University of South Carolina Libraries
The Oliver Murder. The Coroner Makes a Search? ing Investigation. Within a few hours after informa? tion had reached the city ye? erday morning of the foul murder of Mr. Con? way B. Oliver, The State was in the bands of the people of the city giving all the details of the terrible crime. There was bot one error of fact in the details of the crime and that was io the supposition that the man had been kill? ed with a pistol. Tn this, however, all who saw the remains agreed, and nothing was kc^wn to the contrary until the shirt was stripped from the body by the physicians yesterday morn? ing, and it was found that the whole right breast wa? perforated with buck? shot and slugs fired from a shotgun. The foul murder was much talked of all day long yesterday, and among railroad men one could notice that they vere much incensed at the brutal crime. The bell at the shops was toll? ed during the morning and the shops were shut down at 3 o'clock in the afternoon to allow all the men to attend . the funeral. Throughout the city the murder was discussed by all classes o' men. The whole city was cbamorous j for the murderer to be ferreted out and j brought to justice. The remains lay. as described al- j ready, out in the woods until about 8 o'clock, the murdered man's faithful bull dog retaioing his position ae guard by their side, when they were placed in a wagon and taken to the residence of the murdered Dian's brother-in-law. Mr. Lewis, beyond the Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta road. There the reman?s were made ready for burial. In a room near by was the murdered man's wife, who, it seems from the evidence, was the cause of the murder of her husband. She was in rather an incoherent condition during the day. She tells several conflicting stories about the part she played in bringing ber husband out on the jour? ney "which he never ended. In ooe breath she would say that she had urged him to come and in the next she. would say that she had told him not to come. She stated that he said he would come and bring some fish. Dr. Talley made the post mortem ex? amination. He found that the load of buckshot aod slugs bad entered the right breast, severing the intercostal artery and filling the chest cavity with blood- The seventh and eighth ribs wsr? broken. Dr. Talley extracted e;.v*ut of the bullets. The Coroner summoned an unusually i:*rel*igint jury and the body was viewed, an adjournment of the inquest ! thea%beiug taken till 4 p.m. at the court house; At 4:30 p m. the funeral services were held at the bouse and the remains were interred in ?lmwood. The murdered man's dog never left the vicinity of the body. The coroner bas undertaken a most searching examination. Soon after the announcement of the murder was made yesterday morniog many who had more or less information began to talk and prerty soon a strong chain of circumstantial evidence pointed to a certain man. When the coroner's inquest was about to begin Mr. George W. Waring, one of the jurors, moved j that the investigation be conducted in iecret; that all persons not directly nterested as witnesses, including newB pape? men, be excluded from the court room. The coroner put it to a vote, and for the first time io this sec? tion an inquest was conducted io this wise. Suspicion had pointed all day to T. C. Aughtry, until recently a member of the city mail carrier force, as the guilty man. His movements were carefully watched during the day. About 5 o'clock the coroner issued a warrant for his arrest and constables were sent cut by the sheriff to find him. They found that he had started ? out of town early in the afternoon on j a wagon, but had changed his miud and returned. About 6 o'clock he was located by Officer Boland of he police force ic Rabun's shoe shop on Pickens street, out near the asylum, arrested and brought on down to the sheriff. Auirhtry, it 6eems, was discharged from the mail carrier force for ab? stracting letters addressed to the mur? dered man's wife, and the evidence shows that he was pretty intimate with her. All the details told by re? liable witnesses it is not necessary to give here. It is stated that a man has been found who saw Aughtry with a gun on Sumter street about dark goiog towards Gervais; another who saw him out at the coal shute of the Southern Railway, not so far from Shandon, carrying a gun just at dark, etc. There are plenty of reasons why Aughtry should have desired the re? moval of Oliver. Last night the au? thorities obtained a search warrant to j search through his room in the Co- j lumbia Hotel for the gun. They seemed to know that it was there aod in what condition it was in. About 10 o'clock last oight the coroner sent Aughtry to jail pending the investiga? tion and the inquest was adjourned until 2 o'clock this afternoou. This morning Coroner Roach will isiue war- j rants for many more witness. He | says they are making a most search? ing investigation and the evidence points strongly to the man he has un? der arres- as the guilty man.- The State, March 7. Tbe State, March 8. The Oliver murder was still the talk of the day yestetday and many were those who discussed it. The case has assumed an appearance uglier than on ?he first day and things look darker for Aughtry thau ever. One by one the pieces cf evidence seem to be picked out, and they are slowly forming a chain which indicates premeditated and deliberate assassination. They also go to show that there was a deliberate plot to entice the inoffensive man out to the desolate strip of woods and fiu ish him, leaving his body off to one I side where it would not be found for some days. The coroner's secret investigation continued yesterday afternoon aud evening. It began at 2 p. m. and con? tinued until about 7.30 o'clock, when another recess was taken till to-night at 7 o'clock. While most of the evi- i dence that has been obtained is kuowu, j it has been deemed best that it should not be given the public until the jury | has rendered its verdict. The officers j who are exerting themselves to their utmost to bring the crime home to the j proper parties are kee^iog their mouths j closed. Anghtry remains in jail, under the commitment of the coroner, and steadfastly refuses to have anything to say, save a denial of the grave charge against him. Yesterday morning the wife of the murdered man was put under surveil? lance at ber brother-in-law's house and during the afternoon she was ex? amined bofore the jury, with what re? sults it is not known. It is stated ou j excellent authority that when she read j the morning papers yesterday she at- j tempted persistently to commit suicide, j She first tried to kill herself with a knife, and theo seized a bottle of lauda? num, biting off the neck in ber endeav? or to driuk it before those around could ta^e it away from ber. Then she tried to jump out of the window. Perhaps she is blameless, and perhaps she was not a party to the plot, as ali the facts Brought out seem to indicate. In speak? ing of her connection with the case the Evening News yesterday afternooon had this to say : *' 'The wages of sin is death,' and j sometimes the innocent are made to j suffer where they have already been subjected to more than mortal man can \ endure. Every person upon whom sus picion rests should be held for examina- j tion. If Mrs. Oliver is guitless, and j God grant that she may be, it is due j her to have an immediate vindication. ! If she is guily the law has no punish- j ment severe enough for her. In either case justice demands that she be appre- i hended, or at least shadowed until there ! are further developments.'1 The announcement is made that the ? search of Aughtry'e bedroom resnlted j in the finding of a shotgun, with one ? barrel freshly fired and the shell ex- ; exacted from the other. This, there is | every reason td believe, was the gun j which did the fatal work. Another j story is going the round to the effect that the officers oo Wednesday moruiug j found beneath the body, when they j raised it, ibe gun wad made of news- j paper scraps. This wa9 pulled apart, j so the story goes, and the pieces were j found to be torn from a medical pam? phlet, the rest of which was in Augh- i try's room. What truth there is in this ; is not known. The inquest will doubt- I Ie9s bc completed to-night and the testi? mony will then be given the press along with the vsrdict of the jury. The Asylum Regents. The Board of Regents of the State Lunatic Asylum held their monthly : meeting yesterday. The question as to the manufacture of brick occupied most of the attention of the board, but no final arrangements were made. On the 15th of this month, under the Act: of the Legislature, the regents will have 35 cou vieta at their disposal, for j the purpnse of manufacturing brick. They received several propositions in regard to the matter, one of which was from the superintendent of the peniten? tiary. They did not accept, any of j them, but instead made a proposition to the penitentiary authorities themselves. 1 This looks tc the use of thc convicts hy . the penitentiary authorities, they turn- | ing over to the regents so many brick ' for their use. If the terms offered by : the regents are not accepted they will secure their own superintendent and manufacture the brick themselves. The asylum's population has increas? ed very largely in the last few months, | and there are now over 800 patients re? ceiving treatment in the institution. The regents are delighted with the new committee papers receotly prepared by Supt. Babcock.- Thc State. Henry Avery of Sprinfield has io his possession a large collection of the valu? able and somewhat rare old New Eng? land almanacs, including the years 17 80 1814, without a break. The vol? ume for 1780 cootains a sketch of the immortal George Washington. If possible, seal your lips in silence when the storm is rising; shut up y ur anger in your own bosom, and, like fire that wah ts aid aud vent, it will soon expire. Angry words often prove a fan to the spark. The subjection of our temper to the coutrol of religion is a thing that must be done. To be religious is to listen to thc in uer voices,-to ask what you ought to do as well as what you would like to do, to face danger and pain rather than do base and shameful things, to stand by the wise and noble men and women of our day in all their efforts to set wrong things right and to make right things loved by al!, and so to live that i ?fe here will be a blessing.-John Page Hopps. Less Cotton; More Corn. The Advice of Alfred B Sliepperson to the South. WASHINGTON, March 3 -The follow iDg is a copy of a letter written to cotton growers by Alfred B. Shepper son, editor of "Cotton Facts," and secretary of the sub-committee on cot? ton of the Senate commitice ou agricul? ture : WASHINGTON, March 3, 1895 To the Cotton Grower* of the South : I have no pecuniary interest what? ever in the cotton market and it is well known to prominent merchants all over the country that I never had any. As a close observer of all matters pertain? ing to cotton, I have thought it would not be deemed out of place to present to_ the cotton growers of tne couutry some facts aod suggestions concerning the cotton situation. The price of middling cotton in New York is now 5 9-16 per pound, against 7 5-8 cents on March 1, 1894, while corn is now 45 cents per bushel in Chi? cago, against 35 cents a year ago. The decline in cotton is over 25 per oeut., while the advance iu corn is 30 per cent. New York quotations for cotton and the Chicago quotations for corn, however, do not really present the ?conomie aspect of the matter in its strongest light, as the cotton grower does not receive the necessary price for his cotton, hut actually gets very much less, as freight to New York aod all handling and selling charges and the cotton buyers' prouts have to be de? ducted, so that the planter at present prices only obtaius about 4 cents per pound for middliog cotton and the crop will not average so h'gh in quality as that grade Neither does be get at the Chicago price the corn he has to buy, as freight and charges and usually a large profit are added to the Chicago price, so that to-day the Southern farmer who buys corn instead of raising it, has to pay 85 to 70 cents per bushel for it. Corn is the most important cereal for the South, as its abundance and cheap? ness insure ample food for the farm? ers and their animals, while au insuffi? cient suppiy and high prices involve the opposite resu Its. The Southern cotton growers obtain a large proportion of their grain and meat from other sec? tions of the couutry. Confronted now with a large shrinking in the value of cotton, coincident with a great apprcia tion in the value of corn, the situation seems to imperatively demand of the cotton growers a reduction this spring of the acreage to cotton aud increase in the acreage given ' to food and forage crops. Tne present depres? sion in cotton is due in a great part to the very large stock in the European and American markets and the fear that, the acreage in cotton will not be reduced this year Notwithstanding the fact that the .spinuers have bought mueh more cotton than last season the stocks in the European and American markets are 400,000 bales more than at this time last year. The price of COtt';0 IS at the lowest point since 184S, and a large crop this year wouid undoubtedly send it still lower. Every planter knows that pre? sent prices of cotton are much below the average cost of production. In view of the facts stated, I earnest? ly recommend as manifestly for the best interests of the cotton growers of the country a very material curtailmeut of cotton acreage this spring, and an increase io ail food and forage crops, and that greater attention be given to the raising of live stock and farm, a li? mais. Fo<>d crops of every description should be raised on all farms, and cot? ton should be made a surplus or money crop It is probable that a moderate cotton crop this year will sell for act? ually more money thau a large crop. Very respectfully, ALFRED B. SIIEITERSOX. A New Idea. The colonial government of New Zea? land has under solution a new plan for solving the labor question. The plan is to give all practiable con? tracts for public work to co-operative societies of workingmen. These men j arc seleoted from those who are out of ; work, and their compensation is fixed at current rates. The advocates of this system claim that under it no mao Deed ever be out : of work. The best meo, of course, will : always prefer to work either for them ; selves or for others, as it gives them j greater freedom. There is always an j amouot of public work, however, which i has to be done, and by keeping these I channels open for those put of work, no idlers need ever call for help Build? ing new roads, constructing bridges, grading railroads, erecting public build? ings, carrying the mails, doing guard duty and all matter? over which the government may have supervision, fur uish au abundance of opening? ir which to employ the unemployed poor. While there may bo some advantage in this system, it tends to build up gov? ernment paternalism, and leads men to rely upon others rather than upou them? selves. It tends to destroy personal en? terprise and personal independence, and leads to a state of things where the government will be expected to do all, even tc the destruction of private rights. Governments bad better be avoided as much as possible, and all reliance be placed in personal pluck and private en? terprise -Atlanta Constitution. The Dispensary Law's Test. ; The State Files a Demurrer in the Charleston Cases. Mention has already bean made nf I the three cases brought by Messr* Bryan & Bryan in the United States Court in Charleston for the purpo?e or i bringing up the dispensary law on a j square test as to the right of a citizen I of this State tn purchase l:qunr outside j of the State and have i: shipped into ; the State to bim, under the interstate ? commerce law, which point is regarded j tas the weakest in the law. The com j plaints in the three capes were served ! some time ago. The State made it first move yesterday, when Attorney General Barber forwarded to Charles? ton for service on Messrs. Bryan & Bryan a demurrer to their cooiplaint in each case. The grounds of demurrer are as follows ; "1. That as it appears upon the face of the complaint this court has no juris? diction of the matters and things fortu i iog the subject ot this action. "2. That as it appears upon the face ! thereof, the complaint does not state facts sufficient to eoBstitu?e a cause of action cognizable in this court." In other words the jurisdiction of the j United States Court, is deoied Attor? ney General Barber says : "The demurrer raises every legal question involved in this ease. We propose to ; make as strong a fight as we can against j Dc* ^ the position thar the United States ? Court- bas any jurisdiction whatever in j j this matter. The question of inter-[ I state commerce, is of course involved- J it is the pivotal question. WTe propose! to make the fight upon this and other grounds.-" These cases it might be ad- j ded are regarded the most dangerous that have ever been brought against i the constitutionality of the dispensary law.- The State. j The negroes are not idle spectators j of what is going on in South Carolina j They are manifesting the alertnesn j j and activity of the halcyon days in the ; j reconstruction period. It is foolish tn : j expect that this meaus only what ap- j I nears on the surface. They are or :. j.ganizing not only to defeat the avowed j objects of the constitutional convention, ! but their success along that line would j j bring permanency to the organization, ; I for there are more white men ready u lead them to-day that at any timi since the ballot was given to them nearly thirty years ago. The preten? sion that the negroes wouid relapse into political inactivity were they to defeat the convention is a silly and absurd proposition, for they would be the masters of the situation. If they can register and control a sufficient number of votes to dominate the con? vention, the way is open to take charge of the State.-Greenville Mountainteer. Bunning Pain Erysipelas irs Face and Eyes inflammation Subdued and Tor? tures Ended by Hood's. " I am so glad to be relieved of my tortures that I am willing to tell the benefits I have de? rived from Hood's Sarsaparilla. Ir. April and May, I \KT?S afflicted with erysipelas In my face and eyes, which spread to my throat and neck. I tried divers ointments and alteratives, but there was u>> permanent abatement of thc i urn tag, torturing pain, peculiar to this complaint. I began to take Hood's Sarsaparilla and Felt Marked RzVici before I had finished the first 1>< .::!>>. I con tinued to improve until, when I had taken fou* ? ? <:S^ kzSS ^> bottles, I was comp! ;tc!y eur:';!, and ??lt rlmtall signs. :::::rks and symptoms <>f t?iat dire eom p! -r.-.r had forever vanished." Mits. E. E. L;T:AWA, l?'i??d)? rn, Y.'i&xcsin. ;oor!'? . Mz are prompt and efficient, yet .v In :vvr)!i. Sold by all druggists. 2.V. ?'?S ' ~o": A NAME OF A ^t/NJ ^?FLORAL WONDER, ??J BHffla For particulars soe Vick's Floral Guide $?)dl **'>r ISO-j, which contains colored plates ?f^p?HS SBj Vick's Branch inp Aster, Sweet Peas, Veg- WftJ | y?o Jj 't.-.Mes. ffiLiscasand Gold Flower. Kon-KjTJj fcSS?M ?st illustrations; descriptions that <le-S|?4?! " V'/'? s^bc. not mislead; hir.tson sowing and T'^jj ??ii^y transplanting. Printed in 17 differentMKJ Jfr^'sl colored ;:iks. Mailed on receipt of ?oBr^ W>>CAJL ''',:!"? which may bededucted from first fi ?I &'>^J nr ', r- Vick's i>cc?Is contain the CS3 ? Or? ~crTa cf life. ?\ i B -- '^TL<JJL\J?J SSS " t li H SWEET PEASE Y^^l Ssiftli Quantities at Wholesale Prices. jp*4^ W 40 Cents a Pound ^ST^ $ n potiiv? only 40 ets.? half ponnti jf^^j ?."5 e:s>. ? quarter pound l<5cts.:R^J y??r\ HU ?.I) EXOWKIt, Grand Bedder, COLOMBIAN |?? P[j James Vick's Sens Seedsmen fr [1 gCJj C aOC?ESTiE?, Sf. Y. . The time has now come when you must think of FALL # WINTER PURCHASES. And we want you to connect these thoughts with <3*S> Our preparations have been made with a view to offering buyers great latitude of choice in Styles &LJOL<? Prices. We are now ready to submit the STOCK which represents our taste and judgment to the critical test of public opinion, and hope to hear your voice in the general verdict. It represents tho best the Market affords both in MATERIALS AND STYLES, and the Prices are the Lowest that can possibly be made. Before you make your selections we respectfully ask an ex? amination of our Gooch. We shall not request any one to buy. l?eling that, if our Stock will not make Buyers, nothing we can say will win custom. A half hour spent in looking over our ASSORTMENT will give you a fair idea of the Popular Styles^ and we can only hope that it will be as much pleasure for you to see as for us to show our Goods. N. W. Cor. Main & Liberty Sts., Sumter, S" C. New York Office, 84, West Broadway. Stearns Model "A*" Price, ?IOO. The 1895 Model "A" Is a graceful ruad wheel of symmetrical design and artistic finish. It embodies in its construction the most advanced ideas, and we intend it shall take its place as the standard bicycle of its class. Equipped with League light road tires weighing 3J pounds per pair, which are furnished, unless otherwise ordered, it weighs only lill pounds, yet at this very light weight the long study we have giren to the production of ligbt wheels enables us to guarantee it to carry ; practically any weight cf rider over any ordinary road. Where speed is the chief requirement, it can be fitted with lighter rims and ' tires, reducing the weight to about 20 pounds. Choice is given of either 22. 24 or 20-inclj. frame. The 24-inch frame will be found lo lit the average rider. SPECIFICATIONS. 24-inch diamond frame, finest quality seamless steel tubing, and forged steel connections. 9-inch head. 28-inch wheels ?teams wood rims. Cold swaged steel tangent spokes, tied, ou' to rear and 2S to front whee: League pneumatic tires. Stearns hardened steel chain. Stearns round cranks with key fastening, G.l,-iuch throw. Stearns oil-inch dust-proof rat-trap pedals, convertible to rubber. Stearns dust proof bearings. Stearns straight seat post. Upward curved handle bar No 4. Cord handles. Stearns saddle. Round knurled step. Coasters. Tool bag, with air pump, oiler and monkey wrench. Weight, stripped, with Steams wooden rims and without tires, 18J lbs. Finish-Black, with orange rims. Nickeled spokes and fittings. Gear, 64-inches. Wheel base, 44 inches. Tread, 4J inches. OPTIONS. 60, 68 or 72-inch gear. 7-inch cranks. Rubber pedals. 3J-inch pedals. Tubular hubs. Other types of cemented or detachable tires. Detachable lamp bracket. Downward curved handle bar No. 5. Front wheel brake. T or L seat post. When so ordered the machine will be furnished from stock, with 22-inch frame and 0-inch head, or 26-inch frame and 11-inch head. The Model "A" is the finest road wheel on the market this year, lt is light, but as strong as steel in every part. For heavier riders Model "B" is built on the same line. But more about Model "B" another time. Call or write for information concerning the Stearns Wheel. H. ft. ^OSTEEW & CO., LIBERTY ST., SUMTER, S. C. Agents for Sumter and Clarendon