Rutherford
County Offers
Unequalled
Opportunities To
Manufacturers
and Others
VOL. XIII —No. 36.
Chief Price Slain While taking Arrest
|VI£WS orOBRNEWS
jj gs CHICAGO^
, LAST WEEKS NEWS
A REVIEWED BY
. KiJpi.. %%, A STRANGER
'''"lf 1 V %,'NTHE
| IvI^WINW
W%L c,ty '
i COPVRI6HT BV Mu
rrciRA'ED V
205 I ONTARIO ST.
Chicago, 111., June 9.—To learn
the comings and goings, the births
the wedding?, and (in a wnisper) the
divorces and of the bargains offer
ed by advertising merchants, thou
sand? turn the pages of The Cour
ier each week. Most of them realize
how vital a part of the community':;
life the paper is; only a few accept;
its publication as a matter of course
and would miss it only after it had
cea?ed to appear. If you haven't paid
up your subscription you know who
lam talking about in that last
breath.
Jlis. Sarah Love needed but lit
tle heip to start her on her Ion:?
journey to New York where she join
ed Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Love, be
fore sailing for Bermuda. She will
carry with her a load of good cheer,
and will impart welcome intimate news
oi friends to the old acquaintances
she meets on their trip. And she will
ir.ak'e new friendships, too. gladden
ing the hearts of many who have not
known the good Cliffside woman here
tofore.
Well, it wasn't Grouchy Gus, or
any local character like him who was
responsible for so many coming to
town last week to do their shopping.
But there is better than good rea
son to believe that some of the visi
tors made the trip to Forest City
instead of going elsewhere, because
they read The Courier in which they
found the advertisements of the most
progressive merchants. And don't you
see how good advertisers help toward
building up a town? Forest City
should extend to its leading mer
chants a vote of thanks.
Out Golden Valley way, says our
correspondent, crops are looking a
little sick. The sun and the rain have
failed to do their share toward bring
ing forth a bountiful yield and the re
cent storm did much damage. But the
Golden Valley farmers have let no
opportunity pass them by. Yet they
are asking: "What will the harvest
b-?" Their question is echoed in the
niinds of people everywhere.
Off t° Atlanta, Ga., went Mr. Lee
last week, so the local news
told, theie to transact some business,
t ( visit a bit with neighbors of yes
terday, and to inhale some of the
atmosphere of the big city. He had
a pleasant time, all around, but I'll
arrant he was glad to get back' to
forest City. Traffic jams, the clang
(, 1 the trolley cars; the honking of
motor horns; the pushing and crowd
mg; of inconsiderate throngs on the
Greets. The public eating places that
charge so much for food and service
—and put forth so little of either.
e *» the big city may be exciting,
l"it when Mr. Stein came home he
v as less enthusiastic about certain
plans to convert Forest City into a
Metropolis. Some losses, as well as
s °me gains, would result from such
a transaction.
Hov. different characteristics in
1 eople are sometimes revealed can
' l( t°ld by Miss Helen Thomas and
friends she entertained at a pic
!l ( a t Hillside Gardens, Lake Lure
A . '
■ soo n as they arrived at the scene
t,f the happy gathering, some of the
!uty set about preparing a fire, cr
■Hanging food, or carrying water,i
'•' otherwise making things comfort
!'l" the rest. Then there were a
1( -'\\ who were willing enough, but
n,! did not have the ability to adapt
'emselves to unfamiliar surround—
Don't tell me that there were
' n y present who deliberately shirk
'• the work connected with the pre-
P'"at;on of the repast, or that of
FOREST CUT COURIER
nrvn-nnm ,
FOREST CITY—"ONE OF THE TEN BEST PLANNED AND MOST KK,WTTI.I T riTir, ■
- BEALTIFUL CITIES IN THE U. S. A." U. a. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SURVEY;
"HOME COMING DAY"
AT FIRST BAPTIST
CHURCH SUNDAY
Annual Event Will Also Mark
Ninth Year of Pastorate of
Dr. W. A. Ayers.
"Home Coming Day" will be ob
served by the First Baptist church
i of this city on next Sunday morn
-5 ing. The occasion will also mark the
, beginning of the ninth year of the
■BMIKir v wlffl
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plpp^-
: •.. . .. ' ." i '
' 1 i ■
'
1
y-'y . .-•* / ' ;v'
iK ——l imirl
DR. w. A. AYERS.
and with the desire that the entire
membership, together with as many
former members- T>ossfbl?r bTTs*
sembled at least once a year, the
church voted two years ago to make
this an annual event.
During the eight years that Dr.
Ayers has served this church as pas
tor the membership has grown from
450 in 1923 to 750 at the present
time, an increase of 300.
Many great things have been ac
complished by the church under his
guidance. The parsonage, which
would do credit to any church »n
the state, was completed in 1923.
The Sunday school building, which
jis complete with every modern con
j venience and has a capacity for 900
'students, was completed in 1927
The Sunday school is presided over
by E. E. Smart, general superinten
dent, who is assisted by 92 officers
and teachers.
The Sunday school is not the only
active church organization, however.
There are three live B. Y. P. U's.
in this church, all of which are un
-1 der the direction of Charles Z
1 Flack. The women's organizations arv
I doing a great work in this church.
J This work is in charge of Mrs. W.
A. Ayers, who is ably, assisted by
several associates.
Dr. Ayers is in great demand ai
:an evangelist, having held many
meetings in Virginia, North and South
j Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee,
j Since being ordained as a minister
i of the gospel he has held 227 revival
| meetings, tie has baptised about
j three thousand people. Dr. Ayers has'
! served as pastor in the following
churches: College Hill Baptist church
Lynchburg, Va.; First Baptist church
I Newport News, \a.; and in North
i Carolina he has served churches at
•Durham, New Bern and Forest City. J
He attended school at Wake Forest |
and the Baptist Seminary in Louis- J
ville, Ky. In the summer of 1922 the j
pastorate of Dr. W. A. Ayers, and
in honor of his many years of service
cleaning up the debris after it was
over.
Now please understand me, folks
This is not addressed to those who
have written me indicating their de
i sire for a radio broadcast during
j which I would read news from The
Courier. But if there are those win
are interested in such a program
and haven't yet written to me—l
again ask them to do so at once.
Frankly, I need your help. So for
get about writing to your congress
man for the once, and pen me that
missive today, care of The Courier.
PUBLISHED IN THE !INTEREST OF FOREST CITY AND RUTHERFORD COUNTY
FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 1931.
FOREST CITY MAN
KILLED IN RUSSIA
r i i., * « ""j:
' y ?' i
Mr- Yates Hill Accidentally
Killed on Construction Job
[ Siberia Thursday.
| Mr. Yates Hill, aged 39 years, an
j engineer for the Fieyn Engineering
| Corporation, of Kuzuetsk, Siberia,
- United States of Soviet Russia was
ij instantly killed Thursday when a
- j heavily loaded cable, or wire broke
■ | Mr. Hill is a native of Forest City,
1 1 and is a son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Gas
j ton Hill, of this city.
Details of his death are meagre.
He was employed by one of the larg
est engineering corporations in So
iviet Russia. A cablegram to his
father here stated that he was kill
ed by a heavily loaded wire, which,
at first gave the impression that he
was electrocuted, but it is believed
by the family that a heavy wire cable
I broke, crushing him.
Mr. Hill is survived by his widow,
who before her marriage was Miss
Delia Ellis, of Logan, W. Va., and 3
children, Lorene, Olin and Priscilla.
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Hill
reside here. The following brothers
and sisters survive him: Rev.J. W. P.
Hill of New Prospect, S. C.; Mrs.
L. D. Shytle, Spindale,; Mrs. E. W.
Young, of Hattiesburg, Miss.; Mrs.
Colon Lawrence, iof Forest City;
Mrs. Earl Harrill, of Wadesboro. N.
C.; Roswell Hill, of Hattiesburg,
Miss.; Miss May Hill and J. C. Hill,
at home. Two sisters preceded him
to the grave.
Mrs. Hill, who has been making
. her home here until two weeks ago,
i*' now at her home In Logan, W. Va.
She has information that her hus
band's body will arrive in Logan, j
W. Va., about June 30. Funeral ar
rangements are held up pending the
arrival of the body.
Mr. Hill had only been in Russia
six months. He signed up last Christ
mas with the Soviet government for
two years stay at S6OOO per year and
free transportation. He went to Rus
sia in January.
Mr. Hill was regarded as an en
gineer of outstanding ability. He left
Forest City in 1916, and since that
time had been connected with a
number of large construction corpora
tions in the United States. Prior to
■ going to Russia he was connected
with the American Construction Com
pany, of Chicago. Being an expert
in the engineering line resulted in
his selection as one of the foremen
of the Fieyn Engineering Corpora
tion.
Mr. Hill was a member of the
Frist Baptist church, of this city.
NEW CITIZENS IN FOREST CITY
I
Mr. and Mrs. Wilkie T. Meares
announce the birth of a 9M pound j
son, Joseph Adams, born Saturday, j
June 6th.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Dorsey
announce the birth of a 9V4 pound
| son, Robert Douglas Dorsey, born
: Saturday, June 6th. {
Mr. and Mrs. B. T. Jones are re- ,
j ceiving congratulations over the ar-!
I rival of a 9 pound son, Robert Ai-j
j den Jones, born Monday, June Bth. !
Miss Dorothy Bostic had as her'
■ house guest last week Miss Lillian i
j Mabrey, of Spartanburg.
| j
| degree of Doctor of Divinity was j
conferred upon him. I
Elected by the Southern Baptist |
convention as a member of the board
of trustees of the Baptist Bible In- 1
stitute, of New Orleans, Dr. Ayers is j
also a trustee of the following in-;
stitutions: Meredith college, Ral-j
eigh; Alexander Home for Motherless)
Children, Union Mills; Boiling Springs j
Junior college, Boiling Springs. He
was elected a trustee of Merediti
college by the Baptist State conven-!
tion. j
all the members, the former members j
and friends of the First Baptist!
church to attend the services next
Sunday morning. j
On account of the revival at the j
Methodist church there will be no;
services Sunday night.
City Shocked Over Brutal
Killing of Popular Officer
i[ SLAIN OFFICER
SjK
(»' S* -'' * stt "
Chief Austin A. Price, head of the'
Forest City police department, who
was slain .Saturday night by Fred
Smart, a prisoner.
'}
Police Officials From
Many Cities Attend
£hiet Prices Funeral
, A number of police chiefs, sher
iffs and other law enforcement of
ficials attended and participated in |
the funeral of Chief Austin Price.
A number of patrolmen from Meck
lenburg county, and from the C ty
of Charlotte police department at
tended, also from the Asheville j
. ' 1
Gastoma and Winston-Salem police
departments .Other police officials
attending were:
Chief Wooten, of Winston-Salem;
Chief Taulbert, president of N. C.
Police Chiefs Association, Lexing
ton; Chief Rankin, Salisbury; Chief
Messer, Asheville; Chief Elliotte
Gastonia; Chief Allen, Kings Moun-!
tain; Chief Poston, Shelby; Chief j
Lentz, Hickory; Chief Roberson,«
(Newton; Chief Dover, Lenoir; Chief,
j Kerr. Statesville; Chief Police, Mor- j
| ganton; Sheriff Welch, Caldwell J
j county; Sheriff Kimble, Iredell coun-!
jty; Sheriff Robnette,, Alexander
J county; Sheriff O. D. Barrs, Cataw- j
jba county; Lieut. Beck, State Pa-1
trol, had charge funeral procession,
J Marion; Chief Pitman, Charlotte;
j Chief Earnhart, Mooresville; L. A. J
J Thomas, Capt. Detectives, Southern j
Ry.. Washington Division, Washing- j
ton, D. C. j
, Mrs. Price received telegrams of J
I sympathy from the Chief of Police j
jof Washington, D. C.; and from T. j
|A. Gerk, chief of polipe and presi-1;
I dent of the International Polirei,
. Chiefs Association, of St. Louis, Mo. j
i . j:
MR. W. F. TONEY IS ('
ACTING CHIEF OF POLICE j
Mr. W. F. Toney, deputy sheriff'
Jin this township, has been appointed!
acting chief of police, pending the!
' appointment of a regular chief or,
day man. Mr. T F. Green continues i
j as night officer. The regular meeting j
. of the city board will be held Friday
i evening, and it is likely that a per
! manent appointment will be made at (
jthat time. j
I
TWO NEW DAIRIES ADDED 1
t TO GRADE "A" LIST
t j
| ••111
j Two new dairies supplying miikj
! to Forest City have met all the sani-jj
tary requirements of the State Board j
; of Health, and were this week add- j ]
led to grade "A" list. These dairies;]
are those of Mr. J. T. Camp and Mr. j
i Ed Thompson. ''
i
FALLS SATURDAY NIGHT
j IN DISCHARGE OF DUTY
• Austin A. Price Shot Five Times With Own Gun
After Being Fatally Cut in Bark With
Pocket Knife—Prisoner O.rrijd to
Rutherfordton For Safe Keeping. j
; THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ATTEND FUNERAL SERVICES
• Never has this community been as shocked as it was earlv
n g W > " T'l Was flashed back and forth that
forest City s popular and efficient Chief of Police. Austin A
luce, had been killed in the discharge of his duty. Hundreds
i=h £ 5 g , , a , f the seene of the b ™tal killing, where
if th t i aD | tf" , ' ey tned t0 realize th e terrible trage
'i • that , had taken place. No police officer has ever had more
|o\e and respect than that which was held for Chief Price hr
I the people of this city, and the needless killing of this mail
i c *u anc * stirred the wrath of the entire county as no
other thing has ever done.
i The killing of Chief Price took place at 11:50 Saturdav
! night, while he was discharging his duties as an officer of the
law. Lie had just made an arrest and while on the way to the
city jail, his prisoner, Fred Smart, turned' on him and commit
ted the deed. The least that could be said of Austin A Price
is that he fell in the line of duty.
HP 1 , . ,
The tragedy took place after Mr.
T rice had arrested Fred Smart, of
this city, on a charge of drunkeness.
Mr. Smart had already been asked, 1
it is said, to go home as he was said ;
to have been drunk and had no busi
ness up town. When he. failed tn ■
home, "CKfff Price arrested him on
a charge of drunkeness and started
toward the city jail with him. i
Had Befriended Smart.
For more than a year, at one time, ' 1
Mr. Price and Mr. Smart had lived 1
next door to each other and since
Mrs. Smart's death, Mrs. Price had 1
been making clothes on different oc-,
casions for Mr. Smart's motherless•
children. Mr. Price had also helped'
• Mr. Smart all he could, only last week j
giving him a job to remodel his i
house. In view of this, Chief Price |
evidently considered Smart a friend
of his, for as they started toward
the jail he failed to search his pris-,
oner as is customary.
Uses Knife.
They had almost crossed the lot
above Stein's Department Store on
| their way to the city hall, when
J Smart suddenly cut Mr. Price across .
• the back with a pocket knife. The
I knife had a curved blade several
f .
j inches long. A gaping wound was
■ made in the Chief's back from one ;
hip to the other, the knife penetrat- 5
ling the kidney and liver. According j
Ito doctors this would have proven •
I fatal.
Fires Into Prostrate Officer.
! As he fell to the ground Chief 1
I Price managed to call for help. Smart
'it is said, then reached down and,
Staking the prostrate man's gun from 1
its holster, fired five bulkets into the 1
body, one entering the heart. T. F. '
Green, night policeman, who had 1
seen Mr. Price make the arrest had t
driven around to the city hall in the 1
police car to assist in putting the *
prisoner in jail. It was while getting
out of the car that he heard the call t
for help. Going to the stricken offi- £
cer, with the aid of several eye wit- s
nesses to the killing, he arrested 1
Smart and placed him in the city jail, s
No Inquest Necessary. t
In the meantime ambulances had =
teen called, the Padgett & King f
ambulance reaching the scene first j
Mr Price had been killed almost in
stantly, however, and placing a sheet
over his body the coroner was sum- ]
moned. As there were several eye c
witnesses to the tragedy an inquest c
was deemed unnecessary and the \
body was removed to Padgett & >
King's undertaking establishment. (
Prisoner Rusbrd to Rutherfordton. ]
Excitement ran riot over the kill-
ing and as the crowd around the city ]
hall grew, feeling againg Smart
mounted, until it was finally decided
to move him to the county jail at J
Rutherfordton for safe keeping. One s
of the bullets fired at Price, in some
1 2 Pages
72 COLUMNS
SI.OO Per Year in Advance
Hearing Friday For
i Slayer Of Policeman
!
■
• ■. ~ m wffcwjfri fii „ 5
1 A preliminary hearing for Fred
Smart, slayer of Chief A. A. Price,
will be held Friday in the Record
er's court. Smart made the following
statement Monday: "I knew at the
time that I killed Price. It was not
premeditated and I am now sorry
of it. I have had no trouble with
Price—we were neighbors."
When asked why he killed Price,
Smart did not answer. He stated
that he was going to employ a law
yer soon and ask for bond. Smart
seemed worried over his left foot
which has a bullet hole through
it.
Smart was 43 years old Wednes
day. He is the youngest son of
late Blackburn Smart of this county
and has two brothers in Forest City,
Lee and Ed Smart. His wife is dead.
He has two daughters and a son.
When Smart was asked if he had
a high temper he smilingly replied,
"1 think not. I usually control my
self."
manner glanced and struck the pris
oner in the foot.
Much credit goes to Garret M
Edwards, county traffic officer, for
his efficient handling cf the crowd
in front of the jail here prior ta
taking the prisoner to Rutherford
ton. The crowd had grown to a large
proportion during the time the pris
oner's foot was being dressed and
it was only after talking to the crov/d
for some time that an opening was
made to the police car. in which
Smart was carried to the county jail.
Thousands Vi«vw Sody.
body of the slain officer lay in state
at the Padgett & King funeral p?r
at the Padkett &. King funeral par
lor here. Approximately eight thou
sand people from almost every sec
tion of the county, as well as from
several adjoining counties, passed be
fore the bier of the slain officer to
pay their last respects.
Local Funeral Services.
A short funeral service for Mr.
Price was held in the First Meth >-
dist church here Monday morning ?.t
9 o'clock", after which the body was
taken to Stony Point, where sf r
vices were held from the Methodist
church of that place at 3 o'clock
Monday afternoon. The service here
was in charge of Rev. J. W. Wil
liams. pastor.
Mr. Mooneyham's Tribute.
Attorney O. J. Mooneyham, of
Avondale, who had on various occa
sions been associated with Mr.
(Continued On Pag? Four)