f
m
VOLUME XXXVL *J.
COLE GKTS LIBERTY ,
AT WILKESBORO
?. i
WccJthy Slayer of Bill Ormond In
Adjudged Sane Man and Released ,
Neighboring Town.
" "* ??. " * "
William B. Cole, wealthy cotton I
manufacturer who shot and killed
Bi'l Ormond last August went from
the Wilkes county court house at
3:30 o'clock Tuesday a free man. |
K* was ordered to Wilkesboro after j
hi' acquittal last week by Judsre T.
t>. ^i?,. r._ 4.i.- i
, w. - IIIIC* (?ll 11IC (/Ulpo^v VJ1 L'MttOf
lisrvng the sanity of the defendant.
The decision of the Judge was: "I
cannot send this man to the insane
a?.;, am, for from the evidence before
me he is a sane man."
ole left immediately with his famih
for Greensboro where he spent. j
th night and will leave shortly on i j
a rather extended vacation.
e are copying a dispatch frontk 1
R< /king-ham undei4 the date of the;
&gth. which will give our readers! *
ar dea of the feeling there after j ;
tb* trial. and will furnish aUfr tome? I
inl' --mation to those of our subs*'rib-!
ex- who do not take daily papers,'
an-i have therefore been in poor po- . j
jnHon to keep up with the case:
so far as this town is outward- ; _
!y ticerm'd one would never imagine ! p
tb.;\ barely 24 hours ago there came j
to . conclusion a homicide trial that ,
w epochal in the history of North g
C.? '?lina. and was of nation wide intej*
st. But while the outward calm ^
pr- ails, there is undoubtedly exis-.jj
t. a feeling both for and against
th- act of W. H- Cole that knows! :
no eutral ground.
10 must be either for or against, j
id vvi the chief figure in this *'
* e affair, Mr. Cole himself, would |
PC ioubt be the last person to bear l;
nu ce. In jail today he is as calm
arr confident as hi* bos been since
ht -hot.and killed BIN ' ?r >nd here !
4 Ani.ust 15?satisfied in the assurance
thi.: he acted ' on two premises; to ; 1 :
dt l< nd his own life, and to protect
hi?- amily from alleged slanders. And
wl: t perhaps 50 per cent of the
tov. if8 population may not side with
hir-. yet they bear no ill will to him |
pe. onally but rather to his act. For j
W. B. Cole, regardless of his worldly
go Is, bears the imprint of an up- '
rip i life, a devoted husband, model I
fat er and tinassaiied citizen.
- id on the other hand the young; j
ma ke killed, W. W. Ormond, dur- th
ing his five years' residence here, j B
livt i a life against which aught can-i w
not he spoken. His intimate friends | in
attest his integrity, .the .clean lif?* he VV
lived anil his abstemious habits.
The verdict of not guilty rendered j __
by the Union county jury at 10 o'-jth
i. o .1 _ jr. '
CJOvk ounoav monuii^, aiu*j wrcy sii
tiirrg with a decision tfor 22 -hours, I la
wa based solely on the slander phu^o i
of the unwritten iaw. The jurors pri- ti
vately admitted chat they simply ar- A
rived a decision by placing them- es
selves in Mr. Cole's shoes. But since d;
the law does not recognize the un- S
"written law the verdict in the eyes i tl
of the law revolves itself upon the si
transitory insanity plea. And now di
it is this insanity matter that is to ts
engage the attention of* the attor- g
neys at Wilkesboro. ir
Interviewed today Solicitor Phil- ti
lip.- expressed indignation over the c<
"not guilty" verdict. He asserted in ' w
vigorous fashion that if Mr. Cole is ] C
now allowed to go free, after having | &
been acquitted on the grounds of | tl
insanity, that the responsibility mu.st ; s;
rest solely upon the trial judge. n
"1 want the people of North* Caro- a
lina to know just where the responsi- [ it
bility now rests," stated Solicitor j ti
Phillips.
"The state is inidgnant aver the : ti
verdict, and as solicitor of the 13th i n
judicial district, I shall present to i C
Judge Finley the evidence to insanity | si
as offered by the defendant during si
the recent trial. The state takes the g
position that if the defendant was 11:
insane at the time he committed the h
crime, that he is now insane, for the h
simple reason that the law does not e
recognize any temporary, transitory t'
or emotional insanity. But on the: t
contrary does recognize a diseased ! 11
condition of the mind. t;
"Further," continued the Solicitor \ n
"the law contemplates- that if a mail j t
is acquitted of the high crime of a
murder on the grounds of insanity f
he is dangerous to himself, to toisjt!
family and to the community in which r
/ he- lives, and such acquittal puts the n
responsibility on the trial judge thaL \<
tried the case of committing him to f
' .i'.
{ 1
1
? Ife
50 Per YMr BOONF.. W
~~ r
New Secretary of War? t '
Ktiipors from Washington, indirV-^n.
fp ?' \? fr? -i
A eyljs wilt resign his post, iinj
hat iie will be su?rt<{leH by Dwight
[^ JAavis, wnA Jib.- so eap&bly exe
the duties of Secretary dur >g
the absence of his Chief, th*^
u;esirient Coolidg* wiO oonjidnrl
i"*r as new head
w j,
iorthwESTer? "Baptist
PASTcAfe#* CONFERENCE '
none. Monday October ffl. If2!i at '
Baptist Church
5:80 a. m. Devotional. R. I . Eggers ; '
3:45. New Testament Cbo|#er^i<Sh' 1
E. G. Davis, Ml. Arty
I .'30, Fellow Workers with God '
S. C. Blackburn. West Jefferson '
2:1.5, Season of Prayer, K. I). (
Stukenbrok, X. Wilkesboro j
1
!:80 p. m Dinner in basement of <
the church t
:30 p. m.. Devotional, L. A.
Wilson, ZiiMivfRe
M
:45 p. m.r our present cooperative j
Program: j
I. What ? it? T. S. Crutchfield, Booneville.
i
2. Is it Spiritual?J. M. Hayes, j
Elkin | 0
I s
S. What it should Accomplish t
W. L. Griggs, N. Wilkesboro ^
:45 p. in Miscellaneous
All the pastors and preachers of I ^
te county are invited to come The ^
aptist church extends you a cordial
elcome The women also have a meet
g in connection with this program. -j
rill he glad to have laymen attend.
r
Committee. L
te hospital for the dangerous in- ?
me for the protection of society at
rfce" y
A development of the day is ac-! ^
ve speculation as to whether Rev. |
. L. Ormond as administrator of the
c
state of Bill Ormond, will file a civil ^
amage suit against the defendant,
hould it be adjudge! as a fact that ^
le defendant shot Ormond as a re- t
ilt of insanity rather jhan in self- ^
efense. awvers here believe the es
ite of the deceased young man has
rounds for a fight. Whether the Orlonds
will take this means of cot:- ~
nuing a fight for what they may ^
pnsider to be essential justice is one |
hich is now in the speculation state, j
lyde Douglas, of thef irm of Douglas ! ?
Douglas of Raleigh, suggested as i ^
ie firm to lead this line of action,: ^
lid in Rockingham that his firm had
ot been approached on the matter t
nd that so far as he knev Mr. Ol- j
iond had not considered the ques-!
on. ;
The absorbing aftermath of the ?
rial is the question as to what state lents
Elizabeth Cole's letters to Bill
(rmond contain. Two reputable phyicians
staked their reputation that
he was a woman of virtue. As a-ainst
this is the reiterated asser-1
ions of state lawyers x.hat if they
,ad been permitted to introduce the
Btters they would have thrown an
ntirely different tight on the mater.
They attempted to suggest to
he jury that the quoted statements
ii Bill Ormond's slander letter were
aken from another letter It was anlounced
after the trial that the let- !
ers would never be published. As j
gainst the intimations by the state
orces, the Cole lawyers, speaking for j
hcmselves and for Elizabeth Code,
equested that the letters be placed
ii the evidence, declaring that the
stter* contained nothing that they
eared to face.
ii<xn$
'ATAUCA COUNTY. NORTH CAI
IAS. B DURE DIES
AT NEW YORK HOME
^orlh Carolina Power and Tobacco
Magnate S?ccuri?b? to Physical
Breakdown Following Long Illness
New York, Oct, 10.?Funeral services
for James B. Duke will be hold
? tthe New York home Monday afterloon
at 4 o'clock. The body vvili be
aken by special train to Durham,
S". where interment will take place
rueaday afternoon in the family mausoleum.
* * ?
New York. Oct- 10.?James B.
Duke, tobacco manufacturer. died
tonight at, 0 o'clock at his home after
an illness of several weeks follow-.
jng a nearvous breakdown.
In oitf (if his last statements before
his death. Mr. Duke said his
passing would have no effect on the
future of his varied interests, as all
were in good hands.
For several years Mr. Duke had'
not taken an active part in the conduct
of the many enterprises in which
he was interested. Actual management
was entrusted to men he had
trained, although he frequently went ,
to his New York offices and kept iq [
close touch with business matters.
Mr. Duke always maintained close
relations with the farmers whose proiucts
he purchased. In his early years ;
is a tobacco manufacturer he instruc
:ed his buyers to pay farmers
nough for their crops to assure a
iving lor them notwithstanding the
natket conditions.
Ho became extensively intereVtV*
n the devclopmnr of hydro-electric 1
r and established large plants in
ect*Hb? of his native state of North
'aroli'iat Recently he spent large
urns in A'i?% effort to discover a moth- j
>d of producing cheap fertilizer for
.. * u e
Luast year he established the Duke
oundation, setting / side $40,000,(^00 (
Jnder its terms Triitity' College at
)urahm, N. C. changed its name to
)uke University, and an .tbtiVe pro:ram
of expansion was begun.
James Buchanan Duke was bohn in
856 near Durham. N. C. and received
his education in the country,
eliools. H is fir^t connection with the
obacco industry began a few years j
ifter the civil war when his father
Washington Duke, established the
ilant which proved to be the nucleus
>f the huge tobacco firm in later
ears.
The Duke firm later became an intitution
known around the world..*
Che father took his two sons, Benja
111 it o*. ?mi james is. uuxe into the
business with him. When James, the
rounger son. was 18 years of age,
lis father turned the active managenent
of the business over to him. The
lusiness grew rapidly and in 1890
Jr. Duke formed the American Tolacco
Co., taking in numerous other
oncerns. Some years later the company
was attacked at a monopoly
ind in 1911 following suit by th>rovernment
under the Sherman antirust
aw, was dissolved. Mr. Duke.!
vho had been president of the American
Tobacco Company, became
hainnaii ot" the hoard of the British
American Tobacco Company, one of
he subsidiaries continuing in this office
for a number of years.
Meanwhile he had become more and
nore interested in the development
if water power and gradually served
lis aetiv connection with the tobacco
lusincss. His efforts resulted in the
>rganization of what is now the Souhern
Power System in North Caroina
and South Carolina and the harassing
of the Saguenav river in
7anad. He was a heavy investor in
Heap Big Redskin
The famous Haskell Indian-* a
biggest football player ot* the curre
6 in and weighing 2<0 lbs At Li
every offensive p'ey Tha team wi!
games, also thought to *o? another
?
U lUtf
MOLINA. THURSDAY OCTOBER 15
southern cotton mills which made use
of the power developed by hi* hydroelectric
plants, nad ir. electric raifways
serving: the territory.
The development of the water power
of the Saguenay river was part
of Mr. Duke's plan for the manufacture
of cheap fertilizer. He had
hoped to work out a process for obtaining
phosphate from the rock by
means of electricity, a method which
he believed would be much cheaper
than the acid method generally employed.
To further hi? eforts along
this line, Mr. Duke acquired a Florida
phosphate mine and also became
interested in the American Cyanamid
company a successful nitrogen producing
company. While the whole
scheme was not immediately successful
due to the fact that the process
of extracting phosphate by electricity
was not commercially successful Mr.
Duke had not abandoned faith that
it ultimately could be worked out, f
In 1024 he established the Duke,
i endowment, for which he set aside i
$10,000,000. This was the chrystali
ligation of ideas which Mr. Duke had
had in mind f??r many years. The
trustee.* were emp.c.. v i ed to expend
: $0,000,000 in acquiring lands, erec-.
I1 tins' buildings and otherwise extending
the activities of Trinity College,
an institution in which the elder Duke;,
'had been much interested. The trust:
j deed provided that the name of the
; institution should be changed to Duke
university as a fitting memorial to
the father, Washington Duke and the*
family. FHirty
two per cent of the liuVnS#(l
ftorfr the trust fund was given to the ;
j University, a like portion was set
aside for maintaining and securing,
.hospitals primarily in the States of
\roi th Carolina and South Carolina,
and other sums for the benefit of;
white and negro orphans in the two ;
States, for aidin in th.? construction j
of Methodist Episcopal Churches in
rural sections of North Carolina, f?vr
pensioning superannuated pivaehery
for the use of Davidson College ht
Davidson, N. a Presbyterian institution;
for Furman university, a Bantist
institution at Green villa, H. C. and
for the John C. Smith University at
Charlotte, for negroes.
For many years Mr. Duke made
his home at Somerville. N. J., where
he maintained an estate of some 3,-;
000 acres which u-ntil recently was
opened to the public. The estate was j
adorned with massive bridges, more
than 10 fountains and numerous sta
tues. Trees and shrubs wore brought
from all parts of the world ami placed
about the grounds. He also hail
a residence in Mew York City, one
at Newport, R. I and still another {
at Charlotte, where he often spent,
th? winters.
Alw ay: an ardent Republican and
believers in high tariff, Mr. Duke was
a great admirer of President McKinloy.
A mammoth bronze statue of
McKinley stands in a riiuspicuous!
position on Duke farms, the Somcvvillc,
N. J. estrte.
Mr. Duke die*f in the presence of
his family and Dr. Robert H. Wylle
who has attended him through his j
ion:? illness. The nhvsician said that
the end came as a direct result of
bronchia! pneumonia contracted after
the breakdown.
Mr Duke had fallen into a state
of coma after several days of fighting
for life. At times he showed
such improvement it was thought he
would! recover.
He is survived by his widow, who
was Miss Nanaline Holt, a daughter
Miss Dorris Duke, a brother, Benjamin
Newton Duke, and a niece Mrs.
Anothonv I. Drcxei-Biddle Duke, who
before her marriage was Mi.-s Mary
Duke.
"Tiny" Roebuck
t Lawrence Kas., lay claim to tha
nt ?*&aon In "Tiny" Roeb-.ck, 6 ft
?ckl? ho sweep? two opponent* in
II travel iO.OOO milets in playing 14
record.
nutt#
. 1925. > Cft * Cop/
BRANSON BENTON
HAS SURRENDERED
Notorious Wilkes Outlaw Yields Aftor
the Sheriff Faili to Catch Him
Is Held Under Bond.
Wilkesboro Dispatch of the 13th to
Winston-Salem Journal
The >uTen(l'.'r this afternoon of
Branson Benton, touted as a member
of the alleged "big six'* liquor gang
ended a state wide chase after the
Wilkes county man in the wake of
bnech warrants issued by Judge A. M
Stack and a reward of $300 offered
I.HV V<'UIK? aiKi XAVv UH I1IS C?pturc
after he was outlawed, and thus
was written the most sensational chap
tor in the history of blockading prosecutions
which gave Wilkes county
its second theme of the da v.
Benton had been sought since Judgd
Stack held court here last August,
when M. P. Masten, a witness in a
case against Benton, broke down upon
thi* witness stand and confessed
that Benton and T. ( Foster, Benton's
father in law, had given him
five hundred dollars to vtay away
from court and not testify against
Benton, Judge Black sent Sheriff Elledge
with Mastion to get the $300
note and the $200 cash. Both were
impounded in the clerk's office. Then
at a later date while he was holding
court at Boone. Judge Stack issued
another bench warrant for Benton,
xrid placed ft in the hands of Con
st*?.V Steve fcstep, who also failed
to serve the paper.
* ... a.
! i was following :i re | >01*1 nihi't
by fcstep to finite* Stack, while the
latter was conducfinir court at Tuy
lorsville, that the jurfo* Usued the
proclamation outlawing: Benton. Previously
.luiitf" Stack hail ordered iortt
if Benton was cuaght a bond of not
less than ten thousand dollars should
he required.
This afternoon Benton ?-amo in and
?>pave himself up to Sheriff Ellcdge.
ft'* filed a justified bond of $10,000
f?vc His appearance at Superior court.
fcWalon is not a bad man as some
b&wr imdentood. It is said that he
is a hearted fellow, who fell into
the illicit liquor traffic by reason
of nurriMUading conditions and envhwim?tl
entirely beyond his control.
Back ikn the good oid days his
people* mmdfe liquor that government
S&ugor^ p:issedl up as 44 pure as mo tin':tin
fti-\r " nnvi: V*?m in :? ta.
entity vrh< r?- ?oe>\ and apples and
|H;ach?^ kwrc ctmsidcred legitimate
f?rovend"r. if distilled, he just naturally
got into the feabit of making
it. In iht years* that have followed
he has accumulated considerable propertv
and is educating his children
and rearing :? family of fine boys
and girls.
FRIDAY CLUB NOTES
A called meeting 01 the Friday
Afternoon Club was held at the home
of the President Mrs. F. A Linney
Thursday afternoon. At this time
the following officers were elected:
Mrs. B. J. CcKtHicill, President; Mrs.
0. I,. Hardin, Vice President; Mrs.
1. I>: Rankin, Sec. and Treas., Mrs,
Tracy Council!. Reporter.
Ax pleasant hour was spent discussing
plan for the coining year, after
which Mrs. Linney served ice cream
and caRes.
The time of the next regular
meetirjr was changed on account of
revival services at the Baptist church
and the club will meet October 30
with Mrs. .). D. Council!'.
BOONE BAPTIST CHURCH
Revival services running this week
Services every day at 3 p. m. and
7:30 p. m. Prayer meeting's for men
and women meet fifteen minutes before
the evening hour. Services will
likely continue through Wednesday
night of next week.
Dr. Jackson is delivering great mes
<ages at every service. Interest in the
meet ir is growing. The me -ring affords
great opportunity not only
to hear great messages from God's
word, htrt to witness for Christ. Let
us join o"Ui hearts together for a
mighty spiritual revival.
The pastor requests a1* Christian
people who read these lines to pray
for the meeting.
at
NUMBER 41
TEACHERS MEETING
LARGELYATENDED
Practically all the; School Teacher*
of the County Pre*etit Saturday ?
Interesting Program Presented.
The second meeting of the teachers
was on Saturday October IOth, and
was very w tl attended by all the
teachers ol the county.
The program was as follows:
First was an address by the State
Health Nurse. She grave some helpful
points as to how teachers can improve
health conditions in the community
in which they teach.
Second "How may Writing Best he
Taught in the Public Schools'* was
discussed by Mr. Roby Vines.
Third, "Laying the Foundation for
the Greatest Thing We Teach" was
discussed by Professor Spalnhoui and
i Miss Hednck.
Fourth. "Is it Advisable to hold
the Primary Grades Only Half a Day
at ai Time" was discussed by Miss
Annie Stanbury. It was ordered tiiat
, her address be published in full in
the Watauga Democrat.
Fifth. "How Teachers Can Best
Care for Public School Property" was
. thoroughly discussed by Miss Theoi
dosia Watson.
Sixth. "What Should be the Minimum
Requirements of the Seventh
Grade" discussed by Professor W. Y.
Perry, Superintendent Hagaman and
,! others.
Seventh, Address by County Sup i!
urtendent Smith Hagaman. outlining
" a ntimbvr of things for teachers to
,! tlo to hold attendance, etc.
U . Y. Perry was chosen to succeed
j bithseif as chairman of the teachers
I? assembly and Miss Annie Stanbury
was elected Secretnev
Profoieor Sam Horton chairman
of the meeting appointed the following
committee to prepare u program
for the next teachers meeting,
' Mi>s HydHc^ Vfr. Tugrman, Mr.
Henry Hardin, Mij? wr Taylor artd
Charles VouneO.
Benediction by Professor Spain Koa:
DEEP CAP MAY GET BAND MILL.
OTHER INTERESTING NEWS
It is rumored here that a largo
hand mill may be built at Deep Gap
by some lumber company. We hop1*
that this project may mature in the
near future. It will mean much for
i this section.
Mrs. J. E. Luther has been very
i much indisposed for several days recently
and confined to her bed part
1 of the time. She has improved very
much at this writing and able to sit
up again.
A number of cases of scarlet fever
in mill) fftnm awfin .?>?*
at this place, hut so tar it has nut
affected the attendance of the consolidated
school at Deep Gap, so one
of the teachers tells the writer.
Pastor Ed Hodges filled his regular
appointment at the Gap Creek
Baptist Church Saturday and Sunday
On Saturday Rev. Marshall Watson
of Darby delivered a sermon at this
church which very much pleased hi*
congregation.
The chestnut crop hero was a huir
per one. The market started out with
15 cents per pound and ended with
2 cents a pound. Mr. Mtiler, our local
merchant has bought and snipped
a ia~rge quantity of them.
The folks around Deep Gap are
certainly eating beef. There has been
a large numb' r of beeves killed here.
The low market has turned this seeton
almost into slaughter yards.
' ft pleases us very much for our edj
itor to spin down into this section
i and others nearby. Everything he says
and does catches our attention. Mr.
Rivers is a good booster for this and
'other communities
A large amount of produce is being
hauled away from this section.
Cabbage for :i while was in good demand.
but the nrice has irone down
in many instances to one cent a pound
Apples art1 bringing: in the orchards
do to 75 cents a bushel and are in
pood demand. This has been a hard
; year on farmers here and the farm
products are very limited indeed.
Mr. f{. L. Greene of Boone K. F.
, D. 2 was a visitor in this section on
Saturday and Sunday at the home
of Alfred Watson.
What has become of the pood correspondents
of the Democrat? Do
not remain dormant and let Cove
Creek he the only place that has a
correspondent that never drops out.
1