The News and Observer
THE WEATHER
Fair snd much ld tua
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WATCH LABEL
a 11' . rmtosi I
ears Mara tf Iritl a4 a.aU
enttbif a atsiia tti
RALEIGH, N. C, SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 15, 1920.
VOL. CXI. NO. 46.
FORTY PAGES TODAY.
FORTY PAGES TODAY.
PRICE: FIVE CENTS
UNION CHIEFS CALL
CONFERENCE TO PASS
ON WILSON PROPOSAL
Tentative Acceptance of Propo-siiin&-For
Tribunal To Co
sider Demands
PRESIDENT CALLS UPON
BROTHERHOOD TO STOP
RECENT STRIKE ORDER
Bends Telegram To Head of
Maintenance Workers Mak
ing Request "To Make
Sure That- No Interruption
To Transportation Occurs" ;
General Conference, of Union
Committee Men Meets In
Washington February 23 To
Decide Whether To Press
Government For Increased
Wages
Washington, Feb. 14. The railroad
Hugo controversy waa referred today
to u general conference of union com
mittee, men, called to meet here Feb
ruary 23 for final decision as to
whether the labor demands for in
creased pay will lie pressed on the gov
ernment or passed on to the railroad
corporations soon to resume control of
their properties.
Representatives of the fourteen
unions, who have been conferring with
Director General Hines since February
3 ami whoso spokesmen laid tbejr claims
beforo President Wilson yesterday, have
tentatively accepted the White House
proposal for a tribunal, Treated either
by law or on the President's motion to
consider the demands. Final word
must come, however, from higher union
authority, tho conference of uniou
heads.
Fear Effect of Delay.
While uniou leaders feared the effect
of further delay on their membership,
the possibility of a general atrike ap
peared more remote tonight. Officials
nf the Brotherhood ot Maintenance oi
Way Employes and Shop laborers did
not sign the letter accepting Mr. Wil
ejn's proposal and their strike aet for
next Tuesday .waa not tailed oft, until
tonight. The Brotherhood delegates hero
had telegraphed A. iS. Barker, presi
dent of the maintenance workers, urg
ing that the strike bo called off and
Mr. Barker complied by4 postponing the
strike indefinitely.
The President tonight supplemented
the action of the uuion leadera with
a telegram to Mr.-Barker, calling upon
liim to withdraw the strike order and
t "make snro' that no interruption
transportation occurs." itr. Wilson
'tsild he felt sure that the 'officials of
tlio maintenance union would realize
that "you cannot in justice to your
membership and the citizens generally
of the United States, persist in a course
which la opposed to your obvioua duty
to the country." '
Wilson Ben da Telegram.
The President! telegram, addressed
to Mr. Barker at Detroit, follows:
s'Yesterday" I addressed to the chief
executives of the principal railroad
liibor organizations including the one
of which you are president, a mes
ange, a copy of which has been trans
mitted, to you at Detroit. I. have just
. i-j:il .I.-
receive k icbiuubv muiuatiug u-
pose of the organization generally to
conform to the principles of my mes
sage, to bring it to the attention of
the membership nnd to hold a conven
tion here on Februady 23, for the pur
pose of carrying the matter into ef
fect. I note with surprise and disap
pointment that your organization is
the only ona addressed which has not
expressed its concurrence in this method
of handling the natter and I under
stand that no advice has yet been re
ceived of withdrawal of your strike
order which -vas sent out several days
ago. The director genera', of railroads
explained this situation to your com
mittee as soon as it presented to him
advice of the strike order and he has
since summarized the position of the
government in a telegram to you which
I fully endorse. I ask you to take at
once the necessary steps to withdraw
the Strike order and to make sure that
no interruption whatever to transpor
tation " occurs on that account in this
critical period. I feel sure that yon
and yonr associates upon full considera
tion will realise that yon cannot la
justice to yonr membership and the
citizens generally of the United 8tates
persist in a course which is, opposed
to your obvious dnty to the country,
to the direct and specific request of
the government and also to the attitude
of all other railroad -labor organiza
tions, all for Che mere purpose of ob
jecting to the procedure I have proposed
which Is the , only '' practicable method
of obtaining a prompt and reasonable
'settlement of the important wage ques
tions now pending. I also ask yoa to
viiii my message and its; inelosurs
to all your members and give them the
opportunity of co-operating with all the
rest of railroad labor in handling the
matter. -
fRiirned "WOODROW WILSON."
Proposes Wage Commission.
Assurance was given the union offi
cials by the President in his proposal
that he would provide machinery for
dealing comprehensively 'with I their
claims, Hs proposed the naming of a
commingles of wage experts , to begin
the compilation of data bearing: on the
controversy. . v.;-.
The President sajd he was "eertsin
It Is apparent to all reasonable men
and women , that these momen
tous questions must be dealt with by
an agency which can continue to func
tion after! March l." :' ' . '
Tilsoa said he recognized the
bntlnued Page Two.)
. ,
STRIKE OF MAINTENANCE OF
WAY MEN CALLED OFF FOR
AN INDEFINITE PERIOD.
Detroit, Feb. 14. The strike of
300,000 members of the Brotherhood
of Maintenance of Way Employes
and Railway Shop Laborer, act for
next Tesday, was tonight Indefinite
ly postponed by A. E. Baker, Interna
tional president ef the anion. In ac
cordance, with the request of Presi
dent WiUma that action be delayed
nnttl after the general conference
of railway anion committee men on
February the 23.
Notice of the decision to post
pone the strike waa commanicated to
Director General Hines by Mr. Bark,
er In the following messages -
"la compliance with recommen
dations of the committee of the
Brotherhood now at Washington I am
Indefinitely postponing the atrike or
der which was to have become effec
tive Tuesday morning, February 17.
However, I am confirmed In my be
lief that strike action would have
been eminently Justified to force
favorable action on the wage de
mands ot the men for whom I apeak.
It is evident our committee did not
desire that the maintenance of wsy
brotherhood should be driven law a
position aeemingly forgetful of the
public Interest due to unfriendly In
terests Including the avenues ef in
formation by which the public can
be reached, the people being ignor.
ant of actual conditiona among
these railway workers. I desire to
impress upon you with all the force
it my command the absolute neces
sity ef relief for our members Im
mediately If a most serious situation
from which there will be no retreat
is to be avoided."
KNOW ABOUT SHIPS
Asks President If Any Agree
. ment Made Regarding Sale
of German Vessels
Washington, Feb. 14. President Wil
son was asked in a Senate resolution
adopted late today what agreement, if
any, he had made with "British authori
ties regarding the disposition of the
(Jo rn a a ships offered for sale by the
Shipping Board.
The resolution was presented by Sen
ator Brandegee, Republican, Connecti
cut, who told tho Senate he had heard
on what he considered good authority
that the President had entered into aii
understanding as to final disposition of
all' the German vessels which came in
to American possession during the war
and after the armistice.
The Senate aeted virtually without de
bate. .-
"I have not the knowledge in the
aense of having seen any of the docu
ments,'' said Senator- Brandegee, ''but
I have the information from a friend
of mine who I consider,: reliable."
The resolution requests the' President
to inform the Senate "whether any and
if so what agreement or understanding
exists between him and officials of
Great Briti. concerning the disposi
tion by the United States of America
of the German ships which the Shipping
Board U purposing to sell or which were
acquired by the United States after the
termination of hostilities between the
United States nnd the Central European
Teutonic powers."
The proposed sale of the German
ships by the shipping board was de
nounced as a "high handed pieee of
action" by Senator McKellar, Democrat
of Tennessee, speaking today in the
Senate in connection with his resolution
introduced yesterday which would pre
vent the sale from taking piece. -The
Senate rules prevented the resolution
however, from being called up for con
sideration. Senator. Williams, Democrat of Miss
isssippi, called -attention to the aet
creating the Shipping- Board 'Which he
said authorized the board to "buy, build
or sell ships but the Tennersee Senator
in reply asserted that these ships were
not acquired undr the Shipping Board
act but were siezed ia American ports
and declared that the government would
not receive a ti,tle to them until the
peace treaty waa finally ratified.
ARMED WITH RIFLES MEN""1'
GUARD BIG SUGAR PLANT.
New Orleans, Feb. 14. Armed with
quick firing rifles fifty men were placed
on guard at the Chalmette plant of
the American Sugar Refinery late today
following ght between anion and
non-union men this morning ia which
Sidney Adolph, negro non-union man,
was shot and killed.
The clash cam this morning when a
passenger train from , New Orleans
stopped at the station and switched a
car said to contain non-nnion workers
to take the place of the plant employes
who struck demanding recognition of
their newly formed onion and increased
wages, v
Sixteen Tourists Killed.
San Bemo, ' Italy, Feb. 14. Sixteen
tourists were 'killed and twenty-ose
others injured when a motor baa fell
into a river while traveling along the
road from Tagging to Triors, sear here.
The newspapers say the" bad condition
of the road was responsible for the ac
cident. ,
Annual Swigert, 1 1-18 mile flat race.
2.56 purse and' cup, Pinehurst, Wednes
day. Adv. "
SENATE WANTS TO
GOVERNMENT WILL
PROBE CHARGES OF
T
Surgeon General Ireland Says
Oteen Hospital Complaints
Will Be Investigated
SENATOR SIMMONS ASKS
IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
Another Letter Alleging In
human Treatment of Pa
tients Eeceived; U. S. Mar
shal Charles A. Webb Asks
For Investigation Mrs.
Rogers Wires Request
j The News and Observer Bureau,
I 603 District National Bank Bldg.
J By R. E. POWELL.
(By Special Icased Wire.)
Washington, Feb. 14. The charge that
patients and prisoners at Oteen, the
government's general hospital near
Asheville, have been inhumanly treated
by officers and guards, is to be probed
to the limit, Surgeon General Ireland,
of the army, told the News and -Observer
correspondent this afternoon.
Particulars of the charges made- by
Joseph Bishop and Sergeant Fitzgerald,
patients at the hospital, had not been
received at the office of the Surgeon
General this afternoon but a telegram
from Colonel Lyster, the officer in
charge at Oteen, said that full particu
lars had been sent by registered mail.
General Ireland was shown, however,
the letter to Senator Simmons, from
Walter P. Whelan, supposedly a patient
there also, in which Whelan says that
he saw the guard in the hospital mess
hall strike a patient with the butt of
a gun. When the other patients - re
sented this treatment, Whelan charges
that the lieutenant in command at the
time threatened to "open fire" unless
quiet was restored. .
Aska For Investigstion.
As indicated in his answer to
Joseph Bishop on Thursday, Senator
Simmons today sent a letter to Sur
geon General Ireland asking for an
immediate investigation. The aoldier
patients and Mrs. Lankin C. Rogers,
of Asheville, wired the North Carolina
Senators nrging that a civilian investi
gation into eondltioas at ' Oteen be
ordered but the policy of the War De
partment is that 'Sre can investigate
our own troubles."
The inspector that will be sent to
Asheville on Monday is, however from
the inspector general's department of
the army. He will be directed to make
a full and complete investigation of the
charges that have been made regarding
the Oteen situation, Oteen is a hos
pital, where the patients have been
better treated than anywhere in the
country;?' General Ireland eaid this 1
afternoon. "The mess is excellent and!
inspciVors from this office who re
turned just a wey days ago "reported
conditions highly satisfactory to ' the
department. Colonel Lyster has re
ported by wire a 'disturbance' there,
pointing out that the principal offender
was a prisoner who is kept under
guard."
Oteen he added, is taking care of ap
proximately one thousand' patients and
the mess served there is the most ex
pensive served in any of the govern
ment hospitals. In addition to the com
plaints lodged with Senators Simmons
and Overman, Senators Chamberlain,
ranking Democratic member of the Sen
ate military affairs committee, and Sen
ator Wadsworth, chairman of the com
mittee received telegrams from Mrs.
Rogers urging an inspection of condi
tions at once.
Webb Writes Senator
Charles A. Webb, United States Mar
shal for the western district, wrote Sen
ator Simmons that in his judgment the
charges ought to be investigated.
"There have been complaints of the
treatment the soldiers st this hospital
have- received more or less for the last
five or six months1! said Mr. Webb.
I do not know the commending offi
cer very well but the general impress
ion is that he is a cold-blooded, un
sympathetic official who is rather 'stuck
up' snd independent."
The letter which Senator Simmons re
ceived from Whelan today reads as fol
lows: Whelsa's Complslnt
"The undersigned hereby states that
he witnessed in the mess hall of the
above hospital on the evening of Febru
ary 11, 1920 a guard striking a pa
tient while seated, across the face with
his hand. As patient got up to defend
himself the guard drew gun and struck
said patient on the head with but Up-
hku oi mis me omer patients in i
mess hall became excited, generally. Up-1
heaval started immediately. Lieutenant I
Williams, commander of the guard, ar- j
rived, mixed ia the fight and succeeded
in getting the patient by the neck un
der his arm. . at ; j
Following- this Lieutenant Williams
stood on a table and ordered quiet and '
threatened to give hia guard ordera to I
shoot. Conditions were peaceful until
Lieutenant Williams and his guards
started coming into the mess hall and
called down and arrested sick and con
valescent patients, because of non-military
appearance, although a majority
of those men present had on (ray con
valescent suits and were aot even in
aniform.
Senator Simmons Writes.
Ia asking for this investigation, Sen
ator Simmons wrote Surgeon General
Ireland: .
"I wish to call your attention to a
matter that is giving ice very great
concern and which has aroused the peo
ple ef North Carolina to much indigna
tion. :
' "A day or two ago, 1 received tele
gram charging that officers at tha United
States General hospital No. 19, Oteen
WRONG TREATMEN
(Ceatiaued an rage Two.)
SENATOR REED'S STATE
ELECTS DEMOCRAT AGAIN
Excelsior Springs, Mo., Feb. 14.
The election ef Captain J. L. MIDI
gan. Democratic candidate and
League ef Nations advocate, over
John E. Frost, Republican and
league opponent, as representative
In Congress for the Third district
was conceded at 1:30 o'clock to
night by W. L. Cole, chairman ef
the Republican state committee.
Cap. Miliigsn's majority. Chair,
man Cols said, will be between 1,700
and 1,800.
The election waa to choose a sue
realtor In Congress to Secretary of
Commerce Alexander and the
League of Nations was the dominant --issue
in ths csmpaign.
MEETINGS NEEDED,
Former Member of President's
Cabinet Enters Defense of
Secretary Lansing
New York, Feb. 14. The cabinet
meetings called by Secretary Lansing
were necessary, if the nation's business
was to proceed regularly," former See
rotary of Commerce William C. Red
field, declared in a statement here to
night, in which he expressed the be
lief that "other causes" than the call
ing of the cabinet session by Mr. Lan
sing "lay behind the President's re
qnest for his resignation."
"The request for Secretary Lansing's
resignation was a great surprise and
shock to me," said Mr. Rerllield, who
was a member of President Wilson's
cabinet until November last. "I was
present at'tho-flrs.t ire-ting of the cab
inet under Mr. Lansing. The members
sent word to Mr. Wilson through Dr.
Grayson that they were meeting and
expressed hope that the President would
have a speedy recovery. Admiral Gray
son brought back an inquiry from Mr.
Wilson as to what business was on hand
and the cabinet members replied that
they had met in conference to deter
mine their duty in view of his disabil
ity," "No word of disapproval of our meet
ings ever earns from the White House
to the best of my knowledge. The cabi
net gatherings were voluntary, informal
as to my mind, necessary if the nation's
business was to proceed regularly and
with intelligent knowledge 'of progress
made . -''
"I accept my share of responsibility
for what was done. To my knowledge
there was never the faintest suggestion
in word or spirit that the cabinet mem
bers were trying to do anything except
help President Wilson during his ill
ness as far as we were able to do.
"Of course, I can speak only what
happened up to the time of my with
drawal from tbS cabinet. As Jhe pub
lished eorespondence brings out, I am
forced to believe that other causes
than the request by Secretary Lansing
to his colleagues to meet for consulta
tion lay behind the President's request
for his resignation."
SUPREME COUNCIL TAKES J
UP ADRIATIC QUESTION
; Loudon, Feb. 14. T?he aupreme coun
cil in an evening session again discuss
ed the Adriatic question, but was chief
ly concerned with the Turkish treaty,
the drafting of which progressed sub
stantially despite the complexity of the
subject as affecting . the future of his
torical cities such as Constantinople and
Jerusalem. - - .
No reply has been ' received as yet
from ths Jugo-Slavs, except, formal
acknowledgement of the allied-powers
note.
Holland will receive the allied note
regarding the former German emperor
Sunday" evening,but 7it is uncertain
whether the text of the note will be pub
lished hero simultaneously with the re
ceipt of it by Holla sl or with Holland's
answer. The council adjourned shortly
after seven o'clock Until Monday.
. f
Wilson Revokes Regulation,
Washington, Feb. 14. President Wil
son has revoked the war-time emergency
regulation permitting foreign born
ship's officers to hold licenses for
American vessels, exception being made
in the ease of those who have signified
their Intention of becoming American
citizens. A period of three years and
three months grace is allowed to com
plete naturalization. '
REDFIEI.D STATES
Increase in Subscription Rates
Effective March lt 1920.
On account of the high cost of newsprint paper and
all materials that go Into the making of a newspaper,
The News and Observer is forced to increase its rates
to subscribers. effective March 1, 1920.' On and after
that date the rates will be :
Daily and Sunday, one year . .
Daily and Sunday, 6 months .
Daily and Sunday, 3 months . .
Daily and Sunday, 1 month . . .
Daily and Sunday, 1 week . . .
-Daily only, one, year . .'; .....
Daily only, 6 months
Daily only, 3 months ........
Daily only, 1 month . . . .'
Daily only, 1 week . . . . ...
Sunday only, one year
Daily and bunday delivered by carrier in Ral-
eigh and out of own, per week.., '.20
Payment in advance required. " t
Renewals will be accepted at the old rates until
' March l.:::Tn.tl':l: -m' ,-v;0 ;..'
1
NFLUENZA TOTAL
AGAIN GOES OVER
T
Increase Due To Reports From
Counties Hitherto
Silent
BELIEVED THAT WORST
OF EPIDEMIC IS PAST
Counties That Have Been Here
tofore Reporting Heavily Re
ported Considerably Fewer
Cases Yesterday; Pneumonia
Still Prevalent With Rela
tively Heavy Toll of Deaths
After dropping nearly 50'per cent in
Friday's repprt, influenza totals for 1he
State soared upward yesterday with 3,
322 new eases from 50 counties. Several
eounties reporting for the first time
included their entire totals from the be
ginning of the epidemic, swelling tho
complete report to figures that health
authorities believe does not reflect the
trend of the epidemic in the State.
Counties that have been reporting
consistently showing 'from day to day
several hundred cases, cut their reports
down considerably yesterday, particul
arly Davidson county, Johnson, Fnrey
the and Guilford. Local health officers
assured the Health Department that the
conditions in their counties had mnter
ially improved and that withi a few
days they oxpected the epidemic to have
passed.
Pneumonia Increased. '
Pneumonia increased souiewhnt'in the
report yesterday with a total of 85 cas
es. Deaths were somewhat more num
erous for the day .with a total of 34.
Union county led the State in the num
ber of deaths reported, but Dr. Register,
State Epidemiologist, was of the opinion
thnt the report was cumulative, since
the county had not been heard from for
several days. There were no calls for
help received during the day.
The report of influenza by counties
is as follows:
Alamance, 74 ; Bertie., 107 ; two deaths,
Bladen, 20; Cherokee, 25; Cleveland,
SO; Craven, 43; Cumberland, 2; Dnvid
on. 90; one Aeath; Duplin, 75, one
death; Durham, 130; Edgecombe, 60;
Forsyths, 16; Franklin, 76; Gates,
300, two deaths; Granville, 4; Greene,
50; Halifax, 110; Johnston, 16. one
death; Lee, 30; Lenoir, 23; Martin, 874;
three deaths; Mecklenburg, 45; Mitchell,
10; Montgomery, 25; New Hanover,
6; Northampton, 74; Onslow, 16; Pas
quotank, 26; Perquimans, 16; Pitt, 70;
Richmond, 18; Rockingham, 41; Rowan,
234; Sampson, 15; Surrey, -45; Transyl
vania, 44; Tyrrell, 25; Union. 150;
ten deaths; Vance, 50; Wake, 10; War
ren, 25; Washington,-15; Watauga, IS;
Wnyne, 2; Wilson, 44; Yancey, 165;
Winston-Salem, 111; six deaths; Greens
boro, 15; two deaths; Charlotte, 56; one
death Wilmington, 60; Raleigh, 70;
Ooldsboro, 9. Total, 3,222.
Pneumonia was reported as fol
lows :
Williamston, 17 ; Asheville, 1; Winston
Salem, 8; Clinton, 1; Yancey ville, 13;
Ooldsboro, 2; Tarboro, 3; Murphy, 5;
Graham, 4; Elizabeth City, S; Wilming
ton, 1 ; Louisburg, 1; Wilson, 3; Oxford,
2; Irf'xington, 4; Henderson, 6; Durham,
2; Warsaw, 3'; Windsor, 3. Total,
85. .
BANK STOCKHOLDERS WILL
HOLD MASS MEETING.
Nowoort News. Va.. Feb. H.Dcribsi-
tors who hnd accounts with the Colonial
Htnte Bank, of Newport News, which
institution closed its Coors Thursday
under an order from tho State Corpora
tion Commission have given notice that
a mass meeting will be held here Mon
day night at which time the depositors
will consider the matter of securing sn
attorney dr attorneys to represent their
interests and if warranted to bring
criminal prosecution against those re
sponsible for the bank's financial em
barrassment. Switzerland Enters Lesgue.
Berne, Feb, 14. President Motta read
a tetaffram'to parliament today announc
ing the acceptance ot Switzerland into
the league of Nations with guarantees
for her military neutrality.
.$9-00
. 4.50
. 2.25
. .85
.20
7.00
3.50
1.75
.65
.15
2.50
.u , . . . , . .. ...
. . . . ..... . ,
HREE THOUSAND
JUDGE STACY RETIRES
FROM BENCH ON MARCH 1
, Wilmington, Feb. 14. Superior
! Court Judge W. I'. Stacy, of the
Eighth Judicial District, late today
forwarded to Gov. T. W. Blckeit,
his reeignstloa to take effect March
1st, la his letter to the Governor
Jadge Blscy says thst for some time
he has contemplated taking this
step and that It is his purpose to
return to the bar and devote sttea-
tlou to the practice of the law.
This precludes any Idea that Judge
Stacy la to become a candidate for
Congress ia the Sixth Judicial Dis
trict and It la conceded here that
he will not enter the race.
Judge Stacy was appointed . by
Governor Craig and began his term
. the Brit of January, tl. He waa
re-elected In the fall of If II and
would hsvs had four more years to
serve. He hsa msda an eavlable
. record and will re-eater the practice
with Sne prospects.
Announcement ef Judge Stacy's
determination to retire from the
bench esme aa a surprise' is Gover
nor Blckett, who had received sus
Intimatioa of his retirement. The
Governor had aot received - the
resignation.
(in?;
Bold Highway Robbery By Two
White Men Results In Death
of High Point Man
Rockingham, Feb. 14. W. R. Clinard,
is dead, Kob Greer is in jail st Rock
ingham and J. Kent Greer is in jail
at High Point as a result of a highway
robbery near Rockingham Frldaynight.
A eoroner's inquest was held here
today over the dead body of Clinard,
the verdict being that the deceased
came to his death at the hands of Rob
ert 8teele, Jr., J. F. Diggs, P. C. Mark
wnlter, James A 11 red and Conhle
Ed Rogers and that the killing was jus
tifiable and in self defense.
Twe Men Held Up.
About dusk Friday night Robert
Steele, in his Ford coupe passed a Hud
son speedster stnlled in the sand about
12 miles south of Rockingham. The
stranger J. Kent Greer got ia Steele's
car and pressing a pistol against Steele's
side ordered him to drive to a neighbor
ing house to secure help to extricate
his car. When they returned they got
the car ouf safety; The car theu ap
parently went its wsy.
A few minutes later 'as Steele and
Henry Harrington went driving home
ward a short distance from where the
Hudson had been stalled they were
accosted by two nicn who threw a pistol
In their faces and commanded them to
stop. When they got out of the car the
niau hit Steele across tho head with the
butt of his gun and stole from him his
pistol, keys, etc. Harrington demon
strated, when they took hia watch and
he, too was knocked on the, head. The
men then entered the car and drove
in tho direction the Hudson had gone.
Steele reached the Diggs store and
phoned the alarm to Buckingham, the
coupe and the Hudson was observed to
have passed through the city and at
once the sheriff of Richmond county
organized a posse of a score of ears
to scour the country. The citizens of EI-!
lerbj were phoned and they tried to j
barricade the street with boxes and In
tercept the Hudson but that ear with
fearful speed burst through ths edge ef
the obstruction to the aeeompsnlnament
of shota and sped northward.
Posse Overtskea Men.
Cars were in pursuit and when some
dixtauee beyond Kllerbe the car eon
(lining the above five men came across
the Ford coupe standing by the road
side with a wheel broken. The raiJia
tor was still warm showing that they
were close onthe trail . About four miles
further they passed two men and stop
ping they were asfed for a ide who
stated that their Ford coupe had
broken down.
Said Steele to the men: "Yon don't
know me do you!" "No," was the reply.
''I'm the man you held up, knocked tn
; the head and from whom you stole a
watch and car," and drawing his pistol
commanded the men to hold hsnds up.
The dead man Clinard, sprang back
ward, raising aa he did so his right
hand, which was clutching something
in hs overcoat pocket. The click of
ths man's pistol was heard .testified
Steele, and simultaneously a gun waa
fired from the car and Clainard fell
with a hole torn just under his left
temple. .
I In the meantime the man's partner,
Bob Greer, was endeavoring to pull a
', weapon from his hip pocket, testified
i by Witness Allred, but the men in the
car covered snd made hia hsnds eome
up. On being searched the watch stolen
from Harrington was found on Greer
! and a pistol juat behind him oa the
1 ground, where he had dropped H ss his
! hands en me up. In the right pocket of
I the dead man's overcoat was found the
! pistol he had stolen from Steele and his
hand was tightly clinched around the
i weapon. Also on him was Steele's bunch
' of keys.
The Rockingham men brought the
dead body snd the prisoner,. Greer, to
the city about 3 o'clock this morning.
The inquest was held at noon. Bob
itreer is in jail unnuing a preliminary
hearing on a charge of highway rob
bery. It is understood J. Kent Greer,
Is in jail st High Point to also answer
to the highway - robbery charge.
When interviewed by a i reporter to
day Bob Greer stated that hia brother,
J. Kent, on Tuesday bought from Jettie
Garland at High Foint a Hudsoa speed
stet that was recently traded in by J.
Elwood Cox, that th three mea with
two show women of Greensboro, left
tlmt citr Wednesday for Columbia. They
spent Thursday in Columbia -and were
returning to High Point when as Oreer i
expresses it, the entire bunch got drunk i
and the car stuck in tho ssad where
POSSF
MAN
I WsTWm I tl sWk
NEAR ROCKINGHAM
POLK MAYSUCCEED
LANSING AS STATE
T
Ambassadors John W. Davis i
and Henry Wallace Discuss-;
ed As Possibilities :
SECRETARY'S DRAMATIC
EXIT CAUSES SENSATION
Secretary Lane, Who Leaves
Cabinet March 1, Takes
Equal Responsibility With
Lansing For Holding Cabinet .
Meetings; Congress Dis
cusses Situation
DEPARIN
LAD
Washington, Feb. 14. Under-Secretary
Polk, John W. Davis, ambaasador
to Great Britain and Hugh C. Wallace,
ambassador to France, ars foremost
among those being discussed to head
the State Department aa successor to
former Secretary Lansing, who an
nounced his resignation after a dra
matic clash with President Wilson.
Although it is known that Mr. Polk
bad determined to return to private
life and practice law, some friends of
the sdministration were hopeful that he - -might
be induced to serve out the un
expired term of his former chief.
The Lansing resignation furnished
official Washington with a sensation un
paralleled ainee William J. Bryan de- ;
parted from office. The statement of
Secretary Lane, who ia leaving the cabi
net March 1, that he felt an equal re
sponsibility with Mr. Lansing for hold
ing the cabinet meetings to which
President Wilson objected, seemed to''
add possibilities of . further cabinet '
resignations for a time, but this was
disposed of by a statement at tho
White House that there were to be no
further retirements as a result of the
incident. 1
Congress Discuss ee Sensation.
Congress discussed the sensution with
avidity, but in the cloak rooms, how
ever, and the subject did not eome up
tm the floor of either House or (Senate.
Such comment as was made was mote
or lees 'divided, opponents of the treaty
praising Mr. Lansing's course, and.
others recalling that one of the Presi
dent's prerogatives la to seJeet the
members of his own official family.
The row served to bring to public
light much that has been going on uu.
der the surface since President Wilson
fell ill, and the principal effect .was
to emphasise that President Wilson
arftl his former Secretary of State were
at loggerheads on many important sub
jects even before the United States
went into the wsr ia Ml 7, and that
these disagreements, which were "on
fundamental questions of policy.' con
tinued throughout the peace negotiations
at Paris and even into the handling ot
the Mexican situation since the Presi.
dent has been sick.
Aecumalatloa of Conditions.
The best informed of those elose to
the administration were sure that the
climax waa the result -of an accumula
tion of conditions which continued over .
the question of whether the peace
treaty and the Lesgue of Nations cove
nant should be separated or treated at
one document, ranged into the recent
handling of the Mexican situation and
wound up in the inside administration
discussion of whether the President's
illness incapacitated him from dis
charging the duties of his effiee. '
Mr. Lansing's friends ssy that In call
ing the cabinet together he Waa acting
with precedent to support him, and that
although as ranking of fleer of the eabi-
net he actually called the meetings, f,
other members of tha cabinet agreed in
the procedure. They point to Secretary
Lane's statement that he assumed equal
responsibility and that all the cabinet f
members thonght the meeting a good
thing. !--- !
The under-the-surfaee discussion of !
the incident," however, the sort which '
goes oa between officials and is not in- '
tended for publication, connects at
least the first of the cabinet meetings
Isst October with the speculation which
waa going on at the time as to whether
Vice-President Marshall ought to be
called upon to take over the duties ef
tho presidency. While It is kaowaVthat
tho aubject never came up actually at a
meeting of the cabinet officers, it is also
knows thst it waa discussed prlvatclv.
and that some of the reports which were
taken to the President included Sec
retary Lansing's name among those who
were discussing thst probability. How
much this part of the incident had to
do with the outcome can only be left
to speculation. : C"Z!
Mr. Lansing was not at the depart- ;
ment today, and it was understood was I
preparing to go to. his horns in Wster- J
town, N. for a vacation and' a rest. 1 ,
President Mentally Alert.
The President's friends made the ec
tnsion one to observe that the Presi- ;
dent's action, like hia-conference with '
Senators Fall and Hitchcock oa the
Mexican situation several weeks ago,
served to smphssiie that while he may j
be' ill physically, he ia in full posses- ;
sion of art hia mental faculties. .
; To the Senate, whose struggle with tho '
peace treaty had given it some insight ;
into the condition of foreign affairs,
ths revelation of President Wilson's
disagreement with his Secretary of Stat.i
caused less surprise than did the time .
and manner of the final break between "
I hem. Privately, many Democratic Son
store expressed .regret that the reaigna- ;
tion cams' juat osi the eye of another ef
fort to ratify the treaty.
, Senator Norris, Republiesn, Nebraska,
one of the "irreoncilables," said ia a
statement the Secretary's resignation
showed that "the mental expert that has
been employed, at the White House has
beea discharged too soon."
Throughout the treaty controversy the
tendency ef the Republicans has been
to exculpate, Mr. . Lansing from any
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