VOLUME XXXII -NUMBER 15 LAURINBURG, N. C. fHURSDAY. APRIL 9, 1914. $1.50 PER YEAR, IN ADVANCE COUNTY COMMENCEMENT HELD AT SNEAD'S GROVE Boys and Girls of Scotland's Schools Render Fine Program Big Crowd Attests Educational Enthusiasm Weather Ideal and Dinner Appetizing and Abundant. Athletic Events in Afternoon. The boys and girls were the "whole show" at Scotland coun ty's school commencement last Friday at Snead's Grove, and a fine show they made. From tiniest tot to stalwart youth and graceful maiden they one and all acquitted themselves splendidly and reflected high credit upon their painstaking instructors. Ideal weather and educational enthusiasm combined to draw a multitude to the "Grove," sur rounding counties being repre sented among the throng of Scot landers. Good humor, good pro gram, good dinner, good order all these conspired to give a "good time" to fifteen hundred happy men, women and children. Bright sunshine took the edge off the crisp morning air and made possible holding the exer cises in the open air. Hard by the school house a large stage had been erected and prettily dec orated and seats were arranged all around. THE PROGRAM. Superintendent Peelewas mas ter of ceremonies, and kept the program running smoothly. "America" was sung by the schools of the county as the open ing number, and then prayer was offered by Rev. J. H. Dixon, af ter which Principal J. A. Horna day of Snead's Grove school made the welcoming address, in which he extolled the importance and value of the county com mencements. The declamation contestants were Lee Lassiter of Spring Hill school, Colin McArthur of Lau rinburor, Robert Gibson of Ma son's, Cross, Patterson Codington v of Snead's Grove and George Hargrave of Laurel Hill. Each young man spoke well and the contest was in doubt until Har grave had made a start, and then it was clear that he would win the laurels. Later this popular judgment was found to be con firmed by the judges' decision. Music by John's Station school andasongby Spring Hill school was followed by two bewitching playlets. "Little Boy Blue" and The Town Musicians," by pu pils of the first grade Laurinburg schools, under the direction of their teacher, Miss Roberta Co ble. Miss Ruth McKinnon, tenth grade Laurinburg schools, capti vated the crowd with her recita tion of F. Hopkinson Smith's hu morous story of ' The One-Legged Goose." Miss McKinnon's ren dition was lifelike to the last syl lable in the quaint and effective darkey dialect, and she held her hearers enthralled from first to last. The biggest battle of the day was next staged in the spelling contest. Two dozen or more boys and girls were lined up, with L. M. Blue of Gibson as spelling master. Before beginning the contest Mr. Blue paid worthy tribute to Webster's "Blue-Back Speller" the criterion by which the young contestants were to be tried. First one and then an other fell by the wayside, until finally only two young girls -both from Mason's Cross school were left to struggle for the honor and the prize. After a gruelling fire of hard words Miss Lottie Wright was left in pos session of the field where all but she had fallen wounded in the war of wits and words. Ma son Cross school thus became possessor of the silver cup while little Miss Wright won the dic tionary presented by M. L. John, Esq., of Laurinburg. The John Charles McNeill med al for essay by high school stu dent on "The Place of the Public Schools in the Life of Scotland County" was won by Boyd White of Mason Cross school and was presented in very brief re marks by Dr. J. L. Gibson of Lau rinburg, who conformed to the school committee's rule confining speech-making to members of the schools, declaring that what it took to cut out oratory, he had it or knew where to get it." v The grammar school essay med al offered by The Laurinburg Exchange was won by Miss Marie Tedder, seventh grade Lau rinburg schools, whose subject was "Things I Like Best." The Exchange made the presentation in 18 seconds and Miss Tedder then read her essay, which will be published in this paper at an early day. Those awarded diplomas admit ting them to eighth grade (high school) were : Laurinburg Mary Fields, Car olyn Patterson, May McArn, Alex Mclntyre, Marshall Prince, William Teller, Halstead Coving ton, Bernice Douglas, Aggie Mor rison, Juanita Burney, Eugenia Fairley, Eva Walters, Marie Ted der, Inez Tedder, Pansy Beach am, Lula Tatum, Broma Hum ble, Leila Cowan, George Odom. j Spring Hill Anna Stubbs, Lon- ; me StubDS. Annie Gillis. Mason Cross Elmore Gibson. William Dawkins. Snead's Grove Lucy Douglass! Snead, Minnie Elva Norton, Fred j Glenn Currie, Alva Murray Cov ington, Arthur Dewey Coving ton. Rev. J. C. Humble's benedic tion marked the conclusion of the morning program. DINNER. Soon baskets and boxes were unloaded and the feast began, and a typical Scotland county feast it was generous in quan tity and unsurpassed in rich and dainty quality. When the "inner man" of all the hundreds had been satisfied a brief rest was taken before the afternoon's en tertainment got under way. ATHLETIC CONTESTS. Gne-hundresl yard dash : Tie between Ralph Sanford of Lau rinburg and Glenn McArthur of Spring Hill. High jump: Entrants, Clifton Fairley and Ralph Calhoun of Lauiinburg and Maui Ice Thread gill of Snead's Grove. Won by Threadgill. Broad jump: Entrants, San ford, Threadglll and Warwick. Won by Sanford. The baseball field became an animated scene when the crowd old and young became trans formed into vociferously rooting fans, cheering and guying their favorites. The line-up was: Laurinburg Caldwell, catcher; Blue, pitcher; McArn, first base; Fields, second base; McLaurin, third base; Carmichael, shortstop; Prince, right field; Shaw, center field Pay lor, left field. County Pate, catcher; Olive, pitcher; Buie, first base; McAr- j thur, second base; Warwick, third base; Watson, shoi estop; Size more, right field; Gibson, center field; Threadgill, left field, j Umpire, Bob Coving con. Scorer, C. W. Odom. Laurinburg scored one run in the first inning, and then stood still for a disheartening spell, while the County team piled up four runs in the first two innings, but the county boys stopped short in hits and runs right there, while Laurinburg got five more runners across the plate in the latter half of the game, the score standing 6 to 4 in favor of Lau rinburg at the end. Laurinburg got 13 hits and made 2 errors; County, 4 hits and 4 errors. Of the town players those getting more than one hit were: Cald well 3; Blue and Fields 2 each. The game was brightened by many good plays, and interest was tense to the last. The town boys owe much to Professor Cald well's playing and coaching, for in weight they were far out classed by their opponents. And thus ended the third county commencement held in Scotland. and the best and most largely attended, say those famil iar with the school history of the county. The only accident of the day was a broken arm suffered by Clifton fairley in the high-jump contest. A thrillingly amusing side-line event during the baseball game was a series of scraps between one little lad of about 10 years and three separate combatants of equal or greater ag It was i THE PON1H CONTEST The Pony Contest is creating a great sensation and interest is running high. The first count of ballots has been made and the following ten children are leading in the race: Charlie Prince Frances Hubbard Ferris Cole Edgar Harris Henry Cox Annie May Ross Maggie Quick Edith Moore Gibson Thos. Everett Lee Tucker There are quite a number of contestants that have received votes who will no doubt be high up in the list next week and will be making those now leading get a hurry on. Lack of space forbids our mentioning the en tire list of contestants, so we only name those leading. Get votes at either of the following places of business: The Laurinburg Exchange The Gem Theatre The Yellow Store Blue's Drug Store McLaurin & Shaw W.T.M'KENZIE REFUSED NEW TRIAL Supreme Court of North Carolina Hands Down a Decision Con firming Verdict of Lower Court in the Conviction of Will T. McKenzie of Murder in the First Degree-Governor to Be Appealed to. STATE NEWS. On April 1st more than 6,000 parcel post pa:kages wee mailed in Greensboro. One day's fishing in the Pam lico river near Kinston the past week resulted in the catching of 7,800 shad. The annual meeting of I the State Epworth League is to be held in Wilmington, June 171 to John Skelton Williams, comp troller of the currency, is to ad dress the N. C. Bankers' Asso ciation in Raleigh, May 11. The Scotland Neck Common wealth has been sold by J. C. Hardy to Luther Mills Kitchin, son of Congressman Kitchin. The postoffice safe at Siler City was blown open and robbed of $50C in stamps and $275 in cash April 3. No clue to robbers. H. B. Holland is successfully operating a canary farm in Craven county. A large number of little songsters is looked for from the nests this month. William Laurie Hill has se linquished the editorship of Our Fatherless Ones, the Barium Or phans Home paper, and is now traveling agent for The Presby terian Standard. Pink C. Ennis, well known throughout North Carolina as the publisher of Turner's Almanac, died at his Raleigh home last Wednesday. Mr. Ennis was 62 years of age and was born at Salisbury. Mr. B. Adams of Newpoi c, N. C , while visiting in Wilmington desired to mail a letter and spy ing a red box near a telephone pole went to it to deposit the letter. In trying to get the box open, it being a fire alarm box, he turned in a call' that brought out the fire department. B. B. Mallison and wife lost their suit against the Norfolk Southern R. R. last week in which they asked for damages on ac count of Mrs. Mallison's ill health alleged to have been caused by having to wait in a poorly heated room of the company at Kinston. In the second annual contest of the High School Debating Union of North Carolina held at Chapel Hill last week two 15-year-old Winston-Salem boys, Chas. Rod dick and Clifton Eaton, won for the negative the debate on the question, "Resolved, That the Constitution of North Carolina should be so amended as to in clude the initiative and referen dum." This is the outcome of the debates held on the same sub ject throughout the State, March 20th, between 600 debaters rep resenting 150 schools. The vic tory of these very young boys is indeed notable. fast and furious while it lasted, and the little "white hope" won out against all comers. It was fair and funny and no harm done. GENERAL NEWS. Fleas carried in sacks of sugar, and not rat?, are ' responsible for recently repoi ced cases of bubonic plague at Havana, Cuba, accord ing to Surgeon John Guiteras. The city of Torreon was cap tured by Villa last week, 2,500 being reported killed and wound ed. Most of the Fpprnla caped, and Villa is in pursuit for . . 1 r Ortner Dutcnery. ; 'tL&rrvffs-A ." "-i '.V- ; o-ueunng new unaer tne sun" developed last weak in the incorporation, Apiil 4, at Al bany, N. Y., of the American Posture League, a national body whose object will be to get peo ple to sit up and stand up straight. Absolute prohibition is sched uled to prevail in the U. S. Navy on and after July 1 next. Upon recommendation of Surgeon General Braisted, the following order has been issued by Secre tary Daniels: "The use or in troduction, for drinking purposes, of alcoholic liquors on board any naval vessel, or within any navy yard or station, is strictly pro hibited, and commanding officers will be held directly responsible for the enforcement of this or der." This will abolish officers' wine mess. Listen, Children. The Laurinburg Exchange is in the Pony and Bicycle Contest, and every paid subscription you secure for us for one year entitles you to 750 votes. This is your opportunity to get votes in great numbers. Call on your friends, have them renew their subscription or get on our sub scription list for a year. Each and every yearly subscription paid gets 750 votes. We also give coupons with every job that we print and every advertise ment that we print. Get your friends to let us do their job printing and to get their adver tisements in now, and secure their coupons. You get five times as many votes from us as you do from others. Get busy and get the Pony. Paving to Be Commenced Scon. In talking to Mayor Tucker, Monday, about the Main street paving, the reporter was advised by Mr. Tucker that actual work would be Commenced on the pav ing within three weeks. This will be glad tidings to the majority of the citizens cf Lau rinburg. It is an improvement that has long been needed and one that this publication has long clamored for. The administra tion deserves, and doubtless will receive, the thanks of the citi zens of progressive Laurinburg for their action in the matter. The work will require an ex penditure on the part of the town of about $5, 000. Property-owners will pay two-thirds of the cost. The Supreme Court of North Carolina handed down a decision last Wednesday affirming the ver dict of the lower court in finding Will T. McKenzie, a young man of Scotland county, guilty of mur der in the first degree. The crime, as our readers know, hap pened in Scotland county ne?r Laurinburg, on the afternoon of October 22, 1912. McKenzie, who, it was alleged, was mad with his brother-in-law Peter D. Jones, went taa field from which Jones was delivering cord woci and shot him to death. The case was moved to- Robeson county for trial, and on Saturday, Sep tember 6, 1913, the jury hearing the case returned a "verdict of murder in the first degree, and McKenzie was sentenced to die in the electric chair on Octofc2r 23th last. From this verdict the defense appealed to the Supreme Court, and on March 21th the matter was argued bsfore that court, the court refusing to in terfere with the decision of the lower coit. The case was one of much in terest, McKenzie r :ing a young man with a large family connec tion and a carrier on one of the rural routes from the Laurinburg office. Mr. Jones, his victim, was also a man of wide connec tion and a very popular and well liked citizen. Both the defense and the Stfe were ably repre sented in the trial of the case, which attracted a great deal of attention throughout the State. The defense admitted that Mc Kenzie killed his brother-in-law, Jones, but claims that it was an act of self-defense and asked for i at? acquStt-il. The Sifce contend ed that McKenzie wilfully and de liberately sought Mr. Jones for the purpose of killing him, and upon finding him, after exchang ing a few words, deliberately shot him to death. This decision of the Supreme Court wipes away all hope of saving the young man unless the Governor should intervene in his behalf, and even with this inter ference, it would mean nothing less than a commuition to a life sentence. It is now the duty of the Governor to set a new date for the electrocution, which will in all probability be done at an early date. McKenzie has been in the Robe son county jail since being car ried there for trial last Septem ber. The Thursday edition of The News and Observer contained the following report of the Supreme Court's decision : "State v. McKenzie is another murder case. Defendant killed his deceased wife's brother. Chief Justice Clark for the Su preme Court states : 'Testimony is admissible to show the feeling of the prisoner towards the fam ily of his deceased wife, whose brother he slew, by reason of their allegations of ill treatment of his wife by prisoner and their feeling toward him, as tending to show motive for the crime. Ev idences of former difficulties be tween the defendant and de ceased and the sate of feeling between them is admissible on a trial from homicide, and it is also proper to introduce evidence tend ing to show the cause of such difficulties and ill feeling.' "He states further that the testimony of the widow of the deceased that she saw the pris oner pass her house shortly after the gun fired, the distance, the time, and that the horse was in a lather, was admissible. The motion for judgment of non-suit was properly denied, as there was evidence of premeditation and deliberation. "Chief Justice Clark states that it was admissible to question wit ness for defendant as to hi3 form er testimony before the coroner and clerk, under the instruction of the trial judge, that this was not substantive testimony but for the purpose of contradicting and impeaching witness. "The defendant also filed ex ceptions, that the widow dressed in mourning with several small children was allowed in the court room, and that during the trial they were permitted to associate with the jury at a boarding house. Chief Justice Clark states that such recitals in counsel's brief cannot be considered unless they have been found as fact by the trial judge. But taking them as true, they do not entitle the prisoner to new trial, as it was proper for the widow to wear mourning and it was admissible for her to be present at the trial. It appears that the widow and the children were boarding at the only hotel in the town, as well as the jury, but it does not appear that they conversed with the jury or attempted to influence them, and doubtless the jury was under the supervision of an offi cer and kept together. There was no eiror in the trial." Petitions have been circulated asking the Governor to commute the death sentence of Mr. Mc Kenzie to one of life imprison ment. FROM SNEAD'S GROVE. Mrs. Dora Stephenson, of Rich mond, Va., a former teacher here, was a pleasant visitor at Mr. S. A. Snead's during the commencement. Miss Lucy Hayes, of Norlina, who taught the past term here, returned home Friday. Miss Hayes was greatly liked by the whole community and ail hate to lose her. Some of the boys, so anxious for a last peep, stole across the country in a car and bade her a sorrowful good-bye from Hamlet. We learn that Mrs. C. W. Siifc&d fell Sunday night, 4sram which she received right severe injuries. Mr. Marshall Threadgill, of this place, carried off the prize for the high jump Friday, having topped it at 5 feet 1 inch, with his six feet some inches and 184 pounds avoirdupois. If you cannot understand that downcast, far-away look in Jim's eyes, just remember that she's gone home. In our last week's correspond ence The Exchange made us say, in reference to the ball game, "There was some trick, " when what we wished said was "some kick." We noticed some cotton planted on the James place March 31st. This is the earliest we've seen. Corn planting is seemingly a little later than usual. Mrs. B. R. Phillips, of Hamlet, is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. V. McPhail, this week. A number of bur boys went to an oyster supper at Mr. McAr thur's, near Rachels, Friday night and report a splendid time. There will be a meeting of the W. O. W. here Friday night first degree work. The stroke of paralysis which we reported Mr. Charles Bo wen having suffered last week was more serious than at first sup posed. The announcement of his death, which occurred at the home of his son, Mr. C. J. Bow- en, last Sunday morning at 9:50 o'clock, occasioned much sorrow and regret among the people of this entire section, where Mr. Bowen had spent his entire life of 79 years he having died with in a few days of his eightieth birthday. Mr. Bowen had been a faithful member of the Baptist church for 60 years. The funeral and burial, conducted by his pas tor, Rev. J. R. Williams, of Lau rinburg, and assisted by Rev. J. B. Parker, of this place, was held Monday afternoon at the Snead graveyard near here at 3 o'clock. The pall-bearers were Messrs. S. M. Jackson, Louis Gibson, W. F. Jackson, M. F. Livingston, G. P. Covington and D. C. McPhail. Surviving Mr. Bowen are three sons, Messrs. C. J., Porter and J. W., and two daughters, Mrs. E. B. Cole and Mrs. J. L. Peele, all of whom have the tenderest sympathy of their many friends in this their sad hour. Any Christian spirit working kindly in it3 little sphere, whatever it may be, will find its mortal life too short for its vast means of usefulness. Dickens.

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