North Carolina Newspapers

VOL. XL, NO. 27 "REMINISCENCES." Biographical and Historical Sketch by Dr. P. S. Hicks, Treating of Local Persons and Scenes. Well back to my show. Everything went well and 1 had taken in several hundred dollars. Tickets were one dol lar each, no half tickets. The show continued for about one hour and a half, and I finally came to the winding up trick which was to "raise the devil" as I called it. I had an assistant on the stage, a man by the name of George Baker. We put the stage in order for the burning mixture and just that time I found that some one had gotten my whiskey. I sent a fellow off in. a big hurry for more, for I felt sure that without the whiskey my raising the devil would be a failure. Well the man never came back; but we "raised the devil" just the same. Several of my old acquaintances from Tarboro were there, Dr. Don Williams and others, and feeling at home with me at my show of course they felt free to take privileges. I commenced moving tables around to kill time, waiting for my man to come back with the whiskey, when they would call out "Phes' old fellow, can't you raise him? Hicks what's the matter that you can't raise the devil?" The time was really be ginning to seem long, when another fellow called out "Professor if you can't raise him we will help you if you say so." "Alright, lam beginning to think 1 will need help." At that mo ment all the lights were put out except the two on the stage, as if it had been a put up job, and quick as thought I put them out. The "devil was raised" to perfection, T never heard such a noise before or since. But no one ever saw the devil, it was so dark they couldn't. The fellows on the joist be gan jumping down on the ones below. No one coul see to get down the stair way and everybody seemed to be Knocked down, .a.Juu» ttiO remainder of Cook's brigade that could not get in, began throwing rocks in at the windows, and with the broken g.ass and rocks flying around in the room, and the men jumping from the joist on the planks and barrels and on the other men below, I tell you it beat any raising the devil I ever saw or heard I will leave you to imagine what they were saying during that time. As fast as the stairway could be reached they would roll down and out in the street, (they didn't have room or time to walk down,) and then get up, his hat lost or he had changed with some one else. As to my way of getting down, the house had two stairways, so I had ac cess to the back stairs and made good my escape and was very quickly back to camp. Next morning I went to town and settled with the proprietor for the broken glass, rent etc., for raising the devil. After maneouvring around Gordensville and resting up a little, Jackson made a raid on Harper's Ferijy with a part of his best rested horses and best equipped men, sending the residue of his army on to Winchester. The company to which I belonged was included, as we were pretty well tired out and needed rest. We separated at Goose Spring near Louisburg Va. I reckon we had about 1000 men all told, artillery,;cavalry and infantry, and about half enough horses to carry the artillery, wagons etc. It took four or five days to travel from Winchester to Louisburg a distance of about 40 or 50 miles. It took two days to travel one having to send back to bring the extra wagons etc. When we got in about five miles of Winchester we found it was in the possession of the yankees. I think General Rosencranzs was the yankee general in command. I have forgotten who was our general that had command of our invalid convales cent mixed regiment, but anyway he was a good one. He was neither equipped to fight or run and came right on the yankee pickets. As I said be fore I don't remember our commander's name as he only temporarly com manding the'foments of Lee's army but he deserves more credit than I ever heard of him being credited with. What would you suppose he did? He sent in to Winchester a flag of truce to the general in command asking him to surrender at once. The general sent word back to give him four hours to consider, that was about sunset, during the night they evacuated the place, spiked all the large cannons, taking off what they could, but leaving lots of commissary stores etc. If he had only have known our situation he could have captured the last one of us without firing a gun, I merely mention this as I have never seen or heard of its being mentioned in history. Jackson made a pretty fair success with his raid on Shi itlcekii M PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY THE ROCKY MOUNT PUBLISHING COMPANY. Harpers Ferry and joined us at Win-j Chester. A few days after we got there from then until winter, we drifted up and down from Martinsburg to Richmond and to Black Water, over and over again. When winter came on my com pany went into camp at Camp Lee in the outer edge of Richmond. Cold weather had come, one night we had a snow storm. It blew several of our tents over. My tent was capsized and me with it. Wood was an item, we drew about one stick of wood for four men and that green pine, ir. had to last twenty-fours hours and often it lasted longer for we could not burn it separate so we me.de a company fire and burned all our wood at one time, all cooked at one time, al! warmed then lay down and wrapped up the best we could and the next day do the s.;me thing ovtr again So you see tha forge was 110: doing very much good then. By this time I was taking right much coid aim thought it best to report to the Hos pital. I did so, for 1 thought it was about time for me to p"t, my wits to work if I hid any and let the forge go and take the chancer'. 4 11 worked well. There was a hospit.V nght t here in Camp Lee. I got a from the Dr. of my company !•» Dr. Wims, of Maryland, a very nice m and a good doctor. In a day or »« > (ieorfife Biker my old friend and e 1 "-- nate had fol lowed suit and got p - miL to como to the Hospital. George Ba'cer was a man who could lrok sick or ugly any tim h j pleased, so I toli him to do like 1 told him and we wou'd stay away from the company all the winter and manag? to get a furlough home too. After 1 had been there a few days I had a private interview with Dr. ims. I told him who I was, wha*; I w; s e'e , told him that I was a natural born ventriloquist and had studied sleight of-hand right much, was in the show business before the war and had been giving shows ever since 1 had been in the war when an opportunity would present itself. Ho gave me his hand and told me he was more than glad to AlncoV tH?rk %>jjcyij":'* *- - fore, and that he would do all within his power for me, in any way, shape or form, and he kept his word. God bless him. As I said before Dr. Wims was a good man and took a great interest in me, and gave me all the aid he could, both professional and personal. After a week or two I was greatly im proved and would amuse the doctor with my ventriloquism etc. He ordered the ward master to give me a pass to go down town whenever I wanted to go. He also ordered me a special diet of something good to eat, every day. One day he asked me if I wanted a furlough. I told him I surely did for about that time a furlough was an ob ject difficult to get, giving only two furloughs a month in that hospital and they had just then been given. So the Dr. proposed to make out the furlough and let me take it over to my captain and get it signed by him for then it would go through all right. (To be continued.) Chief ol Police ol Fayettevllle Killed. Chief of Police J. 11. Benton, of f he Fayetteville force, was shot and killed Sunday afternoon by a negro named Sam Murchison, who was captured after a chase by a crowd of angry citi zens. Murchison was on a spree and went to a sick colored woman's house and shot her. Friends of the woman went to Chief Benton, who lived near, and told him and he started to go to arrest Murchinon when he met the latter in Chief Benton's yard. The negro fired at the officer on sight, and killed him. The chief's son picked up his father's pistol and shot at Murchi son three times, wounding him in the leg which helped in the capture. The populace threatened lynching and the governor ordered out the military com panies to guard the prisoner. It is the second time within 12 months Fayetteville's chief of police has been killed. Do Not Forget. That there is a genuine mind and soul feast in store for all christian workers who will hear Miss Mabel Head's address at First Methodist Church on next Tuesday (March 3rd) 7:45 p. m. Her subject will be *'Woman's Work in the Home Mission 1 Field." Miss Head is pleasing her au dience wherever she goes. She will ' open your eyes about the heathen at | your door who think they are riot I heathens. One home built t ach month for the past six years is the record of Rocky Mount Homestead and Loan Association Subscribe to the 12th series of stock due and payable February Ist, 1908. R. L. Huffines, Secretary & Treasurer. ROCKY MOUNT, N. C., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1908. F JEWELL OF "THE CLANSMAN." Reconstruction Play Has Swep Both South and North Like a Cyclone rnd Goes Abroad. The farewell appearance in this vicinity of a play that has swept both south and north like a cyclone is an event of more than ordinary interest. The Opera House, in Rocky Mount is fortunate in securing "The Clansman" tor Saturday Feb. 29, matinee and nigh,t to he produced in London as the first American play that glorifies the south; then it will go around the world, visiting the outposts of Anglo-Saxon civilization everywhere and finally in 1911 reaching America again. Exrc.- ordinaay preparations have been made for this three year's trip. Both the company and the production now being shown are exactly as they will be seen In New York and London. Among the favorite actors in the present cast are Franklin Ritchie, Eu genie Hayden, James J. Ryan, Maude Durand, Barry Maxwell, M.J. Jordan, Bruce Richardson, Guy B. Hoffman, Murry Woods, Ruth Hart, Violet Mersereau, Joseph L. Sweeney, George A. Linderman, Earl Lee, John V. Mc- Donald, Mae Burgess and Earl Ritchie. None of the features that have made "The Clansman" so popular the past two seasons is omitted. The Ku Klux Klan cavalry, the beautiful pictures of southern life and scenery, the chivalric men, lovely women and comedy darkies of the reconstruction period, all will be there. "The Clansman" is briefly the story of how the descendants of the Scottish clans, living in the South Carolina hill country, rose up in the year of 1867 and threw off the carpetbagger yoke. Their agency in effecting this result was the c lebrated Ku Klux Klan. The hero of the play, Ben Cameron, is a leader of the Klan. His sweetheart, Elsie Stoneman, is the daughter of an Abolitionist, the organizer of the hated Union League. Here i 3 tne interplay ..irj c ~ v • - . stance, in which the dramatist delights. Elsie's father puts forth every ef fort to enforce negro domination, and Ben as stoutly resists. The latter is arrested and clapped in jail by the scalawag white governor of the state, who is egged on by the mulatto lieutenant-governor, Silas Lynch. A Federal court martial sentences Ben to death. Elsie begs the lieutenant governor to save him The latter says he will if Elsie will marry him (the mullato.) Elsie faints at the shocking proposal. Stoneman enters and is maddened on learning what his trusted protege Lynch has done. He has en couraged Lynch about social equality and indeed has told him to go ahead and marry a white woman; but when he learns Lynch wants his own daugh ter, that is another story and his rage and disgust are beyond bounds. Yet Stoneman and his daughter are helpless in the hands of the mulatto. It is the Ku Klux Klan who, headed by the rescued Ben, surround the house, make Lynch a prisoner; and free *he old man and his daughter. Stoneman at last sees his gigantic mistake in try ing to rule the country by carpetbag gers and negroes and in instilling false ideas of social and political equality He announces that he will make yet another trip to Washington to induce the authorities there to withdraw the Federal troops and allow the southern people to manage their affairs in their own way. Ben and Elsie are united. A fairer day begins for that portion of the stricken south, thanks to the high purpose, steadfast courage and heroic achievements of the Ku Klux Klan, "an Invisible empire which within a few months over spread a territory larger than modern Europe, snatched power out of defeat and death, and tore the fruits of victory from twenty mil lion conquerors." Death of a Little Child. Eva Lucile, the two-year-old dau£h ter of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Edwards, died at the home on south Grace street Friday night, of pneumonia. The chi d had never enjoyed good health and fell an easy victim to the disease with whicn she was attacked only a few days be fore her death. The burial took place at Pine View cemetery Saturday after noon. 1 The best investment ever desired for small savings is a well managed Local Building and Loan Association. The Rocky Mount Homestead and Loan As sociation has stood the test of time. Six years of successful operation with out the loss of one dollar is our record. Call on R. L. Hnffines, Secretary and Treasurer for full information. HAPPENINGS IN POLICE COURT. Comedy and Tragedy of a Week as Enacted in Calamity Hall Before Mi'Siir Thorp. Frhi'iy morning alfred White, colored., for disorderly conduct was given 30 days. He was an old offender. Sa.-Vrday Bloss Harper, colored, for drunk and down, was assessed $5. Tom Alston decided after three weeks that lajor Williams did cut him ma liciously on Feb. 3, when they were "projPicking" in their restaurant, and, Monday had Williams before the may or on the charge of assault. All th witn? c >««r except Alston testified that Alston and Williams both said at the tim£ of l. he trouble that they were fun ning not fighting, and the mayor di ;ex*:.~v::d the defendant and taxed the prosf.Ci tor with the costs. Alston de clared he hadn't had "jestiee" and Mayor Thorp fined him $2 for contempt of court Alston apologized and said he didn't mean any reflection on the court, whatever, and the contempt fine was remitted. Or'.rence and Jesse Brown and Joe Di k as were before his honor Wednes day iflioi- ;ing for breach of p >ace, in attempting to fight. Jesse was fined $3, Sickens discharged and Clarence Brov u Jid not show up. W. G Moore was lined $lO for drunk and disorderly. A case resembling somewhat the famous Thaw-White tragedy was heard, the parties being colored. Eliza Spicer met Will Allen on the street Tuesday morning and after asking him "what mak*-8 you treat me so" pulled a pistol muff where it was concealed, and proceeded to shoot at Allen. The shots went wide and Allen ran. The woman said she meant to kill him, be cause the said, he had broken peace betW'.-exi her and her husband. She was fined $25 and lectured by his honor about taking the law in her own hands. A * ,'op a stockholder in a home build imr'lL. loan association? If you are Btoain Rocky Mount Homestead and LoarAssociation will pay you a better rate j: interest on your small savings than jny investment you can make. Th«- Uh series of stock will be open for subscription February Ist, 1908. R. L. Hubnes, Secretary and Treasurer. I WHITAHEBS ITEMS. nd Mrs. McDearman and little Eloisewere in town Sunday. They had been t visit Mrs. McDearman's father, : Mr, M J. Battle. i Heny Bldunt, of Wilson, the famous lecturr and orator, spent Saturday and Send a, in the city. Mr.and Mrs. R. W. Brooks, of Nash ville ae in town visiting relatives and friend Hiss Nannie Battle, of Rocky Mount, was n town Sunday, visiting her father Dr. J. C. Braswell has commenced the erection of a handsome residence, we understand that it will be fitted up onmodern plans with gas lights and water works. G. Wilder Taylor's handsome resi dence's nearing completion. Farners are beginning to haul their guanoand are making preparations for anothr crop, while there are many farmers who have not finished housing their iast year's crop. Right much cot ton is in the fields yet, to be picked. : "Ifa man says he loves God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar." Re me .Tiber oh ye, hypocritsand Phari sees, when you pray do you ask God to bless everybody? The Proposed Prohibition Law. 1. WHAT IT WILL DO. It will abolish every licensed whiskey and brandy distillery in the State. It will abolish every saloon and dis pensary in the State. It will stop the wine traffic within the State. For wine can be sold only at the place of manufacture in quantities of two and one-half gallons or more and not shipped anywhere in the State. It will stop the sale of all those chem ical mixtures by whatever name known that will produce intoxication. It will place under the most stringent and binding regulations pharmacists and physicians, who may handle intoxi cating liquors for medical purposes only. It will allow the officials of any county or town to regulate or prohibit the sale of intoxicating liquors by phar macists in the drug stores. %. WIJAT IT WILL NOT DO. It will not prohibit the farmer from making cider from fruits grown on his own land and selling the same at home or in his market town. It will not stop the manufacturer from making his wine and shipping it outside of the State. It will not stop the sale of those med ical preparations and essences that may have alcohol in them to preserve them or to hold the medicinal agents in solu tion, such as camphor, vanilla, etc. It will not repeal existing prohibition laws. It will not prohibic the sale of wine to ministers or church officials for sacramental purposes. If this law fails to be ratified by the people at the polls on May 26th, 1908, it will not affect the present status of any existing prohibition law in the State. In other words, the dry terri tory will not be changed. Ladies Thrown From Baggy. People who were in the vicinity of the Palace Pharmacy corner Thursday afternoon held their breath, so to speak, as they hastened to the assistance of Mrs. Fox Hownton, Mrs. Lewis Wright and two children, all of whom were thrown from the two-seatad buggy and down the embankment at the rail ioad track. Mrs. Hownton, who was pitched headlong down the embank ment when the buggy turned over, was found to be badly hurt and she was taken into the office of Drs. Whitehead, where medical aid was rendered. Her shoulder bone was fractured and she was bruised pretty bad y. Mrs. Wright was more fortunate and escaped with slight injury, while by some miraculous way Mrs. Wright's two-months-old baby, which fell into the street, was not hurt at all. The party were riding in Mr. Claud Harris' two seated buggy and his young son was driving the pony. A two year-old daughter of Mrs. Wright riding on the rear seat with Mrs. Hownton, fell out. The lad took the reins in one hand when he stopped the pony and when he started up the reins were 1- ALfif t —w - ••s* y— •'a ~- towards the embankment. This threw the buggy too close and it toppled over, spilling the occupants. The pony made n > effort to run. Rocky Mount Tobacco Market. Receipts of leaf tobacco for the past week were very good, amounting to about two hundred thousand pounds or more, which lead one to think that there is more tobacco in the country than some thought. Yet the large amount of shipped tobacco mostly farmers tobacco from a distance has tended to increase the size of the sales. The quality of the off rings has been better than it was for the last several weeks. While prices were as high as ever, the purchases have been more satisfactory from a buyers standpoint, they getting better tobacco, and at the same time the farmers have all been pleased. Competition on the better grades of tobacco, especially wrappers, have been keener and prices more satisfactory, few fine wrappers showing up. What appear are readily taken at satisfac tory prices. In two or three weeks the present crop will have passed into the hands of the dealers and manufacturers and figuring on the next crop will be in order. It is too early now to make any intelligent forecast of same. Traveling Man Dies Sudeeol y. Mr. C. R. Tyson, a well known tarve ling man, died at the Hammond Hotel in this City yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock, as a result of a stroke of apo plexy, which he suffered some time early in the morning. Not getting any response when he knocked at the door Mr. Griffin forced his way into the room and found Mr. Tyson dying. Hastily summoning assistance efforts were made to save hirr j but to no a\ ail. The remains will be taken.to the former home of the dead man, at Wilson, to day for burial. The money stringency has apparently subsided and the Rocky Mount Home stead and Loan Association has emerged from the period of depression with a feeling of pride that loans have been granted and all stock surrenders have been paid on demand without discount. The 12th series of stock will be open for subscription February Ist, 1908. Cs»U on R. L. Huflmes, Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. R. E. Copeland, of Spring Hope, I vjiii in the city Tuesday. PRICE 5 CENi 3 EARLY MORNING MARRIAGE. Mr. Frank P. Spruiil and Mrs. Fa. - nie P. Shaw Happily married n the Church ef the Good Sliephei 1. Notwithstanding the early hour the' Church of the Good Shepherd w;s filled with friends and admirers of tie couple Saturday morning to witm s tne marriage ol Mr. Frank P. Spru il and Mrs. Fannie P. Shaw, two »f Rucky Mount's popular and promint t young people. The interior of I e church was beautifully decorated wii.h paims, ferns und potted plants anc a rising sun shtd its softened light ov r the scene and bore truth to the ada*;e "Happy is tl*j bride the sun shines on," lor with an ideal day and surrounded by many friends the happy you.ig couple embarked upon the matrimoni-u voyage under most auspicious conditions. At 8:15 o'clock the bride and grjom with the maid of honor, Miss iV.a d Pniliips, sister of the bride, and ut it man, Mr. W. E. Spruil", Jr., en et d the church and took their places n f.xmt of the chancel, where thev \\e:e mei by Rev. R. B, Owen?, re r C, WHO repeated the beautiful and ive Episcopal ceremony. Their was neralded to the expdctain. cjowd oy Loheiigrin's wedding niard uiost charmingly rendered by Miss Ahiu Lie Bunn. The ring service was u >u and the ceremony was beautiful *T.a im pressive. At the conclusion the organ ist sweetly played as a the "Swallow Song" and the b'-idal party slowly filed down the aisle t»> t ie front of the church where they were showered with congratulations fn tn i.heir man; frien.is, after whica they were driven to the depot and b *>'.ru id No 34 for Littleton, the former hoipe of Mr. Spruiil, for a few days visit to his people. Upon tiieir return ; > tne cii.> they went to Mrs Kate Pni ips', >u Lexington street, wrtfere they will make their home for the pVesent, board ing with Mrs. Philips, who is the mother of the bride. '."kw.h.- '.' . it •» 'cii l V 1 ™ n a ;y ways accon»^nca u y«slJris» »»oy who enjoys great popularity ifi Rocky Mount social circles and i* esteemed by all who know her for her many womanly virtues. Mr. Sprui'l H a young man who during his eight years sojourn in the city has ®on an enviable .position in business as well as social circles and is highly esteemed by people in this community and elsewhere. He is cashier of the Rocky Mount Savings & Trust Company, an institution, which, under his splendid ability, has risen to a position of commanding influ ence in the community. Engraving The Jeweler's Catechism: On what articles is it desirable to have the owner's monogram? Brooches, Lockets, Watches, Watch Fobs, Cuff Links, etc. Who makes a fpecialty of this work? Woodruff's Jewelry Store gets the name of turning out some pleasing en graving. What are the princibal effects they strive for? Artistic lettering, and the correspond ing of the shape and size of the letters to the articles engraved. Usually this service is free, is it not? Yes, tney engrave free all articles bought from them. Welcome Service to New Pastor. Sunday afternoon at 8 o'clock at Arlington street Baptist church there will be a welcome service by the pastors of the city to Rev. W. G. Hall, the j new pastor of the church. Dr. Morton, i president of the Ministers conference, will preside and short talks of welcome will be made by the ministers and others. The public are cordially in vited. Head Cut OH By Train. A white man by the name of Oliver, supposed to be a printer, was killed a mile this side of Elm City Saturday afternoon by the engine of No. 89, southbound Atlantic Coast Line train. The man was pat off the train at Elm City Friday night and Saturday had started afoot to Rocky Mount, then under the influence of whiskey. His head was completely severed from his body by the train. Sevety-five families in Rocky Mount are now owning their own homes, who would otherwise be paying rent but for assistance afforded by Rocky Mount Homestead and Loan Association. The 12th series of stock will be due and pay able on and after February Ist, 1908. ICaU on R. L. Huffines, Secretary and Treasurer for full information.