Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOLUME XXXVII. LAURENS, SOUTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1921. NIMRFR WASHINGTON INSISTS A FOOD SHORTAGE Health Service Claims Pel. lagra Increase EARLY REPORTS FULLY CONFIRMED Failure to Diversify Crops Given by Health Service as Cause of Increase In iellagra. Cliarges no lteliable Statistics by State Officers. lWashington, Auig. 15.-Food short age in the southern states has assum ed the proportions of a famine only in a "scientifle, restricted sense," but un doubtedly has been accompanied by an .Increase in pellagra, the public health service reported to President :larding today as a result of the spe cial investigation undertaken at his request. The findings of the public health ofilcials, the report said, were based 4argely on incomplete statistics sub mitted by southern state health coin inissioners at a recent conference bere. In a letter to the (President, Surgeon General Cummin'g declared that despite the criticism of some southern ofilcials regarding the ad ninistration's course the information collected "fully confirms, in my opin ion, the position of the public health service with rer)ect to the increase of ')ellagra in varous parts of the south." 'Detailed figures were not made pub lic, but a memorandum of supplemen tal information accompanying the sur geon general's letter was summarized as follows tonight, in a statement is sued at the White House, "Information indicates a definite increase of pellagra this year in Ala .baia, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma Texas and probably North and South Carolina. Some evidenbe also indi cates an increase in Georgia. In Ken tucky andVirginia testimoy points to a decrease. Clonscu'vative estimatos indicate live .thousand deaths and one hundred thousand cases of pellagra in the country in 1921." Failure to diversify craps is blamed by the surgeon g1eneral for the food situation throughout the south, vmlhichli he advised the President was acute In soie localities when consid cred "from the standjoint of a phy siologically complete diet" such as is required to prevent pollaigra. "It quickly 'became apparentf' Surgeon General Cumming said, "that 'the interest of the assembled heal-th olficers centered principally about t.wo points: I-The bases for holding 1.hnt there existed an increased pre valence of pellagra; 2--The use of the ,word "famine" in describing the cais itive conditions. "So far as the first point is con cerned, all the health olicers spresent, with the exception of the state health ofilcer of Mississippi, stated that no relliable morbidity statistics wore availalie for .their states. in Missis slpaul, the only state having trust 'worthy statistics, the Incidence of The diisease in .the fIrst six months of the q~resent yeaiir was about diouble that, ini thle corriespiondinig peiod last year. "A number of the state health of fleers, on receiving the call to the con ferenCe securedl telegraphic re ports from physicians in, various paUrts of their state, believing that these might serve as an indlex of 'cel lagra condit Ions, thouigh they had no comparable statistics for previous years. Others sub~mitted statistics shoring the number of (deaths from -peliagra in the first six months of 1921 and in the correspondIng pieriod at-. qreviousn years. These data were admittedly incomplete. A careful re vee: of all the facts elicited by the enferonce, fully confirm, in my opin ion, the position of the public health service with respect to the increase of pellagra in various eparts of the south. "insofar as .the use of the word "famine" is concerned the public health service pointed out that it had used the term in a scientIfle, restrict ed sense, referring to a (diet which lacked some essential element, or ole men ts. "ft was clearly brought out that in various localities in the 8outh, condi tions were such that !the essential foods reqluirced to prevent the devel opment of pellagra 'were obtainable oitly with difficulty, and1 in some In emancee. 'were entirely beyond the CATHOLIC PRIEST AURDERED NEAL SAN -FtANCISCO Body Burled In Sands on Beach. hIad lleeni Missing for Over a Week. San Francisco, Cal., Aug. 1.-Bu rIed under two feet of sand, the body of Father Patrick E. Heslin of holy Angel's Catholic Church, Colma, who has been missing since .tle night of August 2, was dug from a beach on the Pacific Ocean twenty miles south of San Francisco late last night and brought to this city today. Two bul let wounds nwere in the body. Led by WhIlliam A. itightower, an unemployed baker who had been in San Francisco only a few weeks and who is held pending investigation, local ofillcials were taken to the spot and the body exhumed as a smoky lantern made feeble efforts to dispel the gloomy darkness. Hightower told the authorities that lie learned 'of the buried -body several days ago from a woman who said she was VDolly Ma son. She is being sought. The lonely grave kwas but a short distance from Salada Beach, popular bathing resort. It had been dug at the bottom of a sand cliff. From its cramped iposition the body was lifted and an immedlate ex amination showed that a bullet had been fired through the heart while a second bullet had plowed through' the head and torn off part of the skull. The search of the room occupied by iightower, 'who failed to explain to the police why he had delayed giving his information to them, led to the discovery of pieces of bloody burlap, a rifle and newspaper clippings tell ing of rewards offered for Father lieslin. Hightower,' however, held to -his original story in which he declared he made a personal investigation sev eral (lays ago and found bits of black rag, a '45 calibre revolver and a bloodstained ':)iece of gunny sack buried in the sand near the spot where the body was later dug up. Three days later he said he made another visit to the grave. Unabld to keep his gruesome secret longer, -he decided to inform ofilcials of the church and paid a visit to the home of Achbishop Hanna of San Fran cisco. But the churchman was in conference and Hightower then told his story to a newspaperman, who in formed the police. Recovery of the body followed. In the pockets of the (lead priest's clothing were found a watch, which had stoppe'd at 9::52, a red morocco case containing the bread and wine of the blessed sacrament and a roll of money. 'Father Heslin ,was last seen alive about 9 p. i., August 2, when a stranger drove to the iparish house in Colma, p'.rsiaded the priest to enter his automobile under the pretense that he wanted the last sacrament administered to a (lying relativo and drove away. The next night Arch bishop Ilanna received an annoymous letter demanding $6,5000 for lather Hleslin's return. hater the demand was increased to $15,000. C'ase Dilsmilssed At the hearing before .Magistrate Wi:ht Thumrsday of the cases against ., L. Power andl J1im P'aige, policemen, andl Dunk Powers, in connectio 101with tihe altercation at the Laurmens Mill villago several wveeks ago for which t he 9olicemnen were suispended from the pl)Oice force for thirty days, the cases r'vere dismissed, reach of the 'poorer working people. it 'was shown that the situation had heen brought about largely by- the custom of one-cr~op farming. So lon-g as the one-crop lpaid handsome re turns, as in -the case of cotton in re cent years, less difliculty wats emxperi enced. At the present time, however, the food situation, looked at from the standlpoint of a physiologically comn plete (diet, is acu'te in a number of localities. "The objec~t aimed at by tihe public hmealth service hias- undoubtedly been brought much nearer to attainment as a result of tihe splendid support given by your letter. in no other way could attention have been focused so quickly or effectively on tile many different qphases of the problem. IThe various branches of the federal and state governments will now cooperate t to better advantage to control not only pellagra ibut other diseases in timately related to economic and (dietetic maiadjustmenlts. It is grati fying .to recort that all the states feel able to meet any demand for emerg- I eney relief, without requiring any outside assistanCeav HOUSE MEMBERS PRIA Senator Goodwin Does Not ] Regard to Co Following upon the statement made by Supervisor Watts last week to the effect that t.he deficit brought over by the county from last year was approx imately $5,000, the members from this county of the lower house of the Gen oral Assembly met and gave a signed [tgreement to "support an itemized claim for actual maintenance of the chan gang and necessary expenditures Dn bridges." Senator Coodwin, seen in the city Nfonday afternoon, said that he was not familiar with the agreement signed by the other members of the delega tion and that lie aw'as not In a position to express his opinion as to what he would do. le said that he expected to be In the city again In a few days Eind would give the matter further con ilderation. The following are the agreements uigned by -the lower house members: We the local delegation have met ind decided that in view of the fact that Mr. John D. W. 'Watts, Supervisor, having made a statement to the public is we requested him to do, for the best interest of the county, as we see it, iwe have decided to give him our noral obligation that we will suiport in Itemized claim for the actual main tenance of the chain gang and neces 3ary expenditures on bridges. Mr. Watts has promised us to operate as .cononically as possible. C. 'D. NANCE-, C. M. B A BB, T. A. WILLIS, Members of the House. With reference to the Sheriff's office, he delegation appropriated the amount BUILDING..NEI HOMES illiVIIam C. Byrd and Arthur D. Put main Ilegin on New Cottages. Mr. William C. Byrd, who recently noved to the city from the Tylersvillel iection and is now manager of the ,aurens Bonded Warehouse, has let a ontract to C. -L. Rounds & Companty or the erection of a cottage on South larber street next to the home of Mr. V. 'P. IRLudgens. The plans call for a rery pretty building with all muoderi :onveniences. Work is to commence t once. Work has alre'ady commenced onl a teat bungalow being erected by Mr. 'rthur ). Putnam, on East Main treet. The work is being done by 3rownlee & Creamer, and will be of nodern design and equipment. Former lesidentt a Visitor Mr. Jim Irby, accompanied 1)y his wo young daughters, of Camden, has ecen spending several days in the city. Ir. I rby 1. suter'intendent of the state arm at Camen and has a large force if convicts inder his direction, lie ays that the h)oll weevil is proving a rtent menace to the cotton ercw in hat section and thtat this year' he ardcly explects to gather more ihant fteen por' cent. of a nor'mal crop. b~ast ear, he saidl, the datmage was haridliy ver' ten per' cent. F'romi his obiserv ion of crop conditiotns in this county, en said that lie did( not think that tile eevil would( do much (damage hetre efore next year' and that it .would be tnother yeari beforee'this cou nty would ecl the (full effects oif his dlepr'edationts. ('ook Famutily Itiuon Owings, Aug. 1i.-More titan 250 ersons attended the reunion of the ~ook family Friday at the home or ~t(epp Cook, about flye miles from, ere The majority of those present vre dlescendlants of the late Billie 300k(, a C'onfederate voteran and life ong resident of this section. The i~ev. M. H~ood, uastor of thle 'lleaver lam hlaptist church made .a brief, but iptropriato adress after which all resent ,were invited to partake of tho umptuous dinner served on -the lawn. t is likely that the reunion will be-i omo an annual event. Held Big Court diagistrate Bry~on', of Cross Hill ownship, heldl a big court Mondal~y onvicting eight negtroes for gambling, our for carrying unlawful weapons nd soveral others for other crimes. .bout $100 in lines 'was collected anid, everail wore sent up to higher courit. sher'iff Reid attended tho hearing and rought several prisoners to the coun y jail to .be sent to -the gran, PROMISE APPRO LTION ndicate What He Will Do in unty Finances asked for, which was considerably less than 'had been heretofore appropriat ed. But in view of the fact that the Sheiff's hooks show that tle expen diture of this ollice has been consid erably more than .he anticilated, we hereby agree to appropriate an addi tional $1,100, if so much be necessary to defray the expenses pertaining to that office for the year 1921. C. ). NANCE, C. Al. BABBU, T. A. WILLIS, Members of the House. August 11, 1921. ,Mr. Watts said yesterday t-hat he wished the public to kno-w that every claim to his office, before being passed for 1payment, is itemize(d, totalled, sworn to by the claimant, reviewed and signed by the board of eQunty com missioners and double-checked by the clerk for ready reference. A coin plete,record is kv.St in the offlce where the public may inspect It at any time and an itemized report made to the presiding judge and grand jury at the March term of each court, be&ldes a copy being sent to the Comptroller General at Columbia. With the re port to the Comptroller General goes the Supply Bll on which the county delegation is ex-pected to make the asp propriation for the next year. The Supervisor's oefle handles no cash money, - all payments being made through the tieasurer's ofice. Supervisor Watts said Monday that with these pledges in hand he was ready to continue his ,work on the county roads. Rev. Rankini to Preach Announcement has been made that Rev. C. F. Rankin, for a number of years pastor of the Presbyterian church here. will preach at the union services at the Presbyterian church Sunday morning and evening. lie is expected to arrive in the city from Montreat, N. C., where he is spending the summer., latter part of this week. Rev. lbankin Is now astor of the Pres byterian church at Farnville, Va. -While a pastor here, he was univers ally liked among members of huis owni congregtion as well as other denomina tions and will doubtless he pleasant news to all of them to know that he will be here to preach again Sunday. ( Moles iere From Clesler The many friends of ir. and Alr.s. Major 'I). Gibson will be extroiely sorry to learn that they expect, to leave Chester. Mr. Gibson, who has helen v, ith the lodman-Ii rown Co., for several yeais, an prior to Iithat with lhe S. .. Jones Co., has accepted an attractive offer from the I aVis-toper Co., of I aur ens, and~ will leave at once to take up Ihis neQw duieIs. .\ i, anud .\lts. G ibsoni are both ear nest a n! act ive workers ini Ilethle! .l1. chuiirch, andu their loss will fall hetavihy on that. congregation. 1 loth are membehrs I of the chiolr. Mr i. Ci bsoni Is a tirust e of t ho churi ch, and is alIso sec reta ry andl troasurecr of thle Young '\en's lible Class. .\lrs. Gibson is teneher of the Young Woman's Blible Class, and is very active in the Eipworth 'League and Womuan's MIissiosary So clot y. Chester' is Ioathi to part withI this p~opular young cou ple, and the hoat wishes of innumerable friends wvill accompany them to their new hbmo.-Chiester Reporter. llall Teami 1et urns~ T1hie base- ball team, made up large ly of ILaurens cousnty players, which spent last week on a barnstor'ming tirip through differ'ent towns in the mountains of North Carolina, returned to the city Saturday night. While away tlV'y zlayed five games, winning four. The fifth game was called at the end of the eighthi inning with the scor'e a tie. Tfhe players, several of wvhomn were accompanied by their twives, camped out while*,.on the trip and had a very enjoyable time. lee ('ream Supper There will he 1n dce cream festival and musical entertainment at Mt. Pleasant Friday evening, August 1 9. The public is cordially invited to at tend. The iroceeds are to be used for' the church, FOX AND GAPPINS NOW IN CHAL'ESTON JAIL cuairded on Trlp From Savisnalh b~y Sherhy Roof and 'Thwo Depuiles. Charleston, Aug. 14.-C. 0. Fox and Jesse Gappins, accused of killing Wil Ilam Brazell, a taxi-cab cheuffeur of Columbia, near Leesville, Sunday night a week ago, are lodged In the Dharleston county jail, having arrived it dawn from Savannah. They were guarded on the trip by. Sheriff Roof, :)f Lexington county, and two depu tes. lEverything at the station was quiet when the two prisoners, handcuffed, were taken through the building into I waiting police motor ipatrol In which Lhey -were hurried to jail. Few peo ple knew the men had left Savannah And those who were 'gathered at the station had come out of sheer curios ty. County Sheriff Joseph M. Poulnot, f Charleston, and Sheriff Roof held 2onferences during the (lay, but do Ained to say anything with respect to my plans for transferring the men to the state -peitentlary in Columbia Theriff Poulnot has augmented the isual guard at the jail. It Is known Ahat deputies and rural policemen are 3n duty there 'wtith the jailer. It is reported that men in Columbia tre very anxious to learn when and by what route Pox and Gappins will be carried to Columbia. This after ioon several Columbia motor cars were said to be in town, but there was nothing to indicate that these motorists are concerned In any move hent to wrest Fox and Gappins from [he authorities. So far the governor has not in itructed that the two national guard .0mpanies here, ,the Washington [ight Infantry and the Sumter Guards >c mobilized and while the guardsmen lie ready to answer stich a call, they ire not anticipiating It. S. J. Kirby, a one-armed man, now in the state penitentlary, is (uoted asi having confessed that Cappinls held lIrazell while Fox repeatedly stabbed M111m with a pocket knife. Sheriff PIlunkett of lichmiiond county, Augus a, Georgia, Is repited to have this -onfession and also confessions from "ox and Gappins. Called ill over telephone at his lmmer residence on Paris Alountain ast night, Governor Robert A. C:ooper: ;aid that C. 0. Fox and Jesse Gappins illeged 'yers of William Brazell, Co umbia college student an( taxi driv wr, ,would likely be kept in the -lharleston county Jail until their trial Jegins in Lexington county. The pris )-ers will b)e, given all protection nee !ssary at the Charleston jail, the jovernor said, and expressed the >pinion that they would be perfeetly safe there. Th Ie Charleston inil is ai Id to be one of the est aid lost mhstantia lly huilt jail; in the ate. Governor Cooper said that Sheriff ?oof actel on his own h)( st .iudgnient n removing the pI'rison rs to Cha rles on. Tihe she riff had been inst I cted 1ot. to remxiove the prisoners iutil fir lher instructions had been reei v by ilm. NO ord'(eJ I tad been issued last ight byli the I evertnori for the call n.g ,mi of any national gutard unit. i Ie nadt the statemeni Satutrday nighut hat no mnobiliz"at ion otrderts wouh 1(ei siied unless the situtatiotn(1i dtmndd t. .\ pariy of young peopleC, chapetroned >y Mrs. Tr. J. McAlister', left Monday norn Ing for Ya rborou gh's Mill wherec hey wvill e'nmp this week. In th'e par y Itwere MlIsses H uth MeAlister, Marie miith, Ver-ena Glreen, Cora and Nani ie K(ate Armstrong, Nilgo, Marie aangston, Allijene Crews, Margaret Vright and Messrs. IRoy Owings, Puirner Miartin, John Inman, iltts Irown, WV. P. Shtealy, Rloy Boyd, Fred tedlock, Earl Ow~ings, 1oy'c, and Jim 100oro. Prize WVIiner Announced Mary Clarence Bramlett has been twardedl first prize and Marty Reid sec tnd 'prize offered by the~ Civic Leagute o 'girls of the city having the pret lest flower gardens. TPho result of he contest was made known yesttdr lay by Mrs. J. ,D. Watts, chairman ot lie committee. Garrett Family Reunion . Thle annual reunion of the (4arr'ett amily wvill he held August 27th, at ,he home of S. M. Garrett, Gray Court, toute 2. All the relatives and friends ire urged to bie present and bring PIMK GRIFIN GOES TO CHAIR Greenwood Negro Given Death Sentence PAYS PENALTY SEPTEMBER 2ND Pink Grilin, Charged with the Mar der of' Dr. Lawton Lis)comlb it Nlinet1y Six, Conileted After a Short Trial In Special Term Monday. Greenwood, Aug. 15.-The spec-ial term of the court ordered by Covernor Cooper for the trial of Pink Griffin, negro, who killed Dr. Lawton Lips comb at his home near Ninety Six, convened Monday morning -with Judge Gary presiding. The grand jury found a true bill, and the petit jury was drawn and the trial completed and sentence 1passed in a little over one hour. Solicitor Blackwell had Grier, Park and Nicholson associated with him for the prosecution; the court appointed L. C. Harrison, of the local bar, to represent Griffin; Wit nesses for the prosecution 'were heard, after which Griffin pleaded ' guilty. There were no arguments made by at torneys on either side and the judge did not deliver a charge to -the jury which retired after the evidence had been completed, and -in a few' minutes rendered a verdict of 'guilty as charged in the ind-ictiment and Griffin was sen tenced to die in the electric chair, the execution to take place Friday, Sep tember 2nd. There was a large crowd :in town and the court room was packed long before court opened and the yard was full of people. The crowd began coming early in the morning and con tinued to come all duing the fore noon. AWhiile thiere was intense inter est and deelp feeling there was never any indication of violence, and there was no 'fear of a mob 'by officers. It seemed to be the desire of all to ob serve the .wishes of the Lispacomb family, that the law be per'mitted to take its course. The eitizens of Greenwood are do lighted that their county escaped a lynching and that Griffin is to (lie by the hands of the law for the murder of one of its best citizens. Pink Griffin, who had been in the penitentiary at Columbia since his ar rest, was brought to Greenwood Sun day and lodged inl the county jail. At the conclusion of the trial today he was carried by M. I1. Chandler, chief of the Greenwood police and Rural Policeman Mcl)owel.l back to Col um hia wheie he will remain until the day of his execution. Columbia, Aug. 15.-Tink Criffin was lodged ill the ienitentiaiy around -1 o'clock this afternoon, foll owing his trial and convi'tion in (;reenwood this mornng. Shiff Wite brought the negrno here, ma kinig a r'ec'rid rutn. No trouble was cx p('riened~ on the way. only the rain slowing uip the speetd ing machinle. Jtniise'd the Limit W\. P. 1 rv.in, of thei Trnt idge sect ion, raised thie limtoit. on lig wvater mielonis la st week'l w hen lie brtought a big onie to towni weighing 50 3--l pouinds. -IeI carried the big one back with him I to save thle seed1, but left 0n0 jist a little 1b1t smailler for thie deleceta tioin of his friends. Th'le 'Garden Edi toi' was on hand w~hen the attack was madei iln thlie .Jone(s-Tay lor i'Iaridwarie store( an wil ~as ale to P i'onounceo the melon01 as strictly up to standard. J. L. Lanngston Out~ Again .J. LA. Langston, Jr., who r'eceivedl s vere injuies in an alteircation at thie Laur'ens Mill a fow: (lays ago, has suf.. ficriently r'ecoveredC to be out on the streets gain. A. ., ltackard(, whid was hieldl pendihng the outcome of Mi'. Langston's woundis, 'was ieleased on b)ond laIst week. Connieli Meetinig City Council held 1t.4. regtular gemW Mionthuly meeting Monday night,.,en fInIng Its attention largely to iroutine matters. M. It. Saunders, of Green woodi, alppearedl before the Conneil in r'egard( to tie puriichase 'of fur'ther fire-~ fighting equipment. No action was taken, but 'the sentiment of tile Coun cil seemedl to be thlat the pre'senlt tiruck sholdt be overhauled or a how one bought. ..