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The Lee County Journal Yiil. IX. ‘Claim is Made That They Did Not Report to Bureau. ‘CENSUS MAN QUERRIED :Memphis Cotton Exchange Takes Up the Cudgels—Resolution of Con gressman Livingston Receiv ing Much Attenti‘on. The Meniphis, Tenn., cotton ex change has sent the following tele .gram to Census Director North, at Washington: “Many ginners in this district deny ‘having made a report as to the amount of cotton ginned from November 14 to December 13. Rellable reports from other districts indicate that the same conditions ex ist. . “In making up your report, what per cent of cotton ginned was allowgd those not reporting, and what per cent of the total did not report? Pleasg advise.” North Makes Statement. A Washington special says: Direct tor North, of the census bureau ad mitted having received a telegram “from the Memphis cotton éxchange, stating that many ginners in that dis trict denied having made reports as to the amount of cottop ginned from November 14 to December 13. He has replied as follows. “Where information was refused in Shelby county, the November returns were brought forward for December without estimates. Comparatively few instances were noted throughout the belt where correct information was not available.” In discussing the matter, Director North said that for some unexplained reason a number of ginners refused to furnish information regarding the amount of cotton ginned during the period stated, and that following the cuctom of the bureau under such cir cumstances, the returns for the pre ceding period were brought forward without estimates. Director North explained that 2s Memphis is in Shelby county, Tennes see, his reply to the Memphis cotton exchange referred especially to it. Consider Livingston Resolution, The house committee on agrieulture has been giving some attention dur ing the holidays to the resolution in troduced by Representative Living ingston, of Georgia requesting that ‘all the facts concerning the manner :in which the department of agricul ture makes up its cotton estimates be sent to congress. .~ While nothing definite has been de ‘eided on, it may be stated that the ‘commiitee will be ready to report pext Wednesday, if Mr. Livingston exercises his prerogative and aks for a report. There is intense interest in the mat. ter here, as a result of the slump re- LEESBURG. GA.. FRIDAY,JANUARY 6. 1905 sulting from the estimate given out on December 3. Congressman Burleson, of Texas, is preparing and will introduce, as soon as poSsible after congress re convenes, a bill amending the act cre ating the census bureau, in such a way as to cause that bureau to gather and publish from time to time statistics showing the amount of cotton con sumed by mills at home and abroad, the amount exported and the amount held over, by persons other than the producers each year. VETS INVITE ROOSEVELT. Alabama Confederate Camp Assures President of Hospitable Welcome. Jones M. Withers camp, No. 675, United Confederate Veterans, at Mo bile, Ala.,, has forwarded President Roosevelt an invitation to visit Mo bile, assuring him 'of a hospitable gouthern welcome from all confeder ate veterans and citizens at large. MONEY STCLEN FROM TRUNKS. $1,400 was stolen from a prominent citizen of Abbeville, Ga, a few days ago. He had collected the money, and instead of putting the same in a bank, he carried it home and put it in his trunk. The hinges were taken off his trunk while he was up town and the money was stolen. A merchant in our town had $175, which he intended paying out on Mon day morning. ‘On Satvrday nlghi he left the money in his trenk and ran to the warehouse to help sav: a bale of cotton that was burning. Some one picked the lock and when he returned the money wag gone and has never been recoverd. So many people in the country make this same fearful mistake. The safest and most reliable place to keep your money is to deposit the same in your home bank, where you can always get it when you want it. The BANK OF SMITHVILLE, Ga., is insured against robbery, fire and dishonesty, besides it carries DEPOS ITORS’ INSURANCE for $100,000.00, which absolutely secures DEPOSIT ORS Against LOSS. We invite you to call on the Cash ier and hecome acquainted and open your Bank Acoount. ; BANK OF SMITHVILLE, GA,, J. 0. McCLAIN, Cashier. = A : . NEGRO'S DESPERATE DEERQ. Explodes Dynamite in Car Full of ‘Prisoners in Attempt to Escape. A Birmingham, Ala, dispatch says: While a train carrying 130 convict miers in the employ of the Tennes: see Coal, Iron and Railroad Company, were going from mine No. 3 to the prison, William Faler, a negro con vict from Bibb county exploded a stick of dynamite in one of the coach es with a view to effecting a whole gale release, J. Dawkins, a conviet from Henry county, was killed, Guard Pickett had a leg and an arm blown off, George Delaney, one of the trainmen, was hurt and several convicts were slight- Iy injured. During the stampede guards from other cars rushed forward and pre vented the escape of any of the con victs. The explosion blew out the end of the coach in which it occurred. JAPS CAPTURE MOUNTAIN After Desperate Fighting and Heavy Losses Mikado’'s Men Finnally - Possess Rihlung Fort. Advices from Japanese headquar ters at Port Arthur state that Rihlung Fort was captured at three o'clock Thursday morning with a thousand Japanese casualties. ‘Seven dynamite mines exploded at ten o’clock Wednesda)} and Imade breaches in the front- wall, through which a large body of Japanese troops charged under cover of a tremendous bombardment end captured the first line of light guns. A bitter fight re sulted in the capture of the fort. The garrison, numhering five hun dred, escaped. Rihlung fort, situated on Rihlung mountain, formed part of the inner circle of the chain of forts defend ing Port Arthur. Rihlung is situa ted about two miles from the out skirts of the town of Port Arthur from which it bears due northeast. The fort just captured is a mile and a half southeast of Keekwan iort, re cently captured by the Japanese. The possession of these two forts should ‘make a most important breach in the fortifications of Port Arthur and cut off communicaion between the Gold en Hill forts and the forts of the western section of the inner circle of fortifications. From Rihlung mountain, which is nearly opposite 203-Metre Hill, it would appear that the Japanese fire ’will be able to reach anything in the ‘harbor and town which the Japanese ‘heavy guns on 203-Metre Hill are un ‘able to hit, thus making it apparently impossible for the Russian second Pa cific squadron to make any use of Port Arthur even should the Japan ese content themselves wita holding the strong position they mow occupy. MOB AVENGES FARMER’S DEATH. Negro Lynched at Neal, Ga., for Mur der of J. A. Park. Herbert Simmons, a negro, was lynched at Neal, Ga., Thursday for the killing of J. A. Park, a white farm er. The pegro was taken by a num ber of white men and hanged to the limb of a t}ee. The crime was an atroclous one, and took gplace on night of the 27th. At the time Mr. Park was going home, and wag accompanied home by negroes who lived on the farm, three in number, two left and the third con tinued with him, saying that he was going home, which was beyond Mr. Park’s pilace. Just before reaching the Park home Park was knocked down with a hand stick and hig skull crushed. His wife was first to find the remaing of her husband on the following mnrorning, lying with his head in a pool of hlood in the road where he fell. His wife notified his brothers, who at once set out in search of the negro last seen with Park, and they suc ceeded Phursday morning in captur ing the assassin, After a coroner’s jury had rendered their verdict that Parl: came to his death at the hands of Herbert Sim mons, colored, the prisoner was start ed to Zehulon jail. Enraged citizens anticipated a legal trial by taking him from the officer and hanging him to a limb of a tree. They also riddled his body with bullets. BUREAU’'S WORK NULLIFIED. Census Director Ceplores Act of Gin ners in Refusing to Make Reports, A Washington special says: Direc tor of the Census North, in a letter to Representative Burleson, of Texas, ma?ie public Thursday, takes notice of the situation preseneed by the cotton statistics given out for publication Wednesday, and expresses his sur prise and concern at the recent alleg €¢d movement in the southern states, “apparently approved and augmented by the cotton growers themselves,” to destroy the census reports by concert ed refusal of the ginners to make re turns. The ginners’ report is impossi ble without the sympathetic and whole-hearted co-operatign of the gin ners of the south. | A QUARTER MILLION BLAZE, Columbus, Ohio, Suffers Heavy Busl ness Property Loss By Fire. Fire in Columbus, Ohio, early Wed nesday destroyed $225,000 worth of property and stocks in the center of the business district and in an explo sion during the fire five firemen were more or ress injured. The fire start ed in the Mithoff building. The sec ond, third and fourth floors were occu pied as flats and something like fifteen families reside there, but all were res cued. The flames then spread to ad joining stores. ; WANT ALL DUTIES ABOLISHED. Philippine Chamber of Commerce Says Islandrs are Near to Ruin. Secretary Taft has received the fol lowing cablegram from the president of the Philippine chamber of com merce at Manila: “Secretary of War, Washington.— Philippine chamber of commerce asks congreésg to save the Philippines from ruin by wholly abolishing the tariff on our tobacco and sugar. “PRESIDENT.” MOTION TO QUASH DENIED. Trial of White Woman and Negro at Jacksonville, Fla,, Set for Jan, 9, Judge Call, In the circuit court at Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday morning denied the motion to quash the indict. ment against Nellie Plummer, white, and Jake Bradford, a negro, for the killing of John Plummer, husbanl of the accused woman. The defendants were arraigned and pleaded not guilty. The trial was set for the 9th of Jan uary. NEGROES PAY DEATH PENALTY. e —— A . Butler and Reid Hanged at Thomson, Ga., for Murder of White Man, John Butler and Guy Reid, who mur dered R. C. Story in the early part of December, were hanged at Thomson, Ga., Tuesday. Reid stated that he made his peace with God and both repeated their con fessions af murdering Mr. Story. The two negroes Xiiled their employer by beating out his br.ins with an axe, and a lynching was narrowly averled. NO. 23.