The Darlington news. (Darlington, S.C.) 1875-1909, March 29, 1894, Image 1
VOL. XXI, NO. 13.
DARLINGTON, S. C., THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 1894.
WHOLE NUMBER 999.
LOCAL LACONICS.
MATTERS IN AND AROUND PROS
PEROUS DARLINGTON.
A Column of New*, Tersely Told, of
Interest to Our Many
Readers.
Next Monday will be sales
day.
The Court of Common Pleas
adjourned sine die on Friday.
Mrs. T. G. Patrick, of Auder-
son, is visiting her daughter,
Mrs. H. A. Edwards.
Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Everett, of
Bennettsville, ate visiting Dr.
and Mrs. W. B. McGirt.
Rev. R. W. Sanders, pastor
of the Baptist Church at Flor*
ence, visited Darlington this
week.
Mr. R. G. Pace, the practical
scale man, has an advertise
ment in this issue that will in
terest grocers.
A special meeting of the Dar
lington Building and Loan As
sociation is called for to-morrow
(Friday) evening.
Notwithstanding the absence
ofRev. J. G. Law from town,
services will be held in the
Presbyterian Church as usual
on Sunday next.
On account of the rush of
matter that came in yesterday
we have been compelled to omit
the editorials and many items
of general news.
We advise all ladies who are
in search of spring goods to read
Messrs Norment & Co’s adver
tisement. They will find in it
much to their advantage.
A. F. Honour treated The
News office a few days since to
a nice lot of milk toast and ban
quet wafers. They are certain
ly delicious and are fit for any
table.
We are glad to note that the
town authorities are improving
the drainage of the business
portion of Pearl Street. We
nope that they will not stop un
til that section of the street is
thoroughly drained.
Mr. T. Tracy Walsh having
left Darlington to return to his
duties at the University of the
South, the regular lay services
at the Episcopal Church will be
resumed on Sunday morning
next, at 11.30 o’clock.
The Florence District Confer
ence will will meet in the Meth
odist Church at this place this
(Thursday) morning and will
continue in session until Sunday
night. Most of the delegates
have already arrived.
A stock company has been
organized in Darlington for the
purpose of promoting the base
ball sport. Work will be begun
in a few days upon the erection
of a parkjaear the Mayo School.
The boys promise ijome fine sport
this season.
The attention of the traveling
public of this section is called
to the advertisement of the
boarding house of Mrs. Amanda
Davis, of Charleston. Her
house is located opposite the
Citadel Academy, convenient to
all points of the pjty.
No one relished the cold snap
that came the early part of this
week. A long season of the
balmy spring had made us think
that winter was over. The
freeae has killed the gardens
and fruit and done great dam
age to crops generally.
As the appointment of Mr. A.
A. Gandy as postmaster at this
place will make a vacancy upon
the board of county commission
ers, the politicians are already
speculating upon his successor.
We have heard the names Mr.
8. B. Gandy, Capt. Robt. Dick
inson and Mr. B. C. Lampley
. mentioned in this connection,
though we cannot state positive
ly whether any of them are can
didates for the office. The po
sition is filled by appointment
py the Governor.
On Fi-jdfiy la8 t an imported
liquor spy, J. D. McLendon, and
Mr. Paul Rogers, the clerk at
the Enterprise Hotel, became
engaged in a difficulty, when
the spy pulled out his pistol.
By-standers interfered and pre
vented further trouble. The af
fair occurred in the dispensary.
Mr. Rogers preferred charges
against his antagonist to the
municipal authorities and the
Mayor gave McLendon a trial
on the following day, with the
result that he was fined $5 for
attempted assault.
it is TRUE.
A Lady's Trunk was Broken Open and
Contents Damaged on Saturday.
On Sunday morning last a re
part was circulated around
town that spies had broken a
lady’s trunk and damaged
the contents at the A. C. L.
depot on the afternoon previous
in search for contraband liquor.
The lady is not a resident of the
town, but the fact that she is a
lady and was unprotected added
greatly to the feeling of indig
nation that spread through
Darlington. The citizens were
thoroughly aroused and were
determined to put a stop to such
outrageous conduct. The only
thing that prevented trouble
was the fact that investigation
failed to prove that the indigni
ty was committed. The rail
road officials knew nothing
about it and no one could be
be found who did. Excitement
quieted down on the belief that
the rumor was untrue.
The News wishing to get at
the truth of the matter pushed
the investigation further, and
this paper now has in its posses
sion a letter from the lady her
self who writes that the trunk
was broken. She says, “the
trunk has a hole two inches
large in the bottom, also split
ever so far. Everything was in
perfect confusion and some of
the contents damaged by small
holes. It is a certain fact that
someone had been in it. * * *
Nothing was missing.”
So it will be seen that the
trunk was broken and the con
tents damaged, but the question
is, who did it ? The lady lives
in Marion and she was on her
way to the western part of the
county where she teaches school.
Whoever committed the act has
insulted a lady!
In justice to the only two
State constables that were in
town when the outrage occurred
—Swann and McLendon—we
will state that they both em
phatically deny having done it
and their denials are borne out
by what the railroad officials
say on the subject.
Mr. J. H. Winburn has erect
ed his photo, tent on the west
side of the Square. His photos,
are as fine as are made in the
State. He will remain but a
short time and hopes to be kept
busy during his stay.
Fine ground coffee 30c per lb.
M. J. West.
Fresh fruits and vegetables at
Coggeshall & Co’s.
THEY THREATEN PUNISHMENT TO
MR. JAMES DOUGHAN.
Base ball goods,
croquet sets and a
sporting goods at
store.
Hi*
hammocks,
full line of
the Book
THE SPRING OPENING.
Messrs. S. A. Woods & Co. Are to be
Congratulated upon their Success.
It is impossible in our limited
space to do justice to Messrs S
A. Woods & Co’s, magnificent
opening. To give it the extend
ed notice it deserves, that is to
mention every detail worthy of
particular note, would require
ar more space than is at our
command. The opening was
jiven on yesterday and the day
jefore. Ladies from the town
and county crowded the store
on both days. The beautiful
array of ladies’ goods of every
character, style and q ’ality
seemed to be endless. It is im
f easible to reproduce on paper
he effect of the fairy-like scene;
t is necessary for one to have
seen it in order to appreciate it
We do not hesitate to say that
of the many handsome open
ings that have been given in
Darlington this one was decid
edly the handsomest of all. Mes
srs 8. A. Woods & Co. are to be
congratulated upon their great
success.
The lace curtains were won
by the holder of ticket number
158. Who is the lucky lady?
By calling at 8. A. Woods &
Co’s store she may get the pur-
tains.
Butternuts 9o per lb. Cogge
shall & Co,
WHITE CAPS ABROAD.
the
Reply to Them—Who May
Whitecaps be?—An Interest
ing Mystery.
The following appeared in the
last issue of the Florence
Times:
“A CARD.
Mr. Douan,
“Sir: I will write yon just a word
or two in reference to the way you
have been treating your family. Now
this has gone on long enough and we
the neighbors and citizens of this
community advise you as friends to
never let this happen any more. If
so we are going to come and take you
out and give you a good thrashing.
Take warning we don't want to hear
any more of it for if we do we will do
pou up in good shape. You ought to
ye ashamed of yourself. You are
more like a brute than human. Now
you had better mind what you are
doing. We are going to watch you
close, and if we hear any more of it
we are coming after you.
“Respectfully,
“The Country and Community.
I received the above commu
nication a few days ago post
marked at Florence, S. C., and
have it published, that I may
be defended before the public
from such base accusations
which were evidently instigated
by some cowardly and meddle
some enemy. I am perfectly
willing for the decent people of
the country and community to
investigate my conduct in the
treatment of my family if they
so desire and, if they find that I
mistreat them, to blast my
na ne as it deserves and to have
me punished to the full extent
of the law and it is also just and
right that the good and law-
abiding people of the “country
and community” should know
there is one or more cowardly
villains abroad in their midst,
who, for some private spite,
takes the sneaking and coward
ly mode of,writing anonymous
letters to gratify their wrongful
spite, and without the manhood
to come out and say what is and
ask a manly reparation.
I have lived at the same spot
where I now live, about five
miles from Florence, for Jthe
past twenty-five years, and I
am perfectly willing for those
who have known me best and
longest to judge as to the truth
of the base charges above, but
as to the men or set of men who
instigated them I desire to ex
press my contempt and will give
them something more forcible
should they attempt to regulate
my domestic affairs.
Speak of a man as you find him,
No matter what others may say,
Speak of a man as you find him.
From faults there is none of us free.”
James Doughan.
For sale at great bargains for
cash—a lot of second-hand sew
ing machines, many of them
practically as good as new; ap
ply at this office.
Canned peaches at 10c a can
at C. & Co’s ; ^
Hard time prices on Domestic
sewing machines; $45 the for
mer price, $25 the present price,
$20 saved on each machine.
McCall & Burch.
EASTER SERVICES.
Beautiful and Imposing Commemora
tions of the Resurrection.
Easter was a gloomy day. On
the night before the rain began
to fall and it continued to pour
during the whole of Sunday.
Despite the inclemency of the
weather, however, interesting
services appropriate to the oc
casion were held in the Metho
diet and Episcopal churches and
these houses of worship were as
usual beautifully decorated.
The Methodist Church was
arrayed in most becoming de
corations. Myriad plants and
cut flowers vied with one anoth
er in point of beauty. A py
ramid of handsome callas form
ed a background for the pulpit
which was draped in nun’s-veil-
ing gracefully festooned with
white wisteria and azaleas. On
either side of the pulpit were
stands of potted plants, at the
base of which were handsome
palms and airy Paris daises. To
the right of the chancel was a
touching memorial to the late
Mrs. Woods. The base was
formed of white and green and
it was surmounted by a pure
white cross twined in smilax
and bearing the letters “M. J.
W.” worked in evergreen.
Services were conducted in
the morning by the pastor Rev.
J. E. Carlisle. The rain did not
prevent a large congregation
from attending. Mr. Carlisle
delivered an excellent sermon,
taking his text from Romans
VI, 9: “Knowing that Christ
being raised from the dead dieth
no more; death hath no more
dominion over him”.
In the Episcopal Church the
Easter emblems were never
more lovely. The windows were
closed and the brilliantly light
ed Church made the effect very
striking, though the utmost
simplicity prevailed in the floral
arrangements. On the altar
were bases of Parian marble
and carved wood holding white
azaleas and the cross was trim
med with Easter roses. The
font was used as the basis for a
lovely arrangement of flowers
in memory of Mrs. 8. M. Wag
ner and was rendered more
beautiful by the proximity of a
cross of cedar rising from a
bank of lilies and daises and
massed with the most brilliant
blooms of red geraniums.
In this church, too, a large
congregation attended, despite
the bad weather, the services
which were held at four o’clock
in the afternoon by Rev. R. W.
Barnwell, who took the text for
an able sermon from John’s
First Episte I, 5: “This then is
the message we have heard of
him, and declare unto vou, that
God is light and in him is no
darkness at all”.
GIVEN HIS LIBERTY.
THE LAMAR FIGHT.
Ths Advocates of a Dispensary Have
an Election "All by Themselves”.
An election was held in La
mar on Monday, bjr order of the
new town council, upon the
Q uestion of dispensary or no
ispensary. The dispensary-
ites carried t^e day. Tne oppo
nents of the dispensary refrain
ed from voting and every ballot
cast, excepting one, was
in favor of the State bar. The
anti-dispensaryites did not
participate in the election be
cause they took no stock in it,
considering the election illegal.
It's stated that shoqld the State
and county hoards decide to
give Lamar a dispensary the
opponents of the “step towards
prohibition” wiil carry the fight
into the courts.
Apricots, 15c can. 0. (St Co.
Fine table syrup, 50c per gal.
M. J. West.
See tlig samples of photo
graphs at Winbum’s gallery on
Court House Square. They are
fine.
Can cherries, 20c. M. J. West.
Fine line of men’s and ladies’
purses just received at the Book
store. _
For artistic photography
IVinbiirn’s work is hard to
dowq.
Tenney’s and Royster’s
candies at C. & Co’s.
fine
Flower pots cheap at Cogge
shall & Co’s.
Ginger preserves, 60c jar for
45c. M. J. West.
For grain and mill feed at bot
tom prices call at C. & Co’s.
THE PROFITS WITHHELD.
The Stele Board of Control Will Here
after Give Darlington Nothing.
As a result of the controversy
between the town authorities
and the State board of control
in regard to the disoensary pro
fits, Mayor Dargan received
yesterday the following letter
from Governor Tillman:
Mayor and City Connell, Darlington
S* C.
Gentlemen:
It has been apparent to ns for some
time that the city authorities and the
police of Darlington were making no
effort to suppress the illicit sate of
liquor as required under the dispen
sary law. We have waited patiently
hoping for a change of policy on you'
part. But as there are no indication
of any purpose to do more than you
are doing, and as we are informed by
th< constables^ .iat the police are ob
structing rather than assisting them,
aotioe Is hereby given that after the
first day of April no part of the pro
ceeds of the dispensary will be paid to
the city until the State board becomes
satisfied that your police are enforcing
the law. Very respectfully,
B.K. TILLMAN,
Gov. and Ohm. Board.
When asked by a represent
ative of The News what would
be the next step he would take
in the matter, tne Mayor replied
that he had nothing as yet to
give out for publication.
Flour, 40 pouuds for
J. West.
M.
Three of the very best papers
of their kind in the country, the
Weekly News, a id Courier and
the Southern Cultivator, and
Tre Darlington News will all
be sent to any address for ons
year for $2.45. 4t
Gold dust washing powder at
C. &. Go’s.
1 itti i-m
Large bottle pickles 40c. M.
J. West. <
Fresh pickles and preserves
at Coggeshall & Go’s.
Wheat flakes at 0. $ Co’». one
JOSEPH W. JAMES PARDONED BY
GOVERNOR TILLMAN.
The End of Darlington's Famous Case
— How the Pardon was
Secured.
[The State, Mch. 24.]
The closing scene in a trage
dy, the details of which rival
the best story of fiction, was
enacted yesterday, when Joseph
W. James, a white mau, who
has faced the gallows and who
has for the past six years looked
through prison bars with no
other prospect than ending his
days behind them, went home
to his young wife in Darlington
county under the escort of
many of the men of prominence
of that county, a free man.
About seven years ago this
man was wealthy, being worth
$30,000. He was happy. Then
his father was murdered, and
around him was woven a web
of evidence which was so strong
that the crime was laid at his
door.
Since May, 1892, Joseph W.
James has been an inmate of
the State prison. All are fa
miliar with the details of the
terrible crime of which he was
found guilty, and all remember
how near he came to being
hanged.
Mr. Cole, at the time sheriff of
Darlington county .worked upthe
case. He believed that the young
man was guilty, and since
his conviction has brought suit
against him in the State courts
to secure the $1,000 reward he
had offered for the detection of
the murderer of his father. This
case will hardly be pushed now,
as Mr. Cole is one of those who
have been instrumental in se
curing the pardon of James.
The young man, when he went
to the State prison, as he thought,
to spend the remainder of his
days, placed his fortune in the
bauds of some friends. Through
bad investmeuts it has nearly
all been lost.
James was at tbe March term
of court, 1890, tried for the
murder of his father, and upon
conviction was sentenced to
hang on June 10, 1892. He had
previously been convicted, once
before Judge Pressley, and one
other trial resulted in a mistrial.
Just about the time for the exe
cution to take place, the negro
being still at large, and other
strong facts being presented to
the Governor, a commutation
of sentence to life imprisonment
in the State penitentiary was
granted by Governor Tillman
on the 23d day of May, 1892.
As soon as the pardon was
granted yesterday morning a
telephone message was sent to
the officers of the penitentiary
instructing them to have James
ready to take the afternoon
train for his home.
HOW IT CAME ABOUT.
A few days ago Governor
Tillman received a request from
the Hon. E. K. Dargan, James’
attorney in Darlington, asking
i f his excellency would receive
a committee of the citizens of
Darlington county if they came
to Columbia yesterday. He did
net sajr what they wanted. The
committee came yesterday
morning. It consisted of the
following gentlemen : B. A.
Sarly, foreman of the grand
; ury which heard James’ case;
J. W. Woodham, J. W. DuBose,
W. F. Early, J. 8. DuBose,
member of the House from Dar
lington county; T. H. Stokes
and W. H. Lawrence.
They called upon Governor
Tillman at his office and pre
sented the developments in this
famous case which they had un
earthed, together with proof of
everything they presented.
They also presented petitions
signed by over fifteen nundred
of the best citizens of their
county asking the pardon of
young James.
They presented to the Gover
nor the following paper signed
by each of the committee, cov
ering briefly all the other pa
pers in the case:
Darlington, Mar. 22, ’94.
Governor B. R. Tillman, Colum'
bia, 8- C.:
Dear Sir—We, the undersign
ed citizens of Darlington coun
ty appearing in person {before
your excellency respectfully pe
tition you to pardon Joseph W.
James because he was convictec
on circumstantial evidence, bol
of
ac-
stered up by the testimony
one who called 'himself an i
complice, and a majority of the
white people of Darlington
county, as appears from the ac
companying papers, are dissat
isfied with the verdict. The
residents of the immediate
neighborhood in which the mur
der was committed are all unan
imous in their belief in the in
nocence of the defendant who
has already suffered greatly as
the result of his conviction.
The petition for pardon is
signed by the prosecutor, Ex-
Sheriff W. P. Cole, the man
to whose efforts more than any
thing else the conviction was
due, and by the foreman of the
jury, who does not feel satisfied
and who now comes to you in
person to urge you to grant this
pardon. It is signed by two of
the members of the Legislature
from this county and by most
of the county officers, and by a
majority of the white people of
Darlington county. A striking
feature of this petition is the
large number of women who
implore pardon for this poor
friendless man. When the good
women of Darlington county
rise up in large numbers and
ask as they have done in this
case to be allowed to sign a pe
tition of a man charged with
murder there is something worth
investigating. A good woman’s
intuition is often worth as much
in helping us to form a conclu
sion as a wise man’s reason. It
is worthy of notice in passing
that the presiding judge of this
circuit, who has followed the
case closely, holds the opinion,
as will be seen from his letter
accompanying this petition,
that the defendant did not have
a fair trial. Our committee
comes from different localities
of the county and are familiar
with the sentiments of their
neighbors as regards this case.
We beg to assure your excel
lency that the people almost un
animously declare for the par
don of Joseph W. James.
With this expression of the
highest regard and esteem, and
invoking your clemency, your
committee will ever pray. [Sign
ed] T. H. Stokes, W. H. Law
rence, B. A. Early, J. W. Wood-
ham, J. W. DuBose, W. F. Ear
ly, J. 8. DuBose.
READS LIKE FICTION.
The committee then presented
the entire case to the Governor
as follows. The story is one of
intense and romantic interest:
“Jos. W. James was convict
ed on testimony which was
purely circumstantial, the
ground work on which all the
evidence against him was con
structed being the confessions
of one Bill Scott, the negro thief
and blackleg, who had served a
term in the penitentiary. This
negro turned State’s evidence
and when placed on the stand
testified in substance, that the
fatal shot was fired by Lewis
Williams, he (Scott) and one
Robert Arthur being present to
see the work well done; that the
gun used was his (Scott’s) and
that the party had been hired
Jy Jos. W. James to commit the
deed. Jos. W. James and Lewis
Williams were tried separately,
were both convicted and were
sentenced to be hung on June
10, 1892, and the sentence of
both was subsequently com
muted by the Governor to im
prisonment in the penitentiary
life. Lewis Williams died
that institution several
months ago.
The attention of the execu
tive is most earnestly called to
the fact that if the testimony of
Scott, the ex-convict and self-
confessed assassin, be eliminat
ed from the record, ihe balance
of the State’s testimony will be
found as ‘thin as air,’ and will
!iave literally nothing to sup
port it. On the other hand, if
permitted to remain as a part
of the record in the considera
tion of this case, how much
weight must the executive give
to the following facts. 1. That
the witness, Scott, has said,
more than once, off the stand,
that Jos. W. James had nothing
to do with the case. 2. That
the defendant, Lewis Williams,
after his conviction and in the
very shadow of the scaffold as
he verily believed, made no less
than three full and voluntary
confessions, which tallied with
the confessions of Scott in all
essential particulars, except that
he (Williams) never once men
tioned the name of Jos. W.
James in connection with tbe
affair and that it was not he,
(Williams) but Scott who fired
the fatal shot. 3. That it is
commonlv believed by those
who in the main credit Scott’s
story and regard James
or
m
THE FL0R4L FAIR.
PREPARATIONS BEGUN FOR
ANNUAL FLOWER SHOW.
THE
Ths Dates Fixed. Judges Selected and
Premium List Arranged—Two
Evenings of Pleasure.
The Darlington Horticultural
Society has decided to hold the
annual floral fair on Thursday
and Friday, April 26 and 27.
The spacious hall in the Darling
ton Guards’ Armory has been
secured for the purpose. The
ladies are busily preparing for
the event, which they promise
to make an unusually great suc
cess.
The following premium list
has been arranged:
ROSES.
Judges—Mrs. H. L. Charles,
Mrs. L. V. Zimmerman, Miss
Mollie Boyd.
Best twelve named and dis
tinct varieties, $2.
Second best twelve named
and distinct varieties, $1.
Best six named and distinct
varieties, $2.
Second 6 best named and dis
tinct varieties, $1.
Best single specimen of any
named variety, $1.
Second best single specimen
of any named variety, 60 cents.
Best vase of roses not named.
$1.
Best twenty-four roses not
named, $2.
Best design in cut flowers, $1.
Best vase of mixed flowers,
$1.
In the collection of roses there
must be three specimens of each
variety in each cup.
GREENHOUSE PLANTS.
Judges—Mrs. C. Bacot Law,
Mrs. J. J. Ward, Mr. W. D.
Woods.
Best collection of greenhouse
plants, $2.
Second best collection of green
house plants, $1.
Lest collection of begonias,
$2.
Best collection of lilies, $1.
Best hanging basket, $1.
Best pansies, $1.
Best collection ot ferns, $1.
Best palm, $1.
VEGETABLES.
Judges—Mrs. C. Bacot Law,
Mrs. J. J. Ward, Mr. W. D.
Woods.
Best collection of vegetables,
$1.
Best strawberries, not less
thana > ^2£i»^i;^___^___
!! Our New Dress Goods and!!
» » « •
! ITrimmings are now open and!!
< > <«
! !we solicit a careful examina-!|!
! !tion of our new styles.
; ;AII the New Seasonable Fab*x
rics in Correct Styles
at very Low Prices.
. IMPORTED NOVELTY ROBES. +
DRESS SILKS,
FIGURED WASH SILKS FOR t
WAISTS,
DRESS GOODS AT ALL PRICES,!!
NEW LACES AND EM
BROIDERIES,
! !NEW TRIMMINGS, ASSORTED.,!
Printed Molls, Swisses, Dimitys,
! iMnslins and other Popnlar Sum
' 'Goods.
Thompson's Glove-Fitting Corset <.
at 90 cente.
<; Also, Beet 90c Corset ever made. ■;
(Continued on Page 2.)
! Our goods are all new and!!
Are offered at prices that we!!
« *
! know will please.
Respectfully,
iflomnt & Cii.
j[Mar 29—
■»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ »♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦*