North Carolina Newspapers

Slje Smitljficlb |leraIb Price One Dollar Per Year "TRUE TO OURSELVES, OU R COUNTRY AND OUR GOD." slngl, Copie, F|y, c#nt> VOL. 28. SMITHFIELD. N. C.. FRIDAY. APRIL 80, 1909. NO. 10 THE REVOLUTION IN TURKEY. SULTAN ABDUL HAMID STEPS DOWN AND OUT. The Revolution Led by the Young Turks Under Schefket Pasha March es on Constantinople and the City Surrenders?The Sultan's Brother Placed on Throne Amid The Acclaims of the People. The principal events ot the over throw of Sultan Abdul Hamid, ruler of Turkey, are briefly told In the following extracts from news dis patches published in the Philadelphia Record: Constantinople, April 24.?For the third time in all its centuries, the "City of Islam" was surrendered to day to an invader, its fall following a half-day's battle, in which the los ses in killed and wounded were sev eral thousand. The "Young Turks," with their Macedonian army, fairly rushed the city under cover of a heavy shell fire beneath which the Sultan's cita del and guardhouses crumbled in dust and flames. Every stronghold was taken but one, and that one is the Yildiz Kiosk, wherein Abdul Hamid, Sultan and Grand Caliph, still reigns, defiant. All through the afternoon and until late tonight he was, through his Min isters, in negotiation with the lead ers of the rebel army, but apparently the negotiations have failed. At midnight the Macedonians are draw ing their lines closer about the great enclosure of the Palace and are mov ing up artillery. The young Turks demand that the Sultan surrender unconditionally, but lilnt that if he is complacent he will be allowed to retain nominal sover eignty. The Sultan holds out for def inite terms, and, failing them, may yet makq good a reported declaration that he "would die, scimetar in hand, in the midst of the ruins of his Empire." The Sultan's refusal tc surrender Is the breathless surprise of the rev olution, and has brought him a sud den admiration of a sort never ac corded him before. For 32 years he has been looked upon as the crafti est man in Europe, and one who rul ed by cunning alone. Now he shows a physical courage of which he was never suspected. The Sultan Surrenders. Constantinople, April 25.?The Sul tan of Turkey has surrendered to the Macedonian army that yesterday cap tured Constantinople, and will ac cording to the present plans of the Constitutionalists, be placed on trial for his throne and his life. If he is acquitted of complicity in the recent I attempt to destroy Parliament, he may be allowed to remain as the nominal sovereign. If he Is found guilty he will certainly be deposed and may be executed. Abdul Hamid faces a situation very similar to that of Charles I of England. He has measured his | strength against that of Parliament, j and Parliament ha3 won. The Cromwell of Turkey seems to ' be General Mahmoud Schefket, the J commander-in-chief of the Constltu-1 tlonal army. He is a grim, able and daring soldier, and it was he who, several days before the attack on Constantinople, warned deputations from the city that if they desired to deal with him they must "bring along the head of the Old Man." Schefket is complete master of the ?ltuation. The Ministry takes or ders from him and the Sultan awaits his mercy. He Is everywhere -hailed as victor and liberator and, though he disclaims any intention to direct Parliament, it will meet under his protection and without doubt will act in accordance with his views. The surrender of the Yildiz Kiosk was ordered by tha Sultan late last night when he learned that General Schefket was bringing up artillery, preparatory to tl.o bombardment of the palace. The commanders of the various batalions in the Yielding be gan sending in their submission to Mahmoud Schefket last night, and the whole of the troops protecting the palace gave their formal and uncon ditional surrender shortly after dawn. Nlazl Bey, who is claled the hero of the July revolution, is now in com mand of the garrison. The Tide Agalntt the Sultan. Constantinople, April 26 ?The tide Is running strong against the Sultan, ! Abdul Hamid II. A caucus of Sen ators aud Deputies today determined to make au effort to compel him to abdicate under the ecclesiastical law, by the terms of which a decree may by issued by the Sheik U1 Islam, the highest authority of Mohammedanism next to the Sultan, pronouncing the . Sultan incapable of ruling. , The whole ministry resigned today, ! and there is at present no organized Government. The city is under mar tial law and Mahmond ScheJket, com- . , mander of the Macedonian army, Is in complete control. The Commltteo ot Union and Progress desire him to j ] I be Grand Vizier in succession to , [ Tewflk Pasha, and he has been as- ? sured that a majority of Parliament would gladly support a Ministry un- ( I der his leadership in succession to , j he Tewfik Ministry. j In reply to these proposals Schef ket Pasha said that the Premiership , afforded such a splendid opportunity . to assist in the political develop inent of the country that he would | have rejoiced to accept the honor had it come to him under any other cir- j cumstances, but that he could not ac cept while still leader of the army. To do so would not accord with his Ideas of civil and political liberty of action. ( Schefket Pasha is an Arab, and comes from Bagdad. He has lived j for 11 years in Europe and received his military training in Germany. Shooting the Conspirators. The last burials of the men who fell in the fighting of Saturday took place last night. The dead number about 300, and the men in hospitals do not reach the total of 500. Five | thousand troops were taken prison ers. One body of prisoners marched past Schefket Pasha's headquarters [ this morning on their way to camp in the country. They were in no sense downcast, but were smoking cigarettes and chatting with anima tion. A few prisoners have been shot in attempting to escape. | The men suspected of instigating the mutiny of April 13 have been separated from the main bodies of prisoners and will be tried by Court martial. Ten men who were tried before Court-mai tial this morning were shot this afternoon. Abdul Hamid is Dethroned. Constantinople, April 27.?The cur tain fell on the reign of Abdul Ha mid II in the drama of Turkey's po litical regeneration today, and to night a new Sultan rules over the Empire of the Ottomans in Mehem-1 med Reschad, a younger brother of the deposed despot. Church Parlia ment and people, working through the conquering army of the Constitu tional party, united in the dethrone ment. Decided on by the National Assembly without a dissenting voice, the stroke of ? statecraft was carried out with the utmost rapidity. The Sultan i3 now a virtual prisoner in the hands of the Young Turks, care fully guarded by his captors, and has been told that he must never, leave Turkey, as he desired, for ', fear he would cause complications j abroad. The formal decree removing Abdul Hamid from all power over the Turkish Empire was issued by the j Sheik-Ul-lslam, the head of the t Church, In the regular form prescrib- , ed by the tenets of the Mohammedan j faith, and, as such, was humbly ac cepted by Abdul Hamid, with true Mohammedan fatalism, as the decree j of Allah. Promptly Invested with the powers ] of the throne, the new Sultan has charged Ahmed Riza, as Grand Vizi- j er, to form a new Cabinet. The Sheik-Ul-Islam. it Is said, per- ^ sonally visited the Sultan and read | him the decree. He informed His , Majesty ?' at the question having - been put in canonical form before the Sheik and his associates, as to whether Abdul Hamid had not for feited the right to rule over the faithful, they had decided "yes." < Abdul bowed his head. "It is the ( will of the Allah," he submissively f declared, , 1 The world's output of petroleum la9t year amounted to 234,270,000 bar- j rels, of which the United States pro- ( duced 165,870,000 tarrels, occupying j the foremost position, while Russia ( produced 40,800,OOu barrels. J apan j occupies only the seventh rank, her ( output being 470,000 barrels, having i increased from 250,000 in 1907. ( CITY HAS HAD MANY SIEGES. Constantinople, the Famous Turkish Capital, Captured by Crusaders, Then by The Moslems and Now By the Young Turks. History of Famous City. The capture of Constantinople by the Young Turks marks an impor tant era in religious as well as poli tical history because of the fact that this celebrated "City of Islam" has withstood more sieges than any oth er city in the world, and has been captured but three times?first by the *Crusaders in 1204 A. D., second by Sultan Mahomet II in 1453, and third, 1909, by the Young Turks. Constantinople was originally foun ded by Byzas, in 656 B. C., aud was named Byzantium. Constantine the Great, first Christian Emperor of Rome, rebuilt the city in 328 A. D., and made it the capital of the Eas tern Empire, and it was for many centuries the Christian metropolis of the Orient. Many of the famous mosques that ire the principal adornment of the city were originally Christian Cathe irals, notably the Church of St. So phia, now the Mosque of St- Sophia, which was built by the Emperor Jus tinian, in 531 A. D., and transformed into a mosque by Mahomet I. It is regarded as the finest example of Byzantium architecture in the world. i ne cuy nas a population various ly estimated between 800,000 and 1, 200,000, only about half of which is Moslem. The Moslem population principally inhabits the ancient part >f the city, known as Stamboul, a large triangular section lying be tween the sea of Marmora and the 3olden Horn. On the other side of he Golden Horn is Pera, inhabited principally by Armenians, Greeks, Franks and Jews. Beyond Pera, jverlooking the Bosphorus, are the palaces of the Sultan, first the Dol ina-Baktche, where all the Sultans I prior to Abdul Hamid II had their j lomes, and beyond the Yildiz Kiosk, which was formerly a summer pal ice, but which Abdul Hamid made lis permanent residence early In lis reign because it was supposed to >e better fortified. The Yildiz Kiosk is more than a palace; it is a community, being an mmense walled inclosure, with many lavillions, barracks, stables, citadels, studios, imperial factories and even lunting grounds and lakes. It has lsually been garrisoned by about 7, 200 men, 12 battalions, drawn from li rent parts of the Empire. In Pera, where Saturday's flght ng took place, are also located all he foreign embassies, and these were practically in the midst of the jattlefield. In spite of its beauties, its historic ;randeur and its mysticism, Constan inople is not greatly favored by ourists because of many repulsive features. Except its great bazaars, he streets are dull and uninterest ng, and are everywhere infested with snarling mangy dogs which are he scavengers of the city.?Philadel- j phia Record. Nominees for Town Aldermen. The Democratic primaries of he several wards of Smlthfield were leid Monday night and candidates for ildermen were nominated as fol ows: First ward?Dr. N. T. Holland. Second ward?J. H. Kirkman and ! 3. P. Stevens. Third ward?L. E. Watson and N. i 3. Grantham. Fourth ward?J. D. Underwood and 3. J. Holt. The election will be held next Tues lay and the new Board will be sworn j n next Thursday, after which they will elect a Mayor, Clerk, Treasurer, rax Collector and Chief of Police. Merchants to Closo at 7:30. We the undersigned merchants of Smlthfield do agree to close our pla :e8 of business each day except Fri lay and Saturday at 7:30 o'clock P. tf. from May 1st until September 1st, 909. L. E. Watson, S. C. Turnage, H. ?. Butler, Spiers Bros., Austin-Steph enson Co., G. E. Thornton, Mrs. V. 3. Davis, W. L. Woodall, N. B. jrant ham, T. Kramer, Smithfield hardware Co., Davis Bros., City Jrocery, Cotter-Stevens Co., Jas. H. iVoodall, Cotter-Underwood Co., T. J. Jordan. VICTIMS NOW OVER 20,000. Massacre Goes on Unchecked in Turkey?Wild Moslem Tribesmen Still Burn and Slay "In Name of Prophet." Beirut, Asiatic Turkey, April 24.? A conservative estimate now places the number killed in the Armenian massacres In Adana villayet at from 20,000 to 30,000. At the town of Adana more than 100 girls are miss ing. It is known that 21 native pastors have been killed. Fears are entertained that other American mis sionaries than those whose deaths een reported have been mur dered. The killing goes on unchecked, wild Moslem tribesmen sweeping a way villages by fire and sword, "in the name of the Prophets." There are 15,000 refugees In Adana and Tarsus, and 5000 at Mersina. Marash and Aintav are quiet, but conditions at Itadjin are becoming critical. A messenger dispatched for relief by Miss Lambert, the Ameri can missionary, who 'wo dpys ago sent an appeal to Constantinople, has been killed in the streets. A second messenger, a soldier, was shot at. The Vali has given assur ances of the safety of the Americans. Conditions at Alexandretta are un changed. Beilan and Dortyole are holding out. An appeal for help has Deen issued trom l.ataKla, as tno mob is nearing that city, and the American property is threatened. Antioch is quiet, there being no Armenians left in that town. No disturbances have occurred in Beirut tonight. The American village of Kessab has been burned anl many persons have been killed there. The women and children of Kessab are fugitives in the surrounding mountains, ex posed to hunger and violence. Help is urgently needed every where on the coast. Native hordes are moving on Sue diah 18 miles southward of Antioch. A Good Woman Passed Away. Monday morning about 3 o'clock, April 12th, the death angel visited the home of Mr. W. F. Gerald at Pine Level and took from him his beloved wife, Sarah A. Gerald, after being confined to her home for more than a year with dropsy. Ail that doctors and kind friends could do was done, yet all seemed in vain. She was born January 23, 1844, and died April 12, 1909, making her stay on earth 65 years, 2 months and 19 days. She was married February 26, 1867. She Joined the Methodist church the following year and lived a true devoted Christian life until her death. They were never blessed with any children of their own, but did much for orphan children, hav ing raised two from their infancy and educated them as though they were their own, and later taking two more and treating them the same way. She leaves a sister and two broth ers and a husband to mourn their loss together with a host of friends. Though she is gone, yet her Chris tain influence will live on. Weep not bereaved husband, for your loss is her eternal gain. Her funeral was preached at the ] Free Will Haptlst church by Rev. W. ? H. Puckett, pastor of Methodist j church at Selma. Her remains were ! taken to the Gerald burying ground and laid to rest. A precious friend from us is taken A voice we loved is still; A place is vacant in our hearts, That never can be filled. FRIEND. POLENTA NEWS. The cotton crop Is about all plant ed. The acreage Is about the same as last year, with more guano used. The corn crop is looking well. Tobac co planting will commence in a few days. Some of our farmers are a fraid of tobacco simply because they say the "Tobacco Trust" pays what suits it for the weed. Some of our farmers are ready to commence) chop ping cotton. Regu'*- communication of Polenta ] Lodge, 450 A. F. and A. M. Saturday of next we^k at 10 A. M Let every member be present, as business of importance Is to be transacted. Polenta Academy, private school, closes Friday. Miss Leyburn, the teacher in charge, has done excel lent work, and has ingratiated her self into the affections of the people at large by her lady-like conduct aud demeanor since her sojourn amongst us. She is an accomplished teacher, and any school is to be congratulat ed that has her at its head. Sir. Douglass Holt, who has for the past week been quite sick with pneu monia, is some better, we are glad to chronicle. A goodly number of gentlemen from Pmlthfield came out recently on a visit to Mr. H. Al. ISarber, and were treated to a magnificent fish fry at his fish trap on Swift Creek. Messrs. S. S. Holt, W. H. Austin, Dr. N. T. Holland and many others were in the crowd. All returned to Smithfield fully convinced that Mr. Barber knew how to treat a crowd of hungry men. Mr. H. T. Garrard, of Norfolk, Va., is on a visit for a few days at his country home near, recuperating aud takiug a much needed rest. Rev. Mr. Curtis preached at Oak land Tuesday liight of last week to a good crowd, and as usual, preached a fine sermon. An election will be held in a few days in the public school district, known as the Shiloh District, on special tax. The result is in doubt, but it Is thought the tax will carry. Dr. Hocutt, of Clayton, was out in this neighborhood Tuesday on a professional visit. He is growing as a physician, and is destined to be come one of the foremost M. D's. of the county. Rev. Mr. Spence has accepted the call extended to him by Oakland church and therefore there will be preaching at Oakland each fourth Sunday In the future. Miss Ava Yelvlngton has returned from a trip to lower Johnston, whith er she went to attend the marriage of Miss Lillie Turlington. TYPO. April 28, 1909. Pretty Marriage Near Benson. On Thursday morning, April 22nd, 1909, at the beautiful home of Mrs. M. E. Turlington, near Benson, her accomplished daughter, Lillian, was married to Mr. R. H. Hudson, of Glenwood. The impressive ceremony was per formed by Hev. O. R. Mangum, of Selma, at eleven o'clock, amidst many relatives and friends. The par lor was beautifully decorated in green and white. Miss Anna Underwood, of Smith- | field, presided at the organ, and as the first strains of Mendelssohn's grand march pealed forth, the bridal party entered as follows: Miss Pearl Hudson and Mr. Jesse Turlington, Miss Rena Morgan with Mr. Rob Higgins, Miss Ava Yelvington with Mr. Lawrence Bizzell, Miss Kittie Gulley with Mr. L. T. Royall; pre ceding the bride and groom came Miss Mary Turlington, sister of the bride, and Mr. T. A. Hudson, brother of the groom. The bride and groom stopped under an arch of green be decked in roses; here they were made one. The bride was gowned in white | messaline and carried carnations. The j maids wore suesine silk and carried brides roses. Immediately after the ceremony j the party repaired to the dining room j where a sumptuous three course din ner was served. At tiiree o'clock j the bridal party left for the home of the groom's father, Mr. J. T. j Hudson, where an informal recep tion was tendered them. Mr. and Mrs. Hudson received many beautiful and costly presents. The week previous to her marriage Miss Turlington charmingly enter tained a few of her friends: Miss Ava Yelvlngton, of Polenta, Miss Kit tie Gulley, of Clayton, and Miss An na Underwood, of Smtthfleld, Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Turlington arriving Wed nesday from Wilson. A REPORTER. Piano Contest Ended. The dot counting contest of the J Thornton Music House closed last Saturday at 3:30 P. M. when the j Judges, Messrs. James H. Abell, C. Z. Whltaker and T. J. Lassiter, open-1 ed the counts and decided the prize | winners. It was found that Miss Eula Gardner Parrish, daughter of Mr. F. H. Parrish, of this town, was the winner of the $500 piano. Sev eral other prizes in certificates were awarded the successful counters. W. M. STEWART'S CAREER ENDED NEVADA'S FORMER SENATOR DIES IN WASHINGTON. Served for Nearly 30 Years In th? Senate and Delivered Many Nota ble Speeches?Underwent Opera tion at Georgetown Hospital on March 31 and Failed to Recover. Washington, April 23.?William Morris Stewart, for 28 years a sen ator from Nevada, and probably the foremost advocate during the last half century of the free and unlimit ed coinage of silver, died early this morning at the Georgetown Univer sity Hospital. He had been at the hospital since March 30. On March 31 an operation was performed, from which he rallied and made prepara tions for his summer vacation. But last week he suffered a relapse which resulted fatally. Senator Stewart was born in Lyons, N. Y., August 9, 1827, so that he was nearly 82 years old. When a child he removed with his parents to Trunibell county, Ohio. He re ceived a good education and taught school. Then he went to Yale, and while there in the winter of 1849 he heard of the gold discoveries in Cal ifornia and became one of the great army of "Forty-niners." He arrived in San Francisco in 1850 and engag ed in mining with pick and shovel in Nevada county. Later he studied law and engaged politics, becoming attorney general of California in. 1854. In 1860 he removed to Virginia City, Nev., the state with which his name is most closely identified. He became interested in silver mining and was one of the most persistent preachers of the doctrine of free sil ver. He was a member of the "Ter ritorial Council in 1861; in 1863 he waH a member of the Constitutional Convention of tlie new State of Ne vada. and was elected United States senator in 1864. In 1869 he was re elected, but at the end of that term he was defeated. He returned to the Senate in 1887 and remained there until 1905. For nearly 25 years Senator Stew art was one of the picturesque fea tures of the Senate. A man of su perb physique, six feet and more in height, with broad shoulders, long white hair and a partriarch beard, he was always a striking figure In the Senate. Half a dozen times in his life Mr. Stewart made a forutne, and when he was rich his greatest pleasure was to entertain his friends and to relieve distress. He made money and he spent it, and when it was gone he went out and made more. When he left the Senate In 1905, an old man beyond the allotted three score years and ten, Mr. Stewart was "broke." Friends in the Sen ate offered to help him, but he cheerily refused all aid and went back to Nevada. As a miner, he naturally struck for Goldfield, though it was a gold camp and he, all his life, had been a silver miner. He went to work and in a year he came back to Washington once more a rich man.?Baltimore American. GENERAL NEWS. Peter Fenelon Collier, publisher of Collier's Weekly, dropped dead of appoplexy at the Riding Club in New York Friday night. Portugal had an earth quake shock Friday which greatly frightened the Inhabitants as they feared a repeti tion of the quake of 1755 when 60, 000 people lost their lives. In 1531 Lisbon was the centre of a terrible earthquake shock which cost the lives of 30,000 people. Governor George Leavens Lilley, of Connecticut, died last week, aged 50 years. He was elected governor last November and had served but a few months. He is the first gov ernor of Connecticut to die in of fice since 1818. David Turpie, former Democratic Senator from Ii.diana, died last week, at the age of 70. Former Vice President Fairbanks, who is, with his family, taking a trip around the world. Is now at Hon olulu, Hawaii, where he made an ad dress to the Hawaiian legislature Monday. A workman fell from tbe thirty fourth floor of the Metropolitan Life Building In New York Monday and was crushed to death on the pave ment below.