Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-07-25

|Thb DARllNGlON
| SENSATION.
Many People Believe Dar-
gan Suicide a Fake.
SUSPICION OF GIGANTIC FRAUD.
Dame Rumor Has II That Instead OF
Buying Poison For His Brother, Pc.
gram parsan Attempted to Palm
of q Wax Corpse on tho Coroner
Doctor, Coroner and Barber Said to
Have Been Bribed-Alleged Suicide
Had $4,000 lnsuranes-A Very Mys.
tsrious Case.
Charlotte Observer. Saturday:
lD&RLINoToN, 8. c.. July 21.-'T don't
know what went with the money"
confessed the attorney for Robert
Keith Dargan, the man whom coro-
ners jury pronounced suicide on July
11th. I'VE have not been able to dis
cover much but debts. It does not
seem that he had 800 when he died."
This whole section of South Caro-
lima Is under intense excitement over
the report that the supposed suicide Is
not dead at all and that the alleged
awful tragedy Of July 10th was a
farce. They say that a man who was
connected with the Independent Cotton
Oil company and who Is now In France,
carried the money away with him
The company was capitalized at ST.
O00. 900 and was supposed to be worth
more. It was a tremendous concern.
The imposing sign, hung above the
first stair landing to its offices, reads:
An Imposing Sign.
General Offices the Darlington OIL
Company, Anson OIL and Ice Compa-
ny, Chesterfield County OIL Company
the Marion OIL Mill Company, Man.
ming Oil and Illuminating Company
Farmers Cotton OIL Company, Robert
Keith Dargan, General Manager"
Mr.. Dargan had been general man.
ager for years. The bylaws, adopted
by the directors. gave him virtually
unlimited power and nobody knew
much about the business except him.
self. At each successive meeting OF
the directors. even at their late meet
ling In June, they adopted resolutions
affirming and re-affirming their COM
plete confidence In Dargan. The stock
holders thought the big combination
immensely prosperous on account oi
the handsome dividends they receiv-
ed-dividends, It is said. which invad-
ed the capital stock.
| The Collapse.
Not until fortnight or so ago was
It discovered that the business was
bankrupt and that its personal prop
erty in the shape Of oil did not tally
with the books. The big tanks al
Charleston were empty and the tanks
elsewhere were well-nigh so. Dargar
was excused from It's presidency and
general managership. The business
collapsed. carrying with 1t ruin to ths
Darlington Trust company, the ]. g
Mccall mercantile business and many
individuals. The receiver, Mr.. Bright
Williamson. says that its affairs are sc
complicated that 1t Is impossible tc
give out yet an accurate statement.
Strange Stories Ahoat.
This history. together with the re-
port that Dargan went to Paris two
years ago and had made q waxen i'm
age of himself. and another that his
brother Pegram had been, for severa
years, studying hypnotism and occult
arts in the north: the fact that the
coroner did not go In with his jury tc
view the corpse and the rumor that hs
said, after the burial, that he could moi
swear that Dargan was dead: that w
F. Dargan ordered out Of the mansion
two men who had come with the jury
| to see the body: that the grave was
bricked and cemented; that there was
a great effort to avoid publicity or
:he night Of the tragedy. and othel
rumors and reports too numerous u
recount, constitute the basis for thu
widespread suspicion that 1t Is put
up job So frantic has gossip grown
that a telephone message went abroad
last night that the grave had beer
opened and found empty.
The coroners Story.
The coroner tells me that on TIT
night Of the 10th. when he got to TIT
office where the deed was done, M
found the front door and the partition
door locked. In the back room were
Pegram Dargan. DR.. Edwards and TIT
dead man. The dead mans jaws were
tied with a towel to prevent his moutf
from falling open. He was sitting II
an easy chair with his feet upon
book case. Dr. Edwards said that M
was dead when first examined BY
him. Both w. F. and Pegram Oar
gan asked the coroner II he recognized
the corpse, and he replied that he did
and that 1t was Robert Keith Dargan
They told him that they did not wan
a crowd to collect or any publicity, anc
he agreed that they might remove th'
corpse to the mansion. When they
were taking 1t up to bear 1t to the car
riage at the door, the coroner Offered
to assist them, but Pegram objected
The coroner thrust an arm under the
body anyhow while they were nftint
1t into the carriage. 1t had not YET
he says, grown cold. This was the las
time the coroner saw the dead man
IF 1 had the authority" said he. -.
would have the grave opened. It's th'
shortest way to stop all this talk"
w. +. Darsan Says Robert Is Dead.
l saw Mr.. w. F. Dargan, hand
some man, and the picture of patri'
clan.
mo, sir" he answered, Il have moth
ing to say. The man Is dead. Th'
doctor said so: the coroner said so
| nfhnro-Qich.