The Rocky Mo
VOLUME 5. NUMBER 38
NASH NEGRO SLAYS BROTHER
HACKS BODY WITH AXE: TAR
RIVER DRAGGED NEGRO HELD
John Thomas Edward* Confesses
Slaying Half-Brother, Clarence
Thompson. Pieces Of Body Flaked
I * Out Of Tar River After Being
Hacked To Pieces With Axe. '
•■••frvit : >i«i Rot !-•■! •. i
[ \ "fhe most gruesome and startling
murder committed in thus section
tvwithin the memory of officers wus
•ptactieally ready to be turned over
to the courts Sunday after a full
day's, wojrk that began with the ar
rest oif John Thomas Edwards, Ne
gro, and ended with the., finding of
j - his half-brother's mutilated, body in
Tar River.
Nash Deputy Sheriff P.. John
: ston and Constable Harold 13. Rico
arrested Edwards, 45 year old farm
-•*,»£ j,ear Gold Rock r .Sunday mora
•Jpg. Tl»e [.Negro.,s.tfirst denied any
£ knowledge of the slaying but tho
- finding of bloody clothes near his
»fcouse graddplly brorfjjbt frqpi 'him
I' jj* fe mO
1 Jhalf-brother, Clarence Thompson, 36.
$ Under tlie questioning 41 f QepoH
.lohn*t>n and Co? istable . Riee, £J-
tft&f tfc'snot Tho^»p
r' • 4?
r i son, chopped up the body with an
! axe and threw the remain into Tar
" river. VJJT
«■ After dragging Tar river ail 'day
gro with grappling hooks. Later they
pulled up out of the muddy rive'
-■ a muscular blaok torso and two tegs.
k ' The captured Negro showed offi
cers a place by the river on the old
v-v,River Road. He said
chopped up the corpse aid threw U
i*fco the river.
. ~ cm,
Edwards was removed Monday *o
the Nash County jail im Nashville.
V He will be given a preliminary hear
within a few days, accordir?
;:
■' "Negro said when imterriewed in jail
"■ yesterday.
"He shot at me with, a pistol, two
' times," Edwards related. *1 went is
, j ay houseand got my shotgun arid
same oij* shof aaai*.
He • flicked up an axe, -too.
t : Stt '•Hot him with the Jehatgun"
he eoatinued. "He fell on the ground
and kicked a little. I said, "I didn't
mean to hit ' yOu, "Cfiarlie.' Then I
saw he was dead.
"That was what made me thiak
I of choppin' him up," the prisoner
I , said with a wry expression. 'That
axe lyir.' by him.''
The Negro said he put the body
| in his car and drove to the wooded
.-(pot by Tar river, 11 miles away,
where he told police he chopped off
the limbs of the corpse and threw
it into the river. He told officer
he chopped off the arme and lege
i OLD MAN JOYNER CERTAIN
THE WINTER WILL BE MILD
"There'll be no skating on ice in
Eastern Carolina this winter."
Those words coming from anyonf
save G. W. Joyner, weather sage
wouldn't inearf much, and neithe
would folks think a great deal of
the statement that this section would
experience "two and possibly three
snows" this winter, if they respect
While predicting a "mild win
winter," Mr. Joyner also suggested
that it would be a good idea to
"keep a little fuel on hand at all
times, because well have some cold
the weather forecasts made annually
by Mr. Joyner.
»-tps."
Asked about last winter, when sev
eral snows had been predicted and
didn't fall, the weather sage admit
ted that he had missed "for the first
1 time in 17 years." It may have been
18 years, but it was long time any
way.
Questioned, then, how he was able
to make predictions which were so
accurate as a rule (they actually are)
the "weather man" merely shook his
head as much as to say, "if I toldl
you, then you would know as mu "h
* as I."
| They say, however, that Mr. Joy
-1 ner may be see'l along the river
banks, inspecting tree trunks, roots
and observing the birds as they
make preparations for migrations.
He also has been known to ga-'f
the moon by the hours and the; 1
with the axe and tried to chop off
the head.
He was afraid, wag the only ex
planation he gave for mutilating the
corpse.
Officers Inspect Site
Horrified officers found the ground
I soaked with blood by the river
bank, and they found bits of flaih
and shreds of clothing where t'li*
body was dragged to the river.
"I did: ft know what I was doing,'
Edwards earnestly told reporters in
the jail. "I'm going to Mil the court
I didn't mean to do it. I wasn't my
self."
He gave no motive for the killing,
except to indicate vaguely that there
had been an argument When an of
ficer asked him if he and the otlier
man had not both been driuking,
EdwarSs replied "Yes."
Officers said the shooting
•jlace on the Levi farm near Geld
R«ck, on ,vrliich Rdwards lived, about
3 o'clock Sunday morning. Edwaijds
■toM- officers fhat w Thompo>n used to
on 1 hjid Ascent' 7
•moved toltdeky Mount. »
Child Tells Officer
First wind of the murder reached|
Officers when B. I. Edwards, one'of
Hie 10 children of the Negro who
UUteJt.arfgsted, we-* ; to tho
homo Of Bepity"' Johistok about
7:30 o'clock Sunday morning. He
told the deputy sheriff that his uncle
w-as missing and that "he was sat
isfied bis daddy killed his uncle."
The Negro told Deputy Johnston
«at-« rard two shots in the nigh:
adfcat-h. • had found some bloody
>rtcs ne&r the house. On that iu
{ormatio:;: Beauty Johnston and Cob
stable Jtice irirresi»4 tfce Negro and
later * obtained a confession. TJisy
found the axe on a woodpile atwr
the house, still bearing ftains which
Before a gathering crowd of mor.
bidly carious spectators, officer* of
*Nash -and Edgecombe counties and
city police rowed about the rlvei
for the greater part of the day prob
ing qbt . ( th» bottom..for , the bgdy.
Joini-'g in the search and directing
it ,>C. Y. Faulkner of
Nash and W. B. Bardin of Edg>-
oMiKa, Deputteg jfbh nston and Shade
PftHtai, Constable Rice. Police Chief
Walter C. Cooke of Nashville, City
Police Chief J t R. Thomas and Of
ficer*. R. h. Rogers and J. I. Nich
ols and ABC Officer R. W. Bras
well.
The mutilated body was turned
over to a local undertaking estab
lishment.
Nash and Edgecombe county cor
oners were consulted Monday night
but tol dofficerg there was no need
for an i-Ruest.
say that just donesn't usually hap
pen to a ma- around 70 years of
age unless he is a weather prophet
Edgecombe Comm.
Favors Road Plans
Tarboro, Sept. 18.—Edgecombe
County commissioners in special
session Friday night approved three
road hard-surfacing projects.
The board failed to approve funds
for continuance of Conetoe Creek
drai tage. It asked Congressman
John H. Kerr to have surveys made
of Fishing and Swift creeks, with
a view to cleaning and dredging.
Road projects approved are: From
Forbes church to Thome's Cross
Road, and to the Tarboro road by
the fire tower; from Highway 11
at Conetoe to Highway 44 (six
miles); on Highway 43, six miles
fro mßocky Mount, by Yells Chapol
to Route 44 at Hester's.
The commissioners guaranteed s
third teacher for school.
Peanuts that have been dusted
with sulphus in Northampton Coun
ty are greener and are holding a
higher percentage of their leases
than undusted plants. The sulphus
treatment seems to be controlling
the leaf spot diseases.
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1938
Raleigh Street Crossing To Be
Improved
The Board of Aldermen at its last meeting passed a reso
lution directing that the old stage coach Raleigh Street
crossing be put into repair. This is bhe crossing that is usedi
by the pliblic generally, in fact, the only place that a citi
zen dould cross between Bassett Street and Marigold Street,
the crossing where Mr. Felps lost his life last winter. We
trust that this work will be done immediately. While it is
comihg as a late improvement, it is never too lat;e .to do
good. The estimated cost according to press reports, will
be betweeh 7 and 8 thousand dollars. This is near the cross r
irig that the state had agreed to spend 200 thousand dollars
in giving a modern underpass which would have, unlocked
traffic from the East and West side of town. The .money
that was granted Rocky Mount for this purpose was later
given to Elm City for an overpass and to the city of Smith
field. Since our city refused the gift by a divided board, i
am glad these two cities got the money, however charity
begins at home and it is indeed a sad reflection to see this
! money go from our midst. Besides losing this money thp
city paid ten thousand dollars to an alien engineer on a
wildcat and improvident scheme of moving the • railroad
which even the Campfire Girls of Rocky Mount would know
was not going to be done. The city lost the $200,000 and
in addition thereto spent in the neighborhood of $10,000.00
and now in order to get the people iirom the East side ti>
the West side have got to go into the taxpayera pockets
ajid, spend $7,000. We are glad to know that there wea-e
some members on the board who did not agree tio this ex
travagance. The taxpayers are the goats, as usual.
CLOSING HOUR OF ROCKY MOUNT A. B. C.
STORES
| „ Since last week the ABC closing hour in Edgecombe
has been changed again. The regular closing hour has been
6 o'clock then it was moved up to 7 o'clock and this week
it has been carried to 9 o'clock. The Edgecombe authori
ties contend that they thought 7 o'clock was late eoughh
but were forced by reason of competition of NaSsh Stores
to keep open until 9 o'clock as the store in Nash County
was keeping open its store until 9 o'clock. Practically all
other businesses in Rocky Mount close from 5 to"6 and the
liquor stores heretofore have been closing at 6 o'clock un
til the oobacco market opened and the stemming of tobacco
began operation. As was said o fold '"how many crimes
were committed in the name of liberty" and well .may it be
said in this case "how many crimes are being committed
in the name of Temperance" and this being done by the
state! « v " ,
mmm—m—mmmm —————i——- }
ELECTION CASE OF DEANE AND BURGIN
The" Supreme Court of the State of North Carolina has
finally declared that the State Board of Elections have the
power and authority and it is fcheir duty to investigate
frauds in elections. Heretofore nobody seems to have as
sumed the responsibility of .seeing that our Votes were
counted' properly. Cases have gone to the Supreme Court
before this case ad the Supreme Courts have from time to
time held that they had no power over primaries yet they
were called legal primaries. Evidently the Court has awak
ened and made some examination and found that the Courts
do have some responsibility and that the County and State
Board of Elections also have legal duties. Judge Harris
according to former ruling had good 'precedent to rule as
he did. Many people who have been elected to office in
North Carolina have been denied their right to hold the
office which the people had elected them to because the
Board of Elections and the Court refused to give the legal
protection to the candidate that bhe law evidently intended
of Elections and the Court refused to give the legal pro
tection to the candidate that the law evidently intended
that they should have. Some weeks back a North Carolina
Judge criticized the moving pictures for makng the courts
appear somewhat in the role of the burlesque when the
courts ane responsible for ill conditions.
President Roosevelt
Recommends Unity
Labor And Farmers
Washington, Sept. 7.—Speaki K
Labor Day at Denton, Maryland,
to an open-air audience, Presided
Roosevelt gave a strong endorse
ment to Congressman David J. Lew-
Democratic nomination for the
is, New Deal candidate for the
Se-ate. He listed among many oth
er good deeds done by Lewis in pub
lic life the fact that a« a young
man in the Maryland legislature,
Lewis had introduced and put thru
the first workmen's compensation law
ever passed in the United Statos
President Roosevelt emphasized
particularly the fact that farmers
and wage earners of the cities have
the same interests as well as the
same interests as well as the same
a*2estry. Efforts are being made,
said the President, to break up t.iis
natural common feeling and set far
mers against workers, and vice ver
sa.
" America always has had—and
America still has," said the Pr3ji
detnt, "a small minority who
sume that there are not enough
good things to give the minority
all it wants and at the same ticie
to give the rest of America—the ov
(rwhelming majority of America—
humane a" d modem standard of
living. ....
"But at the same time, all over
this country, the unity of interest
of all common men and women—
warm-hearted, simple men and wo
men—willing to live and let live
whether in factory or on farm farm
grows steadily clearer and more
evident."
M r FARMERS
ARE SEEKING
INJUNCTION
What promises to be the biggest
trial in the matter of number of
plaintiffs and defendants ever
known in Wake County and po«i
bly the biggest ever in North Oiiro
lina is set to be heard before Judge-
W. C. Harris in Raleigh o-i Septem
ber 27th. In it 600 farmers figure
as plaintiffs attacking the AAA to
bacco control to test the validity of
the law and 351 warehouse opera
tors are listed as defendants. The?>
defendants are summoned to sbow
cause why they should not be re
strained from collecting and remi'-
ting the tax on tobacco marketed
in excess of AAA quotas.
Plaintiffs have retained as legal
counsel I. M. Bailey of Raleigh;
Judge L. R. Varser of Lumbertot,
a former Supreme Court Justice;
and E. L, Gavin of Sanford. Th'>
Government at Washington, D. 0
will send down counsel for defense,
but the names have not yet bee-v
announced.
Intense interest all over the state
centers in this case and thousands
of people are likely to attend tiie
hearing.
QUINS HAVE
BIG FORTUNE
According To An Audited Statement
Most Famous Babies In The World
Have Amassed Nearly Millon Dot.
lap.
>r!f jo>» — immarfJuon
The Dionne quintuplets who wore
four years oLd last May 28, have
amassed an ifKOO.OOO fortune accord
ing to an audited statement pre
sented Saturday at a meeting of
their official guardian's at which
plana for the girls' "dream home"
were discussed.'
The report on the girls financial
standing was made by Pe-rcy t>. Wil
son, K. C, Ottawa, an official guar
dian, and Keith Munro, "their busi
ness manager.'
Tentative plans for the quints
new home were discussed but ac
cording to Mu~ro tt\e type of ar*
chitecture, number of rooms and
the site have not 'been decided
upon.
The guardians favor a waterfront
property on either Trout Lako or
Lake Nipissins. In addition to pro
viding accommodations for the pa
rents and the other seven
children, tie nurses and staff, the
proposed house would, have a pri
vate room for each quint. It is
planned to stock the grounds with
Wild animals and birds so that the
children may study nature at first
hand. ' ■ .
MED. SOCIETY
GIVES PRAISE
TOMCGEACHY
I fM, « > . .
Doctors Of Conaty Regret Action Of
Coanty Board Of Commissioner*
la Relieving Him
RESOLUTION ADOPTED
.»' ~ . I
Taking eotfaistfiee of the * faot
that the Halifax County Board of
Commissioners and the Halifax Co
u*|y Board of Health hare reliev
ed Dr. R. S. McOeachy, county health
officer,'of his ddtifes at 'the county
home, sanitarium and jail, and have
served him with notice that he will
continue as health officer in charge
of general public health work at
the pleasure of the board of health
for a limited period, the Halifax
County Medical Society has adapr
ed a resolution praising Dr. Mc-
Geachy as "an efficient medical of
ficer" and expressing deep regret at
the action of the "Board of Commis
sion fcrs."
The resolution was adapted at a
meeting place of the doctors held
on September 9. The action of the
county commissioners and countv
•health board was taken after three
meetings were held to discuss the
matter, at one of which the healt'i
board members were present. It
was understood that the county com
missioners were dissatisfied with
some phases of Dr. McGeachy's wort
in connection with the county home
patients and the sanitarium, but no
statement was made by any member
of cither board, nor do the munites
of the county board disclose the
reasons for relieving Dr. McGeachy
of his duties. However, the Coun'.y
Medical society endorses Dr. Mc
Geachy "as an efficient medical of
ficer whose accomplishments have
been outstanding, and his effort*
untiring."
Following is the resolution of the
medical society in full.
At the regular meeting Septem
ber 9, 1938, of the Halifax County
Medical Society, it was called to
the attention of the Society that thj
County Board of Commissioners
have given Dr. R. S. McGeachy no
tice that his services with the Coun
ty as head of the Cou fky Health
Department, are to terminate in the
near future. As a result of this in
formation, the County Medical So
ciety went on record as highly en
dorsing Dr. McGeachy as an effi
cient medical officer whose accom
plishments have been outstanding,
and his efforts untiring.
"The sentiment of the Society wa-j
deeply regretful that the Board .»f
Commissioners had taken this ac
tion, affecting a man of irreproach
able character and the highest pro
fessional standards, A request was
made by the Society that the Sb'xe
endorsement with reference to. Dr.
McGeachy be given publicity in the
County."
.^mareCTCf
BjT'Hago Sims, Washington
Correspondent
Last week tho voters of Georgia
and Maryland rejected the advice
of President Roosevelt and return
ed to the United States Senate
Messrs. George and Tydings. Borh
of these senators scored victories in
the face of 'public addresses in their
states by the president in waiotl
Mr. Roosevelt attempted to encom
pass their dow lfaJl.
"Purge,'' Fails
Preceded, by ijiu triumph of Sena
tor Smith in South Carolina, th'j
primaries last week wrote "failure"
to the efforts of the President to
eliminate co-bervative senators. Th.j
re-nomination of these senators ef
fectively disposes of the myth that
the presidential nod can elect anil
th.t presidential frown defeat a can
didate. Regardless of the straegy
. i ■
Considerable discussion is heard,
as to the effect of the President's
tactics upon the Democratic Party
pursued by Mr. Roosevelt the pri
mary resulth i;S .these, three j.tates
represent a defeit that encourages
iris; om>oncrts.
That the senators opposed by tn?
President will be more independ
ent and some-what antagonistic is
to be presumed. That they will be
joined by other Democrats of like
mind ir.> Congress i 8 inevitable and
apparently the President will face
a bloc which will not hesitate lo
opose him and his policies.
Long-Range Fight
From circles close to the adminis
tration comes the suggestion that
Mr. Roosevelt was not greatly sur
prised at the re-nomination of tat
senators he opposed. It is said thai
tho President will continue a lorg
term campaign for "liberalism" and
that the failures so far are bnt un
important skirmishes in the greater
battle to align the voters of the
United States into two bodies, one
of which will be definitely liberal
(Please turn to pags two)
BOARD ASKS RAILROAD TO
REPAIR STREET CROSSING
Resolution Adopted By Aldermen At
Regular Meeting Ordinance
Protects Game
A recurrent concern of the board
of aldermen for two years now,
the matter of makin gsome improve
ment at the Raleigh Road railrS.ld
crossrg arose again last night at
the board's meeting.
The aldermen adopted a resolu
tion, read by Alderman Henry W.
Cutchin, chairman of the publics
works committee, declaring that the
crossing needs to be improved and
asking the Atlantic Coast Line rail
road company to make the improve
ments on the portion which lies o'-
the railroad right-of-way.
Alderman Cutchin's resolution
stated that "public welfare demands
that Ihe Raleigh Road crossing be
improved and repaired" and it re
quested that the railroad company
"pave and protect the crossing on
ita right-of-way."
The project would cost about
$7,500, Alderman Cutchin estimated.
City Manager L. B. Aycock told the
board that amount could be fourd in
the city budget.
Cutchin's committee has been
working for a number of week* on
the proposal to improve the cross
ing, which is said to have been ori
ginally part of a stage-coach route.
The unpaved crossing, extending dia
gonally across the railroad tracks
about two blocks south of the busi
NOTICE
Thoee desiring to subscribe to The Rocky Mount
Herald may do so by sending $l.OO with name and ad
dress to The Rocky Mount Herald, Rocky Mount, N. g.
l2»l! •
Name 4
Town State Route No.
$l.OO PER YEUI
Recovers Bonds
Hidden In 1931
In 1931, James Li. Taylor, a coU -»
ored man raised in the Palmyra
section of Halifax county, left Scot
land Neck to see the world and pel
haps to make his fourtune. He UJK)
a $5OO stake in the form of govern
ment bonds.
Since 1!>31, Taylor has travel 3j
throughout the United States hjld
ing jobs in «"ch widely separate 1
po:  ;>s irk, Florida and
California, iiu did fairly well, but
ie didn't make a fortune. The urg3
to return home came, and so thi
week he journeyed back to Scotland
Neck.
But Taylor had not been impro-
vident with that $5OO in bonds. He
knew hack in 1931 that in the fu
ture he might need a stake, and
in 1938 he fou'd that he did.
Arriving home Monday he weat
to a house on South Church Btreet
extension,.' The folk* who lived there
sefcen years ago had/moved and the
house was occupied by a colored
family named Baker.
"I hid something here seven years
ago," Taylor told them, "and I wou'd
like to look for it."
The folks in the house consented
In their presence he we - ft under
the rear of the house, and after a
moment of thought, put his hand
to a brick of the foundation and
after a little effort slipped it out.
Then he reached into the apertura
and brought out a waterproof jack
et about the size of an e » elooa
%
Opening the jacket, Taylor produc
ed $3OO in bonda he had stored
away in 1931, while the folks i t tho
house gaped with astonishment. This
week Taylor sent off the bonds t.i
be redeemed in cash.
i Yellow crocuses are. the brightest
of the early spring bulbs. Plant a
good patch of them-
ness district, is the only
between the Nash a|d Edgecombj
sides of the_ city in a busy area,
the improvement advocates say.
Safety devices would be part of
the desired improvements, Chuirir.au
Cutchin said. The last death result
ing from an automobile-train eol'i
sion in the city, he pointed out, oc
curred at that crossing about a year
ago.
Shooting and trapping birds and
squirrels in Battle park or ir. the
other city parks was outlawed by an
ordinance passed by the aldermen
last night. Presented by Alderman J.
L. Williams, the ordinance provided
a $5O fine for violators. The boar!
suspended rules in order to pass tne
ordinance last night and get it in
to effect before October 1, wher.
open season for squirrels begins.
The aldermen approved payment
of $21,977.50 of bond interest due
October 1.
A protest from I. W. Rose concern
ing proposed curb and gutter con
struction on Mercer street was re
ferred to the public works commit
tee with power to act.
Beginning with the next meeti' £
the alderman will meet at 7.30
o'clock as during the summer, it wis
announced.
The board approved a cafe license
for Saunderg I>rug Store on Main
street and cafe ahd beer licenses for
J. M. Reeves Coastal Cafe on
Church street.