Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-12
FRIDAY. JUNE ~, 1908.

the case and a mistrial was ordered,
II being considered useless to have
the jury spend any further time I'm
deliberating on the case. They had
been in the room since 6.lO Tuesday
afternoon, the actual time spent In
deliberatiOn being Is hours and 20
minutes. Counsel for Sellers immedi-
ately made motion for ball for the
defendant, which was granted. Judge
Gary fixed the amount OF bail at
$4,000, the amount fixed by Chief jus
tice Pope when Sellers was granted
bail i'm March. Sellers did not care to
remain in custody until the bond
could be arranged and Immediately
handed to Clerk of Court Walker a
certified check for $1,000, drawn OH
the Carolina National bank. The
sureties on Sellers bond are: DR.. L.
b. Owens, J. E. Young and \. n.
Driggers. Sellers remained in the
court room for some time after the
mistrial was ordered and the jury dis
missed. 1t was evident, however, that
the result was no surprise to him nor
to his counsel. Solicitor Benet was
not surprised either. Some Of Sellers
friends appeared surprised, as did
some others in the court room who
were Of the opinion that the verdict
would be manslaughter. No one ex-
pected a verdict for murder; in fact
the state only asked for a verdict of
manslaughter. Sellers will probably
be tried the second time at the Sep
tember term OF the court.
- The Spartanburg Journal Of Tues
day prints the following statement
from Stanyarne Wilson relative to the
affairs of the Carolina Mutual COM
pany: THE Carolina Mutual COM
pany was organized in 1905, and 1t
met its losses during 19O5-O6, on into
1907. 1t has paid out in losses some
thing over $4,000. The payment Of
losses was wholly dependent upon the
collection of assessment dues OF mem
bers. AS the members paid no fixed
premiums, but only assessments when
called for, in 1907 and 1908 the de-
linquencies amounted to over $4,000.
Something over two hundred suits
have been brought against delinquent
members for unpaid dues. The pas
sage OF an act by the Legislature was
largely responsible for hundreds OF
members refusing to pay further as
sessments. The officers OF the COM
pany have been doing their utmost to
collect those dues for the purpose of
paying of the losses. The only way
in which losses can be paid Is by the
payment Of assessment dues, as the
company is q purely mutual company.
Newspaper attacks upon the mutual
companies last year largely contribu-
ted to the failure of members to pay
their dues. AS to the matter Of my
salary, l received no salary up to jan
uary, 1907, although the company
had been running nearly two years.
The company then fixed my salary at
$500 per month, which amount I re-
ceived during 1907 and the first three
months of 1908, when I resigned as
president because of the amount Of my
time the office consumed. AS the
company was involved in great deal
Of litigation, / was therefore engaged
as attorney at a salary OF 5000 per
month. AS my law practice realizes
to me $4,000 per month, I could not
undertake the work for lees than that.
had received no compensation for
my services in 1905-06 as president,
and / accepted $1,000 as pay for my
services in those two years combined,
which was small compensation for
the amount Of work done. That was
settlement Of my connection with the
company as president, which office !
retired from some months ago. The
business done by the company was
from three to five million dollars q
year. 1t gave to the people cheaper
insurance; but developments nave
shown that assessment insurance, as a
state institution, is impracticable be-
cause of the uncertainty Of members
meeting their dues, as result of
which I personally made good many
losses sustained by the company.
When president I also acted as attor-
ney of the company without making
any charges for professional services,
which exceeds by far the salary paid
my assistants in an adjoining office.
Steps are being taken for winding up
affairs of the company in court, which
Is the only way of securing payment
for those who have sustained losses
by collecting assessments from delin-
Quent members. All. moneys that
have ever come into the company
passed through the treasurer's hands,
who has vouchers showing how it has
been paid out, and the books have al
ways been open for inspection to any
one wishing to see them'