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Oa^ldsted Aug.?. 188
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JUvYICE PECKHAM DEAD.
? .1 ?.
Of Ism Federal mi pre me
ba to Complication of
Albany. N. T.. Oct. 14.?Rufes W.
n. aaaoetate Justice of the Uni?
ted mates Supreme Court, died at 1:01
I o^etook tonight at Coolmoors, his
ler horns at Altamont, Albany
ity. Death was due to a compli
entloa of dfr?sss. heart trouble.
Brtght's disease and hardening of tha
arter lea contributing. Justice Peck
ham had been In 111 health for some
r\ ttsne hot his condition waa not con
W aldered critical until recently. Fol?
lowing adjournment of tha laat term
of the supreme oourt he cams on from
Washington with Mrs. Peekham to
spend the summer at Altamont ex?
pecting to return at the beginning of
the October term. A few days ago his
? condition became such that his physl
clan said that he was likely to die at
any time or might linger for several
cmjjojttrrox exports nr?
CREASE.
the Volume Is
Thau of Preceding Fiscal
. Oet- 14.?The Import?
of Use* port of Charleston
rhree months make an""
fine showing and eepecigl
Che experts, which have during the
three months of tha new fiscal year
already axeeeded the total valua of
the exports fer the whole of the pre
vteue ftpral year.
i During the months of July, August
and September the value of the ex?
perts hava aggregated 14,044.337, as
against I4.00t.ltS for the fiscal year,
which ended on June 30 last. The
Imports for the first three months of
the fiscal year are valued at $723.343.
I ae against $714.it* for the same
period of the previous year, a gain of
$?.316 over the business of the first
quarter of lent year.
In the statements which Collector
of Port E. W. Du rant has had made
up. some Interesting Statement? are
shown in comparison with the busi
e. neos of neighboring ports. The figures
show thst Charleston if making con?
siderable gains ever her competing
ports. The figures of the statement
offer Indisputable evidence of the fact
and the statements are, of course, a
source of great satisfaction and pleas
f vre to the buslnsss people generally.
While the values of the imports and
eaports will show considerable gain
over the statsmsnts of previous year,
the reduction in the tariff on fertili?
ser metsrlels will probably cause a
falling off In the receipts of the Char
lesion custom house amounting to
perhaps $47.000. The tariff duties on
these commodities and particularly on
sulphate of ammonia were reduced to
cheapen manufactured fertilisers, but
there has been no reduction of prices,
I so far as announced.
Just as' the statements of the cus?
tom house make a Ane showing for
ths port, the merchants, bankers. Job?
bers and business people all tell the
same story of gains In trade over pre?
vious years. The Increased cotton re
celpta and shipments hold out bright
assurances and the figures from the
cotton exchange show that the re?
ceipts so far this season are almost
twice the figures of the same period
of last year and more than huif of
the total receipts of the previous sea?
son. All along the line the same
story Is told of Improved business and
Charleston Is making some rupid
strides forward.
As unreasonable as It may seem
some of the hall which fell about ten
dags ago and did so much damage in
some parts of the county. Is In some
places, still on the ground unmelted.
A gentleman from West Wateree
brought t6 Camden on Wednesday, a
large lump of the hall. It waa gotten
from a ffeUy where a quantity of it
accumulated.?Ceraden Chron
shed April, IM*.
?Be Jost ai
I. 8UMT
HAT COLUMBIA LUNCHEON.
QUEER COURTESY, SAYS TILL
MAN.
Senator Scores Columbia for Charging
Guests at Taft Luncheon $10, and
Decline* Invitation.
Columbia, Oct. 11.?Because he was
aaked to pay $10 for a plate at the
luncheon which will be given to Pres?
ident Taft on the occasion of his visit
to this city November 6, Senator B.
R. Tlllman has declined to attend the
luncheon, and states that he may not
serve on the reception committee.
Senator Tlllman states that, while
Columbia is to be the nominal host of
Mr. Taft, the city expects the State at
large to pay for the president's en?
tertainment. The letter in which Sen?
ator Tlllman makes these statements
Is addressed to the secretary of the
Columbia Chamber of Commerce who
wrote asking Mr. Tlllman if he would
attend the luncheon. Senator Tlll?
man says he received an invitation to
the luncheon, and with It an invita?
tion to send a check for $10.
Mr. Tlllman continues:
"This may be a new way of con?
ducting entertainments in South Car?
olina that will find favor in the fu?
ture, but It is wholly contrary to all
the Ideas of courtesy and hospitality j
that I ever heard of In this State, and
I do not propose to lend any aid or
countenance to It."
Mr. Tlllman, in concluding his let?
ter, says since "it seems to be the offi?
cial scheme to aak men to meet the
president and have them pay the ex?
penses, I tell you emphatically, no, I
will not attend the luncheon."
Qov. Ansel and the other members
of the committee in charge of the af?
fair have accepted Invitations and
paid for tickets, as have also more
than one hundred prominent residents
of South Carolina outside of Colum?
bia, Including United States Senator
Smith and Chief Justice Jones.
CURTAILMENT TO BE GENERAL.
Charlotte, N. C Oct. 2$.?Next
Monday morning some of the largest
mills In the Piedmont sections of the
Carolinas will Inaugurate a one or
two weeks' curtailment, and If con- ;
dltlons do not Improve, It Is likely
that this period of curtailment will be
considerably extended. The first North
Carolina plant to Inaugurate the cur?
tailment plan Is the Tarboro Mill, and
the Henrietta Mills, the biggest plant
In the State, employing 3,000 opera?
tives, will follow suit Monday, and It
Is probable that the Carolina Mills,
under the same management, will
?hut down In a few days. The seven
big mills in Spartanburg county.
South Carolina, shut down last night.
These are the Whitney, Spartan, Clif?
ton. Glendale, Arkwright, Lockhart
and Parolet. They consume about
two hundred thousand bales of cot
I
ton annually and employ ten thou?
sand operatives. The mills have run
two weeks on five days time, but the
present shut-down la complete and
for an indefinite period.
There Is now a feeling among the
manufacturers that the curtailment
proposition, having been sanctioned
by the mills without thereby Injuring
their standing In the least, and as It
has been pretty generally agreed that
curtailment is the business-like course
to pursue, the movement is gaining
strength as it progresses.
SHOOTS WIFE, COMMITS SUICIDE.
Tragedy Enacted In Washington
Union Station.
Washington. Oct. 24.?Enraged be?
cause his chorus girl wife preferred a
life on the stage to his companion?
ship. Wm. H. Short, of New York city,
today shot and perhaps fatally
wounded her. In the west portico of
the union station here, and then sent
a bullet crashing through his temple.
He died an hour later at Casualty hos?
pital.
The tragedy followed a series of
quarrels btween the couple.
A PITIFUL TRAGEDY.
Four Negro Children Burned to Death
At Dalzell.
A pitiful tragedy is repotted from
Dalzell. Last night James Blanding.
a negro tenant on Mr. J. W, Scar?
borough's place went to church ac?
companied by his wife, leaving their
six children at home. About 9 o'clock
the house caught afire and was burn?
ed to the groutad. Two of the child?
ren awakened in time to escape, but
the four others, aged 5, 6, 12 and 14
years respectively were burned to
death in the house. It is thought that
the home caught from the fire place.
Ijumti
id Fear not-~Let eil the ende Thon Alu
ER. S. C WEDNES
BUSINESS OUTLOOK BRIGHT.
RANK OF ENGLAND MISOALOU
IiATES AMERICAN CONDITION.
Tone of the Dry Goods Market. Im?
proves With Trade Active?Great
Dealing In Iron Products.
New York. Oct. 24.?The Bank of
England has commanded the atten?
tion of the whole financial world in
an unusual degree during the past
week with Its third successive ad?
vance in Its official discount rate in
two weeks doubling the rate in
that period. Ominous intimations
come from the English money centre
at the same time that additional pro?
tective measures will be resorted, If
found necessary, to advert further In?
roads on London's banking resources.
Coming In the wake of the period
of assurances of the ample resources
of the money markets to meet a'. the
exigencies of the season, this action of
the bank furnishes undeniable evi?
dence of a wide miscalculation of the
situation. On what may be the ele?
ments in that miscalculation opinions
differ, but there are certain of the
factors In the problem which are
clear.
One of these is the fact of exten?
sive American borrowings In the Don
don money market. Critics In London
allege that an unbridled speculation
in the New York market is primarily
responsible for the condtion. The pro?
longed advance In prices in New York
and the high rate of activity in the
stock market dealings are corrobora?
tive of that view.
One of the principal elements in
the miscalculation of the autumn
money market undoubtedly lies in the
abnormal state of the country's for?
eign trade. Imports have been large?
ly In excess of normal, partly owing
to the natural revival of trade, which
has extended to foreign as well as do?
mestic products, and partly to the
rush of Imports In anticipation of the
provisions of the new tariff bill.
Notably have imports enormously
Increased, .hut exports have decreas
r The action of stocks have shown
the contest going against the unfav?
orable Influence of the money si'na?
tion. The brilliant business outlook
encourages the obstinate holdings of
stocks, even while the narrowing
money resources reduce the demand.
The rapid rise in foreign exchange
rates last week showed plainly, how?
ever, that foreign lenders of money
here were insistent upon repayment
I of maturing obligations. The move?
ment of the foreign exchanges mean
{while showed that the demand was
I not yet Justified.
RKCEIVKRSHTJ? ORDERED.
Case of the Winding TJp of the A -Irs
Of tKc Carolina Agency Comp?, y.
Columbia, Oct. 14.?A receiver will
take charge of the affairs of the Car?
olina Agency Company. The hearing
in the rule to show cause why a re?
ceiver should not be appointed was
concluded yesterday, and at 1:30
o'clock Judge Memm Inger appointed
W. H. Cobb, solicitor of the Fifth Ju?
dicial circuit, as receiver for the com?
pany. The bond of the receiver was
fixed at $10,000. The value of the
property to he placed m the hands of
the receiver is fixed at 360,000.
Mr. Cobb Is quite well qualified for
the duties of receiver, having been
Judge of probate for eight years.
The Judge stated in appointing Mr.
Cobb receiver that the receiver would
be able to look after the legal matters
coming up and the employment of at?
torneys would not be necessary, un?
less the receiver should find that he
needs legal assistance in the settle?
ment and duties incident to the re?
ceivership. It was also stated that
the bond could be increased if it
should be found necessary.
-.
NECK BROKEN. MAY LIVE.
Maoni Mini Puralyzcd by Fall, Rut
May Recover.
Macon. Oa., Oct. 24.?Lying in the
Macon Hospital with his neck broken
by a fall from his room Win?
dow at an early hour this morn
Ing, Earl Hodges, a well known young
man and nephew of Judge Robert
Hodges, of this city, is fully conscious
and physicians entertain hope of sav?
ing his life. In attempting to fasten
a window shutter, the young man lost
his balance and fell twenty feet on a
brick pavement. He was picked up
und sent to the hospital immediately.
The surgeons found complete para?
lysis of the entire body, except the
muscles of the head. The youth re?
gained consciousness and later talked
coherently.
uf t at be thy Country's, Thy God's an/
DAY. OCTOBER 87.
Bl?HAM TRAGEDY A MYSTERY.
TRIAL AT GEORGETOWN FAILED
TO EXPLAIN SHOOTING.
None Can Tell Why Ruth Righam
Was Shot to Death at Murr ell's In.
let, In Her Husband's Presence, by
W. B. Avant?Jury Was a Good One
and Tried to Do Its Duty.
Columbia, Oct. 24.?In the years tq ;
come a lonely spot on the beach at
Murrell's Inlet, near Georgetown, S.
C, will be pointed cut by the older ,
residents. "It was here that Ruth
Bigham was killed," they will say.
"How did It happen?" it will *e ask- j
ed. But there will be none to answer
or give the reason for the killing.
In the list of crimes that have baf?
fled 4he world the killing of Ruth
Blgham will find a place. Not in the i
memory of the oldest men who have
known of many dark crimes is there
one of more mystery than that of the
shooting of the young woman on
Murrell's Inlet on September 4, 1909.
Although Dr. G. C. Bigham and his
friend, W. B. Avant, have bean found
guilty of manslaughter, and have been
sentenced to serve three and a half
years hi the State penitentiary, the
events that led up to the shooting of
the wife of Dr. Bigham are as dark
a page as before the trial was enter
I ed into.
Why?
In this one word is contained the
whole situation. The defendants were
not placed on the stand in the trial.
They could not, therefore, explain, if
it were in their power, the reason for
the firing of the fatal shot. But there
were statements made by both Big?
ham and Avant at the time of the
shooting. According to all the wit?
nesses the explanation offered by the
two men was practically the same:
They were seated on the porch of
Sunnyalde late in the afternoon. They
saw an "object" come around the
house. Thinking, according to their
own statement, that the "object" was
up to some devilment, they followed
"It" alter securing a gun. Out on the
>e*ch*#bo?t si* hundred feet fron\ the
house, the object was halted, but,
meeting with no reply, Avant ask?
ed, "Shall I shoot?" "Shall I shoot?"
"Shoot," said Dr. Bigham, and the
gun was fired. ,
A most remarkable story, whether
it is true or not. There is no one to
say that It is not true, because there
were no eye-witnesses to the tragedy.
But there were suspicious circum?
stances, and these circumstances were
related upon the witness stand by
men of more than ordinary intelli?
gence. All the witnesses were young
men of good standing, all made very
good witnesses. The told every fact
they knew in connection with the kill?
ing. These young men were near at
hand .on the evening of September 4.
They rushed te the scene of th? kill?
ing. They saw Dr. Bigham bending
over the body of his young wife, who
was then dying. They saw him move
away from her and throw his arms
around the neck of his friend, Avant,
and cry out, **Ye>u have killed my lit?
tle wife." It may have been in the
excitement of the moment, but, nev?
ertheless, is a circumstance of signifi?
cance, that Avant cried, "I'm a mur?
derer; I've committed murder."
There was no doubt that Will
Avant fired the fatal shot. It was not
even necessary in the trial to prove
the killing, except as shown by the
statements of Avant and Bigham. The
gun was not put in evidence. Bigham
had said, according to one witness
when the party ran up to him, "Will
Avant has killed my wife."
There are theories that have been
whispered around the neighborhood.
One is that Ruth Bigham knew too
much about the killing of the negro
for which L. S. Bigham, a brother of
Dr. Bigham, was tried in Florence
recently. The picture that was drawn
by those who held this view was that
I a few words of remonstrance that
nothing should be said, then heated
words, Avant along, the gun?the men
shielded by the lateness of the hour
82nt the young wife to her death.
A bottle of whiskey. Here some of
those who live around find an explan?
ation. Drinking for some days, the
men had become irresponsible?a fig?
ure passed their home in the even?
ing?late?they were frightened. Urg?
ed on by the demon, "drink," they
followed, and before realizing what
they had done the deed was over, and
the wife of Dr. Bigham was the vic?
tim.
Unhappy domestic relations. The
State could not bring anything out
concerning this. A letter received by
the wife while she was visiting in
Laurens couty was the only suspicion
that slipped into the trial. She had
cried when she received this letter.
The letter contained the words,
1*09
New 8eri
SPARTANBURG MILLS CLOSE.
ACTION IS TAKEN AS RESULT OF
LOW PRICE OF CLOTH.
Mills in the County Suspend Opera?
tions for an Indefinite Period, and
others in Different Parts of the
State Are Expected to Follow Suit
?Thousands of Operatives Idle.
Spartanburg, Oct. 23.?The thou?
sands of spindles and looms of the
cotton mills in Spartanburg county
were stilled last night when the presi?
dents of the several mills issued or?
ders to close down indefinitely, the
shut down being complete because of
the low prices of the cloth market.
The following are the mills affected
and the amount of cotton consumed
annually: Clifton. 60,000 bales;
Pacolet, 60,000; Whitney, 20,000;
Lockhart, 40,000; Spartan Mills, 20,
000; Arkwright, 10,000. Other mills
will close down during next week. The
shut down, it is understood, will not
be confined to the mills in the Pied?
mont section, but throughout the en?
tire State.
The above named mills have been
running five days each week for some
time, which has been a considerable
curtailment, but on account of the
low price of manufactured goods and
the high price of raw material, the
mill presidents realized that it was
impossible to operate the mills at a
profit and orders were Issued Friday
afternoon for a complete shut down
for an Indefinite period.
The shut down last night did not
come as a surprise to the operatives
In the mills or to the public, for ever
since the meeting of the directors of
the South Carolina Cotton Manufac?
turers* Association in Greenville sev?
eral days ago, it was believed that a
general curtailment would follow the
resolutions of the directors recom?
mending that the mills curtail.
The mill presidents say that they
have no idea when operations will be
resumed. Everything depends In a
large measure on the future price of
the cloth market. If there is an ad?
vancement il? JttTiCA. oX jB?fit at
meet the price of cotton, it may not
be a great while before operations
will be resumed. At present the mill
men say that they cannot afford to
pay 13.50 cents for cotton and sell
goods on 10-cent basis. The differ?
ence In the 'price of cloth and that of
the raw material is too great and no
mill can stand it. *
There are a number of mills in the
State that have orders ahead that
they are compelled to fill, and just as
soon as they catch up with the or?
ders they will begin to curtail, among
them being the Abbeville Cotton
Mills, which was one of the first to
shut down.
The closing down of the cotton
mills has resulted in 19,000 looms and
about 671,000 spindles being idle and
affects several thousand operatives.
The management of the mills will see
that the operatives are given free
house rent while the mills are shut
down and will endeavor to keep the
operatives together during the idle
period. It was thought best to close
down before the hard winter months
set in, for had the mills postponed the
closing down period several weeks,
the operatives would have been
caught by cold weather and the ques?
tion of fuel and extra supplies would
have increased their living expense
and made it hard on them.
SENATOR McCARRKN DEAD.
New York, Oct. 22.?Patrick II.
McCarren, State senator and Demo?
cratic leader of Brooklyn, died at St.
Catheryn's hospital, Brooklyn, at 1:15
o'clock this morning, never having
completely rallied from the effects of
an operation for appendicitis which
was performed October 13. His death
was not unexpected, in fact the sen?
ator himself realized throughout the
afternoon and the earlier part of the
night that his end was near.
"Come home and things will be bet?
ter," and those who incline to the
view of unhappy relations say that
the tale of the crime is told in those
words. But there is another side to
this question. A postal card from
"Ruth" said. "I am wild to see you."
That was when she was on the visit.
She came home soon afterward. On
a visit to the friend of her husband
the wife met her death. There was
no testimony showing the relations of
the couple at the home, "Sunnyside."
on Murrell's inlet. A friend of the
family said after the trial that Big^
ham and his young wife were seen
?trolling along the beach about an
hour before the tragedy, and the arm
of the husband was around the wife.
These conflicting instances of domes?
tic relationship makes the crime all
the more inexplicable.
S SOUTHRON, Kstabltehed AM, MM
les-Vol XXX. 1o. 18.
TO REORGANIZE THE NOT.
SECRETARY MEYER WANTS
FEWER YARDS AND BIG?
GER SHU'S.
Head of the Navy Department May
Recommend Reduction in the Num
l>er of Naval Stations and More and
Bigger Battle Ships?Charleston
Station Would Not Suffer.
Washington, D. C. Oct. 22.?Secre?
tary of the Navy Meyer will return to
Washington tomorrow from his home
in Massachusetts with plans for the
reorganization of the whole naval ser?
vice. The work he has recently been
doing means much for the Charleston
Navy Yard, as well as fer ether naval
stations, and his report will he clcee?
ly followed.
Mr. Meyer has put in his time In
Massachusetts studying the report of
the Swift board of inquiry, touching
all branches of the service, and go
cording to those in touch with Mess
here, he will ask the president to rec?
ommend to congress the expenditure
of less money for navy yards and
navy bases and the use of the greater
sums of money for bigger battle ship*
and large guns.
The secretary of the navy has net
for himself the ambitious task of
completely reorganising his depart?
ment with these ends in view.
To make the bureau's work mere
harmoniously together.
To decrease unnecessary expenses
in navy yards.
To improve the designing and con?
struction of battle snipe.
To make the navy of the United
States the greatest fighting body
afloat today.
He is not unmindful of the presi?
dent's instructions that economy In
the service shall be enforced in view
ofthe government's lack of funds. But
he is also given the advantage of the
proviso that th<?re shall he enforced
no economy which will interfere with
the efficiency of the navy as a nghter.
There has been much talk of ask?
ing congress for 30,000-ton battle
ship*, carrying It inch guwh Tlsi tW
an entirely feasible plan, and ffr.
Meyer is said to favor it. But he de?
sires not only the increased size in the
fighting apparatus. He will expect
the designers to turn out boats which)
will be superior in fighting ability to
the boats of the other great maritime
powers.
In his plan for reducing the num?
ber of navy yards in the country he
realizes that he will run against the
opposition of congressmen and sena?
tors in whose States or districts in
which navy yards are now located.
He is credited with regarding the
Philadelphia yard as not of the great?
est value and it is more than likely
that his. plan contemplates the clos?
ing of the Southern yards. The mag?
nificent plant now owned by the gov?
ernment at Charleston makes it cer?
tain that whatever recommendation*
may be embraced in the Meyer report
as to other yards that yard will not
only be maintained as at present, hat
greatly enlarged to meet increasing,
demands from time to time hereafter.
ALLEGED OHORTAGE SETTLED.
Bonding Company Pays $20,000 iu
Hampton County Matter..
Columbia, Oct 22.?A comprise was
effected today between the Attorney
General and the National Surcity
Company with reference to the alleg?
ed shortage of Ex-County Treasurer
Jesse C. Longford, of Hampton,
whereby the Surety ccmpr.ny turned1
in a check lor $20,00 to the State,
and it is to be reimbursed by what it
can recevor from Langfcrd and any
banks that may be sued in connec?
tion with the shortage. After the
full amount of the shortage, $24,171.
02. has been made up after costs are
paid.
WINDING-VP BODY TO MEET.
Dispensary Commission to Have Fin?
al stassfton This Afternoon.
C dumbia, Oct. 24.?The dispensary
winding-up commission is called by
it* chairman, Dr. W. J. Murray, of
this city, to meet tomorrow to com?
plete the winding-up of the affairs oi
the ?>ld State dispensary system. It in
expected that all the members will
icach the city in time for the meet?
ing to be called to order tomorrow af?
ternoon. It is also expected by the
chairman, Dr. W. J. Murray, that all
of the business of the now defunct old
State dispensary will be settled at this
sitting of the commission.
The claims against the dispensary
now amount to about $.400,000. s Of
course, there will be deductions from
this amount on account of the allege**
overcharges, some of which have been>
admitted.
