BOONE
SKETCHES
By j. C. R.
SOME CANBUDATES
Mr. Theodore F. Cumraings, Hick
ory attorney who seeks the Demo
cratic nomination for Solicitor of th
Sixteenth District, came to Boon
Monday, shook bands with the publi
at large, and expressed a keen desir
to gamer a right big majority o
Watauga's vote in the June primary
And I fine fellow he is . . . tall lik
a pine tree, with an intellectual fore
head, a pleasant smile and forcefu
manner . . . just the type fo- a State"
attorney.
Yes, we liked this aspiring Catawfe
lawyer a whole lot . . . we admire
* his sincerity, we admired his Jriendl;
method of campaigning. But some
how or other, we couldn't help bu
cast our thoughts up toward Or
courthouse, where Solicitor L. ?
Spurling, who seeks renomination, i
prosecuting a sizeable criminal dock
et. This man Spurling has been com
lag to Watauga for the past tw<
years, and the folks around here lool
on biiri, using a bit of slang, as "thi
cat's pajamas." He upholds the State",
er,'I of an argument with dignity . .
he looks a juryman squarely in tin
eye, and drives heme his point witl
unusual clarity . . be prosecute:
without resorting to persecution . .
and he's as easy to talk to as a neigh
boring farmer.
The Soiicitorial mtest is the onl;
matter to he voted on by Wataugi
people in Jui but it's a might)
important contest, and should creab
an unusual interest. Both candidate:
arc amply qualified for this digni
ficd position . . . one of them ha:
proved his worth in the courts of tlv
district. Both ate lawyers of unques
tioncd standing . . . one of them ha:
eight years of unbroken eourtroon
experience behind him. Both ar<
virile, pleasant Individuals . . . on!
of then) has sun ounded himself witl
a large circle of staunch friends ii
Watauga.
Democrats here in the mountain!
just have to do a little voting everj
now and then . . . and it's a safe bei
that Solicitor L. S. Spurling will wall
away with a nice big basket of Wa
tauga ballots on June 2nd!
THESE CHANGING TIMES
* Court week, so far as Watauga
9 Is concerned, ain't what it used lo
be. Just dig back in the past and
r take a look at the "first Monday"
. . . then compare it with the presCola
CtaCt** lor.f 1?.wr?
wagons and Babcock buggioct, carefully
supervised by a regiment: of
Henkel's liest traders . . . patent
medicine men in frock-tailed coats
and checkered vests, cracking- jokes
at awkward hill-Williams, exchanging
quick cures for shiny dollars
. . . herds of women in poke-bonnets
and checkered aprons, babes fn
arms, lining the streets . . . jennets
and jackasses and plug bosses tied
to every available fence in town . . .
Tack Campbell distributing bills for
bis Great Wonderland Moving Picture
Show . . . Mose Klarshaw and
Rom Linney and Coot denes and
all the old-time lawyers shaking
hands with friends en route to
courthouse . . . bacon sizzling in a
score of skillets as campers prepared
their meals . . . tricksters
from "fur-places" betting their
cash on "which shell the pea's under"
, . . hundreds and hundreds
of men and women and children
enjoying their first visit to town
for a long time.
Rut this week there wasn't much
to it . . . just a scattering of folks
summoned as witnesses or for jury
duty . . . just a couple of covered
wagons behind the courthouse . . .
just three or four hoss traders
trimming the fetlocks and currying
the welted sides of a dozen
uruitcii-uuwn, nea-uirten equities
. . . just two or three pot-gutted
magazine salesmen ... no patent
*?, y medicine vendors, no magic-lantern
show, no bonnets and crying younguns,
no grub-wagons ... nothing
lint court-week, deprived of all Its
erstwhile splendor! Ho-hum, times
ain't improved any!
STRANGE BUSINESS
The trial of a homicide case, fo
some reason or other, draws a packc
courtroom . . . but why ? The drawr
anxious face of an accused killei
lined with the misery of long eon
finement ... a heart-broken mothe
dabbing her swollen eyes with a lim
handkerchief . . . the monotonou
grind of the justice mill as juror
are selected and witnesses examine
and mercy pleaded ... a fatherles
-child casting accusing glances at th
man who robbed her of parental se
curity . . . and dozens and dozens c
other unpleasant, wretched. deDlors
ble phases that people, civilized pet
pie, enjoy! No more pitiable sigh
could be imagined than a young ma
facing the (hair ... or a life of cor
finement Nothing more patheti
could be envisioned than a wife an
her children deprived of a husbnn
and father. It's bad business, sa
business . . . but, for some unknow
reason, there's always a crowds
courtroom when a homicide case
tried!
Stranger?What makes your cat s
small ?
Boy?1 guess it'a because we fee
It on condensed rnllk.
VOLUME XLV. XUMBER 43
To Be Heard Here
^ |
r
3i
Mr. \Y. M. SnuCurU. superintendent
of the Junior Order Orphanage
at Lexington, who will speak at
the district meeting:, Jr. O. U. A. M.
in Boone on Wednesday, May 2nd.
HIGH OFFICIALS OF
JUNIOR ORDER TO
SPEAK IN BOONE
!
j Third District Meeting to lit- Featured
by Addresses of State Councilor
| and Treasurer. Superintendent of
| Orphans Home to Speak and I're[
sent Class of Children. Delegates to
Come from Tlirec Counties.
i The scmi-unnual meeting, Third
! District, Junior Order United AmeriI
can Mechanics, to be held in Boone
j Wednesday, May 2nd, is to be a noteI
worthy gathering of the members of
the organization, since the session is
to be featured by addresses by the
State Councilor, State Treasurer and
others of high standing in the fraternity.
The business session will be held in
the council hall at 3 o'clock. The evening
session is to be held in the auditorium
of the Demonstration School,
will be open to the public, and State
Councilor B. C. Siskc- will be the principal
speaker. Ovirney P.. Hood, State
Junior Treasurer and Commissioner
of Banks, will tell of the work of the
rtrnlinrt hnmna nt Tif.fin Hhin nnri
Lexington, N. C. Since Mr, Hood is
a member of the board of trustees
of tlic institutions, he is minent'.y
qualified to give first-hand information
on their history and operation.
\V. M. Shuford, superintendent of
[the Lexington child-rearing institution,
will present a "class of oimdrar.
in ait entertaining program, which is
to be followed by a three-reel moving
picture, "Facts About the Junior Order
United American Mechanics."
The showing is sponsored by C. W.
Snyder of Winston-Salem, Field Secretary
for Western North Carolina.
District No. 3 is composed of Avery,
Mitchell and Watauga counties. The
membership in this territory is 332,
Each council is to be representee! in
the business session by three members.
Local officials of the organization
state that the public is cordially invited
to attend the night session, hear
the notables and enjoy the progiam
and movies. There is 110 charge of
any kind.
Appalachian Teachers
Lose Last Home Game
A nn.qInrViian lnot thoir loot Hatyip
baseball game to Lenoir-Rnyne Tuesday.
8 to 5. The game was close
throughout, and |home runs aided
much n the Bears' victory. Newton,
VVillett and Mills hit home runs for
I.cnoir-Rhyne, while Deal got Appalachian's
only circuit hit.
Although the Teachers did nol
make but one error, they played ou
of position badly, and many throw!
were wild.
Trippany and Smith led the hit
? ting for the local boys and Newtor
for the Bears.
L,
Next Week Will Be
r Observed as Annual
s Clean-Up Period
3
d The week bcgnlnlng Monday, Apis
ril SOth, has been designated as
e clean-up week by Mayor Tracy
!- Council!, (luring which period prcpif
crty owners of the city are respectl
fully asked to lend full co-opera>
tion to the officials In their efforts
it to make the community more sanln
tary and Inviting,
i- Trucks will be provided by the
c I city for hauling away the rubbish
d I and citizens are asked to place the
d! refuse in boxes convenient to the
<1 streets or alleyways in order that
n removal may be affected with the
d minimum of speed,
is In making the announcement,
Mayor Council! stressed the impor?
tnnee of the movement, and is es10
pecially anxious that property owners
do their part in making the
d city spick and span before, the beginning
of the tourist season.
Independent Weekly Newsj
BOONS, WATAUGA COU
lewis goeso?~|
TRIAL FOR FIRST j
DEGREE MURDERi
Alleged Slayer of Police Chief to Be
Tried for His Life. Six Members ot
Jury Chosen at Noon Wednesday.
Boone and Beaver Dam Townships
Excluded from Jury Service. Taking
of Evidence to Begin Thursday.
Rufus Lewis, held in the county j
jail since last September in connection J
with the slaying of Polite Chief Hill !
Hagamon, was arraigned for murder j
in Sirooriitt PnJiri Vioro \fnnrlav ifU. I
| ornoon and Wednesday at the noon j
J recess of court six of the twelve men
I who will try the defendant for his j
life had been selected
As Lewis was arrigned defense attorneys
introduced affidavits in an
effort to have the trial removed or
to summon jurors from outside the
county Feeling engendered, said the
depositions, from detailed publicity
and from the prominence of the slain
man, ran so high that following the
arrest of Lewis it was necessary to j
remove the prisoner to another coun- (
ty for safe keeping. As the suggestion i
of the State, however, it was agreed j
that the trial would be before a Watauga
County jury, Boone and Bea-.
ver Dam citizens being excluded. Of- !
! ficor Hagaman had been reared and j
lived practically his entire life in
these two sections of the county.
A venire of seventy-five men was j
summoned Tuesday, and Wednesday}
morning selection of the jurors got
under way. As The Democrat goes to j
press, it is not believed that the jury |
j will have been completed before the :
afternoon recess of court, and that ]
evidence will probably be taken be- .
ginning Thursday.
Without about fifty of the veniremen
examined, the following six had
been selected for jury service: Robert
! Hodges, Elk Township; Howard Fos|
ter. Meat Camp; J. H. Shoernalte, i
Shawn chaw; H. D. Cook, Oove I
Creek; Coy Yates, Watauga; Charles
I Span, Blowing Rock. Uncertainty |
exists aoout tne court as to whether
It wiil be necessary to summon others.
Solicitor Spurting is being assisted
in his efforts to secure a first degree
verdict by Messrs. Liovill and Zimmerman,
while Lewis is .represented by <
wruaia. Trivirtte ? Ilo'uTyUtCr I
John E. Brown. Perhaps no more than
six or eight witnesses are to be examined,
and aside from the legal arguments
the case is expected to be
j disposed of within a reasonably short
period of time.
Violet Adams, nineteen-year-old '
woman, 13 to be tried at this term of !
court in connection with the shooting !
I" II... nnlln,. ,_,ffin>l* I
Several cases of minor importance '
have been tried and a few defendants 1
remanded to jail pending the passage !
of judgments. The complete proceedings
will be published next week.
Music Week Observed
By Local Ladies Clubs
A national Music Week program ,
was presented in the College Auditorium
011 Monday evening, April 23,
sponsored jointly by the Worthwhile
CTIub and the Friday Afternoon Club.
Mu3ic Week does not come until the
; first of May. but the date was
changed for Boone in order that the
college stuaents might nave Che privilege
of being guests of the local
clubs.
, Thirty young men and young Wo[
men from among the most talented
| citizens and students of Boone look
part in the event before a large, appreciative
audience. The object of
this community event, according to
; the General Federation of Women's
Clubs, is "the development of a gettogether
spirit in communities," and
L to develop the art of appreciating
t music, performing music, and crcatf
ing music.
Following is a list of those who
took part in the event: Misses Virginia
Brown, Mazie Jean Jones and
1 Charlotte Stalling*.; Mrs. D. J. Whitener,
Carl Plaster, Jake Hugaman,
Frank Hagaman, Irvin Norton; Frances
Thomas, Jane Tedder. Argia Wilburn,
Wmton Rankin, Margaret
. Hamby, Calvin Wright, Virginia
I Warv: Roy Greene. Paul Mahonev.
Guy H. Hill, Norris Perry. Culleh
Johnson; Mrs. Guy H. Hill, Mrs.
Claude Pyatte. A community chorus,
directed by Mrs. Hill, was composed
of the following; Misses Lai I a Clay,
Virginia South, Floy Oottrell, Helen
Gragg; Messrs. John Critcher, Tom
Councill, Mack Greer and Paul Hicks.
Relief Bills Must Be
In By First of Month
All merchants and others holding
accounts against the local Emergency
Relief office, are asked to present
their bills to Miss Theodosia
Watson, relief administrator, not later
than the first of May. In asking
for these accounts. Miss Watson
states that it is imperative that none
fail to render Itoeir statements, as Instructions
call for the settlement of
all outstanding bills a3 of May 1st.
>aper?Established in the
NTT, NORTH CAROLINA, TMUKSD.
TWIN VALEE
Misses Juno and Joan Busli, duu^Ii
Iwmiie, will be twin valedictorians of t
at commemrenieut exercises today. 1
delivered by tlie student whose soholi
dent, and whose citizenship is at least
of the class. This year, when the mea*
twins were found to be exactly equal
as valedictorians.
DL MILLER WILL 1
SPEAKATA.S.T.C. |
FINALS ON FRIDAY
Charlotte Kditor to Address Graduates
;** 11 n'dock Hour. 1'ooular
Speaker Has Many Friends In This
Section. Eighty Graduates Will Re-1
ceivc Diplomas on the Ith. IJst of |
Graduates.
Dr. Julian S. Miller, associate edi- (
tor of The Charlotte Observer, who !
it the same time is known as a1
ipeaker of rare ability, will deliver ,
the address to the graduates of Ap- \
oalachian College at the commencement
exercises to be held Friday
morning, May 4th, at the 11 o'clock
hour. A
Officials at the college feel fortunate
in having secured Dr. Miller
at this time, an recently he has been ;
one of the most-sought-for speakers !
in the State. He has many friends
in this region.
More than eighty students will re-!
ceive their diplomas at this time,
while more than 125 will have gained
Bachelor's degrees from Appalachian
at the end of the calendar year. Fol- j
lowing are those graduating next
week:
Mathematics and Science: Everett
Abee, Morganton; Ella Mac Austin,
Boone; Moselle Ball, Stony Point; Oscar
V. Barker, Butler, Tenn.; Clarence
A. Braswell, Collettsville; James
Howard Collins, Mcoresville; Steve
Lj. UUUU I UU1H l/iuuc;, LilllUUUlLUil, {
Asa Watt Deal, Statesville Route C;
Veb V. K. Dickson, Helton; Plato W.
Greer, Todd; Kern Oder .Toines, Spar(Continued
on Page 8)
Water Supply Is Cut
As Main Floods Store
A main in the city's water supply
system burst without explainable
cause Wednesday mcrning, and for
one time the town was rendered as
dry as a bone. The fracture of the
iron piping occurred directly in front
of the Farmer's Hardware Store, and
the terrific pressure lifted a section
of the street paving two or three
inches, finally finding egress into the
basement of the hardware establishment.
By the timq members of the
firm opened the store the water stood
at about twelve inches over the basement
floor, and considerable damage
resulted to nails, roofing, wire fencing,
etc., stored there. City employees
immediately began the job of digging
the proken pipe from beneath
the paving.
City Taxpayers Asked
To Gather on Friday
Municipal taxpayers have been
asked by Mayor Tracy Councill to be
present at a meeting of the city council
to be held in the town hall Friday
evening, 7:30 o'clock. The meeting
is called to discuss the condition
existing as to the banded debt of the
town, and to receive suggestions as
to ways and means of lifting the city
from its defaulted position.
MOC
Year Eighteen Eighty-Ei
A Y, AI'RIl, 26, 1934
HCTORIANS!
bH ^8
-v. ' rtf' _ Ste?
Utt
' V ' N.^
*
^55. - iy^jj?# <??"" : ..' I
--; j ; . ,\ . . l
ters of Mr. :md Airs. A. ?I. Busli of
he senior class of Boone High School
rtie valedictory address is annually
irship excels that of any other stu
i equal to that of any; other member
iuring stick was laid down, the Bush
in everything?so both Were picked
BANK OPENING IS
IN HANDS OF THE
PEOPLE OFCOUNTY
Special Examiner of Stale Banking
fiepartment Is If ere to Stay Until
Wntaugh Bank la Open. Only Hitch
Comes in Past Due and Neglected
Paper in Bank, Says Mr. Alton.
"Tally I/tiinK Being Secured.
Jn the parlance of Hollywood, the
theme song at the Watauga County
Bank at the present time is "The
LAst Round-up." Mr. John G. Allen,
a special examiner for the State
Banking Department, has uecn making
a; survey of the affairs of that
msu union, witn a view to m&King
recommendations to Commissioner of
Banks Gurney P. Hood, on which
will hinge the issuance of a license
to do an unrestricted banking business
and also be examined for Federal
Deposit Insurance.
"If the people of Watauga County
want this bank reopened for unrestricted
business with Federal guarantee
of deposits," said Mr. Allen
when interviewed Tuesday, "it wil)
be an accomplished fact in a very
i short while. There are a gieat many
i notes held by the bank that arc past
due. The best and most substantial
; people in tihis section are either makers
or endorsers on these nctes, and
all of this paper must be brought
| up-to-date, and in many instances
j curtailed to 3ome extent, before suet
| a license will be issued, or befort
I Federal Deposit Insurance Corpora
tion examination will be attempted
In refinancing and rejuvenating th<
finances of the Watauga Count}
Bank, all cf the officers and direc
tors have been most diligent, ant
i have accomplished a splendid task
| However, they cannot accomplish tin
I ends sought by themselves."
"My instructions from Mr. Hood.'
continued Mr. Allen, "were brief: g.
to Boone, and stay there until yot
; get the bank open, if the people ii
Watauga want it opened. It is a sim
| pie matter?the only hitch is the pas
; due and neglected notes in the bank
J If each note maker and endorser wil
ccmc forward and attend to thei
obligations voluntarily, the task i
accomplished. If not, action must 1*
taken, and taken at once."
Cashier G. P. Hagaman, in com
I menting on the situation, states tha
I the local bank is due the R. F. C. $23,
i 972.09. To partially offset this in
[ debtedness the bank has authoriza
tion for Federal farm mortgage bond
in the sum-of $9,500, and Home Own
ers Loan bonds to the amount o
S6.275. Individuals throughout th
county who are indebted to the banl
have had many other application
approved for Government money wit!
whioh to retire their indebtedness t
the hank.
SEED LOAN OFFICE CI.OSES
The seed loan office will be close
as of April 30th, according to Mi
i Hale, the manager, who insists tha
I there will be no filing for loans afte
that date.
ght
51.50 PER Yr.AK
OGLESBYBARES
I CRIME RECORD
j IN N. CAROLINA
| Pagan Nation YV ould Be Shocked, De|
clares Jurist, as He Tells ot Crime
Wave Sweeping State. Citizenship
Challenged to Combat Lawlessness.
Kefers to Inequalities of Knforeeioe*it.
"Golden Calf" ^Moulded.
"Nortih Carolina has written a record
of crime which would shock the
consciousness of a pagan nation," declared
Judge John M. Oglcsby In his
charge to the grand jury as the snrinxr
j term of Watauga Superior Court
j opened Monday morning.
I Offering figures taken from the
records of the Attorney General's office,
Judge Oglesby submitted that
there had been 525 homicides in fhe
State within a single year, more than.
100 within another twelve-month period,
that 850 people had perished in
one year on the highways of the
State, and that within a like period
more than 30,000 criminal actions
had been tried before the Carolina
courts.
"The limes have hurled a definite
challenge at the good, honest. Godfearing
people of our State; to the
pulpit, to the schools, to the press
for the enforcement of the laws of
the land " said Judge Oglesby, who
stated that the materialistic tendencies
of the American people had ill
his opinion brought the country into
the depression, and that many attempts
might be necessary to bring
the civilization out of the consequent
slough of despondency.
"The golden calf which we as a
nation have worshiped is no different
from that builded by the children
of Israel, except that our caif is the
larger," declared the eminent jurist,
as he lamented the irreverent attitude
of the people of today, and deplored
that fact that an overwhelming
percentage of the population do
nothing for the more uniform enforcement
of the law.
Swift and certain, punishment for
criminals was cited as the most ef- v
fective weapon to be used in stemming
the tidal wave of crime, and
the seriousness of the responsibilities
imposed by the people upon the court
and upon the members of the grand
Jury "a? purnmounted. -
While refraining from the usual recapitulation
of the catalog cf crime,
Judge Oglesby specifically mentioned
the prohibition law, and urged its
uniform enforcement so long as it
remained on the statute books. He
I also called attention to the wideI
spread wave of hishonesty, which has
made it necessary lor a man conducting
a small roadside business to
guard his property throughout the
night with a shotgun. In referring
to this condition, His Honor opined
that there was no difference in a
thief who stood behind the cashier's
window of a hank, with his "frozen
assets," and one who brandished a
revolver as a means of securing his
, illegal wealth.
"Too many onc-gallin, white hoys
and underprivileged negroes "V
dragged into court for minor infractions
of the Jaw," said Judge Oglesby
. while those in the higher stations
of life violate the same laws on a
larger scale with impunity and without
prosecution. "This condition must
stop," said the jurist, who slated that
i two little negroes caught shooting
nenno Cm m.. ol- olio,. ^ ,l,'.,doe l
iti a wav<jv fliicjr wcic aujuugcu
guilty of gambling, while the hig'.i[
ups engaged in passing money across
, a bridge table, were said to be par.
ticipating in a social activity.
Judge Ogle3by's message was un- ?fj
? usually well-received and he was congratulated
throughout the day on hi3
- masterful delivery.
1 David P. Wyke, of Fosene. took
. the oath as foreman of the grant!
" Sikes Here in Interest
i Rehabilitation Scheme
Mr. John H Sikes, director of pubr,
lie relations. Civil Works Adminis
tration, was ill town Tuesday, galb]
ering data, and investigating condir
tions as would apply in the admiiiLSs
tration of the .rural rehabilitation
s program of the Federal Emergency
Relief Administration
Mr. Sikes states that the new pro;
gram is in the formative stage and
. that .definite procedures have nop
. been fully worked out. However, he
etatys mat me goai towara wnicn ins
s administration is working is to find
lands for displaced tenant farmers,
j and to eventually assist them in fie
nanoing the purchase of their own
. farms.
s
SOLICITOR L. S. S PURLING TO
0 SPEAK AT LOCAL CHURCH
Solicitor L. S. Spurling, of the Sixteenth
District, will speak at Boone
Baptist Church on Sunday at eleven
d o'clock. The subject of his address,
which will take the place of the regt
ular morning service, will he "Law
r Observance," and the public is cordially
invited to attend.