MM
A -HE
Times.
SUBSCRIPTION $1.00 A YEAR.
WILSON, N. C, SEPTEMBER 19, 1911
VOL. 17. NO. 163
NISS GUICE
TO JUSTIFY
WHEN THE INQUEST IS CONTINUED-SHE
THE WOMAD WHO
PERFORMED OPERATION -
GEORGE BRODLYTISTIFIES
Hendersonville Sept. 18. New
and peculiarly atroscious features of
the Myrtle Hawkins murder were
uncovered Saturday. Movements of
the girl on the fatal Thursday are
being gradually traced and the iden
tity of the man seen with herr at a
late hour tthat day is known.
Mrs. Reuben White who lives near
the McCall home stated this after
noon that last "Wednesday night she
heard woman screaming as though
in great pain. She arose from her
bed and went out on her back porch
The screaming she says gradually
'changed to moans which finally died
away in the stillness of the night.
Mrs. White says she was greatly
frightened and told her son and
daughter of the occurrence.
Frank Brown a negro who live3
near the McCall home, declared that
he heard a woman screaming about
midnight Thursday. He will testify
positively that it was Thursday night
he heard these noises.
A Mrs. Winters of Lakeview inn,
near the lake heard screams Wed
nesday night.
The authorities are experiencing
much difficulty making the conflict
ing statements detail as there are a
few witnesses who swear they saw
Myrtle Hawkins Thursday.
The coroner's inquest was called at
10 o'clock Saturday morning, but ad
journed immediately until 3:30 o'clock
this afternoon. "We will have Mr3.
Bessie Clark Guice then," said one
of , the officials. "That's why there was
no hearing Saturday morning."
Mrs. Guice, it is said, has been lo
cated in Atlanta, Ga. Two days ago
the officers had her located, but she
eluded them and this has been the
greatest cause of the delay since De
tective Bradford and Solicitor John
ston arrived.
"Will she talk after you get her
here?" was asked.
"We will make her talk. She will
have to explain her whereabouts
Wednesday and Thursday nights. We
have witnesses who saw her near
Hendersonville.
There will be a very interesting
witness who will tell of a conversa
tion she had with Myrtle Hawkin3
Wednesday afternoon, at which time
Myrtle told of Mrs. George Brad
ley's jealousy of her and of a ter
rible quarrel they had that after
noon. Myrtle also told the witness
that the Tuesday before Mrs. Brad
ley had slammed the door in her
face when she went to their home.
At the inquest Friday two letters
were introduced as evidence by
Homer Hawkins, the brother of Myr
tle. The contents of the letter
given in the Times Saturday, in
which Myrtle wrote her mother of
her shame, saying she had "been sick
for a month and a half," was rear
m the court room. The other letter
as not read and until today its con
tents was not learned. -
mis letter was from Myrtle to
Hal Cooper, her fiance, in which she
urged an early marriage. It' 'was
written Tuesday before . her disap
pearance and she begged him to mar
ry her immediately. "Mother won't
object now," she said. "She will let
usbe married here. I know we will
be poor, but I can -work and after
"we are married we will be happy. I
won't be a burden to you and I dread
tho long wait. Next January Is so
far off." The letter was intercepted
and Hal Cooper never received it.
Homer Hawkins found It in the top
dresser drawer of Myrtle's Toom.
Solicitor Johnston has ttold Hal
Cooper that ho may return to his
home in Johnson City. He will not J
be needed and the heart-broken and j
disillusioned child will leave today.
Miss Estella Grant, the trained
nur6e of Atlanta, Ga., whose name
was mentioned at Saturday's in
quest arrived in the city yesterday
and is at the home of her uncle 02
Congressman John B .Grant. When
her name was mentioned and it was
said she spent Saturday night fol
lowing Myrtle's disappearance at the
home of Mrs. Beatrice McCall, Con
gressman Grant immediately sent for
her to come from her home at Edna
ville which is 16 miles from Hender
sonville. The young girl received the
message at 4 o'clock Saturday morn
ing and left immediately. She and
her uncle went to Coroner William
R. Kirk's office first thing. Miss Grant
asked that she be' allowed to ex
plain her presence at Mrs. McCall s
home Saturday night. She later went
to Sheriff Blackwell's oflice and an
nounced that she would testify at
the inquest to be held today.
She and her uncle were much dis
tressed that her name should have
been mentioned in any connection
with the terrible murder. Miss Grant
is about 20 years of agee. JPour years
ago she spent a winter at the home
of Mr. Dan McCall and taught school
nearby. She and Mrs. Beatrice Mc
Call are friends and on almost every
visit' to Hendersonville Miss. Grant
calls on her. The State officials have
expressed the regret that Miss Grants
name should have been' used at the
hearing Saturday. She and her uncle
are anxious that the matter be en
tirely cleared away - and that no
suspicion rests on her name.
Miss Grant has been in Atlanta for
three and a half years in one of the
hospitals of that city where she re
ceived her nurse's disploma. She has
been at her old home near Hender
sonville for several weeks..
There is no better known man in
western North Carolina than her
uncle, ex-Congrepsman Grant, and
the name" is one of5 honor and re
spectability t in t that.; , section. The
young lady's testimony will be heard
that justice may be done her in dis
abusing the mind of the public of
any suspicion which may have been
centerel on her because of her visit
to Mrs. McCall.
Mr. W. H. Hawkins, father of
Myrtle will testify at the inquest
today. He has engaged the law
firm of Staton & Rector to assist So
licitor Johnson in the prosecution
He has expressed himself since yes
terday's hearing as being determined
to have the whole mystery surround
ing his daughter's leath cleared away
if human brain and power could
do it.
The more evidence developed in
the now famous murder case, the
more farcical seems the first corpnirs
inquest, which was held a week ao
today when a verdict of "death from
unknown causes" was returned by
the iury at the direction of Coco-,
ner Kirk. At that inquest Homer
Hawkins and Dr. A. B. Draft identified-thee
body as that of Myrtle Haw
kins Mr. E. A. Freeman, a visitor
at Lakeview hotel, who telephoncl
the officers that a dead body was in
Lake Osceola, and Deat Reese and
Will Staton,- the men who first saw
the bcdy and finally withdrew it
from tthe water were the only ones
called to testify.
It has now been nearly two weeks
since the girl disappeared and ner
mxitilattd body was found and not
an . airfest has been made. Until So
licitor Johnson and Detective Brad
ford arrived on the scene the lt-tnl
officials were entirely uninterested in
the case, but since that time have
endeavored to impress the public
with their activity. .
Mrs. Bessie Clark Guice, thie: wo
man for whom an officer has been
sent, lived in Hendersonville four
years ago. She was Miss Bessie Clark
and operated a manicuring and hair
dressing establishment. She married
a man by the name' of Guice, from
whom she had been divorced. The
reputation of the woman at Hender
sonville is anything but good. It is
stated that she is wanted at Brevard
oh a similar charge to the one pre
perred against her in the Myrrtle
'Hawkins case.
30,000,000
TAX GAM
INCREASE IN PUBLIC SERVICE
CORPORATIONS OVER
LAST YEAR
$20,000 IN SIX1YEARS
(By W. J. -Martin.)
Raleigh, N. C, Sept. 18. The cor
poration commission has just certi-
fied to the state treasurer the tax
assessments of railroads and other
public service corporations so that
the state treasurer will at once call
on these corporations for the state
taxes. The tottal tax valuation is
$126,052,257, compared with $95,444,
707 previous assessment, this giving
a gain for the new assessment of
$30,607,562. The percentage of in
crease is $31,183. The railroad valua
tions, as heretofore annonnced ag
gregate $115,239,684, and this leaves
$10,812,583 assessment for the other
public service corporations. The in
creases in assessments follow: Elec
tric light gas comppanies from $2,
220, 408 to $3,303,032 railway com
panies, from $2,035,296 to $2,559,943,
telegraph companies from $922,464 to
$925,413, Southern Express Co., from
$419,099 to $800,000; Pullman Co.,
from $258,758 to $342,198," Water
Companies from $526,794 o $561,
907, bridge and canal companies,
$176,550, cut to $151,350, refrigerator
companies $66,341 to $70,048, steam
boat companies from $86,750 cut to
$71,710, flume companies, from $12,-,
850, to $29,020, turnpike companies
$13,025 same as last year. -
Walter Armstrong, young married
man' of the city, while walking along
the parallel tracks of the Southern
and Seaboard Air Line railroads ear
ly Sunday morning was struck on
the head by the swinging door on a
car on a Southern freight train,was
knocked uncoscious on to the Sea
board tracks where another pass
ing train crushed his left arm. He
is in a precarious condition at Rex
Hospital here. The railroad authori
ties will contend that be was drunk.
George Bradley seems unconcerned
but interested in all that is being said
and written about the affair. Mrs.
Bradley's attitude is tthat of cold in
difference. The home of Ab McCain in which
Mr. and Mrs. George Bradley also
live faces the Kanuga road, while
Dan McCall and family live in a
newer house, facing on the Osceola
Lake road. In the corner of the large
lot there is a very small house for
merly occupied by a man named Mc
Carson and family. This house is un
occupied now, but the McCarson fur
niture and belongings are in it. The
doors are kept locked but Dan Mc
Call has the keys to the residence.
The barn of Dan McCall is back of
this house and of his own residence.
It was in this barn that Bob Waddell
smelt the odor which was different
from anything he had ever before
smelt and like the dead body of Myr
ttle Hawkins. The barn of Ab McCall
is across the Kanuga road directly
in front of his home. The same odors
were detected in this place and the
pils of "bulk" was found there, on
which it appeared a person had been
-lying.
George Bradley, when called, was
cool, calm and compose He answer
ed, all questions put to him promptly
He stated that he and the wife were
married on the third of last month
They live with Mr. and Mrs. Ab Mc
Call. He has lived in Hendersonville
for a year; met" Myrtle Hawkins two
or three weeks after he came here,
but denied that he had ever been one
of her fellows. He began going with
her about six months ago.' Myrtle
knew all the time that he was to be
married and understood. He some
times saw Myrtle ence a week, twice
a week and oftener. Hower. Myr-
AVIATOR
HURT
WAS TRYING TO MAKE LANDING
AND TO AVOID CROWD-FELL
INTO A TREE
MACHINE BADLY SMASHED
Middletown, N. Y., Sept. 18. Avia
tor Rodgers, who arrived yesterday
in the Hearst contest met with a
serious accident when he tried to re
sume his flight today. His machine
was: badly smashed- and the aviator
was picked up unconscious. He fell
35 feet. An immense rowd refused
to make .way and he was forced to
run into a tree.
Corning, N. Y., Sept.' 18. Ward
flew here from Owego 14 miles in
13 minutes and landed here.
Raleigh, Sept. 18: Maj. W. A.
Graham, Commissioner of Agricul
ture for North Carolina, just back
from the conference of commission
ers and growers of the cotton States
at Montgomery says that the esti
mate of 12,500,000 bales made by the
conference was all that they could
possibly figure for the probable yield
and he does not believe it will be
any above this amount He believes
that the growers should easily real
ize 15 cents a pound for it. There
were five hundred people attending
the conference, the best posted men
on the condition of the. rop that
could possibly be gotten, together in
the South.
tie's mother objected to the friend
ship. He bad stopped at her house
only two times, he said, since his
marriage. He had walked with her
and seen her at the McCall. home.
To tthe question, "Don't yon' know
you are the father of that child?" be
answered; "I don't think I am. I
know I am not. I don't see how I
could be'
He denied that his wife was jeal
ous of Myrtle Hawkins and had quar
reled with Myrtle Wednesday after
noon before Mrs. Bradley had slam
med the door in Myrtle's face. He
had not complained Thursday and
Friday morning of resting badly. He
did not see Myrtle Thursday. Parm
er Johnson did not see him talking
to two men Thursday night near the
bridge.
He denied he sent a box of pills
to Myrtle wrapped in the scrap of
paper with tthe Pittsburg firm name
printed cn it. Did not know Myrrtle
was in a delicate condition. He did
not know how Myrtle came to her
death and knew nothing of her after
Wednesday afternoon, when he met
her up the street and talked to her.
I'll be over tomorrow, if I don't go
to Asheville," were Myrtle's last
words to him.
Friday he had a talk with Homer
Hawkins, brother of the dead girl,
who told him the girl was still miss
ing He had thought until that time
she had gone to Asheville, although
Mrs. Hawkins had written Beatrice
asking for news of her daughter. He
suggested to the brother that the girl
had run away and married.
Hal Cooper, he fiance of Myrtle
said he will be 18 years old next
July and was engaged to marry the
girl in January, 1913. Expressed the
belief that she was murdered, but
could throw no light on the affair
Received a letter from her a week
before her death, saying: "I have
been -over to Asheville and came back
feeling as blue as ever."
Cooper knew nothing of the girl's
physical condition until he read of it
in the papers.
Mrs. George Bradley closed the ses
sion with her . confession that the
family had talked over the evidence
they should give at the inquest She
had decided hat she would say very
little as she knew very litile - and
the others had agreed that It would
be wise to say as little as possible.
'resident Taft in Detroit.
j jtroit, Sept, 18. Taft arrived at
m o'clock this morning. He was
en a hearty reception, crowd sev-
il hundred.
ive Killed and Fifty Wounded in
Bread Riots.
Vienna, Sept. 18. Hefivy squad
rons of Draggons armed with Carbi
neers and sabres patrol the streets
today to prevent outbreaks in the
bread riots which begun yesterday
when five were killed and fifty wound
ed. Artillery is massed in the parks.
Dr. Wiley Gratified.
Bluemont, Va., Sept. 18. Dr. Har
vey W, Wiley, chief of the bureau
of chemistry of the Department of
Agriculture, expressed himself more
fully today upon President Taft's let
ter, made public Saturday in whim
the chemistry bureau, chief was com
pletely vindicated and cleared of the
personnel board of the department
and the case closed so far as Dr.
Wiley was concerned.
In a statement to the Associated
Press today, Dr. Wiley said:
"I have read the text of the I'rosi
dent's letter and am deeply gratefrl
for the sympathetic and comforting
expressions contained therein. I re
joice, too, that Dr. Rusby has been
found free of fault, and am sorry
that it was found necessary to rep
rimand Kebler and Bigelow both
faithful and conscientious workers.
Their offense was in the phrasing
and not in the heart.
"I always felt certain that the Pres
ident, with his high sense of justtice
would "follow the course which he
did.
"I am grateful also to the press
of the United . Sjtates for the prac
tically unanimous support which it
has given me during this , ordeal. I
feel that the tribute is not a person
al one bu to the cause which 7 1
have endeavored ta-espouse.
"I cannot now say anything of the
future save that as long as I re
main in the public service I shall
endeavor to carry out the purposes
which have actuated me in the past.
"I desire also to take this oppor
tunity" of expressinng my gratitude
to the hundreds of friends, known
and unknown who have written and
wired to me in the -past few weeks
and whose messages I have yet been
unable to answer."
May Not Return.
Shelby, Sept. 18. It looks now as
if Benjamin Ellisor, who deserted
his young bride to whom he was
married three weeks will not re
turn to her. Elisor wrote her several
letters the first part of the week,
assuring her that he would return
in a few days. The abandoned young
bride does not know where he is or
has been since leaving last Monday
morning as he failed to indcate Ms
whereaboute in his letters and mail
ed them on the train, perhaps pur
posely to keep her in the dark.
A traveling man coming in last
night knows Ellisor and said he saw
him at the station at Spartanburg,
S. C. He was with a woman dressed
in black, supposed to.be his first
wife or divorced wife who came here
last Sunday night and enticed him
away from his 18 year old bride and
registered at the hotel as Mrs. A. B.
Anderson, Charlotte, N. C. The trav
eling man saw Ellisor talkng to a
policeman, and, curious to know what
the conversation was about, asked
if he could go -through the cemetery
to the railway station without be
ing arrested. He received the per
mission of the policeman and strolled
away with the mysterious woman,
who has such an all-powerful in
fluence over him.
0 0
0 THE WEATHEE 0
4 0
WEATHER
Cloudy tonight and Tuesday with
moderate northeast winds.
BOGROF'S
TRIAL
WILL JffiHll JVEDNESD ATjj FOR
t SHOOTING RUSSIA'S PRIME
gg8c . i
1 l MINISTER .
STOLYPIN JSiADMG
Kieff, Sept. 18. Stolypin is agaim
reported as dying. Histemperaturi
is higher and his heart action is
weaker. At times he lapses into un
consciousness. The court martial of Dmirty Bos
roff, who shot the Premier, will be
gin September 20. Colonel Kuliablcw
chief of the secret police of Kiev,
who is responsible for Bogroff pres
ence In the theatre is prostrated, as
Bogroff enjoyed his confidence. When
asked to attend the interrogation of
the prisoner, Colonel Kuliablo weep
ingly begged permission to testify la.
writing.
At the inquiry Bogroff manifested
much independence and unconcern.
He said that when he appeared Stolp
pin was completely unguarded. Ha
drew a revolver from his hip pocket
covering it with his program.-
When Count Potocky, who was close
to Stolypin, hesitated to identify Bog
roff, the latter blurted out. "Yes, I
shot him." On the way to the for
ress Bogroff asked for a cigarette,
remarking: "The whole business has
upset me dreadfully. I have not yet
come to my self." r
The prisoner's wounds include '
sabre cut on tthe head. Two teeta
were knocked out and his whole body
a mass of bruises from the trampling
he received.
"Five Persons Seriously Hurt j
Altoor.a, Pa., Sept. 18. Five per
sons were seriously hurt on the state
highway when an automobile crash
ed into a telephone pole in the dark
ness and all occupants were hurled
out.
I
Lexington, Ky., Sept. 18. Charged
with attacking three little girls un
der twelve years, W. T. Ham, aged
61 a cripple and prominent church
worker was taken from here to Mays
ville under a guard of sixty mem
bers of the national guard. A lynch
ing is still feared.
TO-DAY'S MARKET Q
0 j
STOCKS.
New York, Sept. 18. The opening
was irregular in the stock market
and later developed a downward ten
dency. The movement was headed by
Canadian Pacific which sold off 1 7-8
In the first few minutes stocks with
speculative interest showed strength.
Later losses were all along the line.
Reading, Lehigh Valley and Amalga
mated lost one point.' The curb was
dull. Americans stocks in London
were sluggish.
COTTON TODAY.
New York, Sept. 18. Jan. opened
11.30; May 11.51; Oct. 11.24; Dec
11.34.
At 11.45, Jan. was 11.29; May 11.52;'
Oct. 11.23; Dec. 11.32. "
Liverpool closed practically un
changed from the opening with Jan.
Feb. 6.04 1-2, March, April 6.08 1-2,
Nov- Dec. 6.04 1-2.
Spots in Liverpool 7.10.
Spots in New York 11.75.
Spots In Wilson 11.25.
Cotton closed Dec. 11.31; January
11.27; March 11.40 and May 11.50.
PROVISIONS.
11.30 A. M. Dtc. wheat was 96 1-2,
corn Sept. 67 7-8.
Chicago, Sept. 18. The opening- la
wheat was Dec. 95 3-8, corn Sept. 67
1-2. ,
2 o'clock Wheat was Sept. 92 1-8,
Corn Sept, 67 3-4.
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