Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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? illje fount? lltfotb. I VOLUME 37?NO. 10 THE COUNTY RECORD, KINGSTREE, S. C., THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1922 - PRICE $1.50 A YEAR IN ADVANCE^I^ PRISONERS MUTINY I AT PENITENTIARY MEN BECOME SULLEN AND ANGRY OVER ORDER TO SURRENDER CIVILIAN CLOTHES. Columbia, May 8.?Prisoners ot the state penitentiary mutinied at the noon hour today and city policemen, state officers and county deputies called in as reinforcements, fired; on the prisoners- shooting eleven of them, two wounded seriously. The! two prisoners who were seriously! wounded were taken to the city hosk i-ital. An attempt was made to burn , the chair factory cf the penitentiary. ^B The riot took place following the BB dinner hour. Capt. Roberts ordered H the men to bring f.'om their cells j Hr their civilian clothes and other ar^B tides which would not be needed for |< IV fheir prison lives The men obeyed, j i rbut some of the leaders were sullen, ] thinking the officers were planning 1 to take away their personal effects i used daily. Capt. Roberts assured the 1 leaders that there was no intention ' of depriving them of their personal < effects, but that what was wanted was i for the unnecessary articles to be i stored in the commissary building, i The men filed out of the chair 1 factory and announced through their leaders that they would not go to ( work. There was muttering and cursing and the men were armed with ^ sticks and knives, mostly tools used in the manufacture of the furniture in tne chair factory. ' T.ie penitentiary officials telephon- ! ed for reinforcements. A score of ] city policemen and a dozen county 1 -J.j _ J 3 anu state oiucers respuiiueu armeu v,ith riot guns. \ The prisoners, during the mutiny, set fire to the chair factory in the basement Those outside cut the fire hose of the prison. At this point, the city firs department was called with a view to putting water on the j prisoners in order to drive them back; into the chair factory. After the city, county and state officers arrived the mob of prisoners, about 150, workmen on the sec- ^ ond floor of the chair factory, surged toward the detachment of officers.. They cursed the officers and threat- j ened to kill them. It was at this: point that che cfficers opened fire.! Eleven men fell wounded, the others j scrambling back into the chair fac- j tcry. With, probably a half hundred j officers on duty, quiet was maintain-11 ed and within a ohnrt time the nris- ! ^ oners were marched back to their j1 cells and locked up. The ring leadeis of the trouble, itj is said, wers: Frark Fortner, a North Carolina prisoner; A. J. Rowe, a priscner named Searcy, Howard Clark and David Suggs, the latter from Columbia. i It is reported that a man named; Rosen, sen; up from Charleston, is j the most seriously injured and will' probably die. After the trouble had subsided and M the prisoners were locked in their I cells, one of the men ordered to re move some of his effects from the I doorway of the main building, stood before a group of officers and cursed them. One officer struck him with a walking stick and knocked him down and he was taken to the prison V hospital, bleeding profusely, but not V seriously hurt. W The prisoners ere being treated in I the prison hospital except for the I two who were brought to a city hos Ipiwu. , All the convicts employed on the ? second floor of the chair factory were j involved in the mutiny, there being about 150 prisoners, only a few of j them negroes ( The office s of the prison, assisted by the Richland officers, city po- ] licemen and all available peace of- , ^ fleers, had the mutineers under con-! ^ trol and in the "new prison" build-! i ing by 2 o'clock. The wounded were I ( taken to the hospital and given medi-: ] cal treatment by Drs. Jennings and [: Payne. Among the wounded were Dave Suggs, of Columbia, who was >? shot twice in the legs; Frank Fortner,'; . nature of the wound not stated, and I Howard Clark. Dr. Jennings said he ] I* would prepare a complete list of the j wounded prisoners later in the day. B|r Two of the most seriously wounded prisoners were taken to city hospitals ] I for further treatment. Jack Davis ] f was also hurt in the clash with- the ; officers. ] That one of the prisoners was arm- 1 ed with a gun or a revolver was gen- , / erally believed, as Rural Policeman Koon, of Richland, and his son heard LAKE CITY BANKER PROMOTED. T. J. Cottingham Joins Palmetto National Bank Force. The Lake City News Says: "The rumor which had been prevalent for several days that T. J. Cottingham, president of the Farmers & Merchants National Bank here, would become connected with some other financial institution, was confirmed today in a statement issued by the board of directors of that institution through Vice-President W. Wesley Singletary. Mr. Cottingham is to become associated with the Palmetto National Bank of Columbia, one of the largest banking houses in South Carolina. He will remain head of the Farmers & Merchants National, giving it part of his time. "Mr. Cottingham has been closely identified with the growth and progress of this bank and other material [ evclopment in the town and community, taking a prominent and public spirited part in the affairs of the town, school and church life. His many friends here and throughout this section will regret that his new ivork will take him away from Lake City a greater part of the time, but are glad that this well deserved promotion has come to him. It is pleasing news that he does not contemplate > moving his family in the near future. Mr. Cottingham began his duties in Columbia Monday morning." o Mr. Thompson Installs Radio Outfit. Mr. C. J. Thompson has Installed it his place of business on Main street a radio apaiatus v/ith a receiving radius cf 3,000 metres. Mr. rhompson expects soon to receive an attachment en'led the magnovox, for :his outfit. The multivox is a sound multiplyer that makes it possible for in audience to sit in a hall and hear :he concerts being broadcasted at Pittsburg or other points by radio tvireless telephones and he expects to install this instrument at the Academy rheater sometime next week, when ihe patrons of the theater will have in opportunity of hearing this wonderi? i - i JJ lui new ?nvenuoi.. Bed-time stories and concerts were leard through the instrument Tuesiay and Wednesday nights, but there is little to be heard during the day ixcept code messages of an uninteligable nature except perhaps, to .hose for whom they are intended. ! o? The Rev. Carl S. Smith, assistant ector of St. James* Episcopal church, i Richmond, has accepted the call to; the rectorship of the St. Paul's Epis-! ropal church, Charleston. This rec-1 torship has been vacant since the1 registration of the Rev. Mercer P. Logan. D. D., who went to the Du-' F.ose Memorial Training school as: director, Mr. Smith will take charge )f the parish September 1. The Rev. j Walter Mitchell, D. D., rector of the Porter Military Academy, will continue to serve as acting rector of St. Paul's church. ! ;. bullet whizz past their hats as they were standing in line with the; Dther officers in the efforts to quell I the mutiny. The rebellion o-rew solelv out of the dissatisfaction with the announced determination of Capt. Roberts, of the penitentiary guards, to remove civilian clothing and other articles that he thought were of an objetion-, able nature from some of the prisjner's cells. He talked with Fortner, who was said to be the ringleader of, the mutiny, and the smouldering 'strike" was quelled for a while during the morning. The trouble again broke out at about 1:15 o'clock, after the prisoners had apparently been appeased. The prisoners on the first and third floor of the factory were not involved in the trouble. The penitentiai-y authorities called upon the city fire department for a vi mtii anu a liose. Chief May and a corps of firemen responded. The prisoners who went out on the strike seem to have planned the movement with some detail. One of the plans was the firing of stock in the tasement of the chair factory. The fire hose in the building had been cu^ into many sections. The fire was discoveredthe flames had made any Jwnsiderable headway. Had the flames gained a foothold there is no qrastion but that randemonium would have reigned in the walls of the state prison on a still broader scale. - O i ?? Subscribe for the Record now. \ MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVED YESTERDAY i VETERANS HOLD ANNUAL MEETING HERE AND ARE ENTERTAINED BY U. D. O. Yesterday, May 10 was Memorial i Day, it was an ideal one for the holdI ing of the annua' meeting of the i veterans of the county and for the | | entertainment that is provided them j upon the occasion by the United i Daughters of the Confederacy. At an early hour the veterans began to show their faces on the streets ! of Kingstree and continued to gather here until the hour appointed for their meeting in the court house at II o'clock. I Thirty-three Confederate veterans, thirteen of whom were more than eighty years old, answered the Camp Pressley roll call. These were they: W. N. McKnight aged eighty-eight, the oldest soldier present; Conrad Constine, 86; H. M. Griffin, 83; John M. Grayson, J. M. Mathews, W. S. Guerry, James Tanner, 82; S. B. ! Haselden, T. J. Duke, H. J. Brown, George J. Graham, A. W. Flagler, D. H. Hannaford, 80; D. I. Burgess, ! J. W. Kelley, V. E. Lifrage, James Epps, F. K. Fort, W. A. Cooper, J. A. Kelley, R. E. Rogers, John Todd, ( William Epps, H. J. Williamson, R. 1 S. Tisdale, W. H. Britton, H. 0. Britton, J. R. Radford, J. W. Cockfield, G. W. Burgess, W. B. Haseldon, H. , E. Ginn and D. C. Scott. { U T Rmum woe rp.ol&rtp(\ vvuuauv Ail V* 1/iVTfM (TWW ?v V*VV?VM | Commander of the Camp Pressley post for the coming year; comrade J A. Kelley, vice-commaLder; H. 0. j Britton, adjutant; and the Rev. J. W. , Davis was chosen chaplain. I] Comrade J. A. Kelley introduced all resolution inviting and urging the I ] Kingstree post of the American Leg- ] ion to unite v/ith the Camp Pressley | ] post of Confederate Veterans in ob- j 1 serving Memorial Day. Comrade ] Kelley's remarks on his resolution ? were very beautiful, observing that < May tenth shoulu be forever dedicated;1 to the soldiers of Williamsburg; that j3 all Confederate veterans had passed 1 the allotted years of man, and few had long to remain; that the mem-,' bers of the American Legion were' worthy of filling the places of their j sires that one by one were creeping 1 silently to rest. 1 This resolution was unanimously adopted and Comrade Kelley was ap- 1 pointed to convey the resoluton to the Kngstree post of the Amercan < ? J X. iL . J Liegon ana 10 express me ueep iccmg of prde that the Confederate veterans known in these younger veterans of 1 Wllam3burg. Comme.uter Blown asked what 1 members of Camp Pressley had died during the past year and the following were reported: Isaac Montgomery, 1 S. W. B. Courtney, A. B. Hemngway, W. J. Cox, J. P. Thomas. The Memoral Committee was instructed to!. draft resolutions in each case, and to : send a copy to the family of the be-!: reaved and file another copy with the j < Camp Adjutant. The folliwing Confederate veterans : of the county were not present at the | meeting: Dr. Isaac Graham, Capt.'' Calhoun Logan, Peter Epps, J. P. Shaw, D. M. Epps, Nick Altman, Dr. j 1 J. S. Cunningham, Alex. Floyd, W. ' H. Parker, Sid Blakeley, S. R. Mouzon, > 1 George Ard, and J. W. Gamble, j 1 Messages of fellowship and love j tnrougn me ^napium v>?c uvmc^cu i < to each of -hesc absent veterans. ! 1 Shortly after tne adjourment of the j meeting of ' the Camp Pressiey vet- j' erans and at 12 o'clock sharp the en-1 tire student body of the Kingstree; 1 high and graded school formed them- 1 selves around the monument and sang several appropriate sor.gs, among i them, "Dixie," and after placing ! flowers around the base of the me- 1 morial they wer* marched into the ] ccurt house where the program as 1 published in this newspaper last week < was carried out J1 The exercises^ were opened with j prayer by the Rev. Mr. Hawkins of j 1 the fciptist church, followed by anJ ] addpos by the Chaplain, Rev. John j < W.lDavis of the Presbyterian church. Pressor Swittenberg presided over j1 meeeting. ! j The prize of five dollars in gold 11 was presented to Miss Jane Gilland i for having written the best essay on < "General Robert E. Lee, the man and 1 soldier," The essay was read tp the i audience by Miss Gilland, but in the i interim Mr. W. W. Boddie, one of the 1 judges in selectiig the best essay, 1 made a short talk on the great South- i (Continued on last page) s ^ ..v FATAL SHOOTING AT UNIVERSITY PROF. HOLMES KILLED BY BENJAMIN HAILE WHO TURNS PISTOL ON SELF. Prof. M. Gocde Holmes, head of the department of engineering of the University of South Carolina was shot and killed last Saturday by Benjamin Haile, superintendent of grounds of the university, who a few minutes later killed himself by firing a shoe into his brain. The double tragedy occurred in the treasurer's office of the university shortly after 10 o'clock. There were no eye-witnesses but Dr. William S. Currell, president and Dr. Leonard T. Baker, dean, saw the superintendent brandishing a revolver and both were ordered from the office by Haile , a shot fired over the head of Dean Baker and the weapon Koinu nnirt/v) of PrpsiHent f!lirrr>11_ ft] Iii the meantime policy naa Deen summoned and investigation revealed the }?ody of Holmes in one room and thr.l of Hrile in the other. Holmes was shot five times, one lullet penetrating the heart, while Haile was shot only once, the bullet entering the brain. An official statement issued by President Currell said there had been bitter feeling between the two men for some time, growing out of a conflict of duties at the university. Prof. Holmes was born in 1883 in Boydton, Vs., and was educated at the University of Virginia and the United States Military Academy at West Poinv. He has held many important engineering assignments and stood high in his profession. He is survived by a wife and four small children. He has been a member of the University of' South Carolina faculty since 1909. Superintendent Haile came to the university in 1902 from Camden, where he was chief of police. He was first marshal and then superintendent of grounds. He was about fortyfour years of age and is survived by his wife and a son and daughter. An inquest over the two bodies was held by the coroner of Richland county At the inquest the jury found that Prof. M. Goode Holmes was slain by Benjamin Haile, that the latter was temporarily insane and that Haile then died by his own hands. A letter found in a pocket of Haile's coat was read, written by Haile, showing that the cause of the tragedy ivas the differences between the two men growing our of building operations at the University. It was not dear whether this letter was written before or after Haile shot Holmes. The complete statement issued by President Currell, outlining the facts preceding the tragedy and subsequent ie oO fnl ATT5* - v UllilO) *0 UJ AV14V..V. " A tragedy occurred at the Unirersity of South Carolina about ten minutes after 10 this morning in :he treasurer's office and the adjoining room attached to the treasurer's jffice. The president was sitting in lis office doing the routine business for the day, when he heard several ?harp reports, which he thought at irst was hammering, as some repair vorlc was being done in the room ^joining the treasurer's -office. He soon discovered that something more t # ' though he was not fired upon. The pition against the two officers of the university was taken after Prof. H .mes had been slained and it is believed Haile kliled himself a few minutes after warning President Currell not to enter the room. Prof. Holmes was in the treasurer's office when Marshal Haile entered the rocm to get a pay roll check. He sent the young woman bookkeep er, the only occupant of the room with Prof. Holmes to the president's office telling her that Dr. Currell wished to see her. Dean Baker, who was in a class room on another floor of the building, heard shots and started to enter the President's office, when ordered by Haile to keep from the superintendent then firing the shot over his bead. The dean did not see Prof. Holmes, believed now to have already been slain in an adoiningj room to the main office of the treasurer. Dean Baker withdrew and as he did >o President Currell came from his office to investigate. Dean Baker warned the president not to enter the room, telling him that Haile was in there in a crazed condition. "You are responsible for this." Die president left the room. LIQUOR CASE DISMISSED. j Prosecuting Officer and Other Wit-' nesses Fail to Show Up. The indictments brought against | twelve prominen- citizens of Andrews, by Mr. Eichelberger, official constable for the state, charging them with telling whiskey in Andrews on various dates, during February and March, 1922, seems to have been nothing more than "fiasco," owing to the fact that not a solitary witness for the state appeared at the preliminary hearing, - called by Magistrate Rouse,; on April 24th and 25th, though every ; one of the defendants were present, ' ready and willing to refute the charg- i es brought against ther.i, according j to their counsel, and who stated that as the state's witnesses were not present, after being notified, the state had failed to produce any evidence at all, they requested, or rather [ moved for a dismissal of their clients, for the want of prosecution. The judge in complying with the motion of defendant's counsel, charged each, that though he was compelled by law tc grant the motion in the present indictments, they could be legally reindicted upon the same charge, and that it would be well for each of them to keep this fact in remem branee,' and to act accordingly. Even the prosecutor?-the state's constable ?was absent from the hearing, though we understand he was officially notified of the time and date.?The Georgetown Times. unusual was going on and went out of his office to investigate. As he ; went out of his door the dean who 1 was near the rear door of the passageway, said, 'Don't go in there'?to the treasurer's office. Someone else i said that Mr. Haile was shot. "There were about ten persons in and around the passageway and of- < fices at the time of the shooting. ] When it v/as discovered that Mr. 1 Haile v/as shooting indiscriminately j the police were promptly phoned for, ] and arrived at the scene of action ] in less than fiiteen minutes. i "As the president, who vas about to go into the treasurer's office to j investigate passed by the door, Mr. ; Haile, who was behind the grill work i in the treasurer's office, pointed a ; pistol directly at the president's head j and said, 'You are responsible for , this.' I naturally moved out of the ( way very promptly. After this the , police and coroner arrived. The officers of the law immediately took charge of the affair and when they; allowed me to enter the treasurer's | office I discovered the dead body of j Mr. Hails lying between the treas-1 urer's desk and the safe and Mr.!, Holmes' body lying in the adjoining office. About five or six shots were fired, the first ones in rapid succession. Then there was a cessation i before the others were fired. "Professor Green phoned for the police, and I phoned shortly after, but was told that they were on the way. The grill door in the treasur- ; er's office was locked. I saw only i one pistol, and that was in the hands ; of Mr. Haile. "I said to several bystanders that Mr. Haile was temporarily crazed and I did not believe he knew what; he was doing. The treasurer's book- ; keeper, a young lady, came into my |, office immediately before the tragedy ; occurred and asked if I h3d sent for j ] her. I told her no. She said that ] Mr. Haile had sent her into my of- ] fice. ] "The only thing thrt I heard was ] Mr. Haile had shot himself and some ] time later, possibly fifteen minutes, ] I was told that there was a dead man ] in Mr. Eaker's office. I went into ] Mr. Baker's frcnt office thinking that ] was the room, but found nothing " there. When I was allowed to go into ] the treasurer's office and the dean's 1 ] nrivntA nffipH adioininc the treas- 1 urer's office I saw Mr. Haile's body ( between the desk and the safe in the ] treasurer's office and Mr. Holmes' < body lying near the window in the |r room adjoining the treasurer's office. r "There had long been bitter feeling between the two men growing cut of their conflicting duties at the j< university. j > "This sad tragedy closes the ca- j i reer of two valuable men connected IJ with the university, one a profes- < sor of great ability, the other a faith- 1 ful and efficient officer. The be- \ reaved families have many friends on < the campus and in the city who f$el keenly for them in their deep be- < reavemert ' < o 1 Subscribe for the Record now..? i .. 1 ?>' ?.* *'?. . * ' " WAREHOUSES FOR TOBACCO GROWERS 9 MR. WATKINS ANNOUNCES 'fBf PLACES SECURED BY COOPERATIYE ASSOCIATION. ^ The list of all warehouses secur* ed to date by the Tobacco Growls' Vjflgjj Cooperative Association in South ..'Sg Carolina was given out this week by * T. C. Watkins, Jr., director of warehouses for tne association. Mr. Watkins has been in conference at Raleigh during the past week with >je39 the warehousemen of North Carolina *5m who have tendeicd their properties to the association. True to their " word the officials of the association have taken over both warehouses and * warehousemen wherever possible and according to Mr Watkins the association is in excellent position to care for its tobacco growing members 'a throughout the Carolinas and VirinThe strength of the cooperative'as- , iociation with ever 40 warehouses evenly distributed throughout South Carolina is revealed by today's announcement. The refusal of a few. warehousemen to discuss terms with the asso- j ciation hitherto, has given its officials /-. no anxiety * according: to' Director * Watkins, who let it be known that sufficient warehouses to take care, of a majority of this year's crop have ^Jffli been secured. Negotiations with still .11 1 JaaaJ U lC?99 uuier waraiuiuct uuxy uc uviacu iu r> ' , "J & few days, according to Mr. Watkina. Over 70 warehouses in North Caro- w lina and 42 warehouses in Virginia have signed up with the Cooperative i Marketing Association. The campaign, of the marketing association for new members is developing great strength according to latest reports from Raleigh headquarters' where more than a thousand contracts have bee;, received during the past two weeks. A new factor of strength in the campaign of the growers is the leadership of experienced warehousemen in gaining signers to the contract. With the signing up of one thousand acres of tobacco in a single day in Person county, North Carolina last week and the recent successful meetings in three stetes there is every indication that the organized growers will attain a seventy-five per cent, sign-up before the markets open according to M. O. Wilson, secretary of the association. # Warehouse have signed up definitely with the association at the following points; Town . House Andrews - Brick Andrews Stone Aynor Fanners Aynor Hoggins Damberg Farmers Conway Horry Darlington Dorgan's Darlington Center Brick Darlington Price's Dillon Farmers Dillon , Palmetto Georgetown Georgetown Hartsville Farmers Hartsville Tedder's Hartsville Star Hemingway Center Brick Hemingway Farmers & Banner Hemingway Big Four Johnsonville Center Brick Kingstree Farmers Kingstree Central Kingstree Scott's Kingstree Nelson's Kingstree Wilkins f.akp Citv Star Lake View Farmers Lake View Planters Lake View - Liberty Lamar Farmers Friend Latta Farmers Loris Brick . Loris Farmers Mullins Farmers Nichols Planters Jlanta Olanta Pamplico Farmers ?ummerville Summerville rimmonsville Banner riramonsvil-e 1 Farmers' We are forced again to call correspondents' attention to the fact that ive cannub anu wm nut puuiian any ommunication which is not signed jy the writer. Recently we havfere:eived several communications' of nore or less interest which we were inable to print because the writer ?mitted his or her name. We wufcfo print all the news and >ther vptfLf interest, *but cannot lo so Ip^hw^ie name is signed. . Bear this in "wnd when send in