Oast onia' Daily :Gaz
.,rmnmiT uith of
E
good schools tad tanjchswu
A good placets Eft. Pens-'
County is $1,61L lopuIa;
tlon 51,22; total wetltjj
182.575,749., " .1 -
MEMBER OP THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
GASTONIA, N..C, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER 10, 1920
SINGLE COPY f CEH1V
OL. XU. NO. 270.
.m
ALLEGE THAT
WASTED
Committee Appointed Months Ago, Headed by
Republican Congressman, Makes Public Its
Report in Which ;the Charge is ; Made That
Shipping Board Wasted Millions of Uncle
v .Sam's Money - Former Employees Testify.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10. Charges
that the activities of the shipping board
have resulted in an enormous waste of
government funds are contained in a
report submittal to the house committee
on shipping board -operations by two for:
mer employes of the board, A. M. Fisher
And J. F. Richardson, who for more
than a year have conducted an investiga
tion for the committee.
The report, released, for publication
today by the committee, of which Repre
sentative 'Walsh, reupblhan, Massachu
setts, is chairman, states that the inves
tigators found evidence of graft in the
mirehase of supplies for repairing gov-Xrnment-owned
ships, of corruption on
tha part of officials and employes of tho
shipping board emergency fleet corpora
tion, and of the use of polit ical and other
influence in the negotiating of contrajcts
for construction and allocation; of ves
sels. ; The investigators grouped their obser
vations under seven general heads, rep
resenting varions phases of the shipping
: tyard's activities. They declared that
! tm-nrrrnerlv drawn contracts had cost the
' 1 r-
-v i : government a nyge sum, tnat some ams-
lorn of the board had failed to eo-operate
efficiently and thai others had failed
eompletely to function properly.
,The reoort charged that payrolls 'had
been padded by some of the firms which
GYPSY SMITH, JR., PREACHED SERMON FULL
OF PATHOS AND ELOQUENT APPEAL
iui i ,
More Than a Thousand People Hear His Second Sermon at
the First Presbyterian Church Tuesday Night Services
Today at 3 P. M. and 7:30 P. M.
After a day of rest with friends at
Lenoir,' where he reeerjtly held a soossss
ful meeting, Gypsy Smith, Jr., preached
bis second sermon of a series which is
to continue through November 21 to a
congregation estimated at about 1,200
jwople at, fet First Presbyterian church
Tuesday night, The spiritual tone ami
Jeep solemnity of thought, the bits of
; personal, testimony and glimpses of Gyp
syp history through ,nnV the sermon, cre
ated an atmosphere tha; eialuded tie
world and all its sordidness. A splendid
h6rus choir under the able direction of
Mr. Allen rendered the beautiful Gospel
flongsTin a most pleasing and acceptable
manner. Mr. Allen will sing tad direct
the pupils of the West school in singing
Thursday morning at the chapel ezsr--rises
and will be heard at the East school
Friday ;. morning. He -was heard with
pleasure by the pupils of the Central
school during chapel exercises this morn-
--ing at 8:45.
: The services for today and the remun-
' "-ler of this week, as announced front the
jpulpit Tuesday night, will be held at 3
o'clock in the afternoon and at 7:80
o'clock at night. A few more soprano
vqfees fill be a welcome addition to the
. "choir and all who sing are cordially
i urged to some each night to the choir
Entrance on the north side of the church.
v A large delegation of former converts
-of Mr. Smith's meetings motored over
' from Lenoir for ,the Tuesday night serv
ice. " Delegations from churches, schools,
1 factories, lodges ; and communities are
eordially invited to atend any and all of
the services at 7:30 p 'clock each night.
. Mr. Smith took for his subject Tues-
X -daylight a text from the 43rd Terse of
V the first chapter of John, "Follow me."
( Mr.r 8nuth said that the 'great, per
nonal, pungent command of Jesus .Christ.
v to men was "Follow me." All through
His ministry we find this emphasized. I
'presume that the great part of those
present1 are .Christians, or, perhaps I
-should better say, are members of some
branch of the 'church of Jesus Christ;
but suppose I were to come to you and,
Knowing your re and tne proTession or
Christianity that yon make, and stBl
m . a m. a
" mowing that your life was not in keep-
'ing wth the teachings of Jesus Christ, I
. '-were to. ask you, "Are you a Christian t"
2 think I can imagine the flush rising
v,. Into your cheeks and the flash coming
into jrouj eye as you might turn to me
' J. and say" Mr. Smith, what do you take
, A me fort" And yet I presume there are
thousands in your city who are labelled
by the name of Christian who bare so
right to the titlo at aa.
; ' What is it that makes a man a Chris
tian t Is it joining some church, or eon
forming to some ereed, 'or partaking of
i- the symbols of the sacrament, or being
tborongrdy conversant with creeds No.
.'Paul sumiried itvp very correctly when
"lie said. "If any man hive not the spirit
. Of Christ bo is none of Hia." ' Are your
words, "thoughts", actions, controlled by
ihe spirit of Jesus Christ Because tho
."Me snys.-If I say I have fellowship
SHIPPING BOARD
itARGE SIM OF MONEY
: , . ,.
. repaired government-owned vessels and
that there had been a heavy loss to the
j government as a result of wholesale
thefts of supplies and equipment from
si'ip. The investigators also reported
j to the comtnitete that companies operat
f ing government vessels had in some in
: stances owned stock in companies which
; furnished supplies & the ships at prices
! ranging as high lis fifty per ecu! above
j wholesale costs.
! bseussing the allocation of ships the
. report . states that "investigation of
! ompaines or applicants for nsigned or
Ilocnted tonnage s.cms to be more or
I less . haphazard with Ihe United Ktates
"'tipping board. ' '
Mr. nieJiatdson, one ef the investiga
; tors, : was formerly connected with the
j shinning board's dopartnieut of investi
j nation. Mr. Fisher was at one time con
i iiei tod with tlte federal trade coramis
j sion. He states, in presenting the re
port, it was "designed to bet constructive
und helpful to the shipping board, rather
than destructively critical."
NEW YORK, Nov. 10 Commander
A. B. Clement, assistant to AdmirnJ
Benson, was summoned as one- of the wit
nesses today beore the congressional
committee investigating alleged corrupt
practices in the United States shipping
board.
with Uim and walk in darkness, I lie
and the truth isjiot in me." ,1 could
baptize you in any manner that you may
wish and I could administer to you the
sacred sacraments of the church, but if
you ever become a Christian it won't be
the work of any man, but of God's
wholesome, beautiful. winsome. Holy
Spirit.
bo ti.at my question to you is this,
Are you following Him. An if you say,
"1 tim not quite sure," will you lot me
try ami help you, for that is what I am
hire for; not to ucvrft rVe pastor's place
I could not 6 abut, for my work is
only made possible Ir the faithful, eon
simeitt work of your pastor. But there
used to be an old game that we Gypsy
children used to play after the day's
work was done and the horses had been
watered and bedded for the night, a game
called "Follow your leader."' After we
had selected our" leader, whatever the
lender did we had to attempt. If the
lender tried jumping' over a fire-barred
fcfiltc, we had to try it. If the lender
should attempt to jump, a ditch and fall
in the middle, we had to do it too. II!
we didil 't the children would call us
quitters and would leave us out of the
Xt game.
That may be a very crude illustration,
but I want to say to you thajt if we in
the church of vJesus Christ are not mak
ing a wholehearted, honest attempt to
follow Jesus Christ, then we are not
playing tho game, and one of the great
reasons today why so many people are
not attKsted into and by the church of
Jesus Christ is not because they dont
revere Cod or care for His Son, but be
cause they hate the caricature of Jesus
Christ thaT they see in the lives of so
many of us who call ourselves by His
name. ' They thronged nim wherever He
was, and they know the Christ of Cal
vary and they also know thafc God sent
not His Son into the world to condemn
the . world, but that the world through
Him might be saved, and they are not
agoing to be won for the church .unless
you and I are made beautiful and win-
. W n ..
mwoy us fptrrr. ( ir you want .fo
know whether you are following HiS.
to His lifr flnd see What He did and
the motive tha prompted His life and
Ills work, and you will see that in the
beginning of His ministry He turned to
those who were dearer to Him than any
other in the world and said. "Don't -yon
know that I must be about my Father's
bosinesst" To Mary, yes to JoserJh. end
even' to His relatives who had come for
s leng distanc and eould certainly claim
some part of His time and attention, but
He who was the light of the world
placed God first. t
Is He first in yoor thoughts t What
was youT first thought this morning f
Was it what shall I wear? Or was it to
say. "Oh God, I thank yon for another
day of life, health, strength and oppor
tunity of serving Ton and humanity"?
For that should be the thought of God's
' " fCoDtfaood oa oago S.)
PLANS COMPLETED FOR
HED GROSS ROLL GALL
Canvass For Memberships Will
be Made Next Monday and
Tussdav Important Meet
ing of Workers to be Held
Thursday Afternoon An
nual Reports of Home Ser
vice Secretary and Public
Health Nurse.
The local plans for the handling of the
Fourth Roll Call of the American Red
Cross are developing satisfactorily. The
dates set by the Gaston Chapter for the
more intensive work are Monday and
Tuesday, November 15 and 16. Mrs. J.
Lean Adams, assisted by twenty five or
more workers will canvass the residential
section of Gastonia. Mrs.. Adams and
her co-workers will meet in the Red Cross
room Thursday afternoon at 5 o'clock.
Miss Nell Pickens is directing the work
of the county and already it shows a high
state of organization. The general chair
men of thf- different townships are as
follows: Miss I'earl Harrelsoh, CSuw
ders Mountain township, wjlli workers
appointed Jtt Suiinyside, Mountain View,
Lon-r ( reek, (lakers Mountain, Htingy
Mill. V;r;t. (itae Mill, Ganibrill Mill,
ninl town s.-clions of lle .ctner Cily; Miss
Melt. i (ieltiek for IVlrt'oi.: township, tho
will .i , .oiet tin' loci'i worker in liel-
nion' . Workers havina tie n secured :or
New P . Cnion, McLean, Smith I'oint,
TiuiYuiu. 'I ucknsecge. Maywurth, Mrs. I.
W. Bradley, local chr'inirtn, Me.Vdeu
vilh : Lowell; local elwiirinan, Mih. ( .
F. !l .vis. Mrs. I). l McLurd, for
Chei ivvilh township, will appoint the
Cheiryville workers, others . having
been secured for Panhandle, lllacks, Fair
view. Palltuans, ?akers school, Lamlerr'
Chapel and Hickory Grove. Miss Ida
Rankin for Kiverbend township, , with
Miss Grace Kohn as chairman for Mt.
Holly; Miss Resrfe Moore for Hickory
Grove, Miss Kathleen Dunn for River
bend , and Miis Rosa llle Rogers for
Lucia .
The Finance Committee of the Gaston
County Chapter under the chairmanship
of Mr. I). M. Jones, has been called to
meet in the Ked Cross rooms Thursday
afternoon, November 11th, at four
o 'clock .
The public will be greatly interested in
the reports published in this column from
the Home Service Secretary, Miss Georgia
Copoland and from the Gaston County
Red Cross Public Health Nurse, Miss'
Alice L. Ward. No stronger claim up
on public support eould be presented than
the simple record that is thus prevented.
The Rev. J. W. C. Johnson, chairman
of the Fourth Roll Call of Gaston Coun
ty may be reached at the rooms of the
Red Cross chapter over the post office
by telephone 857-J .
Report of Heme Service Secretary.
Tho receMti the Home Service Sec
tion of tho OJoston County Chapter of
American R Cross show that from
Ksvember 1. 1919 to October 1. 1!20,
foifr hundred and twenty-eight men
formerly or at present in the service of
the United States army or n'avy- were
wtadered assistance and a total of four
hundred and eighty-nine farailios were
dealt with.
The present Secretary look acilve
charge of the work August 2, 1D2U, mc
cueding Miss Mae Tatlock. For the two
months of August and September twenty
eight new cases came up for service aud
assistance. One hundred and thirty in
terviews were given ; over 200 letters were
written for the exservice men; twenty
visits wore made; three ex-service men
were furnished financial assistance; hos
pital treatment secured for five; medi
cal examination for 8 by our local ex
aminer; allotment and refund secured
for two whose claims have been on fiW
for over a year . '
We assisted Mr. Manning and Dr.
Hope, Federal Vocational Field Repre
sentatives, who were here in August and
September to locate about sixty ex-service
men for examination for vocational train
ing . These men were wanted to complete
their applications for vocational train
ing.
We are trying to get all the ex-service
men to reinstate their insurance before
December ' 31, 1920, this will be to their
interest, especially since they can do so
without an examination.
We have assisted the lady field clerk in
getting the ex-service men to make ap
plication for victory medals, and tho of
fice is nv charged by the government
with the responsibility of aiding the men
to secure these medals.
1 wish to mention the faet that the
last six applicants for assistance and
service hare been tuberculosis patients,
for whom we an- trying to get hospital
treatment .
GEORGIA COPfcLAND,
. . Secretary
WARNED NOT TO BUY
GOODS IN COLUMBUS
(Dy The Assm-iaW Press.)
COLUMBUS, Ga., Nov. 10. Circulars
printed in big black letters warning the
merchants of Phenix City to buy no
more goods in Columbus until street cars
connect the two cities, were .placed under
the doors of all retail stores there last
night. "Ship from Opelika, Alabama,"
tho circular says.' It is believed to be
the work-of . night riders or whitocaps.
The Chattahoochee river divides Colum
bus and Phenix City. " '
SUNDAY NIGHT
STILL FA
WILL ACT AS HOST OF
PRESIDENT - ELECT AND
MRS HARDING
Tlte Senator plans a real vacation trip
which will take him to Texas. wKre ho
will spent two works in seclusion and
then a week sight -seeing on the Panama
Canal. In Uexas he will be the guest of
F. E. Kcoby, who was a leader of tho
Harding pre-convention campaign, and
has been the Senator's personal friend
for many years.
MISSING BANK CASHIER
6IVES HiMSELT UP
Rv The Associated Press.
BUTLER, Uu.. Nov. 10 -- A. L.
Hendricks, former cashier for tht Dank
of Mauk, for whom a nation-wide search
was instituted after he disappeared from
Mauk, in Taylor county, early iu October,
allegedly " short " ,$18,000 in his ac
counts, returned yesterday afternoon and
filed a petition in the sutierior court ask
ing for an injunction to prevent bank
officials from disposing- of any i his
property and setting utit that he oavs
the hank nothing.
At the time of his ilis.-i;ipo;ii;.i!ee it
was charged that Ileudticks in addition
to the alleged $18,000 shortage at the
bank, hud borrowed approximately $.S,000
from other parties, all of which was un
pji id .
So far Hendricks has off red no ex
planation for his disappearance.
MR. HARDING TO BE
ARMISTICE DAY ORATOR
(By the Associated Press.)
POINT ISABEL, Tex., Nov. 10
President-elect Harding deserted golf
for tarpon fishing again today, cancelling
a tentative appointment . at the Browns
ville Country Club golf course to remain
on the water all day, trying hi luck with
the rod and reel.
Yesterday's try at tarpon angling
made him a staunch de.-otee of the sport
and his friends predicted that during the
remainder of his vacation here he would
give very littlo time to any other form
of recreation.
Tomorrow Mr. Harding is to speak in
Brownsville at an armistice day celebra
tion and he may go into the city early
and try out the country club links be
fore delivering his address,
SECRETARY COLBY TO PAY
OFFICIAL VISIT TO BRAZIL
(By the Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 Definite
announcement having been made 4hat
Secretary Colby shortly will visit Brazil
and Uruguay to officially return visits to
this country f Presidents Braum, of
Uruguay, anT Tessoa, of Brar.iL it was
expected today that the secretary and his
party would sail within two weeks. No
date of departure has been announced.
After President Wilson had issued a
statement that he had directed Secretary
Colby to make the trip "on my, behalf
and in my stead." Secretary Daniels
announced that the dreadnaught Florida
of the Atlantic fleet, would be placed at
tho disposal of the state ' department
rrty-
President Wilson in his statement said
he would be gratified If Mr. Colby ac
cepted the invitation extended by Argen
tina to visit that country.
i
' i - -v,
H! - i
l 2 ' rJ
I
TRAGEDY IS
RFROii
SBE
ORIGINAL STORY AS TOLD
WE GENERALLY BELIEVED
THAN WHEN FIRST HEARD
Police Are Ferreting Out Every Possible Clue
That Wll Lead to Identification of Negroes
Who Made Habit of Holding up Automobile
Parties at This Point - Story of Victims of
Tragedy is Given More Credence by Public
Than at First - Miss Beatty Better This Morning.
Out of the mass of conflicting rumors
and reports concerning tho death of
young John Ford and the shooting of
Kssie Beatty Sunday night on the Gas-
tonia-Bessemer City road, this fact seems, (
to stand out as the most important tea
tui-e of the day's developments so far,
viz. : that tho story as originally told by
the three principals. Ransom Killian
and the Beatty and Grice girls, is sub
stantially correct, and that two negroes
were the guilty, parties. Many who were
disposed to doubt this story on tho
ground that it was too horrible and too
gruesome now believe it. Police and
county officials admitted this morning
thW. although they doubted the first
story, they now believed it.
This change in public opinion has been
brought aooul by a number or circum
stances. One is the steadfastness with
which the wounded girl, Essie Beatty,
sticks to her story, iu spite of every
effort to shako her testimony. Another
is the number of reports that are coming
io the police of frequent, simlar holdups
alleged to have taken place at this spot
within 'the past month or two. Naturally,
a number of these reports are nothing
but wild rumors, inspired by some irre
Hponsible party who wishes to get iu the
limelight. But, out of the niaisn of. these
tales and stories, officials have arrived at
the conclusion tha.t there has been a gang
of negroes, evidently working in pairs,
who have been guilty of holding up auto
parlies at this place. No murder has
ever taken place, however, and the most
mysterious part of the affair is why such
a tragedy should have been enacted if
the negroes were only after money as
was the case on numerous former occa
sions. The newest developments in the case
today from this angh include the tale
told by two young men of the Gray Mill
section, who claim that they were held
np by two negroes in this spot Sunday
night, October 31, and that their girl
companion was assaulted, and the tale
that comes from a former Gastonia
woman now living irf Belmont. This
woman was in town this morning, having
been brought to Gastonia by Belmont of
ficials after she had made statements
that might be considered worth while
evidence. She claims that while out rid
ing one night last summer with her
daughter and a young man friend, the
party was held up in this same patch
of woods and that they were relieved of
hoir money, but thai nothing untoward
or threatening took place. This woman
claims to be able to locate and recognise
the negro or negroes who were guilty.
Her story is given some credence by the
police, and it is being investigated.
Stories and rumors like the above have
don a lot to convince a skeptical public,
prone to doubt, that the victims are tell
ing the truth about the negroes.
Interest is also strongly centered in
the outcome of the coroner's investiga
tion. The jury impanelled by him, com
posed of Messrs. W. B. and W. M. Mor
ris, fe. B. Clinton, H. P. Stowe, George
HoweH and Walter C. Davis, has been
in session since Monday morning and
there is no indication that their task will
lie finished soon. They are hearing a
mass of evidence of every sort from
every source. All possible clues are be
ing investigated. Coroner W. N. Davis
has no idea as to when they will be
through.
Young Killian is back today to fur
nish additional testimony before the
Jury. He " was accompanied by the
brother of Ford, the young man who was
shot. ,
, Essie Beatty, the young lad, who i
seriously "injured, ' passed a ery , good
night at the hospital She told the news
paper "man who caled to seo her this
morning that she felt much better than
NG SOLVED)
slu" did ycsuruiiy. Physicians noV koM
out -:r .ij V,h :r!iFi sh'- x '.'l ;eot?.
She talked very coherently and intelfi
gently this morning. 1
lite whole affair is onn of th moat
baffling and mysterious that ho police
of this city, or any otfcer North Carolina
city, have had to grapple with in a loag
time. Certain phases of it remind offi
cials of tho notorious Montgomery
Owens caee in Charlotte more than yeas'
Sheriff Carroll and Chief Orr,
ever, are slowly but. surely nntalnsF
every posible clue. They are determined
that not the slightest shred of inforssa- '
ti.-tn wiirgo uttrnrestiffStecfc '
FUNERAL OF JOHN POST? '
IS HELD IN LINC0LNT0N
Victim of Tragedy Operated' Moving
Picture Show Reported to Haw Re
ceived Warning Letter.
LTNCOLNTON, Nov. 9 Tho font
al of John Ford, afe 22, who was killed
Sunday night near Gastonia was conduct- -ed
this afternoon in tho Methodist church
of this eity by his pastor, Rev. J. T
Mangum, assisted by Rev. Dr. W. S
Wilson. A large number attended the
funeral from town and county and the
floral offerings were beautiful and numer-
ous. Tho remains were buried in Holly-- ..
brook cemetery, in this eity.V'f '',
He is survived by his part"
Mrs. F. B. Ford of thiv
sisters and three brothers; .1
manager of the moving picture show
thi cily and in this capacity was widely"
known and had numerous friends.
Nothing new has developed hero aa '
tending to show who . killed the young
man. An anonymous letter' is said te
have leeu received by Ford about three
or four weeks before his death. A local '
citizen stated today that Ford .showed
him this letter. In substance he says the
letter warned Ford to be careful where
he went and what he did, that ho was i
very great danger if he. did not act very
cautiously. The writer of the lettva '
stated, according to this man, that, he-,
was a stranger to Ford but attended his -picture
shows. The letter was dated
High Shoals, but the envelope did not "
show a High Shoals postmark. Search
is being made for this letter. It' is "
thought this was in the dead man s peek- -etbook
but the book could not bo located
today, is being supposed that the robbex '
secured the pocket book . It is said that
Ford did not think seriously of tho un
signed letter and that he believed it wae -mailed
in Lincoln ton owing to tho boor '
he got it from the poatoffice box.
Theories, and opinions as to tha nnaL
outcome of tho affair fly thiek and fast v
but considerable number believe the states
ment of Ranaome Kalian, the other young
man with the girls on the night of tU
tragedy, who is in Gastonia today tnti-'
fying before the coroner's jury.
CHICAGO PtAIIS BIB
CHICAtfOor.. ioPlans for Ami-stiee-
Day tomorrow were announced to- i'
day . with proclamation issued by . the t
mayor calling upon eftisens to oheerr-.' '
the anniversary. At 11 o'clock in the -morning
the cJty will pay one minuted
silent tribute W American soldiers-who
diod in the war. . V:
At a signal from traffic policemen al !
vehicles and street cars will stop moving. ' '
Pedestrians will halt and face the oast
Buglers" scattered about the. downtown .
district ' will . advance to . the middle of
street corners and, sound tap.
The moment will be preceded by a din '
of factory whistles, beTJs, sirene H and .
horns, ; t- i .':;'':' --.-VVivt;.- V -. .; .
VMustermg-in-. coremonisa oEl V oW
served by many veteran regiment, TV
Red Cross and clubs will take oa a no
tary atmosphere
,"7 .