ESTABLISHED SEPTEMBER ID. 1878
ffICBELI/S TRUIHFULNESS j
CLINCHES DEATH PENALTY
don Commissioner Admits Negro’s Case a Most Puz
-3 z lin tr One. And States That Mitchell’s Own Admissions !
to Him Determined the Issue.
MITCHELL DIED LAST FRIDAY MORNING (
on, a nd Calmly Went to The Chair Died Without a
Struggle Carried Home For Burial.
Pearle Mitchell has paid the
Dr ice for the murder of William
Lieman at Ore Hill last January.
He went to the chair Friday morn
ing at ten-thirty, as coollj as if he
were going to breakfast, and in
three or four minutes the thing was
over. His bdy was brought back
to Chatham for burial.
Mitchell was convicted of the
murder a week and an hour after
the commission of the crime. He
was sent e need by Judge
Harris to die in the chair,
but his attorneys, Messrs. Horton
and Dixon, secured an appeal,
which delayed the execution till
after the hearing by the supreme
court. The appeal was denied,
three or four weeks ago, and the j
execution date bceame Friday,June |
10th. |
Attorney Horton, who had spent
much time and considerable money
ffn defending the friendless and
fpenniless negro, still believed that
Pearle was not guilty of first-de
gree murder, and, therefore, at
further expenditure of time and
money, sought a stay of execution
till the pardon commissioner could
come to Chatham and investigate
the case. The record of the trial !
was pu: into Mr. Bridges’s hands j
Tuesday of last week, and that i
capable gentleman gave real atten-j
tion to the case. He not only stu- :
died the testimony, but visited ji
Mitchell himself, and it seems that!
Mitchell’s candor clinched his own J:
doom, since Mr. Bridges was sore- ■
ly puzzled as to what to do till
Mitchell’s candid answers settled
the matter and fully determined
the pardon commissioner not to in
terfere. Mitchell calmly received j
the decision, and said that he was
glad that he had told the truth. j
1 1
Mr. Bridges’ Letter.
As known by readers of the Re
cc>vd, the editor of this paper ad
vocated a review of the case by the
Pardon Commissioner, in view of
the state of public sentiment at the '
time of the trial, and because of j
the inadequacy of the time given j
his attorneys to prepare his de- j
sense. The writer confesses that j
he was in doubt as to the crime’s!
being a first-degree murder, and it 1
dlrns ou t that the Pardon Commis- '
sioner could not determine the mat- .
ter readily till Mitchell’s own hon
est confessions had solved the puz-
J • The editor had not had the
advantage of talking with Mitchell!
as did the pardon commis-!
“ ' !le! • and, accordingly seems
Ui o justified in advocating a re
|Lv. of the case. He secured what
flight, and everybody can be
a satisfied that the culprit did
1 r a higher degree of
he was guilty of. The j
--‘"wing letter was received by I
the Record a few!
‘'"Tore the execution:
“r Haleigh, June 9, 1927. j
< ear -Hr. Peterson:
*“ !U ‘ rea d your fine and 10-1
ui in regard to Pearle
Aiitchell. '
s f° you that this case
e most puzzling one up
r , make a decision that
J have v-t 1 ri t u
j.. v • iuCl - 1 have spent a
great <.. ,
nv . ' time, both at night
day, . carefully an
evidence and I have
situation over with
u the prisoner. His
t! ( ' in answering all of
propounded to him
' 1 that I would like to
-rounds fro mthe record
u P f m whif.i j ~ ,
. 1 °culd base a recom
pilation
1 toi the commutation of
j s sentence. However,
" toun d that here was pre
jn ul ‘" ! ' Prior to the actual fir
-1 ( pistol from which death
” es UlteH
' Jne negro’s answers to
qiu "tions brought me to this
The Chatham Record
conclusion more than the actual
court records.l therefore could not
conscientiously recommend that
this prisoner’s sentence be com-j
muted to life imprisonment and
at a later date refuse to recom
mend commutation for others who
are sentenced by a judge and jury j
to death.
“I thank you for the interest
and help that you have rendered j
me in the investigation of this
case by your careful analysis of
the facts, and I assure you that it j
is with deep regret that I cannot i
conscientiously recommend com- ,
mutation to life imprisonment.
“Yours very truly,
EDWIN B. BRIDGES,
“Commissioner of Pardons.”
SETTLE WITH CO-OPS.
Messrs. Jones and Mann, repre
senting the Cotton Cooperative
Association, was here Monday with
checks for about 55,000 for Chat
ham members in full settlement of
the 1925 account. Many cheeks J
had to be mailed as the members I
were not present.
SALE OF VALUABLE FARM
PROPERTY
Under and by virtue of authority
conferred upon us in a deed of
trust executed by Sam rfarrington
and wife, Hannah Harrington, on
the 18th day o’s April, 1925, and
recorded in book A. C. page 3, we
will on Saturday, the 25th of June
1927, at twelve o’clock noon, at
the court house door in Pittsboro,
sell at public auction for cash to
the highest bidder the following
land; to-wit:
Two certain tracts or parcels of
land, lying and being in Cape Fear
Township, Chatham county, North
Carolina, bounded as follows:
First Tract: Beginning at the
creek, Jerry Harrington’s corner
and running thence south 0 west
30.87 chains to center of road; i
thence south 1245 west 4.90 chains!
to a stake; thence south 0 30 west
19.60 chains to a stake and point
ers; thence south 85 east 37 chains
to Dickens corner thence north 3.30
east 50.95 chains to Arch Ragland’s
corner in Marks’ line; thence north !
80 west 23.05 chains to a stake and :
pointers, Ragland’s corner; thence i
north 3 30 east 6.50 chains; thence
north 80 west 4 chains to the creek; ;
thence down said creek to the be- j
ginning, containing 174 1-2 acres, \
more or less, and being a part of i
Miat tract of land conveyed to C. j
P. Sellars by W. E. Reece andj
wife by deed recorded in book E.
X. page 3, in the office of Register
of Deeds for Chatham county.
Second tract: Adjoining the
first tract above described, begin
ning at a stake, east of the creek,
a corner in Jerry Harrington’s line
of 45 acres; thence south 75 east!
17.10 chains to a stake in the line
of the Sam Harrington 174 1-2
acre tract; thence north 3 east as
said line 28 chains to a stake in the
creek, corner of said 174 1-2 acre
and 87 1-2 acre tract thence down |
the creek its various courses 30
1-2 chains to a stake, corner of Ot- j
tis Cotton and Jerry Harrington; |
thence east 7 chains to a stake in j
the line of Jerry Harrington;thence j
south 2.60 chains to the beginning i
point, containing 42 acres, more or
less.
This sale is made by reason of j
failure of Sam Harrington and;
wife, Hannah Harrington, to pay
off and discharge the indebtedness
secured by said deed of trust to the
North Carolina Joint Stock Land
Bank of Durham.
This the 16th day of May, 1927.
FIRST NATIONAL COMPANY,
INC., Trustee, formerly First
National Trust Co., Durham, N.
c.
PITTSBORO, N. C., CHATHAM COUNTY, THURSDAY, JUNE 16,1927
Got Three Men
And Copped Still
Deputy F. C. Straughan, ac-!
companied by Deputies Desern, !
Johnson, and Policeman Brady of
i Bennett, Rommy Dowd,and Crutch
| field Webster, made a successful
! raid Tuesday of last week. They
| captured a copper still and three
j men, three miles south of Harper’s
i Cross Roads, in Bear Creek town- i
ship.
I Within seven minutes of the ap-j
proach to the still the officers had j
i hte three men, two of them being!
chased down and one pulled by Of-1
ficer Straughan from under a brush !
heap. Eugene Straughan ran down
Will Langley, white, and Rommy
Dowd and Crutchfield Webster ran
down John White, black. The third
man was J. W. Elkins, white.
They were brought to Pittsbcro
; and lodged in jail till they succeed
ed in giving bond. A true bill was
found against them Monday morn
ing, and it is expected that they
I will have been tried before this is
i read and have their dose.
A large quantity of mash was
destroyed.
WES CARROLL TRIES
TO GET RELEASE
Durham attorneys for Wes Car
roll secured a writ of habeas
corpus from Justice Brigden and
Carroll was given a hearing at Ra- .
leigh Monday. Solicitor Williams ;
went over to look after the state’s j
interest. Carroll’s contention, the j
| Solicitor tells the Record, is that j
he cannct be legally fined and sent i
j to the roads too for his offense. He j
| paid a fine in January, 5250, and
was given a suspended sentence to
the roads, with the understanding
that he was to stay out of Chat
ham and adjoining counties ifor
; two years. He was caught in Dur- i
ham with 45 gallons of liquor,
tried there and sentenced to the
roads, but was getting out on ap
peal when the Chatham officers
j went for hi mto serve the suspend
ed sentence.
Solicitor Williams argues that
the grounds were untenable; that
Carroll submitted to the three
charges of making liquor, selling
liquor, and carrying a concealed
weapon, and the two of these
charges permit both a fine and a
road sentence.
Deputy Burns brought Carroll
back and placed him in jail to
| await the decision of Justice Brog
! den.
Attorneys Seawell, Hoyle, and 1
Gavin, of Sanford, were court at
tendants Tuesday.
i “
RESALE OF LAND
By virtue of a deed of trust
! made and’ executed to the under
signed on the 22nd day of Decem
; ber by Efland Garner and wife,
I which deed of trust is recorded in
'the office of the Register of Deeds
i of Chatham county in book GH of
.deeds, at page 558-, the undersigned
| will on
MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1927.
at twelve o’clock, noon, at the
court house door in Pittsboro,Chat
ham county, sell at public auction
for cash,
A certain tract of land in Oak
land Township, Chatham county,
! North Carolina,beginning at a pine
on the south side of Rocky river,
running south 40 poles to a white
oak; thence south east 210 poles to
a post oak Deep river; thence
down the same to the mouth of the
Rocky river; thence up the same
to the beginning corner, containing
I one hundred and tyenty acres,
l more or less, and being the same
j land formerly owned by John A. l
■Williams, and deeded to the grant
iors herein by Wade Barber, Com
missioner of deed recorded in the
! office of the Register of Deeds for
j Chatham county in book of deeds
;GK at page 149.
The sale is for the purpose of
satisfying the note secured by the :
said deed of trust, default having
been made in the payment thereof,
and demand having been made on
the undersigned trustee to foreclose
the same.
This June 4, 1927.
C. E. UPCHURCH,
Sanford, N. C. Trustee.
CEMETERY BEAUTIFIED.
The Episcopal church yard,
where lie buried many of the
prominent pioneers of this sec
tion, also Governor Owen of
Bladen, who died while sum
mering in Pittsboro, is being
much beautified under the aus
pices of the Woman’s Auxiliary
of the church. This is the most
interesting spot in the en
virons of the town and it is
most fitting that it be kept
a beauty spot as well.
ROUND OUT FIFTY
YEARS WITH S. A. L. R. R.
W. F. Williams, superintendent
of telegraph for S.A.L. system,was
given a banquet in Savannah a
few days ago on the completion of
his fiftieth year of service with the
that system and its predecessor.
Mr. Williams, during his period of
service, has seen the Seaboard ex
tend from its limited mileage in
North Carolina to its present
system of 4,200 miles. The road
had 50 years ago 241 miles of tele
graph; it now has 12,000 miles,
while Mr. Williams was respon- i
sible for the introduction of the I
telephone for dispatching trains,!
the S. A. L. being the pioneer j
road of the country in using the !
telephone for that purpose. The
150 miles of lines of 1908 has
grown to 5,000 miles.
Mr. Williams is an uncle of Mrs.:
O. J. Peterson, and was taught tel- |
cgvaphy and the rudiments of rail- !
reading by her father, his elder
brother, who died while superin- j
tendent of a Mexican railroad and !
I / i
is buried at San Luis Potosi. The j
third of the brothers was also i
prominent in railroad and tele* !
graph business.
I
'
AGED CITIZEN PASSES.
Mr. W. L. Brasington, of the
Mount Gilead community of Bald
win township, was dead in
bed at about three o’clock last
Thursday morning. He had been
in good health, and his wife said
that he was well at ten o’clock that
night. About three o’clock she
woke up and found him cold in
death.
Mr. Brasington was above sev
enty years of age. He was born in
this county, but we are told that
Jiis father moved south and after
his parents’ death the boy return- j
ed to Chatham. He was married ;
twice, his first wife being a Miss
Williams, and his second, a Mrs.
Holt, of Durham. There was no
child by his first wife, but one or
two by his second, who with the
mother are bereaved by the unex
pected death of the father and hus
band.
Mr. Brasington was a devoted
member of Mount Gilead church,
and the funeral was preached by
his pastor, Rev. R. R. GorcLn.
NOTICE
Sealed bids will be received by
the Board of County Commission
ers in care of the undersigned at j
their office in Pittsboro, N. C., un- j
til twelve o’clock noon, June 22,
1927, for $50,000. Funding Bonds
of Chatham county, N. C., dated
April 1, 1927, bearing interest at
the rate of 5 percent per annum,
and maturing annually April Ist,
SI,OOO, 1928 to 1937, inclusive, and
$2,000, 1928 to 1957,, inclusive,
without option of prior payment.
Denomination SI,OOO, coupon
bonds, not registerable as to inter
est nor principal, interest A. and
N. 1, payable in gold in New York
City; general county obligations;
unlimited tax; delivery at place of*
purchaser’s choice. The bonds will ]
be awarded at the highest price of
fered, the amount of premium to
determine the award. The pur
chaser to pay for bond forms, and
Attorney’s fees.
Bids must be enclosed in a sealed ;
envelope marked “Proposal for
Bonds” and be accompanied by a
certified check for SI,OOO. (or,
cash) payable to the order of the j
county treasurer and drawn upon
an incorporated bank or trust com
pany. The right is reserved to re
| ject all bids.
C. C. POE,
! Clerk, Board of County Commis
sioners.
Cars Smashed
But No Lives Lost
Ey a miracle it would seem there
was no life lost Sunday afternoon
when two cars were smashed in
an automobile collision on the
bridge just beyond the northern
limits of Pittsboro. ,
Two Fords and a long string of
the protecting fencing along the
bridge and embankment smashed
and eight negroes hurt, and one in
jail is the apparent consequence of
the collision.
Sandy Rogers, a colored youth
of sixteen or less, is the fellow
jailed for reckless driving. Lucy
Lee, wife of Richard Lee, is the
most seriously hurt. Her injuries
are internal but not considered
dangerous. Her baby is also among
the injured. Others hurt are Eli
zabeth Lee, Doretha Lee, Will
Leach, Richard Lee, Sandy Rogers,
Taylor, , but none
dangerously injured.
Sandy Rogers, accompanied by
Taylor and , were driving
stripped Ford and undertook to
j pass the car driven by Richard Lee
jon the bridge. It seems that the
| passing car caught the front wheel
| of Lee’s car and drove it into the
! railing and forward. Rail after
rail of the fence was broken before j
the Lee car left the embankment j
j beyond the bridge upon which the
j collision occurred. The wreck of
I cars and fence was an almost com
j plete one.
Dr. Chapin gave attention to the
j injured. Sandy Rogers was arrest
! ed immediately after the wreck and
I lodged in jail.
HURT BY AUTOMOBILE
j Mr. Ed. Bryant was knocked
| down and rather shaken up when
hit by a car Saturday evening. He
i had started across from the post
office to the Griffin hardware
store when he was hit by a car ap
proaching from the north. The
driver of the car, a stranger, had
thrown on brakes and turned to the
left in an attempt to avoid hitting-
Mr. Bryant, but the side of the car
hi i him. Fortunately, the injury
is not serious, though Mr. Bryan
was somewhat bruised up and put
out of commission for a few days.
He does not blame the driver, who
stopped and rendered aid. The
wheel marks showed that the car
I slided a considerable distance when
j breaks were thrown on.
MARRIAGE LICENSE
The following couples have got
marriage licenses the past ten
days: White—L. E. Sturdivant
and Annie Mann, Kenneth Mace of
Sanford, and Dora Yow of Bennett.
Colored—Henry Harris and Cora
Gunter, New Hill, Rt. 1; John San
ders, Apex, Rt. 3, and Laura Tay
lor, Pittsboro, B. J. Peoples and
Jessie Steele, Pittsboro; David
Cheek and Dora May Teague,
Pittsboro.
NOTICE OF LAND SALE
I By virtue of the powers con
-1 tained in a certain mortgage deed,
executed on the 13th., day of Jan
uary, 1925, by John Bynum, to W.
G. Fields, the same being recorded
in the office of the register of
deeds for Chatham county, in book
FX, page 189, and default having
been made in the payment of the
bond secured therein, I will on,
TUESDAY, JULY STH, 1927,
at the court house door in Pitts
boro, sell for cash to the highest
bidder the following described
tract of land in Hadley Township,
! Chatham county, North Carolina,
' being more fully described as fol
lows:
Beginning at stake and pointers,
Justice line, thence North about
! 3* east 110 poles to oak and point
! ers; thence East 71 poles to branch,
; stone and pointers, Durham’s line;
thence as the Hugh Crutchfield
line to pointers; thence west 89
, poles to the first station, contain
i ing 74 3-4 acres more or lass, the
same being lot No. 3, in the sub
division of the Hugh Crutchfield
farm.
Time of sale twelve o’clock, noon.
This June the 4th, 1927.
W. G. FIELDS, Mortgagee,
il A. C. Ray, Attorney.
Court In Session;
Few Criminal Cases
The regular June term of court
convened last Monday, Judge W. C.
Harris is presiding. Solicitor Wil
liams was absent the larger part of
Monday, being called to Raleigh to
represent the state in the habeas
corpus hearing in the case of Wes
Carroll, but considerable work was
done that day despite the enforc
'd absence of the Solicitor.
The grand jury went ahead and
completed the comparatively small
amount of work before it. They
acted upon a few bills and visited
the jail, the county home, and the
county offices, finding everything
in good shape. The grand jury was
composed of the following named
citizens:
R. R. Seagrove, foreman; W. C.
Gunter, A. D. Coggins, W. B.
Moore, C. E. Hackney, Gewnell
Farrell, A. E. Cox, E. P. Smith, J.
A. Welsh, G. D. Harris, P. D. Far
rell, A. G. Thomas, J. C. Lindley,
T. P. Fox, D. L. Carroll, J. T.
White, Wilson Burns, N. E. Thomp
son.
Cases Disposed of
The following cases were dispos
ed of:
Henry Hearne and Will Basing
| ton for assault on Carey Thomas
j were let off with costs. Hearne
j was given a road sentence, suspen
ded on condition that he refrain
rem threats and assaults against
Thomas for two years,
i Willie Marsh was let off with
costs and $lO fine for disturbing
public meeting at colored school
house at Siler City.
W. E. Langley, J. W. Elkins,
and John White entered a nol con
tender. After hearing the state’s
evidence, Langley was let
|of with costs, and Elkins and 1
i White were given an eight-months
j road term to begin Nov. 1. Judge
| Harris recognized Langley as a
former member of the Raleigh po
lice force. It developed that he
married a nicee'of Elkins and had
spent the night at the Elkins house
• and gone over to the still with El
kins and White to get a drink of
beer. He was on his way to Aber
deen to accept a job. Elkins and
White were old offenders. They
live in Moore county.
D .D. Elkins waived bill and was
j fined SSO and costs and forbidden
| to drive a car in six months,
j Jim Johnson, SSO fine and for
bidden to drive car for one year.
Paul Hooper, for driving car un
der the influence of liquor, re
ceived suspended sentence on con
dition that he pay cost and not
drive a car for two years, also keep
the peace.
The most important case of the
term was that of Pauline Palmer,
colored, who kliled her sister in
| April. The state asked for only
a second degree murder verdict or
for manslaughter. The evidence
all had to come from the family
except a mere nothing from an
other colored girl who was at the
Palmer house when the shooting
occurred. Messrs. Siler and Bar
ber represented the defence and
contended that the shooting was
accidental. The most important
witness was a little sister who
hardly was intellectual enough to
make a good witness, but who
nevertheless told her story pretty
straight.
This was the last case on the
criminal docket likely to be tried.
Some civil cases were set for trial,
I but it is hardly likely that the
| court will continue throughout the
' week.
| •
I
TO THE ESTATE OF MRS. W. D.
HOOKER:
This is to notify you that 116
acres of land located in Hickory
| Mountain Township, Chatham
! county, North Carolina, listed in
j your name, was sold for taxes for
! the year 1924 at the court house
door in Pittsboro o nSeptember 6th,
1926, when the undersigned became
the purchaser thereof and holds re
ceipt therefor. Unless such taxes,
cost and interest, as by law provid
ed, be paid to me, I will as soon
hereafter, as by law permitted to
do, apply to the Sheriff of Chat
ham County for a deed therefor.
This May the 12th, 1927.
A. D. DORSETT.
' June 2, 4tc.
VOLUME NO. 49
MONCURE NEWS
\ •
The Girl Scouts, under the sup
ervision of Mesdames. J. V. Daven
port and T. R. Wilkie, gave a pky
entitled, “Aunt Jerushy on tha
War Path.” last Friday evening; at
the school auditorium. It was
amus Kg all through and each
character presented her part well.
On account of the storm that even
ing, many stayed at home, but
twenty dollars was realized. They
have been asked to put it on here
again in the near future. They
are also planning to give it at Deep
River school in about three weeks.
“Mrs. Tubbs Does Her Bit of
Shanty Town” is the name of tin
play that will be given by the B.
Y.P.U. at the school auditorium
next Friday evening, June 17th.
Everybody is cordially invited. The
proceeds will be for the benefit oc
the Baptist church. This play will
be under the supervision of Miss
Lillie Hackney.
Miss Virginia Cathell left today
for Fredericksburg, Va., where she
will attend the summer school at
the State Teachers’ College.
We are glad the college girls and
boys have come home for the sum
mer.
Misses Catherine Thomas, Pau
line Ray and Catherine Hackney
reached home last Tuesday from
the State Teachers’ College, Fred
ericksburg, Va. They stopped
over at Washington, D. C., Mon
day.
Miss Ruth Kennedy, who was a
student at Salem College, Winston-
Salem last year, received a beauti
ful gold bar-pin for being the neat
est, most obedient and best all
round student at that college last
year. She is the attractive daugh
' ter of Mr .and Mrs. O. C. Kennedy,
Miss Christine Lassiter, the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. S.
Lassiter, spent Monday at Aber
deen with Miss Elizabeth Farrell
who has a position with The Page
Trust Company.
Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Thomas and
daughter, Miss Catherine, spent
Sunday at Apex visiting Mrs. Tom
Womble. They went to hear Cy
clone Mack last Sunday evening
j where 2000 people had gathered
for the evening service.
Mrs., Ella Speed will leave to
morrow for Washington, D. C.,
where she will spend a few days
with her sister, Grace, who lives
there.
Miss Mary Clegg who taught
last year and for the last four
years in the High Point graded
schools is new with her brother,
Mr. A. B. Clegg, while her sister,
Mrs. Speed, is visiting in Wash
ington.
Mr. W. C. Farrell, the carrier
of Rt. 1, has been taking his vaca
tion for the past twelve days. Mr.
J. Lee Harmon has been substitut
! ing for him.
Moncure seems to be a boom
again. Much traffic Main
street. Steel and other %
gravel and dirt are being ha,,
for the new bridge, one over Haw
River and one over Deep river^
Many new men have arrived
work on the bridges. Mr. Clifton,
Currin of Southern Pines and oj|fc
ers came in this week.
Masters Sam and John
Herbert Hilliard and Mack wflH
den were taken to Hamlet last fH||
day where Dr. James remdJß
their tonsils. They returned Sfl
urday and are getting on nicely.W|
Rev. C. M. Lance preached
good sermons at the Methodiß
church last Sunday. His suhjeß-J
for the morning was “ChrikuSJ
Education”, and his subject for thel
evening service was “The Rules ofl
the Church.” t
The Epworth League hekHM|||
regular meeting last Sunday flHSra|
ing. The president, Miss) AnHHf
Lambeth was present and jalso IHS
secretary, Miss Lois Ray.
Misses Annie Lambeth
cile Brady are planning tfIHHfBB
“The Koworth League
at Louisburg, June 25thHHHH|
2nd. The subject for
was. “Poems that speak
Soul.” Several members■ggjSßßS
league were on the
they responded with
poems and psalms.
(Continued on pag6\3^^^^H
*-4-