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THE SUMTER WATCHMAN, Esti CONSOLIDATED AUG. 2,1 GIANTS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS _ Eighth and Deciding Game of Series Was a Pitcher's Eattle Between Nelf' and Hoyt _i_ New York, Oct. 13 (By the As sociated Press).?World cham opions, 1921?the New York Nat ional League Baseball club. The Giants won the title, which will be theirs for the next year, by defeating the Yankees in the eighth game of ?he world series at the ? Polo Grounds today. The Ameri can league champions died fight ing hard in a classic twirling duel } between their pitchng ace, "Waite '' fioyt, and Art Nehf, the Giants' star left hander. However, they locked the .necessary punch to win, the National League team taking the game by the score of 1 to 0 and the series, five games to three. The Giants' victory gives Man ager John J. McGraw his second world's championship team. The New York Nations, seven times pennant winners under McGraw's management, captured the world's series against the Athletics of the American league in 1905, but, al though winning the bunting five times since they have been baffled every time until this year in their quest for world honors, twice bow ing to the Athletics, once to the Red Sox-and once to'the "White Sox in other combats. This year with a National league entrant that has shown its high class*-by" com ing from behind late in the pennant race and beating the Pittsburgh pirates to the flag, the world's se ries told a different story: /Off to a poor start through their loss of the first two games of the series, the Giants gamely came back, speedily evened up the series" and then, with but a slight let wp while getting their second wind, rounded into the stretch with a rnsh' and pushed through with three straight victories to their final triumph. In every victory, except today's, they eame from behind to win. Thus one of the best and -most hotly, Contested series" in: the history of the sp?rt was won cleanly, and, in the final analysis, decisively, by a club whose" gameness and alii ' around ability of the highest grade j will be generally conceded. As for the underlying reason forj the success of the McGraw men the experts may differ, but thore seems little cause to doubt that the most widely propounded opinion will be that it was because of a preponder ance of high' class pitching ability. The series showed but two of Manager ljuggins' twirlers capable of pitching winning ball?Mays and "Hoyt?while the Giants put forward a trio of master workmen in Douglas, Barnes and Nehf. Outhit by the Giants in nearly every game and by many points in the series as a whole, the Yankees none the less made a hard fight of ) it by their smartness in manufac turing runs out of scant material and the superb work done by Mays and Hoyt* in six of the eight bat tles. Their championship craft went down with flag flying and to night their supporters were ten dering their condolences over the loss of the series with congratula tions upon the showing the Yan kee players had made in the first world series a New York Ameri can league team has ever earned the right to compete. As for the final and decisive game of the se ries, the winning of it was due to the superb pitching of Nehf against a moundsman to whom he had twice lost decision earlier in the se ries. Allowing the American league batsmen but four hits, none of them better than singles and three of them coming with two men out, the crafty soutnpaw again and again turned the Yankees back in order or baffled thi?r determined efforts to put across the solitary run for which they were struggling all through the contest. Hardly a wit less creditable was the performance of Hoyt, the Yan kee youngster. Hoyt was in trouble in several innings, but except in the fatal first when the Giaits scored their only tally on two pass es and an error, he worked him self out brilliantly, once with a fine running catch by Fewster to help along. Toward the end he was go ing stronger than ever, retiring the Giants in order in the eighth and ninth. The game, won by the Giants in the first inning, was probably sav ed for them in the ninth by as brilliant a fielding performance as has been seen on the diamond in many a day. One Yankee had been retired in the final game. This one was "Babe" Ruth, again in uniform, but confining his ac tivities heretofore in the game to the coaching lines. The Yankee fans, who had been for eight in nings watching thai one lonely tal ly of the Giants loom larger and larger, picked up hope and cheered wildly as the "Bambino" stepped to plate to bat for Wally Pipp. The home run king made a valiant try hut his injured arm had taken the power from his swing and the best he could do with Nehfs puzzling delivery was to ground weakly to Kelly. Aaron Ward was more for tunate. He waited out Nehf, who had been somewhat wild for sev eral innings, and finally walked. Frank B?ker, a^ain in the line iblished April, 1850. 881. HENDERSON FACES WATER _FAMINE City Council Asks Re ceivership for Wat er Company as Means Toward Re lief Henderson, N. C, J. H. Bridges, president, and Alderman Hunt were named as receivers for the Henderson Water company by Judge Calvert at a hearing on the petition of city council for a re ceivership for the company as a means of getting relief from the imminent water famine. No rain since July and the main lake from which the city receives its supply has bee:: dry for two months. ? ? ? Brotherhood Chiefs in Conference Plans Being Made to Make the General Strike Effec tive Cleveland, Oct. 17.?The first conferences on the plans for effect ing the general ral broad strike have begun. Warren Stone, presi dent of the Brotherhood of Engi neers conferred with Vice Presi dent W. G. Lee, president of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, directing the plans and conferring. The proposal of the public group of the labor board to reduce freight rates to prevent a strike is not feasible, Stone declared. I*ee said understanding v/as a twelve per cent reduction last July would be passed to the public. The broth erhoods have a fund of two million dollars which is insufficient for a general strike of any length, said John Gr?nau, president of the United Association of Railway Employes of North America, the leader who authorized the switch? men's strike last year. He added he does not believe there will be a walkout. O. J. Luhrsen, presi dent of the American Train Dis patchers* ? Association, said lhat or ganization would keep its "skirts clear." T"' '~'T up in place of the injured McNally, came'next. With the count 3 and 2 he met one of Nehf's offerings squarely. It shot towards right field, skimming the ground far to the left of John Rawlings. The rap looked like a sure hit and with Ward legging it for third it promis ed to put the Yankees in a tavor able scoring position if it got by. But i;. did not pass. Throwing himself at the skimming sphere Rawlings, amid amazed gasps from the crowd, reached out and clung to it with his left hand. Rolling ovea: and transferring the ball to his right hand Rawlings made the throw to Kelly at first while still on the ground, getting Baker by several feet. It was then Kelly's turn, and with a lightnin?~ like and accurate throw he shot the ball across the diamond into the hands of Third Baseman Frank Fisch. A cloud of dust flew up over third as Ward slid into the bag. From the midst of it Umpire Quigley's form emerged, his right arm flung forth motioning the runner out. The double play had been completed, the third Yankee of the inning had been retired, the game was over and the Giants had won it and the world's championship. The Giants' winning run in the first was scored without the aid, of a hit. With Burns disposed of at first and Baker fielded his ground er to Pipp, Bancroft walked on five pitched balls. He held first while Frisch was fouling out to Pipp and went to second as Hoyt, with the count 2 and 3, walked Young. There was sharp protest by Hoyt on the fourth ball, with which the young twirler insisted he had cut the plate. Whatever difference of opinion there might have been on this point. Umpire Chill's decision nat urally went. With Bancroft on second, Kelly sent what looked like an easy grounder to Peckinpaugh. With the third out in sight, how ever, Peckinpaugh let the ball get through him and Bancroft started from second as the bail was hit. scoring easily before it could be re trieved. Rawlings. besides making the most spectacular fielding play, led his side at bat with two slashing doubles and a single. None of these, however, influenced the re sult. The game was played before the smallest crowd of the series. The morning was cloudy and raw. al though the skies cleared early in the afternoon and the atmosphere warmed up somewhat. There was tumult and shouting a plenty all through the contest and a last, overpowering exultant yell from the Giants' supporters as the final dazzzling play was flashed and the game and the series ended. The hitting battle of the Meusel brothers, in which the price of a family Thanksgiving dinner was at stake, was won by Emil of the Giants. EmiTs batting average for the series was .345 and that of Bob .200. In 2'J times at bat Emil scored four runs and made ten hits for a total of 17 bases. Bob. in 30 trips to the plate, scor ed three runs and made six hits for a total of eight bases. Each stole one base. "Be Just and Fear 3 ONLY MIRACLE CAN PREVENT BIGSTRIKE Union Leaders Going Ahead With Details j of Nat ion -wide Strike?No Talk of Compromise Chicago, Oct. 15.?(By the Asso- j ~*2+*A PiyssV.?More than half a miiixuju American railroad men were today ordered to initiate a strike October 30, while other unions, whose membership bring the total to about 2.000,000, an nounced unofficially that they wTere tonight preparing to follow suit and make the walk out general j on the same dates. Under this program the tie up would be complete, according to j union predictions, by November 2. The first strike Wi fxed for C a. m. October 30, ex-^pt one Texas j line, whose trainmen were author- >. ized to go out October 22. The railroads listed in the first j group on which the strike is to be come effective touch 42 of the 48 states with a trackage of 73,000 miles out of the total United States trackage of approximately 200,000. The New England states com prise the group that is virtually untouched in the first walk out. The strike orders were issued to the big five brotherhoods, oldest and most powerful of the railway unions, and they specifically in cluded mail trains in the walk out. Their provisions instructed strik ers to keep away from railroad property with a warning that "vio lence of any nature will not be tol erated by the organizations." j The strike was announced fol [ lowing an overwhelming vote said j to be upwards of 90 per cent, fa I voring a strike because of a 12 per j cent, wage reduction authorized by j the United States railroad labor board July 1, and after it was de clared by <the association of rail way executives in session here yes terday that a further reduction would be sought by the railroads. It was said that the strike decision was made before the announce ment of this further intended cut. Printed instructions for the con duct of the strike issued in Chic ago j were dated yesterday, October 14. : "I fear it will be one of the most serious strikes ir American trans portation history," said W. G. Lee, president of the railroad trainmen, who during recent weeks has sent circulars to his men warn ing them of the critical nature of the steps they contemplated. The country was divided into four groups, in which the men were proposed to walk out pro gressively, one group every 24 hours. The names of the groups were not made public, but unoffi cially the identity of reads in the first group to go was learned, sub ject to changes, which, union of ficials said, would be few. The first group included some of the country's greatest rail systems, from coast to coast and from Can ada to the Gulf. These were: Chicago & Northwestern, Tex as & Pacific, Kansas City South ern, Pennsylvania, Missouri Paci fic, International & Great North ern, Southern Pacific (Atlantic and Pacific lines), Southern ?aii way, Louisville & Nashville, St. Louis Southewesterrt (if Texas lines included, not stated), Chi cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul (lines | east and west), Northern Paciuc, j Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. J Seaboard Air Line, Frie, Chicago j Great Western and Virginian rail way. The unions issuing the strike call today were: Brotherhood of Rail road Trainmen, 3rotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engine men, Order of Railway Conductors. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi neers, Switchmen's Union of North America. The 11 other organizations, whose chiefs have been in session here, said unofficially that they would join the strike are: Sheet Metal Workers' International alliance, International Association of Machinists, Brotherhood of: j Railway and Steamship Clerks, ! j Freight Handlers. Express and j \ Station Employees, Brotherhood of j j Stationary Firemen and Oilers, j j Brotherhood of Raliway ?ignal- i men ot America, United Brother hood of Maintenance of Way Em ployees and Railroad Shop Labor ers, Order of Railroad Telegraph ! ers, Brotherhood of Railway Car i men of America. International ; Brotherhood of Electrical Work- j ers, Internatioal Brotherhood of | Boilermakers, Iron Shipbuilders and j j Helpers of America, International j ] Brotherhood of Blacksmiths, Drop 1 j Forgers and Helpers. Five hundred general chairmen j o fthe big four brotherhoods and; j the Switchmen's Union of Amer I ica were on their way home to- j j night from a week's conference in i . Chicago with the signed authoriza- ; j tions for a strike in their pockets, j No further orders will be neces- j j sary, the brotherhood chiefs said,: to call out railroad workers on ev- j cry big line in the country. Grand i officers of the brotherhoods left for 1 Cleveland tonight. Printed instructions were hand ed every signal chairman to gov< rn the men's conduct. These author- j ized a progressive walkout, the first at 6 a. m. October 30, to be j followed by the other three secret groups each 24 hours October 31 j and November 1 and 2. Every I Sot?Let all the ends Thou Ainis't t Sumter, S. C, Wedn< TO AVOID THE STRIKE ?????. If Railroads Will Re-1 duce Freight Rates Workmen May Ae-i cept Wage Cut Washington. Oct. 16.?Imme diate translation of the reduction authorized last July in wages of railroad employes into reduced freight rates was suggested by the public group of the railroad la bor board tonight as "one feasible plan by which the present contro versy can be settled and a strike averted." ? "Jf the railroads will immediate ly in good faith, adopt this sug gestion," the public group said in the lirst statement issued since ar rival in Washington, "the situa tion can be cleared up, freight rater, reduced to shippers, the coet of living reduced to consumers, and a stimulating effect exerted upon all business." Under the plan suggested by the public group, the railroads would withdraw their request for further wage reductions, until freight re d/ictions have been completed, and ''pending action of the board on j such petition for further reduction as the carriers may subsequently submit" the unions would with draw the strike order. Railway Company Files Protest Objects to Valuations Made of Its Property by Interstate Commission Washington, Oct. 17.?The Chi cago, Rock island and Pacific Rail way filed with the interstate com merce commission ?i protest against valuations made of its property by the commission for rate mak ing purposes. It is expected this will result in a long legal battle. chairman carried in a sealed pack age a code word for use if theJ strike ia-callcd off. In event of W?" ceiving the code from headquar ters, each chairman is to open his packet to identify the word. No reservations are made in the strike authorization. Skeleton ser vice, outlined in the by-laws of the unions, is to be maintained, but otherwise every man is expected to walk out. The instructions declare the men have "identically the' same right to refuse to perform service 03 a mail train as you have to perform service on a freight train." Arriving at their espective headquarters, general chairmen of the brotherhoods and switchmen will immediately issue system or ders over the general chairman's signatures, carrying the hour and date of the strike. These orders will go to local chairmen who will pass them to the rank and file. Warren S. Stone, grand chief of the engineers, declined to com ment on the conference of this week. He said an announcement might be made from the Cleve land office later. "We're all through," Mr. Stone said. "I can't tell you anything new, but the die is cast." W. G. Lee, president of the j trainmen, said he had used every influence to avert a strike On the basis of a 12 per cent wage re duction of July 1, 1921, but that he felt any further reductions would justify a walk out. 'T want it understood that I used every influence to avert a strike on the wage reduction of July 1," Mr. Lee said. "I pre ferred to accept that reduction with an assurnace that there would be no further wage reduction or change in our working rules for a reasonable period. ? "I felt that if the railroads got through present business condi tions they would be i-: a position to pay the present rates of pay." Mr. Lee refused to comment on the strike orders, although he ad mitted that he had already sent out one authorization to strike to trainmen on the International and Great Northern. Trainmen on this road which operates between San Antonio and Palestine, Texas, asked to strike at noon, October 22. independently of the other groups. Mr. Lee gave his assent several days ago and it still stands. The road, however, is Included in the first group schedule to walk out, and the trainmen may defer action until October 30. L. S. Sheppard, president of the conductors, said he could say noth ing, reiterating his announcement of several days ago that no offi cial statement would be given out here. T. C. Cashen, head of the swi h men. and W. S. Carter, president of the firemen, declined to make any comment. While only four of the big brotherhoods and the switchmen's union have actually mailed the strike call, the employees' depart ment, American Tederation of La bor, known as the federated shop crafts, is acting in concert with them. The shop crafts, 43f>,000 of whose half million members were the first to vote to quit work, embraces organizations of the ma chinists, boilermakers, black smiths, sheet metal workers and carmen. [ tin it be thy Country's, Thy God's and jsday, October 19, 1921 LEADERS ORDER _STRIKE; Railway Brotherhoods Have All Plans Made to Tie Up Transportation On October 30th Chicago, Oct. 1G.?An alteration today in details of the plan an nounced for a progressive national strike of railroad employes, order ed to begin on October 30, today gave the Eastern States at least two days of grace before the pro posed walkout would become effec tive in that region. The Pennsyl vania and the Erie roads, included originally in the first group on which the strike was ordered, were removed from that list, thus ex cepting at the start all states east of Chicagro and north of the Ohio j river. The San Diego and Arizona Rail road was added to the first of the four groups into which the unions have divided the roads for strike j purposes and it was decided to or der the three succeeding groups i out at forty-eight hour intervals Instead of twenty-four hours apart. I Under this plan, with the men on! the roads in group No. 1, walking j out October 30, the strike would j be in full effect November 5. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad also was dropped from { the first group according to the list given out by union leaders. , These changes were said by i union leaders to complete assign- j ment of roads to the first group on { which walkouts would take place j i and the following was made known as the official list of carriers In that group: I \ Kansas City Southern, Missouri I pacific, St. Louis Southwestern; {(Cotton Belt), International and j JGreat Northern, Texas and Pacific, I j Southern Pacific (Atlantic System} I Including Houston, East and West, { \ Texas and Houston, Texas cen-1 ^;ral), Southern Pacific (Pacific System), San Diego and Arizona,; P Chicago and Northwestern, Chi- | Sago, Milwaukee and St. Paul (Ex-; Bept Chicago, Terre Haute \ and ! fll'Wthrntrrnl Nnrtfraw m Pnrlflr i Southern Railway (lines East and j West) Seaboard Air Line, Virginia J Railroad, Chicago Great Western, j Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, j While no official information was I forthcoming as to what group the j Pennsylvania lines would be placed j in it was understood they would be assigned to group No. 3 on which the walkouts are scheduled to start November 3. All walkouts are scheduled to begin at 6 a. m. Standard time. The transfer of the Pennsylvania lines from group 1, was unexplain [ ed by union leaders, but caused considerable surprise as the road { has been considered by the unions j as the most antagonistic of any to j them and it was believed that the J first strike would be ordered on it. j By midnight tonight Chicago had been deserted by virtually all 1 of the leaders of the Big Four brotherhoods and the Switchmen's Union of North America, the or ganization in which an official strike call actually had been issued, and the hub of the situation was being transferred to Cleveland, where the presidents of these five unions will meet Tuesday to com plete the grouping of the railroads and settle the final details of the proposed walk-out. The union forces gained strength today when Thomas M. Pierson, vice president of the Order of Rail way Telegraphers, announced that the 81,000 members of his organ ization positively were pledged to strike, and that they would make every effort to completely tie up the country's transportation sys tem. "It is our aim to tie up transpor tation so completely that it will be impossible for a train to move," said Mr. Pierson. "If every tele grapher quits work that will mean that no train orders can be sent, and train service necessarily will be at a standstill. There is no question but what we will order our membership out on October 30. but the final instructions prob ably will not be issued until Octob er 21." Differences between officials of the railroad telegraphers, however, regarding '.the order's status in connection with the strike were disclosed in a statement made by E. J. Manion, president of the or der, who, on being advised of Mr. Pierson's announcement, declared the vice president had not been authorized to give any statement whatsoever. "The policy of the Or- j der of Railroad Telegraphers has not been formulated and will not ! be known until October 21," Mr. I Manion declared. The shops crafts unions, com prising about 476,000 employes, to day deferred the formal issuance of a strike call pending a meeting j to be held here Wednesday, but their leaders have officially an nounced their organizations will be called out, and that the delay in sending out the call has been caus ed purely by the time needed to j draft the final plans and orders. At the same time, however, the j shop crafts leaders have made it' known that, while they will go out I with the brotherhoods and .the j switchmen, they are not pledged to stay out after their own grievances have been satisfactorily adjusted. B. M. Jewell, head of the Rail i froth's." STRIKE ON ATLANTIC COASTLINE This System is Includ ed in Second Group and Men Have Been Ordered Out No vember 1st Chicago, Oct. 17.?The second group of railroads affected by the walkout orders of the five brother hoods which will affect every sec tion also begins November 1st. It includes the Atlantic Coast Line. The third group scheduled to leave their jobs on November 3rd, remainder November 5th. Official Interest in Strike Railroad Labor Board Trying to Find Means to Prevent Stoppage of Transporta tion Wsahington, Oct. 17.?Official interest in the impending railroad strike is centered in the reaction of executives and union chiefs to a proposal of public group railroad labor board of a plan to prevent stoppage of transportation. Various government departments began a survey of situation de veloped by strike call. '"The mails will be moved," said Postmaster General Hays. ? ? ? Some Opposition To Strike Some of the Big Five Do Not Favor the General Strike Chicago, Oct. 17.?Union chiefs said the leader of some of the elev en railroads organizations not included in "the big five" are still opposing the strike." Whether this will result in a break between the two groupsjwiU not be determined until a meeting of" the chairman later in the week. Railroad officials expressed assurances that the strike if made effective would not stop transportation. iji ^ 4} i Hughes Calls Second Meeting Washington, Oct. 17.?Secretary Hughes called the second meeting of the American delegation dis armament conference for Friday subject to the convenience of Sen ators Lodge and Underwood. Run Over By Automobile Washington, Oct. 17.?Senator McKellar, df Tennessee, was run over by an automobile om Pennsyl vania Avenue in front of the White House. He was not seriously in jured. When he saw the auto mobile would hit him he dropped to the pavement, escaping the full impact. SLAYER OF HICKMAN GETS LIFE SENTENCE Jacksonville, Oct. 17.?Frank Rawlins, the slayer of George Hickman, was sentenced to life im prisonment. , way Employes Division. American Federation of Labor?which com prises the shop crafts?said that his men would have never been called out independently on a question of wages alone. "Acting independently, our men never would go out on a question of wages," said Mr. Jewell. They will fight to the last ditch, however, for their rules and for fair working conditions?matters of principle? but the executive committees of the shop crafts were very much opposed to calling a strike on the wage question alone." Mr. Jewell referred to the re cent decision of the shop crafts executives not to call a strike on the wage cut ordered July 1, by the United States Railroad Labor Board, although the men had vot ed by an overwhelming majority to strike rather than accept the cut. Mr. Jewell indicated that final instructions to men under him might be delayed until after the Pennsylvania Railroad hearing be fore the labor board scheduled to commence October 20, at which time the board may determine whether the carrier has violated the hoard's order directing a new election of shop crafts representa tives to negotiate working rules with the management. The controversy grew out of sep arate elections, which the board declared void. It ordered new elec tions but they have not been held. The shop crafts consider this case as a fight against their fight to ne gotiate with the employers over working conditions and their lead ers expressed the opinion they would prefer to strike on this question together with that of wages rather than on that of wages alone, Mr. Jewell said. THE TRUE SOU {GRAVE EVILS i IN SUMTER CHAIN GANG State Board of Public Welfare Calls on Governor Cooper to Initiate Steps to Remedy Conditions Columbia, Oct. 15.?That grave evils exist at the Sumter county chain gang camps has been re vealed by an investigation cover ing several months made by the State Board of Public Welfare. These camps are under the man agement ^of Foreman John Holland and Jesse Holland and of County Engineer J. E. Jefford3, acting un der the supervision and control of the Sumter Board of County Com j miseioners. On June 15th the secretary and I assistant secretary of the Board of J Public Welfare found a prisoner , in the State penitentiary whose j back was literally covered with j scars made by a whip or a similar j instrument. In several places the j skin had been beaten from his j body, leaving abraded surfaces ! that were raw and discharging, j The prison physician stated that he had treated these wounds and j that they had improved since the : date of the commitment to the ! penitentiary. June 10, 1921. The ! revolting condition of this prison j er's body was caused by the unmer t ciful whippings he had received while serving sentence upon the Sumter county chain gang. After several preliminary inves tigations the assistant secretary of the Board of Public Welfare in company with three members of the Sumter county grand jury visited the chain gang camps on July 19th. At Foreman Jesse Hol land's camp ten prisoners were found to have been whipped so se verely that the wounds still show- I ed upon their bodies. The condi j tion of one of these men was es pecially pitiable; upon his back j were five or six unusually promi i nent scars, indicating that the lac I orations causing them had been j both large and deep. The foreman i admitted having beaten all of these ! prisoners: ! The men at Foreman John Hol j land's camp were also examined by I the assistant secretary of the Board of Public Welfare. Three of them were found to have scars' upon their bodies. Approximately fifty men were at the two camps, about thirty-five of them were examined. Following these discoveries the I assistant secretary of the Board of j Public Welfare together with the I foreman of the grand jury appear j ed before the Sumter Board of j County Commissioners and asked I that steps be taken at once to prevent further brutality. The commissioners ordered that no more whipping of prisoners be done except in the presence and at the instigation of the county engi j neer. Assurances were also giv [ en the Board of Public Welfare i that no further Inhuman treat ? ment of prisoners would be toler ated. On October 7th, however, the as { sistant secretary of the Board of j Public Welfare "visited the "cage" j at Foreman John Holland's camp j and found there a prisoner who i had been beaten so cruelly that he had since been unable to work and was receiving medical atten-. tion. On his body were two large unhealed scars. The whipping had been given by Foreman Holland in the presence of County Engineer i Jeffords, because the prisoner had i not taken a bath at the time he j was instructed to do so. [ The foreman of the grand jury i and the chairman of the board j of county commissioners then visit ed the camp and examined the I body of the prisoner. The fore man promised to bring the mat ter to the attention of the grand I jury and the chairman stated that J the board of county commissioners j would take proper action in the j near futux*e. (Signed) H. C. Bearley, f Assistant Secretary. : The letter transmitting the re j port to Gov. Cooper follows: j Gov. R. A. Cooper. State House, Columbia. South Carolina: Dear Gov. Cooper: Enclosed you ! will find a report of Mr. H. C. ; Brearley, our assistant secretary, ! concerning his find at the Sumter ? chain gang camps. Mr. Bearley's ' report shows a deplorable state of j ai'Jairs existing there. Such unmer ! ciful flogging as is recorded in this ? i report is not only against the cus ! toms of civilized life, but is against ! the law of South Carolina. It ill be | comes those that are set to uphold j the law t# violate it in so flagrant ; a manner. I am sure that the ! citizens of Sumter county, who I have all powers in these affairs, i do not know the extent of brutality i that has gone on in their county on these ch*.in gangs. Some 1 measure should he taken to stay : cruel treatment given convicts on j our county road forces. Already I this year our state has received un pleasant notoriety from the high j handed beastliness that brought a ! young white man to his death on ! a chain gang. If the legislature ? of South Carolina had desired to j have whipping practiced as a pun ? ishment it would have set up the 1 public whipping post and not left ! it to any person that happens to j be a g?ard or a foreman at a chain J gang camp. I I trust that your excellency will THRON, Established Jone 1, 1866. VOL. LIII. NO. 19 MILLION DOL LAR FIRE H?RLES The Columbus Street Docks Destroyed Thursday -After noon Charleston, Oct. * 13,-!-3fire breaking out shortly before 4 o'clock this afternoon and spread ing with great rapidity, destroyed' nearly two-thirds of the'big Colum bus street dock and warehouses owned by the Charleston Termi nal company and with valuable contents burned. An unofficial es timate of the loss comes close to $1,000,000, although salvage may reduce this figure. Tonight the kainit. nitrate of so':, fish scra'p and othefr fertilizer material was still burning and will probably con tinue to do so all night, but-with a northeast wind prevailing,, it is be lieved the upper portion of the property wlil escape damage, a j frontage of some 800 feet being .un scathed by the flames. There no loss of life so far as can he learned. This.fire will take rant as the largest in point of property damage that Charleston has suf fered in 50 years. The blaze started from an un known cause one theory being that sparks from a vessel's, smokestack may have caused it, another that spontaneous combustion started-tbA fire. It spread with amazing rap idity wrapping a wharf frontage of 1,200 feet or more in flames withr in 35 minutes, due to the very com bustible material stored in the warehouses. Fanned by . .a brisk, northeast wind, the fire soon cov ered the city with a pall of smoke. pace between the lower ware houses and the mere valuable grouj at the northern end stayed the spread of the fire above this poii of origin as the wind kept the seething mass of flames to th< south. Nitrate of soda exploded with a succession of cannon like reports. Fire engines and harbc craft, including government boat streamed water on the end "of. the fire near the unburned property. Hundreds of sailors from the d? stroyers - m- port gave a. helpi hand to police the great crowd, that gathered quickly and aidec the firemen on land and Water. Lit tle could be done to save the ware- ! houses and docks frontage at and'' below the Columbus street en-' trance, but all efforts were concen trated on saving the upper section of the pier. The Columbus street docks are the largest in the city, having a frontage on the Cooper river of 2, 200 feet of covered warehouse and pier, with a storage capacitj of 50,000 tons bulk, fertiiiber ma terial being the principal commod ity handled and housed there. The warehouses and docks are of wood, and that portion razed this after;-* noon was of old construction, the loss in the burning of this being only perhaps a fifth of the total loss. It is in the damage to con tents that the heavy estimate comes in. . It was not possible tonight to get an accurate summing up of the ! loss^but several hundred thou sands dollars worth of - fertili/.er material will probably "be beyond salvage. It is understood that the property and contents were insur ed. Firemen expect to keep the water pouring on the .ncu-Iderihg material all night. The fire will be confined to the whraf and ware house area already burned out. This property is part of that which the city has under option to pur chase. Victoria Cross For Unknown Soldier British Government Decides to Pay Highest Honor to American Soldiers London. Oct. 17.?The British government has decided to award the Victoria cross, the highest award, to America's unknown warrior. o ? o Congressional Medal For Tommy Atkins London, Oct. 17.?The congres sional medal of honor was laid with simple ceremonies on the tomb in Westminster Abbey of Britian's "unknown warrier." Am bassador Harvey made the official presentation. General Pershing per formed the act of bestowal. Treaty Amend ment Rejected Washington, Oct. 17.?The first senate roll call on the German treaty resulted in seventy-one for rejection of amendment to have the United States join other powers in a pledge to protect Germany against unwarranted invasion. take measures to do away with this inhuman and unnecessary cus tom that is practiced by those th<tt have charge of the state's com icts. Yours sincerely. G. Croft Williams, Secretary.