COLLKTTSVfLLE FATHER TAKES LIVES
OF EIGHT CHILDREN; COMMITS SUICIDE
?ft ' TJ2P . _____ ^ ET
?? Lenoir. ? Eight children wot
killed last Wednesday night by
thtfr father in their home In Col
Etettsvtll*. ten mites north of Le
The father, 3?-yrar-old Ralph
Gragg. then set (It* to the houtt
and killed himself with a shot
pjiun. t;
? Gragg was injured in an act')- 1
an dent last November in a sawmill I
1/ and htd been unable to work i
since .'";?
The children ranged from IS
to three yuan of age. Their mo- j
ther had been living away from j
home for the tart month.
' Neighbors told Sheriff George
Oner the house "lit up all of a
sudden" about eight o'clock the j
night of the incident. Shortly af- j
terwards the bodies of Gragg and |
his eight children were foiyid. I
Gragg's body was found in a
hall beside a five-gallon can and
a shotgun.
The coroner, Marshall Klncaid, ;
said there would be no inquest, !
He said the skulls of the chll
dren had been fractured.
Mother Vltwi Bodia*
The mother, in her thirties,
viewed the charred bodies of her
children ? nix (iris and two boys
? in horror. All of them were
burned beyond recognition. Off
icer*, in identifying them, went
moatly by their sizes.
Her voice broken with aoba,
Mrs. Gragg told Coroner Kincaid
that "he threatened to do this
before ? that's why I had to leave
them. I was afraid of him." She
said her husband had bought
kerosene about two months ago.
apparently laying his plans for
the tragedy at that time, the
coroner reported.
The coroner reconstructed the
events of the night from stories
given by neighbors in the Blue
Ridge Mountain community. One
neighbor, Wesley Setzer, lives
only about 200 yards from the
site where the one and one-half
story dwelling stood in a valley.
Neighbors Heard Shouts
Setzer told the corner that he
had heard shouts and muffled
noises in the Gragg home but he
thought perhaps they were caus
ed by children. The coroner quo
ted other neighbors as saying the
children were "terribly scared"
of the father and often were
punished.
Jfttp curoner Mid that Graff
apparently bad uicd ? club, an
axe or tamt similar object to
knock teveral of the children
Into uncon*ciou*neM before
(hootina ? hem.
The coroner *ntd Gragg "rent
from room to room, killing the
children and cloaing <*ch door
behind him." Hr added that af
ter the two entailer children had
been lulled, the father went out
the back door with ? lighted
flaililight in hie hand.
Then All Waa Ouiet
"Neighbor! Mid he flood an the
front porch for a few minute*
end then the flashlight went out,"
Kim-aid went on. "Juat a min
ute or two later, the house wa?
covered by the flaah of fire."
There were no outcriea from
the blazing building, indicating
all the trapped victim* were un
conacioua.
Maas funeral aervlce* were
conducted for Gragg and the
right children at Mt. View Bap
tilt church on the Lenolr-Col
letUville road at 11 o'clock Fri
day morning. Burial wa* in the
church cemetery.
The remain* were contained in
two adult aize casket* with the
remain* of four children in one
and the remain* of the father and
four other children in the lecond.
County Agent* Have
Free Building Plans
Farmer* who want practical
help with building problem* can
obtain free blueprint* and other
uuistance from county farm and
home agenta of the State College
Extension Service.
This is pointed out by H. M.
Ellis, extension agricultural en
gineer, who *ay? many Tar Heel
citizens may not know about (his
service.
Some 500 sets of plana for
practically all types of farm
buildings, including dwellings,
are available. Upon request, the
agents will show actual con
struction drawings and assist the
farmer In choosing the type of
building best suited to hi* needs.
Types of structure* included
in the list are buildings for poul
try, swine, sheep, beef cattle,
dairy cattle, tobacco, grain, and
sweet potatoes. In the prepara
SKYVU DRIVE-IN THEATRE
One-Hall Milt from City Limits on Old Blowing Bock Boad
Beginning at Dusk Week Nights; 8:30 Sundays
Admission: 40c, except Family Night When
Admission is $ 1 .00 per car
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY FAMILY NIGHT
MAY 9 AND 10
WIRT LANCASTER-DOROTHY McGUIRE
EDMUND ? M on, MM
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY? MAY 11 AND 12
Men as rugged as
the peaks they
fought <m!i
STARRING "r"?" WA"N" ?"?*
ERROL FLYNN
PAfRiCEWMORElSa
Ma Mkm Ma 1A| ? Ma ? Urn ?> ?? un* ?
SUNDAY? MAY 13
OUTPOST IN MOROCCO
GEORGE RAFT MARIE WINDSOR
MONDAY AND TUESDAY ? MAY 14 AND 15
MERICAN
_ nllEIIIlM
T?* |?Hi? ippf***
Wednesday and Thursdays ? Family Nights
$1.00 Per Car, Regardless of Number of
Occupants Children Free at All Times
that field were called upon for
l&rlp in the functional design.
Agricultural engin cew then pre.
pared tfte drawing* with the tim
tion of each type, cpactaiisU in
of milking each building at con
venient, economical, and attrac
tive as puttible
The plan* Include blueprint*
for (ome 10 or more type* of
f?Mn hornet. AH were prepared
with the help of home manage
ment npecialitt*. 1 S
Ellis uy< about 13,000 plan*
of all typaa were distributed last
ye?\ Persons, desiring copies of
any of the drawings may obtain
I hem from the local farm agent
or home ugent. whose offices are
located In the county seat.
TRArKS COLLIDE IM TUNNEL
Livingston, Mont. ? Of freight
train rammed into another,
head-on, in a tunnel near l*re
and the impact derailed more
than a htlMoHn c*r?. causing
one of the wonit wreck* in the
history of the 4.000-foot tunnel
under the Boxeman Hill No one
was hurt.
GLASSES!'
"Make MOTHER'S Mother'* Day
perfect in every way! Save work
and time by planning an entire
meal around tempting, fresh froz
en food*."
Fr??h JulM In Mlnut**: PIctiweM Frozen Fre?h
Orange Juice . . 2 39c
Ready To Cook? Plctsweet Frozen Fresh
Turnip Greens . . . Z 23c
Pletaweet Prtnn Freeh
Broccoli . . . 10-0i. ?, 27c
Pletaweet Frozen Freth
Baby Unas . 12-Ol. Pk? 33c
PlettWMt Freier Freth
Green Peas a 12-ox. 25c
Plctsweot Chopped or Leaf
Spinach 25c
Town Square Strawberry
Shortcake ...??< 25c
' y?
DAIRY TREATS!
Southern Gold Colored ?
Margarine i-Lk. WnN Lb. 34c
Sunlight American
Cheese 98c
McLaren's Flavorful
Cheddar Cheese Lb. tt?. 89c
Pimlento. Chive, Olive Pimlento Wedges
Kraft's Cheese 6-Ox. PifQ. 32c
FRESH SEAFOOD!
Large Tender Fresh
Green Shrimp . . . * 73c
Easy To Prepare King
Mackerel Steaks ? 49c
A Real Treat! Dressed
Freeh Catfish . . . "> 53c
Taaty Delicacy? Fresh
Roe Shad ^ 59c
< HEF'S X AS I KIII'IK i;:
Freshly Made
Potato Salad . . ? ^ 29c
Freeh Testy
Chicken Salad 8 -Ox.' Cup 50c
Sandwich Favorite I
Pimiento Cheese *<? 35c
D?llcioui Spread
Ham Salad . . I Ox Cup 47c
Always A Favorite! Plump Tender Dressed and Drawn
Fryers . . - 55c
Cudahy't Cold Coin
SLICED BACON
49?
Lb
? f
Mil MM I
lEEEQr ?
-sr ?
Fine For Frying or Flavorful Seasoning
Streak-O-Lean Bacon - 29?
Full of Juley Goodness! Tender Plump
Pinky Pig Frankfurters . ... Hi 57"
Delightful Menu Change ? Dreated and Drawn
Long Island Ducklings ^ 59c
Famoue For Flavor I Qanulna Whole
Luter's Smithfield Hams . . . . * 85*
These Beautiful Glasses Absolutely
FREE When You Buy Invigorating
DIXIE-HOME
TEA
1 Glass Fr?? .. 28c
With i-Lb. Pkg.
2 Glasses Free
With ^-Lb. Pkg.
2 Glasses Free ..53c
TMJf SOUTHf UN HOSHTAilTr
IS out RUU rot COURTESY
le
Home
Good AII-PurpoM Self-Rletng
Red Band Flour Z S1 09
Keep A Supply On Hand? Virginia Packed
Tomatoes .... ?.*. 19e
Save Work? Ready To Uae White Houae Sliced
Pie Apples . . . 19'
For The Best Dressed Salad? Dixie-Home Quality
Salad Dressing . 29c
Vegetable Shortening
SNOWDRIFT
SI. 15
Mild Pure
WESSON OIL
p"" 43?
No Rubbing Wax
AEROWAX
Pint C*n 25?
Household Cleanser
OLD DUTCH
- 12c
Toilet Soap
SWAN SOAP
2 M?d. Six* Bar* 19c
Can't Bake Wrong with.
BAKE-RITE
SHORTENING
a S1 .06
Playniatet Sweet Mined
Pickles . . " o"- 37c
Yoeemite Yellow Cling
Peaches . *? c? 29c
Florida Orange, G'lrult or Blendad
Juices . . . 8c
Early June 3-Sieve
Libby't Peas ~J"20c
Dixie-Home Aerosol
Bombs ? ? ? ? 89c
Skinner's
MACARONI
7-Oi Ptf. "H?
Dry Milk Solid*
CLOVERLEAF
7-Ox. Pfcg 15?
Garden-Fresh Fancy Tender Green
Beans 2* 33'
Juicy California Sunklat
Lemons . . ?- 35c
Young T?nd?r Crookneck
Squash . . 2 29c
Fancy Firm Slicing
Tomatoes . . ?- 25c
Small Crlap
Cucumbers . . * 10c
Golden Rip*
Bananas ...? 13c
New Red
Potatoes . . 5 - 33c
Crli# Golden HMrt
Celery ... Lt. gc
Tender Milk-Rich Kerntlil Extra Quality Ctolden
Fancy Sweet Corn . . , 4 - 35e
? i ? ? ' * ? ?? "? "
Dixie-Home's Everyday Low Prices Mean - You Can Shop Any Day And Save Anyway!
Mild Bath Soap
SWAN SOAP
2 mi ?*??? 32c
Granulated Soap
SILVER DUST
i*? ?? 33?
For Fin* Washable*
LUX FLAKES
? If* M*. 32*
Fine Shortening
SPRY
? $1.15
New No-Rins*
SURF
32'
Soap of Beautiful Woman
CAMAY
i2 *??*?? 19c
Fragrant Bath Soap
CAMAY SOAP
? 14s
Get* Clothes Cleaner
OXYDOL
i* 32?
Self-Washing
DREFT .
32?
Mild Toilet Soap
IVORY
20?
hnonal Sin
Liquid Starch
STA-FLO
20?
Cook's InMcticidt
REAL-KILL
?? 69c