The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, April 16, 1910, Image 1

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TU*: St MTEU WATCHMAN. Es tab Ii ? onsoliriated Aug. 2, 188 $A)t ('{'l.rr: man uti) Swatbnni Publi-died \\ . I h'-.i.i \ and Saturday ?BT? OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY SI'MTBR, S. C. Terms: 11.50 per minum?In advance. One Square first Insertion.It.do Every subsequent Insertion.10 Contracts for three months, or longer will be made at reduced rates. All communications which sub? serve private Ir.tereeta will be charged for ss advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respoct* wMI be charged for. H\ MMKIMOV NEWS LETTER. Automobile* and Fish Fry* arc Popu? lar at Summcrton. Summerton. April 11.?The South? ern spring being coincident with the return of the planting season is iden? tified largely with renewed activity in the business world; and yet there 1? a suggestion underlying the world Itself that aeems to establish a license for out-dour aports and excursions. Our papers of the past two weeks have with more or less prominence given a place to the accounts of picnics and flan fries. Naturally, so closely ac? cessible are they to several points of interest and quite a number of good fish ponds. Summertonlans are no ex? ception |a llM rule. With rod and creel. In buggy, wagon, and even au tomobl'e they are passing ;'rotn all di? ms en route to various points on the river. Not a great many claim anv unusual luck so far, and with their friends of the farm and garden are anxious for some rain. The above reference to the auto? mobile suggests further mention of Its Ineresalng popularity In this com? munity. Dr. I* C. Stukes is the most recent purchaser; and we must need con dude from the frequent visits of agents that there are others. The local agency received a number of new machines last week, and are en? thusiastically demonstrating. ? News was received here Saturday that the Oeneral Merchandise store belonging to Mr. J. R. Eadon. located a few miles from town, was f eatroyed by fire. Mr. Eadon moved away from here the first of the year, and was doing a nice business down at Car rlgan'a Cross Roads. We understand that he had some Insurance, and hope that his loss Is not \ery great. With deep regret and sincere sym? pathy, we note the death of the youngest child of Mr and Mrs. S. <\ Hogan. The little girl was sick but a few days with some affection of the wind-pipe, and very little hope was given for her recovery from the first. The body was taken to the home of prof, ifn^n near Columbia, and the Int took place there. Hog m Is superintendent of the Summerton Graded School, and he with his wife during the seven months' r- -I lence her" have made manv friends. Mr. and Mrs. Tlogan returned on Saturday, accompanied by the former's sister. Mrs. Suydam. Resulting from the sale of the St-mss-R-.< m business, Summerton is to in e Mr and Mrs. A. A. Strauss who for the past several monttu* hav ? made their home in our midst, r.'rs. Strauss leaves this morning for Sum b r in.I Mr Strauss will follow when business permits. We had hoped fof their per nanent residence here. Miss Mirnie Scarborough of Mm nlng. spent Sunday with her family here. Quite a number of Summerto'dans will VMM ?"harleston this week to at? tend the exercises on the battleship * South Carolina." Dr. C. E. Morris spent a few days last week with relatives In George? town. R. C. Mrs n. (\ Scarborough went to Charleston Inat week for a few davs* stsy. si m in; \\ roMonn i nVVTLY COMPANY. Ifsasfl ? \t Mols? anil T. C. It* Id are the lncor|H>mtOfU, A commission has Maw Issued |o th?? Sumter Automobile Supply Co . to do business on a capital of $:;.0ihi The In-..rporators are Messrs. K. W Molse and T. C. lb Id. The <'ompnny will sell automobiles and automobile supplies and do a general automobile ref?alr business. Nothing of Interest to the genrral public waa transacted by court this week. ?>nly appeals from magis? trate's courts were heard. All the bids put on for the f* ?.?per property on Church and Calhoun streets and Harby avenue wer* re? jected. ShUi April, 1850. Be Just an I. BUI G^RMAOK'^:UeP?M::?. COYER NOR GIVES LIBERTY TO DUNCAN B. COOFER. l\\?N-uti\e \ction Immediately Pol lowed Announcement of Supremo < oiirt's Decision Sustaining Ver? dict, and Document was Signed ion Heading of Opinion was Concluded?New Trial for Robin i\oper. Nashville. Tenn.. April 13.?A sen? sation equalling that which inflamed, In November, 1908, when former 1'nited States Senator Edward Car mack was shot and killed on a promi n??t street in Nashville, was created by the pardoning by Governor M. R. Patterson, today of Col. Duncan R. Cooper, who, with his son, Robin J. Cooper, was convicted of the murder of Carmack. The issuance of the pardon on the Governor's own in? itiative, without a formal petition be? fore him. followed quickly the reading of the opinion of the Tennessee Su? preme Court affirming the verdict of guilty in the case of Col C ?oper, un? der sentence of twenty years in the penitentiary, and reversing the lower court in the case of Robin Cooper, who was sentenced to a like period for the earmark murder. The news of the Court's action and that of the Governor In pardoning Col Cooper spread quickly through the city, causing Intense excitement and heated discussion by numerous groups of partisans. ?Jovornor Patterson wrote the full pardon for Col Cooper and filed It with the Secretary of State, while Thief Justice Reard was yet reading i dissenting opinion In the ea?e of Col Cooper. In a statement given to the press almost Immediately, the Governor said: "In my opinion neither of the de? fendant is guilty and they have not had a fair and impartial trial but were convicted contrary to the lav and the evidence." The conviction and sentence of Col. Cooper was affirmed by a divided Court. In an entirely different line? up of the justices, the Court split as to the guilt of Robin Cooper, by a vote of I to 2, the lower Court being reversed and the case remanded for a new trial. The reversal of the case of Robin Cooper Is based on assignments of error in the trial Justice's failure to charge separately as to Robin Coop? er's theory of self-defense, linking the defence of the two defendants to? gether: excluding testimony of Gover? nor Patterson as to talks with Robin Cooper, and advice given him as to Col, Cooper before the tragedy: and the admission on oros??-oxamlnation of Robin Cooper as to the intent of cer? tain State's witnesses in testifying as to certain Incidents. Col Coopor was stm at the Capital when the pardon was entered in the Secretary of state's office, Tie was si once BUrrOOUnded bj a crowd of friends seeking to congratulate him. lie was calm. and even cheerful, through it all. as If he had received sn acquittal, The reversal in his >n'? case seemed to interest and plf UM him to the exclusion of his own fate. "1 wanted Robin's vindication more than t wanted i pardon,*1 was his smiling remark, when told of the Governor's action In behalf of him? self. Leaving the crowds about him. he entered a carriage with his daugh? ter. Mrs. Lucius E. Rurch. and his ter-ln-law, Mrs. James C. Bradford, and SCCOmpalned by Marshall Robert Marshall, was driven to the county Jail, where formalities In connection with the pardon were gone through with and he was released. He reach t 1 the Jail at 2.20 p. m.. leaving there about 2:30 for the residence of his daughter. Mrs. Durch. Robin Cooper 1H under a ISS.teO bond, His friends freely predict that he will not again be arraigned for trial. Should he be, it would be ? most difficult undertak? ing to secure a jury In Davidson County under the law's requirements. The opinions were read before a c,,tirt room packed to suffocation, the corridors being crowded with those unable to gain entrance. Every word wnn listened to with breuttlleSS Inter? est, and the scene wi;i a memorable one. It marked nn epoch la not only the legal annals of the Sta. ?, but the political ss well, The Democratic part'.- of Tennessee has been rent In? to bitter factions over the prohibit? ion question, and as s wheel within n Wheel, "the Cooper case" has played a * onsplclous part. Cooper Is the close friend and al leged political adviser Of Patterson, Who Is the leader of the ant! prohibit? ion forces in Tennessee, Carmack was the chief of the prohibition move? ment Patterson was a most Import? ant witness for the defence at the trial of the Coopers for the killing of j in a ti id Fear not?Let all the ends Thou A In WTTER. S. C, BATUB DIS! ENSARY IFUIBS W?RM. COMMI88IOX HELD EXECUTIVE : SESSION WEDNESDAY. Membon Apparently Dissatisfied Wltil Status of Carolina Glass Compa.iy Matten? Decrees Aggregating MOO,000 Entered Up Against Whis? key Houses?Attorney Folder Makes Plain Statement?Criminal Prose? cution Probable. Columbia, April 13.?Reversing what appeared to be the sentiment of at least two members of the commis? sion at the morning session, the dis? pensary winding-up commission late today, in executive session, entered up decrees against certain whiskey firms for more than $800,000. The firms named in the list given below are al? leged to have overcharged the State during the days of the old State dis? pensary system, and the attorneys for the commission say that the amounts named represent overcharges for the purpose of paying rebates and com? missions to the State's agents. Dr. W. J. Murray, chairman of the commission, who protested so vigo? rously at the morning session that judgment should not be, entered against the firms unless the evidence were before the members of the com? mission stated tonight that the entries made this afternoon are not judg? ments, but merely decrees by default taken against these firms on the state? ment of the attorneys for the com? mission. The firms not appearing in answer to the notices sent out, requir? ing production of books and other documentary evidence, the decrees w?re entered against them. It was contended by Col. Felder, Of counsel for the State, that the books Of these firms would prove the charges against them. The method of recovering of the amounts against the several firms will be by recourse to the courts. There are no claims against the State by the firms named below and all matters brought up are almost entirely new. It was also learned tonight that Mr. W. H. Songley's testimony before the commission was in regard to the gaug? ing of whiskey. He testified, it Is stat? ed, that the dispensary did not buy on the basis of the regcuge, which it should have done. This matter, it la Stated, affects all the cases. When Col, T. B. Felder, of the At? lanta firm, asked the dispensary com? mission?with Messrs. W. J. Murray, A. X. Wood and J. Steele Price pres? ent?to enter judgment against the whiskey firms that, it is claimed by the commission's and the State's at? torneys, owe the Commonwealth a vast sum of money, a snag was struck in the hitherto rather smooth sailing before the commission. Chairman Murray and Mr. Price declared that they would not vote to enter judgment against these firms unless the evidence were presented to them. There followed quite a discussion along this line, and prompted by Col Polder. Mr. Blice made a motion that the commission SO Into executive ses? sion. It was staed that "as some ot the matters to be considered may he evidence to be used in criminal prose? cution, it would be well f ?r thih to be an executive session." The news? paper men present took the hint, and filed out of the Supreme Court, where usually all sessions are open, and the commission continued its work in pri \ ate. W. H. Songley was a witness before the dispensary commission this after? noon. Nothing was given out as to the matters testified to by Mr. Song ley, Mr. Songley is said to have been an employee at the Rlchland Distil? lery, so it is presumed that his testi? mony was relative to the affairs ot this concern. Mr. Songley was at one time a guard at the Penitentiary Prior to the brief open session of Ihe commission this morning, Messrs. Murray, Price and Wood were *n con? ference with none ot the attorneys present, not even the Attorney Gen? eral of the state. Messrs. Pattonanl MoSween bad not arrived on the B< ene. * What took place at this scssi >m of the commissioners was given to the public only In part. While no state ni??nt wi n made for publication except thai Chairman Murray subsequently related what the commissioners were I inferring about In a brief conversa Carmack, whose death, his friends al? lege, was the outcome of political ma? chination. Now the verge of an , election of the Judiciary, the Supreme Court was called on to pans finally upon the case over which it seems, the party factions have actually align? ed! hemselvcs on one side or the other. Por sixty-nine days the Court had the case and the State has been on the tip-toe of expectancy as opinion da) ? Mine and went its being referred to. is t at be thy Country'.?, Thy Hod's am ID AY. APRIL 16. v.~>\ ; tioM wiih the correspondent for The News ; i.d Courier, it is learned tho: some >f the commissioners are not at all p'eared with the Carolina Glass Compiny proposition. ChiT.man Murray frankly stare 1 ' that lie was not pleased with tho sit? uation. He intimated that on account of the h tter written by Attorney W P. Stevenson to the Carolina GIpss I Company, the commission is bound to take care of the Glass Company as to the funds tied up in the county dis? pensaries. "Yes, we were talking over some matters," said Dr. Murray "We are not satisfied with the Glass Com? pany business, at least, I am not. Mr. Stevenson's letter looks to me as if it Is binding on us." Mr. A. X. Wood, of Gaffney, one of those who conferred today took also, in effect, the position of Dr. Mur? ray. Mr. Wood added that the com? mission knew nothing of the letterat I the time, that the matter was not I brought before the commission. There is now before the Supreme I Court rule to show cause why the I commission shall not be enjoined I from taking for the over-judgment I the Carolina Glass Company, the I funds tied up in the county dispen I saries to the amount of about $6,000. I The following is, in part, the judg I ment of the dispensary commission I against the Carolina Glass Company, I contained in the Injunction proceed? ings papers: "The commission finds that the to I tal amount of sales, after making all I proper corrections therein, made by I the Carolina Glass Company during the entire period of the transactions I with the State dispensary up to the I time it was abolished, was $613,437. Of this amount the sum of $09,108 I was for goods sold during the year I 1906, and the short period during I 1907 during which that dispensary I was conducted, so that the total sales I made by the Carolina Glass Company I during the years preceding the year I 1906 aggregated $51-1,329.90. "The commission finds that, bogin I ning early in the year 1 906, as the re I suit of a legislative investigation made I by a committee appointed by the Gen I eral Assembly of the State of South I Carolina and the resolutions adopted I by the General Assembly relating I especially to the contracts with the I Carolina Glass Company hereinbefore I referred to, the Carolina Glass Com I pany was forced to and did lower its I bids to prices which, during that year I and the short period of 1907, during I which the dispensary was operated. I were substantially in accord with the I lair and reasonable market price of I the goods sold during that period; I but the commission finds that during I the years preceding 1906 the over I c harges made in excess of the fair and reasonable market price for the goods sold was $51,4 32.99. which I should be and is hereby offset against the claim in favor of said I Carolina Glass Company, to-wit. its claim for $23,013.75, which, being de? I ducted from the amount of said over? charges, the commission finds said I Carolina Glass Company to be Indebt I cd to the State of South Carolina in the sum of $28,419.24. 1 "Whereupon judgment is rendered In accordance with the foregoing find? ings. ! "Signed this November 17. 19 09. \V. .1. MURRAY?No. I JOHN McSWEEN?No. i A. X. WOOD. AVERT PATTON, .T. S. RRIOE." The letter from Attorney Stevenson substantially stated that the funds owed the Carolina Glass Company by the various county dispensaries would not be disturbed. This letter and the contention that the Act of 1910 is un? constitutional are tin- main basis of the Carolina Glass Company's attor? neys in the injunction proceedings to be heard on the 26th instant, before the Supreme Court. Around the claii>i of the commission against the Riohland Distilling Com? pany rontres much interest. The com? mission, through its attorneys, are claiming thai this firm owes the State of South Carolina between .<i;O0,00O and $700.000. Col. Pelder today be? fore the commission claimed that the amounts were practically arrived at by an examination of the invoices and comparing these with other bills against outside purchasers just as was dene in the case of the other firms against whom the commission entered ovcr-judgmentfl and deducted sums for alleged over charges. Col. Folder made the statement that the Rtchland Distilling Company was organised for the purpose of plundering the state" and that it sold everything from "knockout" Kin to the other grades of whiskey, although it was established here for the dis tllllng of corn whiskey. Col. Fehler also made the statement that the Information as to over? charges was practically conclusive as I Truth's." THE TRUJ 0. Sew Seri( far as he was concerned. It is under? stood that witnesses have been exam Ined before the attorneys, and that certain affidavits are in hand in con? ti, tction with this claim and others. After naming the owners of the distillery, Col. Felder made the state? ment that certain o.her directors owned stock in the firm. "Name them." asked Chairman Murray. "I prefer not to name them 1 lie." replied Col. Felder. ? It was at this point ..fc-0^ -ld er called Mr. Rr; ,a>- .ae and, after a W?* i ..erence, Mr. Brice me " ^v- ^n that executive sessic .aer of the day. Be? fore t. iion was put two out of the thrc- newspaper men present were out of the room, and in a few mo? ments the commission was alone with the attorneys. In a preliminary statement Col. Felder, after calling attention to the fact that notices had been sent the firms to produce their books, and none had sent them here, asked the commission to enter judgments against the firms in accordance with the Act of 1910. This Act gives the commission the right to enter up judgment by default. At this point Dr. Murray objected to the entering of judgments since none of these claims had been consid? ered by the commission. Mr. Brice also took this position, and the mat? ter was still in statu quo at?the time the open session lease expired. What happened in the executive session could have changed the complexion, of course. Once a list of claims was published, showing the amounts whiskey firms claimed to be owing by the State. Now the commission, through its attorneys, cdaim the following amounts: Elias Block & Son, Cincinnati, $8, 750. Ferdinand Westerheimer & Son, Cincinnati, $2,825. Atlanta Brewing and Ice Company, Atlanta, $8,900. Kohn Distilling Company, Mont? gomery, Ala., $550. S. Grabfelder & Co., Louisville, Ky., $57,568. Eagle Rock Distiling Company, Bal? timore, $3,875. J. A. Freidberg & Co., Cincinnati, $470. Mallard Distilling Company, New York, $15,170. Riehland Distiling Company, Co? lumbia, $672,801.37. Alfred E. Norris & Co., Philadel? phia, $900. Acme Brewing Company, Macon, $15,640. Rosskam, Gerstloy & Co., Philadel? phia, $14,705. Bluthenthal & Dickert, Atlanta. Ga.. $32,469.86. Ma honey ville Distilling Company, Portsmouth, Va., $320. Sig & Sol II. Friedberg;, Cincinnati, $1,000. The destination of these claims will probably be the United States Su? preme Court. There is involved $S00, oro in these claims. Four firms have already been sued in the State Courts. The others will probably also be sued in the State Courts. If they make an? swer they will be subject to the juris? diction of these courts, if not they will have to be sued in the United States Supreme Court. It was intimated today also that there would be criminal prosecutions. SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST BOARD. Card by Hon. Claude E. Lawyer Arouses Interest at Alken. Aiken, April 13.?Considerable in? terest was aroused by an article in one ofthe local papers this morning written by Mr. Claude E. Sawyer, president of the Anti-Saloon League of Aiken County, in which he charges that in the dispensary election held last September, the Legislature hav? ing made no appropriations for this purpose, the dispensary forces had used dispensary funds to defray the expenses of their side of the election and had not paid any part of the op? position's expenses. Mr. Sawyer gives in detail the ex? penditures, as sworn to by Auditor West. The list includes fees for attor? neys, automobile hire to summon wit? nesses at the election towns and Other things that go along with such a con? test Mrs. Robert H. D. Pierce, wife of the American minister to Norway, en - j.os the reputation of being the most successful tisln rwoman who has plied a book in the fords. In the last sum? mer Mrs. Pierce landed a salmon which weighed thirty-six and three* fourths pounds, and in so doing she sprained her wrist, and has been In the bands of an osteopath ever since. Aiken Is to have free mall delivery In a few weeks. rotu E SOUTHRON, Established June, ISM W?Vol. XXXI. 3?. 15. MEMORIAL EXERCISES. MAJOR MARION MOISE EULOGI? ZED YESTERDAY. Sumter Rar Association Fittingly Honors the Memory of One of the Members of the Rar Who Held the Honor and Respect of All. Wednesday afternoon, after the business of court was completed, Col. Col. Richard D. Lee, chairman of the Sumter Bar Association addressed the court and called attention to the fact that since court last met that ono of the members of the Sumter bar had been taken by death and it was his duty as chairman to report the fact. Col. Lee spoke of Major Molse as a boy, as a man, as a business asso? ciate, as an attorney and a patriotic citizen. Space will not permit a detailed re? port of what was said. Eulogies were spoken by Messrs. R. O. Purdy, E. C Haynsworth, Mark Reyr.olds, A. B. Stuckey, A. A. Manning, W. H. In? gram, T. B. Fr?ser, R. D. Epps, L. D. Jennings, R. J. Bland, Geo. D. Levy and M. J. Frederick. They spoke of Major Marion Moise as a man, a citizen, an attorney, either as associate counsel or as opponent, as a friend and advisor, as a patriot and accomplished gentleman. Truly Sumter has lost one of her best and most useful citizens, and each mem? ber of the bar a valued friend. Judge Davis paid a deserved tribute to the memory of the distinguished dead and ordered the following reso? lutions transmitted to the family of the deceased and a page in the min? utes of the court transcribed to his memory and as a further mark of re? spect adjourned the court sine die: "Touching and affecting as he did, every phase of the Civil life of the community, to comment even briefly upon the life of Marion Moise, in its fullness, would be to deal in some measure with the history of the com? munity for a quarter of a century or more. Since early manhood, Mpjor Moise was a conspiclous figure. Coming of an illustrous and gifted ancestry, being well equipped to enter upon the duties of life, he almost at once came 1 into porminence as a lawyer. Gifted by nature, with the added grace of culture, supplemented by industrious habits, he easily attained and held a place in the front rank of his pro? fession. Earnest and thorough in his prepa? ration of causes, he was always prepared, with promptness and zeal, to dispose of the causes committed to his hands. Faithful and diligent at his ofiice, the measure of his success was equal to, and greater than his physical capacity to execute, and he died in the full tide of success, having for years renped the reward of un? tiring effort. * Major Moise was a patrotic citizen, ?himself the son of a great patriot,? he cheerfully and liberally met the j demands of his city and of the State. As a legislator, he was wise in counsel and foremost in promoting the interest of the State, serving in that capacity for as long a time as his business interests would permit. As a citizen, he was foremost in every enterprise for the promotion of the growth of the city and county, not only lending his great financial resources, but his time lid energy as well, and today, many of the en? terprises of the city and county, owe their oxistanoe to his support. When the news went abroad, "Marion Moise is dead!" the commu? nity stood aghast; it could not be real? ized that one of the most powerful^ factors in its midst had been taken away; nor can it yet realize the full extent of the calamity. Hundreds of his fellowmen have already missed the stay of his hand in the times of trouble and of need, the whole community misses him. and not only misses him. but mourns his untimely death. The Bar of Sumter desires to record its sense of the great loss sustained by ifs Individual members and by the profession at large, and it is therefore Resolved: That a page of the min? utes of the Court be inscribed to the memory of our departed friend and associate, and that a copy of these expressions of esteem be presented to the bereaved family. R. O. Purdy. A. R. Stuckey, E. C. Haynsworth. Committee. The ball team from Allen Cidversity spent two days in Sumter, crossing bats with Kendall Institute. The first game resulted In a victory for Allen, the score being 12 to 2. The scejnd game went to Kendall with a score of 1 to 0