The Weather Today: |*Ks?i Local Rains, The News and Observ s*r. VOL. LII. NO. 130. Leads all North Carolina Daily Paper in Both News and Circulation A HOST OF OLD HEROES IN GRAY GATHER AT GREENSBORO ' vtr : ‘ | - General Carr Opens the First Session of the Reunion THE GENERAL RE-ELECTED A Resolution is Unanimously Passed Denouncing Pritchard’s Deserter Bill. HON. S. A. CRUMP DELIVERS AN ORATION Eloquent Welcome by Capt. Waddell. Poem by Mr, Pir.cknsy Groome. Resolution of Thanks to Judg3 Clark For Regimental Histories. (Special to News and Observer.) Greensboro, N. C., Aug. 20. —A con servative estimate of the number of visi tors in Greensboro at 12 o’clock today would be eight thousand. Os these near ly half are old veterans. At the regis tration office at 10 o’clock, 3,200 had been registered and it was going on then three at a time, and new squads arrived on the noon trains. Officer W. W. Wood had prepared two thousand old vets, badges and the last one was pinned on at 6 o’clock this morning before the heavily loaded morning trains came in. So tremendous was the strain of pro viding free rations in abundance for such an unexpected number of guests, but few stopping anywhere but at the camps under charge of a commissary, that Gen eral Carr issued an order this morning advising as many as were able, to take their meals at restaurants, boarding houses, or at the homes of citizens of the city, who have thrown open their doors to hundreds. Train loads of visi tors have been coming in all day and at the hour of the parade at 5 o'clock, no less than 10,000 out of town people were interested spectators. AN IDEAL CAMP. Alfred M. Scales Camp in Eckles Grove has proven an ideal spot and the old soldiers are enjoying every minute spent there. Citizens of the town, ladies and children are taking advantage of the occasion to mingle with the old heroes and look upon a regular, pitched camp, see how the men are fed. hoy they sleep and how soldiers after forty years rest can enjoy a soldier’s food. Eckles Grove is especially appropriate for another reason. It was in this resi dence that President Davis spent the night on his retreat from Richmond after the surrender, to set up a new capital 1 outside of the territory embraced in the terms of capitulation to Grant. Here, too, did Forest spend the night, having in charge $30,000 of Confederate gold. He buried the two bags under the tree at the parlor window, and the spot is now covered by General Carr's tent. Forest was pursued by Kilpatrick and retreated, leaving the buried treasurer. Kilpatrick took possession of the Eckles home under military law and he pitched a tent im mediately over the gold, where headquart ers tent now stands. After he had gone, Forest came back and recovered the gold which had lain there undiscovered by the enemy. The formal ceremonies of the re union were begun when at ten o’clock, the order to fall in was given out by General Carr, and was repeated through out the various divisions of the camp. Old soldiers fell in line, and led by the Gate City Guards, the third regiment band of Reidsville and the Proximity band of Greensboro, marched to the Grand Opera House. The stage of the Grand Opera House was beautifully festooned with red and white streamers. Occupying prominent positions were the magnificent bat tle flag of the Confederate Vet erans. the splendid new flag of tin Guilford ( hapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy, while smaller Con federate flags were everywhere, the gal leries being festooned with flags and red and white bunting designs. Splendid por traits of Generals Jackson, Lee, Scales and others occupied conspicuous posi tions. THE SESSION OPENED. Hero General Carr, in a few ringing words, which were punctuated at every sentence by enthusiastic yells, called tho session to order. Chaplain L. W. Craw ford opened the meeting with a beautiful iprayer. General Carr then announced with unfeigned regret the absence on ac count of sickness of Major General H. A. London, and had appointed Colonel Jamc s I. Metz, of Wilmington, to act in that capacity. Colonel Metz then called the roll of camps and organizations present, responses being heard from Bayboro, Elizabeth City and from the remotest mountain districts. Messrs. R. p. Patterson, W. L. London, T. L. Every, a. C. McAlister and A. Ramsey were aopointed a committee on resolutions, to whom should be referred all resolutions. The first one offered by Colonel W. L. London provoked a storm of enthusiastic applause and was to this effect: , “Resolved, That we condemn and de- nounce the recent act of Congress re warding treachery and desertion by giv ing pensions to those of the Southern forces who. in the face of distress at home and contrary to all rules of honor or bravery, cowardly deserted to the enemy and became traitors to friends.” There was a storm of demands for an im mediate rising vote on this resolution, but its patron, Captain London, asked that it be referred to the committee. ELECTION OF OFFICERS, Election of officers was then proceeded with and resulted as follows: General Commanding, General Julian S. Carr; Brigadier General of First Brigade, Col. P. C. Carlton, of Statesville; Brigadier General of Second Brigade, Gen. W. L. London, of Pittsboro; Brigadier General of Third Brigade, Colonel Frank W. Parker, of Halifax; Brigadier General of Fourth Brigade, Colonel James W. Ray, of Buncombe. A resolution of thanks to Judge Walter Clark and his assistants for their splen did work of editing and collecting the regimental histories, was under rules, re fered to the committee. Enquiry as to why the address delivered by General Carr at the last re-union had not been published in pamphlet form as ordered, brought out the statement from General Carr, that as delivered, the address was incomplete, and he hoped to be able to have it completed and published this fall, DESERTER BILL DENOUNCED. The Committee on Resolutions reported favorably on resolution denouncing the act of Congress in rewarding perfidy and desertion, and it was adopted by a unani mous rising vote. Resolutions of thanks to Judge Clark; of commendation of re cent pension legislation of tho State Legislature; of condolence for Major H. A. London; of thanks to citizens amt patriotic organizations of Greensboro and Guilford county and to railroads for cheap rates and free transportation of ordinance, etc., were adopted. Mr. Pinckney Groome, of Greensboro, recited amid great applause an original poem dedicated to the “Men of the Con federacy.” A resolution of thanks to Mr. Groome and an order to publish the excellent poem was then adopted. A rising vote of thanks was next tendered Capt. A. B. Stronach for his unselfish de votion to the interests of the old Soldiers’ Home. ADDRESS OF WELCOME. After the reading of the report had been concluded, Captain D. C Wal dell, Sr., of Greensboro, then addressee the assembled veterans, extending a cor dial and an eloquent welcome, couched in the following sublime sentiments: “It becomes my pleasant duty, fellow soldiers, to extend to you from tho citi zens of Greensboro and Guilford county, a welcome. “Not an ordinary and formal welcome, far otherwise, for it proceeds from the love and affection of their people. They wish you to feel that you are in tho home of your friends, surrounded by fel low soldiers and their descendants and that you are not only camping upon their soil, but in their hearts. “They know that you are the battle scarred remnant, left from the magnifi cent regiments which North Carolina furnished to the peerless army, whose renown has extended to the utmost con fines of the earth. That the flags of these regiments could ever be seen wav ing in the smoke of the fore Gont of every fight. That the great battle cry of that army—the historic yell—origi nated with those regiments, born of the battle where the fighting was most furi ous, it rose to the heart and broke from the lips, ringing through the roar and storm of battle, carrying defiance and the exultation of victory in its mighty sound. Your ears have heard it and your lips have uttered it. * * * “It is true that you, fello.v soldiers, returned from the mightiest conflict that ever shook the earth, weary, ragged and foot sore, to your beloved and impov erished State, to face another mighty war, the battle against poverty, but your wives and your daughters and all the brave and lovely women of the land had but words of kindness for you, and smiling eyes, though they may have been through tears. In your hearts you raised again a mighty yell of defiance and went up against the enemy and over came him, and you have been more than conquerors in this last great contest. “You have shed a lustre upon the fair name of North Carolina, unequalled by any who have preceded you, for none have ever shown such devotion, none have ever made; such sacrifices, and her memory will cherish you so long as the ocean breaks upon her shores and her blue mountains stand. “All North Carolina loves you—you are her jewels. “But what shall I say of her dead soldiers who fell fight'ng upon the field of battle amidst the -earn of shells, the ringing of rifles : th i teloss hiss of bullets sinr quiein over their untimely “My prayer is t spirits soared aloft to ba I ian dew drops of the rai - t to the voice of Israfael . the melo dies of the gold, r nhale the pci fume of har • p which the spicy winds w tl he codared alleys of the - c. tod and be holding the c endless arch ways and co blazing stars that they fei . ove and beyond all that th G arms wore be neath then love of God wag eternal. “I hid • '. .v ig welcome.” Capta.ii followed by Hon. /■ K. .i., in a few rousing improra brought forth ap plause t. t . wake the dead and to set the living on fire with enthusiasm. Col. Paul B. Means then, in an extended ai’.d well received speech, in which he earnestly and warmly praised General ( arr, testifying to his heroic valor on the field of battle, he having seen him in the thick of shot and shell, blood and carnage fighting like a boy Turk, (Continued on Second Page.) i RALEIGH. NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY MORNING. AUGUST 21. 1902. ALL STILL QUIET ABOUT HENDERSON Two Negroes Used Pistols in Railroad Murder. NO ATTEMPT TO LYNCH Two Arrests of Negroes Who Went on to Louisburg. STILL ASStRTED THAT TWO ESCAPED John Miichell, the Colored Porter, Lies Near Death’s Door, The Seaboard Air Line Offers a Reward For Capture of Men Who Escaped. (Staff Correspondence.) Henderson, N. C., Aug. 20. —As the north bound Seaboard train pulled into Henderson shortly after three o’clock this morning there was a crowd of some thirty people at the depot. It was a sad gathering, for is the train stopped there came with solemn tread a body of men bearing a case within which was the casket containing the mortal remains of the brave Road master Fred Stevers, brutally murdered while striving to make peace. The body was sent to Stevers, Va., his home, where a bereaved and heart broken wife and three children were disconso late geeause of a husband and father gone, sent to his death by the hands of an infuriated negro. The body will be brought back from Stevers to Suffolk for interment. The mute symbol of the tragedy of the previous day carried deep pathos with it. * * * There had been rumors of a possible lynching in Henderson sent to Raleigh, but about the depot was no sign of angry men, but of saddened ones. The city was quiet and as the train with its lighted windows passed away the people dispersed and a small group gathered at the hotel. There the various incidents of the tragedy was being discussed as was tho talk of a possible lynching. It was learn ed that there had been talk of such by a few, but that there had been no at tempt to organize a party of lynchers. That offers of assistance in ease there was an attempt to lynch had come from various quarters is true, and it was re ported that word had been received that two parties, one of fifteen and another of thirty-five, were coming from the direc tion of Oxford, but no such parties ar rived. Just before daybreak there was a re port that a lynching party was being formed and several visitors to the city were awakened as they had requested. A party of six or eight men walked in the direction of the jail, hut there were no lynchers and the quiet of the night was not broken by an attack on the jail. Day broke, and the night was past. Again was Vance county's proud record of “no lynching ever done in this county,” unblotted. THE NEGRO PRISONERS TALK. Early this morning a visit was made to the county jail, where the three cap tured negroes are confined. It is a solid looking building, on tho edge of the town. Once within the enclosure two doors had to be opened before the steel cells were reached in which were the prisoners. A conversation was had fhrst with the rtwo younger negroes, confined in the lower tier. These are Joe Cole, tho son of Joe Cole who shot Mr. Stevers, and John Jones, alias Charles Ferguson. The younger Cole simply declared he knew nothing about the affair and that when he had been told to go to the colored coach he had gone and sat down. He acknowledged hearing the shots, but said he saw no one shoot. The second negro, who said his name was John Jones, said that he bad follow ed young Cole into the colored coach, and that with them were Willie Mitchell, Joe Cole, Sr., Willie Dabney and Henry Gar rett. He said that ,he saw the elder Colo put his pistol to Mr. Stevers’ head and shoot. As to whom had shot Joe Mitchell, the porter, he declared he did not know. The two negroes appear to be about twenty-three years old. Cole is a dark mulatto, while Jones Is nearly black. Both protested their innocence and Jones declared he had made no attempt to escape after the shooting. Joe Cole, the older, was found in the upper cells. He was crouching against the door and appeared half human, half beast, in tho dim light. Being asked about the trouble he began by exclaim ing: “Before God I shot nobody. I was not in the colored coach. Hope I may die and sink to torment if I ever saw it.” Continuing, in answer to questions, he declared that six men had gone into the colored coach. These he said were his son, Joe Cole, John Jones, Jim Payne, Willie Mitchell Willie Dabney and Henry Garrett. Dabney he said had a cork leg, while Garrett was without his lower legs, these having been cut off in a railroad accident at Wilson. “I heard the shots,” he said, “and ran out of the second class coach to the platform. There I was grabbed and the men said, “here is one of them.” They took me and tied me. In my pocket they found a pistol I had taken out of pawn for John Jones, j as he calls himself, but his name is I Charley Ferguson. I paid 85 cents for it, j (Continued on Fifth Fage.) f WAR GAME OPENS OFF NEW ENGLAND Pillsbury’s Blue Squadron Threatens the Coast. HIGGINSON DEFENDS IT The Enemy Will Attempt to Move in Secretly. THE WHITE SQUADRON ON THE WATCH If This Fleet Discovers Pillsbury at Sea or Within Six Hours After He Lands Pills bury Wi I be Considered Defeated, (By the Associated Press.) Rockport. Mass., Aug. 20. —The unique war game in which the rival fleets of Admiral Francis J. Higginson and Com mander John E. Pillsbury are pitted against each oth?r began at noon today. The North Atlantic coast is now threat ened by a theoretically powerful squad ron of hostile ships from the attack of which an equally able fleet will attempt to defend. This is the first se)rh s of manoouvers in which the ships will par ticipate and it will be order the direction of the Navy Department alone. Such prajctice as follows tho conclusion of this first contest will be the joint work of tho army and navy departments. Commander Piilsbury’s fleet is known as the WhUe Squadron, sailed from Provincetown on Monday and is now at sea. Its present whereabouts is un known to Admiral Higginson, whose force i 3 known as the Blue Squadron. It was understood that the latter fleet which made its appearance in this har bor last Saturday, would, under the rules of contest, remain here until after noon today. At any time after that hour Ad miral Higginson was free to sail in search of the “enemy.” It will be the object of the White Squadron to effect a landing at some tin fortified place along the coast as soon as possible after this fixed hour anl oc cupy tho position without interference for at least six hours. It is the duty of the defending fleet, to prevent the inva ders from accomplishing their purpose. If Admiral Higginson finds the hostile vessels before they can get within strik ing distance the victory is with him. If Pillsbury, with his ships, should elude Higginson ar.d land his force he must oc cupy the place he has captured and be free from discovery during the six hour period agreed upon. If he is located be fore this time expires it is scored as a defeat, for him. The first series of manoeuvers is pure ly technical and there will be no sem l lance of m engagement between the ships. No shots will be fired except upon the discovery of tho hostile fleet at night when the firing would be entirely for signalling purposes and to i nnounco the discovery of Pillsbury's squadron. Admiral Higginson lost no time in get ting under way after the hour agreed upon for the beginning of the contest had arived. During the forenoon the ships were getting up steam and at about i 2 o’clock they began to weigh anchor half an hour later all except the tlagship Kearsarge had started out. First the Mayflower and one of the torpedo'boats headed outside the breakwater, bearing toward the north. A second torpedo boat followed toward the northeast. The Brooklyn and the Olympia moved out to gether with the Alabama astern o.f the latter and the Massachusetts at the end of the line. These ships seemed to make, directly east. Just bet'oro noon a tor pedo boat came in from the south and after joining another vessel of the c .ame class, both steamed out together, accom panied by the Scorpion- The Thornton and Gloucester went cut by the southern passage just before 2 o’clock. At about the same moment the Montgomery, accompanied by the Ley den, moved out to the southwest. This left the Kearsarge and one torpedo boat inside the breakwater. All the ships after going two miles off shore, dropped their speed and lav to, apparently waiting for the Ivearsargi- to join them. The big vessels of the squadron when the morning sun broke upon them today were as motionless and gave as little sign of life as the rocks on tha nearby shore. The little torpedo boats were not far from the larger craft. As the fore noon advanced various signs of a pros pective movement were noted. Signals wore exchanged nod small craft were dodging about. The torpedo boats began to throw out black smoke and men the larger vesses showed that their fires were being freshened. The crowd of spectators increased and front every ad vantageously point the proceedings were eagerly watched. Gommandor Pi’lsburv’s squadron in cludes the auxiliary cruisers Prairie, Panther and Supply. Hear Admiral Higginson has his flag ship, the Kearsarge and two other bat tleships, the Massachusetts and the Ala bama, and the cruisers Brooklyn, Olym pia and Montgomery, besides seven tor pedo boats, two unarmorod gunboats, two tugs and the converted yachts May flower and Gloucester. The torpedo boats are the Shubriek, Decatur (destroyer), Thornton, Stockton, Bagley. Barney and Biddle. The gun boats are the Scorpion and the Peoria While the White Squadron are under stood to represent an attacking force of great power, in reality it can hardly he compared with the defending comple ments. Commander Pillsbury’s three auxiliary cruisers have an average lis placement of six thousand tons and an average speed of thirteen knots. Ad miral Higginson's squadron includes bat tleships of nearly 11,000 tons average dis placement and nearly seventeen knots average speed; cruisers, the slowest of which is a nineteen knot vessel and tor pedo boats good for twenty-six to twen ty-nine. The Blockade Inefficient, (By the Associated Press.) Washington, Aug. 20.—A telegram was received last night at the Department of State from Minister Bowen, dated Cara cas yesterday, In which he reported that the government forces had evacuated Curnana the previous night. He further stated that he had been informed that Germany, France and Great Britain, through their representatives at Caracas, had jointly characterized the Venezuelan declaration of blockade as inefficient, whereupon the government asked for proof and suggested that merchant ves sels be sent to test the efficiency of the blockade. Minister Bowen has informed the Venezuelan Foreign Office that the policy of the United States is not