North Carolina Newspapers

i f o- Y rap fill MWW v I Jill) M I'll I i olume VIII.-Number 8 ROANOKE RAPIDS, N. C, MAY 13, 1921 Subscription $2.00 a Year in Advance ! t 1 f 1 1 1! 5 1 ii T-"; If? 8 '4 i ROSEMARY PERSONAL AND LOCAL ITEMS. Messrs. .1. A. Moore, V. F. Inner, L. 1J. Lul om ana Lewis i. Taylor attended the meeting if the Episcopal Convention 4 eld in St. Thillips Church, Pur- iC, this week. Capt. and Mrs. Guy Drewry, LaCrosse, Va., are the guests Hi Mr. and Mrs. Arch L Taylor. Honor Roll For Eighth Month I $ CENTRAL. S( lll.OOL 1 Grade ID- Oattlev Lee. Ed- lard Elmore, Arch Taylor, Mary livnn Fe!o tVnvno Mntkins. , uraite lis - Josie Chase, Mary lma Coltrane, Gladys Mel ford, Mary Green, Miriam Hudson, Belen Vann, Doris Tippett, Lee icholson. Grade 1A - Bessie Aycock, hn Hoy Bryant, Dorothy utchfield, Ophelia Daniel, Hilda ines, Calvin Kennimur, Lottie ivnch, Carrie Pearce, Lois jfoodard, Janet Yoder. Grade 2B - Charlie Smith, lizabeth Lynch, Catherine fidd, Lillian Woodruff, Mayo i-owning, Grady Bristow, Ce- J-. : Jl Pendleton, Otis Reynolds. :':;f"7Grade 2 - Ollie Powell, j (,:" Jctty Gray Long, Gilbert Pool, : lbert Garner. V Grade 3A - Lurline Hardy, fgertha Hedgepeth. H iR Grade 4A - Vashti Kennimur, flilda Faison, Mildred Baird. Grade 5A - Claude Brown, ii i Annie Hodges, Agatha Moore, JLaura Trunstall. J,K Grade CA Garland Humphries, n l n t i 1...1.LP.1 1 if jey vroucn, noueri, ruu-nut-iii, i"vV'; It azel Turner. Grade tB - Annie Lovvter. Grade 7B - Wilbur Davenport, jQanelle Garner, Ethel Harris, aud Vaughan. firadp7H. Ruth A lion Ilplon 1Vfenkins Hattie Kearney, Corinne f"". I. .Marks, Nellie Morris, Moybelle ', " -v iuocicj vjiipjcii, inuun, iiva Grade 1 A - CI irence Simmons, Ur rv Hams. James Daniel. V1." . lO'.Montie Williams, Blanche Allen, 15 Elizabeth Parks, Nellie Parks, Effie Simpkins. Grade IB - Esther Smith, athlene Jackson. Daisv Harris. - ftanny Murphy, Grey Currie, ' Grade 1C - Addie Belle Sim mons, Ernest Rawls, George Nicholson, Graham Shell. V ; ' I Grade ID - Annie Mae OdelJ ieaulah Miller, Nervie May arner, Arleen Batton. Grade 2B Martha Murphy, : '" illian Belle Jackson, Troy ; v , tJ rouch, Hazel Clary, Clymeth 'l wJ:rown' Emma Andrews, Alton .llopffard. Grade 2C 't - vt'Ha Hamby, r Carlton Nellie Taylor, Hamby, Briggs, ene Cox. Grade 3A - Edith udry Cook, Priscella Mullen, Dorothy Welch, Margaret Wood, ; Alice Waters, Elmer Williams. iee Coley, Jessie Davis, Peajlie streicho, Annie May Shearin. Grade 4A - Hugh Cobb, 51anch Thompson, Pauline George, Sarah Jenkins, Sarah Celly, John Simmotis, Blonzie 'earson. Grade 4B - Fannie Iluth Bar- lfT1!npttf. Sarsh Chmeron. Marv 553'ameron, Bill Batton, Eugene , Cannon, James Hilton. ' A f S m ii ti oraae o - leauy uarnson. Bryant - Watson At the Rosemary Methodist Parsonage Friday night. Miss May Watson and Asnley Bryant, both of Rosemary, and residing at the "Ledgewood Hall" were happily married. Rev. Chas. M. Lance officiating. After a few days visit to the bride's mother, at Plymouth, N. C. Mr. and Mrs. Bryant will re turn to Rosemary to live. Harnessing the Torrents. In Switzerland almost every moun tain torrent h-.9 Its ekvtric r'nnt, the current often being carried for many tulles for UjMUig and power put- pcSCi ......... THE PAGEANT ; Thousands of People Witnessed Spectacular Representation of County's History. he the. I The hovering clouds on Wed-i nesday morning caused manv anxious thoughts, but soon theyj lifted and the day bid fair fur ! the open air Halifax County Pa-! geant, which ence postponed on I account of weather conditions, j was looked forward to with much interest. In this Pageant of Halifax county and centralizing around the Roanoke river with its strong and mighty current (lowing out and onward ever reaching for broader and higher things, the part was taken by Miss Sisk, one of the county teachers, and shows the history of the county from the days of the Aborigal Indians, through the Colonial period, the days of the Revolu tion, the days of the war between the States and up through the world war to present day condi tions. The different schools of the county pictured well some period of tin's general outline. To Weldon was given the Revolu tionary period. Mr. II. T. Dan iel took the character of Governor Nash, Dr. W. G. Suiter that of Governor Win. R. Davie, C. R. Daniel, Gen. Davie Allen Jones, Miss Sa;.dors, Flora McDonnald, and many other characters of that notable period were well taken and effectively carried out. The staging of the Pageant was to have taken place on the beautiful green in East Weldon where a natural amphitheatre rises from the sream of a little brooklet and reaching to the top of the hills on the outskirts of this city, the management decid ed after the storm to use the school auditorium. Oneof the features of Wi ldon's part was, a beautiful minuet danced on the green in true co lonial style bv the following la dies and gentlemen of Weldon: Misses Benson, Darden, Travis, Bishop, Allen, Tarsons and Sau cer, Messrs. Stanford Travis, Black Pierce, James Pierce, Eu gene Daniel, H. G. Parsons, Joe House, William Edwards. The schools united in singing the Halifax County Hymn given in our paper last week and writ ten by Mrs. Jeannette Snead Daniel, Weldon. These events of so much interest that too much cannot be said in praise of the untiring energy and work of Miss Annie Cherry, the County Supervisor of the Schools of Hali fax: county and her assistants in bringing these important facts of history before the public. Roanoke News. Three Prizes for Three Babies Bring your baby to the baby show to be given in the nurses new home on Roanoke Avenue Saturday May 21st, between the Jiours of 3:30 and 5 o'clock. There will be three classes one two and three years. 1st class, babies under 1 year year of age. Prize, bonnet. 2nd class, babies under 2 years of age. Prize, gold pins. , 3rd class, babies under 3 years of age. Trize, kiddy-kar. Therp will bp inrlirpn tj Wj,)n which child in each class shall be awarded the prize. Phono 5S4 and enter your baby in the conr test, or come Saturday afternoon May 21st and bring your baby. Babies are to be judged by weight and measure, clothes not ; considered by the judges. Only mothers ticket will entitle her baby to be entered in the baby show. NOTE OF THANKS i j I wish to thank my friends for their many acts of kindness and ' expressions of sympathy during I my recent bereavement in the , death of my mother, Mrs. Ten ' sey Coley. I wish to assure them that they will ever be remember eJ and cherished, and especially the many beautrful lloral offer ings. Mrs. S. M. Thompson. JIM SHARPE AND THE GIRLS REMAIN FIRM I O ORIGINAL STAiEMENT Sunday morning Chief R. H. Jackson and the, writer inter viewed, both Miss Lilla Barkley and Miss Anna Gillespie, the girls accusing Jim Sharpe and Alonzo Burleysonof criminally assaulting them. Both girls made state ments as follows: STATEMENTS Lilla Barkley. aged years: Her statement: sixteen "Sunday night Anna Gillespie and myself left Mrs. Colley's house to go to the services- at Rosemary, just before reaching the corner we were approached by Jim Sharpe and Alonzo Burleson, who said they were going too, and would be glad to take us. When the car reached the tent they did not stop, we loth began to cry and begged them to stop the car and let us out. "The men replied: 'hush your d n mouth, we have got you and we will do what we d n please. You are not the first ones -we have had and we have got the money to back us up. They drove on towards Weldon and stopped the car about half way from here to Weldon. Anna and I got out of the car and started to run away. We were overtaken by Sharpe and Burle son and told 'you came out here in this d-n car and you are going back in it.' We were placed back in the car and driven a few miles beyond Weldon, where they turned into a by road, stopped the car and turned off the lights. They took us into the .voods and told us if we screamed or did not do as thev told us they would kill us. Afterwards they (Jim Sharpe and Burleson) took us to Halifax returning by Aurelian Springs. They again assaulted us between Halifax and Rosemary. They lost their way returnmg and at every road sign one of the men would get out and read the sign while the other held us in the car. When we reached the Rose mary about two o'clock A. M. I jumped from the car near the tent where we were supposed to be taken to services and ran to my aunts house just across the street from where I jumped from the car. Lilla Barkley. Anna Gillespie, aged nineteen years. Her statement: "Sunday afternoon Addie Colley, Lilla Barcley and myself went to ride with Jim Sparpe and Alonza Burleyson. "That night about 7:30 Jim Sharpe brought me a Coca Cola which he said Mr. Burleyson sent! me. It tasted peculiar, but I merely thought it was 'flat.' I drank the most of it. In a short time I was in a state of semi consciousness. Lilla and I start ed to the services at Rosemary and were asked by Jim Sharpe and Alonza Burleyson to ride up there with them. "The next I remembered I was taken out of the car and thrown to the ground and assaulted. I remetnuereu aisu being iaien from the car again before re turning to Roanoke Rapids. I did not know Lilla had jumped from the car. They then took me back of the Roanoke Rapids Methodist Church and went for Mitchell Sharpe. When I gained consiciousness I was in Virglina. Mitchell Sharpe worked the place and Jim Sharpe and Burleyson took me to the woods and as saulted me again. They then took me to South Hill. Both of the Sharp brothers worked this town, leaving Bur lt.yson and 1 on the outskirts of town. Next they went tfl South Bos ton, here they left me in front of Mrs. Ester's Boarding House.. I went to the house of ari old gran ny whom I had known for years I and there was taken in to custody BURLESON DENY GUILT WHILE . by the Police under instruction:! from my people. Anna Gillespie. In the News and Observer Monday morning, there were no signed statements by the accused however there were denials and indir ct impeachment of the girls' character. The article appearing in the New s and Observer was in part as follows: "Two itinerant missionaries and the driver of an automobile hired for a preaching tour that landed all three of them in the State prison Saturday, charged with criminal attacks upon two young women at Roanoke Rapids, yes terday entered broad disclaim ers of any stain of guilt upon them. Individually and collect ively, among themselves, to their keepers in the death house, where they are incarceraced, and to their families who has tened from Albemarle with as surances of sympathy and sup port, they told a tale that appears almost convincing. "Jim Sharpe and Burleson are the two against whom the power of the law is directing its capitol efforts. The other missionary is held only as an accessory to the crime alleged against the others. He was not with them when the crime is alleged to have been committed, and he inquired quite plaintively yesterday of all visitors if they thought he ought to be where he was. He made no claims of innocence for the other two, but was quite sure that he himself was without blame. "Indirect impeachment of the character of the two Roanoke Rapids women is contained in almost every sentence spoken by the two most deeply involved. Burleson admitted quite frankly that the Gillespie girl's statement that she was "drugged" w'as true. The brother of one of the women accompanied them on a drive before the Sunday night trip, and bought a bottle of 'beef-iron and wine,' and the girls drank it. One of them was so sick that she had to be carried away from the tent meeting on Saturday night, he declared. "The flight from Roanoke Rapids at 3 o'clock last Monday morning is described as having been agreed upon for several days previously. Burleson who talks more intelligently than the I others, told of drives upon which the two women insisted upon being taken on Sunday and again on Sunday night. They drove over to Louisburg, lie said, and returned to the mill village where the two women were working in the mills. The trip was made at the instance of the two women. Late in the night, according to Burleson's story, the Gillespie girl was carried to the home of her aunt, where she got out of the car and went to the house. The car was driven then to the home of the Barkley girl, and after that Burleson and Sharpe WeiH aiiu vVimo up Uic uuiL-i i missionary and prepared for a . trip to South Boston, Va., where it is claimed they intended to to continue their mission work preaching and taking collections. "As they were driving out of the town, Burleson says, and the two Sharpes corroborate him, the Gillespie girl hailed them and de clared that she was going to leave town if she had to walk. She claimed that her brother had assaulted her. It i3 claimed that they tried to dissuade her, but she insisted on going, and jump ed in the car, into the front seat, and sat between Burleson and Jim Sharpe. Repeated efforts to get her to leave the car are des cri'ied as having been useless. "Reaching South Boston, the girl was carried to the home of her aunt there and lift. The . ! three men all say they went down town and prepared to open their campaign. They had just eaten supper when policemen ar rived and carried them off to jail. They told the officers where they left the girl. Late in the night they saw her brought into the jail. They say she was drunk when she arrived there, and that officers-told them that they had picked i.er up on the street with two men. All are said to have been drinking." After reading the above in Monday's News and Observer, j the writer accompanied by Chief Jackson and a Mr. Carson, (who is in the employ of the News and Observer, but not on the news staff) again went to see the girls, read to them what Sharpe and Burleyson claimed, and they de- J nied every insinuated allega tion and made their same state ment almost word for word. The girls were not together when seen by the writer either time. The following article was dis patched to the News and Obser ver which they did not publish Tuesday but wrote one them selves, getting the facts twisted miserably, as will be easily noted by one reading both articles. The statements made by the Sharpe brothers and Aldnza Bur leson as printed in the News and Observer Monday morning are in the opinion of many here as ap parently as cowardly as the das tardly crime they are accused of. The beef-iron and wine which Burleyson would have the public believe Miss Gillespie was "drug ged" with, was according to a statement of her brother, James Gillespie, Jr., bought by him in W eldon Saturday night for his wife, who is in a poor state of health and has been taking this tonic for some time. Mr. Gilles pie said his sister did take some of this Saturday night. It must be remembered, how ever, that this happened Satur day night and not Sunday night when the girls say they were as saulted. When told that her assailants said she forced herself in the car, saying that her brother had s.3 saulted her, she dec'ared this J was not so and again told of be ing left beiind the Methodist Church, while Burleson and Sharpe went for the other Sharpe brother, stating that at this time she was in a stupor and unable to' valk or even cry for help. It will be remembered that this was between two and three o'clock Monday A. M. Miss Gillespie still sticks to her statement that they left her in front of Mrs. Ester's boarding house in South Boston and she went to the home ofjan old gran ny whom she had known for years, and 4that it, was there while asleep in bed she was ar rested and carried to jail. We have as yet been unable to find anyone who can cast re flection upon the character of either of the girls. Miss Gilles pie has lived here only a few weeks and all who know her that we have talked with, say liicy have never heard naught against her. Miss Barkley is is only a girl of sixteen, is small and underdeveloped for that age, and has not yet recovered from the shock of her horrible experience of eight day ago. Miss Barklev when told that the men said that they carried her home, replied bitterly that they did not, that she cried and begged them to take her home and they would not. That when the car reacnea the corner near the tent in Rosemary, she opened the car door, jumped from the car ana ran to her aunt s near by, where she spent the night. That Miss Barkley spent the night with her aunt is borne out by a statement of her aunt Mrs. Chas. Barkley, to the writer. Mrs. Barkley stated that while the girl did not tell her of her WITH THE CHURCHES i METHODIST CHURCH Rev. L B. Jones, Pastor Sunday School at 9:45 W. V. Woodroof, Supt. Attend the B-raca Class next Sunday, R. L. Towe, teacher. Sermon at 11 A. M., subject, How A Good Deed Works. At 8 P. M., subject, How to Come to Christ - How to Follow Christ. Frayer meeting next Wednes- day at S P. M. All the evening services promptly at 8 o'clock. Presbyterian Church Rev. Stanley White, Pastor Mr. Stallage, Organist Mr. J. H. Harriioa, S. S. Supt. Sunday School 10:00 A. M. Morning Service 11:00 A. M. Christian Endeavor 7:15 P. M. Evening service 8:00 P. M. Prayer Meeting on Wednes day 8:00 P. M. Rosemary Methodist Church Rev. Chas. B. Lance, Pastor Preaching service 11 A. M. and 8 P. M. by pastor. S. S. 10 A. M., A. E. Stowe, Supt. At Smiths 11 A. M. Hon. A. E. Zollicoffer, R. H. Gay and other laymen will dis cuss subject of "Christian Edu cation." Everyone invited to these ser vices. Ail Saints Church (Episcopal) Lewis N. Taylor, Rector Rev Kauoke Avenue Miti Mary Duke, Parish Visitor Next Sunday is the Whitsun day, the feast of Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian church. Services: 7:30 Holy Commun ion, 9:45 Church School, T. W. Mullen, Supt. Morning service, with address to children in addi tion to usual sermon at 11. 8 P. M. Pageant. The public is most cordially invited. Death of Benjamin Davis Hawkins At an early hour Tuesday morning B. Davis Hawkins pas sed quietly and peacefully to his reward. Bro. Hawkins, with his wife, had been living with their son, E. R. Hawkins, in South Rosemary, for several years, most of the time an invalid, and for the past six months has been confined to his room and bed. On Wednesday afternoon, fol lowed by a large number of friends and relatives the body was carried to the family burying ground near Hawkins Chapel and laid away. Rev. C. M. Lance, of Rosemary, conducting the burial service. Bro. Hawkins had been a consistant member of Hawkins Chapel M. P. Church for a number of years. Lacking only a few months, he was 68 years old. He was a quiet, peace loving citizen, a good husband and an affectionate father. He leaves a wife, two sons and six daughters, and a host of friends and relatives. Immensity of Oceans. So vnst nre the contents of the oceans that It would take 2,000,00(1 ytinra for all the sea water In the world to flow over Nlugara. experience, she noticed the girl was nervous. Mrs. Barkley also stated that in her opinion Lilla Barkley was not over fourteen years old. A telegram from'chief N. G. Terry, of South Boston, where the arrest was made stated that Mis3 tjillespie was arrested at the home of her aunt, and not on the street with two men. That Mitchell Sharpe made no state ment, but that Jim Sharpe and Burleyson declared they were in nocent, and brought the Gilles pie girl to South Boston to her father at her request, however her father did not live there. 'R0AN0KE RAP1DS personal AND LOCAL UtMS j Mr J. M. Huggir.s spent j several days this week in his home at Johnsonville, S. C. Mr. J. M. Taylor spent a few i days in Goldsboro attending a meeting of the Red Men there. Mispes Nancy Mc Law horn and Ethel Kelley, of Jackson, spent Monday here on business. Mr. Bruce Tillery spent the week-end here with his parents. Miss Crisp, of Goldsboro, Fpcnt the -week-end here with her sister, Miss Lucy Crisp. Mr. E. H. Ricks has returned after spending some time out of town. Mrs. H. O. Blankinship has re turned from Richmond where she has been undergoing treat ment. Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Ward and little son, John, Jr., left Monday for their home in Williamston af ter visiting in the home of Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Shute. Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Trice and Mrs. W. S. Hancock attended th3 Womanless Wedding held in Lit tleton Monday night. Come and help make the en tertainment at the nurse's new home on Roanoke Avenue a suc cess. We need the help anil co operation of everyone in town. Won't you buy a ticket and come.. Everyone is promised a pleasan.M time between the hours of three, in the afternoon and eleven in the evening, Saturday, May 21 1 Miss Christine McCarty has returned to her home in Roanoke Va. Mrs. W. B. Simmons is spend ing several days here with rela tives. Mrs. Meyer Cohen, of Enfield, is- spending several days here with relatives. Miss Susie Humphreys is spending a few days in Rich mond this week. Miss Virginia Crank, of Louisa, Va., is visiting in the home of Dr. and Mrs. Cecil J. Crank. Mr. W. B. Simmons, of Ports mouth, spent the week-end here with his wife. Miss Margaret McLeode, of Novia Scotia, has arrived to spend some time doing ' chuch work. Mrs. E. C. Morrisette, of Rocky Mount, is visiting Mrs. J. Frank West. Mrs. George A. Brewer is vis iting relatives at Tom's Creek, Va. Through the generosity of Mr. S. F. Patterson Miss Julia Thompson and Miss Maude Jones are attending the State Fiano Contest and the Music Festival in Greensboro today and to morrow. INDICATIONS STRONG FOR EARLY CONSTRUCTION OF HARD SURFACE ROAD Mr. Hart, the eastern repre sentative of the newly organized State Road Commission was in Weldon Wednesday. ,, He was there at the request of the Halifax County Road Com mission, to review their proposal to go ahead and construct the hard surface road between Roa Rapids and Weldon. Mr. Hart stated that he favor ed the project and would put it through his commission and would begin work as quickly as possible, provided the bids were favorable. Death of an Infant John Thomas, the infant son, of Prof, apd Mrs. A. E. Akers, died this morning at 2:30, after a weeks illness. The little babe was about three weeks old. The remains will be carried to Elm City today for interment The Rev. L. B. Jones conducting the burial services. We extend to the bereaved our deepest sympathy in this hour of sadness. '