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A RANDOLPH COUNTY PAPER FOR RANDOLPH COUNTY PEOPLE.
VOL. 6. NO. 1
ASHEBORO, N. C, THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1910.
ONE DOLLAR AYEAR.
DOCTOR AND WIFE IN IAIL .
CHARGED WITH SERiCUS j
rviiTii.
One Girl Dead and Another May Die
as Result of Malpractice.
A special from High Point to
Monday's Charlotte Observer
says:
One of the saddest tragedies
that ever occured here happened
last night when a young girl by
the name of Bessie Thomasson
of Statesville died at the home
of Dr. W. L. Vestal on account
of an illegal operation which had
been performed by Dr. VV. L.
Vestal last Tuesday night.
The police were notified about
the condition of the young girl
just a short time before she died
and when they arrived at the
home of Dr. Vestal they not only
found the one who is now dead,
but also found another young
girl who gave her name as May
Owen from Linwood, and who
was in a serious condition. She
had also gone through the same
operation.
Last night about 11 o'clock
Drs. Stanton and McAnally were
called to the home of Dr. Vestal
to see Bessie Thomasson and
they at once saw that the girl
was in a most critical condition.
They suggested to Dr. Vestal
that the patient be taken to the
hospital for treatment and made
the arrangements but it wTas
soon learned that the girl was at
that time in a dying condition
and that to remove her would be
only hastening her death. At
about 12 o'clock she died after
having a number of spasms. ,
Before she died she made a
full confession to the physicians
telling about the operation and
her treatment.
May Owen, the other girl, was
removed to the hospital by the
policeman and her condition to
night seems some better, but is
yet regarded as serious.
Bessie Thomasson came here
last Sunday night from her home
at Statesville without the know
ledge of her father, to receive
treatment from Dr. Vestal. She
was induced to come here by a
young man named Levy May
nard of this city who it is claim
ed, is the man who got the girl
in trouble. Maynard lived in
Statesville for quite a while,
during which time he met the
young girl ana was keeping
company with her. An old
woman by the name of Susan
Darr, who lives on Reid street,
was engaged by Maynard Friday
morning at 9 o'clock to go to the
home oi ur. vestal ana nurse
the girl. Before the coroner's
.i ..'t.i.
inquest sne statea that as soon
as she arrived she learned what
the trouble was and also found
the girl in a critical condition.
The bed linen was badly soiled
and the general condition of the
room, was filthy. Mrs. Darr was
employed to only nurse the
Thomasson girl but when she
arrived to the scene she found
both girls in the same room suf
fering from the same trouble.
Yesterday afternoon Dr. J. R.
Reitzel was called to see the pa
tients by Dr. Vestal. Dr. Reit
zel informed Mrs. Vestal that
one of the girls was dangerously
sick and should be removed to
the hospital. At first Dr. Reit
zel was told that Dr. Vestal was
sick and wished to see him, but
later they also told him that they
wanted him to see two girls who
had been stopping, with them
for about a week. Later Bessie
Thomasson told Dr. Reitzel that
an illegal operation had been per
formed on her by Dr. Vestal and
that Levy Maynard and at that
time 140 and her temperature
3 again call
not go and
. i
mmiing more was
heard by the
public until last night.
This afternoon at 3 o'clock a
coroner's inquest was held by
Coroner W. W. Wood of Greens
boro, and County Attorney John
N. Wilson also of Greensboro.
The following gentlemen com
posed the jury: W. H. Ragan,
A. M. Rankin, J. H. Tate, H. W.
Frazier, A. P. Stanh y and J. L.
Sechrest. At the inquest the
following witnesses were ex
amined by.the county attorney;
Dr. J. R. Reitzel, Dr. W. J. Mc
Anally, Dr. D. A. Stanton, Un
dertaker J. W. Sechrest, R. H.
Sechrest, Mrs. Susan Darr. The
verdict of the jury was as fol
lows: "The deceased came to
her death by the unlawful act of
one Dr. W. L. Vestal and that
Levey Maynard and Mrs. W. L.
Vestal were accessories to the
same."
There was a post-mortem ex
amination held immediately after
the jury met by Dr. Fortune of
Greensboro, county physician,
Dr. D. A. Stanton and Dr. J. R.
Reitzel. At this examination all
the evidence submitted was sub
stantiated. RICHLAND TOWNSHIP SUNDAY
SCHOOL CONVENTION.
The Township Sunday school
convention for Richland town
ship will convene with Pleasant
Hill Methodist Protestant church
on the third Sunday in July at i
10 o'clock a. m. All Sunday
school workers are invited to be
i i .
on nana ana take Lart in tne
discussions. Following is the
programme.
Devotional Exercises, by the
Pastor.
Words of welcome- I. F. Han
cock.
Response M. J. Presnell.
xSong.
Enrollment of Delegates.
Why we are here, O.
V.
D.
Lawrence.
How we may increase Mission
ary Interests in Sunday school
J. H. Spencer.
Solo, Miss Mabel Stuart.
Address on Sunday School
Work Prof. W. P. Lawrence.
Collection 'for Sunday School
Work.
Reading Reports.
Intermission.
1:30 P. M The Vital Connec
tion Between church and Sunday
School Rev. J. A. Ledbetter.
Value of the Home Depart
ment S. S.,Cox.
SONG.
The Teacher's Duty to His
Class W. J. Moore.
The Value of Class Organiza
tion J. JN. Cagle.
Three Most Desirable
cations of a Sunday
Teacher A. M. Macon.
The Value of the
Qualifi
School Sunday
school to the community Rev.
H. A. Albright.
Song.
Round Table, Conducted by
the President.
Report of Committee on His
tory of Township Convention.
Election of Officers.
Song.
Election of Delegates to the
County Convention.
Place of Next Meeting.
Adjournment. I
G. F. Garner, Pres.
Miss Etta Auman, Sec.
A Hot Time Expected.
It seems at present that with
79 counties heard from, ten
withholding instructions and
nineteen to hear from, the Allen
Manning contest stands : Allen,
402,26; Manning, 358,26. If the
convention has to decide the con
test, which' is not at all improb
able in views of this situation,
all fear of a dull time will vanish.
Charlotte Observer.
105. Dr. Reitzel wa
ed ater but CQud
CITIZENSHIP AND .PUBLIC HEALTH.
Responsibility for Public lte?M Gar
Greatest Civic Responsibility.
The essential difference be
tween the citizen and the savage
is the expression in his daily
routine by the former of the
principle, "No man liveth unto
himself." This biblical axiom
is the basis ' of -civilization, be
cause it expresses a relation that
law defines and controls. It
naturally follows that the clear
er our mental perception, the
more distinctly will we recog
nize the many and subtile bonds
that unite our fortunes or our
fates into a weh of weal pr woe.
Knowledge gives acuteness of
mental vision, and, therefore, it
is knowledge that opens the
gates of a higher civilization and
gives to him who desires the op
portunity to become a better
citizen.
The . relation of one man's
property to another's is easily
recognized, and is firmly estab
lished upon universally accepted
principles of civil law. The re
lation of one man's life to an
other's has only within the last
half century been established
upon principles of natural law.
But, as yet, the knowledge of
these natural laws has not been
widely enough disseminated to
produce sufficient public senti
ment to weld them into our stat
utes. Man's greatest civic obligation
is to the public health. This
sounas iikc tne exaggeration ot j
an enthusiast. Nevertheless, it
rests upon those primary and
fundamental principles of law
that for over four thonsand years
have been the basis of civiliza
tion. Writ in tables of stone by
the Supreme Judge himself,
these legal principles are so com
prehensive as to embrace man's
every possible relation: His rela
tion to the Court of Heaven; his
relation to the court of the home,
and his relation to the court
of
man.
fully,
rules
But-note, and note care
that the first of the five
governing man's relation j
to man is the law protecting life.
First, not by haphazard, but first
by Omniscient design, because
it is just as fundamental to the
last four of tiiese five laws as
life is fundamental to chastity,
property, reputation, and neigh
borly comfort. Note further,
that "Thou shalt not kill" car
ries no provisions limiting its
application to the 5,000 deaths
occurring annually in the United
States through willful acts of
commission, and excluding the
500,000 deaths annually occur
ring in our country by an act of
passive omission. Every citizen
who does not take a serious in
terest in the public health of his
or her community is a partisan
to this criminal destruction of
life. Like Lady Macbeth dip
ping her bloody hands in water,
we say, "Out! damned spot,"
but it will not out, for all the
real and feigned ignorance and
indifference into which we sub
merge our individual and public
consciences.
And now, lastly, how can the
conscious citizen this does not
include everybody discharge
this obligation? He can easily
inform himself, with a total
amount of reading of not over
ten hours, of the principal facts
which will enable one to take an
active and intelligent part in this
work. He can be supplied, with
out cost, with this literature by
writing the Secretary of the
State Board of Health at Raleigh
to place his or her name on the
mailing list for the monthly Bul
letin. He can read article? on
this subjei-.t appearing in this
paper monthly. He can -vote for
aldermen, county commissioners,
and legislators who are informed
in regard to this important problem.
New Railroad Law Not to Be Op
prcssive.
Beverly, Mass., July 1. Presi
dent Taft had a long talk today
with Chairman Knapp, of the
Interstate Commerce Commis
sion, regarding the administra
tion of the new railroad rate
law. At the conculsion of the
interview it was made plain that
the added authority given to the
Commission by the new satute
is not to be used arbitrarily or
for the purpose of hindering the
railroads in the conduct of their
legitimate business. The power
to suspend new rates, probably
the most direct weapon placed
in the hands of the Commission,
is to be used only in exceptional
cases.
Chairman Knapp told the
President that the Commission
already had refused an, applica
tion under the new law for a su
spension of increased rates on
horse vehicles and automobiles.
He said that there was nothing
on the face of things to show
that the new rates were unjust
or unreasonable.
Commission Will Act Speedily
The Interstate Commerce
Commission will not attempt to
fix definite rate? for the rail
roads, and the power of a su
spension will be applied only to
rates when a preliminary hear
ing gives indication that they
are excessive. In all such con
testested cases, the President
was informed, the Commission
will endeavor to arrive at the
facts at the earliest possible
moment, and it is not believed
that in any case will it be neces
sary to avail itself of the full
limit of eleven months allowed
under the law.
From time to time since the
new law went into effect there
have been indications that some
of the big railroads have been
considerably worried- as- to the
extent and the manner in which
the rate regulating clauses of
the new law would be employed
by the Commission. Stock
manipulators in Wall Street who
had been informed were trying
to trade upon this doubt and to
make the most of the situation
to their own advantage.
Law Not Intended as a Club.
It can be authoritatively stated
that it was never intended that
the new law should be a club or
that it should be the . means of
profit taking by "bears" in the
market. The Commission will
not "run amuck" and will do
nothing to jeopardize the inter
ests of investors. There has
been talk
of a possible fright
among European
investors and
the embarrassing results that
might come from throwing over
stocks at crop-moving time. But
the President
the situation
such views.
sees nothing in
to warrant any
The new law is being ' 'tried
out" The President feels that it
is in the hands of a conservative
body of men. It always has
been the aim of the Presidents
to make the Commission, with
its quasi judicial functions, a con
servative body. President Taft,
above all, is anxious that this
character of the Commission shall
be maintained. It was at his
repuest that Chairman Knapp
came to Beverly today. Mr.
Knapp left for Washington to
night.
President and Commission'
Agree.
Mr. Taft was pleased to find
that the Commission alQady had
its plans well mapped out and
that its views of the new statute
1 coincide thoroughly with those
TOWNSHIP REPRESENTATION IN
COUNTY CONVENTION.
Based on one vote fr every
4
twenty-five votes cast for J. El
wood Cox, Republican candidate
for governor in 1908, each town
ship is entitled to the following
number of votes in the county
convention to be held in Ashe
boro July 16th:
Trinity 6 votes
West New Market.... 6 "
East New Market 2 "
Providence 4 "
Liberty 6 "
' Back Creek 6 "
Randleman 12 "
West Franklinville .. 5 "'
East Franklinville.... 6 "
Columbia... 10."
Concord 6 "
Cedar Grove 6 "
Asheboro 6 "
Grant 6 "
Coleridge 5 "
New Hope ( 3 "
Union 4 "
Richland 4 "
. Brower 3 "
Pleasant Grove 3 ""
Tabernacle 8 "
TOTAL 117.
.
RANDOLPH COUNTY REPUBLICAN
CONVENTION.
The Republican Convention
for Randolph county is called to
meet in the Court House in Ash
boro on Saturday July, 16, 1910,
at 10:30 o'clock a. m., to nomi
nate candidates for the General
Assembly and for the various
county offices, to elect delegates
to the State, Congressional Ju
dicial and Senatorial Conven
tions, to elect a chairman and
county executive committee,
and to transact such other busi
ness as may come before it.
The township primaries are
called to meet at the various vot
ing precincts on Saturday, July
9, 1910, at 3 o'clock, p. m., and
instruct, for such nominees as
they may desire and elect dele
gates to the county convention,
bassd upon the representation of
one delegate to every twenty-five
votes or f ractionrl part thereof,
cast for the Republican candi
date for Governor in 1908: also
to nominate candidates for Justi
ces of the Peace and Constables
and to elect township executive
committee to consist of three ac
tive Republicans for each pre
cinct which committee shall elect
one of their number chairman.
It is desired "that there shall be
a full attendance of Republicans
as these primaries and that every
township shall have a full rep
resentation in the county con
vention. Hon. A. E. Holton and other
prominent republicans will ad
dress the convention.
Done by order of the Execu
tive Committee, this June 4th,
1910.
J C. L. HOLTON,
Chairman.
of the framers.of the bill.
it is telt that it would De a
crreat imnediment to the rail
roads to have every new rate
suspended and put through the
eleven month's period of deter
mination as to its reasonableness.
Chairman Knapp discussed this
feature of the law at some length
with the President, and cited
the refusal of the Commission to
susDend the automobile and ve
hicle rates as an indication that
the cower of suspension is not
' to be used indiscriminately.
The Commission is anxious
that there shall be as little fric
tion with the railroads as possi
ble. and, with President Taft,
is anxious that nothing shall be
done to menace the prosperity of
the railroads so long as they
comply with the terms of the
law.
BILIOUS,?
CONSTIPATED ?
HEADACHE?
FOR
SPEEDY RELIEF,
Nearly Everybody
TAKES
SIMMONS LIVER REGULATOR
v&tVOUL?
THE NEWSPAPER.
While it may be true that there
are some newspapers i l some
places that are controlled through:
their advertising columns; that
the department store controls the
newspapers and the interests con
trol the department store, and
the news and editorials are color
ed through these influences, the
great majority of newspapers
and true as steel. Of the critics
of the Dress is the braving of
galled jades. Every goocPcause
seeks the support of the news
paper and obtains it, while evil
doers try to use or silence it and
usually without success. To ex
pose and oppose wrong, is an al
most involuntary rule among
newspaper workers. The rule is
to learn the facts and print them
-to know the truth and not hide
t under a bushel. The press
stands for light, i not darkness.
It is the greatest power in mod
ern civilization. Thieves and
rascals of low and high decree
hate and malign it, but no conest
man has cause to fear the abuse
of its power. It is a beacon, not
a false light. It casts beams of
light in dark places and brings
countless crimes to light. Its
name is light and its aim is know
ledge. Ignorance and crime flee
before it like mist before the sun.
Ex. j
A CARD FROM THE CIVIC LEAGUE.
No doubt every one has no
ticed with gratification the mark
ed improvement in the cemetery
grounds, but it may not be gen
erally known that every one is
invited and urged to contribute
to a fund for the care of God's
acre.
To those of us to whom the
place is sacred the opportunity
to have a part in this special
care is deeply appreciated.
The amount of $300 a year is
being raised, and plot owners
have agreed to pay $6.00 per
year; but any part of that amount
would be gratefully accepted by
the cemetery committee of which
D. B. McCrary is Treasurer.
License to Wed.
Since June 23 marriage license
have been issued by the register
of deeds to the following:
Geo. E. Woodell, Addie Vun
Canon. v
Robt. E. Allred, Annie Maie
Ellington. - . -
.T.ft. Hawkins FlnsaiA Sfalmr
J; A. Brady, Dora Kivett.
Wm. Baxter, Pearl Luck.
R. E. Pool, Ardelia Boon.
in VALf VgAJP