ESTABLISHED SEP^ r ' 878
1 ■- . \ _ o ■
I lODAY !
Cows and M:n.
What Name for Hoover?
The Duke Brothers.
Farmers in Japan.
By ARTHUR BRISBANE
I j
Moosejaw, Saskatchewan, gave a I
dinner to Ben H. Thompson in hon-1
or of his Holstein-Friesian cow, Ca- j
nary Cordyke. They both deserved. |
The Saskatchewan Government
bought the cow for SIO,OOO.
Canary is world’s champion in but
ter fat and gives enough milk in a
day to last the average family a
month. In 305 days, this wonder
cow produced 1,080 pounds of but
ter and 26,396 pounds of milk.
Too bad there is no way of im
proving men’s brains, as we im
prove cows’ udders. Only time can
do that, and time is slow. The av
erage intelligence in the British
House of Commons today, accord
ing to Lecky, is lower than the av
erage of all the free men in Ath
ens, 3,000 years ago. Science goes
ahead, man stays about where he
was, a little less brutal, a little less
selfish.
If Americans call President Cool
idge “the silent President” what !
will they call Mr. Hoover? He has
been elected President of the Unit- f
ed States, will begin his work in less ,
than two months, has been in Wash
ington several days at work. How
i much has he talked. Not at all.
Eight years more of business with
out conversation will suit this coun
try very well. We have had, at va
riou times, considerable periods of
conversation without business.
Sometimes farmers succeed, but :
usually they must leave the farm to :
do it. ' 1
Benjamin X. Duke, who died yes- .
terday morning in his Fifth Avenue <
house in New York, began a farm- ]
er, working with his brother, James j ]
Duke, on their father’s farm. They ;
grew tobacco, started a small sac- j ]
tory, introduced cigarette making s
machinery and made hundreds of 1
millions. And, farmers note this, <
THEY BOSSED THE MIDDLE i
MAX IXSTEAD OF BEIXG BOS§- <
ED BY HIM. Ask Mr. Hill of the i
American Tobacco Company or Mr. .
Belt of Lorillard’s how that is done, i
American farmers have their , \
troubles, farmers in Japan bav- jj
worse ones. _ ! 1
When our farmers complain Gov- <
eminent at least MAKES PROM- i
*TSES.
Jf When thousands of Japanese peas- i
ants marched to express dissatisfac
tion, forty were shot dead and many 1
wounded. # J i
An intoxicated lady told the judge 1 ? ,
her trouble was due to an alcohol j i
rub. She had swallofved nothing.
Doctors said it was just possible, (
the judge excused her. ]
A gentleman, very drunk, led in .
by the policeman, told the judge, ,
“My mistake was eating raisins (
while drinking ice cream soda.” They j
let him go. <
—■ ■ <
The Pittsboro Team ;
Wallops Siler City
Rufus Johnson Breaks His ]
Own Record With 32 Points >
Scored. i.
Pittsboro high school basket ball j
team maintained its winning streak ,
Friday evening when it beat the
Siler City team with a score of 51
to *lB. Rufus Johnson, who had .
already won distinction by winning ,
167 points in eleven games previous, \
to this one, went wild and won 32 i
points in the igame against j Siler <
City, bringing his score for the sea- i
son to 199 points. The youngster 1
simply tossed the Dali into the goal 1
from almost any point of the field 1
and at any angle. Sixteen field ]
goals in a single game ranks the •
Pittsboro goal thrower among the \
professional soforers. Rufus is a
son of Mr. R. J. Johnson, chairman ;
of the board of county commission- 1
ers. 1
<
PREACHER’S WIFE DIES i
k The wife of Rev. A. T. Sherrod, «
r burner pastor of Stanton’s Temple ]
church here, died Friday last at 1
Ruckhorn, where she was teaching, i
Ihe family have made their home i
? Southern Pines since they left j
! 'tsboro, but the preacher, who is ’
R :> an umbrella repairer, has made <
c-c-asional visits to Pittsboro since 1
e moved away. The burial was at <
• e Hamlet churchyard, a few miles 1
rth of Bynum, Monday afternoon, i
■ e husband wishes to thank his
sends, both white and colored here,, i
1 the help and sympathy rendered 1
his affliction. The funeral serv- j
> were conducted by Rev. G. W. <
Rosser, presiding elder, assisted by i
v. J. J. Ridley, pastor of Stanton’s j
T crnple church, Pittsboro. 1
r
A woman living in Indiana 106 ]
years has just seen a train for. the :
‘!rst time. Her age makes us think j
she has not seen many automobiles.
The Chatham Record
MRS. B. M. POE DIES
AT HOME IN DURHAM
I The sad news reached Pittsboro
i last Friday of the death of Mr.
Bruce Pee after an illness of ten
i day at her home in Durham. Death
was attributed to a combination of
; disease.
! Mrs. Poe before mairiage was
Miss Annie Womble. She is a sister
|ot Mr. T. J. YV oriole of Ailanta,
Ga., and of Mrs. W. J. Womble of
[ Haywood and Mrs. W. W. Alixson of
Miami, Fla. She had no children, I
but leaves an adopted daughter Min-
I nie Lee Poe, and her husoand.
Mr. and Mrs. Poe lived in Pitts
boro fer many years. It was only
two or three years ago that they
moved to Durham, where Mr. Poe
has been associated with Mr. C. C.
Edwards in the real estate business.
The deceased lady was most highly
esteemed in Pittsboro and wherever
known. She was a Baptist, and the
funeral was held at Gum Springs
Baptist church, Saturday afternoon,
with Rev. R. R. Gordon of Pittsboro
officiating. The burial was in the
church yard.
The pall bearers were C. C. Ed
wards, W. W. Cramer, G. O. Fer
rell, B. W. Harris, and W. G. Mur
ray. Flower bearers were nieces of
Mrs. Poe.
Mrs. Poe was 58 years of age.
FINiSWRITTENI.N
LAWRENCE CASE;
Alleged Murderer of Mrs. terry ■
Must Serve 3U Years in Pen- j
itentiary—Supreme Court
Renders Decision 4 to 1, Jus
tice Brogden Dissenting.
The suspense in the W. H. Law
rence case was ended last week when
the Supreme Court affirmed the sen- '
tence rendered by a Chatham county
jury last spring, and thereby assign
ed the alleged murderer of Mrs Ter
ry to a thirty years residence in the
penitentiary.
The length of time required to
render a decision by the court had
suggested, during the absence .of
Chief Justice Stacey last fall, a tie
of the four remaining justices. How
ever the decision was four to one, in
dicatiing either that there had been
no tie or that one of the dissenting
justices had been won over since i
the tie or that one of the dissenting f
justices had been won over since
the return to the state of Mr. Sta
cey. Justice Biogden, of Durham,
the home of the defendant, was the
only dissenting justice. The judg
ment affirming the sentence of
Judge Xunn was written by Justice
Clark.
The one issue before the court was
that of whether there had been evi
dence sufficient to justify the case
going to the jury. The defense had
rested its one hope upon that point.
Exceptions were not wanting, but
the defense seemed to realize that a
new trial would probably result in
another conviction, with possibility
of the highest degree, since the cir
cumstances were very damaging, and
it was difficult for the ordinary jur
or to draw the distinctions that the
defense hoped the supreme court
would draw. Justice Brogden’s dis
senting opinion was in line with the |
desires of the defense, namely, that j
only a strong suspicion of the de
fendant’s guilt could be established
by the evidence. And that is the
state of mind of many who heard the
trial, and even now there are few
who can say that they know he is
guilty, and many who believing him
guilty would, if on the jury, have
voted acquittal on the ground that
the state had not proved it.
The particulars of the sensation
al case are familiar to practically
all readers the Record; hence there
is no use in reviewing it. Two or
three points those who have never
decided in their minds about the
guilt of Lawrence which they feel
were never properly stressed before
the_court are, first, the whereabouts
of Mrs. Terry in Duiham from 7:30
p m., when her son left her on the
street, till 9:30, for it was thorough
ly established that Lawrence was in
Durham till after nine o’clock the
fatal nighc. If she was in Durham
at all, these folk who yet do not
have any positive opinion about the
case argue, why didn’t somebody
come forward and show where she
was. If she was in the Lawrence
apartments, it was reasonable to ex
pect some one to see her going up
there or him and her coming down
to start on the tragic journey than
it was for any one to see Lawrence
go up to bed when he said that he
was going to “turn in.” On the oth
er hand, Lawrence iproved by the
hotel records of a western North
Carolina town that ihe was in that
town the night, on a former occas
ion, upon which the son of the dead
woman testified that he took his
mother down town just as he did
the fateful evening, and saw her
get in a car similar to the Lawrence
car. If this was true, it is said, it
is clear that some one else had a car
like Lawrence’s and had taken her
for a ride on the former occasion.
That being the case, then, such a
person could have taken her the
fateful evening and* her location in
Durham from 7:30 to 9:30 would be
.is.'puzzle —she simply would have
l
*
PITTSBORO, N. C., CHATHAM COUNTY, THURSDAY, JANUARY 315t,1929.
Pittsboro Has -
Winning Team
Basket Ba?l Team of Local
School Wins County Champ
ionship—Has‘Ovster Treat;
Johnson Makes Record.
The basket ball team of the Pitts
boro High School by winning over
Siler City in a hotly contested game
Friday evening definitely decided the
championship in its favor. But the
team’s glory -is passing the bounds
of the county. Its record is be
coming a theme in sport pages in
the state’s dailies, and Johnson has
even had his picture published in
the Durham Herald and has been
lauded for the remarkable, if not
record-breaking, experience of mak
ing 167 points in eleven games.
The team has an interesting
schedule of games before it, and be
fore the season expires will likely
have won laurels from the defeat of
teams from some of the larger
schools of the state. But the win
ning of the county championship
gives it a chance to enter the elimir
nation contests in the state cham
pionship contest, and interest will
be at a high pitch if it can reach the
final stage of that contest.
The Boys Treated
The team was given an oyster
| supper Wednesday evening- of last
j week. The supper was the treat
| of Mr. R. C. Griffin and the Farrell
j Case. The members of the team and
j substitutes made a fine looking group
• as they sat at the case tables for the
i least. With them were Principal and
I Coadh J. S. Waters, and Mrs. Wat
ers, Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Griffin whose
son Russell is a member of the team, 1
and the editor of the Record, the
latter of whom thoroughly enjoyed
ihe treat and the privilege of listen
ing in on the exploits of the team
and its prospects as told by Coach
j Waters. No more delicious oysters
have ever come our way, and it
would be hard to find a cleaner group
of young men than those forming
the Pittsboro team, and the substi
tutes. • |
MRS. PERRY PASSES
At the Age of 81 years, 4 months
and 26 days, Mrs. Martha E. Perry
died at the home of her son Mr. Ed
L. Perry a few miles from Pittsboro
Saturday morning, Jan. 26, and was
■ buried at New Salem Sunday after
noon. The funeral services were con
ducted by Revs. B. L. Gupton and
T. W. Hurst. The buriaL was in
New" Sfilem CKurcK Yard. Flowet'
! gills were Misses Irene Campbell,
Helen Boone, Thelma Thrift. Cath
erine Campbell, Ethel Contoner, Ef
fie Mae Campbell, Elizabeth Dur
ham, Lottie Eubanks, Electra Mae
Mixon. The pall bearers were W. J.
Durham, P. T. Farrell, J. W. Thrift,
J. J. Perry, C. J. Ellington, and J.
R. Ellington. The burial was held
under the auspices of Mr. Jeter Grif
fin, of Pittsboro. |
Mrs. Perry was before marriage I
Miss Martha Pilkington. Her hus
band H. M. Perry, had preceded her
to the grave a number of years. She
leaves two sons and one daughter, j
Messrs. E. L. and Luther Perry, and I
Mrs. O. T. Cooper.
The deceased has been a member
of the church since early youth, and j
at death was a member of the New j
| Salem church. She was most high- (
ly esteemed and her many friends
grieve at her passing. May God j
bless the bereaved family, and let
us all feel that our loss is His gain.
She will be especially missed by the
members of the Sunday school.
NOTE OF THANKS
Mr. E. L. Perry wishes to ex
press his most sincere (thanks to
all who were so good and kind to
him and his mother during their re
cent illness and the death and burial
of his mother.
been out of town.
The second point unstressed, or
even unmentioned, was that Law
rence probably knew Mr. Mann, pro
prietor of the filling station on route
50 where the couple attempted to
be identfied as Lawrence and Mrs.
Terry, stopped at 11 o’clock. It
happened that Mr. Mann had just
left the filling station. But some
wonder if a man out under similar
circumstances would risk driving up
to a filling station where a man
whom he had known for many years
was likely to be.
The decision of the supreme court
has confirmed the opinion of those
who had determined that Lawrence
was guilty and that it had been
proved, but with Justice Brogden
dissenting, those who had been un
convinced of the proof of the guilt
are in the same frame of mind.
However, the decision of the court
has had the effect of deciding the
issue effectively, if not theoretically,
and the unfortunate man, innocent
or guilty, is in the same fix that he
would be if everybody had clear and
positive proof of his guilt. He is
in the penitentiary for thirty years,
which means for life, unless he
lives long or he gets. considerable
time off for good behavior, or the
clemency of a future administration
liberates him.
And thus FINIS is written to one
of the most sensational cases ever
tried in the county of Chatham.
Bennett Bank Again
The Goal of Yeggs
Thee Times Witnin Thirteen
Months the Bank at Bennett
Has Been Entered.
The bank at Bennett, which was
robbed in open daylight Jan. 7,
1928, and which was entered two
weeks ago by robbers who weie
frightened off by the turning on
of lights in a nearby store with a
switch in the home of Mr. J. R.
Peace, was again entered by thieves
last Thursday morning 3
o’clock. An explosion Mr.
John Yow, who was sleeping in an
upscaiis room in an adjoining build
ing. Mr. low went to his window
and fired his pistol, and three men
scooted out of the bank and dashed
for a car thr£e hundred yards away,
escaping, but without nooty. Tne
explosion was th e ,. result of an at
tempt to break the combination.
It is reported that two boys had
been asked the day before by two
strange men whether the Bank of
Bennett kept its money at night or
carried it to the parent bank at
Bonlee.
Finger-print experts brought up
on the scene could find no finger
prints to give a clue, though the ab
scence of such prints indicates that
the yeggmen are experienced hands
at the business and know how to
avoid leaving tell-tale finger prints,
REV. T. A. CHEATHAM
TO DELIVER STEREOPTI
CAN LECTUkE FRIDAY
Next Friday mgnt at St. Bartholo
mew s cnuicii Jvev. lnauutus
oneamam wui present an musu-ateu
leetuie on wasnincon Eaineurai. xvir.
Uii.ecici.ciii s iuoi years in tne min
istry \v ere ac nttoDuro, so ne neecis
r.o introduction Here. ror many
yeais lecenuy he hns nad mgn posi
tion in- uaiVary enuren, jrn.es oux'gn,
aim tne enuren at rmeauist. ne asio
gives spare time wont to tne eciuca-
Lioiicu siue oi tne great Vvashnigton
catneuiai, as a memoer of tnat staff,
Vvmcn itseii is a uisunct .honor,
i ne wiil present wmi lantern sudes
some or tne most Vvonaeixui and
otuUi.iiai pictures in ameuca of tne
catnearai vvmcn is now unuer con
struction in Washington, \uast year
one hunured ana seventy nve thou
sand peopie visited tne cathedral
grounus and buildings, and on one
occasion in UctDer nearly twenty
thousand people attended an out
door service on tne catnearai
grounds, wmch indicates tnat tne
• t lerttrrr ana pictures Will interest
very much ail who will attend.
inere will oe no admission cnarge,
but rree wui oifermgs may oe piaceu
in a receiver alter tne lecture, and
tne pioceeas will be given to tne
erection oi a memorial to Rev. G. 1.
Riand in tne new enuren at Saniora.
Elease remember tne aate, 8 p. m.
rnuay mgnt, reo. rst, aria come to
the lecture.
K. u. SHANNONHOUSE,
Rector.
i .
Moncure News Items
l
| Miss Catherine i nomas is visiting
j friends at Apex this week.
Miss Virginia Cataeii, a teacher at
! the Methodise Orphanage, Raleigh,
j spent Last week end witn ner parents
1 Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Catneli.
, Mrs. ±i. U. bell, wno has been sick,
is oacit ap school tnis week. .
ivir. E. H. joenlieid, a contractor,
who has been in tne hospital is
improved.
Many from here attended the fu
neral services of Mrs. Bruce Foe at
turn bprings Baptist crunch last
baiuruay. bhe nad many friends
and relatives in tins community and
her death was a shock to them. Our
sympathy go ivo out to tlicni*
Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Thomas and
Mr. and Mrs. J. K. <Ray and son,
Bobbie, motored to Chapel Hill yes
terday, bunday, and on their re
turning home after dark, a car driv
en by a colored man ran into them,
damaging Mr. Thomas’ new Chevro
let right much, but no one was hurt.
It was a narrow escape, however.
Moncure high school boys’ basket
ball team played Cary at the Y. M.
C. A., Kaieih, last Friday night.
Moncure losing. The score was 18
and 23. Many from Moncure went
down to Raleigh to witness the game.
Out *of three games played at Ral
eigh for the last three Friday nights,
the Moncure boys have only lost this
one.
A Mr. Wolfe, of Virginia, was
down last Saturday to see W. W.
Stedman in regard to real estate.
Mi*. 1. D. vYilkie, a 'progressive
druggist, is installing a case to meet
the needs of Moncure.
Mr. Hastings Gilmore, an l.aged
citizen and veteran, died last Thurs
day and was buried at Asbury Meth
odist church last Friday afternoon.
He was a good man and a respected
citizen. His many friends will re
gret to hear of his passing.
Moncure high school girls’ basket- -
ball team played Fuquay Springs
last Wednesday night at Fuquay,
the Moncure team winning by a
score of 32 to 4. Miss 1 Margaret
Strickland was the stax* player.
The boys’ team of Moncure will
Monday.
UNIVERSITY BOYS AT
Pi l TSBORO SCHOOL
Eight of the University men from ]
the x. M. C. A., came over to the j
Eittsboro school and conducted chap
el exercises Friday morning. Tne
program was not only entertaining
jas was shown by the children, but
should prove helpful and inspiring.
I W yeth Rajf, one of the local boys,
I who is a Senior at the University,
discussed admirably the subject,
"Scholarship and the Honor Sys
tem.” He represented the honor sys
tem as a factor in develop
ouong character.
J. E. Dungan, a student from
North Dakota, talked on the -‘Caro
lina Spirit.” His viewpoint was of
peculiar interest since he is not a
North Carolinian and has had the
opportunity of knov.ng other uni
versities. He says the university
spirit is hard to describe, but is easi
ly felt. “It is helpiul, wholesome
and loyal.”
Mac Grey, president of the Y. M.
C. A. and star athlete, had for his
subject “Athletics and Clean Liv
ing.” He believes that learning to
piay the game hard and fair in
school will contribute much toward
pursuing the same policy after the
school career is finished.
Aubrey Perkins in discussing,
“Who is the Happy Man,” provoked
thought when he gave the opinion
thac the happy man is the man who
thinks the most interesting thoughts
and who deliberately plants to be
happy.
The music by J. C. Connolly, T.
E. Marshall, Jr., J. E. Miller, and W.
F. Humphreys added much to the
program. The harmony of voices of
those composing the quartette was
perhaps the most striking character
istic of the musical numbers.
BYNUM NEWS
Bynum Band Broadcasts from
Raleigh—Bynum Furnishes
Several Members of Pitts
boro’s Winning Team.
Bynum, Jan. 28. —Miss Minnie
Bell Wilson, a teacher in the Bynum
school spent the week-end with
home folks near Apex.
Mr. and*Mrs. C. E. Durham, Mr.
Vernon and Lewis Durham and Ru
fus Abernathy spent Sunday with
Mr.. A. I. Braxton of Washington,
North Carolina.
Mr. Ira Foushee and family, ac
companied by Mrs. W. B. Riddle,
spent Sunday in Durham.
The “Chatham Rabbit string
band,” of Bynum, broadcasted some
real-music from the Sir Walter Ho
■ tel, of Raleigh, Saturday night. The
members of this band; are: Messrs.
Walter Farrell, Frank Farrell,
Frank Durham, Robert Clapp, David
Baker and Talton Riggsbee.
Mr. John Pace, of Maxton, was
a visitor at the home of R. J. Moore
Sunday, also Bobbie Hinton of Pitts
boro.
Mrs. C. L. Andrews is improving
at her home, after having undergone
an operation at McPhersons Hospi
tal, Durham.
The Bynum people feel proud of
the Pittsboro basket ball team. They
1 should be interested and help back
this team because two or three of
the best players are boys from our
community and town. The boys from
Bynum that are helping make the
first and second team, of Pittsboro,
are: Rufus Abernathy, Silas Hatley,
Rufus Johnson, James Durham,
Frank Snipes and Ulyde Avent.
Mr. and Mrs. Hampton Knight
spent Sunday With Mrs. Knight’s
sister in the White Cross section.
The Ladies’ Aid Society met with
Mrs. G. E. Moore on Tuesday night.
Mrs. A. E. Brown entertained the
Missionary Society on Friday night.
This Society has just been trying
hard to make it a success. *
ROBBERS RODE WITH
PREACHER
E,ev, Jonas Barclay, returning
Monday morning from his Haywood
appointment picked up three young
fellows who said they were making
their way to Florida and deposited
them at Moncure. Later in the day
he was told that the youngsters had
been arrested further south on a
charge of robbing a house at Bonsai
Sunday night.
This Christmas was the warmest
since 1915. In fact, it made many
heads of families hot under the col
lar.
am county, cannot give the details
of the early history of the landmark,
and just here decides that the sub
ject is worthy of the exploitation
of Hon. Walter D. Siler, and a re
quest of him will be made for an
article covering the matter. In this
connection, it is interesting to note
that in glancing over the records of
Wm. Hooper a few minutes ago,
one of the first names the writer
saw was that of a Philip Siler, and
those records were of date of 1771.
But Walter Siler knows more about
j the history of the county than any
! body in it, and would have known if
•I the Silers had not been among the
| early settlers.
j The Chapin building was erected
by the father of Dr. W. B. Siler 35
or 40 years ago and was used as an
office by him till his death, and then
occupied by Dr. W. B. Chapin, after
his return to Pittsboro from Town
ville, till about three years ago.
VOLUME 52. NUMBER 23
Colonial Landmark
'Goes Up in Blaze
First Chatham County Court
House, Erected in 1771,
Burned In Friday Night
Blaze Started at |10:30 —Fire
Agone No More.
HEART OF TOWN CLEARED
OF UNSIGHTLY SHACKS
Blaze Started at 10:330—Fire
Departments of Chapel Hill,
Sanford, Siler City Called.
Following a dynamite explosion
on New Year’s Eve by which some
miscreant made an attempt to de
stroy one or two of the oid wooden
relics on the west side of Main
street in the heart of Pittsboro,
there is not wanting suspicion that
the fire which destroyed the three,
buildings in the group where the.
dynamite was used, and the tali,
veii-preservea bunding tormeriy
occupied by Dr. Chapin, out more Re
cently by the W. R. Oldham barber
shop, was ox mcencrrary origin.
The fire semes to have started in.
the building used as a case for col
ored folk, the very one most dam
aged by the dynamite explosion.
Vv hen discovered, though not later
than 10:30 p. m., the fire had gained
considerable headway, so that the
glow might be seen from tne re
motest parts of the town when the
prompt ringing of the court house
bell called the whole population t»
the scene of the conflagration, and
by the time the firemen could get
the nre engine on tne scene the losa-
Oj" the three relics of the earlier days
of Pittsboro was a foregone conci'i
sion.
i\o attempt was made to put out
the nre, but only to protect the drug
store building nardby on the north
side, which was not difficult, as on
ly a few windows with tneir wood
en shutters on the side of the build
ing were inflamable, and the danger
from those points was removed oy
the hose which the chemical enigne
carried within the threatened
building. Yvnile the three were burn
ing with the furor of the tinder
dry woods of tne primeval forests,
the tall two-story building on the
south was leit lo its tate. If the
Chapel Hill or Sanford fire depart
ment had arrived at that stage that
building would probably have been
saved, out the Pittsboro engine was
too feeole to protect with its chemi
cal sprays the roof thirty *or forty
leet above the earth and*subject to
the direct heat of ithe inferno a
few yards distant. That it would
burn was evident, and the larger part
of the town's population stood by
awaiting helplessly the blazing of
the smoking building. Some of us
roolishly suggested blowing the
building up with dynamite to pre
vent possiole danger from the high
flung flames tnat would 'soon flaunt
themselves from the unduly tall
wooden structure, and Chief Gilmore
followed the suggestion in an at
tempt to overthrow the building.
But the explosion resulted in most
serious loss to tne buildings on both
sides of the street. Window lights
were broken by the wholesale, while
the now burning building stood a* -
firmly as ever. But the Fatrell
building had evidently been built
with the. menace of those old fire
traps in view. It irmposed a solid
brick wall from the ground up to
the intense heat, while the roof was
equally impentrable to fire. Nor did.
the more modern Chapin building
burn, it seemed, with the intensity
of the heavier timbered court house
erected more than 150 years ago
from the choice timbers of the pri
meval forest.
Landmark Passes
No one can deeply regret the re
moval of the eyesores from the
heart of town, yet it does seem a
pity that the timbers, at least, of
the court house erected in 1771
were not saved and incorporated in
another building to carry on the tra
dition of the later Colonial period,
when Chatham county was formed
and Pittsboro was designated as the
county seat. This old structure was
first erected on the original site of
the county seat a half-mile or more.'
to the southwest, but when the state
found the title to the Scurlock prop
erty purchased for the site of th&
new town to be imperfect in some
vuay and the land on the north side
of the creek was determined upon
for the capital site of the new coun
ty of Chatham, the court house was
torn down and re-erected on the site
where it had stood for more than
150 years till the fire demon destroy
ed it last Friday night, January 25,
1928. We are particular, here, to
incorporate the date, since this is
the obsequy of the most historic
building recently standing, not oniy
in Pittsboro, but anywhere in this
setion, unless at Hillsboro.
Occupied by Signer
Right in the building, presuma
ably, sat Wm. Hooper, one of North
Carolina’s signers of the
tion of Independence and wrote the
various records of his administra
tion as first clerk of the court for
Chatham county, whose records, in
a clear and legible script, are still
preserved and, being written on
linen paper, are destined to lass
hundreds of years longer, if they es
cape fire or wanton destruction. But
the writer, a new-comer to Chath-