raw
ESTABLISHED 1882.
LEXINGTON, N. C, WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 1902.
VOL. XXI.-NO. 1
I
'fit
A SUNDAY TRAGEDY.
Lafayette Grimes Falls From a Tree
and Is Instantly Killed.
Mr. Lafayette Grimes met
with a horrible and tragic death
Sunday morning about 10 o'clock.
Mr. Grimes fell from a tall oak
tree, a distance of nearly 75 feet
to the ground, and was killed in
stantly. Grimes lived a short distance
outside the incorporation, on Cen
ter street. Sunday morning, in
company with William Everhart,
his brother-in-law, he started
through the woods to the creek.
Passing a large oak tree a short
distance in the rear of Mr. E. V.
Darr's home, Grimes and Ever
hart discovered a squirrel's den
about sixty feet up the tree.
Grimes was a notorious hunter
and it is said he has climbed hun
' dreds of trees along the creek
and in the woods in search of
squirrels. Consequently it was
but a few moments until he had
nulled off his shoes and had
climbed to the den in the tree,
He reached in and pulled a squir
rel from out the den; the little
animal was alive and Mr. Grimes
pulled off his coat, wrapped the
squirrel in it and hung the article
upon a limb. While he was en
gaged at this two more squirrels
ran out and jumped to another
tree, standing near by. Grimes
called to Everhart, who was upon
the ground, telling him to watch
,the squirrels and he would scare
them off the tree. Climbing up
several feet farther he was in the
act of breaking some small twigs
to throw at the squirrels, when
his hold broke and he came
crashing to the ground, falling a
clear distance of about seventy
five feet. Everhart ran to him
and tried to arouse him, but he
was dead. It is supposed his
neck was broken by the fall.
Mr. Grimes was about 32 years
of age. He was married and is
survived by a wife and five chil
dren. The body of the unfortu
nate man was interred in Pilgrim
cemetery Monday afternoon.
SUBSCRIPTIONS.
Below will be found the names
of new subscribers and of those
who have renewed their sub
scriptions to The Dispatch since
our last issue :
Alex Zimmerman, P G Hed
rick, E C Conrad, B L Hunt, R L
Penry. W F Lopp, B (J Gobble,
Rube D Garrett, J M Cole, Dr T
M Copple. C A Owen, B F Aus
band, J A Rush, Mrs F M Car
rick. W F Raper, M Hedrick, M
W Cranford. Will Cox, F L
Koonce, A P Richardson, Timo
thy Byerly, Monroe Bean. F
Younts. D C Owen, John Waf
ford, Jno C Koonce, Andrew
Leonard, R L Richardson, Jesse
Nance, Thos G Penry, T
Wright, A F Fine, D L Humbery,
Wiley Royals W A Black, R
Crouch, M A Shaver, G M Ball,
J D Crouse. Alfred Kanoy, Z N
Turner. Wm Bean, R L Bowers
H 0 Rothrock, H S Zimmerman,
H H Hedrick, G M Hedrick, J L
Lopp, Dr. J. A Myers.
. commissioners'meeting.
The board of county commis
sioners were in session here
Monday and Tuesday. The
routine business was about as
usual.
. Several petitions for new roads
and bridges were presented and
will be acted upon at the next
meeting.
The sheriff made his annual
settlement with the board and
his statement shows the follow
ing net amount of taxes for 1901
collected and due for the follow
Ing purposes :
School tax, $12,818.11. " (
; County tax, $12,439.04.
State tax. $10,710.71.
' Special road tax for Lexington
township, rABUD.oa.
Last of the Old Depot
A crew arrived this morning
and are tearing down ' the old
depot, and Capt Trice and his
force are now permanently to-
. cated in their new borne.
Rear Admiral
died yesterday.
W.T. Sampson
A DESERTER SURRENDERS.
Fred
Weiss, of New York. Gives
Himself Up to Officers.
Fred Weiss, of Rochester, New
York, voluntarily surrendered
himself to Sheriff Dorsett, at
this place, on last Friday, telling
the officer that he was a deserter
from the navy. Weiss says he
enlisted about 7 months ago, but
tired of the life, and deserted on
the 11th of April, at Charleston;
since that time he has been dodg
ing the officers who were on the
look out for him, but says this
dodging was worse than serving
in the navy, and he surrenders
.and was willing to go back and
take his punishment. Chief-of-
Police R. F. Heitman carried
Weiss to Port Royal, S. C, Sat
urday and turned him over to the
officers. The government pays
a reward of $20 and all expenses
for the capture and delivery of a
deserter.
For a Lutheran Church in Lexington,
At the meeting of the N. C
Synod in Condbrd last week, the
following resolution with refer
ence to a church in Lexington
was passed :
Resolved, That whenever in
the judgment of the Board of
Missions of the United Synod, in
consultation with the Executive
Committees.of the Tennessee and
North Carolina Synods it shall be
decided that the time has come
for the purchase of ,a church lot
in Lexington, N. C, that this
Synod pledges itself to furnish
the amount of five hundred and
fifty dollars ($550) towards the
purchase of a new lot for a church
building, the congregation to be
in connection with the N. C.
Synod."
Shocked by Lightning.
During Monday evening's thun
der storm lightning struck the
old Bernheim residence, on Main
street, and considerably shocked
Mr. B. Frank Miller and wife,
who reside in the house. No
serious damage was done to
them or the house, except that
the lightning rod was torn down,
and it is said the rod prevented
the house from being burned.
A Slight Accident
While out driving Sunday
afternoon their horse became
frightened and ran away, turn
ing the buggy over and spilling
Messrs. Dick Everhart and John
Reid to the ground. The acci
dent occurred about a mile from
Lexington. The young men es
caped without serious injury to
their persons.
Broke His Leg.
Mr. Odell Lindsay, of Bethany
this county, fell from a wagon at
the Union Furniture Co., at High
Point last Wednesday, breaking
one of his legs just below the
knee. Mr. Lindsay was carried
to his home at Bethany, and is
getting on fairly well. He is a
brother of Mr. Frank Lindsay, of
Lexington.
Bitten by a Mad Dog.
Two children of near Wood
leaf, Rowan county, were bitten
by a supposed mad dog onFri
day of last week. They were
brought to Lexington Saturday
night and mad stones applied,
The mad stones adhered to the
wounds until . Monday at 'noon,
One of the children was a son of
Herbert Bailey, the other
daughter of a Mr. Elliott. .The
dog was killed.
TO MAKE BRICK.
Cecil fc Weaver Will Make from 1,
000,000 to 2,000,000 at Rock
Ingham. Messrs. D. K. Cecil and L. F.
Weaver, of Lexington, recently
closed a contract with parties in
Rockingham to manufacture from
1,000,000 to 2,000,000 brick at that
place Severalnewbuslnessnouses
are to be erected at Rockingham
this year and the brick are
wanted for this purpose. The
machinery for manufacturing
the brick has been shipped and
work will be commenced at once.
AIRSHIP MODEL COMPLETE.
Mr. Hill to Organize a Stock Compa
ny to Perfect His Invention.
Winston-Salem, May 2. Mr.
H. Hill has just completed a
model of his airship or flying
machine, on which he has been
working for two months or
more. Mr. Hill and others in
terested with him in the inven
tion hope to organize a stock
Company at once. A large ma
chine will then be built for sail
ing purposes. Mr. Hill proposes
to complete it and have it in run
ning order in time for the pro
posed contest at the St. Louis
Exposition. The model proves
that Mr. Hill is a genius and all
who have seen it are of the opin
ion that his plan is a feasible one
and that Mr. Hill, if hecan secure
financial aid sufficient to con
struct a big machine, will be able
to give his friends a sail to the
clouds in a few months at least.
Mr. Hill objects to giving the
principles of his invention to the
public until he secures a patent.
Specifications have been on tile
in Washington for nine months
and his attorneys there have in
formed him that they are expec
ting the patent to be issued any
day now. Being a poor man he is
not able proceed to further with
out assistance. He ir as confi
dent that his ship will fly as if he
had already taken a ride in it.
Several of the county convicts
planned to make their eseape
from the camp a few nights ago
and., they came near working
their scheme successfully. It
appears Tucker and Dunnigan,
two white men, secured a wrench
file and big nail and with . these
they were making fine progress
in tearing several planks loose.
The crowd drowned the noise
made by the tools by singing and
praying. Uharlotte uoserver.
DEATH OF W. A. BERRIER.
Well Known Citizen of the County
Died Saturday.
Mr. William' A. Berrier died
last Saturday at noon at his home
about two miles from Lexington.
Mr. Berrier had been ill but a
few days and his death was very
unexpected. Kidney trouble was
the immediate cause of his death,
Deceasd was about 72 years of
i . i. j
age ana was a prominent ana
well-known citizen. A son ot
Mr. Berrier died only a few
weeks ago.
The Insurance Agent's Test
Salisbury Sun.
Mr. P. V. Her, general adjuster
of the Aetna Insurance Company,
with headquarters at Hartford,
Conn., made an heroic test Sun
day night to prove that a suit
which has been instituted
against his company has no
foundation in fact. It will be re
membered by Sun readers that
about four weeks ago Thomas
Stokes, a negro employee of the
Southern in its shops at Spencer,
was found dead about 9 o'clock at
night outside the round house
and about fifteen feet from an
electric light pole. It was gen
erally believed at the time that
the excessive consumption of
cigarettes and corn whiskey
were responsible for his sudden
demise. His grandmother, how
ever, took a different view of the
matter and engaged counsel to
sue the Aetna Insurance Compa
ny for the amount of a policy
which he carried. Her conten
tion was that her grandson had
caught the electric light release
rope and that on account of the
rain on the night on which Stokes
was killed the wire rope was
charged and that this produced
death.
Mr. Her determined to prove
that such a theory is not plausi
ble and went to Spencer Sun
day night to test the same wire
He bared his feet, stood in a tub
of water up to his knees and had
water poured upon'the same wire
that was in use when Stokes was
killed. He then grasped the wire
rope and clutched it witha strong
grip, all this being done in the
presence of six witnesses. Mr.
Her says he did not feel even the
slightest tingling of electricity,
He was satisfied , with the test
and left last night on the north
bound train on a business trip.
THE MYSTERY STILL UNSOLVED
Search for the Body of Mr. Ray is
Abandoned.
An Albemarle special to the
Charlotte Observer says:
There are no new develop
ments in the case of the disap
pearance of Mr. M. Ray, of
Montgomery county. The fath
er and brother of the missing
man were at Troy Sunday, but
learned nothing beyond what has
already been reported. The
story being circulated that Ray
voluntarily left the county is not
believed, as the last time he was
seen he was without a coat, hav
ing left that garment at his home
when he went to the woods to pay
off the hands and he also had on
ly about $17 in cash on his per
son. The negro, Dock Barber,
accused of making way with him,
is still in jail at Troy but will
have to be released unless there
are some new developments. It
is the general belief that Ray has
been murdered and his body
thrown in one of the abandoned
mine shafts in Montgomery coun
ty or else carried to some river
near by. The search for him,
which has been engaged in for
ten days, has been discontinued,
all efforts to discover the body
having failed.
The Potato Bug.
Edgefield Advertiser.
The potato bug, which proved
to be so destructive to the Irish
potato crop last year, totally de
stroying it m many places, has
already made its appearance
and is ready for the fray. They
can be exterminated, however, by
mixing one ounce of Paris green
in three pounds of flour and sift
ing this on the potatoes.
The Southern Cultivator rec
ommends I his and says there is
no danger of poisoning the pota
toes. .This should be done im
mediately after the first bug is
seen, for they can soon ruin the
entire patch.
A SITE IS PURCHASED.
Southern Brass Co's. Building to be
Erected at Once.
Ground is being cleared for
the factory buildings of the
Southern Brass Co. The site
purchased is on Third street, and
is only a short distance from the
depot. The company hopes to
have the buildings completed in
about sixty days. Mr. H. K.
Finger, the general manager,
left for northern cities Monday
to purchase new machinery for
the plant. The company will
manufacture cabinet hardware,
high grade silver ware, etc.
Miss Gertha Koontz Married.
At Salisbury on last Wednes
day evening Miss Gertha Clem
ent Koontz was wedded to Mr.
James Clark Durham. The
Salisbury Sun says :
"The couple left on the 10:30
train for northern cities. They
will be at home by May 15, at
No, 719 South Fulton Street.
The bride has been a teacher for
two. or three sessions of the
Chestnut Hill Graded School, and
by her energetic services has
rendered herself very popular
with her patrons and friends.
The groom is an employee of the
Spencer shops, and is regarded
as a very substantial and suc
cessful business young man."
The bride is a native of this
county and is a sister of Mrs. F.
L. Hedrick and Mr. Eugene C.
Koontz, of Lexington. She has
many friends whose best wishes
are extended to her.
FOUND DEAD IN BED.
Mr.
Root Jones Expires
Daring
Monday Night
Mr. Robert B. Jones was dis
covered dead in bed at his home
about three miles from Lexing
ton yesterday morning. He had
died some time during the night
and his family knew nothing of
his illness or death until they
went to call him for breakfast.
He was In good health when he
retired Monday night. Deceased
was about 84 years old. - He will
be buried to-day, I,
Mr. Jones was the father of
our townsman, Prof. Allen Jones.
HIS LIBERTY WAS SHORT LIVED.
Fletcher Lindsay Escapes From
Chain Gang and Is Recaptured.
Fletcher Lindsay, one of the
negro convicts on the township
roads, escaped from the chain
gang Monday evening about
three o'clock. His liberty was
brief, however, as he was re-captured
about 11 o'clock Monday
night by Superintendent Wilkin
son and Guard Lookabul.
A squad of convicts were at
work on the public roads a few
miles from Lexington. Lindsay
stepped to one side after a drink
of water and he suddenly bolted
through the bushes, calling a
farewell to his comrades. Mr.
Lookabill, who was guarding the
squad, emptied his gun at the
fleeing negro, but without effect,
and being unable to pursue the
negro for the reason that he
could not leave the remaining
prisoners, Lindsay escaped.
Monday night Messrs. Wilkin
son and Lookabill were on the
watch at several houses occupied
by negroes. About 11 o'clock,
Lindsay appeared, and he was
quietly nabbed. He was carried
back to the stockade and is again
"doing time" on the roads.
THE TOWN ELECTION.
Quietest Held in Years Less Than
a Hundred Votes Cast
There was an election held
here Monday, but judging by the
number of votes cast not many
people knew of the fact. Less
than a hundred votes were cast
during the day.
jno. n. Moyer. usq., was re
elected mayor. This makes the
seventh consecutive term to
which he has been honored with
the mayorship.
The following town commis
sioners were chosen: Messrs.
E. E. Raper, J. N. Mendenhall,
James Smith, C. W. Trice and J.
W. McCrary.
Mr. J. B. Smith and Dr. Joel
Hill were re-elected as grad
ed school commissioners;
Three Negroes to Hang for Murder.
Norfolk, May 5. For the mur
der of Thomas Stevenson, a mer
chant of Roxobel, N. C, June
Bishop, John Belford and Jim
Stevenson, negroes have been
sentenced to hang on August 1.
Their trial took place in the Su
perior Court of Windsor, N. C.
The murder of young Steven
son was particular atrocious.
While in his store he was set up
on by the three negroes whose
names are given, and a negro
named Milton Belfield, who,
while resisting arrest, was shot
and killed. The victim was lit
erally shot to pieces. To pre
vent the lynching of the negroes
a special session of court was
held on Sunday.
That Reminds Mr. Kluttz.
Washington Post.
Mr. Kluttz, of North Carolina,
read the story of Gen. Funston's
interview the other morning, fol
lowing the President's order that
the hero must stop talking, and
refusing him a leave of absence
to attend a banquet at Boston.
Then he leaned against the desk
at the telegraph office in the cap
ital and chuckled.
"That's just like the story of
Harry Jones, down in my coun
try, who was a very enthusiastic
Whig in his day," observed the
North Carolinian. "Jones had
for a tenent a fellow named Tay
lor, and when a big Whig meet
ing was to be held in the neigh
borhood he wanted this attend
ant to attend.
"Taylor said he would go, but
his wife heard of it He changed
his clothes, or started to do so,
and just as he was jumping into a
clean shirt she made for him,
both arms extended.
"'Yer ain't goin' to no Whig
meetin' to get drunk and come
home and beat yer wife, no,yer
ain't,' she exclaimed, as she be
labored him. ,
"'Mary,' pleaded this tenant,
caught in so helpless a position,
'don't make seen a gol darned
fuss about it. I war jes thinking
that I didn't keer a powerful
heap about goin' anyway." '
THE NEW ENGLAND OF THE
SOUTH."
The present steady
Lexington can not fail but be a
source of gratification and pride
to every citizen of the town and
county. New factories are being
erected, store houses, private
dwellings, etc, are being built
in fact everything is taking on
new business life and there is
yet in store for the town a bright
future. Our location is admir
able for a future o.tv r,A t.Via
surroundings are all that could
be desired. Did vou even t.hinV
of the fact that this town is in
the center of the most prosper
ous farming section of the entire
south and that we are in the
heart of a great manufacturing
belt? For instance, in a radius
of fifty miles there are more
than one hundred furniture fac
tories, besides the manv Iatcr
cotton mills and various smaller
industries. Verily this section
is the "New England of the
South" and our people at home,
as well as those living at a dis
tance, are beginning to realize
the fact.
Crazy People at Greensboro.
A special from Greensboro to
the Charlotte Observer last week:
says:
This morning Ed ward Haynes,
a young man from Reedy Creek,
Davidson county, who came here
to attend holiness meeting, was
placed in jail on account of his vio
lent insanity. He was accom
panied by his mother and his
brother-in-law, Walter Perry man.
It seems that young Haynes has
been subject to epileptic fits for
some time. His brother in-law
stated that the members of the
family believed he could be healed
by Rev. Seth C. Rees and the
other holiness preachers, and it
was for this reason that he was
brought here. When young Hay
nes alighted from the train be was
violent, and when his brother-in-,
law and two policemen took
charge of him he fought like a
demon. It. was necessary to
handcuff him and bind his
arms and legs with ropes in or
der to get him to jail. Mrs. Hay
nes pleaded with the officers t
take her son to the holiness tent
that he might be annointed and
healed. One of the preachers
came to jail and said the young
man could be healed if removed
to the tent, but he would not at
temped to effect a cure in the
jail. When asked the meaning of
his action, young Haynes said:
"The blessed, holy Jesus told me
to do all I did"
Haynes was taken from the
jail to his home next day as mild
as a lamb. He said he had been
cured by the holiness preacher
who visited him at the jail and
touched him with his hands.
Notice To Teacners.
To the Hon. Teachers of David
son county :
High Point Graded Schools
commencement is May 18-20.
The twentieth is Commencement
Day proper and we wish to make
it Rally Day Number Two, of
Guilford county, in the interest
of Education and more especially
of public school education.
The Governor will be with us
and deliver our annual address
at 11 o'clock, a. m. At 3 o'clock
Dr. Cha3. D. Mclver leads in the
Rally.
We have invited the teachers
and educators of Guilford coun
ty, also the City School Superin
tendents of the State, the Princi
pals of the High Schools and
Academies and the College men.
You are most cordially invited
to be present. We shall appre
ciate your presence and insist
upon having it. May we expect
you?
Very sincerely yours,
Geo. H. Crowell.
High Point, N. C, May 5th.
Grocery Store to Move.
The Lexington Grocery Co.,
have leased the old brick build
ing formerly used for a tobacco
factory, and willl move their
stock of groceries into their new
quarters in a few days. The
building is located near the depot.