North Carolina Newspapers

nri_if7 ucd a I n f— | 15,000 POPULATION] J JlfL ilClKAI A J ] KNOCKERS NOW!- 1 L—.™ ■' ,„l OF THE TWIN C1TIES-ROANOKE RAPIDS-ROSEMARY I watchuscrow | VOLUME 15.____ ROANOKE RAPIDS-ROSEMARY. N. C. THURSDAY, JANUARY :{01h, 1930._ NUMBER 12. POPULAR YOUNG LOCAL MAN COMMITS SUICIDE L. M. SPIVEY SHOOTS SELF Leaves Note of Farewell to Family; Reason for Act Unknown leaving a note of farewell which gave no explanation of the reason, Lewis M. Spivey, well known young business man, sat in a chair in bis h me on Jackson Street Tuesday night and sent a bullet crashii r into kis. brain. Realizing something, w-ns ndieally wrong with her husband an ! seeing •he gun in his hand, Mrs. Spi cy iiad rushed to the front porch fm assct anec. if there was tie, win css. it was tlie youngest child, four years •id who was on a be.: l! r""m! where the tragedy occurp-d. The note was placed on the mantle ' by Mr Sr.ivey just a few minutes he- , fere taking his life. Written on an •Id business envelope were th«• words “Good bye family. Please tala' good ! •are of my boys.” It was signed “Husband.” The deceased was the father of four boys, James, 12, Hubert, Rodney, 7, and Jack, 4. The Spivey house on Jackson Street is usually the gathering place for a large crowd every evening. There are about eight boarders and roomers and their friends are often found there. But, as if to prepare the way for tragedy. Tuesday night was one night when there *as no jolly crowd around the house. Mr. Spivey had worked for several years for Tri-City Motor Co. A few weeks ago, changes in the organiza tion were effected due to closing out agencies in Littleton and Enfield and wen older in line were brought to the main distributing point ‘here. Mr. Spivey, with others, was released. He , and James Gurkin immediately open ed the Roanoke Rapids Batter Sta tion on Second Street and wort just getting well started in business. It is said by some that he was depressed by business worries. At about 7:30 Tuesday night Lewis .Spivey was on the Avenue. had been to the battery station, tal 1 for a moment with his partner, Jin Gur kin, about no matter of importance, and left there for the hardware st >re where he purchased bullets for an old .32 calibre Owl Head revolver ich bad been in a drawer at the battery station. Gurkin was busy working and did not see him get the gun. He went directly home, wrote the >ote, placed it on the mantle and sat down in a chair in a back room Mrs. Spivey tried to reason with him hut | ran for help when she sensed hat | her husband was desperate. Spivey i tried to shoot the pistol four times. I The first time the gun snapped. The ( second time it fired, the bullet going ever the body of the four year old son on the bed and lodging in the wall. It snapped the third time and the fourth shot fired and entered the head back of the right ear, ranging upward. . Meanwhile Mrs. Spivey had sent James, the oldest son, after the police. Then she sent Mrs. W. A. James, one of the roomers, who found Police man Clifton Massey. He arrived there on the run at 7:45 just as the wound ed man was breathing his last. He found Mr. Spivey sitting in the chair in a natural position, the gun on the floor in front of him, the hand which had held the gun resting on the arm •f the chair. Fifteen minutes earli er, he had seen Spivey on the Ave nue. The deceased was well known, well liked and possessed a pleasing per sonality. Always cheerful, he was1 the last man friends would have pick- J ed to commit such a deed. They place it to temporary insanity from causes unknown. He was perfectly sane and himself a short time before the shoot ing. He attended college for two years, was n veteran of the World War, and a member of the Junior j •rder. He had been married for 13 years. ' coming here fhom Rich Square, his native home. His father, C. L. Spivey,! Rich Square, a brother, Paul Spivey, Murfreesboro, survive besides his widow and four sons. Funeral services were held at th eresidence here at , 19:30 yesterday afternoon and burial j wm at his old home in Northampton 1 #»unty. t EX-DEPUTY KILLS SELF Scotland Neck, Jan. 21) —Henry Gray, prominent citizen and former deputy sheriff of Hailfax County took his own life by shooting himself this afternoon. He was found in his ga rage by his wife. Mr. Gray, who had been in the em ploy of the county until last summer, resigned on account of had health. There was no improvement and it is thought that this fact had much to do with the act. He had many friends in Eastern Carolina and Virginia. On ly last year Mr. and Mrs. Gray cele brated their silver wedding. He ;s sifv'v.l bv his widow, who was Miss Susie White, two sisters, M:s. Clarence Riddick and Miss Bes sie Gray of 'C. hr.-. :.,1 and one or oilier I’red Cray f Virginia. FATAL * FALL INTO WELL KILLS MAN Suicide, Sleen Walking or A ccident Theories in Death of Negro Sometime between midnight and early Monday morning, Ed Caper, Negro, resident of Sea board, walked to his death. Whether he was conscious of his deed (suicide) or unconscious (walking in hie sleep) will al ways remain a mystery. Kariy Monday morning ms awoke to find him gone. Thinking he had gone out for some wood, she lay awake for some time. When he did not return, the wife began a search for him. calling in several of her neighbors to assist her . The man’s clothing was found w here he had undressed and soon the entire neighborhood was searching for an unclothed Negro man. The terri tory was combed and the sun had climbed high to nine o’clock when they found him, hidden from sight, hut not twenty yards from his own home. Ed Caper was standing on his head w hen the body was discovered. His head was buried in the bottom of the well that served the house with water. Whoever made the gruesome discov ery saw only his feet sticking out of the water. The neck was broken and the skull fractured. Death came from a com bination of these injuries with drown ing. There is the possibility of a third cause; that Caper went to the ! well for a drink, stumbled, and top I pled head foremost into the well. Be I cause of the fact that the body went ' straight to the bottom with enough I force to break the neck and fracture the skull, showing the man made no effort to save himself, seems to point to either suicide or tha the was a sleep walker. GRASS FOR CEMETERY The Civic Department of the Roa noke Rapids Womans Club held a most interesting meeting on Monday afternoon at the home of the chair man, Mrs. W. F. Joyner on Hamilton Street. The main project of this department has been the cleaning*up, etc., of Ce darwood Cemetery. Many improve ments have been made, and their pres ent plans are to plant grass on sev eral lots as an experiment. Bulbs will also be planted in the spring. Several unsightly places in the Twin Cities will be cleaned up within the near future by this department. Mrs. F. M. Brown, president of the Club made a short talk in which she asked this department to cooperate with the Welfare Department in talc ing care of several needy cases. Mrs. C. A. Wyche resigned as sec retary of this department and Mrs. C. C. Shell was elected to take her place. Mrs. H. T. Smith is vie2 chairman, and the members are, Mes dames J. W. Taylor, H. T. Smith, W. C. Allsbrook, V. T. Lamm, W. H. China, Mrs. Hazlewood, C. A. Wyche, and W. F. Joyner. The hostess ser ved delicious refreshments at the close of the meeting. 10 YEARS SENTENCE FOR LEWIS [Jecldess Hriver W h o Killed Won’n Con victed at Halifax Convicted of manslaughter in the death of Mrs. Haywood Williams of Weldon, I). J. Lewis, ahas Park •• v as sentenced to from seven to ten v°ars in the penitentiary at halifax Super ior Court this week. Mrs. Williams died Christmas live Hem injuries received when struck l.y Levis’ ear in South Weldor, the \v<>k 11 f »re Christmas. She was 1 u»c-k*‘d down and suffered a broken hip and internal injuries. A few mi.-u.n--s later Lewis crashed into the ear of •Mrs. SterPng Hilliard, injuring her, I destroying her car. an-i in Hi tin.;; se vere injuries on hints.-If. | Ji.e was badly injure'! a.’.l r< m:-:n | ed in the hospital far two we •;? under guard. At one time his *<■■■, \ -i v was d ubti'ul. It was found l at J.ev is was an escaped convict i‘- w C.de (1 mia '-ud had been livin'1, i*i v 's'»n Mu! Co , village under the name of Parker. Simon Garris, brave thief who stole a policeman's car. received a sentence of two years. Garris stole (he car of Police Clifton Massey, which had been left in front of the hospital by Chief Gray. Me was arrested by Mr. Mas sey's brother. Weld n policeman, who recognized that car ns Garris drove through Weldon on his way to the outer world. A sN months suspended sentence , was allotted by the court to M-s. An j na Cleary, mother of seven children, who was charged with having li quor in possession for pyrpose of sale. She was arrested last week by local officers who found whiskey in the baby’s bed wrapped in diapers'. The mother claimed it was the only way she could support her family. The court is reported to have told her to leave whiskey selling alone and the county would take care of the child ren. Charley Williams, charged with th possession of eleven gallons of whis key, was sentenced to six months on the roads. Many other cases from other parts of the county were acted on and the way paved for civil suits next week. Easy Teasies To Play Varsity Friday Night The basketball team of the E. C. T C. will play the varsity High School girls team at the High Srnool gym this Friday night at 7:.'?0. The ad mission will be 10, 1“) ar 1 2oc and the proceeds will go t.. th«. [•;. c. t. (' Club. As reported to The Herald the Eazy Teazies are all teachers and graduates of Eastern Carolina Teach ers College. They number some fa mous stars of the old days and are out to give the young varsity whom they teach on week days a real bat tle. Plenty of fun. some real basket ball and plenty of excitement are promised. INFANT IS EXHUMED Body Duff up After Th-ee Weeks In Grave and Prepared for Re’iurial in Tennessee Dissatisfied bocau-e her sixteen months old son was not buried in the family gravoya -d in di: t.anf Ten nessee, a mother In re asked ihnt the body be. disinterred three week1 jfiev burial and prepared for th.> joum* hack home Consequently the body of T. \. Hear .-, buried in Cedaswond r.iu> tery on January 10th. was evhumed yesterday and after three weeks in the grave was embalmed ami ic now jeady for transportation t > Seven Tennessee. The infant was the ion of Mr. an 1 Mrs. Avery Ilearst, (500 Street, Rose mary. The father is an employee of Resemauy Manufacturing Co. They came here from Tennessee some years ago. Rians are for the family to leave here the first of next week for their former home taking the body of their child for reburial. -□ Heaviest Snow Fall The heaviest snowfall in ‘Vec years lies on the <r»-ound here today with the '•’low still falling after an all night cession. .Three inches ^ovo'-s the ground and streets with a heavy coat of ice underneath. -□ Mr. Jessie P erson of Trinietl, Va., is s-, ending son: * time in th * home of Mr. and Mrs. V* J. Chambliss TENANT FARMER BLAMES LANDLORD WHO DEMANDS EXCLUSIVE MONEY CROP Since writing the long-winded edi torial which some of you may take time to read designated “The Doctor Prescribes,” which appears on the editorial page of this issue, we have read the Monday aritcle in the News and Observer by Charles Parker. For the first time, Mr. Parker has been able to portray conditions, caus es and effect, as they really exist, at least to our way of thinking. He has gotten out of the “hard hit” sections and finding less and less talk of hard times is now discovering what we knew when he was up in this neck of the woods. We are taking the liberty of re printing most of his Monday morning article wiht the necessary apologies and thanks. We hasten to add, in or der to protect the deductions and pre scriptions of “The Doctor," that this farmer Terry is the exception and not the rule, by any means, in that he not only knows what is wrong in this sec tion but is actually willing to take the medicine with a smile because he knows it will cure. In short, farmer Terry, if the report is true, is not lazy. Farmer Terry is having trouble. Now an individual farmer’s trou bles in Eastern Carolina is not news,1 it is the commonplace. But Farmer j Terrys trouble is the news. He re- • ! luted it while enjoying a “lift" be tween Warsaw and Clinton. Farmer Terry is not broke. His family is not in rags. They have plenty to eat. Farmer Terry intends to keep them in that conditiop. That of all the truths stranger than fiction is Farmer Tery’s trouble. Farmer Terry is having difficulty renting a farm under conditions that will guarantee him and his family freedom from the spectre of want stalking thousands of rural families in the east. He started in his native County of Wake and has traveled down into Sampson seeking a landlord who will no trequire him to plant his I land in tobacco or cotton. lie wants to raise food and feed, he wants to convert his feed into meat and at the same time accumulate fertilizer for another crop. He wants to have his own cows and chickens. He has a live-at-home advocate before he came back from Ohio where he has lived for the last ten years and heard of Governor Gardner’s program. Landlords Won’t Listen Farmer Terry is a hard worker. He came back from Ohio because of the severe winters and because construc tion work, in which he was engaged, was slack. A dirt farmer before he left North Carolina, he saw the wealth accumulated on the Ohio farms through use of a sane system. He saw no reason why it couldn’t be done at home, and he returned to try it. But he is having trouble. “How am I going to make enough to pay taxes and for fertilizer if you don’t raise tobacco or cotton,” land owners cry, when farmer Terry broaches his plan of subordinat ing the “cash" crop. “How are you going to make enough to pay taxes and for ferti lizer if you keep on planting cotton to feed the boll weevil and tobacco to give the manufacturers?” retorts farmer Terry, but without avail in the old line cotton and tobacco coun ties. so he came to Duplin and Samp son counties, where they are raising truck and some live stock along with their "cash crops” and where there is amoral in the fact that economic con ditions, comparatively, are not as bad (Continued on page three) Robbers Break Door The store of E. R. Matthews, 11th Street, Rosemary, was forcibly enter ed and robbed Tuesday night by par ties unknown. The plate glass front door was smashed in and the robbers walked in the store, took the money left in the cash drawer and walked out the way they entered. No stock could be found massing. TWIN CITY HISTORY IN ROAD GUIDE Facts About Town To Appear in Highway Patrol Guide Facts about the Twin Cities will ap pear in the first edition of the State Road Guide which is being published in Raleigh under the sponsorship of the State Highway Patrol. Two representatives of an adver tising concern which is working up the Guide were here last week. They sold advertisements to some of the business houses here to go with a map of the Twin Cities and a short write-up of pertinent facts prepared ; by the publicity committee of the local K i’.v.Mv's Club. The repr-M-ntativcs appeared ho fo-p the b i wan is Club last Thursday night ami explained • their guide. The direct.-rs of the Club voted to take a fife on dollar advertisement in the booklet ami furnish the map and writeup of the community, j The facts the towns as they will appear are as f >llows: Roanoke Rapids - Rosnn-.rv, N. C. Un 1. Uile 40, direct route South from Richmond to Wil mington and to Raleigh and all points West and Southwest via Route IS. All roads surfaced. Population: 9,000. Largest textile manufacturing center in Northeastern Carolina Four large mills owned bv Sim mons Bed Company employ over 2,000 workers. Rosemary Manufacturing Co., largest mak ers of cotton damask in tlw world. Paper and box mills. North Carolina headquarters of Virginia Kleetric and Power Co. Site of proposed power dam on Roanoke River, develop ment by Stone and Webster to cost nine million dollars. Two thousand school ch 11 |i'cn in city schools. 7 churches. 50 retail and wholesale stores. Consolidation of two towns un der way, with extension of White Way, water and sewer systems, street and other im provements. New Cafe Managers The Rosemary Cafe is now under the management of Messrs J. A. Car ras and Gus Hallis who recently as sumed charge and have been putting the restaurant through a thorough cleaning and renovation. These men have had fifteen years in the restau rant business and plan to run a high class cafe catering to family trade with good home cooking. RESERVE COUNCIL Sixty Seven Girls Join Club Sponsored by Local Women; Special Service Feb. 10 While the Kiwanis Club is strug gling along with organization of a Boy Scout Council and troops in the Twin Cities, the Womans Club, Par ent-Teachers Association and other agencies are busy with final organi zation plans of the Girls Reserve. There are now sixty-seven girls of te city belonging to the Reserves. Miss Claudia Hunter is chief adviser and had charge of a meeting called at the High School last Wednesday. She stated the Reserve was a branch of i Y. W. C. A. work, was an interna tional organization and was a com munity sa well as a school at. air. A City Council was formed of which Mrs. W. L. Long was chosen chair man and Miss Ada Edwards secretary. Important to the committee was the plan for a Recognition service when the girls will officially b einducted into membership in the Reserve. This service will be held on February 10 at 2:40 p.m and parents and the pub lic are urged to attend. The Council, which will direct the local activities of the Reserve, was chosen from the following who at tended the meeting last week: Mrs. F. M. Brown and Miss Winifred Beck- ! with, representing the Womans Club, Mesdames W. L. Long, J. T. Chase, Charles Ogletree, A. B. Tudor, and Misses Claudia Hunter, Mary Kestler, Frances McClary, Virginia Blount, Vernie Edins, Martha Craddock, Al ine Connor, Emma Davis and Sarah Gurley. L W. JERNIGAN CAUGHT AFTER TWO WEEI^CHASE Income Tax Men Here February 17th. Representatives of the IJ. S. In ternal Revenue Department will be i at the following places on the dates ! given to assist taxpayers in filing Federal Income Tax Returns. Inquire at postoffice. If you have received blanks by mail bring same with you. Ahoskie. Fob. 1-12; Fnfield, Feb, 11 12; Roanoke Rapids, Feb. 17, Scot land Neck, Feb. 17-18; Weldon, Feb. 18-10-20. GILLIAM GRISSOM, U. S. Collector. THOMPSON GOES AFTER BIG BANK I.^cal Map, Loser on Slock Deal. Go’n<r Af- j ter New York Bank j Samuel IT. Thompson, ice arc! >a’ I r.rvi from Rosemary, who t, siifieri in Feck ml Court in New Yo- k Inst week that he had bought $5,500 worth, 1,000 shares, of Utah Lead fv >m one | “George Wright,’’ lo fin-.l his stock * now worth less fhnn ten rants, ha^ re- ! tuPiled home with l.ign hopes of re alizing on his investment. S. M. is the one who started all this trouble for one Charles Beadon back in 192R. Going to New York to see about his stork, he found it im possible to see Mr. Weight who had sold him. When he called at the of fice, even though he had just called from the lobby below and talked to Mr. Wright, he was told that Mr. Wright was in California. “I didn’t say a word, altho I thought to myself ‘this is a crooked outfit,’ and walked right out of that office,” said Mr. Thmopson in relating his ex periences to his friends here. The stock was then supposed to he worth $7 a share and Mr. Thompson wanted to sell. Mr. Wright <i»ci not want him to sell. Mr. Thompson turned his stock over to the Hanover National Bank, one of the largest in the country, with in- 1 structions to sell, and then reported 1 the whole alfair to Federal authori ties. Tl eir investigation led to the arrest of Charles Beador and his trial with that of the lead company, two investor magazines and other de ' fondants, charged with using the [ mails to defraud. Now it appears that the Hanover Rank exchanged Mr. Thompson’s one thousand share certificate for several of smaller denomination belonging to other people, presumably with the intention of making it easier to dis pose of in smaller lots, according to Mr. Thompson, who says he ordered them to sell at $7 and he plans to go to New York, hire attorneys and sue the Bank or its broker for the full amount or over $7,000, unless settle ment is made with him. Since being told by a New York, attorney that he has a case against the bank, Mr. Thompson has lost in terest in the defrauding case where he stood to win nothing but the satis faction of putting the sheep shear ers behind the bars, and is turning I his time and attention to effecting a settlement with the bank for the mm- 1 ey he has long since kissed good-bye. The case will be watched with much interest by his many friends here, some of whom also admit hav ing been caught in the net several times. Betting on the curb is about even *hat S. M. will get his money back and more besides. Meacham on the Air Each Wednesday 7:15 Big B .y Meacham, well known Pe tersburg if 1 man, who has ert- lam ed the K \» c t is Club and other oi ganizat: •! e and gatherings here dur ing the part several year.;, was heard over St* i n WRVA, Richmond Wed nesday n'ght at 7:15. Mr. Meacham will be on the air each Wednesday night for fifteen minutes starting at 7:15, and his friends of the Twin Ci ties will be listening with much in terest. -n-. Mrs. J. A. Walker and son have been visiting friends in Vass. J. W. Crl ■ of Pleasant Hill is -t patient at the local hostmal MAINTAINS INNOCENCE Former Night Policeman Gives Reasons For Ac tions after Thefts L. W. Jernigan, whom several merchants maintain was the most reliable night watchman ever employed by the Rosemary Merchants Association, was ar rested at his home in Souh Rosemary Tuesday afternoon after a short and spirited chase and is held charged with robbery of a store and smokehouse m Bertie County several weeks ago. In the jail at Windsor, await ing trial after waiving prelimi nary examination, is Denso* Jernigan, a younger brother, al so charged with the robbery, who was captured in Petersburg January 17th, one week after the night of the robbery. Officers received word Tuesday *t this week that L. W. Jernigan, who disappeared on Monday, Jan. 13, the same day police searched his house and discovered much of the stole* property, had returned home. With a warrant, Officers Carl Green and Harry House went to the Jernigan home. There they could find no trace of the missing man, ai tho one officer guarded the front door and the other the back door, ft is thought now that Jernigan, if he was in the house, slipped out a win dow and crawled under the house. At least, that is where he was seen by a neighbor who notified the of ■ ficers as they were giving up the hunt and returning home. Jer.iigan then crawled from the house and started running across the yard and into a. neighbor’s garden with the officers after him. He was hauled down after a short spurt by Officers House, wfc© is said to be the fleetest officer in the county. According to the officials, Jerni gan tells that he is absolutely inno cent of any crime. He ma.ntains stout ly that the merchandise discovered in his house was left on the front porch by unknown parties and | simply took it in until the proper 1 owners called for it. j He says he did not ecape, did n#t | know the officers were looking for j him and simply left this part of the country looking elsewhere for a job. Questioned about his actions Tues^ | day afternoon, Jernigan says the ©f ! ficers are all wrong. He was »ot ■ hiding under the house. He was under j the house looking for a chicken. He was not running from Officer House. He was chasing said chicken. The Jernigan brothers are charged with breaking in the store of T. J. Jernigan, a distant relative, and the smokehouse of Mont White, a farmer near Powellsville, Bertie County, ou the night of January 10th. A check book, said to belong to the elder Jer nigan, was the clue which led & Rosemary. The checkbook was found in the smokehouse the morning after the robbery. [ Officers visited the hous ewhere the younger Jernigan had been staying and found part of the loot. At the house of L. W. Jernigan, they found shoes, hose, socks, tires, bolts of cloth, fresh and cured meat, cigaret tes and other items identified by the Bertie County merchant and farmer, This was on Monday afternoon, Jan. 13. That morning, L. W. Jernigan was seen traveling North across the river on foot; at least he rode across the river w ith a white man who drop ped him just across the river. For two weeks he remained in seclusion so far as the police of several cities were concerned. Both brothers steadily maintain their innocence. L. W. Jernigan was taken to Wind* sor jail by Bertie County officers yes terday in default of bond. -□ $25,000 House Bums The Wiggins residence near Gas burg was completely destroyed bj fire Sunday. F5 ” * started in the toi of the house arr1 burned down. Th< home was bui’t • v ut 1910 by Dr. n T. Moore at a > uted cost of $25,Oil and was oi'.e of i- <• show places of tn community.