The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, July 19, 1905, Image 1
mnn o nd
fHB dOMTEK W ATCBSAH. ?atablished April. IS SO?
3?? Inst and Fear not--Let all the Ends thou Alias i at oe wy Country's thy God's and Truth's.
THE THUS SOD THRON, Established June, 13?
Coso!!dated Aug. 2,1881.
SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY. JULY 19. 1905.
Sew Series-Vol. XXIY. So. 52
Pzciisisd Swry ^Todaesday,
OSTEEN PU3LISHIWG COMPANY,1
I SUMTER, 8. C.
T*RKB :
$1 50 per aoancD-io advance.
A57 IR?ISlIIIi:
0 e Square first insertion...... ..$1 {,0
E ery sabee?ue?t insertion........ 50.
Contracta for three months, or longer fil*
b made at red aced rates.
AH comraanMarions which aa bserve private
interests' wil? be charged for as ad ver tie mea ts.
Obit naries and'tributes of respects will bf
?harged for.
THE LAST HAZARD.
Russian Army in Manchuria Will
Make Grand Stand Play to Im
} press the World That Umpire
Is Not Whipped. .
Tokio, Jury 17.-An unofficial re?
port from the front says the Russiar
forces in Manchuria are estimated at
400,000 men. It is believed that Gen.
eral Linevitch is planning: to make a
[grand warlike demonstration simulta?
neously with the meeting of the peace
plenipotentiaries. This action will be
taken, it is said, to make it appear
that Russia still has a chance to re?
cover hex? lost military prestige for
the effect it may have upon the nego?
tiations.
LADY ASSAULTED.
Wife Of Former Atlanta. Mayor Felled
on Peachtree Street By Negro.
Atlanta, Ga., July II.-Mrs. Living?
ston Hims, wife of Major Mims, and
one of the most prominent women , in
the social and religions life of the
south, was knocked- down by an un?
known negro on Peachtree street,
near North avenue tonight and is suf?
fering from bruises and the shock. The
robber secured nothing for his pams,
and Mrs. Mims was very fortunately
little injured. Mrs. Mims takes a
short walk every evening about 7
o'clock on Peachtree street, and has
never thought of the possibiliity of a
hold up. Mrs. Mims knew nothing of
her danger until she was hit on the
head from the rear over the right ear.
She was dazed for the moment and
hardly knew what had happened. The
man caught her by the arm and in her
dazed state of mind Mrs. Minas
^thought for a , moment that it was
some kind person about to help her
np. She was undeceived the next
moment when a second blor. was
struck. The snatch thief secured noth?
ing, as Mrs.. Mrs. Mims had failed to
take h"-r pocket book with her. She
thinks that hev made a search for it,
bnt was unable to find it. She saw him
walk leisurely across the street. Fi?
nally she was able to get up and walk
siowly to the thorne of Mr. Wilkins.
SUICIDE ES KERSHAW.
_
Yoting Man Kills Himself Beca use His
Father Reproved Him.
Camden, July IL-^Vernon Nettles,
a son of Mr. Hiram Nettles, shot him?
self in the head today with suicidal
intent. He died late this afternoon.
It seems his father reproved him
severely on Saturday,? and he had re?
fused to eat anything since. The sad
affair is regretted here very much. His
home is in West Wateree.
Mr. Dalton McLeod had some words
with one of the floor bosses at the
Hermitage Cotton Mill today and shot
at him without effect.
.... ^_
DARING PLOT
To Abduct the Governor's Son and
Hold Him for Hansom.
Santa Fe, July 12.-A plot to ab?
duct Governor Ottero's son has been
exposed. Eight ex-convicts are
_said to have formed themselves into
a band to carry out the scheme. It
-.was planned to carry the boy off into
rn
the wilds and hold him for ransom.
The governor ?has the mounted police
and secret service men of the territory'
on the lookout for members of the
gang and will leave no stone unturned
until the entire party is captured.
A Peremptory Order.
Columbia, July ll.-The railroad
commission tonight issued a per?
emptory order to the Southern and
Coast Line roads, to publish and en?
force inter-line rates on the Union
and Glenn Springs road.
This order follows up the one pre?
viously issued,, and unies obeyed will
go into the courts.
Cairo, Egypt, July 13.-Reports re?
ceived from the various sections of the
cotton growing area show that the
crop will be excellent.
THE DARLINGTON TRAGEDY
MR. PEGRAM DARGAN" PURCHAS
ED POISON FOR HIS BROTHER.
He Was Present When the Fatal Por
tion Was Swallowed-Remained in
Locked in Room Until His Broth?
er Was Dead.
! _
Darlington, July ll.-Robert Keith
Dargan, formerly president of the In?
dependent Oil Company and of the
Darlington Trust Company, committed
suicide between 8 and 9 o'clock to?
night by taking carbolic acid.
Mr. Dargan was on the streets this
afternoon and appeared in his usual
manner. He had been reticent since
the recent troubles of the large con?
cerns of which he had been the head,
and this afternoon he made appoint?
ments to meet several gentlemen later
in the evening, one of these being Mr.
W. F. Dargan, who states that Mr. R.
K Dargan told him he would go to
Mr. W. -F. Dargan's office within an
hour from the* time they were talking.
According to the statement of Dr.
Edwards, Mr. Dargan swallowed four
ounces of carbolic acid. When he
drank the acid he was" in his father's
law office. His brother was with him
when he died. Physicians were sum?
moned but it was impossible to save
his life.
Mr. Dargan left a statement that he
had taken his life on his own accord.
His friends think he had hoped, to
straighten out his affairs and had ex?
pected that the oil company would be
reorganized but after the action in the
federal court he lost his hope and be?
came noticeably despondent
Mr. Dargan was about 40 years of
age. He was married, his wife being
before her marriage Miss Jermain of
North Carolina, They have two chil?
dren.-The State. .
The Case in the Court.
Charleston, July ll.-As a result of
the conference of a "number of lawyers
and others interested in the financial
troubles of the Independent Cotton Oil
mill of Darlington there is a possibility
of the order of the federal court in the
appointment of the temporary receiv?
er, pending the bankruptcy ruie hear?
ing, being rescinded but this will de?
pend upon a further conference of
parties interested and the consent of
the court.
It appears that the parties are all
agreed that the action in bankruptcy
was .the proper step, for if it had not
been taken by Charleston interests, it
would have been inaugurated by for?
eign creditors, who would not be as
friendly to the cause, but the differ?
ence of opinion only enters in the fed?
eral court temporary receivership.
The interests in the case seem to hold
to the opinion now that Judge Watts'
order in the state court is sufficient for
the temporary adjudication of the
troubles and that President Bright
Williamson's hands should be free, as
the state court order allows for the
settlement of many matters, which a
joint receivership, under the federal
court, might handicap.
It is likely that in the next day or
two an order may be prepared and
submitted to the federal court rescind?
ing the receivership while making no
change in the status of the bankrupt?
cy matter, the motion in which case
will come before the court in July 27
when the affairs of the corporation
may then be turned over to the trus?
tee in bankruptcy.
Darlington, July 12.-The sad and
untimely end of Mr. Robert Keith
Dargan has cast a gloom over Darling?
ton. At 9 o'clock this morning Coron?
er J. N. Clanten summoned a jury for
the purpose of holding an inquest.
The members of the jury were: E.
R. Cox, T. E. Sligh, E. S. Howie, R.
W. Coggeshall. C. K. King, J. K. Doyle,
G. E. Kirby, D. W. Cunningham, W. B.
Brunsen, T. H. Coker, Jr., and Thom?
as H. Rogers. Mr. G. K. King was
elected foreman.
The jury met at the court house and
marched from there to the residence
of the deceased, where they viewel
the body as required by law, and
thence to the iaw office of the Hon. E.
K. Dargan, where the awful deed was
committed.
I After viewing the office and taking
?in the situation the jury marched
back to the Court House,, wwhere the
inquest was to be held. On account
of the physical as well as mental con?
dition of Mr. Pegram Dargan, brother
of the dead man, who is the principal
witness, the jury concluded to ad?
journ until 9 o'clock tomorrow morn?
ing. ?
This afternoon at 8 o'clock the
funeral tock place from his late
residence on Cashua street. The body
was buried at the Methodist grave
yard in the presence of a large crowd
of people.
The circumstances of the suicide
all indicate that it was most delibe?
rately planned. There has been no
testimony and no statement concern?
ing what had transpired in the law of?
fice where Mr. Dargan took his life has
been given out, but the facts, as gath?
ered from reliable men, are that Mr.
Pegram Dargan went into the. drug
store of L. B. Phillips some time be?
tween 4 and 6 o'clock Tuesday after?
noon and bought the four ounces of
carbolic acid. He was alone and did
not go in the direction of the law oi
fice when he left.
The two brothers, Mr. Pegram Dar?
gan and Mr. Robert Keith Dargan,
went to the law office of their father
opposite the Darlington Guards'- ar?
mory building before 8 o'clock and
*
locked themselves in. One of them
poured out most of the four ounces of
acid in a glass aind the rest he poured
in a small bowl and mixed about a gill
of rye whiskey in it. This concoction
was to be used to deaden the pain
from the raw acid, but only a part of
it, if any, was taken, as the bowl,
which is in the possession of the cor?
oner, still contains a sm?ll quantity.
After a portion had been taken, Mr.
Dargan remained in the room with his
brother until life was extinct and then
notified their cousin, Mr. W. F. Dar?
gan, who in turn quickly called Dr.
Edwards, but their arrival was too late
for human aid.
The suicide had left a brief state?
ment which stated that he had ended
his own life and that his brother had
procured the (here he made a dash)
and that he may have mismanaged
but he was not a coward. He also left
a letter which was not addressed, but
is said to have been for his wife.
All these facts, it is expected, will
be brought out at the coroner's inquest
in the morning.
The Coroner's Verdict.
Special to The Daily Item.
Darlington, July 13.-The coroner's
jury empanelled to inquire into the
cause of the death of Robert IC Dar?
gan completed its work this morning
after a brief session. There was no
sensational testimony and few facts
not already published and none of
these important, were brought out.
The verdict of the jury was as fol?
lows:
"Robert IC Dargan came .to his
death from the effects of carbolic acid,
administered by his own hands, as per
witness statement of the deaceased."
GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.
Parr^raphs of General Interest Gath?
ered From all Sections.
St. Petersburg, July 12.-It is now
reported that the arrest of . General
Stoessel yesterday was due to the dis?
covery of new data and evidence bear?
ing on the surrender of Port Arthur,
where he was in command at the time
of its capture by the Japanese.
Gibraltar, July 12.-Ten men were
killed and several others injured in an
explosion of steam pipes aboard the
British battleship Implacal today.
New York, July 12.-Samuel Levin,
22 years old, committed suicide by
jumping from the roof of the Brook?
lyn police headquarters where he was
taken to be pictured for the rogues'
gallery. He was arrested on a-charge
of arson. It is believed he was con?
nected with many incendiary fires in
which lives were lost.
K?stenji, July 12.-The battleship
Kniaz Potemkine which was sunk by
mutneers was refloated today. The
machinery of the battleship was also
tampered with and is in such condition
it cannot be relied upon.
London, July 12.-The Princess of
Wales gave birth to a son this morn?
ing at Sandringham palace. Both
mother and child are doing well. Four
of the former five children of the
Prince of Wales are boys. Some dis?
appointment was felt, it being hoped
the new arrival would be a girl.
Columbia, July ll.-A. M. Wallace,
of Columbia, was shot by John M.
Glenn this afternoon, at Wallaceville,
a few miles north of Columbia.
Glenn is the postmaster and became
involved in a row with Wallace over
an inspection of the books. The
ball entered the hip and narrowly
missed the" main artery- Wallace was
found on the railroad track and
brought to Columbia by ^the Green?
ville train, and Glenn has not yet
been arrested.
Washington, July 13.-Ambassador
Meyer has officially reported the ap?
pointment of M. Witte as the chief
peace plenipotentiary in place of
Count Maravieff who has resigned on
accouru of ill health. M. Witte is ex?
pected to reach here on August 1.
PROMINENT PEOPLE DBOWNEQ.
YACHT COLLIDES WITH STEAMER
AND IS SUNK.
Woman and Two Men Lose Their
Lives in the Hudson While Out
For Pleasure in a Millionaire's
Yacht-No Names are Given.
New York, July 12.-Little addi?
tional light was thrown tooay on the
mysterious drowning of a woman and
two men in the Hudson river, near
Dobb's Ferry, last night. That the wo?
man was some one of wealth and po?
sition is indicated this morning by a
reward of one thousand dollars for
the recovery of her body. The pi:rty
offering the reward declined to give
her name or to give the name of the
woman drowned. She said, however,
it was her sister and at the time she
was drowned she had a large amount
ot jewelry in her possession. The wo?
man was drowned aboard the steam
launch Normandie, owned by G. W.
Dumont, a millionaire.
.From scattered facts it appears
there were six in the party aboard the
yacht which was run into and sunk
by an unknown steamer. About hal*
an hour after the yacht was sunk
three men were seen on the shore,
having been saved by Swedish sailors
in a row boat. They hurriedly lett,
refusing to give their names.
HARRIS- WHEELER.
Daughter of General Joe Wheeler to
Wed Resident of Cedartown, Ga.
Atlanta, Ga., July ll.-The Journal
today says:
The announcement comes from
Washington today of the approaching
marriage of Miss Julia Knox Wheeler,
daughter of General Joseph Wheeler,
to \r. William J. Harris, of Cedar
town, Ga.
No announcement in recent years
will be of more interest in southern
social circles. Miss Wheeler, who is
a daughter of the famous Confederate
cavalry leader has a distinction all
her own in her charming personality
and the wide circles of friends she has
won.
She has been*extensively entertain?
ed in northern and southern capitals,
and no young woman is more sincerely
admired in this section. In the north,
where she has spent some time since
completing her education, she repre?
sents the true type of the southern
womanhood ol today. Miss Wheeler
finished her education in New York
and Paris, and has traveled extensively
abroad.
RUSSIA IN EARNEST.
Selection of M. Witte is Evidence That
the Czar Wants Peace.
St. Petersburg, July 13.-The selec?
tion of M. Witte as Russian ranking
peace plenipotentiary in place of M.
Muravieff is regarded here as best ev?
idence yet given that the czar is really
ready for peace. Witte's views favor?
ing immediate cessation of hostilities
are too well known to leave any doubt
in the minds of the officials here that
active steps will be taken toward
bringing the war to a close when the
peace commissioners actually get to?
gether. There is the greatest rejoicing
over the selection of a man who is
virtually leader of the peace party.
FLYER WRECKS FREIGHT.
The Pennsylvania Eighteen Hour
Train Has Remarkable Escape.
Harrisburg, July 15.-The Pennsyl?
vania flyer, the eighteen hour train
between Chicago and New York,
struck and wrecked a freight train
while running at top speed, west of
Port Royal at 5:07 this morning. The
flyer remained on the track and no?
body was injured, but the engneer of
the flyer, Calvin Miller, who jumped,
sustaining an injury to the back of his
head. Fireman Garman stopped the
train and brought it to this city. The
engine was only slightly injured.
The Harrisburg wreck was caused
by a car of che freight train buckling.
TROOPS GUARD JAIL.
Alabama Officers Protecting Five Ne?
gro Criminals at Gadsden.
Birmingham, Ala., July 17.-Troops
still surround the jail in Gadsden to
prevent the lynching of five negroes
held as suspects in connection with
the criminal assault and murder of
Mrs. S. J. Smith, the white woman
whose naked and mutilated body was
found yesterday morning in an alley.
A mob hung around the jail all ni?ht
and this morning some remained at a
distance in front, but no clash came.
THE LUMBERMEN MEET.
PROPOSITION TO UNITE WITH N.
C. ASSOCIATION CONSIDERED.
Immigration Commissioner Watson
and 3Ir. D. W. Alderman Discuss
tlie Labor Situation and the
Use of Foreigners in the
Lumber Industry.
The South Carolina Lumbermen's
Association met in the Lodge room of
Masinoc Temple at ll o'clock Friday
morning with president William God?
frey, "of Cheraw, in the chair.
After the meeting was called to or?
der the regular reports of the secre?
tary and treasurer were made and oth?
er business of a strictly routine nature
was disposed of.
Mr. H. L. Scarborough, who was
sent to Chicago as the representative
of the association to attend the meet?
ing of the National Lumbermen's As
sociation^made his report.
The election of officers was held and
resulted as follows:
President-D. T. McKiethen, of
Lumber.
First vice-President-R. J. Alder?
man, of Alcolu.
Second vice-President-William
Hickoun, of Cheraw.
Secretary and Treasurer-J. P.
Brunson, of Lumber.
The special business of the meet?
ing, the proposition of the North Car?
olina Pine Association, whose head?
quarters are in Norfolk, Va., that the
two associations be combined, was
then taken up.
The proposition was presented by
Mr. John R. Walker, secretary of'the
North Carolina Pine Association. He
went into the matter at some length,
explaining why and in what way it
would be mutually advantageous to
the lumbermen composing the asso?
ciation that they be combined.
The proposition was discussed quite
generally, the debate developing a sen?
timent about equally divided as to ac?
cepting or not accepting the propsi
tion.
Among those who participated in
the discussion were: R. J. Alderman.
William Hickson, George Burchell, R.
M. Cooper, William Godfrey, William
Otis.
Mr. E. C. Harrell, of Tifton, Ga.,
secretary of the Georgia Inter-State
Lumber Association, who was present
by invitation, by request made a short
talk on the subject.
On motion of Mr. H. L. Scarborough
Messrs. D. T. McKiethen, of Lumber,
T. W. Boyle and William Godfrey
were elected as a committee to meet
a similar committee from the North
Carolina Pine Association to go into
the matter more fully and to report
back to their respective associations.
The time and place of meeting was
left to the committee to determine.
State Immigration Commissioner E.
J. Watson who was present by invita?
tion was requested to give the meet?
ing information? relative to the possi?
bility of securing immigrants to sup?
ply the labor that the lumbermen so
seriously need.
Mr. Watson stated that since he had
held the office he had made every ef?
fort to supply every demand for la?
bor that had come to him. Finding
when he first went into office that he
was not able with the resources at his
command to secure the number of im?
migrants called for, he had endeavor?
ed to secure them through regular la?
bor agents, who make a business of
engaging foreign laborers, either raw
immigrants or those who have been
in the country for some time, for those
needing them. These agents charge a
fee or commission varying from $2 to
$5 per head, and those who employ
them are expected to pay the railroad
fare from New York to their destina?
tion. If the laborers remain with
their employer six months the fare
goes to them as a bonus, but if they
desire to leave sooner the amount is
deducted from their wages.
Through these agencies he ho J so
cured quite a number of laborer* for |
parties in the state, a case in point be- I
j
ing Mr. D. W. Alderman, for whom a
gang of thirty jad boen engaged at j
one time, and ihat gentleman would !
relate his experience with thom. In !
selecting the men foi Mr AMeriian !
he had made a personal e??ort tc get
isO'd men suiv-i tv ti e work they
were expected to perform, ito .-.nd
made a trip t . New Yoi ?; and had
given much ti-.ne to the mailer. He
regretted that the experiuien: had nol
resulted satisfactorily and there had
been a misunderstand-ng in reference {
to some of the details of tlie trarsac- '
tion, but as long as human beings be- |
have as human beings, one could not
guarantee what they would do or how
they would behave. He selected the
best men he could and it then rested
with the employer to work out the re
suits.
His office and the work is now bet?
ter organized and he has established
an office in New York with a first
class man in charge, for the purpose
of engaging laborers. The fee has
been reduced to $2 a head and every
care is exercised in selecting the men
sent to this state. He has also an
agent working in Holland and will
soon have one in Germany. He has an
office in Glascow with agents working
in Scotland. He is endeavoring to
draw immigrants from the rural dis?
tricts from among the agricultural
classes, who will be best adapted to
the conditions in this state. He ex?
pressed confidence that his office will
soon be in a position to supply all calls
for labor and he hopes for good re?
sults when these immigrants begin to
come in.
For immediate calls the only source
is New York, Philadelphia and other
large northern cities where the labor?
ers must be recruited from the for?
eigners who have been some time in
the country. The scale of wages for
men from those cities is, as a rule.
$1.75 to $2.50 a day for common la?
borers. But he has made arrange*
ments whereby he can secure men
who will work for from $1.25 to $1.50
per day for 10 to ll hours work.
He said that he expected better re?
sults would be obtained, however,
from tb> immigrants who come dire"?
frr A\ Holland, Germany and Scotland
as the result of the work of his agents
in those countries, but he did not ex?
pect many to arrive until the crop sea?
son closed, as the, element' he was
looking to secure would not leave until
the crops were made.
Mr. D. W. Alderman of AIcolu, said
that labor was the great need of the
hour. That at present his mill was
not working more than two-thirds of
the time and unless conditions im?
proved and more laborers can be ob?
tained he would have to go out of
business. Labor conditions have been
growing worse for several years, but
this year they have been more unsat?
isfactory than ever. In reference to
the foreigners he had brought down
to work he would say that it had been
a failure. As to the misunderstanding
with Mr. Watson's office he would say
that both were probably to blame. He
had not understood, ., that he would
have to pay any ..^ggt?j&n^had wanted
raw agents ^^^?BB?^ *"*e under?
stood that he would have to advance
railroad fare. He had engaged thirty
men at $1.25 a* day. When they
came they were mostly. Hungarians,
with a few Germans and other nation
alities in the crowd. When they ar?
rived they said they understood all
about.the kind of labor they were to
perform and the character of the log
camp, his letter explaining these mat?
ters having been read to them in New
York. .They had made contracts with
the labor agent for ten hours work for
$1.25 a day. The matter of hours he
had arranged satisfactorily, for while
they were on duty more than ten
hours, owing to interruptions, they
actually performed less than eight
hours work a day. They had good
quarters and an abundance of good
food prepared for them three times a
day. Yet the experiment was a signal
failure and within a few days all ex?
cept four of them left The trouble
was with the debt they owed for
transportation and they seized the op?
portunity to get out of paying it. The
four Hungarians who remained were
ail raw immigrants and were good
workers. Becentiy he had sent one
of these men to New York to engage
more laborers. He picked out fifteen
and sent them to AIcolu. They un?
derstood all about the place and the
work before they came, and so stated
when they arrived, but nine of them
quit the next day.
He thought that if the raw immi?
grants who w?.re accustomed to hard
labor could be secured, better results
might be obtained, but the experiment
with present conditions was a failure.
Going into a general discussion of
the labor situation Mr. Alderman re?
lated his experience with the negro
labor. A few years ago there was no
trouble in getting all he needed for
the mill, but it was difficult to get
farm hands, now it is no trouble to get
all the farm hands wanted for $6 to
SS a month and rations, while mill
hands cannot be had for 90 cents to $1
i. day. He suggested that efforts should
be made to induce the legislature to
enact a labor contract law that would
apply to other classes of labor as it
now does to farm hands.
When Mr. Alderman concluded
there was a brief general discussion of
the labor situation, all agreeing that
it was the most serious problem con?
fronting the lumber business of this
state and other Southern states.
Before adjournment it was an
nounced that there would be a con
catenation nf the Tinn-Hoos at 3:30
and another at D p. m.