The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, June 14, 1923, Image 1
-/J
I
VOLUME XXXvn
i JBOYS ARRESTED
ON MISCONDUCT
Seven of Them Attack Henry
Smith on Sunday
4 Night
AR ELBETHEL CHURCH
The Incident at Prescott Home
in 1921 is Recalled
Officers of the law have probably
broken up a lot of disorderly conduct
and breaches of the peace occurring
quite frequently in the neighborhood
of the Elbethel Methodist church,
C A?\n A W* I 1/\<1 r? r ^ A.V*
nviuc lllll^n UUt U1 VUllWtty UII II1U L/U^
Bluff road.
Complaints had been coming in for
some time that men who had no regard
for the law and order would disturb
the religious meetings and commit
various acts of disorder along the
public road and in places near the
church and in the sight and hearing
of the homes of citizens.
H. N. Sessions, a sheriff's deputy,
and V. D. Johnson, member of the
Horry County rural police, were detailed
to watch in that community on
tJ?i? night of Sunday, June 3rd. They
KO* results. They had to wait patiently
for what they got and the disorder
that they found and stopped dfd not
occur at the church, though not far
away from that spot.
The officers hid near the church and
waited. Nothing occurred near the
church, but later on in the night Henry
Smith found the officers and reported
to them that some distance
a^ong the road he had been waylaid
*^%.l?y ?even young men and boys, who
h;>d attacked him without provocation.
They had thrown sticks and clods of
clay at him and while he was not
seriously injured, yet he had received
painful bruises and had escaped with
difficulty a beating which the crowd
evidently had intended to inflict upon
^Kini.
The officers broke up the racket in
short order when they appeared on
the scene which was fifty or sixty
yards down the road from Elbethel
church.
Seven young boys were found to be
implicated in the disorderly conduct
and assault and battery. There appeared
to be no iust excuse for the
11 r i i i n 1
violation 01 me laws or peace and
good order. They were all placed
under notice to appear for trial on
last Monday.
This is not the first time that disorder
has taken place on the roads
ledp-g? out of the town. It was year
hem last that boys began to tease
the ramily of Charley Prescott who
lives on the Waller short cut road in
a -/arming community near Conway.
Several of the boys lay at Prescott's
gate that night and hurled sticks of
wood at the house. One unfortunate
young fellow who started in to tease
and injure the old man at close range
received a load of buckshot when he
was about half way from the bars
to the front porch, and from the effects
of this shot he died in the Florence
hospital a few days afterwards.
Prescott was tried for his life as a
| result of this unfortunate affair **nd
was accuitted by a jury on account of
tlm f?ir?t thnf nlH mnn w.q.-j notintr
in defense of his home when the act
was done.
This is mentioned as a warning to
other boys who have failed to listen
to the advice of older heads and conduct
themselves in lawful ways. Such
conduct as this on the public highways
must be looked after and the
parties held to account for acts of
disorder.
HORRY MAN
.SELLS PLANTS
D. T.<Holt arrived in Conway recently
to spend several days here on
account of the illness of his aunt, the
widow of the late Russel Hardee.
He is a native Horryite, but now
lives at Wateree, S. C., where he moved
a number of years ago, and is doing
extremely well in farming.
He has been interested in sweet potatoes
and is a stockholder and officer
in the sweet potato association of
his community. He has had more
than usual success in raising and
handling this crop, and has bred genuine
Porto Rico potatoes during the
last several years and offered sprouts
for sale to the farmers in a wide territory
of the State where sweet potatoes
are raised. He has had conci\W,ihle
business in shinning the po
tato f'nnts by express and his busiH
ness is constantly increasing*
B' ; ^ We hear much being said 5
o these days about the importance
H < of juries doing their duty in the T
J[ administration of the criminal *
HL^.. laws. We think that much t
^D^.niore depends upon the judges 2
hough we hear very little
^^^H aid about that. It also depends ?
^^Buon lawyers. +
Qlh e
H. E. BLANTON
WITH TOBACCO
Tells His Experience Running
Back For Past Several
, Years
J J Here Mr. H. E. Blanton writes <
o in a very interesting way of his o
experience in raising and sell- <
< ing tobacco for several years 0
4> past. His experience may bene- <
o fit others and give them ideas
][ they never had before in han- o
o dling their own crops. The ^
Horry Herald wishes to en- o
o courage the growers of tooac<
co and other crops to write o
0 about what they have done for
< publication, chus maki-ig the o
* paper a medium for the ex- o
o change of experience and ideas ][
for better success in farming, n
? Who will be next to send the x
^ pa^er a nice article??Ed. ^
Editor Herald:
Please allow me space in your paper
for a few lines in regard to my
expedience in growing and marketing
tobacco since 1919.
In 1920 I made my plant bed on
the side of a ditch. I raised enough
plants to set seven rows. I got
enough plants from my neighbors to
plant balance of two acres. The
seven rows of tobacco took the rot or
wildfire, the balanoe was good tobacco.
This crop of two acres, sold at
auction for $914 or $457 per acre.
In 1921 I raised plenty of plants
on the side of the same ditch. I set
the same two acres from my own
bed. Finally this tobacco took the rot
or wildfire. This entire crop sold
at auction for $78.00, or $39 per acre.
On December 31st, 1921, I decided
that I could not make matters any
worse for it had been taking me about
3 days to sell a load at these figures.
I did not raise many cantaloupes and
the buyers seemed to be hurrying to
the piles where there were fine cantaloupes
or other melons, to be given
to~the highest bidder. I got one pile
of tobacco that was taken up and
carried home and thrown in the fodder
loft. Therefore, I signed a contract
with the Co-ops.
In 1922 I raised plants on the same
tobacco bed and set from this bed the
same land with one acre added. This
tobacco had the rot or wild fire fully
as had as in 1921. On these 3 acres
1 have received up to date $252, or
$84 per acre and more to come yet.
It seems that 1922 was not as good
a year for cantaloupes and other
melons as the years 1920 and 1921.
In place of the cantaloupes it seems
the words "other half in the coop,"
was the battle cry. After I had been
delivering a short time I thought of
this pile in the loft of the 1921 crop,
so I had a part of it tied up but not
graded. I have received up to date
on this lot 280 times the amount it
was worth in 1921 at auction.
H. E. BLANTON,
June 7, 1923.
PROOFSHORT
IN PAGE CASE
At The Place Only Eight
Days When Still Was
Found
JURY RECOMMENDS MERCY
Claims to Have Found Still
on The Place The Day
Before
The proof against Luther Page for
whiskey stilling last week was like
the liquor that this still may have
made?rather low. ..
Luther Page, handsome young
farmer of this county, was tried in
the Court of General Sessions last
week for violating the prohibition
laws.
H. N. Sessions testified. This witness
went to Page's house on May
3rd, with L.. C. Best. The still was
found in a bay. There were two barrels
of mash. The ,still had been operated.
He hid and they stayed thnre
two or three hours and heard someone
whistle. Luther Page came to the
still with a pistol in his hand. When
IPage got close up to the still he arrested
him and took the pistol a'.vay.
Page said that he had been vatching
the place to see who had been operating
it. He disclaimed any knowledge
of the still as to ownership. There
was a sack with some jugs in it. Tnis
was about one-fourth of a mile from
the house where Page lived. He made
the arrest, he said, at the still. The
barrels with the mash were close to
the still. The mash looked like it
was ready to run. Page claimed he
had been in that community two or
three weeks. It was after twelve
o'clock when the arrest was made.
The pistol in Page's hand was loaded,
and he had another pistol in his
coat pocket.
L. B. Best then testified. He said
he was with H. N. Sessions. Witness
is a constable. On May 2nd, witness
located this still and reported to the
(CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT)
Wjwvt
1 ?
CONWAY, S. 0., THURSDAY,
| AS MUCH OR LIT
J \ Looking upon the world
!t which men and women go
o pears that there are two c
o On the one hand we fin<
o gather all they can. Then
o selves on what they will dc
of getting in all the hone
< while Spring and Summer
< tinue to bloom.
< On the other hand we h
][ the ones who gather no n
stead of as much as possib
\\ as possible.
Jt On the one hand is serv
It mum of accomplishment w
o indolence, and instead of be
It workers often have them tc
nAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
SOME GUILTY !
P</ATt "n A fk-n * T/^nr*l
SUIVlHi AKHi INUT
Court Disposes of Many Cases
of Misdemeanor in
Week
MANY ARE GUILTY PLEAS
Furney Ward Tried on One of
Many Charges Pending
The State vs. Aleck Bellamy, charged
with housebreaking and larceny,
was called up on Wednesday morning
and he pleaded guilty to ihe
charge. He was sentenced to three
years at hard labor.
Ernest Farewell and another negro
were tried for hitting Laura Bradley
with an axe. The prosecutor was a
negro. The prosecution said the defendants
were drunk. They took an
axe away from her and struck her
over the head with this weapon. At
this point the defendants agreed to
plead guilty and the case ended.
The grand jury found no bill in the
case against M. L. Gilmore, charged
lin'fl. oor,,...U ] _1_- * il
wivii ci.i.iaua <11111 umieryj uiso ill me
case against A. W. Jenkins and
others.
Nancy Allen was sentenced to three
months or a fine of one hundred dollars,
all suspended on good behavior.
She had pleaded guilty to violation of
the prohibition law.
Shell Williams entered a plea of
guilty to manufacturing whiskey and
was sentenced to pay a fine of $200,
or serve a term of six months. All
of this was suspended on payment of
$100. This fine was paid and the
rest of the sentence stayed. James
Williams also indicted with the other,
was dismissed on account of his age,
being a young son of the older defendant.
Shell Williams and Nancy
Allen had pleaded guilty to the same
charge.
The State vs. Vidella Grainger for
assault and battery was tried. The
case resulted from a fuss at a tobacco
barn. Threats were made. The
defendant struck Delphia Graham
twice with her fist. The other did
not hit back. The defendant was not
at court, having fled to North Carolina,
according to stories told at the
court house. The defendant was
fined guilty of simple assault and
battery and a sealed sentence imposed.
W. O. Hardee pleaded guilty to
having in his possession whiskey $nd
was sentenced to $300 or at hard labor
for six months, suspended on payment
of the sum of $?0
Mirk Faircloth pleaded guilty to
violation of the liquor law. He was
sentenced to a fine of $.300, or six
months on the road, suspended on
payment of the sum of $150.
Ernest Farwell and Henry Ferwell
pleaded guilty to assault and battery
and were sentenced to $300 each,
or six months at hard labor, suspended
upon the payment of $100 each.
Furney Ward was sentenced to six
months; Mary Baker was sentenced
to hard labor for six months, but suspended
as to her pending good behavior.
Corbit Fowler pleaded guilty to assault
and battery of a high and aggravated
nature and was sentenced to
$150 or three months, suspended on
payment of the sum of $75.
J. W. Vereen, colored, was tried for
disposing of a bale of cotton under
lien that he gave to R. L. Bell.
The prosecutor testified that the
negro produced five bales and delivered
to him only three. He had a
mortgage on the cotton and he let
the negro have groceries and fertilizers
to the amount as shown on
his books.
O. J. Bell testified that he heard
the old negro say he would ship this
one bale to North Carolina.
The defendant swore he had no
transaction with R. L. Bell, except to
buy small articles at the store; that
he hauled one load of fertilizer for
his son; that he had a crop that
was separate from the crop of his
B
JUNE 14, 1923
TLE AS POSSIBLE |
~o <[
as a gigantic beehive from i
forth to gather honey, it ap- <
lasses of the bees. X
i k I
1 those who are striving to o
3 is no limit set by them- < }
> in carrying out the purpose o i
y that it is possible to get < 1
lasts and the flowers con- <> <
i> \
" f (
ave the drones and they are \\ \
lore than they have to. In- J[ 1
>le, with these, it is as little j
ice to others and the maxi- o ]
hile on the other is laziness, o 1
' 4
sing of service to others, the < ,
i feed. <> <
o
JIM GIBSON IS i
LET OFF LIGHT <
One of The Longest Trials
Before Court Last
Week
BLOODHOUND TESTIMONY 1
i <
Severe Sentence Suspended !
on Payment of Fifty
Dollars
Jim Gibson was tried here last week j
on a charge of assault and battery
with intent to kill L. B. Bailey on
September 28th, 1922. It was one of
the lengthist trials of the term.
L. B. Bailey testified he had been (
in Conway that day attending court
and got home that night about 9
o'clock that night and was ready to
go to bed when some person fired a
I shot trun at him throuirh n window.
hitting him in the side. He shot
through the window screen. He saw
no one. He went to Nichols and saw
a doctor. There was no signs in the
yard, he said. He then sent o<F and
got blood hounds. Then he saw one
track 42 feet from this window. There
was a loaded shell on the ground and
also one empty shell. There had not
been anybody there before the hounds
came as he had the place guarded all
the time after the shot. *
Witness stated that he went with
the dogs to Jim Gibson's home. He
was not there. His wife and children
were there. Gibson had been indicted
by Bailey before that. Witness
said he talked with Gibson, who said
it was his gun shells that did the
work. Gibson acknowledged that the
blood hounds were right. Gibson had
told witness that he knew who did the
shooting; that it was his gun and his
shells and the dogs had been right
when they went to his house as Robert
Grainger had been at his house
the night before and had left a gun
there. He said that his son, Allard
Gibson, had been bird hunting that
evening and that Robert Grainger had
carried the gun to his, Gibson's, house
that night.
He denied saying that he knew
Robert Grainger had shot him. If
Grainger had any malice against him
he did not know it.
He had measured the track near
the window and found it less than a
No. 10. That Grainger wore Number
10 shoes; that the track was not even
a Number 8. Officers took out the
warrant on Jim Gibson. On information
and at the instance of Jim Gibson
witness swore out a warrant for
Robert Grainger on information and
belief.
A warrant was shown the witness.
This was the warrant taken out for
Grainger and was not read at that
time.
R. M. Waters, of Raiford, N. C.,
said he had charge of the Cockman
blood hounds and these dogs were
sent down to Bailey's.
Young Uockman, son of the owner
of the dogs told about the dogs and
their hiitory.
V. D. Johnson testified about seeing
the place where tho shot went through
the window at Bailey's home. He was
there when the dogs came. The dogs,
three in number, were black and tan.
He saw the track where the dogs
took up the scent. The dogs had harness
on.
Vol Powell testified he was at Nichols
and he showed Cockman the way
to Bailey's and he held the dogs while
Cockman located the place of the
track. He saw a track there *^ot over
a seven or a seven and a half. Grainger
wore about a number ten. The
dogs, according to him, followed from
this track in the field out across a
field out at a set of bars, then along
one side of a road to about opposite
Mrs. Home's house; then the dogs
crossed to the opposite side of this
on. F. J. Vcroon, and this bale ho
had sold was out of his own separate
crop.
The defendant was found not guilty.
ft
cM.
0
FRANK SKIPPER |]
FOUND GUILTY
Was Tried For Cutting G. W. 1
Dix Some Months
Ago
Frank Skipper was tried for as- [
>ault and battery with intent to kill
upon G. W. Dix on December 17th, ,
L922. J
G. W. Dix testified that he was
staying* on a place in this county at
:hat time. The fuss took place about
some potatoes he left on the place as .
ie left word for Skipper's hops to be 1
Kept out or he would kill the hogs.
Skipper and Dix went together after
having some words about this. In
i\ few minutes Skipper had stabbed
Kim and ran. Dix went along the
road and caught up with Skipper and
kicked him. It appeared that Skipper
had invited Dix out and he
went. Dix was laid up for sixteen
iays with the wound he had received.
Birdie Dix, wife of the prosecutor.
then testified. She heard Skipper
out there cursing. Her husband
said Skipper had cut him. Dix
Tainted in his chair and she sent for
a neighbor. Skipper told Dix he had
got him and if he had not got him,
be would have gotten him, Skipper.
J)r. W. E. King testified. He was
jailed to attend the wounded nmn. He
was wounded in the left side, there
being a cut about two inches long,
rhere was a blood clot on the inside
as the knife went through the ribs
ind was very serious and dangerous,
rhe blood clot was absorbed in a few
days and he recovered. The doctor
stated that Dix said he received the
wound "all about fool," and did not
know which hit the first blow.
The defense had Willie Lawson
sworn. He told that Dix had said he
hit Skipper two or three times before
he was cut.
Frank Skipper, the defendant, testified
he was told Dix would kill his
hogs. He asked Dix what he was going
to kill his hogs for. As he walk- (
ed up he called for Dix. He said he
meant to kill the hogs if they got
in the pootates. Dix came on him. 1
He told how Dix knocked him. He
asked Dix to turn him aloose when
he got hold of him, and then got his
knife out and cut him. He claimed
he had not thought of getting mad
when he went to Dix's house. He <
said that he did not invite Dix out
to fight. i
The jury found Skipper guilty of ]
simple assault and battery. His sentence
was deferred until next day. 1
COURT CONVICTS
FURNEY WARD
Furaey Ward and Mary Baker,
notorious violators of the prohibition <
law, were brought before the court
last week charged with various
crimes.
This first case called was only one
out of a number of violations of the '
law charged against Furney Ward.
The others were expected to be called
the same day.
Martin Brock was sworn and said
that Mary Baker claimed to be an unmarried
woman, while Furney Ward ,
is a married man with a wife and
children. Numerous other witnesses
were called and sworn to prove the ,
details of the charge against the par- (
ties.
The defendants put up no testimony
and they were convicted by the
jury after a few minutes of con- '
sideration of the case.
Short arguments were made by the
solicitor for the State and by E. S.
C. Baker for the defense.
road; then along by the road on that
side through the yard into Jim Gibson's
house; then to a gun in a side
room and barked at the gun, then to
a bed and the dogs barked at the bed.
Gibson was not there because he was
in Conway to hear a sentence which
miu not yet uet-n passeu on nun.
Witness stated that Gibson told him
that the shooting was done with his,
Gibson's, gun, but that he didn't do
it. Gibson did not tell witness who
did do the shooting. Witness came
with Gibson to Conway about March
term of court and heard Gibson start
to make a threat while talking about
the case. Gibson's case was put ofT.
Gibson didn't finish what he had started
to say.
J. A. Lewis, sheriff, told about getting
word about the shooting. He
went to the place and the man with
the dogs was there and they located
the place of the track. The track
through the field went biasing across
some cotton rows. He went with the
dogs. The dogs went out to a tobacco
bam, halted a short moment then
went rapidly down the road to the
home of Gibson. Later Gibson was
put in jail by the deputy. The name
of Jim Gibson was not mentioned so
far as he could recall. The halt at
the tobacco barn was a pause which
may have been caused by the dogs
hesitating or the men held them up.
It was only about a minute that they
stopped.
Dusenbury Marlow testified he saw
Gibson and heard him make a threat
but he was challenged at this point
and was excused.
W. L. Bailev testified he heard Gib(CONTINUED
ON PAGE FIVE)
NO. 8
LEAVES LETTER
AT MAN'S GATE
i/Vould Revive The Idea of
Dead Line At Gurley
South Carolina
_AW PREPARES TO ACT
STegro Lives on His Own Land
and is Law Abiding
*
It seems almost ten years <
ago, probably less time, since
any evidence came to light in <
regard to any dead line regard- **
ing negroes in this county. The <
last incident of any violence <
* shown toward members of that
t race, we believe, was when some <
colored laborers, working in the ^
[ fields for Dorsey, near Gurley, o
were shot from ambush, some * *
* of them probably were painfully 0
injured, and the work which was <
hpinor piirritul nn !?? fV>/* ^
WW >? ) ? AVV4 VII All VUC IICIUD
was seriously interferred with. <
Officers of the law got after
violators and public sentiment
was so much against this unlaw- <
ful idea of a dead line, that for
all this time there was no men- o
tion of a dead line and it was ^
believed to have entirely run <
its course and become a thing: <
of the past. This incident which 0
is about to be related as a news <
item in this issue seems to be
I an outcropping of the same law- o
? less element that instigated the
T plan of a dead line in the Gur- o
ley and Sanford neighborhoods <
? about twenty or more years ago.
? The ofticers of the law and the <
? general public will combine to * *
I put an end to this latest mani- o
J festation.?Ed. ]
<
W. C. Skeeter, known locally as
'Skeeter," is a negro man about forty
years old, living at Gurley, S. C.,
with his wife and child, on a tract of
land of twenty-five acres, for which
he paid the sum of $2,500.00. He is
farming on this property.
A reliable white man was asked as
to the reputation of Skeeter. and he
says that he is a good negro, always
law-abiding, industrious, and attending
to his own affairs?a good example
to other members of his race.
Last week this negro brought to
SherifT James A. Lewis a threatening
letter which was found posted up at
the nogro's gate on the morning of
Fune 5th.
The Letter.
rv t i-i
u lj k
7-Day Notice
'Old Skeeter and all the other Nigors
that live Here.
We will say to you that you Had better
Straten uround gurley and move
away From thire at once or we will
move you We dont mean for you Nigors
to live inside of the ded line,
So you Nigors Can take Choice to
move or take what Follows and it will
be Nomber 2 Shot I guess they can
move you or git you to stay one So
we give you this week to Sell out and
Leave or we will move you all we
meen all the Nigirs uround here So
we are giving you a chance to Leave
Good Bve
D-L ine c.?b
members of ded line Club
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
This negro has been living on the
place he bought for the last three
years. During that time if he has
been of any trouble or annoyance to
anybody this has not come to light.
He is not accused of any crime now,
nor has he been accused of any crime
in the past.
On the back of the letter, which was
not enclosed in any envelope, was
written in one corner, the words: "A
Coffin for you or a shot negro. D. L.
C." In another comer were the
words: "A Coffin for someone to put
you negroes in. D. L. C."
The officers of the Jaw will take
steps to find out who posted this let- /
ter at the negro's gate. By this time
the matter may be in the hands of
the Governor. Already two parties
living in the Gurlev community are
under suspicion. Tt appears that the
negro has a number of friends among
the whites. They will not hesitate to
see that he is protected.
Why sensible men would resort to
such means as this to help bring
shame and disgrace to their communitv
is more than the law-abiding ele
ment can understand. Those who try
to enforce such a thin*? as the dead
(CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT)
< The largest tobacco does not <
|[ always bring the highest price, J J
1 just as the loudest mouthed man o
jj does not make the impression J J
i that he thought he would on his < >
< hearers. Moral: Do not go too <
J[ much by outside appearances, J J
t> but go further into the sub- o
j* stance of things not seen.
?