The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, April 14, 1920, Image 1

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THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, EstabliS] Consolidated Aug. 3,1 TRUSTEES UP HOLD CLEMSON AUTHORITIES Investigation of Recent Uprising of Students Concluded With Vote of Confidence in President Riggs Clemson College, April 11.?Presi dent Riggs and Colonel Cummins have been vindicated by the board of trustees. Findings of the board in the investigation asked for by Presi dent Riggs and Colonel Cummins may be summed up in the following quo tations from the official report. "The board expresses its very full est confidence in the veracity, integ rity and loyalty of President Riggs, both to the collegje and its students, and deems it unnecessary to express an opinion touching his extraordinary efficiency, so well known to the peo ple of the State." As to the disagreement between President Riggs and members of the freshmen and sophomore committees. "The board believes and adopts the theory of President Riggs himself, made at the hearing and found in his testimony, as follows: ? "My own theory is that these young men, whether through my mistake of their questions or their mistake in my answers, got mixed in the matter of my approval of this order, or my see ing this order.- with my. not knowing of the order. That is the only theory irpon which I cwf explain it. The rep utation of this tudent body is as dear to me as it can be, to any living soul. >1 would not wish at this time to have you think that the young men of this corps would, attempt, directly or in rirectly, deliberately to deceive you. I asjc you to accept their statements of the conference with the same sincer $ty that you accept my recollections to the contrary/* ? Regarding the charge of harsh and unjust administering of discipline, the board found as follows: ? "The testimony offered to support the charge that discipline had been ^administered harshly or unjustly does fctqt sustain it The character, vera city and efficiency of the" command Ant,' Colonel .Cummins, was not even rajtight into question. The board al ' ff?iw&d; any cadet' to offer complaint) / o^\testimony; against Colonel Cum mins or his assistants. " Frve cadets out of the crops of nearly. 800 offered complaints arid testimony, but it is the belief of the board that every wJfcaMFif jWhn heard "their evidence - was ~cx>nvihced, as the board was, that thtSse complaints were not sustained.'" All the trustees were present, as follows: Alan Johnsf^rie, chairman; -Ex-Gov. R. I. Manning. A. F. Lever, j Henry C. Tillman, W. D. Bar nett. J. B.. Wannamaker. B. H. Rawl, M. L. Donaldson. W. AV. Bradley, I. M. .Maudlin, R, H. Timmerman and J. J. fivana THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS MEETS Great Britain Advocates the Creation of State of Armenia Paris. April.?The fourth public sit ting of the council of the league of nations took place this afternoon in the Luxemburg palace. Leon Bour geois-presided. Frederick A^ L. Fisher, British min ister of education, representing Great Britain, read a report on the Armen ian situation, advocating the constitu tion of a state of Armenia on a free and independent basis. The best means for reaching such a solution, the report said, was the acceptance of the mandate for Armenia by some State under the league of nations. Concerning finanecs, the council de clared that it was disposed to ask its members that measures be discussed ?by which collective guarantee could ?>e assured for relieving the manda tory state of financial liabilities con sequent upon its acceptance of the mandate. The new state, it was said, would need credits to tide it over for the first few years As the league council does not meet again before autmun. it will enter in to communication with the supreme council to ascertain what provisional financial arrangements can be made to facilitate a solution of the Armen ian problem. j Council Bonin-Longare, Italian am bassador to France, read a report on the prisoners of war in Siberia. The council resoived to investigate the facts of the situation and to study n>easures which can be taken to ex pedite the reparation of the prison ers. Baron de Gaiffier d'Hestroy. th" Belgian minister, read a report on the minorities in Turkey, affecting tho fate of 2.000.000 non-Mussulmans. Tho council ajrro<{] to accept a re quest of Earl Curzon of Kedleston. the British foreign secretary, asking the council to consent to guarantee clauses in the Turkish treaty of peac<j now under preparation concerning the protection of minorities. As th<? guarantee clauses have not yet been settled, however, it is announced tha the council had found it impossible to evolve a practical solution until the treaty is finished. Baron Matsui. Japanes ambassa dor: M. Venizelos. Greek premier. Count Quinores dc Leon. Spanish am hassador. and Dr. Gaston da Cunhn Brazilian ambassador, were present et the session. bed April, 1850. "Be Just 881. S I BUSINESS WINS' FIRST BOUT * _ Preliminary Struggle in Threat ened Industrial War Fa vorable Employers ?-! j Cincinnaei. April 10.?In the pre i liminary skirmishes of a threatened j industrial war. big business has beaten 1 its rival trades unions, Royal Meeker, Federal Commissioner of labor statis tics, declared in an address before tho City Club, in which he urged co-opera j tion as the most promising weapon of ; the people in the struggle against high prices. Congress, instead of formulat ing a progressive, constructive pro gram to restore industries, especially agriculture, to stable peace condi tions, he said, is pursuing the policy of scuttle with the most unhappy re sults. / FRANCE NOTI FIED ENGLAND jGave Ample Warning of Neces sity of Occupying German Territory Paris, April 10.?The French note to England on the occupation of Ger man territory, maintains that France gave England ample warning on April 3 that France considered it nec essary to take military steps if Ger many failed to withdraw her troops. In some quarters the French note is considered to have relieved the ten sion. MURDER IN MEMPHIS Physician Kills Policeman Who Was Called to His Home to Stop Family Row Memphis, Tenn., April 12.?Dr. Bu ford X. Dunavxnt killed a ppliceman. who was called to quiet a disturbance in his home. Police declare that Mrs. Dunavant alleged" that her husband threatened her life. MADLi TRAINS M UST MO VE Government Takes Vigorous Ac tion to Prevent Interfer ence With Mail Service Wasiujjgton. April 12.?Vigorous action has been taken interference of the movement of mails, the Post office Department announced here to day. Investigation of the railroad strikes by the senate committee pre sented its report. ? Sentaor Cummins announced receiving assurance from the White House that the names of the members of the Railroad Laoor Board would be presented to the sen ate for confirmation within twenty four hours. ! AVIATOR JUMPED ! TO HIS DEATH -' i Lieut. Richard Wright Dies From Injuries at Camden, New Jersey j Camden. X. J.. April 12.?Lieuten j ant Richard W. Wright, died today as i the result of injuries received Sar j urday when he leaped from a blazing j airplane two hundred feet in the air. I OVERALL FAD IS SPREADING J Business Men of Hattiesburg Buy Workmen's Clothes ! Jackson, Mis?.. April 12.?Hatties burg has organized an Overall Club, j Many business men here are wearing j overalls. I WILL FIGHT ' DRAFT PLAN j Proposition to Make Draft Au tomatic Arouses Pro-Ger man Reed ! ! Washington. April 12.?A sharp j controversy is promised in the sot ; ate over the plan to malce the draft j automatically effective upon the dec ! laration of war. Senator Reed has 'advised the leaders that he and cth j ers would oppo.-c the plan. I WITHDRAW WHEN GERMANS DO j French Government Takes Firm Stand on Occupation of Frankfort London. April 12.?The latest French note says that the French will withdraw their troops from Frankfort ami other occupied cities when Germ iany withdraws from the Rhur region. [Send promlies no further independent 'action hv France and Fear Not?Let all tbc ends Thou A ?UMTER, S. C, WEDNI KENNETH GOSSETT FOUND GUDLTY Abbeville Jury Decides That He Committed Criminal As sault On Girl?Sen tenced 40 Years I Abbeville, April 10.?Kenneth Gos j sett, seventeen-year-old youth, will ! have to serve what is practically a life serttence in the State penitentiary for criminal assault on a sixteen year old-girl, a native of Abbeville. After being- out for four hours and i fifty-five minutes the jury which has* been hearing the case of the Honea Path youth, returned at 6 o'clock a verdict of rape withi recommendation to the mercy of the court, and Judge j Thomas S. Sease immediately pro nounced the extreme penalty of the law?forty years' imprisonment at hard labor. The finding of the jury and the pronouncement of the sentence werq heard in stoical silence by the: youth. Two of the brothers of the prosecu trix were in court, and tears ran down the cheek of the older one. Attorneys for the defendant, who had fought the - case bitterly since last Monday in the face of public in dignation against the crime, appealed for a new trial on the grounds that the court was illegally constituted, and that the venire was not drawn according to the law, in . c?ntra~/'en J tiori to both the Constitutions of South Carolina! and of the United Statea The motion was overruled. They will appeal to the Supreme; Court. ! Hopes It WiU Be lesson. In passing sentence, Judge Sease said that he presumed that the rea son why the jury recommended mercy was because of the extreme youth of Kenneth Gossett. He hoped that the lesson which has been taught In the court this week will have a deterrent effect on others who commit like j crimes. He said that, in passing the sentence, he did. which was in effect a life imprisonment, he hoped' that the prisoner would contemplate on the wrong he had done. There was no demonstration when the " verdict was announced: Thertj was some surprise that . the ' youth should be found guilty. It was thought by many that there might be ah ? acquittal, and it appeared when ? the jury stayed out as long as it did that there might be a mistrial When it became known, that the jury had . agreed the court h?us<- be gan slowly to'fil* up and there was a hush of solemnity as the jury 'filed ! in and announced its verdict j On the same verdict which con J demned Kenneth Gossett was written I the verdict, at the direction of the ? court, which cleared John Gossett, i his twehty-two year-old cousin, who ' was his companion cn the automobil?' j trip of March 14. j The jury could have found Kenneth ! Gossett guilty of criminal assault-or j atte?npted criminal assault, which I would have meant the death penalty, j or attempted criminal assault with I recommendation to mercy, which ! would have carried a sentence of from five to forty years, the same as I in the first count, or of assault of a highly aggravated nature. which j would have carried a verdict of from ; three months to ten years. Arguments are Brilliant, j The arguments this morning were j brilliant efforts by all counsel. Horn j er S. Black well, of Laurens. solicitor j of the Eighth circuit, opened for the I State, and he was followed by Gen j eral M. L. Bon ham, of Anderson, and j his son, State Senator Proctor A. Bon ; ham, of Greenville, of counsel for th<> 'defense. George Bell Timmerman. of j Lexington, solicitor of the Eleventh ! judicial circuit, closed for the State. ' The case went to the jury at 1.05 j o'clock thus afternoon and the verdict I was returned at 6 o'clock. ; The jury was tied up so long be 1 cause it was divided as to whether it 1 should find a verdict of guilty or one of guilty with recommendation to the mercy of the court, it is rumored. Mrs. Gossett. mother of the defend ! ant, held up throughout the trial, but ? when the sentence had been passed I upon him she threw her arms about j her boy. kissed him and prayed over I him. His father threw his arms ' around him and cried, j The defendant's' father and mother 'when homeward bound in an automo bile, passed him as he was being car i ried to the jail. i The defendant left for Columbia on j the 7:10 o'clock train in the custody j of United States Deputy Marshal ! Charles J. Bruce. Deputy Sheriff T. L. ! Cann and Special Deputy Burt Fcr j guson. About a dozen people were j at the station, among them two broth ers of the prosecutrix. PROTESTS HIS INNOCENCE. Kenneth Gossett Declares lie is Not Guilty. Columbia, April 10?Still protesting his innocence and claiming that h< h.-ul boon unjustly convicted, Kenneth Gossett. convicted of. criminal assault with recommendation to the mercy of the court this afternoon at Abhevilie and sentenced to forty years' impri sonment, w.-is 1 routfht to Columbia tonight at 11:^0 o'clock. The pris oner was immediately taken to the State Penitentiary. On the train coming down, the con victed youth made the following brief statement: "I am innocent. 1 hope my God will strike me dead in my 'seat if I had improper relations with that giri. 1 believe that if she were asked to:>ight if I did that she would sav that I dio not I believe that she was ordered Jnis't at be thy Country's, Thy God's a IS DAY, APEIL 14. 1920 THIEF JUMPED FROM TRAIN _ Automobile Bandit Took Long Chance to Escape From Officer ^_ j Columbia, April 9.?A man who} j jumped from a train moving at the j rate of fifty miles an hour to get I away* from an officer of the law, but who was arrested again because of the j fact that the jump broke his leg. has! been held by the Columbia police au-j thorities, but is being returned to j North Carolina today. Governor1 j Cooper having yesterday issued ex-j (tradition for delivery- of the man to; j authorities of Guilford county, N. C. j jThe man's name is W. R. Coatsi and j he is wanted in Guilford on a charge j j of stealing an automobile. Deputy | j Sheriff E. W. Price came for the man, j and the prisoner was delivered to him! by Chief of Police Richardson on the governor's warrant. When Coats was arrested for steal ing the car in North Carolina he wasj taken in custody by an officer and the i two started towards Guilford on ihe\ traim The man got through the car: window and was about to leap to the ground when the officer grabbed him. The train was moving at fifty miles an hour. The man was hanging outside the car window, suspended in the grip of an officer. He rode this way for about 500 yards, until he managed to get a foothold and, . pushing hard against the side of the car, he escaped from the officer's grasp and leaped to the ground. He was later arrested in Columbia. SECESSION IN MEXICO Thirteen States Said to Be In Line With Sonora Against Carranza Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. April 12.?General Fina,- commanding the (first division, army of Sonora, an nounced having received semi-official information that thirteen States' have followed the action of'the State of Sonora in seceding. NO IMPROVE MENT IN STRIKE Some Return to Work in West But More Walk Out In East Chicago. April 12. ?Developments west of Pittsburgh in the Railroad j Brotherhoods strike are regarded as pointing to the gradual solution of J the insurgent forces in the unauthor ized strike, but the situation has as sumed a more serious aspect in the east, where tho trainmen of several districts have joined the walkout. There are numerous reports of de fections in the strikers' ranks from several points in the far West. De jmands of the recognition of a new I union have been presented to the j railroad officials in Chicago. EXTRAVAGANCE IS CHARGED BY REPUBLICANS _ I House Majority Asserts That Secretary Baker Is Re sponsible for $78,000, 000 Waste _-_ j Washington. April 12.?The Nite I publican majority charges that the government lost $7 .000,000 through waste and inefficiency and holds Sec retary Baker responsible, while the Democratic minority defends Secre tary Baker, saying that his record kas a great achievement, as shown ! in the report cf the investigating I committee on the building of the war j army camps. The minority declares jthat the average time of construction I of each building in sixteen canton ! ments was forty-six minutes. j EXPLOSIONS IN GERMANY Big Ammunition Dump Blows Up In East Prussia* London. April 12.?Explosions in the munitions dump at Rotenstein. East Prussia, which killed seven and injured 200. are continuing. Armored cars are necessary to approach the scenes. to say what she did." The Gossett youth matntalr4e.i ih~ rrvno impassive demeanor on the *m.:n that characterized his benavior d uing the trial, oceupied hi* time in looking out of the window and chat ting with the guards. At on:y one time did he show emotion, and that was when he stated that he never had on idea that he would be eonv ict cd Then his eyes filled wlt i t< ars Kenneth Gossett. in addition to having driven a public sen-ice car in Anderson and Greenville, stated to night that he was employed by a Col umbia transfer company and drove a public service car in this city for five months, during the latter part of 1919. ud Truth's." THE TRUE vSC A BIG TRIP FOR SHRINERS Many South Carolinians Will At tend the Imperial Council In Portland Columbia, April 8.?Enough appli cations for South Carolina reserva tions to fill two Pullman cars have been made for the meeting of the Imperial Council of the Shrine, to be held in Portland. Oregon, June 22, 23 and 24, and thousands of Shriners from all parts of America will attend this great gathering. South Carolina will be represented by eight official delegates, but if the railroads can fur nish accommodations others will at tend also. Solid trains will operate from many sections. At the meeting in Portland, char ter will be. secured for the new Shrine Temple for South Carolina. | j This is to be the Al Araf Temple, and j more than the required number of I members have already been se j cured. j Another great convention in June, j to be held also in Portland, Oregon, will be the national gathering of the T: P. A. Many South Carolinians are expecting to attend this gathering. STRIKE CALLED IN IRELAND Trades Unions Quit Work as Protest Against Treatment of Prisoners Dublin. April 12.?The officials of the trade unions congress and labor party have called a general strike of workers throughout Ireland tomor row as a protest against the treat ment of political prisoners. STRIKE AT NEW ORLEANS One Thousand Switchmen Walk Out on Demand for More Wages New Orleans, April 12?A thous and switchmen will strike tomorrow unless 1heir wage demands are met, jthe Yardmen's Association announced today. AFTER FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Representatives of Big Money Powers Want Congress to Order Probe at Once Washington, April 12.?The house j rules committee wil be called on to ! decide whether congress shall investi j gate the Federal Reserve system. .{ Representative King. Republican, is j urging the immediate adoption of an j investigation. He declares that sev j enty-five per cent of the high cost of i living is due to financing speculators 'and hoarders. MAN HUNT IN MISSISSIPPI Entire Population of Marion Searching for Killer of Girl I Marion. Miss. April 12.?Practical | ly the entire population of this city is 'hunting an unidentified negro. believ I ed to have killed the daughter of a I white farmer. j The automobile thief who stole and j got away with an Essex car belong ing to Mr. H. C. Bland on Saturday j night. April 3rd. has been located, and I is now under arrest for automobile I thefts committed prior to his coming i to Sumter. He is the man . who was j arrested in Columbia a few days ago. i aftt having escaped from an officer I by jumping from a moving train. He j was taken to Greensboro for trial for j car stealing in North Carolina. He is said to be a professional car thief j with a long list of charges against ] him, and if he is convicted on all the ; charges that the North Carolina au ! thorities have docketed. Mr. Bland j will not have a chance to prosecute ; him. The man, while working as an 1 automobile mechanic in Sumter pass ; ed under the name of Martin, but ! he was arrested as Coats, and both names are supposed to be aliases. Martin or Coats jumped from Sumter to Savannah, Ga.. and made a quick ; trip, having stolen Mr. Bland's car j about 8 o'clock Saturday night and ' being in Savannah Sunday afternoon. The Essex car bas not been located and it is doubtful if it will l>c recov ered, as it is stated that Coats is a ! member of a gan^ of ear thieves that has been operating out of Greens i boro, N. C. and Savannah. Ga.. and 'he probably passed the car on to one ! of hi* confederates somewhere be tween Sumter and Savannah. Reports in respeet to the damage done cotton by the cold weather last week are contradictory. Some farm er* sav that the eotton that was up was scarcely damaged at all and they will not replant: others say that all that hey had up was killed and they I will replant. GERMAN LE] Premiers to Give: Situation in Gei Confer* Paris, April 10.?Probl* from the German, situatic precedence at the Allied: conference at San Remo, accojj Echo de Paris. An answer wilri en to Germany's demand for t ?months extension of the pei lowed for reducing for her THE OVERALL CL1 Birmingham Business Men ing Speetacular Stunt to? Fight High Prices Birmingham, Ala,, April 10. the deim" is the slogan \>f Birni ham's Overall Club, with a mem ship of nearly 3,000, including officials and even a dignified judge* the fight against the high cost clothing. Reports that overalls na? been raised from $2 to $6 . cansed storm of protest, and measures for prisals are being considered.^. , jj$S| PALMER INVES? GATES STRIKE Attorney General Confers With ^ Assistants Who Are/In Touch With Situa- 1 tion "Washington, April 12.-r-AttQrn?jr General Palmer conferred today with his aides who have been in.VcJose touch with the strike situaHo^; ^Sen ator Cummins, chairman ot .l^ft: in vestigating committee,* Vice "President Doak, of the Trainmen's Brotherhood,, discussed the situation withVSe^rc tary Tumulty. '? Mails going ^n^ arV delayed on account of the strikK NEW YORK SUF- ? FERS FROM STRIKE Passenger Service Mamtaiisfed On Some Roads But Sit uation" Is '?rissf^%^? New York, N. Y. April 12. York today struggled itself thtpl^h the unauthorized railroad strides. Some passenger service is being m^h tained and food and milk trains reach the city. Railroad officials say the* situation is grave but if they weathei* today it will soon approach nonhitL Strikes on the Hudson. tubes stfll tie up commuters. The Chicago express, abandoned yesterday with 250 pas sengers, and the mail express, whfio the crew attended a meeting of the new union at Port Jervis, reached here more than ten hours late. It is predicted that the federal authorities might take cognizance of the delay. WRECK ON ELE VATED ROAD Car Load of Passengers Fall Twenty Feet to the Street 1 -_ New York, April 12.?One woman* ! was hurt when front car was knocked j off the eleveated structure through I collision with another train. Fiften passengers, who were in the demol ished car, sifted through the wreck age twenty-five feer. to the street be low. REVOLUTION IN GUATEMALA American Marines Landed to Protect Legation While Fighting Is In Progress ; Washington. April 12.?Revolution j has broken out in Guatemala. Op j ponents of President Cabrera have j gained Guatemala City. ? 'er street j fighting. Advices stated is after j noon that marines had been landed to j protect the American legation. IRISHPICKETS !' BOUND OVER Women Who Annoy British Em? bassv In Hands of Court j Washington, April 12.?Ten Irish 1 pickets have been bound over to fed eral grand jury. The system of county highways comprising about 125 miles and giv ing a hard-surfaced roadway fr*vm Sumter to the county line on each of the \( n main public roads, wil cost a great deal of money?$2,500,000, at the hast, and taxes will necessarily have to be increased. The question that eich property owner will h'tve to settle for himself is. "Am I willing to ray the extra taxes in order to have pirmar.fnt good roads? We ^annot have them without paying for them nt.d io nay for them taxes must bo materially increased.