The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, April 18, 1901, Image 3
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AlKS FOR $25,000,090 j
America Presents a Heavy Parnate
Account.
INDEMNITY DEMANDED OF CHINA.
An Itemized Statement of Military
Expenses and Damage to Missionary
Property.
Washington. P. C., Special.?The
fitate Department has heard further
v from Mr. Itockhill,. our special com- j
" ml>s:orer a: Pckia. touching the eflurt I
making there to reach an agreement,
respecting the indemnity to be demanded
from the Chinese government.
Mr. Rockhill's principal. eiTo; t. acting
under direct instructions from Secretary
Hay, is to induce the ministers of
other ])3*i?rs to keep down the total
of their claims to the amount which
the financial experts, headed by Sir
Robert Hart, have decided to be within
the ability of China to pay. The
United States government has felt
that on no account should the total indemit.v
claim exceed 40.000,000 pounds
sterling, and has steadfastly sought
to mako that figure the outside limit
of the claim. For itseif the State De-.
partmeat cla-ims $25,000,000 indemnity j
and it has supplied Mr. Roekhlll
with data for the presentation of an j
itemized account showing the expc-Ji-1
dltures made by the government of i
the Tailed States in the transportation !
of our military contingent in China, I
its maintenance thero and the just
claims of the missionaries who were j
American citizens and suffeicd in pro- ;
pertv o-nd person from the Boxer out-'
break. In its anxiety to avoid oppres- j
clng China, and to secure a speedy 1
settlement of. the Chinese question, |
the United S'ates government stands;
willing to" make a heavy cut in its
claim, provided the other nations represented
at Pekin will abate their
claims in proportion.
The Boer War.
Ixmdon, By Cable.?Lord Kitchener
bee informed the war office that 18
volunteer companies, freed by reliefs,
are coming home and that arrangements
are in progress for the
speedy relief of further companies. He
thus appears to be endeavoring to
meet 'the demand that fresh troops be
sent to the front to roplace the stale
men. The Pretoria correspondent of
The Morning Post, who warns his J
countrymen agaiust hoping for an
early termination of hostilities or believing
%he stories that the Boers are
tired of war, says: "It becomes daily
more evident that the Boers intend to
fight to a finish. Many are surrendering.
but they are men of no standing, j
The real fighting men are sull on
commando, and. although the recent j
Kuooflssftri British operations tend to
bring the en-d nearer it is evident that |
the Beers must be completely crushed
before u general surrender is prob- \
able."
r> (iojds Trust.
New Yor.';, Special.?The To :rr: :.l of:
Commerce :\s: "Lt may be stated on !
authority i. -.t the plan to consolidate;
large icici! dry goods companies, on
which Mr. .joliu Chaflin has been at!
work for some time, has now been
deifinitely completed, and a syndicatej
has b->en organized to finance it. This)
would pecm to indicate that the se-,
curitios of the new company will be;
offered for public subscription. J. P. 1
Morgan & Co.. are the head of the
syndicate and will, it is understood.!
undcrwri.e the issue. The capita.] of1
the new concern will be $20,000,000, j
Including -the com mop and preferred
shares and bonds. The names of the
companies which will be taken into
the new company have not been officially
slated, but friends of Mr. Chaflin
feel confident that his two New York
-stores, the Adams Dry Goods Com
-pany and Mct'reery s
street store, will be included, while
there is some uilk that Ix:rd & Tay- I
tor's two New York stores and also
the Joseph H. Paul & Company, of j
Brooklyn, may be invited Into the
?<?w concern.'
Logan Statue Unveiled.
Washington. D. C., Special-.?The
heroic bronze equestrian statue of Major
General John A. Logan, which
rests on an imposing bronze pedestal
In Iowa Circle was unveiled Tuesday
In the presence of the President, the
cabinet, the widow and relatives of
the gallant soldier, many of his comrades
in arms and a vast multitude of
* -- T-I Oirr>_
people. The scuipror, naun.uu lemons,
who was knighted by King
Humbert of Italy, as a tribute to the
artistic character of the work, was also
present.
Aguinaldo Signs.
Manila. By Cable.?Although the
officials are uncommunicative, it is
nevertheness said that Auginaldo
signed the peace manifesto Tuesday
morning.' Chief Justice Arellano drafted
the document. Auginaldo strong
ly objected to two clauses of the manifesto
and considerable argument was
-required to overcome his objections.'
t.
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1
4 % f **
FIRST CROP BULLETIN. '
The Past Winter Has Been a Remarkably
.Mild One.
The week ending Monday. April Sib,
averaged about seven degrees per day
cooler than usual, with light frosts on
the morning of the 4th over practically
the entire State that retarded growth ]
of vegetation, but- was not otherwise
iniiirious There was a deficiency in .
sunshine. " ,
The rainfall was exceslve over tin
whole State, and the amounts for the
week at different points ranged from
one to nearly four inches. In the up
country lands were badly was red and
lowlands flooded. The wet condition '
of the soil stopped the plows the creat- J
er part of the week, thu3 delaying the! ^
preparation of lands and planting op- j ]
orations, though farm work is well a 1-! .
vanced for the season. It has been gen- j ]
erally too wet for plowing over the J ]
western half of the State since March ! (
25th. <
Corn. rice, melons, cane gardens, and (
minor crops generally have been ex- ]
lensively planted over the eastern, and f
central counties, but germination is ' f
slow, and corn is coming up to poor j (
stands. ; i
Over the western counties planting | *
operations have made less progress, a!-j1
though some corn, minor crops and ; *
gardens have been planted. Most of the 1
lands for cotton have been made ready i '
to plant, and some cotton has been j J
planted, but the latter work will not
become general until the middle of j
April, or until the weather conditions ^
are more favorable, except that murh t
sea-island cotton is already planted.
TnKo/.(in nlnntc ar? 11TlllSl]?llv pmn.ll
1 K*-"> ? (
plentiful in places and scarce In others., (
hut none have been transplanted, t
Wheat and fall-sown oats are both
promising, but are small, having only
recently started -to grow. Spring oats
are poor. Some hesslan flies are report-1
ed on wheat. |
With the exception of Edgefield
county, where less than a full crop of
peaches Is indicated, the fruit prospects
are unimpaired and the trees are
in bloom from the mountains to the
sea.
The moisture conditions are fabora-,
ble in the coast truck fields, but the;
temperature has been too low for quick j
germination of seeds and for rapid ;
growth of the young plants, although '
truck looks healthy. Some potato j
bugs have appeared on white potatoes.;
Heavy shipments of cabbages and a j
few shipments of strawberries have j
been made to northern markets from
Charleston. In general, truck Is from
one to two weeks later than usual. I
I a
Sugar Refining for Georgia.
Atlanta, Special.?The South err Cat- j
tie and Improvement Company, com-1
posed of a number of Western capital- J
ists, has purchased 51.000 acres of land
near Dupcnt. Ga., and this company,:
according to the secretary and attor-1
ney, Geo. J. Munroe, of Joilet, 111., has J
options on 117.000 acres more In .the i
same section. The prncipal Industries'
to which this company will devote its \
attention are cane and cattle and b? j
July 1. it is stated, the first sugar refinery
in Georgia will be completed
and ready for operation, cither al
HomervP.le. or Dupcat. The company
Mr. Monroe says, has already planted
much sugar* cane and will use this and 1
whatever can be procured from other
planters in that section in operating
the refinery.
Maids of honor Named.
The following has been issued
from the headquarters of the U. C
V.. in Charleston.
Headquarters South Carolina Division
United Confederate Veterans.
Charleston. April 4th, 1901.
SnArinl Order No. 25.
The appointment of Miss Susan F
H. Manning of Columbia and of Miss
Thyra Schumpert of Newberry asmaids
of honor to the division spon
sor. Miss Elizabeth C. Teague of
Aiken, is hereby announced. They
will serve during the division reun
Ion in Columbia. May 8th. 9th. and
10th. next.
By order.
C. Irvine Walker.
Commanding S. C. Division.
James G. Holmes.
Col., A. G.. C. of StafT.
Her Hatchets Held in Soak.
Topeaka, Special.?Mrs. Carrie Nation
says she will sue the city for
i some of her hatchets, which are now
in the possession of the police depart ?
I ment. The hatchets were taken from j
her on the occasions of her several ar- <
rests during salloon-smashing days, t
She made a demand on the chief of ,
police for the hatchet3 but was refus i
ed. ' t
New Enterprises. '
The secretary of state has allowed
| an amendment or the charter of the !
j Carolina Loan and Trust company of
ixreenvine t>u iuo uvuw?4v< vm a v/.... .
company may ac as executor, trus
tee, etc., for all estates, etc.
A commission was issued to the i
Honea Path Lumber company, of Ho ]
nea Path, Anderson county, which lj .1
capitalized at $5,000. It is proposed ]
i to buy and sell lumber. The corpora (
tors are L. M. Wilson. W. G. McGhee, 1
| J. R. Harris and G. W. Grubbs. s
I A charter was likewise granted the ]
Argyle Hotel company of Charleston (
which is capitalized at $60,000. The '
j officers are W. B. Wilson, Geo. H
Moffett, solicitor, j
'#
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
^apt.J. J. Griffin of the Norfolk and i
Western Ki'led.
MAJOR B. B. IVANS IS IN JAIL.
Hie Shooting Done in the Latter's
Bedroom With Mis Pistol ? The
Coroner's Verdict.
Columbia Special.?Captain John
James Griffin, the commercial agent
)f the Norfolk and Western railroad.
:>no of the most widely known and
aopular railroad men in this section,
ies dead in this city with a bullet
tale through his left breast, just
lbove the heart, and in the Richand
county jail. Maj. Barnard Bee
Bvans, brother of Ex-Gov. Evans, is
^onfined. awaiting the result of the
kroner's investigation into the cause
)f Capt. Griffin's death. Whether
Maj. Evans will be held responsible
or the death of Capt. Griffin remains
'or the coroner's jury to say. Capt.
Jriffin met his death in Maj. Evans'
oom, the corner room on the second
ioor of the main building at the cor
ler 01 ruain ami i.auy streets, inoie
io died in the presence of officers of
he law, and the circumstances are
nost peculiar. The fatal bullet came
rom a 44-caIibre Colt's pistol, said
o belong to Maj. Evans, found on
ho table in the room, with one charn>er
empty. There is no evidence
hat any other persons were about
he room. Capt. Griffin died with his
rlothes on in Maj. Evans' bed.
The first news of the tragedy caus:d
a profound sensation throughout
he city. All knew the two men.
cnew that they wore friendly, and
vere shocked at the announcement..
Crowds gathered in front cf the build
ng. and many tried'to get past the
loliee officers stationed at the enranee.
AW kinds of stories were
ifioat as to the sad tragedy which
lad ended the life of a popular man
ind sent another man?the son of a
Confederate general end the brother
>f an ex-governor?to jail, to be held
lending investigation.
The tragedy occurred about three
('clock, it is supposed, or possibly a
itt'.rt lottnr At nhnnf 1 ? minntf?c nf ?
I o'clock the victim was stiff in
leath, and The crowd was in search
>f information.
To briefly sum up the essential
acts of the matter as gathered from
hose first on the scene, it may be
aid that Capt. Griffin had been to
Jreenwood the day before, returning
n the afternoon. He anil Maj. Evins
were seen together during the afernoon,
and seemed to be perfectly
riendly. Saturday Capt. Griffin was
tbout. his business as usual, and was
alking to some of the coming reunon
in the most enthusiastic manner,
tt 2 o'clock he was seen entering
he building in which Maj. Evans
oomed. and those who saw him say
le was not apparently drinking,
rhat was the last seen of him until
ie was found unconscious and dying
n the room.-- About 3:15 o'clock,
daj. Evans came down into Mullet's
,'rocery below and used the 'phone,
laying that a man had been hurt in
he building, and calling up several
lectors Finally he cot Dr. Gibbs
>ver the wire and asked him to come.
)mitting for the present Dr. Gibbos'
rving experiences, this summary of
vhat lie found is given: There was
i. pool of blood on the floor sonic
eet from the foot of the bed, and
he footboard was smeared on the
mtside with blQpd; in the bed, with
he head resting naurally on the pilow,
about ten feet' from the blood
jool. was the dying form- of Capt.
rriffln. Doctors say he Wouldn't have
totten there by himself. His shirt
ront was saturated with blood. On
he corner of the table most distant
rom the bed was the pistol?a 44 alibre
Colt's, with one empty eham)er.
Nearby was Capt. Griffin's hat,
l derby," with the crown indented as
f struck by a stick. Some eight or
;en feet from the bed. near the corler
angle of the building, lay a
valking stick, smeared with blood.
3n the table sat a pitcher containng
corn cocktail, and a glass nearly
contained a stiff drink. On Capt.
Griffin's face and forehead there
vere a liumber of bruises, and a later
ixaminaflon showed powder burns
in. his breast and on the back of his
ight hand. In the farthest corner of
he room was a keg of corn whiskey
locktail.
It seems that no one heard the
shot. The first 'ntimation of any:hing
wrong was when Maj. Evans
:ame down into Muller's store to use
he 'phone in calling a physician to
utend some one who was hurt, givng
no names and not seating the
:rouble.
Dr. Gibbes was finally reached at
lis office. He answered the 'phone
limself, and when he asked what the
character of the case was he was
~i,i malt tin ho came: it was no
.U 111 tu TTU1W MW - , __
natter then. When Dr. Gibbes got to
the building he could find no one
ibout. He went down to Muller's
ivhere he was told that Maj. Evans
)ad been telephoning for a doctor.
Knowing where Mr. Evans' room
ivas, he went there and knocked.
He' went into the room, finding no
ine but Maj. Evans and Capt. Griffin
herein, the conditions being as de- .
scribed above. He was told by Mr. >
Bvans to "do what you can for him
loctor." Mr. Evans seemed to be
inder the influence of liquor. Mr.
Griffin was breathing heavily. Doctor
Gibbe3 felt his .pulse and rcal
1 n.?t noc dvinc Hp howeV
?
er, gave him a hypodermic Injection;
In doing so he broke his needle.
When Maj. Evans asked what the
doctor thought. Dr. Gibbes told him
that Mr. Griffin was dying. Mr. Evans
said that 'it was a d?n lie;"
that Dr. Gibbes was like all other
doctors, and as the doctor expressed
it, seemed to become a madman. Dr.
Gibbes passed over the abuse with
the remark that he would attend to
that later, hut now he had to attend
to the wounded man. Dr Gibbes, believing
the situation dangerous, then
attempted to get clear of the room i
for a few moments by throwing his
broken syringe in the fireplace on the
other side of the room, and saying
he would have to get another. Mr.
Evans told him he could not leave
the room. Dr. Gibbes then felt the
pulse of the sufferer again and reiterated
his statement that Capt. Griffin
was dying. Mr. Evans then in a
frenzied manner said that the man ;
had shot himself. Then he accused ;
Dr. Gibbes of killing him.. He or- j
dered the doctor not to touch him !
again. Dr. Gibbes finally went near
the fireplace to got th ? broken syringe,
hoping to got closer to the pistol
on the table, then covered with 9
piece of chamois skin.
Finally he coolly faced Maj. Evans,
told him he was going out, and went
He went direct to police headquarters,
and came back with officers
James Dunning and Williugham.
On the way, Judge Ernest Gary, a
cousin of Mr. Evans, who rooms next,
was met and informed of the tragedy.
The officers, headed by Judge
Gary and accompanied by Dr. Gibbes,
went to the door. Judge Gary knocked.
Mr. Evans opened the door. He
told all to stay out and would not listen
to anyone. Finally officer Dunning
walked up to Mr. Evans and
told him he had to come in. and he
was going to do so. He had out his
club. Mr. Evans tnen saiu "an ngni
and the officers entered.
Mr. Evans, when Dr. Gibbes started
in. ordered both the doctor and
Judge Gary from the room. Finally
Dr. Gibbes was permitted to enter by
the police. After a lively time Mr.
Evans consented for Dr. Philpot to
be summoned. Officer Scott, who had
come in, was sent for him, and he
quickly came. He simply said that
Dr. Gibbes was right; Capt. Griffin
would soon be dead. Then the police
ai'ttr a lively discussion with Mr.
Evans, managed to get him out.
They took him out the back way,
placed him in a hack and took him to
the Jail. They saw he was frenzied,
apparently from drink, but they treated
him kindly.
Death finally came to Capt. Griffin
at about 3:45, thirty minutes after
Dr. Gibbes first reached his side.
At no time while anyone was in
the room with him, so far as is
known-, did he utter a word, but remained
unconscious to the end.
After taking the prisoner to the jail
the two officers returned to the room,
where shortly afterwards Lieut.
Swearinger caine in. A careful examination
of the condition of things in i
the room and everything was left as |
it was.
Officer Willingham stated that Mr.
Evans had said to him entering the
jail that Capt. Griffin had shot himself.
had gone to the bureau drawer,
got out the pistol and had done so.
Mr. Evans has made no other statemeit
to anyone. He declined to see
anyone .who called at the jail to see i
him.
Telegrams were sent by friends a't
once to Maj. Evans' brothers?ExGovernor
Evans at Spartanburg and
Mr. Geo. Evans at Edgefield.
Coroner Green was summoned. He
organized a jury and the body/ and
surroundings were viewed. Then the
body' was turned over to undertaker
McCormick, and carried to his establishment
whence, shortly after 6
o'clock it was removed to Capt. Griffin's
home at 1213 College street.
There is not the shadow of evidenco
going .to throw light upon any cause
for a difficulty between the two men.
They have always been on the most
friendly terms. Their actions the afternoon
before show that such was
the case. If Capt. Griffip was slain
by Mr. Evans the most careful search
" ? V?oo f Kna fo r
lor a cause ui uimeuit/ n?o luuo
failed to discover it. The silent keg
of liquor seems to.be the only clue to
the cause.
THE VERDICT OF THE CORONER'S
/ JLjRY.
"We believe that the 6a3d J. J.
Griffin came to his deotih from a gunshot
wound inflicted at the hands of
B. B. Evans." This is the verdict of
Che coroner's jury, which investigated
ib& ca^e Sunday.
Killed Sweetheart and Himself.
Chattanooga. Tenn.. Special.?T. L.
Arrlngton, a well-known young man
of Sunrmerville, Ga.. Tuesday after
noon shot and killed Miss Mamie
Cleghorn, a promient young lady of
that town, and then killed himself.
Arrlngton had been engaged to the
young lady but because of parental
objections the engagement had been
broken. Arrington notified the parents
of the girl that unless objections were
withdrawn he would do something
rash.
Queer Russian Sect.
Siberia is the birthplace of a new
religious sect, the members of which
style themselves ' Slaves of Christ."
Tl"" tnnr.h, that tlto na'rfh ia flaf )
1 I1UJ icavii cw?c*v vw. v** .w ~MV*
stands on three whales and that in.
the middle of the ocean there is a gigantic
chanticleer which crows at sunrise.
Railways, telegraphs and telephones
we attributed to anti-Christ.
y ' % 1
4$ V :S '
** ' . ? '
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M| , |, | ,| ,, I~iiT
FIRE IN RICHMOND.
Virginia's Capital Suffers Another
Serious Loss.
MYERS SONS' BIG STORE BURNED.
The Charred Body of R. Emmet
Slaughter, Manager of the Carpet
Department, Found in the Ruins.
4^
.Richmond, Special.?The big dry
goods department store of Julius Meyer's
Sons, which occupied almost a
quarter of a block on Broad street, togather
with the stock aud fixtures,
was completely destroyed by fire Wednesday.
The fire originated on the
third floor among some small mattresses,
but from what cause is a metter
of doubt. The flames spread with
great rapidity and when the fire department
reached the scene all It
could do was to protect surrounding
property.
* -1 -1 U.J.. ...?r, in
A !_"i; <1 ( I BU UUU/ W OrO UU1.VTI7ICU 1U
the ruins, which proved to be the remains
of R. Emmett Slaughter, manager
of the carpet department. How
he became entrapped in the burning is
unknown. There are rumors of other
oasualties, b\it they seom to be entirely
without foundation, as the rest ot
the 400 employes are said to be accounted
for. One lady, Mrs. Loose, was
injured by a pile of trunk3 falling on
her. Several others fainted and had to
be carried out and some were so bewildered
they bad to be forced out.
The fire was witnessed by thousands
of persons. A March gale was prevailing
and burning embers were scattered
for a radius several blocks around. **
These ignited i-ie rcofs of other buildings
and while the big fire was in
progress the department had to re?mrmd
to five or six other alarms. The ,
Insurance is $178,750 on. stock; $20,500
on fixtures; on buildings, $60,000.
The total loss, as estimated by out
side parties, is $250,000. No estimate
has been given out by the sufferers.
Taylor Predicted GoebePs Death.
Frankfprt, Ky., Special.?Bx-Governor
W. O. Bradley, chief counsel for
ex-Governor W. S. Taylor in the gubernatorial
contest case before the
Legislature last year, gave sensational
testimony in the' trial of Captain
Carnett Ripley, who is charged with
conspiracy, with others, to bring about
the murder of Goebei. Mr. Bradley detailed
a conversation which, he said,
he had wtth Captain Ripley, while the
Latter was in charge of bis military
company during the occupancy of the
State capitol by the Taylor troops last
spring, In wliicn Kipiey una mm wi
frequent conferences with Governor
Taylor prior to the assassination.
The witness said Ripley told him he
was in the executive office the day before
the shooting and complained to
Taylor because he had not called out
his (Ripley's company, and asked
him when ho should have the company
ready. Taylor replied: "My God, haven't
you brought them yet? Goebel will
net live 24 hours," or "cannot live 24
hours." "I have forgotten which he
saJd," declared the witness.
Judge W. H. Yost, associate counsel
with Bradley in the contest case, according
to the witness, was present,
and heiTd the conversation. In response
to a question as to whether he.
the witness, knew of any conspiracy
to kill Goebel, the witness stated that
on January 25, the day the 'train lead
of mountaineers arrived, some one, he
could but now recall who told h'ra that
parties in the crowd were waiting in
front of the station house to kill Goe- ,
bel. "I said," continued the witness,
"It shall be stopped. I will go in the
Senate chamber and come out with
Goebel and see that he is not hurt or
insulted."
Chief of Artillery Corps.
Washington, D. U., special.? iua
President has appointed Colonel Wal- ,
lace Randolph chief of the artillery
corps, under the provisions of tha
army re-organiation act He formerly
was colonel of the First Artillery and
was stationed at Sullivan's Island, S.
C. -Colonel Randolph, nnder the provisions
of the law, becomes a member
of the board of ordanance and fortfcations.
In addition to this two members
of the artillery corps are to be
assigned to the board, increasing mo
number to eight The chief of artillery
will have an office In the War
Department and have charge of al]
matters pertaining to the artillery.
Verdict Reversed.
Austin, Tox., Special.?The Court
of Criminal Appeals has reversed and
- T-L- Tr'?"
remanded the case 01 jouu
negro who was given a life sentence
for the murder of a police officer at
El Paso. The reason assigned by
the court for reversing the case was
that there were no negro jurots on
the grand or petit jury.
J
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