Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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r two negroes slay " threenear parks Claude Ferguson and Jim Davis the Perpetrators. TKLY SKIP COUNTRY Toney Anderson, Idn McCoy nnd Alex Roy Meet Their Death In Cold i Blooded, Brutal Manner. fMf'A triple killing, the commission of which embrnces some very unusual circumstances, occurred in the neigh borhood of Parks station, three miles east of the city, Saturday night, when Toney Anderson was murdered in the cabin home of Ida McCoy Nelson, the negress herself mortally wounded, dy ing a few hours later, and Alex Ray, living a mile distant, wns called to his front door and shot through the body, falling dead in bis tracks. (Maude Ferguson, as the arch exe cutioner, nnd Jim Davis, both negro farm hands living in the snme com munity, are charged with the crimes. They fled the country Saturday nigh: and, although the sheriff, Iiis deputies and special officers, with the assistance of numerous citizens have put forth every effort to apprehend them, up until yesterday at noon the fugitives were still at large. It was reported that two negroes believed to have been the parties wanted, were seen near Cross Anchor, in Spartanburg county, Sunday afternoon. Deputy Sheriff Culbei tson and Rural Policeman Sulli van spent Monday in that country, but were unable to trace the negroes any farther. Yesterday Sheriff Owings nnd his deputy took another trip in search of the murderers. The cause for the triple tragedy is said to have been the existence of trou j. ble too common among the colored r race. Ferguson is known to have been insanely jealous of the McCoy woman and her daughter. All parties were Involved in one way or another, so it is said. Ferguson has a pretty had record. Only a few weeks ago he was liberated from jail jitter the settle ment, at the instance Ol his brother, of a charge ol* highway robbery, the brother referred to having been the alleged victim. For more than a year Ferguson and the McCoy woman had been on bad terms. In order to gain admission to her house, .Ilm Davis accompanied Fer guson Saturday night. Both were arm ed, Ferguson with a single barred shot gun, his accomplice with a pistol. Ida McCoy and two of her smaller children had retired, Anderson, who took bis meals at her house, and Rosa, the grown daughter, being up when Davis rapped on the door. Rosa opened the door and Instantly Ferguson and Davis rushed in, the former leading. With out a word he raised bis gun nnd shot Anderson as he sat in a chair at a small table over ngainst the wall. De liberately reloading the gun he then fired into the woman as she attempted to raise herself iu bed. "With both hands practically shot off and other wise wounded, she managed to make her escape from tho cabin and ran toward the house of iter brother. Af ? ter proceeding about fifty yards, both ! men in pursuit, she was shot down In the road and left for dead. Then the murderers returned to the cabin nnd finished Anderson, shooting him again in the left side. The negress was tak en to her brother's where she lingered untih about midnight. She was ration al for some time and made a Statement concerning the affair which was cor roborated by the testimony of Rosa as given at the Inquest, held Sunday. Roth statements as to how it happened have been given above, substantially, The scene of tho double murder Is a one room cabin, located on the premises of Messrs R. Q. and W. 1). Franks. The Third Murder. After dispatching Anderson, Fergu son and Davis, it appears, proceeded directly to the home of Alex Ray, who lived with his family a few hundred yards west of Parks station, on the Columbia, Newberry & Laurens rail road. Here tho order of procedure was Changed, Ferguson, for reason best known to themselves, doing tho rap ping tho door act and the subsequent talking, Davis tho shooting. Alex was aroused and asked if he could change a dollnr. Tie replied, after coming fo bis door, that he thought he could. Finding his purse, ho reap peared in the doorway wltcre he was shot to death". Rav's wifrt nnH r>i>r> ? ???? #? CLINTON BUSINESS , MEN'S ASSOCIATION The Town Sacrificing Trees for Mere Street Traffic nnd Modern City Conveniences. Clinton, March 28.?At an enthusi astic meeting of the Business Men's Protective association last Tuesday night speeches were made by Mr. P, W. McClure of Greenwood and others, outlining plans for conducting such organizations. Mr. A. H. Henry who was elected secretary declined to accept the posl ; tion on account of having so muiiy other demands on his time. No sec retary has yet been selected. Work continues on the streets and although there is much dissatisfaction, Mayor McMillan feels that it will dis appear when tho results are seen, Many valuable reos have been sac j rlilced and souk people who have glv '< en thought to matters of civic Improve. ' ment feel that no results will repay ; such a sacrifice. But, of course, most ! small towns go through the spasm ol supposing bare, wide streeto orna ; mented with telephone posts, are love I ly. A great improvement to the town is the putting In of granite curblngs on several of the principal streets. Mr. A. B, Henry ins rented a large store room in the Cold-Buster building and will have an up-to-date beef mar ket and green grocery alter April first. Kastor at Clinton. Clinton, March 29,?Kaster passed I very quietly, and with few festivities. Mrs. C. M. Bailey entertalnod the Actaeon Book club In her usual charm ing manner on Friday afternoon. Lit tle Miss Jennie Goldsmith celebrated her sixth birthday inviting several of her little friends to spend the after noon with her on Monday. On Monday evening the college crowd surprised Misses Elise and Mar jorie Spencer nnd they spent a very pleasant evening. Among the Faster visitors were Miss es Dorothy Owens, Emmie MeCravy Pearl Willlngham of Clinton. .Tanle Kennedy, Lnnnise Morgan and Petrin Morgan of Spartanburg, Messrs. Will Bean, and Divers of North Carolina, Fleetwood Lnnneau of Charleston. larger children saw the men and recog nized both of them, Ferguson, as stat ed, did all the talking, but it is be lieved that Davis fired the shot that caused the instant death of Alex. It was not clear as toothe direction the murderers went after leaving Kay's, but on Sunday afternoon the shot gun, ; blood-stained and hell-loss, was found in the wood near the scene of the last tragedy. Sunday, In consequence of the whole sale killing, was a busy day for Coron er Hairston. The llrst Inquest held was that on Ray's body. The testi mony of members of Alex's family, as indicated above, was taken. None could say who fired tho fatal shot. However, tho jury flxod the perpetra tion of the crime on Ferguson. In the cases of Anderson and Ida McCoy, both verdicts returned implicated Fer guson and Davis, the latter as aider and abettor in tho one, and as acces sory In the other. Later. According to information obtained from a negro by dhorlff Owlngs yes terday afternoon. Jim Davis was in the vicinity of Parks station Monday night. The colored man giving this information claims that he saw Da vis. Tho officers spent yesterday af ternoon and last night in that coin ' inanity. Due West?At a meeting of the board of directors Of tho woman's college at Due West. Rev. P. B. Boyce, I). 1 >. of Atoka, Tonn., was elected president successor to Rev. James Hoyce, D. D., deceased. Dr. Boyce Is an alumunus of Erksklnc college and Is ono of the strongest men in the A. it. P. church. Ho Is at present pastor of ono of tbe boal churches of tbe denomination and who has tho confidence of the whole church. The board also by formal resolu tion recognized tho efforts of the alumnae association In Interest ol education and wishos to commend them In w'.int they ha v dono toward the erection of a momorlal hall ol j an estimated cost of about ten thous and dollars. They nlso ngrocd to do. ' nate five thousand dollars toward till! fund, if the alumnae association should raise this amount. POLK Uli I I K- QUARTETTE. "Old TlmoH Down South" as Presented by Trained Company? Polk Miller and quartette of negroes will appear at the city opera house Wednesday evening, April sixth. The entertainment they will present is called "Old Times Down South." A Boston newspaper, on the occa. slon recently of Miller's visit to that city, had the following concerning the entertainment: "At Chickerlng Hall last evening Mr. Polk Miller ar.cl his quartette of negroes appeared for the first time in public In Boston, although had already been heard here at private residences and clubs. Tho entertainment, which is called "Old Times Down South," is not like anything in the amusement line which has been given here before. The negro quartette Is not composed of trained singers, but of men whom Mr. Miller selected because they could sing. Their singing was most enjoy able. The youngest one bad a strong bass voice which he used to good ad vantage and It was a treat to watch the oldest of the quartette who had the swing and the shout of the old time negro. Some of the songs, es pecially 'Old Dan Tucker' and 'Suwa nee River" given with the cadence and peculiar intonation of the plantation blacks, were revelations to those who had only heard such pieeos rendered ? in a conventional style. The whole 1 entertainment was simply delightful." Death of Mrs. J. E. Adalr. Clinton. March L'S. ? Mrs. Maggie Stone Adair, wife of Mr. .1. E. Adalr, and daughter of Mr. William Stone died in the hospital at Columbia last Thursday and her remains were in terred In the Presbyterian cemetery Friday afternoon, Dr. W. S. Bean of ficiating. The sympathies of the community go out to the bereaved husband and children. Easter in I,aureus. Kaster was a tine day in Lau tens: indeed it seems that superb weather conditions obtained throughout the country. The churches hero were at ? tended by large congregations and the services were appropriate. The ser mons dealt with tin- Easter season, the ' resurrection of Christ, and special music was rendered by the different choirs. Some Local Political Dope. It is understood that among the dlf 1 ' ferent. county officials and members of ? the legislature, Treasurer Mock, Audi 1 tor Dorroh, Supervisor Humbert, Sup erintendent of Education Pitts and the Hon. .lared I). Sullivan will stand for reelection this summer. It is probable that the anouncement card of Mr. Humbert and some of the others will appear next week in The Advertiser. ' Of course It Is known that Judge 1 Thompson will be in the field?he has said so. Life Around Rahnn. Rabun, March 2'.*.?Last Friday af ternoon Mr. Boyco Wolff, tho Rabun teacher, gave the school children an egg hunt. Mr. Wolff marched the children from the school house to tho grove and told them the ones to find eggs numbered thirteen and twenty three would be given a pri/.e. Misri 1 AI Ueno Baldwin, and Mr. Con way Bolt were tho prize winners. After receiving prizes from their teacher the children all formed a circle and were "treated." The teacher, ' children, and visitors had a royal good time. Mr. Willis Cheek and Mr. R. L Cray ' j of Cray Court spent List Tuesday with ' Mr. (',. W. Babb. Mrs. Rebecca Owens and daughter. Miss Edna visited Mr and Mrs. Claude 1 Wusson In tho Friendship Community Saturday. * Mrs. Anna West of Poplar Springs ? section spent Sunday with her mother, 1 Mrs. Lizzie Check. ' Mr. Walter Baldwin T.nd family 1 spent Sunday at the home of Mr. Rob ' ! ort Bolt, j Mrs. Williams of M< Daniels tr.il! spent Saturday night and Sunday with ' : her daughter. Mrs. Harley Abercrom ' ' bl.*. ' , At the home of Mr. nun Mrs. James ' I flummorel near Hickory Tavern. Sat U urday night, a "tacky" party was giv ' on. A largo number of voting people were present, and a prize was offered 1 to tho couple dressed most tncklly. Mr. 1 Walter Owen?: find Miss Lain Stone I won tho prize. FREIGHT THROUGH TRESTLE Accident on the Spnrtnubiirg ltoud Wednesday Morning. The caboose and three or four cars, forming part of a south-bound freight on the Spartanburg division of the Charleston & "Western Carolina road, crashed through the trestle over Dun. can creek, near Ora, last Wednesday Just before noon. Tho train was a heavy one, but tho locomotlvo and all but a few cars had passed ovor when a Cllnohfleld coal car Jumped the track, Btruck the timbers of tbe trestle and carried tho bridge and tho rest of tho rear-end cars to tho creek below. Conductor Atta way of Spartan burg nnd a traveling man from the same town were the only ones Injured. The trestle was repnlred and through traf* I flc resumed within 36 hours. SPECIAL .URGE EE A TH E RSTO N E, Presiding Over Common Pleas Court for Abbeville. Hon. C. C. Featherstono, having been appointed by Gov. Ansel as special judge, upon the recommendation oi Chief Justice Jones, to preside over the spring term of common pleas court at Abbeville, went over and opened the session Monday morning. Mr. Feath erstono is holding this court because of the illness of Judge Dantzler. and he takes it as quite a compliment from the Abbeville bar who on a former oc casion united in asking that he b< named to preside at a special or regu lar term. The present session will last l\vc weeks, if so much be necessary. BARRETT MARKS DEM AI Farmers' Union Will Not Join WIUi Another Organisation? Atlanta, Ga? March US.?President Charles J?. R.t-rett. of the National Farmers' Union, made emphatic denial tonight of the newspaper reports that at the National Conference of Fann ers to be held in St. Louis, May 2-8 the Fanners' union would join with the American Federation of Labor ir the formation of a new national po litical party. In an article published in numerous papers under a Washington date ii I was announced thai President Samuel Gompers, of the Federation, would de liver an address at the conference ol the Farmers' union in St. Louis, nl I Which be would outline his plan foi the alliance of the two organizations j in forming and furthering tho propos ed new party. "Whatever is done in St. Louis to. ! ward forming a new party.-' said Mr Barrott, "the Fanners' union will hav< no part, parcel or direct or Indirect connection with it. The fundamental law of the P'anners' union explicit!) : prohibits that Order Indulging in par . tisan politics. "Men of all shades of political be lief, some of the most distinguished j Americans, will participate In and be the guests of the Farmers' union con i ference. But I cannot reiterate toe I emphatically that wo will not bo party ' to the formation of a new party, and ' that partisan politics will bo eschewed ? scrupulously." President Barrett said that at th< St. Louis conference the "needs ol the fanners, the stat.is of tho fannei ! and Die wrongs of tho fanner" would he discussed, "but we will not de nounce or praise any political party Nor v.'U! we countenance any stielt procedure on the part of the Invited guests if we can help it." SPECIAL MEETING OF TIMM I I S Keslgnntlon of Dr. Vdanis Befon Board for Consideration J Clinton. March L'!?. A special ses Slot! of the board of trustees of the Presbyterian college is being held hor< this afternoon. It Is understood that the meeting was called for the purpose of giving consideration to the resigna tion of Dr. Robert Adams, tor ti e past several years president of tho college At this hour tho board is still in ses sion and nothing definite can be stat ed at to what lias transpired. The Medical AsHftCiiltlon. The monthly meeting of the Laur in County Medical association was hold .Monday at noon. At this meeting re port.- wero heard from different com mittees named sotno tlmo ago to nr range for tbe cntortalliment of the members of IhQ ?otlth Carolina Medi cal association when it meets hori April in-21. Thcso reoorls Indicated that all plans were I;' Ing Wol'It id ottl and that the Arrangements n r I will be completed at pr?p? r time. HORSE LEADS TRAIN IN HALF MILE DASH Animal Quits Track and Huns 1nt<i Wire Fence, Resulting In Ills Death. Cross Hill, March 28.?Last Monday Dr. Peak's horso got out of the stable Just as the 2 o'clock train was leaving for Clinton. The horse ran up the track in front of the train half a mile and left the railroad at the crossing near Mr. R. A. Austin's. It ran lute a wire fence, turned a somersault a* It fell, and died in a few moments. Mr. M. L. Rullock of Newberry wat In town last Tuesday. Lola, the live year old daughter ol Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Royce, was crit ically 111 tho past week. Dr. J. 1' Austin of Clinton was called hero In consultation with all the local doctors She is still seriously 111. Dr. Theodore Poake came from Lau rens one day last week on his motor cycle, a distance of IS miles in thirty nine minutes. That is "traveling some.' Miss Qrlfflti of Newberry is visiting her sister. Miss Lizzie Qriflln. Misses Hortenso and Pearl Lowe arc visiting their parents, Mr. and Mrs. &, YV. Lowe. Mr. I.owe has been very ill. i There was an interesting Kastor ser vice at tlie Methodist church yesterday. The pastor preached a good sermon suitable to the occasion and the music was exceptionally good. Miss Wilmer Rainey sang a solo, and she and Miss West a duet. Mr. Hugh IMnson as sisted the choir with Ills violin. "NT Mil LR PLLASL." Appreciative Sketch of the Lady of the Telephone Exchange. She Is more than live feet tall, she Is 9.r> per cent, unmarried; she Is neat; she is never deaf and dumb; she Is In visible when most effective; sin- is the girl who must be con: Ited before you ; can get the telephon. you want. Though not much of a mathematician, she deals In numbers, wholesale and retail. The govenment experts find that sin1 ' , can answer 225 calls a minute without shedding a hairpin, but do not men ' lion that she can give won the same wrong number throe times in five inin r utes and cause attacks of apoplexy ami Indigestion at both ends of the wire She must either be very patient or very indifferent, this operator in the conversation exchange, lor she deals with many men of many tempers ami with many women with many tongues ? And if she can emerge from a day of conflict with Uli milled temper and smiling face, she must be a wonder. ' There she sits, the lady of the tele phone, calm, polite, like Patience on a I monument smiling at Rage. From out the wreck of matter and tho ruin of worlds come undisturbed her even ' tones, ".Number, please." -Baltimore ! I Sun. WAUL II AM l'TO VS BIRTHDAY. I - I Statue and Craw Adorned ?Ith Flow ers Monday. ? Columbia, March 28, The statue of : Wade Hampton that stands on the ? state house grounds was today bo 1 decked with wreaths and his gravo in ? Trinity churchyard was covered with llowors, for this was tho anniversary i of the birth of South Carolina's groat I cavalry leader and statesman. This afternoon at a meeting of the local chapter of the Daughters of tho , Confederacy. Gen. I'. R. Brooks deliv ered an address on Incidents in con ' nCCtlOII with the life of Hen. Hampton. .Mobile Reunion In April. Tin- gchornl Confederate reunion will l be held at Mobile. Ala.. April 20, 27 - and 2$, instead of May as announced 1 in another part Of this issue. A Reserved Tribute. In Die story about Clinton, printed today in The State, we dare BUggesI thnt there is more truth than poetry, which ti e writer purposed should he, although h in s prightly verse. Menu , While, WO l ispoct that among the val I UahlCS th: t make a town the hliSl i'i South Carolina a really clever and .[watchful correspondent ought always to bo enumerated along with cotton , mills, rnlire-add r.nd orphanages. If any ono should pay thnt Miss frondo , Kennedy, Ti e pv.ate's Clinton corror i spondent Is V'<- top of tho list of first :?:;! ? ( oriv t i! ! htii; The State would . leave someone else to dispute it. The in um Uli k ?55 ITEMS Of INTEREST IN S01JTHJC?R0LINA Culled and Condensed for Busy Readers. RESUME OF PAST WEEK ; Current Events of Interest In This , Stah' Selected nnd Briefly Noted For Advertiser Bender?. Columbia.?-According to flgureB pre ( pared by Commissionm Watson lud corn crop for lust year was is.ooo.ooo. r On March 1, i!? per cent of tho entire crop was still oil the farms in the stato Only I per cent of tho crop last year : was shipped out of the county in which it was grown. Of the entire crop of corn, 89 per cont. was merchantable. This was a decided Improvement over the crop In ums. The average valuo of the corn grown last year on March . 1 was !tS cents per bushel. On tho same date of last year It was mo cents per bushel. Spartanburg. .1, Henry Cnldoll, n farmer living near here, this afternoon , broke up an acre of land with eight hundred charges of dynamite, tho ex j plosive being used for breaking tho land for cultivation Instead of tho plow. Mr. Caldwcll claims that blasting laud with dynamite is Lie best method for subsoillng and that it can ho dornt more cheaply than with a plow. Many persons from the city and the country were present to witness the novel met hod. Columbia. All roads in South Car olina will lead to Charleston on April 12, when the silver service will bo presented to the battleship South Car olina. Ensign Graham of the battle ship Dixie has been detailed by tho secretary of the navy to act as an es cort to Gov. Ansel. Mr, Graham Is a native of Hamberg. Bat Osburg. Clinton Rhoden, a mor I chant of this place was short and in stantly killed at ' o'clock Thuvuduy afternoon by \V. I! Glenn, City elec trician. The shooting occurred on tho i principal street of Duicsburg, which wa> crowded at '!:< ijme. (Menu surrendered mid was taken to jail at Lexington. There had been bad feeling between tho two men for some time. As fJI un was rolng along . the street past Rhodens si. the lat ter called to him <.:? mi answered, "If you want me you etui tome out hero tor me." Rhoden then left his store and went i toward Glenn. A few moments con versation ensued, and then Rhoden was seen to strike Glenn. Several 'blows passed, and then Glenn drew ? j pistol and IIred four shots at Rhoden. Tho first went wild, but the 110X1 three* took dondly effect, Rhoden was about r>2 years old. Ho is survived by his wife ami live chil dren. Glenn, who Is about the samo age. also has a wife ami live childroil. Greenville,?Greenville's newest in dustry Is an underwear factory, and plans are now being perfected by J. I?. Gilrcath ami associates looking to permanent organization and In corporation f>f a fifty thousand dollar eoncorri Columbia Deputy Insurance Com? mlssloncr Wiiarlon has been unable i<;> reach Abbeville on account ol the ill , n.'ss of one of his children, lid will) Liga to Hie life at Abbeville j\iM'. as ooil as ho can roach Ihu! city, ft: the meantime testimony Is being col lected. Insurance Commissioner Mc Masler has received this notification from Mr. Whartoii and from the mayor pro tern of Abbeville. Columbia. A man from Grooi villO writes asking Commissioner Watson to examine -i sample of Hour ami : 00 If it Is bleached The carload I? now on the tracks. Commissioner Wat on replied that the new pure food Inspec tion law doesn't go Into effect until May 1. and until t! ::' time the depart ment has not authority in the matter. Spartanburg, Beginning April i. tho poslolTlcn depnt'tirteiij will estab lish mail sefvlc? oh '?' ? C, e n,ii 1 p. road b(!twr< :> Kpafti nburg and I) i.o, miles fri m Spiirti ii! urg. A few 1 '.: I the matter of ? eur'nn; (nail (rains . . r> Spni'tanl. rod I'ns been KticccKuful In s'"-ui'i " *' rough service from this point to Dan to.