Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE LARGEST Circulation of Any Newspaper in the Fifth Congressional District of S. C. The Ledger. SEMI-WEEKLY ..rniiLIfHP.D TUESDAY AND FHIDAY WE GUARANTEE The Reliability of Every Adver tiser Who Uses the Col umns of This Paper. 'vipwspaper in all that the Word Implies and Devoted to the Pest Interests of the People of Cherokee County. ESTABLISHED FEB. 16, 1894 ^GAFFNEY, S. C , TUESDAY. FEBRUARY 16. 1904. f 1.00 A YEAR. 9 It* l * 4 [4\ A CRIMSON STAIN ON CHEROKEE SOIL THE BODY OF GEORGE BROWN FOUND AT LAST. Dead 3cdy of the Man Who Disap peared a Week Ago Found Covered With Wounds—Coroner's Inquest. Out on the Union road, about four miles from Gaffney, a little white house sits on the right hand side of the road. There are no evidences of the ultra rich in sight, but everything looks neat and clean, both within and without, and tho passerby would at once come to the conclusion that the occupants were a happy, contented and well-to-do people. A little to the left if this hous and somewhat to the rear, perhaps two or three hundred yards away, is another little white house. Further on down the road, about half a mile and off the main highway is another humble dwelling. The houses were peopled with what we have been pleased to term the yeo manry of Cherokee. The once happy family circles of these homes are now broken -and in despair. In the first and last of these houses two good women, with aching hearts and troub led brains and tear-stained cheeks pace the floor or sit in the chair with an almost vacant stare coming from their eyes. The other is now tenant less, because the widow has taken her fatherless child and gone to a neigh bor’s, declining to remain upon the premises of the man who she believes tc. be the author of her widowhood. Last Friday’s Ledger contained the exclusive news of the disappearance of George Brown. For some unac countable reason—perhaps it was the Miss N. Thompson, Stenographer and General Office Assist ant. instinct that ttiey possessed—there were those who believed from the first that George Brown had met with a violent death. It was, therefore, no surprkt^to many when the news reached Gaffney Saturday evening that the dead body of George Brown had been found and that there were evi dences of foul play. Sheriff Thomas and Coroner Vinesett at once repaired to the scene. It was so late that It was decided to postpone the Inquest until Sunday morning, but Sheriff Thomas arrested J. W. Allen and I. W. Phillips, the two men in whose company the dead man was last seen when alive. It is difficult to get at the real truth of the unfortunate affair. The two white men surviving are naturally reticent, and the negroes who know all about the affair are equally retic ent, through fear or a desire to shield their white friends. Certain It is that George Brown was stabbed to death last Saturday night a week ago. Parties who took part In the affray aver—and there is no question of the fact—that all hands were drunk. It is said that Phillips and Allen were so drunk that they didn't know what they had done—drunk on dispensary liquor. Made drunk by a product sold by the State of South Carolina, and now to be tried for their lives for hav ing engaged in something the State • gave them license—in fact encouraged them to do. Oh, what a shame! What a shame! When Allen reached home he missed his team and enquired of Mrs. Allen if it had come. Mrs. Allen replied that it had not and he went out to look for it. He didn’t find it and spent the en- - tire night running around over the neighborhood searching for his team, making at least one trip to Gaffney. It seems that Philips went home and it is presumed went to bed and to slep. Allen’s team was not found un til the next day—Sunday—when some one discovered H near a saw mill, a quarter of a mile from his house, and - within a few hundred yards of where the dead body of the victim of the drunken brawl was found a week later. Sunday morning no trace of Brown was to be had. The marauders re membered the brawl, but claimed to have no remembrance of the cutting, so they circulated the report that Brown had evidently got frightened and run away. They told bis wife that he had probably gone to North Carolina, his former home, and sha accepted the story in good faith and began to make ipquiries. Matters were In this State until Saturday af ternoon, when the body was accident ally found by a negro boy who was out looking for pine. The intense cold weather had done much towards keeping the body in a most excellent state of preservation. There were evidences of a wagon track through the cotton patch and right be side where the body lay. Indicating that It had been hauled and deposited there'. True, the tracks looked old, but they were perfectly discernible, and it must be remembered that this sec- j tion was visited by a heavy rain Sun- ! day afternoon a week ago, and this i storm would have done much to ob- litefat any traces of a tell-tale wagon ! track. It is not the province of a newspa per to express an opinion in a matter of this kind, for two reasons, viz: Its information, on which Its opinion might be based, may possibly be erro neous, and its opinion might influence in some degree the minds of the men who will sit in final judgment on the case. Therefore, we give the account of the inquest as held Sunday, it being taken from the evidence adduced thereat. Coroner Vinesett empaneled the fol lowing jury: W. C. Lipscomb, foreman, Frank Carr, W. A. Turner, John H. Bridges, W. R. Parks, B. P. Paris, R. S. Porter, Collis Kirby, Felix Spencer, Rufus Nance, Geo. Petty, J. A. Hal ford. The following is the testimony: Cal Montgomery colored, being sworn, says: “I live in Cherokee county on J. A. Carroll’s land, near the place of in quest. I came along Saturday night, the Gth, from town, and found Geo. Brown and Isaac Phillips and Jim Allen laying in a ditch above Mr. Bob Garner’s house. They seemed to be in a fuss; were cursing. I heard Mr. Phillips, and knew his voice, and asked ‘‘What are you doing out there, Mr. Phillips?” He said, “That’s old Cal. Come take me home. These G— d— s— of b— have been trying to kill me all night.” I and Wilson Montgomery got out of our wagon and went to Mr. Phillips, Mr. Allen and Mr. Brown. I caught Mr. Phillips by the hand, struck some matches and found his hat, struck some more and found Mr. Al len’s hat. In striking the matches we found all three with knives in their hands. I told Mr. Phi ips to put his knife in his pocket and I would take him home. He put it in his pocket and I helped him In my wagon. George Brown climd up into my wagon Then we all—myself, Wilson and Mr. Allen , iwalking. We got down opposite Leper Thompson’s. Leper and Lessie Cal- ahan, Cora Calahan and Henry Carter came out to the road to get some things I was bringing from town for them. Then Geo. Brown got out of the wagon and went off on the right hand side of the road from the wagon and I never saw him again. I never saw him any more after that. I came on home —walking. I don’t know that any of them were cut. I never heard any one holler like they were in distress. I don’t recollect who helped Geo. rut of the wagon. I never saw Mr. Allen’s vagon. I saw Mr. Allen with his knife out where we had the light and he ran at some one with a threatening i lanner, but do not know who it was. They were all drinking. Mr. Allen was on the snme side of the road that George got out on. Mr. Allen was cursing, but don’t recollect what he was saying or who he was addressing his remarks to. I never saw Isaac Phillips cut at anyone. He Jumped out of my wagon with his knife in hand, but did not see him cut at anyone. I got out and put Isaac in the yagon. He was laying dawn. Had his knife in his right handf. When Mr. Brown got out of the wa,gon he went off the rigbt-of the road, with the remark, “Hell fire, just l<tok at the women!” Mr. Phillips said: “G— d— it, George has been trying to run it over me all pight, and I am going to cut his head off.” I did not sipe Allen strike at Brown with his ?mife. I seen him s.rike at ecre 0 oife, but don’t know who It was. TlWe was no blood in the wagon where (George rode. Sun day morning, aftyer George did not show up, Mr. Phillips and myself ex amined my wagon To see if there was any blood, but theife was none. I led Mr. Allen on home* * and never got out any more until I reajehed home. When Mr. Allen got homo be went out to ward the stable. ILcalled Mrs. Allen and told her Mr. ^Men was there, and drunk. She ask^ where was the wagon and the mule. Mrs. Allen be gan to grumble, and asked where George was, and I told her he had gone out across the cotton patch. I don’t know whether George was cut then or not. I did not see any cut. Luther said George come into the road behind and asked us to stop the wag on and let him get in, but I did not hear him, and we didn’t stop. Mr. Phillips came on to my house and stayed some time. Mr. Allen did not come to my house until Sunday morn ing directly after sun up, when he asked me if he had cut anyone, and if I knew where George was. I told him I did not know. Mr. Allen was not present when Mr. Phillips and myself examined the wagon. I found the men about 400 yards from Mr. Allen’s house, between Mr. Allen’s bouse and town. It was at Mr. Phillips’ sug gestion we examined the wagon. We were coming in this direction when Mr. Brown got out of the wagon, and he went down across the field. I nev er heard Mr. Brown complain about being cut. When Mr. Allen struck at someone with his knife somebody else Jerked him back, but I do not know who it was. It was a damp, drizzly night, and pretty dark. If a wagon had been standing on the side of the road I might have passed it and not seen it. I don’t know what time of night it was, but suppose it was be tween 8 and 9 o'clock. Mr. Allen was so drunk he-staggered, and I led him up to his porch. Wilson Montgomery, colored, being duly sworn, says: "I live on W. A. Jefferies & Co.’s place, in Cheroke county. As I and Cal, Luther Robert, on and Nile Reed came on down tiie road and reached a point near Mr. Garner’s house we heard somebody cursing. They were giving one another the d— lie. We got opposite them. I said there’s somebody fighting, and Cal. said Mr. Phillips is one of them. Mr. Phillips askeif if that was Cal’s wagon. Cal said “Yes.” Mr. Phillips said, “Come and get me and take me home. The d— s— of b— are trying to kill me.” Cal got out to get him and he (Mr. Phillips) started towards the wagon and fell. Cal asked me to get out and help him put Mr. Phillips in the wagon, which I did. Georg Brown said, “G— d— it, 1 want to go home, too.” Cal told him to get in. As ho was gelling yito the wagon lie said lie had dropped his knife and lost his hst. 1 then struck some matches. All three of them had their knives in their hands. We couldn’t find his knife or hat. 1 did not get in the wagon any more. All the balance got in the wag on but me, and I walked on behind. The wagon drove off and we came on down to a little bridge near Mr. Al len Jefferies’ house. Right opposite Leper Thompsons’ house, we met 1-far, ry Carter, Cales Calahan, Cora Cala han, Wallenford Calahan, Amos Ship pey and Leper Thompson and Inez Thompson. They came down to get some goods we had in the wagon for them. Mr. Allen got. out there,-sat down on the embankment of the road. Mr. Phillips did not get, out. Cal was giving tho Thompson crowd their goods out of the wagon. Mr. Phillips had his knife in his hand and would cut at them. Cal took hold of him and held him until they got their things. Meanwhile Brown said 'he wanted to get out, and did get out o i the right hand side. He asked where Mr. Allen was. Someone told him Mr. Allen was sitting on the bank, and he (B) went to him. 1 turned to get 100 lbs. of sugar out of the wagon. 1 heard someone say, “Lordy!” twice. When I turned from TIDIN8S FROM HEATHEN A MISSIONARY WRITES OF CON DITIONS THERE. Effect of the Russo-Japan War on Chi- na- H si st. umiliated and The C Helpless to Res Cbinkiang, China, Jan. 4, 1904. Ed. Ledger:—Almost daily now we ! :ire looking for the declaration of w r ar between Russia and Japan. Of course : you will all know by the time you get tins whether there has been a dclara- tion or not. When we are singing the j notes begun by the angel voice on the hills of Bethlehem at this Xmas time, j “Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men,’ it seems curious to see the nations that profess to lie following the “Prince of Peace,” armed to the teeth, with war clouds hovering over the I world, war clouds that may cause the whole civilized and uncivilized wold I to plunge into a great whirling vortex I of furious fighting, with death follow ing at the heels of the dogs of war, J. nd widow’s tears, and accumulated sorrow. Two great powers, an East ‘■n an I a Western, are shaking their fi ds at. each other across the Yellow sea, and England, France, Germany and America are looking on with more | or less interest. Let us hope that the “Prince of Peace” will yet overcome. Since 1 came first to China ten years ago there have been three wars in this part of the world. The first was t io war between Japan and China. It "/as fought mostly in Corea and Man churia. The Japanese were every where victorious. They planned their THE LEDGER’S FAITHFUL AND EFFICIENT FORCE. 1. —Ed Haines, a compositor and carrier. 2. —D. A. Thomas, the local man; a veritable encyclopedia in local affairs. 3. —Nathaniel Ilurgess, in charge of the ad and job department. ^4-—Earnest Humphries, an all round worker. • 5.—“The Old Man,” who has gathered about him an able corps of assistants. * 6.—J. Luther Sherrill, “Flaw Picker,” our efficient machinist, pressman and engineer. 7-—Wm. A. Darby, assistant ad and job man. 8.—A. W. Griffith, the emamieuces, proof-reader and bookkeeper. * 9.—Floyd L. Baker, linotype operator. the wagen I had the sugar on my shoulder, I seen Brown stagger up the embankment, and stagger. He got up and went ou, sorter angling with the road and sorter In the cotton patch. I turned and went on up to Leper’s house with the sugar. After we got up there and this other crowd was Starting home, we heard Brown cry ing and cursing. He said he wanted to see his old mother one more time. We stood there In the yard and lis tened at him until he got mighty near to Mr. Allen’s house. We then went into the house and shut the door. I stayed there about 1% hours. I then went home. When I got near a lumber pile on the side of the road on Mr. Horace Lipscomb's place, I saw light going up to Brown’s house. I didn’t know who It was. When I got foment Mr. Allen's house the door was open and 1 saw a light. There was a good fire In the house. I went on home and eat my supper and went to bed shortly afterward. Sunday morning, before day, Mr. Allen came to my house and asked me if I had seen his wagon. I told him I had not. He asked if I had seen it Saturday night. I told him, no, sir. I went back to bed. Just about good daylight he came (CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR) I own campaign, managed their own ; nodera warships—the first, by the | way, that had been used in actual war- ;are in any extensive war. They were everywhere successijL and humiliated China. They explotror the theory of the “Yellow Peril,” as it was called, •t was shown that China was entirely weak, aud that she was good prey for iny who liked to come. Since that war the foreign nations have been slic ing off bits of this big cheese, little by little, and every step has beqn one of humiliation to China. She lost Tai Wan to Japan. She lost her -sover eignty over Corea: she lost Port Ar thur to Russia, and has since lost tho great province of Manchuria: she lost Wal Hal; and the French are on the south, the English in the feentre on the Long river, or Yang Isz Kiang, the Germans In Shantung, where they are building a railway, and the Russians on the north. Little JMPan, China’s ancient enemy, started the ball to roll ing, and all these humiliations culmi nated In the great effort of 1900, when the Chinese undertook to throw off the power of the foreigners. This was a war growing out of the previous condi tion of things. China came out of that worse than ev£r. The foreigner’s hold is stronger~lh|an ever, and China has much less chance to raise herself from this humiliation. Now comes another situation worse than any for China in some ways. Russia takes the province of Manchuria, which is the home of the ruling dynasty, of China, and China is perfectly helpless to re sist, ami must depend on her neighbor for help. In fact, though China has more to do with it than any one else, she is ha r lly considered in discuss ing the cv stion. The third war which occurred in this part of the UnitedE occurred in this part of the world was Phlllipplnes. That does not concern j China except indirectly. The Chinese 1 the war of the United States with the | world. They are not allowed to enter the United States. They are kept out 1 of Canada, and most other countries do not waat them. In their own coun try the Chinese do not lack the ability but they lack morals, and while they have good moral teachings, the. e lack authority—such authority as is found in the doctrine of One Supreme God, who is the judge of all who break the moral law. China is a beautiful coun try. It has a quiet, peaceful popula tion, but the whole country lacks con science, based on a knowledge of God. It seems a little curious for the pres ent writer to be able to look back for 1 'T years in China, but so it is. and so life goes by, and nations and men must I soon look back on the world which has j passed away. During these ten years I many very important things have hap pened in the world. One of the great things is, that iftir own land has begun to colonize, as all great growing na tions have done, and the United States lias got a footing on the Eastern side of the world, and Is now trying to rule Asiastics. Another great thing has been the birth of the Japanese nation. That little island kingdom has fallen in line with the great powers and is now a free and independent nation, an ally oi Great Britain, a great naval and military power. Japan has been one of. the marvels of modern times. She now at this writing stands on the eve of war with a great European pow er, Russia, who single handed at one time fought England, France and Tur key in the Crimea. Japan has acted with marvelous wisdom and caution and dignity. Another great thing has happened in the last ten years. The whole world has been unified, or rather brought into one neighborhood, as it has not been since the days of Adam and his immediate children. I was looking at an account of the trav els of Marco Polo the other day. who made a visit to China in the 13th cen tury, ,and who saw a great deal of the country, and wrote an account of his travels and took them back to Europe. Europe took his accunts to be just fancy tales, but we now know how true his description^ were. At that time Chl- na..and t»e east was an unknown land in Em<bpsfc>*We p.rohaU’v owe the .dis covery of America to the stories brought back from the east by Marco Polo. The dream of Columbus has last come true, and the world is round and is a big neighborhood. In the campaign to Peking all the great na tions of the world were gathered to gether and worked and counselled and fought side by side. Hathen and Mos lem and Hindfoo ^.nd Christian and Buddhist are mingling and comming ling, all the nations and tongues and tribes, black and white and brown and yellow are mixing and Intermixing/ WHI all these elements tx without an explosion? Who kncw». Walls are no use now for Ma v conl has made It possible to talk over the walls, and across the seas. There is a Marcont- graph from the legations Inside the walls of Pklng down to the sea. Men are finding out that all men are of one blood under heaven, even as Paul said. The essentials of human nature are the same in all. Heathen and old long exploded theories of life and doctrine j are finding their way back to the | Christian lands and are often accepted | as new. But meanwhile the gentle message of love and forgiveness and eternal life in Christ is finding its way to every nook and corner, of the world. Some hearts are set to sing ing the songs of Zion and are bowing the knee in every nation and among every people. Christ must and will rule in the end. W. E. Crocker. CHEROKEE DRUG CO. SUC CESSFUL. IRE LEDGER ON ITS TENTH BIRTHDAY ITS EARLY STRUGGLES AND ITS STEADY GROWTH. It Now Stands Without a Peer Among Semi-Wreky Newspapers—Its New Linotype Just Installed. In 1893 the writer was employed as foreman of the Columbia State. Act ing in that capacity he had under his supervision the entire mechanical op erations of that paper. His duties brought him into close contact with the business office. Frequent visits to that department led to an inti macy with the men engaged therein, and caused him to take liberties that he would not otherwise have engaged in. Being away from home he finally drifted info the habit of going into the business office in the early morning hours Eind writing letters to the dear ones at home, using the office type writer for that purpose. One morning about 4 o’clock after completing the task of making up the paper and see ing that it had gone to press, he went into the office for the purpose of writ ing a letter. He was tired and weary of the toil incident to the night work on a daily morning paper. Lying be side the typewriter was a letter. It was spread out. With no purpose of prying into the private affairs of any one he picked up the letter and read It. Was It a breach of etiquette? We hope not. The letter stated in effect that the citizens of Gaffney contem plated organizing a stock company for the purpose of publishing a newspaper and doing a general printing business. Miss Viola Merckk. Stenographer. Inanoad Dr. Howard Company to Hake Special Price. After a great deal of effort and oor- eepoodence. the Cherokee Drag Co., the popalar droggiata, bare succeed ed lo getting the Dr. Howard Co. to make a special half-price iotroductory offer'oo the regular fifty cent size of their celebrated specific for the core of cooatipation and dyspepsia. Dr. Howard's specific has been so remarkably successful io curiog con stipation, dyspepsia sod sit liver troubles, that the Cherokee Drug Co. are wllilog to return the price paid io every case where it does not give relief. 80 great ia the demand for this specific, that the Obetokee Drag Co. have been able to secure only a limited supply, aud ever? one who is troubled with dyspepsia, oonstipatiou or liver trouble should call upon them st once, or send 25 cents, sad get sixty doses of the best medicine ever made, on this special balf-orioe offer, with tbelr personal guarantee to re fund the money If It doee not cure. Cold Wnvo Coining. If you have Rydale’i Elixir In tbe house when a cold wave li coming, you need not fear attacks o* Bron chitis, Pneumonia, Coughs, Colds, eto. Bydale’s Elixir taken when at tack begins never falls to obeok the progress of tbe disease. Hubscrlbe for The Ledger. Bin ibarpens sorrow. The idea at once occurred that here was an opportflnlty to get relief from night work. After completing the let ter home a letter was addressed to the writer of the epistle that lay be side the typewriter—who was pone other than Mr. A. N. Wood. As a re sult a correspondence was commenced which finally culminated in an en gagement. The salary received at that time was $23.35 a week. The salary at which the new position was taken was $50 a month—Just about one-half. It was agreed that the writer was to take $400 of the stock of the proposed company, and, being practically with out funds, he agreed to pay $15 a month on that stock until paid for. About a month previous to the time set for the starting of the new enter prise he resigned his position as fore man of The State. Hardly had he done so before he began to regret it. The ideiL'vbf giving up a $100 a mouth job in a city for a $50 a month job In & village! What could a man be think ing of who would do such a thing? Af ter brooding over the matter a while he approached Mr. A. E. Gonzales and askeJ If he would secure for him a railroad pass to Washington. He had fully made up his mind to desert the new enterprise. The pass was secured and away to the national cahital he went, as fast as steam would carry him. Arriving there it was only the matter of a few hours until he secured a Job in a printing office at a salary of $20 a week, and he went to work at once. But he was not content. Some thing—a still, small voice—told him he was not doing the proper thing. True, the men in Gaffney who had en gaged his services were not depend ent upon him. Neither did they have any claim other than that he had given his word. His word! That was all he had. No capital, no reputation, no no toriety. Nothing but his simple word that he would come. True, he might stay In Washington or go further and nothing would ever be said of his bro ken promise a month hence! But was It right to break a promise, was the question. Was it right to break & promise, even for a better salary? No! That was the decision he reached af ter three days’ deliberation, so going to tbe proprietor of the establishment S e told the gentleman all, and of his etermination to go back and carry ut his part of the agreement. The re- |>ly was: “Well, I don’t know, hut if you think best perhaps you had better go. I hate to give you up. I like your m 'TK m