nrvnTTTT a' ttk a ttu tit in a TrvTrwir
Weather:
Rain
mmK UME ! I ID
Loot Cotton
17 .Cents
VOL. XLIII. NO. 73.
GASTONIA, N. C, MONDAY AFTERNOON; MARCH 27, 1922.
SINGLE COPY 5 CENTS
GAS
Several Thousand Operators
Lawrence Mills
Textile Strike in New England It Extended to Lawrence,
Mas., an Old Battleground of Labor Disputes Operatives
Quit Because of 20 Per Cent Wage Cut.
By -Th AoclatftI Fress.)
LA WHENCE, Mass., March 27.
Tho New England textile strike was ex
tended today to this city, an old battle
grouud for niill disputes with curtail
ment of production in several plants
but no disorders. Several thousand op
erator refused to go to work in pro
test against a 20 per cent wago cut.
The Paeifie Mills were the most seri
ously affected of tho seven plants which
opened under reduced pay schedules.
In the lower Paeifie mills the electric
ians and machinists were among those
who utayed out and many who appear
ed at the plant as Usual were unable to
work because of lack of power. They
left the factory soon afterwards. Po
lice estimated that about one-half of
the employes at the upper Pacific mills
went to work, but there also many left
the plant. At the Pacific print mills a
few went to work, but most of those
left later in the day. The Paeifie mills
employ normally about 10,000 opera
tives. At the other mills where cuts were ef
fective today many workers appeared
ut the regular hours, but soon began
to leave. These plants are tho Everett,
Arcadia, Monomac, Pemberton and JAe
thuen. These mills employ approximate
ly 8,000 operatives.
Tho Arlington mills carried out their
inteutiou to close
The large plants of the American
Woolen Company did not announce
wage cuts and were not affected.
Almost from dawn the directs were
thronged witn idle mill workers, w U o plus remaining eoual to more than 25 per
walked aimlessly about. Picketing was j cent of their capitalization,
unorganized. "In' 1921 the Pacific mills made a
' Estimates' placed the number of men! profit of over eight cents on every dol
who quit at about o,5u0 witn us mau hir of their sales, not much below their
more llirown out of work by the closing i average profit for the war years.
Of the Ar.ingtou mills. I "The trouble with the textile industry
Pickets operated about the plants but of New England is that it lias capitalized
without apparent organization and in no buge war profits by stock dividends.
i.ilnn,.n tm.t. vu renortef .lot tneir Now. with sales sack, the mills deter-
bOlicitations lead to violence. to increase the margin of profit on
A summary of the mills aifectod today 'heir products so that dividends as big
with the number recently employed and as 111 "ll war venrs can be paid,
the number on strike approximately, fol-l "The figures which I have given will
jows. stand the most rigid test for accuracy.
Pacific mills, 8,100; about 5,000. Ever- They were secured for tho United Tex
ett mills, 1,200; about 250. Arcadia tile. Workers in the. course of an investi
mills, 750, about 650. Monomac mills, Ration of the industry which we are hav
aooj about 100. Pemberton mibs ;;uu ; MK made for us by Oie Labor Bureau in
about 200. Katama mills. 300; about j corporatcd of New York and Boston.
225. Methuen Company 250; all out. rncTl
The finding of nine bullets on a street RETAIL FUUU v,UiI6
near the Pacific plant was reported t-j . SH0WSH "
the police by a mill watchman. I Washington, March 27. Itetai food
, I costs in ten cities of the country showed
LOWELL, MASS., March 20. In an ft decrease ranging from one to four per
address here today President Thomas P. I 'ent during the month from i ebruary
Af,.Ml.on of tlm Cnited Textile Woikeis'15 to March lo, according to statistics
of America, exoressed the opinion that !
no serious attempt at a settlement of the
textile strike in New England, would lie
made 'before tho first of Jam. "1 be
lieve," he said, "that the waste fight i
only in its beginning. As we arc situ
ated now wo can struggle f:r three
months without any worker feeling the
.. t i..
He asserted that the statement of mill
owners that northern mills could not con.
t...i;h, tlmaonf the smith wasi "men-
v a subterfiure to destroy organized I
labor." Ho said the average weekly tex
tile mill wage in the south at present
was $18,35 and in Massachusetts $1H.71.
"If the manufacturers are really anx
ious to aettle this matUr," he said, "let
them name an accountant and we'd
name another. These two with a d.sin-
terested party appointed by the gover-( A congressional party composed of four
nor mn examine the b,oks. and the IV.- i teen Senators and eleven representatives
ted Textile Workers will abide by their j
findings."
BOSTON, March 20. The New Eng
land textile strike situation takes ori a
new angle this week with its extension to
the important cotton and woolen mill cen
ter of Lawrence. Seven mills in that
city have announced a 20 per cent reduc
tion effective tomorrow, and some of the
operatives have declared a strike.
Another mill has announce I' an indefi
nite shutdown beginning tomorrow, and
the Lawrence textile council. has declared
this to be in tho nature of a lockout. The
big mills of the American Woolen com-
ThreeMen ShotToLeath Under
Mysterious Circumstances
(By The Associated Tress.)
NEW YORK, March 27. Three
men were shot to death under
mysterious circumstances in New
York last night and early today.
One man, lured by a fashionably
dressed young woman, was shot
down by a pair of gunmen, who fir
ed from the windows of a taxicab.
Another was slain as he walked
through a crowd of pedestrians at
110th street and Fifth avenue. The
third Tictira was shot between two
men standing in a Brooklyin street,
was loaded into a taxicab and taken
to a hospital He was dead on ar
rival Henry Stearn, young chauffeur,
walked in the 11 0th street crowd.
A muffled report 'was heard. Stearn
fell to the sidewalk. He was taken
to a hospital and died a short time
afterward. He had been shot
through the side. His clothing was
badly. burned by powder,, evidence
that a gnn had been placed against
his body.
Aa unidentified young man, well
dressed, was seen conversing with a
smartly attired girl in Madison
street They quarrelled, bystanders
said, and parted. Then she returned
and again talked with the youth. A
taxicab drew to the curbing, the
I
Out On Strike
pany have not joined in the wage eutting.
The declaration that the strike in New
England mills "will go to the limit to
seo whether the stock holders, by refus
ing to cut fat dividends, can force work
ers to reduce their meager wages," was
made by Tlios. F. McMahon, president
of tho United Textile Workers of Ameri
ca, today. Mr. McMahon was in this
city on his way from Kliode Island to
strike centers of northern. New England.
Citing the case of the Pacific nulls at
Lawrence he said:
"The strike against the Pacific mills,
which, begins tomorrow morning, would
never have been called if the company
had treated its workers with a degree of
justice which would stand comparison
with the company's generosity to its
stockholders. In 1921, a year of depres
sion, the Pacihc nulls paids to its stock
doldvrs enough to have given every one
of its 10,000 employes a 25 per cent wage
increase instead of the 20 per cent wage
cut they are trying to force upon us.
Some Fat Dividends.
"Thi company' paid out $2,400,000 in
dividends in 3921, and continued the
Bumc rate of dividends in the first quar
ter of 1922. They are paying 12 per
cent a year on their capitalization, in
spite of the fact that the capitalization
was increased in 1919 by $5,000,000 in
stock dividends a Jlil 1-3 per cent in-
crease. They nave a surplus or over
$ 14,000,000 enough to pay the entire
wages of tho operatives for a year with
out a penny of other income, and at the
end of the year they would have a sur
announced today by the bureau of labor
statistics of the Department of Lalwr
The decreases were as follows: Man
chester, lour per cent; Baltimore, Bridge
port, Newark, New Haven, New York,
Kichinoinl ami Washington, three per
cent ; Milwaukee, " per cent, and Den
ver 1 per cent. For the year ending
Mart-nlo last retail tooa prices ; biiowc. i
-
a decrease of Id per cent in Bridgepmt
and Denver ; 12 per cent in Manchester,
and New Haven; 11 per cent in Bnlti-
more. Washington and Milwaukee;
10
per cent in Newark, and nine per cent in
New York and Richmond.
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE.
INSPECTS MUSCLE SHOALS
P,v The Associatea Press.)
BIRMINGHAM, ALA., March 27.
,.ft here early today on th first leg of j
a tour of inspection which will take them j
to every unit of the government 'a power
and nitrate projects at Muscle Shoals
and (J-irgas, Alabama.
Included in the party are ten members!
of the Senate agriculture committee, ten.
members of the House Military Affairs,
Committee, and four Senators and one
Representative who are travelling as ex-
officio members.
Tho afternoon will be spent at "ur" ;
cas. where is located the government own
ed Warrior steam plant. The party will
spend tomorrow and Wednesday at Mus
cle IShoa's.
door opened and two men fired. The
woman fled.
Two men supporting between them
a lifeless form, hailed a taxicab in
Brooklyn. They took John Guffer
to a hospital, but he was dead from
bullet wounds in the body. The men
said Guffer had attended a "social
entertainment" with them and gave
the name of other persons who were
there. The two men with the young
girl who wai present at the enter
tainment were held for questioning.
Another attempted murder was
recorded early today when Jacob
Greenberg, 22, who was standing at
Madison and Clinton streets con
versing with a friend, Philip Klein,
was shot three times, by one of a
gang of young men.
One of the gangsters, pointing a
pistol at Greenberg, said:
' Get awav from the others. I
don't want to shoot anyone else."
Greenberg started to run and the
gangster fired at him. He was taken
to a hospital, where it was said he
probably would recover. The shoot
ing occurred within a short distance
from the place where a murder had
been committed a few hours previ
ously. . ,
"The police believe that the' street
shootings indicate a gang feud of
unusual proportions is raging in the .
lower east aide, ,
LEGION TO DECORATE ALL
GRAVES ON MEMORIAL DAY!
American Legion Posts in Ev-
try Community to Take
Charge of Memorial Day
Ceremonies and Decorate
the Graves.
(By The Associated Press.)
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., March
27. Graves of American soldiers,
sailors and marines, who died in the
world war, will be visited on Mem
orial Day by comrades in the Ameri
can Legion both at home and abroad,
according to plans announced today
at Legion national headquarters.
Legion posts in every community
in America will take charge of Mem
orial Day ceremonies and decorate
the graves of all veterans, it was
said. While .thousands of commun
ities throughout this country are
honoring the soldier dead in their
midst, the distant graves in France,
England, Italy and Russia will not
be neglected.
It has been the cmtom of Legion
national headquarters for ths last
two years to collect a fund from the
11,000 posts for this purpose. Com
mittees are established to take
charge of the funds in France and
England, composed largely of Le
gion men, acting in conjunction with
similar bodies of officials and citi
zens of the various foreign coun
tries. Posts in all European coun
tries, co-operating with these -committees,
will see that the grave of
every American who perished over
seas while in the service is decorated,
it was said.
In order to prevent confusion and
duplication of effort In decorating
graves in this country on Memorial
Pay, the Legion has asked all posts
to organize a Central Graves Regis
tration Bureau in every county for
the purpose of properly recording
graves of veterans of all wars and
assigning such graves to the indivi
dual posts for proper decoration.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOOD
MAY REACH 43 FEET.
(By The Associated Vress.)
MEMPHIS, Ten n., March 27.
Heavy and continued rains in the cen
tral Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee riv
er valleys Sunday and tonight will
cause the Mississippi river to riso high
er than previous forecasts had indicat
ed, the t'nitor States Weather Bureau
here announced early today. Definite
figures on the extent of this additional
rise and the time the new crest can be
looked for will probably be issued late
today, .1. H. Scott, local forecaster,
announced. Rivermen estimate a stage
exceeding 4.'i feet before Thursday with
the water already in sight bclof Cairo.
The river at Memphis early today
stood at 41.3 feet, a rise of a half
foot in 21 hours, which was less than
had been expected. The river is still
on a stand at, Cairo, although rains yes
terday are expected to canne another
rise tiiere by tomorrow.
Iteports received here early today
state that the river again is rising rap
idly at St. Louis, where tho stage at S
o'clock this morning was 23.5, a rise of
1.3 in 24 hours. South of Memphis
J - . Ill i- I K.1VL11U IIS. iHLIIIl'llttl
riwr ig lhing Inorc My, the
gauge at Helena, Ark., showing 09.1,
a rise of one foot in 24 hours.
Levees at all points below Cairo are
reported holding well although "sand
boils'' and seepage has been reported
from a number of places on both sides
of the river. Large forces of men sta
tioned at opints all along the levee line
where they can be moved to points
where danger is threatened at a mo
ment's notice,
The continuous rain of Ihe last 24
hours has caused some anxiety to lever.
engineers as it is feared that it will
softeu the embankments at some points
where the levees have not thoroughly
settled.
Cotton Market
CLOSING BIDS ON THE
NEW YORK MARKET
NEW YORK, March L'7. Cotton fu
tures closed steady.
May 17.64; duly 17.0b"; October 16.71;
December 16.fi'"); January 17.56.
TODAY'S COTTON MARKET
Cotton seed .Sic
Strict to good middling 17c
CABLEGRAM FROM INDIA
CAME SAFELY, HOWEVER
GUIDE ROCK, Neb., March 26.
An obliging cable office manager
at Calcutta, India, thumbing over
the rate chart determining toll char
ges for cablegrams, told Miss Ethel
Whting, a Guide Rock missionary,
that she could save a bit of money
by eliminating the name of the
state and county from the address
on Tver message, being filed to her
parents notifying them of her jour
ney home. Smacking of the unusu
al, Miss Whting asked why. The
manager informed her that his rec
ords showed but one Guide Rock in
the world.
..So, "Webster county, Nebraska,''
was stricken from the address, al
though Miss Whiting stated upon
her arrival here that she gambled
with her sporting instinct over ac
cepting the manager's suggestion.
The message, however, reached her
parents in record time.
Guide Rock received its christen
ing from a large rock that can be
seen for many miles. Great trains
of travelers who, in the early days,
were making their way to the gold
fields or the new west, were told to
watch for this rock as it was "lo
cation" point for the trails going to
the north or south.
paid Income tax on
keturn of two cents
CLEVELAND, O., March 27
One t the thousands of Cleveland
ers who made an income tax cost
the government far more more than
it derived. The return was for 2
cents, the smallest on record this
year.
From the time the return blank
was mailed to the taxpayer until fil
ed for a record it was handled by
ten persons connected with the rev
enue department, attaches said.
.."But the big ones balance up the
losses," Collector Routzahn declared.
CHIEF BENDER AND THE A
RFflnifi PUIS kFPF
IIUIUIIIV UkUU UUIb
Former Bisr League Indian
Star Here For Two Games!
Series Has Clean Set of
Ball Players Is Busy'
Speaking to Old Acquaint
ances. Chief Header and the "regulars" of
the Heading international League team
,.nn. f,. ,,.. ti, iu , f ii ...
, r . ,
...,v,K ,,.r. irai.iiog, anu
stopped off the car rather tired, after
biug on the road IS hours. Tho Big
Chief looks no older than he did when
.. , , - , . . , ,
he pitched for thy Ga stoma club some
years ago, and was busily engaged in
shaking hands with citizens in the b.bbv
of the Armingtoii hotel an. I renewing
old acquaintances.
At noon he went out to the lnll
grounds and looked te place over The
team was scheduled for two games here,
before their return to Henderson for
spring training.
"1 have a lively set of youngsters,"
said the chief upon his arrival. "They
are a clean lot, too. Thev spend their
spare time around the piano,
ing stories. Checkers is tin
tnd tell-
iraine or
the hour with this team.
Chief Bender is a Chippewa Indian,
and has a remarkable baseball record .
With the team is .Nig Clark, the well-
known Wyandotte Indian, and former
leading batter in the American League,
who played baseball 2.'( years, and is
only .'JS years old. Figure it out your
self how old ho was when ho started to
play .
Clark holds another world's record,
having made eight home runs in one
game in the Texan League, sending tho
eight balls over the right field fence.
The following are the players with
the Heading aggregation in town: Ben
der, Pahlinan, Kennedy, Clark Davis,
Wolfe, Brown, Karpp, Feilder, Sars-
told. Murphy, McNally, Getz, Wagner,
. itch and Reedy .
. : V IIob!itzel the newly appointed
maun. ' of the Charlotte Hornets, was
the ma... t of the Reading team hut
year.
As -i concesdoii to his many Gastdnia
admircis ( liief lieinler has consented to
pilch a part of Tuesday's game it' tic
weather permits it to be played. !
REVENUE OFFICERS ARE '
CHARGED WITH MURDER. '
(Bv Tho Assoclinen Press.)
SOPERTOX, Ga.. March 27. War
rants charging .1. T. Drake, a bailiff
residing near A.lrain, and Edward E .
Newberry and T. E . Nelson, revenue
officers, with murder in connection with
the shooting of P. Barwiek last Wed
nesday in the upper portion of Kman
nel county, were placed in the hands of
the sheriff' here today, and inunediali ly
Drake was arrested and lodged in t la
jail. ULSTER CABINET AGREES
TO CONFERENCE IN LONDON
BELFAST, March 27. The Ul
ster Cabinet today accepted the invi
tation extended by Colonial Secretary
Churchill to a conference in London
of Irish leaders, called in view of the
disturbed conditions in Ireland.
Another Conference With Operators To
Try To Avert Coal Strike On April 1st.
Miners Propose to Demonstrate That Wages in the Mines
Failed to Keep Pace With Wages in Other Industries Dur
ing the War and That Total Increase Has Been Only 65
Per Cent Since 1916.
(By The Associated Press.)
SPRINFIELD, ILLS., March 27.
Acting upon his promise to Coal
operators, President Frank Farring
ton, of the Illinois' union miners,
this morning wired Presidents of
three coal operators' associations of
Illinois that he would met them in
conference at 10 o'clock Wednesday
morning in Chicago. When asked if
this conference might result in a
separate wage scale for Illinois,
miners, Mr. Farrington said: "Not
at this time, I believe."
! ; decreased and that tho market for coal
1 XEW YORK. March MciuImts 1ms suffered because of the public's in
'; of the anthacite arbitration wage scale ability to pay prevailing prices,
committee returned from Cleveland to-: Phillip Murray, vice president of the
day to renew negotiations with tho oper-
stow in an effort to avert the strike call-
cl for next Saturday night. !
Roth mwrntors and ni ne rs . xnrrssni
. ' . . . '
a nesire to enu tne general discussions j eommtiiee. a. i: Ttarnner, prcstueui oi
which marked the opening day of the' the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Com
conference last week and to confine fu- pany, will continue aa spokesman for the
tore sessions to consideration of the nine- operators.
teen demands of the workers. 1 Mr. Lewis has announced that ho win
Bcnianding a 20 per cent increase in remain :it Indiananolin, headquarters of
wages, the miners say they propose to the United Mine Workers, to direct the
demonstrate that wage in tho mines fail-; strik'1 of both anthracite and bituminous
ed to keep pace with wages in other-in-- workers. XearIy-40 members of the a-
ilustries during the war; that the total; thracite workers "scale committee return
i increase- has been only .63 per cent since ! ed to Xew York today to keep their lo-
1316; that the mine oin-rator is making 1 cal and district, organisations advised of
as. "ctccysirc plt br d "peyiftj hi"' tLo ptcgress o.pg negotiations, 1
MYSTERY MOWING THE
HARRY SHUFORD IS AS
REV. T. G. TATE INSTALLED
I y AS PASIOK AT ULNEY
j Olney Presbyterian Church Has A Bright
I Outlook Handsome New Manse Near-
ing Completion.
On Sunday afternoon ut .'I o'clock the
old historic-church of Ante-bellum days,
known far and Hoar as the Oln.u Prea-
i ,y Urian thurc1 situated for 146
, . , l,f,1P,. A .,;.. .... I ,.f
l'celaration of Independence in that sec
tion of tho county now known as youth
Gastouia, was the scene 0f a very iin-l ,r, , . . ., . . ,
. parties. Tho sheriff ami other officials
pre.vnve scnuv, when Rev. 1. 0. fate, 8,.nt tho greater part of tho day Kun
iurmcry of l'adiu and Albermarle, was I day in Bessemer City making investiga-
stalled as pastor by a commission f rom
Kind's Mountain Presbytery. Hev. U. K.
(idhsjiiu presided and propounded the
constitutional questions to pastor and
i 'i km 1 1 1 it ' iiv u c i.,mj . t ,. r , ,c uw
,v;., ,,..,. ...... -, ,...,;.', .,, 4 ;
. ' " r"- j8()Ullll uf tUo ".j-caiibor Colt automatic
ean Legion Post 2;!, preached all ablO pistol with which Shuford was shot.
j sermon from the tlu ine of " Personal I Policeman Payne, of Bessemer City
1 Christian Work." Mr. Long was 1 he I "ium1 ' l'01."' an army blanket
1 . . , . . . , :u,1l discharged it into a block of wood
j recipient ot much praise for his masterly , m.(1 ci()(,tl ju room wjK.r Shuford 's
effort. Kev. (1. A. Sparrow, for 2H years j body was found. Officers in tho next
' l"iHXor ()l,"'y ,','llri'11 a"l 8,i11 a'"V ro" declared that if they had not been
' 'lVl' s,.'l v" '' :S pastor of the sinter church listening for the report they never
! ut V"""1 '" :l" eloquent" and uniquely would have heard it, so faint was tho
I,'"'i"is,','"t nmnner, delivered the charge, i noise of the dischurge. There were no
I Uw l'"sl"r- dudge A. C. Jones, elder j powder burns on the block of wood,
ni" wn.Tivni iirv x u li I ii J n.im iiiu fll Itl'l B, V UU Ut'CIUICW IMUb LUU
church deiivcred a convincing and force- kind of explosive used in tho .25 bullet
fid charge to tiio people. Klder J. II. of a Colt automatic did not leave povv
Kenuedy gave a personal testimony from I der burns such as aro left from ordiua
knowleilge of his mother's and' Ids. own ry black powder.
childhood days, closing the service with Surgeons and soldiers who served
' I"!,yer ir me oicKsiiig oi ciou upon pas -
a ; T,ir iillil iii'i1iii
......
)f,.v- Mr Tntti n-:,,, Imnti r.rt llmltlm limul iliu'litrii tlint Itiu'
1 Held' since March' I has alreadv won the1
! love and admiration of his peoide ami :
' Olney
church has a bright, view ahead,
lluriiig this one month 21 new members ( theory is held to by those who believe
have been received into the church, tho 'that lie committed suicide and discredit
Sunday s'diool and congregations havuU'd by those who believe that he was
increased to the capacity of the church murdered . They point out the fact
building and, for the first time in its his-1 that while there are two separate scalp
tory, the congregation has subscribed its' wounds, there was ouly one aperture in
full budget for the ensuing year. A J the skull, and that the larger flesh
handsome, six room manse is Hearing I wound in the scalp may have been caus
coinplctioii on the edge of the beautiful jed by tho ejecting apparatus of the
grove of sturdy oak trees and will be oc-j pistol when the empty cartridge was
( copied by Mr. Tate and bis family next i throw n out.
month. The Gaston County Minsterialj (Sunday brought forth no new develop
Alliance will b' entertained at this incuts in the death mystery other than
ciiurcti in .-April.
- r- " 1
PANAMAN BARKS SINKS
IN NEWPORT NEWS HARBOR
(By The Associated Press.)
NKW'I'ORT NEWS, YA March 27.
The Panaiaan bark Maria Barges, loaded
with coal, mysteriously sank in the liar
bor here early this morning, blocking
the channel to the shipyard. Several of
her crew escaped in sinannoats, reporting
that tin; craft filled rapidly and went,
down a short lime alter they found she
was leaking.
The bark, formerly the Norwegian i
sailing ship Sierra Miranda, recently wnwl
IHirrlwiscd by Brown Willis ami yester-!
da
completed loading a cargo of
for "ista Rica. She bad been in harbor ;
lu re for several iit'iiifhrt. I
The craft, went down in forty feet of j
water and only the tips of her masts are!
protruding this lnorninj
SEARCH FOR MISSING
BODIES CONTINUES.
'T'.v The Associated Press.)
MIAMI, Fla., March 27. Airplane
March for the bodies of Mr. and Mrs.
August Unite, and Mr. and Mrs. Law
rence Smith, of Kansas City, and Mrs.
.1 . 8. 1 'k kson," of Memphis, lost when
the flyinc boat Miss Miami was wreck- .
ed at. sea last Wednesday, has been dis-
continued, but. the submarine) chaser '
Service went out early today in the
hope that some trace of the victims of.
the tragedy might be found.
t labor and overcharging the consumer;
1 anil that the mines could' continue to
show a reasonable profit to the operator'
after irrantina both an increase in ,
and a reduction of prices
The operators indicated that today, foi
the first time since discussion oXa new
contract was undertaken, they would
make known the percentage, of wac cuts
they advocate in counter proposal to the
1!) demands of the miners. Asserting
that thev will not consider a wage in
crease, the operators say that costs of
mining and transporting: coal have not
L'nited Mino Workers of America, has re-j
placed d dm L. Lewis, president of the
international organization ns head of thcl
f ,,nr ahor derates on the arbitration i
. ... - ... . ...
Coroner's Verdict Is That Shuford Came to His
Death at Hands of Unknown Party or Parties
Skull Is Found to Be Completely Fractured
Either From Pistol Shot or Heavy Blow on
Head Post-Mortem Examination Made Sat
urday Night.
There wero no new developments to
day in the case of tho death of Harry
Shuford, whoso body was found in his
j room at tho Carroll Hotel Saturday
I morning, dead either by his own hand
I or at the hnndtt of unknnu-n unriv m
i Uons' examining the surroundings of
i ne room ana norci nnu questioning in
habitants of the village. JSo new evi
dence was discovered, neither was any
j additional light thrown on the mystery
, Jls i"e result or iiieir lnvcstigat ions . A
"! to tho range of the
1 overseas aim wno were urougin in Close
,tlirni.f ivi t ti tiiii.ii.' iriitiuhAt U'..iiti.lu ,n
.......... ...... ...u.I(r feu..o..vw uuuo
.'w caliber pistol held close to the
head was sufficient to shatter tho skull
las Shuford 's was found to be. This '
uie report or too coroner s jury that tae
! deceased came to his death at the hands
of unknown parties. This verdict was
1 reached after hearing the testimony, of
j physicians and witnesses who wore pres.
; cm at the post mortem examination of
j tho head of young Shuford Saturday
night
It was disclosed at this autopsy that
Shuford 's head was fracrured so that it
was possioio to mi. tno sxun completely
off without sawing an inch of the bone.
It was ahown that tho bullet bad gonu
clean through the brain and had lodged
underneath the tikin under tho left ear
where it was found and removed by phy .
siciaiis. A small round hole in the skull
hero marked its exit. Extending from I
tho crushed wound in the front part of
the skull to this exit hole was a fracture
and the same fracture extended in the
opposite direction around tho back of hid
head.
Four physicians1 who attended and
conducted the exa initiation declared that
it was iuipossibli) for a pistol shot to
have caused this sort of a fracture. As
further contradiction of any theory that
the pistol shot caused this fracture is
the fact that there arc two separate and
listinct holes in tho scalp of tho right
temple, one clean, round bullet hole, the
other a jagged, rough cut under which
the ikull is crushed. Furthermore, the
suicide theory is discounted by the plain
fad that Shuford could not have dealt
himself such a blow and then trhot him
self too.
1 The theory has also lieon advanced that
his body wad brought into tho room af
ter the fatal injuries had been inflicted
elsewhere.
There is no evidence of bloodstains on
the hotel stairs or in Bhuford'sj room to
substantiate this theory. There was no
blood in the bed except around the head.
When found, he was lying as he natural
ly would have Rone to sleep, except for
th fact that the blankets wero pulled
down tightly over his head.
Every possible motive for the murder
has been discussed and weighed by of
ficials, in an effort to hit upon some
clue that migh lead to the apprehen
sion of tho murderer.
Funeral and interment took place Sun
dayafternoon in the presence ot a Huge.
crowd from this section or the state. i
The wry-ices wero in charge of Rev. A. L
Stanford, pastor of Main Street Metho
dist church, and Dr. J. V. Irailoway,
pastor of the First Associate Reformed
Presbyterian church, anil of Gastonia
Lodge No. ISi, A. F. and A. M. Floral
offerings were beautiful. The pall-bearers
were J. A. Hunter. Caldwell Kagan,
R. G. Cherry, George A. Gray, Averett
and Rob McLean, James Holland1 and
Herbert Miller.
The coroner's jury was unable to dis-
Mivpr nnv clue which might lead to a
motive for the murder. The idea of nam (Yale lock and was opened only by tho
.n..nl,U TutnaAtt awing n liftihotcl UrOOrictOr With A TM1M klV "" .
111(5 lilt1 uroiwiin'ii? w.-w..... - t
rather far fetched at present. anous
reasons are advanced by friends wf Mr.
Shuford ana oy resiuenis ox
(itv. hut no one claims to have the
. . .1 I.-.
slightest ground' for his belief.
However some yet believe that the
young man committed suicide. They
argue that tlie reliound tt the automat
after the bullet had entered the head
could have been responsible for the frac
tured skull. But publie opinion general
ly agrees with tho verdict of tho coro
ner's jury. ;
The only testimony given at tho in
mir.M which "had anv bearing on tho al
leged murder itself vas that of ifswd'
DEATH OF
YET UNSOLVED
Jenkins, who lives only a ghort distance
from tho hotel. ,
Mr. Jenkins stated that lie noticed a
light in tho room occupied by Mr. tJhu
ford about 4:31) o'clock t&turday mora
ing and that be also saw several -men in
the room at that time. Mr. Jenkins
wast certain of the time as he had risen
when the mill whistle blew at 4:30 a. m.,
noticing the light and observing the men
a few minutes ater when- lie stepped out
of his house. That the men observed by
Mr. Jenkins are responsible is the 'belief
of pretty nearly everyone, but who they
the is the puzzJjj which confronts the of
ficers of Bessemer City and of Ciastoa
! county
Physicians believe that' Mr.- Shuford
was killed as he lay asleep. The theory
bad been advanced that it might have
ooeii possioio ior mm to nave oeen Kill
ed away from tho hotel and his 'body .
carried into his room, but the position of
his body and tho lack of blood on the
bed at any other place than that about
his head in tho position it lay' refutes
this theory, for a quantity of 'blood had
stained thg pillow and it would have been'
impossible, according to those who aw
tho body, for.it to have been moved
w ithout leaving traces) of blood. The add.
ed fact that lie entered the hotel and
was not heard to leave also serves to .
refutehis idea.
The general opinion is that the young ,
man, an overseas veteran ' prominently
connected in this and adjoining counties,
nd rather wealthy, died as the result o f
I a Wow on tno aide of the head; that the
I l.ii . w.n 4nf-w K.. 4X. . a
saiiant or assailants and the pistol
placed near his .hand as it lay under tho
covers of the bed in an effort to indicata
suicide. ,
One theory advanced is that some Bes
semer City enemy of Mr. Bhuford killeii
him. It was well known in Bessemer
City that Mr. bhuford planned to mako
his home in Gastonia after his marriage,
which was to have taken place within tho
next few weeks and some are of the opin
ion that the assailant decidod to commit
tho murder before Mr. Bhuford left the
city. But the reason why a Bessemer'
City man might have wished the death of
Mr. Shuford is what must be discovered
beforo oflicers will be able to follow this
lead with any success. '
The fact that there was no evidence of
a struggle in the room leads to the belief
that the murder was premeditated and
carefully planned, and tho -"belief that
some person whether or not from Besse
mer City with a real or fancied -wrong is
responsible is the ono to which most f
those) who are fanulinr with the eondi
tions subscribe. Littl credence .is
placed in the theory of robbery as a rca.,
son for the crime. - ;
That Harry Shuford. supposedly a
suicide, came to his. death from a terrU
ble blow on the bead, ns he lay sleep :
ing, was disclosed Saturday; night from
a post ' mortem examination made ; by :
physicians in tho presence of Sheriff
Carroll, Coroner lavis and newspaper
men.
The autopsy disclosed the fact that'
young Sliuford bad been dealt a blow
whieh cracked his skull all the way a
round except for two inches at tho
base.. .., " t ' .
A hole three-quarters of an inch deep
was made in his head by the weapon
and the skull was flattened and crushed,
by the blow. It had been announced
earlier Saturday, after a hasty ami
preliminary examination that Shuford
had committed suicide, owing to the
fact that his Own pistol was found ly
ing in tho bed beside him, with one
sdiell fired. A small round bullet hoi
in bis right temple added strength to
this theory, -
Owing to tho mass of clotted blood
on the side of his face and head, the
large jagged wound was not noticed tin-'
til several hours later when the coroner
and the coroner's physician made . ii "
more thorough examination. ;
It was then decided to hold tad au
topsy. Solicitor Wilson requesting that
this be done. The examination of tho
scalp,-skull and brain showed that tho
small go-cn liber steel jacketed bullet
had passed straight through the head
and had lodged next to the skin on th
left side' of the head. The blow that
cause.! a jagged hole . in the skull had
prxKiuoea a iracturo taat ran all tho
way aroutui tne neaa. :
Whoever struck the blow that killed
Shuford must have fired the shot in ait
effort to divert suspicion and to givo
plausibility to the suicide theory, is tho
opinion of pliysicians and county offi
cials. ,
Covered Up in Bed.
Also Shuford was found covered tip
in the bed in the position in which ho
naturally feU asleep. -
One of the mysteries ia as to how tho
assassin gained tent rane to his Toom, at
it was locked from, the insid with
t ll 1
. Aoouery . cvuienny nos tno mo
live, for the sum of $J0 was found un-
vy-.-. vu mk.vuiit
hand, since it was known that ho had
on Friday purchased an automobile ami
had paid other obligations weakens the
theory that robbery -might have been
the motive. , , ,
THE V.EATIIEB
. North Carolina, mostly c'ouJy t-.'
and Tuesday, probably rain ui nui 1 i
tion tonight; not much change m t
yerjtnre,