WHO IS
FOREST CITY'S
PRETTIEST &IRL?
??????
VOL X—No. 47.
Six Dead, Thirteen Injured, At Shelby
MANY MIRACULOUS
ESCAPES AS SHELBY
BUILDINGS TUMBLE
Strange Providence Saves A Number of People
Trapped by Falling Steel and Timber
During Collapse of Walls in
Neighboring Town
MANY
Shelby, Aug. 28.—1n the after
math of Shelby's newest disaster,
came stories of miraculous escapes
from death.
As tons of brick came hurtling
down, carrying heavy beams and
steel supports, nobody had time to
flee. Those who escaped were more
fortunate than their fellows.
One of the most remarkable stories
was that told by W. C. Lutz, who had
charge of the squad of workmen in
the basement of the McKnight build-1
ing. They were lowering this base- '
ment for a bowling alley.
"There was a roar," said Mr. Lutz.
"It grew louder. We started to run
and I looked up and saw the ceiling
caving in. I had presence of mind
enough to throw myself against a
wall that divided the basement and
that was all that saved me.
"I don't remember what happened
for the next few moments. I found
myself imprisoned. The low wall had
held the beam off me and, while I
could barely move, I was uninjured.
"They tell me I was in there two
hours. I haven't any idea how long
it was but I found them digging and
finally they opened a hole big enough
for me to crawl through."
H* * *
Another remarkable story was told
by Hobson Austell, a bank employe.
"It sounded like lightning had
struck the building. I started to run
but before I had taken more than
a step or two, I was knocked down. ?
I crawled under a heavy table and
that saved me. As soon as the brick
stopped falling, I ran out."
Mr. Austell received only a minor
injury to his hand, received when
he fell as he reached the exterior
of the building.
* * *
Mrs. J. W. Harbison, wife of a (
Shelby surgeon, had a somewhat•
similar experience to Mr. Austell's.!
When the first indication of a col* |
lapse came, she ran for the door of j
the bank but was knocked down. j
She, too, crawled under a desk and j
tons of debris fell where she had j
been lying. She was unconscious
for some time.
The next thing she knew, a strang
er was touching her on the shoulder,
telling her it would be safe for her
to leave. She had a slight injury
on the head.
* * *
Everett Dellinger, brother-in-law
of Basil Goode, grocery store owner,
was keeping the store for Mr. Goode
when the collapse came.
"I heard a afrange noise and saw
the ceiling falling. I threw myself
under the counter and timber and
brick fairly covered me.
"I found myself in an almost air
tight compartment, unhurt, but I
realized I ought to have more air
and I pulled away at the weather
boarding. I found that a two-by-two
piece was holding the weight off me
and that a negro near me was hack
ing away at it. Everytime he hacked,
it seemed that the debris came
closer me." i
Mr. Dellinger heard negroes mar
him talking and he asked them if
they could get out. He says they
answered that they couldn't and that
the only thing to do was to pray.
Finally, someone on the outside
made an opening and he saw a
friend. He cried to him and the
rescuers soon made a hole large
enough for him to get out.
* * *
C. N. Ferree, manager of the cloth
ing department of Gilmers' Inc., a
department store, had been on the
second floor of the' Gardner building'
above the bank just a moment be
fore the collapse. Gilmers occupies
FOREST CITY COURIER
W. W. HEMPHILL
DIED FRIDAY
j
Weil-Known Man of Bridge
water Succumbs to Long
Illness. Funeral Satur
day
Bridgewater, Aug. 27. —Mr. W.
jW. Hemphill, aged 72, died at his
| home near here Friday. He had beeni
in declining health for sometime. A j
sudden attack of heart trouble Friday j
caused his death.
Funeral services were conducted at
his late home Saturday. Rev. John S.
Wobd, of Forest City, assisted Mr.
Hemphill's pastor in the obsequies, j
Mr. Hemphill is survived by his
widow, and five children, as follows:!
Mrs. Ed. Geer, Rutherfordton; Mrs. I
W. J. Moss, Charlotte; Miss Myrtle
Hemphill, Forest City and two sons
at home.
Mr. Hemphill was a well-known
citizen of his county, and a faithful
member of the Presbyterian church.
Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Hardin and
family spent the week end in Rock
Hill, S. C. the guests of Mrs. Hardin's
brother, Mr. W. D. Mintz. They also
visited their son Mr. Paul Hardin, in
Charlotte.
, !
We know of no picture more beau-j
tiful than that of the mother seated 1 J
by the fireside reading bedtime stor- j
ies to the children before she tucks I
them away for the night.
I
the entire second floor of the build
ing.
\ He reached the door which cut
j off the entf of the building from the j
j center part just as the noise of the |
: falling building started.
He ran down the steps, not realiz- |
. ing what had happened until he
j reached the street.
* * *
Carl Blanton, who along with his
father Zeb Blanton, was crushed in
the cave in of three buildings here
today, was in the bank along with
his father in the attempt to arrange
for a little home for the bride he
hoped to take home with him in
a few days.
The elder Blanton, who was the
j worst mutilated, the top of ljis
| head being mashed off, lived on
. \ the big farm owned by Charles and
George Blanton, heads of the First
National Bank, and to them he
brought his son who was seeking
' a farm home of his own.
, I
j** * |
' j
Fred Bowers, young filling sta-1
. tion proprietor, owes his life to a
Coca-Cola. Bowers had just driven
his roadster to the purb in front
of the bank and had started in
when he noticed that the bank
, lobby was crowded. "I'll go get a
dope first," he thought to himself,
. and he had not taken six steps when
; the building toppled in. "I never did
r get the dope, but what a dope it was,
; he said.
* * *
s J. D. Lineberger, Shelby business
1 man and one of the owners of the
• S. & W. Cafeteria chain who was in
the bank when the crash came, states
that the wall curved in suddenly
like a whip, then all crushed down at
• once.
t "I dashed for the door," he said,
i\ "I hung up for a second, then I
j.) fell into the street, just as the wall
J caved in on Carl Blanton just be
j I hind me."
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF FOREST CITY AND RUTHERFORD COUNTY
FOREST CITY, NORTH CAROLINA THUSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1928.
| AUGUST TERM
I SUPERIOR COURT
NOWJN SESSION
Judge Michael Schenck Presid
ing Over Civil Session of
of Superior Court This
Week
\
Rutherforcfron, Aug. 29.—Th e
August term of superior court for
trial of civil cases, convened here
Monday morning at 10 o'clock with
Judge Michael Jychenck, resident
judge of the Seventeenth Judicial
district, presiding.
Two important cases were set for
Monday, J. A. Hampton, administra
tor of Paul Hampton, deceased,
and Gertrude Philbeck against Gar
land and Dinwiddie, Inc.,
and the Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.
j These cases arose out of the accident
jnear Ellenboro last December when
| Paul Hampton, young Ellenboro
t school teacher was killed and Miss
1 Gertrude Philbeck, of Ellenboro, in
jured when the car in which they
fwere riding crashed into the rear of
| a parked truck, alleged to be the
j property of Garland & Dinwiddie,
jlnc., transporters for Atlantic &
j Pacific Tea Co. The case of Hampton
went to trial and evidence was heard
and argument begun. Counsel stated
that an agreement had been reached
and a compromise judgment was
signed whereby J. A. Hampton re
covers $3,500.00 and cost. The case
of Miss Gertrude Philbeck against
Garland & Dinwiddie and the Atlan
tic and Pacific Tea Co., was compro
mised on the payment of $750.00 by
the defendant. The defendant was
taxed with the costs of the case.
On Tuesday the case of A. L. Hard
|in against W. E. Moore, administra-
I tor of T. C. Mcßrayer was heard. In
| this case a compromise judgment was
| signed and the plaintiff recovers of
ithe defendant the sum of $500.00 in
! full satisfaction of all claims and de-
I mands against the Mcßrayer estate,
the defendant to pay costs.
Three divorces were granted, as
follows: Vonnie Taylor vs. Ernest
Taylor; Wofford Miller vs. Venie Mil
jier and Beuna Ferree vs. V. L. Fer
| ree.
I
I RUTHERFORDTON-SPINDALE
SCHOOLS OPEN MONDAY
Spindale, Aug. 28. —The Ruther
fordton-Spindale-Ruth schools will
open Monday, September 3. All indi
cations point to a fine term during
1928-29. Prof. B. L. Smith will again
superintend the school system. The
Spindale elementary school will be in
charge of Mr. Wendall Eaves, as
principal. Mr. Paul Huss, of Cherry
ville, has arrived and will be principal
of the Ruth school. Mr. Huss, a Car
olina graduate, was superintendent of
the Crouse school last year. Prof. W.
R. Hill is principal of the Rutherford
ton elementary school.
SPINDALE BAND TO GIVE
COIN CERT HERE FRIDAY
Program Will Begin at Eight
O'clock on The Plaza—
Good Program Arranged
The Spindale Band will give a
free, public concert on the plaza in
Forest City Friday evening, begin
ning at eight o'clock, according to
the director, Mr. D. C. Cole. This
concert will, in reality, be a 'good
will' concert.
The Spindale Band is proud of the
part it took in helping Forest City
win the state high school base-ball
championship at Chapel Hill in
May. The Band was a part of the
Forest City delegation that went to
Chapel Hill and the organization
played no small part in boosting the
team on to victory. , ''v
The Spindale Band is aow classed
"V
COOL SPRINGS
SCHOOLS OPEN
MONDAY MORNING
Parents Are Urged to Start!
Children First Day and
Continue Them in
School.
The Cool Springs Township Schools
will begin active work Monday, Sep
tember 3rd. All the pupils are urged
to have books the first day. In order
to do efficient work pupils must have
books. Many parents have bought
books, this week for their children.
These parents are very much inter
ested in the progress of their chil
dren. If records could be kept on the
children of parents who buy books
on time or ahead of time, it is be
lieved that the record would show
most of them on the passing list.
The farmers are especially urged
to start their children the first day.
Some of the parents may reason with
themselves in this manner: "It will
be only two weeks before my chil
dren will have to begin picking cot
ton. I will just keep them out of
school until I am thru picking cotton
and then start them to school." This
kind of argument is unjust to the
children. Begin them on time and
when cotton opens the boys and girls
who live on farms will be dismissed
at noon each day. In some special
cases pupils will be excused from
school a week or more in the cotton
picking season, provided they start
at the first of school. The principals
and superintendent will be glad to
eoepesate-with all the farmers dur
ing the gathering season provided
the parents show that they want to
keep their pupils in school as
much as possible. The farmers in
most cases have been very much in
terested in the progress of their chil
dren. Most of them will start their
children to school next Monday.
It is hoped that the compulsory
school law will not have to be used
this year. This law was not made for
ninety-five per cent of the parents.
It was made for those who really do
not care to send their children to
school. In some cases in town where
the pupils do not have to work, par
ents keep the children out of school.
It it hoped that the parents of pupils
under fourteen years of age will see
the principals of the respective
schools, in case it is impossible to
begin children on the first day.
MISS NELL YOUNG TO
OPEN KINDERGARTEN
Miss Nell Young will open a kin
dergarten Monday September 3, in
the Methodist Sunday school build
ing. Miss Young has had special train
ing in kindergarten work and she
will have all modern equipment. She
expects to furnish transportation for
children who cannot come alone.
Those who have not already enrolled
are requested to call Miss Young this
week. She will take all children be
tween the ages of three and six.
as one of the best musical organiza-j
tions in western North Carolina, and
is one of the oldest organizations of
its kind in the county. Organized in
1923 the band has not missed a
practice night, except in case of ne
cessity, since organization. The
membership of the band is composed
of men and boys of mills and offices
of Spindale, and are the most stable,
and dependable lot that can be found.
The requirements for membership
are necessarily strict, and all accept
ed for membership are required to
ibe present at every practice and
must live up to the rigid rules of dis
cipline imposed by the band'.
Mr. D. C. Cole, who has been
director of the band since its organi
sation is cQnstantly striving to make
it one of the outstanding musical or
| gawzations in the state.
COLLAPSE OF BUILDINGS
TUESDAY MORNING BRINGS
SORROW TO FRIENDLY CITY
Shelby Grieves as Sorrow Reigns Through City
—Known Death Toll Stands at Six— Others
Probably Under Wreckage—
Thirteen Injured
ALEXANDER NEWS
OF LATE INTEREST
W omens' Missionary Union
Holds Meeting at Alex
ander Church—Locals
and Personals
i
Alexander Mill, Aug. 29.—The
Sixteenth Annual W. M. U. meeting
of the Sandy Run Association met
with the Alexander Baptist church
Tuesday night and Wednesday.
Rev. R. C. Smith of Cliffside
preached the annual sermon Tuesday
night. On Wednesday morning Miss
Gertrude Mattison, W. M. U. Field
Worker, gave the address. On
Wednesday afternoon Mrs. J. H. Den
of Ridgecrest spoke on the Relief An
nuity Fund. Several other speakers
gave interesting numbers on the pro
gram.
The Alexander Women did their
best to welcome all of the visitors
to our town.
Miss Lamb, of Siler City, is visit-1
ing her sister, Mrs. Allison.
On last Sunday morning Rev. Mar
ion Blanton preached here for Rev. |
C. C. Matheny who was away in a
meeting. Mr. Blanton used for his
subject, "Personal Soul Winning."
Miss Kate Mae Hamrick is spend
ing a few days with her parents. l
Mrs. Hamrick has been attending
summer school in Jefferson City,
Tenn.
BOILING SPRINGS JUNIOR
COLLEGE OPENS MONDAY
Boiling Springs, Aug. 28.—Boiling
Springs operating for the first time
this fall as a junior college will open
its doors Monday.
The trustees met Monday and
established a loan fund for worthy
college students. This money will be
loaned to boys and girls who could
not attend college otherwise.
The trustees also authorized the
construction of a new gym, the con
tract of which will be let this week.
The college department will be
placed on the accredited list of col
leges, and all students attending there
will be given full credit by the State
Board of Education. Miss Katharine
Goggans, former teacher of music in
the Cool Springs High school, will be
director of music at Boiling-Springs.
Several students from t Forest City
and surrounding communities will be
in school there this year.
FARM MEETING
There will be a meeting at the
farms of Mr. B. G. and Henry Moore
on Friday, August 31 at 9 o'clock. j
This meeting is to study the ap
plication of -fertilizers on cotton.
There is also some variety tests.
Mr. Homer H. B. Mask and Mr.
Boyd, from Raleigh, will be at the
jmeeting and speak. Messrs. Moores
will serve refreshments.
Mrs. Thomas W. Dillingham, who
has been spending the summer with
Mr. and Mrs. J. Worth Morgan, re
turned to her home in Washington,
D. C., Monday.
In the mail order catalogue did
you see any mention of company in
vestments in Forest City? Did you ev
er see one of your neighbor's-names
on the company payroll or the cor
poration's name on the city's tax
rolls?
When some men do you favors
they never let you forget it.
16 Pages "
• • , •. ■ ♦
96 COLUMNS
SI.OO Per Year in Advance
LATEST REPORT FROM
SHELBY
According to a repbrt receiv
■ed by The Courier from the
I Cleveland Star, of Shelby, at
3:30 p. m., Wednesday, the
death toll of Shelby's disaster
was still the same. The work of
removing the wreckage is go
ing forward rapidly, and at
that time had been practically
cleared up. There was no an
ticipation of finding more bod
ies in the debris. No new de
velopments were reported from
the Shelby Hospital. Miss Mar
guerite Callahan, one of the
most severely injured, was
resting comfortably, and her
chance for recovery is good.
Miss Callahan was formerly a
resident of Forest City.
» * *
Disaster struck Shelby with a heavy
hand Tuesday morning when the wall
jof three business buildings occtfpied
)by the First National Bank. Goode
Grocery Co., and a tailor shop, irt the
heart of the city, toppled in," burying
a score or more of employees, killing
at least six and injuring thirteen.
Those known dead are Miss Ora
j Eskridge, executive clerk of the First
National Bank; Guy Green, 23, bank
clerk; Alex Hoyle, 24, bank clerk;
Zeb Blanton, 60, a farmer who liv
ed five miles west of Shelby; Carl
Blanton, 26, his son; Clyde Carpen
ter, of Casar.
Thirteen were injured and as The
Courier goes to press eight of the in
jured are in the Shelby Hospital, two
or more of them being in a very ser
ious condition.
' The accident occurred practically
l without warning Tuesday morning
about 9:30. An excavation was being
j made under the McKnight building
lon West Warren Street. The base
ment was being deepened and length
ened in order to place a bowling al
ley in it. The work of excavating was
completed last Saturday but the gang
of workmen under Mr. Lutz was en-,
gaged in smoothing the walls and
flooring when the crash came. The (
entire building above seemed to slip
| into the basement. It is reported that
the excavation was made too close
to the foundations of the adjoining
* - >
building. . r>i
Shortly after the disaster volun
teer crews of workmen, assisted by
the chaingang force, began the task
( of tearing away the debris and
| searching for the bodies of those
I under the mass of wreckage. Capt.
Peyton McSwain's company of Na
tional guardsmen were called out to
[assist in keeping order and to keep
the milling mobs back out of danger.
Various reports placed the dead at
from fifteen to thirty, but as The
Courier goes to press the death list
had reached six. It is probable, it is
said, that other bodies may be found
in the wreckage. It was definitely
reported late Tuesday that two per
sons were missing and that they were
seen to run into the alley before the
crash. The crews, working on shifts,
(have not cleared the alley yet.
To Investigate Disaster
Mayor Dorsey announced Tuesday
afternoon that he had ordered! an
inquest to be called to fix the respon
sibility for the disaster. The property
loss, it is reported, will exceed $14)0,-
000. As The Courier goes to press
volunteer crews continue to remove
the wreckage and search for bodies
of other victims believed to be Jrnr
i ied under, the hpge mass of tangled
steel, timber and brick. v ..