GO
T3he COURIER
Leads iriIBcth News and .
Circulation. j
me COURIER
Advertising Columns
Bring Results. I
Bsued Weekly. PRINCIPLES, NOT MEN. ' $1.00 Per Year.
VOL XXXII. ASHEBORO, N. C, THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 1907. No 4
FIRED FATAL SHOT.
Wife Held For Murder Of Husband.
ANTI-MORTEM STATEMENT
COMPLICATES CASE.
Mrs. Ethel Barentlne Blair Held For
The Murder of Her Husband In Col
umbia. S. C.
On Thursday of last week Mrs.
Ethel Biirentine Blair, wife of Mc
Culley Wellons Blair, a conductor
rnnuing from Laurens to Columbia,
S. C, shot and killed her husband
in thei- home in Columbia.
The tragedy has created quite a
sensation in Columbia and through
out North and South Carolina. The
aute mortem statement of the dyin
man. who lived only half an hour
after the shouting, v that hid
wife had shot him because he got
after her itbjut being too intimate
with a passenger conductor by the
name of Arms. He said he went
into his wife's room on letiirnmg
from his run in the afternoon and
took a seat and commenced to quar
rel with her about I he -ged nili
mucv, when "lie picked up rt pistol
and shot him. (The pistol was one
Mr. Claud West, her nephew, hm
given her about three year ago.
He said then was no souffle; tlu
were quarreling, not lighting.
Mrs. B'air was examined befon
the coroner's jury, who returned i
verdict holding that Mis. Blair
killed her husband. Her statement
was a lengthy one, and in it she
declares that there was nothing
said about any man, but that her
husband came home very much in
toxicated and began to quarrel with
her, as was his custom on many
other occasions when he was drunk.
She was sustained in part of her
statement by her niece, Miss Man
ning West, who lives with her,
while she was sustained in some
parts and contradicted in others by
Mrs. Neill, a lady boarder in the
house. A colored woman who was
a cook attempted to corroborat her
statements, but was contradicted by
the other witnesess whose names are
mentioned. Mrs. Blair says her
husband cursed and tried to get the
pistol to shoot her and she got it
before he could; that he was quar
reling with her because she had not
paid a bill.
Mr.i Blair's mother, Mrs. Cynthia
Blair, who lives in Asheboro and
will be 73 years old the 20th of
next Angus', together with Mr. C.
A. Blair, of Ramseur,' went to Col
umbia on last Friday and returned
with toe corpse of the dead man on
Saturday afternoon's tiain. The
funeral services were held at ihe
M. E. church on Sunday afternoon
at one o'clock, Rev. N. R. Richard
son performing the funeral cere
mony. Alex. B. Blair, a brother,
who married a sister of the woman
who was alleged to have done the
killing and who is yard conductor
of Dan ji lie, accompanied tne re
mains from Atlanta; also railroad
coudnctor Claud West, a son of
Mrs. Jennie West, another sister
who recently died.
Conductor Arms runs on a pas
enger train from Columbia through
Noith Carolina every day, and was
the condnctor who took up the
ticket of the mother of the deceased
when she went to the side of her
dead sou on last Friday.
Thee dead-man is a son of the late
Mr. R. S. Blair and Mrs. Cynthia
Blair, und was born and reared
- eight miles south east of Asheboro
near Holly springs, ana was 4&
years old. lie has been engaged in
railroading for 25 years or more,
Tom Blair, who was conductor on
'97 and killed near Danville three
vcars ago, was oue of his brothers;
also Alex. B. Blair and C. A. Blair;
Mrs. R. L. MahaL-y, of Salisbury,
Mrs. B. V. Kivett, of Ramseur,
Mre. G E. Allen, of Empire and
Mrs.' John 0. Ingold, of Ashe
boro. are his sisters.
The dexd man was formerly a
passenger conductor in North Caro
lina running from Charlotte to
Washington, and was one cf the
best known and most popular con?
ductors on the roaa. ibeveral years
ago he married Ethel Barentine who
was a sister of his brother Alex.'s
wife and lived with her in Salisbury
at that time. She was a beautiful
woman and all went well for a
while. Fiuiliy there was trouble
between Mr. nd Mrs. Blair which
resulted later in their sepan tion
Mrs. l'!uv 1 ed i-i Speiicir li
several years running a boarding I
house, iourorflve years ago she
moved from Spencer) to Salisbury.
After the trouble with his wife Mr.
Blair, it is said, contracted the habit
of drinking and lost his job as con
ductor on the Southern. He went
to South Carolina and was employed
ty another railroad. It is said he
would go to Salisbury once a year
to see his wife, probably often r,
and stay a week. During this time
his wife did not enjoy tne reputa
tion of being an upright woman,
and no gentleman who cared for
his reputation was ever caught m
her company. She is still not an
unattractive woman, although she.
shows some marks of dissipation as
she has for many years, it s said,
drunk whiskey regularly. For the:
last three years she and her husband j
have been living together in Colwut- I
bia, aud she has been keeping
boarders. She is a daughter of
I!ev. Dunrvm Barentine who was
local minister and lived near th-
Salisbury road four miles west o
Asheboro, and was a member c
what is known as the OharloUi M
P. Church between Asheboro cin
the county home. "r. and Mr.
Marentme moved fiom Cheraw, S.
C. r'luaiji e e t nl 1 ved for sevei
al"vears in thi-i county, but moved 20
eatS ir more ago ll (i leeiodi. i .1
w here birth, died leav it.g three
The parents of th" deceased a i
all the members of his fa ni y st unt
high in the communi-y. Ik- was a
mason and belonged to one ' more
railway Brotherhoods.
During the half hour in which
he lived after the shooting his mind
was perfectly clear and he talked
until he reached the hospital mid
pnyed for his wife, and children.
He left two children, a little girl
aged 12 years and a boy aged 9
years. He requested that the song,
"Blest be the tie that Binds," be sung
at his funeral, and it was his le
quest that he be buried in Asheboro.
100TH ANNIVERSARY.
The Randolph Chapter of Daughters of
the Confederacy Observe
Lee'i Birth.
The 100th anniversary of the
birth of General Robert E. Lee was
appropriately celebrated at the
academy last Friday night n der
the auspices of the Randolph Chap
ter of the Daughters of the ;on
federaey. Col. A. U. McAlister read several
tributes to Lee. Among them
were Cardinal Wolseley and Benj.
II. Hills, the latter considered one
of the prettiest tributes ever paid
to any man.
"lie was a foe without hate, a friend with
out treachery, a Boldier without cruelty;
A rictor without oppression, and a victim
without murmuring;
He was a Christian without hypocrixr.
and a man without guilt.
He was a Caesar without his tyranny;
Frederick without his tyranny;
Napoleon without his selfishness; and
Washington without his reward.
Lee's farewell address to the Con
federate army was also read. His
favorite hymn, "How Firm a Foun
dation" was sung by the !audience
and Mrs. Kephart sang, "Come un
to Me . Mr. Archibald Johnson,
editor of Chatity and Children, was
the orator of tne occasion, and his
address was interesting and in
structive. He spoke particularly of
Lee as a man, compared him to
Washington and held him up as an
example for all school children.
He urged the parents to teach the'r
children to honor the memory of
Lee and all Confederate veterans,
and insisted that the Daughters of
the Confederacy and the teachers in
the schools impress upon the minds
of the children the many connneu
dable traits of Robert E. Lee.
There was a large and attentive
audience out to participate in this,
the first public meeting of the
Randolph Chapter of the Daughters
of the Confederacy.
Asheboro Furniture Company.
The Stockholders in. the Ashe
boro Furniture Company Leld their
meeting in the Company's office
last week. The company did a good
business last year and the usual
dividend was declared. The direc
tors of the company are Messrs. P.
H.Morris, B. Moffitt, Dr. F. E.
Asbury, W. F. Redding, and W. J.
Scarhoro. P. II. Morns is presi
dent, W. J. Scarboro, vice president,
and J. S. Lewis secretary and treasurer.
;. v i 7m - .m
' T j
t
1 State's Exhibit Palace. Tam sto wn Exoosition. Norfolk. Va.
MINING IN RANDOLPH. . ItA AffQ FATAL AFFRAY.
Several Mnehine liccently InstalUu
Doing; StiiTesKi'til Work Capitalists
Active. Com uniealed.
There appears to be a genera
revival in mining in Randolph
county and parties from different
poiuts of the Worth are now with
us almost continually looking up
mining properties.
This is attributed to the success
met with at various points, with
what is known as the Snodgrass
Gold Washing Machine. Al' ready
several machines are now at work
with success and several more are
now going in as soon as they can be
compietea. xnis mac nine is up;
plying a long felt' want, as Rt i.1
dolph county is noted for its vast
bodies of low grade ore.
This machine with a capacity of
200 tons of this soft ore each 24
bouts, makes it a paving investment
when in it 50 per cent per ton of
the gold is saved.
At numerous points in this coun
ty there are vast bodies of this low
grade ore that will average from
$1.00, $2.00 to $3.00 per ton. So
you can draw your own conclusions
when it is a known fact that from
50 to 75 per cent of the gold can
aud is being saved.
GOLD AND SILVER.
Iola Mine In Montgomery Supports
State's Output Most Important la
South.
Director Chas. D. Walcott, of
the United States Geological Survey,
reports as follows on the production
of Gold aud Silver in the Southern
States:
The Southern Appalachian
States, inc ndiog Alabama, Georgia,
Maryland, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee, and Virgiuia,
maintained during 1S05 an aggre
gate output of $380,500 in gold and
of 110,300 hue ounces in Biiver,
valued at $67,283. The most strik
ing changes from 1904 were an in-
ciease in silver from the copper ores
of Tennessee and a decrease of gold
in South Carolina. Increased ac
tivity in quartz mining was noted
from Alabama and Maryland. In
North Carolina many mines pro
ductive iu 1904 were closed, but
th- yield from the Iola mine, in
Mimtgo i ery county, compensated
f r this. At present the two most
i.npoitant gold mines in the South
au- the Haile, of South Carolina,
iind the Iola, of North Carolina.
W. H. BADGETT DEAD.
Was Grandfather of Mrs. J. T. W ood,
of Asneboro Aged 90 tears.
Last week Mr. W. II. Badgett,
of Jackson Hill, died at his home
there. He was iu his 90th year.
Lie leaves a wife and one son, Mr.
C. L. Badgett, Mrs. II. C. Byrum,
(jooleemee, and Mr. J. T. Wood, of
Asheboro, married a grand daughter
of Mr. Badgett. The funeral was
conducted Wednesday afternoon at
2 o'clock, at Cool Springs. Mr.
Badgett was a member of the Meth
odist church. Mr. Badgett was
one of thj best men in Davidson
county. In many ways he was a
most remtrkable man. He was
vei v strong intellectually, and had
a tine memory.
By profession ho was a s u eyor.
ARE
Holmss, State Geologist and
Van Lindley of Greensboro.
MAY ADDRESS THE MEETING
IN FEBRUARY.
Organization of Caiiniy (oil Itoixla
Association Perfected Legislative
Committee Appointed to Draft Bill.
First Monday In February.
This is the date of the next meet
ing of the Good Roads Association
; ! of Randolph county.
At a meeting of the oracers of the
Association held Monday night in
the office of the secretary, the or
ganization waa perfected by the elec
tion of S. W. Lini hlin, fiist vice
president; R. K. Ross, second vice
piesident; G. G. Hendricks, vice
president for Asheboro township a'ld
W. J. Scarb-jro, vice president for
Asheboro. The other townships
left open at the last meeting will be
appointed at the February meeting.
A legislative committee has been
appointed to draft a bill to be pre
sented to the legislature as follows:
Win. C. Hammer, G. G. Hendricks
and H. M. Robins. This bill will
be submitted to the February meet
ing of the Association for ratification.
President McAlister, at the in
stance of executive committee and
officers of the association, has issued
an invitation to Prof. J. A. Holmes,
State Geologist; aud J. Van Lindley,
of the Guilfoid county road com
mission, to be present on that day
ind address the public of Randolph.
These gentlemeu are probably the
best posted in the otate on economic
road work and will talk interestingly
to everv one present.
Begin now to talk the meeting at
the Courthouse the first Monday in
February to your friends and let it
develop the largest public assembly
of progressive citizens of Randolph
ever held. Commercially, agnculter
ally and for home comfort, this
movement means more than all else,
and should be heartily supported by
every public spirited, progressive
citizen of the county.
DEATH ATARCHDALE.
Mrs. Winston Died Suddently from acute
Attack of Heart Disease.
Mrs. Winston Blair died suddenly
at her home at Archdale Sunday
about noon from an attack of acute
heart disease. The funeral was
conducted Tuesday from the home,
the interment being at Springtield.
Mrs. Blair was 53 years old, and
a daughter of Mr. Duncan White
She is survived by her husband, a
sister in Pennsylvania, and one
brother, who resides iu Thomas ville.
She was au estimable woman and
had the affection and regard of
relatives aud friends.
James Hariness, 50 or 60 yeais
old, surrendered to Guilford's
sheiilf at (Ireensboio a few days
ago, confessing that 10 yen s ago
he stole a horse from Sheriif Wy
croft, of Iredell county. IV ng of
dodging be surrendered hm self to
the authoiitie-.
Yiiiii; White Man StaMtcd. Another At
l!i;ll Point Saturday.
Wiiltei HeilHi-e1 h is under arrest
I .-it. IIilIi I'-Hnt e.h-u-ged wilh causing
ill- deaiii "ii bumhty, of James
iiurcn. They engngel in a qnar
iel S.iturdHV miirning in the yard of
Hie TouiliiiHoi. Chair Co., during
which ttie f t-irmer stabbed Church
witn a knife, ueath following on
Suuday at the Juuior Order Hospit
al.
Hedspeth whs arrested at Ker
nersville. His brother, William,
who. it said, began the quarrel, was
arrested at Greensboro, where he
had gone to meet his brother, and
is being detained as an accessary.
The young men were given a
hearing yesterday afternoon.
Case Moved t o Iredell.
Th1 case against Delia Dilling
ham. Henry Lea, and Geo. Irvin,
the three defendants who were not
lyuched at Salisbury on. the night of
August 6tb, 1906, by consent has
been removed from Stanly county
to Iredell county, where it will be
called for trial on Wednesday, Jan
uary 31st. At the September term
of Rowan Superior Court, the trial
of these defendants was on motion
of the defendants moved to Stanly
county for trial at the January
term which convened on Wednesday
of last week. As this was only a
term of one week and the docket
was au unusually large one, it was
agreed that the case be removed to
Iredell county, where it is more
convenient to all parties.
PROGRESSIVE ETHER.
Patrons of Ktlier Academy Want Special
Tax for Hetter School.
Prof. J. M. Way delivered an ad
dress at Ether Academy last Wed
nesday night in the interest of s
special school tax for that district
The citizens of that section are con
templating this action with a view
of making Ether Academy a graded
school. Prof. Way spoke (.t the
condition of the school, of which
Prof. J. N, Cagle, of Granr to-vu
ship, this county is prhoip.n, in
glowing terms.
Returning Prof. Way is tel ih
schools iu the southern part of t lie
county ana report iiiein ma 1 1 ic
ing condition.
Subscription Puid.
L. P. Craven, M. A. Caje, !. f.
Cox, H. B. WhII, E. B. Johns,,,.,
P. M. Julinn. (i. II. Hardin J..n-s
A. Ellis, f. W. Milliard. Mrs. V.
C. York. R.iheit. Hhiiup", I) Amiim,
John Dick, us A. r. (.:ix, Fillmore
Presnoll, Ira Cornells,, n, Vli-s Bertha
Burres,-. IV, f. N. C. English, (!.
H. D.ois, V. E. Hianson, Uev. B.
F. llurgeit, W. O. Hanis, Henry
Gamer, A. W. Nixon. O. D. Bean,
Shuhal Farlow, J. W. Luther, R.
C. Lambert, C. W. Birkheid, T. J.
S'eed, W. C. Presaeil. Dr. A. H.
tJaveiiens, JoBiuh Krazier, I). W
I osier, Mis. Ali"e Sialey.
Last SuiiUay at the home of P
A. Routh. in I'uvidenoe township,
Ernest llouth and Miss Annie
f''h-'r-Y, h-th rf Griyf' Chapel,
w,re miiried.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
The Busiest Session Ever Known at
Raleigh.
RAILROADS UNDER CONSID
ERATION. Reduced Kates Met by Strong Opposi
h tlon Anti-Trust Bill In Hands of
Scnats' Judiciary Committee
Asjlum Case landed.
Gorman News Bureau,
Raleigh, N. C. Jan. 21, 07.
The third week's wo, k of the
General Assembly began today at
noon with every prospect of a busy
week and the chances arc that sev
eral of the most important public
bills to claim the attention of the
lawmakers this session will receive
attention in one or the otLer of the
two biitnclif s of the legislature.
Among these is the Aycoek anti
trust bill is ri;id oue. The meas
ure will provoke debate in both
houses after it leaves the committee
room.
'J'Le important bills introduced
early iu the session by Senator Gra
ham and others to n-.ul'te railway
operation and reduce u,.- rates of
transportation ;.nd for other pur
poses will bo considered by the Ben
ate committee on railum! the latter
I art of this week and wili consume
several days of the sittings of that
committee before reaching the sen
ate proper. Repiesentatives of the
several railway companies will be
here from a distance with statistical
facts and other figures, access to
which is essential to the committee
in dealing intelligently and justly
with the corporations in perfecting
the provisions of the bills.
There appears to be a largely
shared disposition among the legis
lators, so far as the road justment of
passenger rates is concerned, to make
tne first class fare two and a half
cents maximum. There is soma
talk of abolishing the second class
coach entirely, but I have
noticed that there has developed
considerable opposition to this policy
within the last week. As some of
the lawmakers hive stated to me a
class of people would take offense
if that was done although under the
2-12 cent rate they could ride first
class for less then they now pay for
the inferior second class accommoda
tions. Tbey would demand a sec
ond class rate in reduced proportion,
say to two cents, and tbeietore it is
altogether probable that the bill
when finally passed will contain that
provision. iJesiues, 1 have heard
senators say lately tiiat the second
class coach is necessary.
The important bills affecting the
life insurance bnsiues; tnat have bo
far been intiod.iced uv in the hands
of the committers and they will pro
bably not come up i'i the senate
proper this week.
The bi'ls affecting child labor in
cotton milN an I other fa -tones will
also be deferred till later in the
sessio'l. During the pit week and
afiev c'ciMiinuig ihre- il iys ended
Fri lay night in th- aeij uitul of the
a'te dams charged wuh the death
of th" patient Nal;. Judge Jones,
however, in commenting iu open
com i, siated that while the verdict
as in accordance with the evidence,
which was not Mif!'e enr to convict
the ii dieted un i; ol n nrder, the evi
dence also clearly snowe I that the
treatmeut which the pitient receiv
ed was "brutal and ho; i ible." That
is s io ig language and Judge Jones
is a man th i" weighs his words.
Still the treatment referrd to was
probably chaigeable to the attend
ants and cannot prop rly be laid
dircctlv at the door of the tuperin-
I teni'a-'iis and management of the
iiisti u tion. The latter ought, how
lever, in all reason, todiaw thecheck
reii, a little tighter on a'tendants
after this, aud that will in all pro
, bab lity be done.
I AttiieSabbnh Observance Con
tention iu Gretnsboro last week
I President Kils, of Trinity, Col
I lege, delivered a nmarkably fine
j uldrees. Trinity Y. M. C. A.,
j elected officers for the new year with
j W. V. McRae president.
Siock holders in the Greensboro
Loan and Trust Co, held their an
nual session Thursday. S Bryant,
of RanJIeman, occupied the chair.
The president's rpo:t showed the
' net earnings for 19 )6 to be 19 per
cent. The board oc directors was
re-elected. Among its members are
W. 11. Wat kins of Ranseur; O.
R. Cox, of Asheborj and S. Brya.it,
of Randleman.