800 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 



The report of the Attorney-General says there 

 were 227 trials for murder in the State during 

 the year, and 97 convictions. 



The Dispensary. The House, at the legisla- 

 tive session, passed a resolution condemning the 

 beer dispensaries, and in September the Board of 

 Control announced that they would be closed 

 and that semisterilized beer would be supplied 

 to consumers through the regular county dispen- 

 saries. J. B. Douthit, a former member of the 

 Board of Control, was chosen commissioner of 

 the dispensary in April. He was removed in 

 October by a vote of three to two members of the 

 board. He refused to vacate, and this led to an 

 investigation in which serious irregularities were 

 charged upon the dispensary management in 

 sworn statements. The judge before whom the 

 case was brought decided in November that the 

 commissioner had been improperly removed. 



The number of seizures during the first six 

 months of the year was 673 ; the cost of the con- 

 stabulary $15,634.89. The special dispensary 

 school fund for 1898-'99 amounted to $130,000. 

 There were 372 violations of the dispensary laws 

 and 100 convictions. 



The Governor, in June, reduced the force of 

 constables from 59 to 34. The Supreme Court 

 decided in July that constables must wear their 

 pistols in sight, having no more right to carry 

 concealed weapons than other citizens. 



Railroads. The added mileage this year 

 amounted to 237. The total earnings of the roads 

 in the State were $8,916,383, an increase of $827,- 

 053 over those of 1898; the expenses, $5,831,246; 

 the taxes, $383,716. The Governor says: "One of 

 the most important changes in the railroad situ- 

 ation during the year has been the leasing of the 

 South Carolina and Georgia Railroad by the 

 Southern Railway system. The result of this 

 transaction has been to give the city of Charles- 

 ton a continuous mileage tariff to all sections 

 of the State reached by these lines. The same 

 is done by the Atlantic Coast Line system." 



Insurance. Premiums amounting to $1,948,- 

 824.39 were reported for the year ending Sept. 30 ; 

 on these the State tax, \ of 1 per cent., was 

 $9,743.63. This does not include taxes paid 

 to counties and municipalities. No tax is laid 

 upon fraternal or assessment companies, and no 

 record is kept by the State of their operations. 

 More than 100 companies operate in the State, 

 and the Governor recommends an examiner for 

 banks and insurance companies. 



The Supreme Court decided in a case before it 

 in March that in assessment insurance the con- 

 tract is suspended by nonpayment of assessments, 

 and if the property is burned before assessments 

 are paid there can be no recovery of insurance. 



Militia. The militia has been reorganized, 

 and the active force now numbers 3,000 men. 

 The design is to have this force well organized 

 and equipped. Small companies to the number of 

 34 have been disbanded, and 45 strong companies 

 have been retained. The force is to consist of 1 

 regiment of cavalry, 2 regiments of infantry, 1 

 battalion of infantry, 1 battalion of naval militia, 

 1 battery of artillery, and 1 battalion of infantry 

 known as National Guard. 



Cotton Mills. Statistics from the office of the 

 Secretary of State show that 11 cotton mills have 

 been chartered and fully organized this year, with 

 an aggregate capital of $3,275,000; existing mills, 

 16, have increased their capital stock by $2,- 

 429,000; and 14 mills have taken commissions of 

 incorporation with a total capital of $2,275,000. 



Cotton. The production of cotton in the State 

 in 1898-'99 is given as 960,000 bales. 



Lawlessness. For the murder of the n> 

 postmaster at Lake City in 1898 (see Annual 

 Cyclopaedia for 1898, page 699) eleven men \\ it- 

 placed on trial, April 10. Two others who were 

 indicted turned State's evidence. The case ended 

 in a mistrial, the jury having failed to agree; 

 five, it is said, were for conviction. The citizens 

 have petitioned for the reopening of the post 

 office, which was closed by the Government after 

 the crime. The closing of the office obliged them 

 to go three miles for their mail. 



Six colored men who caused the death of an 

 old negro bv whipping him after the manner of 

 " whitecaps *' for alleged immorality, were tried 

 at Florence, found guilty, and sentenced to im- 

 prisonment at hard labor for life. One other who 

 was tried with them was acquitted, and an eighth 

 implicated had turned State s evidence. 

 ' In a case of a claim for damages on account 

 of the lynching of a negro, Lawrence Brown, who 

 had been arrested on a charge of arson and dis- 

 missed by the magistrate, a jury in Orangeburg 

 County found for the county, under instructions 

 from the judge, because he was not taken from 

 officers of the law, and it was held by the judge 

 that the provision of the Constitution of 1865 

 allowing $2,000 or more damages to the estate of 

 a person lynched did not apply unless the pris- 

 oner was in the care of officers. The Supreme 

 Court reversed this decision and ordered a new 

 trial, which took place, and in October a verdict 

 was again brought for the county. 



A negro who was found in a white girl's room 

 in Greenville by her father, Aug. 22, and allowed 

 by him to go, on the plea that ne was drunk and 

 did not know what he was doing, was taken ;it 

 night by a mob, hanged to a tree, and shot. 



An attempt by three constables to search the 

 house of John Stuart, in Columbia, in February, 

 for liquors said to be kept for sale contrary to 

 the law, resulted in an affray in which Mrs. Stu- 

 art was mortally wounded by a shot from one 

 of the constables, who was tried and acquitted in 

 June. 



Three days after the above-mentioned incident 

 a newly appointed dispensary constable was shot 

 by a former friend in a quarrel that began with 

 the accusation against the constable that he was 

 a spy. He lived only a few hours after being 

 wounded. 



Legislative Session. The General Assembly 

 met Jan. 10 and adjourned Feb. 21. 



R. B. Scarborough was elected President i>rn 

 tern, of the Senate and Frank B. Gary Speaker of 

 the House. The right of the representative and 

 the Senator-elect from Lee County to seats wai 

 questioned on the ground that the Supreme Court 

 had declared the act of the General Assembly 

 establishing the county to be null and void, since 

 it was shown that the proposed change was not 

 voted for bv two thirds of the electors in the 

 part of Darlington County that was to form part 

 of Lee, and they were excluded. 



About 150 acts and joint resolutions were 

 passed. Several bills were introduced in regard 

 to the distribution of the profits of the dispen- 

 sary, and the two houses finally united upon a 

 bill to apply the dispensary profits to make up 

 the deficiencies in countie's where the schools 

 could not be kept open three months with the 

 proceeds of the poll taxes and the constitution*! 

 3-mill tax. Bills for radical changes in the 

 dispensary system failed. The use of the pal- 

 metto tree upon dispensary bottles was forbidden. 



Combinations of fire insurance companies to 

 control rates were prohibited on penalty of revo- 

 cation of license. 



