Newspapers / Asheville gazette-news. / Dec. 17, 1909, edition 1 / Page 1
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prt 'Br - - -" lAst ECITICII. 4:C0P.I1 Weatiier XorecasV: Partly cloudy; posalbljr light snow. VOL: XIV. NO. 268. ASHEVILLE, N. 0., FRIDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 17, 1909. Sc PER COPY confession; mystery; and AVENGE MU OF LING G UN . UNDER FEAR OF 'DEATH MAY CLEAR After 1 6 Years, Slayers . Chinaman May Be Brought to Bar of Justice. THREE IMPLICATED IN BLACK CRIME Tennessee Man Said to Have Con fessed Particulars of Affair, ' ' .-,',.".' . .... Which Occurred in Madison. A LITTLE more than G years ngo a Cliiiiauian, Ling (inn, with limited knowledge of the English language, and dressed in the ancient garb of his race, started from Aslio ville for Knoxville. He never., reached his destination, how ever, He was put off the train near the state line in Madison county and wandered thinly clad and alone in the moun tains of Madison; was beaten, and, it is alleged, murdered and robbed and fed to the hogs. A searching party from Aslieville found the. remains of the little old man after several weeks of hardship and toil. The body was being gnawed by. hogs, the head was severed and several hundred or several thousand dollarsflftljat the liitui man was supposed to have curried in a money belt was gone. The IT it, however, was found. " AUJhis occurred late in in November, 18(X. After a ; law. of 16 years ami with the incidents of the affair, inci- dent that became international. in hcoo and which called for i an investigation by : the government at AVashington, grown dim, the story ivf .tjiojyiplerof thrtOliinaman haJe()n, rcv; vlved through "an alTeged confession of one of those having knowledge, possibly guilty knowledge, of the affair and it is now probable that arrests will bo made and tho grand jury of Madison county asked to probe into the case. CONFESSION OP A MAV WHO BKLIEVF.D HE WAS AHOVT TO DIE. The revival of tho Madison county affair tnrrw h few days ago with thn receipt by the authorities of a letter written by Dr. It A. Green of Cocke county, Tennessee, n prencher and a physician. This letter, containing It Is said valuable Information, Is now In the possession of the solicitor for this Judicial district. It purports, It Is understood, to contain a confession made by a man In that section who, believing that he was going to rile, told of tho affair of the Chinaman, to give names of those Implicated and to roc I to how the body of the dead Chinaman was hauled arrow the state line and left in the mountains In Tennessee, where afterwards it was discovered by tho searching party from Ashevllle which Included W. K. Randolph, then con nected with the Ashevllle Citizen. The Information relative to the confession has been sent to both Sheriff Colo of Madison countv and Sheriff Hunter of this county, and these ofticers, togctli or with Solicitor Itrown, have tha matter In hand. No warrants, It Is understood, have yet been Issued and the names of the persons involved or alleged to be involved am not divulged. ACTION WILL PROBABLY BE TAKEN AGAINST THE ALLEGED Ml'ltDEKEUS. The probability of criminal action against persons alleged to have been Implicated In the taking off of the Chinaman, JJng Hun. recalls an inter cstlng period in the affairs of Aahevllle, Madison county and for that mat ter, western North Carolina. The Oaxctte-News, learning of the alleged con fession, sent a member of Its staff to Marshall yesterday afternoon to dig up the facta. He found that the letter from Dr. Green had been returned to Buncombe county and that It is now In the possession of Solicitor Urown. Another representative of The Gazette-News, who, at the time of the affair H years ago, was the "otttce devil" In the ClUsen, sought out former Alder man W. F. Randolph and secured from that gentleman an Interesting re cital of the events leading up to the tlndlng of the dead Chinaman. Mr. Randolph at that time was connected with the Citizen; it was when the late Col. Frank F. Robinson was editor of the paper and directed Its staff of correspondents ati reporters. The few minutes talk with Col. Hobinson in the editorial room was recalled by both Mr. Randolph and The Oasette Newa reporter, when Col. Robinson told Mr. Randolph that the China man must be found "Randy, It's up to you to gnd him." Mr. Randolph went on the search for the missing "chink" and today in most Interesting manner he told of their long search through the mountains. Story of Ling as Told hy Former Alderman W. F. Randolph, who bore a roving journalistic com mission to find Ling Gun and who found his remains when asked by a Gazette-News reported to let his mind wander back Into those days, told tho story of the search, In his characteristic style, which has a virility and charm of Its own: "'Randy, It's up toxyou to find tho lost Chinaman, Ling Oun,' wua the dictum from the editorial room, and th search for the missing Chinaman through the mountains blpch piled up along the line of North Carolina and Tennessee began. "The memoranda: Ling Oun, an old Chinaman, was put on a train with ticket for Knoxville by hla nephew. Hop Woh. then doing tho washeo' act In Ashoville. who stated that Ling Gun had several hundred dollars In coin, when he left Aahevllle, and that the money, was carried In a belt wound around tho old man's body. "After the train left Faint Rock, that afternoon, tho conductor called for Ling's ticket The ticket waa trot forthcoming, and notwithstanding the rainy night, the November chill, the absence of a station, and the darkness. th3 old man waa given the bounce. ' "A week later Capt. T. W. Patton, then Mayor of Ashevllle, was In re ceipt ol a letter from a resident of tho Paint Rock section, stating that a Chinaman was wandering In that country; that ho had been Inhumanly treated, and the writer suggested that the man be rescued. , "The city council voted 150.00 for tho emergency, and Mayor Patton asked the Ashevllle Citlsen to help him. Then came the 'dictum.' '..."--- "It waa easy until we hit the trail ; the trail waa cold: so waa the weather, and those who were known to have Information refused to glv f Search Through the Settlements. "Numerous cltlsena aided In the search and days and nights were spent In going over tho rounds- of tho setUements where Ling Gun had been seen. "A woman who had started for the barn-yard to do the night's milk ing waa seen to fall suddenly to tho ground and her aoreama accompanied her fall. She was taken to the house In a fainting condition, nnd aufflclcntly i , (CONTINVEM ON P.UiK TUO.J ;. : , . . Gun Hunt a Participant H BRUSSELS MOB TODAY King Leopold Died Last Night, and Flags on Public Build ings Are at Half Mast. A PEACEFUL EXPRESSION ' ON MONARCH'S FACE Surgery Was Successfully Resorted With a View to Ending His Terrible Suf fering. to Brussels, Dec. 17. As a result of tliu death last night of KinK Icnpnld, all Brussels mours today. Flags on the pulillc buildings arc ut half mast, and private houses have boon draped. i The body of the king, clothed In the uniform of u lieutenant general, re- j mains in the chamber of palms, i where death entered last night, sur rounded only by those who won anil retained the klip's close friendship. The expression on the dead monarch's face is peaceful, fig though the end had heen painless. The body will be placed In ti casket tonight, when the period of morning officially begins. . Dr. Thiriar said the king suffered from u malady of the heart, and It was decided to resort to surgery to prevent this terrible Buffering. Nuns lafll ohV the body, and preparations hav liecir Wane Tor 'conveying it to tho city proper. The formation of tho regency enun II, which nominally will hold the reigns of the government until the heir, to the throne, Prince Albert, has taken the oath of ascension, was an nounced this morning. Princess Clementine, and her sister, Stephanie, with tho Countess of Han dera, were at tho palace early this morning, followed soon by tho king's Intimate friend. Baroness Vaughan. ourt begins mourning for six. months, while the period of mourning for the household continues one year. Minister of Foreign Affairs Davig- non has officially noiuioii me sover eigns of Europe of tho death of Ieo- pold It., king of the Belgians. Tele grams of condolence nave noen re- cived from many inonarchs. Did Not Sec Dying Parent. Princess lionise of Belgium, eldest of the three daughters, arrived today. Thn second daughter of the unfortu nate Stephanie was here when her father died, but was refused permis sion to see her dying parent. After death came she was ndmltte I to the hamlier, and she threw herself be side the body In a state of uncontrola bio grief. Prince Albert, leader of the destinies of elgliun, moved with pity, seized his cousin's hand, and knelt with her before the body, giving mule expression of sympathy for, and Ills Intended protection or the haiilHlien daughter. A group of old servants, who loved all three, broke down and wept at the tragic picture. King Ieopold's funeral will lie held Wednesday. Prince Albert will lake oath to throne Thursday. The newspapers devote several pages to the life of Urn king, whose private life Is criticised generally, while his Intellectual greatness Is ex tolled. Socialists organs violently at tack tho memory of the king, because ho repulsed his daughters, and ad mitted his favorite to bis bedside. Others discuss tho reported mor ganatic marriage of the king and Baroness Vaughan. The children of this union will Inherit a great part of the king's Immense personal for tune. Sensational rumors that lta roness Vaughan has fled from Bel Blum are believed to bn unfounded. if Is said that when the king died the baroness threw herself upon the hodv. weeping bitterly, and hersoir closed his eyes. Since then she has come and gone not ween ner mnonieo and "Tho Palms." through tho private i passageway the king bunt. i t uk ..Aimi in Inovo thn COIintrV - . .1 II Is sold aho will be expeneo. im roness Vaughan was born rarnl nc lcrox, and was the dHiiuhter of n house porter at the French legation III Itudapest. Cimicst I'ufislhle. A contest over the succession to the throne of tlelgium Is possible. The Vatican Is reported to have cnntlrtned the marriage a year ago of King li poid and Maroness Vaughan. Two sons are shM to have been born from the I.Tnlon and both survive. The eledr Ik Ionian, nvo year sold. It Is reported he will claim tho throne. PTInoa Albert the heir presumptive, Is a nephew of lopold II. , President Show IleNpect, Washington, Iec. 17. As a mark of respect to tho dead king. President Tntf called In person at the Itelgium legation this morning and left his tard for tho minister. The prrtdent ae- Contliiiia pf , , .' y id' .i.v , H ' . I- MANAGUA REJOICING ZELAYA HAS RESIGNED ' ' ' fiCKOR. DON JOSE VE OHVfJ?Mii, r ' , - , gjfe ' " yfew rmuil rm-- I1," VT:i.m . . .mi i. mil ,j mm i lit rj'iR -?l ' y y ..i: 71 : - ; ;fe$i Bloelic'lds. Nlcarugna, Dec. 17. lieneral forces. Two hundrdl alilitimal troons were for the purposo of persuaihtig Knti.id i to si'iil back to Costa ICicu. M ANAOFA, Nfiaiagiia, Dec. 17. Jose Santos SSelayn has re signed from the presidency of Nicaragua and placed his resignation in the hands of congress. Apparently I here was no other course for hop. lo take. The people were at last arous ed. The guns of the revolutionists threatened. Tne warships of the I'nll' d States lay In Nicaraguaa ports. Managua has been sceihing lm dnys. The spirit' of revolt has p. pit ad even to the gates of the palace. Be laya surrounded himself witli an arm ed guard. I'nchecked, the populace have marched through the streets crying for the end of the old, pro claiming the new regime. None Caret Who Will Niii-cccd Mini. , Who will take up tho reins i ne knows or cares. It Is sunicieiil that Zclu!i as dictator will be Known no more. There is no doubt that con gress will act quickly on his resign. i- HER RELATIVES Occurrences in the Unhappy Married Life of the Brokaws Arc Being Detailed Today. New YoiK, Dee. 17. M ir I'.luir Itrokaw's relatives aided toda; in the legal contest for separation from her husband, W. i. lioiild ISroknw. .oc currences in the unhappy inarrj d life of the couple were detailed on the witness stand by tho plaintiff's wit nesses. Miss Klodlo Hlalr, a sister, came to the court room witli Mrs. Ilro kuw. Her story supplemented that which .1. Milliard Hlalr. a brother, told yesterday, when ho described Mrs. Hrokaw's hysterical nianlfe.statloiis. when warned by Krokiiw, at the labia, to cr.iM! "making eyes" at a rertuln mun, and other disturbing happenings duo to disagreements. J. Hullard Dlair. Mrs. Flrokaw't oroiner, leniiueii nuiitit. HO lucioeiit , 1..-IUI l . I that occurred in the Hotel Astoria tn I 1 aris. MR saui no louiui nis sister ! crying over the discovery Unit HroKaw liart piaeen u consorsnip over n"r mall. Witnesses for the defence wre. ex amlneil by Attorney Ituabe, Mr. Itro kaw's personal counsel. Henry Knox, engineer at tho Itrokaw plane at High Point, N. C. In the fall of 1900, said thst while ho was on tho estate the Hrokaw's were apparently happy and affectionate, i everything was lovely until thn new year's celebration party left. Then he noticed a slight trangement. I'.rokaw at times was taking sleeping tablets and waa not well. What witnesses culled "childish spats." became frequent. "I can't recall In my twenty-live years acquaintance with Hilly llroksw ever seeing him touch a drop of II nuor," Knox declared, "until the first break occurred, when. Mrs. Ilrokaw left the lodge.", GAVE AID TODAY NICARAGUA., Dhlrail.i continues preparations for the attack againid the le.in sent to liama yesterday. A delegate from Zelay.i, who cauu' here icrept Dr. Maili iz for president, was not allowed to laud, lie has been lion, for the people nave o.'iuaiid. e.l it. Dr. Jose Madiiz. judge of the Cen tral American court of justice at Car tago, w ho lias been close to Zelayit and is i.ow bis choice lor president, will arrive here on Salonlay. Mad rid has his following, .strong anil in lluenlial. even among the revolution ists, but Hen. Nstrada, under whose command the great body of lighting insurgents now face Yusquczs troops at Kama, will have none of him. Ks trada'H word will bear weight in the choice of a president. el.iya has known, too. Dial Mudriz is not acceptable to the I'liiled States and be has sought, to learn who would be looked on with favor by that gov ernment a.s his .successor. I ooclljalory' Message. rreMileul ela.Va has cabled a con ciliatory message lo President Tall, Haying he oloiwed In- good faith b Witness would not say thai Mr. Ilro kaw was drinking even then, but sim ply tli.it lie Ncemed "benumbed by some grief." Knox said the fiit serious ipuirrel occurred in lln presence of a large paily of gniKt.M at a dinner table. Ijiter that nlglil Hrokaw and lo went to Mrs. Hrokaw's room ami found the iloo'- loi ked. Alter long pei-sua.sioiis sh unlocked the door. Another ouarrel. Knox "aid. resulted In Hrokaw calling his wife a fool. Knox nil Vised them tn separate and litokaw lit a way. Mis. Hrokaw left the Iioiifii thn Mime night, suyiug she wan going to New York Her father brought her back. Knox declared he hail witnessed a number of serious piarrcli between the couple but never saw Hrokaw In cone violent towards Ills wife. riu:sni;.vr ti i; ;oi.s to V.Ti:itTON. row He Mill Attend l uiicrnl of Mis. Hor ace l. TaH To t'nin-cl.SiMdal :n KSgcnicnls for None Time. Washington, Dee. I 7. President Taft-leaves Washington this evening for Watertown, Conn., to attend the funeral of Mrs. Horace I). Taft, wlf of his brother. Mrs. Taft died tlilt morning in a hospital at Italtimorc, Tho president probably will return to Washington Sunday. He may can cel nil social engagements for the White House for some time i i torn. A Negro Uo-troeuleil. Ulchmond, Va., Dec, 17. Clinton Hreckenrldge. a negro 19 years old, was electrocuted today for a crimi nal attack on the six years old grand daughter of Staunton's Jailor. Hrcrk enrldgo waa a trusty in the Jail. He Confessed. . Action Is llrTcrwtl. Frankfurt, Ky., Icr. 17. The court of appeals today reversed the action of Judge Itenton In appointing a re ceiver for the 190(1 and 1907 pools of the Burley Tobacco society. TIIK WEATIIER t Forecast until S p. m., Saturday for Ashevllle and vicinity:. Partly cloudy weather, with ' possibly light snow flurries tonight or Ra turd ay. fesignlne, tfiat Nicaragua might rV suine friendly lehitiona with the Vnit ed States. He added that he propos ed to leave the country, hut stood ready lo account for his nets as presi dent. Zelaia's n Itevoir. Aeeompanylng bis resignation, Ze la.i sent the following message to congress: "The painful circumstances In which the country is plunged call for acts of abnegation and patriotism on the part of good citizens who are the witncsNc of I lie oppve:wion of the republic hy the heavy hand i! fate. The country is staggering under a rhaiiuleHN revolution which threatens t lie nation's sovereignty anil a for eign nation unjustly intervene,, in our affairs, publicly providing the rebels wilh anus, which has only resulted in their helm: defeated everywhere (Continued on page six) I! II IS THEIRJEFENSE The Three Women Arrested in Bath Tub Murder Mystery Insist That They Are Innocent. Ne York, Dee, 17 The 'Viilciilal mn niii." of I icey Sim .id ii apparently the defense relied upon by the three Ward law siMers arrested i, connection witn the girl's death. Despite the fact that prison bats hold all the women members of the family In ivhlch the bath tub victim lived, when be either slowly grieved herself to lenth over the disappearance of her husband, or was systematically starv ed, and mentally Influenced Into a date of helplessness, the mystery wmed today little tn iiier actual solu tion than when the first discoveries were made. Mrs. Martin, the mother. Insists that the suicide notes were written by Ocey while grieving over the disappearance of Fletcher Snead. her husband, and that thought of suicide b ai.m ti mania with the girl. Mrs. Mary Snead maintained her reticent atti tude today In her cell in the Tombs prison. Fletcher Snead, who has been located ut St, Catherines, Ontario, ex pressed the opinion that his wife com mitted suicide. Tho prosecutor does not seek Sneod's apprehension. Hand writing experts are giving careful scrutiny In the nisss of documentary matter unearthed during the Invest! gallon. Four killed la Wreck on Central (rtM-gia. of Columbus, fla., Dec. 17. Four per sons were killed and a number of oth ers Injured this morning when a Central of Georgia passenger train col lided with a passenger train on the Macon and Birmingham road, at Har ris City, O a.. . TAR HEELS ARE COMING I Senator Overman Has Intro duced a Bill for a Public Building at Way nesville. ACTIVITY OF THE NEW MINORITY LEADERSHIP Money Is Undoubtedly the Chief End in Life of Money, Now Guiding Democratic Desti nies. Special lo the ( iar.elte-News. Washington. ee. 17. North Caro- Mint members ore leaving for homa lor the he didays. to remain until after the i ar. Senator Overman has Inirodni ed a bill impropriating $S0. UIMI for a public building ut Wavrres- Ville. Democrats aroiuui the capital are putting In much spare time discussing the activity of thy new minority lead ership. Senator .M.m.y. the new par ly lender, who was chosen as thu spokesman of the d' lno, rals of tho senate, something like ten days ago, lias gathered many members of tho Money family .iriiuinl him As mi nority clerk he has appointed his son, Hernando Money, jr.. at a salary of ;l'. The poNitimi of iiHxl.statit mi nority clerk, which pajs n salary of $I.MI. Is given Mrs. Hernando Mon ey, jr., a daughter-in-law. Then there is another prtsitiou attached to tho minority conference committee. It Is tlMit.4-k'M,'UiHj;r-,4 iciuit IOnVi h.i:i given that to bis ilaughter, Miss l.iicretla Money. The salary Is $1440. The democratic steering committee is discussing tin- advisability of placing I at the disposal of the mlnorty leader ' another position. Senator Money will make the a ppoititment. I The decision to postpone conflrma itlon of the nomination of Judge Lur- ton to he mi associated Justice of tho j Supreme court of the I'nited Slates, I until after the holidays, means that I the Tennessee jurist will not sit In tho i hearing of the argument in the tobac j hi trust case which Is scheduled for I January third. It has hec(i asserted ! hy critics of Judge Loiton that his I whole lln of decisions as a circuit j Judge forced the conclusion that he would decide the Standard Oil case adversely to the contentions of tho 1 government, which came out vlcto 1 Hons in the Circuit Court of Appeals. , I The Standard t il case w iH not b i reached by the Supreme court of tho I I'nited States for more than a year, but the pleadings are exactly tho I same us In the tobacco trust case. ! fiotb of these governmental suits put j to n test the Sherman anti-trust law. The failure of the senate to confirm' the nomination or Judge t.urton prior to the holiday recess means that he' will not sit in the most Important suit for the destruction of the trusts that has ever rem lied the court. It Is like ly that there will be a decision In this case before the much talked of Standard Oil case reaches thn court. A FREIGHT WRECK Sixteen Cars Were Derailed but no One Was Injured-Extra No. 11 Made up Here. The first section of train No. running freight between Ashevllle nnd Salisbury, was- wrecked nt 10:21 this morning near Itrhlgewater. According to reKirts re ceived here sixteen ears were dernlle l and two or three of them turned over an embankment. No one was re ported Injured. The train was lit charge of Fnglneer tleorge Itrown and Conductor J. M. Iloyle. The wrecking crew from Ashevillu was rushed to the scene. It is estimated that it will tuke four hours to clear the track after the derrick gets into action. Pnssenger train No. 3 hid passed, an hour or more before the wreck, while train No. 33 had only passed a short while before, Pssseager train No. 1 1, bound for . Ashevllle, waa caught on the other side of the wreck. An extra No. It was made up at Ashevllle and run down to Knoxville. Train N'. 11. from Salisbury and train No. I'i wero run to the scene of the wreck and a transfer will hi effected. . IiMika Ciloomy fur Cook. Copenhagen, Pec. 17. The report on Dr. Cook'a polar records probably will be presented tomorrow. The prospect of auch an early termination Is not regarded as a good omm by the public friendly to Cook. 'V.
Dec. 17, 1909, edition 1
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