The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, February 15, 1923, Image 1
*
VOLUME XXXvn
rn\TU/ a v orrnDV
vun ?tni oiuivi
BACK IN 1864
The Leading Men and Where
They Lived Their
Lives
WOMEN RAIDERS IN WAR
Facts Written in Three Chapters
as Told by One Who
Remembers
/.VAVAWAV/A'.W/AVAV
_ _ % I
% Here is a story of Conway,
which begins in the spring of ij
J 1864, and ends in the following J.
year when the Civil War ended. !
The facts stated inx it are giv- [[
I en to the*writer by G. J. Watts, ]]
J" who came to Conway as a boy
ma in the spring of 1864, with his
I father, Everette Watts, the latter
having been appointed to jl
J the position of jailer of the !
county. The family occupied **
J the old jail which was located
J. in the exact spot where the
Grace Hotel now stands. J?
AV.V.VAVW.'.VVMV.V/.V
CHAPTER III
How Dennis Todd Was Sentenced
and Shot
Following the incident which was
recorded in our last issue in the closing
years of the Civil War, the Yankees
came and took Conway.
mere was not mucn population to
fear them, but wh/it there was pot
scared pood and plenty. Many, of
them fled and pot out of sight as the
Yankee soldiers came in and took possession
of the court house and jail,
and all such things as they happened
to fancy.
Some of the officers and those who
were loitering around the public
square hid in the thick gall berry and
sweet gum bushes which grew as
thick as the hairs on- the head between
the court house and the jail on the
spot where the Peoples Filling Station
and the Conway Building Company
now have brick buildings.
All of the negroes were scared to
death and it was some time before
they coujd be revived and made to
understand that what the Yankees
wanted just then was to get work out
of them. The purpose of the Yankees
was to free them, but the negroes
were too ignorant to understand that.
The soldiers took possession of the
old wooden store that stood on the
Mayor corner, now occupied by the
brick stores of the Conway Trading
Company; also the Buck & Beaty
store that *tood on the corner where
F. C. Todd now conducts a large mercantile
business in a two-story brick
building; also thev took possession of
an old building which stood where the
Todd hotel and bar room was later on
built out of loner leaf pine and which
was standing" there until a few years
ago when this was torn down to make
room for the building* which is now
occupied by the Farm Implement
Comnany.
These were the quarters of the soldiers
during the period of wdeks that
they occupied Conway. There was
not many of them as the size of the
quarters would indicate.
It had been hard times in Conwaysorough,
and all over Horry County,
a/5 to that matter, but times immediately
got much harder in the town
than they had been before the soldiers
lame. They took possession of every
pig, every chicken, every cow and
steer or heifer that could be found
;o make food for their cook pots.
Those who had these things had to
Brive them up as well as supplies of
!orn. fodder, rice, sweet potatoes and
iried beef and bacon. It took much
;o feed the soldiers while they stayed,
and they did not stay an ylonger than
was about necessary to wipe out all
* - " - ? ? ? : m J
he food supplies tnat couia De iounu
nside the place and for many miles
n the surrounding country. This was
lot very long before the close of the
Divil War when the men could return
;o their homes and take up life once
nore in the fields and in the sticks.
The men who went from Horry
bounty to fight the battles of the lost
sause were as brave as Horry men
tave always been. They were schoolid
in the standing of the hard knocks
>efore they went to the war. During
He war there was nothing but priva;ion
for them. When they returned
;hey came home to face a terrible
:ondition of affairs. Before they left
t had been bad enough, and when
hey returned they found it worse
ban it had been before. Their little
lelds were full of bushes and briars
n many places. The women and
:hildren and the old men had done
vbst 'bey could to raise crops while
be v w went on, but they had not a
rinule of time to spend on making
mprovements or keeping up repairs.
It was to a condition like this that
he Confederate soldier, Dennis Todd,
ixpected to return. He had fought
hrough the Civil War as a brave and
aithful follow.er of the cause, and be
iras on his way back home where he
iad been doing duty along: the const
f eastern North and South Carolina.
le was v?rn out bodily and mentally,
ind was foot-sore from the lonp:
ramp after the surrender and he was
(Continued On Back Page.)
i t
V
JThf
HORRYITE DIES
SlIMTER LOSES
John Saye Buck Passes Away
Very Suddenly. Leader
in Business
Sumter, Feb. 10.?Special ?John
saye jbuck, a wen-Known ana nigniy
esteemed, as well as one of the most
active business men in Sumter, died
early this morning at the Tuomey
Hospital, where he was taken two
days ago for treatment. He was forty-seven
years of age and is survived
by his widow, who previous to her
marriage was Miss I^eila Beatty, of
Conway, and five children, Edward, a
student at Clemson College; Gene, a
girl in the Sumter High School, and
three smaller sons, John, Jr., Alex
and Archer.
Mr. Buck came to Sumter from
Conway about fifteen years ago and
has been engaged most of his time in
Sumter in the bottling of soft drinks,
first with the Coca Cola Bottling Company
and for the past five years as
manager of the Chero Cola Bottling
Company. He took an active interest
in all community matters and was
always a strong advocate of progressive
steps for Sumter. His last work
was in connection with the reorganization
of a board of trade last Tuesday
night. He was appointed chairman
of the steering committee and
worked hard to make the meeting of.
Sumter's business men a success. He
was taken ill the night after the meeting,
but was up the next day. Thurs
day morning: he was again taken ill
and became unconscious, never regaining
consciousness before his
death.
The deceased was a past master of
Claremont Lodge No. 84, A. F. M.,
and was at his death a senior warden
of the past masters' club of Masons.
He was a member of the Rotary Club
and took an active part in the Young
Men's Business League. He was an
elder in the Presbyterian church, but
not an active one in the Sumter
church during his residence in Sumter.
The funeral services will be held
Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock from
the late residence on West Calhoun
street and will be conducted by
Claremont Lodge of Masons. Interment
will be at the Sumter cemetery.
DUNCAN LETTER
SENT FORWARD
Another and Similiar Missive
in Hands of The
Agents
GUNS TAKEN FROM MEN
Trouble Brewing About Grassy
Bay School Children
Moving Away
The Herald has made an investigation
so far as the paper was able
to ascertain further facts in connection
with the shooting of D. A. Duncan
in the Green Sea section of Horry
County recently. The story of this
nii4i?irra n mm <l roil in tVlA issiip nf TllP
Herald last week wherein it was stated
that as Mr. Duncan was passing
Grassy Bay church, men who were
concealed in the shadow of the building,
fired several loads of shot into
his buggy, missing him, as it happen^
ed, hut filling the buggy full of shot
and hitting the mule in several places.
The Herald could not obtain the
original letter written to Duncan, and
which he received some time before
he was shot at. A few weeks ago he
received a letter which was sigrtfed
with three capital Ks, and which had
been mailed at Marion, S. C., and addressed
to D. A. Duncan; and the substance
of the letter was that he must
open a road leading from M. C. Blackwell's
house to the public road and
must treat his neighbors with kindness
and move out of the neighbor
hood in a short time, or the writers
would "pet him."
Duncan kept the letter a few days
and investigated and then turned this
letter over to the authorities.
It is said that another man in the
community at about the same time rereived
a letter which was apparently
in the same handwriting as the Duncan
letter and apparently written with
the same pen and ink and the same
kind of envelope was used. It is said
that this other letter was also turned
over to the United States Department
of Justice and probably also reported
to the Post Office Department.
The Herald was not able to obtain
the name of this other man who got
a letter, but it is stated that shortly
.?ifter he prot this letter the children
n hopftmn sn fvnpl
at VII t' k'Viiw, /- ? ?W.
in their treatment to this man's children
that he wrote the teachers a
note in which he stated that if things
were not improved he would have to
stop his children from the school.
He undertook to pet his children
in at the Green Sea school but the
patrons of the Grassy Bay school objected
to this as it would cause the
Grassy Bay school to lose credit with
the school department. It is said that
further trouble, is brewing over the
school matter and there is no telling
where it may end.
Olin Blanton, who is a deputy, Wil
Sir**
OONWAYTS. 0., THURSDAY
|| DID NOT WRI1
o
!t Jn our last issue appearc
of a threatening letter rec
barring him from free spee
< 22nd, when it had been ai
o ciety would debate on the
!t Klan; there was also some
JI letter received by another c
It would appear that th<
* ing and mailing of these
X charged by people of the <
J sides in the affair.
!The Herald has receive
young men of that section
emphatically denies certai
originated the letter or let
y_^ a it. _
in oraer to give me sam
< the paper gave to the nev*
J t is here printed in full:
<
4 *
!! Editor Herald:
o Please publish the follov
Inasmuch as certain pa
Jt me with the sending out o
have been sent by the K.
< did not know a thing about
o informed by others. Any ]
o a falsifier and a slanderer
limit if I can ascertain h
< any knowledge about a Klj
o community and I know lit
o heard there was such, but
][ nothing about it. I hold
] any such organization is n
munity and if there is sucl
o who have nothing more to
participation in any acts
< community would do well
< I certainly am not going t
X to occur.
o
o
<
<
COLLINS IS
BELL TRUSTEE
Will Take Inventory at Early
Date of The
Estate
The first meeting of creditors of A.
Bell took place in Florence, S. C., on
last Friday.
The creditors present failed to
nominate any competent man for the
position of trustee and the referee,
under the Federal law, appointed A.
T. Collins, of the A. T. Collins Co., as
trustee for the bankrupt estate.
A number of claims were filed. All
of those filed claims listed in the
schedules of the bankrupt and there
was no contest developed as to any of
these.
In a short time the trustee will take
an inventory of the stock of poods of
Bell and will list the accounts and
bills receivable.
As soon as the inventory can be
taken and the estate appraised by
sworn appraisers, appointed under the
l\nnlfriint/?u law thp tnisfpp will Jinnlv
v' i' ?T " " ' ? ~ ^rrv
to the referee for an order of s(ile of
the merchandise. He will undertake
to collect the many accounts due to
the store, and the estate will be wound
up as soon as the necessary action can
be taken.
Mr. Bell has been engaged in the
mercantile business at Bayboro for
.about twenty years. During that time
he has served that section of the county
and made many friends among
numerous customers. The people
were sorry to see his store closed.
Two bad crop years, coming in successsion,
according to Mr. Bell, has
caused him to have to fail because he
could not make collections from those
who owes him.
He is postmaster at Bayboro and
is still keeping the postoflfice open.
Aside from the book accounts and the
like, the estate consists mainly of the
stock of goods listed in the schedules
at tw* thousand dollars. Some of it
consists of salable goods while some
of it is patent medicines and th? shop
worn accumulations of a business extending
over about twenty years.
lfu T? ~ 11
Tor many years mr. neii tunuucicu
his busisness in store which stands
close to his residence. Later on he
purchased the store of the Burroughs
& Collins Company, when that firm
decided to quit the mercantile business
at that place and ever since then
the business has been carried on in
the old Burroughs & Collins Company's
store.
Tie Ayers and J. J. King, rural policeman,
and also Fred Floyd, magistrate,
have searched for guns which would
show the source of the shells found
on the ground and would answer the
description of the holes torn in the
buggy, which appeared to be made by
one twelve gauge and one sixteen
gauge.
These officers have found where the
shells were purchased just a few days
before the shooting and they have
taken the guns which they fully believe
fired the shots. The guns have
been taken from Monroe Hill and
Maybury Hill.
. i
I w?
\ FEBRUARY 15, 1923
'E THE LETTER it
o
>d an account of the receipt <
eived by Rufus M. Jenrette o
sch on the night of February J[
rranged that the literary soi
question of the Ku Klux <>
mention made of a similar <
me of the debaters. o
e responsibility for the writletters
has been variously
community who have taken <
<
d a letter from one of the
i of the county in which he J J
n reports about his having <
ters.
e publicity to this letter that o
rs item mentioned, the letter
o
Adrian, S. C., <
Feb. 9, 1923 31
< *
ring: U
rties have tried to connect <
f recent notices purported to <
K. K. I desire to say that I <
; these notices until I was so o
person telling that I did so is
and will be prosecuted to the
is identity. Neither have I <
an being in existence in this *
as well as any one. I have t
of my own knowledge I know
no briefs for the K. K. K.?
ot to joe desired in this com- ?
i I kriow nothing of it. Those 1
do than to accuse me of any
recently committed in this
to be in position to prove it. 2
o sit quietly by and allow it I
*
J. R. KING |
4>
SECOND LETTER
SENT DEBATOR
Another Man on Negative
Gets Threat of Dire
Mature
As a further step in the blocking of
the debate that was set to be heard at
Maple school on the night of February
22nd, another of the debators on
the side of the negative, according to
reports has received a letter similar
in all respects to the one which was
mailed to Rufus M. Jenrette, and
which appeared in the last issue of
this paper.
The second man assigned to the negative
of the proposition as to whether
the Ku Klux Klan has been a benefit
to the United States, to receive one
of the threatening letters was Wilbur
Jones. In his letter he was notified
that the eyes of the "Invisible Empire"
are on him and that he must be
careful about what he would say on
February 22nd, in the course of the
debate and in substance, that the way
of the transgressor is death.
Nothing that has happened in that
peaceful community in a long time
has so stirred the thinking people of
a community. Many different opin
ions have been expressed as to whether
the letters came from members of
the Klan, or at their instigation, or
whether the letters were sent by persons
interested in winning the contest
for the affirmative of the proposition.
One thing in this country that is
highly prized by the people is the
liberty of the press and of speech.
People of widely differing views on
religion or other subjects feel and
know that in this country they have
a right to express their views..
Why should not the young men of
a literary society feel perfectly free
and welcome to discuss either the
good or the evil that the order might
do? This is the question that the people
concerned in the debating society
might well ask at this time.
At last accounts it was stated that
it 1 *11 - /> 1.1
tne aumorsnip ana mailing or vnese
letters had been pretty closely traced
and that circumstances pointed directly
at one of the debaters on the affirmative
side of the query. It was
also hinted that legal steps might be
taken at the proper time to find out
if there is not a Federal law which
has been violated. The United States
mails cannot be used to convey obscene,
vulgar and threatening messages
such as these were in the opinion
of those who are interested in the
occurrence; and it would appear from
this that the writer and mailer of
the letters may have to answer in
the courts for a violation of the postal
regulations.
In the meantime, it seems to be uncertain
that the society will use the
subject they selected, but may change
the subject.
o
Supt. E. C. Allen, accompanied by
i Miss Wil Lou Gray, had difficulty in
> making some of the appointments in
the organization of the adult schools
' last week while the weather was so
I cold and wet but they persevered and
met them the best that they could.
raid.
COLORED BOY
HITS A WHITE
Incident Causes Unfounded
Rumor of Race Trouble
in Town
Rumors of a serious trouble between
the races, living: in that section
of Conway which borders on the Race
Path, reached citizens of the lower
part of the town last Friday.
There were several stories of residents
being out with loaded guns and
that it was only the interposition of
the officers of the law that prevented
a riot.
Investigation by the chief of police
showed that the reports had been exaggerated;
but there had been some
trouble which might have led to a
more serious consequence if it had
not l>een for cooler heads.
A son of Jim Davis, colored, had
struck the young son of Charles Bruton,
white, over the head with a stick.
The white boy was painfully hurt, but
not seriously. The injury appeared
to be worse than it really was and his
father was highly incensed when he
realized the injury had been inflicted
by the colored boy.
Bruton came down the streets with
his gun on his shoulder, but he had
taken it for purposes of protection in
case of need if the trouble between
the boys should be renewed. He placed
the matter in the hands of the town
police.
The officers investigated and made
the arrest and on Saturday morning
the negro boy was tried in the municipal
court for assault and battery.
He was found guilty by the mayor
and was fined in the sum of ten dollars.
The trouble between the boys arose
over some matter of a trifling nature,
coming up in the course of innocent
pastime, as children will do. The incident
took place in a section of the
town where the blacks greatly outnumber
the white residents. It is in
the section of Conway where on both
sides of the long narrow street which
has b*en called the race path for all
these years, the homes of the people
extend for about half a mile.
The trial of the case against the
negro attracted a large crowd at the
town hall on Saturday morning. Contrary
to the reports which had gained
currency through the town on Friday
niirbt. there did not appear to he any
ill feeling about the matter further
than a desire to see justice done
through the city court.
All sides seemed to be satisfied
with the outcome.
ALLENDALE MAN
DIES TUESDAY
POPULAR MEMBER OF CITIZEN
OFFICE FORCE DIES OF PNEUMONIA
ATTACK
Thomas Daggett Ogilvie, for the
past three years in charge of the
mechanical force of The Hampton
Guardian, and The Allendale County
Citizen, published in Allendale, passed
away at his home here last Tuesday
noon, after an illness of only
few days. He was taken about ten
xlays with an attack of influenza
which developed into pneumonia from
which he succumbed. His death came
as a. surprise even to those closely associated
with him. His wife and
children and his mother, Mrs. M. E.
Ogilvie, of Chattanooga, Tenn., were
at his bedside at the time of his death.
Mr. Ogilvie came to this town in
1920 to take charge of the printing
department of the publishing Concern
that puts out The Citizen and Guardian.
Previous to that time he was
connected with The Guardian at
Hampton, coming to that office from
Lake City, where he operated a job
printing establishment. Since coming
to Allendale he has made a host
of friends by his friendly manner and
his earnest and careful attention to
his work. He was considered a valuable
man by his employer, having had
charge of the printing department
where he discharged his duties with
courtesy to all with whom he came in
contact. He was of a rather retiring
nature and was not so well known
among the citizenship of the town but
with all who knew him he bore a
splendid reputation for energetic application
to duty. He was a member
of the Presbyterian church.
Mr. Ogilvie was a native of Conway,
Horry county, of this state, and
was the son of the late Mr. James W.
Oirilvio. who was well-known in tho
newspaper life of this state. He was
married in 1013 to Miss Anna Marlow,
of Conway, who survives him.
Besides his widow Mr. Ogilvie leaves
four small children: Thomas Da^trett,
Jr., Elizabeth, Marion Gray, and
James Wiley; his mother, Mrs. M. E.
Otrilvie; three sisters, Mrs. Harry
Foote. of Newhem, N. C., Mrs. W. E.
McCord, of Greenwood, S. C., and
Mrs. Alec Bowie, of Chattanooga,
Tenn., and one brother, Mr. Mayo
Otfilvie, who is connected with the
Columbia Record of Columbia.
The remains of Mr. Ogilvie was removed
to his old home at Conway and
the interment will be held in the family
burin*? ground at that place.?Allendale
County Citizen.
NO. 43
HOLDEN TOLD
TO MOVE OFF
Receives Threatening . Letter
Signed by The
K. K. K.
REPORTS IT TO SHERIFF
Has Had Minor Troubles With
One or Two About
Hunting
S. H. Holden, a tenant on the farm
of Henry Buck, known as the W. J.
Singleton Bay Farm Place, in Socastee
township, came to Conway last
week and exhibited to the .sheriff a
letter which he had received through
the United States mail, crudely lettered
in capitals, and which in substance
gave him twenty days to move
away and out of the County.
The letter was as follows, as nearly
as The Herald can imitate the same
with such type as it happens to have
in the shop:
2, 5. 1 9 23
SAM. HoLDEN.
WE THE UNDER SlNED.
GiVEs You TwENTY
DAYS AND NO MORE. To
be moved out of
Horry CounTY.
K. K. K.
Holden applied to the sheriff for
such aid and assistance in this matter
as the sheriff's office might be able to
render him. This letter was left iti
the sheriff's hands and it was understood
that the sheriff went to Socastee
on the following day to interview
the only persons with whom Sam
Holden has Had any difficulty since
the latter moved from Marion County
to the Henry Buck farm, three or
four years ago. Just what the sheriff
said to the parties involved and
just what they said to the sheriff
cannot be covered in this article and
may not^ever be, unless facts can be
obtained later At the sheriff's office.
It is stated that in December,
1022, according to statements made by
Holden, he caught George Brown and
Ralph Watts hunting on the land of
Henry Buck; that he, Holden, had
been charged with keeping trespassers
off the place, this being the strict
orders of his landlord. He^ warned
rsrown and watts, and with Brown he
had some words which were hot and
an pry, Brown cursing back at Holden
for some time, it is said. On the afternoon
of that same day Holden met
Brown on the road above the Cooper
store and was stopped by Brown. Holrlen
was driving a wagon. Brown asked
Holden if he remembered what he
bad said to him that morning, and
what he, Brown, had said back to
him, and when Holden told him that
he remembered these things Brown
answered back and said, "You put
that in your pipe and smoke it, the
words I said to you, and I will get
you, Holden," or words to that effect.
This conversation on the public road
was heard, it was, .said, by Doc McLin,
Ed Smith and a negro.
This incident is interesting in connection
with the further statement
that in September before that Holden
saw the Watts boys and George
Brown hunting on this same land and
they had killed a deer. Holden remonstrated
with them about it at
that time and told them to be certain
not to do that any more. A little
later Holden and a son of W. J.
Singleton were both reported for killing
this same deer to the game warden,
W. S. McCaskill. Holden and
Singleton stood the trial before Magistrate
Chestnut, in the course of
which Atis Brown, a brother of
George Brown, told on the stand that
he killed tbe deer himself and that
the deer had been divided by him
with another. The jury found a verdict
of not guilty.
Aside from these things which are
mentioned as showing the possible
difficulties out of which this present
trouble may have sprung, Holden stated
to the sheriff that he has had no
trouble with anybody of any other
kind except with Wyatt Watts about
some fertilizers, Holden saying thatNVatts
had come to his place after he
had sent him Half a bag of fertilizer
and angry words took place.
The note which is above described,
together with the envelope in which
M.J -1- *Um t HI-I vlro
It was IlUUlfU, MUJWSS uy pwunaina
that it was mailed in Conway on February
5th. It was delivered to Hoiden
on the R. F. P. No. 1, Myrtle
Beach route, at his home, on February
6th. Holden lost no time, but
came to the sheriff's office and reported
the facts on February 7th. Holden
claims that he has never been
in any trouble in the law except as
above stated, from which he was
cleared, and he stoutly maintains he
had been reported for killing the deer
(Continued on Editorial Page.)