- . — — - _ ' LIBRARY
The Oldest Newspaper Published In North Carolina f cata .ba college
v r r * CITY
The Carolina Watchman
"The Watchman Carries a Summary of <lAU The TSlews”
Founded 1832--99th Year SALISBURY, FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 25, 1931 Vol. 26, No. 43 Price 2 Cents
Negro Confesses Burning Store
ROBBED STORE AT
BEAR POPLAR AND
THEN SET ON FIRE
Morris Kerr, Young Ne
gro, Makes Confession
After Officers Probe In
cendiary Blaze.
STORE WAS OWNED
AND OPERATED BY
MR. R. L. STEELE
Negro Is Held Without
Bond; Whether He Had
Associates Has Not Been
Ascertained.
Morris Kerr, 20-year old negro, has
confessed that he robbed and burned
the store of R. L. Steele, at Bear Pop
lar several weeks ago. It has not been
determined whether or not he had as
sociates with him in the commission
of the crime.
This confession was made to Depu
ties Luther Stikeleather and Dave Gra
ham, of Sheriff Cal Miller’s force,
some time after they had taken him
into custody for investigation.
n-err is being neia witnout bond in
jail. The officers did not divulge in
which jail he had been placed but
stated he had been removed from the
Rowan County Jail.
Mr. Steele’s store was the largest in
Bear Poplar and handled groceries, dry
goods and general merchandise. The
store was burned late one night dur
ing the first
For a short time before the Crime
was committed, Kerr had been a day
laborer for Orph Poole, letter carrier,
who resides about two miles beyond
Bear Poplar. The negro has lived in
and around Bear Poplar for some time.
Officers had only a slim clue on
which to begin this investigation.
They located a new knife which the
negro had sold to another party. Kerr
was then apprehended. When Kerr
was questioned as to where he purchas
ed the knife, he stated he had bought
it in Salisbury. Later, he said he pur
chased it from a hobo. Finally, he
made the statement he had bought it
from a store in Mooresville. Officers
took the negro to Mooresville where
he pointed out a jewelry store as the
place where he had made the purchase.
The owner of the store was shown
the knife and stated his company had
never sold knives of that type; selling
onh' knives which go with watch
chains.
Kerr then confessed. He had entered
the store by breaking open a window.
After taking what article^ he de
sired, he tore up a cracker box, set
fire to it and fled.
Mr. Steele has positively indentified
the knife as coming from his stock
of goods. Another knife of similar
type was found on Kerr.
FARMERS GET LESS
Raleigh—North Carolina tobacco
producers received $21,747,33 less
for their 1931 crop marketed up to
December 1 than they did for the
tobacco they carried to market up
to this same date last year. The
amount marketed this year was
larger by 56,199,385, but the price
average was smaller.
SAFE BLOWN OPEN
Burlington—Blown open and rob
bed, a safe removed from the filling
station of Mann and Hackney, at' the
intersection of highway 93 and the
Saxapahaw road, was recovered near
Mount Harmon church, miles from
the scene of the robbery.
STUDENTS ON VACATION
Hickory—Students at Lenoir Rhyne
college are enjoyjng the Christmas holi
day period. They return to .classes
January 4. Hickory schools are also
closed. Class work in the city schools
and those in the rural sections will
be resumed December 30.
PATROLMEN BUSY
Raleigh—As a result of work of
patrolmen in North Carolina dur
ing the month motorists were taxed
$15,099.02 in fines. Fifteen stolen
cars valued at $4,850 were recovered.
Expect Trade Upturn To Follow Holidays
BUSINESS MEN
OF SALISBURY
ARE OPTIMISTIC
Slow But Definite Im
provement During Re
maining Winter Months
Is Anticipated.
BUSINESS HOUSES
ENJOYING LARGE
CHRISTMAS TRADE
Quality Merchandise Is
Being Sold* At Lowest
Prices In Many Years, Is
General Verdict.
Salisbury merchants expect a steady
and definite improvement of business
conditions in 1932.
This sentiment was revealed in ex
pressions made by a number of local
business men when interviewed Tues
day by a representative of The Watch
man.
The general opinion was to the ef
fect that business is now on the most
stable bdsis in many months and that
it will show a slow but definite in
crease and improvement after the first
of the year.
Jrnces or rood and clothing and
life—are the lowest in many years, and
their quality is better than ever before.
"Our Christmas business is very
good, and although we don’t expect
January and February to be as good as
December, we do expect a good up
turn in business in early spring,” one
leading merchant commented.
"I have never seen prices so low
and quality so high,” one merchant
of 2S years experience said.
One chain store manager stated
that he had talked with a large group
of other managers of the chain and
they were all optimistic over an in
crease in business in 1932.
"The entire tone of business is bet
ter,” one banker stated who predicted
better business for 1932.
The manager of one local business
house said his December business of
1931 already had surpassed that of
December 193 0 with a week more to
go this month.
One textile mill official stated he
looked for slow but steady gains in the
textile business during 1932.
R. E. L. Niel, secretary of the Salis
bury chamber of commerce, express
ed confidence that business conditions
would show a gradual return to nor
mal prosperity in 1932.
APPEAL IS FILED "
Winston-Salem—John Moore, negro
convicted of first degree burglary, the
loot of which consisted of a pair of
shoes, has appealed the death sentence
imposed upon him by Jud°e John H.
Harwood, lhe judge, although con
strained by the jury verdict to impose
the death penalty, wrote to the war
den of state’s prison asking a thorough
examination of the negro’s mentality
and noting the jury’s recommenda
tion for mercy, which under North
Carolina law has no legal standing
in qualifying a statutory sentence.
TWO HOMES BURN
Oxford—Fires of undetermined ori
* gin destroyed two residences in the
Enon section near Oxford recently.
The large 11-room residence of Otho
Hester was destroyed after the family
had retired. Nothing was saved from
the burning building, only the oc
cupants escaping. The new bungalow
of Jesse Clement, three miles from
the home of Hester, burned, a large
quantity of silver and valuable furni
ture being destroyed. It is thought
both fires were caused by defective
flues.
CARVED TERRAPIN FOUND
Asheboro—A pet terrapin was pick
ed up on the streets here by Z. T.
Byrd. On the animal’s hard back are
the following carvings: A. K. V.,
1914. W. H. L., 1931.
Good
Morning
V.. i m
"EVERLASTING MERCY”
And he who gives a child a treat
Makes Joy-Bells ring in Heaven’s
street.
And he who gives a child a home
Builds Palaces in Kingdom come.
And she who gives a baby birth,
Brings Saviour Christ again to earth.
John Masefield.
FATAL REMARK
He—"You look sweet enough to
eat!”
She—"I do eat. Where shall we go?”
WORK ’EM TO DEATH
Old Lady (to tramp)—"Why don’t
you work Hard work never killed
any one.”
Tramp—"You’re wrong, lady. I
lost both of my wives that way.”
THEY WON’T KILL
Willie—Ma, if the baby was to eat
tadpoles, would it give him a big bass
voice like a frog
Ma—Good gracious, no! They
would kill him.
Willie—Well, . .eh . . .they didn’t.
SYMPATHY
"I went to a fortune teller’s last
week.”
Yes; what did he say?
"Nothing. He looked in my hand,
coughed, and tfaen gWa my.mattcy
back.”—Hummel, Hamburg.
THE WORLD 'PROGRESSES
Maizie: "Is your boy friend a one
arm driver?”
Mamie: "Not him. He takes a taxi
and uses both arms.”— R. R. Maga
zine.
I am only one,
But I am one.
I cannot do every thing
But I can do something;
What I can do,
By the grace of God I will do.
—Cannon Farrar.
Lady of the House (to applicant for
maidship): Do you scrub floors?
Lily: Yassum.
Tend baby?
Yassum.
Wait on company?
Yassum; both ways.
Both ways?
Yassum; so they’ll come again and
,so they don’t!
HE PAYS, AND PAYS, AND PAYS
Patron—"May I have some station
ery?”
Hotel clerk (haughtily)—"Are you
a guest of the house?”
Patron—"Hell, no. I am paying
twenty dollars a day.”
FREE MIND
Doctor. "This is a very sad case. I
kam afraid your wife’s mind is com
pletely gone.”
Husband: "I am not a bit surprised.
She has been giving me a piece of it
every day for the last 15 years!”
MERRY CHRISTMAS
I
Let’s throw away our woe
And say a word or so
About a Merry Christmas;
It’s not a day to cry,
You’ve got no time to die—
For it’s Merry Christmas.
II
Hang them by the fire,
Get the old desire
Of a Merry Christmas;
Old Santa’s almost here
With sleigh and eight reindeer
To make a Merry Christmas.
III
So The Watchman force and me
We wish you all the glee
Of a. Merry Christmas;
We hope you’re feeling right
To eat and love a sight,
On this—A Merry Christmas.
Contributed.
It is a strange desire which men
have, to seek power, and lose liberty.
Huge Still Captured By
Officers; 5200 Gallons
Of Beer Poured Out
i_
The fish in the South River are
having a merry Christmas.
They should have, at least. For three
of Sheriff Cal Miller’s force—Deputies
Stikeleather, Wike and Sigmon—dump
ed into the river about 5,200 gallons
of beer this morning together with a
small quantity of whiskey—just made!
If the fish arc the drinking kind
—their appetites should be well taken
care of.
As a result of a raid, J. H. Brown
ing and James B. Cooley were arrested
and placed under bond. A steam li
quor-making outfit, with all ac
cessories, was destroyed. Over 5,000
gallons of beer were poured out of the
vats.
The officers stated the still had the
appearance of having been used for
some time and was apparently ri.
for another run at the time the of
ficers arrived.
About five gallons of liquor were
also confiscated.
Both men denied any knowledge of
the still, beer or liquor.
The still had a da’ly capacity of 100
gallons of liquor, 9 fermenters, brick
cased,—in fact, very much up to date.
The officers found five other places
■■iliii n 4nn#4>eul o eril! haft
wiicie iv appca’TO * vvvu
viously operated. The still had the
biggest capacity of an- outfit captured
in Rowan county in years.
While the fish are probably cele
brating the occasion in a hilarious
fashion, it is observed that many hu
mans will be deprived of similar
spirits this holiday season.
What a break!
ENROLLMENT SHOWS GAIN
Shelby—The Shelby public schools
show a large enrollment and excellent
attendance at the end of the third
month. There are now enrolled in the
city schools 3,237 pupils. This is the
first month in the history of the
school the membership has gone be
yond 3,000. The percentage of at
tendance for the third month for the
entire school system was 95.2 per cent.
NEED NEW ORGANIZATIONS
Raleigh—Cotton -'’-oducers of this
country can depend on no organiza
tions except those of their own to
solve their —and fight their
battles, accordin'* to U. Benton Bla
lock, president of the American Cot
ton Co-operative association, who
bases his statement on 10 years’ ex
perience as cotton shipper, 10 years
as manager of the North Carolina
Cotton Co-operative and a lifetime a;
a cotton producer.
GOLD MINING RESUMED
Asheboro—The old Allred Gold
Mine 12 miles east of this town has
been reopened. The engineer reports
finding "extra good quality yellow
gold.”>
PROF. SMITH GETS LEAVE
Hickory—Prof. ‘Frederick Stanley
Smith, dean of the music department
of Lenoir Rhyne college, has been
granted a leave of absence from his
duties for two or three months. Prof.
Smith has made arrangements to study
at the University of North Carolina
with Lamar Stringfield, authority on
instrumentation and orchestration.
During his absence the work will be
carried on at the college here by Prof.
Hobart Whiteman of Mitchell college,
Statesville.
SCHOOL PROBLEM CITED
Wake Forest—The real school pro
blem in North Carolina is not differ
ences between the equalization board
and the special charter systems, which
will, in time, be satisfactorily adjusted,
but rather where the money is coming
from in case the next legislature de
cides to drop the 15 cent state wide
ad valorem tax, said Jule B. Warren,
secretary of the North Carolina
Educational association, in an address
here before the Wake Forest College
chapter of Kappa Phi Kappa, national
educational fraternity.
----*
INSPECTIONS ARE MADE
Wadesboro—Under the auspices ot
the county welfare department, Miss
Cleone Hobbs, school nurse from the
state board of health, spent this week
inspecting the schools from the sani
tary standpoint and conducting health
examinations of the school children
in the first three grades. While clin
ics were not held at this time, chil
dren in need of dental arid medical
attention were cited to their parents
and to the, school authorities.
ATTORNEY FILES SUIT
Lumberton—Suit has been filed in
superior court of Robeson county by
George L. Grantham, Fairmont at
torney, against L. M. Jones, operator
of fish trucks out of Morehead City
for recovery of $50,585 damages for
injuries to Mr. Grantham and damage
to his car in a collision which a truck
alleged to be operated by the defendant
had with Mr. Grantham’s automobile
near Florence, S. C., September 12.
NEW COURT HOUSE FAVORED
Morganton — Judge Walter E.
Moore presiding over the December
term of Burke superior court, now in
session here, commended highly the
report of the grand jury in which the
recommendation was made that the
people of Burke county vote on the
proposition of building a new court
house. The matter is one that recurs
at each succeeding term of court, but
no board of commissioners has yet
taken definite action.
Who’s Who In Rowan
ROWAN COUNTY HISTORICAL
SOCIETY.
Officers.
B. D. McCubbins, president.
Mrs. Edwin C. Gregory vice-presi
dent.
Wm. D. Kizziah, secretary and
treasurer.
Executive Committee.
W. H. Woodson.
J. M. McCorkle.
B. D. McCubbins.
Mrs. E. C. Gregory.
Wm. D. Kizziah.
Members.
B. D. McCubbins.
Mrs. Edwiii C. Gregory.
Wm. D. Kizziah.
W. H. Woodson.
J. M. McCorkle.
Dr. Archibald Henderson.
Kerr Craig.
C. L. Coggin.
Mrs. Q. B. Scott.
Mrs. B. D. McCubbins.
Rev. C. B. Heller.
Rev. J. L. Morgan.
J. W. Peeler.
Jas. L. Fisher.
Lee Overman Gregory.
John L. Rendleman, Sr.
Mrs. Lyman Cotton.
Miss Mary Henderson.
Walter Murphy.
Mrs. M. O. Lintoq.
E. C. Gregory, Sr.
_Hon. John S. Fisher.
Hon. Burton Craige.
G. Ray Brown.
J. T. Wyatt.
J. F. Hurley.
E. H. Bean.
R. C. Bell.
W. J. Swink.
Dr. Whitehead McKenzie.
Mrs. Whitehead McKenzie.
Dr. C. M. Van Poole.
Bryce Parker Beard.
Mrs. M. G. McCubbins.
NORTH CAROLINA
NEWS IN
BRIEF
NEGROES MUST DIE
Greensboro—Nord Donnell and
LeRoy Lee, 24-year-old negroes, con
victed in superior court of first de
gree murder in connection with the
death of R. El. Andrew, Sedalia mer
chant and postmaster, were sentenced
to die February 19 for their Crime.
Their attorney filed notice of an ap
peal.
GAS STATION BLOWN UP
. Liberty—W; G. Altizer, 60, oper
ator of a gas station near here, suf
fered when unidentified persons wreck
ed his place with some sort of bomb
or dynamite. Mr. Altizer, standing on
the porch of his home near the scene,
was injured by flying timbers after the
explosion.
72 KILLED IN WRECKS
Raleigh—Seventy-two persons were
killed in automobile mishaps in North
Carolina during November. Other
deaths from violence were listed as
follows: Suicides, 32; homicides, 24;
accidental shootings, 19; burns, 17;
railroad accidents, 9; drowning, 9;
lightning, 2; airplanes, 1. The bu
reau also reported 427 infants under
one-year of age died last month, as
compared with 421 in 1930.
FIRE LOSS $444,431
Raleigh—Albemarle was one of a
half dozen NorthGa^i!^i»*ns to
be placed on the "honor roll” of
towns with no fires during the month
of November. Damage from 293 fires
in North Carolina during November
totaled $444,431 as compared ;with a
total of 444,832 from 288 fires the
same month last year.
102 GALLONS LIQUOR
Newton—An 18-year-old white
boy, Harry Yates, of Charlotte, and
a light coach fully equipped with a
smoke screen appliance, were seized
by federal prohibition officers near
here. The car contained 102 gallons
of liquor.
SAYS DEMOCRATS WILL WIN
Greensboro—Juett Shouse, chairman
of the Democratic national executive
committee, says the party has made
great gains and should prepare to
take control of the government in
1932. He believes the party could
better conditions under which Ameri
can people are living.
STORE IS ROBBED
Burlington—The Piedmont store,
corner James and Mebane streets was
entered and robbed here recently by an
unidentified person or persons who
cli^-ed a lock from a door to gain
entrance. Tobaccos, hosiery and other
items of merchandise were stolen, the
value of which officials had not been
able to fix definitely.
INDICTMENTS QUASHED
Raleigh—Three members of the
state corporation commission and John
Mitchell, former chief state bank ex
aminer, who were recently indicted
in Buncombe county for malfeasance
in office, were discharged from their
bonds today after the indictment was
quashed.
WINS $5 50 VERDICT
Asheboro—A two-week term of
Randolph Superior court closed in
Asheboro Saturday. The last week was
taken up with civil cases and was pre
sided over by Judge P. A. McElory,
of Marshall. The principal case of the
week and one that consumed several
days, drawing a large number of
people from Liberty, was that of S. C.
Frazier, former register of deeds of
Randolph, against the town of Lib
erty. The complaint was for recovery
of damages for failure of the town of
Liberty to construct proper sewerage
across the property of Mr. Frazier.
The defense was represented by At
torney J. A. Spence,-while A. I. Fer
ree and B. F. Brittain handled the de
fense. The result was a verdict of
$550 for Mr. Frazier. Notice of ap
peal was given.