North Carolina Newspapers

< { VIUJSHED NTEREST in ‘ CIVIL CASES •jveral Cases Tried Last Week Have Unusual Interest iHREE GOOD MEN dE NY signatures jut Jury Sustains Validity Os Bo nd to Which Signatures fl'ere Attached. There is usually very little of in in the average civil case in iu . t but three or four cases tried w week possessed marked inter- The court dragged along very 4owly. apparently taking all the rnu anybody wanted for the trial ‘ f a case . Only four or five __ , e , 0 f an y considerable import- were formally tried, though Several others were compromised. Probably the case arousing greatest interest was that in which K L Pugh, S. V. White, and Noah l Phillips were sued for recovery . a guardianship bond for the shortage in the settlement of T. L. Phillips, guardian of the children of the late Richard T. Smith. The bond dated to 1914. The alleged bondsmen absolutely de r.ixi that th:y had ever signed or authorized the signature of the bond. They denied that the signa- Kres on the bond were theirs, ■hough they were attested by the r.- taiy seal of Charles Andrews of Bonlee, who could not remember ? {fixing the seal to the paper but identified his seal and his own sig nature or one very similar to it. The defense contended that the whole business is a complete forg ery. The plaintiffs relied on the prima-facie evidence of the notorial seal and notary’s inscription. Richard T. Smith left a widow and five children. Mrs. Smith’s brother, T. L. Phillips, became guardian. That was in 1911. Pugh and White admitted that they sign ed Mr. Phillips’ bond that year. X ah L. Phillips, a brother of the guardian, would not even admit that he signed that first bond. Pugh became uneasy, he says, because he saw Air. T. L. Phillips’ property 'ting wasted by a fester son of the latter and consulted the then clerk o: court. Mr. J. L. Griffin, as to getting release from the bond. Mr. ‘Grinin seems to have told him that mere would have to be a new bond w hen settlement was made with the oldest child and that he would tnen decline to sign the new bond m.d thus get the desired relief. 1 ugh consented and things ran a! mg. Miss Flossie Smith came of age and full settlement was made "ithher. Partial settlements were made with the three other girls as ■ ’ !i y came of age, but when the j child, Roland, the only became of age in 1925, it was - ’Und the guardian, T. L. Phil '• was bankrupt and that noth- ! - !i g could be secured from him. “ elta * !j n was made for the guard ana the bondsmen to appear * he books and papers before 1 & Parber here in Pittsboro. led to bring the * books papers and they had to be sent Accordingly, the bondsmen e a |h>wed to return home, but !l l<: been at least, according stimony, informed that nalVi s appeared as bondsmen. “ iU '‘‘m made no move to have ' 11 m! annulled as fraudulent. !a ■. suit was entered last 1 against the three men for the , Ars. George McPherson, ' Lorene Smith, and Ro ‘ m Ab. with interest from lyii ( ' 1 !t ‘ su m of the several prin- Clp X! ls Wa s about 52,400.00. Th ,^ (1 Ca e came U P for trial : “ rsda y- The heirs, who reside ttensboro, were represented by I a ;r d S - Fer Sus on , Os that city, ‘ • A • P. Horton, of Pittsboro. ihe nse was represented by Lon g and Bell. tiont^ 0 r - Gre * wo ma * n conten actu n a^e & e d bondsmen ar . a xec ute the bonds? and M e n »t the claims of Mrs. McPher (Continued on page 5) The Chatham Record Mystery of Life Os Udney Blakely Article By Newsome in Historical Review Clears Up Mystery of Daughter of Chatham’s Early Hero, Johnston Blakely Chatham county is proud to boast itself as the birthday place of Commander Blakely of the “Wasp,” who won everlasting fame during the war of 1812 and who I after many startling victories over British ship disappeared, leaving > his fate one of the unsolved mat ters of history. Accordingly, the following article should be of in terest to Record readers: Raleigh, March 27—The mys tery surrounding the life of Udney Maria Blakely, daughter of the dashing commander of the sloop of-war “Wasp” and hero of the War of 1812, is cleared up in the April issue of the North Carolina Historical Review. An article by A. R. Newsome, secretary of the state historical commission, presents official re cords in the unusual and little known about case. Miss Blakely,, according to Mr." Newsome, was the recipient of un usual generosity from the state. Her father, Commander John ston Blakely, drew the attention of the whole country by his exploits with the “Wasp” before he and his vessel mysteriously dropped from j sight. x Congress voted him a medal of honor and the general assembly of North Carolina a superb sword. When the commander failed to return after an engagement, the general assembly changed the : sword into a silver service w eigh ing 352 ounces and presented it to Mrs. Blakely. In addition it pro i vided SB,OOO to care for the ex pense of rearing the child, Udney Maria. I The case was brought into pub j lie light recently by an inquiry from England to Governor McLean ■ asking information about the silver : service, now in the possession of I an English family. In looking up records of the sil ver service, Mr. Newsome stumbled ! upon the strange story of the sea fighter’s daughter, reared at the | expense of the state, but who left I it to seek her fortune in a foreign i land. Mrs. W. M. Thomas i Dies At Fayetteville Fayetteville, March 25—Funeral services were held here at 4 o’clock this afternoon for Mrs. W. M. i Thomas, who died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. V. H. Crane, on Maple avenue, Haymount, at seven thirty last night. Mrs. Thomas was j 78 years of age. Before her marriage Mrs. Thomas was Miss Amanda Patter ! son, Chatham county. With her hus band and children she removed to Fayetteville about thirty years ago, and they made their homes here after that time. She was a devoted wife and mother and an earnest Christian. She was a mem ber of the Baptist demonstration since her youth. Three daughters and a son sur vive her, these being Mrs. D. B. Hedgpeth, Mrs. H. L. Hedgepeth and Mrs. V. H. Crane, of Fay etteville, and Percy A. Thomas. She also leaves a sister, Mrs. Frances Hatch, of Goldston, and a brother, Dr. G. B. Patterson, of this city. ASBURY NEWS Messrs. Broughton Johnson and Ray Stedman motored to Greens boro Sunday to visit friends. Mrs. Q. S. Williams, who has been quite ill, is improving. Mrs. J. R. Bright and Mrs. F. R. Knight visited Mrs. Carl Honey cutt in Raleigh last week. Prof. A. V. Nolan of the Pitts boro school will address the Ep worth league at Asbury church Sunday evening. It is hoped there will be a good crowd present to hear him. I Fresh land used for poultry runs will reduce losses from internal prasites of the chicks. T y *■ PITTSBORO, N. C., Pastor Gordon’s Resignation l Rev. R. R. Gordon Resigns Pasto rate of Pittsboro Baptist Church After an exceptionally good ser • mon Sunday morning, the Baptist 1 congregation was surprised to hear their pastor, Rev. R, R. Gordon, who has served the church accept -1 ably for several years, calmly an nounce his resignation, to take es -1 feet on or before the fourth Sun day in June. Mr. Gordon is pastor of two or three country churches as well as the Pittsboro church, serving this church only one Sunday a month. It seems that he does not expect i to resign the country field but to apply himself entirely to the pas torate of country churches. A year ago he bought a desirable residence site across the street from the Bap tist church, clearly looking to the , step just taken. Work is begun this week on a residence for him on that site. Accordingly, the re signation does not signify the de parture of the good man from a Pittsbroo, but rather a purpose to make his permanent home here, , serving churches in this-section in the old time way, when practically every preacher had his own home. Presumably, Pittsboro might have a share in those ministrations if it desired and the work should be agreeable to the preacher. But the attitude of Mr. Gordon seems to be to give the local church to under stand that by erecting him a home and establishing himself at Pitts boro he is not taking it for grant ed that he is a permanent fixture in the local church. As the Pittsboro church has not felt itself hitherto able to support a pastor for his whole time, its pastors have served other churches. The location of Mr. Gordon here, however, would make it more diffi cult for a new pastor to secure the necessary support additional, to that of the Pittsboro church. Mr. Gordon’s pastorate has been apparently without friction. He is held in high esteem by the mem bership and all doubless wish him well in his new plans. He has been pastor here for four years. Tobacco Chief Money Crop of This State Supplants Cotton As The Leading Revenue Producer Os The Farmers Raleigh, March 14 —Tobacco has supplanted cotton as the principal money crop of North Carolina, fig ures made public today by the co operative crop reporting service of the North Carolina and United States departments of agriculture revealed. The values of principal crops: Tobacco $103,802,000 Cotton 71,875,000 Corn 45,999,000 Wheat 9,013,000 j Oats 4,706,000 j Peanuts 7,985,000 Irish Potatoes 11,840,000 Sweet Potatoes 7,560,000 Mrs. Madeline Rigs bee Passed Away ! MRS RIGSBEE Mrs. Madeline Rigsbee, relict of Elbert Rigsbee, died early Friday 1 morning at her home in Bynum. Mrs. Rigsbee had not been well since she was stricken with pa ralysis a few years ago, being sub ject to severe attacks, one of which took her away. Mrs. Riggsbee was Miss Made line Williamson before her mar riage many years ago. Her hus band has been dead nearly a quar ter of a century. She was a sister of the late Mrs. Fannie Bland. She leaves two sons, Mr. Roy Rigsbee and Mr. Talton Rigsbee, and three daughters, Mrs. D. •L. Tripp, of Chapel Hill; Mrs. Carney Abernathy of Mebane, and Mrs. Paul Jones of Bynum. ) She was a most highly esteemed i lady and her death is regretted by many friends and relatives. The funeral services were con i ducted at the Bynum Methodist 1 church. The burial was at Lystra Baptist church. v A CHATHAM COUNTY, THURSDAY, MAR. 31, 1927 Americans Landed On Chinese Soil Japanese and British Also Increase Their Defensive Forces As Anti- Foreign Feeling Arises Washington, March 27—Addi tional American forces were land ed at Shanghai today to aid in pro tecting the International settle ment from threatened mob out break. “The situation in Shanghai is now very tense,” Admiral C. S. Williams, commander of the As iatic fleet, advised the Navy De partment, and in expectancy of se rious trouble, the Japanese and British also have increased their forces ashore. Dispatchs of the reinforcements followed a demand of the general labor union that all barricades around the settlement be removed. Up to four o’clock this afternoon (Shanghai time), when the mes sage was sent, the demand, along with another that striking public utilities workers be reinstated, has been ignored by the municipal council. Admiral Williams said the Amer ican landing force, from his flag ship, the Pittsburgh, was to tern- j porarily strengthen the allied de-! sense. He did not disclose the j identity of the number of landing party. A British regiment has been summoned to Shanghai from Hong Kong and the Japanese are sending tile warship Hirado and eight de stroyers and have put more than 500 additional men ashore within the barricades. Joint preparations have been made by the French and the set tlement guards to meet any mob attack along the boundary of the French concessions and the interna- j tional area. Refusal of the municipal coun cil to demolish the barricades, Ad miral Williams reported, resulted in a threat of another general strike. It had not materialized when he sent his message, although he added that “agitators” had ar ranged for a demonstration at the west gate of the city at two o’clock this afternoon. Growing acuteness of the situa tion at Shanghai, place of refuge l for Americans and others fleeing from the interior, appeared as a possible complication in plans for the evacuation. Under protection of the guns of British and Ameri can men of war, foreigners are be ing evacuated from Yangtse River points where outbreaks like that at Nanking are feared. In an earlier dispatch Admiral Williams said “general withdraw al of the Americans along the river is proceeding as rapidly as pos sible.” He summarized conditions at principal points as follows: “Chunking quiet; complete evacuation of Americans and Brit ish planned. “Hankow Propaganda visible against foreigners. About 100 Americans, mostly women and children, sailing today for Shang hai, approximately 100 Americans, men, remaining. “Wuhu Strong anti-foreign agitation growing; all foreign wo men and children leaving. “Kaukiang—All but five Ameri cans have left. Kiukiang Quiet: 25 American men sailed today for Shanghai. “Refugee ships are being accom panied by British and American warships past the Chinkiang forts, which fired on other vessels on Friday and Saturday. The dispatch confirmed that all Americans have been evacuated from Nanking, where foreigners were attacked by mobs. It confirm ed also that Dr. J. E. Williams, American vice president of Nan king University, was the only fa tality among the Americans, and that Miss Anna E. Moffet, a mis sion worker, was shot twice, “se riously wounded, but in no immed iate danger.” A marine or blue-jacket named Plumley, who was wounded, and Earl T. Hobart, manager of the Standard Oil plant, who broke his ankle, were the other casualties. Admiral Williams reported that (Continued from page 5) Many Changes In State Auto Law Highway Speed Limit Is Now Forty-Five Miles Per Hour; Effective April 1 Raleigh, March 26—It may or may not be an April Fool’s joke if a cop waved you down on the well known day of pranks. You may have violated a law that wasn’t a a law last month. Yea, the auto law has been revamped, revised, and re-enacted. The new version went into effect April 1. Every* car must carry a rear light; speed limit is increased to 45 miles an hour on highways, 20 miles in residential sections, 15 miles in business areas, 15 miles on curves, and in school zones when pupils are about the buildings. Driving while drunk merits 30 days’ sentence to one year, or SIOO to SI,OOO fine, or both fine and im prisonment. Reckless driving mer its five to 90 days in jail, or $25 to SIOO fine, or both fine and im prisonment. Cars must stop only at cross ings designated by the State High way Commission. Maximum car | weight must not exceed nine tons, I width 93 inches maximum. Certi : ficate of test of lights must be car ried. The highway commission does the testing. Lights must not show a glare above 42 inches at 75 feet. Drivers must not coast down grade by throwing gears into neu tral. Drivers involved in acci dents must stop. Signs, pcstqrs, stickers are prohibited on front windshield,side wings’, rear or side windows. On and after July 1 the automo bile license plates will remain with the car for a year intead of being | transfered in event of sale. License fees on all automobiles of 25 horse-power or less will be $12.50 instead of S2O. On June 30 plates will be issued for six months, with extra fee of 25 cents to cover the special issue. Effective Julyl, the registration card must be kept in a container placed on cowl or instrument board and under the law the department is given authority to charge 50 cents for the container. Girl Returns After j Her Supposed Murder! Man Already Serving Sentence For The Crime Never Com mitted. Williamsburg, Ky., March 19 —A woman scorned, a girl dissatisfied with home and a tight-mouth mountaineer formed the “eternal triangle” in a case which resulted in the mountaineer being sentenced j to life imprisonment for “murder” that was never committed. Two of the three principals to day disclosed the circumstances un der which Mary Vickery, 16 years ; old, disappeared; some bones were found later in an abandoned mine shaft, ar.d a woman’s revenge sent Conley Oabney, 33, to the Frank fort reformatory under life sen tence. The third, Marie Jackson, 27, was in jail as a sequel. Mary Vickery appeared at her former home fyere today after be ing missing and believed dead since August, 1926, and broke a silence that has kept Dabney in prison for more than a year. “I disappeared from home be cause I was not happy with the home life with my father and step mother,” she said. “I had Conley Dabney take me in an automobile to a country railroad station. He left me there and drove away. I took the train to Cincinnati, where I worked in a woolen mill. “I heard about Dabney being j charged with r killing me, but I didn’t want to be taken back home, so I kept silent and did not reveal that I was still alive. I stood it as long as I could and then decided to make it known that I was alive, so Dabney could be set free.l didn’t want to go home, so I came to Wil liamsmurgh, where I formerly lived.” From his prison cell in the re formatory Dabney told his story. He did not seem surprised when he Russian Socialist Is Given a Cool Million Paid That vSum By Photomaton, Incorporated, For Rights To Automatic Camera. New York, March 27. —A check for a round million dollars was shoved across the polished table of a hotel sitting room today into the hands of a young Russian socialist who in his days of hunger and hardship had invented an automatic camera to enable the public lo pho tograph itself as simply as it buys its chewing gum, and in much the same way. And the Russian, remembering his socialistic doctrines despite his sudden translation into the capital istic class, immediately laid plans for sharing his money with the less fortunate. Transfer of the check marked the entry into the slot machine portrait photograph business of several leaders in the financial world. Among the men represented in the transaction were Henry Mor genthau, former ambassador to Turkey; James G. Harbord, presi dent of the Radio Corporation of America; John T. Underwoood Typewriter company, and Ramond B. Small, former vice president and general manager of the Postum Ce real company. The syndicate of business men j gave the 81,000,000 check to Anatol j Josepho, the Russian, for all his rights in a machine that delivers a strip of eight finished photo graphs, each two by one and a half inches long and all in different poses, eight minutes after the sit ter has dropped a quarter in a slot. “I believe,” said Mr. Morgenthau after the meeting, which closed the deal and marked the formation of Ph,otomaton, Inc., a company which will operate a country-wide chain of automatic photcgraphy studios but in which no stock will be sold, “that through this invention we can make personal photographs avail able to the mass of this country. We propose to do in the photo graphic field what Woolworth has accomplished in novelties and mer chandise, Ford in automobiles and the chain store in supplying the ne- j cessities and luxuries of life over wide-spread areas.” Josepho, in response, said “I plan to create a trust fund with half of this money, to be devoted to general charity. The other half j I plan to administer in the interests i of various inventions I consider! worthy of development. The aver age inventor has a hard life and it; is a rare instance for him to reap the rewards of his inventions as I have done. I shall dedicate much of my life and new wealth to help- I ing my brother inventors to similar i success.” The inventor was born in Omsk, Siberia, 31 years ago, at 20 he had; perfected many improvements in photographic processes but the fi ! nancial return was negligible. Pov erty and the unstable condition of j his homeland seemed to conspire to j hinder his work but always he kept j on. Three years ago he arrived in' this country with a million dollar idea but hardly a cent in his pocket. Six months ago the first machines were perfected and an experiment al studio was opened on Broadway, j Since then 270,000 persons have paid $70,000 to photograph them f selves in almost two and a quarter j million poses. It’s fine to be unselfish if you can keep quiet about it. was told that his “victim” was j alive. The prisoner attributed his j predicament to a chance acquain | tance with Marie Jackson, chief prosecution witness against him at his trial. He said he was driving a taxicab in Harlan, Ky., and his | wife and family were in Coal Creek, Tenn. He had several “dates” with the Jackson woman, he said. “Marie Jackson swore against me because I would not leave my wife and go with her,” he declared, as he recited the story of the girl’s disappearance, his arrest and con viction. » VOLUME NO. 49 MAJOR STEDMAN INVITED HOME Meeting of U. D. C. With Mrs. Siler Invites Veteran Coo* gressman to Speak Her# May 10th. The Winnie Davis Chapter of the l U.D.C., met with Mrs. Walter D.- Siler on March 2nd. After pre liminary business, Mrs. E. 0. Hatch and Miss Irene Sutphifl were cordially welcomed as mem bers of the chapter. The relief committee reported illness of three members :Mesdamea Fike, Eubanks, and Miss Fannie Nooe. Regrets were expressed and the committee asked to send them fruit, also to Mr. Clay Clegg, 2t sick Veteran. The chapter decided to invite Major Stedman the sole Veteran in Congress to make an address here on Memorial Day, the 10th of May. The Soldiers home was discussed and it was decided to ask Misa Martha Haywood what is most needed in the heme or would give greatest pleasure to the inmates. Mrs. Nettie Peoples made a quilt for the children’s chapter, to be given to Soldiers’ Home in Raleigh. Miss Carrie Jackson stated that $5.00 would be sent to the home from the Children’s Chapter and $lO for the Bentonville marker. Mesdames Victor Johnson, Hinton Siler, Hatch and Miss Carrie Jack son read an address on the “Battle jof Bentonville”, written by Mrs. J. H. Anderson of Fayetteville. On motion, it was decided that we give 820 to Bentonville marker, which will be unveiled in August, 1927. We were pleased to have with us Mrs. Nickols of Petersburg, Va., who gave an interesting talk about ; the Battlefields arour.d Petersburg, i and old Blanford church. Mrs. ! London said we had a North Caro i lina window in the Blanford church. Subject for next meeting “Junior ; Reserves” giving their services ' from Fort Fisher, Averasboro, I Bentonville up to the surrender. ! Each member is asked to write ! down notes on this for next meet i. | mg. | At the close of the business meeting, delightful refreshments were served, consisting of chicken ! salad, sandwiches, cheese, wafers and coffee. Those assisting Mrs. j Siler in serving were Miss Maggie Horne, Mrs. Ella Jordan and Miss Carrie Jackson. - Fortune Awaiting Wright’s Relatives Man Who Died In Seattle, Wash ington, Left Estate Valued at SIO,OOO Asheville, March 27.—A fortune of SIO,OOO awaits relatives of J. W. Wright, 63 years old, who died re cently in Seattle, Wash. A letter has been received hero l by the police department, stating | t!he belief that the relatives of Mr. Wright live in Western North Carolina. He was the son of Na than Wright and Laura Wright. The only Nathan Wright that can be located by the police is one i who lived in Haywood county and 1 died a number of years ago. He had a son who was said to have gone to Oklahoma. Police say the letter was written by Charles S. Baldwin, 10061 Sixty fourth avenue, South Seattle, Wash., and states that J. W. Wright owned a berry ranch at the time of his death which is valued at SB,OOO as well as other property, making the estate worth more than SIO,OOO. If the property is not claimed by relatives soon, it will go to the State of Washington. JAW-BREAKER JOKING Blackburn, Eng., March 3. Miss Agness Golden, 24, laughed so heartily at a party that she dislo cated her jaw. Efforts to relievo her suffering were in vain and silt finally was taken to a hospital where doctors helped her straight* ed her face.