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VOL. 27. SMITHFIELD. X. C.. FRIDAY. OCTOBER 10, 1908. NO. 83
Benson Postmaster
Holding Back Mail
Selling Papers Addressed to Parties
Calling For Their Mail Daily.
Mr. John W. Holmes Made the Discovery That Demo
cratic Newspapers Addressed to Citizens of Town
and Community Were Sold to Negroes.
THE POSTMASTER
BECOMES ALARMED.
WHEN MR. LANCDON, THE POST
MASTER, LEARNED THAT THE PA
PERS SOLD TO THE NEGRO, WERE
IN THE HANDS OF MR. HOLMES
HF. BECAME GREATLY EXCITED
AND MADE GREAT EFFORTS TO
REGAIN POSSESSION OF THAT
WHICH HE SOLD FOR FIVE CENTS
STRONG AFFIDAVITS TO PROVE
EVERY STATEMENT.
As is well-known the postoflices
of this county are in the hands
of the Republicans. Occasional
ly, from time to time, we have
heard of some complaints about
the delay and non delivery of
certain kinds of mail at certain
places. But nothing definite has
come to light until this week,
when it developed that papers
sent to the Benson postotiice,
were not only not delivered, but
were sold as old papers.
The facts in the case are sub
stantially as follows: Mr. Robfc.
J). Langdon, a Republican, is
postmaster at Benson, and as
is well known Benson is the Re
publican stronghold of this coun
ty. On last Tuesday a colored
woman was seen coming from
the Benson postoflice with some
large bundles of paper. Mr. John
W. Holmes, one of Benson's
merchants and leading citizens,
saw the woman and asked to see
her papers. He thus learned
that she had several copies of
the "North Carolinian," publish
ed by the News and Observer
Company at Raleigh, addressed
to persons who get mail at the
Benson postotfice, some of them
living in town. This aroused bis
suspiciou and he related the cir
cumstance to Ex Sheriff Elling
ton, who was to speak in Benson
that night, aud to one or two
others. Upon advice of the sheriff
he went to the home of the ne
gro to try to get the papers. He
learned from the negro woman
that she bought the papers from
the Bensou postmaster, or his
clerk, aud that she paid live
cents for same. At tirsi she did
not seem willing to part with
them, but finally did so, Mr.
Holmes payiug her ten cents lor
them. He carried them to his
place of business, and upon in
vestigation, found that they
were copies of the North Carolin
ian bearing dates ranging from
September 17, to October 8, aud
and that they were addressed to
parties getting mail at Benson,
some even addressed to parties
having lock boxes in the Benson
postotfice.
8ome how the news leaked out
that Mr. Holmes had the papers
in his possession and Wednesday
morning the postmaster called
on him and asked for them. Mr.
Holmes refused to give them up.
This somewhat disconcerted Mr.
Laugdon. Later in the day he
returned and demanded that Mr.
Holmes give them up. But Mr.
Holmes positively refused to part
with them. All kinds of efforts
have been made to get posses
sion of the papers but Mr.
Holmes has steadfastly refused
to give them up.
Why Mr. Laugdon should thus
keep back Democratic papers
from tne persous to whom they
were addressed is hard of expla
nation, and sspscially so wbsa
e ?
1 the parties, at least some ol
them, call for their mail daily,
dust think of a mau who has a
lock box beiug kept out of his
paper for almost a mouth! if
there had been ouly one copy
tuus kept back, perhaps Ben
son's Republican postmaster
could give a satisfactory expla
nation. Is this the ouly time
that Democratic papers or liter
ature have been suppressed by
Republican postmasters? Shall
the freedom of the press be thus
suppressed? Shall the people
rele, or shall the Federal office
holders rule? Shall the advo
cates of this so-called "local self
government" be given control of
affairs in this county?
The following affidavits tell
the story in language so plain
that he'who runs may read."
North Carolina, i
Johnston Count*. [
John W. Holmes being duly
sworn, deposes aua says, that
he is a citizen of the State of
North Carolina, Johnston
County and town of Bensoo;
that on the evening of the 13th
of October, 1908, as he was sit
ting in front of his store on
Main street of Benson he saw
two colored women carrying
several bundles of papers; he
asked one of them to give him
one of the papers, which she did,
and he found it was a "North
Carolinian," a newspaper pub
lished in the city of Raleigh, N.
C , and saw it was addressed to
John A. Hall, a citizen of Ban
ner Township, and a patron of
the Benson post-office. That
this aroused his suspicion and
he went to see the said colored
woman, Jiary f. Sanders who
lives in said town of Benson, and
asked them where they got said
papers: she informed him that
she bought them from the post
office in Benson, N, C., where
upon this affiant offered to buy
said papers, and did buy them
from the said Mary P. Sanders
paying her therefor, the sum of
i ten cents. That a list of the
; names to whom said papers
were addressed, together with
the dates of said papers, is
hereto attached and made a
part of this affidavit.
Tnat on the morning of Oc
tober I4tb, 1908, K. D Lantr
don, postmaster at Benson, N.
C., came into my store in Ben
sou and said: "I came to get
those newspapers that you got
from those negro women yester-1
day morniug." 1 said, "you
cannot get them, that I bought!
and paid tor them. 1 told him
that he had no right to use
that postotfice to further the
cause of his political party, that
the postoffice at Benson was not
hisoffice, but the people's office."
tie replied that he had never de
stroyed any papers, that some
negro women came in the post
office and called for five cents
worth of newspapers, aud that
Carl Ryals, clerk iu the post
office, soid the negroes the pa
pers. I told him I did not
charge him with it, but that I
bad mail here that should have
been delivered which had not been
delivered, and that four years
ago when P. Hawley was post
master at Benson 1 saw him two
days after election day burn up
a large goods-box full of Demo
cratic literature, that I opened
two batches or bundles of this
literature and found that they
contained North Carolinians<and
Bmithfield Hehalds, and
other newspapers. Llawley beg
ged me not to report him anil I
didn't, but promised myself to
report any like occurrence.
Langdou again demanded the
papers but 1 refused to deliver
them, and he walked out of my
store. Langdon returned to my
store in about two hours and
again demanded the pabers. I
told him that he wouldn't get
them. He said "that is U. 8. j
Mail and you have uo right to
hold it." I told him that it1
might have been United States
mail oue time, but when 1 got it;
that it was negro property and
I had a right to buy it, but that
I he had no right to sell U. S. j
Mail as he had done. He then
said he was going to have it. I
told him he could get me but he
couldn't get those papers. He
walked out of my store and said
he would show me, as he was go
ing to Lave them.
J. W. Holmes.
Sworn to and subscribed to
bifore me, This loth day of
October, 1908.
F. H. Brooks Notary Public, j
My commission expires Feb.!
20th, 1910.
NORTH CAROLINA j
JOHNSTON COUNTY j
Lucien Norris being duly sworn, j
deposes and says that he is a re- i
sident of Johnston county, Htate i
of Vorth Carolina, and a patron
of the Post Office at Benson, N.
C , and has rented box -42, com i
biuation, in said post-office, aud !
has had same rented for about j
two years; that he has called at j
said post-office about twice daily j
during said two years, unless out j
of town or sick or providentially j
hindered, and got mail of various j
kinds out of my box aforesaid j
That between the 17tti day of
September, 1908, aud the 13th
day of October, 1908, I havej
called on the post office daily, j
twice a day generally; that dur
ing said period I have gotten sev
eral copies of the Caucasiau and
The Bmitbfield Journal, but have
not received a single copy of
'The North Carolinian," a news
paper published in the City of
Raleigh, N. C., during saidiperiod,
aud have never declined or re
fused to take any copy of said
paper out of my box aforesaid.
Lucien Norris.
Sworn to aud subscribed before
me. This the 15th, day of Oc>
iober, 1908.
F. H. Bkooks, Notary Public.
My commission expires Feb.,
20, 1910.
The list of names referred to in
Mr. Holmes' affidavit comprise
some of the best men in Banner
township. Mr. Lucian Norris,
whose affidavit is given above,
aud a large number of other men
?citizens of Banner Township
have been deprived of their mail
by this Republican postmaster.
north carolina i
johnston county |
Mary P. (Tossie) Sanders be-[
ing duly sworn deposes and says
that on the evening of the 13 th j
of Uctober, 1908, she in company
with one Neva flail went to the
post office in the town of Benson
and asked for five cents worth of
newspapers, and Carl iiyals, who
was iu the oflice, gave me three
bundles of papers an 1 I paid him
five cents, and I took the papers
and started home. Mr. ,1. W.
Holmes, as 1 was passing his j
store, asked me to give him one
of the papers, which I did. Short- j
ly thereafter Mr. Holmes came to
my house aud asked me where 1
got those papers, and I told him
I bought them from the post-of- [
dee. He said he wanted to buy
them aud I sold them to him for
ten cents. He gave me ten cents
and I gave him thejpapers I had
bought that evening from the
post-office.
Mary P. Sanders.
Sworn to aud subscribed be
fore me. This 15th day of Oc
tober, 1908.
F. 11. Brooks, Notary Public.
My [commission expires Feb.,1
2Gtb, 1910.
There will be a concert given
at the Opera House next Mon
day uight for the benefit of the
band. Mrs. Bertha Orndoff, of
Peace Institute, the well known
soprano, with Miss Eula Hood
as accompanist, will assist the
i Band in this coacsrt.
WALTER MURPHT AT BENSON.
Good Speaking Tuesday Night?Other
Political News?Local News of
Interest and Other Matters.
Benson, N. C, Oct. IS.?Our
cotton weigher, Mr. Eil 8. Tur
lington, reports 327 bales sold
on this market last week.
There will be a business meet
ing of the Bryan-Kitchin Club in
the office of <) A. Barbour on
Monday, October 19. All Demo
crats are invited.
Mrs. W. I). Boon and little
daughter, Evelyn, visited rela
tives in Dunn last week.
Messrs. John M. Morgan and
N. T. Ryals will address the peo
ple on the issues of the campaign
at Allen's school house in Ban
ner township Tuesday night,
October 20. All are invited to
attend.
A large number of our people
left this morning to attend the
Raleigh Fair.
Mr. aud Mrs. Pickett, of St.
Louis, who have been visiting
tne family of Mr. E. F. Moore,
left Friday for Fayetteville
where they will speud some time
before returning to the West.
Look out for Benson. She
continues to grow. Messrs.
Setu Allen, C. A Barbour and
C. A. Daniels are smiling now.
The baby visitor always brings
a smile?and they are here.
The Cape Fear Free Will Bap
tist Conference will be held with
the church at this place begin
ing October 28 and continuing
three days. Preparations are
being made for a large atten
dance. Several able ministers
are expected to be present and
preach.
There were services here Sun
day morning aud night at the
Primitive Baptist church by
Elders Burner and Johnson. At
the Missionary Baptist church
by the pastor, Rev. D. F. Put
nam Able sermons were preach
ed at both churches.
Several of the boys from town
took in the great show at Dunn
last Saturday. Some of them
returned sadder, but wiser for
their experience, having eveu lost
shoes and hat. They say they
will be more cautious next show
day.
Of the numper visiting in town
recently we note the following:
Prof. Ira T. Turlington, of
Smithtleld; Mr. J. P. Pittman,
editor of the Dunn Guide; Attor
neys E. R. Young and J. C.
Clifford, of Dunn; Attorney C.
L. Sykes, of Seltna; Mr. W. J.
Jacobs, of Zebulon; Mr. Fulton
Hall, of Fayetteville; Dr. J. C.
Johnson, of Durham; Mr. W. J.
Aycock aud Dr. George Hood,
County Treasurer, of Kenly;
Judge Stevens, of Smithlield;
Hon. J. T. Ellington, candidate
for the Senate, and Editor
Craven, of Selma.
Hou. Walter Murphy, Elector
at-large, spoke here Tuesday
morning to between 300 and
400 people. Mr. Murphy, who
is a very able speaker, spoke for J
an hour on the iniquity of the!
high tariff, the trusts, campaign
contributions and other Nation
al evils which the Republican
party has made possible. He
theu discussed State issues to
some extent. Pleading with
those who might be dissatisfied
or sore to stand by tue great
Democratic party and against i
the common enemy, the Keputi
licau, who has brought sname
und disgrace and infamy every
time tuey have Deeu in power in
our State. The speech of Mr.
Murphy did much for the cause
of Democracy in Hanner town
ship which is now in better shape
than in four years before. Mr
Peterson, candidate for the
Senate, spoke for half an hour,
severely arraigning the Radicals
for their management of affairs
in North Carolina and especially
in Sampson county.
(in Friday night, William
Manning, a young white man
was arrested nere on a warrant
charging the burning of the
barn and stables of Mr. Y. W.
Wood, of Meadow township, on
the Monday night preceding.
Ha was given at pralminarf
heariug Saturday afternoon be
fore Justice of the Peace J. M.
Britt. Attorneys O. A. Bar
bour, J. C. Clifford and J. M.
Morgan represented the defend
ant, while the presecution was
made by N. T. Uyals and E. It
Young The trial lasted all the
evening, a large number of wit
nesses being examined by the
State. The testimony was all
circumstantial. Counsel for de
fendant did not offer any testi
mony, contending that the State
! had uot made its case. After
J hearing the arguments, the
J ustice decided to hold Manning
for the Superior court under a
$200 justitied bond. While the
officer was caking the defeudaut
I to a restaurant he broke and
ran away, but was captured
Monday in Wayne county aud
| sent to jail.
On Tuesday night the Bryan-1
Kitchin Club liste ied to an ablej
address by Hon. J. T. Ellington
and Geo. L. Peterson, nominees
for the Senate, and Mr. W. S.
Stevens, Clerk of the Court i
There were about 350 people)
out to the speaking including a
large number of ladies. l)r. J.
O. Matthis, the Radical nomi
nee for Senator, had agreed to
be present and discuss the issues
with the Democratic nominees,
but wnen the time for speaking
came, "No Doc" could be found,
so for two hours the Democratic
candidates discussed the issues
before the voters aud exposed
the falsehood which the Radicals
are running around and telling
in secret. Especially did they
expose that radical sham about
Local deif Government, which
they say they will give the peo
ple if trusted with power. Thier
record was showu to be always
against local self government.
After the speaking every member
of the club was presented with a
handsome picture of that great
matchless, peerless leader of
Democracy, W.J. Bryan
Mr. Chas. F. Neighbors, of
Henson, says that this is the
best year he ever saw for a n in
dependent candidate for
Senator from this district, as
the Republican candidate "Bill
Burner," has not got e ough
sense to go, aud the Democratic
nominee, Mr. Peterson, is not
the proper man. Of course
it is natural for the Republicans
to curse Mr. Peterson, the Demo
cratic nominee, but why they
should nominate Bill Burner and
then go around and tell the
voters he is not fit to go to the
Seuate your reporter cannot tell
unless it is the truth.
Mr. Crosby 8mith, son of our
townsman, Mr. J. G. Smith, left
Tuesday for Raleigh where he
will be married to Miss Belle
Anderson, the .cultured and ac
complished daughter of Mr. I
Chas. Audersou.
The Carnival Next Week.
A street carnival is advertised
for Smithfield next week. We
suppose it will blockade the
streets and run its various
games of chance as usual. It is
not in our line of work to hinder
or help it, but we will say we do
not understand why a carnival
company should be allowed to!
take charge of the most im- j
portant streets and run their j
games of chance. Some favor
carnivals on the ground that
they bring people and money to
town. This, we think, is a mis
taken idea. The last carnival
held here carried several hun
jdred dollars away. A carnival
1 as we understand it, is a night
show patronized by the town
people and a few others living
near town. Does any body here
think people will come eight, ten
and twelve miles to see what a
street carnival will show?
Register now. ft is not only
every man's privilege, but it is
also his duty to register and
vote. It is only in this way that
we can have a government of the
people. The registration books
will close in October 24th. This
is an important election and ev
ery man who believes in the rale
of the people should register with
owt fail before it is too late.
'TACT'S VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA
His Statement of Its Purpose as Much
of Reflection on State as His Greens
boro Speech Was on His Party.
Raleigh, N. C? Oct. l-i.?The
reason given by Mr. laft for bis
visit to North Carolina and oth
er Southern states is as much of
a reflection on the State as a
whole as his speech in Greensbo
ro to the Republican State Con
vention in 1900 was to his Party
in this State. He is reported in
the New York Tribune of last
Sunday as follows:
"I am going South to make a
few speeches?one in Kentucky,
one in Tennessee, one in North
Carolina, one in Virginia and
one in Maryland?not so much
with a view to carrying those
states as to show the people
down there that, no matter
what they think they are a part
of the Union, and, being a part
of the Union, they ought to vote
for the Republican Party, vot
ing for wbicti will make them a
part of the Nation, and give to
them that influence which people
of their intelligence aud energy
and progress and enterprise
ought to eDjoy."
This in nothing less than a
charge that while the South is
bodily a part of the Union that
its thought is not loyal to the
Union, aud that the only means
by which the South can establish
its loyalty and become a part of
the Nation is by allying itself
with the ilepublican party, of
which Mr. Taft said, in speaking
to the representatives of that
party, assembled in convention
in Greensboro just two years:
"in my judgmeut the Repub
lican party in North Carolina
would be much stronger as a
voting party if all the Federal
offices were tilled by Democrats."
(All the State offices were filled
oy Democrats.) And again: "As
long, howtver, as the Republi
can party in the Southern states
shall represent little save a fac
tional chase for Federal offices in
which business men and men of
substaici in the community
have no desire to enter, and in
the result of which they have no
interest, we may expect the pres
ent political conditions of the
South to continue."
Mr. Taft's surprising state
ment came to be accounted for
on no other theory than his pro
pensity formwking breaks. North
Carolina's loyalty to the Union,
in thought and sentiment as well
as in fact, will not be questioned
by any but Judge Taft or Judge
Montgomery, aud for the simple
sake of convincing them it will
uo more ally itself with Judge
Taft's "unfit North Carolina of
fice-seekers" than it will support
Taft in his and his party's alli
ance with the trusts aud protect
ed iuterests upon which he relies
to purchase his election to the
Presidency.
Turlington Graded School Reopens
Monday, October 19th.
I hereby announce that we ex
pect to open school again next
Monday, October 19th. The
County Physician thinks we are
perfectly safe iu opening at that
time I hope the hoys and girls
will return iu full force Monday.v
Respectfully,
Ira T. Turlington, Supt.
Miss Ima Allen, of Danville,
Va., arrived Monday to spend
some time with h^r father, Capt.
M. A. Allen, at Hotel Oliver.
Had a Close Call.
Mrs. Ada L. Croom, the widely
known proprietor of the Croom
hotel, Vaughn, Miss , says: "For
several months I suffered with a
severe cough, and consumption
seemed to have its grip on me,
when a friend recommended Dr.
King's New Discovery. 1 began
taking it, and throe bottles af
fected a complete cure." The
fame of this lifo saving cough
and cold remedy, and lung and
throat healer is world wide.
Sold at Hood Bros, drug store.
50c, and fl.00. Trial bottle
free.