University of South Carolina Libraries
VOLUMt k gARC _ _ _ __CARdAteEiD VOLUJME XXXV., 1AU[RENS-, SOUTH- CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY I1t, 1920. NMS3 TROOPS KILL FIY[ 1O PR[[NT LYNCHING Lexington, Ky., Scene of Bloody Tragedy MARTIAL LAW IS DECLARED M[ob Attacks Court House to Revenge Death of Little Girl by .Negro Brute. Soldiers on Guard Open Fire with Deadly ResuliL Prisoner Spirited ,Away. Lexington, Ky., Feb. 9.-MNartial law prevalls here tonight. Six hundred federal and state troops are patroling the streets to prevent further riot Ing which during the day exacted a toll of flye dead and fifteen wounded. The city was quiet early tonight, but authorities fear a recurrence of vio lence. Five hundred additional Uni ted States troops are en route from ICAmp Taylor, Kentucky. Lexington and all of Fayette coun ty was placed under martial law at I o'clock by Brig. Gen. F. C. Marshall upon his arrival from Camp Taylor with. 300 troops of the famous First Divik.ion, which helped repulse the Germans at Chateau Thierry. Rioting began this morning wien a mob bent upon lyiching William Lockett, a negro, who confessed the murder last week of a 10-year-old girl, Geneva Hardman, was fired upon with rifles and machine guns by state mi litiamen as the mob was storming the Fayette county court house to get th ero during his trial. The attempt to lynch Lockett was made just after he had confessed to the murder and as the jury found him guilty of murder in the first de gree. fe was sentenced to die in the electric chair March 11. The shooting temporarily dispersed' the mob and gave the authorities time in which to rush Lockett to a secret place of safety. The mnib re formed, however, and looted pawn shops and hardware stores to get iire arms. Fearing an attack upon the handful of national guardsmen on duty, the atithorities a)l)ealcd to Governor Mor row for assistance. As a result, 300 troops, members of the 26th and 28th Infantry, arrived at 3 o'clock on a spe cial train from Camp Taylor. The federal troops Immediately be gan the work of patrolling the streets to keep crowds from congregating. Lockett, arrested last Tuesday night and held in the state penitentiary at Frankfort for safekeeping, was indict ed late last week and was brought here on a special train this morning for trial, lie was heavily guarded. Hundreds of farmers from the sur rounding country arrived early to at tend the trial, and sullenly watched the prisoner as he was marched from, the train to the courthouse between lines of state troopers. NWhen the trial pp~ened the tour'troom rwas crowded to capacity. Every one was searched for firearms before being ad mitted to the courthouse. Hundreds were unable to gain admittance to the courtroom and congregated~ in the street in front of the court house. Thie cry of "Let's get him" from a brawny farmer on the outskirts of the crowd turned tihe crowd into a mob which began surgIng towardl the entrance of the building. SoldIers and police drloppe)d back IA6e close forma tlonm anld tr'ainedl their gunas en theo 'mob, whuich never hesitated. Adjutant General 1)eweese, in com; nmand of tihe 1m ilit lamen shouted a fi nal wvarning to the crowd andl then fired a revolver into the aIr. It was tihe signal for the troops to fire. Soldiers and police flred ipoint blank into tihe crowvd and 'a nearb~y machine gun rattled. From the windowvs of he courtroom above anmot her hail of hu11lets spatte red dlown) onm the asphlait - omu' men fell at the first volley. The v Anob wh ich lVad surged half way u p the st eps prmessed back and broke. Quink act ion on thle part of the au Ithorb lea got the negro out of thme buIlding. Those killedl ini the c'lash were *i. F. Carrier and 12. . King, bo0th of Lex inglon and1( John Tlhomas and WVillim NMfingtoni, both of Versailles. Amnoug those woutndled were' J. W. Stansell, W. J. -Rees, OtIs Shari), ilm mnott ,i~ozier, Irwin 0 wynn, ilmmett (Continued on Page F"our.) MONDAY'S BANQUET FINE AFFAIR Chamber of Commerce Hears Prac tical Address at Banquet From Spartanburg -Secretary. Following the annual election of of fleers the Chamber of Commerce held an enjoyable -banquet at the Laurens Hotel Alonday night, the speaker of the ovening .being U. B. Walker, secre tary of the -Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce. E4lgilhty-two members and guests were present, the bailict re suilting in a revived interest in the commercial body. The address of 'Mr. Valker w-as along practicai lines and was filled with interesting informa tion about commercial clubs, how they are -best run and the results that may be attained by then. Dr. W. H. -Dial, retiring president, acted as toastmas ter and made an excellent presiding offlcer. 'Mr. Walker, in opening his address, made a few complimetftary references to Laurens, especially as to the at tractiveness of the city, its mantifac turing industries and present pro gress. Referring to the local glass factory and the improveients being made in the Laurens Mili village, he said many another city would be blazoning this to the world in huge' letters. IAi s, he said, ipossesses all the makings of a large city as it has many attractions as a place of living. Mr. .Walker said that the first Chamber of Commerce was organized in American over a hundred years ago and that Charleston had one among the first of such bodies. They were at first a purely trade organization, the Charleston Chamber of Commerce piaying an important lart i the con Struction of the first railroad in this country from Charleston to Hamburg The Chamber of Conmerce of today dates back to about ten years ago, when it came to be chamber of citi zenship, giving its attention to civic movements of every kind. -Location has never made a city, said Mr. Walker, citing notable instances of thriving cities located away fron natural resources, but it is the spirit of the people which determines what a city shall be. A city can be just what its people want it to be and are willing to pay for. rhe biggest things that a Chamber of Commerce can do, continued Mr. Walker, is to teach people to think, to give, to create a spirit of enter prise and teach the .beauties of public service. For a chamber of commerce to thrive, it must have a working membership and financial backing. The officers, he said, do not make the success of a commercial body and can not make it a success .without the moral and financial support of its members. Taking up here a more de talled description of how a Chamber of Commerce may be run and what it can do for a town, lie gave a very practical and helpful talk. 'He advised an intensive campaign for member ship and a paid secretary to give full time to the duties of the office. He was given a loud applause and a standing vote of thanks at the close of his addiess. Following the address of Mfr. Walk or short talks weire made by R. 'T. Wilson, superintendent of edccation, Rev. C. T. Sqiuire( andl R. RL. Nickels, the Incoming president. Fflection of Officers. At the meeting prior to the ban quiet, R. R. Nickels was elected piresi dlent, Alisont Lee secretary, Dri. W. 1i. Dial, E. 'P. .\lnter', Geo. M1. Wruight, W. R. *McGuien, W. .L. Gray and .\. L~. Sminithi were electedl dliector's. Dr'. WV. II. Dial is the iretir'ing pre'sidenlt and .\ir. W. iR. .\cCuen is tihe r'et i'ing secretfn-y, having refused to ser've again after' having served since the organization of the Chamber' of 'Comn merce three yeai's ago. 'iiIuTrnser Driver ini(i Coumbin ('rashies into (Governor's Caor ani Shakes upi 'Ocenpaunts. Cov. Rt. A. Cooper was severely though not seiriousnly bruised in Co luimbia Sumnday afteirnoon, when a tranmN'er' diver driove his car' into tihe ear of thme governor while the hatter was waiting foir a supply of gasoline on fiervai street. 31iss Lila Todd, of this city, w~as also In the car at the time .but she wvas not injured in any way. Rteports from Columbia are to .the effect that, the governor is rapidily recoyriring ifrom the injumry and shock.1 HOOVR ANNOUNCE[8 NOT A CANDIDAT[ Not an Aspirant for Presi dency Now SUPPORTS TREATY WITH RESERVATIONS Not. Able to Make "up his Mind as to Which Party lie Would Support Un. til a Clearer )elnmition of Ideals is Made by 3mingers of Both Parties. New York, Feb. 8.--Ierbert Hoover tonight issued a statement defining his attitude toward the presidency. He announced that he is not a candi date for the nomihation and that no one is authorized to'spedk for him po litically. If the league-'of nations is made an issue in theelation he says he will vote for the'party-that stands for the league. In renboneb to re quests that he declares allegiance to citiher one or the other of the great political partleis, Mr. Hoover says he will wait until it more definitely ap pears what the party managers stand for, and will "exercise a prerogative of 'American citllzenship and decline to pledge my vote blindfolded." His statement follows: "In order to answer a large num ber of question all at once let me em phasize that I have taken a day off from the industrial conference in Washington to come to Now York solely to attend pressing matters in connection with the children's relief. I want to say again: "I have not sought and am not seeking the presidency. I am not a candidate. I have no 'organization.' No one is authorized to speak for me politically. "As an \nierican citizen by birth and of lor ancestry, I am naturally dleepflyi n . sted in the critical situa tion. My sincere and only poliiticial desire that Ine or both of the great po litical parties will approach the vital issues, which have grown out of the war and are new, with a clear pur pose looking to the welfare of our ieople and that candidates capable of carrying out this work should be nominated. "If the treaty goes over to the presidential election (with any reser vations necessary to clarify the world's mind that there can be no in fringement of the safeguardr provid ed by our constitution and our nation old trades) then I must vote for the party that stands for the league. With it, there is hope not only of the pre vention of war, but also that we can Rafely economize in military policies. There is hope of earlier return of con fidence and the economic reconstruc tion of the world. I could not vote with a party if it were dominated by grouips who seek to set aside our con stitutinal guarantees for free speech. or free representation, who hope to re establish control of the government for profit and privileges. I could not vote with a party if It were dominat edl by groups who hope for any form of socialism whether' it be national ization of industry, or other destruc tion of individual initiative. Both these extremes, camouflaged or open aro ac tive enough in the country today. Neither of/these dominations wouldl enable those constructive economics p' !!cies ,that willi get us dlown from the unsound economic ipractices which of necessity grew out of the war nor would they s'cutei the good will to iroduction in our farmers a .crI work er's or main'An the initiative of our buidness me'i. The issues look for wardh, not back. New C'ompany brganized to Ihuy Stock fronm Mr.. 0. HI. Simmtions. 1.\r. 0. II. Simmons wvho has c'on dueled a mus;ic store in iLur'ens since his ret4il'iCremet from the presOidencey of the Laurens National Hank a year or' so ago, has sold his stock of gooids to a niew co' 'nany whilchI hoascc rcently beeni orgai id and commissionied uni der' the name of the Lau rens .\l usic Company. Th'iose' who aphied for the comnmission arie W. K. iiludgens of Pe'li zer,' and ..ino0. N. I iudgenis i'nd Ti. C. Owings, of Laure'ns. Th'e new coilmpay Sv ill continue thie bine~lss ini the Simmiions bunildinig under' the di rect mnla&gement of Tlhios. C. Owings, wvhile .I,'. 'Camipbell will continue his services in the sltor'e as salesman. LABOR PARTY PLANS POLITICAL FIGHT Federation of Labor De-! nounces Congress CAMPAIGN STARTED AT ONCE ('amipaign Coimtittee Will Work for Defeat of CandIdates llostile to La. bor. Sam1,1hel Gompers, 01Ch 1,ia of Coniittee to Lead tle Fight. >Washington, Feb. 8.-Organized la bor, 3,000,000 strong, has thrown its hat into the political ring. Vigorously denouncing congress, which it was said "has failed to do its duty," the American Federation of Labor today announced the appoint- I ment of a national non-partisan po litical campaign committee which will mobilize trade unionisits and "all lov ers of freedom" In an effirt to defeat candidates indifferent or hostile to la bor and to elect "true and tried" friends of the trade union movement. Not waiting for the general election in November, the campaign will be started immediately and pursued without relaxation through the pri maries, in which it Is stated all aspir ants for office wli have their records "analyzed stated in unmistakable language and given the widest possi ble publicity." This program applies to all candidates, from presidential nominees down. Samuel Gompers, president of the federation, Frank Morrison, secretary, and James O'Connell president of the t federations metal trades department, C were appointed an executive ommit tee, empowered to obtain such assist ances as necessary. Four women are included in the national committee. A national crisis, threatening the free institutions of the country by the 1 "reactionary" attitude of congress, It was said im)elled organized labor to apply this year the non-partisan pol icy formulated in 1906 and used In several subsequent campaigns. An nouncement of the decision was made in an official circular embodying the conclusions of the federation's gen eral committee which has been in ses sion for several days. This circular will be distributed to trade unionists In every state through the local unions, by which it will be called also to the attention of friends of organ ized labor. PRIMARY ELECTION NEXT TUrESDAY Canillilates 31ust File Pledges by To norrow Night to be Ellglble for ElectionI, The pr'mary election for city of flees is to be held next Tuesday, the 17th. Boxes will be placed at the iaurens Mill store for Ward Three and in the Court House for the re maining wards of the city. Managers of the election were annouhncedl by Przes. RI. it. -Babb, of the D)emocr'atic clb, yesterd(ay a sfollows: Laurens Mill, W~ard 3, .James Franks, C. U. Adams and Walter iiellams. WVards I, 2. -1, 5, and 6, P. D). . luff, W. M. Switzer andi John ii. C'unninghiam. The electIon opens at X o'clock and closes at 4. Pros. Blabb said yesterday that af ter' looking over thle rules of tile club again, that lhe wats unable to locate the change In the ru les as to elIgIbility ab~out w'.hich lhe was (quotedl inl the last Issue of i'The Adlvertiser'. No change in thle eonstitut ion having been fountd, lie pointed to thte rule wich gave residence In the state one year' and in the cIty four' nminths pior' to thew geni oral elect Ion as; tl~ iI proper rle to follow for' those who have recently mfov('d to t he city3. The general elee' tion is schedu led to lhe held Apil 13thi. C'andidateOs for bot h mayor and1( al - dermianf a t rm euiried to tile p ledges wi lth the prtesidentl of thle (clubi at least fiv e dlays lpriotrC to lhe pimnary. Th'le elauiSe as~ to pledges is tat her intdefl nil ely writ ten. so Mr. Habbh has pilacedI a lber'al conistructlion on it and1( giv en until Thurotsday nuight of thlil wee'k for ('ilCanidates~ to c'otnform to t he trtle. Prenelnmg att Gtray Coutri. Rev'. C. TI. lqulres announces preaching services at D~orrohi Presby teian (hurch, Gr ay Court, next Sun dlay afternoon at :3 o'clock, Mt. 'If. Trry has gone to the northiern tmarkets to huy spring goodis. LOCAL SOLDIERS LEGION'S GUESTS injoyible Banquet Tendered to White i.x-Service Men by Th1. ). L]ake, .Jr., Post. An enjoyable banquet tendered to vhite ex-service men of the county )y the Thos. 1). Lake, 'Jr., ost., kmerican Legion, was held in the Praynham Guards armory last Thurs lay evening and laigely attended by he ex-soldiers of the World War be Ildes several minitsers, memrers of he press and specially invited guests. [le supper was furnished by the 'post md served by the local chapters of he Daughters of the American Revo ution and Daughters of the Confed racy. Every detail of the arrange nents was complete and the evening vas thoroughly enjoyed by those pres nt. As a result of the banquet much nterest was aroused in the local post Lnd a strong impetus given to the neIbershiy campaign which is now n progress. 'Besides the introductory remarks nade by the post commander, Capt. V. R. Richey, Jr., stirring addresses vere made by Maj. William D. Work nan and Capt. J. J. 'McSwain, of xreenville, Rev. C. T. Squires and A. Todd, Esq. The exercises were op ned with Vrayer by 11ev. A. E. Holler nd closed with a benediction by Rev. . L. Mcbin. Before introducing the speakers of he evening, Capt. Richey explained hat the post is in the midst of a cam >aign for members and that every vhlite soldier In the county Is invited o join. The object of the banquet, ie said, was to bring the soldiers to rether so that they might acquaint hemselves with the objects and ideal, of the Legion. Maj. W. d). Workman was the first peaker on the program. 'Muj. Work nan gave a history of the organization >f the (Legion from its infancy in Trance, .whera tse ail members of he A. E. F., including Col Theodore loosevelt, Jr., gathered in Paris and aid its first foundations. He explain d in detail the present plan of or ,anization and appealed to every Lau ens soldier to line up to a man and' end the Legion his support. Four nillion men banded together for civic ighteousness and good government, ie said, would prove a powerful in trument in solving the problems of econstruction. Capt. J. J. McSwain spoke on the >asic princilples on which the Legion s founded. le said that the object of the Legion was to take the leader hip in maintaining high ideals of iericanism and to oppose radicalism Ltd Dolshevism on every hand. The -eturned soldier, he said, had learned low lessons by the war and had re uried home with stronger convictions LI to duties and responsibilities of itizenshi p. The American Legion, he aid, was to shape these ideals into angible form and to make them -ount for the best in protecting the reedoni and institutions of the coun ry. Capt. McSwain said he wanted o see every post. have a 100 per cent nembhlership with 100 per cent Ameri an ism. R1ev. C. TP. Squires and 31mr. A. C. rodid spoke of the dlangers confront ng the nat ion today from radhical ele nents and issued a warning against illowing such activities to go too far. Phey Pointed out the great influence av'hichi the returned soldiers could vield in slam ping ott radical pro agand~a and protecting the nat ion igainst attacks on Ameriicman inst itiu ions. They praised thle c'ondutct of he sold leis in t he war as well as t he nlanner in which they had returnred o take up civil pursuiits. Maryt,, Scott Tuc iker. Mis. .lary Scott. TIuckeri, for uiany) 'ears5 a r'esidlent of' Laeireiis, died ait he .Julia I rby Sanitarium Moniday fol OW intg an oi0perat ion andi wa~s Iaid( to rest ini thle (ellmeter'y litre yest erday3, lie rervites b'eing conducitedl by her' ,'ast or, R1ev. A. H. I lolleri, assisted by Rev. C. TI. Squires. \irs. 'iTieker was 3 year; of age anti wais a niative ofi le w eter pat of the countiy. Shec vam a con sistenlt mcimb er of the First i thod isi clhurichL andl a womn; of iainy es-t iiable qua lilies. 1ier neair "I ourviving reliative' is a brothier, '1ome' wih Iher for a numbiier o1' y(ear, 'blme w ih hier fo ra inber' of years. 31cc 1ingti l't Wednesdaiy ('lb. The Wedlnesday' 2lub will meet thlis itrnooni Lat :30tt o'clock at the hiomi f Mrs. C. It ilicks. ANNUQNCE SIRIK[ 300,000 Men to Walk Out February 17 HIGHER WAGES ARE DEMANDED Orders Issued by United Broflthrhoods of 11i1tenall(e and Ways Em pWoYees and1 Shol Laborers. Rail roads All Over the Country are Af fected. oDetroit, Mich., Feb. 9.-Orders di recting 300,000 members of the United Brotherhood of Maintenance of Ways IEnployees and Shop Laborers to sus 'pend work at 7 a. m. Tuesday, Feb. 17th were going out tonight to the various locals of the organization. Decision to order the men out was announced by Allan E. Barker, grand president of the organization follow Ing a ieeting today of the general chairmen of the brotherhood. The strike can be averted ;only if the federal railroad administration before Saturday grants wage increases de manded last summer, Mr. Barker said tonight. "The orders have gone out," he de clared, "and we would reiuire two or three days to cancel them." The strike hn addition to wage in creases requested last summer is to secure a uniform rate from coast to coast. It would affect storehouse em ployees, stationary firemen; station ary engineers, steel bridge workers, cinder pit men and oilers as well as other members of the brotherhood. In explaining the decision to call a strike Mr. Barker said tonight: "The railroads are soon to be re turn'ed to privilte ownership and we feel that this wage controversy which is witl the federal railroad adminis tration sliould be adjusted before they are released. Our representatives have been In conference with thc di rector general for ten days. -He has not promised anything and we do not believe he is going to do so, We de cided to issue the strike call before the railroad administration should have the opportunity to pass the bur dent to the private owners of the lines. "The public should know," Mr. Bar ker continued, "that this strike call is not something that has been decid ed upon precipitately, but dates back to last July. Wage demanis were pre sented to the railroad administration at that time ani brotherhood member ship authorized a strike to enforce them. We heldi a strike in abeyance, however, upon President Wilson's re quest that he he permittel an oppor tunity to bring about a reduction in living costs. Ile asked for a 'reason able time' which he fixed at sixty or 1ni.ety days. We 'have waited Aix months ani there has been no reduc tion in the cost of living." The wage demands of the men aver age 410 per cent, Mlr. Barker said, addl lng, "There are more than 100,000 of our member's , who rec~eive less than $3 a dlay. Mlore than 100,000 mechan ics consisiting of carpenters, masons, and painters ar'e receiving an aver'age of 55 cents an hlourl which is about one-half the wage r'eceived by the same class of labor' in tihe building traldes." Act ion of thle UnIlit ed Brot herhoodl of .\laintenance of Way Empliloyees andl Rail way Shop .Labor'ers in callinfg a striiikhe of thle membo iersi p wva: de ela red by la iilroad adminlitration of ficials to be( a violation of the uinion's wage agreemlenlt. Thliis agreemfenlt was Sid olI( )O pr oi that, 1n0 st rik' ('ails shiall ble issuIed wyithout11 givin g thle rail road almIlin litration thirty odays' notice. Ea~lrle~ W9i'lson Sells Ont, Wilson01-OvWerln 1 Com(pany1 t, hlas anl nlouncedl ilhe sa.le( of his business05 to wi ill leave tile city at an earily dalte to hlandie t he lKissell agency in Vir ginia and TennlIO(e. with1 headqiuar ters in llichmionid. Thle friendis (of .ir. andi ilts. W'ilsoin leg ret to see them21 hrave laurens, -but, hope that the (1han2ge will bei prIolitale to th10em iln mai 1~na was .. lr. Adams11, whose ('on ecrn handie.s it luds-on amni ssex 01ars, will miove into) the presenti Stando of the W\ilsiol--Gverlanld C'omlpany as soon as the det aits o)f the trlade hIave been