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g&O’RGI^- $ 4
riel f Summary of Doings
T{irous:ii ol3t the State.
jack Money Distributed.
Butler, of the closed First
eceiver Macon, has reeel v
ioaai at
about 6 ,)0 checks signed by ihe
oiler general at Washington.
ip- r ‘ paying out
he , will begin at once
secen i dividend of the ill-fated in
tioU amounting to 25 per cent,
disbursement will place over $152,
m circulation.
farmers’ Institute Heid.
'arrners of Campbell, Coweta, Mert
keF ana Douglas counties met in
jrci springs last Friday to attend
: Farmers’ Institute of the Thirty
L senatorial district. The institute
uQ ,ier the supervision of the
University and the direction ot
Karvie Jordan, state director.
,, J. M. Barnes,
»local officers are:
sident, Stinson; Hon. S. E. Ligh,
president. Newnan, and- Hon. W
t Greenville.
Howell, secretary,
Held as Accessory.
t Preston, Saturday, W. S. Mor
had a preliminary trial on the
Irge of being an accessory before
fact to the willing of Joe Phil
j by Bill Ellis Shepherd, and was
omitted to jail.
jhepherd swore that Morgan hired
to do the killing. Morgan is the
ther of H. B. Morgan, convicted for
ping Preston. and is cousin of Sid
Harrell, to be tried for the same
L. Joe Phillips was an important
Less for the state.
Making War on Idlers.
[he county and city authorities at
Idosta have declared war on the ya
rn classes and are making a deter
ted effort to rid the community of
dbeats and loafers. Sheriff Pass- I
’e has instructed his deputies to
fst all such characters, and the po- j
[have received like instructions.
Sere is plenty of work in Valdosta
Lowndes county for every one.
I if the idle and thieving negroes
I whites will not work they must
i more congenial stopping places.
Is early in the harvesting season the
mers are finding trouble in employ
hands to pick their cotton, while
streets of the city are thronged
la idle negroes.
Son Kills Father.
K. J. Shivers, a farmer living about
t miles south of Griffin, in Pike
futy, [by was shot and instantly kili
Henry Shivers, his 17-year-old
i. a few days ago.
fhere were no witnesses to the
gedy except members of the family
at first they claimed the killing
accidental that Mr. Shivers se
led the gun to shoot his wife, but
scuffling he fell over a chair and
gun fired.
me of the smaller children told a
ghbor that Henry did the shooting
1 later he confessed to the killing,
claims his father had a large knife
I w <is threatening the life of his
ther and other members of the
riy and that he shot his father
save the life of his mother, The
oner's jury held young Shivers for
der.
*
Rouds Refuse to Lower Rates.
1'e railroads entering Atlanta have
reutsed to comply with the ruling
state railroad commission that
lgrJ ra ies from Ohio river crossings
Atlanta be put on an equitable ba
fl s compared with rates to other
thern cities.
:,:S a< -tion of the railroads was for
an « deliberate, taking the form
"toten letters to the .^pmmission.
' ls now the
legal general opinion that
fight has been precipitated.
3 raiIr °ads will not yield to the
‘tendons of the Atlanta freight bu-
11 a h<l the Atlanta merchants until
r -rsource provided law has
a - exhausted by
in opposition, while,
the other hand, those who have
n fighting Atlanta’s battles will, it
considered certain, be equally as
s r ieut tb their stand.
, h
L, it is thought, will bring the
i)6fore tlle interstate commerce
Dnr ! ° n an< * nt;0 f
jr-v, ' e J era i courts
‘ tlle mtrostate rates and the
er a a e rates being
made the sub
u.ater of bitterly contesed liti
J on.
ro 9 Att achment Suit Filed.
recov er property valued at $150,
i *.i! by
■ attachment
nta v/as filed in
> a few days ago, by an attorney
res ^-nting the South
a>pan Georgia Cat
^ y. against George S. Bax
‘ u The
’ plaintiffs reside in Cel-
aware and the defendants in New i iork
and Florida.
Twenty-one miles of railroad, t wo
locomotives, two large saw mills and
20,000 acres of timber land have been
attached in Clinch and Echols eoun
ties, this state, and the suit for an
indebtedness amounting to $150,000 is
based on these attachments.
The suit i s a trover proceeding to
recover 25,000,000 feet, of lumber, 100 .
000 gallons of turpentine and 5,000
standard commercial barrels of rosin
alleged to have been taken by the de
fendants from the lands of he cat
•
tie company.
State Tax Rate $4,S0.
The state tax rate for the year 1004
has been fixed at 1 8-10 mills, a reduc
tion of 2-10 mills from that of last
year, and 1-2 mill from the rate in
force at. the inauguration of Governor
Terrell.
The fixing of the tax rate is placed
by the law in the hands of the gov
ernor, comptroller general and th«
state treasurer. This board met re
cently in the office of the governor
deducted from the total appropriations
the amount to come from the rental
of the Western and Atlantic railroad
and from special taxes and then fig
ured the proportion between the bal
ance of the appropriations and the to
tal taxable property returned this
year. This proportion was the tax rate
—that is, for every $1,000 of property
$4.80 must be paid in order to realize
for the state an amount equal to the
appropriations after the revenue from
special sources has been deducted.
The aggregate expenditures of the
state will be about the same this year
as they were last year—$4,021,324—
but the aggregate taxable property has
undergone a great Increase. The ag
gregate taxable property .according to
the 1903 reture.s, was $o04,61T,947,
while this year the aggregate returns
amounted to $530,734,947, a gain of
$26,122,000. This includes the proper
ty of railroads and quasi-public cor
porations, as well as the property of
private individuals and corporations
that do not make their returns direci
]y comptroller general,
« *
Member of Mob Oie3 of Wound.
John Sexton, a young farm laborer,
shot during the lynching of the
negro, Jim Glover, near Cedartown,
succumbed to his wound at his home,
in East View, a mill settlement ■. •
joining Cedartown.
The shooting of Sexton occurred du
ring the reckless firing of the mob.
Alter the capture of the negro he was
carried near the home of his victim,
13-year-old Livia Reeves, three miles
from town, and chained to a tree. Im
mediately a hundred or more guns
an'»l pistols were fired.
Whether Sexton was taking part in
the lynching or not is not known. It
is thought, however, that he was stand
ing near the negro and one of the pis
tol bullets intended for the negro
struck Sexton in the upper part of
the abdomen.
*
Refuses to Call Election.
Ordinary J. W. Roberts, of Terrell
county, brings the dispensary fight
to a sudden standstill by refusing to
call the election and denying the right
of 659 petitioners to have a prohibition
election in the county. While the pe
tition was properly signed and, pre
sented, the judge refused to call the
election on legal grounds.
LANEY'S PAL ARRESTED.
Ed Black, Who Assisted in Robbing
Telegraph Company, a Prisoner.
Edward S. Black, who is charged
with swindling the Western Union Tel
egraph Company out of $1,100, with
the assistance of Joseph Laney, cash
ier in the Dallas, Texas, office, was ar
rested at Little Rock Sunday. Black
made a confession to the police, ad
mitting that he and Laney secured
$400 in St. Louis. $400 in Chicago and
$300 in Memphis.
FEUDISTS ENGAGE IN FREE FIGHT.
One Man Shot Dead and Three Others Re
ceive Bad Wounds.
James Rushing was stabbed in the
heart and killed, Henry Thompson
shot in the forehead and fatally
wounded and John Hickock and Macy
Dushing badiy hurt in a free fight on
the outskirts of Alma, Ark., Friday
night. The fight is said to have been
the result of old trouble.
DEATH in MAD DOG BITE.
Young Boy Dies in Frightful Agonies
of Hydrophobia.
As a result of the bite of a fox ter
rier jsjx weeks ago, liVtle Thomas
Tcroe asced 9 years, son, of Captain and
Mrs* Thomas F. igoo. of Summerville,
S 0 died Sunday afternoon in the
Itter Tabernacle Infirmary, at Atlanta. Ga..
undergoing the-most frightful
agonies of rabies.
GEORGIA TAXES
ARE LOWERED
j Rate for 1904 Somewhat
Reduced
From Last Year.
IS $4.80 ON THE $1,000
i Handsome Increase in Values Through
out State Shown--Friends of Gov
ernor Terrell Feel Gratified.
Georgia’s tax rate for the year 1904
has been fixed at 4 8-10 mills—$4.80 on
every $1,000—a reduction of 2-10 mill
from the rate last year and 1-2 mill
from the rate in force at the inaugura
tion of Governor Terrell.
The fixing of the tax rate is placed
by the law in the hands of the gover
nor, comptroller general and the state
treasurer. This board met Thursday
in the office of the governor in Atlanta,
deducted from the total appropriations
the amount to come from the rental
of the Western and Atlantic railroad
and from special taxes and then fig
ured the proportion between the bal
ance of the appropriations ancl the to
tal taxable property returned this
year. This proportion was the tax
rate—that is for every 81,000 of prop
erty $4.80 musv be paid in order to
realize for the state an amount equal
to the appropriations after the revenue
from special sources had been deduct
ed
The aggregate expenditures of the
state will be about the same this year
as they were last year—$4,021,324—but
the aggregate taxable property has un
dergone a great increase. The aggre
gate taxable property, according to
the 1903 returns was $504,017,947,
while this year the aggregate re
turns amounted to $530,734,
947, a gain of $26,122,000. This includes
the property or railroads and quasi
public corporations, as well as the
property of individuals and corpora
tions that do not make their returns
directly to the comptroller general.
The board considered all these fig
ures and found by calculation that a
rate of 4 8-10 mills would bring to
the state in revenue the sum of $2,-
157,551.87, or a little more than the
amount needed to cover the appropria
tions for the year. The remainder of
the appropriations will be met and
paid with the funds arising out of the
rental of the Western and Atlantic
railroad and special taxes.
According to law. however, specified
portions of t^s rate are for specified
purposes, as follows: 3 mills for the
general fund, 1 6-10 mills for the school
fund and 2-10 mills foe. the sinking
fund. Thus divided the rate will bring
:o the three funds respectively the
sums of $1,529,219, $849,183 and $106,-
147.
The fixing of the rate was largely a
matter of arithmetic, but the friends
of Governor Terrel! feel gratified that
in his term of office the rate has been
brought down a half cent on $1, or 50
cents on every $1,000.
The rate fixed applies only to the
taxes to be collected for the year 1904
and immediate notice will be given to
the tax collectors of every county in
the state.
WYNNE BEHIND CELL BARS.
Maker of Counterfeit Plates Joins Confed
erates in Atlanta Jail.
- William L. W'ynne, who is charged
with making the plates from which
the counterfeit money was printed in
Atlanta, reached the city Thursday at
noon from St. Louis in custody of a
United States officer. He was taken to
the Tower and locked up.
Assistant United States Solicitor
Camp and Captain J. M. Wright say
they heid a talk with Wynne immedi
ately after he reached Atlanta, and
that he made a full confession to them.
When seen by a reporter of The Con
stitution, Wynne refused to make any
statement.
Wynne was given a preliminary
trial in St. Louis, and was held in
fault of a $5,000 bond.
AUTO TAKES TWO LIVES.
Owner Lost Control of Machine and
Disaster Resulted.
Blinded by the dust thrown by an
auto in front of him, Barney Oldfield,
of Cleveland, Ohio, lost control of his
machine in a false 3tart of the fifth
event of the world’s fair automobile
speed contest at St. Louis Sunday
and crashing through the outer fence
of the course, instantly killed John
Scott, . watchman, ami inflicted . in
juries upon Nathan Montgomery.
negro, from which he died a few hours
later. Oldfield was painfully injured
,
UNDER HEAVY BONDS
Members of the Gang of Counterfeiters
Caught in Atlanta are Held
for Trial.
Oscar La. McMichael, Clarence w *
Rebb, J. N. Little and P. S. Coffey, the
four men charged with counterfeiting,
war.ed a preliminary trial in the Uni
ted States court at Atlanta Tuesday
morning and were recommitted to jail
in default of bond. The bonds of Lit
tie and Coffee were fixed at $5,000 j
each, and those of McMichael and!
Rebb at $3,000 each.
That was the criminal side of the
first arraignment of the men who were i
, bold , and , daring ^ . enough . to . make . *., $30.*. n 1
ed worth of counterfeit money in the, |
very heart of Atlanta; but there was a
dramatic and pathetic side of the in
vestigation, and a scene was enacted !
in the United States court room which !
hide 1 !
made grown men turn away to
the tears that filled their eyes. When
the lawyers had talked; when the
bonds had been fixed; when *he iron|
cuffs were about to be placed upoii the
i
men’s wrists, old mothers, young
wives, sisters and brothers crowded
about the railing to say a word of
goodby and give a parting kiss.
The brief history of the crime had
been given in full, with all the details
of how the man Coffey bought plates i I
for making counterfeit money from j
William L. Wynne, and how Coffey !
and the man Little got McMichael and j
Rebb to print the spurious money at i
the dead hours of night in tho rooms
of a job office in Atlanta. As Coffey
is a countryman, and has never been
known to have been engaged in any
such crime before; as Little is a labor
er, whose previous record was good,
and since Rebb and McMichael are
two young pressmen who scarcely
knew the enormity of the crime they
were committing, it is believed by
many, including officials, that these
men were the dupes of scheming ras
cals, belonging to a gang of old coun
terfeiters. If this theory is true, the
inspectors may yet find others to pros
ecute in the case.
j Coffey is a man about forty-five
years of age, with a florid complexion
I aud reddish hair, A heavy sweeping
red moustache adorns his face. Ho
appeared to take matters coolly.
Little is 53 years of age, and is a
large man, with heavy jaws and a
short bluck moustache. He was chew
ing tobacco all the while, and was not
at all at his ease. He gazed about
him continually, and when the law
yers wero talking became restless and
nervous.
Rebb is a medium size man with
dark complexion and black hair. A
short thin moustache and a beard of
a few days’ growth gave him an un
kempt appearance.
McMichael, who i3 about twenty-five
years of age, does not look to be more
than eighteen or twenty. He has a
bright, attractive face, with clear eyes
that look straight at you. One could
hardly pick out a man who would.look
less like a criminal.
The men will be held until the Uni
ted States grand jury convenes, when
they will be indicted. Each prisoner
i is charged with three separate counts,
involving the buying and having pos
session of the bogus plates, the mak
ing of the money and having it in
their possession and the passing o)
some of it.
The only one of the prisoners, it is
said, who is likely to give-bond is Cof
fey. He is reputed to own a flour and
grist mill in Upson county, near
Barnesville, and it may be possible for
him to raise enough money to make a
$5,000 bond.
After the prisoners are indicted they
will be tried in the United States dis
trict court at the October term.
William Wynne, the fifth prisoner in
the case, is still in St. Louis, where
he was arrested, He will be brought
to Atlanta in a day or two, when he
will also be given a preliminary tr/ai
before Commissioner Colquitt.
GOVERNOR TERRELL PLEASED.
Geor D ia Exhibits at St. Louis is Cynosure
of All Eyes.
Governor Terrell, who arrived in At
lanta from St. Louis Tuseday, says
Georgia is the cynosure of all eyes
at the big exposition and that the Geor
gia exhibits are nothing short of mag
nificient.
“I was too busy to go over the
grounds,” said the governor, "but I saw
all the Georgia exhibits and heard a
great deal about the manner in which
the exposition visitors were talking of
them. •»
INQUIRY COURT
IS UNDER WAY
Georgia Governor Acts Anent the
Statesboro Lynching.
TO INVESTIGATE FULLY
Members of Tribunal Selected to Pass
Upon Conduct of State Troops and
Place Responsibility.
A court of inquiry to investigate the
v part played by the military in the -o
cent Statesboro episode was appoint
ed by Governor Terrell, of Georgia.
Tuesday.
This action was taken a few hours
after the governor's arrival from St.
Louis, but after he had discussed the
matter at length with Adjutant Gener
Harri& and had read the various re
ports and affidavits filed since the
burning of Reed and Cato,
The court of inquiry was called to
meet in Savannah Thursday, August
25, and to be composed of the follow
ing . militia officers, their first named
being the president of the court:
Colonel A. R. Lawton, of Savannah,
retired; Colonel W. E. Wooten, of Al
bany; Lieutenant Colonel W. W. Bar
ker, of Atlanta; Major R. L. Wyly, of
Thomasville; Captain Warren Grice,
of Hawkinsville.
No charges will be filed with the
court of inquiry and no particular indt
viduals will be cited to appear, the in
vestigation including every militaman,
either officer or private, detailed for
duty at Statesboro. In addition to the
oral testimony of witnesses, the court
of inquiry will have before it for con
sideration the reports and affidavits
filed wlfh Adjutant: General Harris ancl
submitted by him to the governor.
The Statesboro affair was, of course,
uppermost in the mind of Governor
Terrell when lie arrived in Atlanta
Tuesday. He was more or less famil
iar with the situation from newspaper
reports, official and private telegrams
and letters, and had been considering
the matter since Its occurrence. So
the first thing he did on arriving at
his office was to arrange for a confer
ence between himself and Adjutant
General Harris, which resulted in the
call for an inquiry.
In announcing the appointment of
officers for a court of inquiry, Gover
nor Terrell discusses the lawlessness
on that occasion at length.
The crime against the negroes who
were burned at. the stake, declares the
governor, was of small importance
compared with the great crime against
the state.
He does not censure either the civil
or th emilitary authorities in the ab
sence of a full investigation, but de
clares they were both there to pre
serve the peace and protect the majes
ty of the law at all hazards and failed.
The governor says:
“I was greatly surprised and shock
ed over the Statesboro occurrence, i
had been advised of the necessity of
sending to Statesboro during the trial
of the murderers of the Hodges family
a military guard for the preservation
of peace and order, which I did. Be
fore my departure for St. Louis I was
informed that the trial was proceeding
orderly, and that nowhere was there
any evidence whatever of an intention
on the part of those present to inter
fere with the regular administration
of justice. I was therefore npt prepar
ed to believe as true the news, which
I received en route, of the action of
the mob, so horribly revolting and
sickening in its details, I have been
greatly mortified over the crime of
this mob. I take comfort in the fact
that it did r.ot represent the sentiment
of this state, for its action is con
demned by a large majoriy of the peo
ple of the state, and as for that mat
ter, of Statesburo and Bulloch county,
th<4 scene of the crime, No defense
can. and no apology should be, made
for this action of the mob. It should
be denounced by law-abiding citizen.*
everywhere.”
JAPAN NOTIFIES POWERS.
Will Take Summary Action Unless
Russia Promptly Disarms Ships.
Japan has addressed a note to the
powers informing them that unless
Russia forthwith disarms her warships
in Shanghai, Japan will be forced to
take whatever steps she deems neces
sary to protect her interests.
Mr. Takahira, Japanese minister at
Washington, called at the state de
partment Saturday and left with Mr.
Adee, acting secretary of state, the
communication of the Tokio govern
ment.