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VOL XVII.-No.jll
SECOND EDITION
K3NST0N, N. C, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1916
FOUR PAGES TODAY
PRICE TWO CENTS
FIVE CENTS ON TRAINS
WILL BEGIN GREAT AMERICANS GET BAD NO RIGHT TO If HIPl PTE,
WORST OF -MYSTERY
TAFT SAYS COUNTRY
RECORDER SAYS 'WE
SHALL BE JUDGE OF
THE COURT ALONE'
OFFENSIVE AGAINST MAN WITH SCORE OF CONVICTS IN THIS TELlS COl
FIRES; THREE WERE
HAS RIGHT TO WAR
TO PREVENT STRIFE
TURKS AND BULGARS HIS BAND IN MEXICO COUNTY, SAYS BOND PLAN TO IL FOUR
TAKEN IN CUSTODY
'4i
I
Allies Hope to Eliminate
Them From War At One
Stroke, Rome Hears
TO END WAR DURING FAIL
Is Object Troops of Four
Nations Concentrated At
Salonika While Russians
n..i!-., t AJ.A A.
continue w auu,
Bagdad.
(By the United Press)
Paris, May 26. The French re
pulsed violent German attacks on the
West Meuse Bankand northwest of
Verdun in last night's fighting, as
well as gaining on the east bak, the
war office today reported. By smash
ing a counter attack the French re
captured a trench ' lost yesterday
near Thiauhiont. There has been to
cessation for thirty-six hours in the
cannonading (around hill 804 and Ay-,
ocourt.
S Great Offensive Planned
s Rome,;, (May 26. A terrific smash
within a few weeks aimed sit elimin
ating the Turks and Bulgars from
the war will be the Allies' first great
f stroke for peace, was a report todajj
f ; generally circulated. Heavy allied
blows from Salonika and in Mesopo-
.. tamia will be followed by a tremen-
." dous offensive against the Austro
' Germans in an attempt to end the
war before winter. French, English,
Serbians and Italians are concentrat-
' ed at Salonika awaiting the word t
strike. Meanwhile the 'Russians are
pressing on toward Bagdad.
TAKES DIVINE TOUCH
f TO-RESTORE FROM SIN!
Last night Rev. Luther B. Bridgers
addressed one of the largest audiences
that has yet attended the Queen
Street Methodist revival services. He
$vad: from the eleventh chapter of I
John the story, of the death of Laza-
rus and the appeal that was made to i
Jesus to restore him to life
The picture of Lazarus was taken
"by the speaker as a type of the sin
ner's condition, in this world . Death
means a separation and so sin always
separates man from God 'and all that I
; is highest and noblest in life. Then,
" just as Lazarus had no power to re
store himself, so the sinneris impot
ent nut must rely for restoration com
pletely on the mercy of God. It takes
the divirie itouch t& Jstore' man
.from sjn. No taan wer overcame the I
powtfri of the devil at -evidenced in
temptation within himself, It is al
ways the power, of God that does it.
The satnl Arif- f , nnrrat-
' ed life is away from God; and God
tilnn- ii'jjia i'..
, The speaker laid iuch. stress on
the thought that salvation is always
' tne girt of liod, and is bestowed, witn-
outx fail when man decides for Mm
self to be' Saved Jtrw.JimY-'.v'y';
. The jnill.tMted nnVnlargnn)
ber' going 'forward "to"the frtr.v J ' V
This - morning's servicer was f of a
character to Contribute mightily, to
the upbuilding and strengthening of
the Chri!Jtiianlife.- It. wass a conse
c ration e service based on Phillipians
3:7 and following which ' Paul's com
plete consecration is -so graphically
set forth.", '- . .'..;.;,.,; -v ; ,
Both ilr. Bridgers and Mr. Milan
are, excellent' musicians -nd music is
nade ari effective part of every ser
vice. Mr. Bridgers '-usually prefaces
his sermons by singing well-chosen
olo, " Tonight he is" to sing an at
tractive'aelection which is a produc
tion of Mr- Uilan. the choral director.
DUTIES SEWAGE
INTO TIIE IUSE RIVER
tuurhanu ltay. 25. The contract
for the'eonstructic of -ten and One-
half miles of sewerage line from Dur
to Neuse river was let tonight
Cervantes Attacked Engi-
neers and Lost His Life-H
Troops Pursued Remnant!
of Party ah9 Bagged An
other Brace, Said
(By the United Press)
iPinlH iHaiulniiArforn in ,Mvim Mm
2c-candeiario Cervantes. bandit
leader, who has terrorized the sec
ort Cruces, was killed after
"attempting to rush a uartv of enrl
neers repairing a road six miles to
the south of Cruces, with 20 of his
followers.
Three Americans were wounded.
one dying later. The Cruces garrison
J immediately pursued , the survivors,
killing two and wounding others.
The pursuers were members of the
Thirteenth Cavalry, under Capt. Guy
Gushman.
Single-stalk cotton culture is be
ing taught Craven county planters
by a Federal agriculture expert
TAFT WILL SUPPORT
T.R.IF
AT CHICAGO, THfl'G'T
Former President Refuses
to Comment, However
Roosevelt Will Have to
Toe . the Line . if . Western
ers Follow Him
(By the United Press)
Washington, May 26. If Roose
velt Wins the Chicago nomination
Taft will -be for him, according to
information from friends very close
to both men. The same sources,
however, said western Progressives
ffl 'wfu8e to foow Roosevelt if he
does not adhere strictly to the Pro
gressives' routes.
Mr. Taft today refused to confirm
the report, merely chuekling. and
saying, ' wny snouia i comment on
such a violent hypothesis?"
COMMITTEE AGREES ON
ZiKMY APPROPR'N BILL
(By the United Press)
Washington May 25. The army
appropriation bill, carrying $145,000,.
000 and including provision for car-
ryingout the HayjChamberlain re
"ranization bill. Was' agreed to today
thyiouse Military comnmee.
bill includes provision ;.for council
of executive information for co-ordi-fea'tion
of industries and resources in
of industries and 'resources T in war
'resources .
was timel't';'
(By United Press)
CAROLINA STRAWBERRY
SHIPMENTS i
Washington, May 26. Tetegra-
. phie reports to the Agricultural
"Department -show that 613 cars
of strawberries had been moved
from the Carolina op to May 22.
One hundred and eighty carloads
and - liberal boat shipments had
been moved from Virginia. The '
Gulf States season has closed. ,
MURDERERS SENTENCED.
- Durham, May 26 C B Bur-
gib, 'white, sentenced to SB years,
and three negroes, given 25 years
each, were found guilty la the
second degree for j ordering E.
B- Cantrell. " Wiastoa-Salem
merchant. -"
Siibocribe in Th Fr Pre.
BULLETINS
Judge Orders Jury to Find
Guard Guilty in Superior
Court Case'
RESOLUTION OF COM'RS
Was Authority for Lashing
of Junius Potter by Big
"Walking Boss' Lash
Regularly Used, Court
Learns In Trial
Margaret Partello. accused of
murdering Harry Stein in March,
took the stand as the first wit-
neas in Superior Court today. She
had been on between two and
three hours when the noon recess
came.
Members of the bar declared
her to be an ideal witness. The
woman, fair-looking and rath
er well dressed, answered every
question in the cross-examination
with snap and decision. All
attempts of the State 'to break
down her self-defense statement
failed.,
She related a story to the ef
fect -.that Stein had been her lov
er for months. They had had a
split and reconciliation. He was
jealous, she declared. He threat
ened, she said, on the night of
the fatal shooting to kill her.
She produced a revolver and
shot him. He had mistreated
her, she stated.
E. W. Mincher,'a "walking boss" of
the county roads force, was found
guilty by a jury in Superior Court
late Thursday of whipping Junius
Potter, a white convict, after Judge
W. M. Bond, presiding, had instruct
ed the jury to bring in such a ver
dict if they believed the evidence.
Sentence was not passed. He was
put under a $500 bond.
Mincher has been in court several
times since being employed ,by rthe
county, on charges of cruelty to pri
soners, gambling, etc. lie is a man
of large stature and apparently of
middle age
James Benton, who has served six
months on the roads and has an un
savory reputation from his own ad
missions, was a witness against Min
cher in the case. Benton "guessed"
that Mincher struck Potter with a
strap some 15 or 20 times. Other
witnesses Were Bryant Taylor, sup
erintendent of the county roads
force; Dr. H. Tull, ex-Chairman of the
County Commissioners, and iCounty
Physician , Albert Parrott. Taylor
had instructed Mincher to whip Pot
ter for insubordination, it developed.
A resolution passed by the Bpard of
Commissioners empowered the roads
authorities to use the lash. No other
witnesses admitted that Mincher had
struck Potter as many times as Ben
ton thought he had. About a half
dozen lashes was the superintend
ent's estimate. Dr. Parrott had ex
amined Potter for a disease and had
failed to find any signs of a beating
on him. V
But Judge Bond held that whipping
of convicts was illegal. The resolu
tion ' of the commissioners was 'void
in his opinion and he quoted decisions
held by him to annul any such ac
tion by local authorities. . The com
missioners, it is said on good authori
ty, contending that whipping of un
ruly convicts is essential to discipline
in the camps, will appeal the case,
whatever the judgment may be. to
the Supreme Court. Frequent cases
of whipping were admitted. . i
I It is understood that Mincher is to
be tried on other counts. .
Partello Case Started. .
After concluding the case against
Mincher the court started into the
hearing of the case against Margaret
parteiio, South Kinston women j
eharged with shooting Harry Stein,
t well-known mere ha n't who died as
the result of i revolver bullet-wound.
The jury had not been secured when
recess was taken.
Murderer Does Not Think
'. He Is Crazy; "Never De
nied Guilt" '
HE IS MAKING NO DEFENSE
Intended to Kill Wife, Her
Parents and Her Aunt to
Secure Peck MillionsNo
Plot In Tombs to Fake In
sanity '
(By the United Press)
New York, May 245. A calm ad
mission that he planned to kill his
wife as well as her parents, Mr. and
Mrs. John, Peck, of Grand Rapids,
and Miss Catherine Peck, her aunt,
was made ty vr. Artnur warren
Waiite when he ; today resumed his
amazing confession of an arch poison
plot through which he hoped to gain
the Peck millions.
Asked if he was erazy, he replied,
'I think not."
"Do you care what ibefcomieis of
you?"
"I want to do what's right," he re
plied.
Cross-examined, Waite denied a
Tombs conspiracy to fake insanity.
''Do you. deny your guilt?"
"I never denied it."
"Wha't Is your defense?"
"I am making no defense," he stat
ed. ,
GEORGEJJGCS SHOWS
RALEIGH REAL STUFF
Only 29 Men Faced Him In Capitals-
Asheville Game ThursdayThere
With Stick, Too ''Prettiest Exhi
bition in Many Days," Says News
and Observer of Game
Today's Raleigh News and Obser-
ver s sporting page carrieu me 101-
lowincr. at the ton of the first col
umn:
"George Suggs, a Kinston boy who
has more than once turned back big
league batters, yesterday came into
his own and convinced not only local
fans, but the Paramounts that he can
yet pitch grand baseball! Suggs not
only gave the prettiest exhibition of
twirling seen on the home lot in
many days, but he won his own game
in the eighth inning when his single
to right-center sent Manager Heinie
Busch across the coveted rubber with
what proved the winning run. How.
ever, to make the score safe, another
run was added dn the same frame an
the Canitals defeated Asheville 2 to
0.
"When Bradshaw, the first visiting
batter to face Suggs, got a scratch
hit between first and second in' the
Initial inning it marked the begin
ning and ending of the,. Paramounts
slugging. No matter how hard they
tried or how often,. Hickman, Fenton
and Bitting, the Asheville trio of
swatters, came to bat the matter of
hitting always remained the same.
Seven visiting batters swung in vain
trying to connect with Suggs' offer
ings and only once did the Kinston
pitcher show any mercy in the' form
of passes.
"Suirzs had everything and 'then
CONFIRMATION OF B
AGAI
Ml
WiniOOTlTE
FOLLOWING MEETING REPUB'C'N
, - t (By th United Press) :
Washington, May 26. The confirmation of Brandeis
by the Senate" this af ternoon
was. forecasted at a meeting
the Judiciary Committee. .
Only Sutherland i3 "opposed to .such a prr-Tram; The
plan is to have the confirmation with' t a : 1 1 :U.
T, W. Chase and Two Young
Daughters In Charge of
Sheriff This Afternoon
PYROMAM THE CAUSE?
Long String Strange Blazes
At Farmhouse South o
the City May End With
Arrests If Suspicions Are
Borne Out
Miss Lavinia Chase, about 17,
and Novella Chase, her sister,
several years younger, are in
custody at Ihe Sheriff's office
here this afternoon, together
with their father, T. W. Chase,
to await an examination by phy
sicians to determine if either of
hei three Is afflicted with pyro
mania. It is suspected that one
cf the trio was responsible for
the long series of fires at the
"mystery house" on the H. P.
Ioftin plantation, south of here,
and a fire on an adjoining farm
this morning which destroyed a
farmhouse. . ,
Both girls, especially the old
er . one. are greatly perturbed.
Miss Chase cries almost con
stantly,' A married sister who
was present When a deputy sher
iff took them in charge fainted.
Chase does not know what to
think of the situation. The past
Week has been one of the worst
for him in his liTelHe "caniibf
believe either of hia daughters is
to blame. He has never known
to either act other than normal,
he declares. ' , -
A stnall tenant house on the farm
df G. F. Loftin, four or five miles
South of here, was destroyed by fire
between 10 and 11 o'clock today. The
plantation adjoins the farm of H. P.
Loftin, on which there sits the "house
of mystery" in which scores of fires
have occurred since last Saturday
morning.
Children of T. W. Chase, the ten
ant of the mystery house, spent the
night in the burned house, it is said.
It Is only a short distance away from
Chase's home. " No one admits see
ing the fire Ihis morning start. H.
P. Loftin ohd others unhesitatingly
declared belief today that there is a
person- in the family -or the neighbor
hood ufllicted With pyromanin, too
shrewd to be detected..
Many times in the past five days
have blazes, always caught in their
iricipiency by the Watchful and dis
tressed family, been started by some
undetermined agency. Suspected per
sons have been Watched without re
sult. The best clue up till this after
noon'; that a porson was responsible
was . the, discovery of a number of
matches, some of which had been
struck, -in a place where children of
Chase's large family were accustomed
to play. ? ;
some', that . a pftcher should have, to
win .games. He showed more stuff
than has been seen in the league in
some lime, and whenever he was not
puzzling a batter he was working on
a runner on base. Only 29 hatters,
two extra ones, faced Suggs during
tiie.nme innings of play." "
RANDEIS T HIS P 51.
NST HIM PREDICTED
without a vote against him
of Republican members of
1 ' 1 ' '
MEMBERS
Perfectly Constitutional for
' U.S. to League With Oth
er Nations for Such Pur
poseTakes Issue With
the Commoner
(By the United Freu)
Washington, May '2C William H.
Taft. speaking as a ! jurist, ' today
placed his O. K. on the platform of
the League to Enforce Peace. He de
dared it is constitutional for the
United States to bind Itself with oth
er nations Ho declare war on any
country that starts war without first
esorting to arbitration.
He took direct issue with Bryan's
recent statement On the subject. Mr.
Taft said the league won't try to stop
the present war, but will follow its
disliinct purpose to prevent the re
currence of "such 'a disaster to civil
isation. -
LANSING DOES NOT
INTEND TO ' RESIGN,
DECLARES DEPMENT
Rumor That Secretary of
State Would Quit femari
ated From 'a Questionable
Source and Was Foster
ed by. Propagandists
(By the United Press)
May 2C.-Denying unqualifiedly
press association report that Secre
tary Lansing will resign, the State
Department today declared circula
tion of the rumor part of propa
ganda proceeding for several months,
A broad intimation was made that
German sources fostered the rumor
Mr. Lansing appeared at the cabinet
meeting today and will return to his
office Monday, having recovered from
a slight illness.
LENOIR CROPS DOING
FINE; A SUCCESSFUL
POTATO 'EXPERIMENT
;"! 4 -" a, ;
Crops in Lenoir county are, in fine
condition generally, according to
to Mr. II. ii. Grainger, who is one of
tie best info'med men on tiie agri
cultural situation. S It is probable
that the "stands'! are better than at
this season for several years past, he
states. i
Of course, the cool weather has re
tarded cotton, but tte staple is in
very satisfactory 'shape, nevertheless.,
Tobacco is doing, fine Mr. Grainger
asserts. ' Some of the weed is knee-
high." Potatoes are short, of course;
the crop is all over the country. "The
potato crop was experimental. Fer
tilizers were scarce and the prices
were -high." Lenoir county potato
planters experienced a handsome
streak of luck, though, considering
the acreage. "The demand is big,
and it will continue big. A 'govern
ment estimate put the shortage at
00,000,000 bushels." New potatoes
are retailing here now at $1. Mr.'
Grainger expects to see them -sell
for $6 and $7 a barrel. . , .
Corn is not doing as well as the
other crops, probably.
TO GIVE THE HEN A
i CHANtE IX ENGLAND.
London, May W Giva the : hen
chance. With efgs at 7 cents each.
Mrs. Lionel Guest, daughter of ; the
'ate John Bigelow, American ambas
sador to Paris, is urging a plan hsre
today to turn London's public parks
into poultry farms.
Greenville has a building fcoom on.
Tr:i permits for buildings of con !J-
' 'o c(t-have been isuvl (
Wooten Questions Right of.
Judge Bond to Review
Court's Findings
WE, TOO, MYE OPINION
.V ' . V: :,,,rjvv.r!
'Superior Court Judges Afe
As Prone to Err as the
Sparks Are to . Fly Up
wafd "Declares the
Habeas Corpus. Case
The following signed communica
tion was handed The Free Press by
Recorder T. C. Wooten this morning.
In it he questions the right of the
Superior Court to review the findings
of his court except by nieal. and de
clares that ha will continue to con-;
trol the procedure of his court, as he
has done,-irrespective, of the ruling'
of Judge Bond entered upon the Su
perior Court records at Thursday's
session. Judge Wooten 'maintains
that' his court is one of "perpetual
motionj" does not adjourn, but sim
ply takes recesses, and that he shall
coritinue to alter hia decisiona when.
they appeal to the conscience of tha
court." He promises to explain ttha
habeas corpus case disposed of -on
Thursday later. His communication
in full follows t v . ;
"We are settled in our opinion as
to .the powers and limitations of the
Recorder's Court, for. these are like
wise based upon'irules announced
from the Supreme' Court. ' We shall
not be guided by ex parte opinion
of Superior Court Judges,' given to i
grand juries. ' The (Superior Court
can only review the Recorder' Court
by regular and proper appeal; not
by 'a free lanee.' It is right that we '
should be governed by higher author
ity. Superior Court judges are as
prone to err as the sparks ara to fly .
upward. This is verified by 170 Su
preme Court reports; a good load for v
a mule 170 books of errors! f
' "We, too, have an" opinion. It is
to the effect that the Recorder's "Court
of Kinston moves automatically, and
is under' the 'biH' perpetual motion,
personified. : It never adjourns, takes
only recesses. The impact from Mon-
day morning to dead Saturday night
keeps the 'thing quivering till. during
morn of (Monday again.' Perpetual
motion, you see. Irrespective of the
opinion of learned jurists, we shall
be ihe judge of :the court alone. We
shall do as we have done cotttrol the
procedure, judgments and penalties, -and
make modifications - when they
appeal to the conscience of 'the court.
"We have done our best to make
the iRecorder'a Court teful and ben-'
eflclal in every respect, and w have
been assured by many that it haa
accomplished its purpose.' ' ..
"We discovered the. court to . . be
out t oi- narmony , wan recorders'
courts soon - after he left the
trenches' in the 'charge.' We were .
impressed with the solemnity of his
strictures and criticism f or the Tea- '
son the deadly aim was carried into '
execution without a 'joke.'.r No pause
for myth or mirth. . , ,i .
"We are - constrained to say - we
shall conduct Ithe court on our own
ideas and opinions based upon f the '
law until We receive final orders from
the Supreme Coart. Any njandate fro
a court of competent jurisdiction will
be rpsp'ectfblly obeyed ill overruled.
We do not adhere te the erroneous
idea that tthe Recorders Oourt is un.
constitutional. The traeetion as to
its constitutionality settled by no less
authority ahan the Suprteme' Court.
"When the cases leave' my . court
on appeal to -the Superior. Court we
will do as we have always done, ex
ercise no jurisdiction bi attempt ta
do so. If the appeal ' is withdrawn
by consent of the Sate, the judge
and the defendant, we shall take ju
risdiction to modify khe judgment if
justice and mercy demand. This wa
h:he a ri t to d u ; '
9 ruling
l.'arn-
.1 t...
) !
the
e Court.