The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, February 11, 1920, Image 1
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