Mr. Norton reports orally that I when he was closing his report last Saturday, The County Treasurer re-; ccived checks from the Comptroller General in payment of the Jenrett shortage. This shortage flue since 1910 was as follows: Due the State! $57.01; due Ordinary County $590.39;, due general school fund $786.57: total $1439.97. Checks for the County and| School funds have been received by the County Treasurer and the matter, ?i i ? CIUSUU up. 9. We desire to call attention to the following statements of the investigation. (a) "The County Treasurer does not make proper reports each month to the Comptroller General, the County Board of Commissioners and the County Superintendent of Education as specially provided by law." (b) "The County Supervisor's records of claims filed and checks issued are not kept in good condition. * Either the system of accounting used is not a good one or the work done under the system is negligently performed. The minute books of the County Board of Commissioners are, fairly well kept, but show evidence of the general lack of organization throughout the office of Supervisor and County Board of Commissioners." (c) "The control by the County Board of Commissioners of County expenditures has always been largely nominal. The Board has known little or nothing of what money is expended until the bills come ^r payment. Cer tainly control of expenditures cannotj be had merely by the auditing of accounts filed." "The law provides for the limitation and control of expenditures for road purposes by Township Supervisors. It appears necessary that a similar ( method of control be adopted by the County Board for all other expenditures. If for nothing else it is neces-1 sary for the protection of the Town-1 ship Supervisors." (d) "The apportionment of school1 funds by the County Superintendent of Education is made upon an entirely, wrong basis. Taxes charged for collection and not taxes collected have been credited to school districts. The present accounts with school districts should be carefully corrected and proper aportionment hereafter be i made." 10. We recommend that the statements of paragraph 9 be served upon the officers named; tha ta settlement of expenditures for the fiscal year 1915 be made as of December 31, 1915, on or before the January meeting of the County Board of Commisioners, I WEATHER FORI For the Week Beginning Wen Issued by the U. S. Weath FOR SOUTH ATLANTIC AND Ej Generally fair weather is indicate! cooler Wednesday and Thursday an !> m LE, FIRST, LAST, NOW AND FORE TOBEH7, 1915 m rsT Ii I -* . \ ' . . * '**** ' V ? 4j? f ' 'V \a . V- .v : v *' ' ?Zero in Brooklyn Eagle. and such settlement be witnessed by I such member of this grand jury hold-, ing over as is selected by those hold-1 ing over; that in the event the re-J1 quirements of the law above stated are not being then carried out, the member of the grand jury witnessing the settlement be authorized and re-j quired to request the Solicitor to apply for a rule to show cause against the negligent officers, returnable at!; the Spring Term of Court, 191G. 11. We recommend that Mr. J. O., Norton, in accordance with his re-1 quest, be authorized to continue his { ^ inyer*'Ugauon and to report to the sue-j ceeding grand jury through those; members of this grand jury holding; over. 12. The attention of this grand jury-; has been called to the lack of guide | posts and boards at the cross roads ' in the County; and also to section ] 1942 of the Civil Code 1912 providing J that each overseer within his district ; may erect posts and guide boards at the expense of the County. Travel ] over the County especially by Strang- ' ers is increasing as the roads are improving. We wouid therefore recom- ^ mend that the County Board of Commissioners and Township Supervisors ' carry out strictly the provisions of ^ said section 1942. ; \ 13. We have received and herewith file with the Court (a) a report by the ' Solicitor upon the offices of Clerk of ^ Court and or Sheriff of this County; , (b) a report by the County Superin- , tendent of Education upon the School claims paid by him; and (c) a report by the Clerk of Court upon the several funds held by him as Clerk of Com mon rieas. n. j1 14. Statements signed and unsigned] have been handed to the Foreman andj memberb of the grand jury charging j various crimes and misdemeanors ^ against persons named therein. This , i grand jury prefers not to make public presentments for crime against any citizen upon unsworn statements, ex- ^ cept after personal examination of the facts by a member or members of the j grand jury. We have therefore referred the memoranda of several ^ charges to the Solicitor for such investigation and for such record as he . may deem advisable for the public, good. * 15. We present Shelley Williams ^ and Dora Ward for living in adultery and herewith file the names of the witnesses to be bound over with the j Clerk of Court for the use of the So- ' * licitor. ROBBIE STALVEY, ' Foreman. Conway, S. C., Oct. 1, 1915. ECAST ~ ! iesday, October 6th, 1915. er Bureau, Washington. D. C. 1 K ST GULF STATES: < i throughout the week. It will be d somewhat warmer thereafter. xM. RETURNS COMPLETE ON LIQUOR VOTE The Figures Given On Wet and Dry in Each County CERTIFIED FIGURES FROM OVER STATE! i Dry Cause Receive? 41.73 5 Votes, Boarl Met on October 5th. * Complete and certified returns from all counties in South Carolina, as filed with the secretary of state, give for prohibition 41,7115 votes and . . aga rtharthodorad rhrtmafamtr rd against prohibition 16,809. The election was held September 14th. The State board of canvassers was called to meet October 5. Following is the vote by counties: Dry. Wet. Abbeville 723 246 Aiken 1,126 315 Anderson 1,985 847 Bamberg 448 232 Barnwell 543 488 Beaufort 203 164 Berkeley 248 186 Calhoun 346 185 Charleston 370 2,607 Cherokee 1,209 259 Chester 625 234 Chesterfield 887 496 Clarendon 550 157 Colleton 801 226 Darlington 1,152 149 Dillon 494 162 Dorchester 454 497 Edgefield 710 70 Fairfield 453 13S Florence t 1,514 362 Georgetown 319 154 Greenville 4,090 1,028 Greenwood 1,172 234 Hampton 545 227 Horry 801 727 Jasper 152 40 Kershaw 620 335 Lancaster 989 202 Laurens 1,410 370 Lee 473 236 Lexington 1,405 572 Marion 604 114 Marlboro 828 38 Newberry 1,170 398 Oconee 1,108 162 Orangeburg 1,415 493 Pickens 1,028 315 Richland 1,257 784 Saluda 787 136 Spartanburg 3,338 1,251 Sumter 652 244 Union 1,281 427 Williamsburg 565 132 ifork 813 164 Total 41,735 16,809 CONSENT VERDICT 1 ill nnnrnm aiai in HUBtfi 15 UAdt Last week a consent verdict was taken in the court of common pleas in final settlement of the damage case pf Nelson Roberts against the Conway Lumber Company, a case which had scon pending for some time. The plaintiff was under age at the time of the injury several years ago. He v working for the lumber company in the timber woods in Gunter's Islands near Pee Dee River and was engaged in cutting a tree top out of the right pf way of the tram road. Another force of hands were at work nearby felling trees, and the complaint alleged that without warning from the superintendent of the work, a tree was allowed to fall on the plaintiff dislocating his hip and causnig other peruanent injuries. The compromise irerdicf wjis $900 00 o A great break in the heat wave in :he Middle Atlantic and New England States was indicated Friday in the veather bureau forecast. Showers, ind thunderstorms have helped to ower the temperature somewhat in he Gulf "fHartea and the Mississippi ralley. ?o? A. S. Richardson was in the city a ew * day 41 a g OW f I I NO. 26, CRIMINAL DOCKETS ABOUT CLEARED UP Court Rapidly Disposed of Business Until Late Friday Eveneincj j* NOT MANY PLEAS . CF GUILTY ENTERED *1 mii ? .3 I -i *> Court Room Crowded During Most oi tlie Time of Court. " ] ? The court of General Sessions lasted from Monday morning of last week until late in the afternoon of last Thursday. There seemed to be more than the usual number of cases on the dockets to be tried. The court took these up vigorously on Monday afternoon and took no rest except the regular adjournments until the court was closed Friday evening. The court room was filled with spectators during the greater part of the time. Usually there are many pieas of guilty entered. This class of i pleas were few and far between this , time. The defendants in most cases ' hired laywers and fought their cases t out to the bitter end. Following is a list of the cases disposed of not men; tioned in last week's issue of this paper: In the case of The State vs. Odell Stroud, Hob Stroud and J. H. Stroud, , charged with riot and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, at the close of the State's side the solicitor withdrew all the charges as to John H. Stroud, and the charge of riot as to Odell and Hob Stroud. The deI fense then agreed to plead guilty to a simple assault and battery. This was accepted by the State and the case ended. Odell and Bob Stroud each paid the fine imposed by the court. The State vs. E. K. Richardson for disposing of property under lien was settled and the indictment dismissed. The State vs. Henry Anderson on a charge of asault and battery with intent to kill, was tried on Wednesday morning. The defendant found guilty of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. He was sentenced to 5 months or a fine of $150.00. The State vs. Everett Watson was dismissed. Joe Adams failed to appear to answer a charge of assault and battery with intent to kill. The State vs. Daggett Tompkins for bigamy was dismissed. The State vs. Alex Mc Daniels charged with rape was dismissed. The State vs. P. P. Tyler for disposing of property under lien, was dismissed The State vs. J. W. Dawsey and W. W. Dawsey was no'\ prossed The State vs N. Mosely for disposing of property under lien was continued. The State vs. S. P. Alford was noli prossed. The State vs J. W Sasser for assault and battery was dismissed and papers filed The State vs. C. N. Causey for obstructing landing or public road was continued until the next term of the court. The State vs. N. A. Roberts charging a misbranding of stock was tried on Friday morning and the defendant cleared. The State vs. J. H. Johnson, charged with larceny, of a pistol at Aynor from the home of J. S. Cullipher, was tried and the jury rendered a verdict of not guilty. In the case of the State vs. Boyd Lupo, the State accepted a plea of guilty of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and was fined in the sum of $50.00 which the de fondant paid. The case of the State vs. H- W? Lewis was continued. The case of most interest wm that of Thomas W. Livingstone who was found guilty of seduction and swAtfcnced to a term of three years. This case took up practically all of Thursday, many witnesses having been drammed on each side. f.