The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, July 25, 1913, Image 1
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Ml THE UNION TIMRS -E
VOL. LXin. NO. 30. . UNION, S. C.. FRIDAY, .JULY 25. 1913. ai ?? . A ?
Vl.OO A YEAR.
50 LIVES LOST
IN FIRE TRAP
Flames Sweep Overhall Factory
and Fifty People Perish,
Mostly Women and Childran?Women
and
Girls Leap From
Windows.
Binghamton, N. Y.f July 22.Fifty
persons were killed, according to late
estimates, and many were injured, a
dozen of them mortally, in a fire
which swept the four-story factory
building of the Binghamton Clothing
company this afternoon. The victims
were chiefly women and girls.
At midnight 26 bodies had been
recovered! In the city hospital and
in private institutions are 30 injured.
Some two score persons are known
to have escaped as if by a miracle
from the building which burst into
flame like a tinder box and became
a roaring furnace almost in no time
after the first alarm was sounded.
About 125 persons were in the factory
when the fire broke out. Those
unaccounted for, or most of them, are
believed to be still in the red hot
ruins of the structure.
Thousands Watch Work.
- Around the scene of the catastrophe,
the greatest this city has ever
known, thousands tonight watched
the rescurers work in the glare of
three big searchlights, many in the
great throng being restrained only
by the closely drawn police lines
from rushing into the ruins to seek
the bodies of relatives or friends.
* Many streams of water are being
pdured dn to the fiery pit, which a
few hours ago was the cellar of the
'ft r btirned establishment. As.tfre ruins
t were cooled slightly, from time to
The big outstanding fact of the
catastrophe is its suddenness. In this
the disaster bears a strong resemblance
to the Triangle Waist company
holocust, in New York city,
where 147 lives were lost when the
inflammable material upon which the
employes were working and the
waste littering the floors blazed and
set the imprisoned workers jumping
from the windows. The parallel here
fails only in the lesser height and
different construction of the building
and in the length of the list of
dead and injured.
Another resemblance to the New
York disaster is that the fire today
is believed to have been started by
the careless throwing of a cigar butt
or match. In the tragedy this afternoon
the burst of flames followed
quickly after the alarm. There was
little opportunity to use ordinary or
even emergency means of escape.
Fire drills had been carried on regularly,
so frequently in fact, that the
employes had found them monotonous.
The building was equipped
with fire escapes and an automatic
alarm system.
The fire, besides destroying the
mngnamton < lothmg company building,
spread to the Federal building,
burning the roof off that structure,
and damaged the building of McKellar
drug company, Simon O'Neal and
the Binghamton Motor Car company,
on Water street. Christ church also
was scorched.
The total money damage is not expected
to exceed $100,000.
Johnson Rifles Off For Encampment
The Johnson Rifles left Union
Wednesday morning for the encampment
at Anderson. The company
left with 5:1 men, the largest number
that has ever gone in the company
from Union.
Death of Mr. M. B. Gilliam.
Mr. M. B. Gilliam died at his
home in Union, at Excelsior Knitting
mills, Friday, July 18, and was buried
Sunday in the city cemetery.
Mr. Gilliam was 54 years of aj?e.
For three years he lived in Laurens
county, but returned to Union, his
native county. He leaves a wife and
five children, all tfrown.
Mr. Gilliam was a faithful Christian,
a member of Unity Methodist
church, and he was a good and true
man. He was faithful in all the relations
of life; true to the ideals of
things, lofty and true. His death is
a distinct loss to Union.
BLEASE AGAIN IN
MILITIA MUDDLE
Adjutant General Moore Receives
Rebuke From Gov
ernor for Ordering Orangeburg
Company
Home From
Camp.
Columbia, July 22.?Taking umbrage
at the way the official orders
from the office of the adjutant general
are handled, Governor Blease
wrote W. W. Moore, adjutant general,
not to thereafter issue any orders
which read "by the order of the commander-in-chief,"
which has been the
custom, without first submitting
them to him for inspection. The letter
reads:
"You are hereby respectfully requested
and directed not to issue any
order of any kind or nature, whether
it be insignificant or not, and make it
read 'by order of the commander-in
chief' unless the same is personally
presented to the commander-in-chief
so that it may be indeed and in fact
by order of the commander-in-chief."
On July 19, Capt. J. H. Claffy, of
Orangeburg, commanding Company
L, Third South Carolina infantry,
wrote to Governor Blease telling him
that his company, because .of failure
to have the required number of men
in ranks on July 18, "was notified by
the adjutant general that as my company
was short the required number
of pnliflfpH mon tiro * ?
... v....wvvw iiivii *? v nvuiu iia Y C tu rtJ"
turn home or stay in camp without
pay and without rations." The letter
says that when this ultimatum
was laid before the company they
decided to return home.
Captain Claffy says tfrat the comjyipy
has 33 enlisted **ven? **ve ?n",
Pl|MWftwic#,DUt would report for
duty in a few days. The letter says
that this is the first time in 19 years
that the organization has failed to
come up to the required number on
encampments.
Lacked Authority?
On receipt of this letter, Governor
Blease wired to Col. Julius E. Cogswell,
commanding the Third regiment
on July 22, at Aiken, and said ag he
understood the military law, ' t,ne adjutant
general has no authority over
the camp, and if there is only as a
staff officer with no authority to issue
orders, exceept as representative of
the commander-in-chief, and I have
not yet transferred the duties of my
office to anybody."
An excerpt from a dictated interview
from the governor says:
"I am going to investigate the
matter and unless things can be put
in more pleasant conditions, I shall
call off the encampments at Anderson
and Camp Wilie Jones."
"In a letter to Captain Claffy, dated
June 22, the governor says that he
cannot understand the action of Ad- j
jutant General Moore; that he dis-1
likes "to think that the man is drunk
on power, or that he has lost his
head on account of his position." The
letter says that even if the company
did not have the required number of
enlisted men, it is entitled to transportation
and subsistence.
Blease Playing Cheap
, Politics Says Gen. Moore
Columbia, S. C., July 23.?"This
whole matter in my opinion is- nothing
but cheap politics and a play to
the grand stand from a political
point of view," said Adjutant General
Moore this morning replying to the
criticism of Governor Blease. "This
charge of my assumption of power is
in bad taste in view of his own record
of assumption of power," continued
the adjutant general, referring to the
governor. He denied that he ordered
the three companies home from
Aiken, saying the Bamberg company
had been ordered home by Col. Cogswell,
and the Orangeburg and Barnwell
companies went home when he
told them he could not pay their subsistence
and transportation, quoting
the federal law to back up his statement
and contradicting the governor
on this Doint.
Another Letter.
Governor Blease had addressed an*
other letter to Adjutant General
Moore late last night asking him by
what authority he issued orders for
himself, the adjutant general, to attend
the encampments and rescinding
the order .
Replying, the adjutant general said
the governor had told him to run
1 AMENDMENT OF GREAT IMPOB
Washington, July 22.?Representative
J. W. Ragsdale, of Florence, now
has an amendment pending before
the house banking and currency committee
has the last currency bill under
consideration, providing that cotton
on warehouses shall be recognized
as the basis of the issuance of currency.
The underlying principle of
the last bill is the substitution of
commercial paper as a basis for currency
issue instead of the present
government bond-secured bank note
circulation. Mr. Ragsdale's idea is
that the currency reformers in hunting
about for security for government
not issues could fipd no better
subject than cotton.
The Ragsdale amendment has now
been before the committee for several
days without any action being taken
upon it, but Mr. Ragsdale intends to
fnrpp n vnto nn tKn nnao^An
_ _ , V.* viiv vjuv-ovivn aiiu IX
he is beaten in the committee will
carry the fight to the floor of the
house. He intends to make quite a
comprehensive speech on the subject,
having studied up all phases of the
matter and being prepared to give
the house an enlightening discourse
upon it.
Some of the members of the committee
believe that if cotton were
made the basis for note circulation
there would tend to be an inflation of 1
the currency. Mr. Ragsdale declares :
there is no foundation for this view,
claiming that his plan would result in :
a deflation instead of an inflation. 1
He contends that with notes issued 1
against cotton, the cotton producers 1
of the South would not have to resort <
to the expediency of borrowing mon- 1
ey from northern manufacturers, job- 1
bers and speculators in order to fi- J
" July Heights" we beg t* report
tie.
J. V. Vaughn, Adamsburg $1.00 1
A. W. T. Ravenscroft, Union ? 1.00 <
Dunn Boyd, Adamsburg .50 ^
W. M. Lancaster, Jonesville __ .25
W. C. Edmonds, Jonesville ? 1.00 j
R. A.. Sims, Warrenville, S. C. _ 2.00 ;
C. B. Bobo, Sedalia 1.00 1
T. J. Betenbaugh, Union 1.00 }
Miss Minnie C. Gist, Newberry 1.00 1
S. B. Mims, Union .50
Toney Middlebrooks, Union 1.00
E. L. Johnson, Union 1.00
W. B. Mardis, Spartanburg 1.00
E. R. Brown, Buffalo 1.00
If all our friends will lo?k v
feel sure next week will ahnlw .
on our side somewhere near the
ments."
LEWS il
his department when he first wi it
into office and there had been o
protest until yesterday. He iaid si
mitting every little detail to he g< r- o
ernor would seriously hampe him n si
the duties of the office anc he id fi
not believe the legislature had i- n
tended for the scope of the fl>mm: i- C
der-in-chief to be so wide.
Returns From Aiken. p
Adjutant General Moore reac d ic
here last night from Aiken and w it ai
on 10 Anderson tnis afternoon whje
the First regiment went into cap cl
for a week's instruction. The F t
regiment went from Rock Hill on hi
special train this morning, and G- A
ernor Blease said he would not iss en
an order revoking the encampmi,
The governor has asked Secretarjjf ]
War Garrison to allow the three c panies
sent home from Aiken to a
into camp with the second regim;. in
m<
Celebrates 89th Birthday. M
Mr. W. G. W. Going, one of a be
counties oldest and most respel Be
citizens, celebrated his eighty-n i kn
birthday at his home near Kelton t coi
Thursday. A large company f wi
children, grandchildren, neph, lif
nieces and other relatives gathd
to the celebration. A sumptous -
nic dinner was served and the Ir ]
was very pleasantly spent. ^
am
AT FIRST BAPTIST in
CHURCH NEXT SUNU bei
Rev. H. L. Rfley, of Landrum, I del
preach for the congregation of s 1
First Baptist church next Suir nin
morning and dvening. Mr. Rilei twi
a fine speaker and pleases his 1- hut
ers. The public is cordiallv fne r?i<
I to attend tbeae services on next \ [logj
day. ['tov
a
%
TWICE TO COTTON GROWERS
nance their crops. Under his plan
he believes, the methods of financing
the cotton crop would be short and
direct and the transfer of credits
would not be nearly so complex as
at present.
The flow of gold from Europe
which comes in payment for cotton
under the Ragsdale scheme, in his
opinion, would be directly into the
vaults of the banks. His idea of the
benefits accruing from this is indicated
by his statement that 75 per
cent of American cotton is consumed
in EurODe and ftthpr fnroiirn
tries.
Many benefits, it is believed, would
result to the cotton producers of the
South under Mr. Ragsdals plan. The
government would practically be
making an advance of credit to finance
the crops of the cotton producers
would in a large measure be
independent of the New York banks
and financial interests. Mr. Ragsdale
intends to make a strong fight
to have it incorporated in the currency
bill. There is one complication in
the situation which might handicap
him. If cotton were recognized as
security for general not circulation
the grain producers of the Northwest
might want to have grain also made
the basis of circulation. It is pointed
out, however, that Mr. Ragsdale
Infonrlo 4-s\ 11 11 * *
....v?uo vvr iiibivc Ulliy L'UlLOn mftt 18
held in a bonded warehouse security
for such notes, and it is possible that
the grain interests may be able to
Bhow that grain could meet all the restrictions
that micrht be imnospH nn_
? -- r ? -f
?n cotton. Furthermore, grain is not
shipped abroad in such large quantities
as cotton.
J. Stuart Price.
EE BRIGADE "
flrawn battle and will
ehts." fix the final charge up
;-the following trophies of batH.
J. Gault, Columbia 2.00
J. D. S. Plallxico, Pacolet .25
Miss Mary P. Waldrop, Campobello
i .25
r. 'R. Smith, Kelton 1.00
F. M. Huskey, Buffalo 1.00
f. W. F. Willard, Union T__ .25
iev. A. B. Kennedy, Columbia 1.00
N. W. Wilburn, Spruce Pine 1.00
t. L. McDanicl, Union 1.00
Total $22.00
Previously reported S274.90
Grand total $296.90
ipon the little yellow label, we
a decisive battle, with victory
foot hills of "August Battlef.
RICE, Editor.
New Clothing Store Opens.
The Union Clothing Co., a newly
rganized concern, with a capital
tock of $6,000 has opened its doors
>r business. The store is located
avt1 J " ? ? *-- ' *
-jv., uuur 10 tne dry goods store of
Allen Co., on Main street.
The officers are: H. W. Phillips,
resident; Victor Sinclair, vice preslent;
Dan W, Mullinax, treasurer (
id manager.
They will carry a complete line of
othing, shoes, hats and furnishings. .
A considerable portion of the stock j
is already been opened up and by (
ugust 1, they expect to have their (
itire stock on display.
ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCED.
Hon. and Mrs. Lowndes J. Brown- ?
g, of Sedalia, announce the engage- *
ant of their daughter, Louise, to c
r. A. B. Adams. The marriage to ^
a society event of the early fall. s
>th of these young pedpfe are' well
own in Union and throughout the a
uiivy ana many expressions of good
11 and wishes for a long and happy
e are heard on all sides. * d
, .. . . w
Death of JVfrs. Alice Quinrt. a
Mrs. Alice Quinn, wife of Mr. J. a
Quinn, died at Whit mire Sunday ?
d was buried at the city cemetery
Union on Monday. The services ?'
ng conducted by Rev. X A. An-- *
'son. 5
r
urs. yulnn was struck by lightft
and died from the effects about
slve hours after. She leaves a
iband and two children' and many r<
stives and friends to mourn her M
i. Mr. Hampton Qui mi' of our bi
m being' A' kinsman. to
OF INTEREST
TO FARMERS
I
5 Special Feature of 44Confwr*nc?
for the Common Good" to
be Held in Columbia on
t Aug. 6th, Will be the
| Conference of the
Farmers.
A special feature of the "Conference
for the Common Good," which
will be held in Columbia, August 6th
and 7th, will be a conference of
farmers to discuss Marketing, Co-operation
and Farm Ci*edits.
For this conference we have been
fortunate enough to secure the services
of Mr. Clarence Poe, Editor of
The Progressive Farmer; Mr. W. J.
Shuford, of Hickory, N. C., and Mr.
William R. Meadows- Took.
nologist from the Office of Markets,
Department of Agriculture. These
will be assisted by farmers and business
men of South Carolina. These
gentlemen will conduct a real summer
school for the instruction of
farmers in methods of organization,
marketing, farm finance and other
subjects which are vitally connected
with the farmer's success.
Mr. Clarence Poe is too well known
10 need any introduction to the
farmers of South Carolina, or of any
other state. He is perhaps the leading
authority in the South on rural
cooperation. He has recently returned
from a trip around the world, and
a study of agricultural methods of
farm credits in all countries. He has
made a special study of rural co-operation
in the Northwest, and will
explain in detail the methods of the
farmers in this projroerou/*sStetft>n' of
our country. Mr. fW. J. Shuford is
Tng Exponent of co-operative -apiculture
in that State. He has recently
led in the organization of a rural
building and loan association which
aims to secure cheaper'money for
the development of the farm. Mr.
MeadowS, formerly of Clemson College,
is now cotton technologist in
the office of markets, U. S. department
of agriculture. Men in South
Carolina who know Mr. Meadows and
his work, assert that he has no superior
in this field so important to
our farmers.
In addition to this special farmers'
conference, which will be conducted
by Mr. E. W. Dabbs, president of the
Farmers' Union, the general program
will deal with many other subjects
especially connected with rural
development. One evening's program
will be given up to the topic,
"Permanent Homes for Our People."
At this time the conference will consider
the best methods of assisting
the tenant farmers of South Carolina
to acquire homes.
The Hon. A. F. Lever, chairman
of the committee on agriculture, U.
S. House of representatives, will be
present at the opening meeting and
will deliver an address on "A National
Program for the Development of
American Agriculture."
O 5-1
opeciai railroad rates have been
granted for the occasion.
Mule Found Dead.
? A gray mule belonging to Mr.
George Barnett, who lives two miles
beyond the Forest, got away and
came into Union Tuesday night. The
mule went down into "Poverty Flat"
?dn fell, breaking the ?ront window
>f Mr. Morrow's store and died on
;he street.
I
Ice Cream Supper. (
The ladies of Mt. Tabor church '
vill give an ice cream supper on next '
Saturday night, July 26. The pro- '
eeds to go towards painting the
hurch. Each member is requested s
o bring a gallon of sweet milk, *
weetened with the esrirs in it. 8
c
'o Speak at Chamber of Commerce. 8
a
Mr. F. G. Eason, United States j,
rainage engineer, is in Union this c
reek to confer with the county drain- t
f?e commission, and will deliver an j,
ddress At the Chamber of Commerce v
?mg Friday evening of this week. M
he topic fOf discussion to-tie' drain- b
pre, and will be of interest to every p
indowner in' the couhty. The pub- tl
c is urged to hear Mr. Eason speak, ^
riday eveninor. Julv 9K
' 81
T?? ; :?~, ai
Mrs. M. L. bowler died at' her noil's ^
ssidence, Mir. J. F. Fowler, on c<
ountain street, July 18th and was
iried the following day in the Layn
cemetery, near Cross Anchor. ai
N. C. SHERIFF
I RAPS ON BLEASE
5 Writes Spicy Letter to Governor
Who Refused Requisition
Papers for a White Man
Wanted in North Carolina,
Now in Jail
at Haffnav
Ml VJUI1 HVJ
Shelby, July 21.?A bitter controi
versy between Governor Blease of
South Carolina and the authorities of
this state is laid bare by correspond
ence in regard to a requisition for
Ernest Humphries, a young: white
man who is wanted in Cleveland
county for several offenses.
Some time ago Humphries and another
man, Hannon, were arrested
at Grover, on the South Carolina line
for drunkenness. They were placed
in the town lock-up and a threat was
heard by the Grover officer made by
Humphries that he would burn the
lock-up before morning. Three relatives
of Humphries went to his aso!
O+rt J--?2?? * 1 * *
oi^antc uumiK me mgnt and released
the two young men and the lockup
was burned, it is alleged by Humphries.
Sheriff D. D. Wilkins says
he has an eye-witness to the burning.
Hannon submitted and his recognizence
was taken for his appearance
to the Superior court pending the
arrest of Humphries who escaped.
Humphries lived just across the
line in South Carolina and South Carolina
officers aided in the search. Eefore
he was apprehended on this
charge, however, he was arrested for
larcency at Gaffney and put on the
when the matter would come up for
a hearing in order that Solicitor
Wilson or an attorney representing
North Carolina could appear before
Governor Blease. He says Governor
Blease failed to let him know and he
wrote again.
In the meantime the sheriff phoned
Solicitor Hill at Spartanburg and
it seems that the solicitor went
before Hie -? >- *1
.... uuicuiur in tne interest
of Humphries and protested against
the requisition papers being issued.
Sheriff Wilkins considers that he
or the citizens of Grover who want
Humphries brought to justice has
been charged with attempted blackmail
by Governor Blease, but he was
given the Governor as good as he
sen^s by the following correspondence
of today:
Governor Blease writes Sheriff
Wilkin3. ?
"Your letter of July 14 received in
{ pfprpn^o fA * "
uiic x'jarnest Humphries.
I am not going to give you this boy.
I am informed it is all a trumpedup
charge against him. There were
two arrested, both of them drunk,
and they deliberately let the other
man go and now are trying to make
a scapegoat out of this boy. I wish
you would therefore, please stop
bothering me about this matter, for
I most assuredly am not going to
give him to you. They had no business
to lock him up, he had done
nothing to be locked up for, and I
do not propose to allow a citizen of
my state to be blackmailed in any
such manner."
Sheriff Wilkinns' reply is:
"Your insulting letter of yesterday
in regard to the notorious criminal
Ernest Humphries is received. Reply
to same, I have to advise you
:hat whoever informed you that the
:harges against him in this countv
vas trumped-up either did not
enow the facts in this case or they
willfully and maliciously misrepretented
the matter. Humphries has
requently for the past several years
jerved terms in the jails and on the
haingangs in your state for larcency
nd other crimes, and is now in jail
,t Gaffney, S. Ci, charged with grand
arcency, but if you prefer to uphold
rime you are' riot, I' am glad to say,
he Governor of North Carolina. We
ave charges in this county acrainst
wo cither citizens of your state and
'e intended to ask extradition for,
ut I suppose now in view of your
ast conduct toward the officers of
he law abiding citizens of this coun/
and state that it is hardly neces?ry
to ask you to let us have them,
9 you don't seem disposed to treat
te or the Governor of our State with
>mmon courtesy."
The capitol at Washington covers
i area of 163,112 feet.