The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, June 30, 1909, Image 6
WOMAN DVPE8 MARK TWAIN.
Housekeeper of the Humorist Got*
Rig Ix>t of III? Mohov mill I 'Ice* to
Fun? |ie?May Have Forged lilt*
Rusne.
New York. June 21.?The story
tvhlch gained currency today relative
to tue Irregularity of the conduct of
lain. Ralph W. Ashcroft In the man
again*nt of the household affairs of
Murk Twain and the subsequent serv?
ing of a writ of attachment at her
I same through the efforts of the lat?
ter received official verification from
tbe humorist today at his home In
Redding. Conn.
Mr. Clerpera was lying down when
a reporter visited the houee today and
aaat down word that Sunday being a
day of rest he was about to take a
nan. That he feels strongly upon the
eatbjeci waa proved when he eent
etown his private secretary with au
Reorlty to speak freely on all phases
Ulf the matter. Later the secretary
waa joined by #M?*s Clara Clemens, the
oldest daughter of Mark Twain, who
tow gained eome repute as a concert
utager and waa the original cause of
'fie whole matter being brought to
e*rut
"To really understand the case one
enge to go way back." aald Mr. Clem?
en*' secretary. "Mrs. Ashcroft had
keen Mr. Clemens secretary for sev?
en years, having come to him upon
tue recommendation of his business
agent In Hartford.
"At thai time she was plain Miss
l?Ton. When she made her appear
auee upon the scene Miss Clara Clem?
ens was avay on a concert tour, and
Mint June. Mr. Clemens' oth
?r daughter. was In a sani
tat Iura eo ehe had a clear
field for whatever she wanted to do.
?ho waa a very quiet and efficient
young lady and very soon secured Mr.
Clemens' abeolute confidence and be
name the head of the household, di?
recting all Me affaire.
"When Kir. Clemens began to build
tee new p itce at Redding she super
the 'vork and furnishings and
carte blanche eo far as making
lendltume waa concerned. It must
admitted that ehe performed these
veiir well and as an acknowl?
edgment or her ec rvtcee Mr. Clemens
deedad net a piece of property here.
The place :onsrtetod of about twenty
?area und Dad on It an old-fashioned
bout*, which Mise Lyon pro
to repair aa a residence for her
i:her.
"At this time ehe was receiving a
eularv of HO a month besides her
traveling erpenee* and auch
expenses. Also she had been
aa Mr. Clemens' employ eo long that
lee had not the elightost suspicion of
ur.ythlng she chose to do or tell him.
"It waa In 1?07 that she began the
istructlon ?f trie old house, about
U year before Mr. Clemens' place,
mfteld. waa completed. During
course of these operations ehe ln
ied Mr. Clemens that It would be
iry for her to mort
the propei ty he had giv?
en her In order to raise
tue amount requisite for the repairs.
Me told her not to do any euch thing,
to use hie money and make an
?untlng when the work should be
ejeanpleted.
> "Mre. Aehcroft accepted this pro
paultlon and the repairs and
geeilt ruction on her house con
Uno 1 until the fall of 1908
?grnei ehe reported that ehe
l.50i of ?Mr. Clemens'
never examined hie bank
?unt nor hie check book; every
ui was absolutely In Miss Lyon'*
K? and he never questioned her
Dud used $1.
eeon?v He n
V "II was not until Teoruary or March
of tils year that any compllcatione
urom. Som? friends of Mr. Clemens
'who were familiar with the facts told
ftlir. that Mise Lyon was not living by
aVty means In a fashion In accordant
wlth^er Income. She had furnished
h ? lee m<?*t livlsh'y, all sorts o*
iuiI ojc fixing* had been Installed
id. If one could Judge by ipnour?
>, tue amount sho hud claimed ftf
repairs, coupled witr her salary fof I
gould n d bu) half the thing;
bud provided her-elf with.
. ??Roth at Mr. Clemene* duuejhttri
urge*.' the?r father to have an in
gut I m made."
?And that." broke In Ml?i Clara
Clem ?Min. "Incr? ??? 1 Maul LfOlt'l 4tm+
like for th?> real of um. 1 had an aw
fell time getting father to take the
?natter up tt ail. imt tnullj Iii
tented to place the matter In the
hand* of Mr. A icroft. t ho Tor two
years had been ..is financial manager
tly afterward Miss Lyn >u
inc ed her engagement to M; Ash
graft. They were married Marth ||
of this yeir, and shortly nfpow ml
went down to the old house father
had given Ml** Ifen It Wut Inet
that I persuade I bun to make the in?
vestigation, upon which no h?:tdway
had hi eg made up et dt Ii
"Mr. If e n r \ Rtp rs. who h ? 1
Cofisl 1? ? ably Interested In ih? rr?.. * t ? - *
aunce the beginning. eatefUd It like it
up thin, and we ga\e it |f etui at
that an expert mltcht ?U over It und> t
his supervision Mies Lyon s ,i. ?? n,'
were f ?und to be In such a gctlfgetd
atate that very slow progress whs
tu.ill*- with them. In the midst of til,
Mr Rogers died and that complicated
things still more.
"When we at last got straightened
out again," continued Miss Clemens.
"We put the matter in the hands of I
John B. Stanchfield. At this stage
Miss Lyons?Mrs. Ashcroft, yes, that I
wafe what she called herself?develop?
ed a sudden case of nervous prostra?
tion, due, she said, to the delay, and
she end her husband decamped to
England by way of Holland, sailing
on the 9th of this month. Shortly af?
ter that the report from Mr. Stanch
field came in, and it was of such a
nature that it warranted father to get
out a writ of attachment on the prop-'
erty he had given her for $4,000.
"The report ahowed that Instead of
$1,600, Miss Lyon had expended over
$3,500 on her house alone. Now,
where could a woman earning $50 a
mcnth find monej for that? Besides,
it showed that her check book cred?
ited an amount exceeding $9,700,
credited to 'cash.' "
Here Miss Clemens leaned over and
began to speak very frankly:
"I have run father's household for
him myself, and I know just about
what It costs. That $10,00C waa all
drawn during the year* 1907 and
1?03. Every single bill except small
sundries and occasional traveling ex?
penses In paid by check, and it all
shows on Mrs. Ashcroft' ? book.
"Now, what did she do with such
an astonishingly large amount of
'cash?
"But this was not the worst of it,"
went on Miss Clemens. "This Investl
gation also showed a power of attor?
ney given to both Mise Lyon as she
was then and Mrs. Ashcroft in No?
vember. 1908, which I believe was the
most bioad and comprehensive Instru?
ment of the sort ever executed. The
lawyers agree with me, too. It was
such a paper as no one would have
signed if he had read It, yet it bore
my father's signature. He distinctly
says that*he never knowingly signed
any such thing, and the two witness?
es, a former gardner and stable man
of ours, when they were spoken to,
said positively that they had never
seen It before.
"This power of attorney had been
filed everywhere that It could be of
any use to the holders, and there Is
no telling what they did und r Its pro?
tection. That, of course, wo revoked
at once.'
Questl?ned aa to what further ac?
tion her father Intended taking In the
affair, Miss Clemens replied.
"We are going to keep right on with
the Investigation, Mr. Stanc inVld and
Charles B. Lark are still at work
upon it We want to find out Just
what Mr. and Mrs. Ashcroft did under
that power of attorney, and ve should
also like to get Itemised bills from
stores which were paid In check by
Mrs. Ashcroft, without giving any hint
of what the money was paid for."
"Will you have the couple recalled
to this country for trial?"
"I bellfve that la what is being
planned."
"And following a civil trial, will you
have a criminal one?"
"That has not been gone into as
yet, but if I have anything to say
about It we certainly shall."
Mrs. Lyon, mother of Mrs. Ashcroft,
insisted that her daughter s depart?
ure for Europe had been occasioned
so ley by failing health.
"She will return in the fall. I ex?
pect." said she, "and will answer any
charges that they may care to make
against her. But I am certain my girl
Is Innocent of anything Wrong."
ItOOSEVFXTS UOIXG ABROAD.
Will Spend Summer In Euro|M\ He-,
turning In the Fall.
New York, June 22.?Mrs. Theo?
dore Roosevelt and three of the
Roosevelt children. Miss Ethel, Archie
and Quentln, will leave New York
June 26. on boar dthe White Star liner
Cretlfi for Gibraltar and will spend the
summer on the continent. The party
will spend a month with M ss Carev
at her villa near Rome. Mis. Roose?
velt and her children will sail for
America about November 1. having
at andoned the previous plan of re
innining In Europe through nefct win
m?d going uo in ihe Nile In iprlng
to meet l '??I. >vv \ e t.
The Charleston Culls derated tht
Jacksonville Scouts last Saturday.
bad h to the |oy of the Charleston
baseball lovers. It If hoped 11?:tt the
needed financial aid will forthconv
KM immediately in order to tall
Charleston's standard in the league.
Bow'i That?
We offer One Hundred Dollars Ro
? I for rm> c t.t' ? 'atarrh I
oanaoi hi eared I y Hall'i (' ?t;'irh
Cur? i' J CHUNKY I ( ?> Toledo, < >.
We. the undersigned, have known
I i i fheney for th* last i B v >ari. gnd
? \ i him perfectly honoratdt In
all business transncjions, and (man
daily ald?- t?? carry out any < hllgfl
ti.?ns made hjf hla Arm. Welding, Kin
nan m) Marvin, Wholeeale Druggists
Toledo, <?
Hall's Cntarrh Cure is taken Inter?
nally, acting directly upon the bloo(
and mueoui surfaces of the system
Testimonial* sent free. Price. 76c
per bottle. Sold by all drtlggiota
Take Hall's Family Tills for con
itlpatlon.
e-4-lm.
COXVICT LABOR.
City Council Discusses the Propostlon
Of Working tlie City Convicts?A
Letter From Mayor Gilbert, of Flor?
once.
In the meeting of the City Council
Tuesday night, the question of wheth?
er or not it is advisable for the City
of Sumter to work tho convicts sen?
tenced by the Recorder was discussed
to some extent. Some investigations
made by a member of the Council
shows that, by proper management
and supervision, the working of city
convicts is a paying proposition to a
city. The following letter from May?
or Gilbert, of Florence, to Mr. Jas.
R. Llgon, shows that Florence has
found the working of convicts a pay?
ing propostion:
Florence, S. C, June 7, 1909.
Mr. Jas. R. Llgon,
Sumter, S. C.
Dear Sir:
Replying to your letter of June
4th relative to cost of operating our
chaingang, beg :o advise that the cost
of operating is as follows':
Wages of guard $55 per month
Wages of helper $16 per month
Ccst of rations, clothes,
tools etc. 5?25 to $35 per month
The number of convicts worked
ranges from ten to twenty five, and
therefore some months the gang costs
more, and some months less than the
figures given above. During the past
two years the average cost per man
per day has been 28 1-10 cents. Of
course the more you have In the gong
the less the average cost per man, as
your guard and his helper receive the
same pay on a small number as when
the gang is full. Our experience has
been that the chaingang is a paying
Investment, If you give It proper su?
pervision.
Yours truly,
H. K. GILBERT,
Mayor.
As contrasted with paid laborers
the convicts would be much less ex?
pensive. Paid laborers receive from
eighty cents to one dollar per .day;
while the convict laborers would cost
not more than sixty cents per day, if
their expenses were double that of the
convicts in Florence. As to efficiency
of convict labor, it is as good as paid
labor If properly supervised. Furth?
ermore, quarters for the convicts can
Vie built near the stables where the
city mules are kept and much time
can be saved in getting ready for
work at morning and noon. There Is
ample room to erect a building in the
rear of the opera house house with?
out interfering with stables if there are
any scruples against putting the con?
victs upstairs In the same building In
which the mules are kept on the
ground floor. A new brick building
can be erected at a nominal expendi?
ture In which both convicts and mules
can be kept; and perfect sanitary
conditions preserved. Such a build?
ing Is a necessity In this city. Thds
building would serve as a city jail in
which to keep those held in custody
for trial, as Well as the convicts serv?
ing their terms after conviction.
The city needs the labor of the con?
victs here to remedy the condition of
s me of the streets which Is causing
considerable compliant, if properly
supervised, the city can get more ser?
vice out of the convicts by working
them, than by turning them ever to
the County under the present ar?
rangement.
The average number of convicts in
Sumter will be greater than in Flor?
ence, for the reason that, at a very
conservative estimate, Sumter has
from 35 per cent to 4 0 per cent more
population than has Florence. Sup?
pose the average number of convicts
ll 15. which Is a low estimate, and
suppose the cost of maintenance to
be 60 cents per man, and allow 21
Instead of 26 working days in the cal?
endar mojnttV The expense for that
time would be $1S0 whereas the* ex?
pense of hired laborer? at :5 cents pet
day would bg $801.00 for the same
number of days. At a low estimate,
from $7 5 to $100 oimht to be saved
every calendar month by using con?
vict labor.
The matter Is an Important one to
consider, and the ( Ity Council will
very probably take tome definite SC
t.on on the matter at their next
slon.
Tin; CITY CONVICTS.
At the meeting Of City Council it
Wai decided, on the motion of Abler
man Llgon, with bul one dissenting
rote, thai upon tin- expiration of the
contract with tin- county next month
'he fifty should employ nil city COO
vlcti on tin- streets, a committee wai
then appointed to select a lite for a
city prison and report back to Conn
ell,
The matter is therefore settled, un?
less. Council should see tit to rescind,
at the next meeting, the action taken
nt tin- leal meeting. The only reason
that could be advanced in favor of re?
sclndlng the action would be the cer?
tainty of making a more satisfactory
contreel with the County by which
lie city would obtain a larger share
of the labor of city convicts than un
?ei the Contract now in force.
DISPENSARY FUNDS MOVED.
$150,000 Taken from Columbia Banks
And Deposited Klsewliere.
Greenville, June 22.?The dispen- I
sary commission has taken some of
the dispensary funds from the banks
in Columbia, and have placed them
with other banks throughout the
State. This was done at the last ses?
sion of the commission.
This morning, in an interview Mr.
Pattoh said:
"We moved about $150,000 from
Columbia banks and re-deposited in
other banks in the State for the very
good reason that Columbia, including
the amount in the State treasury, had
about $350,000, which is considerably
more than half the entire fund. Since
they are State, and not Columbia
funds, and since banks in other parts
of the State wished it, and were will?
ing to pay interest and put up the col?
lateral, we felt justified in moving a
minority of the amount deposited in
Columbia. After this removal is com?
pleted Columbia will still have (in?
cluding the amount in the State treas?
ury,) more than one-third of the en?
tire fund, which we still think, is the
lion's share. We had reason to be?
lieve that the banks of Columbia, or a
part of them, did not want the funds
since they regarded it a burden,
(while tied up in the United States
court,) no the extent that they did not
want to pay interest on the funds. If
these funds were so burdensome to'
the Columbia banks, while they were
tied up with Injunctions, we feel that
we ought not to burden them furthe:1
since we are at liberty to remove
them. There were two deliberate at?
tempts by some of the banks of Co?
lumbia to avoid the payment of this
interest, although we had their writ?
ten agreement to do so. An officer of
the Loan and Exchange Bank matle
an effort to get the banks of Green?
ville holding these funds to join them
in an effort to avoid the payment of
this Interest, which the banks here
flatly refused to do.
"I notice in the morning papers that
Dr. Murray refused to allow the reso?
lution passed by the commission on
Saturday to remove these funds pub?
lished. I see no reason why it should
not be published, as there was no se?
cret about lt." g
Twenty-five thousand dollars will be
brought to the Greenville banks,
divided between the Norwood Nation -
a!, the Farmers' and Merchants', and
the Fourth National Banks. The Peo?
ple's Eank and the City National al?
ready had deposits. The other banks
did not make application for the
funds.
Greenville will get about 125,000 of
the funds- clvided among the banks
named above. Spartanburg, Ander?
son, and the other cities of the State
will receive their share. In Charles?
ton there is already some of the fund
or. deposit, and this will not be In?
crease! by this new apportionment,
because of the fact that application
was not made for it.
?To avoid serious results take Fo
ley's Kidney Remedy at the first sign
of kidney or bladder disorder such as
backache, urinary irregularities, ex
hau8tion, and you will soon be well.
Commence taking Foley's Kidney
Remedy today. W. W. Sibert.
Mr. B. F. Burs, a bright and promis?
ing young man formerly of Lancaster,
has been made assistant general man?
ager of the Baltimore News, having
been transferred from Mr. Munsey's
Washington paper.
?Everyone would be benefited by
taking Fol?y's Orino Laxative for
constipation, stomach and liver
trouble, as it sweetens the stomach
and breath, gently stimulates the liv?
er and regulates the bowels and Is
much superior to pills and ordinary
laxatives. Why not try Foley's Orino
Laxative to':lay? W. W. Sibert.
?? !!)??? ? I???SI ? <? H
Foley's
ORINO
Laxative
la Pleasant and Effective
CURES
Constipation, Stomach and
Liver Trouble.
by stimulating these organs and
restoring their natural action.
Is best for women and chil?
dren as ORINO does not gripe
or nauseate.
SIEBERTS DRUG STORE.
IKILLTHECOUGH
im AUTKPOATAND LUNG TROUBLES
\GUAPAN7E?0 JAr/SFACTORV
4 ?\ZmLm^NrS \Crtr: 'NniTO' ~
s
I
I
IK
?^2
ALCOHOL 3 PER CENT.
AVcgctaWerVeparationforAs
similat ing the Foodandltegula
ting ?ie Storaadts andBomof
Infants/Children
Ptomotes Di^tionflieeM
ness and Rest.Contains iwtar
Opiiini.Morphine norMincraL
Not Narcotic.
Jteyv a/Old?c&MIIJTluM
PbnpkinSmI
Jm\' SftWKl ^
jtmst Sttd *
l?rmSffd
CASTOBIA
For Infants and Children,
The Kind You Have
Always Bought
Bears the
Signature
of
Aperfect Remedy forCortsflpJ
tton, Sour Stomach,Dlsrrtm
Worms ?oirvuls'wn^
ness and Loss of Sleep.
IfcxSimfe Signatare of
NEW YORK.
, ? Atjb months old
j5D0SES-35CENTS^
Guaranteed under the Fbodj
Exact Copy of Wrapper.
Thirty Years
CASTOR!
tmk otMTAwa company, mum von? ?nr.
Birnie's Drug Store,
5 W. Liberty St. Sumter, S. 0.
-Dealer In
Pure Drugs and Medicines,
CHOICE PERFUMES JAND FINE
TOILET ARTICLES, COMBS AND
BRUSHES. PATENT MEDICINES
AND DRUGGISTS' SUNDRIES, A
FULL LINE OF CIGARS AND
TOBACCO. :: :: :: :: ::
OUR MOTTO: PURE 1ND RELIABLE GOODS.
in
Our stock is complete
and we cheerfully solicit
your patronage. :: :: ::
Mr. W. A. Jones, President of the
South Atlantic League, reports the
situation in Charleston baseball is en?
couraging. He says that the League
has ample security for the money
spent in paying on* the Charleston
players, and that the League will be
reorganized within a few days.
Trouble Makers Ousted.
?When a sufferer from stomach
trouble takes Dr. King's New Life
Pills he's mighty glad to see his Dys?
pepsia and Indigestion fly, but more
?he's tickled over his new, fine ap?
petite, strong nerves, healthy vigor,
all because stomach, liver and kid?
neys now work right. 25c at Sibert'o
Drug Store. ?
?Sometimes you may be told that
there are other things just as good as
DeWltt'i Kidney and Bladder Pills. |
for any ailme?*'^* of the kidney or
bladder, whic* always result in weak
back, 1 ackdche, rheumatic pains,
rheumatism and urinary disorders. A
trial of L. Vitt's Kidney and Bladder
Pills is sufficient to convince you how
srood thu* *re. Send your name to
E. C. DeWitt & Co., Chicago, /or a
free trial ?ox. They are sold here by
all druggists.
$10.60
TO
Richmond, Va.
And Return.
VIA
Unfit tat Line
ACCOUNT
SUPER SCHOOLS
Tickets on sale June i;th. loth,
i;th, iStli, 28tfo July 5th and
I 2th, ti)GO, limited to leave desti?
nation fifteen days from, Lmt not
including date of sale.
Extension of limit returning to
Sept. 30th, may be obtained by
depositing ticket with the Depot
Ticket Agent at destination with?
in two days after arrival and pay?
ment of tee of Si.00.
For information, call on Ticket
Agent, or write
W. J. CRAI6, T. C. WHITE.
Pas. Traf. Mgr. Gen, Pas, Agent.
WILMINGTON. N. C.
$2.75
?TO ?
And Return.
$4.05
?TO?
(For Myrtle Beach.)
?VIA
/nd
Return
Tickets for *ale for all trains
each Saturday md for Sunday
forenoon, trains commencing
Saturday, May 29th and continu?
ing to Saturday, Sept. 4th. 1909,
limited to return Monday follow?
ing date of sale.
An excellent opportunity to
visit the famous Seashore Resorts
ot South Carolina at a minimum
cost.
For information, call on Ticket
Agent, or u rite.
W, J, CRAiG, T. C. WHITE,
Pas. Traf. Mgr. Gen. Pas. Agt,
WILMINbTON, N. C.