Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-04-02
THE WINTHROP LITIGATION.

The following interesting summary
Of the status Of the long drawn out
litigation in connection with the con-
templated sale Of the Rock Hill High
school property to Winthrop college, is
from the Columbia Record Of last Tues
day:
Attorney Glenn of Chester has called
for a resumption Of the hearing before
him as referee in the case Of the NIL
nority members Of the Rock Hill school
board, who are holding up the sale OF
the high school property there to Win
throp, and it Is now hoped that the
contest will reach q conclusion within
a. few months, when the referee makes
report to the circuit court at Yorkvllle.
However, this minority, consisting
Of Messrs w. B. Wilson, ]. M. Cherry
and Iredell Jones, are hard fighters,
particularly Mr.. Wilson, who Is lead
ing the fight to prevent Winthrop get,
ting this property, and 1t Is expected
IL they lose they will keep the business
tied up by appeal as long as possible.
This is the fight which provoked
Senator Tillman to write to Mr.. w. j.
Roddey, one Of the Rock Hill members
Of the Winthrop boards executive
committee, threatening that unless
prominent Rock Hill people stopped
making malignant and selfish" war
on President Johnson and Rock Hill,
he would get his friends in the legisla-
ture together and start movement TO
remove Winthrop college from ROCK
Hill and use the plant there for col
ored state asylum, which letter Mr..
Roddey would never make public.
The suit is said to be seriously
blocking President Johnson's plans for
establishing 100000 model school
in the high school property, which
majority of the local school board
voted to sell to Winthrop for $4,000.
The money for this important addition
to winthrop Is In hand: winthrop
proposes to give free tuition to Rock
Hill children with this school, and the
action Of the minority in holding up
the sale by injunction indicates that
sentiment in Rock Hill Is divided on
the proposition. One side Of the local
situation was presented In one Of the
Rock Hill papers last week, the Rock
Hill Record, as follows:
There are many people who are
saying that 1t would be mighty
graceful thing to do II the minority
members of the board of school tru5-
tees would go into court and ask for
leave to withdraw their plea for an In
junction against the proposed sale of
the high school property to winthrop
college.
"As matters now stand, some think
that the matter will be a long time In
reaching a conclusion in the court-if
1t ever gets out Of the hands OF the
referee. One huge mistake was made
in putting II before referee.
IaTrba hacf ipfaraafc NJ tha Rock Hill
school district are suffering severely
from a financial standpoint by reason
of the delay in this matter. 1t Is a
matter Of fact that the school district
Is and has been for many months pay
ing out in interest 500 per month,
which could have been saved by the
prompt sale Of the property In ques-
tion.
"Not only that, but 1t Is certain
thing, so the Record Is informed, that
the central school will close this ses-
sion with a deficit This is unusual,
for that school usually closes the year
with a balance in the treasury.
"And that Is not all. The action OF
the minority trustees has prevented the
children Of Rock Hill from receiving
free education, which was so glowingly
resoluted' for at board meeting by
one of the minority trustees.
"This is an unnecessarily bad posi-
ton which these minority trustees have
placed our school affairs in-and they
not only ought to be ashamed Of them
selves, but they ought at once take the
proper stems to relieve the school OF
their troubles. and at the same time
give the children the free education
which has been promised. This prom
ise is a matter Of record on the min
utes Of the school board"