VOLUME XLH, NO. 37 PROMINENT ASHE COUNTY MAN DIES OF HEART ATTACK William J. Price* Pioneer Citizen and Civic Leader Succumbs Suddenly. Native of Tennessee, But Had Resided in Neighbor County for 33 Years Funeral Services Conducted Wednesday of Last Week. Mr. William J. Price, one of Ashe County's best-known citizens, died at hi3 home on Beaver Creek Tuesday, March 10th, following a heart attack. For almost a year he had been in declining heaith, but for several days prior to the fatal illness had been feeling stronger. Funeral services were held from the West Jefferson Presbyterian Church Wednesday, interment following in the cemetery on the lovely eminence near his home. Mr. Price was born in Rogersville, Tenn.. April 27, 1868. making him almost 6-1 years of age. Early in life he united with the Rogersville Presbyterian Church. For a number of years he was a traveling salesman, carrying on this work in the mountain counties of North Carolina until two years ago. In this capacity lie came to Ashe county in 1899, since which time he had become popular with-a throng of friends in Watauga. In dune of 1904 he was married to Miss Clyde Hamilton, member of a prominent Ashe County family. He is survived by Mrs. Price and five children: William H. Price, Elkin, formei student at A. S. T. C. here; Paul B., Virginia, Henry Clay and Mary Gale Price, of West Jefferson; also one brother, R. R. Price, of Churchill, Tenn.. and a sister, Mrs. B. J. Smith, of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Ashe County Journal lies the following to say of the deceased man's useful life: "Among the pioneer builders of a bigger and better Ashe County was Mr. Price. His interests were many? farming, cattle raising and dairvinir. He was a leader in some of the progressive issues that have been bepSb'J.-. fore the county, among which were' road building' and the betterment of schools. Mr. Price was a recognized leader in the Democratic party in the county and his opinions and advice were prized in political circles of the State organization- -jfiLi "Friend* throughout the South and many placep throughout the nation R will extend their sympathy to the be leaved family in the passing of this prominent and beloved citizen." j i higeaWendance boonehigh school1; iw. Two Hundred and Ninety-Six Students Have Enrolled During the Present Term. Average At tendance is 253.6 Two hundred and ninety-six students have enrolled in Boone High School this term, according to figfures given Monday by Principal Dave Mast. The average daily membership for the first six months of school is 262.1 students. Average daily attendance for the six months is 253.6 students. The per cent, in attending ance is 96. Dunner Miller represented the H school in an annual declamation contest held at Emory and Ilcnry Col % lege in Emory, Va., on February 22. Boone School has entered the TrianX gular Debate this year. This contest is sponsored by the University of North Carolina, and any standard tjj high school may enter it. Preliminaries are held on April 3 throughout the State. Winners in this preliminary contest will go to Chapel Hill on April 16 ar.d 17, where the best team will be selected by means of further preliminary contests. The qpery for debate this year is : "Resolved, That the. United States Should Grant Immediate independence to the Philippines." Speakers representing Boone are Winton Rankin, James Farthing, affirmative; and Ollie Jean Coffey and Ruth Farthing, negative. Coach Gorlcy plans to begin spring footiiall if the weather soon clears up. wj; ! I" Dr. Chandler to Conduct Revival at M. ?. Church 4"\ 0= Sunday, Kiiii SSii, He. O. J. 8 Chandler will begin a aeries of services' at Boone Methodist Church which w>Ii continue up to and include Easter Sunday. The eminent divine will preach twice daily, at 12 noon and 7.-St in the evening. The noon service wfll laat just one-half hour, 12 to 12-30. At this service the sermons will deal with incidents in the closing scenes of Jesus' ministry. The evening service will be striciiy evangelistic. Mr. Z?ib Dickson, with a choir made up of a group of singers from the college and community, will have charge of the music. The public is cordially invited to take part in all of these services. ! WS'HBflflHBiaHfiM&aaKiPftXwfr' iMCTBrfintra /ATA1 A Non-Partisan N' BOON Smokehouse Robbers On Job in Watauga It seems that robberies are on the increase in Watauga. Tuesday night thieves entered the smoke house- of Watt H. Gragg in Boone, and took therefrom nearly all the meat of two good hogs along with f*ve or more bushels of corn. No trace of the marauders has yet been found, although local police have been on the job during the day (Wednesday). Mr. Gragg is of the opinion that outsiders are responsible for the theft, and are disposing of their ill-gotten goods in markets below the mountain, in the event his conclusions are correct, chances are that the thieves will never be apprehended. In other words, its "good-bye, ham." war a* r>rs s it/u tV.M.FKANUIMUHS TUESDAY MORNING OF HEART FAILURE Pioneer Scholar and Teac-Ser Passes' At Minneapolis, Avery County. 75: Years of Age, But Still Active in I Educational Field. At One Time J Superintendent of Watauga Coun-' ty Schools. 11 Children Survive. W. M. Francum. picturesque scholar and pioneer school master of the mountains, died almost suddenly at his home near Minneapolis Tuesday) morning. Mr. Francum suffered the! fatal stroke while walking about the yard, and expired within a few minutes, without having regained con-| sciousness. He was about 75 years of | age. He had closed a term of.school] last Saturday at Valley and had complained to a friend in Newland of slight illness, however no serious ailment war, contemplated. Detailed information as to the funeral is unavailable other than that interment was at Minneapolis, where his widow resides. Eleven children, who reside at widely divergent points, survive. Mr. Francum was a native of the Mulberry Springs section of Caldwell county and received his early education at the old Globe Academy, having taught his first term of school in the vicinity of Bailey's Camn. a bout ?4 y^ars,ag'?. Later he. acted ay preeuptdr. to the youth -of -Watauga County end 40 years ago was superintendent of public instruction in this county. Since that time he has been constantly engaged in educational work, and his services were eagerly sought throughout a wide area. Of late years, during vacation periods, he centered his talents about Christian endeavor, and lectured and taught in many of the rural churches. Although Mr. ^ancum began, his literary education/lat* inr!ifer having been deprived to a large extent of childhood instruction, and while eight grades of classroom studies comprised his academic education, he managed by dint of hard work to become an educator of the first rank. He taught and worked and prayed with the mountain people for more than two score and ten years and filled an important niche in the development oi the hills of Northwest Carolina. rincifT urrri/fi nm riiwi nixiuur MARCH BLUSTERY Low Temperature* and Howling March Winds Feature First Fifteen Days of Month. "Like a 1-500," Says Wright. March cauie in like a lion, according to Observer J. T. C. Wright of the local weather station, .whose report for the first fifteen days of the month shew an average temperature of 34 degrees, over six inches of snow and howling west winds. The complete chart for that period follows: Average maximum temperature, 42 degrees. Average minimum temperature, 26 degrees. Average temperature, 34 degrees. Average daily range in temperature, 17 degrees. Greatest daily range in temperature, 31 degrees; date, 13th and i.4lh. Average temperature at 6 p. m. (time of observation), 36 degrees. mgnest temperature reached, 581 degrees; date, 14th. W*ri " -1. jm f Vw1? on! uvncd(, wuipv'tMVUiC tcacncu, xu decrees; date, 5th. Number inches of rainfall (including melted snow), 1.42 inches. Number inches of snowfall, 6.G0 inches. Greatest rainfall in 24 hours, 0.43, date 9th. Number of days with 0.01 inch or more rainfall, 8. Number of clear days, 5. Number of cloudy days, 8. "Number of partly cloudy days, 2. Direction of prevailing wind, west. Dates of light frost, 6th, 7th. Dates of fogs, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th. Other phenomena described as follows: Solar halo on 13th; high winds on 9th and 10th. JGA swspaper, Devoted to th< E, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH ' ! WEBSTER DRAWS F IFOR MURDER 0FS.E i MANSLAUGHTER V! ! Seawell C. Webster, who shot an j killed Ed S. Day, former Wataug I man, in Wilkesboro on October 2 last, was convicted of manslaughtc in Wilkes Superior Court Saturda and sentenced to serve not less tha five nor more than seven years i State Penitentiary. The jury delit erated more than twenty-four hour before bringing in a verdict thin closed one of the most sensations trials ever held in Wilkes County. The jury's verdict was manslaugh ter. the lesser of three possible vei diets, as counsel for the State ha sought to bring about conviction o first-degree murder charge. Judg Michael Schenck, in commenting ui on the verdict, stated that in vie^ of mitigating circumstances the jur was justified in bringing in a verdic of manslaughter and -could in n manner be criticised. Counsel for the defendant hav indicated an appeal from the verdic and appearance bond lias been se at $3,000. It is believed, howevei that Webster will take the sentenc meted out to him by the court, i view of the State's efforts to con vict on a fivst or second-degree mui der charge. Sensational Evidence Shaking the State's first-degre charge fiercely under gruelling cros examinations of its star witnesses, th defense early indicated its effort t seek acquittal or at the most man slaughter. With the way opened b | the insanity plea for what would oth i ei wise have been excluded as wlioll; j collateral matter, the defense heape I up testimony to show that Webster' home had been invaded by Day; tha his step-daughter, whose virtue ha neon proven in the face of a divore charge, had been led astray by th deceased married man; that the lif of Webster had also been threatened Day will not see the face of child soon to be born to his expectan widow, but 011 Thursday she toid o their little home and their five chil drcn, of how she visited her husban< at the hospital where he lay for sev eral days with his life hanging b : a thread, and there prayed with hir and read the Bible to him and at leas had toe happiness of Rearing him sa. h* Mrs. Day was followed to the stam by Mrs. Beatrice Snmak, step-daugh tcr of S. C. Webster, who admitted to ?her mother that she had commit ted adaltry with the deceased ove a period of several months; that noth ing could part tfiem and had the; mockecf her mother, had describe* how Day, her admitted paramour hud also mocked her- That was afte Mrs. Webster had gone to Day am begged and pleaded with tears am GEORGE SWIFT DIE THURSDAY EV'NINt Aged Resident of Beaver Dam Sec tion Succumbs After Protracted illness. Is Survived by the Widow and 5 Children. Mr. George Swift, 78 years old prominent citizen of the Beaver Dan community, died Thursday evenini after a protracted illness, due prin cipally to the natural infirmities o his advanced age. Funeral service were conducted frptjti the Cove Creel Baptist Church Saturday morning a 11 o'clock by Revs. McKaughn an< Williams, and interment was in thi Swift cemetery nearby. Surviving are the widow and t.ivi children, three boys and two girls Butler Swift of Silver Lake, Clar ence and Dean of Watauga; Mis Millie Swift and Mrs. Asa Reese, aire of this county. Mr. Swift was a member of om of the most prominent families o this county, was a farmer, and livei a long and highly useful life in t.hi county of his nativity. He was a lead ing citizen of his community and eon tributed a fall share to public ad vancement. Miss Nora Mast Weds Odis Wilson Sunday On Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clocl Miss Nora Mast, attractive daughte of Mr. P. C. Mast, White Hall, Md. became the bride of Mr. Odis Wil . OAW A/ P A A tfrte T>P TV* TUA CCrC mn*** was performed by the Rev. P. A Hicks at the Baptist parsonage ii Boone. The bride is a graduate of Appa lachian State Teachers College, clas of 1928, and for the past two year, has been principal of the Siiverston< school. Since childhood she has modi her home with an uncle, Mr. Johl Mast, on Cove Creek, and is popula with a wide circle of friends in thi county. fir. Wilson is a son of Jasper Wil son. received his education at Boone and at present is employed by thi Bristol Transfer Company. Th young couple will make their horn for the present at Zionville. 5 Best Interests of Norths CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH I IVE TO SKVEFVEAR! L DAY LAST OCTOBER iRDICT IS RETURNEI d a broken heart for him to cease h a attentions. The step-daughter was 9 State's witness to prove that Wei r ster had threatened the life of Da y but under Tarn Bowie's cross-ex an n ination her testimony crumpled ar n she was forced to relate her clai - destine love affair, although st s steadfastly denied immorality. ;t Physician Testifies il Arguing the competency sought I be adduced by testimony of Dr. 1 i- C. Hubbard, physician, who treatf - Day after he was shot, the jury w? d excused, and Dr. Hubbard said Da n told him. "To tell the truth, Docto ej I was going for my gun when Wei >- j ster shot me." ,v | Webster's wife was the first \vi y j ness to be put on by the defense whe >t: the State cinsf-d its coco lot?. mu,... 0! day afternoon. She swore her daugl ter when accused and admitting the e I she had given herself to the d? t| ceased, said the latter always ca tI vied a pistol; that he threatened t J cut Webster's throat if he ever cair e! in his meat market; that he bragge nl that he knew how to take care < !_j Webster's high temper. The story ( .[the harrowing of the feelings of tl j defendant, the invasion of his horn his shock at finding his daughter, i e whom he had implicit faith debauchc s by Day, the alleged insolence ac stubborness of the deceased in il Q face of the pleadings of the moth* of Mrs. Smoak?these and many oti ~ er things the defense claimed ten porariiy unseated reason and couple " with the fact of Day's alleged three ^ led co the fatal shooting. s The State's most damaging withe J t was young Donald Beach, a nephe1 j of the deceased, who worked wit his uncle in the meat market. Bcac described the shooting on the nigfl e of October 29, last, when at about . o'clock he said Webster came tip tb street following his step-daughter "J child, little Dan Smoak Jr., an f stopped and cursed Day and the shot Day in the back. He said Da was neither in a belligerent mood nc V position when the fatal shot ws " fired through the window of the mei * market. However, he admitted the "J Day had started in the direction c ^ the place he kept his pistol when I M Smoak testified that "She. wi nine ye ears old when her mother an ~ Webster were married and that h had treated her kindly as a daughtc and had stood by her when her ark, VI while husband accused her of inf fidelity of which she came clear. He step-father had seen her come froi the back room of the meat mark* ? and it was then that he ordered he 1 1 (Please turn to Page 4) ilLEGION OFFICIAL i ADDRESSES VET! 2fi3SS I >! Membership Campaign Opened b G. Max Long. Watauga Post Now Has Membership of More than One Hundred. G. May- Long, State organizer fc n j the American Legion, spoke to ? | large group of former service mc -I and ladies of tbe Auxiliary last Sa f? urday evening. The address was i s| line with the membership drive no \; being conducted throughout the n: t tion and centered about the accon 4 1 nlicV-mnnl . -ul tiSfiS 1 ^ . . t/tioduicnio Ul Lite UCJ1U1I, *. hand. !t- The work will be pushed to cornid pletion just as rapidly as possible, 1- tn order that the scenic highway ie may be ready for the tourists who will start their annual visits to \ the mountains just as soon as the t fO weather opens. I F. It is understood that paving on t id Route 60 east of Boone will begin \ IS j sometime during April. This proj- * iy | ect embraces almost five miles. i l! HUBERT WAGNER |j : PAROLED BY GOV. |! ; LAST THURSDAY J jr ? Killer of Earl Moody and Dexter ' Byrd Freed After Having Served J lfJ Only Three Years of a Twenty)r five Year Sentence. Newland and ^ ^ Lovill .Instrumental .in .Release. , ie Tragedy Occurred Christmas 1926. r,| ' 'n Hubert S. Wagner, of the Foscoe ^ community, serving sentences of 25 . 'd to 30 years in the State penitentiary ^ for the killing of Earl Moody and j -r Dexter Byrd, was released last Thursday, according to information fuv-j * nished The Democrat by visitors ^ d Raleigh the last of the week. Wheth-j j ft er or not he has returned to his home ^ in this county is not known. Gover- t ?s nor W. C. Newland, of Lenoir, and W. R. Lovill, of Boone, are said to||| h have been instrumental in securing ^ h the parole. ft The double killing, for which Wag- ^ 9 ner was sent to the penitentiary, it j( ie will be remembered occurred en *s Christmas Day, JLwhen Byrxl ^ d and Moody fell prostrate within a ^ h space of nunutcs from two fusi- ^ y lades from the assailant's revolver. ^ >r Because of the high Feeling which is was evidenced at the time, officials it placed Wagner in the Guilford Coun- ^ ft ty jail the following day for safe >f keeping, later removing him to the! J; te Wilkes County bustjle where he re-| mained until August, i9?7,and *s triefl in the Wilkes court for tKSa?* d slaying of Moody, counsel for. thej ie defense having: been successful ir., t, M' moving the trial from the scene of t- the crime. 1 i-| On the first count a sentence of >rj 15 to 20 years was meted out. and s n j Wagner was again incarcerated until - j. Jt * March, 5.028, when he was sentenced ii* to 25 to 80 years for the slaying of -. Byrd, second degree verdicts having been returned in both instances. The prison term?, however, were to have p run concurrently, making the actual e ~ minimum of time to be served 2.5 i years, and the maximum 80. a ^A.S.T.C.TSESWITH: - CATAWBA COLLEGE I wE& V Mountaineer Basket Ball Squad Wins r P Thirteen Games During Season 5 i;. just Closed. Lose Three by a Very Small Margins. ^ il* t* According to C. B. Johnston, coach I c 111 of the Appalachian State Teachers J J w College basket ball team, the play-,' ers recently closed a very successful! B~ season in which they won thirteen! ? ie and tost only three games. This bril., J J" liant performance of the Mountain-!* eer basketec-rs tied them with Ga'2 tawba College for the championship I of the Little Seven Conference. c ^ The closeness of scores in a ma- * jority of the games attests to the- r >s quality of the opposition met. j'.J The following players make up the * squad which compiled the excellent | K s record: Kermit Hinson and Conradj Hinson, forwards; Clyde Canipe. cen-1 * itjter; W. -J. Ferguson and Red O'Harc, J ^ 11; guards; reserves. Claude Pyatte, Sam * r_ McKinney, Red Walker. Stanley Liv- ~ ingston, Pete Mosteller. Coach Johnston reports that his Y entire first team will be lost when the call for next year's candidates S is made. Scores in the games played during the past season are. W&A ir Team App. Opp. ^ Lenoir-Rhyne . . 30 17 . Western State College. . . .40 24 ^ East Tennessee State 24 35 ,. ua ^omye r. .- ^*i|Ia Lynchburg College .....35 24 Atlantic Christian College. .51 33 j High Point College 38 23 Guilford College 40 24 King College 38 29 a_ High Point College 21 17 n Guilford College 26 27 Catawba College 28 23 n Lenoir-Rhyne 29 21 East Tennessee State 44 39 I- Campbell College 45 21 jJ Lees-McRae College .<16 24 le es The number of hours which we a- sleep is not so important, according to to one expert, as seeing that our sleep is untroubled. = ~ =? $1.50 PER YEAR PSITORE AT = Rf HERWOOD IS | BRED MONDAY -? Vn ' 3 natrd $4,000 Worth of Merch&L ise Stolen by Night Manuel S- Dry Goods, Clothing and C riet Included in the Wholesaric^'Theft. No Clues as to Identity of Participants. A robbery of wholesale proportions vas perpetrated at Rutherwood, sev;n miles east of Boor?e, on Monday light, v. hen the large mercantile establishment of Hodges and McNeil vas entered and perhaps as much as 51,000 worth of sundry wares re\t. ril... \l_VT..:i' ? .ivrvM. *ui. jLJuci jcuciveii, manager o; ;lie store and partner of John W. iodges of Boone in the business, who esides just across the highway, was ict awakened during the night, and he marauders made their nocturnal risit without having aroused anyone n the neighborhood. When Mr. McNeil opened the store Huesday morning he found that moor trucks had been driven to the ear of the building which at that loint is .several feet from the ground, ind an opening In the floor perhaps our feet Square bad been made by he use of an augur. The culprits iad scuttled the merchandise onto he ground, and thence into the vaiting vehicles. A complete invenory following the burglary has not >een made, but an incomplete surey indicates that of the stock which nventoried $7,000 the first of the ear. scarcely more than $3,000 in foods remains. Dry goods, clothing, nd groceries wore taken from the milding in huge quantities, a numi?r of the shelves having been pracically stripped. No clues as to the dentity of the night riders have een advanced, however it is preictod that they are the same which ecently pilfered so many similar esablishments in adjacent counties be>w the mountain. Funds from Rutherwood post.ofice, which is housed in the same uilding. were taken by the robbers, ut no estimate of the amount, could e oblaiited Wednesday morning. The Hodges and McNeil ^tore was *; iroaueasting t at LharBUe s staff tenor, left Tuesday for that ity where he will make his future ionic. Mrs. Moore will join him. tith'in the next few days. Mr. Moore's followers, >n Wataa:a Cotinfy will he intofssted in the saw chedule for the first week of his i-ork, as they will probably have a lumber of requests which they will end in to Station WBT, central opnations point in the "Dixie Loop" if the Columbia chain. Regular features in which the loal tenor wiil appear are 'Dixie Crystals," Musical Etchings," and 'Sworn1 o Review." His schedule is as follows: Retinning Friday, March 20th, and each friday thereafter, 8*30 p. in., Staion WBT. March 23rd: inaugural program of Dixie Loop of the Columbia Eread:asting System, 10:00-11:00 p. m., iver WBT and associated stations. Beginning March 24th and each fuesday thereafter 8:30 p. m., Dixe Loop of the Columbia Broadcasting iystem. ?? Beginning March 27th nnd each Viday thereafter, 10:30 p. m., Dixie -oop ol the Or.lumbia Broadcasting iystem. SOME PROOF Drniocrai (cadi >mv iMmars uf this territory? Well, listen . to this: For three weeks s small advertisement calling the farmers* attention to the agricultural limestone offered for sale by Meant orwincr* o? C'iuuus, T?aD., appeared in The Watauga Democrat. Through an error, the yrios of the limestone was omitted from the advertisement. Until just the other day Mount Brothers had mailed over three hundred letters to farmers in tins territory in answer to iluii guor ias concerning the pics of the limestone advertised. In this week's issue you'll find another adrertiscment giving prices andfurther details run over the name of Mount Brothers. Does advertising pay? Does Tie -Democrat reach the farmers? Wo'O say so!