Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-12-19
SOUTH CAROLINA NEWS.

Dargan the president of the defunct
Independent Oil company who, 1t was
alleged committed suicide some time
ago, The proceedings were brought by
the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance
company invwhich Dargan had a policy
for $4,000 The company claims that
there Is a lot of doubt as to whether
Dargan Is dead and 1t is not warranted
in paying the policy until these DOUBTS
are settled. 1t was sought to have the
Judge to mandamus the coroner 10 ex-
hume the body and the coroner was re-
uuIred to show cause last Saturday
After hearing argument on both sides
Judge Watts refused to grant the order
but said he would probably do so II the
request should come from the solicitor
The insurance people will try to inter-
est the solicitor. There are lot of peo-
pie who do not believe Dargan Is dead.
AN incident of the South Carolina
conference just adjourned hardly Sec
ond in Importance to the controversy
between the board OF stewards OF the
YorkviIle church and Presiding Elder
Meadows was the case OF Rev. Z: W.
Creighton, charged with immortality.
immortality as general conference
term does rot necessarily mean any
thing real bad; but In this case II
merely meant a dislnclinatio7 to SUD-
thority.: The story Is that some years
ago Mr.. Creighton antagonized mis-
presiding elder on the salary question
and In reward for his pains got an
appointment that paid only $500 year
With a view to propagating his views
on the salary question and incidentally
of piecing out his salary he establish
ed a religious newspaper, known as
the Christian Appeal. The salary
fad nprStStPnt-
ly as to make the paper as stencil TO
presiding elders generally and charges
were preferred against him as stated.
When conference first convened, II
looked as IL Mr.. Creighton was to be
quietly snuffed out. He, however, de-
manded a trial and asked that all the
evidence be taken stenographically ana
published. The trial would have no
doubt gone on; but the controversy
from Yorkvi'le along exactly the same
line came along In such a way as 10
give not only the entire conference,
hut the whole Methodist church a clear
insight into the real issues involved,
and the matter was held up. IL was
decided to rostpone the trial Of Mr..
CREIGHTON until the next annual con-
ference: and in the meantime his char-
actor is held In suspense.
I'm Gaffney last Friday, George Has
ty shot and killed Milan Bennett ana
mortally wounded Abbott DAVIDSON.
Hasty Is one Of the proprietors OF what
is known as the Piedmont Inn, and the
victims of his pistol were members Oh
the Nothing But Money Theatrlcal
company, who were stopping at MS
house as guests. The shooting appears
to have grown out Of Hasty's alleged
brutal conduct toward two female
members Of the company, Miss Verne
Sheridan and Miss Mary Bishop
Duri G the afternoon of the company
arrival in Gaffney, Hasty went INTO
Miss Bishops room several times un
ne cessarily and asked If she did not
want something to drink. she declln-
ed aid he insulted her; but LEFT WIN
out attempting violence. After the
performance, somebody knocked at the
door of Miss Sheridan's room and asked
II she wanted a fire. The voice SAID II
was the porter, Miss Sheridan did not
want a fire and refused to open the
door. The man then went on the We
randa and tried to get through the
window. The window was fastened
Next the fellow tried to get up over
the transom. Miss Sheridan recogniz-
ed George Hasty. She called Mr.. Ben
nett When Mr.. Bennett came, he was
unable to find anybody. He sat up In
Miss Sheridans room until a late
hour and finally lay down across the
foot of her bed, with comforter over
him. Next morning at breakfast Miss
Sheridan recognized HaSty as the man
who had climbed to the transom ana
Miss Bishop recognized him as the
man who had come into her room. MT
Bennett accused Hasty of insulting
the women and Hasty made denial
He said that the women lied. DAVID
son insisted that the women told the
truth. All Of the men had passed from
the dining room into the hallway. BE-
fore the quarrel had developed very
far Hasty pulled his revolver and COM
menced shooting Bennett was killed
at the first shot. dying within rev
minutes. Davidson died on SATURDAY
Hasty's brother claims to have se!'
him to Miss Sheridans room to make
q fire. He claims also that he saw a
part Of the shooting ARRAY and tha'
Davidson was rushing on his brother
with something bright In his hand De-
fore his brother fired the first shot
There Is a lot of feeling in CARNEY
over the affair and 1t Is strong against
Hasty. A special Of Sunday to the CO.
lumtia State gives the following ad-
ditional developments: The Inquest
in the case Of Abbott Davidson, the
comedian who was shot by George
Hasty Friday morning, was held here
today. The evidence adduced was
practically the same as that brought
out in the case Of Mr.. Bennett, who
was shot dead. Miss Sheridan and
Miss Bishop both told apparently
straight stories. Arthur Hasty, an
other brother of George Hasty, was
put on the stand this time. He testi-
fair and seeing his brother on his
knees with both men over him
overpowering him when he shot;
that Mr. Bennett dropped in his
tracks when shot; that none OF the Ia
dies who testified saw the shooting
etc. The physician testified as TO the
location of the ball and that 1t ranged
down a peculiar way for ball 10 &c
which was shot into a person standing
nv another who was on his knees
While Miss Bishop was testifying there
was hardly dry eye in thu house
Never in the history of CARNEY nave
the people had anything that appealed
TO them as this has. Last night the
knights Of Pythias and Masons order
ed a floral design. 1t came In today
and was thing of beauty. IL con
tained the emblems of both orders VIII
the number of the lodges, each embl
being made of the flower of the order
Both lodges sent Mr.. Ed Decamp. edl'
tor of the Gaffney Ledger. as an escor
with the body. 1t was learned las
night that there might be possible
lack of funds and almost $500 wa
raised and when the guests. for sucf
they were, went to pay their Dill Mr
Parish would take nothing while th'
proprietors of the Piedmont Inn where
the shooting occurred even took pay
for the man who was slain and for th'
one mortally wounded. The subscrip
ton was kept open today and two SAP
bath schools. the First Baptist ana th'
Presbyterian, contributed the collec
tions for the day. DR.. Sims. pastor O
the First Baptist church, called on th'
city council, calling one member 0!
name who was in the congregation l'
revoke the license of Hasty Bros, ant
refuse to issue them license for any
thing Today at the inquest and II
fact all yesterday and TODAY the pes
ladies Of the town were with the unfor'
tunate young ladies who received suci
a blow The time had been set for IN
marriage Of these young ladies TO TN
gentlemen who were slain and thel
condition was truly pitiful. Their
NENW