r
(P ufif ' ' " nf. Htf 'llf' w"- iriilllf lilt :
. ' ' ' : '
t- a Year, la Advance.
VOL. XVIII."
notlicr Dloody Tragedy Oc-
curs in South Carolina
MURDER OF BROTHER AVENGED
' " o
VVJulc on Their Way to a Preliminary
.Hearing at Lancaster of the Trage
dy at Kershaw I,as6 Christmas,
Grover Welch Shoots and Kills the
Man Who Slew His Brother, Steve
. Welch.
Roch Hill, S. C, Special. Grover
.jveicii, DrotJier of Steve Welch, who,
'with another man, was killed during
a row in a barber shop in Kershaw
last Christmas, shot to death Berry
.Mobley Monday night on the train
from Camden to Rock Hill, just as
it Avas reaching Pleasant Hill, a sta
tion nearly midway between Camden
and Lancaster.
It was the first time that Mobley
had. been able to be out, he having
been badly wounded by Steve Welch
at the time the hitter was killed by
Mobley. Both men were on "their
way to Lancaster for a preliminary
hearing of the Kershaw tragedy.
Without warning Welch shot Mob--&y
in the back as he fell between
tne "seats four more bullet, were fired
into his body, death resulting instant
, ly. It was a cold-blooded and cow
ardly murder' and was evidently in
revenge of the killing of Steve Welch
by Mobley.
Conductor Boxtell . who was in
charge of the train, turned the' dead
body of the murdered man over to tho
coroner at Pleasant Hill, while Welch
voluntarily came on to Lancaster ' arid
gave himself up to the authorities."
Bad blood has existed between
elchand Mobley since tho shooting
Christmas and this is the first time
that Welch had seen Mobley, and ho
took advantage of his first oppor
tunity, when Mobley had his back
turned, to avenge the death of his
brother.
Both men arc prominently connect
ed. Young Man Killn Himself.
Castonia, N. C, Special. Telling
his sweetheart, on whom he was call
ing that he wanted to ''show her a
t'Wlfr -" John J. Fry, a young man of
tfnsvpl;ie Monday night pulled from
his pocket s." pistol and shot himself
in the head, the wound resulting in
his death. It was an accident, there
being no motive whatever or indica
tion that it was suicide. About 7:30
in the evening Mr.-Fry, day clerk at
the Falls House, went to call on Miss
Willie Jenkins, daughter of Mr. W.
II. Jenkins, at her home in the Jen
kins Block. He pulled oh! his over
coat and walked into the parlor where
the young lady was, remarking to
her that he wanted to "show her a
trick." Simultaneously he drew from
his pocket a pistol and, under the'
-full light of the hanging lamp, shot
himself, accidentally, it is held by all,
in the head, the bullet entering the
right temple and ranging upwards,
comi'ig out about two inches above
1he place where it entered. The skull
was fractured in i.'iree different
ways, and after lingering without re
gaining consciousness' the young man
died at 10 o'clock.
Employes and Officials Confer.
Washington, Special. Committees
-of ji. locomotive firemen and of the
railed telegraphers employed on the
Southern Railway had conferences
Monday with General Manager Aek
rt on thet general question of a pro
posed reduction of wages on the sys
tem. The conferences were incon
clusive and it was arranged to further
discuss the matter at a later time.
Will Euild Dam at Cherokee Shoals.
Washington, Special. Bills were
passed by the House Monday per
mitting the building of a dam aeross
Savannah river at Cherokeo Shoals,
and also authorizing, the Secretary
of War to furnish four condemned
cannon and cannon balls to the Con
federate manument association at
Franklin, Ten'n.
American Car Stalled in Snowdrift.
Michigan City, Ind., Special. The
American car in the automobile race
from Now York to Paris left Michi
gan City at 1:43 o'clock Tuesday
morning for Chicago and stalled in an
immtfipe snowdrift nine miles west of
Michigan City late in the afternoon.
Teamsters accompanying the car gave
up in despair and returned to Michi
gan City. The crew temporarily
abandoned the car and went to Ches
terton, 3 miles further west, for more
men and hoi sea.
SLAVER IS SLAIN
THE DOINGS OF CONGRESS
Doings of Our National Law-Makera
Day by Day.
Fowler Financial Bill.
The principles of the Fowler finan
:ial bill were defended by former
Secretary of the Treasury Lyman J.
3age, Charles A. Couant, of New
York, and Prof. Joseph French
Johnson, of the New York Univer
sity, before the House committee on
banking and currency.
Secretary Gage said that wo had
reached the most important period
:n the financial history of the coun
try for the past 40 or 50 years and
mat the solution of the problem de
pended largely upon the men making
ap the banking and currency com
mittee. It was early impressed upon him,
aid Mr. Gage, that a credit currency
issued on proper assets, received and
ixchanged, containing only tho
imounts of credit, was an effective,
iseful and economic agency in tho
industrial progress of the people and
vas the best system of baijng.
Mr. Gage said he thought the
Snancial system ought to be revised
from the very beginning. He re
garded the Fowler bill ;.s a compre
hensive measure which in contrast to
the one offered in the Senate has
reached tho fundamentals.
Continuing, Mr. Gage said "I
iave no sympathy at all with the
Aldrieh bill. I do not think it is
surative of onr evils. At best it is a
patch or a panacea which may onca
hi 10 years be availed of, when tho
country is in a condition of intense
panic or when many. of tho erils of
Me panic are decvlopmg and it may
not be effective then, in the mean
time, if adopted, it will probably put
s to sleep. It is a gentlo narcotio
that wooes us in false repose from
which we will suiter many a night
mare and from which we will awak-
3n at least in trnble and real agony."
As a banker, he, said, he would ask
to come under the provisions of the
Fowler bill and would look with
3read and apprehension if the Ald
Eich bill should become a law.
National Bank Failures.
In response to a Senate resolution
introduced by Mr. Tillman, Secretary
Cortelyou sent to the Senate a re
port showing that 306 national banks
were placed in charge of receivers
between January 1st, 1S93, and Jan
uary 31st, 190S. The aggregate cap
ital of these banks was $4S,73G,52G.
Exclusive of the banks which have
failed since October 31st, 1907, the
dividends paid on claims proved
amounted to $65,460,012; the offsets
allowed and settled amounted to
$11,789,932, while theloans paid and
other disbursements amounted to
$25,171,160, making $102,439,100
which was pcid to creditors. Tbera
was returned to shareholders in cash
and other assets $7,052,329. Assess-,
ments made on shareholders amount
ed to $24,397,240 of which $12,093,
323 was collected.
Tho Cotton Tas May Be Refunded.
Washington, Special. Southern
congressmen have begun a concerted
movement to procure legislation to re
fund the sixty-eight million dollars
f cotton tax collected during the
civil war, alleged to have been ille
gally collected. The bill decided on
at the conference provides for pay
ment from tho national treasury di
rect to holders of cotton tax certifi
cates without any court of claim ad
judication. Steed or. Chalngang.
Anderson, Special. C. A. Steed,
the divorce swindler who was con
victed in Magistrate Wilson's court
on Friday, went to the county chain
gang Wednesday morning to com
mejiee his sentence of 90 days. lie
was unable to raise tho $300 to covet
the fines.
Much Suffering in Chicago.
Chicago, Special. With nine to ten
inches of snow on the level and drifts
in many places as high as six feet,
more- snow falling and a stiff galo
blowing, Chicago is facing the worst
winter in many years. Reports of
great suffering are received from all
police precincts, where the destitute
are seeking refuge from the storm.
AH trains are being delayed from
kahf an hour to several hours.
Turkish Troops Cross Boundary.
St. Petersburg, By Cable. News
that Ali Khan's Kurdish forces have
crossed the Turko-Persian boundary
into the Persian province of Zerbai
jan is considered here r.s re-opening
the boundary dispute between the
Sultan on one side and the CzarMmd
Shah on the other under graver cir
nimrstsiTirp.q than ever. Tho Russian
government is giving the situation
serious consideration and a prompt
movement of the Czar's troop
against Tarkcy is not an impossibility.
"FOR GOD, FOR COUNTRY AND FOR TRUTH. "
PLYMOUTH, N. C.
LICE CHIEF KILLED
Fayetteville, N. G, Witnesses
Sunday Killing
DEED OF A WANTON CRIMINAL
For the Second Time Within a Tear
Fayetteville'B First Ofiiced is Mur
dered. Fayetteville, N.C., Special For the
second time in a year Fayetteville 'a
chief of police has been murdered.
James II. Benton, the head of the
police department of the city wa?
shot about 1:30 o'clock Sunday after
noon by Sam Murchison a negro 30
years old, and died at 2:45 o'clock,
living little more than an hour. The
murderer was captured a short time
after the shooting occurred and ia
now safely lodged in jail here.
The circumstances of the murder
are aggrevated and without pallia
tion. It seems that the murderer,
Murchison, had trouble earlier in the
day with John Raines, another ne
gro, and Ida Moore, a negro woman,
which resulted in his shooting
Raines, inflicting a slight flesh
wound, and his threatening the life
of the Moore woman. The woman,
who lives in the neighborhood of
Chief of Police Benton's home,
fled to the latter for protection,
making an outcry as she ran.
Chief Benton met her at his
back door, and, hearing her com
plaint, was starting out in search of
Munchison when the latter appeared
on the scene. He and Officer Ben
ton exchanged a few words, when
the negro suddenly drew a revolver
and fired at Mr. Benton, inflicting a
mortal wound just under the eye.
Officer Benton staggered and at
tempted to make his way back into
the house, but fell before he reached
the door.
Jack Crosswell, a lad, hearing tho
pistol shot, ran up at once and at
tempted to arrest tho murderer, but
the latter snapped his pistol at the
boy and broke away. Mr., J. B.
Underwood next appeared and the
negro fled, firing a wild shot at Mr.
Underwood as he ran. Charles Ben
ton, the 17-year-old son of the
wounded man, ran to his father's as
sistance as he fell and caught up the
later 's revolver as it dropped from
his belt. As the negro fled th
youth fired three shots after him, oni
of .them taking effect as developed
after the capture was made. Officer
Benton was carried into his resi
dence, suffering great agony, and
lingered for a little more than an
hour, passing away about the time
his murderer was being placed under
arrest.
News of the murder and the es
cape of the murderer spread rapidly
through the city, and excitement be
came intense. Sheriff Watson and
his deputies and thirty police were
at once at work endeavoring to
track the fugitive, and hastily organ
ized posses of citizens were speedily
scouring the suburbs in the vicinity
of the scene of the crime. The cap
ture was accomplished by Mr. How
ard Smith, who was immediately
joined by Messrs. George McNeii,
L. A. Williamson and A. S. Hall, and
the prisoner was then turned over to
Sheriff Watso'.i and his deputies.
Public feeling ran high but the
sheriff with orders from Governoi
Glenn to use tho militia was enabled
to protect the prisoner.
Ten Killed in Panic at Teheran.
Teheran, By Cable. Ten persons
were killed and a score or more
wounded including several ecclesias
tics, as a result of a panic in the
main streets here Sunday during tha
passage of a religious procession Mu
harranv religious festival, held dur
ing the first month of the Mohame
dan year.
Priest Foully Murdered.
Denver, Special Father Leo Ilein
richs was shot and killed Sunday by
Alio Giuseppe, an avowed anarchist
and priewt-fcatcr, while the priest was
administering the sacrament at early
mass in St. Elizabeth's Catholic
chuch. Eleventh and Curtis streets.
Kneeling at the altar rail, between
two men, Giuseppe pressed tho muz
zle of a revolver against the body of.
the priest, after receiving Irom mm
the conrecratul wafer, and shot the
priest through the heart. Exclaiming
"My God, My God," Father Leo fell
prone in front of the altar and died.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY
SEN. LATH DEAD
South Cerc'sna's Junior Sena
tor Passes Away
THE END WAS NOT UNEXPECTED
Junior Senator From tho Palmetto
State Dies From Effects of an Op
eration For Intestinal Trouble.
Washington, Special. Senator A.
C. Latimer, of -South Carolina, died
here Thursday morning at 9:3d
o'clock following an operation for in
testinal trouble several days ago. The
members of his family were at his
bedside when the end came. Ar
rangements for the funeral have not
been made.
Senator Latimer was taken desper
ately ill Sunday night and was placed
in Providence Hospital, where an op
eration was performed. He showed
signs of improvement Monday and
Tuesday, but complications set in
early and hi3 death soon followed.
Senator Latimer's Career.
Senator Asbury Churchwell Laii
mer was 57 years of age. He was a
native of South Carolina, having
been born in Abbeville countv. near
I the small town of Lowndesville. Ilia
boyhood and early manhood were
spent on the farm. His first activi
political office was that of county
chairman of the Democratic party oi
his county in 1S90. When the Till
man movement in South" Carolina be
gan to take shape in tho early 90 'a.
Senator Latimer allied himself prom
inently with the reformers and was
nominated for Congress, to which he
wa3 elected over Col. George John
stone, of Newberry. He served in the
Fifty-third, Fifth-fourth, Fifty-sixth
and Fifty-seventh Congresses.
He was a canelidato to succeed Sen
ator John L. McLaurin in the warm
campaign of 1902 and was elected by
a majority of17,700 over former
Governor John Gary Evans, ex-Congressman
George Johnstone ami Wil
liam Elliott, ' ex-Senator John J,
Hemphill and State Senator D. S.
Henderson. His term as Senator
would expire March 3, 1909.
The News in Columbia.
Columbia, S. C, Special. Tha
news of the death of Senator Latimer
is received in Columbia, whero the
Legislature is in session, with evi
dence of sorrow and regret on all
sides. Those opposed to him politi
cally join with his political friends
in speaking p him. -
Governor Ansel has not as yet been
officially informed of the death. As
soon as he is, he will send a messag
to the Legislature, which will adjourn
for the day or night, as the case may
be, and appoint a committee to at
tend the funeral.
In view of section 17, of the re
vised statues, which says a senatorial
vacancy occurring during a sitting of
a Legislature must be filled by tho
Legislature "on the second Tuesday
after the Legislature has organized
and has notice of such vacancy," it
is likely that the Legislature will
have to remain in session 10 days af
ter Sunday, the day fixed for adjourn
ment, in order to choose a successor
to Mr. Latimer. If the Legislature
were not in session Governor Ansel
would have the appointment to
make.
The death of Senator Latimer is of
great political importance. It is
certain that had ho lived ho would
have had half a dozen opponents in
his campaign for re-election next
summer.
Avowed Candidates.
Those already in the race against
him were, ex-Governor Jtrhn Gar.,
Evans, of Spartanburg; ex-Congressman
George Johns! one, of Newberry;
cx-Stafe Senator I). S. Henderson, of
Aikeu; Col. Joi n J. Da: gan, of Sum
ter, and State Superintendent of Ed
ucation O. B. Martin, of Greenville.
Governor Ansel was spoken cf, but
some time ago declared his desire to
offer for another term for Governor
It is also thought that K U. Smith,
general organizer for the Southern
Cotton A-ssoc-iation and possibly ex
Governor lleyward would have been
in the race. Senator Latimer's death
it is thought, will decide ex-Governor
Key ward to mn.
Prospective Candidates.
Anion" the prospective candidates
who have develope for the unexpnec
term to be filled by the Legislature,
are Representative E. Marion unck
er. of Anderson; ox-Speaker of the
Hause Frank 11. Grr.v. of Abb?vnlc;
Senator LcGrand Walker, of George
town. Speaker Whaley has been
urged for the place, but has very
positivtlv dccUncd to enter tbo list.
28, 1908.'
FOR INDUSTRIAL PEACE
President's Letter to Interstate
Commerce Commission Made Pub
lic Serious Industrial Disputes in
Prospect.
Washin-gton, Special. Serious in
dustrial disputes in prospect were in
the mind of President Roosevelt
when he wrote a letter to the inter
state eommerco commission which
was made public. He says that in
formation has reached him, that ow
account of the enactment of drastic
laws uy congress ana by various
State Legislatures, it is regarded aa
necessary by railroad companies to
reduce the pay of their employes. He
points out that, under the law, eith
er party may demand the services of
the chairman of the inter-State com
merce committee, and of the Com
missioner of Labor, as a boartl oi
conciliation. He suggests, therefore;
that the inter-State eommerco com
mission wage conditions on various
railroads as may relate, directly o
indirectly to the possible impending
controversy.
Tho President's Letter.
The full text of tho President'
letter is as follows:
"The White Horn,
Washington, Feb. IS, 190S.
To the inter-State commerce com
mission: 1 am miormed that a num
ber of railroad companies have ser
ved notice of a proposed reduction o
wages on their employes. One of
them, the Louisville & Nashville, in
announcing the reduction, states that
"the drastic laws inimical to the in
terests of the railroads that havo in
the past year or two been enacted
by Congress and the State Legisla
tures," are largely or chiefly respon
sible for the conditions requiring re
duction. Under such circumstances it is pos
sible that the public may soon be
confronted by licrious industrial dis
putes, and the law provides that in
such cases either party may demand
the services of your chairman and of
the tTommissioner of Labor as a
board of mediation and conciliation.
These reductions in wages may bfl
warranted, or they may not. As to
this the public, which is a vitally in
terested party, can form no judgment
without a more complete knowledge
of the essential facts and real mer
its of the case than it now has or
than it can possibly obtain from tha
special pleadings certain to be put
forth by each side in case their dis
pute should bring about serious in
terruption to traffic. If the reduc
tion in wages is due to natural caus
es, the loss of business being such
that the burden should be and is
equitably distributed between capi
talist and wage workers, tho public
should know it. If it is caused by
legislation, the public and Congress
should know it, and if it is caused
by misconduct in the past financial
or other operations of any railroad,
then everybody should know it, es
pecially if the excuse of unfriendly
legislation is advanced as a method
of covering up past business miscon
duct bv the railroad managers, or as
justification for failure to treat fairly
the wage earning employes- of the
company.
Moreover, an industrial conflict be
tween a faihond corporation avi iti
employes offers peculiar opportuni
ties to any small number of evil
disposed persons to destroy life and
1 . ... 1 j j. LK. .T. J
property ana lomcni puuuc msuiu
er.' Of course, if life, property and
public, order are endangered, promp1:
and drastic measures for their pro
tection become the first plain duty.
All other issues then become subor
dinate to the preservation of the pub
lic peace, and the real merits of the
original controversy are ncessarily
lost from view. This vital considera
tion should be ever kept in mind by
all law-abiding and far-sighted mem
bers of labor organkations.
It is sincerely to be hoped, there
fore, that anv wasre controversy that
may arise between the raiiroaos anu
their employes may find a peaceful
solution through the methods of con
ciliation and arbitration already pro
vided bv Congress, which have prov
en so effective during the past year.
To this end the commission should
be in a position to have available for
any board of conciliation or arbitra
tion relevant data pertaining to such
carriers as may become involved in
industrial disputes. Should concila
tion fail to efi'eet a settlement and ar
bitration be rejected, acenrato, infor
mation should, be available in order
to develop a properly informed pub
lic opinion. (
I therefore ask you to mako fimi
investigation, both" of your records
and bv any other means at your eom
maud as wifl enable yen to furnish
data concerning such condition; ob
taining on tht Louisville & Nashville
and any other roads, a-, may relate,
directly or indirectly to the real mer
its of the iossibly impending contro
versy. m
THEODORE EOOPEYELT.
Blagla Copy 5 CmU
NO. 39.
GILLETTE MOST DI
Supreme Court Affirms Dccis
ion of Lower Tribunal
NO GROUNDS FOR A NEW TRfAl!
New York Court of Appeals, After!
Considering Argument Pro and Con
in the Case of the Man Who Mur-1
dered Grace Erown, Decides ThaM
There Aro Ho Extenuating Circura-I
stances, and the Sentence of tha ;
Lower Court Is Affirmed. ':
Albany, N. Y., Special. The Court
of Appeals decided that Chester Gil- I
lette, of Cortland, must die in the
electric chair for the murder of hi!
sweetheart, Grace (or "Billy")
Brown, of South Otselic, Chenan-o ;
county, at Big Moose Lake, in tho 1
Adirondaeks, on July 11th, 190b,,
The court affirms the judgment of
eonviction of murder in the first do- !
gree and the sentence of death,
rendered at the extraordinary term
of the Supreme Court in Herkime:
county.
Gillette is now in a death cell at '
Auburn. The court will soon fix a
new date for his execution.
The opinion of the court reviews
the story of the ease and holds that
while the conviction was upon eir
cumstantial evidence tho counsel for
tho prosecution made through in
vestigation and produced evidence
established the fact that the death
of Miss Brown was due to a crime
and not an accident.
Grace Brown's Letters.
Taking up the matter of the ad
missibility of the pathetic letters of
Grace Brown to the defendant the
court saj-fl:
"Aside from the permitted pur
pose of showing the relations and
thoughts of, the decedent towards
the defendant, we can think of no
effect which the letters would hava .
been apt to have with the jury, so
far as the latter could bo controlled
by any ruling of the court, except to
tend to establish a motive for the
commission by defendant of the
crime which is charged against him.
But, as we have seen, they might
have been admitted with entire pro
priety for this very purpose, and
therefore if the jury considered them
upon that branch of the people's
ease, it did 110 more than the court
should havo authorized and direeteU
them to do."
.The unanimous opinion of the
court, written by Judgo Hiscock.
ridelles Gillette's story of the tragedy,
to the effect that Graeo Drown volun
tarily jumped from the boat and was
drowned. Judge Hiscock . ascribes
"impressive unnaturalness" to tha
principal features of Gillett's talc.
He alludes to several points which
still further impeach its truthfulness
and declared that "in addition to
these deficiencies and improbabilities
in his evidence, there are repeated
contradictions "by a large number of
witnesses who apparently had no
interest in telling anything but the
truth."
Ccld in New York.
New York,. Special. A blizzard, re
ported to be the worst in years, and
which is raging fiercely, struck. New
York. The storm started shortly be
fore daylight and four inches of
snow has fallen in as many hours
without any sign of abatement. Traf
fic is greatly irapeckd, all incoming
trains are late, and the swirling flake3
blind the pilots of the harbor and
river crafts, greatly hampering their
vision and making it extremely dan
gerous for these craft to make their
slips.
Allen Parker Pardoned.
Chattanooga, Special. President
Roosevelt has pardoned Allan Parkei
of this city, who was convicted in the
federal court in Nashville two yearj
ago and sentenced to serve five years
in the federal prison " at Atlanta,
charged with misuse of funds of a
bank at Tnllahoma, Tenn. Parker
was prosecuted by a Baltimore bond
ing company, but every dollar used
by him was raado up.
Tho Cell StJadaidvv;-.
Washington, Special, -r- Chairman
Fowler, of the House committee on
banking and currency, declared ' thai
the establishment cf the gold stan
dard should be put into practical ef
fect by making cold toius tho basis
of all reserves. He says the' charac
ter of the curreey legislation this sea
son will determine the financial plank
to be adopted by the Republican eon-,
vention at Chicago in June, and hia
recommendation will mako thfl
party's attitude now and in 1902
vii&inient.