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About Conyers weekly. (Conyers, GA.) 1895-1901 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 1895)
DURRANT’S FIGHT FOR LIBERTY. ! i THE TRIAD PROMISES TO BE A MOST INTERESTING ONE. j SCENES OF THE TRAGEDY WILL IIE REPRODUCED IX MINIATURE. Even Go To the Extent of Represent Ing the Victim By a Dull. By Southern Associated Press. San Francisco, Cal., Sept. The skele¬ ton of the defence In the great Dur¬ rant trial Is beginning to be visible. Whether they have the sensational evldence that they have hinted will Clear Durrant completely or not they will try the police department. There Will be a whole lot In the trial about the blindness of the police and their fatuousness in ignoring every clew that did not coincide with their pre Conceived idea that Durrant was the guilty man. By disputing every pro position of the prosecution, and assum ing all the time that the .z’ police are turning everything against * , the prison- . they will raise a cloud of content tion and surmise that with the evl dence they will produce of Durrant’s previous good character and the alibi Witnesses, they hope will raise the rea¬ sonable doubt in the Jury’s mind that will deter them from bringing In a verdict of guilty. Now it If certain that the trial Will be a very long one. If such minor witnesses as the detective, who mere ly found the body, and the physician, who only conducted the autopsy, are to be cross-examined for half a day, toow long will the attorneys for Dur rant keep the witnesses who actually give testimony against Durrant on the stand? Mrs. Leak, who will swear she saw Durrant go Into the church that fatal afternoon with Blanche Lamont; Oppenhelmer, the second hand dealer In jewelry, who will swear Durrant tried to sell him one of the dead girl’s rings; the witnesses to whom Durrant made statements In consistent with the present theory of the defence, and with the facts the policy will prove will undoubtedly be kept on the stand for days. District Attorney Barnes once said It would take only two weeks to get In the evidence. If It does not occupy two months, present Indications count for nothing. So far the case has been almost exclusively one of models, maps, charts, plans and diagrams. The witnesses testify, pointer in hand, etnd every spot they mention they indicate either on the elaborate model of the tower or on the diagrams. To make the thing perfect the pros¬ ecution will produce a doll that will represent the dead girl In the tower model. It Is as pretty a doll as ever delighted a baby, but it will play & gruesome part In this trial. It is one of those pretty French dolls, with mov¬ able llmbB and head, tumbled hair, and eyes that close. It will be laid In the corner of the miniature belfry with its arms folded across the breast, and hair turned slightly to one side and kept In position by two tiny blocks of wood. Then the jury will know more vividly than words can tell them Just what was the state of things In Emanuel Church when Detective Gib son broke down the belfry door and found the murdered girl. Durrant takes the liveliest sort of interest In the model of the church with which he was so familiar. He i turned to Detective Harry Morse and whispered suggestions and comments all the time that Policeman Russell : wsb pointing out the distances and particular points in his model. In the Interval, between the disappearance of Blanche Lamont and the finding of her body In the belfry the tongue of Theodore Durrant was busy. He may have cause to regret it. To some peo¬ ple he declared that he could not ac¬ count for the mysterious disappear¬ ance of the girl. With tears tu his eyes, he said, she had been a pure girl, and he could not reason In his own mind a theory of her absence. To others, In several Instances to newz paper reporters, he said that he felt confident that the girl had gone as tray; that she would be found down town. To her uncle he offered his services to search ln the shadows of .» - the city for — the _ missing girl. To the janitor of Emanuel Church, who eaught him at the ferry the day Min- ' nle Williams was murdered he said that he had noticed that Blanche thl* La- I mont was to Koine ft* awav Z and d that he ln « I * tended tended to intercept t her. Row will Durrant reconcile these attitudes? is the query of the prose cution. It Is one of the questions the student will not answer but It Is one Sf. the jury 1 ™ which Is trying him, will Sf**" say i : that his life shall not be forfeited to the State. When the trial was resumed this morning, C. G. Noble, uncle of the murdered girl, was recalled, and com¬ pleted his evidence respecting the iden¬ tification of the body. A. B. Rihl, police officer, was the next witness. He entered the church with Detective Gibson and assisted the latter ln breaking in the door leading Into the belfry-. Gibson discovered the body of Miss Lamont, and called his attention to it. Witnesses saw blood stains on the floor of the third landing below where the body was found, and on examination he had found that blood had dropped from above. He taw foot prints on the dust of the ’ steps of the stairway. i The testimony in Durrant case today i was mainly given over to incidents con- | nected with the discovery of Blanche La- I mont’s body in the church toweir. Patrol- i Rihl testified that he discovered foot in the dust on the landing on the leading to the top flour of the tower where the body lay. He thought the foot prints were those of the murderer, but they were obliterated by 'the morgue at¬ taches, who entered the tower to get the body. Rihl also told of blood stains on the floor of the belfry made by blood which dripped from the third landing wheTe the murderer rested with his victim and left the body for about a day. There weTe also marks in the dust on the stairs made by the trailing skirts of the dead girl while the murderer was carrying the body up to the third landing. The defence was particular In bringing out these points, apparently to fortify its theory that the body of the murdered girl was carried a long distance, and that a man of Durrant’s physique would have been unable to carry It. The prosecu tion has evidence to show that Durrant could easily have carried the body to the spot where it was found. The olher testimony today was as to the r i moval of the ^^y from the tower , murdered girl's clothing secreted by the murderer afterwards on the top floor. Chas. C. Noble, uncle of Blanche Lamont, while testifying to the removal of the re¬ Tnalns - was moved to tears. J™® Monday ca being * e , Admission ov day, ® r tiU and Tuesday legal a holiday. The defence today gave an idea of the Ion# fight it will make by the an nouncement that it will put sixty witness es on the stand. --- WILL TAKE IT IN HAND. United StnfcH AVI11 Act Independently In Cheng Tu Riot Mntter. By Southern Associated Press, Washington, D. C., Sept. The United States Government has decided t0 enter forthwith upon an Independ ent investigation of the Cheng Tu riots, with the co-operation of a Chl nese representative. As at first ar¬ ranged, the Inquiry was to have been made In co-operation with England, hut there has been a change of plan within the past few days, occasioned partly by the fact that the British consul at Chung King, who Is to con duct the Investigation on behalf of his Government, and to whom, with the concurrence of an American mlsslon ary member, It was at first proposed to j entrust the preliminary Investigation ! of the facts, has been detained at his post, and It Is Bald will not be able to begin the Inquiry for a month or more. There are also understood to be other reasons why the State Department has decided upon an independent investiga¬ tion, such as France has already made, and such as England will make later. The department Is not yet pepared to make these public. China is expected to lend he” support to tlie American inquiry to the extent of supplying an escort, to the persons who will conduct it. but who have not jet been designated, and will probablj furnish an official who will co-operate with the American investigation ns in the Ku Cheng investigation. Th * inves¬ tigation is expected to be made by some official now on the Chinese ecast. It will probably take a month to reach Cheng Tu, which is the capital of the interior province of Szechuan, and lies some 100 miles from the nearest ocean port. THE KU CHENG MASSACRE. Twenty-three of the Participants Have Ileen Convicted. London, Sept. 6.—A dispatch to the Pall Mall Gazette, from Hong Kong, says the leader of the Ku Cheng mas sacre has been captured by the author ities. The total number of persons thus far arrested for participation In the outrages at Ku Cheng is ISO of whom 23 have been convicted, -“ THE S. A. M., R. H. PIuu of Rehabilitation Unanimously Approved. By Southern Associated Press. Baltimore, Sept. 6.—The plan for the rehabilitation of the Savannah, Americus and Montgomery railroad has been unani¬ mously approved by the reorganization committee, and today was promulgated by Gen. John Gill, chairman of the com¬ mittee. The plan provides for the raising of $1,- 615,000, which is deemed sufficient to wipe out lhe indebtedness of the company, ex¬ teml the roa<i from Lyons t0 Savannah, and provide a considerable amount for the improvement of the property. A new corporation has been formed under the name of the Georgia and Alabama rail way. This company will Issue first mortg aKe preference five per cent, gold bonds, These securities will be redeemable after ? wsue ve yeaFS wlU be at llmlted 105 aml to interest. $1,000,000, The total and of this amount $2,210,000 has already been issued. First mortgage consolidated 5 per cent, gold bonds to the amount of'$6. tkHl.tXK), of which $3,000,000 has been issued, and non e-accumuiattve preferred stock U \ the nmount of **.400,000, will also be “ .toft, w.,1 * entitled t. 6 per cent, dividend. Common stock will be issued to the amount of $5,100,000. Under the plan 1,000 Savannah, Americus and Mont gomery first mortgage bonds will receive $S00, Georgia and Alabama first consolidat¬ ed 5’s $750, Georgia and Alabama preferred stock, and 500 Georgia and Alabama com¬ mon stock. The Baltimore Trust and Guarantee Co,, agents for the reorganization committee! expects to have the new securities ready for delivery in October. Quay Returns. By- Southern Associated Press. Philadelphia, Sept. 6.—Senator from' Quay re¬ turned to Philadelphia today At. lantic City, where he had been since the recent Republican State convention with State Senators Thomas, of Philadelphia, and Andrews, of Crawford county. Mr’ tol Quay will go to his retreat in Florida morrow for a sojourn. CLEANINGS FROM TWO STATES. ITEMS OF INTEREST IN GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA. PERSONAL, POLITICAL AND PROMIS¬ CUOUS HAPPENINGS. ThingH About Our Neighbors Which Always Interest. Georgia. Monroe is to have a shoe factory, The stock is all taken, and the com pany organized. It is called the “Ger¬ man Shoe Company.” Col. Ed. Callaway, has left the Kim¬ ball house, In Atlanta, and will take charge of the Hotel Talmage, one of the biggest hotel companies in Atlanta. A quiet movement is on foot to build, a cotton factory in Covington this fall. A subscription list is being circulated, and a good start has been made for raising the money. In the Superior Court in Savannah Tuesday, a verdict for the plaintiff for $2,632 and interest from December, 22, 1888, was rendered, in the case of Muir, Duckworth & Co., in liquidation vs. the Central Railway and Banking Company of Georgia. This was for fifty-six bales of upland cotton. Messrs. G. W. Owens and Charlton, Mackall & Anderson appeared for the plaintiffs. Before Judge Lumpkin in the Supe¬ rior Court, Atlanta, Tuesday morning, argument was begun on the bill filed by R. M. Clayton, Captain Milledge and others for the sale of the Confed¬ erate veterans’ home. The bill Is op¬ posed by the Atlanta Realty Improve¬ ment company, represented by Mr. Moyers. The veterans are represented by Judge Hillyer; Capt. W. D. Ellis and Judge Jas. A. Anderson, who serve, without any fee whatever. A rumor was afloat in Athens the other day, to the effect that a company was being formed with Athens and outside capital to build at _. Shoals , alongside . .. the .. plant , - of „ -v, the Star o* Thread _. . Company „ cotton .. mill .... to cost a $250,000. torn ,1 nn n* Mr. -d R. t L. Bloomfield, ,« m who rV ,„ owns Barnett tj Shoals, , was seen in , re gard . , to this ... rumor „„ and - said . that ... was the first he had heard of such a movement. He could only speak for himself and the Star Thread Com pany, and so far as they were con cerned there was nothing in the ru mor. The company might be in pro cess of formation, but he knew noth ing of it. Dr. St. Jos. B. Graham, quarantine officer, at Savannah, has received a letter from his friend, Passed Assis¬ tant Surgeon Will F. Arnold, of the United States navy, now stationed on the war ship “Petrel,” at Yokohama, Japan, saying that he has in his pos session a very wonderful curiosity in the shape of a mass of lead made by two bullets, from opposing Japanese and Chinese forces, meeting in midair and becoming soldered together by the heat of infraction and velocity. The mass passed off at an angle and made a slight wound upon the person of a Chinese soldier, from whom Dr. Arnold removed it. On his return the doctor will most likely present the pe¬ culiar relic to the army medical muse¬ um. Ned Brown, colored, was shot near Dexter Tuesday morning by Bailiff John T. Currie of Burch’s district. Mr. Currie was trying to arrest Brown. Brown took to the branch, Mr. Currie following, and was about to overtake him when Brown turned like he was going to shoot. Mr. Cur¬ rie did not wait for him to shoot, but went at It himself. He, however, did not shoot but one time, the ball tak¬ ing effect In the right side just under the shoulder and going entirely through the body. It is thought that Brown will die. Mr. Currie tried to arrest him about a week ago, but in some way Brown got away from him and shot at him three times. The warrant against the negro is for as¬ sault and battery on another negro. Tuesday morning a young lady walk¬ ed Into the Brown house at Macon, and registered as Miss Johnnie Butler, Arlington, Ga. The same afternoon a young man walked Into the same ho tel, just after the arrival of the South western train, and asked Mr. Wallace Sperry if Miss Butler was there. He was told she was, and he put “W. L. Collins, Arlington, Ga.,” on the regis ter. He then asked to see Miss But ler, and when his card was sent up she said she would see him. Shortly afterward he came down and went away. A little later he came back with a carriage and a marriage license, Then Mr. Collins and Miss Butler went for a ride. When they returned the young man put on the register "W. L. Collins and wife.” His confusion and embarrassment told the tale and those who noticed him understood. Both parties are prominent young people of Arlington. Dr. C. W. Dabney, who has charge of the Government exhibit at Atlanta, has made a novel suggestion ln regard to having school children attend the exposition. And the proposition Is now being discussed by several places and will probably be received with favor. Dr. Dabney is especially anx¬ ious for the school children all over Georgia and the South to be Ut the exposition, especially In order to see the Government exhibit. He re garde that exhibit as being able to furnish a liberal education to one who will inspect it carefully and lie is es¬ pecially anxious for all the school chil¬ dren of the State to see it. Bis idea is for the superintendents of schools to ! select some two or three days during the exposition and to bring all the school children to Atlanta on those days. The teachers could come with them and as many of their parents as possible and the railroads would give special rates. Then arrangements could be made to house them all to gether In Atlanta for very low figures and in this way a great many of the poorer children would be able to see the exposition. Not only that, Dr. Dabney says that on such days as the school children visit the exposition he will have a man at each exhibit In the Government building to lecture on and explain his exhibit. He suggests that the effect upon the schools would not be so bad under this plan as It would be to have a few scholars absenting themselves from week to week during the exposi¬ tion. The proposition Is certainly a novel one and will be fully discussed and acted upon within the next few weeks. South Carolina. The people of Greenwood, Ninety Six and Saluda all give notice of their Intention to apply to the next Legis¬ lature for new counties. It appears that Edgefield Is to be absolutely cut to pieces. Work Is progressing rapidly on the foundation work of the big mill at Un¬ ion. The ground is being levelled off, and a large dam, sixty feet across at the top, is being built across Task’s branch, two hundred yards below the other dam. This will make a large lake, from which the new mill will get its water supply. Brick are being burned with which to commence the erection of the Edge field Manufacturing Company’s cotton mill. The site Is near where the oil mill now stands. The capital of the company is $100,000, with the following officers; Charles H. Fisher, president and treasurer; D. A. Tompkins, vice president; R. M. Miller, Jr., secretary. ' tobacco tobacco sales sa J,® s beean begaa on the Pee ® ! > Dee , last week. The first break was at i Timmonsville where a large .__ quanity ! was sold .. at an average ° of . more than .. ten . cents. . Then folowed , the .. sales at - ! Florence where 30,000 ’ ___ pounds ___ . were sold I the first day. Some choice lots sold 1 for $2 50 a pound. The average for j the whole lot was about 12 1-2 cents. On Saturday afternoon, during an electric storm, Mrs. Andrew Deas, of Bennettsville, was struck by lightning ! and instantly killed. The family were sitting on the front porch and Mrs. Deas got U P and went lnt0 a room for something, and went near a window. There were scars on her nose and the side of her face and her shoe was torn entirely from her foot. There was a shooting affray in the market, in Charleston, Tuesday night, i n which the participants were a col ored boy named Pat Dority and an Italian named Golley. It could not be ascertained what the cause of the war was, but several shots were ex¬ changed, one of the balls fired grazing the leg of Dority, The matter will have its sequel in the courts today. Mr. Wm. Culp, of Union, went to his room the other night, and when he got up-stairs and tried to open the door someone held the door shut. Mr. Culp pulled the door open, when a man came out and passed him. He thought it was his brother, but when he hailed him the man ran down-stairs Before Mr. Culp could get to his room and get his pistol the man was out and gone, slamming the door behind him. A small child of Ed. Richardson, colored, who lives on M. S. Haynes worth plantation two miles from Flor¬ ence, fell into a boiling tub of water this week and was scalded to death. The water had been put into the tub and concentrated lye put in the water for the purpose of scouring and wash¬ ing clothes. The child was playing with its grandfather at the time, and stepped backwards, falling into the tub. It was pulled out immediately, but too late to save Its life. It was a t horrible affair. The Columbia State is authority for the statement that the convention Is to be composed of 114 Reformers, 40 Conservatives, and 6 Republicans, Among the Republicans are two W. J. Whlpper and Robert Smalls—who were members of the 1868 convention. All of the negroes are Republicans, Five of them come from Beaufort and the other from Georgetown. Accord Ing to Senator Tillman, the main quea tions to be discussed are "suffrage, di vorce, schools, formation of courts, and the manner of electing judges.” The police of Charleston Tuesday morning arrested and carried to the station a negro named F. Taylor, who was behaving ln a most extraordinary manner on the corner of Shepard and Meeting streets. When he arrived at the station It was evident that he was crazy and an emergency permit was Issued and the crazy man sent to the hospital. He was back very shortly, however, as the superintendent stated that the Insane ward was now crowd¬ ed, and he could not accommodate him. The man Is accordingly held at the Central Station until some better accommodation shows up for him or he Improves. It is thought his brain may be only disordered by fever and that he will regain his reason quickly. CARDINAL GIBBON AND HIS TRAVELS, HE PAINTS A PICTISE OF THE AGED POPE. LEO XIII. A GREAT ADMIRER op THE UNITED STATES Baltimore, Sept. 8.—Cardinal Gib bc-ns talked to a large congregation day at the Cathedral to of impress! ons made upon him during his recent Eu ropean trip. “The first subject which naturally curs to me,” said His Eminence “re' Sards my several visits to the Pone Represent to yourselves a m an i n 86th year, pale and emaciated, with pallor almost of death « body is bent upon him. His more than it was eight or ten years ago. But his eye is bright and penetrating; his voice is “ his intellect is strong and sonorous; remarkably clear and luminous; his memory is mos t tenacious. He has also an astonishing power of physical endurance, which enables him to hold audiences for sever¬ al consecutive hours, treating or. most important subjects with cardinals and foreign representatives as well as with private individuals, and passing with ease and elasticity of mind from one subject to another. He is remarkably familiar with the public events of the day. “The Holy Father naturally rejokes at the religious progress of the United States and takes a deep interest In our political and social institutions, and ad¬ mires onr Republic—where we have au thority without despotism and liberty without license, and where our strength lies in the intelligence and patriotism of the people. For eighteen years the Pope has lived within the walls of the Vatican, except when he takes some recreation in the Vatican gardens. He sometimes retires to those gardens, and resides in the Summer house during the heated term.” Comparing the Governments of the United States and France regarding their attitudes towards religion, His Eminence thought the result was in favor of this country. “It is sad to observe,” he said, “how the civil authorities of France and of some other Catholic nations of Europe studiously avoid all reference to God, to His Province and to religion, in their public and official utterances. But I am happy to say that the spirit of re¬ ligion is still deeply rooted in the great mass of the French people.” The official union of church and State does not find favor with His Eminence. •‘This union," he said, “is regulated by a concordat, and the concordat is usually interpreted by the civil authorities in their own favor. If a clergyman exer¬ cises his gospel freedom by criticising the conduct of the government, he is liable to “have his salary withdrawn, or to be fined and imprisoned or be sub¬ jected + o other pains and penalties. Thank God, we enjoy in this country the amplesr liberty of worship land free¬ dom of conscience. We have a fair field and no favor.” Speaking of the enormously heavy taxation of the people of Europe for the support of the great standing armies, the Cardinal said: “All the powers, no doubt, are most anxious for a general disarmament, but none of them is disposed to take the in¬ itiative.” “Whatever complaints may be made about taxation among us the burden is proportionately light in comparison with the countries of Europe. We have no large standing army—unless we consid¬ er as such our grand army of pensioners, whose claims for their patriotic service will expire some time in the next cen¬ tury. Happily for us we have no en¬ tangling alliances. We have no formid¬ able or threatening neighbors at our doors. The day that a monarchy would be established in close proximity to us on the American Continent would be the beginning of our troubles.” In the towns and villages and country districts of Europe, the Cardinal said, he found the people comfortably clothed, happy and contented. The people of the agricultural districts are not yet in¬ fected with the fever that burns in the breasts of our farmers—of hurrying from the country to the city and hastening to get rich. This is a serious misfortune with us. “Another cause of the contentment of the people,” he continueed, “lies in the religious faith which they profess. In every village and hamlet through which I passed you can see the church, occupying a central position with its cross ascending to the skies. In that church the people are taught to be content with their condition of life. They learn there that ‘the king¬ dom of God is not meat and drink, but justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.’ “In making these comparisons be¬ tween our European brethren and our¬ selves, it can not be denied that we have some evils to be redressed, some abuses to correct and that there are some vulnerable spots in our political and social affairs. But after making these admissions,” His Eminence con¬ cluded, “we have reason to be proud of our nation’s past and hopeful of our nation’s future.” New York, Sept. 7.—Treasury bal¬ ances: Coin, $88,358,782; currency, $96,- 711.0000.
