I
The Weather
Mostly fair tonight and Thurs
day. Light southerly wind-*.
VOL. XVII. FINAL EDITION. ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 27, 1927. SIX PAGES. NO. 177.
Needleman Is Seeking'
Damages of $100,000
From Alleged Mutilators
Bring* Suit A? a Pauper in
Krdfral Court for Alleged
Crime of Murtin and Le
noir County Men
SERVING TERMS
^Numlier of AeniKed Men
Already in PriMin; Nee
dleinan Wun Freed on
Charge of Attacking Girl
Ralelch. July 27.? (AP)?Tho
Needleman mutilation case ofi
1926 returned to tho public spot-J
light today when a copy of petl-j
tion of Joseph H. Needleman,
Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, nsk-l
lng 1100.000 damages for muti
lation of his person by a masked,
mob. was received at the office of I
U. S. Marshal Ward hero.
The petition has just been filed
In United States District Court at j
Washington. N. C-, under Juris- (
dlrtlon of the Eastern Federal
District of North Carolina.
Needleman Is suing for $75,000
compensatory damages and $16.
000 punltlvo damaRcs against 22
person* of Martin County, three
of Lenoir, and two of Wayne I
County.
Prison punishment and fines
were meted out to 28 persons, fol
lowing trial for mutilation and
conviction at the May special term,
of Martin County in 1925.
The petition Just filed calls for]
answer from those against whom|
warrants are being issued by the
district court clerk at Washing-1
ton where the trial will he held.
The answers are due within 20 ?
days.
Needleman two years ago was
free^ of a charge of attacking|
Ethel Griffin of Martin County.
He waa arrested March 26. 1925.1
and later was taken from the Wll-I
liamston Jail and his person mu
tHated.
V Needleman brings suit as a pau-1
\ per and brings It In Federal Court
by reason of being a non-resident.
and by reason of the diversity of
citizenship of the 28 defendants, j
These defandants are:
Martin County?-H. p. Griffin.
J. G. Corey, L- A. Croom. Lester
Edmonson. J. T. Harrell, Lester
Crofton, Edgar Johnson. Sher
wood Roberson, James H. Gray.
Johnnie Gurkin, Clarence Gurkln.
J. H. Coltraln. Wilson Grlfflp.
Ben Lilly, John A. Griffin. Grady
Smith, Julian Bullock, Dennis
Griffin. A. T. Lilly. John T.
Smlthwlck. Luther Peele, II. T.
Robertson.
Lenoir County?F. W. Sparrow,
Sr., F. W. Sparrow, Jr., Claro
Heath, Wayne. ..County?Hubert
and Allen Griffin.
When Needleman was arrested
In Edenton, March 26. 1925,
Sheriff* If. T. Robertson of Martin
County took him to Wllllamston.
the next day. Needleman sets
forth in his petition. Needleman
wished to remain in Edenton un
til the trial but Sheriff Robertson
refused, he alleges. Trial was set
for Saturday, March 28, but post
poned and many persons, among
1 hem some of the defendants
came to his cell, and accused him
of ruining the girl* of Wllllams
ton and said he should be hung,
he alleges.
In the small hours of Sunday.
March 29, at 2:30 a. m., exact
masked men came to his Wllllams
ton Jail cell, clipped the locks and
bolts, tore down the Jail doors
and selred him. he maintains,
adding in his petition that he ree
ognix*?d Dennis Griffin, F. W.
Sparrow, Jr.. and Claro Heath. He
was driven out of town a mile and
a half. Mr. Sparrow, Sr.. asked If
he wished to be killed or mutilat
ed. the petition recites, and the
Philadelphia traveling salomnan
told them to do as they pleased,
whereupon "occurred one of the
moat shocking and bloodstlrring
??rime* in the history of the State."
He was refused a light lo town, he
recltea. but later was rushed to a
Washington. N. C.. hospital and
recovered within eight or nine
weeks.
Those convicted in Martin
County court In 192R of mutilat
ing Needleman were: A. W. Grlf
. fin, Hubert Griffin. Allen Griffin,
j Clarence Gurkln. J. G. Corey, L.
A. Croom. Lester Kdmondson, J.
T. Harrell. Johnnie and Albert
Gurkln, Rob Gray, E. C. Stone.
Alfred Griffin, J. II Coltraln. Wil
son Griffin. Ben Lilly, John A.
Griffin, Sherwood Robertson.
James Henry Gray, Oray Smith
I Julian Bullo< k. Dennis Griffin. A.
j\ T. Lilly, F. W Sparrow, Sr., and I
I Jr., Claro Heath and John T.
, ffmithwlck, the petition reviews.
JOIWH 'FLOATING I MVKHHITY'
Ann Arbor, Mich. July 27.?
< AP)?Carlton Wells of the Uni
versity of MlchUan, who has
Stayed regularly In the United
In teg amateur golf championship
u- since 1922, has Joined fTie Taeiilfy
for a floating university." Ill**
^duties will prevent hla taking part
mu the event at Minneapolis this
/?nr.
PROMINENT DARE
LEGISLATOR DIES
Futieral Service* for Cap
tain Matliia- 1). Dayman
Held ut Vt'unclieHc
Wanchese. July 27.?Funeral
services ror Captain Mathiaa D.
Haytnan. prominent resident of
Roanoke Island and twice repre
sentative ut Dare- County in Otoe
General Assembly, wtio died yeli
te rday afternoon at his home ut i
Wanchese, were conducted at the
residence thin afternoon at 3,
o'clock. Many attended. The Rev.
Mr. Hardesly, pastor of Wanchese!
Methodist Church, officiated. Bur
lal was In Wauchese Cemetery. I
Captain Hayman had been ac-1
lively engaged In fishing opera
tlons in Dare waters for many
years, employing several crews In '
the work. He also owned large
tracts of property on Roanoke Isl
and and elsewhere in the county, i
Personally, he was a man of wide
popularity, those who knew him ]
best declaring lie hadn't an enemy
in the world. Ho had been a
member of the Methodist Church
since boyhood. For many years'
hi. had been a Freemason.
Captain Hayman. had been elect-'
ed to the State legislature fori
the sessions of 1925 and 1927,'
but wa? unable to attend the lat-'
ter session because of the illness'
that caused his death. He had j
undergone treatment In Richmond !
and Norfolk lu the last few.
months, his death having been
caused by cancer of the lower lip. |
Ho waf ??7 years old.
Resides his wife, Mrs. Zorada'
Danlehi Hayman, Captain Hayman
lis survived by two sons, Robert
Frit* and Samuel D. Hayman, j
both of New York; a daughter,
Mfl. Dewey Tillett, of Wanchese;
hlH mother, Mrs. Abby Hayman
aged R5, of Manns Harbor, Dare
County; seven sisters, Mrs. Vir
ginia Dare Mann. Mrs. Varlna Tll
ilett, Mr*. Magnolia Midgelt. Mrs.
jSallle Card. Mrs. Mary D. Mldgett
and Mrs. Hlizaheth Spencer, all of
Manns Harbor, and Mrs. T. A. Tll
llett. of ftllzaheth City; and a
(brother, J. D. Hayman, of Man-;
iteo.
Elderly Motorist
Freed From Blame
For Auto Accident
A charge of reckless driving
I preferred against Charles A.
Ranks, of this city, about 70 years
:old and long engaged in newspaper
circulation work, in connection
with an automobile accident here
I two weeks ago, was dismissed in
recorder's court Wednesday morn
ing. Trial Justice Sawyer found
that there was no evidence of
criminal negligence on Mr. Ranks'
! part.
! According to testimony by Ju
illan J. Colston, driver of the car
?that was wrecked In the accident,
and R. (J. Fllppen, an occupant of
the latter car, Mr. Ranks turned
out from behind another automo
ibllo that he had overtaken, and
was undertaking to pass it as the
|Colston car approached from the
opposite direction. To avoid a
collision. Colston drove off the
{highway into a ditch and crashed
I Into a telephone pole. The accl
|dent happened at the Intersection
(of West Church i^reet and the
Hertford highway.
Colston Is a son of Will Colston,
convicted at the last term of Su
perior Court here of having as
saulted Police Officer Wlnslow
with a deadly weapon, and sen
tenced to 18 to 24 months' Im
prisonment. Colston appealed to
the Supreme Court, and his son
testified thst he was returning
from Hertford, where he had gone
iIn an effort to obtain bond for
him, when the accident occurred.
The two States' witnesses In the
cane against Mr. Ranks estimated
that the defendant was not driving
(faster than 15 miles an hour.
They claimed they were driving at
About the feme speed. The de
jfense put on no evidence.
Tour New England
By Lindbergh Ends
I Springfield. VI., July 27 ?<AP)
Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh
completed his tour of New Rng
i land today and hopped off from
here for Albany, New York, at
10 20 a. m., Eastern Standard
time. He flew over Plymouth,
: Vermont. President Coolldge's
home town, before crossing the
',New York State line.
I The weathsr was perfect for
Injrltf.
FOUR DEPUTIES
BUMPING INTO
HARD SLEDDING
Federal Agents Claim Cred
it for Destruction of Sev
en Stills UejKirted De
stroyed liy C.ounty Squad
ONE DEPUTY RESIGNS i
Others Humored to Have
Been Deprived of Author
ity; Pythian Official Is
Stopped by "Dry Agent"
Four newly appointed deputy |
sheriffs in South Mills township. ?
Camden Count), sworn Into office
last week mainly for the purpose
of helping to break up the traffic
in moonshine liquor that has flour-1
Islied" TiiF several y? urs TIT" "that j
vicinity, are Andlng the sledding
exceedingly hard, according to re-1
ports front South Mills.
The new deputies were "Bum"
Carl wright, George McCoy. Jud-|
son Prltchard and Rudolph Ja
cob*. News from South Mills to
da> wax that Jacobs, subjected to
much kidding from his erstwhile
cronies, had surrendered his cre
dential* and quit. It whh ru
mored freel> In South Mills Tues
day night that all had been de
prived of their authority.
Efforts to verify this report by
long distance telephone to Sheriff
| Forbes at his houie at Shiloh.
Camden County, wero unavailing
Wednesday from the fact that the
^Ine was out of order.
[ Meanwhile, from another quar
ter has come a vigorous contra
diction of the new deputies' claim
that they had destroyed seven
stills In a section in the vicinity
of South Mills, recently explored
I by Federal prohibition agents.
! Federal Agent C. T. Griffin, out
of the Federal dry office in Nor
folk and at present engaged in
I work In Northeastern Carolina,
declared today that the seven stills
lclaimed as trophies by the depu
ties as the fruits of a scries of
raids Monda>, actually bad been
j destroyed that da> b> the Federal
squad working in that territory
I Griffin also made partial con
tradiction of the deputies*' claim
I that they had searched the auto
!mobile of the Federal agents a
few days ago,? In quest of liquor.
| His version Is that several of the
deput) sheriffs came upon the
! Federal agents after they had
stopped another car. Tim county
officers, he said, got out and ram
bled about aimlessly, but did not
search the car. "We wouldn't
have let them do It, if they had
tried," ho commented.
' Meanwhile, there arn vigorous
protests over what is termed the
[unwarranted stopping and search
ling o( automobiles on the George
| Washington Highway along the
?Diurnal Swamp Canal, from South
|Mills to Deep Creek. A. A. Fish
er, of Norfolk, official ol the Vir
ginia Grand I,odge of the Knights
of I'ythlas, and other members of
a party Journeying by automobile
from Norfolk to thin city to at
tend a I'ythlan rally here Tuesday
: night reported having been
(stopped by a wildly gesticulating
Individual in the middle or the
road.
The gesticulating one held a
pistol In one hand, according to
Mr. F fa her. When they stopped,
he demanded a ride, declaring he
was a Federal prohibition officer.
He was thoroughly Intoxicated,
the I'ythlan official declared, and
Anally they rid themselves of him
jand proceeded to a filling station
|a little farther along the road.
I There they were Informed that
ithe individual In question was of
)defective mentality, and that he
ihad been employed to accompany
? Federal agents In their Investiga
tions in that section. Mr. Fisher
,and others In his party expressed
lextreme indignation over the Incl
Ident.
Other respectable folk Journey
ing to or from Norfolk over the
George Waahlngton Highway have
reported having been stopped by
persons purporting to be prohibi
tion agents in recent week*, and
their cars searched. The>. too,
were much Incensed over the pro
ceedings.
Wife Of Minister
Dies By Own Hand
Memphis, Tenn., July 27. ?
(AP)? Mr* Klla Armstrong. wife
of the Her. W. W. Armstrong,
psntor of the Galloway Memorial
MtthodliM Church. wr? found
doad In the Kan filled bathroom of
, hsr homo early today and the
I Kf. Mr. Armstrong. who waa
I found bewlde her. van taken to a
'hoHpli.il In a aerlona condition.
| The police report Hated Mr*.
Armstrong'* death aa aulclde and
'said the minister was overcome In
'trying to drag her from the room.
Hhe wan f?f? years old and her hua
band &f.
| Mm. Armatrong's fear of an
.Impending surgical operation waa
blamed hy Mra. H. M. Wllaon. a
daughter, for the tragedy.
I I*. C. Creokmore. Route Thrcp.
I Hertford, la vlaltlng relatives at
Norfolk and la there for medical
1 treatment.
The Leaders of New York Carmen's Strike
Tin He three men direct union labor forces in the threatened *trlko of Now York subway, ele
vated^ and..surface _cax truimm-n. Llit tn right they am-Patrlck J. Sh-a. J. H. Coleman, ami Himh
Krayne. Shea and Coli-uian are or*::inl*?>rs for the Amalgamated A Hbociution of Street and Electric
Hallway Employes. Krayne represents the American Federation of Labor.
Twelve Watennelons and
Five More Pecks Spuds
Bring, Perrys Yield Up
"Yob, suh, dcm wu* do sweeten' j
Irish pertaters I Wf "of."
Ii was one of the farm hands*
nl J. Walter Perry of Okisko.l
bragging lo Mr. Perr> on the lut-!
it-r'K 100 lo 1 potatoes told of In,
The "Advance Tuosda>. Mr. Perry
hail giveji the colored man a-|
"mess" of the potatoes and the re-1
clpii-nt was expatiating on how j
tiiioil i hoy wor?-.
"I botchor I know why dein por
lali'TK was so sweet," said another
negro who had boon listening to'
the "mirations" of the apeak or. |
"It wan 'count of the watormilions
between the rows."
Mr. Perry, who was In The Ad
vance office Wednesday morning!
tn exhibit samples of his 100 to j
1 potatoes, explained that the two j
rown of potatoes were adjacent to
his watermelon patch and that
the watermelon vines ran over in
to the potatoes* to such an extent
that no lens than 12 melon* hud
to he moved when the potatooH
wore due.
"Resides," said Mr. Perry. "I
went out to where the potatoes*
Wfre dug 'his morning and picked
Up Ave pecka more that had been
miHHi'd in the first digging. So
you can add the 12 watermelons!
and the five peckx to the yield."
Tho five pocks would bring Mr.
Perry's yield up to 105 to 1, not
counting the watermelons, which
The Advance mathematician ad
mits that he could not reduce- to
a common denominator with tliel
potatoes. The Hpecimens of pota
toes exhibited by Mr. Perry I
showed them running mostly to
a uniform sir." hut with some
freaks, snch as that of a "mother"
potato with 11 well developed lit
tle ones in the form of off nhoots.
Some of these freaks are on dis
play in thi> show window of the
Osrrott Hardware Company,
across the street from The Ad
vance office.
Fire At Hillsboro
Does Much Damage
Hillsboro, N. C., July 27 ? (API
?Damage estimated at around
$7,000 was caused by a fire
which early thla morning de
stroyed a market nnd rooming
house here belonging to H. O.
Krans. No other property was
damaged except by smoke and wa
ter.
Karly reports that several
buildings were threatened with
destruction were laid to a local
reiiident who sent out a call to
Durham and Mebane, result
inn In the fire departments of
those cities rushing here to ex
tinguish the hlaxe.
The loss Is believed to be al
most fully covered by Insurance. I
Dry Agent Dies At
Hands Moonshiners
Hagerstown. Md., July 27.?
(AH)?Amhnxhod by moonshin
ers last night. It. Htoller, 52, of
Keyser, West Virginia, head of
the dry agents in Washington. Al
legheny and (larrett counties,
Maryland. was shot to death.
Ills companion. It. K. Walters,
of Hagerstown. another dry Inves
tigator, escaped and notified au
thorities here.
A posse in hunting for the mur
derers who fired from a donaely
wooded section near Rjonsboro
while lhe agents were passing.
The agents had gone there to look
for a still.
Forfeits His License
Practice In State
Winston-Salem, July 27?(AP)
J- W. Holllngsworth, local attor
ney has volunteered to forfeit his
license to practice law in the Htat*
of North Carotins upon condition
HoHrltor ft: Porter (lrave?, on be
half of the State, would accept a,
plea of nolo contendere In a casei
In which the attorney was chsrgedl
with fslss pretense.
ROAST BEAR AT
HOTEL HERTFORD
SporlKini'ii Itrin^ in Olio
for Tulilc and Live Oiu
t? It.- Sliippi'il
' Hertford, July 21.?The Hotel
Hertford, alreaiy famed for It*
excellent cuisine, scored another
point on its menu Monday even
sing when its guest* wore regaled
with "roast bear" as thjy_piece de
resistance of the meal;
Whether the greater thrill was
from partaking of the novel dish
or from the entertainment afford
ed hy a live hear-that was being
;crated for shipment Tuesday at |
' the hotel garage, is hard to say.
The two hears were brought in '
Tuesday by I'iedmont sportsmen |
who have been visiting In this,
section--W. I. Monday and II. L. i
Iloyd. ol Mt. Airy, and W. Pt4
Teele of Charlotte, accompanied 1
by K. (}. Myers of Washington,!
N. C., and Jim Carver and other*
of the Nlcanor section of this;
county. The hunters killed one
bear but the other one. a sporty!
half-grown bear-sheik, was
shipped to the home of one of the,
'sportsmen. He seemed to like civ
ilization, and was particularly
fond of nop as he waited for the'
crate to be made in which he was
I to make his Journey.
| The bears were captured In the
Dismal Swamp near the Nlcanor
section.
City Folk Breathe
More Easily As
They Ride
I
i New York, July 27.? (AP)?j
Freed ol immediate manner of u
.transit strike. New York's travel-'
. ing millions breathed more freely
as they rode to work today. J
I The thoatened strike which
.last midnight was to have tied up
.all New York's sub-way and ele
rated systems was called off last
evening after conferences attend
ed by Mayor Walker and Officials
.of the union and the companies.
[ A difference of opinion in the
terms of settlements was seen to
day as tending to cause further
possible trouble and the finding of
a bomb In a sub-way tunnel under
the Kast Itlver caused some con
cern.
Fifteen hndred men hired by
the Interborough from cities as
far west as Chicago are being sent
home today.
A thorough search of all auh
way and elevated tracks was be
ing made by police today follow
ing the rinding of the bomb.
After being soaked In water at
.police headquarters It was opened
.by a detective, who said It con ,
tained sufficient powder to wreck'
a train, besldvs causing serious
damage to the tunnel.
! The bomb was Constructed of
an 1ft Inch section of three inch
galvanic d Iron pipe, a piece of
lead attached to one of Iwi cop-,
.per wires that protrude,) from one
end of the closed ends of the
bomb had been flattened, appar
ently by the whee)fl of a train.
Junior Order Has
A Lively Evening
A talk bj Walter L. Co boot,
featured Tu?sda> night s s sslon
of Worth llagley Council Number j
fiO. Junior O. I". A. M at their
hall In the Savings Hank llulUI
ing, and "members who wen- ab
sent certainly missed a great
treat." according to those who at
tend -d the nifetlnic.
I(rfr<shments were served and
an rxcrfipm program enttvcnwl
the evening. "I got the blu laugh
of the night when I told a Joke
that I had read- In Monday's
vsnce," declared one speeker.
a Joke
r's Ad-J
ler. I
McNIDER HEADS
PEANUT GROWERS
? . i
Firlil Dircclor II. J. \ aim
llrgr* I't-rqiiiniun* Fitriii
fin l? (Jo Forward
Hortloca^JJllv-27.?J. c. Me
Nhler was re-nominated director
from Perquimana County to the
Peanut Growers Association at
the primary meeting of the asso
rlation for Perquimans hold in
the Masonic lodge rooms of the
county courthouse Tuesday after
noon. J. T. Rrlnn van chosen
chairman of the county unit and
F. J. Trlplett, secretary.
Aside from the business of nom
inating a director and chosing the
county officers, the meeting was
featured hy a talk by field direc
tor 11. J. Vann, the keynote of
which wairthat the association
must go forward or cease to func-l
tlon. The unanimous vote of
those who heard him was that It
should go forward. ,
Obliging Bondsman
Faces Dilemma
In Court
* ?
! If ever there was a fellow who !
? found himself between the. devil
and the deep blue sen, in the i
crowds of the ancient saying, that
fellow was C. li. Robinson, col-1
ored. who was called upon to
I make a weighty decision In re
corder's court Wednesday morn-1
ink*.
| Robinson was bondsman for
James Moore, colored, who had
jbsPn arrested Tuesday op a charge
.of wife beating. Moore had been 1
I directed to appear In court
Wednesday morning, and had been
put under $15 bond to assure that
i appearand'.
i To cover the bond. Robinson
bad put up a Government money,
I order for $:i2. Itobinson was on'
[hand In recorder's court Wcdnen
' day morning but Moore wasn't.,
| Nor was there any explanation for j
I Ills failure to appear.
Attorney Robert Lowry, en- |
i gaged as counsel for Moore, re
| quested that the case be continued >
i to Thursday morning. I'rosecut
I lug Attorney LeRoy offered no ob- I
J Jectlou. and did not Insist upon ;
forfeiture of the bond Wedneaday.
However, there was the matter of
the bondNinan to be reckoned with.
"Do you want to stay on
Moore's bund?" Trial Justice
Sawyer inquired of Robinson. The
bondsman replied with an em
phatic negative.
"Well, I'll give you your choice
of putting up the wholr f?.2 for
Moore's appearance tomorrow, or
of forfeiting the $15 you've al
ready put up." the trial Justice
tendered.
The hondnmnn squirmed. Sweat
broke out copiously on bis brow.
Ho wriggled again.
"Jedge, I guess yo* belter take
dat $15." lie said, uncomfortably.1
The court smilingly relented.
Moore'* bond remained nt $ I T, for
bis presence Thursday morning.'
with the remaining $17 of the
money order out of Jeopardy. A
greatly relieved hondsmnn left the'
courthouse.
Takes First Mail On
Atlanta Air Route
New Orleans. July 27. (API j
Major Sumter Smith took ofT
{from Alvln ('allender Flying Field
j at 10:27 today for Mobile, bear
ing the flr?t consignment of mall.
!to be handled over the New Or-]
leans air route.
' I
I.AItOF TANK TO RK ( MHO
FOB Hl*l<l\KI<Fll HKItVKF
Plymouth. July 27 The large
I Norton alevatod steel tank now
.being erected on the property of
J the new $250,000 National Han-'
Idle Company plant, will be used
?for sprinkler service when com
? pleted.
The tank Is of the ellipsoidal-'
j bottom design and will have ? ca
pacity of 40.000 gallons of water
^!t will *et on a meat tower
; feet high. It Is expected that
| the tanks will be erected and
'equipped for aervlc? In the Mil,
few weeks. f
THOUSANDS ARE !
AT CONVENTION
FROM THE FARM
? u
Farmer* ami Their Vt ives
From All (her Slate <>ulIt
er ill Twenty-Fifth An-'
?iliul Meeting
DOWN TO Hl'SINKSS
Vi?ilor* S I II <1 y Iteller
Farming ami Home Mak
ing: >1 rllmmI- Seriously; I
Hut Fnjoy Keereation
Sir Waller II I. nalelKh. July'
27.?-One thousand farmers and
their wive* were reentered this
afternoon at the twenty-fifth an
nual .session of the State Farmers
Convention now in session at Statu
College. Added to this were sev
eral hundred others who drove in ,
for the day and will return to
night. The number was further
Increased liy a'great crowd of ar
rivals tills morning so that early
predictions of 2.000 in attendance
this week has probabjy beei|
greatly exceeded.
Following the preliminary ad
dresses hy officials of Slate Col-|
lege, the Stale Department of Ag
riculture and the convention lead-1
ers yesterday morning, the con-i
vent Ion got down to the serious
business of studying hotter farra-l
Ing and hoiueniaking yesterday af
ternoon and today. The visitors -
were split Into groups about over
the campus attending the various]
sect lotial-meet Ings. In the horse-1
shoe pitching contest, the college1
officials bested the farm represen
tatives. winning two out of the
three games played.
More women than men entered
the plant identification contest |
put oil by the department of farm
crop*. A handsome silver trophy,
cup is offered In this contest and
the winner must name correctly
50 varieties of farm crops now on
exhibition.
This morning the convention
entered the real purpose of Its,
gathering for this year. Farm or-1
ganlzatlon In all or Its phases was
discussed by members of farmers
slumbs, farmers exchanges, com-!
munlty clubs and State-wide co
operative organizations. The mein-|
bers gave their experience after,
which there were discussions by
various delegates.
The hog calling contest at noon :
attracted the largest gathering of!
any of the fun events. Over a^
score of entries sent out their,
calls vicing with each other for the'
$50 in prizes offered for the three'
best callers.
Today Is the big day of tho con-'
ventlon and veteran visitors gave
as their opinion that the gather-l
Ing this year has exceeded all oth-|
ers In excellence of program and;
of Interest.
Asheville Woman Is
Hold-Up Victim
Near Chicago
Chicago. 111.. July 27.? (Al?) ?
With tlin remark "All you women
need any way is a little rouge,"
three- bandits held lip and robbed 1
Miss Kva Barton of Asheville, and
Palm Heach. and Mrs. Hetty Mc
Reynolda of Orlando. Florida, as
tliey drojre along tho Jollet Itoad
toward Chicago, they reported to
pollco today.
The ijulck wit of the women
saved their Jewelry, valued at $1.
Jf50 which they wrapped In a
handkerchief and tossed on the
flooi of the cai when the bandits
swung their machine across the
road and forced them to stop. Tho
robbers took $380 In money from
their victims.
Miss Marlon is a student at the
Castle Finishing School, Tarry
town, New York.
Dreyfus To Plead
For Sacco-Vanzetti
r?rl?. July 27 (Al?) Alfred
Dreyfun, who wan the central flR
uro In one of the world'* moil fa
moui criminal proaecullona In
the parly nlnotlen ha* accepted an
Invitation to be a member of a
commute* to go to America to
plead the cause of Nicola Hacco
a ml llartolnraeo Vanzetll. under I
sentence of death for murder In
Ma*na> hunefta.
Major Dreyfun nerved four
yearn In the French penal colony
of Im>vIIn Inland on conviction of
treanon of which he wan exonerat
ed later.
Queen Marie Wants
To Come U.S. Again
nucharent. Rumania, July 27. I
? (API - Queen Marie han decld '
ed to ? Inlt the United Htaten ,
again. Hhe hrpen t? ntart *w?a *f-1
ler her period of mourning f??r j
Kin* ferdl.iand la over, ih" 'old |
the correspondent fo the Aaioclat
ed Preaa today.
EAST LEADS IN
EIGHT MONTHS
SCHOOL TERMS
Of Twelve < :? >ii m i<-? Adopt
ing Kifilil Months ( oiinty
Widc I'lan All Hut Two
Are in "I'auper" Section
MOKE TO COME
Lightening of School Tax
Loud liy F^|iialiuition
I'liml VI ill Hasten Eight
Months Term, Say* Allen
Sir Walter Hotrl. lialfisll. July
27- The lightening of the school
lax load iu many of the counties
In the Stale n? a result of the In
creased it|zt> of the equalization
fund, in causing a number of coun
ties to consider the establishment
of the eight iiioiiI lis school term,
in the opinion of Dr. A. T. Allen.
Stale superintendent of public
Instruction.
This was undoubtedly the prin
cipal coiisideralion thai influenced
Northampton rounty to vole favor
ably on the eight months term, a
f? w weeks aso. this "bringing the
number of cnuntieH that now have
the eii;hl monibs srhnol term on a
couniy-widti basis t? twelve. Theae
counties are New Hanover; Pam
lico, Kdgecoinbe, Cates, Currituck,
Wilson, Cull ford, Henderson,
Transsylvania, Vance, Cariaret and
Norlbamplon. It Is interesting to s
note that with the exception of
two counties, all of these counties
Willi eight months lerms are In
the eaHiern part of the State, con
sidered by many as being "pauper"
counties. Yet they are taking the
lead for the longer school term.
Within the next few weeks two
more counties will vote on In
creasing the school term to elfht
months. These are Hoko and
Jones counties. No definite Infor
mation as to the trend of senti
ment In these counties lias been
received by Stale department of
public Instruction as vet. but it
is hopeful thai the longer term
will carry In these counties.
The longer term lost recently
In two county elections. In Hun
combe and Chatham counties.
There never has been much chance
for the longer term in Chatham
county, where Henliinent is still
against It, and in Huncombe the
longer term lost bccause the city
of Ashevllle, and u number of
districts In the county already
have the eight mom lis term, and
the properly owners In these dis
tricts were opposed to Increasing
their own taxes y> give a few more
remote sections something they
themselves already had.
"And that Is Ihe crux of the
whole eight months school situa
tion." said Dr. Allen, for Instead
of looking at the longer school
term in terms of Increased educa
tional opportunity, ns should be
done, peoph> so far have beei\ able
to look at It only from Ihe stand
point of Increased taxes. So until
Ihe people of the Slate come to
put the question of a greater edu
cational opportunity ahead of the
greater cost, and are willing to
pay a little more taxes themselves,
so that others less fortunate may
have better school advantages, we
will not get very far toward ft
longer term.
"However. Ihe attitude Is rap
Idly changing, and more and more
people are coining to realize the
economic value Ihe dollars and
cents value- of the longer school
term. So we do not think It will
be long until more and more
cou n tier, will adopt the eight
months term on p. Kuinty-wide
basis, instead of by the district
plan, ns ban been the prevailing
system until now."
The fact that twenty counties,
already have an eight months terra
in more than 76 per cent of the
schools In those counties, in ad
dition to the twelve counties that
have Ihe longer term on a county
wide basis. Indicates the rapidity
of the growth of tlie longer terra
Idea. In Durham county, the eight
months term In 99.2 per cent com
plete. there being but one one
tcacher school in the county that
Is on less than eight months basis,
in Merkh nhiirg county, the eight
months term Is Ofi | per cent com
plete; Camden 9 4.8 per cent com
plete; Scotland, 94.H pei cent;
Halifax, 92.4; Warren, 88.1;
Avery. 87.fi; Craven. 86 7; Has
ten. 86.9; Cumberland. 85.3;
Hyde, 84.8; Hunrninhe, 81.4; Pas
quotank. 81 1; Hertford, 80.4;
Catawba, 78.3: Mladen. 77.6;
Richmond. 76.7; Herds, 74.6;
Oranvllle. 76.6; and Wayne 75.
Thews figures are for the year
1925 26. and it Is believed that
when the figures for the year
1926-27 are compiled, that the
number of counties with 75 por
cent or more of their schools ori
an eight months basis will be even
greater.
"There i? no doubt that the peo
ple are thinking more and more
along the lines of the longer term,
and this thought eventually will be
reflected In the adoption of the
longer term in the various coun
ties. especially as they realise the
degree of tax reduction, or tax
"airing thai will result from the
Inrgsr equalization fund," said
l>r Allen.
Mr*, J W. Itandnlph wa* take*
to 8arnh I^lph Honpltal for
treatfaaot Tuoadaf.