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THE LARGEST Circulation of Any Newspaper in the Fifth Congressional District of S. C. 1 HE LEDGER. SEMI-WEEKLY—PUBLISHED TUESDAY AND FRIDAY. Wt GUARANTEE fhe Reliability of Every Adver tiser Who Uses the Col- umns of This Paper. A Newspaper in all that the Word Implies and Devoted to the Best Interests of the People of Cherokee County. -V ESTABLISHED FEB. 16, 1894 •GAFFNEY, S. C.. TUESDAY. APRIL 21. 1903. $1.00 A YEAR. A BIG SCANDAL IN POSTAL DEPARTMENT Flagrant Example of Repub lican Administration. A COLOSSAL ROBBERY. High Official. In the I’o.t Office Depart ment Have lleen I'luiKlerlng Kight and Left and Stealing KnorinnuH Sums An nually—Several Have Ite.igned. (Correspondence of The Ledger.) Washington. D. 0., April 20—The scandal in the Post Office Department is one of the most flagrant examples of republican administration fur nished since the war. The charges— and the? are well fortified—disclose a colosfeal scheme of jobbery and rob bery. Several officials have resigned Others don't dare Several of the high officers of the department seem to have plundered right and left. In view of the millions annually spent for the postal service it is readily seen how venal officials could “rakeoff” enormous sums yearly. The jobbery apparently grew up under Hanna’s man. Percy S. Heath, who as First Assistant Postmaster General was a politician, if nothing worse. The department was admin istered like a Uhinese province and whether or not Heath was a direct beneficiary his methods bred up the rotten system now being pitch-forked to the sunlight. And this sort of thing has been going on while letter carriers, post- office clerks and railway postal em ployes are underpaid and overworked. If the contracts for carrying the mails over the railroads were as eco nomically let as they should be and could be, and the purloined millions were saved to the government, the postal employes could be paid decent Alaries and there would be money left over besides. Exposure in this case came as a re sult of a row among officials. Robert J. Wynne, who believes in having his authority respected, got mad at some of the well-intrenched officials who were amused at Wynne’s efforts to di rect. Wynne was recently appointed First Assistant Postmaster General. The other fellows had been in their jobs for years and were rated as ex erts. So Wynne resorted to the familiar device of starting a fire behind his enemies and the disclosures resulted. * * ♦ Bellairs, the swindler and convict, who as an Associated Press represen tative, sent the news of General Leon ard Wood’s “marvelous success” as an administrator in Santiago first, and subsequently in Havana as Gov ernor General, has been exposed. He is uow known as a npan named Ballen- tine, from Norfolk county, England. He is in the New York Rogues’ Gal lery. He is described by Byrnes as the most successful confidence man of the world. He was convicted of forgery in Florida, and three years after the expiration of his term he was, under the name of Bellairs, in forming the American public of Cuban affairs. He was Wood’s guide, counsellor and friend. He was on, it is seriously asserted, three distinct Cuban payrolls. He then, after “making Wood,” was sent to the Philippines and for two years the Philippine news came to this country filtered through this moral sewer. Exposure came to him through his book, in which he denounced Gov. Taft and extolled Wood and declared that Wood should be sent to replace Taft. Taft’s friends exposed Bellairs. If the republican “grafters” fight fre quently enough we may learn all the truth about this administration, but they’re not likely to. Common cause will assert its influence. Bellairs, however brilliant as a swindler he may be, is only an inci dent. What of Wood, the President's great friend? What of the charges against Wood so lightly dismissed by Secretary Root? Did Wood know of Bellairs’ real name, record and char acter? Did not some army officers de nounce Bellairs to Wood, and did not &be latter, despite that fact, continue bis association with Bellairs? Why was the administration of Cuba so ex pensive under Wood? Palma has gov erned more flrmlv, more quietly; and much less expensively. How about the gambling monopoly Wood fas tened for ten years on Havana? We do know that be did get from the stockholders of this gambling monop oly a $5,000 service, and It is said that be admitted the service into Cuba free oPduty four days before its prasentatlon. How about the con- trnts let aod franchises granted by Wood? Aod yet Wood is slated by Roose- relt to be the head of the army—the Lieutenant General. * * * Things are very dull politically io Washington, but ouce lu awhile some member of Congress drops in to do some work before the departments and talks politics to the newspaper men at night in the corridors of the hotels. Some of the leaders of the democratic party were here re cently and they diacussedfthe prob abilities and possibilities of t! fu ture of the party and possible of prob able candidates for the presidency on the democratic ticket. It is the con sensus of opinion among those to whom I have talked that no man can or ought to be Dominated who did not loyally support the party and the ticket in ’ItU and 1900, and that will eliminate several names that have been mentioned in this connection. Senator Gorman has his friends among those who have talked recently, and so has Judge Parker, of New York. They nearly all agree that the man should come from the East. * * ¥ “Prosperity strikes” is the very significant designation of a New York newspaper for the strikes on April 1. when several hundred workingmen stopped work because their demands for higher wages were refused. The workingmen are simply striking for some of the prosperity which the trusts and monopolies have been en joying for several years. The work ingmen. along with the rest of us, have been paying the high prices and rates which have made the trusts and railroads prosperous, and they are now asking for their share of prosper ity. As a matter of fact it will take an increase of 40 per cent in money wages to put real wages as high as they were in 1897, for. according to Dun’s tables of prices, the cost of liv ing is 10 per cent higher now than in 1897. Yet we call this prosperity. Charles A. Edwards. AT THE CHURCHES. Hr. •StfHiliiiiti) IllHcuurHeH on Murder and (l.itwIefcSIlfHM Sunday morning Mr. Steadman preached on “How to Reach a Re vival in the Church.” His sermou was delivered, with unusual earnes-t ness. He announced that it was his in tention to hold a special series of re vival meetings commencing the first Sunday in May. Commencing next Wednesday night special prayer services will be held for the meeting. He will have the cooperation of all the pastors in the town, and asks the cooperation of all Christians,irre spective of denomination. At night Mr. Steadman preached, as previously announced, on “Murder and Lawlessness.” The congregation was not so large as the morning ser vice. His reflections on the carnival of crime deserve the serious con sideration of all law abiding people. In his opinion the fault is not so much the pistol carrying habit, or the fault of the much abused trial jurors, as it is the false sentiment or public opinion. A false idea of Chivalry and reckless teachings of disregard for law and its enforcement, are the root of the matter. At the morning services Mr. J. W. Lipscomb sang a solo, and Miss Bar ton at the evening services. The church conference just after morning services was very encourag ing and Jharmonious. The financial report to April 1st, shows double the amount for pastor’s salary and missions, compared with this date last year. Hunduy school reported as encouraging. It is the consensus of opinion that the music committee should arrange to pur chase an organ for the church, and that matter is now being investigated. At the First Baptist church the usual Sabbath services were held, and all were well attended. Rev. A. C. Cree delivered two excellent sermons. The singing, as usual, was a feature. There was no service at the Pres byterian church on account of the absence of the pastor, Rev, W. R. Potter, was in attendance upon the session of the Enoree Presbytery. Insurance 8ta. intlcs. Columbia, 8. C., April 18.—The comptroller general has given out the following .usurance figures: Fire companies, foreign, wrote risks for $81,549,428 41. Premiums received, $830,350.00. Losses paid, $220,707 07. Uniied States fire companies risks, $58,404,785 42 Premiums, $84,841.- 21. Losses paid, $407,158.10. Life companies, risks $15,813,007.- 70. Premiums, $2,030,480.11. Losses paid, $898,077.65. Accident companies, risks. $21,- 322,220 49 Premiums, $123,308*01. Losses paid, $341,105 59. Total license fees received by state, $28,449.27. (live It» Trial. Just received a fresh lot of "Clif ton” flour made of native Kentucky wheat, guaranteed to be the best flour iu the market. Proof of the flour is lu the bread, cake and pastry. Give "Clifton” a trial and you will need no argument to convince you. W. J. Wilkins <fc Co. THROUGHOUT THE PALMETTO STATE. items of Interest of Passing Events. ALL OVER THE STATE. •events tlmt Have Taken Place from One End of the State to the Other Culled from Exchanges for ^julck Reading by Scores of Unsy People. Two companies of United States coast artillery arrived in Charleston Thursday night over the Atlantic Coast Line in a special train. The companies were direct from Manila. A charter was granted Friday to the Greenville Improvement company, with a capital of $25,000. W. J. Thackston is president; Frank Ham mond vice president and W. C. Beach- am secretary. The jury at Kingstree in the case of the State vs. Henry James, colored, charged with the murder of Harvey Wilson, also colored, has reached a verdict of guilty of manslaughter. The judge’s sentence was reserved. A commission for a charter was asked for a banking institution, in Columbia. It is to be a trust company, to be operated by William A. Coleman ifc Co., and the capital stock is $500,000. William A. Cole man, of Whitmire, will be president. Geo C. Finklea, a wel 1 known citi zen of the Hymansville section near Florence, died past week. He was a sufferer from Bright’s disease and this malady was the cause of his death. He was the last of live broth ers, all of whom were victims of the same disease. Hasael Gault, a young farmer liv ing a few miles from Jonesville, while out hunting last week let his gun go off accidentally while sitting on a log, the whole charge going through the calf of his left leg. The wound is an ugly flesh wound, but Mr. Gault Is doing well. Drs W. J. Dougless, of Jonesville, and L. J. Wood, of Kelton, are attending Mr. Gault. There’s a new daily newspaper in Charleston. More properly speaking, it is a nightly publication. It is The Fair Journal and it is issued every night at the Cathedral fair, at the Hibernian hall. The Journal is a very excellent publication. It is edited by Rev. P. L. Duffy, with Col. James Armstrong as associate-editor, and it it the official organ of the management. There is positive evidence that an incendiary is trying to burn Duncan church or the parsonage, or both, in Spartan’burg. The Rev. M. L. Banks is the pastor. Several times he has been annoyed at night by persons walking through his yard and on the piazza. A kerosene can was found near the chuich, with signs that it had been set on fire, but th) blaze went out before the can exploded. There has been no arrest made. Ibis difficult to ascertain the object of the wouid-be incendiaries. Dr. F. D. Kendall, of Columbia, was charged by the Columbia Medi cal society with unethical conduct, aid a mess of testimony was offered. He was not granted time to meet the charges or to collect and present evi dence in rebuttal, nor was hit attor ney, Lawton D. Melton, permitted to represent him. The matter was brought to a close by taking a vote Friday on the evidence against Dr. Kendall, and he was declared guilty by an overwhelming majority and ex pelled from the association. A preliminary examination was held at Mt. Pleasant, near Charles ton, Friday afternoon by Trial Jus tice Thomas Keenan in the case of John Milligan, 11 years old, for the murder of his mother, Mrs. Nancy Milligan, on the 13tb of March last. The 8tate was represented by Mr. Lee Royal and the defendant by the Hon. G. F. Von Kolnitz, Jr , who went over from the city to undertake the boy’s defence. After argument on both (ides and an eloquent appeal for the boy by Mr. Von Kolnitz the case was carried over to the Court of General Sessions. A negro by the name of Holloway was aoidentallv killed near Saluda by another negro on the evening of April 13. It appears that the de ceased had just left the home of his slayer and after going a short distance called for a gun to shoot a rabbit. The negro, whose home he had just left, hurried down to him with the fowling piece and Holloway leading was endeavoring to point out the cotton-tail. His companion was cau tiously following with the gun cocked and elevated, ready to shoot as soon as the game was shown him, but In some way be stumbled, the gun wee discharged, and the entire load took effect lu Holloway’s back or shoul der, killing him Instantly. NEWS OF THE WEEK IN lOWEB CHEHOKEE From Our Correspondent at Etta Jane. PERSONALS AND LOCALS. IntereHtlng; ramgraplitt and Recent Hnp- peulngs In Lower Section of the County (lathered Up by Oar Regular Correspon dent for Heuelit of Ledger Readers. (Correspondence of The Ledger.) Etta Jank, April 18.—By town ships, the Yorkville Enquirer is pub lishing a list of soldiers that went from that county to the war. This will be the means of getting the lists as nearly correct as is possible to get them. We hope other papers in the State, which have not done so, will follow the example of our York coun ty neighbors. It’s only about three weeks until the U. C. Veterans’ re union will be held in Columbia when these records will be called for, and it is hoped that another disappoint ment is not in store for them. The readers of these publisher 1 .oils are requested to note any omissions or .errors and file the correction with the township boards from which they come. Thus it will be an easy mat- terto get the same absolutely perfect. The rolls as they apear are approxi mately correct, but when they reap pear they will be ready for the his torian if the survivors will only do their duty. Mr. T. Jeff Hughes spent Thurs day night with us. We are always glad to see him. He is never low spirited and always has plenty to talk about. A sketch of his life would make interesting reading. He has perhaps seen as much of the world as any man of his age. We have never seen such a growth in wheat at the time of year as it now has. A few farmers, we learn, had planted corn and some cotton be- foie the ruins of last week set iu. Ditching and terracing is the prin cipal work of farmers now. The low lands have been under water many times this winter, and uplands are badly washed in many places. t^uite a number of people have dug storm pits. They are about as com mon as we understand they are in the West. Speakingof the weather conditions, our friend and neighbor, J. Rufus Boole, Esq., says he believes it does just as it pleases, anyway. Some years ago we took occasion to say to him, in speaking of |the weather: “We have a nice day overhead.” To which he replied: “Yes, but unfortu nately we are not going in that direc tion.” Our ever vigilant and worthy con gressman. Hon. D. E. Finley, has sent the patrons of this office a sup ply of garden seeds. Mr. Finley takes great care to see that his constitu ents get everything to which they are entitled. In the retirement of Mr. John R. Mathis from the editorial chair of the Union Times the State press loses one of its most worthy and conscientious writers. His editorials, especially on the concealed weapon question, were copied and re-copied, not only throughout the State but beyond its borders. The A. R. Presbyterian this week gives a short sketch of the "Brick Church” in Fairfield county. It is written by Rev. C. E. McDonald, of Winnsboro, 8. C., and is well worth its room in any secular paper. Mr. McDonald wrote it for the centenial volume of the A. R. P. church, which is to be published this year. Our Ledger readers will remember our saying something about this old church four or five years ago and giving a note written on the walls by some of Sherman's men when they converted it into a temporary barracks and berse stable in February, 1805 The note referred to has been care fully preserved and is as follows: “Citizens of this community : Please excuse us for defacing your house of worship so much. It was absolutely necessary to effect a crossing over the creek, as the Rebs destroyed the bridge. A Yankee.” This church stands at what was called Kincaid’s bridge on Lit tie river, and the Confederates had torn up the bridge and the Federate took the seats out of the church to repair It so they could cross. It Is one of the oldest churches In this country. It is twelve miles west of Winnsboro, and at one time was the centre of wealth and in telligence. Its membership was made up of that sturdy class of Scotch-Irish peo ple who have left a history which re flects credit on the State as well as the commuulty iu which they lived. It is said that of the twenty-eight members of that church who went to the last war only one ever returned. One reason we like' to speak and write of this dear old church is be cause our parents worshipped there ! long before we were born. The church was first called Little I River, afterward Ebenezer, but for | many years it has been called the "Brick Church." Th« present house ; was built in 1788. In 1848 the church and graveyard were enclosed in a granite stone wall which will stand till time is no more. The wall was made of large blocks of granite laid in lime mortar. James Kincaid, Jr., gave the lime in which the blocks were laid, and it was hauled from Limestone Springs, in Cherokee county. There is a long list of eminent men and noted families North as well as South, who trace their lineage back to those who took part in the early history of this church. VVe would like to give them all, but will men tiononlyafev of the oldest—those who worshipped there prior to the beginning of the last century They are: Hawthorne, Turnipseed, Mont gomery, Cameron, Blackstock, Boyce, McQuistian, Brice, Strong. Young, Hutchison, McKammie, Carter, Me Gill and others. We could add others in whom hun dreds of our Ledger readers fed an interest, but this is sufficient at present. j. l. s. MRS. NESBITT ENTERTAINS. A Delightful Hour Spent nt Her Ilonpltalile < Home Friday Afternoon. The quiet and restful days of Lent being past, Mrs. J. N. Nesbitt began the social season with a progressive “flinch party” Friday afternoon. The elegant home was tastefully decorated in white and gold vbich made a pleasing back ground for dainty spring costumes. The pen and ink pictures of quaint and origi nal souvenir score cards, tied with white and gold ribbons, foretold the merry hour which followed. After the game a delicious luncheon was served. Mrs. Nesbitt was assisted in the hallway byAlinses Hare and Hopper, who presided over the punch howl, and in the dining room by the Misses Crawley and Mrs. A. W. Doggettf Among the invited guests were: Mesdames Edna Harris. Beona Brown, T. B. Butler, J. C. Lipscomb, Ed. Gaines, W. B. Dul’re, E. H. DeCamp, Lawson Spake, Felix Lipscomb, Ed. Ezell, Henry Osborne. T. Westrope, L. Campbell, Jim Brown, Jim Bell, Will Wilkins, George Brown, J. A. Willis, A. R. N. Folger, W. A. Turner, J F. Garrett, C. M. Little john, W. C. Hamrick, W. C. Carpen ter, R. M. Gaffney. T. L. Brown. Charlie Humphries, J. C. Ratliff. B. R. Brown, T. H Littlejohn, N H. Littlejohn, Harry Gooding, Sam Morgan, Lauri Hames, Smith Cook, Sam Hopper, Jr., Faul Gaffney, Jake Shuford, John Sarratt, A. C. Cree, G. G. Byers, A. N. Wood, J. G. Ward- law, R. 8. Lipscomb, J. Q. Little, J. F. Fincken, Elmore LeMaster, J. Wilson, S. H. Griffith, B. B. Steedly, 8. B. Crawley, J. N. Lipscomb. A. W. Doggett, O. E. vVilkins, J. H. Turner, E. H. Turner, J. M. Steadman, W. R. Potter. A. B. Gaines, Vic Laven der, Zeb Robertson, J. V. Sarratt, J. H. Lipscomb, J. Brohawn, M. E. Jefferies, Jim Littlejohn, Rosa Round- tree, R. R. Wilkins, Pac Hamilton, Nathan Lipscomb, Porter, Misses Maggie Munro, Daisy Hart, Bird Crawley, Pearl Crawlev, Fannie Hop per, Carrie Sams and Inez Sarratt. A Curious Hen Keg. Mr. R. S. Moore, of Mt. Paran, was in the city Saturday, and showed us a hen egg that was laid by a hen be longing to Rev. W. V. Moss, which had on one side of it, a well defined profile of a woman with a hen under her arm, and an almost perfect picture of a spoon. The picture of the hen was almost perfect, so much so that the head, back and eye would do credit to many an artist. On the other side of the egg was another picture of a hen, but not quite so plain. This egg was laid about six week* ago in a dry nest and taken from it the same day. About ten days ago another egg was found on Mr. Moss’ place which had a picture of woman on it also, but it was aot so plain and well de fined as the first one. An election was held at Jonesville Wednesday for a dispensary. The vote was large for that town and re sulted in a defeat for the dispensary advocates. Ninety-one votes were cast, of which only six were in favor of the dispensary. Nearly every man that signed the petition for a dispensary voted against it. Wednesday the pressure brought upon them by pub lic opinion was more than they could stand and they turned over and went for the right. Towelit Without Coat, Every forty-eight pound sack in which "Clifton” flour is packed will make two good towels, the regular towelling goods being used In the manufacture of the sacks. Ask for "Clifton” in the towel sack. W. J. Wilkins <k Co. THE TAR HEEL STATE, From the Mountains to The Sea. NORTH CAROLINA NEWS. Intereatlng IteniH Concerning Our Neigh- bora Heyoml the Line Which May Prove Kiitertalulng Keading for HuudredH of Ledger Keadera Superior Court for the trial of crimi nal cases met in Charlotte yesterday. Judge Shaw presides. Mecklenburg fruit growers state p isitively that all kinds of fruit has not been damaged to any extent by the recent cool snap. Mr. H. M. Cates, of Orange county, who died recently, bequeathed to Wake Forest College iu hi? will $i,- 000. Mr. Cates was an alumnus of the college. George Smith, a colored employee of the Southern at Spencer, was in stantly killed Sunday morning. Smith * us on an engine on the Spencer yard as helper when he fell from the en gine. The fall produced instant death. Smith’s neck being broken. Much disturbance is caused in Bladen county because of the stock law, to which a number of residents are very much opposed, and some who are much aroused in regard to the stock law, fired into the homo of Messrs, ate Willis, Alex Addison and Richmond Johoson. Colonel Stith, of New York, a prom inent miner and financier visited Pel ham a few days ago to inspect the platinum mines of that vicinity. He expressed himself as highly pleased with the prospects and intends send ing experts there in a few days ta make further investigations. The election held at Smithfield, Johnson county, Wednesday to vo;e on the question whether or not Smith- field township should levy a special tax to improve its roads, passed off q'uietly. Only a small vote was polled —377 in ai!—277 of which were cast in favor of “special tax.” giving a majority ot 77 in favor of the roads tax. It is believed that a very valuable iron ore bed hes been discovered at Hot Springs. The mine, which is the property of the Rumboughs, has turned out some ore with 55 percent, of iron, a percentage which renders it very valuable. A gentleman who has leased the mine has contracted to fur nish a hundred car-loads of the ore to the rolling mills at Knoxville. John Broadnax, the sixteen-year- old colored boy who killed Sidney Blair, an aged farmer, in Rockingham county, on March 22, has been sen-' tenced to be hanged on May 22, the jury having returned a verdict of mur der in the first degree. Broadnax shot the farmer and his niece, Miss Sallie Walker, and was in the act of plunder ing the house when arrested. Miss Walker’s injuries were slight. A spe cial term of jourt convenedjat Went worth on Monday to try the case. Feeling of antagonism which has existed in Asheville between labor organizations and certain contractors became ma ’Rest Friday when two non-union stone masons employed on the Central Methodist church received an anonymous letter saying they must cease work. Contractor Westall, who has the work in charge, says his men will not be intimidated by the letter, and that he believes he could put his hand on the man who wrote it. The letter was written on union station ery. No. 7, the afternoon south-bound local passenger train on the Southern Railway, struck a large rock weighing several hundred pounds, between High Point and ThomasviJle, Thurs day afternoon, and as the train was going at full speed, it seems a marvel like No. 97, the fast mail, when it struck a rock on the same section of track several days ago. The rock wis smashed to pieces and a violent shock was given the engine and front cars. No one was injured and no serious damage was donq. Bonnie May Jones, the fourteen- year-old girl, who ran away from Asheville last November with Marie Kuykendall and thereby created a sensation, attempted to commit sui cide in that city Friday. She swal lowed about two ounces of laudanum, but will recover. The cause of the girl’s action is attributed to the arrest of two negro women on the charge of forgery. The two woaoenjhad present ed forged checks at the Battery Park and when ipprebended said that Bon nie Jones had forged D. G. Noland’s name and asked them to get the money at the bank. The news of their arrest, and that she also was to be ar rested, reached tbe^glrl and the at tempt at suicide folllowed shortly af terward.