Wye tgtfkttiiH iKarnnian
PROGRESSIVE
LIBERAL
INDEPENDENT
VOL. XLIX. NO. 34
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 1934
$150 PER YEAR
i
JUDGE PLESS
HOLDING COURT
Compliments Grand Jury
For Efficiency and
Service
Judge J. Will Pless, Jr., who at
36 is the youngest member of the
North Carolina superior court
bench, convened the August term
of court here Monday, cleaned up
the criminal calendar in schedule
time and turned Wednesday morn
ing to the heavy civil docket.
In his charge to the grand jury,
of which Frank Hill, of Horse
Cove was made chairman, Judge
Pless emphasized the importance of
examining the records of all ad
ministrators and guardians to see
that they had properly disposed of
their trusts and filed their reports
as required by law.
Most of the cases coming before
the court were of a petty character,
a very large percentage of them
having to do with violations of
the prohibition law.
Sutton Cade Continued
There was only one homicide case
on the calendar, that in which Hy
man Sutton, of Jackson county, was
charged with manslaughter in con
nection with the death of Robert
Shields, who was struck by an auto
mobile driven by Sutton on May
24 abput four miles south o
Franklin on highway No. 285. A
bill was presented to the grand
jury, but the case was continued
until the next term of court on ac
count of the absence of witnesses
and the lack of evidence.
Ted Campbell, charged with reck
less driving in connection with an
automobile accident Saturday, Aug
ust 11, in which three girls were
injured, was found guilty by a
jury and sentenced by the judge to
90 days on the county roads.
ComplimenU Jury
When the grand jury turned in
its report Wednesday afternoon
Judge Pless complimented it upon
its efficiency and unselfish service.
"You probably could have made
more money than the dollar and a
half a day you are receiving as
grand jurors if you had remained
at home," he remarked. "But you
will never lose anything by render
ing public service such as this."
The jury's report said the jail
and county home were in excellent
condition and the inmates well
cared for, but recommended that
steps be taken to exterminate in
sects at the county home. It re
ported that all guardians, adminis
rators, executors and justices of
the peace had filed their reports
and the records were in good con
dition. Action to improve the sani
tation of the courthouse comfort
stations was recommended. The
jury also urged that the salary of
the courthouse janitor be increased
to $25 a month.
Solicitor John M. Queen submit
ted a report stating he had ex
amined the office of the clerk of
court and found the records order
ly and efficiently kept.
Plan To Clean
Cemetery on Saturday
The cemetery of Clark's Chapel
Methodist church is to be mowed
and cleaned Saturday, according to
an announcement made ' this week.
Members of the church and others
who have relatives buried in the
cemetery are requested to be pres
ent to aid in the work.
Davenports Leave
On Trip to Europe
Mr. and Mrs. John Davenport
sailed last week from Norfolk for
a six-weeks trip abroad. Mr. Dav
enport, who is president of the
Franklin Mineral Products com
pany, mica miners and manufac
turers, plans to visit agents of the
company in London and Paris.
Mr. and Mrs. Davenport are ex
pected to return about October 1.
PolhsSold
New Proprietor Assumes
Management of Store
Change of ownership and man
agement of Polly's store was an
nounced this week, Sam Poliakoff,
formerly of Blackville, S. C, hav
ing purchased the business from
N. Poliakoff, of Anderson, S. C.
Polly's selling-out sale ended
Saturday and what remained of
the store's merchandise was moved
out Monday. The new proprietor
is installing a new stock of goods.
He said the business in the future
would be under the name of Polly's
Department Store.
Mr. Poliakoff plans to bring his
family to Franklin to live.
RETURN AFTER
WEEK'S CAMP
Agriculture Students Re
port Great Time Spent
At White Lake
Twenty-five members of the vo
cational agriculture class of the
Franklin high school returned Sat
urday night after a week's stay at
the Young Tar Heel Farmers' camp
at White Lake, near Elizabethtown,
N. C.
The boys left Franklin Sunday
morning, August 12, and rode to
Raleigh the first day, where they
were guests of N. C. State College
for the night.
The group left Raleigh about
noon Monday and arrived1 at the
camp about 4 o'clock that after
noon. On Thursday the boys were load
ed into a truck for a trip to Caro
lina Beach. It was the first time
any of them had seen the ocean,
and when they departed there was
not a single shell and very little
sand left in sight.
Friday night is always stunt night
at the camp, and this is the second
time that the Franklin boys have
won first place.
Following is a list of the boys
who attended camp:
Erwin Norton, Fred Gray, Bill
Conley, Tim Patton, Siler Slagle,
Roger Ammons, T. M. Johnston,'
Harold Enloe, Dan Reynolds, Har
old Stewart, J. B. Lenoir, Edwin
Young, vayne Franklin, Newell
Picklesimer, Jack Holland, Ernest
Bennett, Billy Parrish, Elam Gray,
Bobby Pattillo, Norman West, Ver
non Swafford, Joe Shope, Hayne
Arthur, and Carlos Rogers. Other
members oi the party was the
owner of the truck and his wife,
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Russell.
A small quota of food and $6.50
each covered the cost of the en
tire trip, which was around 1,150
miles. The trip was under the
direction of the instructor of agri
culture, E. H. Meacham.
Georgia To Improve
Tri-State Road
The state of Georgia ha at
laat taken steps to improve the
Georgia link of the Tri-State
road between Walhalla, S. C,
and Highlands, N. C. Contract
for grading this section of
road, a distance of slightly more
than eight miles, was .awarded
by the Georgia highway board
last Thursday to M. R. Wood
all company, of Atlanta, for
$72,323.
The Tri-State road is one of
the most important routes lead
ing into Macon county from the
south. The link in South Caro
lina is hard-surfaced and the
North Carolina section is well
graded and covered with crush
ed stone. Highands folks are
hoping that grading of the
Georgia link will be soon fol
lowed by award of a contract
for surfacing it
BRYSON CLAN
HAS REUNION
Nearly 300 Attend Family
Gathering Held at
West's Mill
The Bryson family reunion was
held Sunday at the home of Mrs.
J. L. Bryson at West's Mill with
nearly 300 members of the clan and
invited guests present, many of
them having come from distant
points fpr the annual meeting of
the descendants of Samuel Bryson,
one of Macon county's pioneer resi
dents.
The crowd swelled the congrega
tion of the Cowee Baptist church
for the regular morning service, fill
ing the church to capacity. Later
a bounteous picnic dinner was serv
ed under the trees at Mrs. Bryson's
home nearby. A table more than
60 feet long was laden with tempt
ing food and, although the atten
dance was larger than expected,
there was more than plenty for
everyone.
Officers Elected
In the afternoon a family con
clave was held at which the fol
lowing officers were reelected to
serve during the coming year: C.
Tom Bryson, president; Robert T.
Bryson, vice president; C. A. Bry
son, treasurer; Mrs. Lester S. Con
ley, secretary; T. C Bryson, his
torian for life.
C. Tom Bryson presided at the
meeting. The Dalton brothers
quartet furnished music. Much
amusement was afforded by the re
cital of essays and speeches by
some of the younger members of
the clan. Short talks were made
by Dan Bryson, of Sylva; Frank
Bryson, of Darrington, Wash.;
Vance A. Browning, of Bryson
City, and various others.
The reunion nejt year will be
held at the same place on the third
Sunday in August.
Among the Visitors
Among those attending the re
union from out of teh county were :
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Bryson, of
Sylva; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Mallonee
and Robert Fisher, of Sylva; Mr.
and Mrs. Doc Bryson, of Spruce
Pine; Mrs. N. C. Simpkins, of
Asheville; Mr. and Mrs. Frank
Bryson and four children, of Dar
rington, Wash. ; Mrs. Ben S. Mat
lock and three sons, of Boise, Ida
ho ; George E. West, of New York ;
Mrs. Martha Meadows and two
daughters, Misses Floy and Jua
nita, of Bryson City; C. R. Brown
ing and Vance Browning, of Bry
son City; Mr. and Mrs. Ballard
Bryson, Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Bennett and daughter, Louise, and
Miss Dora Bryson, of Atlanta, Ga. ;
Miss Blanche Ashe and Miss Ver
sie Whitlock, of Winston-Salem;
Hixie Ashe, Green's Creek; Mr.
and Mrs. Ernest Pressley and two
children, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie
Scruggs and two children, of Can
ton; Mrs. Andrew Edward and
three sons, of Ellijay, Ga.; Mrs.
C. E. Crawley, of Macon, Ga. ; Mr.
and Mrs. Floyd Bryson and two
children, of East LaPorte; Mr. and
Mrs. J. A. Cole, of Candler; Mrs.
Kate Parrish Younce, Haines City,
Fla.
Dr. Coker Recovering
Dr. W. C. Coker, professor of
botany at the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hdl, underwent
an operation at Angel hospital
Wednesday. His condition was re
ported satisfactory Thursday morn
ing. Dr. Coker spends part of
each summer at Highands doing
botanical research work.
Concert To Be Given
At Bryson City Aug. 29
Thirty picked artists from the
North Carolina Symphony orches
tra, under direction of Lamar
Stringfield, will appear in concert
in the high school auditorium at
Bryson City on the night of Wed
nesday, August, 29.
Mystery Shrouds
Strange Death of
Thomas Norton
POSSE SEEKS
BANK BANDITS
Clayton Bank Robbers Be
lieved Cornered in Yan
cey County
Four of the five bandits who held
up the Bank of Clayton shortly be
fore 3 o'clock Tuesday afternoon
were believed Wednesday night to
be in hiding in a wide mountainous
region near Newdale, in Yancey
county, North Carolina. A posse of
Mitchell, Yancey and McDowell
county officers was .keeping watch
on the section and Sheriff O. F.
Adkins of McDowell said he be
lieved capture of the men was im
minent. At least one of the bandits, pos
sibly more, was believed wounded,
as a stolen car they abandoned in
a mad flight to the bushes bore
profuse blood stains. The bandits
were said to be armed with sawed
off shotguns and a machine gun.
The officers said they felt sure
the men were the same gang, prob
ably the Bailey gang, which held up
the Clayton bank, escaping in a
Ford automobile with about $1,200
in cash after firing a few random
shots. Although the streets of
Clayton were crowded, none of the
bullets took effect. Officers gave
chase to the bandits but lost track
of them just below Tiger. It is
thought possible that the men cut
across on the War Woman road
and may have come into North
Carolina by way of Highlands.
2 WOMEN HURT
IN AUTO WRECK
Mrs. J. J. Carswdl, of Augusta,
Ga., and Mrs. Gus Yorke, said to
be from Florida, were seriously in
jured Monday afternoon when an
automobile in which they were rid
ing was in a collision with a large
tar road-surfacing truck at the in
tersection of the old Georgia road
and highway No. 28.
Mrs. Carswell, who suffered a
fractured pelvis, a crushed chest
and severe shock, was in a critical
condition when taken to Angel hos
pital. She was given two blood
transfusions, however, and respond
ed to treatment. The blood was
drawn from her son, J. G. Cars
well, a boy of about 15, who was
said to have been driving the car.
He was uninjured in the accident.
Mrs. Yorke suffered a fractured
pelvis
Both women were reported Wed
nesday to be recovering.
The tar truck was said to have
heen operated by a driver for
Kiker and Younts, Reidsville con
tractors who have two road pro
jects in this county.
Iotla Young Democrats
To Meet Saturday
A meeting of the Iotla Young
People's Democratic club has been
called for 8 o'clock Saturday night
at the Iotla school by Vance Fouts,
president of the club. J. Frank
Ray, Democratic nominee for repre
sentative, is scheduled to address
the meeting. Mr.- Fouts said there
also would be string music.
Charlie Shepherd, who has been
in a hospital in Norfolk, Va., ar
rived here Tuesday for a visit.
Found on Road with His
Neck Broken and
Chest Crushed
INQUEST IS HELD
Witness Tells of Drunken
Fight at Chicken
Roast
Macon county officers are puz
zling over the mysterious death of
Thomas "Brack" Norton, 23, whose
body was found on state highway
No. 285 half a mile north of the
Georgia line about 2:30 o'clock
Tuesday morning, a few hours af
ter he had had a drunken fight
with Herbert Bradshaw at a chick
en roast in the vicinity.
Norton's neck was broken and
the right side of his chest crushed.
After an inquest called by Coroner
Charlie Moore at which evidence
indicating foul play was submitted,
the coroner's jury returned a ver
dict that Norton came to his death
as the result of "some criminal act
or fault of some, person or persons
unknown."
Accident Theory Scouted
At first it was thought Norton
might have been the vicitm of a
hit-and-run driver, but this theory
was scouted after witnesses at the
inquest testified that there was no
blood on he pavement near Nor
ton's body, although there was some
dried blood on his face. Evidence
also was given that there were no
tire marks on the paving or other
indications of quick application of
automobile brakes.
In reply to a question by the
jury as to whether he thought the
body had been placed on the high
way where it was found after the
death, Dr. Charles Solms replied:
"After I looked around and saw
no car 'skids and no blood, it made
me suspect he might have been
put there."
The body was found by Charlie
Wikle, Wiley Hayes and Friday
Hawshaw, negroes, who went to
the nearby home of Marvin How
ard and told of the discovery. The
body was still warm, they said.
Dr. Solms was called and Sheriff
Slagle notified.
Tells of Fight
The jury learned of the fight be
tween Norton and Herbert Brad
shaw from Edgar Howard, at whose
house the chicken roast was held.
He said there had been drinking
in the crowd and that Norton and
Bradshaw had a fist fight, but were
separated. About 2 a. m., he con
tinued, the party broke up and
Norton said! he was going to the
Georgia line to get some more
whisky, while Bradshaw said he
was going home, in the opposite
direction from the Georgia line.
Bradshaw was not present at the
hearing.
Funeral servires for Norton, who
recently returned to this county
from the CCC camp at Pisgah.
were held at 4 o'clock Tuesday
afternoon at the Asbury Methodist
church with the Rev. J. B. Tabor,
Jr., officiating. A son of the late
Mr. , and Mrs. Berrick Norton, he
is survived by an uncle, Jim Nor
ton, of Otto; two sisters, Mrs. Car
rie Holt, of Tryphosa; and Miss
Claire Norton, of Otto, and a
brother, Robert L. Norton, of Otto.
Mr. and Mrs. Weyman Crawford,
of Milton, N. C, came Wednesday
for a visit with friends and relatives
here.
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