The Item from Sumter, South Carolina • 1

AILY ITEM HE SUMT JANUARY 1 1916 FITE GENTS A GOPY SUMTXR SATU1 VOIi XLIII NCL 66 1 TO ENFORCE LIQUOR LAW POSSE KILLS SEVEN NEGROES a BATTLE BETWEEN RACES SOUTH CAROLINA II DRY STATE Hundreds Drowned When 6 0 Liner Was Sunk GEORGIA HAS SERIOUS MANNING PLEDGES HIS SUPPORT IN FIGHT FOR DRY STATE Prohibition Came in Lat Night and Closed Dispensaries Chief Executive Says People Must Support Officers Reviews Year of Progress in State Difficulty Was Started by Slaying of Overseer and Whites Started Out to Secure Two White Men! Seriously Wounded and Others In-' jured Meager Reports Indicate That Only Four Lifeboats were Launched Before Big Passenger Ship Went Down Legislative Action Gives Right to Order Gallon-A-Month Legal Action Necessary for Dispensaries to Dispose of Stock Now on Hand Big Rush Marked Final Hours When Liquor Shops Were Open United States Consul Was on Board of Ill-fated Steamer and Relations with Central Allies Are Again Brought to Tense Situation Nationality of Submarine Has not yet been Many Women and Children on Russians Renew Activities in East in progress in eastern Galicia the Russians resuming the offensive Vienna dispatches say that the Russian offensive is rapidly growing in extent and violence KAISER CALLS CONFERENCE Will Celebrate Birthday by Meeting of Naval and Military Chiefs Special to The Daily Item Amsterdam Jan 1 It is reported from German sources that the Kaiser has called a great military and naval council at Berlin on January 22nd which is his birthday Special to The Dally Item Washington Jan 1 The gravest conceal was apparent among administration officials upon the receipt of the news that the liner Persia with American Consul McNeely on board had been submarined and sunk The Incident came like a bolt from the clear sky when it had been generally accepted that the submarine controversy with Germany and Austria had been cleared up The possible loss of life of an American official has created a situation calling for the strongest action despite the fact that the identity of the submarine has not yet been established The officials said that there are only two explanations either the Persia tried to escape or resisted German embassy officials are without official reports but asserted that the Peninsular liners are all armed and have the status of auxiliary warships The first official report from Consul General Skinner at London said: and liner Persia is reported to have been sunk by a submarine while approaching Alexandria Egypt the thirst of a large number of citizens of the State Interstate shipments have been beyond the control of State legislatures and citizens of dry States have always had the privilege of buying their whiskey in other sections The growing prohibition sentiment of the country recently led congress to change the law of interstate shipment of whiskey The Webb-Keyon act provides that the liquors entering a dry State shall be subject to the laws of that State This in effect abdicates the federal control over interstate shipments so far as whiskey is concerned and submits to the States the right to enact legislation controlling the matter The South Carolina legislature at its last session passed a measure permitting any citizen to order from another State and receive unmolested one gallon of whiskey a month or as much less as he wishes This law went into effect several months ago and its provisions superseded the term of the dispensary law in the matter of transportation and storage The penalties are such that the express companies require the addressee to personally receipt for his jug that no one may receive whiskey under a false name and thus possibly evade the law Twelve gallons of whiskey a year is the limit now that prohibition is in effect The gallon-a-month law was introduced in the house by Jesse Boyd of the Spartanburg delegation and was fathered in the senate by Howard Carlisle This law is now in the supreme court awaiting a decision American Consol on Ship Special to The Daily Item London Jan 1 United States Consul Robert McNeely assigned to Aden Egypt was a passenger on the Persia GEORGIA RACE WAR Columbia Jan 1 the help of God and the support of the people this and all other laws of our great State shall be rigidly enforced so long as I am said Gov Manning in a New greeting to the people of South Carolina yesterday 4 The statement follows: the blessings of peace and prosperity to the people of South Carolina throughout the year just ended we are profoundly thankful We have had our trials and grave problems but in meeting and solving these problems we have been made stronger and better fitted to meet the problems of the future South Carolinians today with all the true patriotism for their forefathers stand shoulder to shoulder a united people fighting for the things that are right and just for all the people of our grand old South Carolina this spirit of union and cooperation among our people we may look to the future with optimism and confidence meeting any difficulties that may be presented and conquering them as only true patriotic South Carolinians can do problems must be met during the year 1916 The death of the dispensary system after a stormy life of 23 years and the enactment of a law prohibiting the sale of alcoholic liquors places a responsibility upon our people that can not be shirked or thrown off without grave danger Law is the result of the demand of the people and the people in order that their law be properly enforced must stand even closer together and continue the fight for its enforcement upholding and assisting those officers who are striving to do their duty without fear or favor With the hefrp of God and the support of the people this and all other laws of our great State shall be rigidly enforced so long as I am governor of our problems is that of education A continuance of the fight for rural and common school education in 1916 will bring to us a great reward before the year is ended the year just ended our farmers learned to live at home thus reducing the cost of production of cotton Let us not forget the hard lesson of 1914 but continue a system of raising home supplies on a broader scale in 1916 and we will find fewer debts and larger bank accounts in the hands of our farmers next December a feeling of joy over the good results already obtained in South Carolina and confidence that the future holds even greater blessings in store for us I earnestly and sincre-ly wish for each and every citizen of South Carolina a new year abundant with peace health happiness and prosperity "Richard I Manning Serious Trouble in Early County Georgia Between Whites and Blakely Ga Dec 30 Five negroes were shot to death two negroes burned alive two white men seriously wounded and others slightly wounded in a series of battles fought in Early county late today in an effort to capture the slayers of Henry Villapigue farm overseer on the River plantation owned by E- Coachman of Clearwater Fla Sheriff Howell was in charge of a-posse that burned a negro house in which Grandison Goolsby a negro farmer and his two sons were barricaded with other negroes this afternoon Goolsby and another negro were shot dead in trying to escape from the flames Two white men were wounded sons sought refuge in another cabin which also was fired by the posse and the sheriff and his deputies brought back the news tonight that both these negroes were burned to death It was certain death to attempt to escape Villapigue was the overseer on River plantation He was killed in the presence of his wife by three negroes presumably because he had chastised a negro boy on the night before He was shot in the back with a shell filled with large shot a terrible hole being torn in his body Villapigue lived only 10 minutes Other shots were fired some of these barely missing Mrs Villapigue Grandison Goeisby a negro and his two sons who resided on Col A plantation near Pleasant Grove were accused of the shooting and posses started out in pursuit of them as soon as news of the shooting spread The sheriff of Early county also was in charge of a posse bent upon capturing the three accused men Not until after bod was on its way to his former home in Griffin Ga did the posses come upon the riegroes suspected of the shooting As one posse surrounded the two negroes the latter opened fire and the fire Was returned with deadly effect Only a few rounds were exchanged when' 'the negroes ceased shooting Both negroes were found dead They were identified as Early Hightower a cousin of the Goolsbys and Jim Burton They were not implicated in the killing of Overseer Villapigue it was stated and the posse continued the chase During this afternoon the negroes were located in a negro house on Dick plantation They were barricaded there and heavily armed The posses closed in on the house and demanded the surrender of the negroes The Goolsbys and others were inside The groes fired and then shut themselves in More daring ones of the posse stole up at one side of the house where there were no windows and set fire to the building When the flames were upon them the negroes made a dash for the open air They fired into the posse and two white men Olive Hudseth and Sam Hillman fell wounded Hundreds of shots were fired at the negroes by members of the posse and Grandison Goolsby the leader of the negroes fell dead as did another negro whose name has otJjeen obtained TheAUvo and the other negroes got away though some of them are believed to have been wounded The sheriff of this (Early) county sent the wounded white men in an automobile to the home of Rudseth five miles from here and he sent ttn- Special to The Daily Item Blakely Ga Jan 1 A serious race war is threatened in Early county with six negroes already killed and posses searching for others Reports that Mike and Ulysses Goolsby negroes with their father who murdered Henry Villipigue had been burned at the stake are untrue and posses are still searching for them A posse in searching a negro lodge room claims to have found evidence of a plot to kill Villipigue Negro loge rooms at Pleasant Grove and other towns have been burned The negroes are gathering for retaliation BIG MEETING ON MONDAY Robert McNeely American consul Aden gfoing to his post left London passenger on the Persia Nearly sard retary Lansing was not at the tment today but all information lived was rushed to him He de-Ed to discuss the situation but ice with President tot Springs the fact that ter serious situation had develop-Secretary Lansing directed or-ders to American officials at Alexan-Iria calling for complete information to the atack on the liner He made it clear that no snap dgment will be taken Nothing will done until the identity of the sub (trine is established The sugges is made here that it may have En a Turkish submarine Long and Other Farm and Dairy Experts to Speak Here Monday Colufnbia Jan 1 When the sun went down yesterday afternoon at 5:26 the official closing time South Carolina swung into the dry 'column At midnight six other States Iowa Colorado Oregon Washington Idaho and Arkansas were added to the list Under the prohibition law indorsed at an election held last September dispensaries in the following counties were officially closed: Aiken Beaufort Bamberg Barnwell Charleston Calhoun Dorchester Georgetown Jasper Florence Orangeburg Lexington Richland Union and Williamsburg The sales in all these counties during the past ten days have been unprecedented in anticipation of the final closing The Bamberg ''county board reported to Bultman the State dispensary auditor several days ago that the entire stock had been disposed of The disposition of the surplus stock held by practically all of the counties it is believed will require legislative action Gov Manning has refused to take action declaring that it was a problem to be decided by the general assembly While no figures have been prepared by the office of the State dispensary auditor an unofficial estimate places the total sales by the dispensaries in 15 counties at more than $3000000 Gov Manning in a statement issued yesterday promised to use the power of his office to enforce the law He called upon the people of the State to aid in the enforcement of the new measure The prohibition referendum election was held last September when the dispensaries received their at the hands of about 55000 voters The election affected only 15 of the 44 counties in the State but the question was submitted to the entire electorate In Columbia yesterday was marked by a constant stream of liquor purchasers From early morning until about 5:25 yesterday afternoon the clerks were busy too busy to wrap up the bottles which many of the customers carried away unashamed in their pockets All kinds and conditions of people the majority in most of the dispensaries being negroes got some brand of whiskey in exchange for their money Good order was maintained members of the police force being stationed in each dispensary in the afternoon Every bill incurred by the county dispensaries all running expenses and incidentals have been paid by the county ') board which consists of Duncan chairman James Verner secretary and Sam Wes-berry Mr Verner said yesterday he would have about $60000 in cash and about $25000 worth of stock on haid at its cost price The sales aggregated more than $120 was double the receipts of ing day The sales for will amount to about Richland county The liquocflfyft over principally or cheap ry whiskey will be stored house where it will be ke legislature provides so means of disposing of it report of the amount the reecipts will be su Verner thinks that ther more liquor held disposed of in two sales Ali beer and practically sold and the brands of ry lim VIRGINIA TRAIN WRECK Sixteen Persons Injured Near Special to The Daily Item Charlottesville Jan 1 Sixteen persons were injured when a through passenger train crashed into a freight at Shipman Va near here The engineers and firemen of both trains were badly hurt and twelve passengers were less seriously injured Dr Long will be the chief speaker at what is hoped will be a large rally of farmers and business men at the Court House on Monday immediately after the sales are completed Monday is sales day and there are quite a number of sales scheduled for the day This no doubt will bring a crowd And the announcement of the meeting will bring others Dr Long will talk on the question of fertilizer a vital problem to the farmers just now He will also tell of the boll weevil and the proper measures in diversification to take now in orde for its coming Dail important matter befoj just now wliich Dr Long or perts who speak Eve man ini in farnl I Women and Children Aboard to The Daily Item ondon Jan 1 Ninety Women fcy-one children and a number of lies were on board the Persia The er sank so rapidly that only four Joats could be launched Meagre details thus far received indicated that the attack was made without warning -The admiralty has issued a statement saying that the Persia did not carry war material SAFE IN COPENHAGEN Ford Peace Delegates in Danish I BOMBAY LINER SUBMARINED HARMON TO COACH Illinois Man Said to Be Slated for Qemson Job Columbia Jan 1 Harmon a former football player of Illinois college Jacksonville 111 will probably be the selection as coach of the Clem-son college football team for the next season While definite announcement has not been made it is understood that Mr Harmon will be selected Mr Harmon has been coaching the team of his alma mater with success Copenhagen (via London) Dec 31 The Ford peace delegates arrived here today Crowds of persons met the boat that brought the Americans across the water from Sweden The police authorities have prohibited the holding of any public demonstrations in Denmark and after the party had registered at various hotels it was announced by the executive committee that strict compliance would be given to the order of the a thorities against demonstration Therefore it is probable that'iduring the visit to Copen hagenytHa members of the mission wijimgagb only In formal conferwith a view to obtaining Dafdsh delegates and preparing for tUe trip to The Hague At Stockholm thousands of people gather at the wharf to bid the peace Party arewell British Steamer Sunk With Three Hundred Passengers on Board Special to The Daily Item London Jan I The Peninsular arid oriental liner Persia was sunk on Thursday presumably by a German submarine Heavy loss of life is feared The liner carried about three hundred passengers Meagre details have been received so far but it is believed the ship had time to Iswaneh only four lifeboats The liner sBpd from London December 18th for Bombay India The owners issue the following statement: last heard of the ersia on Tuesday She carried a large number of passengers and had a large It is announced that the British iteomer Abolia has been torpedoed nd sunk by a German submarine have received slight are known to wounds The trouble resulting in the tragedies of today started it is said on Tuesday when Henry Villapigue who was coming to this city met a negro who would not give him a part of the road Their buggies looked and KTRAL ALLIES PRO YEAR FOR the negro impolitely told villapigue immissioner Watson Sends Check for $12500 to State Treasurer other car to this city for doctors to care for the wounded white men and for more guns and ammunition and more men Additional posses left here shortly before 7 tonight to Join the jposse It was learned that the had been located in a cabin occupied by Charley Holmes The whole of Early county and the lower part of Clay have been excited throughout the day and night oi'er the murder of Villapigue Blakely people are in an ugly mood tonight Negroes are keeping within their doors It Is feared by many that the mob spirit now aroused has Ian The State de- ioultur on a self lissioner Wat- to back up and drive around him Villapigue got out of his buggy and is said to have struck the negro with were his whip Then he resumed -his journey to this city This negro was a son of Grandison Goolsby one of the well-to-do negro farmers in Ge On Wednesday morning Goolsby to Blakely and bought a large of ammunition Villapigue also here to meat his wife who ingiy Deee Qheck for $12-er to be turn-ad of the State rplus collected ing the year lount appropri-ent" said the jnclng the total luring the year Irom tjie tax on not been satisfied though cooler heads away on a visit When the reached his home he found hys waiting for him and fire on the overseer and ting him once in the firing three or four tt are trying to get the people quieted down The number of wounded it is believed is much greater than reported Several of Sheriff Powells deputies.