The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, April 14, 1920, Image 6
rVHXfE
ied to Ca
Gossett
>ry of
The# trial of
^Gossett, charged
P was begun "nere
morning. Both
not guilty to the
e selection of a j\ry
begun. This was
until 4 o'clock this af
venire having *o be
sides exhausted its full J
ges, the State five and
0. .When court ad journ
ock this afternoon four
the. State had been ex
^Phe trial will be resumed at
^tomorrow morning. The
house could not accommodate
half the crowd here. All
linder 16 years old were excluded,
if alleged crime was committed
afternoon, March 14, when
-year old girls, on their way to
prch, were invited by the Gossett
^ptb take a ride. When they got
r^the church the boys would not stop
'.car, driving to the country instead,
it is alleged they kept the giris
hourSw Only one of ^the giri> is
g charges.
prosecutrix was the first wit
this afternoon. She was* en !he
stand one hour and S5 min
and was subjected to a mos$
jjg&ing. cross examination by Pr-*c
fl&hhani, representing the defense,
wept much of the time she w is
iirying, and her mother swooied
e and had to be taken from the
and given med ical aid.
Climax of Testimony,
.ony of the prosecutrix reach
?lt? climatst when sfie said Ken ieth
t threatened to kill her if she
again to her girl companion,
o was leaving the car an.l thrc.^t
*?j?gr to walk back to Abbeville.
VvThe-.c-ar bad been drivoc. between
f^t and five miles into the country.
3*Be first stop was? made on a bridge
^rhere the party stayed five or ten
minutes. . Here the girls appealed to
th$ boys .to drive back and one of the
i j^fe attempted to crank the car her
?itt but she testified today tnat Ko::?
&?th Gossett removed the switch key
t?d put it in his pocket They then
iroVe about a mile further on and
t&rnied into a side road. Hero a stop
TjfaS- made and testimony was given
b>*.both girls today that Kenneth Cos
i&tt /threatened to keep them there
until,_jii?dnight if the prosecutrix did
n?t set out- and walk with him down
th<i rc&d to find a . place to turn the
car arounti.. it was at this time that
tie younger girl started to walk back
t?^ie city. John Gossett followed her,
the'etwo. returning, to the car in five or
%tr\ ^inutes, -according to the testic
jTicny: ..When they got. back to the car
?fennejth is .said to have told them he
TEas 'not yet ready to go back. The
jo anger; girl started to walk home
Cigain. and went a short distance down
the;: fcad, out of sight of the automo
Wite: John Gossett followed. They
r^stained away 15 or 20 minutes. Re
turning to the car. the prosecutrix
came running to meet them, crying,
and told the other girl, "He has ruin
ed me.", >
y'^'The "prosecutrix testified that Keri
; ,^e?'Gossett had cursed her and held
her in the car. She swore she resisted
fiini-until she was. exhausted. She is"
I subject to spells and she testified that
she became so frightened that one of
these spells came on during the strug
gle and she became 'unconscious. In
fighting her alleged assailant she tore
fcer clothing, her waist came from un
der her belt and her hat was crushed.
She' cried all the way back to Abbe
ville, and told her sister what had
happened as soon as she got home.
J. Olin Sanders, sheriff of Anderson
county, was a witness for the State.
T/be Gossett boys were taken to An
derson when' they were arrested
March 17. The young women were al
00 taken there to identify the boys,
the prosecutrix fainting that day when
she walked into the jail and came faco
to face .with Kenneth Gossett. Sher
iff Sanders said Kenneth Gossett told
him in the presence of three other
? officers that "he took the girl out for
this purpose and thought if the girl
"woilld go riding with him that she was
crooked."
Sheriff Sanders also testified that
Kenneth. Gossett in answer to the
question if he had put his hands on
the gir? said of course he had. when
he went out for the purpose he did.
W. A. C*amp. deputy sheriff of An
derson county, testified in substantia
tion of what Sheriff Sanders had
sworn.
Both Are Sixteen.
Both of the young women are 16
years old, reaching this age last full,
one September 8th and the other No
vember 25th.
Only one juror. M. E. Link, is a,
single, man. Mr. Link is a young far
axter and was the last selected. The
other juorors are married and tho
larger proportion are below middle
age: They are:
T. M- Cheatham, foreman: m.-ung
er of oil mill: J. D. Mundy. farmer:
Cr M. Kay. farmer; Paul Link, busi
ness man; J. P. Gibert. merehfit: L.
G. Sotts. mechanic: J. W. Little. Ct?c
tric power plant engineer: C. A. Smith
carpenter. The defense entered 20
challenges, the slate five, and the
fcourt excusing for cause or setting
aside 14 for different reasons. the
majority of these being occause of re
lation by birth or marriage Cf> the
families of the prosecutrix ;-r the oth
er young woman.
Some of the jurors who were reject
ed were frank in their statements aS
to having formed opinions. V. P.
Jones, insurance man. of Abbeville,
said he could not give an impartial
trial in so far as one of the defeni
lants was concerned.
The jurymen were examined c:i
their voir dire and while W. D. Wil
son was being questioned it was de
veloped that soon after the crime was
committed he had said if on? of the
defendants was* guilty as charged *4he
PRESBYTERIAN
COMMITTEES MEET
No Announcement Made On
Church Union
Louisville. April 9.?Committees of
four branches of Presbyterians who \
conferred here to formulate plans for
closer relations and possible unifica
tion of the churches refused to say
what recommendations they would
make when they adjourned.
! PUBLIC MARKET
I FOR BROOKLYN
Municipality Enters the Fight!
Against High Prices
_ ? I
-
Xew York. April 9.?Brooklyn, as a
i means of fighting the high cost of liv
| ing, will inaugurate a public market
la quarter of a mile long on April
!20th.
SENATE INTER
FERES IN STRIKE
Proposed to Investigate Rail
road Strike
Washington. April 9.?The senate
! has ordered an investigation of the
I unauthorized strike of switchmen and
I railroad employes.
I JOY RIDERS
ARE DROWNED
I . ??
i Four Women Plunge Into Beau
mont Ship Canal
?
j Beaumont, Texas, April 9.?None
of the bodies of the four women who
i were drowned in the ship canal when
an automobile plunged through an
; open bridge have been recovered.
EMBARGO ON
EXPORTS
Strike at New York Has Tied Up
Business on All Lines
New York, April 10.?An embrago
on exports has been ordered, as the
railroad strike gains ground in Xew
York, further tying up of freight and
crippling passenger service on many
lines is probable. It is reported that
a freight embrago might! be required
before the end.
WONDERS NEVER
WILL CEASE
Members of Legislature Refuse
to Accept Extra Pay
Columbia, April 9.?Two SenatorH
and four members of the House of
j Representatives have declined to ac
cept the extra pay voted for legisla
tors by the recent general assembly.
The Senators and members have dub
bed themselves in a few cases, "con
scientious objectors" They opposed
the appropriation of additional pay
for legislators ouring the general as
sembly session and they take the posi
tion now that they do not feel justi
fied in taking the extra checks. They
have returned to the clerks of the
two branches the checks sent them as
"over time."
It is understood that Speaker Coth
ran and Representatives Mower, of
Xewberry, Meares. of Fairfield and
Buckingham, of Aiken. have return
ed their extra checks. Senators John
stone, of Nf.vberry, and McColl. of
j Marlboro, are the members of the up
| per branch who saw fit not to accpet
I the money.
STARVATION
AT ODESSA
j Withdrawal of Allies Leaves
Russian Port In Des
perate Straits
j Bucharest. April 10.?Odessa has
been facing starvation since the with
drawal of the Allies. Great disorder
and distress reign in Southwestern
Russia.
! THIRTY-FIVE
THOUSAND IDLE
I V
I Railroad Strikes Spreading From
Chicago To All Sections
j Chicago. April 10.?Despite the as
sertion of the Railroad Brotherhood
j officials of a break in the ranks of
! Chicago strikers, presaging a return
! to normal, unauthorized railroad
j strikes throughout the country have
[assumed serious proportions, with re
j.ports indicating that nearly 35,000
! men arc idle.
Xew York. April in.? The series of
unauthorized railroad strikes which
have virtual.y paralyzed the freight
transportation system of Xew York
and vicinity has spread today to pas
senger lines.
ought to be lynched." Mr. Wilson arV
mitted saying this, but explained ih.ii
he had said it when the community
was first swept by passion aft???? ihe
crime was committed. He di i :io1 be
lieve in mob law and .--poke hastily
when he thus spoke.
Kenneth Gossett is only is years
old, but is married. Like his father,
lie is a brick mason and is said to be
an efScient workman. W. T. Gossett,
Kcnnth's father laid brick on the
court house in which his son is now |
on trial for his life. Both parents
were at his side today. D. E. Gossett,
father of John Gossett, is also here,
as well as a sister. Mrs. McCulIough.
His mother ?? dead.
JOHN GOSSETT ?
IS FREED
Judge Sease Orders Verdict of
Not Guilty for Older De
fendant in Criminal
Assault Case
Abbeville, April 9.?Direction oZ
verdict of not guilty for John Gossett,
one of the principals in the alleged
ciiminal assault case here, by Judge
Thomas S. Sease late this afternoon;
emphatic denial by Kenm-^h Gos.se,t.
the other principal, that he nad crim
inaliy assaulted the prosecutrix, but
acknowledging that he had become
unduly familiar with her without pro
test from her were the outstanding
features in the trial here today.
There were several differences in tes- j
timony, particularly in the cross ex
amination of the sister of the p?v.se
c'utrix. The testimony of ?he prose
cut rix as to the medical treatment ~>?
her at home before the visit of the
physician on the morning of March
13, about 20 hours after the alleged
crime, was contradicted by the prose
cutrix's siser. The prosecutrix, in her
direct tcseimony yesterday, said that
she had received medical home rreat-i
mcj.t on the night of March IV. The
bister said that this treatment was sicti
administered until after the physi
cians visited h?'r on the morning of
March 15. Dr". Gambrell admitted!
I thai the treatment could have pro
duced a physical condition whiclvj
would appear from criminal assault.!
Jn directing the verdict in the case
[Of John Gossett, Judge Sease took the
position that the testimony yesterday
j of the prosecutrix's girl companion,
when she admitted that neither she.
i the prosecutrix, nor Kenneth Gossett
had requested John Gossett to leave
the automobile at the Long Cane
Branch bridge completely exonerated
the older youth. He said that thej
[fact of John Gossett. going to Green
j,vi!lo under an assumed name, on
which much stress was laid by the1
prosecution, is explained by the nat
ural feeling any youth when excitc-j
.mrnt was rife because of the alleged
'?rime anc* his life might be jeopardy,
lie said ?hat the prosecution had fail
ed to * . oducc. one vestige of evidence
to show that the youth was aiding
and abetting in the commission of the
crime of criminal assault
Spirited Away.
As soon as the judge announced his
decision the lad was spirited but of
the court room by Charles J. Bruce,
United States deputy marshal, placed
in an automobile and when court ad
journed he was out of Abbeville
county. His father, Dolph Gossett, and
his sister. Mrs. Lula McCulIough and
the father and mother of Kenneth.
Mr. and Mrs. M. T. Gossett, were in
j che court room. Tn addition there
I were 75 relatives of the two youths in
! the court room. Members of the fam
I ily of the prosecutrix and her girl
I companion likewise were in the court
i
? room.
j Five other differences in testimony
I other than' outlined in the foreging
iare:
1. The prosecutrix, in her prelim
inary examination which was ma.'o a
part of the record today by the de
fense, swore that she was unconscious
at the time of the alleged crime and
? did not know if she was assau'ted, but
j yesterday in her direct examination,
declared that she was conscious of
what was transpiring and that Ken
neth Gossett assaulted her twice.
2. Kenneth Gossett denied today
that he made the statement in the
Anderson jail, when incarcerated
there, that he told John Gossett and
the prosecutrix's friend if they didn't
leave the automobile that Sunday af
ternoon he would remain out until
midnight Sheriff J. Olin Sanders and
[his deputy, J. W. Clamp, cf Anderson,
swore yesterday that he did make it.
[and they were substantiated today by
j Charles J. Bruce, United Stales depu
ty marshal, and T L. Can*i, deputy
sheriff of Abbeville county John
Gossett today substantiate! his cou
sin's testimony and George Pag?;, chief
j of police at Honea Path v.-bo war
present at tho interview, but didn't
I hear him say it.
3. The prosecutrix. her companion
and iho prosecutrix's sister alleged
! that the prosecutrix's dress was rip
ped and this was denied b* both Ker
nc*h and John Gossett. rnd IZ. F.
Arnold v.'ho saw the girls get out of
f an automobile after the rib. dhl n-M
j notice anything unusual in their ap
! pearancc.
j 1. The prosecutrix and her girl
Companion testified that the former
I cried all the way from the time the
i automobile made its return trip until
she reached home. This was denied
today by the'Gossett boys and W. L.
Tulhis and P. L. Hutchinson, farmers,
who wer.- passe I that Sunday evening
by the car on its return trip, and t hey
statcl that the occupants were laugh
ing and talking. Tullas maintained
thai ho looked into the face of Ken
neth Gossett ami the prosecutrix and
j he s. w no tears or signs <>f emotional
stress.
?". One of ilie most important con
ftra dictions whic h appeared in the. tes
timony today was as to whclh< r Ken
neth Gossett possessed a switch key
to tl i Ford automobile on March 1 f.
George Page, chief of police of Ronen
Path; A. W. Stepp of Honea Path ami
I Herman Moore of Honea I'.'i'h testified
J thai the car did not have a switch
! key. but when necessary i<> stop lh<
fear U must be. choked down, and to be
started musl be cranked. The proso
| cutrlx alleged in her testimony of yes
terday that Kenneth Gossett when h<
stopped tlm cav at the Lone Can"
<"(?<?'?!; bridge put the switch keyj
in his pocket. Both .lohn and Ken-j
ncth Gossett denied that there was ai
switch key.
The tsetimony wras concluded all
3:25 o'clock and the arguments were
begun at t? o'clock. Senator J. How-:
ard Moore, of Abbeville, opened for!
the State, and he was followed by1
James H. Price, of Greenville, for the
defense. The court adjourned shortly !
after 7 o'clock until 0:50 o'clock Sat
urday morning, when solicitor Homer
C. Blackwell, of Laurens. and George
Bell Timmerman. of Lexington, for'
.he State, and Gen. M. L. Bonham, of
rlpdorson for the dcfen.se. will com
plete the arguments, n is estimated
that the ease will go to the jury to
morrow afternoon about 5 o'clock.
An Easter Party.
One of the most charming of -.-'i,
Lhe Easter parties ivas the one given'
Monday afternoon by little Miss Mary
Martha Whined for her Sunday.
School eiass and teachcrvand friends.
it the home of her parents, Capt. and ;
Mrs. C. F. Whitted on South Main!
street.
The little folks gathered at 3:30 1
and were entertained with many {
games. The most unique was the I
fishing pond. The children were told j
to wish, and the fisherman would'
bring each a basket of sugar plums, j
When the pond was drained they were,
invited into the" dining room where!
ice cream and cake was served. The,
favors were little white rabbits.
Those present were Horace Harby,
Jr.. Edna Lamb, Ashteigh Mood, Jr.,
Laura Hester. William Cox. Jr., Mar
garet Bradford, Annie and Elizabeth
Rpwland. Dorothy Allen. Samuel iCoI
crider. Jr., and baby Coleridcr. Annie
and Iris Nabers, A. A. I Towel I, Jr..
Edith Rivers and Baby Rivers. Henry
Grady, Sarah Belvin. Elizabeth Lem
mon, Wilbur and Selma Bcrm?house,
David McLeod, Mary Martha Whitted.
Miss Maud Bradham, Mesdames J.
William Cox. W. P. Rivers. Samuel
Colerider. G. C. Lamb and Mrs. C. F.
Whitted.
Sumter Lyceum.
After strenous efforts, the Sumter
Lyceum committee has been able to!
have Mr. Opic Reed come to Sumter j
on the ening of April 13th. Tt wiil
be reine" ibered that Mr. Reed came
here during the influenza ffuarantine1
and. of course, was, therefore, unable
to speak.
Believeing that very many people
in Sumter are exceedingly anxious to
hear Mr. Reed, the committee induced
the bureau to send him back. Ke will
appear at the Girls' High School
building at 8:30 on the evening of the
13th of April.
Party in Honor of Miss Brcnnan
The boarding pupils .-i" St. Joseph's
Academy spent a most pleasant eve
ning, Friday. April 10th. at party giv
en at the home, on East Liberty street,
of Mr. and and Mrs. John Brcnnan,
in honor of Miss Lelia Brcnnan.
The party began at seven, and ev
ery minute of the following two hours
was filled with fun and frolic. Tin
.merriment began with fhc unusual
littic favors some, of which were
strangely appropriate to the guests.
Then followed : wo contests: Pinning
an arrow on a target and a pipe on a
rabbit's nose. Prizes were offered for
these, which added z<-st to the game.
Besides these, there were other games
all of which tended to make the eve
ning pass happily.
Delicious fruits and candies, with
ire cream and cake ware served in
formally.
The girls of St. Joseph's are grate
ful to Mr. and Mrs. John Brcnnan for
affording them this evening of pleasr
tire: and their cordial manner and
hospitality will long bo remembered
by those who attended,
j The hands of the clock showed nine
land with a final shower of confetti,
the girls of St. Joseph's bade their
I host and hostess "Good night."
Cheek by Growl.
"By taking celo-celery ench morn
ing you will wash nil poisons-from
stomach, leaving it pure and sweet,
u-it'n rosy cheeks."?Dudley (England)
Herald.
Began the Bastille.
April 21 is the anniversary of ths
beginning of the building of the has*
tiile in 1370 by Charles V, who erected
it as a protection against the English.
The prison became famous in French
history and was finally destroyed by
the people in 1789. The. key was sent
by Thomas Paine to George Washing
ton.
Bird Friends of Gardener.
Few people realize the value of birds
in keeping garden insects under con
trol. Even the despised English spar
row sometimes eats a worm. T have
watched them for hours, busily chasin.?
moths which the birds go after with
far more *enry lhan'thcy ever dispiay
in gathering scads.?Exchange.
How to Be Young at 70
or Old at 40, to B?
Told Here by Dr. Geisel
"An Apostle of Health" is the title
bestowed on Dr. Carolyn Geisel ol
Battle Creek, Mich., who will lectun
at the Redpath Chautauqua here 01
"How to Be Young at 70 or Old al
40."
In an interesting manner she makes
a sincere, enthusiastic, logical appea!
DR. CAROLYN E. GEISEL.
to the members of her audience to
i keep their bodies healthy, and she
gives helpful, practical suggestions to
aid them in so doing. Eer lecture
aims not to supplant the physician,
but to supplement him.
Dr. Geisel is a magnetic, dynamic,
lecturer. "A perfect dynamo of pow
er" and "The biggest little woman in
the world" are some of the tributes
accorded to her as a speaker.
Dr. Geisel returned to this country
from a long lecture tour in Australia
just in time to go on the big Redpath
circuit this spring.
- -
v
Old Nsme for February.
The old Britons gave the nickname
"Fildyfce" to February, not because it
is a particularly wet month, the aver
age rainfall being the least of any
month in the year, but because the
melting snow on .the hills causes the
rivers and dykes to overflow. When
there is a superabundance of snow *;nd
j rain in February there is too much ol
! what would be a good thing in modora
j tion. and :!oo<Is where they are ieast
welcome.
"Writer's Cram?"
Writer's cramp has been defined a?
;i disease of those who do too much
writing, especially with the hand too
tightly contracted. A person with this
trouble has not complete control ovei
the muscles of the thumb and middle
and fore fingers, which are brought
into use in writing. The various meth*
6ds of treatment used so far have nol
proved altog?: tfcci* successful. Among
? he methods used are surgical opera
tions and-application of electricity.
The Man and the JL>b.
A job may be too easy or toe hard;
j it may not appeal as it should to our
sense of responsibility, to our am
bition, our loyalty, our honor, our self
respeet. Let us ever remember, how
I ever, that more depends on the ma&
j thfin the .iob. We always bring more
to the job than the job brings to us.
Foundation of True Beauty.
i The truest-beauty arises from a noble
! :haraeter. A soul which is radiant
J rith love and ''.ruth lights even the
j joineliest face into beauty which is not
! transient, but which grows ever deeper
tnd more abiding as the years pass on.
?nonnu air; ifq rxrrq uAiOtis opn^rrcjS
-m oq; a*q pojo^iqtaa oj9ai sa^ol"
jsbi siq 'nmds jo .jaetnezipaBjS
-3u oq) joi .vieAODsio pnu noijtuoul
-s3 03 pojOAop uooq psq oji[ omq.u
s\n 'A^noAes jo eSu oq; iu 'ciudg 'Pliop
?Bn^a 4? poip snquiiqo^ JoqdGjSuq3
'902X jo q+onuo.wi oqj no
in ,snqum?oo
GOVERNMENT
MAY INTERVENE
[f Railroad Strike Paralyzes
Transportation May Have';
to Act /
Washington, April "lO.?Should, the
railroad strike threaten paralysis o?
transportation, the government would
nave to intervene, according to high
idministration officials. The strike., is
lot regarded as having reached that
stage, but officers keeping in close
tuoch with the situation believe that
leaders of the unions will be able to
control them without government in
terference.
RESIGNS FOR
BETTER JOB
Representative From Kershaw
County Takes Place As
County Commissioner
Columbia, April 9.?One member-bf
the general assembly has resigned.
This is Representative Jos. V. Young,
of Kershaw, who has tendered >jj?s
resignation because of the fact that
he has been elected a member of Ute
board of county commissioner of Ker
shaw county, and cannot hold two of
fices. His resignation has been ac
cepted by the Speaker.
OPIE READ NEXT
TUESDAY EVENING
The Next Attraction of the Sum
ter Lyceum
On next Tuesday evening at 8:30 at
the auditorium of the Girls' High
; School building Mr. Opie Heed will ap
pear under the auspices of the Sumter
' Lyceum. It will be remembered that
Mr. Read was to have lectured in Feb
ruary.but was prevented from doing
; so on account ol the quarantine inci
| dent to the prevalence of influenza at
j that time. There are very5 mtt?y who
j are interested in Mr. Read's coming
[and he will doubtless hare .4 very
I large audience. Remember the &me
j anJd place: next Tuesday evening at
I 8:30 at the Girls' High Scho?l.
j VETERINARY
! BOARD APPOINTED
I Horse Doctors Now Have State
Board of Examiners
Columbia, April 9.?Governor C??p
er has named the new State Board-Of
? Veternary Examiners, as created .by an
act of the 1920 legislature. . The
j board is composed of Benjamin Mc
j Innis, of Charleston, who will serve
I three years! W. A. Barnctt, of Green
I wood, to serve two years, and, M. :&<
; Blackstock, of Spartanburg, to serve
jone year. After three years all of the
i appointees will serve for three years.
[ This bard will examine and license,to
j practice in the State veternary sur
J geons and practicians, in the same,
j way as physicians are examined and
j licensed by the State Board of Medi
I cal examiners.
! APPROVES ENG
| LAND'S STAND
! Berlin Officials Express Sa^ifl?
faction With English Vjew
! of French Action
i
! _
j Berlin. April 10.?England's dh$au
j proval of France's action in occupy|pg
I the nteutral zone is hailed by the nows
! papers with moderate expression^ of
i satisfaction.
I KANSAS MINES
j ARE SHUT DOWN
j Forty Mines Closed and'Forty
Thousand Miners Are
Idle $
i , , ...
Pittsburgh. Kans., April 10.?Four
j thousand miners here are idle today,
I coal operators announced, involving
i about forty minutes. Twelve thousand
' workers are employed in this district.
Flooring;
Ceiling,
Siding:,
Casing,
Mouldings.
Framing Lumber,
Cedar Shingles.
Pine and C.\ press Shingles.
r
Brick,
lame,
Cement,
Plaster,
Fire Brick,
Fire Clay,
Sewer ripe.
Stove Flue,
Looks,
Crates,
aterial?
Hardware
Paints, Oils
Metal and Composition Sl?flglcs,Terra Cotta Thimbles
Doors, Sash and Blinds. Mortar Colors and '.Stains
Porch Columns and Balkistcrs, Water Proofing Mineral,
Beaver Hoard, Corrugated*Metal Roofing,
Valley Tin and Kidgc Kol). Asbctos and Composition Hoofing.
WIKK FENCING. IHON AND WOOD POSTS
l WS,
Hatchets.
Hammers,
Door Hangers.
Carpenter's Tools,
Paint Brushes,
Paints and Oils.
Inside Decorations,
Calsomincs and Cold Water Paints,
EVERYTHING FOR
THE HOUSE
ooth
r
cLeod, Inc.
SUMTER,
SOUTH CAROLINA