..V
I^E JOHNSTONIAN AND JOHNSTON COUNTY SUN CONSOLIDATED
SELMA, N. C., THURSDAY, MAY 12. 19i
Ransom Sanders jDunn Suffers Big
Jumps to His Death! Blaze Last Sunday
NUMBER 19
Prominent Business Man of Smith-
field and Raleig'h Commits Suicide
Following Several Months of 111
Health. Funeral Largely Attended.
Smithfield, May 8.—Over a thou
sand friends and relatives from all
over North Carolina attended the
C neral services of W. Ransom
£'-inders, prominent in the business
a.^d social life of Raleigh and
8-iithfield, which was conducted
’-ere Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock
: mm the'home of his mother, Mrs.
'\t. M. Sanders, Sr.
Rev. Chester Alexander, of Tar-
boro, and Rev. Dr. James ’p. Smith,
r.-istor of the Smithfield Presb.yte-
r an church conducted the services,
burial being made in the Sraith-
id cemetery. The active pallbear-
- s w'ere, N. M. Lawrence, Robert
Tvinston, W. Z. Bush, of Raleigh;
FT rndon Alexander and Robert Wel-
’■ -s, of Charlotte; Bert Parrish and
d. P. Holding of Smithfield. The
■f’lral offering was profuse and
beautiful.
Mr. Sanders, who had been under
1 'atment for a nervous disorder
■ :■ the pa.st five months, Friday
o-ternoon jumped from the third
or of a Baltimore hospital and
..ashed to his death on a paved
' -'irt below. Physicians at the in
s'.'tution had considered him suffi-
•' ntly improved to allow him to
-'b;y golf occasionally. Plans had
oeen made for his return to North
Carolina the fir.-t of this week. He
T5.0S president of the Raleigh base-
.•.;.il club of the Piedmont League
and of the Sanders Motor Company
0- Raleigh and Smithfield. He was
alumnus of State College and of
r-c University of North Carolina.
On last Wednesday he celebrated i
' ' 40th birthday. '
He was the son of the late W. M.
-r;.mders, of Smithtreld, and a native
Johnston county, having been
educated^ in the Smithfield schools.
Jtr. Sanders was a World War vet-
■-■an, having served as a IJeutenant
the Motor Transport Division. He
was an active member of the Amer-
-s'an Legion.
He is survived by his mother and
widow, formerly Miss Alice
Ceeek, of Henderson, a daughter,
^.ice Cheek Sanders, one brother,
William M. Sanders, Jr., of Smith-
■field, five sisters, Mrs. William
Hailey Jone-, Mrs. George Ross
P-'-u, of Raleigh, Mrs. Willis Glass
and Mrs. A. H. Ro.se of Smithfield,
and Mrs. Alex Holoman, of Florida.
Lntire Block Is Razed By Fire Be
fore It Is Finally Controlled.
Origin Is Unknown.
Farmer Accused |Mr. T. H. Whitley
Poisoning Wells Died Here Monday
Dunn, May 9.^Business house.s
on an entire block here were dam
aged by a fire which broke out at
3:45 a. ni., Sunday and was not
brought under control until early
today.
Estimates of the damage ranged
as high as $250,000. Two men were
painfully burned in fighting the fire
which caused local firemen to call
for aid from Benson, Fayetteville
and Smithfield.
J. W. Thornton, automobile dealer
whose garage and 25 automobiles
burned, and one of his eniploves
were the men burned fighting the
fire. Neither was burned seriously.
After breaking out early Sunday,
the blaze destroyed Baer’s depart-
men store, a three^story building;
Ihornton’s garage, and damaged the
Piivt and Citizens’s bank, the But
ler and Lee drug store and a num-
bei of offices and other stores.
The fire apparently^fejs^ extin
guished, but la.st night a wall of
Baer s store fell and the blaze flar
ed up again. Swept by a high wind,
it spread to the Progressive store,
the Carolina Power and Light com
pany offices and W. H. Adams’
store.
Destruc'tion of the Carolina Pow
er and Light company’,-; plant left
the town in darkness. The origin of
the blaze is not known.
Piervis Stiephenson of Pleasant Grove
Township Charged With Placin
Paris Green In Neighbors’ Water.
Wayne Republicans
Put Out Full Ticket
Goldsboro, May 9.—Wayne county
Republicans, in a convention at the
courthouse Saturday afternoon nom
inated the following slate for the
general election this fall;
For state senate, Julian P. Gas-
kill, Goldsboro; house of repre.--en-
tatives, W. A. Jinnette, of Gran
tham; coroner, J. W. Mozingo, of
Arrington’s Bridge section; sheriff,
T. C. Crow, of Goldsboro; register
of deeds, Haywood Cox, of Saulston
township; county commissioners: C.
H. Cogdell, of Grantham, C. B. M|-
Condless, of Patetown, B. E. Mar
tin, of Mount Olive, S. C. Casey, of
Indian Springs, and A. A. Miller,
of Goldsboro.
Smithfield, May '9.—Pervis Ste
phenson, well known farmer of
Pleasant Grove township, was in
jail here today in default of a $500
bond, having- been arrested for pois
oning the wells of Mrs. Mary Ste
phenson and Will H. Taylor with
■paris green.
Sheriff R. H. Richardson, who
personally investigated the case,
found that Mrs. Will H. Taylor,
w'hose husband is a tenant of Mrs.
Maz-y Stephenson, mother of the ac
cused man, was the first to dis
cover traces of poisoning. When she
went to draw water from the well,
she saw about a pound of paris
.green on the bucket shelf of the
well. A white looking .substance on
the sides of the well above the wa
ter level led her to suspect that
paris green had been thrown into the
well. The water itself was slightly
discolored.
Further investigation revealed a
■small quantity of paris green on the
bucket shelf of Mrs. Mary Stephen--
son’s well and the' .-ame white sub
stances was found on the sides of
the well. A search revealed two
fruit jars behind a baim not far
away, paris green evidently havin.g
been used in one and either flour or
lime in the other.
Bloodhounds were placed on a
trail, which led directly to the home
of Pervis Stephenson, who lives
about 200 .vards from his mothei-.
Stephenson was arrested and was
given an immediate hearing before
Justice of the Peace Ed Coats, who
found probable cause and bound him
over to the Superior court.
According to Sheriff Rwhardson’s
investi.gation. Will H, Taylor and
Stephenson had recently quai-i-eled
over a tobacco bed which they had
planted together.
Stephenson was taken ill on his
way to jail here and a physician
was called, who stated he was suf
fering from appendicitis, but he I'e-
fused to be carried to a hospital for
an operation.
All Bu.siness Houses In City Closed
4* For Funeral Tuesday Afternoon—
Interineivt Took Place In the City
Cemetery.
Lumber Plant Is
Destrnyed By Fire
Will Be Republican
In A Few Days
The Johnstonian Sun Publishing Co.,
Selma, N. C.
Tear Sii-s:
Enclosed please find 50 cents in
stamps for which please send me
7;ur paper until after the election.
Hope by that time- I will be able
-to renew. I am now regi.-tered as
.1 Democrat and have voted that
z.cket in the county and state. I
t-mng I will change my party af-
tzliation within the next few days,
-•^s I am convinced that we wilt
never have fair election laws enact
ed by the Democratic party. I
■would like to know what change
your party will make in the elec
tion law when you get in power
besides repeal of the Absentee bal
lot? That much of your platform
i know I am in favor of. One thing
I hate to see is a man like Alf
■Templeton seems to be leading your
pai-ty in Wake county—I’ll say “we”
foi in a few days I’ll be a Repub-
rcan if there is no objection. So
T’ll say we want to watch who is
leading our party. I don’t think
-men like Templeton is any help to
■any party.
First and last, I hope first that
US going- to be the downfall of the
Democratic party in our state. Just
tlie putting such men as Jess Wil-
.iams and Alf Templeon in the lead.
Po much of that from national to
township is what is driving me from
-he party and as I am changing I
expect to stay changed until the
leadership in the Republican party
gets to where I can’t follow. May
me Lord help us to change our
State.
Fairview Revival
Making Headway
The meeting started last Sunday
evening' with Rev. A. T. Lassiter as
.-speaker and has been going- fine. He
has been delivering splendid ser-
mon.s on sin and its effects. If for
any reason you have had to miss
-any of these services you have
been missing .something. Do not
miss another service. The time is
short. Services will continue'through
next Sunday night. There will also
be services Sunday morning at the
usual hour. Services every night at
8 o’clock.
D. F. WADDELL, Pastor.
Four Oaks, May 9.—Fire of un
determined origin burned the Pope
and Tart lumber plant here last
night along- with two freight cai-s
loaded with lumber and a (juantity
of lumber which was .-tacked in
the yard.
Firemen from Smithfield came
here to help fight the blaze.
Loss was estimated at about $10,-'
000 to the lumber company, not in
cluding the value of the freight
cars.
SELMA DEFEATS SMITHFIELD
The Selma town team defeated
Smithfield 6 to 5 Monday at Selma.
After Smithfield had taken the lead
in the fifth, Selma came back in
the sixth to win -with 3 runs. Tal-
ton of Selma led the hitting.
Batteries: Smithfield, Norton,
Watson, Johnson and Honeycutt;
Selma, McMillan, Short and Creech.
Selma will be glad to book games
with any amateur outfits desiring
to nzake same.
MISS LOUISE STALLINGS
ACCEPTS POSITION IN TENN.
Miss Louise Stallings, who has
been in the employment of Holle-
nzan Chevrolet Company and the
Johnston County Merchants Associa
tion of this city, has accepted a
position with a firm in Memphis,
Tenn.
Her many friends in Smithfield
and Selma regret to hear of her
leaving, but will be glad to know
that she had the good fortune to
secure a much better position. She
is the daughter of Mrs. WL H. Stal-
lings, of Selma, where she has
made her home all her life. There
was quite a large crowd at the
station in Selma from Smithfield
and Selma to see her off.
The town of Selma was sadden
ed Monday morning when it be
came known that Mr. Thaddeus H.
Whitley had passed away. He died
at 1:00 a. m. He had been in de
clining health for some month.s, and
had recently undergone an opera
tion at the Johnston County Hos
pital. Two weeks ago he was
brought hoine, where he gradually
weakened until the end, came.
Mr. Whitley was 80 years of
age on April 25, 1932. He was one
of Selma’s pioneer merchants and
had extensive farming- interests be
fore he retired several years ago.
I or 45 years he had lived in Selma
and had made his conti'ibutions to
the civic, social and relig-ious life
of the town and community. He was
a true friend, a good neighbor, and
until the infirmities of age pre
vented, he was most helpful and
sympathetic in the sick room. 30
years ago he joined the Selma
-Methodist church and remained a
faithful, loyal member. He showed
by his regular church attendance
that- he could say with David: “I
was glad when tlzey said unto me,
let Us go into the house of the
Lord.”
On April 12, 1882, he was mar
ried to Miss Ida Belle Fuller, of
Earpsboro, and as a result of this
union six children were born, one
baby daughter dying- in infancy and
a grown son passed away several
years a.go. Surviving are four
daughters; Mrs. M. R. Wall, Mrs.
W, B. Johnson, Mrs. R. E, Suber
of Selma, and Mrs. W. F. Black of
Roanoke, Va. Ten grandchildren,
one brother, Mr. W. G. Whitley of
Durham, and one sister, Mrs. Lul^
B. Christman, of Robersonville, ar^
left to mourn their loss.
Funeral sez-vices were conducted
at the home Tuesday afternoon at
S o’clock, by his pastor. Rev. L. T.
Singleton, and interment took place
in the family plot in the Selma
cemetery. Pallbearers were: G. N.
Siler, A. V. Driver, N. G. Black
man, W. T. Woodard, G. C'. Hinton
and C. L. Richardson. Honorary
pallbearers were; Dr. Geo. D. Vick,
Dr. J. B. Person, C. P. Harper, J.
J. Deans, W. H. Etheredge, J. H.
Griffin and W. H. Call. A large
concourse of relatives and friends
attended the funeral and the floi-al
offerings were very beautiful and
numerous.
Among those from out of town
here to attend the funei-al were:
Ml'S, D, L. Brock, Mrs. M. R. New,
Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Whitley and E.
C. Whitley, of Dui-ham; Mz-. and
Mrs. R, B. Whitley, Mr. Philip
Whitley, Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Rich
ardson, Mr. and Mrs, Andrew John
son, of Wendell, and Mrs. J. W.
Markham, of Gi-eensboro.
Recorder's Court
Has Busy Session
Three Young M-eii From Selma
Found Guilty Stealing Chickens—
C'Ooke Given Four Months On
Roads While Earp and Grumpier
Mere Given Suspended Seivtences.
Bad Hail Storm
Tobacco and Cotton #rops Are a
Total Loss and Gardens Ruined.
Storm Came From Southwest and
Was Three Miles In Width.
SELMA HIGHS DEFEAT
FOUR OAKS IN BALL GAME
Your for honesty in bo.th public
and private affairs,
Selma Highs defeated Four Oaks
5 to 3 here Tuesday afternoon. Mun-
den pitched air tight ball and lim
ited the visitors to four hits, Selma
getting nine hits. Munden and Fos
ter led the home team at the Jbat.
Batteries: Four Oaks, Barbdr and
Stanley; Selma, Munden and Par
rish. Umpire, Worrell and Vick.
J. W. TARPLEY.
Wendell, N. C., May 7.,
1932.
T. D. Teznple, of Halifax County,'
shipped the last load of 66 steers
which he has been feeding this win
ter. The animals gained two pounds
a day while on feed and topped
the market when sold.
Entertain At Birthday Partv.
Mrs. C. L. Wooten entertained at
a lovely party, Thursday, May 5th,
from 3 to 5 o’clock in honor of the
first birthday of her little daughter,
Claras Le Sesne. The hozzze was
tastefully decorated with sweet
peal and roses, a color iziotif of
pink and white being obseryed. Up
on arrival, punch was served to the
little -guests, after which games
'were played and stories -were told
to them.
■They were then invited to the
dining room where a lovely white
birthday cake, surmounted by a sin
gle lighted candle, formed the cen
terpiece for the table. The birthday
cake was cut and served with pink
and white block cream. The hostess
'was assisted in ezztertaznzng and
serving by Mrs.' P.'A. Holland and
Miss Dora Jane Lunjpkin.
War Veterans To
Give A Fish Fry
Notices are being sent out by the
Pou-Parrish Post of the American
Legion announcing a Fish Supper
to be held at Catch-Me-Eye Friday
night. May 13th, at 6:30 o’clock.
It is announced that all World War
Vetemns are invited to attend this
.-upp^ whether they are members
of the Pou-Parrish Post or not.
State vs. Cary Watson, colored
fai-mei-, aged 30, for an assault' up
on a female. Guilty. Defendant is
given 4 months on roads.
State vs. John Henry McLamb,
colored laborer, aged 25, for viola
tion of the prohibition law. Guilty
of po.^session of whiskey for pur
pose of sale. Defendant given 60
days on roads.
State vs. Early McLeod, white
farmer, aged 40, for assault with
car. Guilty, and $15 fine with cost.
State vs. Ira Dixon, white mer
chant, for operating slot machine.
Plea of guilty. Discharged upon
payment of cost.
State v.. Jack Pilkington, white
farmer, aged 39, for -^fiolation of
the prohibition law. Guilty of po.s-
session of home brew for purpose
of sale and given six months road
sentence, suspended u]zon condition
that defendant does not violate pro
hibition law in any manner during-
the next two years, and upon con
dition that he pay.s a fine of $25
and co.st. Capies to issue at request
of solicitor.
State vs. Needham Cooke, white
laborez-, a'ged 20; Ho-wai-d Crumplez-,
white laborer, aged 19, for larceny
of chickens, value less than $20. .A.il
defendant.^ found guilty. Cooke giv
en 4 ^ months on roads. Grumpier
and Earp given a six months road
sentence to be suspended upon con-
(liHon that they do not violate any
cziminal law in North Carolina dur
ing the next 2 years. Grumpier and
Eazp to pay one-half cost each.
State vs. Needham Cooke, for
larceny. Nol pros with leave.
J- Willie Carroll, white
farvgW^aged 33, for violation of
the prohibition, law. Guilty of pos
session of 60 gallons of beer. Con
tinue prayer for judgment upon
payment of cost.
■ State vs. Jessie Williams, colored,
aged 20, for carrying- concealed
weapon (razor). Guilty. Defendant
given jail sentence of 60 days.
State vs. Tom Lewis, colored la
borer, aged 32, for violation of pro
hibition law. Guilty of possession of
one and a half quarts of whiskey
for purpose of sale. Defendant is
.given, suspended road sentence of
60 dap upon condition that he does
not violate prohibition law again in
North Carolina during- next six
months and upon condition that de
fendant pays $10 fine and cost.
State vs. Theodore Atkinson, col
ored laborer, aged 23, and Willie
McLain, colored laborer, aged 24.
Atkinson guilty of opez-ating dar
while intoxicated and careless driv
ing. ^ Willie McLain guilty of being
publicly drunk and disorderly and
using profane and indeent language
on public highway. Atkinson given
4 months on roads. Notice of appeal.
McLain given sentence of 30 days
to he worked as sheriff sees fit, to
be suspended upon payment of $10
fine and cost.
Bladenboro, May 11.—The. worst
hail, wind and rain storm ever seeil
here visited this section Tuesday
afternoon about 6:15 o'clock. A ter-
rric wind accompanied the hail,
which rang*ed in size from marbles
to hen eggs an^ lasted for more-
than 20. minutes. The rainfall was
one of the heaviest ever recorded
here. Large trees were uprooted,
roofs torn from hou.-es, houses de
stroyed, chickens killed and all gar
dens and farm crops totally destroy
ed.
The tobacco and cotton crops are-
a total loss and the gardens which -
were the means of existence for ‘
hundreds of families, absolutely are
gone.
The storm was reported to be
about three miles in width, coming
from the southwest and increasing
in velocity it passed over here
at 9 o'clock Tuesday night. Ha41
was reported to be one to two feet
deep in some places.
Dogs! Dogs!
Selma is infested with dogs. In
fested is the word. Mr. Webster
says infe.-it means, “to trouble by
numbers or by frequency of pres
ence; to visit persistently and mo
lest, to vex, to annoy.”
The dogs in Selina are a- perfect
nuisance, by day they' romp over
vegetable and flower gardens; by
night they prowl in back yards and
on the streets, barking, yelp
ing, sizarling and fighting. They go
in singles, doubles and gi-oups.
If our city “Dads” would put sl
tax of $3 on each dog to be paid
not later than June 1st, the funds ■
derived therefrom would replete
town coffers, or else there would be
a wholesale killing of worthle.ss
dogs. There are people in Selma
who do not hesitate to say that
their families do not have sufficient
food, yet they keep from one to-
three dogs. Will not those in au
thority take action?
CITIZEN.
Johnston County
Hospital News
BUSINESS ON WAY UP
Washington Star.
Dr. Robert Thompson, author,
lecturer and business analyst, de
clared before 250 local bankers at
the^olumbia Country Club last
night that business has already hit
bottom and turned upwai-d and that
by the end of 1932 there will have
been an upswing- of real propoz--
tions. Col. Ayres of the Cleveland
Trust Co., and iziany other bankers
and economists believe, the worst
over, the speaker said, and “from
my travels around the country I be
lieve they are right.”
Dr. Thompson's address was most
entertaining and instructive. He is
a very rapid talker and did .not
stop to give any' figures to back
up some of his broadest statements,
but he left no doubt in the minds
of the financiers present that-he is
sure better times are coming dur
ing the remainder of the year.
Bankers hold the same views about
the recovery, but it is hard to get
State vs. Golden Wood, white la
borer, aged 22, -for violation of
prohibition law. Guilty of possession
of whiskey for purpose of sale. De
fendant given six months road sen
tence to be suspended upon condi
tion that defendant does not violate
the prohibition law again in North
Carolina dui-iiig the next six months
and upon conditfon that defendant
pays fine of $25 and cost.
Meeting of p. T. A.
The P. T. A. will zneet on Tues
day evening in the school auditorium
at 8 o’clock. Mrs. J. T. Hughes is
program chairman and will present
a program ,m “The Pre-school
Child.” There ''-Nl be a play given
by pre-school c^dren, as well as
other interesting iteatures. This is
the last, meeting of the year and it
is hoped that every member will be
present. We will be glad to have
any one interested in our school to
attend.
them to say just when the happy
days will come. Dr. Thompson does
not hesitate to say the change will
be this year.
He spoke on “Looking Ahead
Twelve Months.” “Don’t follow the
mob,” fie said. Don’t sell your
stocks at the bottom. The mob is
always wrong. Take exactly .the op
posite course. The mob bought
stocks at the top in 1929 and is
now selling at the bottom in 1932.”
Smithfield, May 10.—Mrs. H. M.
Evans, of Micro, was admitted -the
29.th of April for treatment. She-
left the hospital the following Sun
day, much improved.
Mr. John Ransom Bain, of Four
Oaks, was admitted April 30th for
a major operation. He returned to-
his home yesterday.
Mrs. J. R. Blackman,- of Smith-
field, Route 2, - was admitted May
1st, for a major operation and is
impz-oving nicely.
Mr. Millard Southerland, of Sel-
nza, was adiziitted the 1st, with a
broken leg and is getting along fine.
Born'to Mr. and Mrs. Cade Suggs,
of Four Oak9%i son, on the 2nd.
Mother and child doing nicely.
Mrs, Gardner Johnson, of Pour
Oaks, was admitted the 2nd, for
treatment. She i.s improving.
Leroy Blake, colored, was admit
ted the 2nd with a gun shot wound.'
He is getting along fine.
Mr. Walter Godwin, of Pine Level,
was admitted the 4th for a major
operation. He left for his home to
day.
Mrs. M. T. Hinton, of Princeton,
was admitted the 4th for treatment.
She is getting along fine.
Miss Nora Adams, of Pour Oaks
Roue 2, wa.s admitted the 5th for
a minor operation. She returned to.
her home today.
Mr. W. R. Barefoot, of Pikeville,
was admitted the 9th for a major
opei'ation. He is improving.
Mrs. Anna Creech, of Smithfield,
was admitted yesterday and under
went a minor operation today.
Mr. Walter Creech, of Pour Oaks,
was admitted yesterday for a major
opei-ation.
In a tonsih clinic held in the
hospital .the 3rd, the following pa
tients had their tonsils removed:
Little Miss Pattie Lee Jackson, of '
Clayton; Master Odell Faison and
little Miss Nellie Norris, of Clay
ton; httle zMiss Susie Bryant, of
Wilson Mills; little Miss Doris
Pounds, of Clayton; little Miss Lu-
cile Peai-ce, of Wendell, Route 1.
t'xis