ilani-a Harontett
PROGRESSIVE
LIBERAL
INDEPENDENT
VOL. L, no. 21
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY MAY 23, 1935
$130 PER YEAR
JERRY DALTON
CAPTURED AT
PEW FLA.
Notorious Macon Fugitive
Faces Return to
Prison
Jerry Dalton, central character
in the most notorious murder case
on Macon county's criminal records,
who escaped about a year ago while
working as a trusty on the new
state prison camp near Franklin,
was captured Monday at Perrine,
Fla., according to information re
ceived here. Perrine is about 25
miles south of Miami.
Neither Sheriff A. B. Slagle nor
Lawrence Ramsey, superintendent
of the Macon county prison camp,
received any official notice of Dal
ton's arrest and they did not know
whether he had been returned to
North Carolina. They said they
thought he probably would be sent
to the state's central prison at Ral
eigh, rather than be returned to
the camp here.
GonvKfted of Murder
Dalton was sentenced to die in
the electric chair on August 27,
1919, for the murder of Maud
Grant, his sweetheart. The trial
here attracted statewide attention.
Dalton, in a fit of jealous anger,
was alleged to have fatally shot
Maud Grant and Merrill Angel
"Whcn-'-he saw the girl riding with
the latter at Aquone one Sunday
morning.
before the death penalty was ex
ecuted Dalton escaped and fled to
California, where he lived for sev
eral years. But he could not keep
his identity a secret. A deputy
sheriff learned by accident that he
was wanted as a fugitive from
justice in this state and that a big
reward had been offered for his
capture. He arrested Dalton and
notified North Carolina authorities,
who took him back to state's pris
on. The California deputy, how
ever, never received the reward, for
it had expired.
Sentence Commuted
After a large delegation of prom
inent western North Carolina citi
zens appeared before Governor
Morrison in Dalton's behalf, the
governor commuted his sentence
to 30 year s imprisonment.
When Dalton escaped last sum
mer he had served 12 years of his
sentence. Deputy Sheriff Desmond
Kelly, of Dade county, Florida, who
captured Dalton, was quoted as say
ing that Dalton told him: "I
thought I had paid society enough
for the crime, so I just walked
out."
P. F. Callahan Goes
To Washington
P. F. Callahan, employed for the
past year in the mechanical de
partment of The Franklin Press,
left last Saturday for Washington,
D. G, where he formerly lived for
a number of years. He took with
him his son's wife, Mrs. Troup
Callahan, and children, who will
join their husband and father at
the capital. The younger Callahan,
for a number of years employed in
Ashear's store, recently went to
Washington to accept a position
in the census bureau.
Evervone on The Press staff re
grets Mr. Callahan's leaving, but
wish for him the best of success
in Washington.
Dance To Be Held Here
Friday Night
A script dance will be given at
the Scott Griffin Hotel from 9:30
till 1 o'clock Friday night with
music furnished by Peck's Bad
Boys.
i
George Was Peeved
NEW YOEK . . . Maybe it was
the strain of having bis famous fly
ing wife, Amelia Earhart, aloft for
fifteen hours in a 2100 mile hop from
Mexico City. Anyhow, George
Palmer Putnam (above), Amelia's
hubby, said " he never saw such dis
: graceful scenes when thousands
! broke police lines here to greet her.
MANY ATTEND
REVIVAL HERE
Dr. J. M. Haymore Con
ducing Meetings at Bap
tist Church
The revival services which began
at the First Baptist church Sunday
are being well attended. Dr. James
Haymore, of Decatur, Ga., who is
conducting the services, is preach
ing this week on "The Doctrines
of God, the Holy Spirit."
The services are to continue for
two weeks or more, according to
the Rev. E. K. Eller, pastor of the
church.
Next Sunday morning Dr. Hay
more's sermon topic will be "Go
ing Back to Bethel." Mr. Eller
urged that all present and former
members of the church attend.
"The public," he added, "is most
cordially invited to this and all
services, but the membership of the
church is especially urged to hear
this message. The members who
have cars are requested to provide
transportation for those members
who live too far away to walk or
who are unable to walk."
16 Scouts Promoted
At Court of Honor
Sixteen Boy Scouts from Frank
lin Cherokee and Sylva received
promotions at a scout court of hon
or for the Smky Maintains district
held Monday night in the Metho
dist church. H. P. Crowell, of
Sylva, chairman of the court of
honor, presided.
The tenderfoot investiture was
conducted by Scout Executive A.
W. Allen, second class awards
made by A. M. Adams of Chero
kee, first class by Dr. W. E. Furr,
of Franklin, merit badges by Rev.
C. C. Herbert of Franklin and the
star Scout award made by W. E.
Ensor of Cherokee. The Franklin
troop, under direction of Assistant
Scoutmaster Hauser, put on a short
skit following the ceremonies.
The following promotions and
awards were made: Tenderfoot,
Julian Poliakoff and J. C. Cunning
ham of Franklin and Isaac Welch
of Cherokee. Second class, Ned
Wolfe, Cherokee. First class. Bil
ly Blaine and Bobby Porter of
Franklin and Glenn Frady of Syl
va. Merit badges: Charlie Slagle,
Franklin, Andrew Jones, Franklin,
Bobby Porter, Franklin, Eugene-
Furr, Franklin, Bob Brown, Frank
lin, Charles Hunnicutt, Franklin,
Jefferson Thompson, Cherokee,
Walter Swayney, Cherokee, Mark
Reed, Cherokee, William Harris,
Cherokee and Glenn Frady, Sylva,
Bob Brown of Franklin Troop 1
was promoted to the rank of Star
Scut
BACK FROM RALEIGH
Miss Laura Jones, a member of
the hiyh school faculty in Raleigh,
arrived Wednesday night to spend
the summer vacation with relatives
in Franklin.
c
Methodists Plan Series
Of Meetings During June;
Rev. Mr. Huggin To Preach
Special services will be held at
the Franklin Methodist church
during the week of June 2 to 9.
Each evening during the w,eek at
8 p. m. there will be preaching by
the Rev. James G. Huggin, Jr.,
pastor of the Methodist church in
Mount Holly, N C.
An outstanding feature of this
week of services will be a sermon
on Sunday morning, June 2, by Dr.
C. C. Herbert, pastor of Trinity
Methodist church in Sumter, S. G,
and father of the pastor of the
Franklin Methodist church. Dr.
Herbert is one of the distinguished
leaders in South Carolina Method
ism, and has .been pastor of the
leading Methodist churches in that
state. It is expected that his ser
mon will be heard by a large con
gregation, and will make a splen
did beginning for the week of spe
cial services.
Has Fine Record
The Rev. Mr. Huggin, who will
arrive in Franklin on Monday,
June 3, and will preach for the
first time on Monday night, is a
preacher of extraordinory power.
He is a graduate of Wof ford ' Col
lege, and has studied at Emory Un
iversity in Atlanta and at Duke
University in Durham He receiv
ed his bachelor of divinity degree
from Duke in 1929.
For a tune Mr. Huggin was as
sistant pastor at the First Metho
dist church in Charlotte, where lie
preached regularly to the largest
Methodist congregation in North
Carolina. Since then he has serv
ed as pastor of the Methodist
Claude Russell
R. F. Henry
ALUMINUM CO.
THREATENS TO
ABANDON PLANS
Arthur V. Davis, chairman of
the board of the Aluminum com
pany of America, of which the
Nantahala Power and Light com
pany is a subsidiary, told a con
gressional committee in Washing
ton Tuesday that his company
might abandon its development pro
gram in North Carolina and Ten
nessee if proposed expansion of
the Tennessee Valley Authority's
activities is carried out.
He said that legislation now
pending in congress would give the
TVA authority to determine wheth
er the Aluminum company could go
ahead withplans to build dams on
the Little Tennessee river.
The TVA, he continued, had ac
quired two small tracts of land in
the area that would be flooded by
one of its proposed dams (the
Fontana dam). "I don't know what
they have in mind," he added, "but
1 assume that they want to get in
good trading position." He evaded
questions as to whether he thought
TVA was attempting to block the
company's program, but added that
the firm had not gone ahead with
additional land purchases after TVA
acquired the two small tracts.
"We want to see what the future
brings forth," he explained.
Mr. Davis objected to inclusion
in TVA legislation, already passed
by the senate, of a provision that
would give the authority the right
to approve the construction of dams
and related works on the Tennes
see river and its tributaries that
affected navigation, flood control,
or public lands or reservations.
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REV. JAMES G. HUGGIN, JR.
church in Mathews, N. C, as pas
tor of Asbury Memorial Methodist
church in Asheville, and he is now
pastor of the Methodist church in
Mt. Holly.
Vivid and compelling gospel mes
sages characterize Mr. Huggin's
preaching. He is a young man of
unusual charm of personality, and
easily ranks as one of the out
standing younger preachers of the
Methodist church in North Caro
lina. Mr. Huggin conducted a
meeting this spring at the First
Methodist church in Gastonia with
excellent results.
Everyone is cordially invited to
all the services.
To Succeed
as Police Chief
Town Board Votes To Re
tain Geo. Dean
As Clerk
Claude B. Russell was elected
chief of police, succeeding R. F.
Henry, at an executive meeting of
Franklin's new board of aldermen
Saturday night.
Mr. Russell's salary was set at
$70 a month, $5 more than had
been paid Chief Henry.
C. D. Baird, who has been serv
ing as "undercover" night policeman
for several months, was reelected
and his salary raised from $40 to
$50. Ralph Welch, who also had
been on duty as night officer for
several months, was not reelected.
The board reelected George Dean
as town clerk, tax collector and treas
ured at a salary of $75 a month.
A. C. Pannell, street cleaner, al
so was reelected, but his pay was
cut from $115 to $100. Mr. Pan
nell is required to supply his own
truck for hauling trash and garbage
and to pay helpers out of his own
pocket. He also is required to car
ry indemnity and liability insurance
on his truck.
John C. Cunningham was chosen
as chief of the volunteer fire de
partment, succeeding Derald Ashe.
The job carries a salary of $10 a
month.
The new appointments are effec
tive June 1.
J. O. Harrison was elected mayor
pro tern to act in the absence of
Mayor George Patton.
The board deferred selection of
town attorney, plumber and health
officer until a later meeting.
On Monday the board met again
and set bonds for the various of
ficers as follows: Town clerk, $2,
500; police chief, $2,000, and night
policeman, $1,000.
Street and water committees also
were named, as follows:
Streets W. C. Wilkes, chairman;
George E. Brown, J. A. Palmer.
Water H S Higgins," J O. Har
rison, T. W. Angel, Sr.
MRS. O'BERRY
REQUESTED TO
HOLD HEARING
Murray Accepts Her Offer
To Probe Relief
Complaints
Sam J. Murray, a member of the
April grand jury, made public Wed
nesday a copy of a letter to Mrs.
Thomas O'Berry, state relief ad
ministrator, expressing the hope
she would grant an early hearing
on complaints of inefficiency in the
administration of relief funds in
Macon county.
The letter was in reply to a com
munication recently received by
Mr. Murray from Mrs. O'Berry in
which she stated that the relief
organization "is always glad to have
an investigation of its work." She
also offered to have Macon county
relief funds re-audited. Mrs. O'
Berry's letter was prompted by a
statement signed by Mr. Murray
and 15 other members of the April
grand jury charging inefficiency in
the distribution of relief funds and
expressing the opinion that too
much money was being spent for
salaries and automobile mileage for
case workers and white collar em
ployes. Mrs. O'Berry said in her letter
to Mr. Murray that she expected
to visit the district relief head
quarters in Sylva "within the next
few weeks" and "I will be de
lighted to talk with any group of
citizens you select concerning the
relief program. As far as could
be learned, she has not yet visited
Sylva.
Answering a statement by the
state administrator that "the rural
rehabilitation program offers
1 1! J e .
spienuiu opporuniiy ior tne re
covery of rural North Carolina,"
Mr. Murray wrote, "in our opinion
you will respect more fully that
part of the scripture which tells us
of 'the blind leading the blind at
the conclusion of your investiga
tion and audit.
Murray's Latter
Mr. Murray's letter follows in
full:
Dear Mrs. O'Berry:
Flease accept our thanks for
yours of recent date regarding the
recommendation of the Grand Jury
of Macon County, asking for an
investigation of the activities and
management of the Welfare Or
ganization for Macon County.
Your attitude and promise of hav
ing these complaints fully investi
gated are very much appreciated,
which will if carried out, fully sat
isfy our citizenship that they have
a privilege to enjoy the protection
of our new square "Deal."
Replying to that part of your let
ter referring to the Rehabilitation
Program, in our opinion you will
respect more fully that part of the
scripture which tells us of "the
blind leading the blind" at the con
clusion of your investigation and
audit.
Upon further investigation to ob
tain information to substantuate the
allegations set forth before the
Grand Jury of our County, we find
a probable cause for many other
cases for thorough investigation.
All that will be requested of you
is to notify me when you could
pay us a visit here in Macon
County with accordance of your
letter allowing me sufficient time
to get in shape these people to
answer with evidence as to the cor
rectness of these complaints, also,
that the one in charge of the
Welfare Organization be present
with the records at the hearing you
allow.
Trusting you can find a way
which will give us an early hear
ing and audit in a way that will
be explicit enough to be uSftder
stood and satisfying to our citizenship.