Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-05-23
SOIJTH CAROLINA NEWS.

Courier: The chances for the Charles
ton exposition receiving an appropria-
tion of two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars for the United States govern
ment exhibit, the early part of the win
ter session of congress, are very good,
according to the opinion of the South
Carolina delegation in congress. The
chairman of the appropriations CON-
mittee, Mr.. Cannon, is opposed to any
appropriations of this kind because he
thinks the more money appropriated
for this purpose the more there will be
asked for; but the majority of the
members of the committee are very
friendly toward these appropriations,
which they consider of an educational
nature. At present there are before
the house quite number of bills from
different cities for projects, such as ex-
positions, museums, etc.
Preachers on the Jury.
Greenville Mountaineer: The jury
commissioners are making inroads upon
the professions when selecting jurors
for the criminal courts. 1t has been
observed this year that the names OF
ministers and other professional men
are drawn at each term of the court,
and with one exception, so far, the
preachers have been serving on the
juries, thereby gaining a practical ex'
perience as to how justice is admins
tered. At the coming term we are to
have a college president and four min
listers, Zone of them an editor,) while
the newspaper fraternity is not neglec.
ted, and one of the local reporters will
have the advantage of making up the
court proceedings from actual partici-
patton in the work of the court. The
frequency with which preachers are
drawn upon the juries is accounted for
by the fact that there are large num-
Der of them in this county, and the
commissioners are strong believers
in "equal rights to all and special
privileges to none."
Unprovoked Murder.
Says a Greenville special of the 10Th
to The News and Courier: Tom Odom
shot James Israel through the head at
Galloway's meat market, at MilPs Mill
at noon to-day. The 32 calibre bullet
entered just above the right eye and
was taken out of the fractured skull al
the top of the back part of the head,
slightly to the left. DR.. Smith, the
mill physician, said at 8 o'clock that
though Israel was still breathing, there
was no hope of his recovery and he
expected his patient to die at any mo
ment, though he might hold out sever
al hours. Odom claims that the shoot
ing was accidental, but eyewitnesses
say that the shot was fired deliberately
and without provocation. Both mer
were perfectly sober, they say, and
the mill people are unable to see
motive for or account for Odom's act
The men had been playing ball just
before the shooting and had a sligh
quarrel over a trivial matter !; but after
the game they appeared perfectly
friendly. When Odom was lodged in
Jail he was not in condition to talk
He seemed to be in stupor, and when
he was turned into a cell he promptly
lay down and fell asleep apparently
The young men are about 18 years old
and neither is married.
Port Royal Dry Dock Failure.
Baltimore Sun: The abandonment
of Port Royal as naval station, under
the terms of the naval bill adopted in
the senate last week, removing the
same to Charleston, means clear loss
of Sl,OOO,OOO to the government, fol
no return has been received and none
can be. This sum has been dumped
into one of the largest dry docks in
the country, which is practically use
less, the dredging out of harbor en-
trance and the erection of several cost
ly repair shops and a large naval hos
pital, besides other buildings necessary
to complete plant for docking and
overhauling the largest type of war
ships. 1t is now inexplicable to the
naval officials why Port Royal should
ever have been selected for the site Of
one of the largest do"''s in the country
and the scene of big naval station
which it was proposed to locate there
in connection with the dock. Port
Royal, under the policy of previous
administrations, was intended to be
the most important naval station south
Of Norfolk. 1t was to be the depot oi
supplies also for ships operating in the
West Indies during the winter season
The history of Port Royal is brief, be-
ginning with Secretary Tracy's time
in the navy department. After con-
sidering all the various ports and har'
bors along the South Atlantic and or
the Gulf, a board composed of emi
uent officers reported in favor of this
place and an appropriation was Sc
cured for the dock and later for build
ings. It's advantages of locality were
shown to be superior to those of Other
cities, and its harbor was believed to be
protected and have greater draft thar
almost any other on the seaboard
Over $500, 900 was expended on dock
constructed by house builder, whose
experience in such matters soon proved
that the department had made a mis-
take in awarding the contract. After
laying out this money and 100000
additional in buildings, the depart
ment ordered the Indiana to be taken
in the new dock, and the work was
accomplished with much difficulty and
some danger, owing to lack of water
over the sill and at the entrance to the
lanl. flor thnt ax narianne the de