Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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GREENVILLE MEIN FIGHT IT OUT Two Prominent Farmern Have Flghtk In which One wan Killed. Trouble' Not Known. Oreenvlllo, S. C, Dec. 16.?From blows which ho received In the head with an axe at the handH of Luther McBee Saturday afternoon, James Knight died shortly after noon yea-: terday. The man who is charged with having wielded the death-deal ing Instilment was brought to the city early Sunday morning by a rela tive and turned over to the county authorities, who locked him In 8 cell in the county Jail. Though "lie cor. oners' Inquest has been held and the verdict returned, the entire affair, with respect to cause and other de tail, Is as much a mystery as ever. Inquest Unsatisfactory. Upon being informed nf Knight's death yesterday afternoon, Coroner Kaston went to the man's home and held the inquest. He was accom panied by Sheriff Boole. Both ofll cora stated last night that It was one of the most unsatisfactory Inquests they had ever attended. Coroner llaoton stated that the only material witness in the case, a negro woman, bhowed up very badly; that she told things Saturday afternoon that con flicted, with her testimony at the investigation Sunday afternon. Nev ertheless, the jury returned p verdict charging Luther Mellee with the death of James Knight. Witnesses Testify. It appears that there was hut one person, a very aged nogress, In the house close by where Knight was killed. The dead man's body was found close to the house of one John Boden, who is said to live on McBee's place. The only two witnosses ex amined were John Teilen and his wife, who were in the Hold some distance from the house when the fatal blow was struck. .lames Knight. James Knight was In his 55th year. Me was a widower, his wife having died several years ago. Since his wife's death he made his home with his sister, Mrs. Fannie Smith, who Mves on the Laurens road, some three or four miles from Oreenvlllo. Knight is survived by three sons, who live In Augusta. They were advised by wire yesterday of their father's death and are expected to arrive here today. Knight was a brother of Mistar Knight, who was killed a few years ago by Tally Babb. Me is survived by two brothers. John and Davis Knight, who live in the same neigh borhood. Funeral Services Today. The Oreenvlllo Undertaking Rstab Bailment took charge of Knight! body and prepared It for burial. Tlx funeral services will he held at th. home of Mrs. Fannie Smith at three o'clock this afternoon, after which interment will be made In the family burying ground at the old Laurel Creek cemetery. The man's three mns nre expected to arrive here In time for the funeral. Mcltcc In Jail. Luther McBee was bro ight to Jab yesterday morning by one of his bro thers and turned over to the county authorities. Late yesterday afternoon he was interviewed by n News re porter, but declined to have anything to say concerning the tragedy. He had not heard of the death of Knight, and when told by Sheriff-elect Rec tor that the wounded man had pass ed away, McBee had not a word to say, but seemed to bo Inwardly mov ed. He is a bachelor and has made his horqe on his plantation about three miles from the city, on the I^aurens Road. A, DAILY CONVERSATION. "Papa?" "Well?" "Say, papa, is there a Santa Claus?" "I reckon so. Don't bother me. I'm reading." "Willie Smith, he said, there ain't any." "Is that the ktnd of grammar you learn at school?" , "But how does Santa Claus get In?" "He oomes down the chimney." "We ain't got no chimney." "Ain't gotl Where do you learn auch talk?" "Willie Jones, he say?Say papa* la there really a Santa Claus?" "There used to be one." "Has he quit?" "I guess not. If you're a good boy/' "Am I a good boy?" "Not always." "How does Santa Claus get In?" "Oh, he knows how." "He oan't squeeze in the steam pipes, can he?" "Maybe." "It would wet his whiskers, wouldn't It?" "Maybe." "Say, papa?" "Uh?" "lu there a?* "Now you go to bed and don't ask another question I" "Come With Ma," Ho Commanded. coming down In hard, frozon particle* like sifted sands. Across the fields the wind came nipping like a sharp toothed terrier, and Hobo Jim glanced anxiously about through the gloom. He had been released from the "coop" only that day after two months of con finement for having been caught with a dead turkey In his possession, and hd shivered a bit beneath his thin clothes as he hurried along th* l?flq road. To make matters worse he was hungry, broko and friendless, and to be hungry, broke and friendless upon" Christmas eve is hard enough luck for any man. Thon as he peered, he saw through the darkness of the road side a glimmer of light that twinkled before his eyes Use a great star of hope and he paused with his gaze fast ened wistfully upon it. w With a eaution grown of long ex* perlenen he passed quietly to tho back of the building and peered through a Window. He could see into the dining room from here, and as he gazed and sniffed at a crack deep within him his stomach began clamoring like a fam ished wolf pack, for within a dozen feet of him was a table piled high with good things to eat, while about it the gorged family still sat nibbling. "There is enough left for a dozen lunches, and still things to throw i away," he muttered as his eye* roved over the board. Much encouraged by the sight he stretched forth his knuckles in a timid tap then putting on hie most woebegone face stood j awaiting his fate with a heart that; fluttered anxiously. The door opened and a man stood; before It peering into tho darkness. And aB tho lamp light from wdthln fell' upon tho hobo's crlng'ng form, tho' face of the one upon the threshold darkoned until it matched the night. "So it is you?sneaking around horo and looking for more of my turkeys," he said threateningly. "1 have a no t!on to run you In again upon suspi cion. Get out of here, thief." "But I didn't steal that bird-f whined the caller. Then he paused suddenly, for once more he was staring Into the mouth of that same unpleas ant looking revolver. "Oh, I'll go all rlghl^Tie "added "hastily. Up tho road he went hurrying, an I gry, disappointed, hungrier and cold ! er than ever. In the bottom of a pock et where he had plunged a hand for warmth his big, old-fashioned watch lay ticking and his Angers closed about It, fondly. It was his only pos session of slightest value. Twenty years ago it had been given to him upon a Christmas eve?twenty years ago in tho days of his boyhood, and he had cnrrlod It with him incessantly throughout ull his wanderings. "I sup pose I could get tho prlco of a meal and a bed from that old ticker," he mused, then his jaw set. "But I wouldn't part with It for Its weight in greenbacks. It is tho last thing sho over gave me, and I'll hang on to It if I hang for doing it. I'll beg, starve ?yes, or help myself when nobody Is looking before I'll part with It." He shoved it deeper Into Its place and bent forward against the wind. Five minutes later he again paused suddenly. By the waysldo another light was shining, and with a quick glance up and down the road ho stood listening. Nothing came to bis ears but the low growl of tho wind and he hesitated no longer. Sneaking into tho yard with feet that fell as softly as the snowftakes themselves he once more peered through a window. There was no laden table hero, but Instead ho saw a bed upon which lay a white faced boy with a woman close beside him. Ho put his ear to the pane and listened. It was not long before he learned that the two were alone In the house, and at that good news Hobo Jim smiled approvingly. He passed quickly to the kitchen ' door and tried tho latch. Tho door | ! wa? Mot locked and ho entered with > the .realth of a panther. A. sparo bed j room with door ajar was adjoining, and forming his piano as he sneaked along Jim crept within. Here, In tho j darkness, ho would hide beneath _tho j , bed, wal? until nil was still, and then In tho early morning hours fill bis stomach and pockets from the pantry and silently steal away. Instinct told him that the woman would sleep be side tho alck boy and he hnd little fear of being discovered. And what if he was?with a lone woman and a helpless kid as his only bar to escape! Noiselessly he crept beneath his shelter and lay listening. Through the Btlllness their voices eame to him In murmurs. It had been I a bad year for the two In the next room, a year of privation and want, and tho morrow would bo tho hollow I est mockery of any Chrlstmn? that j had ever come to them; a day when a skeleton would presldo at their ! board and hunger be an unwilled guest. Patiently tho woman was ex ! plaining to the sufferer, telling him that she feared that this year Santa Claus would pass him by without stopping. Dut the boy was unbeliev ing. "Santa Claus does not forget. Hang up my stocking, please," he I told her, and Jim heard her sigh as j sho crossed the room to obey him. Then as the warmth of the house came stealing softly over him Jim's eyelids fluttered and closed, the last thing he remembered hearing being the woman's voice as it began read ing to the sick one. "More blessed to give than to re celvo-" But Hobo Jim was now sleeping. Ho was awakened and raised his head a trifle as he listened. There had been an accident in the room, a serious accident as he soon gathered, for through some misfortune the clock had been knocked from the mantle and now lay a ruin upon the floor. It was the only timepiece they had, and tho woman was worrying over It considerably, for sho no long er had the means of telling when It wob tlmo to glvo tho boy his medi cine, and the proper administration of tho medicine was a very important matter to the sick one. "That's kind of tough on the kid," thought the hobo from his hiding place. Put it was no fault of his and anyway ho had troubles enough of his own. Midnight came, and for the last hour all had been still as a cavern. Cautiously, Bilently, Jim backed out of bis lair and rising to his feet stood alert By the dim light from the oth er mom he could see the pantry. Then he gave a snort of disappoint ment. There was not enough upon tho barren shelves to fill ono corner of his hollow stomach, and here were a woman and a sick boy to feed off of It. It was disgusting. Slipping mere ly a crust of bread Into his pocket he crept out again. From where he stood ho could see the interior of the dimly lighted room beyond, and curiosity aroso within him. With tho tread of a prowling fox he stepped to the threshold and 8lld the Watch Into the Stocking. peered around the corner. Tho boy was sleeping now, while beside the bed the woman was sitting with head drooped forward ns worn out from her long vigil sho had fallen asleep In the midst of her watching. And as ho gazed at their tired faces there camo to Jim a picturo of many long years Tfef?re, ~a~l>lclure ofr~wEerTTi5 had been a boy and sick as this one now was, when a woman had sat bo Bide him tbo long nights through giv ing blm his medicine and ministering to him as she read?what was It Bhe had read? Yes, ho remembered now. "More bleBsed to give than to re ceive." That was it. He had never had a great deal of confidence In, these words and had never tried them out, still he had sometimes thought that one day ho would put them > the test. But he had never had enougu for himself, let alone otherB, while now?his eyes fell upon the stocking hanging from the mantle and a queer look came creeping over bis face. They certainly wero in tough luck, tougher luck than he was in himself, and the smashing of the clock had been bad business. For a full min ute ho stood blinking at them, then for tho second time that night he chuckled as his hand wandqred into his ono good pocket. Then he with drew it, and stretching forth a long arm slid the big silver watch Into tho hanging stocking. Along the black road Jim went hurrying, hunger gnawing at his stom ach, tho teeth of tho wind sharper than ever. In one hand he held the crust of bread and now and then ho bit at It savagely. "More blessed to give than to receive." He laughed as he buttoned his coat around his throat and bent further forward against tho gale. "I dunno?I dunno, but anyway I've tried it out at last. Only thing I'm sorry for Is that I won't see that sick kid's face when he finds that old ticker in the morning." A des Molnes man had an attack of muscular rheumatism in his shoulder. A friend advised him to go to Hot Springs. That meant an expense of $150,00 or more. Ho sought for a quicker and cheaper way to cure it and found it is Chamberlain's Lini ment, Three days after the first ap plication of this liniment he was well. For sale by all dealers. Delight Your Friends This Xmas With #tft? of 3fetoelrp HERE is a silent language in Gif ts of Jewelry which ex presses more clearly than tongue can tell the real sen timent which inspired the giver. A Gift of Jewelry is an appreciated gift?a lasting gift?a gift which gives not only immediate pleasure, but one which serves to remind the re cipient that the giver both treasured and cherished the friend ship which the Gift of Jewelry so feelingly expresses. A well selected and complete jewelry stock like this affords one the greatest possible opportunity for putting one's own personality into the gift. Because a gift is an article of jewelry does not necessarily imply that it is expensive. iYlany really desirable and truly beautiful gifts which are inexpen sive and certain to be more greatly appreciated than larger gifts of less intrinsic value, may be selected from our stock. It matters not what you have allotted yourself to spend for gifts this Christmas, you can spend your allowance to greater advantage in this store. gmggesitmg n> l^arietp of 0wc &torii La Vallieres, Necklaces, Bracelets, Pendants, Brooch Pins, Vanity Sets, Mesh Purses, Scarf Pins, Silver Dresser Sets, Rings, Cut Glass, Watches, Belt Pins, Fobs. OPEN EVENINGS UNTIL AFTER CHRISTMAS V l^tluam Solomon The Reliable Jeweler