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i&-. / * ' "w; Ip vv / /#! Print XllStI?p^0ril VOL. 35. KINGSTREE, SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JULY 24, im NO 20 ? 1 j ' J. W. RAGSDALE DIES SUDDENLY CONGRESSMAN PASSES AWAY IN PHYSICIANS OFFICE AT WASHINGTON The people of South Carolina were no less shocked than those at the National capitol yesterday afternoon to learn of the sudden death of representative J. Willard Ragsdale, of the Sixth South Carolina District, who had become well known and popular during his six years of congressional service. None of the Congressman's friends at the Capitol or here at home knew anjgrfling about his being in precarious health, as'he had been attending to business actively as usual and was the picture of robust manhood. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate adjourned Wednesday afternoon out of respect to the South Carolinian's memory, the resolution in the House being offered by Representative James F. Byrnes and that in the Senate by Senator E. D. Smith. The death of Mr. Ragsdale occurred at the offices of Dr. Dorman, a nrominent Washington physician. He had gone to Dr. Dorman's offices to I keep an appointment with Dr. Arthur 3- Hooe, whom he had consulted several days ago in regard to the condition of his heart. Dr. Dorman and Dr. Hooe hastily summoned a third physician when they found that Congressman Ragsdale was in a condition of collapse. The three doctors worked with all the.r might to resuscitate him, using the most powerful emergency measures but without avail. Dr. Hooe said that death was due to acute dilation of the heart. Evidently the patient knew the end was near, for he turned to Dr. Dorman and asked the physician to hold his hand. Dr. Dorman complied ana : in a few minutes Mr. Ragsdaie! breathed his last lying on a couch in the physician's office. Dr. Hooe at once tried to get into communication with Mrs. Ragsdaie * but learned she was in South Caro-; lina. He then called up the Representative's office. Several weeks ago Mr. Ragsdaie complained of nasal trouble and decided to consult a nose specialist. He " ^ had received several treatments and 4 shortly before going to the doctor yesterday he told Representative Byrnes that he had been greatly benefited by the treatment. Dr. Dorman requested, because of the fact that Mr. Ragsdaie had died in his office, that the coroner have an autopsy held on the body. This was done and the report showed that acute dilation of the heart, complicated with serious affection of the kidneys, had been the cause of death. No anesthetic was administered to Mr. Ragsdaie and there was no connection between his visit to Dr. Dorman's office and the previous treatment which he had undergone from another physician for the slight nasal trouble which had been mentioned to his friends. There was an unfortunate rumor in the afternoon that the South Carolinian had died. while under the influence of an anes- j thetic during an operation on hisj nose. Representative Ragsdaie came to the Sixty-third Congress. He married the daughter of the late Dr. W. S. j Joynes, long a member of the faculty of the University of South Carolina. Before entering Congress he ; practiced law in Florence, his home, ^ city, and was president of a bank j there. Besides his wife Mr. Ragsdaie, is survived by two children, a Doy and a girl. Mr. Ragsdale had been prominent in the debates of the House and was a member of the District of Columbia committee, the committee on foreign affairs and the industrial arts and expositions committee. Mr. Ragsdale was born in Timmonsville, forty-seven years ago. He was educated and was a member of the South Carolina Legislature and Senate before coming to Congress. The funeral party left Washington i for Florence at 9 o'clock this morn- j ing. The House committee to attend! the funeral will be composed of the six South Carolina members of the House and nine others and ihe Senate committee will include Senators Smith and Dial of South Carolina, Ashurst of Arizona, Beckham of V AYtfunl/ir l-I ovrionn At \f icciccinni ivcuvuvn v j nauiovu vi Fernald of Maine, Sterling of South Dakota, Spencer of Missouri, Suthland of West Virginia, and McHary of Oregan. Funeral Tomorrow Afternoon Florence, July 23.?The funeral services of the late Congressman J. Willard Ragsdale, whose sudden death occurred this afternoon in ^JVashington, will be held in h"forence ^Hfriday afternoon at 5 o'clock at ' me Central Methodist church. With congressional escort the body will arrive here at 9:45 Friday morning and will be taken at once to the home on South Dargan street. Florence was shocked when the news of Mr. Ragsdale's death came today. There are thousands m Eastern Carolina who feel they have lost a steadfast and true friend. Congressman J. Willard Ragsdale was born in Timmonsville and received his first education in the schools of that town. He was fortyseven years old. After several years pasted in Wilmington, where he was employed in the general office of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company he entered the South Carolina University and studied law under the late Dr. Pope. He practiced law in Florence for several years with signal success. When quite a young man he entered politics and was elected first to the Legislature from Florence county and then to the Senate, serving several terms in the higher body. He was once a candidat for Attorney General of South Carolina. Mr. Ragsdale was serving his forth term as Congressman from the sixth Congressional District. He was returned at the last election without opposition and it was accepted that when his present term expired he would again be &iven the office, if j he desired it, without opposition. He had several important committee an-1 pointments, among them that on for-; eign affairs. Mr. Ragsdale, in addition to his j political duties, was extensively en-j gaged in business. He organized :he Farmer's and Marchants' Bank here, several years ago and was its presi-' dent at the time of his death. He owned and conducted several of the finest farms in this and Darlington counties, and was interested in a1 number of successful enterprises in this city. About twenty years ago, shortly after he left college, Mr. Ragsdale married Miss Louise Joynes, a daughter of the late Dr. Joynes, professor of the South Carolina University, and to this union two children were born, James Ragsdale, aged 18, and Marie Ragsdale, aged 14. Besides his widow and children, three sisters sur- ( vive, Mrs. W. E. Law and Mis Julia | Ragsdale, of Timmonsville; and Mrs. j Rollins, of San Antonio, Texas. ? -* ^ vi~ T/:n i Stale lonsiaoir nmru J. Fletcher Bateman, of Camden, | State constable, who was shot last i Thursday while raiding an illicit dis-1 tillery in Kershaw county, died on the operating table at a Columbia j hospital Friday from the effects of j his wound. He was shot through the intestines. The dead officer had a high repu-. tation for probity and regard for j duty, and he was a man fearless in the performance of his duties, so much so that his superiors often had to caution him to be careful of his j personal safety. He was a constable under the former Governor D. C. Heyward and was chief constable under former Governor Martin F. Ansel with headquarters at Charleston. "I am deeply grieved at tl? death of my friend, Mr. J. F. Bateman," said Governor Cooper when he was told that the officer was dead. "He was not only a good officer, fearless and efficient in the discharge of his duty, but was a good citizen devoted to the welfare of his State. He possessed the traits which go to make an ideal. He was brave and was a gentleman, and in a very intelligent manner went about the discharge of his duty. He has served during several administrations as a State offinovor Vihup I heard anvthinsr i VC19 CMiu UVTV4 ? ? w w ^ derogatory to his character or to his work. The State can ill afford to lose such a man. He met his death in the line of duty, met it while he was doing all in his power to afford to society the protection of the law, without which our social fabric would become chaotic, and our happiness and security be lost." o | Men Recently Discharged The following named soldier boys from this county have recently been discharged. Sewart Conyers, col. Isaac, Robert-1 son, col. Greelyville; Jake Gilyard, I Mack Adams col. Hemingway; Jef-1 fery Scott, col. Fowler; Ed. Alexan-1 der, col. Moore's Station; Willie " T l HOimes, COl. cry an; ouig^ti t col. Heinemann; Erwin Poston. Johnsonville; Wm. A. Green, col.1 Cades; Thos. Bright, Jr., col. Lanes; j Malbry Gamble, col Willie Graham,1 col. Stephens Green, col. Kingstree. j Jessie Williams, col. Salters Judson Winters, col. Kingstree; John Ruck-; ett, col. Warshaw; Williams Bois, col. Johnsonville; Horace Brown, col., Hemingway; Martin Cooper, col. Kingstree; Samuel Gadson Mansfield, col. Christopher Barr, col. Lanes; Joe Lydney, col Salters; Nathan Bryant,> Lane. Samuel Gadson Mansfield, col.; Lanes; William Mills, Trio; Joe, Syd-, ney col. Salters; Christopher Barn, j col. Lanes. o THE APPERSONS ARE COMING. o Summer School for Colored Teachers The State has given sufficient aid to operate a summer school for colored teachers of Williamsburg county. This school will begin the second j Monday in August and run for four weeks. All teachers of the Williamsburg county colored Teachers Association will meet in the colored Methodist Episcopal church, Kingstree, the first Saturday in August at 12:00 o'clock noon. v rni. V- . TOBACCO GROWERS MEET IN FLORENCE CONFERENCE CALLED TO BOLSTER PRICES. Upon the request of tobacco growers and business men and bankers of the Pee Dee section, Governor Cooper on Saturday called for a conference to be held in Florence Friday, July 25, to discuss measures to bolster tobacco prices. South Carolina last year produced 62,173,631 pounds which sold at an i rtf 31 Iifi rpnts a Dound. "bwiv v* w*.wV r The total revenue derived from last year's crop was ?19,311,498.86. or one fifth the value of the cotton crop of the State. Governor Cooper Saturday received the following telegrams summarizing the conditions facing the tobacco growers: W. C. Hemingway of Hemingway, said. "Prices of production have fallen off. Buyers are off the market. Conditions very much depressed. Suggest you call convention of tobacco growers, merchants, bankers, at Florence Friday, July 25, at 11 o'clock for the purpose of effecting plans to relieve state of affairs." The Bank of Hemingway wired: "As a result of the tremendous slump of tobacco prices, suggest you call meeting of bankers, merchants and tobacco growers at Florence, July 25, to work out plans to relieve situation." F. Rhem & Sons of Rhems, tele- J graphed:" Owing to the demoralized condition of the tobacco industry, we | beg you to call a meeting of farmers,: bankers, merchants and others in sympathy for July 25 at Florence,1 S. C." Farmers and Merchants Bank of, Andrews, said: "During the past \ four days which our tobacco market has been open tobacco has been sell- j ing at extremely low prices that are very unfair to the farmers. Finding' it necessary to make some steps to-' wards obtaining a living for tobacco that is grown in this section, we have decided in Behalf of the people of this section to ask you to call a meeting of those who are interested, at Florence, on July 25 to take some steps toward remedying conditions." The following wire was received from the Bank of Georgetown: "We respectfully urge you to call a meeting Ox all tobacco planters, merchants, bankers and others interested at Columbia or Florence, July 25, to consider conditions of the market and prescribe a remedy, as prevailova winnnfl w lug fTXlVOO ?iV It will be noted from the above which appeared in the Columbia! State Sunday that there was no com-! plaint made to the Governor from Lake City, Kingstree, Greelyville, or Johnsonville. The Florence Times of Monday says: "Only a few towns have reported that the prices were satisfactory. Newspaper reports from Cherawand Timmonsville, Mullins, and Dillon indicated that the 'farmers seemed sat-: isfied, tobacco men here, however, j do not place the utmost reliance in j these reports, and think they were! sent out with the view of boosting local markets. They can't see how primings here should be sold at such a low price to the same concern buy- j ing them thirty miles away. "All last week trie prices paia m | Florence for some grades continued j lower than the circumstances would seem to warrant. It is true that dur-: ing the week the market did improve j somewhat, and bright tobaccos j brought a fairly good price. The dis- j .-atisfaction however continues. Just I what is to be accomplished at the conference on Friday cannot be foretold but 1 epresentative men will be; sent here to discuss a situation that j' is fully as serious as the cotton situation. "The continued rains have interfer- i ed greatly with the preparation of tobacco for market. For the last sev- j eral days it has been impossible for the planters to run their barns. At the same time the rains have dam 1 *T.? "Itnlifn nf +Vi? wpprl cnmp llgl'll UIC Ijuamt VTi V. . v? _ extent." As stated in the The Recorro last week the market opened here in the with good prices prevailing the remainder of the week, the daily average being around .1850 per pound, though ranging from 3 cents to 45 cents the pound, the former being of a very low grade while the latter, was as good as is generally marketed from primings or the first curing. The best grades are bringing prices, here, we believe, that compare favorably with those .of last year. Many lots sold Monday, Tuesday and yesterday brought 43, 45, 46, 48 and 50^ the pound. It is plainly evident that there is less demand for the very poor grades this year than last. In our opinion it costs just aboutas much to produce low grade tobacco as it does high grade, and for that reason every planter should do his utmost to make the best and if his land will not permit this, then cut it out and plant something else. At any rate if your tobacco is not of a high grade dont expect a high price for it. We offer this as advice, and not as a reflection upon any community that has found it necessary to appeal to the governor, for in these cases there must be an underlying cause which we are not able to explain. o ELECTED TO VICE PRESIDENCY Of Carolina Building And Loan League Mr. W. H. Carr, Secretary and treasurer of the Kingstree Building and Loan association attended the eleventh annual meeting of the South Carolina Building and Loan League at Columbia last Thursday. The meeing was addressed by Goernor Cooper who emphasized the importance of encouraging the owning of homes, and who pointed out to the members of the league the opDortunitv which they enjoy of ren dering assistance to men who wish to j secure homes of their own. A sub- j stantial citizenry is a citizenry that! owns its homes, the governor, said, j and Bolshevism and anarchy will find little encouragement in a country ; where the people are home owners. The address by the governor was warmly applauded at its conclusion. Mr. E. L. Keesler, of Charleston, president of the United States League of Building and Loan associations was present and also delivered a very timely address, saying that the accumulation of wealth and renown as the most powerful government on earth are of little consequence if our people are restless, discontented and unhappy. Idleness is the mother of mischief and some sections of our country are already suffering from that situation. ' ' * \~~ia tie tola 01 ine conierenges nciu m Washington and of the efforts spent in drawing up a bill, now pending in congress. The bill, briefly, is fashioned somewhat after the model of the Reserve or Farm Loan Bank, by which building and loan securities would command money at low rates of interest, and would be free from taxation. In substance the bill provides that a Federal Building and Loan Bank be established in each of a given j number of districts, probably 11. Each bank is to have not less than $100,000 of capital, issued in certificates of $1,000 eatTen or more associations must ct- uprise the membership of each of tue banks, having aggregate assets of $50,000,000. No bank shall issue to a member, association bonds in excess of 20 times the amount of the capital stock owned by such member. The bill further provides that the interest rate shall not exceed 4Vi per cent. The bonds are to run 20 years and semi-annual payments are to be made by the borrowing member. A 20 year bond would call for an annual payment of 5 per cent, or a semi-annual- payment of 2* per cent, thus amortizing the debt. Various restrictions are thrown about the proposed building and loan banks, somewhat similar to those which protect the farm loan bank. In pointing out the advantages of such a bank. Mr. Keesler said that it would accommodate a very large | class of the population that has been overlooked. He said that commercial interests are provided for by the reserve bank; that the farm loan bank meets agricultural needs, but that, so far as the government is conmn-j ed, the mechanic, the laborer, the ' lawyer, minister, manufacturer, clerk < or bookkeeper? in a word, the town 1 dweller?must paddle his own canoe ] or drown. The town man, he said, : has a protest to make, and now ] wants some provision made for him. t He pointed out some of the advan- 1 tages that would accrue from such an institution and made an eloqeunt plea for it. The league indorsed this i plan. 1 Mr. Carr addressed the gathering ! RACE RIOTS AT NATION'S CAPITOL WHITE MEN AND NEGROES CLASH ON STREETS AND IN CARS?MANY INJURED The casualty list in Washingtor race war yesterday ran into thehun dreds with five deaths, and two mer probably dying, while unconfimee police reports placed the number at? much greater figure. Of the dead, one was a city detective, shot through the breast by a negro woman who wa: firing indiscriminately from the up per story of her house. The negress, a girl about 17, alse was shot but not fatally. In anothei part of the city a negro firing fron a garage door kept a provost guare of soldiers, sailors and marines a bay for several minutes but finally was shot down. Many clashes occurred betweei white men and negroes on stree cars. One negro attacked on the bad end of a car, fired into a crowd fol lowing the car ana wounded fou: person, but finally was stopped by i city detective who was reported t< have sent seven bullets into the ne groe's body. The white men wen only slightly wounded. The fighting at midnight Mondaj had resolved largely to fighting be tween small groups and in one o: these encounters a marine was re ported to have been killed. Althougl service men had taken part in th< early clashes the most serious wer< those in which the mobs were mads up of civilians. The fighting starte( Saturday night and continued unti yesterday. A crowd of more ^than 3,000 per sons congregated at Peace Monu ment, at the foot of the capital short ly after the houses adjourned an< members were leaving for theii homes. A negro had started an argument with a white soldier and bystanders rushed to take a part. Streel cars were halted and traffic was blocked for several hundred yards ir each direction. Before anything serious developed, however, four auto mobiles filled with ponce reserve: made through the crowd and haltec the disturbance. Later in the evening Patrolman Bunn, crackshot of the department, was struck by a bullet fired by a negro in the Northwesl section of the city, the most exclusive residential district The bullet strucl the patrolman's arm and he was unable to return the fire. The negro es caped, outrunning a crowd of civiilans. Two negroes were seriously injured late in the afternoon near the house office building. One had beer accused by several soldiers of having tried to steal a bicycle and when h< attemDted escape he was overtakei and beaten. The other negro, believ ed to be a chauffeur for a representa tive, intervened and was beaten int< unconsciousness. The soldiers goi away before the arrival of the police As the night wore on the crowds on the downtown streets seemed t< grow larger, notwithstanding that al Washington citizens had been warned by the district authorities to remain off the streets. Considerable feeling has beer aroused since the night attack or two women by the negroes, the latesl M * Kr%\rr victim oi wnom was saiu iv u??* the wife of a sailor and which resulted in the organized effort for revenge last night. o NOTICE Any one having in his possession a rubber coat or hat belonging to the Kingstree Fire department will please turn same over to Mr. W. H, Welch, before Monday night July*28. N L. R. McIXTOSH, Chief. briefly and to the point, giving his ideas on the more important details connected with the general management of the local associations and also of the bill favoring tne establishment of a Federal Building and Loan bank. His remarks were so well taken that he was elected second vice president of the league, and his fellow citizens regard it as a high complement, in view of the fact such posts are customarily filled by promotion. Mr. Carr was not an officers and had never attended one of the League's meetings before. 0 When all you need is a little more speed to make you a winner at the traps, shoot Remington W. M. C. speed shells. - ? NEGRO GIRLS KILL , FATHER WITH AXE > CONFESS TO BRUTAL MURDER IN FLORENCE COUNTY LAST THURSDAY v Brutality of an almost inconceivai ble nature marked the killing in - Florence county last Thursday night , of Sylbert Myers, a respected negro . farmer, by his two daughters, Lillian and Rebecca, aged respectively 16 1 and 18 years. ; Using an axe as a weapon the two ; girls struck their father on the back ^ of his head while he was seated at s the table eating his supper. The " blows were struck from behind. Myers lived only a short while after the SZ i. L1~ ^1 ) i iirsi uiuw was struciv. r According to the statement of his daughter, Lillian first attacked her 1 father. She brought the blunt part of i the axe down upon his head with tflerrific force, breaking in the skull. . As the man leaned over on the table she struck him again, and he fell to the floor. Rebecca then took a hand ? and grabbing the axe from her sist ter's hand, struck the man as he lay c upon the floor. They then dragged him out into the yard where they watched him die. r After hiding the body of their i father in the woods the girls return, ed to the house dressed in their Sunday clothes and went to an icecream supper just a few hundred yards - from the spot where the body lay. The murder occurred about dark. f Myers lived near Muldraw's mill, and was highly thought of by his own as well as by the white people of f j that community. When placed under . I arrest rmxt mominc bv shriff Burch, 11 Lillian and Rebecca Myers confessed ;! all about it. They also made a volun[ | tary statement to the jury of inquest ' which was empaneled by Coroner ; Smith. In their statement they de1 clared that they killed their father 1 because he would not let them go to a party at a tobacco barn. He said he would kill us if we went, said one " j of the girls. t After watching their father die . the girls placed his body in a wheelj barrow and carried it into the woods, placing it near a path about 50 yards r i from the public road. They then j went back to the house and dressed .; for the party. The path near which t the body lay was taken by the girls in going to the party. All of this 5 happened, however, after they- had i washed up the blood in the house ! and had swept the yard. They did not . j attempt to hide the axe and it is now ,! in the possession of the coroner. It 5 is heavy and blood stained. ' j Two negroes who returned home r'with the girls from the party saw . | the body of a man lying near the . I path. One of them, Isear Law, called but received no answer. Isear testi11 fied that he knew Myers was careful about his girls, and he thought it was Myers lying in the bushes waiting for them to come back home. When the negro men called the girls ran on to their home. The men returned to the tobacco barn and getting others to follow, came back to i the spot and found the dead body of i Sylbert Myers. The daughters did , not tell of their connection with the i crime until faced by the officers * ? * " ? xi 1? r Friday morning wnen wey uiutc ^'down and confessed. Both of them ' j tell the same story as to the manner 1 of the murder. -1 Sylbert Myers was about 47 years .' old. He was well thought of, his ac1 quaintances stating that he had alj ways been anxious to rear his chil, dren correctly. j . I o , BAPTIST DISCUSS CAMPAIGN i Conference on $75,000,000 Drive Held 1 At Columbia Tuesday r? 4.".* *?aeo/viat'.jnn in DitpUM XIUllI 5>vi; | the State heard plans outlined and participated in lively discussion on .' methods best suited to raise South ; Carolina's $5,500,000 of the great 11 $75,000,000 campaign to be launched :: November 30 at their conference in ! Columbia Tuesday afternoon. Dr. W. J. Mc Glothlin, president of Furman i University, presided and led the dis- * '! cussion. | Points taken up included the , amount to be raised, time of cam: paign, time for preparation, aim of < ! the Baptists, requisites to success in the movement, methods of getting in | j touch with every member of the faith in South Carolina, what a nominal amount would be, appointment of as' j sistants . to associational directors, , resident members and nonresident i members, and forming such a comj plete organization that little trouble j will be experienced in reaching all ; | Baptists when the eight day drive begins. The conference was informal and all points were discussed freely. ' Quotas for the various associations I have been announced and sentiment 1 u j pointed mat eacn ys>oviaiiou ?*o wvpected to reach its goal, i Kingstree was represented at the conference bv the Rev. E. A. Mcj Dowel 1. the appersons are coming, o Robert McGriff negro chauffeur, was fined $50 in the recorder's court Columbia, Monday morning on the charge of reckless driving. The negro was charged with racing his machine between two cars which were mov- .** ing in a funeral procession. o * the Eppersons are coming. i * ,