Newspapers / The Robesonian (Lumberton, N.C.) / July 19, 1923, edition 1 / Page 1
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WATCH TOPR AND SEND IN R* NEWAL BEFORE TOUR SUBSCRIPTION rTITTlli 1 H ^ATCH YOUR LABE# LL SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE DISCONTINU ED WHEN THEY T7t)L LIV.-JTO. 47. LUMBERTON, N. C., THUMDAY, JULY 19, 1993. COUNTRY OOO AND TROTH. Defendant Kept Himself Well in Hand and Told WeH-Knit Story of His Wheroahputs on Night of April 14— Denies Membership in or Knowledge of Ku Klux Klan But Has Known of Some Raids They Have Made DEFENSE PUTTING ON MORE WITNESSES THIS P. M. * TG PROVE CHARACTER OF DEFENDANTS AND ALIBI End of Trial Not Yet in Sight Many Witnesses Testify to Chirac ter of Defendants and Principal Prosecutrix and Whereabouts of De fendants on Night of Crime—Re buttai Witnesses of State Wii! Hardiy be Reached Before Late This Evening or Tomorrow—Nc Abatement of Interest and Clashes Between Counsel Are Frequent. Additional witnesses are being put on the stand in Superior court here this afternoon of the third day of the trial of Mike Lawson, Jule Brog^eh and John Hedgpeth on charges of kidnaping and assault on females growing out of the whipping of Mrs. Hattie Purvis and Mrs. Mary Wat son at Proctorville on the night of last April 14, to strengthen the piled up testimony as to the good reputa tions of the defendants, the bad re putation of the principal prosecutrix and the whereabouts of the defen dants on the night of the crime. It is probable that witnesses for the defense will take up most if not all the afternoon and that the State will not get on witnesses in rebuttal until tomorrow. There has been rumor oi issuing for Judge J. A. Grady, alleged of ficial of the Ku Klux Klan, a sub poena similar to the ones issued yesterday for Messrs. Keith and Ran dolph, but nothing will be done about that until Mr. R. C. Lawrence, who is out of town today, returns. Under a volley of questions of such machine-gun rapidity from Mr. . McIntyre that counsei for the de fense protested that their client was not being treated fairly, that he was not given time to answer, Mike Law son, 09 stand 1% hours this morning, remained firm in hie denial of mem bership in or knowledge of the Ku Klux Klan or any of its activities and admitted having used strong language in placing any man who said he belonged to the klan. His story was as follows: Has been chief of police of Fairmont 3 years, mov ing there from Orrum, where he has a farm of 153 acres; has house and lot in Fairmont. Went to his farm after dinner on April 14th; came back by Proctorville and got a drink at Mr. Geo. Branch's store. His bro ther Fred had served sentences for stealing things but had been adjudg ed insane and was now in the de partment of the State prison for criminally insane. On the night of April 14 went to supper after meet ing train about $:S0, met the next train at 7:40; got a shave at People's barber shop, then Went to Mr. Mitch ell's store and got the tax books, Alderman Mitchell having instructed him to collect sense taxes. Went to Grantham drug store, where he saw P. P. Jones, Mem Floyd, O. L. Barnes and Mr. and Mrs. j aeons. Mr. Jacobs told him he could go to the company store at any time and get tax money. Went to Mitchell's store and put the tax books and about $200 in safe. He showed a receipt, dated Monday following, April 16, from Town Treasurer J. R. Bracey for $186.50, for money collected night of 14th. Leaving Mitchell's store, which he was closing, about 10 o'clock, went to pressing club across the street, talked with Roy Johnson; went next door to Tebe Floyd's store, where he stayed a few minutes; went to Jenkins Co. store, , where he pur — chased a union suit from Mr. C. E. Grantham, a suit ordered for him as he had not been able to find his size, 52. Went to his car near Grantham drug store, put package in car, went across street and purchased shirt from Mark McDaniel, then went up and down the street until about 11 o'clock, seeing Glyn Ashley, E. L. Vinson and Dr. Mcllhenny. Arrived home at 11 o'clock. Told Mr. R. R Turbeville, who was relieving Mr. John Davis as night policeman and watchman, to watch out as there was some drinking in town, that he was going to collect some taxes and was sick with a cold Indicted by D. G. Rouse on account of a fracas and sued in justices' court on ac count $f holding stakes in a bali game, the plaintiff, Lubin Prevatt, losing and appealing to the Superior ! court, where he iost again. On the grueiiing cross examination Lawson held himseif in hand and stuck to his story. Between the rapid fire of questions counsel for defense {stuck in a rapid fire of objections. Mr. T. L. Johnson protested that the {witness was not being treated fairly. jMr. Dickson McLean insisted that the witness was entitled to some degree of courtesy. Under questioning Law son said he could not remember any one*from whom he collected taxes on night of April 14. Remembered hour h# got home because his wife always asked him the time when' he went borne at night and he fixed the time in his mind after he had been accus ed Called Mr. Rouse an opprobious name, with trimmings, because he ac cused him of being a news gather for the Ku Klux Klan; told Raymon In man that any one who said he was a Ku Klux was (opprobious name). Didn't know it was against law to bet on ball game. Di<f not see hooded men who took AndrewlSmith from record er's court building, or as he left the room, but heard disturbance and saw them as they got in car and rode off Didn't swear out warrant for Jud Hunt for selling liquor and tear it up wnen ne ieamea would be disclosed. Had stopped at bouse of Mack Taylor, negro, to get water for his car, which was hot, when klansmen came up after Mack. Knew nothing about it and left as soon as he could. Didn't believe cer I tain men he was asked about had ac cused him of being in Ku Kiux raids. Did not come to Lumberton when [Taliaferro was arrested and does not know the man. As court opened this morning the defense put on seven more character witnesses, with the exception of one who was used to prove an alibi for Brogden. ^ Mr. Okey Stephens testified Wit he had khown Mike Lawson all life, raised within 3 miles of him, tnAj stated that Mike had a good reputa tion. John Hedgpeth's character was proven good by this witness, but on cross examination it was shown that he was related to Hedgpeth. He didn't know anything about Fred Lawson, Mike's brother, leaving meat which he was charged with stealing at Mike's house. Mr. A. E. Byrne gave Lawson a good reputation, having known him for 12 years. He emphatically denied that he had been a member or was now a member of the Ku Klux Klan. He did not approve of the whipping of the women. Mr. Thad Stone gave dg^endants Hedgpeth and Lawson gooa reputa tions, but stated on cross examination that he might be distantly related to Hedgpeth. Did not approve of the whipping. Mr. Hezz riUHips m giving mute Lawson a good reputation stated that' it was his mother's meat which Mike s brother Fred stole and that they did not ho!d anything against Mike. Said he went with an officer and found the meat in Mike's bam, but that Fred placed it there without the knowledge of Mike. He admitted haw ing been recently indicted for reck less driving. Screaming Nothing to Him Ernest Branch, son of Mr. George Branch, testified that Jule Brogden was in his father's store about 9:30 or 10 and that he later passed Brog den when Brogden was going in the opposite direction from Mrs. Purvis' home. He saw the K. K- K. coming from the direction of Mr. Surles' home. On cross examination he stat ed that he heard somebody scream one time just before he saw the Ku Klux and it was loud enough for his father to hear. His father told him tht he supposed the Ku Klux were af ter somebody. The screaming was nothing to him, he said He saw P. P. Smith at the funeral at the church, and saw Mike Lawson that afternoon I about 1 o'clock, when he came to the store and bought a coca cola. He de nied telling Conrad Purvis that Mike was at his store about first dark and for him not to tell his father about it. He did not investigate it at all and said that he didn't know whether anyone was killed or not, and didn't care if the women were whipped. Mr. M. B. Floyd gave the defen dants Mike I^wsan end John Hedg path good characters. On cross exam ination admitted Jhat he had a had wreck with an .automobile bn Ever green when he was driving after having bean drinking. He was questioned about where he go^ the monkey rum amt stated that it was down on the Waccamaw river. Judge Sinclair asked him if, it was in Bug Hiii township, to which he answered he thought so. Counsei for the de fense asked for an exception to the remarks by his honor. ; Mr F. C. Jones, a character wit ness for the defense, gave Mike Lav son a good reputation and stated that Brogden's was good while he was working for him a few months. De nied affiliation with the klan. Had Another Husband On cross examination of Jule Brog den, one of the defendants, it cause out that when he married the woman with whom he has since been- Hying as his wife she had a husband in the person of one A. C. Godwin. Brog den swore he did not know that at the time of their marriage and that they had been married about a year when she received a summons in di vorce proceedings. Mrs. Brogden, Oh the stand iater, admitted that she committed bigamy when she married Brogden, being the wife at that time of A C. Godwin of Columbus county, that she passed off td Brogden as a single wOman under the name of Her ring and that no marriage ceremony had been performed for her and Brogdep since her divorce from God win about a year ago. On direct testi mony she said she had two children, but on cross examination she admit ted to two others by Godwin. Jn an effort to show that Brogden could be recognized by the grimy ap pearance of his hands even after they had been washed, Brogden was told to exhibit his hand to the jury. Brog den's denial of membership in the Kn Klux Kian was emphatic, and he stat ed that he did not know any one who was a member. Mrs. Brogden testi fied that he spent the night of April 14 at home, coming in about 10 o'clock after he had been in once be fore with flour and returning to a store for a few minutes to get some eggs. She corroborated his testimony as to his dress and activities during the night. A Woman Protests and Sobs. During cross examination of Mr. K. Atkinson of Proctorville yester day afternoon ^ woman's voice in in dignant j)totest cut across the highiy charged dramatic atmosphere of the room when Mr. McIntyre asked the witness if he didn't know that Fred Eaawson had left some stolen goods at Mike Lawson's house Mrs. Law sj^p lifted her voice from beside her Mhtband "He didn't bring no things'' she said, and her frame was shaken with sobs as Judge Sinclair rapped for order and she subsided into si lence. The examination proceeded in; tones a shade more subdued. Would Take It as Grand Insult. Rev. P. T. Britt, a well-known Bap tist minister, put on by the defense as a character witness, in reply to a question about whether or not hooded kluxers had ever offered him money in church said they had not, that he would not take it if they did and would consider it a grand insult. Lawson Prayed in Public. MT. Britt said he had never heard nything against Lawson prior toj his trouble, that he baptized Lawson! nd heard him pray in public back in 908 when 30 young men organized a prayermeeting. He said he was out of the State for 7 years prior to 1921 and that he had not known much about Lawson in recent years. Defendants Needed Protection j Mr. Haynes Barnes, a character writ-} ness, stated on cross examination that he offered to go on the bond of the men after the preliminary trial be cause he believed them to be innocent men and that they needed protection. Mr McIntyre asked the witness if he had not recently been turned out of the church. To this he replied that he had during the past year. He was asked if he investigated the affair and he replied in the negative. He was asked if he didn't think it needed to be investigated. He replied that if it did need investigation it should be done by a doctor or a newspaper man. He at one time had had Brogden in dicted for profane language. Didn't know before about Brogden and bis wife. Saw The Klansmen. George Branch testified that he heard some one whistle for the car which he couldn't identify, and that he saw the klansmen there that night. Luther Byrd stated that he saw the car leaving from in the direction of (Continued on Page Four) PAGE'S LAKE BATHING AND BOATING DAILY AND EVENINGS UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK White Man Severely Beaten at Pembroke W C. C*MtMy <*inwM*w, 8. C„ - Badly Battered by Unmasked Men —Pound Uneonaeiona Mid To Sanatorium—Had Been Warned A boot Way of Living—Waa Em* ployed on New School Building. ' -*.' — "* Mr. W. C. Courtnpy of Florence, S. C„ an employee of the contracting company erecung a new school buiM ing hi Pembroke, ia in the Baker sanatorium ,here suffering with a broken arm . and several bad lacera tions as a result of a severe beating he received at the hands of a mob of men near Pembroke Monday night. I When found by the policeman of Pembroke he was in his car, one half; mile from town, unconscious. He was then rushed to the hospital here, where he did not regain consciousness until the following day. According to reports reach-, ing Sheriff R. E. Lewis, who investigated the affair, the injured man does not know who his assailants were and the sheriff has been unable to find out. It is re ported from Pembroke that Mr. Cpurtney had been warned by some; Indians and some white men that he had better change his way of living. According to these reports it is learn ed that he had been living a very un (%fsirabie life during his two-months^ stay in Pembroke. Reports from the hospital today state that his condition is greatly improved, but that he is badly in jured. Reports from Pembroke state that the men who did the rough handling were not masked. St. Paul News By Bessie G. Johnson St. Paui, July 17.—Mr. and Mrs.; Julius Smith and small child, of} Greensboro, motored over Saturday afternoon for a vipit to Mrs. Smith's; sister, Mrs. T. J. Smith, who has; recently moved into her handsome new dwelling, which is a yety attrac tive addition to. Our town. Mrs. Smith's guests Will go from here to Wilmington, where they will visit other relatives 'ere their return home. Mrs. Rakestraw, wife of &r. Chauncey 1* Rakestraw of Chester, S. C., spent last Friday at the home of Mrs. T. L. Northrop. Mrs. Rake straw prior to her marriage was Miss Nonie McNeill an old school mate of Mrs. Northrop. The two. hadn't met since their girlhood days, therefore their meeting last week; was very pleasant. Mrs. Rakestraw was on a visit to the McNeill rela tives at Red Springs when she came over here. Mrs. L. F. Nance and children, who had been guests of her rela tives in Sumter, S. G, for several weeks, have returned home after a j very delightful visit. Mrs. Stanley Harris, who spent several days with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Terry, at Wendell,! returned home last Friday, Mr. Har-' ris going over to accompany her home. Mr. Terry and little daughter, Sarah, came over Sunday fbr a short visit in the home of his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Britt. From here they went to Phila deiphus, where another daughter, Mrs. Harvey McMillan and children, were to join them for a few days' visit in the Terry home at Wendell,; this being their first visit to her par^ eats since they moved from our town a few months ago. The "missionary basket" meetmg will be he!d at the home of Mrs. J. H. Ratiey on Armfield street, at 4 o'clock Friday afternoon this week. Miss Nettie Britt of Buie spent several days last week in the home! of her brother Mr. Sanford Britt and! family. Her brother-in-law and sis ter, Mr. and Mrs. Leon Melvin of Wilmington, accompanied her'to St. Paul, spending thet day W^th Mr. Melvin's sister, Mrs. E. F. Pame!!, who also resides here. On account of the revival which is in session at Parkton, the protract ed meeting which was to be held at the Baptist church here last week was postponed until a later date. Mr. W. Jerome Stephens of the St. Pauls Review staff spent the week end at Procterville with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Stephens. Miss Annie Louise Fisher left Sunday morning for Boone, where she is attending summer school, which will be in session six weeks. CARS WASHED, POLISHED AND GREASED. TIRES, TUBES. ACCESSORIES GASOLINE 25 CENTS Hospital Did Not Against Hi* W&l Rodney Nea! Was Free to Go front Ham lot Hospital at Any Time Af ter Hia Recovery from Broken Ba^h—Hr. James Only Sought to Find Oat Who Would Pay the Bill hnd Offered to Give Plenty of Time —Young Man Wanted to See Mat ter Adjusted and Remained of Hia Own Accord. One story is good until another is old. Dr. W. D James, president of he Hamlet hospital, says that Rod ney Neal, about whose alleged deten tion against his wiil a story was car ried in Monday's Robesoniaa, was not detained bnt that he voluntarily re mained at the hospital after he had recovered from a broken back, being unwiliing to ieave until some one as sumed responsibility for the bill, and that the only thing officials of the In stitution had asked for was informa tion as to who would assume respon sibility for the bill, ample time being conceded in which to pay the amount. Rodney Neal's back was broken when an elevator on which were a load of brick and a man fell on him some two months ago in a buiiding being erected at Maxton, when he rescued another man who was in dan ger and himseif feli into the shaft. Neal had begun work for a plumbing company of Fayetteville about half, an nour oeiore. JHe was operated on at the Hamlet hospital and recovered from a hurt which is usually consid ered fatal, being a patient there about 2 months When he was able to leave Dr. James sought to find out who would assume responsibility for the bill of $615, $195 of which was for a special nurse alone, and not for operation and nurse, as stated in Monday's paper. Drj James says offered to give all the time necessary in which to pay the bill, even as much i as two years, butthat neither Mr. J. P Wiggins, owner of the building, nor the plumbing company nor the boy's father would definitely assume res ponsibility. He says he was anxious to have this point settled before the boy left the institution because ex perience had taught mim that after the patient left the hospital it would be much harder to g et any settlement if no agree ment had been reached. Rod-! ney Neal, who impressed Dr James as being an unusually clean-cut and square young man, expressed him self as being most grateful for his remarkable recovery and said he wanted to stay there until the mat ter was settled. The boy was not confined, Dr. James said, went au tomobile riding when he pleased and was free to go and come as he chose. Dr. W. D. James was at Wrighta nlle Beach when the habeas corpus papers were servd upon Dr. A. W. lames. Rodney Neal said he did not srant to leave until responsibility for he bill had been settled, and did not consent to leave until he was told by Dr. A. WJames that he had better ?o in order to avoid trouble. Dr. James says that Mr. J. A. Neal, father of Rodney, agreed with him at first that some one should assume responsibility for the bill before the )oy went home, but that later he ap parently was persuaded by attorneys o take the unusual and entirely un lecessary step of having habeas cor pus papers issued. Dr. James' entirely reasonable ver sion of the affair puts a different face upon the matter. iOW AMONG INDIANS RESULTS N SHOOTING NEAR PEMBROKE McKinley Jones Shot In Leg by Lof j tin McMillan—Jones Will Recover! —McMillan Released on Bond. —— ! Loftin McMillan, Indian, who shot and seriously injured McKinley Jones, Indian, near Pembroke Monday after noon with a shotgun as the result of a family row, was arrested soon after the shooting and given a hearing be fore the Recorder in Maxton and was released on bond in the sum of $—— for his appearance in Lumberton at the November term of criminal court. McMillan and Jones are brothers n-law and it is reported that the af fair started over family troubles. It was first thought that Jones would uccumb to tire wounds, but advices eceived today state that he will re over. The load took effect In Ms leg below the hip/ PAGE S LAltE THE IDEAL PLACE FOR ALL PICNIC PARTIES 7 MILES EAST OF ST. PACM. Cotton Market Reported by J. HC. Amr>a* Middiing cation is ^toted on tht to^i market today at 23 1-2 cents the poaad. Rums of Load New$ Mr R C. Rome^fay left Tues asy morning for Now York city and other northern points, where he wiB spend a week or ten days. Mr. Kor negray is district manager for the Horsford * Rumford Chemical com panies in this district and will attend a business meeting of these com panies white in Mew York. —Mr. David H. Fuller wiii [eave th!s evening for California, where he wii! investigate matters pertaining to the fortune of 360,000,000 !eft by James Baker, who !eft Robeson coun ty over half a century ago and died in California without leaving a wili. Severe! heirs in Robeson have em ployed Mr. Fuller to find out the true state of affairs Mr. Poiier ex pects to be away 8 or 6 weeks. —Biiiie, 3-and-a-half-years-old son of Mr. and Mrs. B. M. Hodges, is critically ii! at the Thompson hospi tal with tetanus, which developed from some cause not exactly deter mined, as no signs have been found of a hurt which might have allowed entrance of the germ. He was taken to the hospital yesterday afternoon and has been given the tetanus anti toxin, but very little hope is enter tained of his recovery. Mr! S. S Cox of Shannon, who was a Lumberton visitor Tuesday, said that not enough rain to wet the round had fa!!en in that section ince the first of May. The good rain hat fe!I in Lumberton Monday night iid not extend up his way farther han Red Springs. Mr. Cox says he never before saw cotton so heavily fruited and that if it kept on that way it wi!I not be abie to stand up under the load. Not much sign of weeviis, he says —Mr. R. H. McGirt of Rowland, who was a Lumberton visitor Tues day, says he understands that the' negro John Thomas, who killed hia wife with a pocket-knife in Rowiand Saturday night, was seen in Red Springs Sunday morning and that the negro said before th ecrime was mmmited that he was going to kQ! her and go to Alabama. Mr McGirt aid they had a good rain in hia sec tion Monday night and that it was needed. —Mr. J. R. Burns and son, Mr. J. W. Bums, of Gaddysviile, spent last Thursday here, guests of Mr. G. E. Rancke, 9r. They were accompanied to Lumberton by the latter's two sons, William and Jack, who stayed over, Jack returning Sunday with his parents and other children, who spent the day here with Mr. Rancke At the home of Mr. J. W. Bums there are 13 chiidren, 7 his own and S of them being children of a sister who died a few years ago with ini fiuenza and, according to Mr. Rancke, !&ch one has hia or her duties to per form. Miss Fiax Andrews returned ruesday afternoon from Biue Ridge, where she attended a two weeks' con fcrence of the home demonstration livision. She was accompanied by Mrs. Daisy W. Jenkins and Miss yiola Jenkins, who spent the two weeks at Black Mountain and other Joints of interest in Western N. C. While on their journey home Miss ifiola Jenkins was taken suddenly ill '"d was rushed to Charlotte sana orium, where she underwent an operation for appendecitb. At pre sent her condition is reported very favorable. Mrs. Jenkins will remain with her daughter until she Is sble o return home. 8 Children at 4 Births. Bora, to Mr and Mrs. B. M. Ste phens, who live on R. 4 from Lam Mrton, Friday night of hat week, twin girls. This makes 8 children bom to Mr. and Mra. Stephana at 4 births. Mra. Stephens, who is 34 years old, has given birth to 13 children—6 giris and 7 boys—9 of whom are living. , Mrs. M. F. Cobb and daughter.' Miss Mary, returned last night from Rock Hill and Winnsboto, S. C , where they spent some time visiting reiatives and friends. Mrs. Thomas \0. Edens and smaii son, Russell, and Miss Marie Russel! returned yesterday afternoon from Kingstree. S. C., where they 3pent several days visiting relatives. PAG^S LAKE ELECTRICALLY LIGHTED WITH LIGHTS IN ALL BATH HOUSES AND REST ROOMS
The Robesonian (Lumberton, N.C.)
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July 19, 1923, edition 1
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