Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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

m WE GUARANTEE Xhe Reliability of Every Adver- "tiser Who Uses the Col umns of This Paper. The Ledger. F. U. HTAf'Y. I'rcMlclent. J. O. Wauolaw. Vice Fresidluiit. THE HATI0H1L BIHK OF CAFFFET. Capital $50,000.00. Wim, buy countv ebtlm*. receive depoaMa iiikI luakc IIIhtiiI iouns on approved paper. 1>. t’. BoM. Cnaliler. A Newspaper in all that the Word Implies and Devoted to the Best Interests of the People of Cherokee County. ESTABLISHED FEB. 16, 1894. GAFFNEY CITY, S. C.. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1898. 81.00 A YE Alt. MURDER TO BE AVENGED. YORK COUNTY MURDERS TO BE HANGED. Superstitious Negroes Kill an Old Man Because they Believed He Was a Conjurer—To Die For Their Deed. iVorkvlMo Enquirer.] Having completed all other busi ness before it, the Court of General Sessions on Thursday looming took up the case of the State against Amzi Dunovant, Frank Castles and Eliza Goore, charged with the murder of lieu Goore, on the night of the Kith of June, last. „The story of this tnurd.r was told in The Enxuirer at the time of the finding of the body of Hen Goore in an old unused well, some weeks after the killing. The circumstances of the case were unusually blood curd ling, and tjie whole afTu'r has at tracted deep interest especially in Bullock’s Creea township. The defendants have been in jai! since their arrest and were without counsel until a feu' weeks ago, when they secured the service of Messrs. James F. and John 11. Hart. In the meantime. Solicitor Henry hod taken occasion to visit the scene of the tragedy, talk with the witnesses— white and colored—and, as is his cus tom. especially in such raordinary cases, get as close to the bottom of the whole shocking business as pos sible. Upon the opening of the doors of the courtroom for the afternoon ses sion on Thursday there was a big rush for seats, and wi’hin u few mo ments the auditorium was crowded. A large majority of the audience was composed of Negroes, principally from the neighborhood of the mur der. They had been waiting around the courthouse nearly u'l>ho week, and showed much eagerness in their efforts to secure places wiiere they could see and hear to the best advan tage. Before the trial proceeded very far also, there were indications which showed that the feedings of the colored contingent were unusually stong against the prisoners. The first witness put up by the state was Angless Castles, a boy who said he was 14 yeans of age; but who looks and talks like he might be con siderably older. He is the boy who first told about the killing of old Ben Goore, and pointed out the well in which the body was afterward found. As a witness, he proved to be some thing of a prpdigy. In answer to questions of the solicitor, lie told his story in a clea-, straightforward man ner, and was not the least confused by the searching questions of such a shrewd cross-examiner as .Major Hart. Briefly, the story of Angless Castles was to the effect that having talked about the matter on one or two previ ous occasions, on the night of the 18th of June, Amzi Dunovant and Frank Castles proceeded to carry out their plans for doing away with old Ben Goore. The witness was a son of Ben Goore’s wife; but worked fox Amzi Dunovant. He lived with Goore except when his mother—Eliza Goore—was away from home, and then he went to Amzi Danovant’s. The two houses were only a stone’s throw apart. On the night in ques tion, Eliza Goore was away from home and Angless was stopping at Duno- vant’s. Frank Castles came along •about 11 o’clock, and the three— Amzi, Frank and Angless—proceeded to the old man Ben’s. Amzi took along with him some pieces of rope that had been used to suspend a * quilting frame. It was urrranged that Anglefs should go in front, and when old Ben opened the door, the other two rushed in and seized him. After a brief struggle they put a rope around his neck and choked him to death. Then they tied his hands and feet, while his body was still jerking and twisting in its death agonies. Next they inserted a rail under the ropes. Amzi shouldered one end and Frank the other, and thus, with Angless accompanying them, they carried their burden a distance of a quarter of a mile to within a few yards of the old well. Here they removed the rail, after which they picked the body up by hands and feet and threw it over into the depths below. Then Amzi threw in a number of stones, aft^r which, the job completed, all left the place. Angless did not go near the old well again except for some apples one day, and he saw Amzi there, tnrowing in more stones. In answer to questions by Major Hart on the cross examination, Angless said that after the murder, Amzi and Frank searched the pockets of the murdered man and also a closet and a trunk, looking for roots. He stated also that he heard Amzi say, otxa previous occasion that old Ben hw poisoned his, Amzi’s child, and Urn* he, Amzi, would fix Jhim. On another occasion he had heard Amzi say, “That If Fncle Ben don’t quit meddling about my house. I’m going to put him out of the way." Major Hart asked the boy sharply why it was that he had not told about these things for so long a time, and and the boy said his Uncle Amzi had threatened to kill him if he told it. Then the Major tried to get him to say how he had at last been induced to give It away ; but he failed to give an answer to that question. “Didn’t you tell Mr. Plaxico," asked Major liart, “that you did not know anything about what had be come of Ben Goore?” “Yes, sir," answered the witness. “Then," continued the Major, “if you told this story, why did you after ward tell about the killing?" “Because it was right," the witness answered; and here came the tirst manifestation of the sympathies of the colored auditors. They com menced to applaud by stamping their feet; but the demonstration was promptly cheesed from the bench. The next witness was fcarah Duno- van, wife of Amzi. Her testimony on tr.e direct examination, so far as it went, corroborated that of Angless. She said that Amzi and Angless had left the house at about 11 o’clock with another man whom she did not see; but whose voice she made out to he that of Frank Castles. Shortly after they left the house, she heard the noise of a struggle over at Ben Goore’s. Some one exclaimed “Good (. od Almighty," and shouted murder three times, after whi'-h everything I was quite. She told how Eliza ' Goore—old Ben’s wife—came to her 1 home that morning, made a trip i across the creek and came back in the afternoon; but did not, upon the direct examination, testify to any thing which seemed to diceetly con nect the old woman with the con- spracy. At the conclusion of tne direct examination, the court ad journed for the day. the cross exami- mi ion to be resumed on Friday morning. Mr. John Montgomery testified to the finding of the body of Ben Goore in the old well, covered with large stones. The hands und feet were tied as described o Angless Castles, and there was a rope around the neck. The nest witness examined was Mr. Job.! Aycoek. It developed that shortly after the imprisonment of t le defendants Mr. Aycoek went to the jail and, though interviews with them, secured confessions. Major Hurt . sked the usual tion us to whether promises timidation had been used to the confessions, and upon the ment that the witnesses had of their own free will, the inquired ve-y severely as ques- or in secure state- talked Major to the motive of the witness in making the visit. Mr. Aycoek said that he went to the jail purely from motives of curiosity. Then addressing the court, Major Hurt said he wanted to condemn and denounce as unfair this common practice of allowing visitors to visit the jail and induce ignorant prisoners to make testimony against themselves. He said that the prac tice w T as too common ; that it was the custom of the sheriff to pick informa- t on out of prisoners for the purpose of using thio information against them, and he would like the court to take such action us would put a stop to it. Solicitor He iry replied that he had nothing to say about this special case—of the witness on the stand— but in justice to the sheriff ho would say that he had never gotten any information from that, official. He had found that the sheriff thoroughly understood his duty, and discharged that duty pe. 'jgIv. It had been his observation that the prisoners in York county jail got all the protection to which they were entitled, and that he felt safe in saying that the prisoners in York county jail got better pro tection than those in any other jail in the state. Major Hart then said that he wan ted to repeat that he did not believe that the shriff catechised prisoners with any improper motive—he was sure that such was not the case. After this little digression, Mr. Ay- cock was permitted to go on with his testimony. Castles and Dunovant had told him separately about the same facts that hud been testified to by Angless Castles. He was not permitted to testify as to the result of his Interview with Eliza Goore, for the reason that the deputy sheriff was present at the time it took place. The state rested at 12.30 yesterday. Before entering into the defense, Major Hait asked the court to instruct the jury to bring in a verd et of acquittal in the case of Lizzie Goore. The major argued that inasmuch as the indictment charged her with being a orincipul. and the evidence failed to connect her with the crime except possibly as an accessory after the fact, she could not be convicted under the indictment. The court declined to instruct us requested. Old Lizzie Goore professed complete innocence of any knowledge of the murder until after the finding of the body in the old Gwinn well, tthe had been very much distressed about the disappearance of her old man, and feared that some harm had come to him ; but of this she was not certain, for the reason he had been accus tomed to go off without saying any thing to her, and onjone occasion he had remained away about three weeks. She claimed that she lived happily with the old man and had no desire whatever to get rid of him. After argument by counsil. the jury took the case, remained out about 20 minutes and* returned with a verdict of guilt -r as to Amzi Duno vant and Frank Castles, and guilty, with a recommendatio.i to the mercy of the court, as to Lizzie Goore. The sheriff had taken precautions to check any demonstration on the part of the audience, and the verdict was re ceived with profound silence. On Saturday morning Major Hart made a motion for a rew trial for the woman, on the ground that she had not been connected with the murder except possibly as an acees.ory after the fact, and she could not be legally convicted under the indictment. His honor refused the motion, and pro ceeded to senton?e the prisoners, Amzi Dunovant and Frank Castles, are to be hanged on Friday, Decern her 2, between the hours of il a. m.. and 1 p. m., and Elizabeth, alias Ibby Goore, is to spend the remainder of her days at hard labor in the state penitentiary. CheroKee Fall Chronic’es. (Correspondence of The Ledger.) Chkkoksk Falls, Nov. 7.—The fa:iners of the surrounding country are dumping their 4.j and 5 cents cot ton off here hurriedly. 'i he Cherokee Falls Manufacturing Company has delayed repairing the factory clam until next spring, but the speed is off yet. Rev. Mr. Carthen, the Methodist minister, filled his last appointment at this place, before conference meets on lust Sunday night. Mr. Cauthen is an able minister, and we hope he will be sent to preach for us another year. He will have preached for us .'our years after preaching one more. We are sorry to note that Mrs. Elijah McSwain, of this place, is se riously ill. Mr. Abner Allen, who has been paralyzed for about two years, 's very ill. Mr. Mike Plonk, the hust'ing liv eryman of Kings mountain, is visit ing his brother, Superintendent J. C. Plonk, of this place. Miss Mamie Harling, who is now attending Limestone College, came home last Friday. Mr. Garland Torrence, of Gastonia, is doing some repair work in the card room. Deputy Adolphus Smith has been stirring “bl'nd tigars” in this com munity. Mr. Smith is an old officer and understa ids his bus'ness. Mr. J. J Poag went to Grover on business Saturday. (Juite a large number of Cherokee’s boys went to Gaffney last Saturday. Mr. Lev’e Plaxico, one of the corn- company’s hustling clerks, spent Sun day at his home on Kings Creek. Mr. J. L. Roberts spent several days on his farm, near Grover, last week. Mr. John A. Bolton, former curd grinder at at this place, has moved back here to resume his old position. We get The Ledger every Thurs day and all are very anxious to get the contents of its newsy columns. The Ledger is an up-to-date county paper. Factory Boy. Gowdeysvdle Dots. (Correspondence of The Ledger.) Gowdeybvillk, Nov. 1.—Mr. Edi tor: As there hasn’t been any news from Gowdeysville in some time I thought I would give a few dots. Farmers are very busy now, picking out their cotton and gathering up corn. People are begining to take up their potatoes and from what I hear the potato crop is turning out very well. If people would plant more corn and potatoes and not so much cotton I think there would be better times in the country. The gins are moving along nicely. Mr. Foster and Mr. Kendrick, are doing some nice work. Mr. Both Hughes is rejoiceicg over the urival of a ’jig bouncing boy. Mrs. Margirite Huskey visited in our community last Sunday. Mrs. Huskey is one of Cherokee’s most amiable old lady’s, and is always a welcome visitor in our community. We hope she will call again soon. We understand that Mr. Hall E. Jefferies has opened up a store at the poatoffice. We wish Mr. Jefferies much success in his store. From all reports the wedding bells are going to ring in our community soon. Banjo Picker. Bucklen’s Arnica Salve. The Best S.Mve in the world for Cuts, Bruises, Sores, Ulcer, Salt Rheum, Fever 8u '3s, Tetter, Chapped Hands, Chilblains, Corns, and all Skin Eruption, and poatively cures Piles or no pay required. It is gura- unteed to give perfect satisfaction or money refunded. Price 25 cents per box. For sale by The DuPre Drug Co. LOWER CHEROKEE NEWS. NOTES FROM AND AROUND ETTA JANE. The “Kernal” Approved “The Led ge’s” Advice to Correspond ents—John H. Inman Way- layedand Robbed. (Correspondence of The Ledger.) Ei a Jaxe, Nov. 7.—We highly ap preciate what “The Ledger” said last week under the caption “Help for Correspondents.” And we take our part of it with all the grace and dignity imaginable. We are well aware of the faults of correspondents and freely acknowledge we have as many, or even more than any one else. The shoe fits us to a “T." But, in the future, as in the past, we will place our mess at the dis" posal of the editor and allow him to do the dissecting, to cut out any and all items that are out of place or of an inadmissible nature, to boil our correspondence down until it will fill any such space as he may have for it, and we will not fall out with bun for exercising this prerogitive. We don’t want to monopolize the paper to our use, but gladly yield space to our brethern of the quill. We shall al ways, when ccnvenient, speak of any thing that we think will improve the minds and morals of our readers. The newspa ier is and should be an educator, and every one who writes for it is a teacher to the extent of his or her .writings. A great many fail as correspond ents when they undertake to criticize their co-workers, and d*dve into matters they can’t sustain. Look on the bright side of things, the dark side will always present itself. Adjt. Stephen A. Dougless’ theory: “< Questions wliich no gentlemen will asK no gentleman need answer.” We have tried to encourage our young men and women to write up the news of their respective neighbor hoods and give it to our county paper for the benefit of its readers. But they seem loth to undertake it, and so the matter ends. The world is always looking for men; men pf character; men who are not for sale ;men who are true to the core. We may not all be great in the eyes of the world, but we are truly great if we do our duty even though that work be only the finding of men who shall do greater work than we have done or can do. Mr. G. S. Black and William Henry Black have sent us correct diagrams of the plank a foot square sawed so as to fill a hole Dix9. We thank Miss Annie Laura, of Grindall, for what she says in the Union Times in regard to seeing those drunk men on her way home from Gafiney. That’s right young lady, speak your sentiments and en courage your sex to do the same. And you will reform more dessolute young men than you can in any other way. Let us have something from yoi-r facile pen for The Ledger readers. They will enjoy it, we assure you. Miss Grace Whisonant has an swered our question of last week. The goose weighs 20 pounds. We dug our potatoes* last week. The crop is unusually short this year. Mr. J. R. Warmoth, of Hickory Grove, was through this section one day last week with a load of home made saddles and harness. Mr. Meek C. Parker, of Gaffney, was in this section last week fixing clocks, watches, and sewing machines. Jimmie and Sammie Strain finished hauling corn last week. Miss Pearl Whisonant, who has been quite sick for sometime, I am glad to say, is up again. I am sorry to learn that my old friend and army comrade, J. Wesley McKown, got hurt a few days ago. He was thrown from a horse and got some of his ribs broken, so I hear. Mr. G. T. Wood, another old and tried veteran of the late war, I am sorry to note, has been sick for several weeks with malarial fever. He was improving at last account. The C. E. Society held its conven tion meeting at Salem yesterday evening. The topic was “The good fight." A general attendance of the active members and some good talks added much to the interest of the meeting. The next meeting will be held at the home of R. J. Kirby next Sabbath night. There are two classes of people in the world—The lifters and the leavers. When there is a score of leavers to one lifter, its no wonder the world moves slowly in improvement. These leavers are always ready to take credit to themrelves when anything of note has been accomplished. But when earnest,.hard work is at hand they are wanting. Oh these leavers! What burdens they might lift from the shoulders of others, if they were only to do their share of lifting. The colored people had an enter tainment on the York side last week in which John Almstead was seri ously if not mortally wounded by the handy pistol. 4 A group of white boys (or men) were seen on the side of the public road yesterday (the Sabbath day) just beyond Howell’? ferry with a suspicious'looking creature in a sack, supposed to be a blind tiger. One of the party was keeping it quiet by picking a banjo. The brute was gagged with a corn cob which its keeper could ’•emove and replace at will without provoking even a growl from the animal. Hon. C. W. Whisonant is sowing wheat. He does the most of that kind of work on his farm hiinself. Mr. Edward Byars has returned to his farm near Owen’s ford. Mr. F. A. Goforth and Mr. Sam W. Foster went to Gaffney with cot- ion last week. Mr. Julius T. Howe is still very sick. Everything that can pick a boll of cotton is needed in the cotton patch now-a-days. Considerable excitement was raised among our York county frirnds last week by a report that a dog had gone mad in that neighborhood. Jeff Estes was attacked with chills last week whet put him in bed for a few days. He is up again. Mrs. Harper says: “There never was an angel of God, however bright, terrible and stong, that was able to roll away the stone from the grave of a dead opportunity." The Fowler brothers have cut and cured a line chance of pea vine hay tliis season. Mr. John H. Inman was waylaid knocked down and robbed of $219.00 as he was returning from Lockhart Shoals last Monday night. Two negroes and a white man are sup posed to have done the deed. A negro by the name of Wade Jeter has been arresced and lodged in jail at Union. Mrs. Laura T. Estes was taker suddenly ill last Friday evening and for a while it was thought that she could not live. She is afflicted with asthma. Mr. John II. Fowler has had a bil ious attack and is quite unwell. He has been s ; ck for more than a week. Drs. Wood and Ward have been to see him. Crops of all kind are fairly good, hut nothing extra this year. The cotton prospect in August was very encouraging. A man takes a central square of 40 acres within a square of KiO acres, and gives to each of his four sons rec tangular forms equal in every respect, and making up the balance of the farm. The father and sons are to have dwelling centrally located in their respective farms. How far will each son be from his nearest brother, and how far from the father? How many will tell us? There is a sad propensity in our fallen nature to listen to the retailers of pettty scandal. With many it is the spice of conversation—the exhi- lerating gas of their minds. Without any intention of doing intentional injury to a neighbor, a careless re mark, relative to some minor fault of his, may be signed by a babbler, and, through the babbling tribe, each one adds to its bulk, and gives its color a darken hue, until it assumes the magnitude of a slander. Few are without faults—most persons are at times inconsistent. Upon these faults and mistakes petty scandal delights to feast. Washington said: “To persevere is one’s duty and be silent is the lirst answer to columny.” Live so that when people speak evil of you nobody will belive it. is our advice. J. l. h. GOOD ADVICE. Written from Willie. (Correspondence of The Ledger.) Willie, Nov. 6.—It seems that the fighting blood of our boys has been predominent during the past few weeks. There has been several fights and rucuses in our section during the last week or two. But, hoping that the boys will conduct themselves in a more gentlemanly manner in the future, we refrain giving names and particulars this time. Mr. “Dcc«c" Babb, one of the best citizens and farmers of Clarence, died of typhoid fever last Monday, and was buried at Holly Springs Tuesday, the 1st inst. Mr. Babb leaves a wife and three children to mourn his death. Mr. James Ponder, of this place, died yesterday morning*at about half past six o’clock. He had been sick but a short while, and before be was taken sick he was the largest and healthiest looking man of this com munity. Mr. Ponder leaves an aged mother, a wife and six children to mourn their loss, all of whom have the most profound sympathy of the entire community. The remains of Mr. Ponder were interred at Pleasant Hill at 2 o’clock this afternoon. The funeral service were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Whilden, of O’Neal. 8. C. CUMTIJX. Use Dr. Bull's Cough Syrup at once, if your child has croup or bronchitis. Waste no time; delay may be dan gerous. Dr. Bull’s Cough Syrup cures at once. It is a safe and infal lible remedy. All druggists sell it for 25 cts. Col. W. D. Camp Advises a Reduction of Cotton Acreage. Mr. Editor: Some time in Hie latter part of last year the Southern Stales formed a Cotton Grower’s As sociation and some of the farmers of South Carolina formed a nudes in Columbia and recommended that each of the counties form a club or organ ization, and that body appointed a chairman for each county. Your humble servant had the honor of be ing appointed for Cherokee county, as it was known that I had allied my self with the Farmer’s Alliance from its incipiency. 1 r.as solicited and urged to call a meeting of the fann ers of this county, but as I had noii.- ing new to tell them I declined. I could have told them nothing more than had been repeated at ea< h dub meeting. The only solution 1 hud was to reduce the acreage of cotton and raise more grain and food croj s. I thought it would be an insult to t lie intelligence of the farmers of Chero kee county to be telling them agui i and again what I am sure they imxc been told and know, but as I h.nv been reading of lute some agricultur.d papers I find some facts and iig-.iivs which I think might be of ton.** value to our farmers under the ridic ulously low price of cotton that li.i- existed for the past two years. W..i the farmers continue to put in large areas ot cotton or will they pursi.c the wiser policy of reducing theev- and planting largely Ir. food A cotton grower cannot afford i * grow cotton at 11 cents. He had well be playing hi the sand. He is furnishing cotton for the mar.uLc- turer below cost. The immense of cotton and its ruinous low ]..! • U attracting the attention of the wor! The New Orleans Cotton Exch • r e reports the production in theiSouin- ern States for 1897-8 at 11,199 I hi !es. The Northern mills consu m .1 2,211.470 bales and the Southern mills 1,231,841, a total consumed m America of 8,*43,583 bales. Too overplus was either exported to for eign countries or stored in our u a re houses and on our farms. The entire crop of tho world, America, Eg\pt. India and elsewhere, is reported at 14,290,000 bales, and the total con sumption of the world is 11 .208 (HJO bales or 03,000 bales more thun lie production of the United States aloi.e. leaving a net surplus of 51,000,1.0 bales to be brought forward to th present crop to depress prices. The world’s markets are being completely demoralized by such excessive ovei- production. The Southern Stales, particularly, are growing too much cotton, and yet this very serious, painful and self-evident truth seems to have no affect upon our planters. Unless practical and scientific men can discover some new and greater uses for cotton the price cannot rise. Then, dear friends, if you will lisu u to an old friend, plant less cotton, make all the grain that you will need on your farm, raise wheat, oats, rye, corn, peas, potatoes and food crops of any kind, reduce your cotton acreage, concentrate manures, adopt the intensive system of growing cot ton—for it is the only way by which we can compete with the world iu growing cotton. Now, don’t be deceived any longer by large acreage in cotton hoping K.r better prices. Take the above advice, and, my word for it, prosperity vuM be yours. Respectfully, W. D. Camp. Cheap Railroad Rates. On account of th«* State Fair the S. C. & G. R. R., will issue tickets from Gaffney to Columbia for $250 for the round trip on the 15th, 16th and 17th. Trains will leave this city at 10:15 and will arrive in Columbia the same afternoon. There will bejnochanged cars. Mr. Thomasson, the obliging and accommodating agent at this place, assures The Ledger that evei y effort will be made that will tend t<i the comfort fand accommodation o’ the patrons of his road. Four Crops This Year. E. D. Darwin, of Kings Creek, left with us Monday some pears from a tree on his farm which had borne four crops this year. The first crop ripened in June. Since that time two other crops have ripened, and the tree now has a crop that is too late to mature being now about the size of hickorynuts. An Enterprising Druggist. There are few men more wide awake and enterprising than Dul’iv Drug Co., who spare no pains to se cure the best of everything in their line for their many customers. They now have the valuable agency for Dr. King’s Now Discovery for Consump tion, Coughs and Cold*. This is the wonderful remedy that is producing such a furor all overffhe country by its many startling cures. It abso lutely cures Asthma, Bronchitis, Hoarseness and all affections of the Throat, Chest apd Lungs. Call ut above drug store and gets trial bottle free or a regular size for 50 cents un i $1.00 Guaranteed to cure or pr.ee refunded. m a #3* m ; 2_A.4...