Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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man aw ?HS SUMT?B WA?CHKAH, Batablished April. 1350? "Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims t at be thy Country's thy God's and Truth's.' THE TBUK SOUTHBON, Established June, 18* CosolMafed lag. 2,1881. SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 18. 1905. New Series-Toi. XXY. No. IS Ci? 'i?fatfi? at?i Sontk?n t Published Story Wednesday, -BY OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY, SUMTER, S. C. TCBUB : fl 50 per an nam-in advance. IDTIBTlSIMIIi: Dae Square first insertion..................$1 CO ? rerj subsequent insertion........ .. 50 Contracts foi three months, or longer will b made nt reduced rates. AU co a ta un icario DB which subserve private interests vi!) be charged for as advertiementa. Obituaries and tributes of respects will be ?a&r?ed for. \ R. W. PORTER TELLS STORY. -Hie- injure* Man Relates How He Spent the Hours of Returning Consciousness. Mr. R. W. Porter, the Kershaw man who was struck in the head and j so dangerously injured at the time Mr. R. A. McDowell" was foully mur? dered, and who was brought to the ^Columbia hospital with his life hang? ing in the balance* one week ago last night, is now regarded by his physi? cians as being out of danger and his recovery is only a matter of days. For the first time since he has been i here, a representative of The State was allowed to see him yesterday. Mr. Porter was eating his supper when j the reporter was admitted. Mrs. Por? ter was with him and tenderly waited upon him during the meal. * The wounded man was reclining on his cot, but was strong enough to raise himself upon his elbow while he ^ took his supper. His head was % swathea in bandages that cover it en? tirely above the ears and eyes. There are stillv black bruises around both eyes, which Mr. Porter thinks were -received when he fell after being struck. Mr. Porter is entirely rational, but was no more able to recall anything of the attack "than when he awoke at the Wateree bridge the morning af? ter the trag, dy. Speaking slowly and Jr. a \oice that sometimes trembled from v;eak::css, he related how he re? members as if in a dream that his .first moment of memory was when khe was walking along the road to 'ward the bridge. He was dazed and had no pain or sensation of injury, but felt that there was something wrong with his head. He can now re? call that one of the first things he'did was to take off his hat and look at the A plac? that had been broken in it by V the blow. He does not know, but feels vaguely that some on called his at? tention to the hole in his hat. He has no impression of who this was, if it really happened. He was conscious then, that his face and hands were covered with blood and all night long he could feel the blood dripping from the ghastly wound in his head, but never once did he reaize what it meant or feel the necessity of calling for help. When he grew faint from the loss of blood he sat on an embankment on the side of the road for awhile and then walked to several trees that grow in a pea field, bordered by the em? bankment on which he had been sit' tin. Here he remained until daylight, when he was slightly more revived and then went to the house of the bridge keeper at the Wateree j river bridge, and was washing the caked Mood from his face at a pump when Mr. Ammons, the rural mail carrier, took him in his buggy and carried bim to Dr. Dunn's office in Camden* The hat worn by Mr. Porter when he was struck was seen in his room at the hospital. It is a new, black stiff hat. There is a hole about ha'f an inch in width and about two inches long, where the blow was struck through it*, on the right side in front the brim is broken across the front and there is also a break in the back that looks as if it had been punced with a small stick or other jagged in? strument. The band inside of the hat is smeared with blood. Mr. Porter will probably not leave the hospital for another week. He spoke very feelingly yesterday of the kindness that has been shown him by his friends and even by many here whom he loes not know.-The State* THE OLNEY MURDER, Middletown, N. Y., Oct. 14.-There were no new developments in the triple murder mystery this morning. The authorities are at sea and the Pinkerton man is simply going over the same ground again that has been gone over many times before. There is one man being sought for who lives near the Olney house and who has been missing since the day of the murder, when he was known to haw h^d "o^'derable money. Every ef? fort :r. being made to find him. Mrs. Ing?rick's condition remains about the same. SULLY AND SMITH SPEAK. THE DOCTRINE OF FAIR PRICES FOR COTTON ABLY PRE? SENTED. Hundreds of Farmers, Merchants and Bankers Fill the Opera House to Hear Daniel J. Sully and E. 1 D. Smith-A Lasting Im? pression Made and Cot? ton WiU Be Held. From The Daily It?m October 13. From all sections of this county and from adjoining counties, the farmers, white and black alike, were assem? bled in the Opera House this morn? ing and filled it to its utmost capacity, while Messrs. Daniel J. Sully, of New York, E. D. Smith and H. F. Hyatt poured into their attentive ears words of life and hope for the south's pros? perity, for its freedom from the shackles of speculation of the means of taking advantage of the God-given monopoly of the fleecy staple that furnishes eighty per cent, of the clothes of the world, and depicted in glowing terms the dawn of that event? ful day when the sduth shall again be queen of the world, and when cotton shall rule as its industrial king. The day of awakening is at hand; no more shall the faraier of the south bow down in humble supplication io the speculators and manufacturers of the north and Europe, but Vi th the principles of Southern Cotton Grow? ers association animating our people and being deep rooted in their hearts, and with such men as these leading them on in wisdom's path and setting the light before them, there is no doubt but that the down-trodden farmer of the South will rise up in one mighty and united"* action, over? throw the power that has enslaved rthem for more than sixty years, ?nd j in the full strength of new-found ! manhood, regulate the value of the currency of our country, the envy of the ?ntire world-the South's cotton. Mr. Sully Speaks. The meeting opened with the rendi? tion of a beautiful selection by the Second Regiment band. At its con I elusion, Daniel J. Sully, one of the South's greatest benefactors, the man who advanced cotton from 6 cents to 17 cents in a few months, was pleasingly introduced by President A. B. Stuckey, of the Sumter County County Cotton Growers' Association. Mr. Sully spoke impressively and with a full knowledge of the cotton situa? tion, and his remarks were given the closest attention. He expressed his delight at being present to address such a representa? tive body of South Carolinians. He thought that he was in a position to understand the value of the cotton product, and he desired to impress upon the farmers there assembled certain facts relative to the real value of their staple product. In consider? ing the value he took up first the con? sumption of cotton. The South, he said, provides 80 per cent, of the cotton of the world. Eng? land and Europe" have spent millions in an endeavor to foster cotton gr zw? ing in their dependencies in order to become independent of America; but, in all of their efforts, they have fail? ed. In 1903 when they discovered that they had lost their grip upon the cotton situation they diverted the use of their millions from fostering the growth of cotton in their colonies, and used the same money to beat down the price of cotton here. In 1905 the farmers organized in New Orleans to hold their product, and it was not un? til July that England and Europe realized that the farmers were sin? cere. They marshaled all of their energy and money in order to beat down the price; they failed in Sep? tember, but when the government re? port of 71.02 on the cotton crop was. flashed around the globe, the price fell. He did not propose to enter into a criticism of the government, but would say that he would like to have an explanation of what ?-.the figures meant. He showed how the mills were combined against the farmers to get the price of cotton below 9 cents, and if they win, cotton will never again bring more than 7 cents. He urged the necessity of combining ! with earnestness and determination, and he said that it was essential that it be done this year, and if we do not, we never will. The spindle industry of Europe has its entire output sold to 1907, and the sales have been made upon a basis of 13 cent cotton. The farmers must make them pay that price for it. Today, on your streets, cotton is selling for 9 1-4 cents, and the mills in their greed for gain are even anx? ious to force their price still lower, in order that their margin of profit may be increased. But if this cotton is held and the mills realize they can? not get it at their own price, it will of necessity create competition among themselves, and the price of the sta pie will go bounding upward. Wool has no future market. Ii 1903 it was worth but 7 cents pe: pound on the sheeps' back; today i brings 28 cents, an increase of 40' I per cent. The difference between th< wool and the cotton market lies in th< fact that cotton has a future market wool has not, therefore, the price o cotton is regulated by futures. The farmers of the South have ? product without which the world ii its physical and industrial life coule not move. Do not think that by hold ing cotton you are aione,"*by your selves-the whole South is with you every bale received on your marke is wired around the world. Upor these receipts depends the price o: cotton. If the South withholds it? cotton from the market the spinners and speculators will soon find that th? value of cotton is the price demand' ed by the producers. President Smith. Senator R. L Manning next intro? duced Hon. E. D. Smith, president ol the State Cotton Growers' Associa? tion. Xo one, he said, felt * mort keenly or unselfishly the condition ir which our people find themselves to? day. It appeared to him that cotton was being held better everywhere than it is in Sumter. If commercial prosper? ity for the South is desired, cotton must be held. The name of Sully will always be synonymous with the day of the commencement of the prosper? ity of the South. When we were un? able to strike, he, though of the North, struck a blow for us that cost him his fortune, but which brought millions to the South. ' Theodore Price is a shrewd specula? tor; he speculated principally in Southern fools, and he had a fertile field in which to ply his trade. Price and his associates act along simple lines, and have amassed their for? tunes by getting cheap raw material and receiving a high price for the manufactured article. The cheaper the cotton, the greater the profit on the cloth. Where could the world get its sup? ply of cotton if not from"~*us. It hus been said that when Theodore Price sells, the world sells, and when Price buys the worid buys, and that the destiny of the South is wrapped up in Price.. But the destiny of the S mth is wrapped up only in the silken fiber of cotton, the commodity of the South-the currency of the South. High price of cotton is indicative ol prosperity, low price, or commercial stagnation. We challenge foreign competition. In IS66, when our land was devasta? ted, the price went to $1.S9 per pound in New York. Six years from that day it brought 65 cents per pound. Why not competition then? The other nations of the world could not com? pete with the South in the production of cotton when cotton was selling at that high price. What of today? Why were we unable to make a fight before? After the devastation of the South the Northern banks loaned to the Southern banks, the Southern banks to the Southern merchant and the Southern merchant to the South? ern farmer, so when the notes became due the Northern bank would pull by this chain of papers the cotton from the field to the market, and it was sold at a price fixed by the North. The time" has come for the farmers to stick, and they will stickt I was laughed at when I preached the doc trin of "10-cent-cotton," but the re? sults speak fdr themselves. There is only one question involved; you have the cotton and you can fix the price. The only problem is the manhood to hold it. The speculators boast of their mil? lions with which to fight. Hold your cotton until their contracts become due; then let them spin their cotton cloth out of greenbacks! Hold it un? til you get your price and then make them pay 1 1-2 cents extra for wor? rying you. The reason that the farm? er cannot stick is that the merchant and banks force the cotton out of his grasp. Ask for time from your credi? tors, but stick. Beg, borrow or steal, but don't sell! The only way to ac? complish the desired end is to hold. The man that makes one bale is just as responsible as the man that makes a thousand. Every man who does not join the fight to get out of cotton all we are entitled to is a traitor to the South and not worthy of respect. Once he was asked if he did not think that the methods that he was pur? suing to advance the price of cotton would ki.l the goose that laid the golden egg. He replied that his ob? ject was to kill the scamps that stole the golden egg. To the merchants and bankers he once asked the following questions: 1. Do you, or do you not believe that cotton is the currency of the South? 2. That it is the predominant in? dustry of the country? 3. That the South has a monopoly of it? All being answered in the arfirima tive, it was easy to prove that they could regulate its price, and the im? portance of doing so. When a bale of cotton comes to town who comes up? to ..-ut the bale and sample it. Who is on the other side? One of the representatives of the wealth and brains of the country, the other a representative of the South's poverty and ignorance. An unequal combat. Why can't you say: Stop, don't sell; here's my warehouse, here's my bank. Give him the mon? ey that he needs, and hold the cotton. Our fathers fought for political supremacy forty years ago, we must fight for financial supremacy now. Their fight was lost but our fight must be crowned with victory? Mr. F. H. Hyatt, State treasurer of the Cotton Growers' Association, was introduced by Hon. A. B. Stuckey. He had left his speech at home but brought with him plenty of plans and specifications for warehouses. Yesterday he spent in Darlington where $10,000 was subscribed for a warehouse, which would be com? pleted in thirty days. He urged the farmers to hold their cotton, and urged them to say to the rest of the world: "Pay us our price, or you will freeze while we starve." THE DORCHESTER CASE. Friends of Former Treasurer Whet sell Think the Comptroller Acted With Undue Haste. St. George, October 13.-In view of the fact that only the charges of Comptroller General Jones, in regard to the .irregularities in the office of Treasurer J. 'M. Whetsell, of Dorches I ter county, have been made public, the friends of Mr. Whetsell desire that the public should know the stat? us of the charges made against the county treasurer yand the facts lead j ing up to his suspension from office. The facts relating to the matter as told by the county treasurer and his friends are these: In 1901 the books of the treasurer's office for 1900 were audited by Mr. Jones, who was then chief clerk to Comptroller General Derham, and found to be correct and the receipts signed by Mr. Jones for that year are still in the hands of the treasurer. Al? though the law requires the books of the county treasurers to be examined every year, the treasurer of Dorches? ter county was not checked up until a few weeks ago. when Mr. Wilson, clerk in the Comptroller General's of? fice, investigated them. This investi? gation proved that there were no ir? regularities that could not be explain? ed by thc county treasurer since the books were audited by Mr. Jones in 1901, but Mr. Wilson went back of this date and found, it is claimed, fafcse credits which amounted to some S2,100. although Mr. Jones had re? ported the books correct up to that date. Mr. Wilson promptly reported these irregularities to the Comptroller Gen? eral in Columbia. Mr. Jones, it is said, came to St. George himself the following day and made this astound? ing proposition to Treasurer Whetsell: "If you will pay this shortage we will continue you in office, and report only your clerical mistakes, which amount? ed to only a few dollars." Mr. Whetsell refused to pay this money, calling the Comptroller Gen? eral's attention to the fact that he had his own receipts, bearing hi" signa? ture to the correctness of the books up to 1901. Then it was that Hr. Jones threat? ened to have him dismissed unless he made good the shortage, and Mr. Whetsell refused. His dismissal by the governor on the charges present? ed by Mr. Jones came as a surprise to Mr. Whetsell, as he was not aware of the governor's action until he read it in the News and Courier. Mr. Whetseil and his friends claim that he has been unjustly treated, that if these charges had been brought to his attention in 1901 they could have been explained satisfactiroly by his clerk and bookkeeper, who at that time had charge of his office. The matter will be brought up be? fore the next legislature, when Mr. Whetsell will demand a thorough in? vestigation, and he is certain that he will be vindicated. There is a strong feeling against Comptroller General Jones for his ac? tion in the matter, as every one seems thoroughly to believe in the honesty of Mr. Whetsell. The Supreme Court has sustained the verdict of the Greenville Court of General Sessions in the case of John Waldrop, white, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. The Lancaster county delegation has recommended Mr. J. E. Black mon for appointment as treasurer of the county, vice W. C. Cauthen, de? ceased. THE COURT'S DECISION. The Opinion of the Supreme Court in the George YV. Murray Case. The decision of the Supreme Court reviews the testimony and gives the conclusions so clearly that extracts from the opinion are here quoted: The remaining exceptions raise the question whether there was any tes? timony tending to sustain the allega? tions of the indictment that were put in issue and contested by the defend? ant. In order to constitute forgery by uttering or publishing a forged instrument of writing three impor? tant factors are requisite: (1. It must be uttered or published as true and genuine. (2) It must be known by the party uttering or publishing it as false, forged or counterfeited. (3) j It must be with intent to prejudice, damage or defraud another person. We will first consider whether there was any testimony to the effect that it was uttered or published by the de? fendant as true and genuine. ?It was offered in evidence by the defendant upon the trial of the action for specific performance of contract, instituted against him by Scipio Chat man and James Chatman, and he tes? tified that it was genuine. The next question for consideration is whether there was any testimony tending to prove that the defendant knew that the writing uttered or pub? lished . was false, forged or counter? feit. There is abundance of testi? mony to the effect that said writing was forged. James Chatman testified that he du. not sign the lease. Scipio Chatman testified that James Chatman did not sign on the 4th of November, 1899, I while he and James were at the house ol defendant, when the negotiations for the lease or purchase of the land were consummated. Marion W. Cato, who witnessed the agreement, signed in duplicate.by Scipio Chatman and George W. Murray, testified that he did not sign his name as a witness to the instrument or writing which set out in the indictment, which purports to have been signed by George W. Murray and James Chatman and wit? nessed by him. Witness testified that there was on? ly one kind of ink used by Murray and others when the papers were signed on the 4th of November, IS99, and it was black, yet the alleged forged in? strument was written in blue ink and on white paper, while the duplicate writing, signed by the defendant and Scipio Chatman was on blue paper. E. F. Miller testified that he printed the blank on which the lease in ques? tion was written along with others, for the defendants, during the early part of the year 1900. On those blanks then printed appear the num? bers "190"-in two places. It is at least a reasonable inference from these facts that the defendant knew the writing was forged. The next question that will be con? sidered is whether there was testi? mony tending to show that the writ? ing was uttered with a fraudulent in intent. * * * The facts which constitute the of? fence are here found. The intent is only matter of circumstances, which naturally follows and springs out of the facts. No other than a fraudu? lent intent can be inferred when a man makes or passes a false deed as law for a true one. The law will presume as the foregoing case (in odium fraudis) that it was done with -a fraudulent intention. The defend? ant testified that he did not know un? til the proceedings for specific per? formance were commenced that the parties claimed that only one of them had signed the contract, and after? wards when he found out that only one of them had signed, he mention? ed it in his answer. The following appears in the testi? mony of the defendant: Q. You have stated that up to tho time these proceedings were started ? you thought both these parties signed the contract? A. Yes, sir. Q. And you set up in your answer that Scipio Chatman had signed this contract, you began to look up your papers, and you found that paper signed by James Chatman. A. Yes, sir. Q. And you set up in your answe: that Scipio didn't make any contract with you, but James Chatman did so, and that he had abandoned the land and gone away? A. Yes, sir; and so he had. Also the following: Well, you have stated to the coun? sel that when you swore out this no? tice and affidavit to turn these people off, that you swore it out as having been a contract with the two of them ? Yes, sir. Q. And afcerwards when you found one had signed you mentioned it in your answer? A. Yes, sir. Marion W. Cato testified that the Royal Baking Powder is made of Grape Cream of Tartar.* Absolutely Pure* Makes the food more Wholesome and Delicious. defendant approached him about tes? tifying in the case, and said he want ed him to say he witnessed "those pa? pers." The testimony tended to prove that there was a scheme on the part of de? fendant to show that only James Chat man signed theVease, and that he had i abandoned the land and gone away. This would have been prejudicial to the rights of Scipio Chatman. The question whether there was a fraudulent intent depended upon all the facts and surrounding circum? stances of the case, and we are unable ;o say that the verdict is without any testimony to support it. It is the judgment of this court that the judgment of the Circuit Court be affirmed. FIRE IX BAMBERG. Southern Depot and a Lot of Mer? chandise and Cotton Destroyed. Bamberg, October 13.-Tonight Bamberg suffered one of the most disastrous fires in Its history. Shortly before 9 o'clock the alarm was sound? ed, and it was discovered that the freight depot of the Southern railway, a wooden building, was on fire. To the depot was attached a long cotton platform which was crowded with cotton and merchandise of various kinds. The fire burned rapidly and nothing was saved from the depot. A few bales of cotton and some merchan? dise were saved. Several cars on the sidetrack werer rolled away and saved but four freight cars loaded with cot? ton and two empties were burned. COTTON BEING HELD. ? .A-, The Prospect Uuder Improved Ware? house Storage Conditions. Although there are scarcely any fa? cilities for storing cotton in Sumter, and the Standard Warehouse is not yet completed, still cotton is being, held in every section cf the county^ In the city alone there are more than* 500 bales stored at the cotton com? press, and the barns and storehouses on nearly every farm are filled, with; bales of cotton. The receipts at this: season of the year are much smaller than they were at the same time last year, and a great portion of the cotton that is now being marketed was soldi last year to be delivered this fall. and. is bringing more than ten cents.. The determination to hold has seiz? ed the people, and the}' are not will? ing to sacrifice the fruits of their la? bor. The first section of the Stand? ard Warehouse that is How in the process of construction will be com? pleted within thirty days, which wilt furnish warehouse room for from TOO to 1.000 bales. The other sections will be rushed, and when completed will have a capacity of 5.000 bales. This marks only the beginning of the grand movement. The merchants will soon be in a position to accord their customers a means of holding their cotton, and. the heavens are al? ready reflecting . the bright dawn of the eventful day when the price of cotton will be regulated by the Seltn? em farmers and merchants. THOS. E. MOSS DEAD. Washington, D. C. October 16. News has been received from the Philippines of the death of-Thos. E. Moss at Manila. He was a vetertan of the Civil War, and-at one time at? torney general of Kentucky. He died playing chess with his son-in-law, Captain Wheat, who is chief of the telegraph division of the Philippine constabulatory. Gen. Moss was born in Greensboro, X. C., in 1S39. His wife was Miss Margaret Bright, a daughter of Jesse Bright an anti-bellum senator from Indiana.