The Manning times. [volume], March 23, 1904, Image 1

About The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current

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VOL. g %III. l IANN iG, S. C., VEDNESDAY. LlIAR
THE FALL OF COTTON
Cotton Prices Drop Thirteen Dollar
on the Bale.
CAUSED GREAT EXCITEMENT
Downfall of Sully, the New Yorl
Leader of Bull Forces.
Had to Suspend
Business.
Daniel J. Sully, the cotton operator
who has for 15 months been the big
gest figure in the cotton make: of the
world, and who has "bulled" cottor
from 7 cents a pound to over 17, an.
nounced his inability to make good
his engagements on the New Yorl
cotton exchange Friday. Within a
few moments cotton fell nearly $13 a
bale from the highest figures of the
day. Scenes such as followed the an
nouncement of the failure it has beer
the privilege of few brokers to witness
before. Traders in the street have
witnessed stock panics in previous
years; corners have been broken and
many crashes have been recorded, but
none has been accompanied by such
frenzy and confusion.
While there had been no premoni
tion of the impending crash no morn
ing of the session had witnessed a
more demoralized market. In less
than 10 minutes after the opening
half a cent had been taken off the
price of cotton. Prices went up and
down, 10, 20 land 30 points within
two and three minutes. May opened
at 15.25 and sold down to 14.75 in less
than 15 minutes. while July, opening
at 15.22, went down to 14.86. To.
ward the end of the first half hour
early sellers started to cover and there
was a rapid advance. There was noth
ing in the news to account for the ex
citement. It seemed merely e. re
newal of bear operationsand the catch
ing of further stop orders.
Shortly after the afternoon session,
however, there was a lull in the pit
and about five minutes after 2 o'clock
the annunement of the suspension
was made by Superintendent King,
who read from the rostrum this no
tice:
"We regret that we are unable to
meet our engagements and therefore
will have to suspend.
"Daniel J. Sully & Co."
Qt;IET WAS oaINoUs.
For a few seconds there was an
ominous quiet over the floor as though
the news had stunned all within hear
log of the announcement. Then with
one impulse a mighty shout went up
from the bears, they who had been
fighting Sully and the bull clique for
months. Hats were thrown into the
air to fall where they would, a moment
later to be trampled upon by the stam
pede for the pit. Coats were torn by
frantic brokers in their mad efforts to
unload their holdings, and chairs and
camp stools were dashed into the pit,
to emphasize some wild broker's offer
to sell. Messengers sodn were rushing
in and out of the building with orders
to sell or buy; telephone booths were
besieged and telegraph offices were
flooded with dispatches.
Outside the cotton exchange ap
pearances gave little indication of the
pandemonium within until the mes
sengers began to rush between the ex
- change and the brokers' offices. Soon
the news reached the stock, produce
and coffee exchanges, and traders on
these markets hastened to the scene
of the panic. Crowds assailed the en
trance to the visitors' gallery, but a
double guard was placed at the doors
and admittance was refused to all but
those accompanied by members.
It was estimated that something
like three-quarters of a million bales
of Cotton 'were traded in during the 20
minutes of the panic that followed
the announcement, and that of this
upwards of half a million bales rep
resented "forced liquidation," or the
selling out of men whose margins have
been nearly or quite wiped out.
As the market slumped 250 points
during this period the loss falling or
this element amounted to something
over 51,000.000.
THEN MARKET sTEADIER.
The market steadied after about 2(
*minutes and then there was r. sudder
upward shoot of about an ev rn hun
dred points. This sharp rise brough1
about by the buying of brol ers anC
speculators who saw thr.t the markel
had slumped too far and would reaci
just as it did. Part of the ex.:itemen:
on the floor ofC the exchange was caus
ed by the scramble of brokers wh<
wanted just such bargains and lad t4
fight to get in the ringr to get them
The buying rush was almost as excit
lng and just as noisy, if not more so
as the panic.
The announcement of Sully's sus
pension was put on the tickers every
'where within a few momentL after i
'was made and there wts some what o
a flurry on the floorlof the New Yorl
stock exchange after the news reache'
there. Mr. Sully is a member of tha
exchange, having purchased a sea
two or three months agro. Stocks wen
off from half a point to a pcint an<
one-halif on the fear that the failuri
might bring a rush of stock sellini
there. Tbe weakness was only mc
mentary, however, for the: word wa
passed around that Sully had not beel
trading in stocks and, in fact, tha
the clearing house sheets h; d neve
shown a single transaction by hira
The market was reassured and stock
went up again.
Upon the announcement of the fail
ure the representatives of the newt
papers hurried to see Mr. Sully for th
purpose of getting some statement.
Mr. Sully, however, shut himself I
his private office and would not I
seen. Shortly after 3 o'clock Bull
'went into conference with counsel an
later Edwin Hladley, Jr., of Prov
dence, R. I., one of the members<
the tirm, sent out a message by h
secretary which reacd:
"No statement of any kind or d
scription. Mr. Sully directs me1
say, will be given out from this o1f'
Friday. Possibly a statement will 1
ready early Saturday morning."
Mr. Hadley later was quoted as sta
lng that the firm would pay its deb
in full and the suspension was due
the impossibility of meeting deman
for large sums of money due ti
Sully firm from European source
sums that the quick slump in t'
market made payable too quickly I
them to be able to meet.
Mr. Sully left his otce at 4 o'clock
VARIOUS EXPLANATIONS.
All sorts of explanations were made
for the suspension. One of the reasons
given was that the New Orleans bull
party had sold cotton while Sully was
bulling it in the confidence that they
were supporting him. Another was
that Sully, following in the market,
had sold their long cotton without
advising with him. From two well
informed sources came a denial that
there was any treachery from New
Orleans. A cotton operator with
New Orleans connections said that
the bull party there was still bullish
on cotton.
Another account, that came from
one of the six or seven best known
cotton operators in this country, was
that the bear party had made a
deliberate and well planned attack to
overwhelm Sully and had succeded.
The bears, according to this au
thority, had figured out the weakness
of Sully's position due to immenss
holdings of spot and contract cotton
and of his operations on the Liverpool
market, and planned and attack on
the market that would carry it down
just far enough to make it impossible
for Sully to meet his margin calls,
knowing that his failure would send
the market so much lower that they
could cover at figures to recoup them.
No definite idea of Sully's commit
ments in tne cotton market could be
got from the other houses in the cot
ton trade. One estimate was that he
was "long" of 300,000 bales of May
cotton alone. A good authority stat
ed that he did not believe that Sully
was "long" of mare than that in the;
whole market, and a conservative
estimate made in another source was
400,000 bales.
The loss by Sully's failure in case
he cannot settle, it was stated Friday,
was divided up among nearly all the
brokers on the exchange. One esti
mate was that Sully's owings after a
settlement under the rule of the ex
change would not exceed half a million
dollars. What Sully has personally
lost or what his backers have lost in
market operations is not included in
this figure.
What Sully will owe will be found
by deducting the average quotations
of cotton today from the figure to
which his accounts were margined
down to the call. This will be de
termined Saturday of course.
3O OTHER FAILURES.
There were no other announce- 1
ments of failures and leading men in
the cotton market declared that there
need be no fear of trouble.
In stock exchange circles the fail
ure of Sully was at first taken as a
sure sign of the collapse of the cotton
boom. Later there was some appre
hension lest the failure might bring
down a string of banking instituions
in the South.
Mr. Sully's suspension was an
nounced on the stock exchange but
not until shortly before the clase of
the market. It was announced on
the coffee exchange also. The cotton
bulls recently went into that market
and caused an activity there that cor
responded to the activity in cotton.
The coffee market slumped and rose
with the cotton market last month,1
but it was significant that the an-I
nouncement of Sully's suspension
caused only a slight break in conifee."
sULLY'S CAREER.
Daniel J. Sully became a factor in
the cotton market in January of 1903,
when he took up the bull movement.4
He established a cotton house of his
own last year, under the name of
Daniel J. Sully & Co., but when his
operations in cotton became so suc-1
cessful, the cotton market having been
pushed up above 17 cents a pound
early this year, he widened the scope1
of his firm's business, bought a seat
on the New York stock exchange,
went into the coffee exchange, got a
membership on the Chicago Board of
Trade, and it was said made connec
tions with other prominent exchanges
throughout the country.
The members of the firm were
Daniel J. Sully, Col. S. F. B. Morse
of Huston, Tex., Walter S. Crandall
and Edwin Hadley, Jr. Recently
Wmn. R. Fagan, manager of the firm's
New Orleans offce, was taken into the
firm. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
A Valuable Gift.
Andrew Carnegie has notified Pres
ident Johnson of Winthrop that he
will give $20,000 for a library building
on the college campus. President
Johnson has been several years plan
ning to rise funds for a big library at
the college, and as pleasant as the
gift is to his long cherished hopes it
probably does not come in the nature
of a complete surprise to him. The
exact site for the new building has not
yet been selected, it is said, but it
will be given a prominent place in the
-f ront section of the campus. A deal
-of care and attention have been spent~
on the present library at Winthrop
with the result that already it is one
ofisknd intkae south. This hasi
always been President Johnson's favor
ite of the various departments of the
'college and the years of thought and
attntion and labor he spent on It
have resuTed in its being one of the
fullest, most selected and most com
plete in the State.I
Murdered for His Money.
1A special from Urumiyah, Persia,
says: An investigation of the death
rof the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Labaree,
-the American missionary, shows that
Dr. Labaree, whose is superintendent
of the American mission here, was re
turning from Kola to Uraimiyah on
horse-back, accompanied by a servant,
when both were found dead by the
road side. Their bodies had been
stripped and multilated and had
numerous stabs. The horses and ef
y fects of the travelers were missing.
! Dr. Labaree leaves a widow and four
I- children. Steps have been taken to
)f discover the assassins.
IS Wants to Stand Trial.
A white man, giving his name as
G. W. Valentine, walked into the po
lice station at Winston, N. C., Friday
and said than during the winter of
1902, while playing teller at one of
Sthe branch ottices of the Colonial bank
s in New York city, he absconded with
several hundred dollars and has been
a fugitive from just~ice ever since. H e
says he wants to return to New York
and stand trial. The Fidelity Casual
-~ty company which went on his bond,
r made good his shortage.
WHEN THE ICE WILL THAW.
London dispatches of the 17th say
that inquiries made at Lloyds elicited
iln the statement that the New Chwang
agent probably meant that the river
at New Chwang will be free of ice be
tween March 25 and 30 and that com
munication with Port Arthur by sea
will then be reopened.
Ld- PORT ARTHUR'S GARRISON.
A letter from Port Arthur says that
the garrison there consists of 2,500
men. Al' is quiet, and the military
bands play twice a week in the pubic
square.
Ion BUILDING A RAILWAT.
ust A message from Seoul, dated the
17th, says five thousand engineers are
. now employod in the building of the
military railroad from Seoul to Wiju.
ese Only a few miles have been completed.
ese Civilians are working on the railroad
ast from Seoul to Fusan. TLis road can
not be completed before next October.
she KUROPATE.IN's PROGRESS.
she A St. Petersburg corr.:spondent of
he The Echo, Paris, says Gen. Kuropat
kin telegraphs that he has passed
or- Omsk, and he adds that by Friday
ke, there will be 230,000 Russian troops
er- concentrated between Harbin and
ish Port Arthur.
ion
WORK OF GERMAN NATIVES.
oo
rts Women Cut to Pieces and Parts of
ng
be- Bodies Nailed to Buildings.
es- Letters from German Southwest
rts Africa have arrived at Berlin, giving
to details of the ghastly treatment of
,he German settlers, 113 of whom were
am killed outright or tortured to death
ch in the district of Okahadja alone.
)rt Women outraged and dismembered
de and with pieces of their bodies nailed
apt to the doors of houses, and boys muti
lated and left to die slowly, were fre
he quent spectacles. The extraordinary
er- columns on coming in sight of a farm
te, house would see the heads of its form
an er occupants fastened to the roof.
a These sights appear to have excited
ur the rage of the soldiers. The letters
he express longings for revenge and a de
termination, as one writer says, "to
he kill everything black." That causes
r- some papers to urge the government
ay to telegraph instructions to Colonel
of Leutwein, the governor of German
of Southwest Africa, that he order the
of soldiers to restrain themselves and
conduct the war in a civilized manner.
Colonel Leutwein himself comes in for
criticism, as it is alleged that he left
insufficient numbers of troops in the
rns exposed districts and was misled by
ad the temper of the natives, having fre
he quently had at his own table chiefs
who are now in rebellion and who are
d wearing decorations and swords of
honor bestowed on them by the gov
n ernment in behalf of the emperor.
The Tageblatt intimates that Colonel
Leutwein will be recalled.
T. G. Croft Will Run.
ds A special to the State from Aiken
d- Wednesday says T. G. Croft, Esq.,
s Wednesday replied to the petition from
to the members of the Aiken Bar associa
of tion and from the citizens of Aiken
d county. Mr. Croft's reply is as fol
lows:
"To my fellow-citizens of Aiken
Scounty and of the Sacond congressional
bdistrict: I have read with pride and
ngratitude most profound the numer
e ously signed petitions Inviting me to
at become a candidate for congress to fill
of the vacancy caused by the death of
on my revered father, Hon. George W.
ed Croft, from the Slcond congressional
it district of South Carolina. N~o strong
er token of honor, esteem and rever
eence for the memory of your deceased
>a- representative can be shown.
" 'While reluctaint to do so, having
us faith in those who signed the petition
>and the citizens of the district at
t large, a ma jority of whom were his
at friends, I have decided to make the
race, and hereby announce myself a
kcandidate for congress from the Sec
eond congressional district to fill the
Sunexpired term only, subject to the re
etsult of the primary election."
Asks for a Pardon.
A special to the Journal from
ler Hawkirnsville, Ga., says a petition for
ir- a pardon for Louis P. Hanvey, who is
c- a 'life-term convict now serving his
ch sentence at the camp of the Enter
ew prise Lumber company at Pitts, has
adbe icltd here and the signa
rtures of a great many of the most re
>g- presentative citizens was secured.
it Hanvey, who is a physician of ability,
ulf shot his wife In the presence of his
ak tifteen-years-old daughter several
ray years ago. Then he was living In
lI- Atlanta. He was tried and convicted
,he of murder and sentenced to the peni
le tentiary for life. Since that time he
er- has been In the camp at Pitts, Ga.,
red where he has been one of the best be
-ri- I haved prisoners. The petition for
lbl pardon is based on the alleged pro
..vocation under which the crime was
committed, his good behavior while
.nd la convict and the belief that his pun
ats ishment has been sufficient for his
ith icrime.
ia~l 1l Stabbed in Spartanburg.
Ihe Mr. R. Rt. Woodside, second hand
are in the weave room of the Saxon mill,
ie- Spartanburg, was seriously stabbed
his i Thursday afternoon by Will Berry, a
n s 'former employe of the weave room,
a~l butw t the time of the difficulty
use hano buiesin the mill. Berry
pe- was drinking at the time he entered
esthe room and was ordered out by Mr.
an- Woodside. A parley of hot words en
Lnd -sued, after which was a personal en
counter, in which Berry stabbed
IWoodside in three places--the left
ate shoulder, arm and stomach, inflicting
'ing ungly wounds. Berry then escaped.
;Ian IMr. Woodslde has been employed it
ack the Saxon mill for some time past.
>wn Sheriff White and others are on the
red. lookout for Berry.
3 to Army Officer Suicides.
t of Maj. Win. H. Bean, U. S. A., com
fire mitted suicide Thursday by shooting
Ln'. says a special from Oinoha, Nleb.
Ordered to the Philippines, he hat
,rch his trunks packed Thursday morn
ties ing and taken to the depot. Immedi
san ately afterward he asked his wife t
rtly play on the piano and while she wa
at a playing he thrust an army revolver t
wn. his right temple and fired. The bulle
pies lodged In his brain and he died almos
immediately.
BOLD CRACKSMAN.
Federal Authorities Accuse Him o
Robbing Postoffice.
KEMBERS OF THAT WILD BAND
L. Ivey, With Several Aliases, Believ
ed to Have Been One of the Gang
that Robbed Many Places
in this State.
The Charleston Post of last Wed
nesday says L. Ivey, alias "William
Smith," alias "A. M. Arnold," who h
believed to be a notorious safe cracker
was committed to jail this afternoon
charged with breaking open the safe
of the Mullins postofce last Novem
ber, pending a fuller investigatior
into the case.
Ivey was arrested last night b;
United States Marshal John D. Adam
on Kring street. The arrest was mad(
on a bench warrant, supplemented b;
another warrant issued by Commis
sioner J. Waties Waring, on affidavit
by the marshal on information and be
lief, charging Ivey with being eithe
Bill Murphy or August DeFord,
members of the noted gang of safe
robbers, four of whom were sent t(
the Atlanta penitentiary last year t
serve five years for robbing banks anc
pestoffices in the upper part of Soutl
Carolina. At the time of the tria
here last April, Murphy and DeFurd
who had avoided arrest in Columbia
when their pals were bagged, were it
Charleston awaiting the result of the
trial. If the accused, Thomas No
land, William McKinley, Ed Dugar
and "Dutch" Howard, who were of
trial, had been acquitted Murphy an<
DeFurd were to be delivered to the
court by t.eir attorney, a lawyer o
Columbia, but the men having beer
found guilty, the identity of Murph:
and DeFord and their presence is
Charleston were kept secret. Wher
the effects of the gang which had
been seized in Columbia were turned
over to the men such parts of the
clothing and other matter belonging
to Murphy and DeFord were delivered
to tae agent of the fugitives, wh(
boldly accompanied the convictec
members of the gang to Columbia and
then Murphy and DeFord lcst no time
in making themselves scarce.
The examination today before Com
missioner Waring, at which Puftoffic<
Inspectors Pulsifer and Moorer were
present, revealed the fact that the de:
scriptions did not fully fit Ivey, anc
with the approval of District Attorney
John G. Capers, the charge was dis
missed.
Ivey was not, however, a free man,
with this procedure, for he was imme
diately rearrested on a warrant sworn
out by Inspector Pulsifer for being
implicated in the cracking and robbery
of the safe of the Mullins postoffice
last November. The case was inves
tigated at some length, and it was
finally decided to commit Ivey to jail,
pending incriminating evidence which
the Inspectors hope to secure.
The hearing was held in the private
office of Marshal Adams, in the post
office building. It was desired tC
protograph Ivey and this was done b3
Photographer Dowling, while the case
was being investigated, so sudden13
and quickly that Ivey did not know
of if~until the photographer steppet
from his partly bidden position in thE
room, and exposed the camera anc
tripod.
The government authorities tbink
that they have a noted cracksman.
Ivey gave his name last night as
Arnold, but he admitted Wednesda3
that this was not his real note, but
simply assumed, on [account of his
profession of gambling, and not desir;
ing to bear his zorrect name. He was
asked for his place of residence, which
he gave at several places. Pittsburg
was declared to be the last that hE
put up at. He gave the name of a
gambling house in that city, and said
that he ran the roulette game and
took a turn at times at other games.
There is such a place as he named,
but it remains to be ascertained
whether Ivey was connected with the
house.
This is not Ivey's first visit to Char.
leston, according to the statementi
of the government officers. He wai
here a short time ago, and then hE
lef t the city, paying for his room at a
down-town restaurant and lodging
house in advance and leaving instruc
tions that his effects were not to bE
disturbed. When he left the place hE
carried out no baggage, and when at
returned to Charleston a few days agt
he came in without a grip or trunl
which the officers think a suspiciou!
act in itself. The officers did not re
spect his wish not to have his effect!
disturbed. They examined his effects
but It is not known it they fount
anyhing in the way of incriminating
papers, tools, etc. They did find sev
eral fine tailor-made suits, differen1
styles of good shoes, some of whici
are said never to have been worn.
A package of diainonds, whose va
lue has not been estimated, was als<
found in the care of the proprietor o
the lodging house and restaurant.
OQ Ivey's person was found Wed
nesday night a sleeping car tickel
reading from Detroit to Pittsburg
Nothing else of any moment it I:
said, was found.
Ivey appears very cool and collect
ed. He denies that he has committeE
any wrong, and appears perfectl:
willing for an investigations aboul
himself. He has not yet employeE
counsel._________
Heavy Hail Storm.
The heaviest hail storm on record
followed by territic rain, occurre
Thursday afternoon at New Orleans
and a great deal of damage was don
in the city. Stores were flooded ani
stocks damaged, besides roofs blow]
down. The main event was the cas
ing in of the roof of the Southern Ex
press company's storage building. Th
roof has a 90-foot slant and the weigh
and volume of hail and water tore
hole in the roof and nearly wrecke
the building, causing a great deal c
damage._________
Killed by Paper Cape.
Two people were killed and severs
wounded by an explosion Thursda
morning which wrecked thne plant c
the Chicago Toy and Nove:.ty Compi
tny. The explosion was caused by tb
tignition of 150 gross of toy pistE
cap soeda in the buildingr.
JAPS AT CHEMTLP
Russians Retreating Across Yi
River Before Advance.
AOKE GOES TO SEOUL
Japanese to Take Control of I
mainistnation of Corean Af
fairs. Von St a c k e 1
berg's Report.
The correspondent of The Loni
Daily Mail at Chefoo, who has j
visited Chinampo, Corea, says:
"On the way to Chemulpo we pa
ed a eonstant succesion of Japan
transports. Three thousand Japar
landed at Chemulpo at the end of ]
week."
The correspondent adds that
Russians are retreating across
Yalu river before the advance of
Japanese outposts.
The Daily Mail's Wei Hai Wei c
respondent learns that Viscount Ac
formerly Japanese minister to G
many, is going to Seoul to establ
practically a Japanese administrat
for Corea.
Under date of March 17 the Che
correspondent of The Standard repC
that provision trains are arriv:
bourly at Port Arthur, the railway
ing intact.
The Daily Telegraph's Tokio cor
pondent, cabling March 17, asse
that the Rufsian fleet has returned
Port Arthur. If this is correct, 1
aorrespondent adds, it is evidenr fr
Rear Admiral Varon von Stackelber
report that the Russian cruisers wh
eft Valdivostok returned to that p
without an attempt having been ma
o unite the fleets, or If an atten
was made it was unsuccessful.
The Chefoo correspondent of 1
Paris edition of the New York H
td, cabling under Thursday's da
Lsserts that a portion of the Russj
eet made several oruises within
-adius of 50 miles of Port Arti
without finding any trace of 1
nemy.
The foregoing dispatches are t
)nly additional items of news appe
ng in the Lond)n newspapers Fric
norning, within the exception
vague rumors of alleged movements
,he opposing forces in the vicinity
he Valu river.
KUROrATKIN'S COXING.
The first headquarters of the MI
:hurian army after Gen. Kuropatki:
Lrrival will be at Liao Yang, the ge
ral having selected that point inste
>f Mukden, from whence to direct t
)perators. Liao Yang is 10 mi:
west of the railroad, being connect
with the main road by a line whi
will be completed by the time Ge
uropatkin arrives, and has many a
'antages over Mukden, being a pol
whence both the telegraph line a
he Pekin road go to the Yalu rive
iao Yang commands both the roa
)ver which troops will be sent accor
ng to necessities. Liao Yang al
ias the advantage of being nearer
he frontier of China in the event
unitive measures being requir
gainst the Chinese.
While the Rusans are mobilizi
or the purpose of working out an
~ensive military problem they will
repared to move heavy forces in a
irection to meet the Japanese, wh<
~ommand of the sea gives them gre
~reedom in selecting their point s
Lttack Gen. Kuropa.tkin will live
train with his staff and be prepal
o move immediately wherever]
~resence is required.
Great precautions are being tak
o guard against surprises. The Ja1
lese have always shownsa pr eferer
or night attacks, and most rigorc
rders have been iSued to keep uj
ontinuous advance of scouting p;
sies and to have heavy pickets out
iight.
Gen. Kuropatkin is now near Om
Biberia. He is making very fast t
veraging over 532 miles per di
verything being sidetracked to,5
tim to Mukden on March 26.
FEAR CHINESE TROUBLE.
A d ispatch from New Chwang uni
date of March 17 says: The Patri
hal Gen. Linevitch, who was
companied by Gen. Kondratonoivil
after a survey on the 16th of N
Chwang and its defenses, which k
been prepared for its inspection,
turned to his command at Liao Ya
He also visited Kai Chou and pol
affecting the protection of the. g
coast and the holding of the we
zone along the main line of rail,
opposite New Chwang. Although<
claming auy apprehension of
Japanese landing here, the authoril
are satisfied to bave foreigners und
stand that the Russians are prepa
for any local emergency and the~ a:
val of an additional battery of ar
lery and also 150 scouts recently is
nificant of coming events.
It is apparent that both civil
military strategists and the diplom
at Mukden apprehend a collision w
the Chinese, probably fearing t
the increasing number of their sn
bands of scouts operating between
Liao River and the Great Wall
the instruments for their entani
ment in a conflict, particularly as 1
zone is in the nature of a no-mi
land on account of having been at
doned by the powers and also beca
the Chinese jnrisdiction is incon
tent. Russians able to judge pro:
to regard Gen. Ma's attitude as d
gerous to the peace of Russia
hina.
RUSSIAN DEsTROYER DESTROYEI
A dispatch from Chefoo, under c
of March 17 says that while entel
Port Arthur Wednesday, the Rust
torpedo boat destroyer Skorri str
upon an unplaced mine and was bli
up. Four of the crew were sa'
Viceroy Alexieff in a dispatch<
firms previous accounts of damag
Port Arthur by the bombardmenl
the 10th, but says the story of a
in Port Arthur is a base fabricat
CROSSING THE YALU.
Dispatches from Seoul, dated Mg
17, say that the Japanese authori
have been .advised that the Rus
cavalry in northern Corea has pa
recrossed the Yalu river and th
Cossack battery has also withdra
A small Russian force still occu
THE- SOUTH VINDICATED.
Mr. Spight, of Mississippi, Discusses
the Race Problem.
In the house Wednesday, during
the discussion of the post office appro-'
priation bill, Mr. Spight, of Missis
sippi very ably discussed the race qus
tion. He said he desired to vindicate
the South from the charge of barbar
ism. In the South, he said, the ne
gro had been denied the right to vote
and to hold office, but not the right
to work for an honest living, as he
had been done in the Northern states.
"We some times kill them for out
rageous crimes," he said, "but never
because they want to work." As for
lynchings, he said, that sometimes
they have unnecessarily occurred in
the South. He referred to 'the Wil
mington, Del., lynching last year,
and to the subsequent attacks on the
negro settlement. This never occurred
in the South, he said. "When the
guilty wretch has paid the penalty of
his awful crime, that is an end of it,"
he continued; "the mob is satisfied
and does not wreak indiscriminate
vengeance upon the innocent because
they belong to the same race as the
criminal." He said that unlike the
people of the North, the people of the
South "don't go out with a torch in
one band a gun in the other, and,
pointing the gun at defenseless women
and children, and shoot them as they
flee for their lives." He said this had
occurred in New York City in 1900,
and he referred to a number of lynch
ings which had occurred in the North,
including those at Danville, Ill., and
Sprirgfield, 0., and said "such race
preju:lice finds no place in Southern
hearts."
OPPOSED TO MOB-BUT.
Mr. Spright continued: "So far as
I am concerned, I am oppcsed to mob
violence as a general proposition. I
do not think that lynchings for any
other crime than the nameless one
against womanhood ought ever to oc
cur. In all others the courts of the
country are ample and generally, with
us, swift to punish.
"But, in the one class of crimes so
brutal and destructive of all that is
dear to an enlightened people, no one
with a spark of manhood in him can
doubt that instant death to the per
petrator should follow upon the ascer
tainment of the guilty facts. The
poor suffering woman who has been
the victim of the devilish lust of a
brute, white or black. should not be
compelled' to appear in court and re
peat before a jury the horrible details
of the outrage."
Mr. Spight recited that the burn
ing at the stake of "such brutes" was
not confined to the South, but had
occurred in t': North as well.
Mr. Spight Moke of the attempt of
certain white persons to put the negro
on a social equality with themselves,
and referring to the occasion when
Booker Washington dined at the
White House with President Roose
velt, said that "this one incident had
done more to inflame the passions of
the negro and give him a perverted
idea of his importance and his near
approach to social equality than any
thing tha.t had been done for the last
ten years."
BOOKER SHOULD HAVE DECLINED
He said Booker Washington had sat
down to dinner with the president "as
graciously as if he had been the gov
ernor of New York. He was," he con
tinued, "sorry that Washington did
not have more sense and self-respect
than to accept the invitation. It
would have been infinitely to his credit
had he declined. The more the ne
groes are put on a social equality,"
he vigorously aESerted, "the more
dangerous becomes their position and
the surer death by violence will over
take them sooner or later."
Falls Dead in Chicago.
General H. H. Thomas, who was re
cently ousted as federal appraiser at
the port of Chicago, dropped dead
Friday. Heart disease is suposed to
be the cause. The removal of Gener
al. Thomas from office a few weeks
ago, was one of the most picturesque
incdentis known in politics here. Seat
ed under the folds of a United States
fag, General Thomas remained at his
desk, refusing to give way, until dis
possessed by the actual arrival of his
successor. The death of General
Thomas was as dramatic as his re
moval. He had served in the civil war,
but had never made an application
for a pension, while in receipt of other
income. Thursday, after ineffectual ef
forts to secure other work, he was in
a lawyer's office preparing a pension
application. It was while thus en
gaged that General Thomas fell dead.
He was 70 years old.
Roacoke Brute Hanged.
Henry Williams, colored, was hang
ed at Roanoke, Va., Friday. The exe
cution was witnessed by several hun
dred people assembled in the jail yard,
vhile thousands thronged the streets
about the prison. There was no de
monstration but as a precautionary
measure Acting Mayor Johnson held
a local military company in their
armory during the night and until
after the execution. The crime for
which Williams was hanged was com
mitted Jan. 30, last. He entered the
house of George J. Shields, a well
known young business man, and after
assaulting Mrs. Shields, cut her
throat. He then struck Mildred, the
-year-old daughter of the couple,
over the head with a hatchet, and
then robbed the house.
Safe Crackers Plead Guilty.
Henry Donohne and John Ray
mond, indicated on the charge of
cracking the safe in the Niational
bank of Rocky Mount, Va., two
months ago, when $5,000 was stolen,
were arraigned in the Franklin coun
ty court Friday. The men plead guilty
to the charges against them Donohue
was given 10 years in the State peni
.tentiary and Raymond was sentenced
i to five years in the same prison.
'Bank Dynamited.
Safe blowers dynamite the safes of
the Bank of Pasco at Dade City, Fla.,
Thursday night and almost wrecked
the building. The charges of dyna
mite were so heavy that the large
brick building was crack-ed from roof
to~ base and every one of the plate
TO PROMOTE IMMTGRATION.
A Company of That Kind in Process
of Organization.
The Columbia State of Thursday
says. In a few days application will
be made for a commission for the Co
lumbia Land and Immigration com
pany, which will have a capitalization
of $100,000 with headquarters at Co
lumbia. At first it was proposed to
make the stock $500,000, but the pro
moters have decided that it is better
to start with a more moderate capita
lization. The corporators are: Mr.
N. W. Brooker of Columbia, Mr.
Theodore Law of Bishopville, and Mr.
J. W. Lee of New York city.
Mr: Brooker says that the company
will operate in Richland Lexington
counties principally., Richland, he
he says, has the cheapest lands and
the most attractive truck farming
which can be fornd in the State. He
has several thousand acres in this
county which he can dispose of toim
migrants on the easy payment plan.
The purpcses of the company are laid
out in the following statement which
he made Wednesday:
"The'plans of the company are to
take lands at a reasonable price as
stock in the company, to such extent
as they may seem desirable. To sub
divide such lands into small farms of
50 to 100 acres each, and improve
them by building comfortable tene
ment houses and boring wells, and
selling to settlers upon installments.
Many persons having surplus lands
will subscribe them as stock, and the
improvement of these will enhance
the value of their other holdings.
These tracts of land subdivided, can
be sold at an advance sufficient to pay
the interest on the stock, yet prices
will be made to the settlers at very
low rates.
"For purposes of improvement the
company will issue an adequate num
ber of bonds, of sufficient duration,
underwrite the same to be floated by
the company as they may need money
for buildings, etc.
"The company will confine its opera
tions, as much as possible, to Rich
land and Lexington counties. The
promoters have already procured an
agent in New York, to aid them in
reaching immigrants, who will te
furnished maps, plats and, prices of
farms for sale. One of the promoters
is now in New York and it is expected
that operations will begin at once.
Great care will be had in selecting
an honest and frugal class of farm
ers. The company also designs
and desires a close cooperation with
the State bureau of immigration.
This bureau having been established
and no funds provided for buying and
improving lands, which is necessary
to a successful operation of the work
it is understood such a movement as
this company proposes in opening up
the way and preparing homes for the
settlers, the efforts of the State bureau
of immigration will be largely sup
ported." .
Wil Not Be Shielded.
A special from Washington to the
Atlanta Journal says thespecial com
mittee appointed to investigate the
charges made by Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Bristow against
members of congress in connection
with the postal scandals will not be a
whitewashing committee: after all'.
A member of the committee declared t
Wednesday that a dozen or more con
gressmen would be shown up guilty of
the charge of using 'illegal influence
to secure excessive postoffice clerk I
hire allowance and rental from George
B. Reavers. It is known, in spite of.
the secret sessions of the committee,
that the famous report charging 151 1
ongressmen with complicity in the
postal scandals has been sifted care
fully, and only 74 cases were found<
where members were in any way con
ected with the excessive clerk hire 1
allowances. Of these 54 cases only:
eight were recommended by Demo
rats, remainder having been accom
plished through the influence of Re
publican congressmen. The total sum
lost by the government in this exces-1
sive allowance by Beavers is $17,000.
Some of these cases where Republi
cans were guilty of collusion with Bea
vers are said to be extremely scandal-.
ous, and the committee will be com-1
pelled to report a verdict of guilty ac
cording to the evidence in the hands
of the committee. Only one of two
of the Democratic members are likely
to be refused certificates of character
by the committee.
First in South Carolina.
The first Automobile line In South
Carolina will be established in Green
ville says the states correspondent
writing from that place. The Chick
Springs management has induced the
county supervisor to relocate the road
from Taylor's Station to the springs,
which will be a decided improvement
for the travel, and an automobile
track will be built from the station
to the hotel, a distance of one and a
half miles. The company has order
ed two machines to be used for rapid
transit to and from the hotel, which
will be an innovation and an advance
movement In transporting guests to
the springs, the first of the kind in
South Carolina. Chick Springs in the
next 60 days will enter the list of first
class summer resorts with a modern,
attractive hotel that will not be sur
passed in the State.
Says He Should Hang.
Gov. Odell has received a letter
from a man condemned to death for
murder, requesting his interference
to prevent any attempt 4to delay the
execution. The writer is Frank H
Burness, a sailor, convicted in Brook
lyn of the murder of George B. Town
send, the captain of his vessel. He
is confined in Sing Sing prison and
was to have been executed Feb. 8,
but the execution was stayed by an
appeal by his attorney without his
consent. The letter says in substance
that the writer believes himself de
serving of the death penalty. The
governor will take no action in the
matter.
- Safe Crackers Fail.I
Fivo men made eight attempts to
blow open the safe of the bank at
R andleman, N. C., Friday morning,
but were unable to penetrate the
inner door. They held a negro who
was seen passing a prisoner for three
KNOCKED OUT.
the Government Wins a Victory in
the Securities Case.
!HE STATE SUPRAE COUET
Declar- That the Big Railroad
Combination Is a Violation of
the Anti-Trust Laws of
.the Country.
The opinion of the Supreme Court
Af the United States in the case of
the Northern Securities Company
gainst the United States, involving
the merger of the -Northern Pacific
cnd Great Northern Railway Compa
3ies was handed down last week in
favor of the government The opin
on was read by Justice Harlan. The
)pinion of the United States Circuit
Jourt for Minnesota, is afirmed. The
dffect is to sustain the contention of
he character .in question. Justice
Earlad said that in the merger of the
wo roads the stockholders disappeared
cnd reappeared in the Securities. in.;
he Company, the two thus practical
y becoming consolidated in the hold
ng company, the principal object be
ng to prevent competition. "No '
cheme could more effectively come
within the proscription Qgf the anti
rust law and is within the meaning:
)f the act."
Justice Harlin read the opinion of
he court. He first explained the
luestion at issue, being the enforce
nent of the anti-trust act, In which t
congress declares illegal contracts or
combinations in restraint trade
providing penalties. "Now w jsga
ahe case as presented by the-pad
ags? Are defendants properly charged Y
with monopolizing or attempting
nonopolize trade between states?"M
"In our opinion," he said, "the evi
lence fully sustains the charge that
he Northern Securities Company was
)rganized as a holding corporation or- :
ustodian of more than nine-tenths of"_
he stock of the Northern Pacifie
end three quarters of the Great Y
othern. Both lines were held as if
feld by one ownership. The holding -
ompany dominated the roads for the
xclusive benefit of the stockholders. .
"It became a powerful corporation
o that competition between Constit- :
ient companies might close. The
rofits were to be distributed on the -
rasis of the stock held by the North
rn Securities Company. The combs
nation is one in the shape of a trust."
The suit was instituted by the.
Jnited States against the Northern
company, two railroad companies ad _
heir stockholders, for the purpose-of
lissolving the merger of the two corn-:;
)anies, which consolidation - s
laimed to be in violation of the Sher;
nan anti-trust law and in effect a
pool to promote the interests, not of
ne system against the other, but of
oth against the public. - Tie rail
nad claimed that the transfer'of the
tock of the two companies to the
securities Company was in the nature.:
f a sale and was perfectly legitimate.
ustice Harlin quoted various opinions
nvolving the trust question, saying
hat from them it had -been gathered
hat all contracts in restraint or
rade, whether reasonable or unre
onable, and prohibited by the Sher
aan law, and that Congress has power
o establish such regulations as are
aid down in that law.
She Will Die First. -
A special to the Augusta Herald
rom Atlanta says Governor Terrell -
rhursday afternoon declined to dier
tile the recommendation of the par- '
Lon board in the case of Mrs. W. J.
WVood, convicted with assault with in- ~
ent to murder her husband, and the
air prisoner will be sent to the state
~onvict farm at Milledgeville and
nade to work out a sentence of two
rears. She will be given some house
iold work to perform and not put in
1he field. When seen at the Tower
1,fter the action of the governor, Mrs.
WYood said: "I will die before I will
year the stripes on my back. I will
ear them off, for I have done nothing
o deserve them. They can do noth- -
ug but kill me, and that would
~ertainly be a relief. They are put
ing a woman into the penitentiary
'or protecting her honor. When the
3eorgia legislature enacts a law mak
ng it a crime I will then think that
have violated the law, but never.
~hink that I have committed a crime,
norally speaking."
How Baltimore Fire Started.
The special commission named by
ocal insura'nce people appointed to -
nquire into the origin of the late fire
iere, ias formulated its report. They
ind In substance that the fire origi
3ated from outside causes in the John
~. Hurst company's building. The
~lectric switches were cut off, the flow
f gas was cut off at the meters and
~he fires in the~ boxes of the boilers
ere shown to have been drawn be
~ore the blaze started. It is the
~heory of the commission that alight
d cigarette or cigar must have ignit
d inflamable material In the cellar
which smouldred until the firemen
Siscovered the smoke and began work.
[t is suggested that the opening of
loors caused a vent for the flames.
Latimer Well Received.
The first annual convention of the
liew York and Chicago Road associa
Gion met in Erie, Pa., Wednesday and
will remain in session through Thurs
5ay. Col. Albert A. Pope of New
York is presiding. Among the pro
ninent men in attendance was Sena
ior Asbury 0. Latimer of South Caro
mia, who made an address in advocacy
>f his bill now pending in congress for
national aid in building improved
,ighways. He was received with an
vation, and delivered a most excellent
mnd practical address.
Tortured and Robbed.
Three burglars entered the home of
lames Pickenpaugh a farmer living at
Oheatneck, near Mongantown, W.
Va., Wednesday and after torturing
their victim, secured $1,100 in- gold
and silver, and escaped. Pickenpaugh
had no faith in the stability of the
banks and carried the money, which
represented his savings for twenty
years, strapped about his waist in