Sfjjr Jtrralft.
PRICE OKI DOLLAR R> TUl.' "TRUE TO OURSELVES, OUR COUNTRY AND OUR GOD.' ?..T
VOL. 21. SMITH FIELD, N. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 1002. XO.3.
NORTH CAROLINA NEWS.
Some Happenings of the Week
Tersely Told.
Many Items of Interest Concerning;
Tarbeeldom Clipped and Culled
From the State Press.
A canning factory with $10,000
capital win be established at
Salisbury.
Already $700 has been raised
for the proposed monument to
to the Confederate dead at
Wadesboro.
The Republican State commit
tee has been called to meet at
Greensboro April 5. Senator
Pritchard is chairman.
There have now been estab
lished in the State 31 ."> rural free
libraries. The act of legislature
only provides for the State aiding
500 of these libraries.
Governor Aycock will deliver
the address at the closing of the
public schools in High Point.,
Rev. Dr. Blackwell, of Wilming
ton, wili preach the sermon.
Chief Justice Nichols, of the
supreme court of Louisiana, has
accepted an invitation to deliver
the address at the meeting of the
North Carolina Bar association
in Asheville.
Ci - Jl? 1 3 1
ueorge ?auier, coioreu, hum
been arrested in Charlotte for
swindling a colored aid society
of $7.50. He pretended that he
spent the money to incorporate
the company.
The store of Reeves & Riles, at
New London, Stanley county,
was burned last Tuesday night
by a tire of unknown origin. The
loss is estimated at $2,500 with
$1,500 insurance.
Col. W. A. Henderson, the South
ern Railway attorney will deliver
the Memorial Day address at
Greensboro, May i0. Col. Hen
derson commanded a Tennessee
regiment in t he Confederate army.
R. E. Williamson, a brakeman
on the Southern railroad, has
brought suit in Greensboro
against the company for $20,
000 damages received in a wreck
last April. Hisskull was fractured.
A five-year-5ld son of Mr. Riley
Shepperd, of Guilford county,was1
burned to death Thursday. He j
was with his father, who was
burning brush, and his clothing
caught from a burning brush
pile.
The Mutual Publishing Com
pany, composed of the Biblical
Recorder, the Raleigh Christian
Advocate, and the Progressive!
Farmer, has been organized in
Raleigh to publish the papers
named.
Rev. Dr. Robt. P. Pell has been
elected president of Converse Col
lege, Spartanburg, S. C. Dr. Pell
is a native of North Carolina and
a graduate of the State Fniver
sitv. He is a Presbyterian min
ister and since 180(> has been
president of the Presbyterian
College for Women at Columbia.
S. G.
Mr. Chas O'Brien, who went
from North Carolina to Turkey
in January to buy tobacco for
the American Tobacco Company,
died at Xemphi, Turkey, last
week. It is reported that he
died with smallpox and it is also
said that his remains will be sent
to his home at Durham for
burial.
Congressman Kluttz has se
cured seventeen new rural free
delivery routes which go in opera
tion April 1. There are three at
Salisbury, four at Concord, three
at Statesville, two at Newton,
one at China drove and two at
Bock well. lie has thirty-two
applications now and is promised
an inspector in April. s .
New Hanover county has just
sold $50,000 of bonds the pro
ceeds to be used in macadamising
the public highways. Orange
county will in the near future
vote on a proposition to issue
$100,000 of bonds for road im
provement, and citizens of (iuil
tord are aiding the road fund of
that county by subscription.
The movement is slow but good
roads are coming along.
The Governor has commuted
to life imprisonment the death
sentence of Ed. Morgan, colored,
who was to have been hanged at
Concord on the hist. Morgan
was convicted of criminally as
saulting a young colored girl.
Judge Starbuck and Solicitor
Webb recommended clemency, as
they did not believe the prisoner
1 guilty of criminal assault.
Gertrude Smith, an operative
in a Charlotte cotton null, has
been awarded $250 by a com
promise verdict for the loss of a
finger in 1H0S. The case was
unique, in that the counsel for
the plaintiff argued that for a
cotton mill to employ children
under 12 was negligence perse,
the girl being only 11 years old
when the accident occurred.
At Wilmington last week labor
ers engaged in digging away a
hill at Old Brunswick to make
way fdr a building of the Cape
Fear b ishei ies Company uncov
ered a skeleton, whieh is believed
to be that of a British soldier
killed during or before the Revo
lutionary war. In the white sand
about the skeleton were found a
number of brass military buttons
of English manufacture during
the eighteenth century.
We are informed of a very sing
ular occurrence in Montgomery
county. Thirteen months ago
the wife of Mr. Richard Ronton,
whose residence is at Mt. Gilead,
gave birth to twins. The two
little ones are living and in ex
cellent condition. One day last
week this same mother increased
the population of Montgomery
county by the birth of triplets?
two girls and one boy?all of
which <^re well developed and
healthy children.?Wadesboro
Courier.
Forty-nine prominent citizens
of Aurora met Saturday and held
an indignation meeting. They
were determined to put down the
illicit distilling in that section
and all signed a pledge to do all
in their power to suppress this
illegal work They are also go
ing to ask the aid of the State,
county and national officers to
this end. They are certain that
John Caton was killed by the
moonshiners for serving as a
witness against them. A deter
mination to break this up has
taken hold of the place.
The body of James Walker, the
negro who poisoned the whole
family of Dr. David T. Tayloe, of
the State Hoard of Medical Ex
aminers, was found dangling
front a limb of a gum tree 011 the
Greenville road just outside of
the town limits of Washington,
N. (J., early Tuesday morning. A
man coming to town ran into
the body, which hung out over
the footpath. He hastened to
inform the authorities. Coroner
Tayloe was summoned. The
coroner impaneled a jury, who
brought in a verdict that the ne
gro came to his death by lynch
ing at the hands of unknown per
sons. The victim was about 19
years old.
Cecil Rhodes Dead.
Cane Town, March 2!>.?Cecil
Rhoaes, multi-millionaire and
empire-builder, is dead. He died
at .">.57 o'clock this afternoon
(about 1.20 oclock Washington
time). The end was peaceful.
Mr. Rhodes had been gradually
growing weaker for several days,
and it was thought early today
that the end was near. He slept
during the afternoon, but his
breathing became more difficult
and his strength perceptibly
diminished until he passed away.
Mr. Rhodes was stricken with
his last illness about three weeks
ago. He was never robust and
was in feeble health for years. A
few days ago tliv physicians
diagnosed the case as agina pec
toris. His heart gradually en
larged, encroaching on the lung
space and making respiration
difficult. Relief was obtained
only by the periodical adminis
tration of oxygen.
?f. .1. Cobb, a citizen of Halifax
county, was found dead in the
canal at Weldon Monday, with
evidences of foul murder and rob
. bery after death.
WILCOX POUND GUILTY.
To Be Hanged April 25th?Lawyer
Aydlett Will Appeal to the Su
preme Court. Wilcox Heard
the Verdict Without
Emotion.
Klizabeth City, N. C., March
22.?James Wilcox was to-night
found guilty of the murder of
Nellie Cropse.v. , The jury, after
having been out thirty hours,
brought in a verdict at 10:30
I o'clock of murder in the first de
gree. The prisoner heard the
verdict without apparent emo
tion.
When the verdict had been re
ceived, Judge Jones said:
"It is sadder to me than you,
Mr. Wilcox. The jury found the
facts; 1 gave the law You have
had a fair trial. l'art of the pub
lic were afraid to give it to you.
1 am informed that the move
ment in the court house here
Friday, when the crowd marched
; out, was pre-arranged. I hope
' that such was not the case. 11 it
was true and the offenders
brought before me 1 would send
every man, woman and child to
jail for contempt. If the move
was for a purpose, it was a dis
grace to the fair name of the
county. I hope it did not influence
you, gentlemen, in the least.
The judgment of the court is that
the prisoner be removed to jail
and be hanged dead by the neck
on April 25th."
Lawyer Aydlett for the defense
will appeal to the Supreme
Court.
At 1:15 o'clock this afternoon
! the jury came into court and ask
ed for further instructions. The
[judge reiterated his former
charge, telling the jury the find
ing of the facts was with them.
He could give the law only. The
j juiy then retired for further con
! sulfation.
There were many expressions of
impatience at the tardiness of
I the jury. Popular feeling was
strong and it was feared that a
verdict of acquittal would precip
itate trouble.
WILC iX NOT SURPRISED.
He Says He Does Not Expect to
Hang?His Eather Believes Him
Innocent.
Elizabeth City, X. C., March
2-1.? With one month more to
live, according to .Judge Jones'
sentence, Jim Wilcox sat in his
steel bound cage this afternoon
and talked about his fate. It
was the first time he had given
an interview since the trial be
gan. Reserved always and cold
as chiseled marble, Jim had.
! through iiis attorney, kept away
the newspaper men. Today af
ter the reserve wore away and he
had said that many things print
ed in the papers were lies, the
doomed man talked about his
sentence.
Ho ?.-?>a nlnrt in tin lindorshlrt
and dark trousers and his feet
propped against the bars, were
on a level with his head.
' Yes, 1 expected the verdict,"
he began, "though most people
j thought it would be inthesecond
degree. I was prepared for the
worst, and as 1 stood up there
and heard the court's sentence
of death I was not surprised. I
know the feeling against me. It
may be for the best, for perhaps
I should have fared worse had
the jury's verdict been lighter.
"Hut 1 do not expect to hang.
There are enough things about
the trial to give me a new hear
ing. The fact that so many peo
ple left the building when my
plea was being closed, and there
by meant to influence the jury, is
one ground on which I should
have a new trial. The judge told
them about that Saturday
night.
"A New York detective, who
was down here before the body
was found, did me a dirty trick.
He said he wanted a, statement
for my good, but I was suspicious
and wouldn't go to his hotel us
he asked me. and would not go
to talk with him, but when I (lid
make a statement in Mr. Ayd
lett's office the man pretended to
take it down, but not one word
was printed in the paper he
claimed to represent. What he
did print was all against me.
"I have been persecuted by
some people. With all thepublic
feeling against me, the crowd in
Hueneing the jurj7 by its action,
1 did not expect a different ver
dict. 1 was not so much affected
by the sentence, becau.se 1 expect
ed it and was prepared for the
worst."
Asked if he played cards Sun
day to while away the time Wil
cox. asked how could he since
there was no one else in the cell.
It was reported about the city
that he and other prisoners had
a game. A friend of the prisoner
who visited htm Sunday said he
played a game of set back for
fun.
Wilcox was questioned ubout
the report that he meant tocom
mit suicide. His words and
bearing gave no intimation of a
desire of self destruction. He
said they had talked about tak
ing away from the cell the knife
and fork with which he ate, but
he remarked that if lie wanted to
die soon he could butt out his
brains against the bars, but he
did ndt care to die yet.
Wilcox was offered refresh
ments. He declared he did not
smoke cigars, that some of them
were lying about the cell now,
but he accepted three packages
of cigarettes and a bottle of
whiskey.
i>?: i?u ii i.:?i 4.
unug tuiu Lilt? uioivt'j naniiuL
drugged Jim said he was not
afraid, but he had fouud broken
glass in food sent from a restau
rant. He refused to eat it
W ilcox seemingly has no con
cern for the future. Cold and
emotionless but brave always, lie
talks about the case with no
more interest than an outsider.
Former Sheriff Wilcox, Jim's
fatln r, says he does not believe
Jim knows anything about the
crifne. He told him the day the
verdict was brought to make no
sign whether he were convicted
or freed. The father says he
thinks that if an acquittal had
been rendered the accused would
have been killed before he got
from the court roon to jail. He
saw the great crowd waiting in
the shade outside and he knew
they were.determiued men. Ask
ed about his wife, Mrs. Wilcox,
he said she took the sentence bet
ter than he expected. He Jold
her as soon as he got home from
the court house that the worst
had come. He decided that was
the better plan.
House Unseats Rhea.
Washington, March 25.?The
House today by a majority of 10
unseated John S. Rhea, Demo
crat, of the Third Kentucky dis
trict, and seated in his place J.
McKenzie Moss, who was former
ly a Democrat, but who is said
to be in accord with the Republi
can party on the dominant is
sues.
The Republican majority in the
House is 4.'$. While only two
Republicans, llanbury and Yree
land, of New York, voted with
the Democrats, enough Republi
cans remained away or declined
to vote to reduce the majority
in rni .. 1 :
io iif. i ut; uuunumuLi ui tuu uu
bate on the ease was rather spir
ited, Mr. Rhea making an elo
quent defense of his right to the
seat.
Just before Mr. Rhea concluded
he severely arraigned Mr. Moss,
I charging that although he now
called himself a Republican two
weeks before the election he had
registered as a Democrat and
had pledged himself, if elected, to
go into the Democratic caucus.
With impassioned words Mr.
Rhea challenged the contestant
or his friends to deny this state
ment. "If it i? denied," said he,
"1 will prove hint to be the poor,
miserable creature 1 know him
to be."
The French Deputies has voted
$120,000 for France's exhibit at
the Sr. Rouis Exposition.
Sidney L.Nixon, an aged Con
federate veteran, having passed
his 80th year, did at the soldiers'
Home at Raleigh Tuesday. He
enlisted from Mecklenburgconntv
in Co. C, 510th North Carolina
i infantry.
GENERAL NEWS ITEMS. |
Brief Summary of the Week's
Happenings.
Some of the Most Important News ot
the World Condensed tor the
Readers of the Herald.
The Rubber Trust ban announc
, ed a $12,000,000 three-year
loan.
Colorado will expend $."0,000
on a State display at the yt.
Louis Exposition.
For assault on a little girl, Rill
Zigler, colored, was lynched at,
Troy, Ala., Saturday night.
Eleven living wixes arecredited
to Christian C. Nelson, under ar
rest at Plattsburg, Mo., for big
? amy.
Five trains, carrying .'1000
persons seeking Western homes,
passed through Kalispel, Mont.,
Monday.
Four women prisoners broke
jail at Fort Scott, Kan., Sun
day night, and were recaptured
Monday.
Miss Blanche Boise, a disciple
of Mrs. Carrie Nation,horsewhip
ped Mayor Parker, of Topeka,
Kan., Monday.
The International llankinfi
Company at New York has in
creased its capital from $3,000,
000 to $5,000,000.
Holding a stick of dynamite
under his chin, John Lester, of
Fort Scott, Kan.. Monday ex
ploded it and killed himself as he
intended.
Because he kissed one of his
pupils the School Board of Bra
zil, Ind., demands the resignation
of Professor Muncie, principal of
the school.
The special train of President
Cassatt, c f the Pennsylvania
Bailroad. has made the 00-mile
run from New York to Jersey
City in 77 minutes.
Washington, I).C.,March 24.?
The Senate today passed bills
appropriating $5,000 to enclose
and beautify the monument on
the Moore's Creek battlefield. X.
C., and appropriating $100,000
for a public building at George
town, S. C.
A strike is imminent among the
United Mine" Workers of America,
which promises to rival that of
1000. when 140,000 anthracite
miners were out for six weeks. A
strike also seems inevitable
among the textile operatives at
Lowell, Mass.
The report of the commission
of the United States Marine Hos
pital service makes known the
fact, startling to most people,
that there are 278 cases of lep
rosy in this country, of which
Louisiana has considerably more
than half, or 155 cases.
The Havana Audiencia Court
has given the following sentences
in the trial of the Cuban postal
embezzlement cases: C. r. W.
Neely, 10 years' imprisonment
and fine of $5(5,701; W. H. Reaves,
10 years' imprisonment and fine
of $35,510; U. G. Kathbone, 10
years' imprisonment and fine of
>35,324.
Hon. Henry VVatterson, of
Kentucky, made a speech Mon
day night in Washington City,
at the banquet of the Virginia
Democratic Association, in which
lie characterized President Roose
velt as "the man on horseback,
affecting the simplicity of the
cowboy, with the sentiments and
ambitions, if not the talents, of
a Diaz."
Hundreds of farmers in the
Ozark hills of southern Missouri
and northern Arkansas, whose
crops failed during last summer's
droughts, are living in a desper
ately poor way on short rations.
It is estimated that probably 10
percent, of the population in the
district has felt the pangs of hun
ger this winter, offers of aid
have been refused. The chief dis
tress now comes from a lack of
seed for the spring planting.
This is being relieved by the dis
? tribution of seed purchased by
Governor of Arkansas, with
money personally borrowed from
the banks.
WRECK ON SOUTHERN RAILWAY
Mail Train From New Orleans Struck
By a Rock Slide.
Washington, March23.?Train
No. .'is of the Southern Railway,
northbound from New Orleans to
Washington and known as the
Washington and Southwestern
Yestibuled Limited, ran into a
rockslide near Oovesville. twelve
miles south of Charlottesville,
Via., at 3:50 this morning and
was badly wrecked.
The l'ullmau porter and an un
known man were killed, and ten
postal clerks were seriously in
jured, several possibly fatally.
The wreck took fire from the en
gine and six of the nine coaches
composing the train were totally
lestroyed. Six tons of mail, a
considerable part of it registered,
were burned. The track is still
blocked, although wreckingcrews
from the nearest points have
been working since daylight in
removing the tons of earth and
rock.
The Washington and South
western was due to arrive at
Charlottesville at 3:37 this morn
ing and was nearly half an hour
behind time when the accident
occurred. The slide came with
out warning, crushing the mail
and baggage cars and two pas
penger coaches. The passengers
in the demolished cars escaped
injury. Nicholas Lawn, the col
ored Cullman porter, is missing,
and was probably buried in the
slide. The body of an unknown
man, probably a tramp, was
taken from beneath the wreck of
the baggage car.
HE WAS A WOMAN.
A Sensation Attended the Death ot
George Green, in Petersburg, Va.
Petersburg, Va., March 23.? ?
The death here today of George
Gr?en divulged a strange myste
ry, the secret of which has been
kept many years.
The discovery caused a decided
sensation. Thirty-five years ago,
,n Erie, Pa., George Green mar
ried a widow named Mrs. John
Middles, who has children by her
first marriage, now living in that
city. The couple drifted about
until finally they bought and
cultivated a cotton plantation
near Raleigh, X. C. A few months
ago the couple moved here to
live with relatives and Green ob
tained work in a cotton factory.
He was taken ill and died today,
and in the preparation of the
body the startling discovery was
made that Green was a woman.
Green was 74 tears old and
was one of triplets. As far as
known the deceased wore male
attire. Though somewhat effem
inate in appearance there was
never any suspicion as to his or
her sex. The widow who posi
tively refused to be seen has said
that at the time of her marriage
she believed she was marrying a
man. The mistake was not dis
covered until afterwards, and she
never told any one of the fact.
They kept the secret as a matter
of pride. During all the years of
their companionship the\ lived
to ail outward view happily ami
contented together and < ireen's
sex was not known to his closest
relatives, who still adhere to the
claim of his mnnhood.
The case is a very remarkable
one and causes wide and excited
comment and no one, in the ab
sence of any statement from Mrs.
lireen. seems able to give any
satisfactory statement about the
secret so long concealed in the
hearts of this couple or the rea
son why in the garb of man, this
woman should practice such de
ception as to marrv. The funeral
will be tomorrow and the burial
will be with the rights of the
Catholic church. It is believed
that. Inter developments will
throw some light on the myste
ry.
The State has chartered the
Knob's Creek Improveinen*' om
pany of Elizabeth City, capital
flo,000; the Mt. Airy Mant? land '
Table Company, capital f10,000;
tbe Mecklenburg Fair Alloca
tion at Charlotte, capital $10,
000.