The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-08-01
MANY ABE RUINED
BY BUYING AND SELLING COTTON
FUTURES.
How It Ruined Strong Man Who
Was Immune Against Other
Bad Habits.

! a AS" JC6i5 oSO O SSAV<sAA oSSsSA'
lawyer living in a well known Georgi;
town, might well have been selected
as the one citizen most likely to dis
tinguish himzeh and reflect honor up.
on bis community. He was thirty
five years Of age, happily married. and
modestly boasted that be did not
know the taste Of whiskey nor tobac-
co. He owned bis home, and some
good farms, mace good income from
his practice, published county paper,
and discharged efficiently the duties
Of county school commissioner. Hav
ing bsen a member OF the State Sen.
ate, be had had his little fling in poll.
tics. AS he had made a good record
in the legislature, and retired with
uncorrupaed habits, one might have
concluded him staunch and safe. Big
Of body, he was otherwise big Of brain
and big. hearted. 1t seemed to give
him pleasure to help the needy; be
gave cordially to the support OF his
church.
Today that man is q fugitive from
Justice. Several indictments charg-
ing embszz.ement, cheating and SWIM.
ding, forgery and other kindred
crimes Ya~n as an open prison door
on the docket book OF his county.
He dares not face the court where
once his elcqqence and logic shared
honors with the keenest criminal ad-
7ocate In the state. A strong man
caught in the current of the under
tow! He Was a strong man;
he was a good man; at
the age Of thirty. five he did not pos
sess the elements even Of villainy.
He had been reared on a farm, and
had wrought his way to prominence
By sheer merit.< He was worthy Of
all the confidence the people reposed
IN him.
What caused his ruin2 The mania
to sell and buy cotton futures In .
bucket shop Of his town. The same
insidious, strong right arm OF the
Ge7il which is blasting more homes
and blackening more souls In our
South toda. than the rum shops. Ha
knew this current was dangerous.
Others embarking weaker than he, be
knew must faint, but surely With his
experience, his lie. al learning, his
SOBER life. be could trust himself to
steer safely through treacherous
shoals. Serene in his confidence, he
began to play the game. In a small
way at first. The habit grew On him
rapidly.
When losses came larger than his
own funds could cover, be could bor.
row from the trust funds in bis hands
and no one should ever know-r he
won and replaced it. Then, lost
again. The game grew desperate.
10 elit now meant poverty and sone
humiliation. The luck must turn; he
felt the hour had struck to recoup his
losses. Did be have nerve enough
to act on his Judgment? Yes, he had
nerve; why throw away the golden op-
portuntty when only 8 few "conVen-
tionahties" stood between him and
the money for the stake. Confident
that his time to win had come, he
gathered every dollar that he could
borrow by process fair or fou'. staked
it on the game-and lost. Honor,
reputation, character i lost! Fer
haps his eternal soul los
There remained to him choice Of
only three sources. Suicide? The
weakling's refuge! He was young
yet, and q mental COLOSSUS. No, he
was weakling; be would live. Sur.
render? The honest course, to be
sure, but he could not make restitu-
tion, and without restitution, surren-
der meant long and weary years in
prison, and a Tag end Of life beyond
scarcely worth while. Flight? On,
yes; II he fly far enough and hids
safely he might live as a free man,
perhaps repent, succeed In business
under new name, and by and by re-
turn what be had stolen. BE fed,
may be repent, prosper and restore.
But why speak Of the sad case!
There's reason enough when one sees
the increasing number OF bucket
shops opening up in our cities and
and towns.