FINANCES: Study shows sudden, big financial loss could shorten your life A4 SPORTS Masters play starts today in Augusta B1 THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents Skeletal remains identified Sumter County three weeks after the remains official cause of death is un- Man had been missing since walking Coroner’s Office were found off Gaines Road determined. — with the assis- by children playing in the Sumter County Coroner out of Tuomey; no signs of foul play tance of Sumter area. Robbie Baker said the autopsy County Sheriff’s Investigators also matched did not indicate exactly how BY ADRIENNE SARVIS 11 have been identified as Mi- Office, Sumter Po- DNA samples from immediate long Thomson had been dead [email protected] chael Joseph Thomson, 55, THOMSON lice Department next of kin to DNA obtained before his remains were who was reported missing and Dr. Thad Vin- during the autopsy, according found. The skeletal remains found after he walked out of Pal- cent of Palmetto to a release from the coroner’s He said Thomson must have off a dirt road behind Crystal metto Health Tuomey in Sep- Family Dentistry — positively office. Lakes Golf Course on March tember. identified Thomson about Based on the autopsy, the SEE THOMSON, PAGE A6 All jazzed up PHOTOS BY BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM Under the direction of choral director Herbert Johnson, center, the Lakewood High School Vocal Jazz Ensemble practices last week at the school. Lakewood High jazz, acapella choir making trip to perform at Apollo Theater BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] ‘Success for me lies within consistency and growth eparting today with a spe- in the students. Taking your students where they are — Dcial invitation to perform regardless of background — and to get them to be at this weekend’s New York City Jazz Festival, it’s anoth- able to pull off a trip like this is incredible.’ er feather in the cap for the Lake- HERBERT JOHNSON wood High School Vocal Jazz En- Lakewood High School choral director semble and choral director Her- bert Johnson. showcase for the best of jazz from performed on spring trips to Carnegie Under Johnson’s leadership, the jazz high school, college and professional Hall, also in New York City; Chicago; group and acapella choir — known as groups from across the U.S. and even and Williamsburg, Virginia. Lakewood Voices — has achieved nu- some international groups. However, Johnson doesn’t measure merous accolades, including being But what will be seen and heard on “success” by ratings — instead, “suc- recognized in 2015 as a Grammy stage in front of the live audience at cess” to him is child-centered. award-winning music program in the the historic venue only shows part of “Ratings — those things are condi- education category. the story of the high school group’s tional,” Johnson said. “Success for me At the jazz festival being held at the success, according to Johnson and his lies within consistency and growth in world-famous Apollo Theater, the students. the students. Taking your students 20-member ensemble will perform In addition to its Grammy a few where they are — regardless of back- such classic hits as “Sweet Georgia years ago, the choir has more than its ground — and to get them to be able to Lakewood seniors Xavier Williams, left, Brown” and “Walking on Sunshine” share of highest ratings at prestigious pull off a trip like this is incredible.” and Benjamin Way practice last week dur- and will be one of just two high school national events, Johnson said. In the ing choral class at Lakewood High School. vocal jazz groups performing at the previous three years, the choir has SEE LAKEWOOD, PAGE A6 Archaeologists use radar to survey park’s grave sites Process is one step in backing from Sumter County Before work to remove graves at the park which also — Sarah Lowry and Maeve government and other local trees, establish paths, install a serves as the cemetery for Herrick from New South As- renovation of Thomas officials, the renovation of fence and repair the mausole- Sumter’s family. sociates, a cultural resource Thomas Sumter Memorial um can begin, South Carolina The purpose is to make sure firm headquartered in Stone Sumter Memorial Park Park, created in honor of the Historic Preservation Office all who were laid to rest at the Mountain, Georgia — creating BY ADRIENNE SARVIS “Gamecock General” on his — tasked with overseeing the park will not be disturbed grids and then walking a [email protected] former property in Stateburg, preservation of the state’s his- during future projects. ground-penetrating radar ma- is nearly one prerequisite torical sites — required that The two-day surveying and chine over the entire park. A project pushed by Sumter down in progressing toward geophysical archeologists sur- mapping process began with Historical Society, with heavy completion. vey the ground and map the two geophysical archeologists SEE MAPPING, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B3 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 David A. La Fosse COOLER TODAY 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Robert D. McNair VOL. 123, NO. 120 Classifieds: 774-1200 Van Steve Evans Mostly sunny and cool; Delivery: 774-1258 Neta Mae B. Hayden partly cloudy tonight Classifieds B6 Sports B1 News and Sports: 774-1226 Michael C. Basso Sr. HIGH 66, LOW 43 Comics B4 Television B5 Roy T. Tanner Opinion A7 Frank Brunson Ruthie Lee Wright A2 | THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] THIS MONTH IN S.C. HISTORY Fires, their destruction were well known to Charlestonians BY S.C. HISTORICAL SOCIETY al Calamity.” the commercial district. The Despite the frequency of new Charleston Hotel, built in Around 9 p.m. on April 27, fire in Charleston — indeed, the “burnt district” of an 1835 1838, fire bells rang out in perhaps because of it — citi- fire and considered “the pride Charleston. A spark had ig- zens developed a pattern of of the citizens,” went up in nited a shed at the corner of anxious reform soon followed flames, as did Kahal Kadosh King and Beresford Streets, by complacency. After the Beth Elohim Synagogue built and within minutes four more 1698 fire, for example, the city in the 1790s. In all, more than houses were engulfed. “The quickly developed building 1,100 buildings were lost, leav- fire then commenced roaring standards that included brick ing families, church congre- and leaping from different chimneys and levied a tax on gations and businesses with- points ... with a virulence residents that would be used out shelter. Even the day after which was truly appalling,” for ladders and buckets. A the fire, accounts estimated reported the Charleston Daily few years later, Charles Town losses at more than $3 mil- Courier. Disorganization and elected a board of fire mas- lion, more than $80 million drought conditions made the ters to supervise firefighting today. fire difficult to extinguish. efforts and to enforce the new As the Courier predicted, The volunteer fire depart- building codes. But soon, though, Charleston would ment and 15 fire engines night watchmen grew ne- “surely rise, Phoenix-like quickly expended all of the glectful; laws and building from its ashes.” Local news- water in the near-empty city codes were left unenforced; papers filled their pages with cisterns. Firemen then turned and fires continued to rage. readers’ letters, proposing ad- to demolishing buildings with Jacob Schirmer, a German- ditional green space and fire hooks and gunpowder, descended merchant living in wider avenues made of fire- hoping to smother the fire or the city in the 1830s, recorded proof materials that would at least stop its spread. at least 69 Charleston fires, not only make Charleston Fires and their destruction but the Great Fire of 1838 was safer, but also more prosper- were well known to Charles- surely the worst. ous. Donations arrived from tonians. Founded in 1680, When the dust settled on as far away as New York, Bos- Charles Town experienced its April 28, Charlestonians ton and New Orleans “for the first blaze in 1698, when 50 turned out to view the devas- relief of the Sufferers.” buildings — about one-third tation. Frederick Schnierle, “However deeply we are of the settlement — were en- one of the city engineers, and called upon to lament this sad PHOTO PROVIDED BY S.C. HISTORICAL SOCIETY gulfed. In 1740, flames fueled Col. Charles J. Steedman, a catastrophe,” said Rev. Thom- This map of the City of Charleston includes the whole extent of its corpo- by turpentine, tar and rum naval officer, died in demoli- as Smyth in a sermon at Sec- rate limits. The Black Ground represents that portion of the city destroyed. raged through warehouses on tion blasts, and the Courier ond Presbyterian Church, the Charleston waterfront. In recounted the details of nu- “the liberality manifested on 1778, 1788, 1796, 1799, 1810, merous other horrific inju- this occasion ... together with even ratified An Act for Re- was redeveloped by 1852, and 1819 and 1826, flames de- ries and deaths. A ship cap- the universal sympathy ex- building the City of Charles- even today contains many stroyed various buildings in tain near Savannah, nearly 80 hibited throughout our entire ton, establishing a fund at the homes that date to the after- the city. And in 1835, a fire miles away, claimed to have country, are most truly de- Bank of South Carolina to math of the 1838 fire. In the began in a sailors’ boarding seen the light of the fire dur- lightful.” provide construction loans 1960s, the Historic Charleston house (also called “a brothel ing the night, and planters 15 The Charleston City Coun- for brick or stone buildings.