Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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‘The *»♦*♦♦*****♦**•*♦**«**♦***♦«*****#»«**♦*¥§?**» *• w «■ *■ *• *■ ♦ « ♦ * * REFORMER By CHARLES M. SHELDON. Mhor of Id Us Steps," Robert Hardy’s Seven Days." Etc. Copyright, 1901, by Charles M. Sheldon ♦ft********************* “May it please your honor,” be said, “this ease is purely spite work. My client has gained possession by pur chase of a tract of land that this man whispered to his client. Tom my smiled in a ghastly manner. “It is possible, of course, your honor, that the city engineer has made a mis- Gordon and his companions have been trying to buy for their own uses. They are now trying to stop the building of a model tenement by my client by swearing out this warrant, charging him with violation of a city ordinance In regard to the space required at the rear of a building lot. We don’t deny the ordinance. It explicitly states that If the building is four stories high there shall be fifteen feet between the rear end of the structure and the end of lot. But may it please your honor, my client has not violated this ordi nance. The diagram here will show that my client has left the required space provided for by the law.” The lawyer unfolded a blue print and spread it out. Gordoii looked at Tom my Bandall. There \^rs a siuile of sat isfaction on his face. “You may see, your honor, for your self. This plat is the city engineer’s. The measurements from Bowen street south on lot are ninety-eight feet in full. My client’s building, as seen by this contractor’s figures and diagram,” he opened another paper, “is exactly eighty-three feet, which is just what the law calls for.” “Will the city engineer certify to this statement?” The judge’s voice seemed softer and more refined than ever. “lie will if necessary.” “Is he present?” “We did not think it necessary, your honor. I think he is out of the city at present. But your honor can see that the print is his own ollicial measure ments. My client asks that this case be dismissed as malicious persecution.” “What have you to say, Mr. Gor don?” The judge turned his spectacled eyes toward him. “1 say he lies,” replied Gordon promptly. “Have you any proofs?’’ The voice seemed sharper, and the figure straight ened up perceptibly. Gordon hesitated. lie began to sea through Tommy Randall's scheme. It was not like Tommy Randall to run such a risk, but his whole political life had been such a mesh of lies and delib erate dishonesty that it was not be yond the region of probability for him to resort to a very dangerous and des perate trick to clear himself. Gordon had carefully measured the foundation walls of the double decker and knew that by his measurement they covered the entire lot, yet he had nothing to prove that fact except his own state ment. “Have you any proof that this state ment of Mr. Randall’s is a falsehood?” The little compan)/ rose to greet him. The voice came In an added tone of lharpness. “Nothing but my own word,” Gordon answered quietly. “Have you the measurements you made with you?” Gordon produced a paper with a rough diagram marked on It showing! the distance from the front of Bowen street to the end of the lot to be ninety- eight feet and the foundation walls of the building to measure the eame dis tance. “You’ve nothing more than this?" the Judge asked. Ills voice was again soft and bis manner meditative. “Nothing more.” John Gordon hesi tated. "Miss Andrews was with me and Mr. Ford when we took the meaa- urements. She could verify their ac curacy.” “Is she here?” “No, but she could be summoned.” “It Isn’t necessary. I’ll go down there myself and make the measurements. It la possible some mistake has been made by one side or the other. Gentlemen, I desire your attendance while the court adjourns to Bowen street.” If a bomb had exploded In the face of Tommy Randall and his lawyer, they could not have been more thoroughly dumfounded, The, lawyer haatlly take in his figures. Mistakes are possi- > ble in surveys and measurements, as can be easily shown by reference to of ficial records.” Justice Chambers made no reply. Probably a more speechless group of men never traveled in the electric cars together than that one which made the trip from the police judge's court, No. t), to the Waterside district. When Bowen street was reached, the five men walked over to the site of Tommy’s double decker. Judge Julius Chambers secured a mason’s measuring line from one of the workmen. Then ho turned some what grimly to Tommy Randall. “I suppose you can trust me to meas ure correctly?” Tommy murmured something. So did the attorney. It may be remarked In passing that it was not exactly a prayer that either man uttered. Calling one of the masons to help, Judge Chambers measured off the foundation walls. Then he put down some figures on a card. Then he straightened up and said in a peculiarly soft voice: “I get your measurements, Mr. Gor don, just ninety-eight feet. Court is ad journed to the station, and I desire the attendance of all the parties in the case.” Not a word was said by any one on the way back. Gordon was singing in his soul a song of hope. Here was a Daniel come to judgment. Whenever before in the history of that city had a public judge or any other ever done a thing like this? The spectacled, soft voiced young man suddenly loomed up before Gordon as a most imposing fig ure. Back in court again, Judge Julius Chambers, relieving the assistant judge who had taken his place in his absence, confronted the parties in the case. His voice was ringing now; no softness or meditation in his manner. “Tommy Randall, this court finds you guilty of the charge named in the war rant, and I fine you the maximum pen- alty, which is a fine of $;i00, with an added sentence of sixty day® in jail, un less the building is changed in its con struction within thirty days to conform to existing ordinances. I may add that while it is possible the city engineer may have made a mistake in his fig ures, it is my deliberate conviction that a conspiracy of a grave character has been entered into here by you, Mr. Randall, to deceive the court, and if such conspiracy can be shown to exist, as I shall do my utmost to prove, it will be a penitentiary case for both you and your attorney. Call the next case.” Tommy Randall's attorney had a face the color of dirty putty. Tommy himself glared at the judge and then at Gordon. He finally, with a great ef fort, pulled himself together and went out with his lawyer after the latter had gone through the regular formal ity of appealing the case to the court of appeals. All the way to Hope House Gordon and Ford felt like executing a dance of some kind in the car. Once in the familiar library, they related the whole affair to Miss Andrews and the de lighted settlement workers. “This means the beginning of the end for Tommy Randall,” said Ford. Miss Andrews shook her head. “Tommy appealed the case. He wdl get out there. Remember he has never yet been convicted. Today’s experience was only a scratch to him. He has not yet been seriously hurt. You do not know him as I do.” “But Chambers does not intend to Jet the other matter rest. It was a plain case of conspiracy and deliberate effort to deceive the court.” Miss Andrews shook her head again. “Tommy is an old fox. He made a mistake in not measuring Judge Cham bers aright. But now that he knows him he will be cautious. I confess I have very little hope of his ultimate conviction.” “But he will have to change the building, won’t he?” one of the young women asked. “It’s my opinion the masons will be at work tomorrow just, the same, and no change will be made. My dear, you do not know Tommy Randall nor ap preciate his power. I do, to my cost.” In the morning Gordon and Miss An drews went over to the site of the ten ement, accompanied by Ford, Miss Hammond and nearly all the workers. The masons had begun their day’s work. In answer to questions they said they had received no orders to change anything. “It’s easy to say, I told you so!” Miss Andrews calmly spoke as the little com pany slowly went back to the house. “Of course, pending the decision of the case in the court of appeals, Tommy will go on with the building, because he feels sure the decision there will re verse Chambers’ decision.” “Then I don’t see as we can do any thing,” said Gordon dejectedly. “Y’es, you’ve done something to get Tommy Randall convicted In any court at all.” “But I don’t see that the conviction hurts him any. He ought to be in jail. Instead of that, he’s going right on with his lawlessness just the same as if he hadn’t been found guilty at all,” said one of the young women. Gordon looked at Miss Andrews. She smiled sadly. “Yes,” she replied in answer to his question, “unless Judge Julius Cham bers can scotch this viper more seri ously than this I anticipate nothing ex cel)! endless delay of the case in the court of appeals. There is a case there now that was appealed by Tommy three years ago. It is a case of law’s delay, and we seem powerless to do anything.” “Somehow I have hope in Chambers. Did you see the account in the Index this morning? That sounded like him.” “I saw that.” Ford spoke up brightly. "It gave Tommy a great roast, 1 tell you.” The article referred to in the morning Index was a conspicuous column ac count of the conviction of Tommy Ran dall in public court on a charge sworn out by the Hope House people. It was a scathing article, written by some one who had dipped his pen in something more’ than a hired reporter’s ink bottle. There was a scorching vigor to it that drove the fact deep home to the reader that Tommy Randall was murdering little children in Ward 18 by his con struction contrary to law of tenements like the one that made possible the re cent tenement house tragedy. The arti cle concluded with these words: Will the people endure this sort of thing much longia-? Tommy Randall is not an abstraction. lie is 200 pounds of coarse llesh and had blood, which spits on the law and says to the people, "you mind your own business." For thirty years Tommy Randall has ruled Waterside dis trict like a tyrant. He has no office in the service of the people. He works at no trade. He is not elected to any position in the city. Yet he has grown rich from his blackmail of saloons, gambling dens, houses of vice and business firms in the district. His trade is in fiesh and blood. No slave driver ever employed more art ful means to trap his victims or more brutality in riveting on their manacles, and the horror of the whole affair is in tensified by the fact that this creature who is after all the tool of the machine that created him has actually persuaded the miserable wretches who nourish him that he is their best friend. There will be no release from this slavery until the machine that made Tommy Randall what he is has been broken in pieces by the people so that it can neither turn out any more product like him or keep in power what has already been brought into ex istence. We say, Smash the machine. The people are able to do it Will they do it? The Review also contained a good account of Tommy’s case in the police court and in addition cited in full the blue print incident and boldly de nounced the lawyer and the boss for attempt at conspiracy to deceive the court. Three other papers had more or less extended notice of the event, and all of them were unfavorable to Tom my. This was the more significant as Neither unid a word. two of the papers had been for the ad ministration. “There's hope here,” Miss Andrews said that evenjng as the little settle ment family was gathered in the fami ly library and the accounts in the dif ferent papers were being reviewed. “Maybe this is the tirst murmuring of the people. God grant”— The bell rang, and a visitor was an nounced. Mr. Julius Chambers came in, and the little company around the table rose to greet him. The slight, pale faced figure with the gold rimmed specta cles was at that moment the most in teresting personality, next to their own head, in all the city. “I’ve had in mind to come here for some time,” he said to Miss Andrews when they were all seated again. “I want to know you and your work at first hand. Unless I am mistaken the storm center of the next campaign will be somewhere in this vicinity.” “Will you be anywhere near the cen ter of that center?” asked Gordon, lean ing over and looking at Chambers in tensely. “By the grace of God, Mr. Gordon, I want to be as near the center of it as l can get, and nothing would please me more than to have your company.” Gordon tingled all over. He arose and put out his hand. The Judge took It. Neither said a word, but from that minute the two men were kuit to each other. They sat late that night around the library table, the most enthusiastic, In terested and in some ways the most unselfish group of men and women in that city. Gordon and Chambers laid out a plan of campaign. It included the use of every moral and Christian force In the city. And the message they were to bring to the people was the message of murdered childhood, the double decker for a background, the political boss a necessary result of politics that lived on its spoils and cared no more for humanity’s loss and ruin than any machine cares for the dust that whirls through Its mechanism, to be blown out over the world or trod under foot to rise and be swept again into the rush of the wheels that with metallic heart- le.ssncss grind on, doing the will of their maker, but caring for no man’s soul. It seemed to them all during the weeks that followed that the city was awakening to some stern reality of its moral obligations. As the young judge had said that night when he appeared at Hope House, "The hour of the peo ple is at hand.” He himself, sometimes alone, oftener with Gordon or Fal mouth, night after night addressed great mass meetings held under the di rection of church or temperance or mu nicipal reform bodies. Falmouth and a score of other ministers organized the young people into campaign material. The pulpit began to speak out. The pa pers contained columns of very free ad vertising of Tommy Randall and his methods. Chambers’ voice spoke through an astonishing number of edi- torials and other articles, exposing long standing cases of awful iucompetency and fraud in the city government. The storm of the people's fury rose and grew with every night's gathering, and the storm center was literally the Wa terside district. Under the leadership of Gordon, Chambers itnd Falmouth hundreds of business men visited the tenement houses and saw for the first time the horrors that were intensified by the machine. Hundreds of them were tak en by Miss Andrews or Gordon to Tommy Randall’s double decker, which had gone t eadlly up through all the rising of the storm, and the lawlessness of his acts was a visible illustration of the whole situation. Miss Andrews had written to Mrs. Captain George Etiingham telling her the situation, and that old lady had replied: “Use the first hundred thousand if necessary in carrying on the campaign and the second also. I will try to find some more if you only succeed in cleaning out Mr. Thomas Randall.” So the settlement workers thanked God and plunged into the thick of the fight as it grew in power, for every saloon interest, every gambling hell, every house of evil fame, fought for Us miserable life. For once almost like magic, to the astonishment of evil, all the good of the city appeared to be united, on its knees praying, on its feet working. And as the campaign drew near its climax every dark and hideous viper that had fattened in the security of years of protection from the city crawled out of its hole and showed its ugly and poisonous front, rearing it against an assault that for the first time in history was really doing something to vindicate the name of the stern righteousness of God In men. One morning John Gordon, going by Tommy Randall's double decker, found It deserted of workmen. It. had gone up three stories and a half. When Miss Andrews heard the news, she said: “That means that Tommy is In need of campaign funds. He has spent a fortune already. If that dumb bell is never finished”— “We will let it stand as a monument of victory,” said Gordon. Two evenings later Gordon, Fal mouth, Chambers and Miss Andrews went together to a monster mass meet ing. All four of them spoke. Miss An drews was received with a great dem onstration. When Chambers spoke, it was noticeable that hundreds of men aud women representing the wealth and fashion of the city were there, and that, although he uttered the most scathing rebuke of the selfish wealthy people who shunned all civic responsi bility, they listened with positive ad miration to a speech that was a torrent of eloquence, for Chambers was an aristocrat himself and could not be re pudiated by any of the city’s most cultured or refined circles. Mrs. Pen rose was present that night with Luella and Archie. They all heard Miss An drews, with genuine surprise at her ability. Chambers provoked their ap plause even while he angered them by his prophet’s denunciation of their wicked selfishness. Falmouth’s speech was a calm but earnest appeal to the conscience, ami every hearer was more honestly thoughtful for it Then Gor don rose. He had gained amazingly in the pow er to address a great crowd. He sim ply told the story of the tenements out of his own experience. He made no plea; he uttered no denunciation; sim ply told how childhood was tortured and crushed and stifled and murdered in the double deckers. His story was the story of childhood’s rights. It made a tremendous impression. Mrs. Penrose bent her head, aud her lips whispered the litany: “O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon me.” Luella never took her eyes off John Gordon’s face. As he drew near the end she noted the extreme exhaustion of his whole bearing. And as he fin ished and sat down she observed Miss Andrews, who was seated behind Gor don, lean forward and ask him some thing. Then as the chairman of the meeting was making some announcement for another gathering Luella saw Cham bers and Falmouth suddenly rise and go over to Gordon Just as he swayed and would have fallen. The two friends caught him and quickly carried him off the stage. Miss Andrews followed them, and the great audience began to go out Luella hesitated. Mrs. Penrose had not seen anything. She had not been looking. “I think Mr. Gordon was ill,” Luella said. “Shall we wait and Inquire?” Mrs. Penrose asked quickly. “I’ll go up and see about it,” Archie suddenly volunteered. He went up and crossed the stage and disappeared. When he came back nftar a few minutes, he said that Gor don had been removed to Hope House, and no one seemed to know Just what the trouble was. “Nothing serious, I think,” Mrs. Pen rose remarked. “We’ll telephone down when we get home.” Word was sent back by one of the settlement workers in answer to Mrs. Penrose’s inquiry,that Gordon was ill, but it was not possible yet to say how seriously. Mrs. Penrose sent word to Luella and added that if Luella wished she would go down to Hope House with her next day and inquire. Luella replied that she did not think it neces sary, and Mrs. Penrose did not press the matter. But three days later Luella was in the drawing room when a visitor was announced. "Miss Andrews from Hope House,” said the servant. Luella rose to meet her as she en tered. Both women were very grave. Luella trembled as she motioned Grace Andrews to a seat. This story will be continued in next Friday’s issue of The Ledger. Improvinff Upon Nature. “What on earth are you doing in here, Tommy?” asked his mother, peer ing into the darkness of the henhouse, whence had been coming for five min utes or more a series of dismal squawk- Ings. accompanied by a loud flapping of wings. “I am trying,” said Tommy, who seemed to be doing something with a knotted rope, “to fix this rooster so his alarm won’t go off before 7 o’clock to morrow morning.”—Current Literature. IluHlneas. Merchant — Did you find out what that gentleman wanted? New Clerk—No, but I found out what he didn’t want. Merchant—What? How dare you— New Clerk—And I sold it to him.— Catholic Standard and Times. lienellls of Foreign Travel. “How did your husband enjoy his visit to the Alhambra?” inquired the friend of the family. “He was tickled most to death,” re plied Mrs. Guswell. “He killed a snake there.” Know AVImt He Wanted. Politician—I’ll do what I can to get work for you. Citizen—I don't want work; what I’m after is a city job.—Exchange. A Sure Tiling. It is said that nothing is sure except death and taxes, but that is not al together true. Dr. King’s New’ Dis covery for Consumption is a sure cure for all lung and throat troubles Thousands can testify to that. Mrs C. B. YanMetre, of Shepherd- town. W. Va., says, “I had a severe case of Bronchitis and for a year tried everything I heard of. but got no re lief. One bottle of Dr. King’s New Discovery then cured me absolutely.” It’s infallible for Croup, Whooping- Cough, Grip, Pneumonia and Con sumption. Try it. It’s guaranteed by Cherokee Drug Co , duggists. Trial bottles free. Reg. sizes oOc, .$1. A husband would know a whole lot more about his wife’s figure than he does if he were her dressmaker. CureM Kc/eiiiu, I telling Humors, I’imples .and Carbuncles. Cost Nothing to Try. B. B. B. (Botanic Blood Balm) is a certain and sure cure for eczema, itching skin, humors, setbe, scales, watery blisters, pimples, aching bones or joints, boils, carbuncles, prickling poin in the skin, old eating sores, ul cers, etc. Botanic Blood Balm cures the worst aud most deep-seated cases b? enriching, purifying and vi talizing the blood, thereby giving a healthy blood supply to the skin. Heals every sore and gives the rich glow of health to the skin. Builds up the broken down body and makes the blood red and nourishing. Especially advised for chronic, old cases that doctors, patent medicines and hot springs fail to cure. Druggists $1, with complete direction for home cure. To prove B. B B cures sam ples sent free and prepaid by writing Blood Balm Co. Atlanta Ga. Describe trouble, and free medical advice sent in sealed letter. A woman wants her love measured out to her just the way a man wants his salary paid him, regularly and in full. A Little Karl KUer now and tfien, at bedtime will cure constipation, biliousness and liver troubles. DeWitt’s Little Early Risers are the famous little pills that cure by arousing the secretions, moving the bowels gently, yet effectually, and giving such tone and strength to the glands of the stomach and liver that the cause of the trouble is re moved entirely, and if their use is continued for a few days, there will be no return of the complaint. Sold by Cherokee Drug Co. There are few things that can be more shockingly immodest than mod esty when it is off its guard Towelx Without Cost. 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 & Co. To the School Teachers of the County. The regular examination for teachers will lie held at the court house on Friday, May the 22nd. Hereafter there will lie no public ex amination in • Maj), but the two regular ones will be held in Feb. and Oct. J. L. Walkkr, 5-12-15-19 Co. Supt. of Schools Women as Well as Men Are Made Miserable by Kidney Trouble. •: -rs Kidney trouble preys upon the mind, dis courages and lessens ambition: beauty, vigor and cheerfulness soon disappear when the kid neys are out of order or diseased. Kidney trouble has become so prevalent that it is not uncommon for a child to be bom ^ afflicted with weak kid neys. If the child urin ates too often, if the urine scalds the flesh or if, when the child reaches an age when it should be able to control the passage, it is yet afflicted with bed-wetting, depend upon it. the cause of the difficulty is kidney trouble, and the first step should be towards the treatmerft'of these important organs. This unpleasant trouble is due to a diseased condition of the kidneys and bladder and not to a habit as most people suppose. Women as well as men are made mis erable with kidney and bladder trouble, and both need the same great remedy. The mild and the immediate effect of Swamp-Root is soon realized. It is sold by druggists, in fifty- ■:ent and one dollar izes. You may have a sample bottle by mail ree, also pamphlet tell- Home of Swamp-Root, ng all about it, including many of the housands of testimonial letters received rom sufferers cured. In writing Dr. Kilmer l Co., Binghamton, N. Y., be sure and mention this paper. Dr. Woolley's PAINLESS PIUM AND Whiskey Cure r— — SENT FREE to ar. users of morphine opium, laudanum, elixir of opium, co caine or whiskey, a large book of par ticulars on home or sanatorium treat ment. Address. B. M. WOOLLEY CO., 1M N. Pryor Street, Atlanta, Georgia. F U R Silberman Bros. Largest Fur House in America Branches All Over Europe. Hiuhest ensh price paid f r all kinds of raw furs. Hold your shipment until you net our price li-t. /; ,//,■ for it to-iiur. We mail it free. EILBERr.’AW BROS., 122to 12SMldiiy in St.. CiHc. f/0,l!l. aw-.w.-raj ."/jonaii ICE AND MEATS. I am now prepared to deliver Ice and Meats together or separate. I am still selling some fine Reef and Fork, and my Sausage is double ground, fresh each day. Domestic Fruits, Lemons, (iranges, Bananas, Country Produce when it can be had. Fresh i’ish Fridays and Sat urdays. Canned Goods of all varieties. Heavy and Fancy Groceries, Cigars and Tobacco. Fat Cattle and Green Hides wanted. Mr. B. F. ( Ireen takes a delight in wait ing on the ladies. Come or call ’phone No. 60. Burnett brick block. Yours for business, Iw W. IVICOUIIVIV. I also sell fine Kansas City Beef. KIDNEY DISEASES are the most fatal of all dis eases. CftICY’Q kidney cure isi FULL I 0 DuaraM Remedy or money refunded. Contains remedies recognized by emi nent physicians as the best for Kidney and Bladder troubles. PRICE 50c. and $1.00. FOLEYSHONEMAR for children! safe, surm. No opiatoo Things Wo Liko Best Often Disagree With Ue Because we overeat of them. Iadt> fM m follows. But there’s a way to esotpe such consequences. A dose of % good digestant like Kodol will rellv* job at once. Your etomaoh Is simply too weak to digest what you eat. That's all indigestion Is. Kodol digests tha food without ths stomach's aid. Thus ths stomach rests while the body is strength ened by wholesome food. Dieting is «*• necessary. Kodol digests any kind of good food. Strengthens and Invigorates. Kodol Makes Rich Rod Blood. Prepaid only by E. C. D*W irr A Oo.. Ohlcas* Zae O bottle contains 2 H tlmee the Me. eHSk IT Buy Your Fruit Trees, Vines, Etc. From the reliable KILLIAN NURSERY. Represented in this County this year by I). S. Hoover, a young man in whom we have full confidence, and we assure patrons that they will be honestly dealt with by him. VV’e have a large stock of trees of all kinds growing this yea*. PRICES REASONABLE. VV. L. KILLIAN & SON, R. F. D. No. 1. Newton, N. C. FOLEYSBONEMAR ■tops «la« eootfls asad IsMtln UueOn