=JMRS.
WIDENHOUSE
IS DECLARED NOT
GUILTY BY JURY
Former Boone Woman Freed on Murdcr
Count. Verdict Reached After
Hour and Quarter. Defendant Tesf
titled Husband Had Made Threats
Against Her Life. Large Crowd ir
Courtroom as Trial Closed.
Concord, N. C.?Mrs. Mary Bennett
Widenhouse, former resident of
Boor.c, was found not jfuilty by ?. Cn.
barrus jury at 9:15 Monday night in
her trial for the slaying of her husband,
Donald, on last March 5th. The
jury deliberated an hour and five
minutes.
Showing no emotion and sitting
calmly with relatives while the jury
was out, Mrs. Widenhouse first shook
hands with her chief counsel, L. T.
Hartsell, and then with members of
the jury. Relatives soon gathered
around her while A. P. Widenhouse,
t father of the dead man, walked quietly
from the court room.
Thprp wnc nn rfr>mni?;trnfirtn A?
was the case when the trial was begun
last week, only to be interrupted
by a death in Judge Oglesby's family,
the court-room was packed to
overflowing when the trial was resumed
Monday morning. Spectators
knew Mrs. Widenhouse would be the
first witness, as she was on the stand
when court recessed last week, and
they were present by the hundreds
to hear her version of the tragedy.
The defense vested at noon and
several rebuttal witnesses for the
state and one for the defense had
completed their testimony when the
noon recess was taken. Arguments
began late in the afternoon.
Tell* of Threats
Mrs. Widenhouse said her husband
was a man of strength and quick
temper and often threatened her. On
the morning of the slaying she said
tie cursed her and added, "I'll kill
you." Thut was before lie whipped
and beat her, she said. The defendant
that in thn nrpspm?f? of
her husband's father, A. P. Widen?
house, she had threatened io kill her
husband if he didn't quit drinking
and running around so much.
M rs. Wider.house said her husband
once threw a bottle at her and at another
time threatened her with a gun
and she was so in fear of him that
she kept n pistol hidden all of the
lime.
On eross-exanViiivuvEi xko ticf.aiuant
denied that she hid in a ditch
with a gun waiting for her husband
nnd said she could not recall ever
chasing her hushond with p. pistol or
other firearms.
sthe said she took a wire from the
car because she didn't want her hustband
to take their children off with
him and because she had sent for
the sheriff and didn't want her husband
to leave until the officer got
R'
mere.
Lewis Robbiiis said Widenhouse
was a "violent and dangerous man"
and he and Lentz Bnree sn'd they
had heard Widenhouse threaten to
kill his wife. Barbce also denied that
trouble started when Widenhouse
came home and found him in bed
with Mrs. Widenhouse, saying this
was not true. Mrs. Widenhouse later
was recalled to the stand and also
denied the charge that she had been
in bed with Barbee.
Harvey Pierson, colored employee
of the" slain man, told of the events
as the irist rebuttal witness immediately
preceding the shooting. His
testimony closely followed that given
Wednesday by John Barbee.
Or. cross-examination by Mr. Hartsell,
he stated he saw Mrs. Widenhouse
run out of the house cursing
and crying, pistol in hand, and said
she'd shoot him if he hit her again
just before she went to the filling
station.
"I heard her say, "Donald, don't
come on me,' twice just before the
shot was fired," he said.
Roy Hagier told of seeing Mrs.
* Widenhouse at the filling station with
a pistol in her hand and further testified
she still had the gun when she
walked hack to the house.
"I watched her from the back of
the filling station and saw her go
to the automobile and jerk something
out. Donald came out of the house,
went to the car and tried to start it.
Then he got out and lifted the hood.
Hp then took three stens toward her
and she said, "Don, I told you not to
tone on me.' and then shot. She was
facing him and only a short distance
from him when the bullet was fired."
The witness stated he had on one
Jf# .
(Please turn to Page 2)
FIVE TERMS IN SCHOOL AND
NEVER ABSENT FROM CLASS
Elizabeth Little, 10-year-old daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Rosco Little of
Boone, who finished the fifth grade
in the Demonstration School this
spring, has a unique record. She has
been in school for five years, two
in Salisbury and one in Boone, and
during that time was never absent
or tardy from classes. On several
-occasions the young lady has suffered
from minor ailments, but never has
she been willing to stay away from
'her school work.
i
SATA\
A Non-Partisan Ne
BOON]
i ! Was rtAnklo.Prncc^/] !
1 U .? ,
:
Dr John Condon, commissioned by |'
Col. Lindbergh to pay $50,000 to kid- j
nappe rs for the return of the baby
paid the money bat the child was not
returned. j
MANAGERS CLAIM
ROOSEVELT WILL
BE PARTY'S CHOICE:
i
Campaign Managers Say New York j
Governor Will Go into Convention ]
With 700 Vote*. Delegate Lists of ]
Contenders Shown. Claimed Line- ]
up Gives Kooseveit G7o Votes; ]
Smith Second with 203. ,
New York.?Franklin D. Roose- '
volt's campaign managers, still pre- s
dieting his nomination on the first <
ballot, claimed today he will go into 1
the Democratic national convention 1
with close to 700 delegate-votes. I
Not counting the twelve delegates t
being picked in Arizona and Wyo- <
ming, who were expected to be at i
least friendly to the New York Gov- '
era or, the list totaled G78. 1
If the convention opens with Roose- i
velt and Alfred E. Smith in control 5
of the votes their associates claim a
will be theirs, and with the other \
candidates getting the votes which t
already seem assured for them, the t
line-up would be like this: *
. Roosevelt, 678; Smith, 203; Garner,
90; Lewis, 58; White, 52; Reed, 1
3G; Byrd, 24; Murray, 23; Ritchie. 1
16; not claimed by anyone, 56. 1
Overlapping Claims <
These figures total more than 1,154 i
?the actual convention vote-?be- )
cause of overlapping claims. <
1 t in~"f/Tlf iT IWr.nfinw^ rKtiuMi).
Arizona and Wyoming, 708 delegates 1
had been selected. Of that number, i
Roosevelt has 313 pledged, instruct- \
ed or claimed.
This figure Was raised automatically
in political circles to 333 by Senator
Huey Long's statement pointing Louisiana's
20 votes toward the
Roosevelt camp. However, the Louisiana
delegation is uninstructed and
its choice will not be known formally
until a pre-convention caucus.
The Roosevelt forces also are j
counting on 105 of the 168 remaining
in douht?GO of Pennsylvania's 76
and 45 of the 92 New York votes
in doubt.
There are still 434 delegates to be
picked. Of that number, the Roosc- j
velt forces are counting on picking j
up 240. j
MORE THAN 1,000 i
ARE VACCINATED
1
Citizens Taldng Adavantage of Cam- t
paign Against Fever and -Diph- i
theria. Record Number Come i
to Boone for Serum.
1
Thus far this week there have |
been approximately one thousand ad- :
ults and children vaccinated against i
typhoid and diphtheria at the courthouse
in Boone, and reports coming
from other points indicate that record
numbers are guarding themselves
against the diseases. The serum is
administered without cost to the county
or to the .individual, doctors and
nurses are giving their time without
pay, and the campaign inaugurated
by the Couniy Board of Health bids
fair to all but stamp out the two
dread diseases in Watauga County.
In 1929, the last time there was a
general vaccination here, about 6,000
persons were immunized, and it
is expected that this year's total will
be far in excess of that figure.
INSECT HORDES CAUSE WORRY
TO FARMERS IN WATAUGA
Ira Edmisten of the Windy Gap
WOO o rricitnr in Pnftvir. \frtn_ I
day and while here slated that potato
bugs and other plant insects are appearing
in great quantities on lower
Cove Creek, and that an infestation
is in prospect. Potato vines just peeping
through the earth have already
1 been attacked by bugs, says Mr. Edmisten,
who believes that the exceedingly
mild winter weather made it
possible for numbers of them to live
: through the cold season. Flea bugs
I are also causing much Worry to Cove
1 Creek farmers, and hot-bed plants,
> such as tomato, egg plant peppers,
i etc., have to be sprayed constantly
to keep down their damaging work.
JGA 1
swspaper, Devoted to the B
3, WATAUGA COUNTY, NOKTH CAB
FATHER AND SON !
PICNIC ENJOYED
BYLARGECROWD
Voung Tar Heel Farmers Enjoy Outing
With Fathers at Cove Creek.
Rev. J. A. McKaughr. and Superintendent
Smith Hagam&n Deliver
Addresses. Speech by Alfred Adams
Reproduced.
On the evening of April 13th the
Cove Creek Chapter of Future Farmers
had one of their outstanding
aventa of the year, the Father and
Son Picnic. Every member of the
agricultural organization invited his
father to meet the group at the Cove
Creek School. A large number of the
fathers came, and to start the program
beat the boys in a game of
playground ball. After the game the
group met in the agriculture room,
where every one was served with a
nice lunch prepared by the home economics
girls and the agriculture boys _
12nd ;r the supervision of Miss Annie ?
Dougherty.
The meeting was called to order I***1
oy Robert Dunn, president of the f
lgr culture organization. Stanley A. ^
Harris Jr. and Alfred Adams were
idc'ed to the organization as "green j
iai d" members. Robert Dunn, Al- J
Dei - Michaei, Thomas Presnell, James
viconne, Uline Walker, Berl Henson, ID
Ro: Romigi-r, Charlie Michael and i
Jo- Banner were awarded F. F. A. | (
aa iges for their outstanding work ^
Juring the past year. These badges ?
show their identity as "Future Farm- "(
2r" members. Superintendent Smith
Hi gaman said a few words of gratitude
toward this work, illustrating (jc,
th< crowded teaching profession and
:hc need for hoys to prepare for some ^
>tl er profession. Mr. McKaughn made era
i short and most interesting talk on sor
'What Is a Boy?" The way in which ^
Robert Dunn conducted this meeting I an(
md the way the other boys spoke j t^r
;ho ved that even if they are boys
vith big appetites, they have men's fro
vays with big voices. .These boys, he no(
:ontinued, are not only training for
:echiical agriculture; but for agricul- ?|ie
ural leaders. RTC
Robert Dunn. Fleenor Hodges, Earl CQl
ilenson, Alfred Adams and Wheeler pr(;
Earthing engaged in a speaking con- ^
;est .r. which Earl Henson won sec- jn
>nd place and Alfred Adams was
warded a public speaking medal by ^sj
Howa d Walker, the teacher of agri- j:*,
rulture" for winning fnr'st'iftfctrfe.-**"
.erested in farming will be better sat
sfied with that life during these dedressing
times by reading the follow- A(j
(Please turn to Page 3) {
17-YEARloCUSTS I
EXPECTED IN JUNE ~
'inl Appeju-ance of Imecti Since ^
'1915. Specimens Are Wanted by
Entomologist at State College
in Raleigh.
Raleigh.?North Carolina's best- g,e
mown brood of 17-year locusts will t
>egin to emerge from the homes tbey
tave made in the soil since 1915 and
will advertise their presence by an
iwfu! din in the forest trees of the j
State in late May or early June. vat
Dr. Z. P. Metcaif, head of the de- tioi
sartment of entomology and zoology kill
it State College, says the locusts the
which will emerge this year are from jng
rggs that were laid in the limbs of fat
trees back in 1315. The eggs hntebpd p0;
into tiny grubs about 1-16 of an inch Th
long and these crawled into the soil not
through small crevices where the the
jrubs attached themselves to the hoi
roots. The small beaks were forced
into the bark to suck sap from the tan
living trees. Here these grubs have | m0
uten nvmg ant: neveioping jor auuui eec
seventeen years. Their wings are now .ec
full grown and they are awaiting the
coming of warm weather, when they C
will emerge in countless thousands.
"This is one cf the most phenomenal
happenings of the insect world,"
says the entomologist. "It was observed
by the earliest settlers in this an]
State and careful records have been tist
kept since that time. There are some feI
kinds of cicades, or locusts, which Sai
appear each year. Then there are the dai
13-year locusts as well as the 17-year
brood. Sometimes these overlap in at
emergence, as they did in 1S98. There pej
are also several broods of the 17-year Go
variety and all this has caused con- ] 1
fusion, but the brood which emerges Ne
this spring is the best known and the pr,
one on which the most careful rec- As
ords have been kept." Scl
Dr. Metcalf requests that speci- Wi
mens of the locusts be sent to him.
1:5
HALF MILLION DOLLARS PAID daTO
N. C. VETS LAST MONTH Eli
So
Charlotte, N. C.?The regional of- 2:5
fice of the United States Veterans' sn.1
Bureau here paid $551,252.63 to G.
World War veterans of the State in nc(
April ,of which $106,160.74 was for
loans on adjusted compensation certificates,
and $37,062.36 for insur- Ge
ance loans, the balance being for sis
dsability, the bureau reported Tues- tui
day. thi
DEM<
lest Interests of North we
OLINA, THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1
GeorcrR Washincrton
i s
The arocnt vehicle in which. Was
hi Hew York has been preserved by
MIES G. VANNOY
)F POPLAR GROVE i
PASSES THURSDAY
ath Followed Seriou* Operation in j
Statesviile Hospital. Wan 62 Years
>f Age. Funeral Services Held FriJay
Afternoon by Rev. Gragg.
Survived by Widow and Seven
Children.
lames G. Vannoy, 62-year-old resilt
of the Poplar Grove section,
d in a S?atesvillc Hospital Thursj
morning, following a serious opition
which had been performed
tie days before. He had been in
health for more than fifteen years,
\ had been critically ill for about
ce weeks. i
funeral services were conducted ;
m the Vannoy home Friday after- <
>n, Rev. S. E. Gragg, Adventist
lister beine in eharore. and inter-!
nt followed in the Gragg burying
?und near Boone. A large cor.irse
of relatives and friends were
>sent as the last, rites were said.
Wr. Vaimoy was born and reared
the Meat Camp section, and with
exception of a brief residence in
he County, had spent his entire
i in Watauga. He was. known as
honest, hard-working citizen, and
^passing caused- gcnuiiie" aununrr
ong his wide circle of friends. He
1 been a member of Pine Grove
ventist Church for more than t\v enyears.
surviving are the widow and seven
Idren: Miss Pearl Vannoy, Miss
jre Vannoy, Elbert and George
nnoy, all of Poplar Grove; Mrs. C.
Smith of Boone, and Ernest Van%
of Jacksonville, Pla.
ALPH H ARRIS IS
inr * tiFv vit nrk ? mi
lYiLLm) IN til ASH
p-wn of Blaine Coffey Dies from
Vuto Injuries Received in Pensacola.
Fla. Body to Be Returned
to Watauga.
talph Harris, 22 years old, a prie
in the United States Army, staled
at Pensacola, Florida, was
ed in an automobile accident in
t city last Saturday night, accordto
information reaching his stepher,
Former Representative Blaine
ffey of the Boone's Fork section.
b details of the fatal accident could
: be learned, but it is stated that
body will be returned to the
ne community for burial.
SToung Harris was reared in Waiga
County, and was known as a
del young man. He was serving his
ond term in the army ar.d had but
ently visited with liomefolks.
S. Conference to Be
Held at Sandy Flat
rhe following program has been
nonnced for the Stony Fork Bapt
Association Sunday School Con
ence, which will be held with the
ndy Flat Baptist Church on SunMay
29th.
Devotional by Rev. Ed Robbing
9:30 a. m.; 10:00, reports of surintendents;
10:30, "The Value of
od Literature," Rev. R. L. Barnes;
:00, "Three Essentials in Building
w Testament Churches?Teaching,
caching and Training," Rev. W. D.
hiey; 11:30, "Why Have a Sunday
bool in Every Church?", Rev. B. F.
Icox; 12:00, dinner.
Afternoon: 1 o'clock, organization;
10, "The Responsibility of the Suny
School to Reach the Lost," L. T.
rod; 2:00, "Bible Teaching and
ul Winning," Miss Minnie Day;
10, "Personal Work of Sunday
hool Officers and Teachers," Rev.
M. Watson; 3:00 p. m., miscellaous.
Mrs. Luther Bingham and children,
raldine and Luther Martin, and
ter, Miss Alice Mast, have terned
to Cove Creek after spending
i winter in Florida.
JCKA
:st North Carolina
932
Rode in This Coach I
;? 1
hington rode to his first inauguration
the Frankford Historical Society.
LANDS WILL NOT BE
SOLD FOR TAXES IN
JUNE, SAYS BOARD
More Than Fifteen Thousand Dollars
Collected in rati I en Days. Sheriff
L. M. Farthing Issues Statement
in Which He Explains Action. Says
People Are Making Honest Effort
to Pay their Assessments.
According to a decision reached the
last of the week by Watauga officials,
lands of delinquent taxpayers will not
be offered for sale on the first Monday
in June, as was announced on
the first Monday, but a respite of at
least thirty days will be granted in 1
Ibis connection. In making the an- ;
nouncement of the extension of time, j
Sheriff L. M. Farthing discloses that
during the past ten days more than
$15,000 in tax money has come to
his office, and the people are urged
to put forth every effort to make
payment before foreclosure is forced j
upon him. .
The complete statement of Sheriff
Farthing, as released to the press on ,
Monday, is as follows:
''To the Taxpayers of Watauga:
"With a full knowledge of the
laws of our State requiring -the
Sheriff to advertise the lands of j
delinquent taxpayers on the first j
Monday in May so as to sell said 1
lands on the first Monday in June, j
further recognizing the money situation
in Watauga County is dcs- |
pcrate, and with a full and abiding 7
faith in the people of our county to
do their full duty to meet this '
desperate situation as has been indicated
to me especially in the last *
ten days by the payment into my
office of more than fifteen thou- '
sand dollars, I have therefore, at ]
whatever risk of law or criticism '
from my people, decided not to advertise
until I am forced to do so,
I therefore do most earnestly urge
every delinquent taxpayer to put
forth every effort possible to make
immediate payment of their taxes
in order that the county may be able
to meet its obligations. I am personally
aware of the seriousness of i
this financial situation, anil I should
rather meet and bear criticism than
increase the already very heavy
burden on our people. Of course
we all know that the taxes must
be collected and the sooner the
better for all concerned.
"Respectfully,
"L. M. Farthing, Sheriff."
Pittsboro Graduates
On Sight-seeing Trip
Shirley Waters, for the past eight
years principal of the Pittsboro High
School, accompanied by 28 members
of the graduating class of that institution,
arrived in Boone last Wednesday
and remained until Friday. This'
was the first visit of the students to|
the mountain region and the time was I
most pleasantly spent in short sight j
seeing trips from Boone.
Mr. Waters will be remembered as
the son of Rev. D. P. Waters, many
years ago a pastor of the Boone Methodist
Church.
Stroke of Lightning
Brings Flame to Barn
Mr. Roby Wilson of Sutherland,
who was visiting in this community
last Friday, tells of a terrific electric
storm which visited his neighborhood
on Thursday. A flash of lightning,
he says, ignited a large barn owned
by Mrs. Joe Sutherland, and the
building was a complete loss. Crops
were badly washed over a small radius,
and considerable damage reported.
Mrs. Charles Bingham and children,
David and Mary Martha, spent last
week in Stajesville.
Miss Blanche Stokes underwent a
serious operation at Statcsville last
; Wednesday. She is doing nicely.
:i
$1.50 PER YEAR
117 GRADUATE IN
FINALS AT STATE
TEACHER COLLEGE
Dr. B. B. Dougherty Confers Degrees
on Thirty-seven Students in Exercises
at Appalachian. Dr. N. W.
Walker of Chapel Hill Delivers
Address Before Large Audience.
Eighty Receive Two-year Diplomas.
One hundred and seventeen seniors,
37 in the four-year college course
leading to bachelor of science degrees
and in this two-year course,
received their diplomas here Friday
morning at 10:30 o'clock when finis
was written to the 29th annual commencement
at Appalachian State Coilege.
Dr. N. W. Walker, dean cf the
school of education at the University
of North Carolina, delivered the commencement
address to the graduates
in the main auditorium of the college,
and immediately following his
address. Dr. B. B. Dougherty, president
of the college, conferred the
degrees.
Of the 37 receiving B. S. degrees,
36 are from North Carolina They
are, as follows: Roy Ellison, Sugar
Grove; Yates Havener, Vale; Bernard
Jones, Lansing; Roy Keller, Blowing
Rock; Charles McNeill. Wilkesboro:
Stephen Smith, Wingate; Laurie
Stewart and Esther Stewart, Hunting
Creek: Lloyd Turner, Lawndaie, ana
Conrad York Olin.
Kathleen Brooks, Bonlee; Ada
Clark, Crossnore; Mary Graves, Ruby;
Ruth Honeycutt, Boone; Julia Idol,
Clcmmous; C. Redmond Lavendar,
Columbus; Maggie Moretz, Roone;
Stella Scronce, Newton; Sarah Staley,
of Staley; Mary Wsiborn, Stony
Pork.; Ruby Winkler, Boone:
Mary Hackney, Lenoir; Flossie Joyrccr,
HaniptonviUe; Lucille Miller,
Boone; Essie Mae Outlaw, Seven
Springs; Beatrice Pearson, Wilkesjoro;
Dessa Mae Triplet!, Matney;
31yde Mac Goodman, Jefferson; Mary
uce union, uuuiora; <?osepnTne A'oericthy,
Hickory; Toler Haynes, Jones/illc;
Claude Pyatte, Crossnoro; Harry
Halliburton, Morgan ton; Stanley
Livingston, Boomer; and Lindsay Wafers,
Rutherford ton.
Eighty received diplomas in the
Uvv-year class. There are 79 girls
graduating from this district, Allan
Boger of Concord being the only
boy. The rest are: Helen Abernathy,
Helen Barber, Jewell Bess, Georgia
RLintan. "Hilda Brandon. Ruby Bray.
Loraine Bush, Oornell'a Collins, Laura
Combs, Inez Crouse, Lillian Davis,
Mary Bellinger, Ollie Dixon, Lucille
Wisher. Elizabeth Fox, Mable Gibbs,
Elizabeth Gidney, Elsie Gidney, Leota
Greene, Iva Guthrie, Edna Harrell,
Nellie Harrell. Lucille Harris, Lola
Anne Hensley, Pearl Hoover, Evelean.
Houser, Sara Hoyle, Stella Mae Johnston,
Ethel King, Verna King, Mary
Klutz, Nan Lingle, Mary McSwain,
Juanita Myers, Eva Patterson, Dorothy
R:tchie, Bessie Rudisill, Lorene
Sloop, Hazel Shidal, Margaret Smith,
D..U.. Xf.,T
i?i \ i m; iuuiut libuisa
Lookabill, Z^lma Richardson.
Etta Ballard, Alt-onia Beam, Evie
Sue Blackwell, Louise Bumgardner,
Nancy Caldwell, Lucille Davis, Nellie
Cole, Kate Fisher, Lillie Mae Freeman,
Mavis Frickle, Lalene Grigg;
-Anna Hahn, Virginia Holland, Margaret
Harrington, Susie Grose, Faire
Lath an, Carrie McBrayer, Blanche
McCarter, Margaret McGimsey, 11a
Matkins. Margaret Osborne, Grace
Perry, Eugenia Poindc-xter, Pauline
Rogers, Sarah Ritchie, Anna Spencer,
Lillian Steele, Irene Walker,
Mary Whitesides, Wilkins Mary, Leona
Williamson, and Dovie Wilmoth.
PROTECT SONG BIRDS
Several complaints have come to
the office of County Game Warden
H. Grady Farthing concerning the
destruction of song birds by boys
with sling-shots. Warden Farthing
states that this practice is a distinct
violation of the law, and subject to
large fines. He urges parents to tell
their children to refrain from the
wanton destruction, or prepare themselves
for the consequences.
THF. WEATHER
Weather report for Week ending
May 7, 1932 as compiled by the bureau
at the Appalachian State Teachers
College:
Average maximum temperature 70
degrees.
Average minimum temperature 45
degrees.
Average temperature 58 degreesj
rverage daily range in temperature,
25 degrees.
Greatest daily range in temperature
34 degrees, on the 3rd.
Average temperature at 6 p. m. 63
degrees.
Highest temperature reached, 78
degrees on the 7th.
). owest temperature reached 33 degre
>s on the 3rd.
Number inches of rainf All, 1.87.
Greatest rainfall in 24 hours, 1.87
on the 1st.
Number of days with .01 inch or
more rainfall, 1.
Number of clear days, 6.
Number of partly cloudy days, 1.
Direction of prevailing wind, west.
Other phenomena described as follows:
Solar halos on 1st and 3rd.