The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-10-23
THE WHITE CAPS
rcison FfuLton Trees and Cause
a Reign Of Terror
AMONG OHIO FARMERS.
Unknown Miscreants Attack
Farmars on chs Highway
and al Their Homes. A
Bad State uf Affairs.

To say that the exploits Of Whitecaps
have caused reign Of terror in High
iandtoHn, little village Of about siz
miles southwest Of East Liverpool,
Ohio, is putting it mildly. All that
section Of the couatty is SO excited by
the latest developments that little else
is thought Of or talked about. Sumner
Mcpherson, the young man who was
poisoned by az spp%e into which the
shite caps had pu5 paris green, has
gone through a terrible siege Of sick
less, but is now OUT Of danger. The
nervous strain upon his mother he's
been so great that it is feared her mind
will give way. The whole family is in
euoh mortal terror lest there should be
poison in the food they eat or the water
they drink that they live in constant
mental torture.
John q. Mcpherson, the father, is a
man who says little rs a rule, but he is
understood to have taken counsel with
his friends about selling his farm and
quitting the neighbcrhood. The anxi-
ETY. Of the McPhersons is shared by
the whole neighborhood. Citizens of
Highland,o IN fesr fer their lives. They
sre afraid 30 make move against their
unknown adversaries lest they bring
the wrath that has been threatened
upon their heads.
Since the Mcpherson poisoning epi-
scde more anonymous letters, threa en-
ing ar5or, murder and torture have
come to light. John Stroulof and John
q. Clager, Deighbo7s Of the McPher
sons, have found such letters on their
premises. The white cap notices are
sometimes dropped in the roads or in
the falds, and sometimes tackled to
ousbuildipgs and fercss. They are
written ia disguised hand, but evi-
dently by a person Of good education.
No cne IN q comnuai.y where every
body is we'll aaquainted with every
body else recognizes the hsnd writing.
The Nc cphersons nave their suspl cions,
but they are keeping them to them
selves.
It now tranepires that e7sry apple
that could be reached on cerlain tres
in McPherson's o. lard had been treat
ed or sprinkled with paris green, and
the trees on which the nisicreants had
put in their work we're those containiEg (
caoics eating apples. MCPHERSON de-
ci7sd q good il come from his orcbsrd,
out low he dares not eat apples from
it, and he would not think Of selling
them. He also fears that his COWS may
De poisoned snd the milk rendered
deadly. Not a vegetable or any food
proluss is noT used in the fAmily until
il is sutj ,cted to the closest scrutiny.
The Wnitecap activity has bean mani.
tested st intervals il RighlandtoWn
Tor the past two years. Whitecsp no.
ticas served upon the Mcpherson and
Ci&ger families, at first attracted no
attention, it being thought they we're
the wc1k Of practical jokers. But
chen their crops, fences, tools, Wagons
anu o:he- procarsy bagaa to be destroy
cd they became convlL cad that enemies
we're at work. Sons weeks ago shots
wore fed at Sumner Mcpherson as he
was watching q lonely road ct rigat in
the hopes Of seeing Whittcappar. His
vigil sss rewarded, for b , SAW horse
nan cone down the road and deposit q
Whitecap notice.
But the Intruder saw him and blsz-
ed away. -Four shots were fred. Nc.
Paerson got bullet through his hat,
but escaped injury. A day or two later,
he hsd Howard Kelly, son Of q preacher,
who is q neighbor, arrested. Kelly
proved that he Nss at home at the time
of the encounter, and the mystery Of
the shooting remained unsol7ed. Two
theories are current. Ons is that in
sane persons are responsible for the
mischief aad the mu,dsrous plot. The
other is that parties who want to get
McPherson's fslm cheap are persecut
irg him systematically, and occasional
iy annoying other neighbors to divert
attention. Anyone who can find the
author Of the recent poisoning can
claim John McPherson's 500.