FREE PRESS W , Hfli'iE F.FEB THE . wsatiii;: I Jfj ", ' Fair lonlchl and to A 4. X VOL. XVII. No. 225 SECOND EDITION KINSTON, N. O, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1916 FOUR PAGES PRICE TWO CENTS FIVK CENTS ON THAIX3 WO SHIPS IN RUSSI RUSSIANS NOW HOLD NINE OUTER FORTS BERLIN'S DECISION NOTED PROHIBITION SPEAKER AT GORDON ST. ClI'RCII TONIGHT WITNESS TELLS THE CiTOBliiS ACTED QUEST'NABLY IER DESTROYED BY FIRE OF ON LUSITANIA HAD ARlfilN AT NEW YORK; AT CAPITAL TODAY AN SERVICE I'O BIG PBRWOPNT MEXICAN REPORTS Lost Heavily in Past Two Months Agents ' of the Administration Have Not ; tien Iaid-Anoiher Re- volt Could' Be Started SUSPICIOUS FRONTING ftomb on Bolton Castle May Have Caused Explosion That tarted Cdstty BlazeSteamer Pacific Shared "Fate of Other VesselLoWed With Combustibles rr6r ' Rus 8ianohs Million and Half boHars' Damage By "Big Blaze' in Business District of Fall River-iAttcmpt Ho Burn Evidence Being Held Against Capture of Jean Crones Discovered in Chicago City Hall ' v (By the United Press) Fall River, Massi, Feb. 16. Fire causing damage of $1,500,000 swept the business district here today.:- The flames were checked by the aid of firemen from nearby cities. They started in the basement of the Steiger De partment Store. ' 1 Four Million Dollar Fire In New York; 2 Ships Burned. "New3, York, Feb. 16. -The steamer Bolton- Castle and Prcific Were burned to the water's edge and the pier at which they were laying, with four million dollars' dam age today, under suspicious circumstances. Both ships were serving the Russians. The first was loaded with paraffine, oils and gasoline, and the second .was half loaded. The Bolton Castle burst into flames, which quickly spread to the pier and Pacific. The pier contained a million dollars worth of merchandise. fThe blaze was started by an explosion on the Bolton Castle, perhaps from a bomb. A Federal investigation by Justice Department agents and the customs and neu trality squad has been started, "t T : Effort to Burn Evidence Against Crones. Chicago, Feb.' 16.-A mysterious fire, believed to have been incendiary, was found in the City Hall, near a lab oratory containing poison evidence against Jean Crones, Amiispd of the noisoned soup nlot. today. There was lit tle damage. , v . k. - -American Cub at Toronto Burned. Toronto, Feb. 16. An explosion started a fire and - completely destroyed the big American Club here today. 4 One person was killed and two injured. A Teutonic plot - is hinted at. t v PINK HILL IS RARE SORT OF A VILLAGE Relieved to Be Only Round Tewn In ! e World Story of a Hustling i,enoir County Community That Has Everything Surrounded En tirely by a Circle New State High School The hustling town of Pink Hill is n't straight, nor is it crooked in any sense. It's the roundest town in the world, and even Lenoir county of ficials were not aware of the fact nil today, when a citizen of that plaee brought to the Courthouse a map of the town to give those con cerned an idea of just where the new State High School to be established there will be located. Pink Hill's corporate line is singu lar in number it is just one line in perfect circle. The distance across " the tevm in any direction is precisely 1,200 yards; rThe; ticket office in the Carolina R. R. station, is the exact, center-of the ;vUlge. , The papulation of r several" hundred persons is con-, tained within that circle and not one house laps over. The streets, how ever, extend beyond the circle in some directions, "although "there isht any thing but trees in .the "suburbs." The lata Hon. George Turner was the "father". f Fink HiUsThe land occupied .by the town originally was his property every men of it' He gave , the land necessary", for., public : purposes. ' Pink HU1 was incorporat ed about It) years go.;y There was a board f commissioners; town clerk, . etc. The "administration" lagged n without anything to do until the al- wuues hu mu iorgoi vuafc mey wc' A -public servants and when election time came no one bothered- aboot electing them over..' Five years -ago .-. or such a matter the eitizent acquir ed remarkable civic spirit, and riant Pink . Hill has a business like town v covenmient and a Chamber of Co-tnerce- that is said to he thinking , about organizing a brass band. Geo. J5. Willard, i banker, ' the present Mayor; of the roundest town in Ipie world. He is one of the squarest nwn in the; community, bis, admirer a aert. ' . . vt .' , -, The town bag given two blocks, about 4 1-16 acres of ground, for the State High School. ' The building, KINSTON SEAT ONLY TOY FACTORY IN N. C. One-Man Plant In East Kinston Is Thriving and Will "Branch Out" Doll Furniture to Be Made for the Local Market for Coming Christ mas Product O. K., Say Interest ed Persons 'Kinston has had a toy factory, the only one in the State, probably, all the time, it now crops out. Some time ago Mr. E. W. J. Prof fitt of New England in an address to the Chamber of Commeroe called the attention of the business men to the facts that since Germany's toy man ufacturers have lost the world mon opoly in that line Japan hes entered the market and is likely to acquire the monopoly unless this country gets move on, and that' enough wood products are wasted in this vicinity to supply the United States 'with wooden Chnistma3 goods. He said the same things in New Bern, and considerable interest was aroused In fcfcth cities, There has been earnest consideration, it is known, of his sug gestion that Northern capitalists be invited to come to. the section to look over the opportunities.. ; ' Today Mr. John C. Hay, a cabinet maker of 109 South Tiffany avenue, told The Free Press (that he has been making wooden toys . -for months: Quite a bit of tuff has, been . turned out from his one-man' factory, ..locat ed conveniently near a sawmill from which Mr. Hay gets, his raw material. scrap wood from the mill yards. He haa confined his efforts solely to doll furniture, cradles, bedsteads, ward robes,, bureaus, etc, but is contem plating branching -oftt into, the lines of novelties, ,wheeled ' toys, , etc. His business o far as it goes, has been printable," 'Mr. Hay said Tle "pro duct of the "plant" is not lacking in paint and varnish, and persons who have teen, specimens say the goods are as substantial and nicely finished as any on the market ', Mr.-' Hay is to make up large quantities . this spring and sxrmmer in the hope of supplying the local toy dealers, and those Id "neighboring" towns with the wooden goods for holiday trade. w,ork-on which is expected "to com- mence about March 1, will cost be tween ? 1,000 and ?5,000. (By the United Press) Washington, Feb. 16. The Car ranza government is in desperate straits, mail advices from Mexico tat. Carranza has lost immensely in the past sixty days, and it needs ibut a strong leader to start a new revolt. Many consuls and interior officials are unpaid, it is claimed. BIG STEAMER SINKS OFF BRITISH COAST Tergestea Was Probably Seized From Austrians Early In War and Had Been Employed by English as a Freighter Was of 4,200 Tons and Not Very Old Vessel Crew Re ported Safe (By the United Press) fcondon, Feb. 16. The steamer Tergestea of 430 tons, has been sunk on the east coast. The crew is safe. The ship was built in 1911, and registered in Austria. 'She was probably captured by the British fearly in the war. The vessel had been serving as a British freighter. FOUR OF SEVENTEEN ALL OPPOSED TO THE KEATING BILL, SAID (By the United Press) Washington, Feb. 16. Passage of the child labor bill is inevita ble, Senator Newlands, chairman of the Interstate Commerce Com mittee, today told S. F. Patter son of Roanoke Rapids, N. C. . , Washington, Feb. 16. A speedy report and vote on the child labor bill is expected following the hear ings of the Senate Interstate Com mittee. Only four of the committee of seventeen are unfavorable to the measure." THIRD WRECK FLA. LIKED IN lIGHT ' DA YS ONE KILLED (Special to The Free Press) iRialeigh,, Feb. 16.-Jame3 Hollo well, a cololed fireman was killed, and H. J. Wells and Frank Stock well, engineers, were injured, the for mer seriously, when the Seaboard Air Line Florida Limited from New York to the South crashed into a freight train at a awitch near Frank linterc yesterday. Wells and Stock well both live here. It was the third wreck of the Flo rida Limited in -eight days. A weckj ago its engineer, David K. Wright of Raleign, was killed ' near (Southern Pines. NEp OF THE DAY IN ? f NEIGHBORING PLACES x Bethel school ' district, in Pit; countyi as well as Griftony is to hold a bond, election for a new building. The voters are to be asked' to pass on a $20,000 issue, -as at Grifton. The bonds in each case would be for twenty years, interest payable icroi enmially t not more than 6 per cent, per annum. : - y The funeral of Mrs. ' Katherine Mumford, toho died in Greenvill?, was held at Grifton Tuesday, -. . i It was four degrees warmer ; at New Bern Tuesday .ttorning than in KinstoJwl7 and 13 degrees above, respectively. At .Raleigh it was nine above. '.' - ,,; . ; ''.f ' : : - Bishop T. C. Darst has confirmed a class of 10 in the Episcopal chtnch at Beaufort, besides " baptizing 16. Drove Turks Out With Ba yonets In Charges In Zero Weather GAINS ARE IMPORTANT Fortress Has Heretofore Proved Bulwark Against Advances of Slavs Cap itulation might Mean the Defeat of Ottoman Govt. (By the Ur.Hed Press) PctroKrad. Feb. lti. The hufre Turkish fortress of Erzerum, the bulwark that stopped Russian inva sions in previous wars, ,5s threat ened with capture by Grand Duke Nicholas. Nine of the outer forts are now in Russian hands, it is offi cially taken at the point of bayon ets in struggles in zero weather on the mountain siedes. The capture of the fortress would be more import ant than that of Przernysl, paving the way for a spring drive into Ar menia and possibly forcing Turkey to sue for peace. Britain's Soul in the War. London, Feb. 10. England if put ting her soul into the war. The or ders for assuming control of nearly all merchantmen and banning impor tation of all materials used fo" man ufacturing paper and tobacco are be ing applauded. SHALL BE NO PEACE (MIL BELGIUM HAS BEEN SAVED. STATE Allies Will Not Desert Lit tle Nation All Renew Pledges and Ministers Convey Them to Kin? Al bert In Ceremony (By the United Press) Havre, Feb. 16. The Allies have formally renewed their pledges never to consent to peace until Belgium's political and economical existence has ;cen completely re-established. The message was conveyed with ceremony by the Allies' ministers to the Belgian government at the gov ernment's seat here. The Entente diplomats went in a body to present th message. KILLED, EMB ALMED AND BURIED WIFE; FORGED THE PERMIT (By the United Press) New York, Feb. W. Harry Schroeffcl, an undertaker, con fessed today that he .killed , his wife on December 29, because of her louH talking, embalmed - and buried her, and forged the death certificate, ' The woman's disap pearance was not discovered for. several weeks. . - Schroef fel , was , arrested as the result of anonymous letters . to the police, telling of his wife' screams!. AYDEN TO HAVE NEW MORNING NEWSPAPER (Speciato The Free Press) ' Ayden, Feb. i5-i-Five "thousand dollars has been subscribed toward a morning! paper ior fthls ; town. The Chamber of Comnwrca ia backing the move. H.'D Ufley of Ayden will be manager and editor. ,It is under stood that an order has been placed fpr-a linotype and other equipment. Publication is expected to be started by March 10. ' Publication Won't Be Made Until Friday, It Is An nounced ORDER VS. ARMED SHIPS May Not Be Approved by U. S., But No Action Like ly to Betaken Until Re turn of Col. House, Not Due for Several Weeks (By the United Press) Washington. Feb. 16. Ger many's latest Liisitania proposal is up tothe President. It was delivered to Secretary LanRing today by Von Bernstorff. Both Refused to comment. It is be lieved Lansing and the President will confer. Washington, Feb. 16 What Am erica will say and do regarding Ger many's plan to sink armed merchant men is unlikely tj be determined un til Col. House returns from London, lie was given advance information of the plan, it is learned. Ambassador Von Bernstorf was due at the State Department at noon, bringing Ger many's dicislon on the Lusitania matter. Tho note will bo published Friday, the time that the American note reaches Berlin. Col. House is not due for several weeks. ,-. . It is possible that action on the armed merchantmen Orders in the Senate will be postponed, since the Senate foreiern relations committee today decided not to meet. U. S. Won't Approve Austro-German Policy. Washington, Feb. 16. It is believ ed here that the United States will not under any circumstances give formal approval to the Berlin ajhd Vienna orders to the navies of Au stria and Germany to sink all armed merchantmen as vessels of war af ter March 1. Some high officials are satisfied that the Austro-German po sition is justified, however. Tha Government, though, is apt to concede that the Allies are within their rights under prevailing international law in arming ships for defensive purpos es, no matter what the conditions on the seas. HOW THE FIRST DRAFT OF DERBY VOLUNTEERS ANSWERED THE SUMMONS By WILBUR S. FORREST, London, Feb. 5. (By Mail) The first drafts of England's Derby ar my mobilized today. Youths of year ranging from nineteen to twetity-'two who, weeks ago, answer ed Lord Derby's group system of en listment, gathered throughout Eng land to get into khaki. They camo from workshops, bonk desks, depart ment stores and other walks of life. They are now being distributed in scores of training camps learning to form fours, salute their officers prop erly and wield the shovel and rifle. There were remarkable scenes in London .today. Recruits had been instructed to come in shifts at two hour intervals. They flocked to the groat central recruiting : depot in Whitehall. The first recruit was a little early. He came from a big banking establishment where he bad just bade fellow clerks farewell. He had been instructed to appear in his oldest elothes in order that they could be (thrown away when he don ned, hit suit of khaki.; V"; ; Tha boy followed instructions. His coat and trousers might nave been worn by weary willie. ' His ahoes were run down at the Iteel. - Yesier day he wore a morning coat and ebi ny silk : kat . to the bank. - He had borrowed today togs. A fcrlef med ical examination: followed bis arriv al m Whitehall Ten minutes later he left for a railroad station to join a regiment to .which.' he had been nsznGd. ' ,'-.''"!' , ; t , Dr. Sam Small to Lecture in the Anti-Saloon League's Cause Famous Orator and Humorist Interde nominational Meeting; I It is probable that a house-filling audience will hear Dr. Sam W. Small, the noted Georgia evangelist, epcak in Cordon Street church tonight. Dt. Small comes to Kinston under the auspices of the North Carolina Anti Saloon League. H,e is to visit nearly all the important cities and towns in the State, and Kinston is one of the first places in his itinerary. i The meeting will open promptly at 8 o'clock. Dr. J. M. Parrott will in troduce the speaker. An interde nominational committee has charge of the arrangements for tho occa sion. ' , Dr. Small is one of the liquor traffic's most deadly and active foes. He is a captivating orator of the old school, with a wonderful com mand of words, an effective use of figures, an albility to mingle humor with seriousness. He is a great force in the fight for prohibition, and has had a wonderful influence for the success of that cause. The choir of Gordon Street church will lead the music.; BULLETINS (By the United Press) JAP STEAMER SUNK. , London, Feb. 16. The Japan ese steamer-Kenkoa Maru, No. 11, of 3,500 tons, has foundered in a storm. The crew Was land ed at Plymouth. ORPET'S DEFENSE: GIRL DECEIVED HIM. Chicago, Feb. 16 William Or pet's defense will be that Mari on Lambert, the girl he la accus ed of poisoning, deceived him. Orpet had a third sweetheart in Madron, it was learned today. NEWSPAPER TRIBUTE TO D AVID K. WRIGHT Tho Raltiigh News & Observer says of David Wright, Seaboard Air Line engineer killed in a wreck last week who was brother-in-law of Mrs.- W. B. Douglass of this city: He was "a mnn of high character and sterling worth. He was noted for his effic ency, attention to duty, level head, strength of character and courage. Ho was a man who stood high with the Seaboard management." The paper gives half a Column of space to ita eulogy of the engineer and in the concluding paragraph states -that "he was a man good and true. He met life with determina tion in his heart and a smile on. his face. He made friends, for his friend ship was worth while. And his go ing leaves many a heart sad." i BRAZIL WlNTS HIGHER TARIFF ON AMERICAN GOODS, GOVT LEARNS Rio De Janeiro, Feb. 6. (By Mail), Because they believed , American flour and other American products imported by Brazil are crippling the home industries here, Brazilian busi ness interests have asked he Brazil ian federal senate to build up the tariff wall ,and keep United -1 States manufacturers from , running ' away with the Brazilian domestic market. Certain American goods now pay 20 per-cent, lesa import duty into Brazil than is paid on the same class of goods imported into Brazil from other countries. This favor i shown to these American goods because the United States abandoned the idea of charging a 3-cent duty on coffee im ported into the United Statea from Brazil. The Brazilian flour .N.. Winslow, Shoe - Machinery Man, Cross Examined it By Senators ' -; WOULD NOT TAKE IT BACK President's Friends . Start Movement to Beat Brya'n to Nomination. Tearing That to Be Plan of Com moner Root Unheeded. (By the United Tress) , Washington, Fab. 16. Tha Bran deis committee today cross-examined S. W. Winslow, president of the United Shoe Machinery Co., tout fail ed to make him retract a statement . of his belief that Brandeis acted 'dis honorably in forming "shoe trust end then trying to1 attack the latter. Wilson and Bryaw. ; r A "Beat-Bryan-to-It" movement has been started by friends of ' the President who fear Bryan will eb candidate for the presidency, oppos ing Mr. Wilson, President Wilson will make no reply to Root. ROOTS SPEECH FKSI ; ' CAMPAIGN LITERATURE Spoke In the New York Republican Convention Tuesday' 'Night, 1 Ar-1 raignlng Wilson and the-Administration -May Be Endorsee1 fetf No-miastion-Sourtded Battle try f Conservative H. ' (By tha United Preas) f . New York, Feb, 1. The battle , cry of tha conservative Republicans was "sounded by Elihu Root' speech , to the State, conventjon here last eve ning, attacking Wilson and the Ad- -ministration's foreign -policy ana1 tari . iff. 1 'T " - 1 - Copies of the speech will - be the first campaign document, . Endorse ment of Root for the presidency by the convention is possible. , POLITE MH EDWARDS WSTIpTED.TO NICE TO THE MAYOR Mayor Sutton, in 'Greensboro Son day night, almost kidnapped Mr'ft. T. Edwards, who nas been ti Greens boro attending the Laymen's Cbnvcn- : tion as representative? of The Free Press.; It reminded" me of the. joke' about the man in s car whe gave vp his seat to a woman, as the thought, oad when she declined to accept It and tried to shove him back, insist ed ihat it was his.atop. and that he wanted .to get off," said the Mayor.' "I was in an automobile wkh" ny brother-in-law, headed for the vW tion Ho come' home3'I s4w iMf. Ed wards n the street, and called him. He rode on to the station w4th me. Then I hustled him out of - ftie car, -and into the ticket office. I thought he was coming home. Up t the wicket "he protested, 'But, Mr. Sut ton, , I'm' not going home yetnot tonight, and then it dawned Upon me that he hadn't ' said anything' at all about coming back to Kinstoa"-' Mr. Edwards had permitted the courteous other Kinstonian to drag Hm all the wy tol the depot just to be nice. THE DAY ON LOCAL "".COTTON EXCUSE About 151 bales of cotton were sold here today, 11 cents being the best price paid,; New York futures quo tations were: 1 ' Open 1 Close March -:, . v i . .v. V. . , 11.75 May ,J v. .. ..'.12.00 July , i . ; . . . U . . 12.18 11.71 11.93 12.11 12.22 i2.r December .12.21 tlie Commeri'Lil .A ill now y