The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 05, 1903, Image 6

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POS?CFFICE THIEVES ARRESTED^ Urne People, Including a Woman, Charged With Conspiracy and Bribery Washington, Jnly 31.-The postoffice Investigation developed another sensa? tion today, the Federal grand jury re? turning seven indictments, involving nine people for alleged conspiracy and bribery in connection with postal affairs. August W. Machen, for many years the head of the free delivery ser? vice, was named jointly with others in ll fbax of the indictments. The other parties were William "Gordon Craw? ford, who was deputy auditor for the postoffice department from June 12, 1898, to September 15, 1S97, and. is a member of one of the exclusive clubs of this city ; Leopold J. Stern, of No. 5 North Gay street, Baltimore; George E. Lorenz, of Toledo, formerly a prominent Government Official, and Hartha J. Lorenz, his wife ; John T. Copper, mayor of Lockhaven, Pa. William C. Long, an Ohio man, who - has spent much time in this city in recent years, and an intimate friend of Machen, Maurice Benkel, of New York city; and Thee. W. McGregor, a protege of Machten, who was a mes? senger at the beginning of Machen's administration of the free deli very ser? vice and in resent years has been in charge of the supplies for the rural free delivery service. Crawford volun "Sarily aarepped in Court soon after the indictments were returned, and fur? nished $10,000 bail, and McGregor likewise gave $5,000 bail Long was -arrested at his home, where. Deputy Harshal Springman fonnd him in bed. He was released on $10,000 bond. His yras the only local, ease in which a 6ench warrant was issued, owing to -$ee voluntary action of the others in? dicted. Machen was not rearrested "auder ?he new indictment, as he gave fcmds in $20,000, under his indictment several weeks ago, and authorities felt tills was sufficient to insure his ap -pearance. Warrants have been issued 3br the out-of-town parties indicted and their arrest is expected within the 3iext twenty-four hours. The grand jury has not completed the work laid -before it by the postal investigators and other indictments may be expect? ed-later on, possibly within a week or two. It is understood that two ad? ditional cases against one of the par? ties indicted today, a former promi? sent bureau official, are being incjuir ed into by the grand jury, and that the sets of another former high official of the postoffice department, already anda? indictment by the Brooklyn grand jury, are being investigated. Four of the indictments name Machen jointly with others. Machen, Capper and Long are named jointly in one indictment for violation of the conspiracy section of the Bevised Statutes. The indictment sets ont that between July 1, 1897, and July 1, 1901, Cupper induced Machen to give - -^?r?a (Cupper) the contact for furnish? ing materials for and employment in tte painting of letter boxes, Capper paying Maehen a commission of ten cents a box, Long acting as interme? diary. Another indictment against Stern, Long and Machen, based on alleged violation of the same statute, ~-?^?rges that Stern entered into a con? tract with the Government to furnish letter carriers' satchels and letter col? lectors' satchels, of the free delivery : service, the. satchels to be supplied in .each case with a leather shoulder strap. The cost of each of these straps to Stem in complying with his contract would amount to twenty-five cents. The indictment charges that Hachen, in his official capacity, was to procure shoulder straps at the ex? pense of the United States and de? liver the same to Stern, to be used by the latter in the performance of his contract, in order that Stern might eave twenty-five cents on each satchel delivered to the United States. It father charged that a portion of the saving to Stern should be retained by 1dm and the residue paid to Long, to 3? divided between Long and Machen. .A third indictment jointly names William Gordon Crawford, August Machen, George E. Lorenz and ?:? wife, Mt?a ?, Lorenz, both of toledo, Ohio, for conspiracy. Craw? ford represented J?e Postal Device and Lock Company and secured the coe* txact for famishing certain of the let* ter carrires' satchels. The contract called for shoulder straps for the satch? els, which, the indictment charges, --were never furnished by the contract? ors, being supplied Insfcsa?t by th? .United State? ander Macneil's orders, although the contractor received pay for them. For this concession it is "".iharged that Crawford paid to Ma? chen, through the Lorenzes, about 30 ~per*cerit of the amount received from the Government. Maurice Runkel, of New York city ; Thomas W. McGregor, formerly in charge of the supplies for the rural tree delivery service, and recently in? dicted in Baltimore on another charge, and Aagast W. Machen are named jointly in another indictment -for a similar transaction. The indict? ment alleges that Runkel paid sams to Hachen and McGregor aggregating about $2,000 to Machen and $300 to McGregor. John T. Capper,.otbe mayor of Lockhaven Pa., is charged in a separate indictment with paying Hachea a bribe of $800 in August, 19Q0. Long also is indicted separately for paying in the same transactions involved in the conspiracy indict? ments. Crawford was separately in? dicted for presenting a false claim for satchels by charging the Government and receiving pay therefor for shoul? der straps never supplied by him. A dispatch to the New York Sun ftom Richmond says: "A negro -woman, Maggie L. Walker, has the distinction of being the first woman, white or colored, ever elected presi? dent of a bank in this region. She was chosen on Tuesday head of the St ?ake's Penny Savings Bank, under the auspices of the Order of St. Luke. The institution will open for business on September 1, with $75,000 in depos? its. President Walker is widely ?Bown, and several years was a teach? er in the public schools in Richmond. She has the respect of both races. Washington, D. C., Aagnst L-The Lehigh Valley, Norfolk and Western and Colorado and Southern railroads have filed petitions with the Inter? state commerce commission for an ex? tension of time within which Ito equip their cars with safety appliances. There will be a hearing on the subject, August 10. COMBINATIONS ARE DOOMED. Henry Clews Says They are the Terror of Wail Steet. Concerning the condition of the mar ket and the possibility of a panic. Henry Clews says : Wall street has barely escaped one of the worst and most disastrous panics in history. It has escaped because, with the remarkable steadiness and upward tendency of the present mar? ket, there is no immediate prospect of a prolonged catastrophe. The present sensational decline in values and the failures and wholesale embarrassments it has occasioned can only proceed from one thing-the enormous and deplorable .over-capital? ization of industrials. More than S ve thousand million dollars are represented in the largely fictitious capitalization of industrial combinations within the past five or six years. Never in the history of trade and finances have such enormous sums been represented as in the capitaliz? ing concerns such as the United Stetes Steel Company, the Northern Securities Company, the International Mercantile Marine Company, Amal? gamated Copper and hundreds of smaller corporations. The day of over-capitalized corpora tions in the opinion of all conservative and well-informed judges, is over once and for all. I am afraid the Morgan school and financial schools of a similar type have closed for a long vacation. fiad it not been for the action of the great money interests of the United States in coming into Wall Street to? day with the intention of getting in on the ground floor and buying the choicest dividend paying securities, there would have been disaster. More than $200, OOO, OOO was ready to be poured into the street when the stock ex? change opened. Big money interests awoke expecting to see the market disordered and to take advantage of it. It is signifi? cant that the word was not spoken. Who was responsible for the silence? is a question that only such interests a3 the Eockefellers, Harrimans, Goulds and others can answer with authority. There has been a shrinkage of $2 500,000,000 in prices within the past ten days. The brunt of the loss has been borne by the big operators of the street, and there is no immediate rea? son why it should affect the people at large. Buying was done today, as the orders had already been given, but it was to stiffen the market and impart confi? dence. One of the most powerful cliques in the country is behind the present upward movement. Th6re is hardly . any question that within the next few. weeks there will be a general movement to dissolve enormous industrial combinations. This will not be done with unwise haste, but the sweeping out will be thorough. This crisis has been impending for three years. Big figuras have filled the public mind. High prices have not frightened the people, scarcity and exorbitant rates have had no effect nor have strikes. Buying and holding on have simply become chronic, and the result was inevitable. Industrials have been the rage. They are so no longer. The extreme value to which stocks were pushed, to which this late de? pression is due, is clearly traceable to the absorption of Chicago, Burlington & Quincy stock at 200. This gave rise to the expectation that Si. Paul, Kock Island, Mexican Central, Southern Pacific-the Keene creation-were worth just as much, and the extrava? gant feeling caused an equal expecta? tion that all other stock would follow the same lead. Hence the rich people of the country gathered them in and the liquidation is from* th ose quarters and not from the lambs. One initial cause for the present crisis is our big financiers have been sacrificing their best holdings in order to carry their, poorer industrials, for which there is no market. * A good many of the blows struck daring the past week faave been of a sand bagging character. There ?re ifi?nJf J?od Industrial stocks which will su?e? extremely in jommon with their p?o#& ?fi?S. Noth? ing can prevent that? and therein lies the only cause for anxiety. This is merely a cheerless dawn of hh'e morning after a debauch of six years in Wall street. But the death knell of combined industrials is sounding, and there is no reason, with the atmosphere cleared and the wreckage as a warning, to fear any greater demoralization as a result of the present passing flurry. Taxation of Raw Cotton. Manchester, Eng., Jury 31.- The possibility of the taxation of raw cot? ton imported into Great Britain from foreign countries, while cotton grown within the Empire may be exempted, has greatly exercised the manufactur? ers of the Lancashire district. In re? ply to a direct question as to whether the rumor was true that the preferen? tial tariff proposals contemplated such action, Colonial Secretary Chamber? lain lias telegraphed as follows : **The statement is absolutely un? true, as regards myself. In fact, I have publicly repudiated the B?iggest tion to tax raw materials." ' The new Williamsburg bridge across the East river, New York, is nearing completion. It will be oae of the most marvelous structures of its kind in the world and one of the handsomest. When it was begun it was estimated the cost would be ?bout $15,000,000. One of the commissioners said a day or two ago that there had already been expended on the work $21,000,000, and that $?,000,000 more would be neces? sarily spent before the bridge could be opened for traffic, making the cost about 66 per cent above the original estimate. Ti? Spartanburg Journal says Ex-Jodge Buchanan has entered suit against the "State for the differ? ence between what he was paid for his services as judge and what he thinks himself entitled to. It is the opinion of many people in South Carolina and elsewhere that he has already been well paid for bis services as judge. Times ^sud Democrat. BRADSTREETS TRADE REVIEW. Weather, Crop and Trade Con? ditions Said to be Favorable, Though There is Weakness in Some Staple Prices. New York, July 31.- Broadstreet' tomorrow will say : . Weather, crop and trade conditions are favorable,' though irregularity and weakness in some staple pri?es reflect readjustments of consumption to en^ larged production. Copious rains in the corn belt and in the western por? tion of the cotton region have remov? ed some uneasiness existing as to the out-turn of these two great crops, and despite this backwardness the out? look for general trade is good. The industrial situation has improved, the railroads having all they can handle with talk of congestion again being heard, and the country's returns of cereal and food products promise bet? ter than a year ago, in so far as qual? ity is concerned. A favorite feature this week is the reported improvement-in foreign de? mand for breadstaffs, considerable quantities of new wheat and old corn being reported taken. Accompanying this has been an improvement in the outside interest in the cereal markets. World stocks show little or no change for the week. The industrial situation is, on the whole, satisfactory. The situation in the cotton goods trade is apparently no clearer. Keimports of American cotton from Europe are reported heavy and large numbers of spindles are idle. The same is true in the English indus? try where short time rules,. Despite che almost certainty that the crop has made favorable progress during the last week, prices of new crop cotton are higher than two weeks ago. A fair 3ummer business is. doing in dry goods. Ballway earnings indicate an aggre? gate for the third week nearly 14 per sent larger than the same week a Fear ago. Failures in the United States this week number 10, against 183 last week and 168 in the like week of 1902. For Canada failures number 17, against 20 last week and 16 year ago. SiHClDE mi jjBt arthur W. Cushman, a Prominent Citizen, Kills Himself. Aiken, Ju?y 31.-Mr. Arthur W. Cushman shot and killed himself at i is home, eight miles northeast, of \iken, this morning, at 8 o'clock. Mr. Cushman was one of 'the most prominent men in this county and had iosts of friends throughout the State. 3e was a member of the Legislature :rom 1898 to 1900 and was a candidate "or sheriff of this county in 1900. Be? ing defeated in this race he moved his :amily to Texas, where he lived about line months and then returned to his lome county, where he has been farm? ing ever since. Mr. Cushman had been very despon? dent for some time, owing to several inancial reverses. He was very ambi ;ions and could not bear defeat in any nanner. His family have known for lome time that he was continually >rooding over either real or imaginary ;roubles, and they have watched him .losely and have kept all firearms, jtc., out of his way. Yesterday one of Mr. Cushman's sons went out hunting md, on returning, left his gun in his room. This morning Mr. Cushman ocked himself up in the room and wrote a note to his famiy giving in? structions as to his burial, and, placing the shotgun against his heart, pulled the trigger, killing himself nstantly. Mr. Cushman has been very success? ful with his farm and all thought that lis worries would cease. He was a nan of 51 years of age, liked by all vho knew him, and by his death \iken County has lost one of her staunchest citizens. Mr. Cushman leaves a wife, three laughters and four sons, who are pros rated with grief at the tragic death )f the kind and loving husband and lathefi "V : nt had threatened to kill himself ;wo weeks ago, and said then, that here was nothing else to do. Bis con->; idante and friend talked to him at he time and tried to enconrge him, ?liing him that there was no need to lo violence to himself* as he was do? ng well and could get all the financial lid hfe needed, lt was thought then hat Mr\ Ashman had been dissattdfca' 'rom his parp?se-, bat the resMt this norning shews that the idea of self iestructio'n had taken loo firm a hold ipon his mind. . The coroner's inquest wes held this ifternoon and the Saty brought out :he usual verdict In ?ireh cases. His funeral will be held tomorrow it Bid's Branch Church, near his aome, of which he was an honored ind respected member for several pears.-News and. Courier. Judge Parker. Jadge Alton B. Parker, whose name Ls now frequently mentioned in con? nection with the Democratic nomina? tion for the presidency, lives at a place called Esopus, near Kingston, N. Y. His homestead is called Rose? mount Hall, and dates back to 1777, The members of his household are his mother, aged eighty; Judge and Mrs. Parker, and several children and grandchildren. The Judge is fifty three years old, but, according to a correspondent of the Baltimore Ameri? can, appears to be not over thirty-five. He stands five feet ten and a half inches tall, is massively built, with broad shoulders, deep chest, narrow waist, short neck and a large head. His hands are large, and their backs are covered with freckles, concomi tauts of the pronounced "sandy" com plexion. "His face is broad, his jaws are square and determined, his short cropped moustache is red, eyes dark and sparkling, eyebrows several shades darker than his moustache, hair a light auburn tinged with gray, and his forehead mounts high by a gentle curve, much as did that of the late President Garfield. Tbe abundant color of youth is in his cheeks, giving | him a complexion wemen envy." Dallas, Texas, Aug. 2.-A special to the News says a negro at Alto, Texas, I who insulted some ladies by cursing 1 them and firing into their home, was lynched in the river bottom by a mob. PAPAL CONCLAVE ORGANIZED. Sixty-two Cardinals Now Shut ! From the Outer World. THE SUCCESSOR, TO POPE LEO To be Elected by the Conclave Now in Session in the Sistine , Chapel Little Doubt That the New Pope Will be an Italian. Rome, July 31, 9 p. m.-The largest Conclave in the history of the Cath? olic church has now assembled in the Sistine Chapel for the purpose of electing a successor to Leo XIII. Sixty-two Cardinals, with over 200 clerical and lay attendants, are, to all intents and purposes, prisoners with? in the Vatican. One of them, Cardi? nal Herraro Y Espinosa, Archbishop of Valencia, was prostrated immedi? ately after entering the Conclave and lies ill in his cell. Tomorrow morn? ing the Cardinals will enter upon the solemn duty of choosing the new Pope by ballot. The general impres? sion exists that within two or three days possibly, though not tomorrow, a new Pope will have been chosen. Prognostications as to who will wear the tiara as Leo's successor, have little value, as even the Cardi? nals, who, this eveniing, entered their cells, seem to be without definite ideas as to the issue. Cardinals Raiapolla, Serafino Vennutelli, Dip itri, Gotti and Oreglia continue to be most frequently mentioned as the likeliest candidates, but the moment the name of one of them is mention? ed, a hundred reasons are supplied to show that he could not possibly be elected. The rival claims of the leading Ital? ian Cardinals, so freely ventilated in the local press, are matters which are all important in connection with the decision of the Conclave, beacuse it is assumed as a foregone conclusion, that the next occupant of the Holy See will be an Italian. The' foreign Cardinals have shown no indication of opposition to this assumption, but, however, willing they may be to honor an Italian, it is believed the serious differences among the Italians them? selves on matters of political and re? ligious opinion must be reconciled be? fore one of them, suitable to all sec? tions, can be elected. More interesting, perhaps, in a cer? tain way is the impression which pre? vails in. certain sections that, no mat? ter what the verdict of- the Conclave may be, great changes are impending in the policy of the Vatican, and that within a year or two, the new Pope will no longer "consider himself a prisoner in tbe Vatican, but will, un? like Leo, leave its precincts whenev?r necessary. By 5 o'clock this afternoon all the Cardinals had arrived at the Vatican and had gone to their cells. The Con? clave bas been duly formed and its members are now "shut from the outer world. Everything is prepared for to? morrow's voting. At the Vatican- . doors the Swiss Guards kept back the curious crowd, among whom were many priests. Photographers vigorously sn?pped the occupants of the black carriages prior tb their entrance to what one Cardinal called prison^ - Previous to 1870 the ceremony of the Cardinals entering the Conclave was much more imposing than that of , today, as it was held in the Quirinal Palace. They met in the little Church of San Silvestro al Quirinale and from there walked in procession through the streets to the palace or if the Conclave was to be held in the Vatican the Cardinals met in St. Peter's, a procession was formed there and, after some ceremonies wended its way to the Apostolic Palace. In pleasing confusion, the Cardinals, each escorted by the Noble Guard as? signed to him, went to their respective "cells," or apartments. Some of the venerable prelates, such as Cardinal Mocenni, (who., was born in 1823,) Crefconi, {born'In 1833,) and.Laneg nieux, (born in 1842, ) were so exhaust? ed that they had to be supported by tbe Noble Guard in attendance on them. Just before going Into his cell today a prominent Cardinal threw an inter? esting sidelight upon the chances of Rampolla. Leo's secretary of State has been persistently abused recently by the Government papers for the temporal powers policy. "I am not so sure," said the Cardi? nal to the representative of the Asso? ciated Press, "that the public attacks upon Cardinal Rampolla by^ the Government are not inspired with a view to working up among Catholics and Cardinals a spirit of enthusiasm for him, which might greatly increase his chances of election. Indeed, I am pretty certain that the Italian Govern? ment would not be at all sorry to see Rampolla wear the tiara, as, at heart, I do not believe the Government has any serious disposition to alter the ex? isting relations between the Vatican and the Quirinal." There is no doubt that Cardinal Rampolla, who is so well known to all the Cardinals because of the position he held under the late Pope, has a strong following. One of the interesting features of today's preparations was the compara? tive ignorance displayed by some of the Cardinals concerning the Con? clave's method of procedure. One of the members looks old enough to have participated in any number of con? claves. Although Cardinal Oreglia, of course, who is the only member of the Sacred College with previous ex? perience, ingeniously admitted that he had not read the rules governing the technicalities of voting since he was a boy at a seminary. FOUR CARDINALS ALREADY ILL. Rome, July 31-7.45.-Dr. Lapponi's duties began immediately after 'the opening of the Concalve, much fear being expressed concerning the health of Cardinals Mocenni, Cretoni and Langenieux, who are already ill. The first Cardinal to be taken to his ted was Cardinal Herrero Y. Espinosa, Archbishop of Valenica, who is 81 years of age, and was appointed1 a Cardinal at the consistory held in June last. He is so prostrated by over fatigue that the doctors have ordered him to take absolute rest. CONDITION OF COTTON. Monthly Report of the Agri tural Department in Washing Washington,, Augusta-The mor report of the chief of the burea1 statistics of the department of agr ture will show the average condi of cotton on July 25 to have been per cent, as compared with .77. June 25, 1908 81.9 on July 25, J 77.2 on July 25, 1901, and a ten average of 84.3. The following table shows the cc tion by States on July 25 in eac the last three years, and that on t 25, 1903, with the ten-year average July June July July ' 25, 25, 25, 25, . States 1903 1903 1902 1901 a Texas, 82 79 77 ' 74 Georgia, 77 75 83 78 Alabama, 79 76* 77 82 Mississippi,. 83 81 80 88 S. Carolina, 76 74 88 75 Arkansas, 76 73 92 69 Louisiana, 84 80 81 82 N. Carolina, 78 75 76 73 Tennessee, 82 - 80 92 70 ? L Territory, - 75 73. 95 75 ! Oklahoma, 69 67 94 78 I ! Florida, 85 84 84 " 79 J Missouri, 78 74 96 71 ? Virginia, 76 76 91 86 j U. S. 79.7 77.1 81.9 77.2 84, j M.. _ The Worlds Visible Supply. New Orleans, July 31.-Secret Hester's statement of the world's v ble supply of cotton, issued toe shows the total visible to be 1,687, bales, against 1,785,579 last week ? l,7c5,655 last year. Of this the U of American cotton is 828,823 ba against 900,579 last week and 1,091 last year, and. of all other kinds, eluding Egpyt, Brazil, India, e 859,000 bales, against 885,000 last w< and 67^000 last year. Of the world's visible supply of c ton there is now afloat and held Great Britain and Continental Eur* 916,000 bales, against 1,030,00 1 year; in Egypt, 19,000 bales, agai 58,000 last year; . in India, 519,1 bales, against 396,000 last year, and the United States 234,000 bal against 281,000 last year. Currency Question in Mexici Mexico City, August 3,- The th: subcommittee of the Monetary Conf ence has adopted a report, whic after citing figures regarding t world's present stock of gold,-says t figures demonstrate tliat gold at pn ent is nominally "not scarce," fc tends to predominate absolutely as t sole standard and measure of vak silver being relegated to a subsidia place. The report continues : "Our commerce.is carried on aime exclusively with gold standard con tries, and if we wish to avoid or mi' gate a monetary and mercanti crisis, it is imperative that we inti duce a monetary reform that w: give stability to our currency." It is belivesd that, a gold standa: is likely to be recommended in modifiedfform by the entire moneta commission. Washington, August 2.-The Unite States geological survey gives out tl following information as a prelim nary statement of the production i petroleum in 1902 : Total production f< the year was 80,894,590 barrels, value at $69,610,343 or 86 cents per barre Jean A. Crone, a newspaper man < Augusta, Me., who is to visit evei state capital in th? ; United State covering a distance of over 21,000 mi h inside of three years and six month! is nearing Lansing, Mich., having a ready covered 2,194 miles since Apr: 1. He says he is making the journe on a wager of $5^000 and is walkin the entire distance, pushing a whee! barrow-sbaped contrivance which h calls a trolyette, which contains hi clothing, sleeping-tent, food, etc. Charlotte, N. C., August 1.-Nea ?ocky Mourn; . today Mrs. Pass Lon was assaulted in her home by an un known negro. She was alone at tb time, her husband being absent. Sh was found unconscious, after th negro had lied.- The people of th community are doing their utmost t capture the criminal. Spokane, Wash., August 1.-Join Kreinbuhle, treasurer of the Grant Lodge of Odd Fellows of this State was twice shot by a masked highway man on a Hillyard street car las night. One ballet inflicted a seal] wound; another passed through hi arm. Five desperadoes, all masked entered the car and ordered the pas sengers to throw np their hands. Mr Kreinbuhle resisted and the shootinj followed. The robbers took abou $200 from the eleven passengers ant escaped. Charlotte, N. C., August 1.- Th postoffice safe at Mocksville, nea: Salisbury, was robbed early today an< $590 in stamps and $85 in money taken Nitro-glycerine was used to blow thi safe open. The robbers escaped, bu the officers believe they are in th country not far from Mocksville. Chattanooga, Tenn., August 2.-}. beadon collision between two freign trains, each drawn by two large en gine8, resulting in the death of thre< trainmen, occurred last night onth< Cnicinnati Southern Railroad abou 168 miles from Chattanooga. Jefferson ville, Ind., July 3L-Rober: Lee, the negro who shot Policemai Louis Massey at Evansville July 3, and started the riot that resulted ir the death and injury of many citizens, died here in prison today from thc effects of a wound in the lungs causee by a bullet fired by Massey. Lee's wife was killed by a train a few days after the riot i New Orleans, August 1.-In the en deavor to save the life of John J. ? Voelkel, Sr., a well-known resident ol I New Orleans, Walter E. Bertel, paying ! teller of the Whitney National Bank, I was drowned at Grand Isle today. Voelkel also was drowned. Mrs. Voel? kel and her daughter, who wem; to the rescue of the men, were rescued with difficulty. Atlanta, Aug. 2.-The headquarters of the southern division of the Wes? tern Union Telegraph company, locat? ed in New York, have been transferred to this city and the office of the divis? ion will be established here tomorrow under the superintendency of Jacob Levin. The management of the entire southern division of the company will be conducted from this office. BRUTAL MURDER IN AIKEN. A Jew Peddler Shot and Cut to Pieces by Two White Men Killed for His Money. Aiken, Angnst 1.-Abram Surasky, a Jewish peddler, living in Aiken, was murdered . near Hawthorne, in Aiken County, on Wednesday evening, by two white men, George Toole and Lee Green. The body was not dis? covered until Friday evening and Sur? asky's family were not notified until Friday night. The murdered man was 30 years of age, and one of five brothers who ran small stores in Aiken, all quite peaceful citizens, harming no one, as is characteristic of the race. On last Tuesday Mr. Surasky loaded his wagon with his packs and started on his rounds. He is supposed to have stopped at Green's house to sell his wares, as it was his custom to do, and it was then that the two men carried out their plan of rob? bery and murder. Surasky was shot twice in the back with a gun, one arm was almost, severed-from his, body and his head and bodv were hacked horribly with an axe. When the body was discovered it was impossible to recognize any semblance of a Human being in the? nce, ' as decomposition had set in. Buzzards flying over the spot attracted the attention of men passing by. Sheriff Alderman and the coroner went to the scene of the murder early this morning. On searching for clews -the ofiicers fouxd a pool of blood in the yard of Lee Green's house, and other blood stains were discovered on melon rinds, and* a bloody axe was found under the house.. At the coroner's inquest it was de? veloped by the clues found ?hat Toole and Green shot Surasky twice in the back and then cut him up with an axe. The shots evidently did not suffice to subdue their victim and the axe was used to finish him. After their work was accomplished they loaded the corpse in the victim's own wagon and drove to a lonely spot in the woods and tied the horse to - a tree and left it. The horse becoming hungry broke loose and pulled the wagon with its ghastly load away from the spot where he was tied to within a mile and half of Hawthorne, when it was discovered. A negro man is suspected of being an accomplice in the crime, but so far the negro is free. Lee Green is a bad character. He attemppted to kill a 'peddler named Levi, from Augusta, Ga., some time ago. Levi was wounded, but escaped. Surasky only had about $8 in money. This was taken, but his watch and pack were not disturbed by his mur deres, possibly because the chances of discovery would be greater if such goods, were found in their possession. The man Toole testified at the inquest that he found the body on Wednesday night, but was afraid to say anything about it. The authorities are confi? dent that they have the right parties. SUICIDE IN SAVANNAH. Chief ?of Police of Branson, S. C.. Kills Himself. Savannah, Ga., August 2.-G. L. Simmons, chief of police of Branson, S. C., while getting over a spree that had extended over a period of several days, in fact, since last Thursday, when he came to Savannah, blew out his brains shortly before 6 o'clock this morning. He sent a bullet from a No 32 revolver into his head just behind the ear. After shooting himself Sim? mons was taken ina police ambulance, while in an unconscious condition. He died a short time after his arrival there. Simmons went to the place of Henry V?llers, on West Broad street, at 4 o'clock in the morning, and se cured a room. Shortly after 6 the re? port of the revolver was heard, and the search that followed discovered Simmons. On a slip of paper Simmons had written the address of his brother in Jackosnvilie, the number of the Bran? son Lodge of Knights of Pythians, to which he belonged, and the fact that he.'carried.ajlife insurance policy for $1,000 in'favor pf his wife in the Equitable. - unserved warrants were found with the officer's revolvers and handcuffs. To kill himself he had used the No 32, instead of the other pistol, a No 44 Colts. On Thursday^Simmons came here to serve the'warrants. He began drink? ing and seemed to those who saw him to be having a good time and to be in. no way despondent. Simmons leaves a widow and two children at Branson, where the re? mains will be sent for burial. A Reaction in China. Pekin, Agunst 2.-China is witness? ing a return of the conditions which followed the coup d'etat of 1898. The plan of the Dowager Empress to terri? fy the reformers by the execution of Shen Chien, which occurred last Fri? day, has been successful. All the lib? eral Chinese, particularly those who have been associated with; the reform? ers, are in the greatest fear of arrest, and it is difficult to find a Chinaman who is willing to mention politics or Friday's tragedy. Prince Sn, the most liberal of the Manchu princes, who, in March last, issued a proclamation against the burning of incense to mil? itary idols, because it was the chief rite during the "Boxer" troubles, is reported to have risked his office by opposing the execution of Shen Chien. Portland, Oregon, July 31.-A sec? tion of the bridge which spans the Willamette Bi ver, at Morrison street, collapsed this afternoon, precipitating more than one hundred people forty feet into the water. Three people are known to have been drowned and it is feared that the list of dead will be much larger when ail are accounted for. Many fell on two small boat hous? es moored to a pier of the bridge, im? mediately under the spot where the bridge gave way. i ? ? -i? Loudon, August 3.-Dispatches re? ceived here say that an earthquake has destroyed some houses in the towns of Filattiera and Mulazzo. in the province of Tuscany, Italy. Filat? tiera is a town cf two thousand inhab? itants and Mulazzo a town of four thousand inhabitants. They are near Spezia, on the Gulf of Genoa.