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OHA NT) JURY COhOsTTTKE AND COUNTY BOARD HKAR STATE? MENT Or W1LLARD MED LETTE. Visit Chalngang lnveo<igatlon State I Stand by Former Do fjot Tally svUh Those hi Published SuUement?Sev Heord. The chalngang committee of the ?rood Jury consisting of Messrs. J. C. Dunbar and O. O. Tweed and the County Board of Commissioners met In the court room thie morning to In? vestigate charges of cruelty to the eonvteoj on the county chalngang by J. H. Holland, the overseer of Ute gang, made by Wlllard Mellette, a former guard of the chalngang. who was rocenth/ dtamlssed by Supervisor Pttp*. On this etand in answer to questions} Mr. Mellette re racted sev? eral of the charges mads In the pub? lished sttaement. but persisted In the statement that several of ths men on the gang had been cruelly heated al? though la on Instance did he point out where the punishment was greater than ths eonvlet deeerved. Ths investigation was opened In the court room by the reading of the statement published In the Sumter Herald and signed "Local." which Mr. Mellette admitted he had written. The statement was as follows: County Chain Gang. Sumter. July II. "The Sumter Herald. "If you will allow me a little space la ons of your columns In The He raid, I will send Just a Una or wo ? to. Boms time ago I noticed a piece ! about some argument on the chain . gang question, and easing the pieces! . that etas written by Supervisor Pitts | sad Messrs. Owens. Dr. Epps and Dr. Burgess. I wish to say that there Is] more to be learned on the subject There has been much talk about the way iumtsr County chain tang has been conducted for ths past ten months. Frequent visits by intelli? gent seen of Sumter and other places have led the chain gang subject to a serious standpoint Everybody knows that Supervisor Pitta has been a very tftsja aJsi faithful man to his county. ^ Is liked by every one. and ws all Jmmm that Mr. Pyts has gut forth every effort la hie power to Its satis fhctery work. - "Now, ths supervising of the works h) not all. There la much talk here Of late about the way the negroes or convicts are treated and handled, we know that ths darkies are much bet ter looked after than ever before. So j far as having a plenty to eat three times every day. and sufficient cloth? ing for ths different seasons of the' year. But for ths punishment It has never before been as severe sa it has eines changing Superintendents of this work. Now there has been sei oral gupertntendents of the chain I and no two managed this work Some neglected duties that others paid strict attention to. "Now. my way of It would be (If necessary) neglect all other duties and take cars of the darkle, while ho Is la prison. I do not mean to say for one time to totOui sentenced ne? gro alt around afJPBs nothing, but keep htm steady at work. There Is no use of rushing ths convicts to death one or two days, to Anlsh a piece of work. Oqntlemen there should ho a good isvel headed man at the kssd of ths business. There should ho a man of some education, of some feeling. judgment and principle. Boens people might think that. Just] as you are s msn, why you can nan* die a darkle But I want to say that thta chain gang, and all others | can be carried on without being un? merciful and acting towards these prisoners as though they were brutes. Frequent visits to this placs has led me to believe and also see. that thereI has been too much authority used while the supervisor was absent. It seems as If the Superintendent. John Holland. Is slmost too much of a Man to do thie kind of work, he is too h%r<? on theee men. "Now. people need not get it in their heads that you have got to be such a heathen to manage these nesa. Just look back to ths tlms when Mr. D. U. Bruneon snd his fath ?r were Superintendents of this chsln gang. There was nsver a negro whipped unmerciful, nor was there sver a sear left on them, to show how this business la msnsged. and the way it was handled, let some of the grand Jurymen go out and ask these1 prisoners how they are treated now. and when Mr Brunson was Super? intendent, examine thfse men and see how many scars can be found, hy overbearing and severe punishment The leather can be used without the skin being broken and without over? powering these chained negroes, and making two or three hold th#?m acroas s barrel and whipping until the blood streams down their legs, you people can nay what you want to, you need not and ought not enjoy the good roads using built by these darkle* in chains ao much as to neglact looking into this matter. I believe that Mr. Pitta' Intentiona for his county are good and sincere, but at the same time his negroes are not being handled with much feeling and very little Judgment as to what a man can stand from one day to the next, from my viaita to this place I can positively say that. If wa had a Superintendent of the chain gang, with the judgment of the Supervisor of Sumter county, there would not be so much rumor about the treatment of the negroes on the gang. Now, we are not writing this *o Injure any one, for I am, and will ulways vote for Mr. Pitts for Super \isor for Sumter county for miscel? laneous reasons, feeling that our Supervisor will In the near future see where the hanuling of these dark? ies in chains and stripes are too se? vere. "Local." Mr. Mellette told of the whipping given several of the negroes and the reasons for their being whipped, each of them being when he was a guard on the gang and several months ago. He did not at thta time report the fact to Mr. Pitts that he consid? ered the whippings cruel, although he had opportunity to do ao, and he stat? ed in contradiction to statement in the paper that he had never seen any of them whipped "until the blood streams down their legs" as stated in his article in the paper. He was ask? ed by Mr. Pitts who of the "intelli? gent men of Sumter and other places" would corroborate his state? ments and he could not name one. In two instances where he stated the convicts had been cruelly whipped, he stated that he did not think that they had been punished beyond their desert*. Mr. Mellette stated that James Hicks, a negro convict, was whipped because he refused to work and "sassed" the guards and the overseer of the gang. Hicks, who Mellette stated was a "nlggety" negro, had re? fused to allow himself to be beaten and four of the trusties had overpow? ered him, after he had tried to seise a mattock and strike the overseer, who had threatened to kill him, if he did not behave. Hicks had been wearing light chains up to this time, but heavy shackles were put on him at the time. Mellette did not think that Hicks was too severely punished for his offense and he did not see any blood run down his legs. He said that Mr. Holland, the over? seer, was seemingly cool and not Im? passioned at the time he gave the ne? gro the whipping. He also stated that Holland was in some respects very considerate of the convicts, while In others he was not He named as those severely whipped to his knowledge Isham Cobb, Julius Williams, Tom Clarkaon and Robert Anderson. About the time these beatings were given he had seen Mr. Pitta several times each week and had had plenty of opportun? ity of speaking to him privately about the matter, if he had wished to. He thought that Mr. Pitts knew about the matter at the time. In his article Mellette had stated that Mr. Brunson had never given the negroes any cruel beatings, but in answer to questions from Mr. Pitts It developed that he had been present only two or three times when convicts were whip ped and he had never investigated but he had heard It stated, he said that they had not been cruelly beat en. He said that he had never had any cross words with. Mr. Holland to amount to anything and did not have any hard feelings against him. In his published statement Mr. Mellette had written that "there Is no use rush Ing the convicts to death one or two days." In answer to Mr. Pitts' quea tions. he stated as the only time the men had been worker hader than at other times was when the gang was Imoved from Stateburg to Catchall, but he admitted that none had died of overwork and all were apparently In good health the next day. Mr. Pitts Introduced two letters written by Mellette to James Hicks, negro convict now on the gang, cor earning a watch to show the relation between Mellette and the negro. Dr Burgess stated that at timea he had noticed a feling of opposition to him self, when he was called on to visit the gang, and he had been told that It was because some of the guards had been telling the convicts that he was not a capable doctor. Mr. Mellette stated in answer to the question that he had never in any way said an thing in disparagement of Dr. Bur gess to any members of the gang where any of them could hear him. Jailer D. W. Owen told of a plot at the jail to kill him. In this plot Hicks was the leader and chief Instl gator and Cobb and other nognx were concerned. Ho considered Hlckn a bad negro. He also deemed Isham Cobb a bad negro, who also had to overpowered to be whipped. J. Holland told of the whipping of .lame Hicks and isham Cobb for dlsobe dlence, refusing to work and talking buck to the guards. He had never whipped the neejroea unmercifully, nor had he put any of them over bar? rels. There were several long term men on the gang whom he had nev? er whipped and he had always re ceivod instructions to treat the con? victs with as much consideration as possible, to summon medical aid at once when they were in need of it and to give all the best attention during sickness. He referred to the Will Howard case, saying that Howard was a malingerer, always feigning sickness when he was not sick. He referred to Willie Green, who had been given attention when he was threatened with pneumonia, saying that he had been given every attention. Two hours were given the convicts for dinner during the very warm weather. Re? cently Cobb had feigned sickness, when there was nothing the matter with. him. C. P. Barksdale, driver of the road machine, had seen prisoners punish ed, but not too severely. He had seen a number of gangs and had worked on the State farm, and the Sumter county gang was better than most of them. The prisoners were well cared for, their food was of greater variety and their sleeping quarters were bet tar. Dr. W. 8. Burgess, county physi? cian, stated that the food was good, changes in clothing so that the con? victs would not sleep in their wet clothing he had made were adopt? ed, thus lessening the danger of pneu? monia, and the men were generally in good physical condition. There had been considerable, sickness recently which he thought was occasioned by the change from the sandhills of Stateburg to the lowlands of Shiloh. Negroes with contagious diseases had been isolated and were being given the latest and best treatment for the dis? ease and the camp was kept in a san? itary condition. He referred to the many fatalities from pneumonia and the two cases which had proved fa? tal recently. He had felf a feeling of distrust of him for a while back, which recently seemed to have been overcome. Mr. J. H. Sumter stated that he had been clerk to the county board for several years and that he had un? der Instructions from Mr. Pitts al? ways given prompt and efficient at? tention to the treatment of the con? victs at all times. Mr. W. S. Burkett told of having been told of the trouble with Isham Cobb at the time it occurred, when the negroes were working on a road near his place, and he had told Holland that if he did not conquer the ne? gro then, he might as well give up his job. Mr. P. M. Pitta stated that he had been five and a half years supervisor of Sumter county and in that time he had always endeavored to have proper food, clothing, sanitary pro? visions and careful treatment of the convicts. He had heard the com? plaints of the two negroes, Hicks, who had shown him where he had been beaten, and Cobb, and told them that he did not consider the punishment too severe. He was always willing to hear the complaintc of the men on the gang. He told of the departure of Mr. Brunaon from the gang and his placing Mr. Holland in charge in his place. Mr. Brunson had asked that Cobb be made a trusty the morning he had left, while Cobb had made the same request a little later. Mr. Pitts had refused the request at the time from Cobb, who had immediate? ly become sullen. Mr. Pitts stated that he had always found Mr. Holland a man of coolness and firmness of char? acter as well as a man of good Judg? ment. E. T. Mlms, another member of the County Board, stated that as soon as he had seen the article in the paper he had visited the gang and, while Mr. Holland was away, had talked to members of the gang, who stated that when Mr. Holland first came on the gang he had been somewhat rough, but that everything was going on smoothly at the present time. He thought that Mr. Holland was making a good overseer. At Unat time when he had told of the articles in the pa? per, Mr. Holland had at once asked him to make an investigation of the condition of the men, but he had not deemed it necessary. Mr. Mellette, upon being recalled to the stand, stated that he had left the gang on June 19th and the letters to Hicks had been written afterwards. At this point the hearing was clos? ed and it was decided by the mem? bers of the grand jury committee and of the county board to get dinner and to visit the gang In the afternoon und to personally Investigate the physical condition of the convicts for them? selves. New York Cot ton Market New York, July 23. Opening Close. Jan.12.35 12.61 Mar.12.40 12.66 May.12.61 12.76 July.12.30 a-2.47 Oct.12.28 12.40 Dec.12.42 12.67 Cleveland, July 23.?Twelve babies have died during the last two days from extreme heat and there have been several drowr.lngs. The tem? perature is reaching a hundred and over daily. DR. J. H. MTOH SHOT. Seriousness of Injury not Vet Ascer? tained?After Struggle Assailant Flees with Shout "Now You Won't Bother Colie Tomorrow"?Physi? cian Fires at Man a* lie Scales Fence. Columbia, July 23.?Dr. James H. Mclntosh, well known Columbia phy? sician, was shot and perhaps serious? ly wounded by an unknown man, who attacked him shortly before 2 o'clock this morning as the physician was re? turning home along Marion street af? ter a visit to the Knowlton hospital. According to statements by Dr. Mc Intosh the assailant, after a struggle fled over the wall of the Presbyterian churchyard, shouting as he scaled the wall: "Now, you won't bother Colie tomorrow," or "Now, Colie won't be bothered by you tomorrow." Dr. Mclntosh recently has been brought forward into the senatorial campaign, Qov. Blease having said that he expected to invite the doctor to be on the stage at today's meeting wuen he would answer the question asked at Greenville, as to his state? ment regarding the condition of R. A. Richey, who was paroled by the governor. There is no clew to the identity of Dr. Mclntosh's assailant. The wound be man describes him as being small, about 120 pounds in weight, dressed in dark clothing and wearing a cloth cap. Bloodhounds, summoned from the penitentiary, arrived some time after the shooting. By-standers had been kept away from the part of the wall which the assailant had scaled in his escape. The trail, therefore, was rel? atively easy. The dogs followed the trail through the graveyard to Bull street and thence down that street to the cor? ner of Bull and* Pendleton streets,. There the trail was lost, about half way across Pendleton street. Dr. James Mclntosh, father of Dr. James H. Mclntosh, this morning made the following statement, as re peated by his son when he reached Knowlton's hospital after being shot: "Dr. Mclntosh left Knowlton's hos? pital about 15 minutes to 2 o'clock this morning. As he was passing along Marion street by the First Presby? terian church a man stepped out] from behind a large tree and called "Hands up,' presenting a pistol as he did so. Dr. Mclntosh grabbed the pistol and grappled with the man. In the scuffle the pistol was placed against Dr. Mclntosh's stomach and fired on time. Dr. Mclntosh stag? gered and fell to the ground. Im | mediately the assailant left, crossed the sidewalk and jumped the fence, saying, 'Colie won't be bothered with jyou tomorrow.' Dr. Mclntosh got his own pistol out and fired twice as his assailant got over the fence. An in? stant later he fired the remaining three chambers to attract attention The attacking party disappeared through the Presbyterian graveyard. "Dr. Mclntosh has never been in the habit of carrying a pistol, but be? ing suspicious for the last three nights that he was shadowed he had taken his pistol along with him. "The bullet struck in the right side Just over the liver. The seriousness can not be determined until a thor? ough examination has been made which is now in process." Dr. Mclntosh was taken to the Knowlton hospital, and there he was given medical attention. A prelimi? nary examination led to the an? nouncement that it was probable that the wound was a flesh wound, only, and that his recovery was likely. Among the first persons to reach the wounded man were Dr. R. A. Lan? caster, B. F. Auman, J. R. Shepherd and a number of others who hurried j to the spot from their homes. The | shots and Dr. Mclntosh's cries for help alarmed the neighborhood and in a few minutes many persons were at hand. The physician was perfectly com? posed, according to those first at hl3 side, and at once described the af? fair, saying he had been to the Knowlton hospital and was returning home, walking on Marion street be? tween Washington and Lady. In front of the First Presbyterian church, his statement continued, a man with leveled revolver sprang from the shadow of a large tree and called on him to hold up his hands. He grappled with his assailant and struggled for the possesion of the weapon, which was discharged, the bullet entering the abdomen on the right side four inches above the navel and forcing an exit on the left side. Dr. Mclntosh fell but drew his own revolver and llred a number of shots, the unknown man disappearing over the churchyard wall and crying, with an oath, "Now, you wont bother Colie tomorrow." To the first person on the scene Dr. Mclntosh described his asallant as a man of small physique, weighing prob? ably .125 pounds, wearing a cloth cap and dark shirt and evidently wearing shoes with soft soles or rubber heels as his footsteps were hardly audible as he ran. SOUTHERN IMPOSED UPON. DVLANF/V ON STAND IN COAL PRtitOHT IN VKSTIGATION TELLS HOW SOUTH HAS BEEN 111 KT. Says That Southern Railway Purch? ased Small Lines at Big tout?Says That it Has Been Manipulated Much as New Haven Was in North. Washington, July 22.?Charges that the Southern railway has been im? posed upon much as the New Haven is said to have been through the un? loading upon it of branches of little worth were an unexpected feature to? day in the inquiry which the senate subcommittee is making into alleged discrimination against the Southern in coal| rates. B. L. Dulaney of Bristol, Va.-Tenn., made the charges in connection with an explanation of why he believed the Morgan interest dominated the South? ern railway and directed the action of its officials. He finished his direct statement to the committee today, but will go on the stand tomorrow to undergo cross examination by attorneys for the Southern railway. Mr. Dulaney said he once offered to sell the control of the Virginia & I Southwestern railway to the Southern I for $500,000. A bond issue of $1, 1000,000 stood against the line. His I offer was refused, he said, but later j Henry McHarg sold the line to the Southern for about $0,500,000, with a profit estimated at $4,000,000. The Knoxville & Bristol railway, sold to the Southern for $500,000, Mr. Dulaney said, was offered him for $40,000, and he did not buy because he did not think the line worth that amount. M?v Dulaney testified at length in support of his charge that coal is be? ing diverted from Southern ports. "Coal operators are robbed of their right to do a normal business," he said. "Unless some relief be granted, it will be necessary for independent operators to give up their efforts. They can not meet such unfavorable conditions." He testified he sold the Black Moun? tain railway, a short line tapping the Black Mountain coal field, to the Vir? ginia & Southwestern railway, under a contract with the president of the latter line, H. K. McHarg, providing that the Louisville & Nashville rail? way should have the use of the line. This was done, the witness said, to preserve two outlets to the South for his coal. Mr. McHarg failed to advise the Louisville & Nashville of the agree? ment, he added, and was very angry when Mr. Dulaney gave the informa tion. Rates have been arranged, Mr? . Dulaney dec lared, so the Louisville & Nashville can not move coal from the Black Mountain field south or east from Middlesboro, a condition barring Black Mountain coal from the South? ern field by way of the Louisville & Nashville. A number of similar statements were introduced by Mr. Dulaney in support of his contention that inter? locking directorates in New York arrange and dic tate rates. t * i FAILED IX EFFORTS TO AID CHARLESTON'. Washington, duly 22.?In his testi? mony here today before the senate naval affairs committee on the Till* man resolution investigating discrim? ination against certain Atlantic sea? port cities, B. L. Dulaney of Bristol, Va.-Tcnn., told the committee that he had repeatedly asked the officials of the Southern railway, including the late President Finley, to make Char? leston a port for the outgoing ship? ment of coal, but without success. The Southern railway, he said, claimed lack of funds as its excuse for not erecting the necessary docks and piers at Charleston for handling the coal. He said that he offered to raise the money and build the piers, but the company replied (that it did not think it would be wise to have a private company own these facilities. Then, Mr. Dulaney said, he offered to raise the money and let the Southern railway hold the property, issuing bonds for it. But this, too, was rejected. He insisted that the action of the Southern was part of a plot to prevent shipments of coal from the Black Mountain field, in which he' and other independent operators are interested, for the benefit of the so called "c?al trust." Mr. Dulaney told of selling the Black Mountain road, some 80 miles long, to the Virginia & Southewestern. now a subsidiary line of the South? ern, with the understanding that the shipment of coal to tidewater was to Charleston in particular would be forthcoming. Promises had been made him, he said, by officials both' of the Virginia & Southwestern and of the Southern, before the sale of the Black Mountain road was made. He testified that the disLance from Ap palachla, the centre of the coal field, to Norfolk, Va., by which all the coal is now shipped to .tidewater, is 482 miles, while the distance from Ap palachia to Chrrleston is 4 67 miles, yet coal intended for Charleston is sent down to Norfolk and then by water to Charleston. Greenwood, Del., July 23.?Ralph Freeman was fatally hurt, several stores and ten houses were burned. The loss is $75,000. A Good School For Your Girl ( 1894 ) ] 1914 f Orangeburg College Academic andJunior College work. Excellent health record. Artesian water, electric lights, sewerage inid baths. Carefully selected faeulty of com? petent instructors. Special courses in Art, Expressien, Piano, Violin, Voice, Stenography and Typewriting. Standards high. Prices low. Term opens September 16. Write for catalogue. R. H. 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