The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, March 07, 1917, Image 1
MB ?tWEIt WATCH.MA.V, EaUIDlfahed April, ISM. "Be JuM aad F- -JOt?tte* mU die cad* Thou Almut K br lb; Country*, IV M IMM" TBE TRUE SOCTBBOH, FlUlllhBll MM
Consolidated Av*. 2,1881. SUMTER, 8. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7. 1017. Vol. XLIV. No. 6.
S?IEMCE Bf DEATH PASSED,
ALBAS COOLER AND WILL DA
Tlft) CONVICTED AT RIDGE
UND.
GulHy off Murder of
W. *>. Ttati, Wood Rider for
Club, by Jasper County
After Pedlhcaetlng Four Hour*.
P? t UM
*MA WH Da
March S.?Declared
of the murder of W. D. Thomas
county jury, Aleaa Cooler
were tonight t entenced
f^t die m the electric chair on April 6.
Tp*> verdict was retdrned at? o'clock
t%? Jgry had deliberated for
teure. Attorneys for the convlct
at onco made argumenta for
0 new trial. Judge Moore refused the
saotihu and tmpoaed the death sen?
tence ahortly after 11 o'clock.
Tonight Cooler and Davis are In the
Jasper county jail here guarded by
It deputy abcrtffa Feeling has been
ketsaec during the trial and the au?
thorities are taking steps to prevent
any disturbance of the law's course.
1 W. D. Thoman eras a wood rider for
the 0 hoot es clua. He was found dead
M Use wcoda on December IS with e
seed of buckshot in his head, his horse
being killed at the same time. Cooler
And Parte were arrested charged with
tha crime.
The testimony waa concluded late
hast night and arguments heard this
gaerafasj. Foui hours were allowed
far the two defendants' attorneys and
tiro hours for the State The situation
was peculiar. The State asked for
the conviction of both men while Coo?
ler's attorneys asked for the convic?
tion of Davis and counsel representing
Da via asked for Cooler's conviction,
the fatale being assisted by attorneys
far both defendants.
Cualer and hie son. Owen Cooler,
testified that Davis shot Thomaa. while
Daria placed tha blame on Cooler.
at Cause Quar
Rlvcr Front.
Her IIb. March t.?It la announced
fthere have been violent tnfan
tnfaucemente on both banks of
Ape re, river In northern France,
the British suffering heavy losses and
otxty prisoners. It la also announced
that the Oermaua extensively raided
Qae Russian trenches west of Lutsk in
Velhynsa. Nine armed Russian
steamers have been destroyed by a
Permsn submarine, which recently
sunk them near Hammerfest, ac?
cording to the Overseas News Agency.
Maiding operation* continue on the
Verdun front
Gerard's Ship Safe.
London. March I.?A wireless dis?
patch received from the Spanish
steamer Infanta Isabel, on which
Jamoe W. Gerard, the former Amer?
ican ambassador to Germany and his
party" are passengers says:
"Flrdsterre. 1:30 p. m. Wedne^'.av.
1 Vsawed German danger sone without
Incident. Weather delightful."
The dispatch was sent by the Dally
Mail's correspondent,' who Is on board
the steamer.
FORCES DISAGREE.
CABINET AND PRFJUDEXT IN
?HARP CONFLICT.
to Join United Stales in Scv
Retattona With Germany
Dtvfcaon Premier Quits
Faking, March 4.?The cabinet to?
day deckled China should Join th<
United Btatee In breaking off rela?
tion* With Germany. This decision w i
submitted to the president, who re?
fused to approve the cabinet's action,
snoring soch power rested entirely with
?him. Premier Tunn Chi Jul Imme
dtately resigned and left for Tien Tain
accompanied *?V several other mem
bers ef the cabinet.
The realgnatlon of the entire r^bi
net is expected
Parliament la virtually unanimous
la favor of the opinion of the cabi?
net. The vice president of the repub
He nupport* the cabinet.
An official statement Issued fro?
the president's office says the break
between the prestdont and tho pre?
mier waa due to personal differences
rather than to the foreign policy.
Pr?sident U Yuan Hung has sent rep
reeentatlves to Tien Tsln to induce
vthe premier to return to Peking.
Accordine: to the preeidsnt'a office
the Immediate cause of the break was
a dispatch sent to the Chinese raln
? after at Tokyo, committing China to
a rupture of rotations with Germany
and a union wtth the entente powers
certain conditions.
under
TIE PRESIDENT S POWER.
QUESTION' REFERRED TO AT
TORNEY GENERAL FOR IM
A MEDIATE CONSIDERATION.
President Wilson Wants to Know at
Once If Ho May Legally Proceed
With Arming of Merchant Ships
New Roles for Senate to lie Fram?
ed.
Washington, March 5.?President
Wilson has referred to the attorney
general his doubts as to his power to
arm American ships without direct
authority from congress. Some de-1
cision Is expected within the next
twenty-four hours, becauso he thinks
that the killt'u> of the armed neutral?
ity bill by the senate filibuster be?
fore adjournment yesterday may pre?
vent him from proceeding with such
armament. '
The president advocates an im mo
dlato change in the rules at the spe
oial session of the senate.
The Democratic senate caucus has
been called to meet tomorrow to dis?
cuss tho proposed rule* to prevem
such a filibuster as killed the armed
neutrality bill.
TROOPS ON GUARD.
Washington, March 5.?For the
first time since the first inauguration
of Pr?sident Lincoln troops were used
to guard the line of march when the
Twelfth and Sixty-ninth regiments of
tho New York National Guard took
stations along Pennsylvania Avenue,
between the Whits House and the
capital, through which the president
passed for his inauguration. The
soldiers were stationed eight to ten
feet apart with their backs to the
crowd.
GERMAN PRESS COMMENT.
Newspapers Do Not Seem Parti, ui ul\
Proud Over Intrigue Against 1 nit
ed States.
Berlin. March 3?Via London, Mar.
4.)?Berlin newspapers, which in
' their editions 'title morning, wore per
mltted finally to refer to the propos
ed German-Mexican alliance revela
Hons, do not seem particularly proud
over the matter. The majority con
fine themselves to printing the Ger?
man official statement under more oi
less non-committal headlines. The
Tages Zeitung prints it under u
question mark, while the Vosslsoh*
Zeitung and the Morgcnpost refer to
the conditional nature of the mcas
uro.
Only the Berliner Tageblatt and the
Lokal Anzeiger venture to comment
Tho Anseiger alone supplements the
official explanation with details fron
dispatches received from the United
States.
In Its comment the Anzeiger pic
tures the measure as a patriotic and
proper step of tho government, and
lays stress rather on the American
than the German end of the ^tory,
which it treats as a manoeuver by
President Wilson to force the arma?
ment measure through congress.
The Tageblatt after a brief state?
ment about the conditions In Mexico
emphasizes the point In the German
declaration that the proposal was not
submitted to the Mexican government.
THE PLOT INCOMPREHENSIBLE.
Berlin, March 5.?While some Oer
man newspapers received the news
of the German-Mexican Intrigue, with
Indifference, others have vigorously
denounced the policy of Foreign Sec?
retary Zimmermann. Count von
Reventlow, heretofore an uncompro?
mising advocate of unrestricted war?
fare, In the Tages Zeitung, says:
"Viewed from the angle of those
who hoped for the preservation of
pence on the divided public opinion
in the United States, Foreign Miniate -
Zlmmermann's offer to Mexico Is
wholly incomprehensible. The Unit?
ed States will not forget Germany'^
offer soon."
SOUTH STANDS TRUE.
Washington, March 3.?Ropresen
tatlvo Heflln of Alabama during dis?
cussion of naval bill tonight told
tho house that not one man south
of Mason and Dlxun's line votod
against the armed neutrality bill in
the house. "The South," he said, "\v,m
unanimous in giving this power to
the president of the United States."
Columbia, March i.?J. E. t.
Bowden, mayor of Jacksonville, has
asked Mayor Lewie A. Griffith of Co?
lumbia and Mayor Plerpont of Sa?
vannah to plan a programme for the
Southeastern and Gulf States Mayors'
association to bo held in Savannah
March 13-IS. Mayor Griffith was also
asked to suggest persons to be invit?
ed to read papers.
u Iis in in pit
Delivers Address to Great Crowd in Front
ol Capitol and Then Heads Parade to
White House, Where He Re?
views Inaugural Procession.
Says There Can Be No Turning Back from Policy Announced
and Warns People Against Internal Factionalism. In His In?
augural Address President Points Out Principles Which
Make Americans Citizens of World?Reiterates Statements
Made to Congress.
Washington. March 5.-?Pr?sident
Wilson took the oath of offlce in
public at 12:45, where he deliverer
an addross to a great crowd at the
east front of the capitol. Vice Pres
ident Marshall had been inaugurate !
in the senate chamber a few mknute
before. \
The president touched the interra?
tional crisis when he said, ^Therc'
could be no turning back." He de
clared a new America must stand j
for the stability of free peoples, and
he sounded a warning against intern-'
al factionalism and intrigue.
President Wilson then led the in?
augural procession back to the
White House and there reviewed it.
There were many demonstrations fot
the president on the march back.
Declaring that the last four year*
have seen significant changes in
the "spirit and purpose of our politi?
cal action" and that Americans are
"no longer provincial," but had been
"made citizens of the world" by re?
cent tragic events, President Wilson
in, his second inaugural address out?
lined what the United States should
stund for "whether in peace or in
war."
His principle:* he announced as
follows:
"That all nations are equally inter?
ested in the peace of the work!, sta
?
biJity of free peoples, and the equal?
ity of all nations.
"That peace cannot securely ffedl
upon an armed balance power."
"That governments derive aty their
! Just power from the consent of the
governed and this should be support?
ed by the family of nations.
"That tho seas should bo equally
safe and free for the use of all peo?
ples under rules set up by common
agreement and consent.
"That national armaments should
be limited to the necessities of nation?
al order and domestic safety.
"That community of interests im?
pose upon each nation the duty of
seeing that the activities of Its citizens
to foster revolutions in other states
be suppressed."
PACKING PLANT PLANS.
Contracts Let for Big Orangeburg
Venture.
Orangeburg, March 3.?The con?
tracts for the erection and equipping
of the Orangeburg Packing CO'l
plant is to be completed by Oc?
tober 1, 1917. For the past three
days the offices of the Orangeburg
Packing plant have been flooded with
agents of various companies for the
purpose of submitting bids. The of?
ficial* of the packing plant have been
giving all their time to going ovei
these bids and have had the assistance
of their architects, Wilson & Som
payrac of Columbia, and D. E. Wash?
ington of the Packer's Architectural
company of Chicago.
The successful bidders were: Build
ing, McKenzie Bullding company, Au?
gusta; packing house equipment. Tlv
Brecht company, St. Louis; refrigerat?
ing equipment, Carbondale Machim
company, Carbondale, Pa.; engine
Skinner Engine company, Erie, Pa.
'?'Oilers, Bass Manufacturing company
Fort Wayne, Ind.; tower and tank, R
O. Cale Manufacturing company
Newman, Oa.; generators, motors
switchboards, Wcstingh ouse Electric
J company, Pittsburgh; steam and pip
Uttings, W. B. Oulmarln company, Co
lumbia; insulation, Armstrong Corl
j company, New York; elevators, Oti
j Elevator company, New York.
Would Forbid Liquor Shipments.
Washington, March 1.?Practically
universal prohibition against inter
state shipment of liquors Is provided
for in a bill introduced today by Hep
rosentatlve Abercromhie, of Alabama
It would make it unlnwful to trans
port Into or from any State or terri?
tory or District of Columbia any in
toxicatlng liquors except for sciontifh
sacramental, medicinal, pharmnceutl
; cal or mechanical purposos, or for us<
' in tho arts.
WILSON TAKES OATH OF OFFIGE
FOR SECOND TIME HE IS SWORN
IN AS PRESIDENT.
Oath is Given by Chief Justice White,
Who is First to Congratulate Exec?
utive?Repeated in Ilia Room at
Capitol?Will be Taken Again To?
day.
Washington, March 4.?President
Wilson took the oath of office for his
I second term at noon today in his
room at the capitol and will be for?
mally inaugurated tomorrow with pub?
lic ceremonies reflecting a great na?
tional expression of Americanism.
Before a desk piled with execu?
tive business laid before him In the
closing hours of congress, and sur?
rounded by members of his official
family, the president reaffirmed with
uplifted hand and grave features his
promise to uphold the constitution in
whatever crisis may confront the na?
tion in the momentous future.
After he had repeated solemnly the
oath taken llrst by Washington a
century and a quarter ago, he kissed
the Bible at the passage reading:
"The Lord is our refuge; a very
present help in time of trouble."
Chief Justice White administered
the oath and was the first to extend
hia congratulations. Wringing tho
president's hand the chief justice
looked fervently into his face for a
moment, and then said brokenly:
"Mr. President, I am very, very
happy."
Members of the cabinet then crowd?
ed up with expressions of regard. Mr,
Wilson received them with a smile
and then turned back to his desk to.
complete his interrupted task.
There were no preliminaries to the
simple cermony which marked the
formal beginning of a new presiden?
tial term. Accompanied by Mrs. Wil?
son and Vance C. McCormlck, who
managed the president's campaign fo
re-election, Mr. Wilson had come to
the capitol two hours before to clear
up odds and ends of the executive
business passed on to him by the ex?
piring congress. Secretary Tumulty
and most of the cabinet member:* hi* d
gathered in the room while tho presi?
dent worked. As he took the oal1,
Mrs. Wilson stood near him, droasc
in mouring because of the recent
death of her sister.
Mr. Wilson was sworn in at 12:03
p. m., a few minutes after congress
had adjourned. With a stern inflec?
tion in his voice ho repeatod the oath
as It was read by the chief justice:
"I do solemnly swear that I will
faithfully execute the office of presi?
dent of the United States and will, to
the best of my ability, preserve, pre?
lect and defend the constitution of the
United States."
James D. Maher, clerk of the su?
preme court, held out the Bible used
by Mr. Wilson when he was inaugu?
rated as governor of New Jersey. The
congratulations of the chief justice,
members of the cabinet and several
senators who were present occupied
but a few minutes and soon after Mr.
and Mrs. Wilson left the capitol.
PRIZE OFFERED BOYS.
W. C. T. U. Gives High School Hoys
of Sumtcr County Opportunity to
Win Reward.
The Woman's Christian Temper?
ance Union of Sumter will present a
beautiful medal to the boy who writes
the best essay about alcohol and the
human body. This medal will be
given at the field day exercises. The
exact subject and all contest ruins
Will be mailed to the teachers of the
rural schools in a sliort time. Wo
earnestly hope that the teachers will
cooperate with us and will help their
boys in collecting facts.
Panama, March 3.?There is no
substantiation here for tho rumors
that there is a German submarine
base in the Gulf of Darlen.
W. C. T. U.
SENATE HELD BY FILIBUSTER.
TWELVE MEMBERS LED BY LA
FOLLETTE AND FELLOWS
PREVENT MEASURES
PASSING.
Armed Neutrality Bill is Not Allowed
to Pass Because of Delay In Upper
House Which is Characterized by
?Hitchcock as Most Reprehensible
Course in History of Any Nation
Measure Die9 With Senate as Time
Limit Expires.
[ Washington, March 4.?Twelve
senators led by Senator La Follette
and encouraged by Senator Stone,
Democratic chairman of the foreign
committee, in a filibuster, denounced
by President Wilson's spokesmen as
the most reprehensible in the history
j of any civilized nation, defied the will
I of an overwhelming majority in con?
gress up to the last minute today and
denied to the president a law author?
izing him to arm American merchant
ships to meet the German submarine
menace.
Unyielding throughout 26 hours of
continuous session to appeals that
their defiance of the president would
be humiliating to the country; un?
compromising in a crisis described to
them as the most serious to the nation
bince the War Between the Sections,
La Follette and his small group of
supporters refused a majority of their
colleagues an opportunity to vote on
the armed neutrality bill and it died
with the Sixty-fourth congress.
To fix responsibility before the
country 7G senators, 30 Republicans
and 46 Democrats, signed a manifesto
proclaiming to the world that they
favored passage of the measure.
The text of the manifesto follows:
"The major.*? of United States
senators favored the passage o? the
senate bill authorizing the president
of the United States to arm American
merchant vessels, a similar bill al?
ready having passed the house by a
vote of 403 to 13. Under the rule*
of the senate allowing unlimited de
? bate it appears to be impossible tc
I i obtain a vote previous to noon Marcl
1 4, 1917, whe;. this session of con
? gress expired. We desire the state
ment entered on the record to es
tablish the fact that the senate favor
ed the legislation and would pass It ii
a vote could be obtained."
Thirteen senators declined to sigT
the declaration, but one of them
' Senator Penrose, Republican of Penn
1 sylvania, announced that he would
have voted for the bill had opportun
1 ity been afforded him. The 12 whe
i went on record with the 12 member;
of the house against granting tc
President Wilson the authority h?
1 asked from congress in the crisi?
were:
' Republicans: Clapp, Minnesota;
Cummins, Iowa; Gronna, North Da
; kota; Kenyon, Iowa; La Follette, Wis?
consin; Nortis, Nebraska; Work*.
California?7.
Democrats?Kirby, Arkansas ; Lane,
Oregon; O'Gorman, New York, Str?ne,
Missouri; Vardaman, Mississippi.?5.
Associated with them in opposition
to the armed neutrality bill were the
following 13 representatives who voted
against the house bill Thursday night:
Republicans: Benedict, California;
Cary, Wisconsin; Cooper, Wisconsin;
Davis, Minnesota; Helgesen, North
Dakota; Lendcnberg, Minnesota; Nei
son, Wisconsin; Stafford, Wisconsin;
Wilson, Illinois.?9.
Democrats: Decker, Missouri;
Bhaekelford, Missouri; Sherwood.
Ohio?:?.
Solialist: London, New York?1.
STEALS CAR, SMASHES IT.
Negro Takes Ford Automobile of R.
C. MacNeal and Runs it Against a
Tree.
Saturday afternoon a negro whose
name has not yet been found, took a
Ford automobile belonging to Mr. R.
C. MacNeal from on Liberty street
near tho City National Pank and it
was later discovered on Washington
street, where it had been run against
a tree and badly damaged. Tho n?
gro was said to have been seen by j
several persons when he got out of
the car, after smashing Into the tree.
He went off leaving the car. and the
police have not yet found him.
The whole front of the car was a
wreck. Tho engine was driven under
the seat and the windshield, lamps,
radiator and fenders were broken by'
the blow. The tree, a big oak, show?
ed signs of the collision and the
ground round about it was strewn
with glass.
Botanists are unable to discover
from what plant the aborgines of
America developed the potato, for It
is not found growing wild anywhere
in the world.
BIS GERMAN SPY PLOT.
PLAN TO SEND MEN TO ENGLAND
AS NEWSPAPER CORRE?
SPONDENTS.
Were to Find Out Information?Fed?
eral Grand Jury Returns Indict*
mcnts Against Two Men in Nevf
York. ,
New York, March 2.?Participation
in an elaborate spy plot organization
to send men to Great Britain under
guise of being American newspaper
correspondents, but whose real pur?
pose was to serve as spies and supply
Germany with forbidden information
as to civil and military conditions in
England, wa3 charged against Albert
A. Sanier, Carl W. W?nnenberg and
i George Vaux Bacon in Indictment*
I found here today by the federal grand
jury.
Arrangements were made in this
citj, the indictments allege, by which
this information could be sent out of
Great Britain through the use of a
writing fluid which remained invisible
untiL certain chemicals were applied
to the paper containing the writing.
Bacon, it is charged, was hired to go
to England as a supposed newspaper
correspondent.
He was supplied by Sander and
W?nnenberg, It Is charged, with
names and addresses of persons in
Holland and Denmark, to whom let?
ters on apparently trivial subjects
could be written in visible Ink, while
information of military value coula*
also be written in the Invisible Ink, to
be forwarded to Germany.
It Is alleged that Bacon obtained
an American passport and succeeded
in going to England and carrying out
the plans formulated in this city. The
information thus transmitted, it it
charged, had to do with sailing of
merchant ships, conditions under
which the civil and military popula?
tion of Great Britain were living, the
. apparent amount of food available
i there and the amount of distress that
? might be caused by prevention of
?I passage of ships to Britu n ports.
i- Bacon, it is set forth, was given at
? least $1,000 to defray his expense.
It was said additional indictments
? have been found against other Ger
? man agents in this city to be filed
f when expedient. The grand Jury is
to continue its investigation of spy
i evidence.
Sander and W?nnenberg late today
. were relased under bonds of $0,000
1 each.
GET MAIL DELIVERY.
Lake City and Mullins Profit by Or?
der.
Washington, March 3.?Congress?
man Ragsdale has secured an order
from the postoffice department begin?
ning mail delivery at Lake City end
Mullins April 1.
London, March 2.?An Amsterdam
report says that Emperor William hi
I suffering from a severe chill. Al
| though his condition is not causing
? anxiety, his doctors insist on great
! caution.
URGES VOTES FOR WOMEN.
PRESIDENT EXHORTS TENNES?
SEE SENATE TO RECONSIDER,
Says Democrats are Bound to Prtn
epile of Equal Suffrage by State
Action fn Party League
Washington, March 3.?President
Wilson telegraphed the president of
the Tennessee senate today express?
ing an earnest hope that the vote by
which that body killed a woman auf?
finge bill a few days ago would be
reconsidered.
The measure already had passed the
lower house of the legislature and the
president said he felt the upper house
was shirking a moral responsibility
when it refused to accept it. The tele?
gram follows:
?Hon. W. K. Crabtrec.
"President of the Tennessee Senate:
"May I not express my earnest hope
that the senate of Tennessee will re?
consider the vote which It rejectod
the legislation extending the suffrage
to Women? Our party is so distinctly
pledged to Its passage that it seems
to me the moral obligation is com?
plete.
"Woodrow Wilson."
London, March 3.?Reuter's says
the Greek steamer Proconnlssor,
which had been requisitioned by the
Greek government to go to America,
for five thousand tons of grain for
the royalist population of old Greece,
has been sunk by a German tubma.
rine. ?
- . -*j*J