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.