Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / July 7, 1907, edition 1 / Page 17
Part of The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
mm mm m K U UU E Manufacturer SfiMmidSfifErSelf Player Piano BEAEALED ON DEATH BED ' 'SECRET OP A TROUBIiED LIFE Be Sure Your 81m Will "ind Yon , Out" Hie Big Camp Meeting . f Like aa One Risen from the Dead l Tlie Detective . Colporteur Skele. ? ton In the Farmer's Closet The t, Fatal Fight In the Batteau Con- ' Written for The Observer. . A good many years ago there was It large camp meeting In a prosper ' u farming section of. the eastern , part of North Carolina., It had been jn KNUVU wr ODYCin.1 uaj , ouu . tApnot thrnuffhmit the community continued - unaoatea, me youpger ' people perhaps enjoy tng it. moflt aj , a frolic, giving sweethearts a rare op ' portunity of buggy, - horseback and even wagon rides together over the - pleasant country roads, going to the meetings, enjoying the midday picnic rilnnur In th trove, and. better still. returning home in ; the cool of, the evening, under the twinkling ' stars and the soft light of the moon. To the staid Old farmers . and house . wive It was a neighborhood reunion ,for. talk about crops, cholera with , the "hoes, who would run for the ' Legislature, -.etc., among the men. and among the women the gossip of preserves, . the "trying out" of the ' lard, and the measles and whooping cough of ' the children. Then, too, there were some famous sneakers .. amo ng ; the camp meeting ,'. eghorters sledsre-hammer preachers, who hit ' the devil square between the eyes, and administered to the sinner good , peppery, orthodox doctrine, which w " admitted of no shuffling and ! "beat tng about the bush." . , ; On one especial , day the attend ance wu. unusuany large, as a, pui plt orator of real ability and power was expected to preach: and, cir- i , flla' through the crowd,; was a, ol f V-Vteur-of one of the religious . de- A tpnlnations. glvlnar away tracts, and Act ilng Bibles and hymn books. ' He v JJis a stranger In that part of the ' cluntrv. , attracted to thn settlement ty the camp meeting, and gave his " name as John Willis. He was about 40 years of age, of medium height, slender and active, of dark hair and sallow complexion, with . a keen, speculative eye, a thin-lipped mouth, and an . aggressive, alert . manner, , such as a hustling colporteur shoujd . have. t. . t ' The country people had been com ing Into , the camp for an hour or. more over all the converging roads, tin mules and horses, in all sorts of vehicles, carriages, , buggies, wagons and carta, the generous dinner pack . ng trunk, basket or box strapped, be hind each conveyance when a car riage, drawn by two stout, sleek gray ' . mules, drew up in the grove, and the occupants alighted a man1 appa rently between .40 and 4 5 years -of . age, a comely, gentle-faced, woman, a boy about IS and a girl perhaps It years old. The man looked the well-to-do farmer, comfortably dressed, and f wore a , broad-brimmed , wool hat. He was of great height, con siderably over 6 feet, towering above - the throng was heavily built, with .a ruddy face, light hair and blue eyes,: and a serious, melancholy cast . f countenance. been engaged In the Rule of a Bible - svaeu these last ? new-comers made i from the day our business was founded in 1 842t to the present time; To-day our pianos represent the highest pinnacle of perfection in the art of tone production If a better piano can be produced in the future THAT BETTER PIANO WILL BE A STIEFF. Such a piano is the result of scores of years of labor with one end only in view-the' highest possible result The Stieff of to-day resembles very little the Stieff of fifty years ago The models from year to year have been many but each in its day was the best of its time The result of our unceasing efforts is to-day a piano of incomparable ex cellence "1 S fjJ d v The mere possession of a Stieff piano puts the seal of supreme approval upon the musical taste of its owner, it may cost a little more but the recollection of quality remains long after price is forgotten. of the Artistic STIEFF, their appearance, and they escaped his notice until, the mules being ta ken out, the man and his wife and children made their way toward the door of the rude country church. At first, as his eyes fell on them, Willis evinced only the interest which an agent, with something to sell and something to give away, would feel in a new arrival. But as his ajlanoe took In the little party of four more close by a look of doubt and perplexi ty came over his facej.he leaned for ward in the Intensity of his gaze at the big farmer, and a dark frown replaced the doubt,, as he muttered: "I would take my oath It Is he,-even to the scar of the burn on his face!" John Willis made a step forward toward the groups and then checked himself. Looking around, he saw an acquaintance leaning against a tree, a little oft to himself. - He was si most trembling with excitement, but he controlled his, nerves as he walk ed up to his acquaintance, and It was In quiet, indifferent tones that he asked: "Who Is the man stand ing yonder near the church, who has Just arrived, with his wife, I suppose, and the two children?" "That Is Edward Long," was the reply. "Ed ward Long Does he live about here?' "Yes, : his house is about miles 'down the road, and he Is one of the heat and most successful farm ers In all this section." ;; . s Willis seemed to study for a while, his eye fixed on the 8-foot farmer, all unconscious of the Inspection that he was undergoing. Then -the col porteur continued: "Mr, : Edward Long looks strangely vllke a man I used to know. Is he a native of -this part of the country?'.' ' "I-can't ten you that, for I came from another county k about 15 years ago; he was living here then. Jack," he went on, addressing another man who had Just ; sauntered up, "was Edward Long born in these parts?" f Jack studied a minute, and replied: "No; he came here about 20 years ago, I think, and bought " out old r man Wesley- Brown, Everybody thought that he gave too much for the. old run-down place, but he knew what he was doing. He'a a 'warm' man now, as the saying Is, with money in the bank up town." - , John . Willis said no more, but walked off to himself, down by the spring and through the woods In the rear of the camp, greatly troubled In mind, and a bitter feeling rising In his heart. "Can I be mistaken " he mused. "Am I deceived by a chance resemblance? But such a resem blance!. The great height, the walk, the hair, the eyesi even the scar on the face Just such a man as Wil liam White, the murderer of my brother, would have grown to be to day. - No; I can't be mistaken! But I must go to work cautiously In this matter, or I'd defeat my own .object. The only piece of detective work I'll venture on Junt now win be to try and. catch Mr 'Edward Long off his guard before he leaves the camp meeting.". , . At the noonday recess, after the morning sermon and other services, the women and girls, assisted Vy the young men, spread the bountiful din ner on the rough pine board, table 150 feet long out ? In the grove a great feast of boiled ham, baked and fried chicken, roast -. beet, y mutton, biscuit, loaf bread, cakes, pies, pre serves, pickles, etc. In the height of the enjoyment of the fiLnnerY"WU lis managed to get a place at the ta HAS BEEN THE ble Just opposite Edward Long and his little party. Entering Into con versation with someone next to him, with regard to his staok of tracts and Bibles, he said half Jocularly, rais ing his voice somewhat: "You can depend on those Bibles being of plain print and good binding, on the hon est word of John WlfHs, of Brook vale, Ala., Looking out of the- cor ner of his eye as he spoke, he saw Long opposite him give an Irrepres sible start. "It waB a random shot," he thought, "but It went home." H wen t on talking quietly; and,- raising his eyes In a few minutes, he looked across the table, to find that Edward Long had disappeared. Presently the boy approached the table, and said to his mother in a low voice, but heard by ..Willis: "Ma, Pa says to come on and go home," something he eat has made him sick." The colporteur was confirmed In his sus picion, and soliloquized with t grlra SmllA Of trinmnh- "ft -w nma- Kthlng he heard at the table . that made him sick ", The camp meeting came to a close; the preachers went oft to other fields for the saving of souls; the pine board table was taken down, and the lumber run In under . the church , to serve for the next great gathering; and John Willls went to pack up his remaining unsold stock of biblical lit erature at the little farm house of a widow with two children where he had secured a room durlnr the week. ' From his landlady he heard nothing out gooa or ma ward Long and his folksy He was one of the most pros perous men In that section and one of the best. "My poor husband," said the widow, with tears in her eyes, "was in bad health- for three or four years before he died, and left a mortgage on this place. : I and my children would, have been left with out a toof over our heads, If it hadn't been for Mr. Long, who took the debt, and he has never bothered us from that day to this. , , :'.'Dld Edward . Long ' marry a girl from his, part of the oountry?" asked1 "John Willis, "No,' replied the widow; "he came here,' quite a young man, not more than 25 years of age, and brought a wife . with him. - They had one child, who died, and this boy and girl were born here." "Did you ever hear where Mr." Long and hie wife came from 7" --"It has been 20 .years ago, and t was a girl Just out of school at the time; but .i J think I heard my father say, when Mr. Long s iwas buying the Brown place, that he paid for it with money in abapk at Savannah. You fem to be interested In the Longs, Mr, Willis," concluded the ' widow, looking at him inquiringly. f$ 1 a , x "Oh," only as a stranger would nat urally be in one of the most success ful and prominent men of the neigh borhood. Then, too, ha bears a re markably close resemblance v to a man I knew of another name, but of course It Is only an accidental resem blance." . i . Willis got ready for his departure, but before that he had, a visit to make. Saying nothing, except that he was going to do a little canvass ing before -he left to his landlady, who appeared already suspicious of his minute Inquiries about her bene factor, he put a Bible or two and a few tracts in a satchel which he'ear-Hed'over- tiish(a!dernd -etoat for the house ex Edward Lonr, which SOLE AIM OF THE HOUSE OF he had no difficulty In reaching from Information given to him by a wag oner on the road. He paused ; under the shade of a tree a little way from the front gate, and bitterly Burveyed the" ample pos sesions of his enemy, the 'murderer of his brother for this conviction had by this time taken deep hold on his mind. There were evidences on all sides of thrift and the accumula tion of this world's goods, The house was commodious, newly painted, and the yard neatly kept;., the barn and other outhouses were spacious, and the cattle in the yard were of the best milch breeds, while the grow ing crops extending as far as the eye could reach, showed the man agement of a careful Industrious farm er. :-.r ! "Better," 'he said grimly, "'a dry morsel with quietness than a house full of the sacrifices with strife.' " Then, as he moved toward the house, he repeated: "Like holy David, 'I have seen the wicked great in power, and flourishing like a green, bay tree; nevertheless, I passed, and they were not, and the place thereof knew them no more.' " " v As he opened the gate leading to the dwelling a man, sitting on the piazza, rose to his feet, looked for a minute or two at the advancing col porteur, and passed Into the house. It was quite a long distance down the path to the road, but Willis felt sure that It was Edward Long him self whom he had seen, having plain ly recognized him, even ao far away. His knock at the door was an swered by Ma Long herself, who showed the visitor.' Into the parlor, and asked him to be seated. She was about 85 years of age; and, without being handsome, she had a sweet face, gentle manners, and an air of refinement. Bhe turned her eyee upon Willis with a look, he thought, oi anxiety, a he said: ; "I called to see your husband, madam.'' "He tr not that is, he is too unwell to see strangers. What is your busi ness?" "Nothing ma'am, bet to selj him, If I can, one? or two Bibles for the family and to distribute a few -tracts," opening his Batchel, and displaying theitu , v - Mrs. Long took a Bible, turned the leaves hastily; and, rising to her feet, said, with an evident desire to pro pitiate the colporteur: "Yes; I will take two of the Bibles, and will bring you the money." She passed Into, an Inner room, and presently re turned with, the amount , Willis could think of no excuse for prolong ing his call, and left the house, the woman following him to the front door, and meeting his words of fare well with a Bllent inclination of the hwi.:h:-.:i?' fi., - "The night of the day of the din ner at the camp ground,' said John Willis to himself, as he walked down the rosd from Long's house, "that man unbosomed himself of hi crime to his wife. It sits heavy on her soul to-day, and is expressed in the anx iety and sorrow of that gentle face. She ! knew wherefore I had crossed that threshold, and was on her guard against me. Poor woman! flad that she should be Involved in the fate of a murderer; Jbut 'he who taketh the . sword shall perish by the sword.' "v- ' . XTwelv -hour later,.. Willie, had left tfc part of the country, and was oa STEEP his way, as fast as the railway could carry him, to his old home In Ala bama, " Late In the fall he returned to the country settlement of Elwood Long, accompanied by an officer of his State and county; but the retribu tion that he sought for a crime com mitted had been taken by the Al mighty into His own handa A few weeks before the colporteur's ar rival, Edward Long, while overseeing the raising of a barn.Aad been struck to the earth by a heavy falling beam, receiving both external and " Internal Injuries, of which he was now slowly dying. John Willis stood aghast and shocked when he learned that the man whom he was pursulung to the criminal's dock would in a few days Te out or ms reach, out of the reacir of human Justice. Tor a moment his vengeful passion was rebuked in the presence of the fate which had over taken his foe. But after a little he reflected that he had a solemn, inex orable duty before him a duty to the memory of his brother,' to the law of the land, to himself. Armed with a warrant for the arrest of Ed ward Long from a local magistrate, and accompanied by the latter and the Alabama officer, Willis drove In a, carriage to the dying man's house, No objection was made to the en trance of the party; and, after a wait of a few minutes, ehjr Edward Long's own request , they were ad mitted to his room. He was prop ped up in the bed, haggard, emaci ated, evidently near the last pangs of dissolution, but . conscious and composed. His wife sat a little way from the bed, her face burled In her hands. "Sit down," he said, his dim eyes fixed on Willis. Then, by a. great effort making his voice audible, he went on: "I,..have little time or strength left, and must tell my story quickly. John Willis, It was : as if one had risen from the dead when you confronted and recognised me at the camp meeting, and I knew that at last punishment had ' overtaken my crime, ? I killed ?- your , brother, Henry Willis. : It Is needless now to extenuate the' deed; you would not believe my story, but I am beyond all earthly trlbunuals, and must" an swer only at a higher bar, , We were fishing that day on Rush river, and got into ' a violent quarrel : about what Is not material here. - Seated at opposite ends of the boat, we. con tinued our bitter abuse of each oth er, until Henry, rising- to his feet, cam toward me with a drown Bowie knife, swearing . that he would have my life, r struck htm with all my great strength on the head with the sharp part of an oar, and he fell backwards from the boat, which at the same moment was capsized.. As soon as 1 rose after my plungevl swamv around in ihe stream to see if I could , rescue MmJ but he never rose- fb surface. V: 'When I reached '- the river bank, and realized my position. I was seis ed with a panic, and fled' from, my home hopeless of having my story of thr homicide believed. There is little more to tell.; When once at a safe distance, I found means of com municating secretly with my father, who sent me by a sure and" safe hand money to begin life in a strange land. Since that time I have prospered, but always- Ui.convlctUa was , la , , my mini that cirmimatanoea 1 would re 3H1 Southern Wareroom 5 W. Trade St, IP - rll; WILMOTM, Mgr., Charlotte, N.C veal the terrible deed before I left this world." Edward Long ceased speaking, and lay back on his pillow, utterly ex hausted, and his wife hastened to his side, while the men silently filed out Of the room. Two days later Edward Long, or William White, died, his physical suffering gone, his soul at peac. His widow died about two years after her husband; his son, who became a suc cessful salesman for a manufactur ing firm, was killed in a railroad wreck out West; the daughter,. who inherited a good estate, married, and the last I heard of her she and her husband were living in a town In South Carolina. j, h. M. Fayettevllle, . June 24. t HAILSTORM IN SURRY. Corn Seriously Damaged Tr4Klers For Elkln Academy Elected Per sonal Notes. Sreolal to The Observer. . Elkto, July 6. A severe storm of wind, rain and hall visited this see. tion Tuesday evening. Four or five miles north of here was very severe, Brae Ridge. The hall was very severe, many farmers having lost their entire corn crop, so Uhey think. Mruch timber was blown down, and wheat stacks were overturned and scattered over the fields. The Fourth passed off very quietly In Elkln. A ball game wat played In the afternoon between the first and second nines. The Junior Order gave a picnki on the campus at the academy The families and friends of Che order were incited and every one fwtiot at tended reported a, good time. ; "The following tewohere have been elected to teach in ithe faoademiy the oomlng year: Prof. J. H. Allen, prin cipal; Misses Bettle Allen, Lillian George and Maiude Ring, : aaeistaat Miss Alma Bland will have oharge of Che music, department. . "; ' Meaner. J, F. Headron, J. H. Allen, R. J, Lewellyn. Dixon. Booker and Rev. H. C. Sprinkle went to Dobson Tuesday to attend the funeral of Mr. J R. Lewellyn, . , , . - t- Mrm. W. M fiml a? Rttnam u the guest of her brothers, MessrsEd JKi , ii. lj. jrotniaex'.er. . A party composed of Mrs. ... John Roth, Marjorte and OUvin Rath, Mr. and Mr. Frank Tharp and Mr. John Marlon left here Tuesday morning for the Jamestown Exposition. Mr. Alex Chatham, Sr., and sons, Mesmrs. Hugh, Rich and Dan, and Master Thurmond Chatham left Tue day morning for a pleasuretrlp to Morehead City and other points on the coast - Meedamos Koto Noll and ' Mozelle Meant left last week for Piedmont Springs where they will spend the summer. Drs. R. W, Reace and Eu gene Click who attended the nieKUig of the eDntal Association at Morehead last week have returned home. Dr. Click passed the ; examination before the State Board of Dentistry and his many friends here hope that he win decided ito locate, here. Prof. J. W, Moscley,: who has -been visiting his people east of ; Elkln, left Tuesday, accompanied by his mother for the Jamestown Exposition. Rev. Sum mers Gentry left here ' V?eAnmHy morning for the v Whltehead-stokes UosplUl at Salisbury where he goes tor medical treatment ' CARRre AND THE PROFESSOR, Pmending to Be a Methodist Preach er iToiowor wm, oi rpcnsooro, llat a Little Teto-a-Tete With Mrs. Nation in Which He Is Coneidotwbly Worsted. Correspondence of The Observer. Greoneboro, July 6. Professor 8 wllli, superintendent o fhte Greens boro Graded Schools, posing as a Methodist minister, who smokes ci gars and chews tobacco, had an inter esting debate with Mrs. Carrie Nation on the train from Salisbury to Greens-. boro last evening. Professor Swift and some other Greensboro neonle had been to Salisbury to attend the celebration there, and learned that Mrs, Nation was on the train on whtctt they returned. They searched until they found her In another ear. Mr. D. P. Stern, a friend of Professor Swift's, introduced 1 himself and then presented Mr. Swift when hie intro duced as a "Methodist minister, who chews tobacco and smokes cigars." Mrs. Nation's eyes bhused. This the game for which Bhe was looking. "So you smoke," she said, taking a seat by the professor. He admitted that he did. "And you chew?; she asked. ''Again he pleaded guilty. "Arsji you fond of whiskey?" she continued. ."No. not especially, but I do think It Is good for snake bile," replied the now awed professor, -, "ere-You ever a saloon keeper?" asked Mrs.Natlon calmly. Professor Swift reddened and replied that tie had not. "And why do i you ask ?' "Because," she said, "you use , a saloon-keeper's orgument Then she launched Into a tirade 6n saloon and tobacco. "Time to git." muttered tha pro- half-smoked Havna, end felt In. his pocket to see If his plug of "Old Henry unty was safe, , "Mrs. Nation," , he asked,' "I agree with you tobacco Is bad. and I am go ing to cut it out Bit before going in to the other coach X want to ask you i ku me wny you aon t start a cru sade on the peekaboo shirt wsistar "Because," and Mrs. Notion glared at him as she replied "l don't take the devil's advice as to how to do the Lord's work." Mr, Swift made a dive for the door, as those In the car who had listened to the conversation fair ly yelled. - - - , . . Randleman to Have Electiio Lights. Ppeclal to The Obser'er. Randleman, Julye. The Ramlle- pany has been granted , franchise' and will begin at once tho erection of a power plant to furnish Mght for the city. The , poetofiJce has been move.1 In to tta eJegant new quarters n ' street and fat a credit to the cltv. receipts of the office have grown for tho past t o yey.rs, log the Industrial, progress of city. THE FIRST "RRQl'lSITD' CP r" v. The first rennisite of i-h- u cempiexlon. Orino Xxt4v clears a sallow bUvtchiM cf k stimulates tia tivr hh.i t eyes bcom brieht uiul ci.-iir. nv io y.-ur -frieuda to take n complexit-iri U bad. rOrino Ims Syrup rfops Tiot naiiste or e vry ..pleasant to t'-. f
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 7, 1907, edition 1
17
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75