The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, March 27, 1909, Image 3
Cin COUNCIL MEETING.
ADMINISTRATION III 1LDING TO
HE ERECTED ON LIBERTY
STREET.
Building Committee Report \V??
Strongly In Favor of I'ndertaklng?
The EatlmaUHl Cont of Which ht
? II.OOO?Tin* l lty Hell to be En?
tirely Abandoned for Munkipal
l*urpo? *? Board of Health Make*
ll4i-imini.litlloiH? Mr. J. L. Ai?
nu! Applle* for iim* Franchise.
city Council met Tuesdy night in
regular session with Mayor Boyle and
all aldermen present Tho mlnutee
of the meeting of March 9th were
read and confirmed.
It. E. g. Booth, president of the
board of health requested the adop?
tion of an Ordinance requiring physi?
cians to report all eaees of tubercu
loela as In other contagious diseases,
to provide fur microscopic examina?
tions of indigent patients; for com?
pulsory connections with sewers, of
soda fountains, laundries, etc., in
thickly settled parts of the city, and
to prevent construction or use of dry
welia. He was advised to have these
suggestions formulsted as rules of the
board of heslth for ratification by
council.
Mr. J. U Alnut applied for a gas
franchise, such ss was heretofore
granted to Mr. W. H. Ingram, and
requested that 10 days be allowed for
acceptance and for execution ol $1.
000 bond for performance. On mo?
tion of Mr. H. C. Hsynsworth the
franchise, in such form as msy be
agreeable to council, was held open
for thirty dsys for compliance with
terms.
Mr. O. 0. Doollttle, representing
the A merit an-LaKrance Fire Engine
Co.. presented the merits of Are de?
partment apparatus manufactured by
his company.
Mr. Bar nett for the Finance Com?
mittee, reported that all claims refer?
red to them had been approved ex?
cept that of C. B. Dalge Co., $ 14 4.40.
for disinfectants which had not been
ordered by council.
Mr. Finn for the Fire Department
Committee, reported that permission
had been given Mrs. C. R. Oregg to
alter her residence In the fire limits
as requeeted on Ith instant.
Mr. H. C. Haynsworth for Commit?
tee of Public Works reported that the
work on Wsshlngton street had been
completed, and the clay work start?
ed on Bast Calhoun street He stat?
ed thst the county chalngang had
been taken from the city, but would
return In a few days to finish their
work as agreed. He had met the
county commissioners and presented
tha request of council that the county
would unite with the city In work on
Turkey Creek. No conclusion had
been reached end he would consult
with the board again. He requested
that other aldermen be appointed to
act with him In the matter.
Report of the superintendent of
mtreetf for two weeks was submitted
showing the following amount ?pent
In repairing and cleaning the streets.
$801.10. Number of men 32. carbi 10.
This report was discussed at length.
Mr. Uffon moved that all committees
he required to meet once In every
* wo weeks and digest their reports
before presenting them to council.
The motion was adopted.
Mr. A. J. Stobbe offered title to
lend for the extension of S. Sumter
street to city limits, provided council
nwe the street opened. His offer vai
accepted.
Mr. R. F- Haynsworth. chairman of
the Fire Department Building Com?
mittee submitted the following re?
port
Sumter. S. C, March 23, 19o.?.
Mr. Mayor
Tour committee appointed to look
Into the best means of securing suit?
able and ample quarters for the city's
Are department beg to submit. With
the uld of your architect we have as?
certained that to build a two-story
brick building for the fire department
with room for stables, hose-wagon*
and hook and ladder equipment, bed.
bath and lounging room (all of which
Is necessary) would occupy 50 feet
of the property belonging to the city
on West Liberty street, which de?
in, i in the 76 foot lot owned
by the city would leave 25 feet,
which would be practically worthless
If left unoccupied or unused for fire
department purposes*. Th.? r.?*t of
the f bov? equipment or building
J be according to your arc-hit.-. I
tjhfl t 99.000, and would have to bo
two. ?forte* snd of brick. We then
asceitalned the cost of converting thv
down-stair*, or present very Inade?
quate quarters of the city officials,
mi'o suitable, or your commit!SS pre?
fer* to say. habitable quarter* for
t?, .mho ?I itluji ..f tli.? cleric ami
treasurer, water commissioner, health
orflc* r. c hief of police, and recorder's
COW. snd also to put In sanitary 0Ofl?
ij'tio \ the guard hoii*e. which will
cost front $1.500 t<? |S,0tt, making a
total of about 910.500 and then have
i i, r-< ?-,> <?' fr >m a Milldlng that MM
met the city 992,000. but an addition?
al ecpenee of maintaining not only
this $32.000 building. Inj? the fire de
psrt nent building, which must now
be built. Now, after laborious re?
search Into the matter, and Investi?
gations which we made with a great
deal of pains, we have come to the
conclusion that as a matter of econ?
omy, health and we might say of re?
spectability, we recommend to you,
and this honorable body that you
erect on the property owned by the
city on East Liberty street, a build?
ing such as the plans herewith sub?
mitted represent, to cost according to
f?Mt architect $11,000 for a turn key
Job, and which will accommodate all
the officers, and officials Including the
lire department, and will be a credit
to our city Aside from the cost of
this building and the convenience of
it we think It our duty to establish
and maintain offices, where ladies
can go to transact such business as
they may have with our clerk and
treasurer, water commissioner, health
officer, or other officials of tho city
without the necessity of being sub?
jected to unpleasant and humiliating
situations, such as are afforded In our
present quarters. As another argu?
ment In favor of this building, Mr.
Mayor, we will say, that the present
quarters In the opera house can be
converted into stores, or other apart?
ments which will readily rent* thus
creating a revenue for the mainten?
ance of this very costly building,
which we are now robbed of by using
It as a city hall.
The above, Mr. Mayor, we respect?
fully submit, and request that you
take Immediate action, as the fire de?
partment are now without comfort,
or actual necessities.
Mr. Ligon moved that the plans of
the combination building be accept?
ed. Mr. Stubbs moved to lay Mr.,
Ugon's motion on the table. The mo?
tion to table waa defeated by the fol?
lowing vote: Yeas?Stubbs, Barnett,
Bultman, H. C. Haynsworth. Nays?
Finn. Llgon. R. F. Haynsworth,
Wright and Boyle. The original mo?
tion was then adopted by the same
vote.
Committee on the court house sew?
er line wi s granted further time to
report.
Bids for a hook and ladder truck
were received as follows:
American-La France Co., with tank
$1.97f>. with extinguishers, $1,675;
J. C. Weir & Son. with tank $1,975.
with extinguishers. $1,700; Anderson
Co.. with tank $1,420, with exting?
uishers. $1,075.
Bids on steam fire engines as fol?
lows:
National Fire Engine Co., f. o. b.
Sumter, $4,750; Ahrens Fire Engine
Co., f. o. b. Sumter, $4,900; Amerl
can-LaFrance Steam Fire Engine Co.,
f. o. b. Sumter, $4,900.
These bids wore referred to the
Fire Department Committee and fire
chief.
Bids were received from the Sum?
ter Ice. Light and Power Co., to
furnish street lights, not less than
50 at $75 each per annum, all night
and every nlgh,t schedule. Their plant
to be exempt from all municipal
taxes and licenses. The bid was re?
ferred to the Police Committee.
Request was mado by Mr. W. B.
Costln for the privilege of keeping a
coop of chickens on the sidewalk In
front of his store on W. Liberty street
and referred to the Police Commit?
tee.
Claim of Mr. H. L Benbow for
services as convict guard was order?
ed paid.
Inventory of tools and pipe left
over from aewer work was referred
to the Committee of Public Works
for consideration of values.
On Mr. Finn's motion the time for
compulsory connections with sewers
In the fire limits was extended to
.January 1st. 1910.
Mr. Ltgon suggested an ornamental
fountain at the Intersection of Main
street and Manning avenue in place
of tho water trough now located at
that point, and same referred to the
Fire Department Committee, as also
was arr suggestion by Mr. Barnett to
require hotels to provide fire escapes.
Council then adjourned.
STATE LEAGUE REORGANIZED.
Rock Hill. Chester, Gaffney and Cam
den Form Temporary Organiza?
tion.
Rock Hill, March 23.?At the Matt
league meeting here this evening.
Chester. Camden and Rock Hill were
personally represented and Gaffney
by letter. A temporary organisation,
was formed with the above towns.
Mr. Pnul Kardlfl Of Chester WSJ
chosen as temporary president and
Mi. It M. Ixmdon of Rock Hill, t?-m
t> rtry secretary.
The league will meet in f'hesterth"
? isalaf of Ma eh II. At tat Cht i
Bgeetlni all lowni desiring to sntsr
miMt be represented and have read)
f<>r tiling a bond for $300 for faithful
?finance <.f contract. Permanent
officers will then be chosen and ruloi
adopted It Is hoped that at that
m**etlng there will be created a six
city league.
When n girl marries she exchanges
tho chainv of pleasing ? lot of men
for the tSftalnt] Of displeasing Jytt
one.
IT WAS A FAMOUS CASK.
The Lot* Conviction and Hanging of
A Man In TIiIh State for Negro
Stealing.
The Laurena Herald contained an
Interesting account of the conviction
and execution of a white man, Dr.
Thomas W. Klnman, at Laurens for
negro stealing in 1854:
Sometime in the spring or summer
of 1853, Dr. Thomas W. Kinman was
brought here from Greenville county
(then district), a prisoner, and lodged
In Jail charged with felony, in that
he had stolen and carried away a cer?
tain negro the property of a citizen of
Laurens district.
A few days after his imprisonment
Klnman was admitted to bail under a
heavy bond for his appearance at the
approaching term of court for trial.
The sessions court at that time was
held twice a year?March and Octo?
ber.
One Sunday evening before the op?
ening of the October term, Klnman
was promptly In attendance, stopping
at Simmons' Hotel apparently in the
best of humor and spirits, where the
writer saw him for the first time. He
was a man of rather fine personal ap?
pearance, quite six feet in height,
florid complexion with light or sandy
hair, a man of intelligence, In posses?
sion of considerable property in lan,.
and negroes, and up to the time of
his arrest bore a good character and
was highly respected. Notwithstand?
ing these facts, and the gravity of
the charges against him, the case had
excited little or no Interest until he
went and even then, no one seemed
to think that he would be convicted
and hanged, as under the law of
South Carolina, at that time no other
penalty attached to the crime of ne?
gro-stealing, slightly different now.
There was very little direct or po?
sitive proof against Klnman?nearly
all circumstantial but the circumstan?
tial evidence proved, in the end dam?
aging and fatal, as will be seen later
on.
-It developed In course of the trial
that Kinman passed through this
place In possession of a new light
two-horse Cox and Gower wagon, the
cover of which was tightly drawn by
strong cords at front, rear and aides,
so that no one could see Its interior.
Witness testified that the same de?
scription of man and wagon crossed
the Saluda river at Swansey's Ferry.
Another witness, a citizen of the
town of Abbeville, testified that the
identically described man and wa^on
passed through that place. It so hap?
pened that the Abbeville witness
wanted just such a "wagon as the de?
fendant had, wanted it at once, and
offered to pay a much larger sum for
It. than the usual cost of vehicles of
that size, but his offer was not only
refused but he was forbidden to look
inside the wagon, when he attempted
to do so. This action on the part of
the defendant* for some reason, it
seems, excited the suspicion of the
witness, and he so testified, identify?
ing Kinman as the man m charge of
the wagon. And it was firmly be?
lieved, thought not proven, that Raid
negro was secreted in said wagon.
It transpired from the evidence'
that Kinman adopted the scheme of
the great "Land Pirate"?as the no?
torious John A. Murrell used to be
called?made repeated sales ?'f the
same negro. He or his confederate
with him, would sell the stolen negro
at a certain place, secrtely give him
a pass with Instructions to meet him
at another place, a few days later,
where the negro would be sold again,
signing of course, a fictitious name
to he pass. These sales were repeat?
ed several times, a pass being given In
each Instance. And it was these
passes that betrayed him and finally
broke the neck of the accused.
One of the witness testifying
against Klnman was from Alabama,
and was one of the unfortunate pur?
chasers of the stolen negro, but like
other unfortunate purchasers, was
not able to identify Kinman as the
man from whom he bought the ne?
gro. The passes given the negro,
three of which the prosecution man?
aged to procure, were signed with
the fictitious signature of "J. H.
Smith," except one of the three which
was signed "J. M. Smith." Why this
change of initials from "J. H." to "J.
M." should have been taken by the
prosecution as -a suspicious circum?
stance was not apparent at the time,
save that ail three passes were proved
to have been written by the same
hand; and witnesses familiar with
Kinman's handwriting swore that all
three passes were written by him.
'Ibis seemed to "pin the basket"
'L.tinst the defendant, and was toe
state's case, it is not remembered at
tills lapse of time whether the de
tense Introduced any evidence, but
think none was Offered, though th
prlaoner was badly defended by th
? '? Il??n. Charles 1?. Sullivan, om
i
? -f the able lawyers of the Laurent
The Slimier Clothing Company.
bar, at that time justly ranking as on^
of the ablest in the State.
The case was tried before Judge
O'Neal, who was then a circuit judge,
and before his elevation to the court
Of ftpptgls. Jacob P. Reed, an able
prosecuting officer, was the solicitor.
The charge of Judge O'Neal, however
was much stronger against the pris?
oner and more influence with the jury
than the even very able speech of the
solicitor, as at that time a presiding
judge was permitted to charge on
fact, or on evidence, as well as
on the law (and it might as
well or perhaps better, if for?
mer prerogative were in vogue now.)
Judge O'Neal was thoroughly con?
vinced of the prisoner's guilt and the
jury saw it, which doubtless material?
ly aided them in arriving at a quick
agreement, returning as they did,
within less than half an hour with
the fatal verdict of guilty of the
crime as charged, the only expiation
of which was death on the gallows.
There were no degrees of modifica?
tions in those days for the crime of
negro stealing.
Among other things in the course
of Judge O'Neal's charge he told the
jury, substantially he himself conced?
ing the facts:
"That while there was really no
positive proof of theft against the
prisoner?that it was mainly circum?
stantial, unbroken chain of circum?
stantial evidence all going to estab?
lish a fact, was oftentimes better and
safer than even sworn evidence, as
a witness will sometimes, and often
do, swear falsely."
When the verdict of the jury wa*
announced Mr. Sullivan made motion
for a new trial, which being denied,
gave notice of appeal and carried the
case to the appeal court, which body
sustained the action or verdict of the
lower court and then sentence of
death was pronounced upon the de?
fendant. Mr. Sullivan fought the case
with his characteristic energy and
persistence and unless the writer is
mistaken succeeded in getting it be?
fore the appeal court more than once,
but with the same result. Yet he did
succeed in getting two respites for his
client, .but upon what ground is not
remembered.
When all hope was abandoned,
Kinman set about trying to get Ms
liberty by breaking jail. Some wee ts
before the day of execution he man?
aged in some way to get a long key
hole saw and a pocket-knife and a
rope. With these tools he went to
work energetically, not being shack?
led and came very near cutting his
way out; but unfortunately for him
the sheriff who slept in the jail, was
awakened by the noise, late at night
and thwarted the attempt to escape.
The prisoner It seems had become
over confident and bold In his efforts.
The sheriff (the late Oswall Richard?
son) stated that Kinman would have
escaped in two hours, or less, but for
the timely discovery on his part. It
was supposed that the prisoner's
faithful wife who had been permitted
to visit him a few weeks previously,
had conveyed the means of escape to
the prisoner concealed in her cloth?
ing. The prisoner's effort to escape
was defeated less than a week before
the day of execution.
On the day of the execution a pe
culary strange if not an anomalous
and gruesome Incident occurred; as
Kinman was being conveyed from the
Jail to the gallows the writer was
"WALK-OYERS"
For Spring
$3.50 & $4*
Tlie Sumter Clothing Company.
rJ>HISis to certify that 1 have
sold my Optical Business
and good will to W. A. Thomp?
son, No. 6 South Main St., Surn
ter\ S. C.,on March ist, 1909, after
which time I shall discontinue
here in the optical business, and
transfer all prescription records
to Mr. Thompson, who, by the
way, has engaged the services of
an expert optician, Dr. O. S.
Vaughn, who can ably serve your
wants in this line.
Z. F. Highsmith.
' E. J. & |. L DUNNE,
ARCHITECTS.
Plans and Specifications for
all Olsssei of Building*.
Personal attentb n given the
8np< rviaion of all v\ ork.
Law Range eptione 390,
Sumter, S. C.
1
Standing on the sidewalk in front of
a store on the ground now occupied
! y the People Loan and Exchange
Hank as he passed sitting on a ?eat
with the driver of a two-horse wagon,
his coffin which he was soon to till,
just in the rear of him. The negro,
for whom he was soon to be hang?
ed for stealing stood on the same side
walk, (and not ten steps from the
writer) and seemed to gaze with glee?
ful satisfaction on the doomed cul?
prit.
It w as si spected that Kinman was
associated with, and one of a clan
whose business was to steal both ne?
groes and horses and run them off,
the headquarters of which was just i
across the line of Laurens in Green?
ville district. But was mere suspic?
ion.
A moment before the death trip
was sprung, Kinman was asked by his
spiritual adviser, Rev. David Wills
who went on the scaafford with him
and offered prayer for him, whether
he was guilty that it was his duty le
owed it to his family, himself and
friends to riake the statement as his
last utterar.ee on earth, and said to
him: "Kinman, are you guilty or in?
nocent?" His reply was, "guilty only
In part." These were his last words,
and as the signal handkerchief drop?
ped from his nervy hand and flutter?
ed slowly :o the ground, he was
launched into eternity. He was pub?
licly hanget1 the later part of Septem?
ber, 1854, public execution then being
the law or custom, and the crowd in
attendance was immense some of
them from adjoining districts.
His laconic reply as to his guilt in?
dicates that if he did belong to a
thieving clan, he was true to it. He
divulged nothing save as to himself
and little of that, even. Kinman's
was not only a sad case but a pecu?
liar one.
?MOONSHINE" CAVE RAIDED.
Revenue Officers Capture Still, Not
Far From Anderson.
Anderson, March 23.?Within six
miles of Anderson Deputies Stewart
and Martir, of Sheriff King's office,
discovered a 25-gallon liquor still this
afternoon. It was located In a cave
and had b?en in operation up until
a short time before discovery. The
worm and still were brought to jail
here, but one barrel of corn whiskey
??WALK OVER"
Shoes
$3.50 & $4
The Sumter Clothing Company.
and three barrels of mabh were pour?
ed out. The stil! was near the pub?
lic road, and probably has been ope?
rated some time. No arrests wer**
made, as the operator- ? vidently got
w ind of the raid.
"WALK OVER"
OXFORDS.
$3.50 & $4.
The Sumter Clothing Company.
Readers, Read
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Every Week
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and if you expect to buy a
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Chas. M. Stieff
Manufacturer of the
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SOUTHERN ;WARER00MS
5 W. Trade St
CHARLOTTE, :: N. C.
C.H. Wilmoth,
Manager.
(Menticn this paper.)
N. Gi. OSTEEN, JR., Dentist.
18 West Liberty Street - - - - TJp Stairsv
Hor rs:?8.30 to 1-P. M?2 to 6.
Office Phone?No. 30 - - - House Phorie 382'
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