THE JOHNSTONIAN
THE JOHNSTONIAN AND JOHNSTON COUNTY SUN CONSOLIDATED
Prominent Smithfield
Banker Commits Suicide
Kiwanians Put On |W. Jesse Stanley
A Fine Program Resigns As Jailer
Was Cashier of Jb'irst-Citizens 5,000 Mill Workers
ffank & 'irudt Company or
Smitnheld — Shoots rrullet
Clear Tluougn Head—He-
spondency Over III Health
Is Assigned As Reason Cor
Rash Act.
Back At Their Jobs
Employes’ Return Ends Two Weeks
Strike—600 Others Still Debate
Wages—One Mill Gives Raise.
News flashed over the county
last night that Carl F. Gordon,
cashier of the First-Citizens Bank
& Trust Co., of Smithfield, had
committed suicide by shooting a 38-
caliber pistol ball clear through
his head, the ball entering near the
temple and going out on the other
side of the head. The tragedy oc
curred at the home' of the deceased
about 6:30 o’clock Wednesday ev
ening. He is said to have called one
of his children and instructed him
(or her) to go up town and get a
lamp wick, and that it was while
this child was gone that the act
was committed. It is said that he
was in his bed room at the time
and that no one efee was 'in the
house. As soon as news of the
shooting was learned he was rushed
to the Johnston County Hospital
where he died shortly before ten
o’clock Wednesday night without
ever regaining consciousness.
For several months Mr. Gordon
had .been in declining health and
had taken treatment from several
specialists, but he seemed to keep
on the downward road, and it was
this fact which is thought to have
brought the decision to destroy him
self and end it all.
Mr. Gordon had been associated
with the Smithfield Bank for a long
time and was highly respected and
greatly beloved by a large circle
of friends and busine-s associates
all over John-ton county. He was
feared in Smithfield and had made
the town a useful citizen.
It was, said that Mr. Gprdon was
not feeling well enough to work
Wednesday morning, and that he
told his wife that he would not go
back to work at the bank. Again it
is said that he had made i arrange
ments to go with his brother to
Duke Hospital at Durham today for
a more thorough examination.
The deceased is survived by his
wife and two children, Frank and
Nellie Gordon, and of those better
known here, a sister, Mrs. B. W.
Suggs of this city, three brother.s,
Ross, Ernest, and Roy Gordon.
High Point, Aug. 1.—As 5,000
seamless hosiery mill employes re
turned to work this morning, ending
a two-weeks strike, 600 full fash
ioned workers were laying the
groundwork for further negotiations
with the mill owners, and piece
workers in the Stehli Silk mill, who
quit for a while this afternoon for
more pay, got it and went back to
work.
The Stehli office said that the
piece workers were given a 10 per
cent raise on the basis of new or
ders received in New York and that
they had already been informed
that they were to get the raise.
This plant, one of the large.-t mak
ers of flat silks / in the world, is
now running night and day and it
was stated that business appears to
be on the upgrade.
Not a ripple of disorder marked
the actual going back to work this
morning of the seamless knitter.s.
They picked up their jobs as if they
had laid them down yesterday af
ternoon.
The Diamond, Full Fashioned plant
has been in operation since last
Thursday and its employes are un
derstood to be entirely satisfie^. The
Adam=-Mills full fashioned employ
es, of whom there are around 600,
are still out but are negotiating
Methodist Sunday
School Has Picnic
Although the winds blew and
the rains descended on last Friday
afternoon, it did not prove any too
damp for the Methodi.sf Sunday
School to venture out in the open
for an annual picnic at Holt Lake.
The picnicers went by car and by
truck. The' time at the lake was
consumed in boating, swimming,
fishing and social conversation un
til the hour for supper when they
all gathered around a long table
under the trees in the park where,
a feast of good things was spread.
Rev. L. T. Singleton, pastor of the
Methodist church, returned thanks,
after which friend chicken, cakes,
pies, meats and fruits together with
sliced water melon and lemonade
was greatly enjoyed by all.
ETHEL VS. LIZZIE .
WAS GOOD BALL GAME
The second game of a seven-game
series was played Saturday and was
won by the Ethel team with a final
, score of 5-4. It was an exciting
game because of being tied from the
5th to 9th innings, the score being
4 to 4, until Ethel finally broke
through with a winning run in the
9th.
Parrish for Ethel was relieved
after 5 innings, after pitching a
good game. Eason ably sucfteeded
him and brought home the bacon.
Enthusiastic supporters of the
Lizzie team claimed that the game
was lost to them because Price
should have had a basket instead of
a glove in right field. Also, they
deplored the fact that Hawkins
chose to sleep through the game
,in.stead of elsewhere.
-Worrells and Norket gave an ex
cellent exhibition of pitching and
be
with the employers and i
back at work shortly.
There "was general indorsement
today here of the timely work of
Gov. 0. Max Gardner, Capus M.
Waynick and others who assisted in
bringing the strike to a close last
Saturday night.
One of the best programs ever
put on at the local ICiwanis Club
here was enjoyed last Thursday ev
ening at the Community Building.
One very enjoyable feature of
the evening was the rendering of
several selections during the- lunch
hour by the Norket String Band
from the Lizzie MilL under the di
rection of J. E. Norket as leader.
Another very enjoyable part of the
musical program was the singing of
Miss Mary Vaughn, of Nashville, N.
C., accompanied by Miss Sue Sin
gleton at the piano.
Dr. Z. B. Spence, of Goldsboro,
accompanied by tw'o ladies, put on
a program which brought forth
great applause. Dr. Spence featured
the program with accrobatic stunts,
impersonations, readings, vocal ahd
instrumental selections which were
greatly enjoyed by all.
Dr. A. G. Woodard, of Goldsboro,
wa.s also a visitor at this meeting
and added much to the program by
making -a few very appropriate re
marks.
The club expressed it= hearty ap
preciation to Rev. W. J. Crain for
the part he played -in arranging for
the excellent program of the even
ing.
Selma Mill Officials
Give Big Fish Fry
Gives Curing Hint
For 1 obacco Growers
.W'etting the floor of the tobacco
barn and placing wet sacks over the
fire joints will provide a moist con
dition in the barn during the yellow
ing period which may increase the
value of the tobacco considerably
during' this dry period.
“Because there is little sap in the
tobacco now going into the barns,
the leaf is drying before it yellows
and is therefore curing out with a
greenish color,” savs E. Y. Floyd,
tobacco'extension specialist at otaL
College. “One way to overcome this
is to keep the floor wet with water
during the yellowing period. This
will make a mo.sit condition suitable
to better yellowing. It is also a
good idea to get some old sacks,
wet them thoroug-hly and place over
the fire joints to generate steam
in the barn. This will also help in
bettering coloring. If our gorwers
now housing tobacco will follow this
plan it will mean thousands' of dol
lars to them in improved quality of
leaf.”
Mr. Floyd believes it is important
to produce the highest quality of
leaf possible this year. The crop
was reduced 25 percent at planting
time and the ravages of blue mold,
flea bugs and cold weather cut the
supply of plants to 'where the acre
age is at least 40 percent under
1931. The uneven stands in most
fields and the- recent rapid curing
will more than likely reduce the crop
by 50 percent in North Carolina.
Reports to the department of agri
cultural economics at State Col
lege, indicate even heavier reduction
in South Carolina and Georgia and
it is believed that Virginia has re
duced as much as North Carolina.
Therefore were not business condi
tions as they are, tobacco growers
should receive a fair price for their
weed this fall. Ordinadily growers
should receive at least 20 to 27
cents for the tobacco that will be
in' sight this season ,however, such
a price is not expected at present.
More than 600 employes and
gue.sts enjoyed a most delightful
fi-h fry at the Selma Cotton Mills
last Thursday afternoon at 6 o’clock,
given by the officials of the com
pany. Three hundred pounds of fish
had been crisply fried, several
bushels of bread had 'been baked
and four large tubs of - lemonade
were prepared by the committee on
arrangements.
Just prior to - the supper a game
of baseball was enjoyed between
local teams. Another feature of' the
occasion was the singing by the
Lizzie Mill quaitet, under the di
rection of Prof. .1. E. Norket. Rev.
L. T. Singletonfi pastor of the
local Methodist church, pronounced
the invocation, after which the im
mense crowd enjoyed a real feast
of fried fish. Mr. Geo. F. Britz,
Supt. of the mills, was master of
ceremonies, and he and his good
wife made it a point to see that
no one went a'way without having'
an opportunity to eat and drink to
their appetite’s full satisfaction.
After supper the quartet again sang
other selections which were greatly
enjoyed by all.
Smithfield, N. C., Aug . 3.—W.
Jesse Stanley, of Four Oaks, who
has served as county jailer under
Sheriff R. H. Richardson even since
the Democrats took over the county
affairs in December, 1930, handed
in* his resignation to the board of
county commissioners last Monday,
and was accepted. It is to tak.e ef
fect on September 1, 1932.
It is r,umored that former jailer
R. E. Holt will be in charge of the
jail for awhile at least. Mr.. Holt is
at present assistant jailer, and is
reported to be doing most of the
work.
Jailer Stanley’s resignation was
not much of a surprise to the peo
ple of Smithfield, as Madam Eutnor
had been saying for quite awhile
that there was to be a change.
For several months there had
been considerable criticism of the
management of the jail, owing to
the fact that prisoners had fre
quently escaped, one of whom was
a first cousin of the jailer. He was
later recaptured and given a long
term in the State prison. This man,
kno-wn as Red Stanley, was alleged
to have been the leader of a band
of robbers that had been operating
in Johnston county and adjoining
counties for several months.
The grand jury made an inves
tigation of the jail, and its man
agement about a month ago; and it
was then reported that this body
of investigators 'was seriously con
sidering the taking of some action
to bring about a change in^ the
management of the jail.
Then the board of county com
missioners was reported to be on
the'^verge of asking for Stanley’s
resignation. Some people have sus-
picioned that the Sheriff may have
had a hand in the matter, though
he was"at that time seriously ill
in a sanatorium at Ashe-ville.
Nelvs and
Man Has First Wreok"
Better Business Seen
As Prices Go Higher
Increased. Sales, Rising Prifces and
More Jobs For More Men Would
Indicate That the Tide For Better
'Tim.es Is Gradually Turning.
(By Associated Press)
Favorable busines.s developments
over the nation Monday included:
Chicago—^The egg market shot up
to a new high for the year, the Oc
tober delivery closing at 17 3-4, up
3-8.
Pittsburgh—Total output of soft
coal gained 4.9 per cent over the
previous week and anthracite out
put showed an increase of 18.3 per
cent over the July 16 week, prom
ising additional employment in these
Proceedings of County
Recorder’s Court
Tuesday, August 2nd.
State vs. John Henry McLamb,
colored, laborer, aged 25, and Fair-
field Armstrong, colored laborer^
aged 25, for larceny of chickens,
value Less than $20. Both guilty.
McLamb. given 9 months on roads.
Armstrong given 6 months on th&
roads.
State vs. Bonnie Belle Hayes, 15,
and Lettie Hayes, both wlrite, for
indecent exposure of the person.
Bonnie B. Hayes , under 16, was
. bound to Juvenile Court, and her
case ordered tra'nsferred to said
important coal fields
Roanoke, Va.—About 400 workers | court. Lettie Hayes guilty. Defend-
will be added at the Viscose corpo- ent to be confined in county jail
ration plant August 9, stepping pro
duction up to 20 per cent of capac
ity.
New York—Cotton prices main
tained an even level with several
and assigned to custody of Mrs. D.
J Thurston, welfare officer.
State vs.. Loomis Smith, white far
mer, aged 20, for violation of pro
hibition law. Guilty of possession
contracts slightly above pervious and transportation of whiskey. De
closings. I fendant sentenced to 60 days on.
Chicago—The hog market showed j roads, to be suspended upon pay-
signs of further strength as buy
ing continued freely.
New York—Both stock and bond
markets gained with main issues
moving ahead early. Profit-taking
reduced advances, but some issues
netted gains.
Los Angeles—A/ nationwide sur
vey from 150 major markets by
credit and financial management,^of-
ficial publication of the National
.A.ssociation of Credit Men,' revealed
a heartening turn up in July sales
and collections conditions. Jackson,
Mich., noted sales definitely im
proved ■with collections bettered
from fair to good.
Dr, Rose To Give
Typhoid Vaccination
Drought Damage Bad
In Eastern Section
Smithfield, Aug. 2 —Pending elec
tion of a health officer for John
ston county, the Board of Health
has arranged with Dr. A. H. Rose
of Smithfield, to begin the typhoid
vaccinations in the county. Dr. Rose
announces that he will be at Archer
Lodge School next Thursday, Aug 4,
at 1:30 o’clock, and at the Corinth-
Holders School on the same day at
4 o’clock; at Meadow School at 2
o’clock, Friday, August 5th, and at
Bentonville postoffice at 5:30 p. m.,.
Friday, August 5th.
Crops Nearly Destroyed In Area of
State Near Kinston—Farmers
Losing. Cotton Crop Thriving.
Cotton Co-Ops To
Make Gash Payment
Smithfield, Aug. 3.—Mr
Pearce, traveling- representative of
the Raleigh News and Observer,
reached Smithfield Wednesday night
about 9 o’clock, and reported that
he bad just been in his first auto
mobile wreck. He said that it had
occurred on the highway between
Smithfield and Selma, when his
Chevrolet car was struck by one
driven by Waverly Jones, of Pine
Level, as they rounded a curve.
Pearce was coming toward Smith-
field and Jones ■was going towards
Selma. Mr. Pearce was taking a
Mrs. Driver, who also travels for
the News and Observer, to her home
in Dunn.
Nobody was seriously hurt, -but
one wheel of Mr. Pearce’s car was
torn down and it was otherwise
Mamaged. The extent of the damage
to Mr. Jones’ car is not known, but
it was said that both cars were in
bad condition after the collision.
'py ■
Checks Totalling $16(j,M0 Boon To
Be Mailed In Settlement of 1931
Seasonal Pool Cotton.
Kinston, July 28.—Drought dam
age to crops in this part of North
Carolina runs into millions of dol
lars. ^ ■
Corn is literally dead in many
fields north, south and east of here,
while the condition of the crop be
tween this city and Goldsboro, 27
miles to the west, is far from sat
isfactory.
Cotton is thriving under the high
temperatures and dryness, but much
promising' tobacco has wilted and
perished in the fields.
Vegetable crops are in ’a pitiful
■state.
The coiiiiyun is the more dis-
Mr. Hayes In Charge
SinWair Filling Station
N. T. Ryals Died
Last Sunday Morning
Mr. N. T. Ryals, former County
Surveyor, and Deputy Clerk of the
Superior Court under J. Ira Lee,
died at his home in Micro Sunday
morning at the age of 72 years.
Burial services were held at Han-
Mr. D. M. Hayes, of Selma, has
recently taken over the Sinclair
Filling Station on highway 22, which
heretofore has been in charge of Mr.
John T. Hughes. Mr. Hayes carries
a complete line of Sinclair products,
including their H. C. Super Gas and
Sinclair’s 100 per cent Pennsylvania
Oil.
The station has been newly paint
ed and renovated and now presents
a very attractive appearance. "
Billy Aycock, son of Judge and
Mrs. W. P. Aycock ,is assisting Mr.
Hayes in the operation of the plant.
catching for Lizzie, but due to poor | nah’s Creek Primitive Baptist
support lost the game. church Monday, conducted by Elder
Better luck next time, boys. Mr. Collier of Micro.
Mrs. Fannie Westbrook died at
her homein upper Sampson county
Sunday night and was buried in the
family cemetery in Meadow town
ship, Johnston county, Monday.
Raleigh, Augilst 2.--AtmounCie-
meht that $166,000 will be mailed
its members by the North Carolina
Cotton Growers Cooperative As.soci*
ation in settlement of 1931 seasonal
pool cotton brightened the week’s
farm news.
This payment is supplemental to
the liberal advance which was paid
members -when they delivered their
1931 cotton.
Checks will be mailed out as
soon as they can be written, U. B.
Blalock, general manager, said after
a regular meeting of the board of
directors. ^
The $166,000, which will go to
farmer-members in all sections of
the State cotton belt, does "not in
clude settlement on optional pool or
seed loan cotton, Mr. Blalock ex
plained. He said settlement on 1931
optional pool cotton sold during the
season will be made as soon as dis
tribution of the seasonal pool checks
has been completed.
The seed loan cotton, on which
eight cents per pound was allowed
through the cooperative on their
seed loans, is controlled by the
government.
Mr. Blalock announced that the
association -was able to secure pre
miums above the basic price as fol
lows on better grades and staples:
Forty-five points on middling 31-
32; 63 points on middling one-inch;
109 points on middling 1 I^IG, and
423 points, or $21.15 per bale, on
middling 1 1-4.
ment of $5.00 fine and cost.
State vs. J. McNeil, colored la
borer, age 21, for larceny of mer
chandise, value less than $20. Guil
ty. Defendant sentenced to 6 months
on roads.
State vs. Norman Brooks, colored
laborer, aged 20, for forcible tres
pass. Guilty, and sentenced to 90
days on roads.
, State vs. P. R. Massengill, white
farmer, for operating motor vehicle
while intoxicated. Guilty, and sen
tenced to 90 days on roads, sen
tence to be suspended upon payment
of $100.00 fine and cost, and defend
ant forbidden by law to operate a
motor vehicle again in North Car
olina during next 90 iays, Appeal,
$300.00 bond,
State vs. Hassie McNeiTj colored
laborer, aged 29, for larceny, be
ing publicly drunk and disorderly,
profane and indecent language on
public highway and »V. P. L. Not
guilty of larceny. Guilty on, all the
other counts. Defendant sentenced
to 60 days on roads, sentence to
be suspended upon payment of $10
fine and i
State vs. Willard Barefoot, white
farmer, age 19, for assault with
deadly weapon. Guilty. Defendant is
sentenced to 12 months on roads,
sentence to remain suspended during
next 5 years upon payment of cost
and upon condition that he does not
violate any criminal law during tha^
time.
State v!=. Waylon Snead, white
farmer, trespassing. Not guilty.
State vs. Waylon Snead, assault
with deadly weapon. Guilty.
Wednesday, August 3.
State vs. Mack Bryant, colored
COUragiilg to farmers, wiVJ..^kis year
made a yalient effort to age 2(5, a.ssault wife deadly
the depression by planting inCfeas-
ed food and feed crops, because they
are unaccustomed to such. Eastern
Carolina has a normal rainfall of
50 to 60 inches a year, equitably
d^^tributed. The Kington section has
ari annual precipitation of 55 inches,
with edphuus rains in summer as
well ai^ spring: in the average year.
The rainfall since June in a ter
ritory of 500 square miles around
this city has been only about two
inches. Farmers say ground-soak
ing rains within the next few days
would save a part of the crops, but
fully half of the tobacco left in the
fields—much of that crop has been
harvested and cured—and a larger
part of the corn is too badly burn
ed to recover. Stalks are parched
near the roots. The roots exracted
weaport
auu concealed
weapon. Guilty on both counli'
yvwvn-Hrci
|L,', 1
fendant given sentence of 6 months,
on roads as to each count. One sen
tence to begin at expiration of the
other.
State v.s. R. F. Woodard, white
farmer, aged 49, abandonment and
non-support of wife. Not guilty.
State vs. Zeb Lassiter, white far
mer, aged 54, and Mary C. Lang-
don, white, aged 48, for fornication,
and adultery. Both guilty. Each de
fendant sentenced to 12 months in
jail and Lassiter assigned to work
on roads. Langdon assigned to work
as sheriff sees fit. Each defendant
taxed with one-half cost.
State vs. Willie Williams and
James Armstrong, colored laborer,
aged 18. Williams not guilty. A'rm-
the last moisture from the dry earth ^ strong charged with assault with
long ago.
Clouds of thin dust hang over
fields.
The draught damage extends to
the coast. It is heavy in parts of
Craven county. Even Careret with
its m_any water courses, three
sounds bordering it on two sides,
has not escaped. Many of Pitt’s to-
bacco»barns are empty. Much of the
tobacco crop between Ayden and the
Craven county line is not worth
har\msting. There has been damage
in lower Beaufort, shot through
with almost countless rivers and
creeks.
And even Hyde, more water than
land, where normally the air is
laden with inoisture, is suffering.
Mr. D. J. Wood continues desper
ately ill at his home in Meadow
township, his many friends will re
gret to learn.
Fifteen neighbors in the Brushy
Fork community of Person-County
'^udt a fish pond for the community
last week.
deadly weapon and found guilty.
Defendant sentenced to 2 months on.
roads. '' ^
State vs. Lynn Weeks, white la
borer, aged 17, forcible trespass.
Guilty. Defendant given 4 months
on roads, sentence to be suspended
upon payment of cost and upon
condition that defendant does not
violate the prohibition law again,
during next two years.
State vs. Parker West, white far
mer, aged 17, assault with deadly
weapon. Guilty of simple assault.
Continue prayer for judgment upon
payment of cost. *
State vs. Clarence Underwood,
white farmer, aged 26, for assault
with deadly weapon. Not guilty. '
A group of farmers in southern
Wake county report they have al
ready threshed out 8,000 bushels of
small grain, mostly wheat.