&!)r wmittjficlil M trail).
Price On. Dollar Per Ye?r "TRUE TO OURSELVES. OUR COUNTRY AND OUR COD." Single Cop.a. Five CenU
VOL. 27. SMITHFIELD. N. C.. FRIDAY. FEBRUARY li), 1909. NO. 52
COOPER JURY IS COMPLETE.
Twenty Days Occupied in Selecting
Men to Sit on Case, Four of
Whom Cannot Read or Write and
Two Others Have Vague Under
standing of English Language.
Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 13.?Next
Tuesday at 9 o'clock will begin the
trial of Col. Duncan B. Cooper, Kobln
J. Cooper and John D. Sharp, charg
ed with slaying former Senator E. W.
Carmack.
After twenty days of wearisome
Jury drawing, this decision was sud
denly and somewhat unexpectedly
reached this morAlng.
The Jury, with their ages and oc
cupations, follows:
?oooooooooo *
? *
* E. M. Burke, carpenter, age 47. *
* Robert McPherson, farmer, age *
* 49. *
* G. A. Lane, farmer, age 52. *
* W. Adcock, farmer, age 28. *
* Casper Schnupp, farmer, age 41 *
* J. H. Vaughan, farmer, age 4'J. *
* S. M. Hyde, farmer, age 55. *
* Gus Knipfer, farmer, age 47. *
* F. O. Bierman, real estate, age 42 *
* J. A. Woodruff, farmer, age 55. *
* Jacob Frutlger, farmer, age 49. *
* William Hows, farmer, age 55. *
r *
nnnonnoooo^
m ?
When court adjourned yesterday
the prosecution asked that the jury
be not sworn until the State had a
chance to investigate charges against
two of the jurors. When court con
vened this morning Attorney Gener
al McCarn made no reference to
these charges, but simply said: "We
are ready for the jury to be sworn,
your honor."
The jury was then sworn. The
State next asked several days in
which to gather its witnesses. The
court suggested that the taking of
testimony begun at 9 a. m. Tuesday
and counsel agreed. Then court ad
journed until Tuesday.
, ' '-".wi/" ff*- tHn f -J Oirr : |
muf.'e those incompetent who had
talked with a witness to the murder
or talked with some one who had
talked with the witness. On the ap
plication for bail the local papers
printed stenographic reports of the
testimony of witnesses. The Supreme
court has held that a newspaper print
lug verbatim testimony becomes a
witness who has talked to a witness.
Therefore every one in the county
who had read the testimony became
incompetent to sit in the case as a
Juror. This eliminated at once the
most intelligent citizens of the coun
ty. As a result it was necessary to
draw five venires of 500 names each
and one of 519, a total of 3,019, be
force the jury was secured. Four of
the jurors accepted can neither read
nor write and two others understand
English only indifferently. All except
one of the twelve swore he had not
read a newspaper since before the
killing and some had not read one
for ten years. Bierman, the only ex
cepuon, naa Deen out 01 tne Slate
from the week before the killing un
til the day he was summoned.
Hows, the last man chosen, was
foreman of the jury in the famous
Cox rase. Cox was charged with the
murder of a policeman. He was found
guilty of murder In the first degree
but the jury recommended mercy.
Judge Hart refused to heed the rec
ommendation and sentenced Cox to
death. Cox had powerful friends and
the night before he was to be execut
ed. some one slipped poison Into his
cell with which he committed suicide.
?Tudge Anderson, chief counsel for the
defense in the case, also defended
Cox. The fact that Anderson accept
ed Howe has created no little com
ment.
SWISS LOSING WATCH TRADE.
Output of Cases Alone Falls Off $6,
250,000 in Year.
Berne, Feb. 16.?It is reliably es- I
timated that there has been a de
cline of $6,250,000 in the value of
watch cases manufactured in Swlt- j
rerland during the past year. The 1
decrease in other branches of tho
trade have been proportionately high,
and It can no longer be doubted that
n very grave crises has to be faced.
A "black year" was foreseen at the
beginning of 1908, but the depression
has excelled the most pessimistic an
ticipations.
.iL. ??
WIFE ASKS DIVORCE AT 75.
Charges Incompatability After 30
Years of Married Life.
Winchester, Va., Feb. 11.?Alleg
ing cruel treatment and incompatabil
ity of temper, Mrs. Elizabeth Martin,
of Nain, this county, who is more
than 75 years old, today filed a bill
in the Circuit Court for divorce
against her husband James T. Mar
tin, a farmer and former Confederate
soldier.
The couple has been married
over 30 years and lived amicably to
gether until lately, when differences
arose that led first to the Magis
trate's Court and then to the Divorce
Court. Judge Hrarison has entered
an order allowing counsel fees and
temporary alimony. The case will
come to trial at the next term'.
KNOX'S TITLE MADE CLEAR.
Eligibility Bill Passes House But
Only after a Furious Fight
Against It.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 15.?The
bill designed to make Senator Knox
eligible to the position of Secretary
of State in the Taft Cabinet was pass
ed by the House this afternoon, but
under such circumstances, and in the
face of such determined and militant
opposition, that friends of the Sena
tor are tonight very uncertain as to
whecher he will accept the post.
The bill was twice before the House
today. The first time an effort was
made to pass it under the suspen
sion of the rules which prevailed to
day, but it failed to obtain the necesr
sary two-thirds majority needed on
suspension day.
An ordinary bill would have been
marked dead right there, but in the
interest of this bill Rules Commit
tee held a hurried special meeting,
made a new rule providing that the
Knox bill should again be brought
I before the Ho'ise and that if it re
a rwyoritv vol* it eilould
declared passed. This rule was pui
into effect and the bill was passed.
The whole fight is exceedingly em
barrassing to Senator Knox, who ac
cepted the position of Secretary , of
Statee in the first place with great
reluctance, and the only consolation
that his friends can find in the pro
ceedings of today is that the fight
was not a partison one. The vote
that finally passed the bill was 178
to 117, the majority being made up
of 151 Republicans and 22 Democrats,
and the minority of 99 Democrats and
18 Republicans.
PUT ON $210,000,000 FINES.
Seven Negroes Each Ordered to Pay
$30,000,000, But Get off for $1.
Augusta, Ga., Feb. 13.?The sum of
$210,000,000 was assessed in fines
here today, but the money is not yet
in the City Treasury.
"I'll go Judge Landis one better
and make the fine $30,000,000," said
Recorder Plcquet In Imposing senten
ce upon seven negroes convicted of
violating the health ordinances in al
lowing garbage to accumulate on
their premises. The fine was im
posed upon each of the defendants.
Appreciating their inability to pay
such fine, the negroes sank to the
bench with groans and staring eves.
When the laughter which the Court's
decision sausad had subsided Recor
der Picquet suspended sentences up
o> condition that each of the defend
ants deposit $1 with the Clerk. The
oidinance under which the sentence
was imposed provides that the Court
"may impose any fine he sees fit."
Judge Long arid Pistol "Toter."
The other day Judge Long fined a
negro $20 for carrying a pistol. "All
right," said the defendant, "I have
it right here In my Jeans." Whereup
on his honor turned and said. "I'll
give you six months on the roads.
Have you got that in your Jeans?"
The negro was from New York, but
he now registers from the county Jail.
?Statesville Mascot.
Macadam Road to Selma.
A bill has been prepared and will
be presented to the Legislature to
pass a law calling for an election in
Smithfleld and 8elma townships to
levy a tax and issue bonds to build
a macadam road between Selma and
Smithfleld. ,
,. * I t'lA ?*!?.. .
6,000 LOST IN EARTHQUAKE.
Sixty Persian Villages Wholly or
Partly Destroyed by Shock of
January 23.
I
Teheran. Persia, Feb. 17.?News
was received here today showing that
the violent earthquake recorded Jan
uary 23 at almost every scientific ob
servatory in the world where seisino
' graphs are installed, had its location
! in the province of Luristan, in wes
tern Persia. Sixty villages in thii
J district where wholly or partly de
stroyed and the resultant loss of life
is placed between 5,000 and 6,000.
This information was conveyed in
| belated reports to the government.
! The districts of Murujurd and Sela
hor in Lurstan province were the
center of the greatest violence and
here the heaviest casualties occurred.
Several villages are reported to have
I been completely engulfed. The des
jtitute survivors are flocking into the
town of Hurujurd, whence appeals
I for assistance are now reaching the
government.
The peasantry lost practically all
their herds and it is estimated that
from 10,000 to 12,000 head of cattle
perished.
This is the first accurate location
of the violent earthquake shock of
January 23, it being supposed up to
today that the disturbance had cen
tered in western Asia, in Asiatic Rus
sia, or even in the waters of the In
dian ocean. The records showed
that the tremors were practically of
the same force as those which on
I December 28 converted the coast re
gions of Sicily and Calebria into a
scene of desolation and ruin.
The province of Luristan is very
mountainous and sparsely settled. It
is about 300 miles southwest of Tehe
ran, and the only communication with
the Persian capital is by courier. The
inhabitants are chiefly Bakhtyarls, an
offshoot of the Iranian people.
Referring to the fact that
Ca.tisitiii' has at)Offeh.<i -ho 'f? <? sys
tem as State officials, the Norfolk
Virginia-Pilot says: "This system is
a cancerous sore upon the body po
litic, the weakening and corrupting ef
fects of which extend to every de
partment of the government. It
makes for inefficiency in public of
fice, adds to the cost of government,
encourages political corruption and
pollutes the administration of justice.
The removal of this evil wouvl mean
a healthier condition of affairs in
every respect?a more efficient gov
ernment, a more economical govern
ment and a cleaner government."? |
News and Observer.
A Happy Marriage.
On Wednesday afternoon, February
10, at 4:30 o'clock, Miss Fannie Out
land, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
J. T. Outland, of Wayne county, be
came the bride of Mr. T. W. Wiggs,
of near Pine Level. The marriage
took place at the home of Mr. Walter
Batten, at Micro. Quite a number
were present to witness the inter
esting ceremony. After the ceremo
ny was over, the wedding party drove
to the home of Mrs. Wiggs, the moth
er of the groom, where a sumptuous
supper awaited them. After supper
the party was delightfully entertain
ed with music furnished by Mr. Phil
lip Wiggs. The bride is the beauti
ful and attractive daughter of Mr. J.
T. Outland, of Wayne county, while
the groom is a prosperous young far
mer of Johnston county. We wish
for them a long and happy life.
A FRIEND.
Death of Mrs. .J D. Dodd.
Spring Hope, N. C., Feb. 12.?Mrs.
J. D. Dodd, of this place, died yester
day morning after an illness extend
ing over several weeks. The funeral
services will be at Clayton, her for
mer hor^e, Saturday. Mrs. Dodd was
60 years of age, and was formerly
Miss Evelyn Creech, of Johnston
county. Mr. and Mrs.* Dodd moved to
Spring Hope eight years ago. Mrs.
Dodd Is survived by her husband and
seven children?Dr. William E. Dodd
of Chicago University; Rev. Walter i
H. Dodd. of Madison, Ga.; Messrs A. |
L. Dodd and John L. Dodd, of Spring
Hope; Mrs. Mattie E. Jones, of
Knightdale; Rev. E. David Dodd, of
Vanceboro, and Mrs. Annie Griffin, of
Spring Hope. She was a niece of
Col. Ashley Home.
CLAYTON TO HAVE WAREHOUSE
Deatn of Ed. L. Jones.? Mrs. John
D. Dodd Burled Sunday?Other
Items of Interest.
Clayton, Feb. 17.?Mr. J. H. Wood,
out) ot tlie best burners ot this sec
tion. killed u big wild turkey last
Uhursday, February 11, which weigh
ed 18 pounds and had a beard 8
it ches long. He remembered this
i o respondent very substantially in
the shape of about & pounds of the
turkey already dressed.
All the old buildings have been
moved and Barbour street is open
for travel. It's one of the best things
1 that could have been done for the
i central portion of the town.
The American Auction and Realty
Company will sell at auction, next
Tuesday "5 choice building lots In
West Clayton. The sale will begin
at 1:30 and Penny Brothers, the
twin auctioneers, will have charge.
Mr. Ed. L. Jones, who has been
ill some time with tuberculosis, died
at the home of his parents here last.
Friday and was burled on Saturday.
The funeral was conducted from the
residence by Rev. Mr. Starling, his
pastor. His many friends here ex
tend their sympathies to the bereav
ed relatives.
The Tobacco Warehouse prorno
! ters met at the mayor's office Tues
day night and arranged to effect a
permanent organization next Tues
day night. Farmers in this section
are already arranging for more to
bacco.
II. It.... 1 i\ - i
.mi. raui v . L/unmu, will) nils
charge of the Princeton plant of the
Clayton Manufacturing Company, Is
spending a few days here.
Mrs. John 1_>. Dodd. of Springhope,
N. C., was buried here Sunday at the
Horne burying ground. The funeral
was conducted at the Uaptist church
by Kev. T. H. Thornton, the pastor.
All of Mrs. Dodd's children except I)r.
Wm. B. Dodd, of Chicago, were here.
. Mr. N. J. Allen, one of our most
^ ro?n !siv. iHTWi/r hit.-.' ortgtnau>l
cotton seed which he has named "Al
len's Multiplier" and which he claims
is far in advance of anything in the
c<'ton seed line shown about here.
Mr. Alien has already sold several
recks of this seed at $1.00 a peck.
His many friends throughout the
county will be glad to learn that Mr.
Arthur Gulley is doing nicely and
hop'.s to be at home in a very few
da vs.
Death of Mr. Needham Branham.
Mr. Needham Branham, of near
Clayton, died Tuesday morning, Feb
ruary 9th, at 11 o'clock. Mr. Bran
ham was 85 years old. His health
had been failing for some time, but
was confined to his bed only five
days. Nothing that could be done
for him during this time produced the
desired relief, and death ended his
sufferings and released the tired spir
it from the tenement of clay. He serv
ed in the Confederate army during
tUrx - U? ? J ?
iuc vim wtti, nc iiciu uccu cX '11 r-ill
ber of the Missionary ilaptlst church
for nine years. The remains were
lai*i to rest in the cemetery of Mt.
Moriah Wednesday afternoon at 2
o'clock. lie leaves a wife, two sons,
one daughter and a host of grand
children to mourn his loss.
L. B.
DEAD OF ELEPHANTIASIS.
Former London Detective Expires in
Virginia, Weighing 400 Pounds,
Winchester, Va., Feb. 16.?Weigh
ing more than 400 pounds and his
body so ponderous that he could no
longer walk. John M. Cook, who was
for 30 years a member of the pollot.
force of London, England, died today
of elephantiasis at his home at Ste
phens City, this county. He was 85
years old, and had been living here
for the past twenty years, drawing a
pension from London.
Mr. Cook knew every nook and cor
ner in the city of London, and at
the time he was retired on a pension
was one of the best known of the
Ixjndon dotecltves. His career as a
detective was notable, and he was
for years attached to Scotland Yard.
His remains will be buried here.
Marble monuments, about 30 feet
high, *lth suitable inscriptions, are
to be erected by the Government to
the Confederate soldiers buried in
the cemeteries In Alton, 111., and In
dianapolis, Ind.
GIANT SIGHS FOR WIFE.
Advertises in Vain, for Stature
Frightens Women.
Sayre, Pa., Feb. 14.?Oscar Krails,
of Itichford, who was at one time
Uarnum's star giant, being six feet
eleven and a half inches tall has
been iu Sayre for several days look
1 ing for a wife and has advertised in
the local papers.
He has a good farm and a comfort
ble farmhouse at Kichford and says
his only handicap in the matrimonial
race is his height.
A number of women have answered
his advertisements, but all balked
when they learned about his stature.
He now has almost given up hope,
and says that if he does not soon
get a wife he will consider his chan
ces gone.
REMARRY AFTER 42 YEARS.
Old Soldier, Divorced Just After War,
to Wed Former Bride.
liangor, Feb. 14.?Among the in
tentions of marriage which have been
recorded at the office of the city
clery of Augusta this week are those
of Nelson L. Nourse, of the National
House, at Augusta, and while appar
ently there is nothing unusual In
the announcement, it really is the
center of a strange romance. Mr.
*ud Mrs. Nourse are both elderly
peop'e being on the shady side of
seventy, and of the same age, and
at one time were man and wife.
vrording to the story told at the
office of the clerk, they were married
in 1?60. Mr. Nourse enlisted In the
cause of the Union In the civil war.
After the close of the war, lu the
year 1867, they decided that it would
be better for them to part, and
eo they were divorced. That was 42
years ago, and now, in the sunset of
their lives, they are to be reunited,
and their friends will wish them
years of happiness.
* i * _ .. ? < A
Die In Storm-Rent Church.
Learned, Miss., Feb. 14.?A storm
from the northwest struck this place
this afternoon with terrific force blow
ing down a negro church, killing Mrs.
Dick Harris, n ehild of Maggie Ben
nett and injuring ten others.
Seventy-five persons were in the
church at the time, and but for the
arched ceiling all probably would
have been killed.
SEA'S TOIL OF WRECK 75,~"
Increase in Estimate of Victims of
the Penguin.
Wellington. N. Z., Feb. 15.?It is
now believed that the death roll of
the wrecked steamer Penguin will
reach 75. Twenty-three bodies have
not yet been recovered.
Rural Carriers Attention.
The second annual meeting of the
F.i lal Letter Carriers of Johnston
county will be held in Selnia Febru
ary 22, 1909, at 2 P. M. It is very
necessary that every carrier in the
county be present. Besides the elect
ing of officers for the ensuing year
th??re is other very important busi
nrss that should be attended to.
There 1b one or more adjoining coun
ties that desire to unite with us.
This should be brought before the
Association and it is important that
the members be present when this
i3 up for consideration. I have had
a few carriers to ask "what good in
tnere meetings?" To such carriers
I v ill say, if you are wholly satisfi
ed with your present condition then
these meetings to you seem worthless
but if you are not satisfied it is
jour duty to be up and doing. If
you are not satisfied with the con
dition of the roads which you drive
over daily, if you are not satisfied
to continue hauling one or more
p< uches besides your own mail, if
you are not satisfied with your pres
ent salary then it is your duty to
yourself and family and every car
rier in the service to Join your coun
ty association and attend theie meet
ings.
JAS. T. HOLMES. Pre*
Benson, N. C.
The President urges Congress to
require ocean going steamers carrying
passengers to be equipped with wire
less telegraphic apparatus.
FEAR THAT 180 ARE DEAD.
England Mining Town Scene of Fear
ful Disaster?Two Explosions Kill*
Many Outright and Closes Up
Channels of Escape.
Newcastle, England, Feb. 16.?A
terrible disaster occurred at West
! Stanley, a small mining town 12 miles
distance iu which, It is feared, 180
i lives have been lost. There were
: two explosions at 4 o'clock this af
i tcrnoon In the West Stanley colliery,
which employs 400 men. Nearly 200
of the men were In the pit at the
time, and up to a late hour tonight
none of them had come to the sur
; face, although rapplngs hare bees
heard, and It is supposed that these
are from some of the miners who
| escaped death from the explosion and
the fire which followed it.
Almost immediately after the ex
plosion flames burst through the
shaft, scorching the workers at the
pit head and blowing out the fenc
ing and apparatus at the entrance to
the mine. The flames spread rapid
ly and It is impossible for the res
cuing party to descend Into the work
ings. Thousands of anxious people
gathered at the mouth of the pit, but
for hours the fire burned furiously.
At midnight it was still impossible to
attempt a rescue and it will be many
hours before the entrance is cleared.
An explosion involving 12 lives oc
curred at the same colliery in 1882.
Two dspoudent women hanged
themselves, and a third shot herself
to death at Chicago Saturday.
A Letter of Warning.
EDITOR HERALD:
We have a man in our section styl
ing himself as Franklin A. Schelllng,
Bye Specialist. He came up here and
got the confidence of the people by
telling them that he had helped I)r.
P.. H. Lewis, of ilaleigh, perform an
operation and got $00 tor ,il. I was
?ill, ? ??'?? Vii: .ake, 1 \tjlxR> 1 '
Lewis about him and I will fehe >1 '
Dr. Lewis's letter just as he wrote
me. It is as follows:
Mr. J. Willis Creech,
It. F. D. No. 1, Benson, N. C.
My dear Sir:
Replying to your letter of the 0th
inst., just received, I beg to say I
have never heard of Franklin A.
Schilling, Eye Specialist, which means
tl;at he is a faker of unusual vicious
ness. His statement of having as
sisted me in an operation is an un
mitigated falsehood. As a matter of
iar t you can set down all travelling
opticians, coming from outside the
State especially, as fakers. The way
they swindle our people is simply out
rageous. 1 had a patient in my office
a few days ago with a pair of gold
filled glasses of inferior quality worth
at retail about $2.50, for which she
one of these travelling opticians $14.
If this man pretends to do anything
else than sell glasses, that is pre
scribe medicine for the eyes or at
tempt to operate, he is violating the
tnnrlicn 1 lir?on?<? l.iw onH I wmilH ori
vise that the best way to run him
out of the county Is to get the sher
iff after him. The penalty for prac
ticing medicine without a license is
one hundred dollars. If he is not
practicing medicine it would be well
to see if he has paid for his licence
as a peddler or not. 1 am very glad
you wrote me for the people ought
to be protected against these frauds.
Very truly yours,
RICH. H. LEWIS.
Kaleigh, N. C.
The above letter is the exact words
of Dr. R. H. Lewis. This man says
he and his father and an uncle of bis
have an optical parlor in Washington,
D. C., and that they grind their own
glasses to fit each person they may
treat, but I learn from our jewelry
man at Benson that he has sold him
some glasses and that Schelling told
him hat be had bought some from
Mr. T. C. Jordan at Smithfleld. He
has done considerable work in this
community and the work he has done
for us is not at all satisfactory. I
feel like Dr. Lewis says, the people
o.ight to be protected against these
frauds and I take this method to
warn the people of my county against
such fellows.
Very truly yours, A
J. WILLIS CREECH.
Eleven ships of the North German
Lloyd and Hamburg-American line*
are to be equipped with wireless.