VOL. XLIX
OUR RALEIGH LETTER
Will be Investigation of Treatment
of Convicts in Pen and Prison
Camps—About Dozen Scheduled
to be Electrocuted—Governor to
Hear Appeals of Attorneys and
Relatives ii» Number.
(By Maxwell Gorman.)
Raleigh, May 2.—With the ex
ception of the municipal election
for two of the three city commis
sioners of Raieigh next Monday,
the matter exciting most interest
here this week, and among many
people ali over- tiie State, is the
"investigation" into the various,
aud sundry charges of bad condi
tions and "inhuman" treatment
of convicts by prison" officials of
the State Prison aud prisou camps,
and especially of j\lleged "brutal
ity," said to have long been prac
ticed in the county convict cainps
by guards aud others in many
counties.
As to the latter charges, the
general belief is that considerable
of the complaints are true, for the
killing of convicts sentenced for
as low as thirty days for small
crimes, including "vagrancy,"
when one makes au effort to es
cape, have become notorious f «ots.
The "flogging" of unruly and
desperate convicts is recognized
as necessary iu many cases, or else
the "management" might as well
hand over the reins of cofltrol to
desperate negro criminals, and re
tire from the field.
There should not necessarily be
"inhumane treatment" of convicts
iu this connection, however, and
since so many charges and insin
uations of other bad conditions,
and pratices have been given pub
licity, it is entirely proper that
this investigation should be made
—made in au impartial manner,
however, and with the assumption
aforethought that those in author
ity are premeditatively cruel to
convicts, or that they even ap
prove of some things that are sure
to be uncovered.
Rough-neck "guards," who ex
perience no qualms of conscience
in taking a human life and some
other reprobates equally brutal
and devoid of consideration or tol
erance of the unfortunate (who
are often to be found herded with
the worst and most degenerate of
criminals, and" treated on an equal
plane with them) by the county
convict camp guard and "over
seers," should be weeded out aud
punished for the infamies they
have already committed. For, in
some instances of recent years,
they have shown themselves worse
than the men sentenced to the
roads, and over whom they hold
the gun and lash.
There is,a line talk about the
invessigation that is being hand
ed out from Raleigh, but for
which this writer does not vouch,
in its entirety. It was shown here
that request or not some members
of the State Welfare Board organ
ization were going to demand it,
and that somebody who knows
something about prisons would be
directing the movement. The
board has heard of 2 various and
sundry things charged to the dis
cipline of the institutim which
did not look well.
The Lewis and Dadrick instan
ces, which were chronicled iu the
Greensboro Daily News, were cas-,
es in point. Old political cronies J
of the pair have talked about
their most gentlemanly and leis
urely service to the State. These
sami friends now say they are at
w- rk on the State farm. Hender
son people were not averse to their
gOttiug all the consideration pos
sible, but these, fellows did the
things "which no necessitous cir
cumstances impelled. They were
getting along well and their sins
were long stretched out. But their
prison citizeuship was so early
won that everybody talked about
it.
• Prisoners Drunk
One authority says thst "last
week people were
THE ALAMANCE GLEANER.
here. They were friends of the
prison administration and the
State governing bodies. Bat they
told a story of great amusement.
There were three of the de luxe
prisoners down in Wilmington last
summer. The birds were on a
pleasant mission, and while there
two of them got gloriously drunk.
The twain were arrested. The
papers got hold of them, but the
Wilmingtonians say that they
were able, through influence, to
hush publication of the story."
The consciousness that such
things go on, and newspaper men
have heard it a lbng timo, has
made them substantially safe in
saying that the prison manage
ment isn't cruel. Superintendent
Pou is not a cruel man, no more
sp than newspaper men, who have
to write up the State occasions
when a human being is eleofrioally
cooked. But not every attendance
is like George Pou. And "the in
vestigation will help te place the
blame for such excesses as Dud
ding seems to think he can prove.
The board of welfare will very
likely have the acknowledged
prison authority of the country
hex-e, though nobody has officially
suggested such a thing. When
Thomas Mott Osborne was here
the prison authorities did not
honor him a? auditor. The head
of the prison reform movemeut,
a very fine old preacher gentle
man, was here, but the prison
management did not greet him,
indeed, the local paper quotes
Chairman Jaines A. Leak of the
Prison Board as minded "to fire
Georgie" if "George" ever showed
any disposition to become a ftu
dent of crime or won reputation
as a criminologist, "one of them
things"' disliked by Mr. Leak.
The welfare boar \ will really in
vestigate.
Machinery Ample And The Truth De
manded.
The welfare department pos
sesses the necessary machinery
for the conduct of the investiga
tion and survey and the consum
mation of the task that has been
undertaken is expected to prove
conditions in the State aud coun
ty penal system. The,department
has made ch.-irges against county
penal systems, and its last annual
report deals at leugth with con
ditions it found in them. No com
plaint was made in the report of
the State's prison or its
however; and it was said the in
spectors found conditions reason
ably satisfactory..*
'ij
■ To Hemedy Conditions
In the survey to be conducted,
the camp or jails found in. unsatis
factory condition will be singled out,
and as a result it is expected steps
will be taken by the state to see
that they are put in acceptable shape.
The chief complaint of the welfare
department has been againpt the
county jail and convict systems, and
frequently through its bulletin it
has spoken of bad conditions exist
ing is them.
Under the plan adopted for the
investigation, those responsible hope
to go deeply into the penal system
and find out exact conditions* and
at the. same time avoid the possi
bility of sensationalism that might
threaten under an investigation
where the department as a board,
and heard the prosecution.
Mrs. Kate Burr Johnson, com*
missioner of public welfare, will be
in charge, and her inspectors will
likely go into all the State's camps
at\d those county camps and jails
where conditions have been unfav
orably described. Investigative
work is required of the department
by law, and the surrey to be under-'
taken is looked upon as intensifying
the activities the law specifies for
the organization.
Governor Morrison requested the
invetigation, and the welfare board
meeting with a quorum after post
ponement of its first session from,
when only two members were
present, signified its approval and
willingness to begin at once on a
comprehensive survey of North
Carolina's system of puniphing and
and correcting law-breakers.
The Governor is t>eing quoted as
having said, "if you find men are
treated cruelly or jinhnmanely, re
port the guilty persons and I will
Bee that they are prosecuted by the
State. I will hire! special counsel
and spend some .more money on
high-priced lawyers to see that per
sons responsible are pat behind the
bars themselves."
Weed of a State of Pardon*.
Had Governor Morrison approved
GRAHAM, N. C M THURSDAY. MAY 8.1923
the measure the Legislature at either
of its last two sessions would have
provided for the creation of a State
Board of Pardons.
For one, I am sorry it did not do
so, and mainly for th 6 reason that
this character of work devolving on
our present Governor is literally
wrecking his health, and may short
en his life.
This week he is to go through
aqother nerve-racking week of or
deals. A dozen executions are
scheduled, and at least three of the
condemned men must he saved from
the electric chair because of the con
fession of the principal in the crimi,
who was executed last week. Ap
peal must be listened to from coun
sel and relatives in numerous canes
of men now imprisoned in "d£ath
row," at the State Prison.
Capital Punishment
•
Yet, I do not believe the time is
ripe to abolish the punishment by
death in at least the cases of malici
ous rape and murder in the first de
gree.
Men may argue that the death
chair does not stop murder. ' True.
Law does not entirely stop'theft, and
other crimes. But this writer re
cently investigated the records of
criminal conditions in States where 1
death had been abolished and found
it true that a nflAber had restored
capital punishment because of the
increase of capital crimes, and that
in others the prisons were being
jammed with the life-termers who,
under the old system, were put out
| of ttie way.
There are too many devils and in
famies in this old world to put away
the death penalty yet. But whether
the chair or the gallows is preferable
is a question that has its partisans:
Short Course For Club Girls.
•
Raleigh, N. C., April 30.—Young
girls, prize winners and leaders
in the club work conducted by
the Home Demonstration workers
of the State College and State De
partment of Agriculture will
gather at Peace Institute in Ral
eigh during the week of June 4th
for the annual short course aud
school given these girls for excel
lence in their work during the
past year. Mrs. Jane S. McKim
toou, chief of the home demon
stration division, says tha't the!
great event in the life of the little
club girl is the chance to attend
this state short course. The
school will be held at Peace Insti- j
tute arid only 200 girls can attend I
this year. By next year, however j
Mrs. MtKimmon plans to secure !
accommodations which will enable
her division to care for «. very girl j
that should attend. She looks for j
an enrollment of about 400 uextj
season.
Accordiug to Mrs. McKimmon
the plan Of work outliued for the
girls for this year, "includes iu- i
strrtction in clothing and canning
which they are expected to carry
| home to their club-mates. They
will be taught, hqw to cut and fit
a simple dress from selecting the
pattern to basting and fitting the
dress on one of their class-mates.
The grading, packing and steriliz
ing of fruits and vegetables as
well as jelly making will be popu
lar projects for the well instructed
club girl to take back to her club
mates. As a leader will be expect
ed to serve aB an assistant to her
county agent and demonstrate to
a home audience, what she has
learned, she is taught methods of
preseating her subject as well as
how to do a practice.
"Last year doing over old fur
niture, basketry, mid serving a
meal were taught.
"The whole school will .receive
instructions in how flo conduct a
meeting, parliamentary regula
tions, personal hygiene, aud eti
quette. i m '■
"Thirteen home agents will j
compose the faculty and Miss
Maude Wallace, Assistant State j
Agent, will act as .dean of the
school. The afternoons will le
given to sight-seeing. Many ru
ral girls have never seen their
capitol city, or any city for thai
matter, and the personally con
ducted which Col. Fred Olds
provides for them is one of their
treasured memories.
A garden will grow in most any
spot where weeds will grow says
workers of the Agricultural Ex
tension Service. Reduced food
costs and better health are the
results of growing vegetables at
home. • ,
PRES. WARDING DECLARES
. FOR WORLD COURT.
Unalterable Opposition Leagoe-Dual
Position Widens Breach in Party.
Special Correspondence. •
Washington, May Ist.--Presi
dent Harding's New York speech
challenging the irreconcilables of
his owu party on the World Coftrt
proposal appears to have had the
effect of widening the breach in
his own party without disturbing
the equanimity of the Democrat®
on this subject. That part of it
declaring unalterable opposition
to the Lea ne of Nations cannot
fail to aroU9e the resentment of
pro-Leaguers iu the Republican
rank aud file, it is thought here,
and this element, is much more
uumerous than it was in 1920, ac
cording to all reports. All agree,
however, that the President dis
played more courage than he has
ever shown oither in the Senate,
or as a candidale or as Chief Ex
ecutive.
The reaction here in the Nation
al Capital among Republican
leaders was painful. The most
important ones oppos«l to the
'World Court ran to cover, while
Lodge and his sinister band sulk
ed in their tents. Only here and
there a thin" piping Republican
voice was heard iu approval.
The speech was considered far_
from a strong presentation of the
President's case. He.invoked the
Republican platforms to show
that his party had long favored
an international judicial tribunal,
but this was a confession that
since his party came into power
in 1919 it has ignored those plat
form declarations, and that he
has ignored, them during the two
years of his administration until
now. He also declared in effect
that platforms do not mean what
they say, and that nobody pays
attention to them any more.
The President's declaration
against the League is regarded as
a humiliating indictmeutof the 31
Republicans who signed a state
ment soliciting votes .for Mr.
Harding as the only suje way of
making the United States a mem
ber of the League. It indicts therh
for obtaining votes for himself
! under false pretenses, although he
took two of them, Mr. Hughes and
Mr. Hoover, into his cabinet. •
But it is i lain'y evident that
Democrats are not going to quarrel
1 wiih President llardiug f.r his In
consistencies with respect- to the
! International Court, nor even to
criticize them as long as he shows
| a willingness to stand by his
expressed determination to urge
! membership in the court. His
j position has not been any more
inconsistent in this respect than
! the position of his party with res
j pect to the whole question of in
ternational co-operation.
From the moment Republicau
leaders decided late in • 1918 to
take*the opposite side of evety
policy and principle, domestic
and international, for which the
Democratic administration stood,
with the one object of securing
control of the government in the
elections of 1920, the Republican
party has l>een drlftiog from one
unsound and false position into
another. The genenl result was
that during 1919 and 1920, and
during the first two yoars of the
Harding Administration, the Re
publicau National leadership has
btjen floundering and unable to
touch foot to the ground of
any sound principle jr policy.
They jockeyed themselves •in
j pratice iuto the field of hermit is
olation which they have occupied
during the past four years, bar
ring a faint gesture now aud then
'in the direction of international
i cooperation This explains the
feeble efforts of the Harding ad
ministration to take sothe concrete
steps in pratice towards interna
tional cooperation withontat the
stme time appearing to adopt tho
brotd principle of sane, practical
•international cooperation and its
application to the existing coudi-,
tious, such as underlay the Dem
ocratic method and programme of
international cooperation during
j 1910 aud 19*20.
j This impossible undertaking
eouid not be better illustrated
than in the recent proposal to
take what is in effect a minor step
towards international co operation
to tee extent of entry into £he in
. teruational court. All Republican
.leaders must admit to themselves
at least that this i* not a great
advance when compared with a
comprehensive aud al|solute nec
essary programme of practical
international cooperation in the
light of existiug conditions.
Where the shoe pinches with them
is, that to take even this step
necessarily involves a concession
and a recognition of the entfre
principle of international coopera
tion in theory which underlies all
the fundamentals and essentials
of the Democratic position and
proposals.
The division among the Re
buplicans, it is believed " here,
will greatly aid the Democrats in
gaining admittance to the World
Court ou better tewns than the
President offers.
Fertilize Corn for Larger Yields.
• - *
"The factors that influence the
yield of other field crops also af
fect corn. A well preparid seed
bed is necessary; thorough and
frequent cultivation pays; organic
matter incorporated iu the soil is
beneficial ;' but, the use of all
these good culture methods will
not increase yields very material
ly or for auy great number of
years unless plagt food is added
to the soil so that the corn plant
can gtft it," says W. F. Pate, Fer
tility Agronomist of tho North
Carolina Experiment Station.
Mr. Pate that the soils of
North Carolina are very deficient
in the foods that corn plants like.
Of the many types of soil studied
by the Division of Agronomy all
respond by increased yields of
crops wheu nitrogen, phosphoric
acid, and potash are added. For
the sandy loam soils of the Coastal
Plaiu Mr. Pate states that nitrogen
and potash are very esseutial and
in conjunction with phosphoric
acid large yields ca.i be secured^
On the Clay and Clay Loam
soils of tho ceutral and western
part of the state, phosphoric acid,
aud nitrogeu, wheu used with
small percentages of potash, also
show large and paying yielde, says
Air. Pate.
After cousideriug the results
secured over a long period of years
with the use of fertilizers on corn,
Mr. Pate recommends that the
folio wing formulas be used on soils
Of average fertility.
Coastal Plata Soils
400 to 600 pounds per acre con
taining the following:
G to 7 per cent available, phos
phoric acid.
5 to 6 per cent ammonia and 2
to 3 per cent potash.
Piedmont and Mountain Soils
400 to GOO podnds per acre, of
a fertilizer analyzing:
10 per cent available phosphoric
•cid, 4 tot) per cent ammonia and
from 1 to 2 per cent potash.
Kind of Pertltiling materials To Use
"Corn in a quick growing crop,"
■ays Mr. Pate, "and the fertiliz
ing materials used should be avail
able when needed. Many experi
ments have shown that materials
that furnish ammonia, such as
Sulphate of Ammonia, Nitrate of
Soda, and Ammonia Nitrate,
which are soluble in water giv«
greatery ielfls than other materials
like dried blood, Cotton seed meal
or tankage, which have to be acted
on by bacteria before the ammon
ia can be used by the plants. For
the last four years these soluble
materials have«lso been cheaper
per unit of ammonia.
'.'Acid Phosphate is probably
the best source of phosphoric acid
to nse, especially so, if large a
mounts of organic matter are not
incorporated in the soil; with the
organic matter, rock phosphoric
coftld be used successfully.
"The potash requirements of
the soil and crop can he supplied
by Kainit, Manure Salt, Muriate
of Potash, or Sulphate of Potash.
Generally Muriate of Potash is a
triffle cheaper per unit of Potash
and is as good as the other forms
of potash." ' *""» •
, Time To Apply Fertlllter To Corn.
"Many people apply fertilizer,
especially the nitrogen, when the
corn starts to bunch for tassel.
The coru plant takes np a greater
portion of its nitrogen before this
lime and therefore, it is applied
too late. On all soils the phos
phoric acid can be applied before
the coru is planted with good re
sults. Ou sandy loam soils the
' nitrogen can be put on in two op
erations, part before planting
INCUBATOR THERMOMETEKS
SHOIftD BE ACCURATE.
Inaccurate Ones Cause Poor Hatches
—How t5 Test and How to Place
Them—The Proper Temperature.
Raleigh, N. C. April 30.—Inac
curate thermometers are often the
cause of poor hatches, which meau
weak chicks that have a lieavy
death rate after they are taken
the inenbator. Therefore
be sure the thermometer is certi
fied and where the poultry raiser
has more than one, it is a good
plan to test them all at one tem
perature, says Dr. B. F. Kaupp,
in charge of poultry investigations
for the State Colieve aud Depart
ment of Agriculture. This cao
be done, he says, by putting them
all in oue incubator aud reading
them at ih • temperature of 105
degrees F. A thermometer that
varies as much as 2 degree*, and
Dr. Kaupp has found ouch, may
mean an entire failure. If the
thermometer, reads 103 degrees
when the temperature, is really
105 it would mean ruined eggs
and much discountvementbecause
of the bad results.
Dr. Kaupp states that another
way to test the incubator and
brooder thermometers U to use a
certified clinical thermometer
which is known to be correct.
Both of these are placed in warm
water and when the' water reaches
103 degrees with the clinical ther
mometer it should also read the
same with the incubator ther
mometer. If tnere is as much a*
a degree of difference the ther
mometer should not be used.
The thermometer that hangs
from the top of the egg compart
tvith its bulo suspented sd that it
is just at the top level of the eggs
is the best, finds Dr. Kaupp. He
states that the bulb should not
touch the eggs. Such a ther
mometer is not likely to be broken
or left out of the tray when the
egg trays are taken out for turn
ing.
The eggs should be kept at a
temperature of 103 degrees
through-out the entire hatch.
If the bulb rests upon an egg
the temperature will not be regis
tered accurately, says Dr. Kaupp.
If it rests against an egg contain
ing an embryo it will register too
ijigb, and if the egg is infertile or
contaius a dead germ it is likely
not to register high enough.
Plant Something This Spring.
Raleigh, N. C., April. 30.
Those who Jet last week pass with
out doing anything definite
about Garden Week tbau reading
the notices, should determine to
plaut something this spring any
way, says F. E. McCall, Garden
Specialist for the Agricultural
Extension Service. Mr. McCall
urges that something should
actually be planted so that the
grower may feel that he is help
ing North Carolina take her place
as a leading horticultural State.
He suggests that some good blight
proof tomatoes of the Norduke,
Maryel and Norton varieties be
planted. A few carrots, parsnips
and ground cheries may be start
ed or a few plants of the improved
blue-berries aloug with raspber
ries aud dewberries will give a
stait with small fruits.
He says, "Locate some good
flowering shrub ic the wo >ds
Prune the roots, now by taking a
spade and cutting away all lateral
roots about eighteen iifches out
each way from the niaiu stem.
Leave the plant to develop uew
roots this summer and transplant
it next November. Lawn grass
seed will grow better if some'
woods mould is mixed in with the
top soil."
Thesn suggestions by Mr Mc-
Call are in line with the live-at
home program of the Agricultural
Extensiou Service and the effort
being made by horticultural work
ers to beautify the farmstead of
Carolina aud Micourage the all
year garden.
and along with the phosphoric
acid, and potash and the other
part when ihe corn gets between
knee and waist high. On elay
loam soils it does uot make much
difference in yields if the nitrogen
is all put on before the planting
of the crop or tho application is
split, putting on part when the
corn has attained soino trowth."
NO. 13
Lime and Fertilizer
Called Tandem Team.
On sour soils, the tandem team
of lime and fertilizer should be
driven with lime in the lead, nay
agricultural workers of the State
College and State Department of
Agriculture. When acid phos
phate is put on sour land, they
explain, the phosphorus forms a
strong chemical union, with iron
and aluminum compounds in the
soil. If lime has been put ou be
fore the acid phosphate, there is
a tendency for the soluble phos
phorus to unite with the calcium
of the lime. This lime phosphate
seems to be more readily avail*
able to crops than tue iron and
aluminum phosphate.
This is shown by results from
the Ohio Experiment Station.
Limestone alone gave crop in
creases worth s*>.Bo per acre,
while acid phosphate alone gave
increases worth 13.20 per acre.
When both lfme and acid phos
phate are applied on the same
land the increased* yield is wortfi
an acre, or 41.40 an acre
more than the same amount of
lime aud phosphate when applied
separately on two ?ere«.
On sour soi s, th«i, £p» * should
precede or aecorppany acid phos
phate or mixed fe-rttlizers in order
to get the beat results.
Sugar Over 55 Per Cent Higher Than
\eai Ago.
Sugar is now 55 per cent dearer
than it was in May, 1922, before
the Republican Congress ebacted
the Fordney-ileCumoer profiteers
law, which put a tax of two cents
a pound ou every bit of sweeten
ing used in American homes.
In the last da»s of April, 1523,
the average retail*price of sagar
was # IQ cents a pound. ThLs
means that in May, 1922; a house
wife could get 15 pounds of sugar
for a dollar and now the same
quantity costs $1.5".
This increase is due to the Re
publican tariff, which has given
the proriteers a license and an op
portunity to exploit the con
sumer.
SLbacKlhß FOR TUB GLBA-NBB
6 66
is a Prescription for Colds,
Fever and LaGrippe. It's the
most speedy remedy we
know, preventing Pneu
monia.
PROFESSIONAL CARDS
LOVICK H. KERNODLE,
Attorney-at-Law,
GRAHAM, N. C.
Auociated with John J. Headers®*.
OOtcr over Nauuual But of AUBUM*
THOMAS D. COOPER.
Attorney and Counscllor-at-Law,
BURLINGTON, N. C,
Ajutiatcd with ▼. S. Coaltar,
Not. 7 aod S First NiUotul Rank Bldf.
S. C. SPOON, Jr„ NL D.
Graham, N. C.
Office over Ferrell Drug Co.
Hours: 2to o aud ? to'J p. m., and
by appoint uieut.
• 1 I'iioue 97"
p
GRAHAM HARDEN, ML D.
Burlington, N. C.
Office liours: 9 to 11 a. m.
ami by appointment
Office Over Acme Drug Co.
Telephone*: Oltcc I tU -He»i«leuc* 161
JOHN J. HENDERSON
Attorney. at-Law
GRAHAM, N. C.
Dltlcc over NIUM«I lull *1 Uaaaact
X. S.' O O O IC,
Attarnay -at- Lao
iKAHAM, .... N. C
OBcw Patlerion Building
£«coud Flsor. , . .
DK. WILL_S.LOMJ.JK.
: DiNTtST : : :
(Ira ham, . . . • Narth Carallna
i
i OFFIGE IN PARIa BUILDINU
I /