Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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1 THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF BAUNWELL COUNTY ^g| * - -a lidated Jane I t W25. The Barnwell People-Sentinel VOLUME LIIL ’Just Like a Member of the Family'’ BARNWELL, SOUTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 6, 1930. NUMBER 22. ARREST NEGROES IN COHON THEFT BARNWELL OFFICERS SEIZE 4 ~ % IN AIKEN CASE. Accused Men Make Confession and Implicate A. J. Bennett, Former Mayor of City. Sheriff B. H. Dyches and Chief of Police George Peeples, of Barnwell, Monday arrested Grant Butler, Geo. Williams, Norman Newton and Manly Jenkins, all negroes, charged with an attempt to steal five bales of cottoi} from the Rev. Noble Stewart, of Aiken County, Monday night, January 27, for which crime A. J. Bennett, a former Mayor of Barnwell, was ar rested last week on a warrant sworn out by Mr. Stewart. This warrant was later withdrawn “under certain circumstances and conditions,” it is said, after Mr. Bennett had posted a bond of $1,000. t Bennett Implicated. In confessions, made Monday to rnwell and Aiken County officers, negroes, who nave been em ployees of Mr. Bennett, implicated the former Mayor in the attempt to steal Mr. Stewart’s cotton, and one of them also confessed to having as sisted in stealing two lots of cotton near Columbia. According to Sheriff Dyches, they charged that Mr. Ben nett was with them when the truck on which the Stewart cotton was loaded broke down and that the car in w'hich Mr. Bennett was riding was pulliing th£ truck when it was wreck ed, and that they set fire to the truck in an attempt to conceal the crime. Mr. Bennett was not taken into custody Monday, Sheriff Howard, of Aiken County, advising attorneys re tained in the case that the bond post ed last week had not been cancelled. ' A rather unusual proceeding in connection with the case occurred Monday afternoon when the Aiken officers left hurriedly with" the prison ers after Sheriff Dyches left his of fice to consult an attorney in refer ence to furnishing bond for the ac cused men,- no warrants having been issued for their arrest. Leaves With Prisoners. Requesting the visiting officers, who w-ere headed by Deputy Sheriff Sanders, of Aiken, to wait a few minutes until his return, Sheriff Dyches left the Court House to seek the lawyer. A few minutes thereaf- it is said that the Aiken County officers loaded the prisoners into two waiting automobiles and departed at a rapid rate of speed for Aiken. Upon his return tp the Court House, r »riff Dyches attempted to telephone Gilead and have them stopped, but was unsuccessful. He is very much incensed over what he terms a lack of official courtesy on the part of the Aiken officers in departing with the prisoners in such a manner after he had requested them to wait a few minutes and especially in view of the ^fact that_it was through his coopera tion that the negroes were arrested. Capt. G. M. Main Dies After a Long Illness Barnwell County Jailer Passed Away Tuesday Morning.—Funeral W r ed- nesday Afternoon. After an illnes of several weeks, Capt. G. M. Main, for 19 years Barn well County’s efficient and^ popular jaflef7 passed away^ Tuesday morning at 8:30 o’clock, surrounded by his loved ones who had done all that was humanly possible to stay the sum mons of the Grim Reaper. His body was laid to rest with Masonic honors Wednesday afternoon at three o’clock in the Barnwell Baptist Churchyard by the s^de of his first wife, who pre ceded him to the grave several years ago. Dr. W. M. Jones conducted the funeral services, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Murphy, pastor of the Barnwell Methodist church, in the presence of many sorrowing relatives and sympa thetic fiiends who gathered to pay their last tribute of respect to the memory of this kindly man who had endeared himself to all. Capt. Main reached his- 70th mile stone November 24th of last year. Before moving to Barnwell he was a progressive farmer of the Jenny sec tion of old Barnwell County, now a part of Allendale County. For 19 years he discharged the duties of jailer in a most efficient manner and on several occasions was compliment ed by the Grand Jury of the county. He was a deacon in the Baptist Chuich and taught a Sunday school class of young men here for 11 years. He was also a member of the Masonic and Pythian fraternal organizations. Kindly of heart and gentle of man ner, he easily won and held friends. A devout Christian, a faithful hus band, an affectionate father and a loyal friend has passed to his eternal reward. Peace to his ashes. Following the death of his first wife >n 1918, Capt. Main married Mrs. Lizzie Hart in December, 1919, and she, together with two daughters, Mrs. L. M. Ayer, of Savannah, and Mrs. E. G. Bolen, of Barnwell, sur vive him. He also leaves one brother. Coroner J. W. Main, of Al lendale, six grandchildren and one grand-child and a step-daughter, Mrs. Albert Ellis, of Meyer’s Mill, all of whom have the sincere sympathy of the entire community in their be reavement. The honorary pall bearers were the members of his Sunday School class, I and the active pall bearers were mem bers of the Board of Deacons of the i Baptist Church as follows: J. B. Armstrong, Dr. W. C. Milhous, F. S. Brown, J. U. Jones, B. F. Martin, B. W. Sexton and J. M. Brodie. Death of Tarleton B. Harley, Sr. After an illness of four months, , Sr., aged 79 years, died at four o’clock Monday morning, January 27th, at his home near Dun barton. . His body was laid to rest Tuesday afternoon in the Seven Pines church yard. He was a devoted husband and father, ajid will be sadly missed 1b the home and community. The funeral services were conducted by Dr. W. M. Jones in the presence of a large number of sorrowing relatives and friends, who gathered to pay their last * tribute of respect to his memory. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Mary E. Harley, one daughter, Mrs. Ben Wall and five sons, E. F. Harley, of Augusta, Ga., E. M. Harley, of Rpnbarton, J. M. Harley, of Charles ton^ H. L. Harley, of Ellenton, and B. Harley, Jr., of Baltimore, Md., teen grand children, and two others, J. P. Harley and W. J. Har ley. Offer Withdrawn. Due to the lack of interest shown, the special subscription offer made | by The People4^entinel to the. ihurche* of Barnwell has been with- February 1st.' TWO NEGROES CONFESS IN ALLENDALE MURDER CASE Request Publicity After Week in Pen Harden, Fowke and Ready Very Happy When Negroes’ Confessions Re move Murder Charge. Grinning broadly from behind thick beards, three young men, held for a week in the State penitentiary while officers investigated a double murder in which the youths had been impli cated, walked free mer^ into The State’s office last night and clamored for publicity. Monroe K. Harden, Carroll Fowke and L. P. Ready, the Barnwell Coun ty young men, held on a negro’s con fession, for implication in the death of Frank Harley, white, and Shan Bates, negro, both of Kline, were re leased a few minutes before from the penitentiary by orders of Governor Johh G. Richards. MOORE AND WASHINGTON HELD. WHITE MEN FREED. Washington Captured Saturday After Long Search.—Found in Chim ney Under House. The governor’s order came after an Allendale County coroner’s inquest this afternoon, Solicitor Murdaugh Allendale, Feb. 1.—Complete con fessions by George Washington and Aussie Moore, negroes, that they killed Frank Harley, Kline farmer, and his negro companion, Shan Bates, were presented to a coroner’s jury here today by Solicitor Randolph Mur daugh, before whom the confessions were made at the State penitentiary in Columbia. The negroes were or dered held on charges of murder. Three white men, Monroe Harden, of Kline, and Carroll Fowke and L. P. Ready, of Lyndhurst, who were im plicated in the crime by Moore when he was first arrested, were ordered released from the penitentiary ^short ly after the verdict had been reached. The confessions were made early Two Seriously Hurt When Autos Collide The Rev. Stephen T. Harvin and Mrs. j L. R. McCreary Injured Saturday Night Near Elko. BARNWELL WOULD RETAIN CO. NURSE CLAIM MISS ANDERSON'S WORK DEMONSTRATES NEED. ha,d placed the blame for the two deaths on George Washington, cap tured yesterday morning by Chief of State Detectives J. W. Richardson in a chimney under a house, after a two- weeks’ search, and Aussie Moore, whose confession led to the implica tion of the white men. “It’s great to be out again,” the Barnwell men chimed in a chorus. “It won’t be any use trying to sleep tonight. We aie too happy. Happy to He Out. “Just imagine being in the peniten tiary accused of murder and you will know how happy we are to get out.” Eagerly the men read newspaper clippings of how they had “killed” or aided in the crimes. “Look what he says,” Harden, who was accused of killing Harley, his uncle, said. - They did not know that Harden’s and Bates’ bodies had been found last Sunday in the Savannah river almost exactly where Moore told officers they would be. They had been separated at the penitentiary—one on the first tier, one on the fourth and one on the fifth tier—and had not conversed! told the jury, before Governor Rich ards, his secretary, J. A. Latimer, and penitentiary officials.' The negroes were brought before the officials shortly after officers had arrived with Washington, who was captured six miles from Millett this morning, af ter nearly two weeks of hounded free dom in the swamps and wooda of this county. Tell* Same Story. Washington told practically the same story as Moore had told at first, except that he implicated only one white man in the affair. When asked if he knew Harden, he replied that he did, but was unable to designate him from a group of 12 men. Moore was then brought in and made a complete confession that he and Washington alone killed the men. Washington then changed hia story and corroborated what Moore had said. Moore said that Harley, accompan ied by Bates, had brought him two cases of liquor the night of the kill ings and that he and Washington had gone with them to an unoccupied house, near his home, to unload the with one another since their incarce- whiskey. A* dispute arose over the An accident which almost cost the life of one of Barnwell County’s most beloved citizens occurred Saturday night about two miles South of Elko, on the Bamwell-Elko highway, when cars driven by the Rev. Stephen T. Harvin, of Williston, and L. R. Me- • * Creary, of Barnwell, came together in a head-on collision. Mr. Harvin, who is pastor of the, Presbyterian Churches at Barnwell, Blackville and Williston, was severely bruised and cut on the body and head and for a time was unconscious. Internal in juries were feared at first and Sunday morning he was carried to the Bap tist Hospital in Columbia and im- mdiately placed in the X-ray room. A number of pictures were taken and, much to the relief of his many friends, no apparently serious injuries were sustained and no dislocations nor frac tures of the head or body were locat ed. Though- suffering considerably, repoits from his bedside are to the effect that he » resting as comforta bly as could be expected. Mr. Harvin was accompanied to Columbia by his wife and Dr. and Mrs. David K. Briggs, of Blackville; his brother, Joe B. Harvin, and Mrs. Harvin, of Manning; Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Kennedy, of WiUiaton, and Mr. and Mrs. S. G. Lowe, of Blackville. Mrs. McCreary, who occupied the other car with her husband and their small son, sustained a broken nose and a severe gash over her right eye. She was taken to an Augusta hospital Saturday night for treatment. Neither Mr. McCreary nor their son was ser iously hurt. They have made their hoihe here for several months, Mr. McCreary being employed by the Ful ler Construction Company, which is engaged in building Barnwell Coun ty's system of surface-treated high ways. Fro mwhat can be learned, the cause of the accident was a wagon or buggy carrying no light and inability of the drivers of the automobiles to see the same in tin^ to avoid the crash. Both cars were almost com- pltely demolished. Solons Asked for Aid.—1,383 Defects Found in 663 Children During One Month’s Work. New Highway Urged In Barnwell County Citizens Claim Williston-Dunbarton Road Is Highly Desirable.—Peti tions Signed. Williston, Feb. 2.—Petitions are being circulated around Williston, Dunbarton and among citizens be tween these two towns requesting the members of the Barnwell County delegation to take necessary action to build a highway btftWeen these two points" connecting with the Williston- Springfield highway at Williston and the Bamwell-Augusta highway at Dunbarton. The road between Willis ton and Dunbarton is heavily traveled and is claimed to be always in poor condition, which is a serious handi cap to the people of the northern sec tion of Barnwell County. Several school buses travel this road to Williston an^l to Dunbarton and numerous truck growers in. that section travel that road in bringing their produce to market daily. This highway is further badly needed to connect up a near route for travelers who desire to go from Springfield or points north to Dunbarton or Ellen ton. As the roads now are, such trav elers must either go around by Aiken Or by Barnwell, both of which routes are out Ibf the way and necessitates consider Hole extra mileage. As such a road would be built and maintained by the highway depart ment, it would come out of the high way gas tax funds and not out of taxes on property. ration. The released men will return to their homes Sunday, after they pay another visit to the penitentiary to •ecure articles taken from them when they were imprisoned. Then they will go home and hear about how “they killed” * Harley and Bates. They ate anxious to know. “Write us up good,” they said. “We gave you all good stories and now you can give us good ones. We are going to need them, too, to go back and see all the people back home.” Talk of Prison. “Look at my hands and fingers,” Harden said. They were covered with tobacco stains from the many cigarets he had smoked during his ten days in jail. “I had not smoked for a long time before this thing happened, but I made up for lost time, believe me.” “Well, I tried four cigarets and they didn’t help any so, I said (“look here, this won’t d.o” and just cut them out entirely,” Fowke joined in. - Ready smoked contentedly and read the newspaper clippings. “Well, we’ll see you again,” the youths said as they went out. “But not like this,” one of them added.— The State, Feb. 2. — Mansion for Lt. Governor. payment of money which Harley in sisted Moore owed him. Moore said he did not owe Harley any money and a quarrel ensued. Moore said Harley struck him and slashed his arm with a pocket knife and he then shot Harley. Bates ran, he ?aid, and called to Washington to “shoot him.” Washington shot, he said, and Bates fell in a nearby field. When they reached him, according to the confession, he struck a match and found Bates was not dead and he told Washington to “shoot him again.” Washington shot him in the left ear, he said. Took the Money. They then returned and searched Harley’s body, finding $282. He also took the $36 which he said he had just paid Harley for the liquor. He said he gave Washington $35 and they put the bodiqs into the car, drove (down to Johnson’s landing, 12 mills from here, and threw them in the Mr*. Mattie Hudson and daughter, Roberta, and Sam Halford, of Den mark, were the supper guests of Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Halford recently. Harley,, white, ai\d Shan Bates, ne gro, both of Kline, the night of Janu ary 20. Washington was captured beneath the house of Sam Simmons on the Bill Bates place, located about six miles from Millettville» Allendale County, and officers left with him immediately for the State peniten tiary. Negroes, of whom he had asked something to eat, gave the alarm and Bill Bates, white farmer, telephoned to officers in Allendale. J. W. Rich ardson, chief of State detectives under Governor Richards and Detectives T. J. Cunningham, D. I. Young, S. M. Henry, L. A. Lown and Foster, who have been working on, .the case, ac- Blackville, Feb. 1.—Letters have gone forward to the members of the Barnwell County representatives in the House asking their influence to ward securing an appropriation so that Barnwell County may retain their health nurse. Mrs. A. A. Lemon, of Barnwell, who is county representative of the State Tuberculosis association, after untiring efforts secured the services of Miss Virginia Anderson, a native of this county, for a period of one month as public health nurse. Mrs. McDonald, of Columbia, who is exten sion secretary of the South Carolina Tuberculosis association entered into an agreement with the Barnwell Chapter of the Red Cross to main tain this nurse for four months. The county Board of Education of which H. J. Crouch, of Elko, is superintend ent, and the county medical board ap proved the project. Mrs. Herman Brown, of Blackville, who ia chairman of the nursing committee, haa ap pointed subchairmen in each section, viz: Mrs. LeRoy Still, of Black ville; Mr*. Ruth Coggin, of Healing Springs; Mrs. G. E. Crouch, of Elko; Mrs. Sol Blatt, of Barnwell;, Mbs Mac Owens, of Dunbarton; Mrs. Bl. M. Jenkins, Jr., of Kline, and Mrs. A. S. Blanchard, of WiUiaton. Through their clerk, Perry Bush, the county directors arranged for Min Ander son to have office space in their room at the court house. Miss Anderson has usad the schools as her means of approach to health conditions in oach locality. She has inspected 663 pupils out oP which number 593 pupils with one or more physical defects. There are in these county schools 214 children who are underweight more than tea per cent a condition ripe for tuber culosis approach; 65 with defective eye sight of aggravated nature while 112 showed defective vision; 8 de fective in hearing; 824 defective throats; 120 children with a general diseased condition of the noee and throat; eight cases of diseased gums; skin troubles found in 16; three eaeee were sent to Orthopedic specialists in Columbia, and three more consulted, 52 cases of active malaria were found. Out of 663 children examined, 1383 defects were found. Miss Anderson does not cease ia her endeavors after an inspection of the school children. In four schools water from the drinking supply was sent to the State Board for examina tion and information received that the system was contaminated. Each parent has been informed by card of any defect where medical aid expedient. Mias Anderron also during her time spent in this on 155 heme cases visiting ent homes which inc 'tuberculosis cases. river, i They then returned to their homes and he (Moore) took the car, which belonged to Harley, and drove it to within a short distance ef Savannah where he set fire to it. Asked why he implicated the white men, Moore said he thought he would be lynched if he did not. He said he picked out the men he did because “Another measure which created they happened to be the first ones of some merriment,” says The State, j whom he thought. “the House being in rather good ] The j ur y’ s verdict was that Harley humor at the prospect of a week-end, and Bat 63 “came to their deaths from at home, was a bjjl alleged to have ffon shot wounds at the hands of been introduced by J. E. Harley, of. Aussie Moore and George Washing- differ- twehre r No Complaint;'Here. Barnwell, providing for the erection of a mansion for the lieutenant gov ernor. Mr. Harley recently announced his candidacy for that office. When his name was read out as the author of Jiie bill he at first was at a loss to know hew the bill had got on the desk, but saw the joke quickly and let it pass without comment.” Enters Training in Augusta. . Sam Halford, of Denmark, ipegt Thursday with his parentr,-Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Halford. ha* entered training at the Uniraraity Hospital in ton.” Harley and Bates disappeared the night of January 20. Their bodies were found last Sunday in the Savan nah river, after Moore, who had been arrested, had told officers where they had been thrown. Moore, in his first account, said that Harden had killed Harley and Washington had killed Bates. The friends of Mis? Hazel Hartzcg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Hart- zog, of the Double Ponds community, will be intereated \o know that ahe iog the hunt for George Washington, - Found Under House. Allendale, Feb. 1.—“Please, suh, one of you genmen gim me a ciggret.” Thus tnded at 11 o’clock this mere- negro, sought for weeks in companied by Chief of Police H. A. Stack and Magistrate Justin McMil lan, with three bloodhound^, rushed to the scene. Washington had run from the house, but the nlgroes could not tell where he had gofie. The dogs were unable to pick up a trail away from the vici ity, however, and Chief Richan finally located the Negro hidden/in the chimney under Simmons’ house. Washington offered no^iesistance, V^nce in this issue. Any subscriber although he was armed With an auto- this paper can clip the coupon and matic .25. He appeared to have lost about 20 pounds in Weight and lookejd haggard and worn; due to hunger and exposure. He wore the same clothes he was wearing when he was last seen. A large burnt place was noticed on his coat,which was pinned together at the neck with a nail. He talked very little and was not questioned by officers as to his connection with the crime. Asked why he ran when officers who were searching for Harley a day or two after hia disappearance, be fore K was even known that he had been killed, shot into a field where Washington was, he replied that he had some whisky and was frightened. Washington was about ten miles No one can^omplain about the high cost of entertainment if everybody reads the “family offer” of the Re- liance Theatre, the Orangeburg movie wlrich recently installed the most ex pensive sound system oh the market, just as in the Ritz at Columbia, the Roxy in New York and the new Fox in Atlanta. Read the advertisement of the Re carry the whole family—one or a doz en—to see “Hell’s Heroes” any dsy this week. The theatre management is so well pleased with its Western Electric Sound System that it wants every family to come and enjoy it, and know where sound pictures will always sound best. Next week the Reliance offers other gocjd attractions—Marion Davies in “Not So Dumb” on Monday and Tues day. This is a great comedy. Then on Wednesday and Thursday the fa mous radio pair, Amos and Andy, whose real nsmes are Van and Schenck, win be seen an “They Learned he has I'