Newspapers / The Lincoln Times (Lincolnton, … / Dec. 15, 1911, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Lincoln Times (Lincolnton, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
-t-t-:- si State Library Vol. v. LINCOLNTON, N. C. FRIDAY. DECEMBER 15. 1911. No. 100 DOUBLE MURDER DONE. The Most Atrocious Crime In Annals Of Cleveland County Farmer And Wife VictimsMr1. And Mrs. John Dickson Brutally Slain With An Axe Negroes Suspected Lynching Feared, i Shelby, Dec. 13. Special. A pretty little country home that was yesterday the scene of com fort and happiness and thrift and prosperity was in the early hours , of this morning the scene of the 'most horrible crime in the annals of Cleveland county. Mr. and Mrs. John Dixon were brutally and horribly murdered before day light in their new home, 10 miles above Shelby, just off of the main road between Fallston and Lawn , dale, and. Hack Boss and John -1 Boss, two negro brothers, are held as suspects of the crime. A thousand or more - people stood about the desolate home to- day as the coroner's inquest pro- ceeded, hoping that evidence would place the guilt on some party, so that they may avenge , - , the crime. Tht sentiment is strong ' . ' against Hack Boss and if the cor oner's jury fixes the blame on him, lynching may be expected. Sentiment is at fever beat, but the good citizens are determined to be S sure of their move before they v take the law in their hands. They J know Hack Boss made a threat that there would be "somebody missing in the neighborhood" if they took Bis meat, and Mr. Dixon had a mortgage on .Boss's hog. Boss could n3t pay for the hog and brought it back . to Mr. Dixon Monday, but the sentiment seems to be that this seemingly friendly feeling was feigned to cover up the awful crime he had planned. And. too, Boss lives about a quar ter of a mile from Mr. Dixon's and tracks were found by Chief of Po lice' Jetton and Deputy Kelson Lattimore that exactly correspond to the shoe Boss was wearing be cause of the heavy tacks in the t heels. TV ... gbuesome scene.' "r "When neighbors reached the scene this morning young Mr, ' Dixon, who is only about 30 years old, was lying dead, lace down ward, at the barn and his wife, with her twelve months old babe by her side, was dead in a.bloody bed in their sleeping room. Drs. 8. S. Bovster and E. A. Houser made the examination of the bod ies and testified that the husband came to his death from a blow by a sharp instrument, supposed to be an axe, in the left temple. His temple bone was crushed in and a stream of blood three feet long coursed from his body. Mrs. Dix on had a blow from a blunt Instru ment in the middle ofthe forehead, a deep gash from the blade of the -1 axe in the same place and a crush ed Aemporal bone at her right eye, An axe covered with blood is the weapon used. Several human hairs corresponding to Mr. Dixon's hair were found on the axe. - The physicians say the fatal bruises fit the poll of the axe. MBS. DIXON ASKS HELP. . The only 1 evidence bearing on the murder is that of Major Stroud and John Boss, two negro wood choppers, who passed by about daylights The road runs close to the house and both testified that Mrs. Dixon beckoned for them to come to the window. They asked what was the matter and she didn't know, but, with her head in her hands and bleeding wound in hei forehead, she inquired where her husband was. She fipid two white men had called ' him out to help get a mule out of a .ditch and that he had not come back. Stroud testified that he knew something bad was the matter because her eye was bloodshot and she wa3 nervous.. She asked them to go for help, so John Boss started to Mr. Thomas D. Dixon's, the dead man's father, who lived about a half mile away, and Stroud started to Mr. Dennis Wright's and Fallston ; for the , doctor.' ( i STRANGE WHITE MEN. " John Boss says he went through the barn, which was on his way, and a white man stepped out of the shuck stall and asked him where he was going. His reply ' was that he was going to cut wood. The strange man asked where John Dixon was and he replied that he did not know. After that another strange man, rather tali and wearing , a fur cap, came out and the two started off together through the woods. . John Boss then delivered his message as quickly as possible. He says he did not see the dead body of Mr. Dixon in the barnyard, though he ran within nine yards of it and would have crossed exactly over it had he gone straight. STOBY NOT BELIEVED. Little faith is put in this story told by the negroes. Stroud is a reliable colored man of advanced age, but Boss is suspicious and the impression is he knows more than he told, There is no cause why highwaymen should murder these two happy people, as bpth were quiet and have no enemies. Mr. Dixon was one of the most promi nent farmers in the county and belongs to a leading family wh ile Mrs. Dixon was Miss Clayton Cline of another prominent family. They were thrifty and prosperous and had a sweet little baby girl. The child was found besides its dead mother, when neighbors reached the scene, with its moth er's bbod on its night clothes, Some thought robbery , had prompted strange men to ransack the house and cover up all evidence by killing the husband and wife, but $ 40 which Mr. Dixon was known to have yesterday, was un disturbed. Hack Boss, who threatened to kill Mr. Dixon if he took his meat was sot at home this morning when officers went in search. He had gone .with his wife to Mr, Mauney's near Cleveland Mills, to cut wood, and they followed after bim. w hen placed under arrest he was intensely nervous and frightened, but made no attempt to get away. A blood spot was on his overalls and when asked to explain to the jury, he told them that he had trapped a muskrat on the creek and got the blood on his pants Monday, when he skinned it. When asked if he got up dur ing the night, he said he got up about 2 o'clock to wait on the baby and he did not retire again but helped his wife churn and get breakfast in order to get an early start. His stepson, about 12 years old, added to the suspicion of guilt by his testimony. The tracks that correspond to Boss No. 10 shoes, freshly made in the ground between the two houses, seems to be the strongest evidence, Boss is about 40 years old, has Indian blood in his veins and a bad character to make the sus picion stronger. ' SheriffD. D. Wilkins and de puties brought John and Hack Boss and Hack's stepson to Shelby, where they were lodged in jail without any demonstration ou the part of citizens. The coroner's jury did not return a verdict, but sent the negro suspected to jail to t wait a more complete examination of witnesses at a preliminary trial Friday. The prisoners are in sep arate cells and there is a strong belief tonight that Major Stroud will tell tha truth and place the blame on John Boss, who could have committed the crime before coming to Stroud's . house this morning to sharpen his axe. There is stul a deep mystery to be cleared away. Major Graham la Tbc Lime Light. The Commercial Fertilizer of At lanta Ga. for December, contains a good picture of Major Graham, Commissioner of Agriculture, with the following noticer "- ."'r ': Major Graham is making the old Tarheel State a fine agricul tural commissioner. lie is a prac tical farmer who. since his gallant service in the Confederate army, has been making a careful study of modern methods of soil cul ture, and his work is a monument of which he should feel proud. both in a private farming capacity and officially. The Southern Agri cultural Workers did well to hon or him with their presidency. SZySFBSCEIBE FOB THE NEWS. LINCOLN COUNTY GREW PRIZE CORN CROPS Boyi Sec Sights of National Capital Ai Part of Reward Are Guest of ' the Nation An Eleven-ycar-Old Miuii Ippian produces 227 JBuiheU on an Acre at a cost ot 14 Cents A Bushel. : Washington, Dec. 11 Twenty one boys from the Southern States who won prizes this year for raising banner crops of corn ar rived here today and will spend the rest of the week taking in the sights of the national capital, one of the rewards of their efforts. Secretary of A griculture Wilson tomorrow will present each ofthe boys a diploma In recognition' of the good work done by them in advancement of agriculture. They also will be presented to Presdient Taft. Agricultural Department offi cials in charge of the farm demon stration work art highly pleased with the result of this year's work by the boys' clubs. Both in quantity of cdrn raised and in cheapness of production, it has been by far the best year since the idea was inaugurated three years ago. They point to the fact that six of the boys now had raised more than two-hundred bushels on their acre of land, whereas last year this was done by only one boy. The average production among the 21 boys about 175 bushels an acre. ELEVEN -TEABOLD WONDER is Benny Beason, 11 years old, of Monticello, Miss., who grew 227 and a fraction bushels on his - acre at a cost of 14 cents a bushel, is the leading prize winner, having come within a bushel of the best previous record. In cheapness of cost, Junius Hill of Alabama comes first, his 212 bushels hav ing been raised at an average cost of only Si cents a bushel. ".. Theimost interesting feature of cms year's corn work, which spreadlike wild fire throughout the entire South," said Professor Martin, today who will have charge of the boys during their stay here, "is the extremely low cost of production shown by them, But we are much pleased with this for one of the things on which Dr. Enapp, who started the move ment, insisted, was that no efforts should be made to produce freak crops, no matter what the expense incurred might be, but that cost should be kept down. Therefore, in awarding the prizes costs counts equally with amount of produc tion in determining the prize win ners. Quality also is rated and the boys general knowledge of correct farming methods, as shown by a paper he is required to pre pare." , TRIANGLE NEWS Triangle, Dec. 13 Mr, Mrs. C. B. King gave and the young people a pound patty Friday night. Among those present from a distance were: Mrs. Laura King, reensboro, Misses LaNeele Gud- ger, Davidson; Martha Sherrill, Lincoln ton; Mary Bolick, Denver; and Lula Lee Munday Denver. The young men who received in vitations were: Mejsrs. Wiley and Harvey - D uck worth , Willie Harkey, Alba and Carl Mcintosh, Jake Little, Gordon Long, Mc Lean Jetton, Beaver Edwards and others. The evening was spent in playing games and social inter course. When the hour had grown late all went away voting it an evening of rare pleasure Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Luckey enter tained Saturday night complimen tary to Miss Martha Sherrill of Lincolnton. Only few invita tions were given. All present enjoyed themselves eating home made candy and listening: to a number of songs, vocal and instru mental Mr. Charlie Sherrill is offering any one seventy five dol lars to haul five poplar logs from Triangle to - Cornelius - and Mt. Holly. Each cut measures nine feet in length and the 'first one five feet in diameter Mrs. Emma Long and Mrs. . Julia Luckey will leave in a few days for Florida to escape the rigors of a North Car olina winter. Bofore returning they will visit relatives in Atlanta and other points Messrs. W. M. Howard, I. A. Long and Ivey Kclley are attending court in Lin colnton this week as jurors. Eomeo BEING YOUB JOB WOBK TO THIS OFFICE. THE COUNTY FAIR. Fine Exhibits. Large Attendance and a i Financial Success. : The Lincoln County Fair Asso ciation is to be congratulated upon the success of the exhibition held in the Bernhardt Hall Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week.-; Many articles were displayed representing the skillful handi work of ladies of this county which would be a credit to a metropolitan baaaar. In fact, a quite favor able impression of the art and skill native to Lincoln county would be made on the mind of a stranger visiting this exhibition. And it would be well for every man, woman and child in the county to attend on these occa sions for in no other way can we get a just and thorough concep tion of what our own people can really do. This is the second exhibition of Lincoln county products attempt ed by the Fair Association, the first having been held last year and while the importance of the proposition is not as fully apprec iated by the public as it should be yet there is unmistakably a growing interest throughout the county in favor of making these county exhibits a permanent an nual event. As the Fair does not close until after this issue of The News goes to press and the prizes have not, as yet, been awarded, a more de tailed account of the various ex hibits will be given in our next issue. Cot, Wade Harris Talks Politics. Mr. Wade Harris, editor of the Evening Chronicle in Charlotte talks on his return from Washing ton. The following is taken from Charlotte Observer: In Washington Mr. Harris says, politics are a'bilin'. Claude Eitch- in says his brother is certainly go ing to succeed Simmons. Judge Walter Clark's manager says the judge has the job nailed , down, while Simmons is sawing a pile of wood as high as the capital. As for Aycock, everybody loves hlnv and while he is admittedly the most popular man in North Carolina, the trouble seems to be that too many of his friends are' committed to the man with the long pole. Yates Webb, while working the pedals with both feet, will give his North Carolina friends a luncheon, as the old time chop house would say, "any hour of the da v." President Taft is the same jolly good boy as ever, but he is going to need all of his heavy weight in running against the next Demo cratic nomination, for it isn't go ing to be Colonel Bryan. Knocked Down and Run Over By Runaway Box Car Shelby, Dec Special. Mr. Wil liam Wilson suffered an accident at Earl, eight miles below Shelby, this morning which necessitated the amputation of his leg in the Shelby hospital this afternoon. Dr. Harlan Shoemaker performed the surgeryr mr. wilsonf who is a far mer near the station was called to assist a few men who were pinch ing'a box car in location ready to be loaded with cotton seed. Two cars were standing together on a side track and he uncoupled the cars and pinched one Off with a crowbar. The car moved some distance away and he was follow ing it when the other car started off voluntarily behind him and caught his foot This threw him down and dragged him under the wheels. The car wheel caught his right leg near the knee and mash ed it into a jelly. He was rushed to the hospital, where the limb was amputated. SAIN-HOOVER, Mr. Boyce Sain and Miss Geor- gie, Hoover, the . accomplished daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Hoover of near Beepsvule were married Dec. 10th at the parson age, nenry, js. u, by JBev. M. ju Pence. A number of their friends were present to witness the beau tiful ceremony that made these two one in . life. X. Miss Angle Caldwell of States- ville arrived in the city a few days ago and is a guest at the home of her cousin, Mrs. W. E. Grigg. THE 1911 COTTON CROP IS 14,885,C89 BALES These Arc The Official Estimate Figures Ot The Crop Reporting Board For mer Record Crop 1904. Washington, Dec. 11. The total production of cotton in the United 8tates for the season of 191112 will amount tq 7,121,713, 000 pounds (not including linters) or 14,885,000 bales of 500 pounds gross weight, according to the first official estimate of the size of the crop issued at 2 p. m. today by the crop reporting board of the' United States Department of Agri culture and made up from reports ofthe correspondents and agents ofthe bureau of statistics through out the cotton belt. This is great er by 1,447,000 bales than the banner year of 1904. Heretofore the record cotton crop was that of the year 1904, when, 13,438,012 bales, exclusive of linters, were grown. Other large crops were those of 1906, which was 13,273,809 hales, and 1908 when 13,241,799 were grown. In point of value, however the crop of 1910, which was 11,608, 616 bales, exclusive of linters, was record one, the fibre being valued $820,320,000 and the cot ton seed at $142,860,000 a total of $963,180,000 as agregate value of the cotton crop of that year. Conditions early in the growing season this year led to the belief that the crop would be one of record proportions. First esti mates of the yield, based on the condition figures, placed the pro bable production well towards the figures of the biggest crop heretofore grown. Scorching hot and excessively dry weather during the middle of the summer caused considerable damage to cotton in many parts of the cotton belt. Later in the season weather conditions were distinctly favorable in most parts of the belt and the crop improved. The hot weather and drought, however, were responsible for a smaller yield this year than ex perts early in the season predicted as a result ot the record acreage and splendid growing conditions then prevailing. One result of the hot weather was that the crop matured about two weeks earlier than usual. Officials of the department of agriculture were not surprised at the size of the crop as condition figures throughout the growing season indicated that the produc tion would be large. Unofficial estimates made monthly during the year using the department's condition figures as the basis, were greatly exceeded by the official es timate made today. Every state in the cotton belt except Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma estab lished new records for production. hor Harmon Because Harmon Put Him in the Penitentiary. Statesville Landmark. ' " Bev. Baylus Cade, the inventor of the Cade typesetting machine, who was in Statesville last week, said that a fiiend told him the other day that when Gov. Harmon, of Ohio, visited Raleigh some weeks ago he inquired for Mr. Cade, and the gentleman who was telling Mr. Cade of the incident was surprised to find that he knew Gov. Harmon. i "Of course I know Harmon, " said Mr. Cade. "He put me in the penitentiary." Mr. Cade then ex plained that while Harmon was Attorney General, during the last Cleveland administration, he offer ed Mr. Cade the position of chap lain in the United States prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kans. Mr. Cade ' accepted the appointment and served as chaplain for some time. -. Mr. Cade, it - will be recalled, was prominent in the Populist par ty during the Bepublican-Populist State administration and was for a time secretary to Gov. Bussel. Speaking of politics, Mr. Cade says he has no party in the State but that he is a national Democrat and is for Harmon for President. Mr. L. H. Shuford and son of Lincoln county, were in the city Saturday, He is trying to find a suitable farm to purchase, lie would rent a house here in town if he could get one suitable. Hickory Times-Mercury. THUGS WORKED IN RIVER. A curious form of crime has just been brought to light in Delhi. A gang of bad characters have been making a practice of hiding in the river Jumna and pulling down into the water boys and women wearing gold and silver jewelry who go to the river to bathe. Recently several boys and women disappeared, and their bodies have not been recovered. A few days ago a Marwari woman, wearing heavy gold jewelry, while bathing was Buddenly caught by somebody from below the water. She raised a cry, and two of her compan ions caught hold of her and prevent- ea ner irom Demg , dragged down. Help arrived and a Mohammedan was caught in the water. lie was arrested. Lately on one day five boys similarly disappeared ; two wer he sons of city jewelers. ROMANCE FLIES AWAY. Mr. Charles Alden Seltzer, ques tioned recently about the scene of his newest book, "The Two-Gun Man," replied : "All the romance has gona from the west now, I believe I would find very little in New Mexi co now to remind me of the old west. Of course, a transition was inevit able; civilization must advance, and with its advance the old conditions and old customs must go. Fences and laws and sheep have stopped cattle stealing and the cowpuncher is dAthivmpfl "Rut "nc wna nnw kincr. with the unfenced range for his king dom. He lived a free, hard life, obedient only to his own desires. I him and do not wish to return to de stroy my sense of the romantic in the west." Outing. JOB SEEKERS AS A GAUGE. A man once ran for office, and ifter a very close election the re turns showed that he had been elect ed by a few votes. A friend with whom he had been discussing th matter asked: "What makes you think that all the votes weren't counted?" "You see' replied' the successful uandidate, "I'm judging from the number of fellows who've come around asking for a job on the ground that they voted for me." A CONSIDERATION. "Thirty-eight cents a dozen foi eggs !" expostulated the lady. "Why, that's, more than three cents for ona egg-" "Well, mum," replied the grocer, "you must remember that one egg is a whole day's work for one hen." Housekeeper. MODERN EDUCATION. "Fifth grade this year, Tommy ?" -i3y Dili .w -1 .,...,..,.,, ..nm.jt.nii .u.-m-. "You're in decimals or fraction! now, no doubt." ; "No, sir. I'm in crochet work Mid clay modeling now. QUICK WAY. Lady Visitor Is there any wa; in which these foreigners can be made to feel an uplift in their lives ? Resident Sure, lady, they has all the uplift anybody here wants. Thej pee bombs. The Poet Here's a poem of mine "An Ode to Snow." The Publisher I fail to see th drift of it. twj fx I
The Lincoln Times (Lincolnton, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 15, 1911, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75