r— — ELKIN
"lis Sest
Little Town
Jw In North
Carolina"
VOL. No. XXIII, No. 11
TWO DEATH NOTES SAID SIMILAR
Childress and
Notes Written By
Person, Jones
CONTINUE HEARING
IN DEATH CASE TO
SATURDAY, FEB. 3
Believed Noose Slowly
Tightening About
Gu'lty Parties
1,000 AT HEARING
(By Alan Browning, Jr.)
The original note left by Andrew
Eldridge, who disappeared from the
home of his parents in State Road
on May 24, 1927, and whose lifeless
body was fished from the waters of
Klondike lake several weeks later,
was introduced in evidence at the
coroner's hearing at Ronda Wednes
day afternoon as being in the same
handwriting as the mystery note
alleged to have been found in the
apron pocket of Leoda Mae Child
ress, who was murdered at the home
of W. W. Tilley Saturday, December
30.
Solicitor John R. Jones, who pre
sented the note, revealed no evidence
tending to show how it is liriown the
two notes were written by the same
person.
Following the hearing, which was
continued until Saturday, February
3, at the courthouse in Wilkesboro,
Solicitor Jones informed E. C. James,
of Elkin, attorney for Andrew Smoot,
that Smoot would be released Wed
nesday night under SI,OOO bond as
a material witness, and freed of the
murder charge upon which he was
being held.
Luther and Clyde Tilley will con
tinue to be held for further investi
gation.
Although no names were men
tioned, evidence was presented which
showed that Winfield Stanley, held
in jail at Wilkesboro, stated to three
persons that Andrew Eldridge was
hung by parties described as "they"
and was allowed to hang until he
died. His body was then hidden for
three days and thrown into Klondike
lake, the witnesses testified Stanley
told them.
The first witness to be examined
at the hearing, which was held in
the Ronda gymnasium before a
crowd estimated at approximately
1,000 people, was Mrs. Hill Cox, a
sister of Leoda Childress. Mrs. Cox
testified that she was familiar with
(Continued on Last Page)
NOAH LUFFMAN, 40,
PASSES SUDDENLY
Was Found Dead In Bed
Last Thursday
Morning
Noah Luffman, 40, died Thursday
morning at his home near Pleasant
Hill church, presumably from a
heart attack. Mr. Luffman, who
was an employee of the night shift
of Chatham Manufacturing com
pany, had worked the previous
night and was awake and talked
with members of the family early
in the morning. When his wife
went to call him about eleven
o'clock he had been dead for some
time.
The deceased Joined Pleasant HiJl
Baptist church at the age of eigh
teen and for several years served on
the board of deacons of this church.
He was a highly esteemed man in
his community.
Funeral services were held Friday
from Pleasant Hill church in charge
of the pastor, Rev. J. W. Bryant,
assisted by Rev. J. L. Powers and
Rev. Richard Day. Interment was
In the church cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Rosamond Couch Luffman, one
daughter, Mrs. Robert Wilmoth of
Jonesville and three sons, Paul, Si
las and Nathaniel Couch; also one
brother and one sister, Arthur M.
Luffman and Mrs. Ella Couch of
Elkin.p
THE ELKIN TRIBUNE
HIGH SPOT*
HEARING
The high spots reveaH
Childress hearing at ROIH
day were:
That the note supposH
been written by LeodaH
was not in the apron I
was found, making it I
was not a suicide.
That Luther Tilley vH
175 yards of the girl's hH
the fatal shot was fifißdl
the first two persons sfl
That the pencil supH
have been used to writfl
and claimed by the Till
on the mantle in the dAj
was not there when thl
quest was held.
That the note founfl
apron pocket and the n
on the table in the Eldrl
are very similar.
That there was a tefl
at the Tilley home on S
tore the killing on Satl
That Leoda Childress®
sibly the only living pi
knew the murderers ql
Eldridge, and
she was killed to seal H
That Mrs. W. W. Tillfl
erheard to tell Luther H
jail Sunday that "if I
Clyde she would die bfl
ing anything."
I ATE NEBJ
from the
State and Nation
MISTER CAN YOU
SPARE A BILLION?
Washington, Jan. 23.—The fed
eral government called upon -the
country's investors to lend it an
other billion dollars today to
meet the mounting expenditures
of the recovery program which
have depleted the government's
treasury.
The billion dollars in new mon
ey was to be raised by the sale
of that amount of new securities
in the form of $500,000,000 of 13Vi
month, 2V& per cent. Treasury
' notes and $500,000,000 of VA
month, IV6 per cent, certificates
of indebtedness.
PAID ROSNER
$12,500
New York, Jan. 13.—C0l Chas.
A. Lindbergh paid $12,500 to Mor
ris Rosner for Rosner's services
in trying to gain an underworld
contact with the kidnapers of his
infant son, It was declared today
in Mrs. Ethel Rosner's suit for di
vorce.
Counsel for Mrs. Rosner said
that Colonel Lindbergh gave Ros
ner a fee of SIO,OOO, and $2,500
for expenses.
NORMAL RELATIONS
ARE RESTORED
Havana, Jan. 23.—Normal re
lations between the United States
and Cuba were restored amid un
precedented scenes of rejoicinf
tonight.
Jefferson Caffery, President
Roosevelt's personal diplomatic
representative in Cuba, formerly
conveyed the message of United
States recognition to the Cuban
department of state at 4 p. m. He
handed the note to Secretary of
State Cosmo de la Torrienta and
15 minutes later departed.
REGISTRATION
IS MOUNTING
Raleigh, Jan. 23.—Motor vehi
cle registration in North Carolina
today passed the 300,040 mark
which was reached last year on
the 28th day of April, Allen J.
Maxwell, commissioner of revenue
said tonight.
Total registration today was
301,121, aa compared with 300,-
452 on April 28, 1933.
ELKIN, N. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1934
1 *
" Jw
■ ■ JH
I M
PROMINENT RONDA
WOMAN DIES WED.
Miss Lenora Gwyn to be
Buried This After
noon
Miss Leonora Gwyn, 78, passed
away at 3 o'clock Wednesday morn
ing at the home of her sister, Mrs.
V. Mcßee, at Ronda, following a
brief critical illness from influenza
and pneumonia. For the past sev
eral years Miss Qwyn's health had
been very delicate.
The deceased was a member of one
of the most prominent families in
this section of the state, being a
daughter of the late James Owyn
and Mrs. Mary Anne Lenoir Owyn.
She was a member of the Jonathan
Hunt Chapter of the Daughters of
the American Revolution here, and
a member of long standing of the
All Saints Episcopal church at Ron
da. Miss Gwyn was a gifted musi
cian and possessed a lovely contral
to voice. She was a graduate of
Salem College, Winston-Salem.
Miss Owyn had spent the greater
part of her life at the ancestral
Owyn home, "Green Hill", near
Ronda, and was loved by all with
whom she came In contact. Bince
the recent death of her sister, Miss
Mary Owyn and her brother, Wil
liam A. Owyn, she had resided with
her sister, Mrs. Mcßee, who is the
only surviving member of her im
mediate family.
Funeral services will be held this
afternoon from All Saints Chapel
at Ronda, in charge of Rev. Mr.
Lackey, of Lenoir, rector of the
church, and Interment will be made
in the family cemetery.
■Childress Murder Mystery
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I Above arc shown several of the main figures in the Childress
H-der mystery. Upper left, Luther Tilley, oldest son of Mr. and
■. W. W. Tilley, who is being held in jail at Wilkesboro for in
■igation, along with his brother Clyde Tilley, pictured just
■w. Bottom left, Ray Johnson, of Jonesville, who was arrested
■day as a material witness in the case. He was later released
■er bond. Upper right, Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Tilley, photo
■hed standing in front of the tobacco cellar in which the
■ey was found, and in whose home Leoda Childress met death.
Sftibune Staff Photos.
Plans Are Made To Hold
Birthday Ball At Hotel
Elkin Night of Jan. 30th
Not to be Held at F-W Chevrolet Company As Fear Expressed
Floor Might £Jot Support Large Crowd Expected;
Tickets To Event Are Now On Sale; Com
mittees Are Appointed.
The Elkin Birthday Ball for
President Roosevelt, will be held at
Hotel Elkin instead of in the F-W
Chevrolet company building as first
announced. C. H. Brewer, owner of
the hotel, stated Monday night that
he would turn over the main dining
room, the Kiwanis room and a por
tion of the lobby, if needed, for the
event.
Plans to have the ball at the
Chevrolet company fell through
when the owner of the building, W.
S. Gough, objected. He was fearful
the floor might break through should
a large crowd be assembled.
Tickets for the ball, which sell at
$1.50 each and are good for the
admission of one couple, are now on
sale, the pasteboards having been
turned over to the ticket committee
at a meeting held Monday afternoon
in Chairman W. M. Allen's office.
Of the admission price, SI.OO will
go to an endowment for the Warm
Springs Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis. The remaining 50 cents
will go toward defraying expenses.
In addition to the local ball, plans
are also going forward in cities,
Sustains Fractured
Skull In Fight
Rufe Wagoner, of Sparta, is in
Hugh Chatham Memorial hospital
here suffering from a fractured
skull sustained in a fight at a dance
hall In the Bull Head mountain sec
tion of Alleghany county. The blow
which crushed the skull of Wagoner
is said to have been dealt by Foley
Wagoner, also of the Sparta com
munity, who is in the Alleghany
county Jail awaiting a court hear
ing.
An operation on Wagoner's skull
was more successful than it was
hoped for and he has a chance to
recover, according to hospital au
thorities.
towns and hamlets throughout the
nation for similar events.
According to Chairman Allen, both
round and square dancing will be
featured at the local ball. He sta
ted that the main dining room of
the hotel would be used for round
dancing and that the Kiwanis room
would be used for square dancing.
Two separate orchestras, one of the
string variety, will be on hand.
Widespread public support here
and elsewhere is expected for the
(Continued On Last Page)
B. Y. P. U. TRAINING
SCHOOLTO BEGIN
Starts Monday And Will
Continue Through
Friday
The annual B. Y. P. U. Training
School at the First Baptist church
in this city will begin Monday and
will continue through Friday. The
classes will be In charge of Misses
Winnie Rickett and Alva Lawrence
of Raleigh. Miss Rickett is State
Secretary of the B. Y. P. U., and
Miss Lawrence is State Leader of
the Young Peoples' Work of the
Baptist Woman's Missionary Union.
They will teach classes in senior,
adult and Intermediate B. Y. P. U.
work and the classes will be organ
ized at the meeting Monday even
ing, which will be held at 7 o'clock.
On Sunday evening Miss Rickett
will speak at the church at-the 7:30
hour of worship. The public is cor
dially invited to hear her.
Misses Rickett and Lawrence are
well known here, as well as through
out the state, having been here fre
quently to assist in work of thia na
ture at the First Baptist church.
BIiKIN filETl
Gateway to >^Jl^
RoaHp*
Gap and the
Blue Ridge »««—>
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
PUNS FOR AIRPORT
AND GYMNASIUM ARE
MOVING ALONG HERE
Kiwanis Club Pledges
Total Of S4OO To
Gymnasium
MEMBERS BEHIND IT
Prospects for a community build
ing and an airport here, both to be
constructed with federal funds pro
vided the town provides the sites,
were said to be bright by those
working on the projects, at the
meeting of the Elkin Kiwanis club
at Hotel Elkin Friday evening.
Plans call for the location of the
community building on the south
side of Main street opposite the
Baptist church, provided the lots
are obtainable. It is thought the
construction of the building there
will call for a local outlay of cash
amounting to approximately SSOOO,
over half of which was said to al
ready be in sight.
In connection with the airport,
options on several tracts of land
have been obtained and necessary
plans are being pushed forward
rapidly.
Following a canvass of the club
for a donation to the community
building, a total of S4OO was pledg
ed. It was also stated that the lo
cal post of the American Legion has
pledged $250.
In discussing the c.'o projects it
was pointed out that the town
needs the services of someone who
can give his full time to the mat
ter and it was suggested that Alex
Chatham be named to head the
work of getting the projects
through. J. R. Poindexter was ap
pointed a committee of one to see
if it could be arranged with the
Chatham Manufacturing company
to give Mr. Chatham a leave of ab
sence from his duties there long
enough to put through the projects.
It was learned from Mr. Neaves
Wednesday that Mr. Chatham would
superintend the work.
A program, consisting of several
pitno solos by Miss Edith Neaves
and two vocal solos by Miss Rosa
mond Neaves, was presented prior
to the business meeting. The pro
gram was concluded by a 15 minute
talk on "The New Deal" by Walter
R. Schaff.
MEET TO ORGANIZE
SCOUT TROOP HERE
Second Meeting Is To
Be Held At School
Building* Friday
At a meeting in the school build
ing Friday afternoon approximately
43 boys were present to assist in re
organizing the Elkin Boy Scout
troop. The meeting was under the
direction of Dr. C. E. Nicks, who
began the movement when urged by
the frequently expressed desire of
the local boys to have a scout troop.
The boys were very enthusiastic at
the first meeting and another meet
ing is to be held tomorrow afternoon
(Friday) at 4 o'clock in the school
building, to which all interested
boys are invited.
It is the hope of Dr. Nicks that
Elkin can have a regular scout
troop. The expense of membership
will not be great, the dues are fifty
cents a year, and the Scout Hand-
(Continued OD Last Page)
Sister of Local Man
Dies At Statesviile *
Mrs. Diana Burgiss Tomlin, 70,
widow of the late Frye Tomlin, of
Statesviile, and sister of T. E. Bur
giss of this city, died at her home at
Statesviile Monday night following
an illness of several months. Funeral
services and interment were from
Hebron Baptist church, near Turn
ersburg, Wednesday afternoon.
Mrs. Tomlin is survived by one
son, Jim Tomlin, of Statesviile ami
two daughters, Mrs. Chas. Somen*,
Statesviile, and Mrs. Ephesus Harris,
Turnersburg. Two sisters, Mrs.
Wilkinson Jurney and Mrs. William
Parks, of Union Grove and t*w*
brothers. Jim Burgiss of Statesviile
wad T. B. Burgiss of E>kln, also sur
▼i*.