The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-08-12
WILLIS AND MOORE FIGHT,
CANDIDATES FOR ADJCTANT
GENERAL CLASH AT YORK.
WILLIE.
Irby Attacks MISUNDERSTANDING Dc.
nics the Charge and Proceeds to
FIay BlcaScism.

ruy 0lCaSclSm.
YOrkville, Aug. GA fist fight be-
tween M. &. Willis and his opponent,
w. w. Moore, Adjutant General, fea-
tured the meeting here today, work
ing the crowd up to wild pitch Of
excitement.
Mr.. Willis was saying that Gen.
Moore had been criticising him and
the Yorkville company, and said his
people knew he was truthful man.
If there is one thing 1 have hand
ed down to my children it is u rcpu-
tation for stair!css integrity, and any
man who intimates otherwise tells
a falsehOOd as black as any which
emapates from the pits Of hell" he
stated.
Adjt. Gen. Moore rose from his
seat, walked up to Capt. Willis and
said, "DO you refer to mc?" On
Capt. Willis saying, "Yes," Gen.
Moore struck him, the blow falling
on Capt. Willis ear. Capt. Willis
hit back, the lick landing on Gen.
MoOre'P face. More blows follow
ed but Chairman Mellow and police
rushed in, and assisted by several Of
the crowd, which had rushed on the
stand. separated the combatants.
BY this time the crowd which
packed the stand frantically gave ad-
Vice, some Of Mr.. Willis partisans de-
manding that Gen. Moore be removed
from the stand. The chief Of police
was standing by the adjutant gem
eral while friends surrounded Capt.
Willis. Yielding to the requests of
Chairman Mellow the people left the
stand, and quiet being restored Capt.
Willis concluded his speech. He
told the people they could now de-
eide for themselves who was telling
the truth. getting an ovation and
flowers when he concluded.
1t looked for while as If the
crowd was not going to let Gen.
Moore SPEAK, for the cries Of the
Willis followers kept up a din. Capt
Willis asked his people to accord
Gen. Moore u hearing and Chair
man Mellow pleaded for quiet. The
people yielded and quieted down AMI
Adjt. Gen. Moore began his speech
The adjutant general said he regret
ted the occurrence and apologizcd to
the crowd, but said, Never 50 long
as live will / allow an insult like
that to go unresented," saying there
was not a man in tho crowd with any
backbone but who would have done
as he did. lie said Capt. Willis had
started the trouble by his criticism
at Marion Of the manner in which he
had gotten his endorsement from the
National Guards, and said that Capt.
Willis had precipitatcd the whole
trouble He said Capt. Willis had
come to Yorkville, where he was
surrounded by all his friends, to do
this.
'"The idea of number Of men
jumping on one man." he exclaimed.
Il will take any number single
handed" he told the crowd, which
again began showing their resent
ment by jeering remarks, but Mr..
Mellow admonished Gen. Moore and
the furry passed. Gen. Moore took
up the rest of his time with a de-
fence Of his administration. The
fight between the candidates for ad-
jutant general. who were among the
earlier speakers. drew people like a
lodestone and nearly IL thousand men
were gathered around the stand.
John G.. Clinkscales opened the
speaking for governor today, plead
inE for Peace and less factionalism.
Mentioning the lawlessness in Char
lesion, Mr.. Clinkscalcs said he told
the "blin1 tigers to their teeth that
| will change the conditions in Char
lesion or l will exhaust the resources
of the Stats.' If elected governor.
ana that the tigers no longer blind"
howlcd when he told them he would
put stripes on them if he becomes
governor. lie then launched into an
argument for Statewide compul-
sorry education law.
Robert a. Coopcr's plea for the
people to vote for their State was ap-
plaudcd. Mr.. Cooper made a ringing
speech for enforcement OF the law.
asking why IL man with political
pull should be allowed to run a blind
tiger i'm Columbia or "a race trac,l
gambling machine In Charleston,
when If you tried it you would be
put on the chain gang" He was
"hccrcd and given fruit when he con-