North Carolina Newspapers

North and Soutll Car- Clina: Fair tonight and Saturday; continue coolt tonight with lightfrost in exposed places. VOL. XXIV: No. 187. Germans Hurl Ecgqard 1J0.O,- 000 Men on' a Nine Mile Front DESPERATE ASSAULTS ARE VALIANTLY MET With a Few Exceptions the Allied Line Held its Ground. American on Heights of the Meuse. The French lines have held below Amiens and the Germans have been defeated with great losses , In what porbably constituted their most des perate effort yet to break in and cut off the communications of this impor tant base from the South. Similarly to the East of : Amiens the British have maintained their stead fast defense and prevented the Ger mans from making any important headway here. This battle, which raged yesterday and virtually all last night was fougfct along a line approximately 30 miles south of the Somine''-TtdTaccdrd-ing to unofficial dispatches, the Ger mans switched their attack to the North of the .river .and engaged ; the British along a front of some 17 miles, but again were unable Jio make any progress except a slight advance near the river. In the great battle to the South of the Somme the contending armies fought with fluctuating" fortunes, thj French giving some groumi in the northerly sector of their battle area, "but closing the engagement with their line not only standing where it was along its Southerly ' course but even advanced in one 'or two sectors v here the Germans had beenriolentiy thrown back. As a whole the Entente line may be -considered as the :French off ic ml , statement puts it, maintained in its . entirety. So far as the 'German s-- jective South of Amiens, the railway line to Clermont is concerned, the stupendous German effort resulted tnerely in the protection of the fight ing; front a distance of probably not more than 2,000 yards nearer " to it, opposite Castel, where the map shows the enemy still nearly three miles away from the railroad. The British fought yesterday and last night, chiefly on their Southern front between the Luce and the Somme, where the battlefront was a continuous one, linking up with the operation against the French. Here, the British were pressed back out. of a small salient that - has - projected in the neighborhood- of rarfusee-Aban-court,- just to the-:No4h' fit Marcel pave, and almost directly on a line East of Amiens. This was the oly advantage the Germans ' vere able to gain in this whole -sectorafter hours rl almost constant attacking in. heavy force.' ' i. ' The British recession was"" slight and the line they now 'maintain runs East of Villers-Brittonneux, some 10 1-2 miles from the center of Amiens and about, nine miles from its out skirts. . "' - " On that part of the battlefront run ning Eastward from Montdidier -""The "French gave no ground, but on the contrary drove in about midway be-' tween Montdidier and Lassigny, . and raptured the greater-part of Epinette ood, North of Orvillers-Sorel. They pld this ground against several coun ter attacks. Their success here was matched on the front North of Mont: fiidier by their seizure from the Ger mans of Staignan farm,- Southeast 1 of Grivesnes, wjiich they likewisSlield r against all assaults. .. . Another sector of the long 7fighting : ont from je-North . $ea ,to Switzer " land has been taken- bver byi-Ameri-a(n trooDs anrt it. is announced they hofd positions on th heights on Meuse, South of Verdun. ' Th& po slf iou is almost directly 'North - qf the Amf-cican sector Northwest of-"Tout ard has not been the .scene of any marked activity recently.; It -'joins Verdun battlefield on the Sbtith. lhp enemy' already" has'lrafded a 11s ening post on the" newjpejgjpr, but he raiders, were not able; to-advahe I,jnhPr in the face; of sthmg Ameri ta" artillery -fire. .. :.L ? (jrnment troops in Flnlapd ar; Teportfj to have occupied the -ESstern cart of Tammerfors. -North of Hel-, ii i TO - VAV v v 1 SAYS BAKER'S VISIT J Daily Mail Declares it Will Leave Lasting Impression Among Allies London, April 5. The recent visit of Newton D. Baker, the American Secretary of War, the Daily Mail says, was an historic one and will leave a lasting impression on Anglo-Franco-American relation as it was then decided that American regiments should be brigaded with British and French troops on the Western front. Premier Lloyd-George, the Mail says, acquainted Secretary Baker with the situation, and expressed the desire of the British government for the immediate employment of the American fighting forces. Secretary Baker was much impressed ana went to France the next day and saw Gen eral Pershing. "The American commander-in-chief," adds the Daily Mail, "in that spirit of soldierly generosity and spprtsman ship i which haratrik?telia iMst subsequent pronouncement to General Foch, assented unhesitatingly. To General Pershing belongs the credii of the prompt action of the scheme now in effect." x In conclusion the Daily Mail says: "It only remains to be said that the American troops at the disposal o'f General Foch are seasoned veterans of -the Unjted States. Army. They are troops of the same hardy fibre as the immortal British 500,000." CHARGED WITH ABDUCTION. Judgment Was Withheld Until To morrow Trial Long Drawti Out. Considerable time was required this morning for hearing the evidence ' abduction, tried before " T 1T.1oT,ir TnHt Justice John J. Furlong. Judgment was withheld until tomorrow and the most the magistrate can do is send the defendant on to Superior Court for probable cause. Action against the Wilder woman was brought by Robert Walker, colored, who alleged and sotestified that the woman in fluenced his daughter, less than 14 years. of age, to leave home. The lit tle girl swore on" the stand that she left home -because of the harsh treat ment she received at the hands of her father and that she had not been persuaded or coerced by the woman to leave the family circle. She ex hibited a couple of scars which she stated were inflicted by her father, adding, that he was not at all choice about what: he struck her with when she incurred his displeasure. Trie defendant stated that she had been employed in the Walker home for the purpose of taking care , of .the. chil dren; that she did not like the neigh borhood and informed Walker that she wouTd have to give up these du ties unless he moved elsewhere; that he did not move and that she left and that she had nothing whatever to do with the girl's leaving. TRUCK DAMAGED TROLLEY CAR. Collision Occurred at Third and Kid der Streets Yesterday. Twenty-five dollars or more damage was done a trolley car on the Sunset Park line yesterday afternoon when- Ytt- was in -collision with the delivery truck of the Wilmington Furniture Company officials of the company stated this morning. The collision occurred at. Third and Kidder streets, and tbbtrfler- WS that the heavy sand of .that section caused the motor truck to skid into the car, which was moving at a low rate of speed, hav ing; Just, stopper-to taKeon a.passen eer The street :car w&s in charge of that tne trur uiu -uy it was fully .a . half block away by the time he got out of his car. singfofar and which lias been the cen ter' of much fighting recently,; One thousand prisoners and some war ma terial were taken from the rebels, it is reported both sideA are showing much bitterness. ThV rebels, or Red Guards, "are accused of terriWe. atroc itioa hv' their obnoifents, the White Guards? who ,are charged with similar acts be M 71 1W S MM i4 WAQ AA iinu nn muiumu urn. WILMINGTON, NORTH MAN tYNCHEDFO UTTERING ALLEGED DISLOYAL REMARKS 1ML C JW : ' iv1 T 1 lVlOb Ot Illinois Miners lakes Prisoner from Officers and Hang Him PRAYED IN GERMAN BEFORE HIS DEATH Was Charged With Making Remarks Derogatory to President Wilson More Lynchings Feared Collinsville, Ills., April 5. Kneeling h--bis arihs erossedt - Robert P. Prager, who was lynched by a mob last night at midnight for alleged dis loyal utterances, prayed in German for three minutes before he was strung up, it was learned today. Prager was a coal miner and yes terday at Marysville, Ills., in an ad- dres to the miners on Socialism, is said to have made remarks deroga tory to President Wilson. Miners there became angry and when they threatened to do him bodily harm he escaped to Collinsville, his home. Some of the miners, however, follow ed him, collected a crowd, took Pra ger from his home and led him bare foot through the streets waving an American flag. The police, fearing violence, took Prager from the crowd and -placed him In the city hall. Later a large mob gathered in front of the hall and demanded the man. Mayor J. H. Sie gel counselled calmness but the police force of four was overpowered and Prager was found In the basement of the hall hiding beneath a pile of til- street and beyond" ThTcit ylimits, thej crowd threatening to shoot if the of ficers approached. One mile West of the city the rope by which Prager had been led was thrown over a limb of a tree. He was asked if he -had anything to say. His answer, was to drop to his knees and with arms crossed to pray in German for three minutes. Without another word he was pulled into the air 10 feet and allowed to hang. The mob I then dispersed. Thn nnllPfl aniH that PrOMr ,rV,il in their custody had stated he was a registered enemy alien, that he was born in Germany, but that he had taken out his first naturalization pa pers and1 had hoped to become an American citizen. Collinsville is 12 miles east of St. Louis and is in that section of South western Illinois that of late has been active against disloyalists. More Lynchings Feared. Washington, April 5. Until the Federal government is given power to punish persons making disloyal utterances,- Department of Justice offi cials fear more lynchings such as that' of Robert P. Prager, a German, aWCollinsville, Ills., last night. This was. the first report reaching here of such extreme mob violence to a Ger man, although officials who have ob served the general feeling against Germans have feared such occur- - The government aas no 'auinomj to take action' against the lynchers. Officials of the Department of Justice deplored the act and expressed the hope that State or local authorities would speedily punish "the lynchers. At the same time, it was pointed out that as soon as Congress passes the pending bill making it a Federal offense to speak or write obviously disloyal criticism ; of the-- Uni ted States in the "war, the government can pun ish "thees acts and reduce the danger ;vf mob action. , TV JL N 3 FULL LEASED WIRE SERVICE CAROLINA. FRIDAY AFTERNOON APRIL 5 ,1 9 1 8. A. F .A. ttlMBER COMPANIES TO STOP UNFAIR PRACTICES Warning Issued to 97 Western Firms by the Trade ' Commission ' Washington, April 5. The Federal Trade Commission today ordered 97 lumber companies in the West to de sist from unfair methods of competi tion. The order applied also to Luke W. Boyce, a Minneapolis detective. Procuring by bad faith oi- subter fuge of information intended only for bona de customers of mail order houses, furnishing to Piatt B. Walker. of Minneapolis, Minn., publisher "of i "The Mississippi . Valley Lumber! Man," of names of persons selling to j man oraer concerns to enable him to i interfere with the free, purchase of1 supplies by those concerns, the em ployment of Boyce to obtain the bus iness secrets of mail order firms and ,tae ronowmg or mail order salesmen ito embarrass them in their business dealings, were forbidden in the fu- ture by the commission. Walker and The Lumber Man lishing - Company recently signed a ! stipulation of facts in cases against them and an order was entered re quiring them to cease and desist from the practices complained of. ATTEMPT MADE TO WRECK TROOP TRAIN ! . J. Toledo Ohio, April 5. Discovering a tie spiked across the Baltimore and Ohio track, 10 miles south of Toledo, near Perrysburg, last evening, Grace M Doyle, 20, a, coufttrtrSeftool teacher, removed her coat and with it flagged a train, approaching rapidly. It was a freight, followed closely by a heavy troop-train. It took the j freierht. orew 2a minutest tn rpmnvo! w . v . , tne obstruction. Several troop trains had passed there within a few days and It was evident that the person who spiked the plank to the track had information that another was approaching. FcO eral authorities have been notified. REV. M. N. MclVER DEAD. Aged Maxton Minister Passes Away Red Springs Man Dead. (Special to The Dispatch.) Maxton, N. C, April 5. Rev. M. N. Mclver died at his home here at 2:30 yesterday morning. Mi. Mclver had retired from active service many years since, but prior to that time was pastor of various Presbyterian churches. He has been critically ill for sometime. He is survived by a widow and eight chil-1 dren, none of whom are resident in j "Count Czernin's speech has creat Maxton, except Mrs. R. L. McLeod. ed a profound impression in Austrian Mr. Hector Brown, of near Red parliamentary circles, where it is be Springs, died at the Mapleshade ho- lieved that communications have tel here at about the same hour, 2:30. j been opened between Count tzernin He had been to Charlotte for treat-; - ent and was on his way home, stop- j nine over here for the day. In UielCzernins speech shows. afternoon he went to his room arid was found later unconscious ' Every assistance possible was furnished by the hotel management, but without avail. .-Maxton's contribution to the camps continues io maww, u rm,, Howard Hasty and Murdoch Taylor having for Columbia this week, Capt J- C. Everett received news a few days since that his son, Lieut. J. 1 - 11 U T7i FranK j. HTVereil, nan amveu buuic- where in France. The Captain is proud of his two-starred service flag. Miss Elizabeth Alford entertained this week in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Hector Austin, Maxton's latest bride and groom. Germans Concentrate Troops. London, April 5. The Germans concentrated troops early this morn ing near Albert, the war office an nounces. British artillery took them under its fire. In the neighborhood of Bucquoy, and in the Scarpe Vallex there was . active artillery fighting during the night. Expected to. Denounce Lynching. Washington, April 5 Atorney Gen eral Gregory took to the cabinet meeting today a report of the lynch ing of a German, Robert P. Prager, at Collinsville, Ills., lastnight for dis cussion with President Wilson. The government is expected to denounce the mob's lawless act and to expvass the hope that there will be no repeti tion elsewhere. Two Suits Started. Two suits were begun in Superior Court today by the City of Wilming ton; one is against Ephriam Bishop and wife and the N Cooperative Building & Loan Association and; the other was against James A. Ratcliff and the Metropolitan Trust Coopera tive Building & Loan Association. N H Kansas mam mm fire loss TV- R1L Yk 1 1 1 hree t108 m Wholesale ! District Wiped Out Last Nierht Kansas City, Mo., April 5. The fire which last night destroyed about Pub-ithree city DloCks in th wholesale aad manufacturing district in the west- ern section, entailing a heavy finan cial loss, was of incendiary origin, James E. Marvin, fire warden, said today. He added, however, that no clue had been found to establish the theory definitely. He placed the loss at between $2,000,000 and $2,500,000. Representativs Of the insurance in- spector's bureau said the loss would not exceed $2,500,000. Several of th a larr warehouse in the viHnHv of the fire contained food and those t inclined toward a plot theory used that fact to prove their claim that enemy" agens may hate ' been respon sible for the fire. r - Buildings occupied by 18 business concerns were destroved. The st.nm tures themselves were mainly of mi - 4 ro vcbxii, ja. vv ao oaiu, uul Liic 'tents of several were valuable. Six firmen were injured, none seri ously, and Nicholas Stefel, 10 'years old, was rsn over and killed by a fire man's motor car. The old Stor House, famous years ago, when the union station was loca ted in the West Bottoms, was one of the buildings destroyed. BELIEVE CZERNIN IS TALKING WITH WILSON Zurich, April 5. Austrian parlia mentary circles believe negotiations have been opened between President Wilson and Count Czeernin, the Aus-tro-Hungarianv foreign minister- A telegram from Vienna to the Neueste Nachrichten, of Munich, says: and President Wilson wnicn already have re ached fu rjjher than Count GROWING IN INTEREST. Large Congregation Heard Rev. J. A. Taylor Last Night. Despite the inclement weather the attendance at the Pjvst Christian church last night was very gratifying and the masterly sermon delivered by Rev. J. A. Taylor was heard with intense interest. TaingTcfr his sub ject, "The Whole Bible," II Timothy, 2:15, he held the --lose--attention of his congregation throughout. Mr. Taylor used a chart for illustrative purposes, taking up the study of the Old and New Testament, and showing the value of each separate book and the relation of the New Testament to the life olA-he individual. Another chart sermon will be deliv ered tonight and the minister's sub ject will be "The Place of the Dis ciple in the Religious World." The song service starts at 8 o'clock and all are invited. , Open Thursday Nights. Te Red Cross work rooms In Mur chison building are being kept open each Thursday night, owing to tHe stress of work. There were 65 ladies present last night, who worked until a, late hour. The lights went out dur ing the storm, but the workers sat there calmly until the lights were fixed and then continued with their work. , Five Buildings Burned. Rochester, N. Y., April 5 Fire of supposed incendiary origin early this morning destroyed the five buildings of the W. H. Osborne Company, can ning plant at Honeoye Falls, 20 miles from this city, involving a loss of $100,000. United States Marshal John D. -Lynn was notified, -by village offi cials that they believed an incendiary was responsible for. the fire. He will order an investigation. 1 1 FINAL PREPARATIONS HI CAMPAIGN c i r j ti i i m i-v i Sale of the Third Liberty Bond Issue Will Start Satur day Washington, April 5. Final prepar ations were being rushed today for tne opening tomorrow of the sale! campaign of the Third Liberty Loan. Directors of the drive announced tht 40,000 of the bonds already had FL ON ueen mrnea out by tne bureau of , . L , c, . Engraving and Printing and it was j as ths Slte ne ot the nip estimated that 100,000 will be ready i ping Board's new concrete by tomorrow. Hereafter the bonds! i j j i . i wn . ' ship yards was dennitely an- will leave the presses at the rate of j J 500,000 to supply demands for cash I ncunced today by hairman sales and immediate delivery. I Hurlev Legislation necessary for floating1 the loan was completed . yesterday 1 ne Emergency Meet Cor wheja ihe House.aecepled minor Sei-1 noration will Build- the aiew ate amendments to the bill authoriz-! ing the issuance of aditional bonds ' and President Wilson approved the !measure ! Announcement of the complete plan j . . - for the new loan was made earlier inJust built for it on the Pacific the day by the Treasury Department. coast that' it intends to enlarge red cross entertainment. ! considerably the concrete East Watha Unit Raised Large Sum Last Friday Night. (Special to The Dispatch.) Watha, April 4. The East Watha Red Cross unit gave a very enjoyable entertainment last Friday night, March 29, at theHall schoolhouse, which was beautifully decorated for the occasion. The school children rendered a short program in a very creditable manner. Those . deserving special nroioa n ra ' T .iff In Mioo TVT orinn TP1 r' r ers and Master William Hall, who ! sang, "The Little Soldier and the Red . y1 t j .i mi Cross Maid," and also those taking at Wilmington and they Will pLnel0 L Cnn0li"!be used ifi the Mexican oil VJUtUJJlliXlCilLCU IUU lAl&Lliy JLX LiiC.ll splendid acting. j XlX" U1W UilU biX13 Vi. tilt j Cross unit, wearing veils, served j cake, cream and oysters. A voting; contest for the prettiest girl was held, j Miss Lilliaa Hall being the -winner. The large sum of $50.67 was raised. TAKEN VIOLENTLY ILL. Captain- George W. Stnith Removed From Office to His Home. Captain George W. Smith, day -sergeant at police headquarters.was tak en violently ill at headquarters short ly before noon, losing consciousness and , was carried to .his , home, 615 J South Second street, in the police emergency wagon in a critical condi tion. Dr. R. H. Slocum, acting health officer, was called and after , a hurried examination was of the opin ion that Captain Smith had suffered an attack of acute indigestion. Friends of the genial and obliging day sergeant will learn of his Illness with keen regret, for there is not a better liked man on the force, and all hope that he will be sufficiently recovered to return to his duties in the early future. RECRUITS BADLY NEEDED. Shipmasters and Various Tradesmen Are In Big Demand. The following was issued to the of ficers of the general recruiting serv ice yesterday afternoon from the of fice of Sergeant James B. Bradford, in charge of recruiting locally: 4 "You are authorized to accept for the 57th engineers (Inland Waters) Laurel, Md., qualified and eligible ap plicants to be sent for enlistment to the nearest recruit depot or post, en route to the station, of this .organiza tion, or to he camp at Laurel, Md.' "The following classes of men are needed: Master ship carpenters, ma rine gasoline engineers, hoisting en gineers, riggers, bargemen, ship car penters, steersmen, blacksmiths, sail makers and teamsters." "' THE'-STORE ADS , ' Bring news reports f rom the stores. Read I them. ' PRICE FIVE CEN1S Chairman Hurley. Makes Offi cial Annpunceiprient of Wil mington'sSelection SEVEN CONCRETE TANKERS ORDERED Shipping Board Will Build Three Small and Four Largs Tankers to Be Used in Mexi" can Oil Trade Washington, April 5 . Se- lection of Wilmington, N. C, j i V i - i .t . am' wnicn nas Tnree ways. I he Shipping Board is SO Well pleased with a rnnrrrpfp shin ship building program. . Con- crete ships can be built in less tinte than can wood or steel vessels. Chairman Hyirley told the Senate commerce committee today that three small con crete tankers and four large concrete tankers Will be built trade. The yard can be built . I . f fy. - Within OU days, Mr. Hurley i j i " . said and smP construction can begin immediately thereafter. ' It was learned here this afternoon 'J that the government had accepted the' offer of the -site made by Wilmington tor the proposed bfee-' hospital,- stat- ' ing that the other SjLtes . available for shipbuilding .nd offered, the goevrn ment would riot beMist.urbed at this - i time. This,"-is takjgn in . local quar ters to indicate that the government ' i .ii. i . f j i ft. i- has other plans the future and that Wilmington will be included in carrying out these plans. Local interests could add nothing to the press report concerning decision B it. T I . . . . . i .. . r ui iue ompyiug jtsuara 10 locate one of its proposed shipyards for the building of concrete ships .here, say ing that they had no idea what site the government would decide upon for its yard," and adding that there were any number of splendidly located ones that could be had. The posting of bulletins about noon by The Dispatch to the effect that definite decision had been reached by N the Shipping Board 7to establish a. yard here ' almost took the breath of , many, so overjoyed were they, and one gentleman who is heart and soul in the project and who has his every thought and interest wrapped up in ' the city was .of the opinion that a holiday should be, declared, giving everybody an opportunity to cele brate. ' i- An effort was made s to determine approximately how.- many persons woud be 'given employment, but with out success.. The r fact "that the yard is" to be a three-way yard means that three, shipswill be, constructed at the same time.'but because concrete ship building is "still in its infancy in this country at last no one7 was willing to advise an 6pinioi'as;to the number of workers tljaf wlllibe 'employed, and , just what the ' venture ' will mean to the city. - ' "r ' ' MERE i 1- it -Hi IF yt'tt n-f tip' ,M'i 'ii if i : m T'A It K 5 1 ',,1! : H 1 ' i ft! -, t it, vi.!':': ? f , 'if.'-'. J ' 1 5 ' t ; i . t "i " y: