The watchman and southron. [volume], December 25, 1909, Image 1

About The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930

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IMOOM AND OFFICERS PRE
1 V VWTf BI/OODSHED IN ALA?
BAMA.
Of MacBofaa, Angered by BUytng
Cst OS* of TMr Color, Had PUn
mmt Wlmleeale AlUek on Town
Whites to Arm Themsetree
Propere for Fight.
Ityagaolla, Ale.. Dee. 11.?With State
aad armed deputies patrolling
Use streets and the public roads lead
In* Into the town, and with thlrty
tatfjs of the negro ring-leaders cor
railed la aa Improvised stockade, the
threatened race war Is believed to?
la have been averted. Excite -
however, hae not been alto
allayed and tonight every
man's house in Magnolia and
ftMr several miles around Is guarded
against threatened revengeful acte on
the part of negroee who reeent the
burning yeterday of Clint Montgom?
ery, one of the four negro despera?
dos*, brothers, charged with the kill
fb*f> Ssgurday night of Algernon
Left hi.
This section for miles around was
stirred this morning by reports that
the negroes wert planning to attack
town tonight, born the real
murder every white
by I o'clock this afternoon, Magnolia
was lliled with armed white men and
a ertoue clash with the negroee was
imminent. Doubtless the arrival of
seventy-five soldiers here at ? o'clock
prevented bloodshed. Several of the
nejgroes connected with the alleged
plan to burn the town had already
been apprehended and only the cool?
er heads among the citizens and
Sheriff Grant and seventy-nve armed
deputlee prevented summary ven?
geance being meted out to them be?
fore the Selms troops reached here.
The officers assert that they have
mattere well in hund tonight.
Last night Sam Shields, a relative
of Tom Shields. om> of the four white
men shot by Clint Montgomery yes?
terday, reported that he overheard a
number of negroes plotting a system?
atic attack upon the whites. There
was a large gathering of the negroes
at a house near town, and Mr. Shields
says they planned to go from house
to houee In Magnolia applying the
torch and killing the occupants a*
they made effort to escape from the
flames. Runners were eent out af?
ter midnight conveying this informa?
tion to the whites. It was learned
that for several weeks past the ne?
groes have been purchasing firearms,
and this added color to the reports
that they were planning a combined
attack upon the whites.
A visit was made today to the
home of Dick Montgomery, father of
the four brothers whoes acte led up
to the present strained conditions,
but he was not found. He Is promi?
nent In negro secret societies, and
the report spread this afternoon that
be was rounding up members of his
lodges In the outlying country for
the purpose of making a determined
attack upon the whites.
Tonight a report reached hire that
a white man had been shot and fa?
tally wounded by negroes, but it
could not be verified.
The thirty-three negroes who to?
night are held In a guarded store
building here, will tomorrow be tak?
en to the county Jail at Linden, oth?
er arrests of negroes are expected to
be made tonight.
Negroes Urged to Seek Revenge.
Magnolia, Ala.. Dec. 11.?A tele?
phone message from Lamlson, six
miles distant, tonight, was to the ef?
fect that Arthur Cralg, a negro
school teacher, has called upon mem?
bers of his race to avenge the burn?
ing of Clint Montgomery. The whites
at Lainlson also are armed and ready
for any untoward move on the part
of the negroee. Many cltlsens of
Lamlson were here today.
?hed April, 1S50.
?Be Just ai
i._SUMT
DR. COOK'S FINISH.
COPENHAGEN UNIVERSITY DE
CTjAHES HE DID NOT DIS?
COVER POLE.
Kxplorvr'h Friends Begin to Believe
Tbet as the Scientists' Findings
Assert, He Has Humbugged the
Public in His Statements.
Copenhagen, Dec. 21.?The report
of the special committee of scientists
which the University of Copenhagen
appointed to scrutinise Dr. Frederick
A. Cook's claims that he had discov?
ered the North Pole, was submitted
to the consistory of the university
this morning. Indorsed by that body
and given to the public.
The report shatters completely, al?
most contemptuously, the American
explorer's title to such discovery and
fills the officials and people of Den?
mark with chagrin at the figure Den?
mark Is made to assume in the eyes
of the scientific world. The public
was prepared for a verdict of "not
proved" but did not expect its recent
hero to be branded as an impostor.
Many still cling to the belief that
Cook acted In good faith, but har?
bored a delusion. *
Explorers and scientists almost
unanimously have lost faith In
Cook's honesty, while one of the
warmest of his supporters, Knud
Rasmussen, the explorer, helped to
frame the report. The evening pa?
pers attack Cook and severely re?
proach him for hiding, which they re?
gard as a sign of guilty conscience.
The rector of the university, Dr.
Salomonson, when asked as to the
possibility of the university cancel?
ling the degree which It conferred on
Dr. Cook, said thst no deolston had
been reached but he thought that
the degree could ba withdrawn In the
same way as a government could de?
prive a person of an order obtained
under false pretense.
Commodore Gustav Holm, the Arc?
tic explorer, a member of the com?
mittee, said:
"Cook's claim that he made the
observation U9 degrees 59 minutes 4 3
seconds near the pole proved imme
a was a. bad observer,
'H(Hestespsdsn^ftjJrfceiv9e'ts > e>
swindler. Now his papers convict
him of being a swindler. We exam?
ined Cook's observations first, and
agreed unanimously that they were
worthless. Loose's observations were
not used In the papers Cook submit?
ted to the university."
Prof. Olensen, secretary of the
Denlsh Geographicr.l Society, said:
"It Is the saddest event In my life.
As an explorer there seems to be no
doubt that Cook Is absolutely unre?
liable.
The committee appointed by the
university to examine Cook's records
recently presented its report to the
consistory of the university which
reviewed the deductions of the ex?
perts with the greatest care and dis?
cussed the findings from every stand?
point That both the committee and
the consistory were disappointed was
soon known.
The conslstoiw met today and
adopted a wrlt?i report to the ef?
fect that the afrtged records submit?
ted for examination by Dr. Cook fail?
ed to prove his claim that he had
reached the North Pole. After ob?
taining all available Information the
committee finds as follows:
First, the report of the expedition
sent to the university by Dr. Cook is
the same as that printed in the New
York Herald during the months of
September and October last.
Second, the copy of Cook's note
books does not contain any original
astronomical observations whatso?
ever but only results.
Third, the documents presented
are inexecusably lacking in informa?
tion which would prove that the as?
tronomical observation therein refer?
red to were really made; and also
contain no details regarding the
practical work of trie expedition and
the sledge Journey which would en?
able the committee to determine
their rltabillty.
The committee therefore is of the
opinion that the material transmit?
ted for examination contains no.
proof that Dr. Cook reached the
pole.
The report Is signed by all the
members of the committee, which
was composed of the following: Prof.
Kills Htrongre, professor director of
the astronomical observatory; Dr. C.
F. Pechule, astronomer attached to
the observatory; Gustav Holm, ex?
plorer; Prof. A. B. Yonson, president
of the school of navigation; Dr. Rey
der, director of meteorological office,
and Dr. F. A. Engstrom, director of
the Lund observatory.
The university council Issued this
statement:
"The documents handed the uni
id Fear not-^Let all the ends Thon Ahr
ER. S. 0M SATURD?
ZEL?YA FORGES PUT TO ROUT.
INSURGENT ARMY WINS A SIG?
NAL VICTORY.
News Recei ved In Washington of the
Defeat of the Regular Army of
Nicaragua by Gen. Estrada's
Forces, and the Battle, It is Said
Means the Beginning of the End.
Washington. Dec 21.?Zelaya's
troops were routed by the Nicara
guan revolutionists today in a fierce
battle at Rama, lasting several hours,
according l;o advices received here
this afternoon. Gen. Estrada, in
command of the revolutionary army,
Is reported to have been successful
all along the line. The battle is to
be renewed tomorrow, the advices de?
clare, and the Estrada army will
bend all efforts to compel the uncon?
ditional surrender of the govern?
ment forces.
There is some doubt as to th ex?
act extent of Estrada's success. From
revolutionary sources the word Is
sent that the victory over the Zela
yan troops Is "complete." The State
department has" received word from
Thomas H. Moffatt, United States
Consul at Bluefields, that Estrada had
"partially routed and defeated the
forces of Zelaya." It la agreed, how?
ever, that the moral effect of such
initial success on the part of the rev?
olutionists can hardly be exaggerated.
The first announcement of success of
the Estrada arms came in a cable?
gram to Dr. Castrillo, the represen?
tative here of the Provisional govern?
ment. It was signed "Diaz." Diaz is
secretary of the State of the Pro?
visional government. The cablegram
said: "Complete victory Is ours. Ze?
laya's troops are In retreat." Later
the State department gave out the
following message from Consul Mof?
fatt from Colon:
"Estrada forces at Tatumbla and
Recreo, near Rama, commanded by
Gen. Mena at the former place and
Gens. Chamorro, Mattutl and Fernos
Diaz, at the latter place, partially
routed and defeated the forces of Ze?
laya after desperate fighting for sev
ral hours. The Zelayan forces were
commanded by Gen. Gonzales. A
graaiMmany ware kJAev*. tHs^unjbjjt*
being unknown; 100 were* wounded
and 160 prisoners were taken by the
revolutionists. The Zelayan troops at
Recreo have occupied what has been
considered a strong position. Estra?
da is confident of defeating the ene?
my when he renews the attack to?
morrow and of securing their surren?
der."
The clash between the two armies
was not unexpected here. For days
on end they have been lying practi?
cally Idle in their trenches around
Rama, skirmishes only marring the
peace that brooded over that sec?
tion. Estrada played a waiting game
In the hope that the Zelayan com?
manders would take the initiative
and attempt the capture of his posi?
tion, which was reported to be very
strong. Furthermore, with the wan?
ing of President Zelaya's star he ex?
pected a large number of accessions
from the Zelayan army.
When Zelaya abdicated and prac?
tically dictated the election of Dr.
Madriz as his successor, Estrada, ac?
cording to his diplomatic friends
here, determined to strike. Accord?
ingly he moved his army forward
early today and took the field active?
ly against his enemy. Dr. Castrillo
and his friends look forward confi?
dently to the receipt tomorrow of
word of a complete victory and the
beginning of the march of the victori?
ous army on the capital.
None of the officials of the State
department tonight would discuss
the reported victory of Estrada. It
Is known, however, that the news was
welcome. Had the Zelayan army
won over Estrada, this government
would have been in a somewhat em?
barrassing position, having espoused
openly the cause of the Provisional
government.
In Central American diplomatic
circles the word brought joy, and
there was a celebration tonight. The
diplomats join in the prediction that
this first victory is the "beginning of
the end" of Zelayaism and the next
step will be to force the retirement of
Prsldent Madriz, on the ground that
he is a tool of Zelaya and not the
real choice of the country.
versity for examination do not con?
tain observations and information
which can be regarded as proof that
Dr. Cook reached the North Pole on
his recent expedition."
The public is unable to compre?
hend why Cook sent his papers when
he admits in the letter presented to
Prof. Torp, former rector of the Uni?
versity of Copenhagen, by his secre?
tary, Walter Lonsdale, that "It seems
unwise and Impossible to give final
?
t
is't at be thy Country's, Thy God's an<
lY. DECEMBER 25,
ZIUTI'S WAN ELECTEbT
FORMER JUSTICE BECOMES
PRESIDENT OP NICARAGUA.
Unanimous Choice of Zelaya's
Friend Pleases Populace of '.Man?
agua?-Congress Snubs American
Meddlers.
Managua, Dec. 20.?Dr. Jose Mad
riz, former judge of Central Ameri?
can court of Justice at Cartago and
Zelaya's candidate, was today elected
president of Nicaragua by the unani?
mous vote of congress. The session
was a stormy one but there seemed
to be perfect unamlnlty with regard
to the election of Madrlz and when
the official announcement was made
there were vociferous cheering and
crle3 of "Viva Madriz!" "Viva Leon.'
"Down with monoplies!" "Down with
tyranny." "Long live the constitu?
tion."
Mr. Madriz will assume the presi?
dency at 10 o'clock tomorrow. He
Wat escorted to the house today and
wus greeted by great crowds of peo?
ple. He made a brief speech urging
harmony and cooperation. He prom?
ised that he would uphold the rights
of the citizens, granting free elections
andf establishing a policy of equal
opportunities for all.
At the afternoon session congress
accepted the resignation of Dr. Mad?
riz as judge of the Central American
court and P. Anyuga Pardo was ap?
pointed to succeed him.
The committee which as the resig?
nation of Zelaya in hand then recom?
mended its acceptance and the form?
ulating of an address of thanks to
Zelaya for his services to Nicaragua.
Following the adoption of this re?
port the election of a successor was
proceeded with, the nomination of
Dr. Madriz being greeted with much
enthusiasm.
The strength of his following In
the house was attested by the fact
that on the call for a standing vote
every member rose to his feet In the
affirmative.
FAILED TO DELIVER COTTON.
Suit Begun by Savannah Against Co
|> ^..lumbla Factor. ,
Columbia, Dec. 18.?A petition ?n
bankruptcy of great interest to cot?
ton factors and cotton growers, and
which throws an Increasing side-light
on the practice which has prevailed
In this and other Southern States for
the past several years of buying cot?
ton off the farms for future delivery,
has been filed against Mr. L. V. Dib?
ble, a prominent Columbia factor, on
behalf of Savannah factors and oth?
ers, for failure to deliver cotton ot
a price agreed upon. Barron, Moore
& Barron represent the petitioners
and their petition has gone to Char?
leston to be filed in the Federal
Court there. This action was taken
after a meetng of the creditors here.
Mr. Dibble offered to turn over his
assets, but this offer appears to have
been declined.
It is understood that the liabilkies
are about $75,000 and the assets
something less than $25.000, though
the exact figures could not be obtain?
ed today.
Mr. Dibble's troubles, It seems, are
due to refusal on the part of many
farmers who had contracted last win?
ter and spring to deliver cotton, to
come up with the cotton after they
saw the price had advanced so sharp?
ly, contending that they were not le?
gally or morally bound by the agree?
ment, inasmuch as, in their opinion,
the transaction was a gambling one.
Mr. Dibble was therefore unable to
deliver to the firms he contracted
with, and they having in turn sold,
are now falling back on him for the
difference. ?
It is said that one man living in the
lower part of the State, who is worth
$50,000, has repudiated contracts he
made with half a dozen cotton fac?
tors. Calculating on making a good
little margin, he agreed to deliver cot?
ton this fall at prices ranging be?
tween 9 and 12 cents. When the fall
came on and the price went up he
reneged.
Mr. Dibble, it is understood, will
turn over his contracts to his credi?
tors, and an interesting line of suitl
is expected to follow against South
Carolina farmers and small mer?
chants who agreed to deliver to Mr.
Dibble.
Mr. Dibble has many friends in Co?
lumbia who hope that he will son
be straightened out in his financial
troubles.
Florence has voted to Issue a bond
Issue of $100,000 for sewerage and
water works.
judgment because of the absence of
the Instruments and observations
which I left at Etah."
1 Truth'*."
THE TRTJ
1909 New 8er
ASKS FOB INVESTIGATION.
TAFT YIELDS TO DEMAND FOR
INQUIRY INTO SECRETARY'S
OFFICIAL ACTS.
Inquiry To Be Made With All Publi?
city?Examination of His Cabinet
Of?cer's Record in Regard to Land
Deals WU Be Thorough, It is Now
Promised.
Washington, Dec. 20.?President
Taft today yielded to the demands of
both Secretary Ballinger and his crit?
ics for a public investigation of the
whole subject matter underlying the'
so-called Ballinger-Pinchot contro?
versy.
Mr. Ballinger this afternoon served
upon the president virtually an ul?
timatum to the effect that such an
investigation was indeed the price of
his remaining in the cabinet. He
made it clear to the president that he
is no longer willing to sit silent and
wait for the thing to "blow over."
Mr. Taft, it is said, admitted the
disappointment of his hope that the
country at large would accept as fin?
al his own vindication of Mr. Ballin
ger in his dismissal of the charges
brought before him against the sec?
retary of the interior by L. E. Glavls,
the former special agent of the land
office, and his conclusion that the in?
vestigation demanded by both sides
in this matter was inevitable.
Mr. Balllnger's attitude in this
matter has the support of leading
Republicans in both branches of
congress, senators and representa?
tives who feel thai entirely apart
from the merits of the controversy
Itself, a festering sore of this charac?
ter must poison th?: whole system of
the party In power, and that It is
high time to resort to the lance.
The leaders, determined that a
cleansing of this wound is necessary,
have not hesitated to go to the White
House and Impress their views upon
Mr. Taft.
Conference of a confidential char?
acter, In which members of the cab?
inet, party leaders In both houses of
congress and the president himself
have participated, have been held at
various times during the past few
days. They culminated todayshsti
Secretary Balllnger, Attorney Gen?
eral WMckersham and Postmaster
General Hitchcock met in Mr. 'Wick
ersham's office and proceeded thence
to the White House, where the mat?
ter was mid before the president.
Mr. Balinger told the president, It
Is said, that the situation had become
intolerable to him and that, though
the constant charges against him
had come from irresponsible persons,
he could not longer sit supinely by,
arid in justice to himself he felt com?
pelled to Insist upon an investigation.
DOUBLE TRACK WORK BEGUN.
Coast Line Improvement Starts At
Florence.
Florence, Dec. 18.?The Atlantic
Coast Line Railway Company has let
the contract for double-tracking their
main line from Florence to Pee-Dee
River trestle, a distance of twelve
miles and the contractors, Messrs.
Phillips and Alsport, of Richmond,
Va., have aready begun work with a
large gang of foremen and laborers.
They are now working near Wilson,
on the Pee Dee end and will push
this work with all possible dispatch.
Messrs. Phillips and Alsport wer??
the contractors who had the concrete
work on the new Pee Dee trestle and
they have completed their job and
are moving a part of their forces to
the Cheraw and Darlington Road, at
Thompson Creek, one mile south of
Cheraw, where they will put in con?
crete piers, and steel girders across
that swamp. This is on the main
line of the new route to Cincinnati
and the west over the Coast Line and
the Norfolk and Western roads.
Holmes Robertson, a young white
man of Chester county, who was ac
c Mentally shot by Bob Burns, col?
ored on Thanksgiving day, is dead as
a result of the wound.
DISPENSARY SALES LAST MONTH
?_
Totals For Twenty-One Counties
Amount to $252.837.87.
Columbia, Dec. 19.?According to a
statement by Dispensary Auditor
West the total sales by the dispen?
saries In twenty-one counties for the
fionth of November was $252.837.87,
breakage $1,240.07 and operating ex?
penses $12,427.69. Fifteen of the
counties closed on November 15, and
the statement only refers to the sales
for half the month. There were no
sales In Hampton county. No reports
have as yet been received from Bam?
berg and Kershaw.
Lib. S 0 Univ. 'iflJ^eplO
E SOUTHRON, Established June, 1*44
ie*-Vol XXX. No. 35.
HOSPITAL NEEDS 3600,010.
SENATOR CHRISTENSEN SPEAKS
OF COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
Six Hundred Thousand IXdlars Mini?
mum Amount Required to Rem
edy Intolerable Conditions in In?
stitution.
Charleston, Dec. 20?Senator Niels
Chrls*ensen of Beaufort, was in
Charleston today, and as chairman
of the joint legislative committee ap?
pointed to investigate the State Hos?
pital for the Insane at Columbia, he
said that the investigation has been
concludeded and the committee Is
now formulating its report for sub?
mission to the general assembly.
"The testimony taken before the
committee," said Senator Christen?
sen, "is being printed and will be
available in a few days. Any mem?
ber of the legislature and any news?
paper interested may have a copy by
sending a request to a member o:! the
committee. The most important
matter to be considered at the com?
ing session of the legisature is the
report of the committee that has
Investigated the State Hospital for
the Insane. Unfortunately, the re?
port will not be ready for two or
three weeks. It will contain several
special reports by experts which are
not yet prepared. These together
with facts gathered by the commit?
tee from personal examination of
physical cond Ions and records here
and elsewhere are perhaps more Im?
portant than the testimony of wit?
nesses referred tow But it would be
advisable for legislators and the peo?
ple generally to acquaint themselves
with their testimony which throws a
flood of light on the deplorable con?
ditions that are general throughout
our State Hospital for the Insane.
"It is going to take several hun?
dred thousand dollars to put this in?
stitution In reasonably good condi?
tion. Estimates have not been made
yet, but the total necessary is not
likely to be under $600,000. That is
a minimum. There can be no duobi
that If the facts become known thh
or a larger sum, if it be found necei
sary, will be voted. But there
1nng*Mt that th* facts will tnol -*Vo-'
come thoroughly understood in time
for the people to make their wishes
felt at this session. Up to this time
the facts have been minimized by
certain news agencies and in only a
few instances have the newspapers
given anything like a full and accu?
rate account of the testimony. So,
I want to suggest to the press gen?
erally that they get thi testimony
and read it for themselves.
"While it would be very unfortu?
nate to allow such an investigation
as this to become an attack on in?
dividuals, there will also be a lamen?
table outcome if a desire to shield in?
dividuals, should result in covering
up conditions. We are here dealing
with matters of life and ceath. There
is no question that the death rate at
this institution is abnormally high
and the recovery rate abnormally
low, owing to shocking unsanitary
conditions, poor equipment, a lack of
proper treatment and lax methods
throughout all branches of the Insti?
tution that are deplorable. It Is pain?
ful to make these general criticisms,
for there are many faithful workers
at this hospital struggling with con?
ditions that only their superors can
remedy and they are as anxious as
any to see them remedied. The re?
port will make these details clear.
"Meanwhile every family in this
State that is peculiarly interested In
the hospital should demand that all
the facts be known and proper
means taken to remedy the evils.
None of us can afford to Ignore the
needs of these unfortunates, whose
condition is now a disgrace to our
State. We have the opportunity to
step into the first rank in our care
of the insane, and the people are
sure to take it if they are giVOB the
facts."
FOUGHT OVER FATHER'S GRAVE.
Two Kichlaml Men Engage in Com?
bat WlUle Placing Tombstone.
Columbia, Dec. 17.?'James Powers
was strucl down, it is alleged, yester?
day morning over the grave of his
father as a result of a fight with a
man named Will Augthry, assisting
him in placing a tombstone to the
grave. Aughtry is In the Richland
county jail tonight on a charge of as?
sault and battery. The dispute arose
over the placing of the tombstone.
Both narties are white. The affair
occurred in the county, and news of
It reached Columbia only tonight.
-5$
Mlsg Clifton Lovelace, a pretty 16
year-old girl of Greenville, Is missing
from her home.