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Oa^ldsted Aug.?. 188 Cfe tftUttbman anb Sontbnm Wednesday and Saturday ?BY?? MTCU PUBLISHING COMPANY STJafTBR. a a ^ ft.lt par annum?in advance. ? Adinilsamnanlsi One Sanar? Orot Insertion.$1.00 subsequent insertion.It Oea treats for three months, or will he mads at red need rates. AM communications which sub? serve private latereets will ho charged ^ far an advertissmsnts. and tri hu tee of reopeota for. JUvYICE PECKHAM DEAD. ? .1 ?. Of Ism Federal mi pre me ba to Complication of Albany. N. T.. Oct. 14.?Rufes W. n. aaaoetate Justice of the Uni? ted mates Supreme Court, died at 1:01 I o^etook tonight at Coolmoors, his ler horns at Altamont, Albany ity. Death was due to a compli entloa of dfr?sss. heart trouble. Brtght's disease and hardening of tha arter lea contributing. Justice Peck ham had been In 111 health for some r\ ttsne hot his condition waa not con W aldered critical until recently. Fol? lowing adjournment of tha laat term of the supreme oourt he cams on from Washington with Mrs. Peekham to spend the summer at Altamont ex? pecting to return at the beginning of the October term. A few days ago his ? condition became such that his physl clan said that he was likely to die at any time or might linger for several cmjjojttrrox exports nr? CREASE. the Volume Is Thau of Preceding Fiscal . Oet- 14.?The Import? of Use* port of Charleston rhree months make an"" fine showing and eepecigl Che experts, which have during the three months of tha new fiscal year already axeeeded the total valua of the exports fer the whole of the pre vteue ftpral year. i During the months of July, August and September the value of the ex? perts hava aggregated 14,044.337, as against I4.00t.ltS for the fiscal year, which ended on June 30 last. The Imports for the first three months of the fiscal year are valued at $723.343. I ae against $714.it* for the same period of the previous year, a gain of $?.316 over the business of the first quarter of lent year. In the statements which Collector of Port E. W. Du rant has had made up. some Interesting Statement? are shown in comparison with the busi e. neos of neighboring ports. The figures show thst Charleston if making con? siderable gains ever her competing ports. The figures of the statement offer Indisputable evidence of the fact and the statements are, of course, a source of great satisfaction and pleas f vre to the buslnsss people generally. While the values of the imports and eaports will show considerable gain over the statsmsnts of previous year, the reduction in the tariff on fertili? ser metsrlels will probably cause a falling off In the receipts of the Char lesion custom house amounting to perhaps $47.000. The tariff duties on these commodities and particularly on sulphate of ammonia were reduced to cheapen manufactured fertilisers, but there has been no reduction of prices, I so far as announced. Just as' the statements of the cus? tom house make a Ane showing for ths port, the merchants, bankers. Job? bers and business people all tell the same story of gains In trade over pre? vious years. The Increased cotton re celpta and shipments hold out bright assurances and the figures from the cotton exchange show that the re? ceipts so far this season are almost twice the figures of the same period of last year and more than huif of the total receipts of the previous sea? son. All along the line the same story Is told of Improved business and Charleston Is making some rupid strides forward. As unreasonable as It may seem some of the hall which fell about ten dags ago and did so much damage in some parts of the county. Is In some places, still on the ground unmelted. A gentleman from West Wateree brought t6 Camden on Wednesday, a large lump of the hall. It waa gotten from a ffeUy where a quantity of it accumulated.?Ceraden Chron shed April, IM*. ?Be Jost ai I. 8UMT HAT COLUMBIA LUNCHEON. QUEER COURTESY, SAYS TILL MAN. Senator Scores Columbia for Charging Guests at Taft Luncheon $10, and Decline* Invitation. Columbia, Oct. 11.?Because he was aaked to pay $10 for a plate at the luncheon which will be given to Pres? ident Taft on the occasion of his visit to this city November 6, Senator B. R. Tlllman has declined to attend the luncheon, and states that he may not serve on the reception committee. Senator Tlllman states that, while Columbia is to be the nominal host of Mr. Taft, the city expects the State at large to pay for the president's en? tertainment. The letter in which Sen? ator Tlllman makes these statements Is addressed to the secretary of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce who wrote asking Mr. Tlllman if he would attend the luncheon. Senator Tlll? man says he received an invitation to the luncheon, and with It an invita? tion to send a check for $10. Mr. Tlllman continues: "This may be a new way of con? ducting entertainments in South Car? olina that will find favor in the fu? ture, but It is wholly contrary to all the Ideas of courtesy and hospitality j that I ever heard of In this State, and I do not propose to lend any aid or countenance to It." Mr. Tlllman, in concluding his let? ter, says since "it seems to be the offi? cial scheme to aak men to meet the president and have them pay the ex? penses, I tell you emphatically, no, I will not attend the luncheon." Qov. Ansel and the other members of the committee in charge of the af? fair have accepted Invitations and paid for tickets, as have also more than one hundred prominent residents of South Carolina outside of Colum? bia, Including United States Senator Smith and Chief Justice Jones. CURTAILMENT TO BE GENERAL. Charlotte, N. C Oct. 2$.?Next Monday morning some of the largest mills In the Piedmont sections of the Carolinas will Inaugurate a one or two weeks' curtailment, and If con- ; dltlons do not Improve, It Is likely that this period of curtailment will be considerably extended. The first North Carolina plant to Inaugurate the cur? tailment plan Is the Tarboro Mill, and the Henrietta Mills, the biggest plant In the State, employing 3,000 opera? tives, will follow suit Monday, and It Is probable that the Carolina Mills, under the same management, will ?hut down In a few days. The seven big mills in Spartanburg county. South Carolina, shut down last night. These are the Whitney, Spartan, Clif? ton. Glendale, Arkwright, Lockhart and Parolet. They consume about two hundred thousand bales of cot I ton annually and employ ten thou? sand operatives. The mills have run two weeks on five days time, but the present shut-down la complete and for an indefinite period. There Is now a feeling among the manufacturers that the curtailment proposition, having been sanctioned by the mills without thereby Injuring their standing In the least, and as It has been pretty generally agreed that curtailment is the business-like course to pursue, the movement is gaining strength as it progresses. SHOOTS WIFE, COMMITS SUICIDE. Tragedy Enacted In Washington Union Station. Washington. Oct. 24.?Enraged be? cause his chorus girl wife preferred a life on the stage to his companion? ship. Wm. H. Short, of New York city, today shot and perhaps fatally wounded her. In the west portico of the union station here, and then sent a bullet crashing through his temple. He died an hour later at Casualty hos? pital. The tragedy followed a series of quarrels btween the couple. A PITIFUL TRAGEDY. Four Negro Children Burned to Death At Dalzell. A pitiful tragedy is repotted from Dalzell. Last night James Blanding. a negro tenant on Mr. J. W, Scar? borough's place went to church ac? companied by his wife, leaving their six children at home. About 9 o'clock the house caught afire and was burn? ed to the groutad. Two of the child? ren awakened in time to escape, but the four others, aged 5, 6, 12 and 14 years respectively were burned to death in the house. It is thought that the home caught from the fire place. Ijumti id Fear not-~Let eil the ende Thon Alu ER. S. C WEDNES BUSINESS OUTLOOK BRIGHT. RANK OF ENGLAND MISOALOU IiATES AMERICAN CONDITION. Tone of the Dry Goods Market. Im? proves With Trade Active?Great Dealing In Iron Products. New York. Oct. 24.?The Bank of England has commanded the atten? tion of the whole financial world in an unusual degree during the past week with Its third successive ad? vance in Its official discount rate in two weeks doubling the rate in that period. Ominous intimations come from the English money centre at the same time that additional pro? tective measures will be resorted, If found necessary, to advert further In? roads on London's banking resources. Coming In the wake of the period of assurances of the ample resources of the money markets to meet a'. the exigencies of the season, this action of the bank furnishes undeniable evi? dence of a wide miscalculation of the situation. On what may be the ele? ments in that miscalculation opinions differ, but there are certain of the factors In the problem which are clear. One of these is the fact of exten? sive American borrowings In the Don don money market. Critics In London allege that an unbridled speculation in the New York market is primarily responsible for the condtion. The pro? longed advance In prices in New York and the high rate of activity in the stock market dealings are corrobora? tive of that view. One of the principal elements in the miscalculation of the autumn money market undoubtedly lies in the abnormal state of the country's for? eign trade. Imports have been large? ly In excess of normal, partly owing to the natural revival of trade, which has extended to foreign as well as do? mestic products, and partly to the rush of Imports In anticipation of the provisions of the new tariff bill. Notably have imports enormously Increased, .hut exports have decreas r The action of stocks have shown the contest going against the unfav? orable Influence of the money si'na? tion. The brilliant business outlook encourages the obstinate holdings of stocks, even while the narrowing money resources reduce the demand. The rapid rise in foreign exchange rates last week showed plainly, how? ever, that foreign lenders of money here were insistent upon repayment I of maturing obligations. The move? ment of the foreign exchanges mean {while showed that the demand was I not yet Justified. RKCEIVKRSHTJ? ORDERED. Case of the Winding TJp of the A -Irs Of tKc Carolina Agency Comp?, y. Columbia, Oct. 14.?A receiver will take charge of the affairs of the Car? olina Agency Company. The hearing in the rule to show cause why a re? ceiver should not be appointed was concluded yesterday, and at 1:30 o'clock Judge Memm Inger appointed W. H. Cobb, solicitor of the Fifth Ju? dicial circuit, as receiver for the com? pany. The bond of the receiver was fixed at $10,000. The value of the property to he placed m the hands of the receiver is fixed at 360,000. Mr. Cobb Is quite well qualified for the duties of receiver, having been Judge of probate for eight years. The Judge stated in appointing Mr. Cobb receiver that the receiver would be able to look after the legal matters coming up and the employment of at? torneys would not be necessary, un? less the receiver should find that he needs legal assistance in the settle? ment and duties incident to the re? ceivership. It was also stated that the bond could be increased if it should be found necessary. -. NECK BROKEN. MAY LIVE. Maoni Mini Puralyzcd by Fall, Rut May Recover. Macon. Oa., Oct. 24.?Lying in the Macon Hospital with his neck broken by a fall from his room Win? dow at an early hour this morn Ing, Earl Hodges, a well known young man and nephew of Judge Robert Hodges, of this city, is fully conscious and physicians entertain hope of sav? ing his life. In attempting to fasten a window shutter, the young man lost his balance and fell twenty feet on a brick pavement. He was picked up und sent to the hospital immediately. The surgeons found complete para? lysis of the entire body, except the muscles of the head. The youth re? gained consciousness and later talked coherently. uf t at be thy Country's, Thy God's an/ DAY. OCTOBER 87. Bl?HAM TRAGEDY A MYSTERY. TRIAL AT GEORGETOWN FAILED TO EXPLAIN SHOOTING. None Can Tell Why Ruth Righam Was Shot to Death at Murr ell's In. let, In Her Husband's Presence, by W. B. Avant?Jury Was a Good One and Tried to Do Its Duty. Columbia, Oct. 24.?In the years tq ; come a lonely spot on the beach at Murrell's Inlet, near Georgetown, S. C, will be pointed cut by the older , residents. "It was here that Ruth Bigham was killed," they will say. "How did It happen?" it will *e ask- j ed. But there will be none to answer or give the reason for the killing. In the list of crimes that have baf? fled 4he world the killing of Ruth Blgham will find a place. Not in the i memory of the oldest men who have known of many dark crimes is there one of more mystery than that of the shooting of the young woman on Murrell's Inlet on September 4, 1909. Although Dr. G. C. Bigham and his friend, W. B. Avant, have bean found guilty of manslaughter, and have been sentenced to serve three and a half years hi the State penitentiary, the events that led up to the shooting of the wife of Dr. Bigham are as dark a page as before the trial was enter I ed into. Why? In this one word is contained the whole situation. The defendants were not placed on the stand in the trial. They could not, therefore, explain, if it were in their power, the reason for the firing of the fatal shot. But there were statements made by both Big? ham and Avant at the time of the shooting. According to all the wit? nesses the explanation offered by the two men was practically the same: They were seated on the porch of Sunnyalde late in the afternoon. They saw an "object" come around the house. Thinking, according to their own statement, that the "object" was up to some devilment, they followed "It" alter securing a gun. Out on the >e*ch*#bo?t si* hundred feet fron\ the house, the object was halted, but, meeting with no reply, Avant ask? ed, "Shall I shoot?" "Shall I shoot?" "Shoot," said Dr. Bigham, and the gun was fired. , A most remarkable story, whether it is true or not. There is no one to say that It is not true, because there were no eye-witnesses to the tragedy. But there were suspicious circum? stances, and these circumstances were related upon the witness stand by men of more than ordinary intelli? gence. All the witnesses were young men of good standing, all made very good witnesses. The told every fact they knew in connection with the kill? ing. These young men were near at hand .on the evening of September 4. They rushed te the scene of th? kill? ing. They saw Dr. Bigham bending over the body of his young wife, who was then dying. They saw him move away from her and throw his arms around the neck of his friend, Avant, and cry out, **Ye>u have killed my lit? tle wife." It may have been in the excitement of the moment, but, nev? ertheless, is a circumstance of signifi? cance, that Avant cried, "I'm a mur? derer; I've committed murder." There was no doubt that Will Avant fired the fatal shot. It was not even necessary in the trial to prove the killing, except as shown by the statements of Avant and Bigham. The gun was not put in evidence. Bigham had said, according to one witness when the party ran up to him, "Will Avant has killed my wife." There are theories that have been whispered around the neighborhood. One is that Ruth Bigham knew too much about the killing of the negro for which L. S. Bigham, a brother of Dr. Bigham, was tried in Florence recently. The picture that was drawn by those who held this view was that I a few words of remonstrance that nothing should be said, then heated words, Avant along, the gun?the men shielded by the lateness of the hour 82nt the young wife to her death. A bottle of whiskey. Here some of those who live around find an explan? ation. Drinking for some days, the men had become irresponsible?a fig? ure passed their home in the even? ing?late?they were frightened. Urg? ed on by the demon, "drink," they followed, and before realizing what they had done the deed was over, and the wife of Dr. Bigham was the vic? tim. Unhappy domestic relations. The State could not bring anything out concerning this. A letter received by the wife while she was visiting in Laurens couty was the only suspicion that slipped into the trial. She had cried when she received this letter. The letter contained the words, 1*09 New 8eri SPARTANBURG MILLS CLOSE. ACTION IS TAKEN AS RESULT OF LOW PRICE OF CLOTH. Mills in the County Suspend Opera? tions for an Indefinite Period, and others in Different Parts of the State Are Expected to Follow Suit ?Thousands of Operatives Idle. Spartanburg, Oct. 23.?The thou? sands of spindles and looms of the cotton mills in Spartanburg county were stilled last night when the presi? dents of the several mills issued or? ders to close down indefinitely, the shut down being complete because of the low prices of the cloth market. The following are the mills affected and the amount of cotton consumed annually: Clifton. 60,000 bales; Pacolet, 60,000; Whitney, 20,000; Lockhart, 40,000; Spartan Mills, 20, 000; Arkwright, 10,000. Other mills will close down during next week. The shut down, it is understood, will not be confined to the mills in the Pied? mont section, but throughout the en? tire State. The above named mills have been running five days each week for some time, which has been a considerable curtailment, but on account of the low price of manufactured goods and the high price of raw material, the mill presidents realized that it was impossible to operate the mills at a profit and orders were Issued Friday afternoon for a complete shut down for an Indefinite period. The shut down last night did not come as a surprise to the operatives In the mills or to the public, for ever since the meeting of the directors of the South Carolina Cotton Manufac? turers* Association in Greenville sev? eral days ago, it was believed that a general curtailment would follow the resolutions of the directors recom? mending that the mills curtail. The mill presidents say that they have no idea when operations will be resumed. Everything depends In a large measure on the future price of the cloth market. If there is an ad? vancement il? JttTiCA. oX jB?fit at meet the price of cotton, it may not be a great while before operations will be resumed. At present the mill men say that they cannot afford to pay 13.50 cents for cotton and sell goods on 10-cent basis. The differ? ence In the 'price of cloth and that of the raw material is too great and no mill can stand it. * There are a number of mills in the State that have orders ahead that they are compelled to fill, and just as soon as they catch up with the or? ders they will begin to curtail, among them being the Abbeville Cotton Mills, which was one of the first to shut down. The closing down of the cotton mills has resulted in 19,000 looms and about 671,000 spindles being idle and affects several thousand operatives. The management of the mills will see that the operatives are given free house rent while the mills are shut down and will endeavor to keep the operatives together during the idle period. It was thought best to close down before the hard winter months set in, for had the mills postponed the closing down period several weeks, the operatives would have been caught by cold weather and the ques? tion of fuel and extra supplies would have increased their living expense and made it hard on them. SENATOR McCARRKN DEAD. New York, Oct. 22.?Patrick II. McCarren, State senator and Demo? cratic leader of Brooklyn, died at St. Catheryn's hospital, Brooklyn, at 1:15 o'clock this morning, never having completely rallied from the effects of an operation for appendicitis which was performed October 13. His death was not unexpected, in fact the sen? ator himself realized throughout the afternoon and the earlier part of the night that his end was near. "Come home and things will be bet? ter," and those who incline to the view of unhappy relations say that the tale of the crime is told in those words. But there is another side to this question. A postal card from "Ruth" said. "I am wild to see you." That was when she was on the visit. She came home soon afterward. On a visit to the friend of her husband the wife met her death. There was no testimony showing the relations of the couple at the home, "Sunnyside." on Murrell's inlet. A friend of the family said after the trial that Big^ ham and his young wife were seen ?trolling along the beach about an hour before the tragedy, and the arm of the husband was around the wife. These conflicting instances of domes? tic relationship makes the crime all the more inexplicable. S SOUTHRON, Kstabltehed AM, MM les-Vol XXX. 1o. 18. TO REORGANIZE THE NOT. SECRETARY MEYER WANTS FEWER YARDS AND BIG? GER SHU'S. Head of the Navy Department May Recommend Reduction in the Num l>er of Naval Stations and More and Bigger Battle Ships?Charleston Station Would Not Suffer. Washington, D. C. Oct. 22.?Secre? tary of the Navy Meyer will return to Washington tomorrow from his home in Massachusetts with plans for the reorganization of the whole naval ser? vice. The work he has recently been doing means much for the Charleston Navy Yard, as well as fer ether naval stations, and his report will he clcee? ly followed. Mr. Meyer has put in his time In Massachusetts studying the report of the Swift board of inquiry, touching all branches of the service, and go cording to those in touch with Mess here, he will ask the president to rec? ommend to congress the expenditure of less money for navy yards and navy bases and the use of the greater sums of money for bigger battle ship* and large guns. The secretary of the navy has net for himself the ambitious task of completely reorganising his depart? ment with these ends in view. To make the bureau's work mere harmoniously together. To decrease unnecessary expenses in navy yards. To improve the designing and con? struction of battle snipe. To make the navy of the United States the greatest fighting body afloat today. He is not unmindful of the presi? dent's instructions that economy In the service shall be enforced in view ofthe government's lack of funds. But he is also given the advantage of the proviso that th<?re shall he enforced no economy which will interfere with the efficiency of the navy as a nghter. There has been much talk of ask? ing congress for 30,000-ton battle ship*, carrying It inch guwh Tlsi tW an entirely feasible plan, and ffr. Meyer is said to favor it. But he de? sires not only the increased size in the fighting apparatus. He will expect the designers to turn out boats which) will be superior in fighting ability to the boats of the other great maritime powers. In his plan for reducing the num? ber of navy yards in the country he realizes that he will run against the opposition of congressmen and sena? tors in whose States or districts in which navy yards are now located. He is credited with regarding the Philadelphia yard as not of the great? est value and it is more than likely that his. plan contemplates the clos? ing of the Southern yards. The mag? nificent plant now owned by the gov? ernment at Charleston makes it cer? tain that whatever recommendation* may be embraced in the Meyer report as to other yards that yard will not only be maintained as at present, hat greatly enlarged to meet increasing, demands from time to time hereafter. ALLEGED OHORTAGE SETTLED. Bonding Company Pays $20,000 iu Hampton County Matter.. Columbia, Oct 22.?A comprise was effected today between the Attorney General and the National Surcity Company with reference to the alleg? ed shortage of Ex-County Treasurer Jesse C. Longford, of Hampton, whereby the Surety ccmpr.ny turned1 in a check lor $20,00 to the State, and it is to be reimbursed by what it can recevor from Langfcrd and any banks that may be sued in connec? tion with the shortage. After the full amount of the shortage, $24,171. 02. has been made up after costs are paid. WINDING-VP BODY TO MEET. Dispensary Commission to Have Fin? al stassfton This Afternoon. C dumbia, Oct. 24.?The dispensary winding-up commission is called by it* chairman, Dr. W. J. Murray, of this city, to meet tomorrow to com? plete the winding-up of the affairs oi the ?>ld State dispensary system. It in expected that all the members will icach the city in time for the meet? ing to be called to order tomorrow af? ternoon. It is also expected by the chairman, Dr. W. J. Murray, that all of the business of the now defunct old State dispensary will be settled at this sitting of the commission. The claims against the dispensary now amount to about $.400,000. s Of course, there will be deductions from this amount on account of the allege** overcharges, some of which have been> admitted.