DISPATCH
M rzoru riad
THE DISPATCH,
WHI SOT TOTJI
c it sirrais m nr
THE DISPATCH
OXLT 051 DOLLAR A TXUL
THE PAPER OF THE PEOPLE. FOR THE PEOPLE AND WIPJH THE PEOPLE
f' j
-J
ESTABLISHED 1832
LEXINGTON. N. C. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13. 1913.
VOL. XXX1I-NO. 15
VA
THE
H. CLAY GRUBB SHOT
AND KILLED BY HIS WIFE
Mrs. Grubb Had Been Terribly Beaten Before She Killed Him
Three Shots Fired Grubb Asleep or Just Waking -When
First Shot Was Fired,
DEED JUSTIFIABLE
The Coroner's Jary Found That Mrs.
Grubb Shot la Self Defense Killing
Took Place In Boone Township
The Evidence of Zeb Grnbb and
Misses Bulah and Edna Grnbb in
Detail Mrs. Grnbb Was Very Bad.
ly Hurt Fnneral Sunday Drew Bee.
ord-Breaking Crowd From All (her
this Section Grnbb Was a Man of
Considerable Wealth.
H. Clay Grubb. a leading citizen of
Boone township and one ot the best
knnwn citizens or tne county, was
ahnt and killed by his wife. Emma P.
Grubb, at their home near Churchland
Saturday morning at about one
o'clock. The news of the killing cre
ated a sensation the like of which has
not teen known In Davidson county
In many years.
News of the killing reached Lexing
ton early Saturday morning and at
about five oclock Sheriff anaw start
ed for the Grubb 'home. Coroner Pea.
cock was notified and he was'on the
scene a little after ten o'clock. Sher
iff Shaw summoned a jury of six and
the Inquest began soon after the ar
rival of the coroner.
THE EVIDENCE IN THE CASE.
The coroner's Jury was composed of
the following citizens: John W, Lam
beth, S. W. Finch, Dermot Shemwell.
George F. Morefleld, J. F. Hedrick,
Charles Swicegood. The first witness
examined was Zeb Grubb, the 15-year
old son of the dead man, who told of
his father coming home on Friday
evening, slightly intoxicated. He was
not sure that he had been drinking at
all but thought he had and after com
inir hnmie he continued to drink. Along
about ten o'clock he became violent
and abusive and : went into mrs.
Grubb'S room. She had lain down. He
tairan tn curse and abuse her and
trom that to beat her. The boy beg
ged his lather to let hiB mother alone
but to no avail. He ran the boy away.
The beating and abuse continued for
umt Mm. the boy did not know how
long. Finally it ceased and Mr. Grubb
..Uy .dKiL.on. a davenport closeto.tbe
Hnnr About 30 minutes later ac
cording to the boy, his mother enter
ed and shot nis istner, wnue ue
yet asleep or Just as he was waking
up. He did not know which and could
not tell whether his father was awake
when the first shot was fired or not.
Grubb was on his feet and going to
ward hiB wife when the other two
shots were fired.
MISS BULAH GRUBB ON THE
,' ; STAND.
Miss Bulah Grubb, a daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Grubb, was the next wit
ness. She said that when her father wiu recover,
er detail of the affair that was not
touched by other witnesses .but was
corroborated by Mrs. Grubb in her
statement to the Jury later. She said
that her father, after beating her
mother for some Mme, seized her by
her hair and dragged her 6it ot her
room, through the living room and
around to the automobile shed at the
back of the house, where he secured
his., pistol and then,, dragging ber by
the hair, took her back into the living
room and threw her down on the dav
enport. "'
iMlss Edna told of other troubles in
the oast in which her mother had suf-
fered abuse and mistreatment but
stated that she did not believe that
her father intended to kill her mother,
even after the threats made. She was
afraid, however, that he would kill her
unintentionally, for he was so strong
and so rough when drunk. She did
not believe that her mother could sur
vive further beating and in response
to a question, she said that she be
lieved that her mother felt that any
further beating would kill her and
that was why she shot. 1
MRS. GRUBB'S STATEMENT.
Later the coroner's Jury was invited
to visit Mrs. Grubb, who was in a
room in a small house at the edge of
the yard. Mrs. Grubb asked to be a!
lowed to make a statement. She told
a story that confirmed the testimony
of her daughters, in almost every de
tail. She said that she believed that
her husband fully intended to kill her
and that she acted in self-defense. She
was very calm, very cool and self-pos
sessed and told her story in a most
convincing way. She said that Mr.
Grubb had been dangerous for two
years. She had realized it all along
and when he had been drunk and
quarrelsome, she bad always tried to
get out of his way and stay away un
til he got sober. : Sometimes she was
unable to get away and had been ter
ribly beaten. Friday night he was
worse than ever and she was suffering
so terribly that she knew she could
not stand any more beating. She did
not want to kill him but felt that she
had to do it for the protection of her
self and her children. She said that
he had his pistol in bis hand as he
trose from the- davenporr-nd it -was
pointed toward her as she fired; She
did not know how many times she
shot
'Mrs. Grubb was horribly beaten. A
crashing blow with the butt of the
pistol had broken the bridge ot her
nose. One ear was split, the hammer
of the pistol doing that, and both legs.
from her feet to her thighs, were a
mass ot bruised flesh. Her right arm
was terribly lacerated from her wrist
to her elbow and her left arm was in
almost as .bad condition. iHer injur
ies are serious and very painful but
counties, the most ot it very fine land,
and in addition to this he held many
line pieces of property in Salisbury.
The home place, with about 300 acres
in it. was tn his wife's name and will
not be affected by any debts of the estate.
Members of the family placed his
Indebtedness at $200,000 and many
were of the opinion that under a forc
ed sale, all of his properties woull
bring but little more. Mr. Grubb him
self was ot th opinion, a short time
before his death, and so expressed
himself to a friend in Lexington, that
he was worth about half a million dol
lars.
NO LIFE INSURANCE.
Ill was rumored here Saturday
morning that Mr. Grubb carried about
$100,000 in life Insurance but this is
not true. A man who was close to
him In business affairs, told The Dis
patch man that he did not ibelieve that
Mr. Grubb carried any Insurance at
all. He used to carry rather heavy
Insurance but of late years had lost
faith In life insurance and had drop
ped all of it, and had advised this
friend to drop his.
He Is survived by eight children,
four sons and four daughters, three
of whom witnessed his tragic ending.
THE FUNERAL.
The body of H. Clay Grubb was laid
to rest Sunday afternoon in the Grubb
burying ground near his home. The
funeral services were conducted by
Rev. V. E. Swaim and It is estimated
that fully 3,000 gathered to look for the
last time upon his face. There was
some drunkenness and disorder
around the outskirts of the big crowd
but In the main the great throng was
orderly and subdued. Mrs. Grubb was
greatly annoyed by the crowds of
morbidly curious who crowded around
her door and peered in at the win
dows.
A tragic feature of the afternoon
was the carrying of the dead body of
her husband into her room so that
she .might look upon him for the last
time. This was done at her request
and she stood the ordeal remarkably
well.
At last accounts Mrs. Grubb was
improving steadily and was thought
to be out of danger. She had an
alarming fainting spell Saturday night
but since that time there have been
no dangerous symptoms.
The sentiment of the multitude
seemed to be entirely with Mrs. Grubb.
S.
H.
T.
. F
became boisterous and started cursing
she went to her room upstairs, one
heard her mother's cries and screams
and heard the tolows. About ten o'clock,
She thinks it was, her: father called
her to come down stairs and she and
her sister, Miss Edna, went down. She
found that her mother had been terri
bly beaten. Her face was bleeding
and blood was oozing from her shoes
and she was barely able to move. Her
father continued to beat her mother
over the head, using his pistol, which
he held in his hand, and telling her
that he was going to kill her, and all
; of the family. Including Lester Davis,
' Mr. Oruhh's brother.
Finally, "after he had tired of beat
ing his wife, Grobb lay down on' the
davenport ana aroppea on w sieop,
savins before he did so that as soon
as he got up be was going to kill Mrs.
Grubb. Several minutes elapsed, dur
ing which Mrs. Grubb had sent her
son, Zeb, for her pistol, which was in
h kitchen. Mrs. Grubb (went into
her room nnd later, according to the
testimony ot another witness, crawlei
out ot the window and was at the
door. Mr. Grnbb slept a few minutes.
Miss Bulah did not know how long,
and when he made a movement as if
n riBP aha beard her mother scream
and saw her dash through the door
, that leads out on the .porch, with her
pistol In her hand. She fired three
shots, all striking htm in vital spot
and any one of them would have
caused almost Instant death.
TESTIMONY OF MISS EDNA GRUBB
Miss Edna Grubb, another daughter,
was the third witness. She told prac
tically the same story as that told by
. her older sister, but added a few tie
tails. She said that at one time she
thought that her mother was dead.
Her father struck her over the head
with his pistol with audh violence that
she was almost unconscious. Mrs.
. Grubb tried to get away from Mr.
Grubb and asked to be allowed to get
her a drink on the back porch. He
followed her, holding on to her skirt
- and saying that he was not going fc
let her get away and go to her broth
er Lester Davis, but was going to keep
her right there and kill her and all
tha rant nf the family, after which be
, wnitM ttle with Lester. ; - Ho
brought her back into the room and
pushed her down on the davenport
and lay down on the other end of it,
telling her that when he rested he
'was going to kill her. He tell asleep
and she dragged herself Into he'
' room. Zeb went tor her pistol. Mies
Edna crept around the back, way to
her mother's window and asked. her
why she did not run away. Mrs,
nmbb told her that It would he lm-
-nnanthia for her to co anywhere, she
-was hurt so bad. but asked to be help
d from the room. Miss Edna pulled
her through the window and the two
sat down by the door to await further
developments. Suddenly Mr." Grubb
moved. His daughter thought he was
getting up. Mrs. Grubb screamed and
ran Into the room, followed by Miss
Edna. She Ared three times, killing
bur husband almost instantly.
Miss Edna also brought out nnoth-
THE JURY'S VERDICT.
After hearing the statement ot Mrs.
Grubb the Jury retired and in a few
minutes returned with the following
verdict: -
We find that the deceased, H. Clay
Grobb, came to his. death from a gun.
shot wound inflicted by the hand or
his wife, Emma F. Grubb, in self de
tense and she was Justifiable in her
act"
WHAT THE NEIGHBORS SAID.
The place was overrun with people.
All of the neighbors were there and
they heard the evidence with no little
interest, and nearly all had stories to
tell. As one man expressed, Mr.
Grubb's friends had been knowing all
Along that his family was in danger
but they wouldn't say anything about
It. His enemies were afraid to say
anything, It was confidently expected
that when the .outbreak did come that
It would be some member of his fam
ily that wonld suffer. Others told of
nights when, Grubb would run his
family from home and make them
sleep outdoors and a Mr. Barnhardt
who lives on the place, told that about
four weeks ago he saw Grubb chasing
his wife, who was screaming and beg
ging Tor mercy, witn a pitcnrorx.
MANY REDEEMING QUALITIES.
And the talk of the neighbors was
not all to his hurt. Many told ot his
tine work of recent years toward the
upbuilding of the community and his
willingness to help every worthy
cause. Ha was a big-hearted, good'
natured man, when not under the In
fluence of liquor and numbered his
friends In the county by the score. His
neighbors say that to him is due large
Iy the credit for the fine roads that are
to be found in all parts of Boone
townshtn.
At the time of his death he was en
gaged in building the new section of
the Central Highway through Tyro
township, at large expense to himself
and it Is known that he bad planned
to do many other things tor the coun
ty. - : . . -
HE HAD LIVED A STORMY LIFE.
Mr. Grubb had lived a stormy life
He was a man of quick temper, al
ways ready to resent an affront and
was often engaged in quarrels and
sometimes these quarrels were mark
ed by physical violence. Nine years
ago he shot and killed his wife's
brother, Obe Davis. He-was tried tor
thts offense in Rowan county, tha case
being removed trom Davidson. Me
was freed on the plea ot self-defense.
Davis and he had bad a mlsunder
standing of some sort and both had
threatened to ktll on first sight Grnbb
drew first and killed Davis.
WAS MAN OF LARGE WEALTH
Mr. Grubb's real estate holdings
were large. . No one knows Just how
much he was worth over and above
his debts. It is known that during
the last few rears hs became very
deeply Involved. - He built a sky-sera-iper
In Salisbury that colt a barrel of
money and it is known that this Is not
all paid tor. He owned about 6500
acres of land tn Davidson and Rowan
LIqnor.
Did the people of North Carolina
make any mistake In outlawing the
liquor traffic? Perhaps the best an
swer to that question may be found in
Davidson county s tragedy of Satur
day, when a wife and mother, bruised
and bleeding,, and driven to despera
tion! thrlce-lo tlroogh- the' heart the
man 'who had sworn to love, cherish
and protect her.
'For sheer horror we doubt whether
that affair has a parallel In the crimi
nal annals of the state. A fortune
that rested largely upon liquor failed
to bring happiness, and finally, In the
last chapter, alcohol so dethroned rea
son that a .man, at other times re
flecting creditable ideals of citizenship,
was brought well below the brute lev
el.
Has the liquor traffic, under any ctr-
cumstances and in any aspect, a valid
defense? H. Clay Grubb Is the an
swer. Greensboro News.
THE COBS CONTESTANTS.
Slxty-SeTca Men Are Trying to Beat
All Beeords for Corn Growing
la This Cennty.
The Davidson County Asrlmiturai
Association held an Interesting meet
ing Saturday afternoon In the rranri
Jury room at the courthouse. It was
decided to go to work on the premium
list at once and the complete list of
contestants was prepared for publica
tion, xne contestants are as follows:
Lexington township W. C. Wilson,
A C. Tussey, John T. Jenkins, D. D.
Smith and D. H. Black.
Yadkin College A. L. Hartley
Webster Snider, Ivsy Michael, John
jnrcaaei, j. w. waiser.
Emmons J. W. Frank, W. H. Leach,
J. C. Crouse, John T. Pierce, H. M.
Skeen.
Healing Springs C. G. Doby, Grady
Smith, Forrest Holmes, W. L. D. Sur-
ratt, J. s. Carrlck.
Cotton Grove Henry E. SImth.
E. Warfford, Robert Sheets. W.
Smith, J. C. Owens.
Reedy Creek Settle Hanes. T.
Hanes, J. D. Hill, J. D. Huffman, C
Weaver.
Conrad Hill A. . Burkhead. J.
Warfford, T. G. Klndley, M. M. Swing,
ana u. a. swing.
Arcadia E. W. Wilson. J. E. Heee.
j. a. Hege, W. T. ferryman, W. L.
uraver.
Tyro C. H. Fritts, L. C. Snider. C,
A. Waiser, J. A. Myers, Boone Swlce-
good, N. H. Swicegood, C. F. Koonts.
Silver Hill T. L. Palmer, D. R.
Beanblossom, G. C, Palmer, J. A Mc
Cam, C. H. Palmer.
Jackson Hill J. B. Badgett, J. A,
Surratt, W. R. Badgett, N. H. Johnson,
stokes smith. i- ,
Midway J. Elmer Perryraan, Geo
Potts, J. F. Sloeloff, Charles Lindsay,
r . j. wuicker. fi
.Thomasvllle J. M. Stone, J. W.
Bowers, J. F, Sechrlest, J. C. Mere
dith and David Kennedy.
A committee was named to solicit
premiums among the farmers, busi
ness men and professional men of the
county. This committee was compos
ed of the following: Lexington town
ship, A. C. Tussey; Thomasville, J. F.
Sechrlest; Yadkin College, J. W. Wai
ser; Tyro, N. H. Swicegood; Arcadia,
W. I. Perryimani Reedy Creek. J. D.
Huffman; Midway. P. E. Whicker:
Jackson Hill, Stokes Smith; Emmons,
H. M. Skeen; Conrad Hill, M. M.
Swing; Silver Hill, D. R. Beanblos
som; Healing Slprlngs, Cicero Doby;
Cotton Grove, E. H. Warfford.
Feaad $1,2631 Worth of Stamps ia
His Tobacco Ban.
A dispatch from Kernersville, pub
lished in Saturday's dally papers,
says:
Henry Gordon while cleaning a to
bacco barn preparatory to curing to
bacco on the farm of W. S. Linvllle
late yesterday afternoon was shower
ed with postage stamps. He had fin
ished cleaning the ground floor and
begun to take tobacco sticks from off
the poles where they had been stored
for the winter and put them on the
outside ot the barn. Suddenly he was
showered with postage stamps. He
called a number of fellow workmen
and Mr. Linvllle to the barn to see the
stamps. Mr. Linvllle Immediately
telephoned to his son Ed. M. Linvllle
who is the local postmaster to come
and see If the stamps were the ones
that were stolen from his office when
It iwas burglarized June 7 last. Th
barn is only situated about three
quarters of a mile from the postofllce
and soon the postmaster was on the
ground. Instantly he identified them
as the ones stolen from his office. He
brought them back to the postofllce
and made an Inventory of them and
found their value to be $1,263.04. From
one of the sheets which had never
been broken there was one 10 cent
stamp gone, which was evidently lost
in handling. Counting this stamp it
is the exact amount stolen from hla
office.
It is not strange to those who know
something of the ways of yeggmen
Often they hide their booty near the
scene of the crime and absent them
selves from the country and when
everything has gotten reasonably quiet
they quietly steal back and get the
goods and .make for some point where
they can dispose of them. But It is
strange that they never returned for
these stamps, for It was two months
to the day from the time they were
stolen until the day they were found.
Mr. Gordon lives near the barn and
sometime back saw a man come out ot
the barn one morning presumably a
tramp and not caring to nave tramps
spend the night so near his dwelling
went and locked the barn. It may be
that the yegemen sometime returned
for the stamps and .found the ban
locked and thought possibly Uncle
Sam had discovered them and was
having the barn watched and that
their liberty was worth more than the
stamps. Many reasons have been ad
vanced, but they all have to admit
that it is a mystery.
LEE LORD IS SANE
SO SAYS THE JURY
Jurors Were Out Eighteen Hours Before Bringing in Verdict
Tnal of Case Consumed Entire WeekGreat
Speeches Made on Both Sides.
EDl'CATIO.AL PROGRESS.
R. E. L. Monnteastle Dead.
Hon. Robert E. Lee Mountcastle,
brother of Mr. George W. Mountcastle,
of this city, died Friday night in the
Lincoln Memorial hospital in Knox.
vllle, Tenn. He had gone to the hos
pital for a minor operation a day or
two bofore and from the operation
euremla, an acute fonm of Brlght's
Disease, developed, which resulted In
his death Friday night Mr. George
W. Mountcastle, ot this city, received
telegram Friday morning, giving
him the first news of his brother's ill
ness and he left tor Knoxvllle imme
diately.
Mr. Mountcastle was one ot the
leading citizens ot Tennessee. He had
Pbeen democratic national committee
man for Tennessee Blnce 1902 and was
one of the leaders of the 'democratic
party in the south. His advice and
counsel were sought by the leaders
of the party in the nation and his in
fluence was far-reaching. He was the
leading lawyer ot Tennessee, alike at
home in civil and criminal practice.
He served two terms as president of
the Tennessee Bar Association , and
several times acted as Judge In the
circuit courts of Tennessee to fill va
cancies. He could have held high of
fice but never sought It.
He is survived by a widow and four
children, two sons and two daughters.
A sister, Miss Bula Mountcastle, ot
Jefferson City, Tenn., and two broth
ers, Messrs. Frank Mountcastle, of
Johnson City, Tenn., and 'Mr. George
W. Mountcastle, ot Lexington, survive
him.
George Benson, of Greensboro, Drown
ed.
George Benson, a private In the
Guilford Grays, Greensboro's military
eonjpany..waa. drownsd-at Fort Gaa,-
well Thursday afternoon. Young Ben
son was the son of Mr. John C. Ben
son, of Greensboro, was IT years of
age, and was an employe ot the
Greensboro News office, where he was
a .general favorite The News gives
the -following particulars:
Young Benson bathed out too far
In the bay with companions on a log
and their improvised raft was caught
In a strong out-going current.
"George ' Benson completed the
.morning drill with his detail at 11
o'clock and prepared to take his cus
tomary plunge. He with John Schlos
ser and Earl Smith went to the suf
together with another man of the sec
ond company. They ventured out fur
ther than usual and were, caught In
the current and realized that they
could not bring the log back. Smith
and the man of the second left the
log and Bwam shoreward. Schlosser
asked Benson to hold on while a boat
was secured or the life saver pick
tnem up with a glass. "I am going lu
to swim or drown," the lad said, air
though he had already confided the
belief that he could not make It
Schlosser followed him Into the sea
and reached the shore exhausted as
did the other two. Benson failed to
arrive. The alarm was spread and
the life savers called out The trage
dy has cast a gloom over the camp.
Benson's body was recovered Satur
day evening, 8 miles down the coast,
and was carried to Greensboro for
burial.
CoL
From
Cody Never Recovered
Wreck at Ilnwood.
In a half column editorial, pathetic
In Its description of the financial fail
ure ot Col. W. F. Cody, better known
as "Buffalo Bill" and the hard road
his wild west shows traveled In re
cent years, the Charlotte Observer
concludes with this paragraph:
"One of the worst misfortunes sus
tained by Colonel Cody though, the
financial loss fell principally upon the
circus syndicate, which bad then ab
sorbed his show occurred at Lin
wood, 11 miles north ot Salisbury, 11
or 11 years ago. One section of the
show train collided head-on with a
freight and many fine horses, Includ
Ing the little mare on which Colonel
Cody bad displayed his qualities as a
rifle shot In Charlotte the day before,
wens killed or had to be killed in con.
sequence of the injuries received."
Cotton In Warehouse Fired by Light.
nlng.
Fire, started by lightning in the
Bloomfield Manufacturing Company's
cotton warehouse at Bloomfield, near
Statesvllle, during the severe storm
which passed over that section early
Tuesday night, did damage to the ex,
tent of several thousand dollars. One
half of the warehouse, which is dl
vided by a heavy torlok wall, was gut
ted by the flames and 186 bales of cot
ton stored in the house, the property
of the Palo Cotton Mill, was burned
over and badly damaged. -The cotton
was worth In the neighborhood ot
$12,000 and it is not known Just how
much of It can be saved. The loss
will probably be covered by the In
surance carried on the cotton by the
Paola Company. There was no in
surance on the warehouse, which Is
damaged to the extent of several hun
dred dollars, says the Landmark.
Ex-Congressman Brewer Dies at Par
Is, Texas. '
Hon. John M, Brower, formerly of
Mt Airy died In a hospital In Paris,
Texas, last Tuesday night He bad
one there for treatment from his
home at Boswell, Okla. He had been
In declining health for some time and
rapidly grew worse about the time he
decided to enter a hospital tor treat
ment He was expecting to submit to
an operation tor hernia, thinking that
might be the seat of his trouble, but
his condition was such that it was not
thought best to operate, and he died
tn a short time after reaching Fans.
His body was brought back to iMt Airy
for burial.
Senator Johnston Dead.
The slender democratic majority In
the United States senate was further
cut down last week by the death of
Senator Johnston, ot Alabama. It was
stated last week that 49 democratic
senators would siiDDort the- pending
tariff bill in its entirety, with Jonn-
ston out of the senate, the line up will
be 48 democrats to 47 republicans,
majority entirely too small for com
fort
Danger of the democrats losing their
majority may be obviated by the leg
islature of Alabama, under the seven
teenth amendment to the constitution
providing quickly for the filling of the
vacancy caused by Senator Johnston's
death.
The constitutional amendment pro
Ides for the filling of vacancies In
the senate In this way:
When vacancies happen in the rep
resentation of any state in the sen
ate, the executive authority of such
state shall Issue writs of election to
All such vacancy, provided that the
legislature of any state may empower
the executive thereof to make tempor
ary appointments until the people fill
the vacancies by election as the leg
Islature may direct
As In most of the other states the
Alabama legislature has not been In
session since the constitutional
amendment was adopted this spring,
and consequently has not empowered
the governor of Alabama to nil any
vacancy by appointment until an elec
tlon may be held. Furthermore, tne
Alabama legislature does not meet
until 1915.
Democrats leaders in Washington
It was said would urge upon the gov
ernor of Alabama the desirability of
his calling the legislature Into special
session to give him authority of ap
polntment, or to provide for an Immc
dlate election.
Hard to Get the Right One.
A convict from the state camp lo
cated In Greensboro some years aigo,
escaped. - He was blind In the left
eye, walked with a "drop" step and
was five feet tour tn height De
scriptions were sent out to all nearb?
towns with the result that four one
eyed negroes were caught all blind
In the left eye and ot the right height
but neither, was the fight man. Ral
elgh Times." , . : ,
Home Ron Appreciated Sometimes.
Rev. C. H. Durham never left the
state anl there is hardly -a man ot
his age In North Carolina more in de
mand or who occupies so large a place
tn the denominational life. And yet
some who have wandered away
give as an excuse for leaving that our
boys are not appreciated at home.
good deal depends on the boy. Char
ity and Children.
Farm School For Negro Boys to Be
Conducted.
At the recent great missionary meet
ing at Waynesvllle a .magnificent col
lection for prosecuting the wor
maintained by the Board of Missions
of the M. E. church, south, was made.
More than $152,000 was pledged.
Miss Bennett made an earnest ap
peal for a farm school for negro boys
In response a generous donation
two thousand dollars on the annuity
plan was given by a lady from Ken
tucky. Another Kentucky woman
Dledged another thousand dollars. Be
fore the session closed a gentleman
from Mississippi presented the Board
with a .pledge of five hundred acres
ot land to be located in whatever part
of Mississippi it was thought best to
establish the school.
Atlanta Woman Drowns at Wrights.
vllle.
iWlthin four hours of her arrival to
soend a 10 days' vacation with a par
ty of friends at Wrightsvllle Beach,
Miss Ethel Edmondson, 24 years old
a stenographer of Atlanta, was knock
ed down by a heavy sea ana arownea
Friday. Roy Wallraven, her companion,
also of Atlanta bad a close can irom
a similar fate, bottt having been
brought ashore by a life-saver at on.
of the local hotels. Heroic measures
were employed for four hours to re
suscltate Miss Edmondson, but, with
out avail.
Old Man's Body en a Fish Trap.
Mr. Hiram Henderson, aged about
seventy, was missed trom his home in
Hadler township Sunday nignt anu
a search being made his body was
found on Dark's fish trap whither
had been washed from the log cross
ing on Dry creec aoout a nuis aoove.
Tha creek was very high and It Is sup
pose he tried to cross on the footlog
and losing bis oaiance was Arownea
Slier City Grit.
What Has Been Accomplished In Dav
idson County During the Past
Six Years.
If Davidson county accomplishes a3
much during the next six years along
educational lines as it has in the past
six, it will rank among the best in the
state in 1919. Below are given some
facts and figures, clipped from the
big educational edition of the News
& Observer, which appeared last Sun
day. These statistics are tor a period
of six years, covering the administra
tion of County Superintendent P. S
Vann. The "first figures in each case
are for 1907 and the second for 1913.
Read them carefully. They will make
you proud of your county.
1907 AND 1913.
The statistics are as follows:
Number rural libraries in schools
8; 52.
Spent for rural libraries, $30;
$571.38.
Number special school tax districts,
0; 13.
Amount raised in special school tax
districts, 0; $3,132.95.
Value rural school property, $14,660;
$52400.
Number log schoolhouses (three of
these colored) 14; 4.
Number painted schoolhouses, 18;
55.
Number houses having lairge
school bells, 18; 32.
Number houses having home-made
desks, 50; 75.
Number schoolhouses having porch
es, 34; 58.
Number scholhouses furnished with
patent desks, 9; 25.
Number new schoolhouses built in
last six years, 48.
Spent for new schoolhouses, repairs
and sites, $881.65; $3606.58.
Number hyloplate blackboards In
schoolhouses, 0; 55.
Number teachers employed, 136
173.
Number schools having assistant
teachers, 4; 38.
Number teachers having normal
training 10; 53.
Number teachers taking the reading
course. 0; 130.. ..r-
Amount paid to teachers, $13210.10;
$25312.28.
School census, 9237; 10159.
Number children enrolled in
schools, 5328; 5775.
Average attendance in school, 3433:
4065.
Number children receiving certifi
cates of graduation in seventh grade
at oounty commencement, 0; 104.
Number high schools established
(five more applied for) 0; 2.
Spent for county high schools, 0;
$1500.
Amount fines and Torreituiws col
lected, $408.09; $2408.68.
Senator Johnson's Death.
One of the senators from other
states who were born In North Caro
lina died In Washington Friday. Jo.
seph Forney Johnston did credit to
his native and to his adopted state,
Going to Selina, Alabama, shortly af
ter the civil war, In which he had
served with the utmost gallantry he
later became a successful banker and
Iron and steel manufacturer at Bir
mingham, Governor of Alabama, and
Senator. His older brother, Robert
D. Johnston, followed htai (from Char
lotte) to Birmingham in the eighties
and won almost equal success. Sen
ator Johnston's death at this juncture
apparently increases the senatorial
chances of Representative Richmond
Pearson Hobson, avowed candidate
for his seat, the vacancy arising in a
term which would have expired year
after next Charlotte Observer.
Hosiery Mill to Employ Colored La
bor,
The High Point Hosiery Mills Com
pany has closed the contract for a lot
adjoining the property of the Colored
Normal School, on which the company
will construct a knitting mill. The
capacity of the 'plant will be one thou
sand dozen hose daily. The contract
for the construction of the building
will be let at once and Mr. Adams ad
vIbos us he hopes to operate the mill
some time In September. High Point
Enterprise.
Forecast for a Hard Winter.
There is a big persimmon crop and
hickory nut crop this tall, which, if
old predictions are true, means that
there will be a hard winter aneai.
This large persimmon crop means
that 'possum meat win be auunaant
and very very fine. Sller City Grit.
Only One in Captivity.
They say there is a man tn Wake
county who opposes good roads be
cause the work of road building would
take the labor oft ot the farms. We
bet there Is not another county in the
state that can match him, for we are
sure he Is the only one In captivity.
Raleigh Times. ,
Business News Notes.
Messrs. R. L, Green & O. A, Roth
rock, of the Superior Tailoring Co.,
have an Interesting ad In this issue.
Hunt It up. They are "Royal" tailors.
The J. B. Smith Company lias a
warning in Its d that all should
heed. Read It now.
The Fred Thompson Company Is ad
vertising a cut price sale on ladles
summer dresses and coat suits, right
at the hottest time ot the year. Note
their bargains.
If you are (going down Main at met
this iweek. don't fall to atop and take
a look at the big windows ot tJhe Lex
ington House Furnishing Co. They
are making a big display ot trunks
and bags this week. . .
ASK A NEW TRIAL
Defense Claimed That Jurors Were
Influenced In Their Verdict by News
of the Killing of H. Clay Grnbb by
His Wife Which Beached Them Sat.
nrday Morning Judge Shaw Con.
tlnued Motion of Defense to Set Ver
dict Aside Until Next Term of Court
Will Announce His Decision Soon
Ford Showed No Emotion When
Verdict Was Brought In.
The first chapter of the Ford case
is closed. The Jury Saturday morn
ing returned a verdict In favor of h
state, declaring that Lee Ford is now
sane.
The jury had been out eighteen
hours and the suspense, especially on
Ford's devoted little wife and other
members of his family, had been ter
rible. When the Jury filed in with, its
verdict he paid no attention to It The
big crowd that filled the court-room
to the door held Its breath and there
was a tense stillness in the room.
Ford's little boy was In his arms and
he seemed to see nothing and (hear
naming ibut tne child. Mrs. Ford
broke down when the verdict was reart
and cried piteously for half an hour
or longer but Ford never paid the
slightest attention to it. His face was
almost entirely expressionless and.
apparently, he was the most uncon
cerned person in the court room.
When the verdict was annoumwil
Mr. J. R. McCrary, of counsel for the
defense, moved to set it aside on the
ground that while at breakfast Sat
urday morning members of the jury
.heard of the killing of H. Clay Grubb
oy nis -wne ana tnat this influenced
them in reaching a verdict - Beinz
questioned, members of the iuirv stat
ed that .they stood 9 to 3 in favor of a
verdJct of insanity at the last ballot
taken Friday night and Saturday
morning, without much delay, they all
came to the decision .that the defend
ant Is sane Being questioned singly
the Jurors declared that they had not '
been Influenced in the - slightest by
news of the Grubb tragedy, with the
exception of one man who stated that
H might have tad some, influence on -him.
The motion was argued earn
estly for some time and Judge S'baw
finally continued the motion till next
term of court, which is In November, .
but gave attorneys on both sides no
tice that he would render a decision
in a short .time, so that they may know
how to proceed with their prosecution
or defence.
In attempting to prove Lee Ford in
sane his attorneys relied mainly on
the evidence of Dr. I. M. Taylor, of
tne western North Carolina Hospital
for the Insane at Morganiton, who
swore positively that Ford is a para
noiac, ur. isj. j. Buchanan, of this city,
who swore to the same thing. Dr. J. R.
Terry, Mrs. Lee . Ford, the prisoner's
wife, Mr. Will Ford, of Texas, and
other members of his family, who tes-
uned to conduct Indicating an unbal
anced mind, extending over a perloj
of six years.
The state sought to break down the
insanity plea by discrediting the ex
pert witnesses. The defense insisted
that Ford suffered under the insane
delusion that Garland was continual
ly slandering him and that this delu
sion grew upon him and he finally
reached the homicidal stage. :. The
state undertook to undermine this
contention by showing that J. M. Gar
land, the man whom Ford killed In
this city on April 4th, did make state
ments about Ford that were damag
ing in the extreme. Garland made
these statements to bis wife and to Mr
J. H. Michael, (six years ago. and
shortly before Ford went to Texas.
The state contended that actual cause
far Ford s enmity to Garland did ex
ist and that this growing enmity and
hatred led him at .tost to take Gar
land's life,
Lawyers for both sides made fine
speeches. For the state appeared ex
Judge E. B. Jones, of Winston-Salem,
Mr. George Garland, of Colorado, Wal
sel & Waiser and J. F. Sprulll of the
local bar, all assisting Solicitor Bow-
Messrs. Jones, Z. I. Waiser, Bow
er and Sprulll made speeches. For
the defense aippeared McCrary ft Mc
Crary, Wade H. Phillips and Hon. E.
J. Justice, of Greensboro. Messrs.
Ray McCrary, Wade Phillips and E.
J. Justice made speeches.
The Jurors, who were from For
syth, were discharged Saturday
morning and the. majority of them
left on the Southbound tor 1 their
homs.
AS TO THE AFFIDAVITS.
Nothing that has been sprung In
court circles in Davidson county in
several years has brought on quite as
much talk as the affidavits filed by
the state when the motion to draw a
Jury from another county was made.
An error crept Into the report which
was due to a statement made by
Ford's attorneys In open court, and
It came about in this way. Wlhen the
state's formidable array of affidavits
was presented, Judge Shaw asked the
defense It they bad counter affidavits
to file and one ot the attorneys for
Ford rose and said that they desired
to file but one and that one directed
toward clearing the county commis
sioners of any possible connection
with, or knowledge of corruption of
the jury box. He said that he expect
ed to file an affidavit from Chairman
Slceloff, ot the board of county com
missioners, to the effect that it there
are any corrupt men 4n the Jury 'box,
the commissioners did not know thorn
to be corrupt when their horn weri
placed tn the box. Chairman Bloeloff
asks The JMspatch to say thnt he marta
no tuch affidavit; that the tu
ferred to by Ford's m"- was
drawn op and prw- 1 i m imt
be refused Absolut i it.