2nd DEGREE MURDER
DEFENSE WINS HARD
FOUGHT MURDER CASE
WITH LESSER VERDICT
OHie Richardson, Negro, who
killed Lewis Jeffries several weeks
ago in an argument over the
payment of 15 cents worth of bar
becue, unable to employ counsel,
was found guilty of second degree
murder after an all day and night
trial in Halifax Superior Court
yesterday.
Judge Calyton Moore appointed
Julian R. Allsbrook of Roanoke
Rapids, to defend Richardson.
Scott Benton, associated with Mr.
Allsbrook, assisted the defense,
while Attorney Liverman, of Scot
land Neck, assisted Solicitor W. H.
S. Burgwyn.
The defense was willing to sub
mit to a second degree murder
charge but the State held out for
a trial for first degree murder and
the electric chair, terming the kill
ing as cold-blooded murder.
Masterful handling of the case
by the defense attorneys, with an
hour’s address to the jury by Mr.
Allsbrook, even in the face of a
mass of convicting evidence by
the State, is said to have saved
Richardson from the chair. The
trial was as hard fought as any
of recent record, attacted large
crowds thruout the day and night. |
The jury returned a verdict of,
second degree murder and Judge
Moore fixed the punishment at the
limit, 30 years in the penitentiary.
The shooting took place at a
sawmni aDout ten miles from
Scotland Neck. Jeffries was cook
ing and selling barbecue to those
working at the sawmill. The argu
ment started when Richardson,
after buying 15 cents worth of
barbecue, asked for an extra piece
and was refused by Jeffries.
The two began to curse and a
buse each other and State wit
nesses relate that Richardson left
after saying he would pay Jeff
ries in a way which would not su't
him. He returned a half hour lat
er with a shotgun and three shells,
told the rest of the crowd to stay
where they were and then shot
Jeffries who was pleading for
his life. The State witnesses then
told that Richardson reloaded his
gun, came closer and fired again
into Jeffries body, the load making
a hole the size of an egg. Then he
walked up to the body and kicked
it, they said, and then threatening
the crowd, walked away whistl
ing.
Richardson, who took the stand,
told a different story. He says
when he returned, Jeffries start
ed around the table at him with a
hatchet. He said he was much
smaller than Jeffries, crippled in
the arms, and fired in defense. He
also said he fired the second shot
when he thought Jeffries was reel
ing to get a pistol which Jeffries
had near a tree, and that instead
of kicking the body, he walked
over and turned it over to find
out about the gun. He said he then
walked toward Scotland Neck to
give up to the Sheriff. He was
arrested about a mile from Scot
land Neck.
When the administration moves
to eixtend credit facilities to the
small tradesman it is doing what
the small tradesman will probably
call “something.”
One reason that some things are
radically wrong is that too many
persons are doing things they
know to be far from right.
TEST OF
FORD V-8
IS MADE
In a thrilling 3-day-and-night
endurance test of a driver’s skill
against the stamina of a Ford V-8
stcck-model car, “Daredevil Jack”
Jones, veteran endurance driver,
piloted the two-door demonstra
tor sedan over 1264 miles in city
traffic last week to bring out a
record cf 18.32 miles-to-the-gal
lon of gasoline. A total of one pint
of oil ’"as us°d. The motor did not
stop during the run.
The gasoline record is consid
ered particularly significant since
practically all of the driving was
done through city traffic, heavier
than usual because of the Fair
crowds. Altho’ the motor of the I
car did not stop once, Jones neces
-arily had to slow down and come
to an almost complete stop many
times because of pedestrians and
traffic.
It was pointed out by V. F. Har
rison. manager of the Roanoke
Motor Co., local Ford dealers spon
soring the run, that had the car
been driven on the highway, the
gasoline consumption would have
shown a much better miles-per
hour record.
Jones started his gruelling 3
day-and-night test a week ago
last Monday. He was handcuffed
to the wheels of the automobile by
a city officer, and drove night anl
day for 72-hours, until he brought
the car to a stop in front of the
local Ford dealers Thursday noon.
The car used no water at all, and
the crankcase was drained of 4^2
quarts of (
World's Fair Awaits Arrival of Graf Zeppelin
The Graf Zeppelin, famous German airship,
pictured here with a throng that gathered to see
' it moored, will visit the Chicago World’s Fair,
probably October 25. Inset: Dr. Hugo Eckener,
who will be in command of the dirigible when it
arrives at the Exposition.
LOCAL CLUB AT SPRINGS
RANGE IS
GIVEN TO
SCHOOL
Kiwanis Minstrel Coming In
December; Members At
Convention
A range for the Home Econo
mic Department of Aurelian
Springs School will be presented
to that school by the Kiwanis Club
of Roanoke Rapids, it was decid
ed at the meeting of the board of
directors Tuesday night.
The local club met at Aurelian
Springs last Thursday night in the
new log building built by the
Young Tar Heel Farmers. A
splendid meal was served by the
Woman’s Home Demonstration
Club of Aurelian Springs.
Entertainment during the meal
hour was furnished by pupils and
teachers of Aurelian Springs. The
new Home Economics Department
was explained to the Kiwanis Club
and the need for equipment stress
ed. The most important need was
for a cooking range. Billy Nor
wood was appointed chairman of
the club committee to report on
the range.
In order to provide funds for
this and other calls made on the
Kiwanis Club and to carry on the
Boy Scout work and other activi
ties in the city, the local club has
decided to stage its Fourth An
nual Minstrel sometime in Decem
ber. Tentative dates have been set
between the first and fifteenth
of December.
Thre will be no meeting here
this week, all local club members
attending the District Convention
REYNOLDS IN EAST
THIS WEEK MAKING
FIGHT FOR REPEAL
Page-Miller
A wedding of interest to many
took place in Emporia, Va., Sat
urday afternoon when Miss Ber
tha Miller, of Roanoke Rapids,
was given in marriage by her sis
ter, Mrs. C. F. Page, to Mr. W.
E. Page, also of Roanoke Rapids.
The bride was attractively at
tired in a creation of dark blue
crepe with matching accessories.
The couple will make their home
MRS. LAMPLEY HOSTESS
Mrs. George Lampley entertain
ed her bridge club on Tuesday
evening. At the three tables where
progressive contract was played
places were found by attractive
tallies.
When the scores were collected
Mrs. Zollie Powell was given a tea
pot for winning high score, and
Mrs. Eugene Wilson ash trays as
consolation. A salad course was
served at ten thirty. Those mak
ing up the tables were: Miss Edna
Wafford, Mesdames Zollie Pow
ell, Eugene Wilson, Alvis George,
Bill Alligood, Clyde Liske, Ivey
Mohorn, Lester Edmondson, Sam
Bunn, Wilmer Collier, R. L. Mar
tin and Carrie Hamlet.
at Elizabeth City. Regular dele
gates will leave Thursday after
noon and the balance of the club
will leave here Friday morning,
most of them planning to spend
Friday night there to attend the
dosing sessions Saturday morning.
Raleigh, Oct. 26.—Senator Rob
ert R. Reynolds, instead of “run
ning out on” the repeal forces, as
has been charged, is to make a
whirlwind campaign for repeal of
the 18th amendment, in North
Carolina, making 21 speeches in
as many places in the 12 days im
mediately preceding the election
November 7, Walter Murphy, sec
retary of the repeal forces, an
nounces.
Senator Reynolds’ speaking
schedule follows: October 24,
Sparta at 2:30; Mt. Airy at 8
p. m.; October 25, Warrenton at
8 p. m.; October 26, Jackson at
2:30, Ahoskie at 8 p. m.; October
27. Currituck at 2:30 and Hert
ford at 8 p. m.; October 28,
Windsor at 2:30 and Swan Quar
ter at 8 p. m.; October 30, Beau
fort at 8 p. m.; October 31, Bay
boro at 2:30 and Kinston at 8 p.
m.; November 1, Swansboro at
2:30 and Burgaw at 8 p. m.; Nov
ember 2, Whiteville at 2:30 and
Troy at 8 p. m.; November 3,
Mooresville at2 p. m., and Shel
by at 8 p. m.; November 4, Rob
binsville at 2:30 and Franklin at
8 p. m.; and Monday, November
6, Asheville, his home town at 8
p. m.
“We are counting more upon
the patriotism and alertness of the
national recovery program on the
part of the people of North Caro
lina for our success than upon
anything else,” said Mr. Murphy,
who said the repeal leaders have
advised against a campaign of
ballohoo and sensationalism.
“The manner in which Demo
crats and Republicans alike, rich
and poor, high and low, through
out the whole of the nation have
responded to President Roosevelt’s
magnificent labors to restore the
American people to an order of
prosperity and contented citizen
ship, has left us firm in the be
lief that North Carolina will not
fail to demand its fair share of
responsibility in helping to make
national recovery a reality.” Suc
cess of the program depends upon
wholehearted cooperation and as
sistance of the American people,
he states.
In the popular votes registered,
the people have responded in 33
states for repeal of the 18th a
mendment to the Presdient’s an
nouncement that such action is a
necessary part of the recovery
program, Mr. Murphy said.
“It is unthinkable that the peo
ple of this State would permit
North Carolina to secede from the
union of that program at this
critical point in the nation’s re
covery when its great leader is
begging for 100 per cent support
of his efforts,” Mr. Murphy said.
Just exactly how close to war
the European nations are at this
time we cannot say, but they are
much closer than most of ns
think.
Farm prices have gone up soma
but not fast enough to kee|p up
with other advances. Hence, the
farmer is not much better off than
he was in Marcu.