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VOL. XVII.-No. 245
VILLISTAS ATTACK TOWN; FIGHT; ,
MANY KILLED; ARSON; RAID, RUN
MEXICANS .CROSSED BORE
TOWN OFCOlJJMBllS,
AND PITCHED BATTLE
Three Soldiers and Number
lowers of Villa Strew Streets of American City Sol
diers Pursuing Invaders
Principal Buildings Fired
partment Cavalry After
Audacious Onslaught by
Met By Colonel Slocum's
In Engagement
(By the, United Press)
'Columbus, N. M., March 9. Eleven Americans were
killed by four hundred Villistas, who swooped down upon
this,town in the darkness this morning. They were dri
ven off after a two-hour fight with three hundred caval
rymen and citizens.
Tp Appeal to Carranza, Says President.
, Washington, March 9. The President has received a
..report of the raid at Columbus. He stated that strong
representations would be made to Carranza to capture
and punish the bandits.
Many Killed.
EI Paso, Texas, March 9. A battle between Villista
bandits and United States soldiers occurred at Columbus,
city early today.
Three American soldiers were killed and four wound
ed. Three or four Columbus civilians were killed and a
number wounded. An unknown number ojf bandits were
killed.
A repgrfc giyen the, tnited Pressby Brigadier-General
Pershing, who" received an offietaTacco'tliit from "Col. S!o
ctiny commanding officer at Columbus, said dead Mexi
cans are strewn through the streets of Columbus. Four
principal buildings, including a hotel, were set on fire
by the bandits. The troops pursued the bandits across
the border.
War Department Gets News.
Washington, March 9. An official dispatch to the
War Department confirmed the report that three soldiers
tvere killed and four wounded at Columbus, N. M. A
number of civilians wTere killed by the bandits. It was
said mounted troops are pursuing the Mexicans. The
number of civilians killed is unknown. The troops used
in the pursuit are cavalry.
V ' '"' :' .1. ':. : '...;i-i- '
WILL ORGANIZE T. P.
A. POST HERE FRIDAY
State Officers Interested In Kinston
Expect to Have Between 50 and
100 Members Here Travelers and
Employers of Drummers Eligible
to Membership
, The State Board of Directors of
the North Carolina Division of the T.
P. A. of America will have a com
mittee from different cities in the
State here tomorrow to organize a
post for Kinston. This association
has organizations in 21 cities of the
State, with about 2,000 members.
The National President is a North
Carolina -maivC. F. Tomlinson of
High' Point, who is doing much to
put the State in the list of the large
divisions. He is a manufacturer.
Th T. P. A. is composed of trav
elog toen, manufacturers, jobbers
and commission men, and in addition
to the other work gives its members
accident insurance at cost The lo
cal body, through its own organiza
tion and affiliation with the State and
National bodies, swill work in every
Wav to promote the Welfare of the
travelers and; the interests of the
manufacturers land jobbers of Kin
ston. It will advertise Kinston as a
live, progressive, growing city, ac
cording to Mr. J. J. Norman of Winston-Salem,
a former State president
who was here Wednesday.
The State officers hope to have a
post between 50 and 100 : members
here. New Bern is also to have a
post in the near future.; An organ
isation campaign is being conducted
in the Eastern part of the State, and
Elizabeth; City and Washington are
to-be organized. A membership
campaign is being conducted jn the
motions where the T. P. A, is lrC!lJy
well organized.
SECOND EDITION
IER, FELL UPON
N. M., MET TROOPS
FOLLOWED; FLIGHT
Civilians Killed Dead Fol
Hotel and Three Other
Confirmation by War De
Outlaws From Across Line.
Rebel Chiefs Men Instantly
Troopers and Enemy Bested
FIREMEN'S FINE WORK
SAVED LUMBER PLOT
Kinston Manufacturing Co.'s Mill
Threatened With Destruction for
Time Wednesday Night Fuel and
; Boiler House Wrecked, 3nt Boil
ers Undamaged Fully Insured.
A fire which threatened to destroy
the big lumber plant of the Kinston
Manufacturing Company in South
west Kinston Wednesday evening at
7 o'clock was checked by magnificent
work on the part of the fire depart
ment and volunteers after it had
gained considerable headway. The
fuel house and boiler house were de
stroyed. The damage was estimated
at the office this morning to be be
tween $1,500 and $2,000, fully cover
ed by insurance. The boilers were
not ma terially damaged.
A spark lodging in sawdust in the
fuel house is supposed to have
.started the blaze. The firemen ar
rived promptly, but the flames had
gotten a good start. A brisk north
west wind fanned them. Within a
quarter of an hour Chief Moseley
knew that the fire was controlled,
however.' The firemen had five lines
of hose and volunteers two, playing
on the burning frame building from
all sides. Had they been ten minutes
later the damage would have been
tremendous. ;
Employes at the mill etated that
when the fire first broke out they
could not conceive of its being ex
tinguished, so quickly did it spread,
and officers of the company today re
ferred to the 'firemen's efforts as
splendid. "Doc." .Weeks,' a member
of the East Kinston Fire Company,
had to be carried off sick while his
company, was working at the fire.
Weeks got wet and the uncomfort
ably low temperature threw him into
STATE CONVENTION
IN RALEIGH ON THE
Tlf -SEVENTH APRIL
Democratic Executive Com
mittec at Meeting In Cap
ital City Wednesday Eve
ning Endorsed Wilson's
Candidacy and Policies
(Special to The Free Press)
Raleigh, March 9. The Democrat
ic State Executive Committee here
last night decided to hold the State
convention in Raleigh on April 27
Raleigh was the only city bidding for
the big meeting. Precinct meetings
to choose delegates to the county
conventions will be held on April 15,
and county conventions to select 'the
delegates to' the State convention on
April 22.
lhe committee unanimously en
dorsed the President's candidacy for
re-election and his foreign policies. A
committee of five was named to can
vass on June 10 the returns of the
State primary. Forty-seven out of
the sixty members were present at
the mooting.
'I D0NT WANT 117
MESSAGE FROM T. R.
FROM OYER THE SEA
(By the United Press)
New York, March 9. Roose
velt does not want the presiden
tial nomination, he declared in a
statement today to the Trinidad
representative of the Evening
Mail.
WOMAN KILLS HUSBAND
WHO WOULD BEAT HER
Atlanta, Ga., March 8. Mrs. L. F.
Pannell shot and killed her husband
at their home here today as he was
advancing on her with a strap and
said he intended to beat her, accord
in? to her statement in jail where she
is held for murder.
Atlanta, March 8. 'Pannell and
family came to Atlanta three weeks
ago from Greensboro, where he work
ed for a dry cleaning establishment.
ORDER GERMANS LEAVE
PORTUGAL FOR SPAIN
(By the United Press)
Lisbon, March 9. Germans in
Portugal have been advised by their
consuls to leave for Spain. It is be
lieved the diplomats are preparing to
leave shortly.
PUBLIC HEARINGS ON
BR ANDEIS CONCLUDED
Washington, March 8. Public
hearings on the nomination of Louis
D. Brandeis of Boston to be associate
justice of the Supreme Court, were
terminated today by the judiciary
sub-committee of the Senate.
The inquiry has been in progress
for a month. The sub-committee
gave no indication as to when it
would report to the judiciary com
mittee.- -' v ,
MILLIONAIRES STORING
CARS; GAS TOO HIGH
i . . i
(By the United Press)
New York, March 9. Gasoline is
retailing at from 27 to 40 cents a
gallon, and - even millionaires are
storing their cars and economizing
in fuel. . .'
a chill, it was aaid. Chief . Moseley
left two or three squads of laborers
with hose laid to guard against an
other outbreak from the ruins.
KINSTON, N. O, THURSDAY,
FRENCH AND GERH'N
PUNS FIGHTING FOR
A FINAL
Terrible Din In Vicinity of
Verdun; Use Thousands
of Shells
GAINS FOR THE ALLIES
Crown Prince's Men Driv
en From Corbeaux Wood
Both 'Artillery and In
fantry Attacks By Teu
tons Against Goose Hill
(By the United Press)
'London, March 9. In the French
trenches storms of fire marked the
renewal of the German heavy artil
lery attack along the crescent-shaped
front at Verdun. Paris dispatches
say the cannonading is violent on
both banks of the Mcuse. The Ger
mans have been driven out of the
Corbeaux wood's by violent French
counter attacks. The Teutons are
pouring thousands of shells into the
French position on Goose Hill, fol
lowing the frequent artillery attacks
with infantry assaults.
Not Much Fighting In Galicia.
Berlin, March 9. No further gains
have been made by the Austrians in
Galicia. The fighting there is inter
mittent, says an official Austrian re
port.
French Repulse All Attacks.
Paris, March 9. Repeated heavy
German attacks upon the village of
Bethincourt, northwest of Verdun,
during last night were all repulsed,
t is said officially. Two of the heav
iest onslaughts Were preceded by
hours of artillery fire. A curtain of
fire by the French on Goose and Dead
Man hills stopped the Germans. The
Germans are trying to straighten
their front for u grand attack on the
hills.
The Germans today entered the
village of Vaux, southeast of Douau
mont, but were driven out by a coun
ter attack. The French repulsed sev-
ral attacks on the Vaux-Douaumont
front.
This Report Probably Premature.
Berlin, March 9. Fort and village
of Vaux have been captured by the
Germans, also adjoining positions, it
officially said.
BULLETINS
(By the United Press.)
DENY ENVER PASHA
DEAD OR INJURED.
London, Mar. 9 The Turkish
legation at Athens declares the
story untruthful that Enver Pa
sha, (he Turkish war minister,
had been attacked or died of
wounds, say dispatches.
300 TRAINMEN STRIKE.
Mobile, March 9. Three hun
dred trainmen of the Gulf and
Ship Island Railroad struck to
day because of the refusal of the
company to recognize the union.
GERMAN SCOUTING
SQUADRON OUT.
Amsterdam, March 9. A Ger
man cruiser squadron, accompan
ied by destroyers, made a recon
noissance in the North Sea today
and returned to their base, say
Berlin dispatches.
SHIP MINED; 15 MAY BE LOST.
Copenhagen, March 9. The
Norwegian steamer Memon has
been mined and sunk in North
Sea. Dispatches say the crew of -fifteen
are believed to have per-
: : jshed. ' t.
LABOR TROUBLE IN
SPALN; MARTIAL LAW
(By the United Press)
Madrid, Spain, March 9.-Martial
law has been declared at Cartagena
following a day and a half of rioting
by onion foundry -workers.
MARCH 9, 1916
SECRETARY OF WAR
BAKER ARRIVES AND
GETS INSTRUCTIONS
President Tells Him About
Affairs and Scott Will
Give Him Idea About Du
ties In Oflice At Cabin
et Meeting Friday
(By the United Press)
Washington, March 9. Secretary
of War Baker nrrived in Washington
today, stated that he had clored up
his business in Cleveland, saw the
President at 10 o'clock, and had out
lined to him the pending internation
al situation.
He is expected to Uk? hia place in
the cabinet meeting tomorrow, and
will take up the duties of the ofike
immediately under instruction from
General Scott.
"Something Doing" Right Away
For Him.
Mr. Baker was sworn in as secre
tary following his conference with
the President. He found that one of
the worst troubles for him to face is
the Mexican stiuation. He was shown
a United Press dispatch of the raid
by Villistas at Columbus.
"It looks as if I will have some
thing to do immediately," he said,
and immediately plunged into the
work of the department.
TWENTY YEARS FOR
CLAUD SUGGS, WHO
SLEW FATHER-IN-LAW
(Special to The Free Press)
Jacksonville, N. C, Mar. 9.
(laud Suggs, who killed his father-in-law,
J. J. James, near here
during the holidays, was sen
tenced to 20 years in State's pri
son by Judge Bond in Onslow Su
perior Court here today.
The defense submitted to a se
cond degree verdict, which the
Judge charged the jury to bring
in.
BIGGEST CONSCIENCE
FUND CONTRIBUTION
(By the United Press)
Washington, March 9. A thirty
thousand dollar conscience fund con
tribution, the largest in history, has
been received ot the treasury in a
package from Philadelphia. The send
er said he' had sent a total of $80,000,
four times what he stole years ago.
JUDGE, MAYOR, LIQUOR
MEN JOIN FORCES TO
WIPE OUT DRUNKENNESS
Los Angelas, March 9. Los Ange
les a wet city without a single
drunk! This is the slogan of Judge
Griffith Jones of the sunrise police
court. Mayor C. E. Sebastian and
wholesale liquor dealers who are
working to banish the reeling drunk
ard from this town. Analysis of the
liquor situation by Judge Jones
showed that out of 1134 intoxicated
men arrested, only four got in that
condition by drinking beer or light
wines. The others drank whisky
and "hard stuff."
Asking the men where they got
their liquor, the police found that
most of the drunken men came from
only four saloons. There are many
b3rs here, but a close tab shows that
only four had a habit of sending forth
helpless staggerers. i
TOOLISH SAYS THE ; -PRESIDENT
OF RUMOR
Washington, March' 8. President
Wilson today authorized Representa
tive Pen to deny as "utterly foolish"
a tumor which had reached the House
to-the effect that the President, had
changed his mind and was preparing
to issue a warning against Americans
taking passage on armed merchant
men. Mr. Pou denied the report on
the floor of the House. v
FOUR PAGES
WOMEN NEAR DR.
M'NAIRY SPEAK ON
BABY WEEK SUBJECT
Superintendent of Caswell
School Addresses Gather
in? In E. Kinston Church
On Care of Infants Be
fore Birth Last Day
TODAY'S PROGRAM.
Address by'Dr. C. 11. McNairy
in East Kinston on "Care of the
Baby Before Birth."
What promised to be one of the
most interesting of the Baby Week
meetings is being held in East Kin
ston this afternoon. Christ Episco
pal church was turned over to the
Mothers' Club, under whose auspices
the week is being observed here, for
an address by Dr. C. Banks McNairy,
superintendent of the Caswell Train
ing School. Dr. McNairy, as is well
known, is a practical talker and a
person capable of discussing intelli
gently the subject of children, their
troubles, etc. His address was to be
on "Care of the Baby Before Birth."
The last of the meetings will be in
Caswell Street Methodist church Fri
day evening at 7:30, with Dr. Ira M.
Hardy as. the speaker. Dr. Hardy
will use a stereopticon in illustrat
ing his lecture on "Development of
the Child."
TODAY'S ODDEST STORY
Hammond, Ind., Mar. 9. Frank
Trabtzbas of Chesterton, Ind., reflect
ing in a police jail cell here after a
two days' fling along the gay white
way, wondered how he was going to
pay a dollar fine when he spied a
Robin's nest in a tree within an arm's
length of the cell window. Reaching
cut, he shooed the Robin away and
picked a $5 bill from the nest", sum
moned the jailer, paid his fine and
went nome.
WHEDBEE TALKS, BUT
NIX ABOUT HIMSELF
Judge II . W. Whedbee of Green
ville, who is conducting Superior
Court at Snow Hill, talked of lhe
congressional situation in the First
district in the presence of Sheriff A.
W. Taylor of Kinston and other men,
according to Sheriff Taylor, who haj
been in Snow Hill on business con
nected with the court. The Green
ville jurist has, as is generally known,
been considered a possible candidate
against Congressman John Small,
but to every question put to him by
reporters has given an evasive re
ply. Sheriff Taylor says that from
the way Judge Whedbee talked he
gathered that the latter thinks Small
might be beat by the right man. "But
never a word about himself" did the
Judge have to say.
FLETCHER'S IDEA COST
GREAT AMERICAN NAVY
Washington, March 8. Approxi
mately a billion and a half dollars
for new ships and an annual upkeep
charge of $700,000,000 is what Ad
miral Fletcher, commanding the At
lantic fleet, estimates it would cost
to carry out the navy general board's
recommendation that the American
navy should equal the most powerful
fleet afloat by not later than 1925.
ALL OPPOSITION TC
PRESIDENT GONE JBY
MXUiER'SnCS
(By the United Press)
Washington, Mar. 9. Senator; -McCumber
today withdrew hia
warning resolution, saying he be
lieved Secretary Lansing intend-'
ed warning Americana to avoid,
travel on armed ships. ; He said?,
offensively armed vessels would t
be refused clearance.
This withdrew. the last Senate
opposition to the President's pol-.1-
iff
PRICK TWO CENTS
WE CENTS ON TRAINS
THE GOVERNMENT TO
. irr- r t
TELL PEOPLE TRUTH
OF
Official Announcement Soon
Will Reply to German
Propaganda
PREPARING STATEMENT
Will Come From Executive
Offices or State Depart
ment Intended to Be
Read by American Fire
sides and Over Ocean
(By the United Press)
Washington, March 9. A atate
ment clearing the government's posi
tion on the new submarine issues is
being prepared for the citisens, and
will be given out soon, it was learned
today. The administration is pre
paring a formal announcement, de
signed for' consumption by the peo
ple at home and abroad, coming eith
er from the State Department r the
President.
It is 'intended to answer, In part,
the German official propaganda.
EXPECT TO HYE ONE
THIRD ALASKA ROAD,
RUNNING BY NOYEMB'B
Washington, March 9.With a sat
isfactory labor supply, and good wea-i
ther conditions. Chairman , W. C4
Edes of the Alaskan ijtogineering
Commission hopes to have in opera
ion nearly one-third(,jof the propos
ed government railroad in Alaska", by
November 1. It is the hope of the
commission that the work on the rail
read can be pushed to the Mantan
uska coal field by fall. At the pres
ent the work is being held up while
.in emergency bill, asking for a two-miilion-dollar
appropriation, . is be
fore Congress. , 'I '
What the opening of this railroad
will mean in the development of Al
irka is merely a matter of conjee
ure, but the fact that a town of 1,600
las grown up at Anchorage, one of
he terminals of the railroad, since
he announcement of the route, in
lieates that the development of the
lorth country will be great when the
oad finally is completed.
ENGLAND S NEWSPAPERS
FACE PAPER SHORTAGE
AND SMALLER EDITIONS
(By the United Press)
London. Fell. 27. (By lall)
3ritish newspapers are alarmed over
the impending shortage of paper on
account of the government partial
import prohibition of wood pulp.
Practically every large daily in Eng
land is engaged in a systematic Cam
paign of public education against the
wasting of paper. At the same time
the public is being prepared ior very
much smaller newspaper editions,
which are bound to result.
Some of the largest of the London
newspapers already have imposed up
on' themselves their-economy cam
paign. Less pages are appearing
than before the supply of print pa
per was threatened.
VILLA REPORTED TQ
BE NEAR THE BORDER
Columbus, N. M., March 8 'Fran
cisco Villa and his forces today reach
ed the ranch of the Patinas Land and
Cattle Company at Nogales, Chihua
hua, ten miles below the border and
forty-four miles east of here, accord
ing to a telegram sent by the Ameri
can foreman of the ranch. "
PECULIAR FACTS ABOUT
v VELL-KyOWN PEOPLE
Washington, March 9 Representa
tive Foss of Ohio is a Lincoln student.-
lie collects manuscripts, pho
tos; etc., of the martyred President,