Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-03-13
SOUTH CAROLINA NEWS.

way, was totally destroyed by fire last
The furnishings were saved but the
building was lost through the lack
of fire fighting apparatus. Prepara-
tions were being made to open the
place for the summer. The loss is
estimated at $4,000. The hotel has
been the scene Of many conventions
during the last few years. 1t will
probably be rebuilt.
= Columbia correspondence of the
News and Courier: There are sS04
pensioners on the lists of the state on
account Of the Confederate fund. It
Is noteworthy fact that one-tenth Of
all Of the pensioners in South Caro-
lima are in Spartanburg district. The
greater part Of Cherokee county came
from Spartanburg, and the list Of that
county Is to be included with that Of
SpartaIburg. On that account the
following paragraph on the Spartan
burg list will be OF interest: ELI Wall.
chairman Of the pension board Of
Spartanburg county, has forwarded to
the state pension board the list OF ap-
plications from this county. II Is not
| thought that there will be so many
pensioners from this county to draw
aid from the state as there were last
y,ar. Commissioner Wall states that
.ast year there were 757 pensioners In
Spartanburg county, though this num-
Ter had been reduced the present year
Dy the county pension board. He said
| he expected that the state board would
probably refuse to pass several appli-
cants or change them from one class
to another. The white population in
Spartanburg Is very large and she fur
nished host of brave soldiers, but the
pruning process may not be as vigor-
Gus as IL other counties.
- Greenville News: In spite of the
legend, the remarkable hold 1t has
IN the public mind, there are many
people who profess not to believe in
| ground hogs at all, to say nothing Of
| believing In its connection with
| weather predictions. Until an AMI
| maj. that resembled a coon and a
possum, without being either was
| brought to Greenville several days
| ago, 1t would have been next to i'm
possible to have found q man In the
city who could admit having even seen
ground hog. This ground hog, for
3uGh ii was, came all the way from
The Elue Ridge mountains. 1t was
,aptured after hard fight by a
| mountaineer who sold Ii at a fancy
price to a local green grocer For
several days the butcher kept Il on
exhibition, but yesterday II was killed
ana dressed, and is now for sale.
Most people have the idea that a
ground hog is the size of a ground
squirrel. In fact, they think ground
hog, and a ground squirrel are almost,
If not quite, one and the same thing.
This Is a mistake. The ground hog
exhibited In Greenville, the carcass
Of which can be seen today, is as
large as the average raccoon, and
Its skin Is similar to that we'll known
little animal. But the head OF the
ground hog Is very different from its
cousin. The eyes are small and
semble the SQUIRRELS Ground hogs
were once In this part of the country,
| but they are now practically extinct.
In the New England states they are
still to be found. Like the 'possum
and the coon, they are said to be
good to eat, and that Is why the Green
Vile butcher turned him into meat.
rhe old mountaineer who brought the
| ground hog to the city said that 1t
fought three squirrel dogs to a stand
still before tt was finally captured
and imprisoned in cracker box,
john Marion Ashley, a cousin of
the celebrated Joshua w. Ashley,
was killed in Honea Path, Anderson
county, by Policeman White, and all
the Ashley tribe being very much
aroused over the matter, for several
hours 1t looked as IL the town would
be the scene of a lynching bee, or a
bloody riot, maybe both. The Bar
koot carnival company, the same ag-
gr, cation that was in Yorkville few
weeks ago. was playing in Honea
Path, and Thursday being rather wet,
the whole Ashley clan, which is quite
| numerous, went to town to have q
time of it. AS to just what occurred,
there is more or less conflict of state
| ment; but there seems to be no doubt
OF the fact that John Marion Ashley
and Policeman White were previous
ly acquainted with each other. It Is
estimated that within few miles OF
| Honea Path, which is close to the
| line between Anderson and AbbeYille
| counties, there are between seventy
| five and one hundred adult Ashleys.
Some OF them are good law-abiding
people; but among them are numer-
Gus rough customers and Of these
John M. Ashley, perfect giant in
size, and about ffty-fve years Of age,
was the recognized leader. It Is the
Ashley crowd, with John as leader,
which is accused of having lynched
the negro Allen Pendleton, last year,
dragging him to a swamp by means
of trace chain around his neck, and
filling his body full of bullets. John
Marion Ashley was good citizen
when sober; but was an ugly GUS
toner when in liquor and generally
got that way when he went to town.
Policeman White knew to watch him,
because he had frequently said what
he would do to the policeman on
favorable opportunity. The story Is
that while the Ashleys were taking
in the show negro named Charley
Moore got in the way of John Marion
and John Marion knocked him down.
AS to whether there was any provo
cation does not appear. Moore COM
planned to Chief of Police White, and
accom- panied by the negro, the no.
liceman hunted up John Marion Ash
ley and asked for an explanation.
After a few words, White told Ashley
that he was drunk and advised him
to leave town; but Jim Bob Ashley, q
son of John Marion, said that the old
man would not have to go until he
got ready, and he said 1t in such a
way as to indicate that the minute
for active business had arrived.
White struck at Jim Bob with his
billy, and John Marion whipped out
his pistol and fired at White. White
reached around Jim Bob, who was I'm
front of him and fired two shots into
the breast Of John Marion, bringing
him to the ground, mortally wounded.
Several of the Ashleys were already
on the spot and the sound Of shoot
ing was the signal for the gathering
of the balance Of them. Several Ash
leys fired shots, and bystanders were
wounded. Policeman White was got
ten into an adjoining store and the
door was closed. He went through
the store to get out the back door:
but he was greeted by a pistol shot.
One of the Ashley clan had gone
around to head him off. 1t is said
that White wanted to go out and face
the music; but people about him
who were more prudent, persuaded
him to go into. a closet, until help
could be had. A message was sent
to the sheriff Of Anderson, and he ar
rived on the spot as soon as possible.
Then, also, the local authorities got
in telephone communication with
Governor Howard who ordered tha