Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-24
SOUTH CAROLINA NEWS.

Rev. DR.. Alexander Sprunt, pastor
of the First Presbyterian church OF
charleston. and at one time pastor or
the First Presbyterian church or ROCK
Hill. has been called to the pastorate
OF the First Presbyterian church OF
Raleigh, N. c. .-.' -'''
Union special of Tuesday to News
and Courier: Dewitt Jeter, negro,
pleaded guilty to an assault with In
tention to kill upon s. 8. Farrar, q
prominent planter Of this county, and
was sentenced to seven years In the
penitentiary This crime was inspired
by a desire to rob, as Mr.. Farrar was
supposed to have a considerable sum
Of money on his person. The assault
was committed a month or six weeks
ago, and the escape was a narrow one
for Mr.. Farrar, the ball from the
negro's pistol penetrating his vest as
II passed across his chest, and he was
burned by the powder from the dis
charge. Another negro was lmpn-
Gated, but has not been caught.
- Henry W. Thomson, the young
Spartanburg stockbroker who last
summer became involved with the
United States government through
fraudulent use Of the mails, appeared
before Judge Brawley in the United
states district court at Columbia last
Wednesday and plead guilty as charg-
ed. He had succeeded in swindling q
York, Pa, concern out Of $4,000 worth
of bonds. Nearly half Of this amount
was made good. Relatives and friends
of the young man made a strong plea
to Judge Brawley for clemency, ana
this plea was backed up In large
measure by the firm that had been
the loser in the transaction, 1t being
Influenced by the fact that so much OF
the stolen money had been returned
Mr.. William MCGOWAN, representing
Thomson, said that his client had not
been morally responsible to any con.
siderable degree for a number OF
years. He begged the judge to send
Thomson to the Federal penitentlary
IN Atlanta instead Of a county jail ana
asked him to temper justice with
mercy. Judge Brawley said that he had
about made up his mind that three
years was the right sentence; but In
view Of all the circumstances as
broueht out he would cut the pro-
posed sentence in half. He made II
eighteen months instead. The details
of the transaction through which the
Young man got into his present trou-
BILE are summarized in the Columbia
State of last Wednesday as follows:
Thomson being a stock broker In
Spartanburg, 1t is alleged, was aware
of the fact that the S. Morgan smith
Company of York, Pa, owned 5O
shares of the stock Of the Aiken Manu-
featuring Company of Aiken ). Z; he
wrote to the Smith company telling
them that he would be able to sell
these shares of the Aiken company's
stock for them and It Is alleged, car
ried on quite a lengthy correspon-
dence with the northern firm. Thom-
son advised the firm to send the SO
shares Of stock to him and he would
sell same for them and remit. The
firm declined saying that they would
send the stock to the Bank Of Spar
tanburg with draft attached. He wrote
to the firm that this would not do but
that he had negotiated for the sale OF
the stock with a client at Augusta
Ga. Thomson told the Smith company
to send the shares Of stock to the
Georgia Loan and Trust Company OF
Augusta and everything would be all
right. This the firm did by registered
mail thinking that the deal was bona
fide and that such firm really exist
ed. Thomson, it is alleged, then went
to Augusta and stayed there for some
time. He went to the general delivery
on several occasions and called forI
the letter that had been sent to the
Georgia Loan and Trust Company. He
failed to get the letter and left the
city Before leaving, however, he gave
the postmaster forwarding directions
and came to Columbia. When in Au-
gusta he represented himself as c. O..
Smith, the travelling agent Of the
Georgia Loan and Trust Company.
Coming to this city Thomson asked
for the letter at the post-office several
times but failed to get the coveted
registered letter. He then went back
to Spartanburg. In the meantime the
postmaster at Augusta notified the
York firm that there was no such firm
as the Georgia Loan and Trust Com
pany." They then wired Thomson and
he answered that he would look into
the matter. Thomson then came back
to Columbia again and going to the
registry clerk called for the letter
which had been forwarded to him
here. He was given the letter that
contained the so shares of the Aiken
Company's stock. He
sold the so shares to John w. Dickey,
1t is alleged, Of Augusta, Ca, and then
Of the money.