f ft WUQTON, N C TUMNING QUARTERS PHI LADELPHIA KMoNAL LEAGUE BASEBALL CLUB,' FEBRUARY 25 TO MARCH 23 THE WEATHER, r HEAL A KNOCKOUT - - r v r . Fair Wednesday Thursday. and Thursday, If IB To old Overhead Expense, that fatal busi ness wrecker, with consistent, liberal news paper advertising - .4 -E-OJUISLD EDL lllg 1 .Raft ,xymaBag5BPBqw Prt vol. xcni-: 134, v iisTllfeHis.owii unflifiLU nciniHL Under Sentence of Death for Murder of Rosenthal. ONE DISSENTING VOTE Sentences of Four Gunmen Convicted for the Same Crime Are Upheld by Higher Court Judge Erred in Instructions. Albany, N. Y., Feb. 24 The convic tion of Charles Becker, a former New York police lieutenant, of the murder of Herman Rosenthal was reversed and the convictions of the -four gun men for the same crime, was affirmed todav by the court of appeals. Justice Goff, the. court held, erred in many of his rulings in Becker's trial and appeared to he prejudicial in his attitude toward the defendant. The reversal was based solely on these grounds. No attempt was made bv the court to say , whether the weicht of evidence against Backer was sufficient to warrant his convic tion It was pointed out, however, that the testimony against him was given by witnesses of low class and as much of it was open to doubt, he therefore, was entitled to a fairer trial than he received." . , .. All of the seven members of the court except Judge Werner, who act ed as presiding judge when the ap peal was argued, concurred in the prevailing Becker opinion, which was written by Judge Hiscock. In a dissenting opinion Judge Wer ner said that the main contentions of the State had been amply, proven to warrant conviction; - - ; .. The much mooted question as to thp status of Sam Schepps,, who, the iurv in the Becker case decided, was nnt an accomplice to the crime, still - IS unsettled. The Pjwgg rely said there waa doubt m tne morplv min ds of some of the court as to the propriety of excluding Schepps as an accomplice. ' " - Other Devisions Upheld. . The decision in the case of the four gunmen, "Gyp the Blood.? KWhitey? Lewis, '-Dago Frank'v and ( ''Lefty, Louie," was unanimous; xThey. had averred that the: . e videiicS ; against them was insufficient to warrant con viction and also that the? court had erred in handling their cases,- but these contentions were : held to ; be groundless. ' : . . ". The date for the execution Of the gunmen soon will be fixed'--by the court. '", ' . Regarding Sam Schepps, the opin ion said: " " '. ' ' While the presiding justice per mitted the jury to find that Schepps was not an accomplice of Rose and toe others, and therefore guilty like them, of the murder , of Rosenthal, some of the members of. the court be lieve that the finding was opposed to the overwhelming weight of the evi dence." Attention was called to the fact that Becker never was directly con nected with the crime, but that the testimony of the others who were jointly suspected convicted him. . Of the five witnesses Luban, Halen, Rose, Webber and Vallon was said: "One of them, Luban, was produc ed for the purposes of trial by the, criminal authorities of a neighboring State where he was confined in jail on some conviction or charge where of the nature does not appear. After being brought to New York and be fore going on the stand this witness, in a manner which we cannot but regard as suggestive, was given an opportunity for conference with Rose, the chief witness for the prosecution and who was immediately? to follow him upon the stand. The evidence as entirely harmonious. Another witness, Hallen, was a degenerate lawyer and convict who also was temporarily delivered from jail to bear witness. The addition to the evidence furnished by their character and by the direct contradiction of oth er witnesses, much of the testimony of these men is, as it seems to us, inherently improbable and unworthy of belief. No Doubt of Guilt. "Three of the other witnesses were nose, Webber and Vallon; gamblers and law breakers already referred to. Indisputably they were guilty of the murder of Rosenthal. There was -no question that they forfeited their lives and were subject to the punishment w death, but they claimed that-the attendant had instigated them to do tins crime and by virtue of this claim xey secured from the district attor ney, with the consent of the court as ine stipulation recites, an agreement ' writing giving immunity to them, conceded murderers, if they would n.rnish evidence tending "to convict Becker who thus far had only been accused of the crime." tcmone' other features regarding the testimony which the opinion pointed out were: n Tl!at none of the witnesses against , was able to fix or approxi w, the date of the so-called Har bl v0?terence at which it was de win, T l!?cker made the arrangement senthal " RSe and otners to kil1 Ro waJIlat there is grave doubt if there row3?' evdence whatever to cor ooorate the testimony of the six wit an an8 0 the effect that Becker was n a (complice to the killing . fonfi wllen ine so-called Harlem oE!3ce took Place Rosenthal bad jained no attentions to his com '.'"f against Becker, . ' - -sa:H , u lle lWo chauffeurs who are 'MeniK ave carried Rose and his nevf.,- tlle Harlem conference AtL A'f rduced." -.v and iv reterrin& to all of these facts on t, , umstances the opinion "went doiiht n: y,.that in the light -of : much '-a;v stmg as to Becker's built he tvi'a'i llwlau entitled to the fairest tic-p ' r v ch did not get under Jus yoff. Virtually all of the opin' lntinuea on Pag JBight.) . DEFENSE Capt. Berry, of the Nantucket, Takes the Stand. Tells of Collision. With the Monroe in Which' Forty-one Lives Were Lost Took Every Care to Prevent Accident. Philadelphia, Feb. 24. Capt. Os myn Berry, of the steamship Nan tucket, charged with negligence in connection with the collision with the steamship Monroe testified today be fore the local steamboat inspectors that he took every precaution to avoid the collision -and that if Capt.' E. E5. Johnson,; of - the Monroe, had done anything else than the one thing he actually did do the disaster, would not have occurredl . The collision occurr ed off the Virginia coast on January 30th and 41 persons were lost. Capt: Berry; is. charged with neglect in not reducing speed in a fog and with care lessness in not . making any use of the wireless equipment to ascertain the proximity of other ships. , . .Capt. Berry admitted that the Nan tucket was going full speed through the fog because he could see sufficient distance to avoid otber ships. The first knowledge he had of the Monroe was when he heard her whistle "very near dead ahead" and about a mile away, he said. He veered his ship to starboard and kept her on that course until he saw the lights of the Monroe at a -distance of about a thousand feet. Capt. Johnson in his testimony said he first heard the Nantucket's whistle 1,000 feet away and first saw her lights at a distance of about 290 feet. . " - 1 .When Capt. Berry saw the lights he turned , his ship hard to starboard. He did not change speed, because when the tvlonroe blew two blasts on her whistle Capt. Berry said, he took It to mean that, tider the rules gov erning ships in a fog, the Monroe "had stopped. Capt. Johnson In his testimony said that when he sounded hiis whistle twice he meant to convey l h :nfnpm!)Hnn u. Qo HiMt,-n I.R.M. llllllll V I 11.11 W I I t- II VIM I lllllll ur I h;s -course to port. - This is a clear weather signal. Capt. Johnson Un his testimony stated that he was "acting under ,tne rule wnich permitted ves sels, to depart from; the rules to avoid immediate dangen i. The Monroe was crossing f ttieNan tucket's coarse- and . going f very fast when- he torst ; t full ' view- of rtHe jMonroe, uapt. uerry said. 'men, ne reversed the tNan tucket's engine and sent : the . ship- full .speed astern, - but it was- too late. Wlith regard to the wireless opera tors, Capt. Berry said that their in structions are to pe oh duty and he supposed they werel He did not think wireless telegraphy was of much, use to ascertain the proximity of other vessels in "a fog for the rea son that captains could not give exact positions. STATE BANKS MAY JOIN WITH NATIONAL BANKS. In Subscribing to Stock in Federal . Reserve Regional Banks. (Special Star Telegram.) Raleigh,' N. C, Feb. 24. Attorney General T. W. Bickett . tonight wrote Secretary McAdoo, of the- United States Treasury, that there-is noth ing in the North Carolina State bank ing laws to prevent State banks join ing with ' the National banks -in the subscriptions to stock in the Federal reserve regional banks . about to ?.be established. ' ' : OPPOSES AUTO HI6HWAYS Representative Declares That Associa tion is Lobbying Against Federal Aid for Good Roads. . Washington, Feb . 24 .Trans-continental highways proposed by the American Automobile Association to day were characterized as "peacock lanes over which the members of this high-browed, joy-riding association may strut" by Representative Shackle ford, of Missouri, . attacking what he called the "editorial canning factory," maintained by t'ae organization to pro mote the measures it ravored. With funds the association collected from its 451 subordinate automobile clubs, Mr. Shackleford declared a "ne farious lobby" was maintained in Washington and the "all-essential long green" was collected to fight the re election of opponents of motor road bills. '- -- ',:-::':" He read a letter he said was , from the president of the association to a member in Kansas City, Mo., urging that support be withdrawn .from the Shackleford $2,000,000 -good roads bill now before the Senate, having passed the House. The measure pro vides for dirt roads - in rural free de livery districts.' ' ; ..' . Immediately investigation, of Repre sentative Shackleford's assertion was proposed by Representative Borland, of Missouri, in a resolution introduced as soon as iis colleague finished speaking. The resolution which was referred to a, committee would, provide for a special committee of five to in vestigate what,' if any, persons or as sociations have been- engaged in main taining a lobby for or against any particular: legislation relating to Fed eral aid of good roadsV with any meth ods involving the collection of r funds for improper purposes and any corrupt attempt to intimidate members of Con gress, to report to the House by June K Mr. Shackleford had mentioned the National Old Trail Association of Kan sas City, Mo. -- - . Representative Borland said his res olution was . in justice to the officers of .this organization, "men who were of very high standing, patriotic and .selfacrificing." ;- , WILMINGTON, N. C, VILLA REFUSES TO Claims Benton Buried With Religious Observances. BRYAN IS INFORMED United States Secret Service Men Re ceive Information That Bauch, German-American Shot by Order of Villa. El Paso, Texas, Feb . i 24 .General Francisco Villa at Chihuahua today re fused to give up the body of .William S. Benton, a British subject executed In. Juarez several days ago. His rea sens, embodied, in a private telegram, to the EI " Paso' Morning Times, through. its staff correspondent at Chihuahua, have aroused bitter feel ing along the border. ; - "I will not give up the body out of respect to the dead," Villa's message said. "It was interred with all re ligious observances ana a' cross erect ed over it, and 'i wiii, n"o allow the sacrilege of its removal." j - H i ; This word came in response to a telegram sent by one of Villa's sub ordinates at Juarez informing hhn that no .personal idea should -keep him from permitting the transfer of the body to the widow and. informing him that perhaps he was not-familiar with the storm of criticism that had greeted his failure to do sov " , A - definite refusal to give up the bodyi was received by a consular rep resentative of the United States late today and forwarded to Washington. The explanation came to Juarez. Many, persons here today said the refusal indicated to their minds' that Bentoo,was shot by Villa and that lie feared. to .deliver the body lest its con dition indicate the manner of death as other than by court martial. . Hope to Fflnd Witness. It is hoped that.Within a day or two the statement of a competent witness to the shooting, alleged by enemies of Villa to have taken place in his head quarters, v may; be obtained.- Ameri cans and -representatives :of the i Mex ican Federalgpvernnient are;. working to t thifi - en d 1 . , ; - a vt mas siatemenrr tetegrapneu 1 irpm Chihuahua- today .that , Benton was guilty of four murders, and making a charge of cattle, stealing, was receiv ed -By Benton's friends with derision. Three who knew Benton , intimately asserted no charge of the sort ever had been brought against the English man. : - T United States , secret , service men today received information indicating that Gustav Bauch has met a fate sim ilar to Benton's. Thomas D. Edwards, consul at Juarez," repeatedly has been assured that Bauch was safe in Chi huahua awaiting a review of his case wherein he is charged with . being a spy. Meanwhile Marion Letcher, consul at Chihuahua, after a search of jail3 and barracks and diligent inquiry, has been unable to find Bauch. Villa in an interview last night, asserted to newspaper men that he had not taken the German-American from Juarez at all Villa's Message. Juarez, Feb . 24 . A;; telegram in which General Villa at Chihuahua charging the late William S. Benton with being a cattle thief and having committed four murders, was received ..: (Continued on Page Eight.) BANQUET AT FAYETTEVILLE Major Stickle Among the Prominent Speakers at BrilllJant Affair. Given by Chamber i of Commerce." " "i (Special Star Telegram.) Fayetteville, N, C, Feb. 24. As a part of its campaign to promote further: industrial co-operation, par ticularly between the town and coun try; the Fayetteville Chamber of Com mercei gave a brilliant banquet' here tonight, at ; which 200 men were pres ent. Several invited speakers from other citits made addresses on sub jects vitally . connected with the up building of this section. ' . While many of the banquetters spoke extemporaneously, Major H. W. Stickle, U. S. A., of Wilmington, en gineer in charge of this district, talk ed on "The . Canalization of the Cape Fear River, and Its Benefits.". ; ; v t'The Chamber of Commerce as a Community Builder," was Uhe Vsuhject of Col. Fred A. . Olds, former secre tary of the Raleigh, .Chamber . of Com merce, v-: -- - . : - ' - ' ,. , , Mr.-Br E. Rice, land and industrial agent of the Norfolk Southern Rail road, had some very practical things to sa- about ccr-operation in the up building Of the agricultural and indus trial interests of North Carolina. : v : The wonderful agricultural progress in North Carolina -during -late years was discussed by Mr. Bion H. Butler, of Raefbrd, agricultural writer and edi tor of :the Hoke County Journal. Hubert Ramsaur, secretary of the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, spoke on the subject,- "Manufacturing and 'Railroads." ! . - - ' ...v Major SticklCon Cape Fear Improve 1 ments. -V 'Major Stickle, who 4s in charge of the canalization work on the Cape Fear, talked interestingly of the- prog ress of that all-important work sub stantially as follows; The ore s ent pro j ect i for - canaliza tion of the. Cape Fear river' below Fayetteville will provide certainty oi navigation. v. ,. ; r . , -The channel of eight feet or more yj (Continued on Pag Eight.) . . GIVE P 0 WEDNESDAY MOKNINGV FEBRU-A.KY 25, 1914, MURDER, ROBBERY ARSON INDICATED - - , Pistol Shot H$ard and Store Found $urain g. BODY FOUD IN ASHES Rowan County Officers Searching for Perpetrator of, Dastardly Deed at Barbers Junction Last Nltfht Mysterious. Charlotte, .N. C. Feb. 24. A charr ed body, believed to be that of Clerk Preston liyterly, and the statements of citizens who: wereattracted to Smith deal's store at Barbers Junction, C, by a pistol shot, at 8 o'clock, go to indicate that a safe was robbed, murder probably committed - and the store fired by the robbers at that place . tonight. . '-1-" ' ' ' : , ' The first to arriye on the scene say two boxes' were Jagainst "the . front door; of: the Duilaing, th4 safe door was open and a lamp turned low gleaming- feebly on the floor beside it, While flames were spreading from the rear of the, place ""all over the store. No attempt' was made to see if - the contents -of the safe had been tam pered with,'' but in the limited time a hurried search., was made for Lyerly who was supposed ;f to ; have been - in He could not be found, but by the light of, the . embers 'when the build ing was" in' ashes' a body was found in what had been the back part of the building." This is supposed to be that of Lyerly," as it is practically cer tain that" he was in the store at - 8 o'clock. .. ' ': ' : : No- examinationi rwas made of the safe tonight; Sheriff -McKenzie with deputies from Salisbury "are search ing fort a clu? to the robbers, it such there were,.:but the affair, tonight is a seemingly? impenetrable mystery: - Oyer GovrhrneiitSinRuj Law question. Supreme --"Court Rules That.-, Inspec tors Cannot Condemn Bleached Flour and Other Foodstuffs . . Unless Harmful. ' '. .. 1 . Washington, Feb.- 24. Millers and food . manufacturers, throughout ine. country today won a decisive victory over -the government when the Su preme Court held that Federal in spectors under the pure food law could not condemn "bleached" flour, unless they proved that the flour, con tained enough poisonous ingredients added-in bleaching-to make the flour injurious to' health. Oflicinls of the Department of Agri culture have contended that the add ing of any quantity of poisonous in gredients' was in violation of the law. The concentrated their efforts to have this principle established , in the bleached flour case, because the decision-will be. applicable to every oth ed proceeding involving- ah; article of food-. claimed to contain . ; an added poisonous or deleterious ingredient. Thei, case decided today originates in--Western .Missouri. The govern ment sought to condemn 625 sacks of flour bleached by the Lexington Mills Company, by the so-called MAlsbp process." . They claimed in bleaching the flour certain nitratesr or poison ous ingredients were added, and -that this violated: the law, no matter what the quantity.' ; The district court so held and--the jury condemned - the flour. .' The - circuit court of appeals held the district court erred and . so did the Supreme Court today. In announcing the decision of the ' " 1 (Confined on Page Eight.) r OUTLINES ' Captain " Berry, of the Nantucket, wnich collided with the Monroe off Norfolk in the latter, part of, January witn tne loss of 41 lives, took the wit ness stand in his own defense at Phil adelphia where he is being tried for negligence. ! . , - Representatives on the: floor of Con gress yesterday declared! that the American . '.Automobile.-. Association maintained a lobby inL Washington to fight Federal. aid for good roads. The trans-continental highways , were call ed . peacock v alleys for the high-bro ws to strut in. ; - - ' r . -r . . Chicago women had. their first-real opportunity to vote in yesterday's . pri maries. . -. . ...';.:;. -. . v-., c;lark Howell, editor of. the Atlanta Constitution,-! refused .-a seat 'in the United. States Senate offered him by Governor -Slaton, . ot Georgia, -to -'succeed the late Senator Bacon.' He gave as . his reasons that as Bacon was'a South 'Georgian his successor; should be chosen from that partr.of the. State. Consular Agent George C. Caroth ers, at Juarez, has wired : Secretary Bryan that Villa has refused to give un the body of Benton; the British sub ject whom it is claimed he murdered. A new trial has been granted to for mer: Police Lieutenant Charles Beck er, of New York, sentenced ; to death for the murder of Herman Rosenthal. - New York markets: Flour 'quiet. Wiheat steady, No. 2 red 1031 1-2, No. 1 Northern Duluth 105 1-2. .Corn steady. Turpentine steady. Rosin quiet. Money cn call steady 1 3-4 to z per cent., rtu ing rate 1 7-8, closing 1. 7-8 to 2. . Spot cotton quiet, miaaimg upianas is.uu; gulf 13.25.,- '! . x - .,1- mmm OUT ow ELL DECLINES SEAT III SENATE Editor of Atlanta Constitution Gives Reasons. WILL CHOOSE TODAY Newspaper: Man Told by Slaton That ' He Could Succeed Late senator . Bacon, But Requests That f C v Name be Eliminated. v Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 24. Governor John M. Slaton and' Clark Howell, editor of the, Atlanta Constitution, 'to day ' held several conferences in re gard; to the appointment by the Geor fa executive of a successor pv the late Senator Bacon Although Mr. Howell notified Governor ;31atonftb:at he desired consideration of his name eliminated it is authoritatively -stat ed that the editor was told he could have the appointment if he wished it. I m a letter to (jovernor siaton, pud lished today. Mr. Howell asked that his name should not be: considered because he. believed the. appointment should -go to South Georgia .: from which section of the State the late Senator Bacon came. . In a reply to Mr. Howeil's letter made public this' afternoon the Gov ernor says: - "While I think lines of thought should be more potent in the choice of a -Senator than lines of latitude or lonfitudefand fitness more necessary than ' geographical location, I . appre icate your suggestion." Continuing,- the writer enumerates what he terms Mr. Howeirs qualifica tions for the .position are and adds: "These considerations would have made your appointment5 a singularly appropriate." one. A recognition of these-qualifieations would have ren dered it impossible forme to have declined your request for appointment to.; the United States Senate - Your letter affords me the personal pleas ure of expressing my appreciation; of your many, acts sof kindness-1 while at the same time it deprives me of an opportunity to - express my feeling that by an act in which . official ; duty and personal- friendship would hearti ly. unite."- - v- -. It is believed that Governor Slaton -wiil-.-mal-;e, th.-ap poiotm ent , tamorro and it is grenerally conceded thaf the man selected will: be a South Geor gian. - ' .": ' -! '- Clark Ho well, tonight' Jwas the guest of Governor Slaton in a box party at a local -theatre.- - ,v i In his letter to Governor tSlaton, Mr.y'Howell said: -? , "While under the laws, and policy of our governmenf the- Senatorship is not apportioned on a geographical ba sis, the present vacancy is duetto the death of a distinguished son. jof South Georgia, and I believe that it is not only proper, but essentially just that his immediate successor should be chosen from that section. I am con vinced that it is my duty to eliminate myself from the situation t in order that you may be free to .proceed without thinking of me in connection with the appointment." New York. Feb.. 24. ---Six of the leading amateur boxers of this , city have been selected to represent New York in the amateur inter-city bouts between New York and Cleveland to be held at the Cleveland Athletic Club Friday night. The party, which will leave - here Tnursaay. win represent the 108, 115, 125, 135, 145 and 158 pound classes.-, ; . , SIGN A TURES GENUINE SAY ELEVEN WITNESSES CHICAGO WOMEN USE BALLOT Thousands ' . Cast Vote in primaries. Five Lady Candidates Nominat- ,, ed Without Opposition. ; Chicago, Feb. 24. Thousands of Chicago" women today had their first real experience with. the ballot .box and took part in the actual nomina tion of candidates for the city council. ,In wards in which women candidates were running -in opposition to men for, places in the city council, the. wo men oandidates toured the wards and hustled for votes in approved' politi cal fashion. - , ' A snow storm early in the "day de layed many voters, and a' movement fostered by many . suffrage leaders, who believed that women should not formally ally, themselves with any specific party kept hundreds from voting at the primaries. --' " : ' : . Five of the eight - women candidates were unopposed in their; party, and their r nomination was certain.- Among them was Miss 'Marion Drake, who will rim on the Progressive . ticket in the spring election against the pres ent alderman of: the First Ward, John (Bathhouse)'-Coughlinli. t r Illness prevented Mayor Harrison from voting, but Mrs. Harrison and Dina Devries and Mary Conrad, the Harrison v cook, and maid, visited . the precinct polling place-- in .Barry ?: ave nue. ;:-.::- ' v;:l' .-''z'' :- -; : Changes due to women s ... entrance into politics were observed in x mote than ope precinct:. In the fifth'; pre cinct there came a. wail from Patrick O'Malley, for years a fifth- precinct leader and a saloon keeper. Three women judges and three "strange men clerks v of election failed to recognize him as he cast his. ballot. An election clerk hung a mirror in one of the booths. "We want td make its attractive for our- women voters,'' he observed. . ... KEITH'S DAYS FEW As Collector - of Customs -at Port of Wilmington. . Simmons and Godwin Will Ask That Col. Taylor be Immediately Ap-' v pointed Hammer's Norn . ination Confirmed. (Special Star telegram.) ; Wlashingtoh, D. C, Feb. 24. Either tomorrow or next day, providing an engagement" can -be made, Senator Simmons and , Representative Godwin will call cn Secretary of the Treasury McAdoo .'and ask that Collector of Customs B. F. Keith, of Wilmington, be removed from office and that Col. Walker Taylor, be appointed in his place. It is believed the change will be made within the next ten days, perhaps earlier. . : ?: Col. Taylor has already been recom mended for Keith's job, and as he is a- gentleman j of unquestionable stand ing.;; there is ' little doubt that he will be named in short order. Col. Tay lor has been recommended byi Sena- tons Simmons and Overman, every member of - the State delegation in the House and by hundreds of other loyal Democrats. - Collector -Keith stated while in Washington several months -ago that he would resign any time his resig nation was asked for. It is believed the request . will be forthcoming shortly. ' i Hammer is Confirmed. The last' word was written in the Hammer controversy today when fhe Senate in executive session confirmed his nomination as district attorney for Western North Carolina. It is ex pected that ! Mr. Hammer will take charge of the office at once. : Collins - Harding,- of Washington, N. C, has. been appointed a special at torney for the Appalachian Park Re serve. He was recommended by Representative Small. For Rural Credits System. . Dr. H.. Q. Alexander, of Matthews, is here and tomorrow will appear be fore the, banking and currency com mittee and urge the adoption of a ru ral credits system: which will be of material benefit to the farmers oxthe whole country. : P. - E. Hawkins, of Warren" county, has been named a special agent for the census bureau. He was recom mended .by Senator. Overman,- : . ---Walter A. Moore; of Webster ; F. P. Foy; . of Newbern. aadI Hai p - nf Fayetteville, I are a'mbng"t3day's via-" itors." '' ' - ' "t :: p r. a. MR. E. H. WILLIAMSON IS : . PURCHASER OP THEATRE. Leading Citizen of Fayetteville Buys f Opera House at Auction. "' i ' Fayetteville, N.: C-, Feb. 24. Mr. Ed H. . Williamson,, president of Holt Williamson Manufacturing Company and interested in several other cotton mill enterprises, . was the purchaser of the Fayetteville theatre, the prop erty of the LaFajtette Auditorium Company, which was sold at auction Monday by order of Superior Court. Kis bid was $15,000, which, it is un derstood, represents about half the bonded indebtedness and other liabili ties of the company. Mr. Williamson is one of the most prominent citizens of Fayetteville and one of the most universally admired, always taking an active interest in the industrial, edu cational and moral upbuilding of, the community. , . . The published statement that ' the auditorium property was bid off by Ed Williamson, colored, proprietor of a meat market in the theatre building, was an error. Evidence All In, Argument in Newton-McArthur Case to Begin This Morning. (Special Star Telegram.) Raleigh, N. C, Feb. 24. In the case of Citizens Bank of Norfolk vs. Mrs. M. E. Mc Arthur, Adam McAr thur and others, involving the gen uineness of the McArthur signatures on the $25,000 note,heId;by the plain tiff, the taking of evidence 'was con cluded, this evening and argument be-; gin Wednesday morning.-' ' The; defense put on only two more witnesses J today, S. C. Malone, the noted Baltimore handwriting expert, and N. A. Brown, . a. bookkeeper of Liaurinburg. f " Both' testified , that in their opinion the signatures in ques tion are forgeries. '-.'; " ' .' , Eleven Testify With - Newton. The' evidence: in rebuttal by ..the plaintiff was by eleven witnesses, all to the- effect that'lir their opinion the signatures in question "are genuine. They had carefully compared the sig natures in I question -with .. admittedly genuine signatures ' ' -. : The witnesses .were . Joseph "' G. Brown, president of Citizens National Bankr W.'B. Drake, cashier of Mer chants National -Bank, Raleigh; J. Hinsdale, of Merchants Bank, Raleigh; F. ; B . : McKInney,' Laurinburg; J. C . Ramsey, A , : W. Peace,' Fayetteville; J : O ; Ellington, Alex. Newton and W. M .- Walker, Fayetteville. Walker had been for years a business associate of Adam McArthur, rand testified , that he believed- his signature ' on the note genuine. - - j It is j' expected ' that the jury : will take the case some time Thursday. r Dollar Day Sale today it' Polvogt's. WHOLE lOJMBEB 13,5(59; RESERVE SYSTEM MOST COMPLETED Organization .Committee Will Soon Make Report. ISSUED REGULATIONS Last Night for All State Banks ami . Trust Companies That May Wish to Enter System. . District Boundaries. V'. Washington, . Feb. 24. Official;, count by Treasury "officials, today - '. showed 7,465 National banks .have ap ' plied for membership in the Federal. ' reserve , system, that 18 banks have , ,; notified the organization committee -3 that they will not apply,' and ten have not been heard from. ' The capital of the banks applying ! amounts to $1,054,33,554, which is -99.75 per cent of the capital of all i . . " National banks in the country... The . capital of banks not accepting is plac-"; t " ' ed , at $1,990,000, and ; that of the ten -not heard from at $570,000. '- In : an official announcement giving ' these figures, the reserve bank organ-') j ization committee tonight said that . ; although explanations had not been:; U cunt twIVi fha nntifipaHftna : nf n nn -a " i iceptance by the 18, in several in- -stances the records showed that the ? ' ! banks had arranged some time ago to go into liquidation and one bank had;: been absorbed by another. . . Of the ten not heard from, two had filed pa pers asking permission to liquidate, and three had been too recently or- . ganized to p.ass, the necessary reso- s. lutions of acceptance, so only five really, aire considered as being in the class of those yet to respond. . The figures for the State banks and . trust, companies, have not been tabu lated. but 60 such institutions have , asked for approval of their applica tions and tonight it was estimated that their capitalization ;will be suffi cient to put the total of all banks ap . plying to date beyond the $1,100,000, 000 .mark. V " r , , .-. -' , 'v . . C . , ' Committee Well Pleased. ' j r-. It is known ; that Secretaries Mc--: Adoo and Houston, and 1 Comptroller. . of the Curency . J. S. Williams, - who make - up . the organization committee v are pleased; w;ith, the manner In which' , theiCbaftks nave responded - i ; The prganization committee is avorkingwyAoo 'th&iaefinltipniOf, the ? limits- of ; the ' reserve - districts and the location of the reserve cities and its conclusions are "expected in a few days. - ..;;;.' ' When their report ' Is " ready ' the banks will be required to subscribe 6 perscent of the capital stocks. and sur- . plus to the stock of the reserve bank in their district, one-half to be taken within ten months; The other ; half will be subject to the call of the Fed- era! Reserve Board. ' -The organization . committee tonight -issued regulations ."for the guidance" of the State banks which wish to ap ply for membership in the system. sucn institutions enter in tne usual way bf becoming National banks, or: they can apply as State institutions under certain : conditions. The prin cipal conditions , 'are that applicant ! banks must certify their assets and liabilities and that, none are carried at an excessive value;' that they shall . file copies of their charters with a digest of powers granted. The organ ization committee may require an ex amination of an applicant bank by a National bank examiner to confirm statements mde in the application, . or may accept a certificate from a f State examiner, and only banks which have unimpaired capital " suffioient; to entitle - admission to the National banking system shall be given "a. rea- -sonable time" in which to adjust -. loans and investment so 4s to con-. " form to the laws of the United States. JAM ES: CON LEY GUILTY; GIVEN EXTREME PENALTY Accessory After the Fact to the Mur der of Phagan Girl, by Frank, - ' :V Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 24. James Con ley, negro factory sweeper, today was found guilty here of being an acces- ' sory after the fact to the murder of Mary Phagan. He was sentenced to 12 months service in a convict chain -gang. Conley was the principal wit ness against Leo M. Frank, at the trial last August which resulted in Frank's conviction i or the murder. He swore he aided Frank in conceal ing the, -girl's body after Frank had killed her. Frank is jmder death, sen tence for the crime. ' Conley's defense was. the conten tion that his alleged acts - were not accessory ' to the murder. The sen- -tence imposed upon him Is the ex treme " punishment . under ' Georgia laws for the crime of which he was convicted. : - . - COMMITTEE LOOKS INTO MAIL INTERRUPTIONS In Connection - With . Investigation of - Strike in Michigan. - Hancock, Mich., Feb.. 24. Interrup- ' tions to the mall service, one of the subjects the Congressional Committee " 1 was authorized to investigate in rela tion to the copper miners' strike, today were inquired into, counsel for striking mine workers presenting all the witnesses- but;, one So much - time rwas consumed in this manner thatthe com-" mittee did ; not ; reach the -alleged de portation of Charles' H. Moyer. - Several witnesses testified as. to al-V-leged assaults made upon them by dep- -uties iand soldiers. . -Representatives of the National Guard decided today to of- ' fer evidence in answer t6 the strikers' : charges, : provided- the governor ap- 1 proves. , ' . . , ' . 'J.J Washington, Feb. 24. Attorney Gen- f eral McReynolds today asked the; Su- -preme Court to postpone '. argument of ' the so-called tap line oases until Marca ' Dollar Day Sale today atr Polvogt's.' Advertisement, .w - . ; - " - v . t- .-. .. .-.--.u., -. . ' ' ' - JV, . , r f". - . .-- ,' -- , .:.? 1