Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Wyt ItJatchjmm mb ?ontl)con. ---.--- ? ---!-._._, .JP HS SVXTKB w.iTOH K?S ? Established April, 18SO. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thon Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's.** THE TBUB SOUTHRON, Established jone, isca CosolMated Aug. 2.1881. SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY. JULY 23, 1903. New Series-Vol. XXII. So. 51 Wyt ItJatchjmm mb ?ontl)con. ---.--- ? ---!-._._, .JP HS SVXTKB w.iTOH K?S ? Established April, 18SO. "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thon Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's.** THE TBUB SOUTHRON, Established jone, isca CosolMated Aug. 2.1881. SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY. JULY 23, 1903. New Series-Vol. XXII. So. 51 J&ff. C3J-. Osteens SUMTER, S. C. T2E3?8 I 01 50 per 8.30um-in advance ?DV?STISEKBST: One Square ?rst insertion.............$1 00 Svery subsequent insertion-. 50 Contracts for three months, or longer vril? oe made nt reduced rates. All communications which subserve private interests will be charged for as ad verdemente. Obituaries ase! tributes of respects will be ^barged for. ? B?0E ASB05S TBE ATLANTIC. The Great Battleship Kearsarge WHI Attempt io Break the Record. Portsmouth, Eng., \Fuly 14.-Capt. Eemphiil of ?lae United States flagship Kearsarge received instructions today to clean the warship's propellers, fill her bunkers with the best coal and go at ones at the highest speed with natural draft to Frenchman's Bay, Me. This is the firts occasion, in time of peace, that an American battleship has been subjected to such a severe test. It recalls a similar voyage of the battleship Oregon during the war with Spain. Divers commenced work this morning on cleaning the propel? lers and 1,500 tons of coal will be de? livered tomorrow. Capt. Hemphill will follow the great circle route, leaving Portsmouth at 9 o'clock tomor? row morning. The Kearsarge left the jetty tonight and anchored in midstream, prepara? tory tc coaling tomorrow. TILLMAN TB LEXINGTON. J. H. Tillman was yesterday trans? ferred from the Eichland? to the Lex? ington jail. A . deputy sheriff was de? tailed by Sherriff Coleman to deliver the prisoner to the sheriff of Lexing? ton county. Senator B. R. Tillman accompanied the officer and prisoner, i In the order of Judge Townsend granting the motion for a change of I venue and naming Lexington as the j place of trial, it was decreed that the j prisoner should be delivered to the ! sheriff of Lexington by the Monday 1 preceding the opening of court there, which would be the second Monday in . September. Under this elastic wordi;?, it in understood, the prisoner or his counsel, or both, requested his removal to Lexington at this time. The supposition is that the prisoner desires to get in touch with the situa? tion in Lexington, as it is said he takes a most active part in the pre? paration of his defense, and it is known that whil? incarcerated here he received numerous visitors. Doubt? less he will have the same privileges in Lexington, if none additional, and will carry on as earnest a campaign for acquittal as the circumstances permit- The State, JuJy 14. Murder in Columbia Columbia, July ll-This morning, before 6 o'clock, there was a fatal shooting in the tenderloin district. As a result of the shooting Will Holland, a young white man, was carried mor? tally wounded to the Columbia Hospi? tal, where the died this afternhoon at 4.15. Magistrate McMaster held an in? quest over the body to-night and found that Holland came to his death from gunshot wounds iriflcted by James H. urkhalter. J. H. Burkfaalter, who is a white man, was sent tc jail along with Pansy Taylor and the other in? mates of her house. Some time ago Holland was married to the Taylor wo? man and lived with her for a few months. She ran him away from Columbia about a month ago, on account of his numerous difficulties with the police authorities. Holland is a young man of about 24 years and has a bad reputation here. He has spent over two-thirds of his life in jail and has participated in several shooting scrapes in Columbia. He returned to Columbia two weeks ago and declared that he would get his wife back If he had to wade in his THE"TRUTH ,-?F HISTORY. Co!. Thomas Makes Historic Point . About First Shot. To the Editor of The State : As +o the point made "by someone that, after all, it was Edmund Baffin of Virginia who fired the first shot at Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861, I have this to say and if any one is disposed to doubt my testimony, let him do it while I still'live. On the occasion of the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter I was stationed at Cummings Point on Morris Island and was in charge of the 12-pounder rifle gun, given to South Carolina by Mr. Prioleau, a merchant of Liverpool, England, and a native of Charleston, S. C. Near my gun there were two mor? tars in charge of my Citadel colleague, Lieut. N. W. Armstrong. When we were all ready to open fire and await? ing the signal from Fort Johnson. Mr. Ruffin came np and asked of Lieut. Armstrong the privilege of firing the first shot from Cummings Point. This was conceded, and I saw Mr. Ruffin, the fiery old Virignian, pull the lan? yard of Armstrong's mortar sending out in the morning air the second shell directed upon Fort Sumter, the signal shell and the next shell from Fort Johnson being the advance shots. This being so, it follows that, unless Mr. Ruffin could be in two distinct places at the same time, it was not possible, as has been alleged, that he it was who fired the first shell upon Fort Sumter, April 12. 1861. Allow me, Mr. Editor, to add .that while I have sought to establish the truth of historic detail in this mat? ter of Fort Sumter at the opening of the great war, 1861-1865, I see no special honor involved in what may be called the accidents of war. These incidents are closed for me unless my statements are challenged. . Jno. P. Thomas. July 8, 1903. "FIRST SHOT. OF THE WAR" From historical sketch of South Carolina Military Academy by Jno. P. Thomas, written 1876, published 1873. "On or about 25th December, I860, Maj. P. Stevens was ordered by the : executive of the State, Gov. F. W. ! Pickens, to take to Morris island a de tachment of cadete and four.l2-pounder I siege guns, and to put the guns in position to command the channel, with a view to keeping out all suspici? ous vessels from Fort Sumter, then invested by the southern troops. . The Virginia Rifles of Charleston, a fire company organized into a military company, under command of Capt. SSL Y. Tupper, were also ordered to Morris island. Oh the night of Dec 31, 1860, Lieut. Col. Jno. L. Branch of the First regiment of rifles, South Carolina militia, received orders to take three of his companies to Morris island. On the afternoon of Jan. 1, 1861, he reached that point." Being the senior officer he assumed command of all the force on the island, and re? mained so until the arrival, a few weeks ubsequent, of Col. J. J. Petti? grew. "Col. Branch found Maj. Stevens and his command engaged in conduct? ing what was after tne 9th of Januarv called the 'Star of the West Battery, as it was from that point, and with the 24-pounders, manned by the cadets, that the United States ship, 'Star of the West,' was driven off while at? tempting to relieve Fort Sumter. "Thus it stands-for all it implies that the Citadel cadets, under the command of CoL Branch, as com? manding officer of the post, and of Maj. Stevens, as immediately in charge of the guns, fired the first shot of the war of secession. Col. Branch and Maj. Stevens, thus connected with the first hostile incident of a \ grate war, were both graduates of the South Carolina Militiary academy. I And it was the governor of South Caroilna who had ordered them to the front at the culmination of the crisis which had been brought upon the State. Upon Col. Thomas' authority, in this case, it may be said now that as to who actually pulled the lanyard it was Cadet Geo. E. Haynsworth of Sumter. Des Moines, Ia., July 14.-A head on collision between a south bound passenger train and a northbound freight on the Great Western railroad, near Savannah, Mo., early today, re? sulted in the death of one person and the injury of several ochers. INSURANCE B? THE STATE. The State Insurance Law and How it Works., Columbia, July 13.-The sinking fund commission, which has charge of the special State insurance fund, recently provided for. by the Legisla? ture, had an interesting case before them at their last meeting. The Legislature passed an Act on February 19, 1900, to provide for State insurance on pubilc buildings, and this Act went into effect in January 1901. The Act provides :1 ' That beginning on the . first day of January, 1901, or on the expiration of such policies as may expire after the 1st of January, 1901, there shall be paid annually to the commissioners of the sinking fund, [ by each county in this State, two- j thirds the amount paid aunualy in premiums for insurnce on its public t buildings, for the purpose of creating i an insurance sinking fund, which mon- j ey, when received by said commission- j ers of the sinking fund, shall be held and invested by ?them as other funds in their hands, for the purposes herein-ji after provided for. . j The law requires county supervisors ' to insure all public buildings of the county with the commissioners of the sinking fund, and at the expiration of ? the policy to forward to the State Treasurer the premimums for renewals. Any county supervisor failing or re? fusing to comply with the provisions of the Act shall be guilty of a mis? demeanor, and, upon conviction there? of, he shall be fined in a sum of not less than fifty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, or imprisoned not ? less than twenty nor more than thirty days. On the 5th of June, 1902, the coun? ty supervisor of one of the counties in the State obtained from the sinking fund a policy insuring the county jail, seven alms houses and a jail kitchen, for the amount of $100. The policy issued to the county su? pervisor, both upon its face and in the endorsement on the back, gave notice to the -supervisors that the policy ex? pired on the 5th of June, and cited the Act requiring him to renew the poilcy before that day. The county snpervior did not send him the renewal on the 5th of June, but on the 20th of the same month wrote a letter to the State Treasurer, inclosing a check for the premium. The Tresurer was also notified that the kitchen in the jail was burned on the night of the 19th of June, and was asked that three appraisers be ap pointed to fix the amount of the dam ' age, so that the policy could be collect? ed. .The matter was reported to the com? missioners of the sinking fund, who . took the position that, as the property ' had been destroyed after the expira? tion of the policy, they were in no wise responsible for the $100 less. The case is of especial interest to the county supervisors, who have been very eyeless in the renewals of coanty insurance. This fund now has to its credit in the State treasury $9,496.53, of which $6,000, has been loaned out to Marion County. Since the inauguration of this plan of State insurance there has been only one loss ;and that was in Newberry County for $844. This Act provides that the State colleges and ali State property shall be insured in this fund, but on account of the small capital on hand the authorities of these instituions have been allowed to carry their insurance in the re? gular way. Washington, July .14.-It ,seems to bo a geueral understanding among officilas of the war department, among those who ought to know, that the name of Robert Shaw Oliver, who bas just been appointed assistant Secre? tary of War, will be favorably consid? ered for Secretary of War when Secre? tary Root retires from the Cabinet. It lias been known for some time that upon the completion of certain impor? tant matters which Scerteary Root has in hand he intended to return to New York and resume the practice of law. Just when this might happen lias been and is still very indefinite. Richmond, Va., July 14.-The street car strikers announce tonight that* they have subscriptions amounting to about $40,000 for tl ie purpose of es? tablishing an automobile service in opposition to the street car lines. There has been no serious interference today with che running of the cars, but occasional stone throwing still I coat innes at out-of?the-way|'points. | "USUAL CRIME" IN HEW YORK. 19-Year-0Id Negro Escapes En? raged Mob Owing to Quick Ac? tion of Deputy Sheriff. Albany, N. Y., July 14.-The quick wit of a deputy sheriff, at Coxsackie, this afternoon, prevented the lynching of James Little, a nineteen-year-old negro, hailing from Summerhurst, TS. Y., who, early this morning, near New Baltimore, criminally assaulted Emma Cole, aged ll years, daughter of Joseph Cole, a farmer, living one mile back of New Baltimore. The negro escaped, after threatening the child with death. Two other children had given the alarm, and Mr. Cole and neighbors met the child coming home, and at once organized a party to scour the woods. Little was cap? tured on the railroad track near Cox? sackie, and he confessed the assault and was locked up. A mob of one hundred and fifty en? raged farmers started from New Balti? more for Coxsackie, augmented by a .-large number of striking Coxsackie moulders and river men, all frankly avowing their intention to lynch the negro. Deputy Sheriff Van Loon, realizing that the coming of darkness would mean the breaking of the flimsy local lockup, and the violent death of his j prisoner, smuggled the negro out and . took him down the river on the boat J to Catskill, where there *s a well-built I jail. The Cole child is seriously injured, but may recover. Another Postoffice Scandal. Washington, July 14.-The postoffice inspectors are investigating charges made against John M. Masten, now assistant superintendent of the railway mail service, and formerly chief clerk of the first assistant Postmaster Gen? eral's office. A man named Terry, now in the Government service, has made an affidavit before the inspectors alleging that Masten, while chief clerk to the first assistant proposed that Terry pay him $50 down and 88 or 810 a month to secure reinstatement in a former position in Masten's bureau. Postmaster General Payne said this atfernoon that he expected there would be some important news during his absence on his trip along the coast and that he expected the grand jury would furnish some interesting developments. Mr. Payne will leave here tomorrow morning and will be aboard the re? venue cutter while it makes its re? gular cruise, which will extend as far as Boston and possibly up to the Maine coast. He said tonight that lie had not made his vacation plans yet, but that he would like to revisit Poland Srpings, Maine, if possible. He ex? pects to ;be away most of August Tobacco Dealers Warned. Washington, July 14.-A circular of instructions to internal revenue offi? cers and all others concerned has been issued by the commissioner of internal revenue, calling attention to the gross irregularities and violations of law that now exist in the handling and sale of manufactured tobacco, snuff, cigars and cigarettes by jobbers and dealers A practice generally prevails of ex? posing these taxable articles for saie separately from the packages bearing the stamps, denoting-the payment of tiie internal revenue tax This, it is said, is a serious violation of the law and regulations, which it is the purpose of the commissiner to remedy. Jobbers and dealers are given until November 1, 1903, to get their stock on hand in order, after which date all manufactured tobacco, snuff, cigars and cigarettes found on the market exposed for sale, not protected by the tax paid stamp, will be seized and the holders proceeded against in accord? ance with law. Night Was Her Terror. . "I would cough nearly all night long," writes Mrs. Chas. Applegate, of Alexand? ria, Ind., "and could hardly get any sleep. I had consumption so bad that if I walked a block I would cough frightfully and spit blood, but, when all other medicines failed, three $1.00 bottles of Dr. King's New Discovery wholly cured me and I gained 58 pounds." It's absolutely guar? anteed to cure Coughs, Colds, La Grippe, Bronchitis and all Throat and Lung Trou? bles. Trial bottles free at J. F. W. De Lorme's ding store. LYNCHED FOB MURDEH. Fate of a White Man in Kentuc? ky Who Bade Fair, Through the Machinery of the Courts, to Escape Just Punishment. Maysville, Ky., July 15.-Enraged at the tardiness of the Courts, a mob broke into the Flemingsburg jail this morning and hanged William Thackej, a white man, who had been given a life sentence for the murder of John Gordon two years ago. Thacker, in a .quarrel with Gordon, at Foxport, shot and killed him and then sat on the body, Winchester in hand, while he smoked his pipe and dared any one to attempt to arrest him. At the time Thacker escaped, but he was later ar? rested and lodged in jail at Flemings burg. He was given two trials and finally got a life sentence. Gordon was a good citizen and an inoffensive man. After being sen? tenced, Thacker appealed to the Court of Appeals, and was waiting for an? other trial. Thacker had some money and was able to command-the support of some influential men, and it was feared that he might escape punish? ment altogether. The mob collected at Mount Carmel, where Gordon once lived, and came into Flemingsburg by twos and threes, in order not to arouse suspicion. They advanced upon the - jail shortly af ter midnight. The jailer refused to sur? render the keys. He was overpowered and the keys taken from him. Thacker was hurried to a tree, near the jail and was given time to say his prayers, which he refused to do, bot begged for his life. To hush his cries, he was hit on the head with a rock and his unconscious body strung up until life had become extinct. Back From Liberia. Columbus, Ga., July U.-Rosa Crawford, a negro woman, has just re truned to this ctiy after an absence of twenty-eight years in Liberia. She says she is glad to get back and that most of the American negroes now in the colony would be glad to return to this country if they could get the mon? ey to pay their passage. She paints a gloomy picture of con? ditions in the African colony and says that both trade and industry have been on the decline for many years and that some times an American ship does not touch at Monrovia for two years. When Rosa reached Columbus she was met byjher brother and sister and their greetings *were so effusive and enthusiastic that police officers threatened to lock them up for creat? ing a disturbance. It was somo time before the patrolmen could leam the cause of the great joy shown by the negroes at the reunion. Murdered By a Negro. Batesburg, July 15.-Information has just been received here that Mr. William Hall, who lived at Chinque pin Falls, eight miles from here, was shot and killed today by George Ed? wards, colored. The negro, after the shooting, left. Bloodhounds have been sent for. The circumstances that lead up to the killing are not known here. Edwards is a young negro, not over 20 years old. Hall was a young, unmarried man, and kept a country store. j The large insurance companies now {insist that individuals are much more dangerous risks in the matter of tub? erculosis if they are 20 pounds under the normal weight than if they are the descendants of families with tub? erculosis heredity on both sides of the house, when not intimately as? sociated with those who are actually suffering from tuberculosis. Paris, July 15.-Dispatches received at the foreign office here from St. Petersburg and Tokio indicate that the relations between Russia and Japan have greatly improved within the past fortnight, and it is now believed that the two g07ernmenst will soon arrive at a complete understanding. Working Night and Day. The busiest and mightiest little thing that ever was made is Dr King's New Life Pills. These pills change weakness into strength, listlessness into energy, brain? fag into mental power. They're wonder? ful in bailding up the health. Only 25c per box. Sold by J, F, W. DeLorme. 8450,000,000 WILL DO IT. Senator Latimer Says This Sum Will Macadamize All Roads in United States. Newberry, S. C., July 14.-The meet? ing of the Connty Good Roads associa? tion was held in the court house this morning, a very large crowd of those interested being present. The first speaker was Senator Lati? mer who held forth for over an hour, forcibly presenting his views on good roads. As is well known, Mr. Lati? mer is strongly in favor of getting government aid in this matter, his plan being to let the government bear one-half the expense and the remaind? er be divided equally between the county and state. No one is opposed to a road tax. The reason is evident -the people want good roads and know that to get them they will have to pay for them. Only recently the government has paid out vast sums for good roads in Porto Rico and the Philippines-SI, COO,OOO in the former and three times that amount in the Philippine is? lands. Why cannot we get some of that money here for good roads? The roads are as bad today as they were 100 years ago. It will not take a great amount to macadmaize all the roads in the United States-about 8450,OOO,COO-and this amount could be raised by taxing every acre of land one dollar. The increase in the value of the land by this operation would i more than pay for the good roads. Every public road is a post road therefore why not improve the roads and therebv give rural free delivery to all. Some one will ask whether or not we can get the aid cf the government in this matter. Of course we can. While we may not look for immediate results, I believe we will get it in five years. At the same time the people must get together and decide to pay their tax for good roads, whatever the tax -whether three or five mills-may be. Senator Latimer was warmly ap-, plauded at the beginning and ccn lusion of his address. f?e was followed by Congressman Wyatt Aiken, who came forward amid applause. Mr Aiken briefly presented his views on the subject. He is a firm believer in? obtaining government aid for the improvement of the public roads, whether it be con? stitutional or not. Because the subject bad been so fully discussed by Senator Latimer, Mr. Aiken's remarks were brief, he en? dorsing all cf Mr. Latiruer's remarks. A Statute of Washington. London, July 15.-At a meeting of the executive committee cf the Pil? grims' Club tonight, a committee was appointed to give effect to the recent suggestion to erect a statue cf George Washington in London. It was de? cided that the subscriptions should be entirely confined to British subjects. Archdeacon Sinclair, in submitting the plan to the Society, said : "Englishmen have at last fully re? cognized the great qualities of Wash? ington. I feel assured that nothing will be more popular in this ccu.cti.?- - than such a tribute to that great man of English birth, who has done so much for the world's history, not only for the young nation across the sea, but for Great Britain as well." Archdeacon Sinclair announced that he as authorized to offer a place- fer - the statue in St. Paul's Cathedral. John 6. Wham Allowed Bail. Laurens, July 15.-John G. Wham was granted bail in the sum of 84,000 by Judge Dantzler this afternoon at 7.30 o'clock. Wham killed L. W. Ramage on July 9. Ferguson & Feath? erstone and W. R. Richey appeared for Wham ; Solicitor Sease and O. L. Schumpert for the State. A large crowd was present. Brutally Tortured.. A case came to light that for persistent and unmerciful torture has perhaps never been equalled. Joe Golobick of Colusa, Calif., writes "For fifteen years I endured insufferable pain from Rheumatism and nothing relieved me tnough I tried every? thing known. I came acrcsa Electric Bit? ters and it's the greatest medicine on earth for that trouble. A few bottles of it completely relieved and cured me.'* Just as good for Liver and Kidney trou? bles and general debility. Only 50c Sat? isfaction guaranteed by J. F.W. DeLorme Druggist.