The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, December 15, 1909, Image 1

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?Mb mnnt watchman. em?i>i Consolidated Aug. 2,188 ^ssiaewJii ?- ? ?y?* Cbf ?5t;itfhm;m art Swrtjnwi FnblMicd Wednesday and Saturday ?BY? OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY *t much, s. a Terms: $1.10 per annum?In advance. Advertisements: One Bquar* first Insertion.$1.00 ?very subsequent insertion.... ' .?? Contracts for three months, or loafer will be made at reducel rates. All communications which sub? serve private Interests will be charged fer ae advertisements. Obttaarlee and tributes of respocts erMI be charged for. RtSENWALD MISSING. STOCK SALESMAN OF COLLINS WIRELESS DISAPPEARS. a Queer Story Concerning the Fiscal a#e?U or the Collins Wireless Telephone Co. and Their Doing* Sent Out From Colombia?Rosen wsM the H?m Who Sola the Stock Seem* to he the Goat. Saturday the Columbia Record printed a sensational article concern? ing the reported disappearance of M. L? Rosenwald, the "fiscal agent" for South Carolina, of the Collins Wireless Teiephcne Co., of Newark, K. J. This article Is reproduced be? low. Monday morning the Columbia State printed an article explanatory of the Record's expose of Rosen wald. The State's article Is also re? produced. There Is locally considerable Inter? est In the doings of Rosenwald, Gregory and other agents of the Col? lins Wireless Co. for the reason that they operated in Sumter for several weeks prior to opening State head rters In Columbia and sold a con amount of stock in this mghent this section of iter office wee In charge of M. L. Rosenwald, but he was assisted by several othfr agents, who visited the city from time to time. Among the number were Mr. i. W. Gregory, of Charlotte, K. C. "fiscal agent" for North and South Carolina, and several others from the home office at Newark, N. J. Everything went swimmingly and stock was sold right and left until the demand was apparently satisfied, then, co-lncldent with the visit of Mr. Oergory and the exeprt demon ? trators from the home office, Mr. Rosenwald transferred his head? quarters to Columbia, seeking a wid? er field for his activities and talent t. The local office was kept open in charge of an assistant. Mr. Rosen weld keeping In touch with affairs here by occasional visits. Judging, from advertisements in the Columbia papers Fiscal Agent Rosenwald did a rushing business, in that town and sold lote of stock. But -11 the while there was a sus? picion In some quarters that the Col? lins stock was of too speculative a nature to be a safe Investment, and when a communication, over the sig? nature of Mr. J. H. Chandler, was published In this paper about three weeks ago. stating that Collins Wire? less) stock was being sold on the New York curb at $1.1$ to $1.50 a share many of those who had bought stock from Rosenwald began to become uneasy and to make Inquiries. That apparently made Rosenwald uneasy and annoyed even the officers of the company In Newark. The Investiga? tion was and is still quietly under way te ascertain, if possible, whit value Collins stock has, and it is hoped that within a few days somo thlng definite will be available for publication. But In the meanwhile the publica? tion in the Columbia Record Satur? day stirred things up more thin ever. It seems however, that all the ?.Tacts were not known In Columbia and there Is a Sumter end to the story, and In view of what occurred here last week the Columbia storv calls for some further explanation. Mr. Gregory spent several days here last week and Mr. Rosenwald was here with him Wednesday or Thurs? day, perhaps both days. The writer met them together on the street either Wednesday or Thursday and had a brief conversation with them. Mr. Gregory left before the conver? sation with Mr. Rosenwald was con? cluded and the latter stated that he had been promoted over Mr. Gregory and given a position In the home of? fice In Newark as assistant manager In charge of the stock sales depart? ment that the management of the Columbia office had been turned over to Mr. Word H. Mills end that Mr. elicd April, 1850. 'Bo Just ai 1. 8UMTJ Rosenwald was then on his way to Newark. He also said that he had recently returned from Newark and that while he was there the poslt'oo abovo referred to was offered him. While Messrs. Gregory and Rosen wald wete here they sold the furni? ture and fixtures of the local office. It Is not know when Mr. Rosenwald left here or where he went but Mr. Gregory went to Columbia and then It was thut the mare's nest was stir? red up. From Columbia Record. Dec. 11. Mr. M. Rosenwald, formerly fiscal manager in South Carolina, for the Collins Wireless Telephone Company of Newark, New Jersey, with head? quarters in Columbia, has left the city, and a number of persons, in? cluding the representatives of the Collins Wireless, are very anxious to see Mr. Rosenwald. If he is found, charges of defalcation, obtaining money under false representations, and also a charge under the new State law against giving checks on banks in which the giver has no funds may be lodged against him. Mr. I. W. Gregory, of Charlotte, fiscal agent for the. Collins Wireless, is in the city straightening out the business of the company, with Mr. Word H. Mills, now fiscal agent for this State, and It is declared that the Collins Company will see that no subscriber for stock who made pay? ments to Mr. Rosenwald will lose a cent. Through the Columbia office, in charge of Mr. Rosenwald, $4,000 worth and more of stock has been sold in this State within the last three months, but it is said that Mr. Rosenwald did not deliver any stock certificates and did not account to the company for the stock so nold. His resignation was demanded some time ago, and Mr. Mills, who was lo? cal agent for the Collins Company, was placed In charge of the office, and Is now in charge. Mr. Gregory came down from Charlotte yester? day to see how things were, but it * Jhs&t if r. Rosenwald had eight, leaving Iff Information as to his destination. Mr. Gregory at once sot to work to deliver the stock to those who had paid Mr. Rosenwald for it, and this task, It Is understood, will be com? pleted today. Some days ago Mr. Rosenwald gave the Collins Company a check for more than $1,000 In payment for stock sold through him, but when the check was presented to the bank In Columbia, on which It was drawn, the company was notified that Mr. Rosenwald had no funds then on deposit and the check went to pro? test. A few days later Mr. Rosen wald had a sum to his credit in the same bank, but he carefully closed out this account before leaving the city. All his accounts seem to have been In his own name and not in the name of the company, the money collected for stock having been de? posited to his account. A number of fcitizens of this State bought the stock and paid for it, without receiv? ing certificates of stock, but the Col? lins Company proposes, it is under? stood, to deliver these certificates. Some of the stock was sold for $3 per share, and later the price was advanced to $4 and then to $5 per share. From one party Mr. Rosen wald took a note for payment at the rate of $3 per share, promising that in December the stock would sell for $5 and that the maker of the note would not have to pay out any money at all for the stock, but would clear a nice profit. The stock, it is said, is now selling at that figure here, but of course, the maker of the note is legally liable for the full amount Mr. Rosenwald also made some personal accounts around town, in? cluding one for over a hundred dol? lars for clothing for himself and some friends. Mr. Rosonwald was always well dressed, and Is a man of fine appearance. In fact, he looks very much like a Semlnole Securities Company agent. Neither Mr. Gregory nor Mr. Mills would make a formal statement about the situation today. Mr. Mills, to whom Mr. Gregory referred re? porters, said he deprecated the pub? lication of the story at this time, as he and Mr. Gregory were busy checking up the office and transmit? ting through the banks stock certi? ficates to persons from whom Mr. Rosenwald had collected subscrip? tions, and they would probably issue a formal signed statement, supported by affidavits, early next week. It was their hope, Mr. Mills said, that the story could be kept out of the newspapers until every certificate had been placed in the hands of the subscribers. Mr. Mills had on his desk, as he spoke, a sheaf of blank certificates, with notations and direc? tions as to their dlspostlon. nd Fear not-~Let ?11 the ends Tliou A? ER, S. Om WEDNESI As to the Clothing and ot'.ier per? sonal bills incurred here by Mr. Ro? senwald. Mr. Mills said: "You may say that the persons other than him? self for whom Mr. Rosenwald Incur red clothing bills have already gone to thf tailors and assumed individ? ual responsibility for their propor? tion of the indebtedness." From The State, Dec. 13. Durng the past day or two reports have been current on the street that M. L. Rosenwald, a stock salesman for the -Collins Wireless Telephone Company, who had an office in this city, had defaulted and Bklpped the town, leaving numerous creditors to mourn his departure. It has been known that I. W. Gregory, fiscal agent of the company for North and South Carolina, has been in Columbia since last Wednes? day night and that he came here to check Rosenwald out, and that Word H. Mills was constituted fiscal agent for South Carolina, to act under Mr. Gregory's authority. Mr. Mills and Mr. Gregory yesterday said: "In an evening paper Saturday ap? peared a statement relating to the I Wireless Telephone Company and its former ag*nt, M. L. Rosenwald. The I story as printed was inaccurate, I lacking in essential particulars and I wholly unauthorized. "Since a story has appeared that I does not furnish the facts, and is cal I culated to create a wrong impression I on the public mind, It seems neces I sary to give the facts as they are: I "The Collins Wireless Telephone I Company, learning that M. L. Ro I senwald was not conducting his bus I iness in conformity with the instruc I tions of the company, authorized I. I W. Gregory, the fiscal agent for I North and South Carolina, to whom I M. L. Rosenwald was subordinate, to I go to Columbia, check up the busl I nesB and relieve Rosenwald. "On December 9, Mr. ' Gregory I came to Columbia and with Mr. Ro I senwald checked up the business of I the Columbia office, upon the rec I owJsLjaf the office. The*, personal bills I contracted for by Rosenwald were I not considered in the settlement. "In making the settlement of the I company's affairs, Rosenwald deliv I ered to Mr. Gregory the stock cer I tificates issued by the company to I subscribers, such as had been paid I for by subscribers and not already I delivered, together with signed state I ments that he had settled with the I company. These statements, so far I as we were aware, were accurate. "The statements and accounts of I subscribers were received by Mr. I Gregory and were' accepted by him I upon the statement of M. L?. Rosen I wald that he was square with the I company in Newark. To prove that I he had paid to the company moneys I collected on subscriptions for stock, I he exhibited his checkbook stubs. On I this representation he was checked I out of the office, and left the city. I "Subsequently it developed, by I advices received Friday morning by I Mr. Gregory, that the checks given I the Collins Wireless Company had I been protested. I "The Collins Wireless Company at I Newark was apprised of the condl I tion in which he had left the busl I ness here, and the company an I nounces that every person who sub I scribed for stock, of which subscrip I tions there is a record, will receive I the certificates according to the sub I scrlptlons; moreover, If it develops I that there are persons who have I paid any money to M. I* Rosenwald I of whfch no record exists in the of I flees of ':he company, upon proper I representation every contract will be I filled by the Collins Wireless Tele I phone Company. I "Should Mr. Rosenwald, upon his I arrival at Newark, not settle with I the Collins Wireless Telephone Com I pany, It is a matter purely between I the company and himself, and he I will be h old personally responsible I by the company. "Mr. Rosenwald left Columbia Thursday night presumably to go to Newark, and neither of us is aware that ho has not gone thither accord? ing to his expressed purposes. "It is true that Mr. Rosenwald has left some debts behind him. That Is a matter between him and his creditors, in which the Collins Wire? less Telephone Company has only a caaual concern or no concern what? soever. "Mr. Rosenwald was merely a stock salesman for the company and as such had no authority to contract bills In the name of the company or to their account; on the contrary, he had positive Instructions not to do so. "The story as It appears In an evening paper of this city said in ef? fect that In the last three months $4,000 worth and more of stock has been sold in this State for which Mr. ns't at be tliy Country'?, Thy God'l ai )AY. DECEMBER 15 BRUTAL CRIME IN SIYAHNAH. NEGRO SLAYS TWO WOMEN' AND FATALLY WOUNDS THIRD. Sister of Mrs. O. R, L Yicadomini of I Charleston, Her Daughter, Who Was Criminally Assaulted Before Being Killed, and Another Woman Victims of Terrible Tragedy?Axe The Weapon Used?Murderer Es? capes. Eavannah. Ga., Dec. 10.?Victims of a revolting crime, Mrs. Eliza Gribhle, nged 70 years, and her daughter, Mrs. Carrie Ohlander, were found dead in their home, Nc. 401 Perry street, West, here, today, while a third wo? man, Mrs. Maggie Hunter, aged 32, found just inside the front door of the house, is at the Savannah Hos? pital dying. Physicians state that Mrs. Ohland? er was the victim of a criminal as? sault just before she was killed. One hundred and fifty negro men, caught in the meshes of the police drag net through Yamacraw, the ne? gro section of the city, are prisoners in the police station, the theory of the police being that a negro man, having planned an assault upon Mrs. Ohlander, was compelled to commit the other crimes in order to escape. Other arrests will be made before morning until every negro in the city who in any way resembles the de? scription of a negro who during the last three days has been frequently about the premises of the house of the murders is a prisoner. The police believe that this negro, using an axe taken from the wood? shed in the rear of the Gribble home, beat Mrs. Gribble to death, struck down Mrs. Hunter, and after assault? ing Mrs. Ohlander in the wide, long hall way, where the ? bodies were ? found, finished his terrible work by beating in her skull with the weap? on. Mrs. Gribble evidently jvas. attack? ed from behind, as she sat in an easy chair reading. On the floor, he side her body, were found the news? paper she was reading and her spec? tacles. One, or possibly two, blows were dealt her. Her grey hair, blood matted, shows the imprint of the blunt axe. It is probable that Mrs. Hunter was the first to be struck down; that she mot the murderer at the door as he entered and was struck before she could escape. SAVANNAH POLICE BAFFLED. Both Hunter and Walls Are Now Thought to be Innocent. Savannah, Dec. 12.?After obtain? ing from J. C. Hunter, husband of Mrs. Maggie Hunter, who Is dying at Savannah Hospital from blows dealt her by the murders of Mrs. Carrie Ohlander and her mother, Mrs. Eliza Gribble, here Friday atfernoon, the admission that he had visited the home o? his wife, from whom he is separated, on the day of the mur? ders, the police today were compell? ed to eliminate him from suspicion of being the murderer. However, he is being held as a prisoner at police headquarters, and will be until it seems certain that the real murderer cannot be captured. The police today questioned Wil? liam Walls also, who admitted that he went to the house, peered through the closed window blinds into the room of Mrs. Hunter, hop? ing to attract her attention, but he declares he saw no one. This, he says, occurred at the time the two women were lying dead in the house after the visit of the murderer. The "third degree" was administered, and for three hours a rapid-fire of questioning was kept up, but after making those admissions Walls stuck to his story of innocence. The police now believe his story to be true. This leaves but the original the? ory, that the murders were the re? sult of a negro man's plan to attack Mrs. Ohlander. The man or boy who owns a bi? cycle had better not leave It in front of stores or anywhere else on the streets, unless he puts a guard over It. The bicycle thief is abroad in the land and a dozen or more wheels have been stolen within the past month. Rosenwald has defaulted. We wish to say that up to two or three days ago Mr. Hosenwald's accounts with Mr. Gregory and the company were known to be straight and all the business was properly accounted for. The only shortage that has occurred, If a shortage exists, has occurred within the last two or three days/' -?9 - id Truth's." 4**' THE TRI] u 1909 New Sei CLOTH MARKET STRONGER. Cmp Report Added Very Materially To Strength of Demand for Manu? factured Staple?(i?K)d Advance Buetneea, New York, Dec. 12.?The effect of the government report on the cotton crop has been to strengthen the cloth market materially. Sales of print cloths at Fall River jumped from 50,000 pieces last week to 175, 000 pieces this week, and the New York market has been active and strong on convertibles for spot and future delivery. Yarns are much steadier and are tending higher. Merchants expect that curtailment of production will be enforced but they anticipate no larger restriction in consumption If present general trade conditions hold. A shortage of 1,000,000 bales la the cotton crop will of itself force curtailment what? ever may be the effect of necessarily shlgh prices for the finished goods. Jobbers are doing a good advance business and the retail trade is ac? tive in holiday lines. The large job? bers are pretty well provided with merchandise for the initial spring trade, having purchased early, but the question of the maintenance of values is no longer in doubt In any larger way, and as their present stocks are lessened they will be con? tent with present quotations of cot? ton staple goods and are of the opin? ion that prices will rise to a level with higher cotton as the duplicate spring trade begins. RFPORTS OF CORPORATIONS. New Tax Jmw Provides for Full Re? turns. Washington, Dec. 12.?More than 400,000 corporations in the United States will have to make their re? turns in conformance with the new corporation tax. Secretary of the Treasury MacVeagh has issued a very comprehensive statement for the government of those corporation officials. The statement is calculated to cover any questions of classifica? tion and distinction which might r.rise in the making of the reports, and it sets forth in terse language what the government expects. Secretary MacVeigh's statement plainly begins with the ' statement that the government expects returns to be made to conform with the in? tent of the law and that the law had two intents?first that it should be a revenue producer for the govern? ment and second to levy a tax of 1 per cent, on the net income of cor? porations as provided in the law. After a concise definition of what is considered net income with the law the statement says: "It is clear that the purpose of the law was not to put a tax on receipts, but a tax on profits and that the terms 'net income' and 'gross in? come' are used because, while they are practically identical with gross profits and net profits, they are yet more embracive and consequently permit a more comprehensive ad? ministration of the law." For convenience and facility In classification, corpc rations have been divided into six classes. They are insurance companies, transportation companies, manufacturing com? panies, mercantile companies and miscellaneous corporations. The statement makes detailed ex? planations of what can be considered gross income, net income, and de? fines what other terms used in the statements are held to be within the law. Inaccuracy is expected in some of the returns, the statement says, and it is expected they will be from two causes. The first is honest error and the second is intent to defraud the government. Honest errors will be corrected, but any attempts at fraud will be met with vigorous pros? ecution. The regulations do not call for specific methods of keplng accounts or any other particular method of bookkeeping. The requirement is simply that the business transactions be so recorded that accurate returns can be made and verified when neces? sary. Delinquent Tux Collections. Deputy Sheriff Sykes, who has given his personal attention to the collection of delinquent taxes, for which executions were issued, has collected and paid over to the Coun? ty Treasurer $3,0:18.52, and to the City Treasurer $1,096.94?a total of $4,135.46. This is the largest amount ever collected front delinquents, al? though the executions issued were about the same in number as in for? mer years. j The CtvtO League nurse finds she noeds more milk, and anyone willing to give some will please Phone 168. I IB SOUTHRON, Established Jone, 18M ies?Vol. XXX. Mo. 32. SIXTEEN CENT COTTON. PRICE %DAVNC EB $2 a hale LV LKss than two hovrs. Sftecsdatorn I*revcnt More Violent Advances by Selling Heavily to Realize the Profits on Gains. New York, Dec. 10.-? Xot since the Sully boom of 1904 has the New York eo-.ton exchange witnessed a more sensational scene or a more spectact. lat rise in prices than occurred to? day with the announcement of the gewmment crop report. ryith tie galleries crowded with visitors from the South, augmented by friends and relatives of operators and other in? terested spectators, the market soar? ed to a new high record for the sea? son, with gains of more than 32 a bale over yesterday. Both the May and July options touched the high mark of 15.80, both gaining approxi? mately 4 2 points over yesterday's: ? close. Bull brokers prevented a mora vio? lent advance, as they had distributed heavy selling orders every 6 poime H| from 15.55 for May and July. Ti.ey sold enormously, supplying the demand of shorts and also the inrush Df buying orders from Wall street, Chicago and Southern cperators and the local and New England dry goods interests. The market continued in an excited state up to the close, with estimates that 500,000 bales had changed hands in the last hour. May closed at 15.67 and July at 15.74. It was 2 o'clock when the news came from Washington that the gov? ernment estimate was only 10,083,000 baits, the smallest crop since 1903. Immediately there was a tremendous rush of buying. Orders poured in from the world over and prices jumped from 20 to 30 points on the first transactions. Last trades made just before the report was announced were on the basis of 15.50 for May delivery; the next sales were made at 15.70, an advance of 31 a, bale. This was followed by tremendous trading both ways and by rapid fluc? tuations. A break to 15.65 followed, then came the rise to 15.80. July cotton fluctuated along the same lines, while March reached 15.60 as Its. high point and closed at 15.40. The government estimate is about 200,000 bales below the prediction of the most sanguine of the bulls and the action of the market naturally followed. Sixteen cent cotton, so much talked about, was not realized but the market came near it. It now remains to be determined whether the federal estimators have underestimated the yield, as has been the case for the past 10 years. Dur? ing that time the crop has been un? derestimated each year at from 500, 000 to 600.000 bales. 18 cents at new orleans. May Reaches Long Dreamed of Mark On South's Leading Exchange Small Panic There. New Orleans, Dec. 10.?Following the posting of the cotton crop report estimate of 10,088,000 bales on the cotton exchange this afternoon, the future market took a jump which ranged from 26 to 40 points. May cotton went to 16 cents, establishing a new high record for the season. The estimate was about 200,000 bales be? low the predictions of the most san? guine bulls. Anticipating a bullish estimate, the trade started the market toward higher levels several days ago. and the May option yesterday sold at 15. 54, 4 points above the high price of the day before. Yet it was even then far below the level which was accord? ed it today, when it broke all records for the season by going to 16 cents. A majority of the operators had beei tr.'ding on the belief that today's estimate would be between 10,300,000 and 10.600,000 bales. When an esti? mate of 10,088,000 was put out, a small panic ensued and the market went up with a jump. If the property owners on Ca Id well street all agree to denote land for the purpose of widening the street the city will, of course, ac? cept It as the street is not as wide as it should be, but the taxpayers wPl not be able to see that it would be a good movement for the city to in? stitute condemnation proceedings and buy a strip of land for this purpose in the event some of the property owners cannot be persuaded to do? nate what is wanted. The raffling season has come again and the rattle of the bones Is fre? quently heard.