The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, March 13, 1895, Image 2
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
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" V'/'? s^bc. not mislead; hir.tson sowing and T'^jj
??ii^y transplanting. Printed in 17 differentMKJ
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&'>^J nr ', r- Vick's i>cc?Is contain the CS3
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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,
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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
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idea of the
Popular Styles^
and we can only hope that it will be as
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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