Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1914-06-10

l
take place in Georgetown town.
; ship, in which Westville is locat
! ed, April 7th. Rev. Louis R
= Patnont was employed by the dry
committee to work in the Interest
of local option. His services
were secured because of his en-
inent ability. He is able to speak
number of languages, ss we'll al
having good com mand of En-
gllsh. His prese. oe in the town OF
Westvi.)e was soon felt in the in.
terest of temperance apd righte.
BUSINESS. The people among
whom he worked were of Catholic
persuasion, and while his efforts
were oonfin I'd to the liquor cause,
the difference of religion was of
no email consideration. He was
repeatedly threatened by a bunch
of thug.uglies that followed him
during his work and the commit
tee volunteered to employ a man
TO protect him, but Mr.. Patmont
did not think 1T was necessary.
However. during the second week
of his work, he VISA convinced
that they intended to assault him
and he asked that a man be en-
gagged to accompany him in his
work. This arrangement was
made March 3lst and the man
was to begin his work April 1st.
In the evening of March Slst.
Mr.. Patmont dissppered as if ths
earth had swallowed him ur.
Every effort was made to fnu
him. Detectives we're employed,
and the local committee and his
church friends prosecuted the
search, but to no avail. 1t was
evident that "Rum and Rome"
had hand in his disappearance
A ssloon-kesper purchased 500
copies of THE MENACE and circu-
lated them among the foreigners
and had men detailed to report
that Patmont was circulating The
MENACE and was one of the cor
respondents of that paper.
This was done to prejudice the
Catholics against him. A report
appeared in one of the Westville
papers that Patmont was an ex-
priest of the Catholic church,
which report was of course false,
but the purpose of it was to stir
up the Catholics; the paper re.
fused to make the correction.
Two saloon.keepers told Patmont
that he must leave the town or he
would see what would happen.
On one occasion he was assaulted
and again four men tried to force
him into an automobile.
From the time he disappeared II
was nearly two months before he
was found, most of bis friends
and his relatives supposed him to
be dead and had given up the
search. On Saturday afternoon,
May 23rd, about 4:80 o,olook, q
farmer by the name of Reich and
couple of his farm hans heard
means coming from an old aban-
doned farm house about two and
one-half miles from Columbia,
Ill town of l,50Qpeop'e. located
20 miles from st. Louis. They
proceeded to the house from
whence came the groans and cries,
and there found a man, supposed
at first to be colored man, be-
cause the manner in which his
hands we're tied made them black
and the tight wire and rope
around his neck made his face
black. He was tied buck fashion
with a stick two inches square
put under his knees and over his
arms at the elbows, his hands first
having been tied. A filthy hand.
kerchief was stuck in his mouth
to gag him, a gunny sack was
over his head, wire around his
: neck, and large rope around his
body, one end tied to q beam and
the other end nailed to the wall ;
! gasoline and ether were poured
over him and in that condition he
> was left unconscious from some
} time during the night of May
! 2Srd. When; he came to hif
} senses he worked the handker
chief out of his mouth, chewed 6
{ hole in the gunny sack, and il
his semi.conscious condition criec
. and called for help until the mer
Q who were in an adjoining felt
t cutting alfalfa came to his release
r They cut the ropes. took hin
Q to Columbia. and when he tolt
= who he was, it seems no one q
first believed him. However, a
Q soon as he was able to get in tele
Q graphic communication will
Q friends and relatives, doubt wa
t removed and thu authorities CAV
n him relief and protection. Il
). company with DR.. T. s, Ayar
}. and DR.. Stanton 1 drove over t
Is Columbia in an automobile an
= was the first man wno knew PAT
g mont to recognize him, and tn
o first man he had seen during hi
10 two months incarceration tha
g he knew,
It He was kidnapped about Z T
m. March 81. by half a dozen me
who overpowered him, and gaggs